Lr B. IIII. The 4fijf}ionoflftae/; Sij A wwes,whocan harm them(Even the not doing ofevil\ is rewarded withgo~d.A~d I why did they profper ~ Becaufe,they feared Ghd; no; for th,eir,~flimulation, b~t I theirpiery.So did God regard their mh,;f,that e regarded nor tf ·} infirmity.Ho1¥ 1 fondly doe men lay the thank upon the finne, which is due to the venue: true wife- I dome reaches to difiinguiflJ Gods aCtions, and to .afcribe ihem to the right dt~fl I I Pardon belongs to the lye oftheMid--wives,andremunerarion to tHeir good1 e~ profperitytotheirfeareofGod. ' . ~ l~ : 1 Bur rhat which theMid-wives will not,the mulrimde Onll doe;Irwere llfari§"';lf I wicked rulers 01ould nor finde fomeor other inflnunenrs ofviolence: all the P"oplc ' mufi drownwh6 rh<:.women faved. Cruelty hatb butfoioked before,now i~ Oamei; I up,fecret r.ractifing liarh made it ihamek!fe,thatnow,it dare proclaim<-tyr:inn.~.rltis B amiferab e fb.te, where every man ts mad~ an exocuuoner; there can be: no greireu I ' argument ofan ill caufe,then a bloudy ptrfecution, wlwroas Trttth upholds. hedelt . bymildoe!fe,and is promoted by patience.This is their aCl,what was their iflitdTh<- ' people mufi drowne their males, thenifdves are drowned: 'hejrdyed by the f~me meanes,bywhich theycaufed the poore ffraelitifujofants to dye;that law ofretaliation which GOd will not allowtous,becaufe we arefdllo:.V- creotw:es, hejufily raClifethinus. God would have usreade our fins in our.judgements, that we m ghc' both repent ofour fins, and give glory to his }ufiice; ! Ph•r.oh raged beforc,much mote now,that hesecelved •m•lfage ofdifmitlioll; the moniti6s ofGod make ill men worfe:the 1vaves l:!o ilot beat,nor roare any 1vhere fomuch,as atthe bank wl1ich rellrains them. Corruption when irischecked,{,"'"" c madwith roge;asthe vapour in acloud would not make that fearefuH repon,i itmet not with oppofition. A good hean yedds at the fiilldl voice ofGod : But th~ moll gracious mo>ions ofGod hardenthe wicked.Many would not be fo'deJ\:erately'f~~ led in their fins,ifthe word had not cot\trou!ed them. Howmild ~.me le was thi~ to PhAY4oh, and yet how galling~ WtprAJ1httltt ll'·goe. God c'omman trtm loot' which he feared.He tooke pleafure in the prefent fervitude ofifrael: God calls fora releafc.Ifrhe fute had beene for mitigation oflabour, for prefervati6n oftheir chil• dren,it might have carried fome hope,and havefonndfomefav.our:but now Gqd: re' quires that which he knoweswill as much difconrenr PIJAr~ob, as fhAr•ihicruelry coulddifcontent the Ifraelites;Ltii/J g~t.How conrr:uyareGods precepts to naturall minds~ and indeed, as they love tocro!fe him in their praClife,fo he loves to cr9(]'e D them in their commands before, and. his puniflunenrsatierwards: It is a dangerous figne ofan ill heart to feele Gods yoke heavy. · · M'./(1 ta!ksoffacrifice,Ph4rd0htalk~ of worke. Any thing feerrres due worke t<.> a carnall mind faving Gods fcrvice: nothing foperfluous,b"ut religiousduties.Chrift tels us,there is but onethingneceffary: Narure tels us there is nothing bur that needldfe:Mofti fpeaks ofdevotion,Phar40h Ofidlene!fe. It hath bin an old ufe, as to caft faire colours upon our owne vicious aClions,fo to call evill afp,erfions upon thq:<Jod aClions ofothers.The fame Devill that fpoke in Phar.ah,fpeakcs frill inour fcoffers, a•d calls Religion H'ypocrifre,confcionable care,lingularity.EVery vice bath a title, and every verrue a difgrace. . Yet while poffibletaskes were impofcd,iherewas forllecomfort: Their diligeoce E might fnve their backs from llripes.Theconceit ofa.benefit to the commander,and hope ofimpunity to the labourer,might giveagood pretence to greatdifficuloies:but I to require tasks not f:Ufible,is tyrannicall,and dotbonely picke a quarrell ro puni(],; they could neither make firaw,nor linde it,yer :bey mufi have it. Do wh:ti in aybe; I IS tolerable;butdo what cannot be,iscruell.Thofewhich are a!Jove-others in,lacC'"; I mufi_meafure theircomma~ds,not by tlroi<Owne 'Yill~,but by the firengtho }hdr mfenours.To reqwre more ofabeaft thm he can doc,ts mhumane.The taske ts not done; thetask-mafiers are beaten: the puniihment !yes where the ch>r~e j5 ; th~y. mufi exatltt ofrhepeople,Phara.bofthem. It is the mlfery ofrhdfc whrch aretru" fied with authority, that their inferiours.faults art beateri upon their backs . This was not the fault to require it ofthe taske-mafiers; but to require it by the ta~ke- · mafiers,ofthe people. Publikeperfons do oithergood ol ill wirh'a thoufandhands, ' and withno fewer fiJall receive it. . . cfl_ -
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=