LIB.IX. G r nEoN s preparation and ViElory. A orbluihing; fear ulndfecmn·ot abide the light: Noueof thefe thoufJnds of lfrael but would have been loth q ideo;J ihould have feen his f.re whiles he fa id, I am fearfuii;Very ihame holds fomein rheidlation,whofe heart'"realre-ady fled. And if we cannot indure that men ihould bcwirndles ofthat (ear which we might live ro cor· re&,how ihall we abide once to n,e,V'our fear full h.eads before that terrible Jucloe, when he cats us forth tq the punilbnlent ofour feareiO the vanityotfooliih hypo· crites,that runupon the terrors ofGod,whiiO they would avoid the n,amc ofmen! How doe we think the fmall remainder of lfracllooked,wben in the next morning-muller they found thcndelvcs but ten thouCmd left .? How did they accufc their rimerous Countrymen, that h;Id left but this handful! to encounter the millions of Ulfidldn? and yet Oil!, Goil complaines of too many; and upon his rtiall, B ditmi!fes nine thoufand feven hundred more. His fi r!l trya ll was of the valour of their mindes • his next is ofthe ability of their bodies. Thofc, which belidcs bold- •ndle, are not llrong, patient of labour and thirll,willing to lloope, conrent with a little(fuchwere thofc that tooke up \Vater with their hands)are not for the feleft Band of God.The Lord ofHolls will ferve himfelfe ofnone but able Champions: lfhc ha>~e therfote lingled us into his combJtc,this very choice argues that he finds that llrength in us, which we cannot confcffc in our felves . How can it but comfort us in ourgreattrials,thar ifthe fearcher of hearts did not find us fit,hewould never honour us•wi•h fo hard an imployment? ; Now,wllenthere is n6t fcarce left one Ifraciitc to every thoufahd of the Midiaoites,it is feafonable with G 0 d to jdyi>ebatrcii.When God hath flrippd us ofall C OLtrcarthly coofidcntc~t~.en d?th .~~. fi~~ ti'!'e to give us victory; ~nd not till then, !ell he ihould be a Iofer ttfldiiq\ame 1 ltko as at fall he uncl0thes us of our body, that he may cloath us upon with glory. If Gideon feared when he had two and thirty thoufand Ifraelites at his heeles, is itany wonder if he feared when alhlrefewere Ouunk into three hundred I Though his confirmation were mo.r~' yet his mcancs were abated. Why was not Gideon rather the Leader ofth6fe tlvo andtlventy thoufanl:l run-awayes,than ofthcfe three hundred fouldiers 1 0 infinire mct'y and forbearapce of God, that takes not vantage<:>Ho llrong>an infirmity, but in. llead of cafling, en:ourages him! That wife pr<;>,vJdi:oc!' hath prepared a d'rcame 10 thehe#ofdoe MJdJan1te,an mterpretatJon 1'1 the-JilPuthofanother,andha'tllt/>rodght Gideon"to be an aud(tor o f borh,and hath D m~~~~ his enemies Prophets ot his vi6tor y,incouragcrs bf the attempt,proclaimers ofch<;~r owno confulion! A Millianite drcames, a Midianire interprets. Our very dre:.\ffic~ many times are nbt without God; there is a providence in our f1cepina fa!jCiqs: even the enemies ofGod•may have vifions, and power to conllrue them; rig!1t. How ufually are wicked men forewarned oftheir own dellruction? To foreknqw and nor ll.void, is butan aggr.,·ation of judgement. · .YJhen qideon heatclgoodnewes (though fr.om an enemy) he fell dmvne and worihipped. To heare llimfelfe but a Baily-cake, troubled him not, when he heard withall , that his roling downe the hill ihould breake the Tents of MidiaQ. I~ mattcrs .not hmv bafe wee be thought, fo wee m>y be viCtorious. The -foulcthat bath received full confirmation from God in the affurance of his faiE vation, can~ot but bow the knee, and by all gcllures .of body tell how it is ra.vi!Ped. I would have thought, Gideon ihould 'rather have found full confirmation in rhe promife and aCt of God, than in the dreamc of the Midianire. Dreames mat he full of uncertainty 1 Gods undertakings arc infallible : well therefore might the Miracle ofGod give llrcngth te the drcameof a Midianite; but wh:tt llrcngth could a Pagans dreame give to the miraculous ACt of God I yet by this is Gideon throughly fctlcd. When we arc goine, a littk thing drives us on; when weare come neere to the ihore, the very tide lvithout fails is enough to put us inro the barbor.We 01alnow hear no moreo[Gideons doubrs,butof his atchicv~rnents. And though God had promifcd by thefe t~rcc hundred to chafe tbe M1d1amtes,yet he negleCts not wife llratagcms to effeCt lt. Towatt for Gods performance
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