LIB. VII I. Of AcaAN. A earth,before their enemies; himfelfeis taKcd for bur lying all day, upon his face be· fore the Arke. All his expoftularions are a~fwereol in one word; Getlhtt up, Ifroel hath Jinnta'.l doe nor heare God fay, Lye fttll,& moumefor the fin of Ifrael.lt is 10 no purpofe to prayagainft punifhmenr, while tbe finne continues. And though God loves tobe fued re; yet he holds ourrequefts unfeafonable,till there be care had of fatisfatl.ion.When we haye rifen,& redreffed fin,then may we fal down for pardon. Viaory is in the free hand ofGod,todifpofe where hewill;& no man can marvell r!lar the dice ofWarre run ever wirh hazard..on both fides, fo asGod needed not to have given any other reafon ofthis difcomficure of Ifrad,but his owne ploafure: yet Iqfbltf!i mull now know, thi!t lfrael which before prevailed fur their faith, is beaten forcn<irfin.When we are croffed in jufiand holy quarrels,wemay well chinke there B is fome fecret evill unrepenred of,which God would punifh in us; which though we fee not,yet he fo hates,that he will rather be wanting to his owne caule,then not re. venge it.When w• goe about any enterprife of God,it is goad ro fee that our hearts be cleere from any pollution of fin; and when we are thwarted inour hopes,it is our beft courfe to ranfackaur felves,& to fearch for fame fin hid from us in our bofom, but open to the view ofGod. The OracleofGod,which toldhim,a great offence \vas comitred,yet reveal, nor the perfon Ir had boen lS ealie for him,to have Mmed the man as the crime,Neither docb ufh.. requeftir; but refers that difcovery to fuch ameaoes, as whereby the offender (finding himfdfe tingled our by the lot) might be moft convinced. c.Achan thought he might have !yen as clofe in all that throng oflfrael,as the wedge ofgold C lay in his Tent. The fame hopeof fecrefiewhith moved him to finne, moved him to confidence in his finne: but now, when he faw the lot full upon his Tribe he began to ftart alittle;when upon his Family,he began to change countenance; ,;hen upon his houfhold,to tremble & feare; when upon his perfon, to be utterly confounded in himfelfe. Foolilh men thinke to runnc away with their privie finnes ; and fay,Tufi1,noeye fi1all fee me: but wheothey think themfelves fafeft,God puis them one with fhame. Tbeman that hath efcapedjuftice,and now is lyingdowne in death would thinke; My fbame lhall never bedifclofed, but beforemen and Angds lhati he be brought on the fcaffold, and finde confuf.on, as fur< as late. What needed any other evidence, when God bad accufed Ach•n!Yer I•fh•• will have the fin out of his mouth, in whofe heart it was hatched; My fOnm, I befmh tlm D giveglory t• cod. WhoGod had convinced as a malefactor,Iofl,•• befeeches asa fon. Some hot fpirit would have faid;Thouwrerc!.Jed rraitor,how haft thou pilfred from thy God, and fbed the bloud offo many Ilradites, and caufed the Hoft_of Ifrael eo fi1ew their bJckes,with difhonour,to the Heathen! now lhall we fetch this fin our of thee with tortures; and plague thee "ith acondigne death. But like the Difciple of himwhofe (ervant he was,hemeekly inrreats that,which he might have extorted by violence,(My fonne,I htftechthee.)Sweernef!e ofcompellation,is agreat help towards the good entertainment ofan admonition:roughneffe & rigor, many times hardens thofe hearrs,which meekoeffe would have melted to repentance:whether we fue, or convince, or reprove,littlegood is gotten by bitternelfe. Dereflation ofthe fin,may well ftand wtth favourto the perfon : and rhefe two net diftinguifhed caufe great E wrong ei<her in our charity, or juftice; for, either we uncharitably hare the creature ofGod, or unjufily affect the evill ofmen. Subjects areas they are called, fonnes to the Magiftrore: All Ifrael was not onelyofthe family, but as oftheloynes of Iojhua; fuch muft be the corrections, fuch the provifionsof Governors, as for their children; as againe, the obedience and love ofSubjects mull be filiall . God bad glorifiedhimfelfe fufficiently, in finding outthe wickedneffe of Achan; neither eeed he honour from men,much lelfc from (inners;They can difhonour him by their iniquities, but wlm recompence can they give him for their wrongs! yet Iofhua Cayes,My fonne,give glory t•God; lfrael fhould now fee,th1t the tongue of.Ach•n did juftifie God in his lot. The confeflionofour fins doth n<> leffchonour God,then his glory is blemifhed by their commiflion.Who would not be glad to redceme the honour ofhis Redeemer, with his own fhame ~ liii 1 The
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