Hall - HP BX5133 .H34 1647

L11dX. The re-venge of S v c c o T H and PE N v EL. A quail: A common interefrc~allonges an un!verfallaid:Nmv hdayos bur,givtmorjtiJOf hrud to myfollor>ers;He IS turned off With a fcorne; He askesbread, and they give him a {lone.Could hoaske a more flender recompenco of thetr dohvonnce,or a Ictfc reward of his vi&ory? G iv<morfds oj'hread. Before this aCl:,all their Cub!lance had been to fmall an hire for their freodome from Mtd1a11; now,when It IS done, a morfcl of breed is too much.- Wel might he cl)allengebread,wliere he gave liberty and life.It is h.rd, if thofewhich fight thewarras of God, may not have necetfary relicfc; that whiles the enemy dies by thom,rhey fhould die by famine. If they had laboured for Godat'home in peace,they had bin1vorrhy ofmamtcnance;hmv much more now,rhat danger is added to theirtoile?Evcn very executioners look for fees: but here were not malefJC\ors,but adverfaries to be flaine; the fivord ofpower and B revenge was now to be wei!Jed,not ofquiet juflice.Thofe that fight for our foules again!t fpiritual power.,may challenge bread from us;~nd it is 01ameletf~ unthankfulnes to deny it. When A6rftham had vanqUifhed the hve Kmgs,and dehvered Lot and his fJmily, the KingofSalem met him with bread and 1vine;andnow thefe fons of Abraham,after an equal viCl:ory,asko dry brcad,and are denied by their brothren : Craftily yet, and under pretence ofa falfo ritk; had they acknowledged the viCtory of Gtdton,w ith what forehead could they have denied bim bread I Now, 1 know not whether their faitbltfneflc, or envy lie in their way ? Art the handJ ofZ.ba andZalmum,., in thy hands I There were none ofthefe Princes of Sucwb and P<nud, but tliought rhcmfelves better men than Gideon; Tbar he therefore alone fhouiJ doe that,which all the Princes oflfrael durfl nor attempt, they hated C and f,orned to hearc. It IS never fafe to meafurc events by the power ofthe infrrument; nor in the caufes ofGod (.vhofe calling makes the difference)ro meafure others by rhemfelves: There is nothing more dangerous, than in holy bufinefies ro lhnd upon comparifons,and our own rcpuratioo;fith it is reafon God lhould both chufe, and bletfe where he !ills. To have queflioned fo fudden a viCtory, hadbeenpar~onable: ~ut to deny it fcorr.efull~, was unworthy ·of Ifraehtesl Carnal! men tlunke that Impoflible to others, which themfelves cannotdoe :From hence arc then cen[tj.tes, hence their exclamations. q idton hath vowed a fearefull revenge,and now performes it; the taunts of his brethren may not fray him from the purfuit of tho Midiamles; common enmities D 111ufl firfr be oppofed, domefricall at more leafure. The Princos of S•ccoth feared the tyranny oftheMidianitiflJ Kings,butrhey more fearedq ideons viCl:ory.What a conditiOn hath theirenvy drawne them into ? That they are forrv to foe Gods enemies captive; that lfraels freedome mull be their death, that the Midianites and they mufl tremble at one and the fame Revenger. To fee themfclves prifoners to Zehaand Zalmunna_,ha~ not been f~ fearefull.'as t'? fee Ze6• and Zalmunna prifoncrs to q ulton. Nothmg IS more ternble to evil!mtndes, than to reade theirowne condemnation in the happy fuccetfe of others ; Hell it ifelfe would want one piece of his torment, if thewickeddid not know thofe whom they contemned glorious. . ' I kn<-W not whether more to commend Gid toRs wifedome and moderation in the E proccedings,than his refolution and juflicein the execution ofthis buli~offe.I doe not f<e him run furioufly into the City,and kill rhe next; His fivord had notboen fo drunken with blood, that it fhould know no difference.- But he writes dmvn the names of the I'l-incos,and lingles the.m forth for revenge. · VVhcn the Leaders of Cod come to Jericho, or Ai, their llaughter was unpartiall ; not a woman or childe might liv~ to tell ne1ves ; but nmv that Gtdton comes to a Sucwh, a City of Ifraclites, the Rulers are called forth to death, the people are frighrcci with rhe example, ~ot .Lurt with the_Judge- ~cnt. To emvrappe th~ mnoccnt m any vengeance, .1s a .murderous tnJu{hce: Indeedwhere all _Joyne 10 the finne, all are worthy re meet in the punifhmcnr. ltls hkc, rhe Citizens of Succoth could have boeneglad to {uccor Gidton, 1f rhcir Mmmm Rulets

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