Contemplations. LIB. IX. mighty, to make choice ofthe unlikcliefim~aQes. A. The in(huments of God mull nor be meafured by theii: owne powcr.oraptitude· but by the wil!ofthe Agent.Though Ehudhad no hands, he that imploicd him bad enabled him to this llaughrer.In humane things, it is good to looke to the me;nes· in di\'ine, to the worker; No meane• are robecontemned that God will ufe n~ mcanes tobcrruficd thar man will ufewithout him. , ' lr is good to be fufpicious where is leafi ihew.ofdanger, and moll appearance of favour. This left-handed '!'an comes with a prefent in liis hand, but a dagger under hiS skut. Tl1e Tyrant, behdcs fer \'Ice, lookt forgrfts; and now receives death in his bribe: Neither God nor men doe alwayes givewhere they love. How ofrdorh God give extraordinary illumination,powerof mira~les,bdides wealth and honor, where he hates? Sodoe men too oft accompany theu curf~s wtth prefents; either B !call an enemy lhould hurt us, or that we may hurt them. Th.e intention is the fa. vour in gifrs,and not the fubfianl:e. ·· Elmds fait11 fupplies rh~ ivat!t of his hand: Where God intends fuccell'e,he lifts up the heart wrth refolllltons of courage,and contempt ofdanger, What indilfe. ront beholder of this pro)ect would not have condemned it,as unlikely t.:> fpeed· To fee a maimed man goe alone to a great King, in the middefi of all his rroopes ~ ro lingle him our fr?m all ~vitnelfes, ro fet upon him with oneband in his own parior, ~vhcrc htS Courtters mrghr have heard the Jean exclamano~, and have comne in, tfnot ro the refcue, yet to the revenge? Every ctrcumllance IS full of improbabili· tics ; Fairh evermore ovcr-!ookcs rbedifficulties of the way, and bends her eyes onely to rlle certainty oftheend. In this intefiine flaughter ofour tyrannical cor- C ruprions, IV hen we caA our eyes upon our felves, we might well d~fpaire: Ala1fe, wh~t can'ou' left hands doe againft thefe fpiriruall wickednelfes 1 But when 1ve fee who hatlf bo'th commanded, and undertaken to!profpcr. thefe Holy delignes how can we ~Dif-doubt ~l1e fuw:1fe ~ I_ can_ dte ~!!things tpro•gb him t~at jfrmgthen; me. : I ·~ ·~ Whet\ fhud h~d qb~ained the c;onvenient fecrecy both o( the \Veapon and place; nbw with a confi~ent forehead he approaches the Tyrant, and fa lures him, with a true and awfy\l pr~face to fo important an act: l h~ve a mej]age to thee from God. Even Ehuds poynard was Gods me1fage; not ondy the vocal\ admonitions, butalfo the real! Judgements ofGod,are his errands to the world. He fpeaks rous in raine andwaters, in flckne!fes and famin, in unfeafonab!e rimes and inundations : I) Tbefe are the fecondafy me!fages of God; if we; will not ·heare the lirll, we mull heare rhefe toourcoft. I cannot but wonder at the devout ~everenceof this Heathen Prince: he fate in his chaite ofState; the unweildinclfe of his £af body was fuch,lthat he could not rife with re >dinelfe and eafe; yet no fooner do~h.hebeare newes ofa me1fage from God, bur he rifcs up fmiJI his throne, and 'reverently attends the, tenor tllereof: Though he had no fuperiourto controll him,yet he cannot abide to be unmannerly in thebulinelfe of God. This man was an Idolater, a Tyrant: yet what outward refpe&s dorh he give to the true God 1 External! ceremonies ofpiety, agdcomplements ofdevotion, may well be found with fallhood in Religion. They are a good lhaddow of truthwhere E it is: but where it is nor,they are the'very body of hypocrifie. He that hadrifen up in Armes againft Gods people, and the true worfi)ip of Gqd, now rifes up in reverence to his Name. Godwould have liked well to have had )e1fe of his courtefie, more of his obedience. He lookt to have heard the melfage IV irh his eares, and he feeles it in his guts; fo fi.arpe a melf•ge,rhat it pierced the body, and_let out the foule through that uncleanepalfage: neither did it admit of any aof1vcr, but fileoce and dear h. In that part had he olfended by pampering it,and makmg it his god;and now his bane finds the fame 1vaywith his fin. This one bard and cold m01-fell, which he cannot digcfi, payes for all thofe ' l•r-
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