Lxs. YIII. Of the (jibeonitu. 917 A wherewith h~ fees Gthers mifcary,and not to bel~evc,till he cannot recover. Ouraf. - [cot is purchafed too late, when wehave ovcrllayed prevention; and troll to that experience which w~ cannot live to rodeeme, Oncly the Hivites are wifcr then their fellowes,& will rather yeeld & live. Their intelligence was not diverfe from the cell ; all had equally heard~f the miraculous coodult,and fuccdfe oflfrael: bur theirrefolutioo was diverfe. AsR•h•b faved h<r Family, in the midll of Jericho : fo thefe foureciries preferved themfclves, in the midi! of Canaan; and both ofthem,bybclceving what God would do.The dlicacy ofGods marvellous workcs, is not in the aas themfelves, bot in our apprehenfion ; fome arc overcome with thofe motives, which others have contemned for wrakc. B Had thefc Gibeonites joyned with the forces ofall their neighbours,they bad pcrilhed in their common lhughtcr; If they had not gone a way by thcmfdves, death had met them; It may have more pleafurc,it cannot have fo much fafcry, to follow the multitude. Ifexamples may lead us, the grcatell part fllutsout God upon earth & is excluded from God clbvhcre.Somc few poore Hivites yecld to the Church of God,&efcape the condemnation ofthe world. It is very like their neighbours lloutcd at this bafc fubmiflion ofthe Gibcooites,and out oftheir termes ofhonour,fcorncd to beg life of an enemy, whiles they were out of the compalfeofmercy: bur when the bodies ofthefe proud Jcbufites and Pcrizzites lay llrewed upon the earth, and the Gibeonites furvived;whcthcr was more worthy of fcornc and iofultation ~ If the Gibconitcs had llaycd till Ifrad had befiegcd tbcir Cities, their yccldance had been fruitlelfo; now they make an early peace, and arc preferved. There c is no wildomc in !laying till a judgment come home to us ; the oncly way to avoid it, is to meet it halfe way.There is the fame remedy ofwarre,and ofdangcr:Toprovokc an enemy in his own borders,isthebellllayofinvafion; and to folicitGod betimes in amanifeft danger, is the bdhntidote for death. I commend their wifcdome io feeking peace; I do not commend their fallhood, in the manner of feckiog it: who can look for any better of Pagans~ But asthe faith of R•h•h is fo rewarded,that her lye is not punifhcd:fo the fraud of thcfc Gibeonites isnotanequall matchoftheirbelccfe, tincc the nameofthc Lard God of lfrael brought themto this fuit ofpeace. N9thing is found fitter to deceive Godspeople,tbco·acountcrfaitcopyofage: D Here arcold facks,old bottles,old fhooes,old garments,oldbread.The Jfraclites tbat had worneone fuitforry ycares,fecmedncw clad in comparifonof them. It is no new policy, that Satan would beguile us with avainc colour ofantiquity, clothing fallhood in rags. Errors arc never the elder for their patching : Corruption can do the fame~ hat time would doe : we may make age aswell as fuffer it. Thcfe Cibeonites did tearc their bottles,and fhoocs,and clothes,and made themoaught,thatthey might feemc old: fo do the falfc patronsofnew crrours. Ifwe be caught with this GibeoniriflJllrataf.em, it is a figne we have not coofulted with God. The fenr.encco death was gone out agaiollall the inhabitants ofCanaan. Thefc Hivitcs ackoowlcdg" the truth,and judgmentsof God, and yet fecke to cfcapc by a league with lfracl. Thegencrall denunciations ofthe vengeance ofGod,cnwrap all finners; Yet m1y we not defpairc ofmercy. If the fecrct counfcll ofthe Almighty E had not dcfigncd thefemen to life, Io/11•• could not have been deceived with their league. In the generality there is no hope : Let us come inold rags ofour vilencffc, to the true U/h••,and make ourtr•cc with him; we may live,yea,we lhalllive.Somc of the Ifraelitcs fufpc61 the fraud ; ¬withllanding al their old garments, & provifions, can fay, It ,,.J ht 1h1u dflltVeft 11111Mgjl m: If I•~•• had continued thisdoubt, the Gibeonires had torne their bottles in vainc. Inea cs and pcrfons uoknownc, it is fafc not to betoo credulous: Charity it felfe will allow fufpition, where we have feen oo caufc to rrull. Ifthefe Hivitcs had nor pur on new faces,with their old cloathes, they had furcly changed countenance, wh<n theyheard this argument of the lfraelites, (llnsaJ bee th••dweHtJI•mongf/w; h1w thtD can I m•k• Altagllc wilhthttl) They had (perhaps) hoped, th<ir fubmiflion wou\d not have been rcfufcd, whcrefocvctthcy had dwelt: liii 3 but
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