Comemplationr. Ltrs. I I I. , ---------- ~~~~~~~~~~~ from-God, yer rhis favour is fewnded with a grear<r. Heisbldfed becaufehewould !>- rarherhalr,rhenleave ere he was blelled. Ifhe had left fooner,he had nor halred,but he had nor profpeted That mm !hall goe away found but miferable that loves a limbemorc then a bleffing. Surely if}acob had nor wreflled wirhGod hee had beene foyled with evils: how many are rhe troubles ofthe righteous! Now longafrer, Rac/;rl, the comfort ofhis life, dyerh.And when,bur in her rravell , and in his rravell to his f.,rher? When bee had now before digdied in his thoughts the joy and ~rarularion ofhis aged Father, fof(o welcome aburden. His children,(the flaffe ofhis age)wound his foul to thedeath.llellbtn proves incefluous Judah adulterous, Dinah ravi!hcd, Sin;eon and Lwi JifUrderolls, Er ond Ono11 fltick<~; dead , Jofoph loft, Sime"n imprifoned; Bmjami", the death ofhisMother rhe Fathers right·hand, indangered ; himfelfe driven by famine inhis old age todie a- t mongfl rhe JEgyptians, a people that held it abomination' to earwith him. Ifthat Angel!, withwhomhe flrove, and who therefore llrove fdr him, h~d nor deliveted his foule our ofall adveriicy, he had beene ft1pplanred with eviUs, and hall been fo f.me from gaining the name of Ifrael, rhar he had lofl.rhemme ofJ•cob : nowwhat fonnc of I{rael can hopcfor good dayes, when hee heares bisFatherswere foevill? Iris enou!\h form, ifwhen we are dead, we canrellwith him in rhelandofPro• mife. If rhe Angell ofthe Covenant once bleffe us, no paine, no forrows can make us miferable. OJD I NAH. c , Find bur oneonly daughrer ofJ•cob. Who mull needs ther!fore be a great dar!ingroher Father; and !he fo mifcaries, that thee caufeshcr Farhers griefe to be more then his love. As hermother Lt•h; fo!hehathafaulrinhereyes; which wasCurioiiry: Shee will heeilsll:•;~t!d be feene; and whiles!hedorh vainely fee, thee isfeeneltiflfully. Itisnor enough for usro looke to our owne tboughrs,exceptwe beware Dfthe provocarionsoforhers: If wee once wander out ofrhe !ills rh 3t God bath fer us inour callings, there is nothingbut danger: Her 'Virginity had beenefafe, if!hehad kep< home; or if Sechtm had forcedher in her 'mothersrenr , rhis loffeofher Virginity had bcede withour her finne; nowfhe is D not innocent that gave the occa~on. Her tyes were guilty of the Temptation; Only ro fee isan inliJflicienr warrant to draw us into places offpiriruall hazard:ffS.chemhad feen her bufie at home, hialove had been free from our-ra~e,now the lighmeffeofher prefence gave encouragement eo his inordinate defires. lmmodelly ofbehaviormakesway to lufl;&gives llfe unro wicked hope;:yet Si<hem bewrayesagood natureeven in filrhineffe;He loves DJn•h 1afrerhis fin ne, and will needsmarry her whomhe had defiled. Commonly lultends in loathing: A111:non abhors Th•m•r as mnch, afrer his att,as hefore,he loved her;and beat her out ofdoores, whom hewas ficke to bring in. But Sechem would nor let Din•h fare rhe worfe f9r his iinne. And now he goes about ro enrcrraine her with honefllove whom the rageofhis lull had dithonellly abufed. Herdellouring fhall E be no prejudice rober,fince her !hame !hall redound to none but him,&hewill hrde her difhonour with thenameofanHulband. What could he nowdoe,but fue to his ·Farher,ro hets,ro her !elf, to hetbrethren; increating rhatwirh humble, fubmiffio•> which he might have obrained by violence? Thofe.at\1ons which are ill begun,c.a hordly be falved up withlare f.ilsfattiods; wheras good entrancesgives ltrcngth un· ro the proceedings,and fucceffe to theend. . The yong mans father dorh nor only confem,but folicire;and is ready ropurchafe adaughter either wirh fubfhnce,or paine: The rwo oldmen would have onded rhe matter peaceably·bur yourh~ommonlyunderrakcira!hly,and performes with paf!icn. The fonsofjacob thinkot:-nothi~gbut rev:eng, and. (which i~~vorno;all~begin theircruelty with cf3ft, andh1de rheucraft w1th1.\.ehguxJ.: A fmdmg ma,,ce JSmofr ·------~----r-----------------~----------------~d.~dlu__
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