9(jz. I (ontemplationr. LIB. X. our helps, even thofc whom our wantonnelfe hathdefpifed. A How jullly are the fuits ofour need ~pbra1ded wtth the errors ofour profperity! The Elders ofGilead now heare ofthetr anClcntwrong,and dare not ftnd fault with their cxprobration; Did)e not bate me and expellme outofmy F.uhers houfe i Ho1v then I comeyee now tomee itl time oftrihulation ? The fa m~ expoftulation that J tptha makes with Gilead, God alfo at the fame time makes Wtth lfracl; Te havej"falen me nnd [eY'l!edothergods; wherejorefl1ou/d I deliveryou ~ny more? qoe andcry unto thegods ,;horn ye haveforved. As wee, fo Godalfofindes it feafovable,to tell his children of t~•ir faults, whiles he is whipping them. It is a fafe and wtfe courfe, to make much of thofe in our peace, whom we mullrnakeufc of in our extremity; elfe it is but jull .that wdhould be rejeCted of thofe, whomwe have rejeCted. ' Can we look for any otheran!iver from ~od than this?,Did ye not drive me our B ofyour houfes, out o~oqr hearts, m thettme of your health and JOlhty? Didye nor plead the llrietne e ofmy cha{,;e, and the we1cht ofmy yoke ? Did not your wilfullfinncs expell me from your oules? What o you now crouching and creeping to me in the evill day ? Su.rely, 0 God, it is bur jullice, if thou be not found of rho(ewhich were glad to lofe thee.; it is thy mercy, ifafter many checks a~d delayes, thou wilt be found at !all. Where an aCt cannot be reverfed, there is noamends, bur confefiion; and ifGod himfr!lfe take up with this fatisfacrion, He that confej]es, fha/1fiodemercy; hmv much more fhould men hold themfclves well payd with W<>rds of humility and deprecation? Jeptha'swifdome had not been an!iverable tol1is valour, if he had not made his match before-hand; Hee could not but know how treacheroully Ifrae! had dealt c with Gideon. W c cannotmake too fure worke when we have to doe with unfaithfu)l men: It bath been an old policy to ferve our felves ofmen;and after oqr advantage,to turnc them up. He barfaines therefore for his Soverai3nrvere he win it,' S/;•/lt6eyour Head? We area! naturally ambitious, and are rea yto buyhonorcvon with liazard.And ifthe hopeofatroublcfome f"J'eriority incouraged]eptbato fight again!\ the forces of Ammon, what heart fho4l we take in tbebattcls ofGod : again!\ fpiri.tuallwickednelfcs, when.the God of Heaven bath faid, Tohimthato- 't:ucomes, will I givepower over natiom)andto fit TPith me i11my Throne.20 thatwt: could bend oureies upon therecompence ofour reward;how. willin~y fhould we march !onvard a~ainll rhcfe mighty Ammonites! Jepthais noted for is valor, and yet he mtreats With .Ammon, ere he fights. Tomakewar any other than pur !all rerncdy,is D notcouragc,but cruelty and rafhnes: And now, when r~afon will not prevaile, he betakes himfelfe to his fword. As God began the war with Jeptha, in raifing up, his heart to that pitchof fortitude;fo ]eptha began his warre at God, in c~avmg vitlorl from him, and powring out his vow to him:His hand took hold ofhts !ivord;hu eartofGod:therefore he whom the old Tellament lliles valiant, the new lliles faithfull; be who is cornmen~ed for his llrength, dares trull in none, but the arme of God : Ifthou wiltgive the .Ammonites into my hand. If Jeptha had not lookt upward for his viClory,in vaine had the Gilcaditcs lookt up to him.This is the difpolition ofall good hearts; thfe looke to their fwtn·d or their bow,as fervants,not as Patrones; and whilll thebu e them,trMll to God. If we could doe fo in all our buf.nelfes, we fhould have orb E more joy in their fucccflc,and lelfe difcomfort in their rnifcarria~e.Itwas his zeale tq.vow:itwas his fin to vow rafhly.Jacob,his forefather,ofwhom .e learned to vmv, might lm·e taught him a better forme,. IfGodwill hewith me, then fhal~the Lord he my God. It is well with vowes,when the thmg promtfcd makes the prom.fe<>ood: But when Jrpth., [l\·~s,whatfoever thing commeth out o(the doores ofmyboufe,fha!t'e theLords, or I willoffer it jor •hurn! facrifice; his devotion is blind,and his good affeCtion overruns his Judgement: For what ifa dog, or> fivine, or an alfehitdmet him ? where had been the promifeof his confccration ? Vowes areas they are made; likeunto Sents,ifthey be pfill compofition, nothing offends more;if we! terupercd,notbing is more pleafant:Either certainty ofevil,or ur.cer- -
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=