n88 Contemplatjons. L1n.XVIII. - continedhislorvicemthe remple: withonebceathdoth Gode<porcboththefe; A The highplACes were nDI remDvtd,J<I 1ftvtrthtlt!Jt u!(~es heart_,..u_per[efl. Godwill not fee weakneffes, where he fees truth: How plealing a thmg ts lincerity that In favour thereofthe mercy ofour jull God digells manyan mour ~ Oh God, Jet our hearts goe upright, though our feet l!tde,the fall cannot(through thy grace)be deadly: how ever it may !h~me,orpaine us. Befides, to confront_his rivall~f~frael, B•4fha, this religious King ofludah, fetches in Btnh4dad the Ktng ofSyna mto Godsmhemancr,upon toodeare a rare- the breach ofhis leagu,, the expilation ofthe Temple. All the wealth wherewith tAfa had endowed the houfe ofthe Lord, was little enough to hire an Edomite, ro b,. tray his fidelity, and to invade!frael : Leagues may be made with Infidels; not at fuch a price, upon fuch termes ; There can be no warrant for a wilfull fubornarion B ofperfidioufneffe : In thele cafes ofoutward things, the mercy of God difpenftth with our true necdlities, not with the affected: 0 A{• where was thy piety, whiles thou robbell God, to corrupt an Infiddlfor the Daughter oflfratlites ~ b l'rinc<S, whereis your piety, whiles you hire Turhsro the flJughter ofChriflians? to the fpoile ofGods Church~ Yet (which wasworfe) Afo cloth not onely imploy the Syrian, burrelies on him, relies not on God; A confidence lelfe finfull call his Grandfather David dearc: And when H•n•ni Gods Seer, the Herald of heaven, CJme to denounce warre againll: him for thefe finnes, <.A {a in flead of penirenc., breakes into choler : Fury fpar. ',Jes in thofc eyes, which !hould have gu!hed out with water; Thole Jippes t~at fhould have called for mercy,command revenge; How ill doe rhefe two agree, The C hearrof David, the tongue of Ierobo•m ~ That holy Grandfather of his would not havedondo1 when Godsmclfengcr reproved him for linne, bee condemnedir and himfdfe for it; I fee !lis rearcs, I doe not hearc his threats :. It j!l becomes; faithful! heart to rage, where it !hould farrow ; and in flead of fubmillion, to perfecute : Sometimes no difference appcares betwixt a [ onnc of D4vid, and the fonnc ofNtbAt : Any manmaydoeill, buttodefendir, to outfaceit, is for rebels; yet even upright A[. imprilons the Prophet, and cru!hes his gainfayeu. le were pilie that the bell man !hould be judged by ev~ry of his aaions, and not by all ; The courfc ofour lite mull eith<r allow or condemncus, not thefe fudden eruptions. Asthe life, fo the Death.bed of A fa wanted not infirmities; Long and profperous had his raigne been; now after fourry yeares health and happineOo,he that im· D ·prifoncd the Prophet,is imprifoned in hi~ bee; Thm is more pai~e in thofe fetters which God pat upon Afo, then thofewh1ch A (a puts upon HAnam,. And now, behold, he tlm in his warre feekes to BenhadAd, notco God, in his fick""lfe feekes not ro God, but eo Phyfirians : We cannot calily pur upon God agreater wrong, then the alienation ofour rrufl: Emhly meanes are /or ufc, not for confidence;We may, we mull: imploy them; we may not rely upon them: Well may God challenge our rrull:, as his peculiar, which ifwe call upon anycreature, we deifie ic: Whence have herbes, and drugges, and Phyfirians, their being, and ellicacie, bur from thatdivine hand? No m.rvcll then if A(aes goutllrucke to his heart, and his feet caried him to hi; grave, fince his heart wa_s mifcaried for ~he cure of his feet, roan Injurious mifconlidencemthe mcanes,wtth neglect ofhtsMaker. · E Elijah 'With the Sareptan. k;::;:;:::~ro;iHo !houldbe march' t with MD{is in the hill ofTab~r, but Elijah? Surelynext after M•fis,therewas never any Prophetofthe old Tell:amenc woreglorious then he: None more glorious, none more obfcurc1 Theother Prophets are normentioned without the name of1htir Parenr,forrhe mutuall honour both ofthe father, and the fonne; Elij•h, (as ifhe had been a fonnc oftheearth) comes forth with
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