Llll.XIX. Samariaerfamine -releeved. 1'). jawcs ofdeath:thofe fiatdy Palaces, which they now wonder at unwillingly, carrY ---- . np refemblance to tbem, but of theit graves: Every Jfradite feemes an executioner; every houfe a Jay le; every beame a Gibbet: And now they looke upon E/ifo•ttanf- · formed ftom their gu[de,to their commonmurderer, with horror and palenclfe: It is mofl jufi with God to int3ngle tht plotters ofwickedneffe, in their owne foare; ·' H >w glad is a mortal! enemy to fnatch at all advantages of revenge~ Never did tht J(ing of Ifrad fee a more plealing light, then fo many syri411 throats or his mercy : and as lochrolofe fo faire a day,(as ifhis fingers irched tobedip't in blood)he faits; <.MJ f•ther ,f/¥0 I fmite,Jh•ll I fmittthem? The repetition argued defire,the compel. lation, reverence: Nor withoutallowance of a Prophec, would the·King of l{r~tlla'j his hand upon an enemy,fo miraculoullytrained home: His heart was flil toule with B idolarry,yer would he not taint his hadd with forbiddon blood: Hypocrilie will be frill fcrupulous in fomerhing, and in:Come awfull reflraint~ is a perfi:d counterfeit of conrci~occ. The charitable Prophet foone gives an angry prohibirion of /laughter; Thou fh•lt rm (mitnhem: Wo~lt/fl th••fmiu thoft ..hom tho• h4/ t•kenc.ptive, .,;,h thy f•ord, •ndwitp tk] howf As i(he faid,Thefe are Gods captives, not thine; and ifthey were thine own,1beir blood could not be fbed without cruelty: thoueh in the hot chafes ofwar,<x«Ju.tions may be juflifiable; yc:t in the coolenelfe of deliberation , it can be no otherrhen inhumane,to take thofelives which have beeo yeelded to mercy: But here, thy bow and thy fword are guilddfe ofthe fuecelfe1 only a Clrange providence ofthe Almighty hath call them intothine hands, whom neitherthy force, nor thy C fraud could have compalfed: !fit be vidory thouaim<fi at, overcome them with kindnolfe: Stt brt•d•nd rr!lttr btforethem,that they ""J eat•nd Jrink: Oh noble re· vcge pf Eliffil1to feafl his perfccutors!To provide a'Table for thefe,who had pi'ovi· ded a grave (or him:Thefe Syrians came to Doth•n ful ofbloodypurpofes to.Eiifb., he fends them from Samaria full ofgood.cheare,and jollity.Thus,thus fhould a Plo· phet puni(h his purfuers: No ven§eance bur this is heroical!, and fit for Chriflian Imitation: Tfthipe '"'"'J h•n~er,gi'llt himbrtad t• w, ifhtthir{f, !iv< him w41er to drink : FJr th"' foa/1 htAp '"'" offir<MJDn hiJ htAd;and the L11d JhaD r<rv.rd thtt: Bt 11Dll"'"''"le wit}; evil,bJ4t ovtrc#mt evill1flithg1Dd. The King oflfraell hath done that by hist<afl, which he coold not have done by his fword : The bands ofSyria will oo more come by way ofambulb , or iocurlion, D intothe boundsof Ifrael. Never did a charitable ad go: away without the retribution ofa bleffipg.Indoing.fome good to our enemies,we doe mofl good to our fdves; God cannc>tbut love irtus thisimitarion ofhis mercy, who bids his Sun fhine, and his rain fall where he ismofl provoked;and that love is never fruitlelfe. The Famine ojSamaria releeved. Ot many good turne; are Written in Marble ; foone have thefe Syrians forgotten the merciful!beneficence of Ifrad: After the forbearance of fome ho!lildnroade , all the forces of Syria are rnuflered againfl lthl· ram: That very Sall\aria which had rclecved the ditlrelfed Aramites, is by the Aramitts befieged, and i•afamifbed by thofe, whom it had fed. The famine within the walls was more terrible then the fword without. Their worllenemy was fbut wirhjn; and could not bediflodged oftheir owne bowels: Whitber hath the Idolatry oflfrael-brought them~ Before,rhey had beeo fcourged with war, with drought, with dearrh, as with fingle cord; they remain incorrigible, and now Cod twills two of thefe bloody lafbes together , and galls them even to death: there needs no o:her executioners then their own mawes. Thofe things which in their nature were notedible, (at leaf\, to an lfraelireJ were now both dear:, and dainty, the Alfewas (befides the untoothfomoelfe) an impure creator<: that which thdaw c;>fCeremonies had made uoct.:ane, the law of necdlity had made delicate ~nd precious: the bones offo carrion an head could not be picked for ldfe N nnn n then
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