<;56 \ [ontemplationr. L r B. X. I to utter depopulation in yeelding to the fuit of H.m>or, no1v b.ctraics tt fclfe,and all A Ifrael,m ycclding to the rcquen of Ahu,efec.lly them harh this Ufurper made himfdfca fairtwayto the'Thronc.lt was an cafie qucfhon, Whether mll ye admit of t l·e Ions of Gil!oon for your Rulers, or of nrangers?lfof the Ions ofGiJeon,whether ofal,or one?Ifofonc,whether ofyour own flefi1 and blood,orofothers unknown? I To can oft' the fom of qide011 for llrangcrs,wcre unthankfull: To admit ofleventy Kinrrs in one (mall Countrey, were unreafonablc ; To admit of any other rather tlw~ their own kinfinan,wcrc unnaturall. q ideom fons therefore mullrule among it alllfracl; Occ of ill is fonncsamongil thole ltventy: and who ihould bee tlm one but Ahimd"? N arural relpcG!s are the mon da~gerous corrupters ofall cleG!ions; \Vh.lt hope can therebe ofworthy Supenours Lfi any free people, where neerneiJc of blood carries it from fitncffe ofdifpofition? Whileil they lay,1Ie if our brother, B they arc enemies to rhemfelves and Ifrael. _Fairewords have won his brethren; they the Shcchcmites ; the Shechemites furnifi1 himwithmoney;.money with men; His ri1enbegin with murder, and n01y Ahimtlec raicrnes alone; Flattery, bribes aod blood, arc the .ufuall llaires of.the Ambitious :0The money of Ba.l is a fit' hire for murderers; that which Idolatry bath gathered, is firly fpent upon Treafon: One Devtl!ts ready rohe.Ipe another in· niifchicfe ; feldome ever is ill got ten riches better imployed. It is no wonder if he that harh Baalhis Idoll,now make an lclollof Honour. There was never any man that worl11ipped lout one Idoii. Woe be to them that lie in the wayof the afpiring: Thoughthcy be brothers, they ll>all ble~d; yea, the ne'ter thcf. are, tbe more fure is their ruine. Who would not now tbmk that tA6imd.c thou d find an C hell in his breil, after fo barbarous and u.rm•turall a maffacre? and yet behold, he is as fenfielfe as the none, upo~ which thebloodof his fevent_y brethren was fpi!t. Where ambitlOn hath poffcfi 1t felfe thrpu~hly of the foule, It turnes the heart into fiecle,and makes it uncapable of aconfClence; All itns 1vill calily d01vnc with the man that is rtfolved to rife. Oncly Jotham fell not at that fatall nonewithhis breihren: It is an bard battell were none cfcapes. He efcapes, not to raigne, .nor to revenge ; but t<fbe a PrGphet, and a witneffe of the vengeanceofGoa upon theUfurper, upon the abettors: He lives to teli.Ahimelec that ne was but a bramble, a weed rath't than a tree. A right bramble indeed; that grewbut out of the bafe hedge·row of a Concubine, that could not lift up his head from the earth, unleffehe were fuf.ported by fome D buih or pale of Sbechtm, that had laid hold of the fleece of Ifrae, and haddrawne blood ohtll his brethren; and lailly, that had no fubilance in him, but the fap of vaine-glory, and the pricks ofcruelty. It was better than a Kingdome to l_tim, out of!<is obfeure Beer, to fee the fire 6ut ofthis bramble to confume thofetrees;The view ofGods revenge,is fo much mo~e pleafing to a good heart, than his 01vne by how much it is more jufiand full. There was never fuch a patterne of unthankfulneffe, as thefe Ifrae!ites : They which lately thought a Kmgdome too fmall recompence for q ideo nandhis fonnes, twwthinkeittoomuch fothis feed to live; and take life aNayfrom the · fonncs of him, thatgavethem both life and liberty. Yet if this had beene fome lmtiderdofyearesafrer, when time had worne outthe memory of Jeru6-6aat, it E might have borne abetterexcufe. · Nomancan hopeto hold pace with Time; The ben names may not think fcoroe to be unknownc to following generations: but,ere their Deliverer was cold in his coffin, to pay his benefits ( IVhich deferved to be evcrlaning:) with thes:xtirpatiGn of his Pollerite,invas more than favag~. What can bee loclked for from Idolaters ? Ifa man have call off his God, he will 1 e11i! y can off his freinds : \"/hen religion is once gone, humanity wiluot flay long after. 1 . That which the people were punifi1ed aftehvards for but deliring,be enjoiel .Now i> .Abimelec feared in the Throne which his father rofofcd,and no r)rall is leen to en· ''Y his peace. But how longwill this glory lait?Stay but three ycars,and ye !hall fee . t!us
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