Contemplations. LIB.IX. made the houfe of Baal their fhelter, they had not died fo feareful!y. No1v, accor- A dincr to the prophecy of Jotham, a fire _goes out ofthe bramble, and confumes tbefe Ce~ars, and their etcrnall flames begrnm the houfe oftheu Berith: the confulion of1Yicked men, nfes out of the falfe Dertres whiCh they havedoredon. Ofall the Confpiratours againft Gideonr fons, onely A~imelec yet furvivcs, and his day is now comming. H1s fucceffe agamft Shechem, lmh filled his heart with thoughts ofvictory; ~e hath caged up the mhabrtants of Tebezwithin their tower alfo; andwhat rcmames for them, but the fame endwrth their neighbours 1 And beholdwhile his hand is bufie in putting fire to the door of their tower,.vhich yet was not high (for then he could not have drfcerned a wt?ma? to be his Executioner)• ftonc from aw?mans hand ftnkcs Ius head; Hrs pa1nc m dying, was not fo mnch as Ius md•gnatron to know by w horn he dred :and rather w 1ll he dye twice B than awoman !hall kill him.IfGod had not knowne his ftomack fo big,he had not vexed him with the impotency of his viC\or:God finds a time to reckon with wicked men for a! the arrerages oftheir finnes.Our fins are not moreourdebts to God than his Judgements ard1is debts to our li~nes, which alilaft hewill be fure to pay home. There now !res the grearneffe of Abtmelec; upon one ftonc had he Uaine his feventy brethren, and nmV'a ftone llaies him ; His head had ftolne the crownc of Ifrac', and now his head is fmitten:Andwhar is A6ime/ec better that he was a King/ What difference is there between :1imand any of his feventy brethren whom he murthered, fave onely in guiltineffe I They beare but their 01vne blood • he the weight ofall theirs. Howhappy a thing is it ~o l!v~ we~ I! th~t our death, .; it is certaine,fo may be comfortable:Whata vamty ts 1t tomfult 111 the death ofthem, C whomwe muf\ follow the fame way I The Tyrant hath his payment, a':d tb~t timew~ich he lhould have bellowed in calling for mercy .to God, an~ wafh~ng hrs foule w1~h the !all. teares of contrition, he vaincly fpcnds mdeprecating an 1dfe reproch;Ktl me,that tt may not h fitid he died 6y arrH1man: A fitconclufion for.fuchalife. ~he expectation of t~ue and cnd!effc torment,doth not fo mnch vex h1m, as the fnvolous report ofa drfhonor:neitber is be fo much troubled with .Abimelu is frying in hell,as Abimekc is fiaine by a woman. So,vaine fooles are niggardly oftheir reputation, and prodigall of their foules; Doewe not fee them runne wilfully into the field, into the grave, into belli and all, left it lhould he faia, They have but asmuch feare aswir. ·
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