-- uS~ Ctmtemplations. L1a.XVII I - - - The fierce beatl ftandsby the carkaffe;as to avow his owne act & to tel who fe~t A him: to to preferYe that body, which hebath flaine: Oh wonderful! worke ofGod ! the Executioner is turned Guardian:and(as the officer of the High<fr) commands all other ctearures to tland aloofefrom his charge: &commands the fearcfull Affe that brought this burthenthither,notto ftircethence,but fiand ready pretl to recaryit to the Scpulcher:&now,when he bath fufficiently wicnetfed to all paffe~gers; rharthis atl was not done upon his owqhunger,bur upon thequare! of his Maker hedelivers up hischarge to that old Prophet;who was no lellcguilty ofthis blood tl;en himfelf. Th~s old_Scd_ucer_hath fo much truth, as both to giv_e aright Commentaryupon Godsmt<nuon,tn thts ac5!,for the terrour ofthedrfobedrent; and to give his voice to the certainty of that future judgement, which his late guetl hid threatned to Ifrael : (fometimcs it pleafeth the wifdome ofGod to exprelfe and jutlifie hirt]fel fe even by B the tongues of faulty intlruments.)Withall he hatb fo much faith and courage as to fetch that carcaffe from the Lyon ; fo much pity and compaflion,as to weep f~rthe man ofGod,to interre him in his owne Sepulcher; fo much lov<,as towifh himfelfo joyned in death,to that body,which he had hatlened unto death: It is hard to find a man abfolutcly wicked:Some grace will bewray it fdfe in the moll forfakcn brefis. \ It is a cruel courtelie to kill a man, and then to help hi111 to his guve; to betray a man with our brearh,and then to bedew him with our teares: The Prophet had needed no fuch friend, ifhe had not met with fuch an enemy : The mereits •f the widuJ ArllrtltO. ! I Jeroboams Wife. c ~~T 0 """'"'"'ofGod>&•= by •h• IOoofo~•• """" , •- h•Am the Idolatrous ufurper oflfradprofpers better, th<n the true heirs of Dav ld;Hc lives to fee three fucceflions in the throne ofl•d•h;Thus the Ivy lives,when theOak is dead.Yet cuoldnot that miC. gone crown of his,keep his head alwaies from achiog:He bath his crollC:s too: God wllips fometimes more then his own:Hisenemies fman from him,as wd as hischildren:his children in love,his enemies in judgement:Net limply the rod argues love, but the romper ofthe hand, that weelds it, and the back that feels it : Firfi Itr•ho"'" hand was ftricken,now hisSoone: Abijahthe ddefi, the betlfon of Itrobwn,is fm;r- o· rcn with fickneffe : As children are but the pieces ofrheir Parents in another skin, fo Parents arc no lctfe thicken in their children,thcn in thdr naturallims;I mb••m doth notmore fede his arme,then his fonne : not wicked mcn onely,but beatlsmay havC" naturall affellions : l! is oo thanke toany creature, to love his owne. Nature wrought in Itr~h•m,not grace:He is eoou8h troubled with his fans difeafc, no whit betrcred:I would have heard him fay;Go followos mewithhis atlli{lions, it is for mine impiery:what other meafurc can I expe6l from his ]utlice~ Whil<s mine Idols fiand,how can I lookthatmine houfefhould profperd wil turn frommy wickedncs, 0 God,turne thou from thy wrath ; Thefethoughts were too good forthat obdured hearr:hisfon is lick,he is forrowfull;l>ut(asan amazed man feels togoforth at the wrong door)his ditlraClion fends him to a falfe help:He thinks not ofGod,he E thinks of his Prophoi:He thinks ofthe Prophet that had fomold him he fhould be a King;he thinks not ofthe God ofthat Prophet who made him aKing:Iris the properry of a earnall heart to confine both his Obligations, and his hopes to the means, negl<c5!iRg the Author of good. Vainc is the repetfthatis given to the f<rvanr, where theMafier is contemned. · Extremity drawsltrob~amsthoughrsto the Prophet;whom dfe hehad not cared ro remember.The Kinf, of ifradhad Divines enough ofhisown:Eife he mufi needs hne thought themmi crablego?sthat wer~ not ~o.rth a Prophet:A~d belidcs, there was anoldprophet(if heyet furvrved)dwelhng wtthmthe fmoakofhtspalace,whofe vitions had been too well approved:why lhould Jmb••m fend fofarre toan AbiJah ~ Certainly, his heart defpiCcd thole bafe priotls of his high places, netther could bee trufi
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=