Contemplations. L1n.X XI. --~--~--~----~. mi•barrne hispeople;and for the time,~hangco th<irtro\\tls inro fwords,1nd fpcarcs, A and bowes; ratfing up their courage wnh a vehement exhortation, to r<membcnhe Lord, which is great, •ntl t trrlble, •nd t.' fight for thtir brttlre•,thtir f•••, th~~rda•gh. ters, thtir ,.;vts,•ntith<ir hDufts.l:'ot~tng can fo hralt<n usro the encountring ot any evill,as the remembrance ofthat 10finuc power and wifdt me which can either avert or mitigate,or fantlifie it: we could not foint ifwe did not forget God.• ' Nccdlity urges a man to fight for himfelfe, love inablcs his hand 10 fight for thofe which challenge apart in him; where love meets with necdlity, there can want 00 indevourof victory; Nec<llity can make even cowards, valianr; love male the vaJi. ant, unrdillible: Nehtmiah doth not therefore perfwade thrfc ]ewes to fight for themfelves, but for theirs: The judgement of the imcrcll, and danger, cannot but quicken the dullell fpirits. ~ B Difcovered counfels are already prevented: Th<fe fcrpents die by being firll fetn· Whttfthe tlftmies hurd lh•l it"'"' kn•wne unll 114, they let fall their plot. Could w~ defcrie the enterprifes ofSatan, that tempter would return< afhamed. It is a fafe point ofwifdome to carty a jealous •ye over thofe,whom we have once found hollow, and holltle: Fromthat time forth Nchtmiah divided the task, betwixt the trowdl, and the fword1 fodifpofing of every lfrae!ite, that whiksone hand was a Mafon, the other was a louldier: one is for work, the other for defence. Oh lively imageofthe Church militant, wherein every one labours weaponed ; wh([cin there is neither an idle fouldier, nor a fecure wmkeman : every one fo builds, as that he is ready to ward temptations; every one fo wcilds the fword ofthe Spirit, for defence, ·that VJi<hall he bUilds up himfelfe in his moll holy faith; here is neither a fruitldfe C valour, nor a unf,fc diligc~ce. nut what canour weapons availe us, if there be not meanc:s to warne us of::tn cne. m}r':" Without a trumpet we are armed in vainc.The worlu ii great 11nd /4rgt,a11dwe 11re ftp•ratttlopon the wJI, ••• forre fr•m •••ther: Yea fo farre as the ut moll bounds of the <arth, are we feparated on• from another, upon the walls of the fpirituall Jerufalem· oneiy the facred Trumpets of God call us, who are di!lant in place, to a combinatio~ in profellion. And who arc thofc Trumpets, but the publike melfengers of God, of whomGod hath faid; If tltt W•tchm•n fietht (!T!DTti ,.,,u,anJblorl! nil th<trornptt,and t/;e people bt n1t !T!ATfltd,ifthe (.. ora m11e,ud like any ptrfolf Jrorn •m~ng them,ht il talctn ""''1 ilf hu iniquity h•t hil """will l rrqoirt At the Watchmans h•nd. Wo be to us ifwe found not; ifthe found we give beunccrtainc: WO be to our ptllpk,ifwhen we rre- D moniJhtbem of encmies,ofjudgments, theyfitllillunmoved, not buckling themfdvcs to a rdillance, to a prevention. _ ' · It isa mutu?!l aide, to which tht fe Trumpets invite us;we might fight aparr, with· out~ he fignals of war; Inwhat pl•ct ye hurt the {iud ofthtTro,.ptt, rt{lrt ytthither R•to m. There can be no fafety to the Church, but where every man thinlcs his life, and welfare confills in his fellowes; Conjoyned forces may profper, fingle oppofiti. ons are defpcrate : All hearts and hands mull m~et in the cornmonquarrell. Nehemiah redrefting the extortion oftheJetl?es. Ith what difficulty dothef<O rniferable Iewes fettle in their Ieru. falem ~ The feare of forraigne enemies dorh not more afflitl tbemrhentheextortion oftheirowne: Dearth is added unto war : Miferies doe not llay for a mannerly fuccellion to each other, but in a rude importunity throng in at once. Dabel may be built wirh eafe, but whofoevcr goe~ about to raife the waits ofGods City,fhall have his hands fuii:The incur/ionofpublike enemies m1y be prevented with ·vigilancie and power ; but there is no defence againll the fecret gripes ofopp:eflion: Tlrere is no remedy, the Jews are fo taken up with rheJrtroweJ, and fword, fo:the t1me, E
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