944\ Contemplations. _ LrB.lX. lift, of his owne,neither is it to be inquired, whom we think meet for any imploy- A ment, but whom God bath called. . Deborah had been no Propheteffe,il !he durll: have fent inher ownc name. Her me!Iage is from him that fent her fclfe,H•<h .not ihe Lord GodofIfratl commanded?Baracs anfwer is faithful,though conditionate;and cloth not fo much intend a refufall to goe without her, as a neceffarybond of her prefencewith him. Who can blame him that hewould have a Prophere(Je in his company?Iftheman had not bin as holy as val iant, he would not ha,ve wiil)ed fuch fociety. How many think it a perpetual! bondage to have a Prophet of God at their elbow? God had never fent for him fo farre, 1f he could have been contenttogoe up without 'lJehorah ; He knew that there •vas both a blefling,and incouragcment in that prefence. It is no putting any truft in the fucceffe oftliofe men, that negleCt the melfengcrs of God. B To prefcribe thatto others,which we dra.v back from doing our fclves, is an argument ofhollownes and falftty:Barac !ha! fee that 'lJeho,.hdoth not offer him that t cup whereof lhe_dare not begin;without regard ofher fe~,lhe marches with him to I Mount Tabor, and rejoyces robe feen of the ten thoufand of Ifrael. With what fcorne did Sifera looke at thefe gleanings of Ifrae!? How unequal! did this match feeme often thonfand Ifraelitcs againft his three hundred thourand foot, ten thoufand horfc, nine hundred chariots of Iron J And now in a bravery, he cals· for his troops, and means to kill this handful! oflfraelwith the very fight ofhis pikeclchariots;.&only feared it would be no victory to cut the throats offo fe.v. The f.tith of 'lJeborah and Barac was nor appalled with this word of Adverfaries, which from Mount Tabor they faw hiding all the valley below them; they knewwhom they had C beleeved,and how little an ar'mc of flelh could doe again a the God of Hofts. Barac went down againft s ifera,but itwas God that deftroyed him.The Ifradites did not this day wcild their own fwords, left they lhould arrogate any thing ; God told the.m before-hand it lhould he his owne a.ot. I hearo not ofone ftroke that any Canaanite gave in tlus figl ·t; as ifthey were called hither ooely to fuffer. And now proud Sifera, 1ftcr many curfes of the heavineffeofthat iron carriagc;is gladto quit his chariot, and betake himfdfe to his heeles. VVho ever yet knew any earthly thing trufted in, without difappointment? It is •v.. nder if Godmake us not at !aft as weary ofwhatfoever bath ftolne our hearts from him,as ever we were fond. Yet Sifera hopes to !rave fped bet~<rthan his followers, in fo feafonable an harbour of Jael. If Heher and Jaelhad not been great fl"rfons, there had been no note D taken of their Tents; there had been no lea!\ue betwixt King Jahinandthem: Now, their greatneffe makes them knowne, the~t.Jeague makes tbem trufted. The diftreffe of s ifera might have made him importunlte,but J ••I begins the courtefte, and exceeds the delire of her gueft: He askes water to drink, fhe gives him milk<; he wilhes but lhelter, !hemakes him a bed; bedefires the proteelionof her Tent, !he covers him with a mantle. And now Sifer• pleafes himfelfe with his happy change, and thinks how much better it is to be here, than in that whirling of chariots,in that horrour offlighr,amongll thofe lhrikes,thofe wounds,thofe carka!fes: VJhiles he is in rhefe thought,, his wcarineffe andeafie repofall bath brought him allcep.Whowould have looked that in thi> tumult and danger, even betwixt the very jawes ofdeath,sifera fuould find time to lleep ? howmanyworldly hearts doe E fo in the middell of their fpirituall perils? N ow,whiles he wasdreaming,doubtleffe ofthe clalhingofarmors,ratlingofchariors,neih~ing ofhorfes,the clamor ofthe coquered,the furious purfuit ofifrael,Jatl feeing h1s temple$ lie fo fa ire, as ifthey invited the nail< & hammer,entred into the thought ofthis noble execution; certainly not without fomechecks ofdoubr, and pleas offeare: What ifl·ftrike him? And yet who am I,rhat I lhoulddarero think offuchan aa? Is not this Sifera,the famoufell captaineof the world, whofc name bath wont to be fearefull ro whole Nations?What ifmy band lhould fwerve in the ftroke? What if he lhould awake,whiles I am lifting up this inllrumcnt ?f death ? · What if I fhould be furprifcd by fome of his followers whiles the faCt IS greene, • and
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