Contemplations. · , LtB.XX. be,in a cafeofnecellity, as howwell the infidesbe furoiJhed with liocere devotion A 0 the cruel! hard heartedoeffe ofthofe menwhich will rather fufferthe livina Tern~ pies of God to be ruined,theo theywill raofome their life, with tmhings! 0 • It could not be, hut that the !\ore ofneedy It~tl•h muft fi>oo be drawn dry with fo 1 _..- derpan n:aaioo, that fumme cannot be fent,becaufe it cannot be raifed: The cruell Tyrant calls for his Bricks whiles he allowes no ftraw1 His anger is kindled b<caufe Ht"e~i•hs Coffers have a bottom~ ; with a mighty h~ft doth he come up againft ImJ.lem; therefore Jhall that City be defhoyed by htm, becaufe by him it bath been impoverifhed;the inhabitants muft beflaves,becaufe they are beggm. Oh Iamentablc,and,in fighr,dcfperate condition of diftreflcd Itrufolem ! wealth it had none; ftrcngth it had, bur a little ; all the Country round about was fubdued to the vff!j•i•s; that proud vittor bath begin the walls ofit, with an innumrrable B army, fcorning that fuch a fhovcll-full ofunh Jhould ftand out but one day; Poorc Ier•foltm ftands alone, blocked up with a world ofenemies, hclplcffe, friendldfc, comfortldfc,loolcing for the worft ofan hoftlle fury; when 7•""" and R•bf•ris, and R•~Jh•keb, the great Captaincs oftbe Af!jri... s call to a parlee. !lt<jki•h fends to them thrct ofhis primeofficors, his Steward , his Secretary, his Recorder. Lord, what infolent blafphemiesdoth that foule mouth of R•bfh•keh belch out again!\ the living God,agaioft his aaointcd fervant! Howplaufibly doth hcdifcouragc the fubjefu of Htuki•h,how proudly doth he infult upon their impotency, howdorh he brave themwith bafeoffers of advantaj\e; and lallly, how cunninglydorh he fore-lay their confidence (which was only left them) in the Almighty, prorefiing not to he come up rhirher wirhoutth~ Lord; C TNt L1rtlfoid 11 "' '• Goe •P 11 this IAifli,•RJ deflr'1 it1 How fearfull a word was this! The ren were but vain cracks,this wasa thunderbolt to ftrike dead the heart of Htzeki•h; If R•~fh•kth could have been beleeved, ltrN{Alem could not but have flown open; How could it think !0 ftand out nolelfe againft God, then men ! Even thus doth the great enemy otmankinde; if he can difh.arrcn the foule from a dependance upon the God of rnercies,rhe day is his: Lewd mifcreanrs care:not how they bely God for their own purpofca. Eli•kimt he Steward ofHt'{!kia/, well knew, how much thepeople muft needs be affetted with thispernicious fuggefiion; and faine would therefore, if not ftop that wicked mouth, yet divert th<fe blafphemies into a foraine exprellion. I wonder that any wife man Jhould look for favour from an enemy: Spt~kt I P"J thtt, 11shy lfir11antr in the SyriAn language: What WlS this but to teach an adverf•ry how to do D mifchiefe? Wherefore came Ra,Jbakeh rhithrr but to gallllt<jki•h,to withdraw his fubj~tls~ That tongue is propercft for him which may hurt moft; Deprecationsof evillto amaliciowmanareoo better then advices. An unknowne idiome is fir to keep counfdl;they are familiar words thlt muft convey ought to the ooderftaodiog. Lewd men are the worle for admonitions. ' Rabfhal<th had not fo ftrained his throat to corrupt the citizens of ItrN/•I<m, had it nor been t:orthe humbleobreft~rionof Elidi"'; Now he reares up his voice, and holds his fides,and roares our his double blafphcmies;onewhileaffr~hring the propie with the great power ofthe mighty King of Af!jr/4 ; anothe: wh1le debating the contemptible force of Htzeki.b1now fmoothly alluring them wtth the alfurancesof a fafe and fucceiTefull yeddancc; thell, difcouragingthem withthe ilnpoffibility of E rheirdelivcrance;laying before themthe fcarfull examples of greater nations vaoquifhed,by 1hat fword,which was now fi1aken ov<r them 1 triumphing in the impotency, & mifcariage oftheirgods: W h< .,, sbty •m••g .u 1 heKl<ls •f 1 bt CDunJ~itt ,thAt b1vt Jt/ivtredthtir CDUMIYJ 6NI 1jmint hAnJ,ThAt the Ltrd f/•••fddt/111tr !tr•f•lt•, ~·I 1j mint hAnd?Whtrt Artt6e goJSI{Arp•J, •nd •f !lAmAth? Wherc ! but ID that helhfh darknefle,that it ordained both for them and for thee , barbarous v! JfJri•t~, thar~areft thus openthy mouth againft thy M:t.ker: And call thofe Athcous eyes of !~toe I f~c nodilfcrmcc ofgods?Istherc nodiftance betwi~t a ftock,orftooe, and t~at IDfilniteDciryrhatmadeheavenandearth! It is enough that thou now fodeft1t; thy torments h~vc taught thee roo lare,that thoualfront<dft a living God. How
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