LrB.IX. JABLandSrsERA, 194~ ~----~--~~~~~~~~~----~~ A aluttonous delicares,whereof he had formerly furferted. It is the m1nner of GoJ, fo takefearefull rev~nges ofthe profeffed enemies of his Church. It is a marvd, that neither any noyfe in his dying, nor the f•llof fo groffc a body, called-in fome of his attendants : But that God, •Vhich bath m tended ,to brino aboutany defigne,difpofcs ofall circum!hnces r.o his own purpofe.If Eh11J had ~ot come forth with a calme and fetledcountemnce, and !bttt .the doores after him, all his projett had been in the dull. "What had it been better that the Kingof Mo•b wa. flaine, if I!rael h:.d neither Iiad a me!lenger to informe,nor a Captain to guide them? No<v he departs peaceably, and blowes a Trumpet in Mount Ephraim; gathers Ifracl, and fa.ls upon the body of Moab, as well as he had done upon the he•d, and procures freedome to h1s people. He tlt>t would undert1ke greatenterprifes, B had need ofwifedomc,and courage; wifedome to contnve,and courage to execute; wifedome to guide his courage, and courage to fecond his wifedome: both which, ifthey meet with a good caufe, cannot but fuccced. J A~ L and S I S E R A. ~~1:;j!ild! T is nowonder if they who ere fourefcore dayes after the La>v delivered,fell to Idolatry alone, now after fourefcore yeares fince the Law rellored,fcl to Idolatry among the Canaanites.Peace could in a !bor- e rer time worke loofeneffe in any people. And if forty yeares after Ot~oniels deliverance, they relapfed, what marvell is it that in twice forty after ebud, they thus mifcarricd ? What are they the better to have killed E.glon the King of Moab, iftheldolatry of Moab have killed them? 'r'he fmne of Moab !ball be found a worfe Tyrant than their eglon. Ifrael is for every market; they fold themfelves to Idolatry, God fcls them to the Canaanites; it is no marveil they are flaves, ifthey willbe Idolaters. After their lon!)ell intermiflion, they have now the forell bondage. None ol their Tyrants were lo potent, as Ja6in with his nine hundred chariots of i110n. The longer the reckoning is deferred, the greater is the fum: God proviJes on purpofe mi~hty Adverfaries for his Church, l that their humiliation may be the greater in fullaming, and his glorymay be greaD ter in deliverance. I I doe not finde any Prophet in Ifrael,dur!n~thcir finne; but fo foone a. I heare \ newes of rl1eir repentance, mention is made ot a Propheteffe, and Judge of Ifrae!. There is no bettel- iignc ofGods reconciliation,than the fending o(his l10ly me!fengers toanypeop!e:Aeis not utterly falneout with thofcwholtl he ble1feswith prO;; phccy.\'Vhom yet doe I fee raifed to this honour?Not any o(the Princes of Ifraeli' not Barne the captaine,not Lapidoth the husband;butawoman,for the honor ofher fexe; a wife,for the honour ofwedlock : Delor.h the wife of L apidotb. He that had choice ofall the millions of Ifracl, cals out t<vo •veake wortien, to deliver his people; '])ebaraf, !ball judge, Jaei !ha! execute. All the Palaces of lfrael mull: yeeld to the Palme-rr·ee of Deoorah; The weakneffe of the intlruments, reE dou"rids to thegr~ater honoroftheWorkman.Who !ha! aske God any reafon of his elcllions;but his owne pleafure? '])e6orab was to fentence,not to llrike;to command, nor to execute : this aa is mafculine, iitfor fome Captaine of Ifrael; Shce was the head of Ifracl,it was meet fomeoth~r lhould bethe hand:It is an imperfecl and titulJr governh1enr, where there is a commandinO' power, without correCtion, l withourexecution.The m~ffage of De6o,.b fin?s out ffa~ac the fon ofA6inoamin his obfcure fecrecy,and cals lum from a corner of NepthJII, to the honour of th1s ~xploit. He is fent for,notto~et the vittory,but to take it ; not to overcome, but to . kill;to purfue,and not to beat Siftr•. Who could not have donethisworke, wliere- \ to not much courage,no s~ill belonged.? Yet even for this, will God have an in!lrument ofhis owne choice: It is moll fit that God !bould ferve himfelfe wl1cre he • . . L lllz !ill,
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