LIB.IX. ABIMELEcsVjurpation. 1957 [A_t_h-is_b_r-an_t_b_le_w_l__d.,-1e_r_e-:d-,a-n"'"d.,-b_u_rn_t_.-T""h_c_p_r_o-:fp_e_r.,.it-y-'o'-=fc-r-:b'"=e-\\-:·ic--:k-c--:d--:i-s--:fi-,o-r_r_a_n_d_fi_c_k_le_;___ a {le\]ne Crowne (though it may lookcfaire) cannot be m"dc of any bur brittle 1\uffc. All hfc is uncercamc; bur wickcdncffc over-runs nature. The evil fpirit rhru!l himfelfinto the plot of A bimelecs ufurparion and murder, and wrought with the Shechcmites f<>r both: and nowGod fends rhc eYill fpirir betwixt A btme/ec and the Shcchem1tes, to workc the ruweof each other. The firlt could not have been without God; but in the fccond, God challenges a part : Revenae is his,where the finnc is ours. It had been pitry that the Shechemitcs fhould hav~been p!Jgued by any other hand than Abime/ecs :They raifed him unju!tly to the Throne, they arc the firfi that fee le the weight of his Sccptcr.The foolifl, bird limes her felfc with that which grew from her ownc excretion: Who wonders to B fee the kind Pcafant O:ung ll'ith his owne fnakc? The breach begins at Shechem: his ownc Counrrey·mcn flic off from their promifed allegeancc: Though all Ifracl fhould have falne off from .Abimtlec, yet they ofShecbem fhould have ll:uck clofe: It was their a<t,they ought to have made it good. How fhould godd Princes be honoured, when even Abimtlecs once fee led, cannot be oppofedwith faftty? Now they beginnc to remlt to the reil: of lfrael. Yet, ifthis bad been done out of repentance, it bad been praife-worthy ; btit to be done out ofa treacherous inconll:ancy,was unworthy ofifraelires.How could A£imdec hope for fidelity ofthem,whom be had made and found traitors ro his fathers blood 1 No man kno•vs how robe fure of him that is unconfcionablc: He that harh been unfaithlull to one, knowcs the way to be pcrfi~ious, and is onely fit for his c rtull: tha< is wo·rrhy to be deceived: whereas laithfulnclfc, bertdcs the prefcnt good, layes aground of further a!furance. The friendfhip rbat is begun in evill cannot {land; wickedrie!l'c,both of it owne nature, and through the ci1rfe ofGod; is ever un!leady: _and thoucrh therebe not a difagreement in hell (being but the place of retnbu[lon, not o'f achon) yet on earth there IS no peace among the wic- -ked; whereas that alfetlion which is knit in God,ii indiffoluble. ' If the men ofShechem had abandoned their falfc god, with their falfe King, and out ofa ferious remorfe,and defire offatislaClion for their Idolatry and blood bad oppofed this 'I'yrant 1 and preferred jot/Jam tO his _Throne, there might hlve been both warrant for theu quarrcl,and hope offuccdle: but no.v, 1f .Abtme/ec be awicked ururper, yer the Sbechemires are idolatrous Traitors. H01v could thcythinke, D that God would rather revenge Abzmelecs bloody mtrurton by them, than their rr~chery and Idolatry by Abimeltc? VVhcn rhc quarrell is betwixt God and Satan, there is no doubt of the iffuc; but when one divell fights with anorher, what certainty is thereof the viClory? Though thecaufe ofGod had been good, yet it had betn fafe forthem to looke to thcmfclves: The umvorthincffe of the agent many rimes curfes a sood cnrerprite. - No fooner IS a fccrcr dillike kindled in any people againll: their governours,tbn there is a GaJI ready to blo-. the coales ; It were a woncL r ifever any faClion fi1ould ' want an Head; As contrarily, never any man was foill,as not to bave fomc favourors: .Ahimtlec harh a Zebul in the midfl ofShecbem ; Lightly, all treafons are betrayed even \Tith fome of their mvne ; His intelligence orings the !ivprd of AbimeE lee upon Shcchcm, who now hath dcmoli{hed the City, and fownq it with Salt. Othejull: [ucccflionsofthc revengcsof God! Gideom Epbod ispunifhcd with the bloodof his fons; the blood ofhis fons is f11ed by the procurcmcnrofthe Shccbem•tcs : thr. blood of rhe Shechemltcs IS fhed by .Abtmtlec: the blood of .Abimelec is fpilt by a woman. The retaliations of God arc fure and jull:, and make a more due pedigroc, than dcfccnt of nature. The pur(ucd Shcchcmites flie to the houfc of their god BeritiJ; now they are fafc: that place IS at once a fort, and a fanCluary. \'\'hither fhould we flie in OMr diflreffc bur to our God .I And no1v this refucre (],all reach them what a God they have ferved: The jealous God whom they ha'a for(, ken, hath them now where he would, and rejoyces at Gnce to be avenged of their god, and them : Had they not Mm mm 3 made
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