[ontem.plations. LIB. IX. ' Rulers bad not forbidden: they mull: therefore <fcape,whilcs their Princes pe 1ifb. A I annot thinke of Gideons revenge,_without h?rror; That the Rulers ofSuaorb fbould have theu llefh torRe from tbe1r backs w1th thornes and briers, that they fbould bee at once beaten and fcratcht to death: What a fpellacle it was to fee their bare bones lo6king fome-where thorow the bloody ragg<s oftheir flefb and skinn<, and every !l:roke worfe than the !aft;death multipfyed by torment! J nftice is fometimes fo !everc, that a tender beholder can fcarce difccrne it from cruelty. · . I f'ethe Midi•nites fare leffe ill; the edge of the fword makes a fpeedyandeafie paffage for their lives, while• rhefe rebellious Ifraelites dye lingring under thornes and briers, envying thofe in their dcath,whom their life abhorred.Rowfoever men live or dye without the pale of the Church, awickedlfraelite fhall be fure of B plagues. 1-lo•v many fball unwifb tbemfelves Chriftians, when Gods revenges have found themout ? The place where Jaco6wre!l:led with God, and prevailed , now bath wreftled again !I: liod, and takes a fall; they fee Codavenged, which would not beleeve him aciivering. It was now timo for Ze6a and Zalmunnat~ follow thofetbelr troops to the grave, whom they had led m the field: Thofe which the day before were attended with an hundred thirty fivethoufand followers, have not fomuch as a Page now left to wocpe for their death, and have livedone!y to fee all their friends, and fome enemies dye for their fakes. Whocan regard earthly greatneffe, that fees one night change twoof the.grea- c teft Kings ofthe World into captives ? It bad been both pitty and figne, that the Heads of that Midianirifb tyranny, intowhich they had drawn fo many thoufands, fbould haveefcaped that death. . And yet,ifprivate r~vcnge had not made G~dton juft, I dou.btwhetber they bad dted; The blood of hiS brothers cals for thcus,and awakcsbts !ivord totheirexecution;Heboth kne1v and complained ofthe Midianitifboppreffion, underwbicb lfrael groaned: yet the cruelty offered to all the tboufands of hisl'.athers fons,had not drawne the blood of Zth• and Z•lmunm,if his own mothers fons badnot bled by their bands. He that flew the Rulers of Succoth and-'Ptlllltl,and fpared the people, now bath l!ainethe people of Midian, and would have fpared t!>rir'Rulers c but that God D IThich will find occafions to winde wicked men into judgement, will have them • flaire in a private quarrel, which hadmore deferved it for' the publike; If we may not rather fay,that Gideon reveng•d thefe asa Magillrate,not as a brother: For Governonrs to rrfpea their owne ends in publike a!tions, and to weare the fword of ju!lice in thdr owne fbeath,it is awrongfull abufeof authority. The flaughter of G ide•m brothren,was not the grrate!l: fin ofthe ~idianitifb Kmgs ; this alone fball kill them, wb~n the reil: •xpe6ted an unju!l: remtffion. How many lewd men bath I God paid with fome one fin for all therell. Some that have gone away with unnatural! filthineffe, and capitaltbefrs, have 1 clipped offtheirownedaycs with their coine; Others, wbofebloodymurders have been punifbed in a mutinous 1vord; Others,whofe fufpe&ed felony bath payd the E I priceof the-ir unknown< rape. 0 God,tby judgements are ju!l:, even whenmens at]: unjull! Gideontyong fon is bidden to revenge the doarh ofhis Uncles; His fwordbad not yet learned the way to blood,efpecially ofKings, though in Irons : Deadlyexecutions require ftr~ngth both oHcart 8c face. How are thofe aged in evil,that can draw their !ivords upon the lawfully Anointed ofGod?ThefeTyrants plead nor now for continuance of life,but for the hallcoftheir death; FaU thou «pon.,. Death is ever ;;ccornpanied with paine, which it is no marvell ifwe wifh fborr:vVedoe not more a!leaprorratlionofan eaffullifelthan fpeed in our diffolution; for here every pang that tendstowards death,renues it: To lie an houre under death,is tcdious;but robe din
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