[ontemplations. Lis.llU. ' A. . 0Jthe birth ttndbreedingof M o s !: s• • T is a wonderthat Amram the father of M•fis, wou\d thinke ofthe mariage bed in fo rroublefomea time,when he knewhe fi1ould hegetchildren eitherto !lavery or!laughter: yet even now in the hear ofthis bondaoe he mariesll<htbul: the drownmg ofhis fons wl!S not fo great an eVil!, 7ts his owne burning; the thraldome ofhis daughters not fo great an evil, as the fubjeClion unto linfull defires. He therefore ufes Gods remedy for his linne; and referres the fequell ofhis da~rto God. How necelfary is this imitation for rhok which have not the power ofcontaining! perhaps wewould have thought it better B to livechildlelfe: but t..AmrAm andi~e~t~td durfl:not incurrethe danger ofalin, to avoid the danger ofamifchiefe.No doubt when I~eltthtd the mother of Ml{tsfaw a man-child born ofher,and himbeautiful! and comely,lhe fell into extreamepallion, to thinke that the executioners hand lhould fucceed theMidwives. All the time of herconception,lhe could not but feare a fonne; now{he fees him,and thinkes ofhis birth and death at once, her fecond throes aremore grievous then her firfl:. The paines of travel! in others are fomewhat mitigated with hope, and coumervailed with joy,that a man-childis boto;in her they are doubled with feare;the remedyof others is her complaint:fl:iU fi1e lookes when fome fierce £gyprian would come in, and fnatch her new-born infant out ofher bofome; whofe comelineffe had now alfo added to her affettion. C Many timesGod writes prefagesofMajefiy and honor,evenin the faces ofchildri'. Little did fi1e thinke,that lhe heldin her lapthe DeliTerer oflfrael. It isgood to hazard in grearefl: appearances ofdanger.If !lcht~ulhad faid,lfl beare a fon,they will kill him, where had beenethe great Refcuer of Ifrael ~ Happy is that refolmion which can follow God hood-winkt,and let himdifpofe ofthe event: When{he can no longer hide him in her wombe,lhe hides him in her houfe,afraid !ell: every ofhis cryings fimuld guide the executioners to his cradle• .1\nd now lhe fees her treafure can be no longer hid,fi1e {hips him in abarke ofbulruf11es, and commits him to me mercy ofthe waves,and (whichwas more mercilelfe) tothe danger ofan£gyptian palfenger,yet doth lhe not leave nim without aguardian. No tyranny can forbid her to love him, whom lhe is forbidden to ktepe; Her D daughters eyes mull: fupply the place ofher armes. And ifrhe weake affeCtion of a mother,were thus effeelually careful!,what lhallwe think ofhim,whofe love,whofe compallion is(as himfelfe) infinite~ His eye, his hand,cannot but bewith us, even whenwe forfake our fdves: Mofis hadnevera fl:ronger protettion about him,no not when all his Ifraelitcswere pitched about his Tent in the Wildernelfe, then now when he lay fprawling alone upon the waves: nowater,no £gyptiancanhurt him. Neither friend nor motherdare owno him, and now God challenges his cufl:ody. Whenwe feeme moll: negleeled and forlorne in our !elves, then is God moll prefenr, moll: vigilant. His providencebrings PhArAihs daughter thither to walh her felfe. ;rhofe times lookt for no great fl:ate: A Princelfe comes to bathe her felfin the open fl:reame: !he E meant only to wafi1 her fdf; God fetches her thither, to deliver the Deliverer ofhis people.Hisdelignesgoebeyondours.We know not (when we fer our foot over our tlu·cfimld)what he hathtodo with us.This event feemedcafuall to this Princetfe,but predetermined and provided by God,before I11e was: ~ow wifely and fw'eedy God brings to palfe his own puryofes, in our i~norance and regardlefnelfe! She fa~~ the Arke,opens it,finds the child weepmg; hts beauty and Ius teares had Godprovtded for the fl:rong perfwalioos ofmercy.ThiS young and ltvely OratQry prevaded. Her heart is !lmck withcompallion,and yet her tongue could fay; 11 il An Hebrtlf> ch11J. See here the merciful! daughter ofa cru>H father:Itis an uncharitable and i•juri1 ous ground, to judge ofthe childs difpolition by the parents. Howwell doth pmy befeeme great perfonages! & mofl:inextremiries.It had beene death to anotherto r('r(l~ ~--~------------------------~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=