9U. [ontemplations. LIB. VII I. great warriours oflfrael that threw down the wals ofJericho. Thofe foundations A were not fo llightly laid,asthatthey could not indure either a look,or amarch or a battery : It was the Ark ofGod, whofe prefence demolifhed the walls ofthat'wicked Cit~. The fame power that drave back the waters ofJordan before, and afterwards latd Dagon on the floore,call down all thofe forts.The Priells beare on their lhoulders that mighty engine ofGod, beforewhich thofewals, ifthey had bin of molten braffe,couldnot !land.Thofe fpirituall wickednelfes,yea,thofe gates ofhell, whtch to nature are utterly tnVtnC!ble,by the power oftheWord ofGod(which he hath committed to the carriageofhis weak fervams)areoverthrown and triumphed over. Thy Ark,O God, hath bin longamongll us l how is it that the walls ofour corruptions !land llill unruined ~ It hathgone before us; his Priells have carried it, we have not followed it, our heatts hav< not attended upon it l and therefore how B mighty foever it is in it felf,yet to us it hath not binfo powerfull,as itwould. Seven daies togetherthey walk this round;Theymade this therefore their Sabbaths daies journey ; and who knowes whether the !all and longell! walk, which brought vtaory to Ifrael,were not on this dayf Not long before,an Ifraelitt is lloned to death for but gathering a few !licks that day: Nowall the holloflfraelmull walkabout the walsofa lar~e and populous City, and yet doe not violate the day. Gods precept is the rule oft e jullice ~nd holineffe ofall our actions: Or was ic,for that revenge up<>n Gods enemies is an holy work, and fuch as God vouchfafes to priviledge with his own day~ or, becaufewhen we have undertaken the exploits of God, he willabideno inrermi!liontill we have fulfilled them~ He allowes us to breathe, not tobreakofftill we have finilhed. c It hadbinas eafie for God to have given this fucceffeto their firll daieswalk,yea to their fidl: pace,or their firll fight ofJericho; yet he will not give it umill the end ofthci•· fevendaies toile:lt is thepleafure ofGod to hold usboth in workand inexpedation; and tho'!ih he reguireour continuall indeavoursfor the fubduinffofour corruptions,during e fix dates ofour life, yet we lhall never finde itperfetl y effeded till thevetyevening of our !allday : In the meane timeitmull content us that weare inourwallc,and that thefewalls cannot !land,when we come to the meafute and number ofour perf~dion. A good heart groanes under the fenfeofhis infirmi. ties, f.Une would be rid ofrhem,and llrives and praies: butwhen he hath ~11 done, untilltbe end of the feventh day,itcannot he: Ifa !lone orrwo moulder off from thefewalls in the meanerime, that is all; butthe foundations will not be removed D till then. When we~teoffogreat adefigne as the miraculouswinningofa mighty City, whowould notlook for fome glorious meanes to work it~ when we heare that the ArkofGod mull befiege Jericho, who would notlookfor fome royall equipage~ But behold,here fe.en Priellsmull goe before it,with feven Trumpets ofRammes horns. The Ifraelites had trumpets offilver,which God had appointed for the ufe ofalfembling anddilfolving the Congregation, for war,and for peace. Now I doe notbear them called for; but in !lead thereofTrumpets ofl:\.ams homs;bafe forthe matter, andnot loud for found; the lhorrneffe and equall meafure of thofe inllru· mentscould!lot afford,either Ouilnelfe ofnoifc,or variety.How mcaneand homely are thof~ meanes whichGod commonlyufes in the mol!gloriousworks.Nodoubt, E the CitizensofJericho anfwered this dull alarum oftheirs, from theirwalls, with other inlhumenrs oflouder report, and moremartiall ollentation : and the vulgar Ifraelites thot~ht We have as cleare and as colllytrumpets as theirs; ~et nd man dares offer to ou~d the better,when the worfe are commanded. Ifwe ode theor1 dinancesofGoclpoore and weak,let it content us thatthey are ofhis ownchoofing, andfuch as whoreby hewill fo much more honour him!elfe, as they in themfelves are more inglorious. Not the out-fide, butthe efficacy,ts tt that God caresfor. No Ram ofiron could havebin fo forcible for batteryas thefeRamshomes:For ·when they foundedlong,and were fecorided with the lhot~toft~e Ifra~lites, all the· wals ofJericho fdl down at once: They made the heaven nngWith thclf 01out; bur the ruine ofthofewalls drowned their voyce, and gaue a pleafaor ~inde ofhorrour to
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