LIB.lX. G I D E o N s CaUing. \ 947 A fakcn us, bccaufe we have forfaken him: This fe(Jucll had been a~ good, as the other was faulty ; (The Lord bath delivered us ufito the Midimttc_sl therefore bee bath forfaken us:) Sins,not alllicrions,argue Godabfcnt. - \ •V.hiles GtdtM bewraycrhweakne!fc, Codbothgives him mi5hr, and imploies it; (Goe i~tf,is tbymigbt,•~dfave lfrad.) Who .vould not have looked that Goi fuould have lookeJangerly on him, and cllid him for his unbeleefe? but he wl:ole mercy will not quench the weakeft fire of grace,though Jt be bur in flax,loi\kes upon him with compaffionarc cyc:s; and to make gooJlus owne VVorJ, giv'=s him · thar v. bur he had acknowledged. . · · I Gid<M had not yet [aid,Lord,delivtl' Ifrae/: much le!fe had he faid,Lorrl,dcliver I t.. rad hy my liaiJd. The met cy ofGod prevents the deftre of Gideon:If God llvJukl not B begin wtth us,wefhouldbe ever miferable; If hcihould not give us till we aske, j yet who ihouldgiveus toaske? If bis Spirit did not worke thole holy groanes ancl I tigbs in us,we fuould never nr.!ke fuit to God. He that commonly gives us power to cr.lvC,fomerimcs gives us without craving, that the benefit might be !omuchmore welcontc,by how much lc!fe it was cxpetlcd;and we fo much morr thankful~ as l1e is more forward. When he bids us aske, it is not for that he needs to be intreated; i bntthat he may make us more capable of blefiings by defiringthem: Andwhtre he .l<es fen·eht defires, he flaycs not for words; jand he that gives ere we ash, how I much more will he give whenwe askc? , H~ that hath might enough to deliver Ifrael, yet hath nor might enouah to kerp ! lJinJfelfc fromdoul>ting. The ftron~efl faith willev<r have fame roue~ gfinfidc.i C ty. And yet tlmwas not fo much a diflrull ofthe poflibtltty ofdeltvcnng Ifrael, ;" an inquiry after the mcanes; wh,yehy fl:alil(ave lf'ael? The falutation of the Anacl to GJdtOA,was as like Gabriel• falutation of the ble!fcd Virgin, as their anfivers w~re Jik.~: Both Angels brougl·t newes of deliverancc,borh were an~vc~ed with a queihonoftl·e me1nes ofperformance;with a report of the dtfficolues m performina: .Abmy Lord,whereby[hallilave lfrael! How the good man difparagcs lumfclfc! it ~s a great matrcr(O LorJ) that thou fpeakcfl of,and great attio~s r«Juirc mighty Agents:As for me,who ami? My Tr1be ts none ofrhegreatefl m Ifrael; My fathers lamily is ohe ofthr meaneftin his Tribe, and I the mcaneft in his family; Poverty is a fufficicnt bar re to !lreat cnterprifes. . · where!-y fhaU I l Hurrulity is both a Ggne offollowing glory,and away to it,and an D o<b ·tion ofit: Bragging and l1right offpirit will not carry it with God:None have . ev<'r been raifed by [um,out tho(e which have formerly dejetted themfelves: None \ have been confounded by him, that have been abafcd in thcmfclves. Thereupon it is that he addes ; I JPili therefore be with tlm; as if he hadan!ivcred, Hadft thou not been fopoorc in thy felfe,I would not have wrouaht by thee. How fuould God~ 1 magnified in his mercies, if we were not unworthy ? . How fuould he be ilrong, if I nor in out weakne!fe I All this while,Gideon knew t1ot it was an Angel! that fpake with him; He fa~v a man !landbefore him like a Trave!fer,with a ftalfc in his hand. The unufualne!fe of 1 thofe revelations in thofc corrupted times was fuch,rhat Gideon might think ofany I thing rather than an Angel: No marvell iffo flrangea promifefrom an unknowne E me!fehger found not a prtfett a!fent; Faine woula he beleevc, but fainc would he i have good warrant for his fairh. In matters of faith, we cannot goe 1.1pon too fure I ?;tounds.AsMofes tl·erefore being feor upon the fame errand,dclired a figne whete1 by lfrael might kno•v that God fenr him: So Gideon deftres a Ggnefromthis bearer to know that ~h newc< is from God. ) Yet the very hope offo happy newes,not yet r ttified,llirres up in Gidton both joy and thankfulne!fc. After all t he injury ofthe Mi lianires, he was not fo poore,but he ron ld bello.v a KiJ anl cake< upon the reporter .of fuch tidings. Thotc which are ri~'1tly a!felled with rhc gla I nc•ves ofour fpiriruall deliverance, lludyto thew their loving rcf~etts ro the me!fcngers. 1 The An5el fla~cs for the preparing of Gideons fc 1ft.Such pleafuredoth God tak.e ,,
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