S A M s o N concei-ved. 1 5~6 7 bOdy; it is the duty of the husband, to be carefull that the wife doe her duty ro God. As yet, Manoab Caw nothingbut the our-fide of a man, and therefore olfe~s the Angel an anfwerable entertailiment, wherein there is at once Hofpiraliry and Tbankfulneffe. No man !hall bring himgood newes from God, and goe away unrecompcnced; How forward he IS to feailhtm,whom he rook for a Prophet!their feet ihould be fo much morebeaunfull, that bring us newes of falvarion, by how much their errand is betrar. That Manoab might learn to acknowledge God in this man, he fcts olfrhe proffer ofhis thankfulnefie fromhimfelf, to God; and (as the fame Angel which appeared to Gide~")turneshis feafl intoafacrifice: And now he is <Manuhs folicitor to B better thanke• than he offered.Hmv forward the good Angels arc to incite us unto piety! Either this was the Sonne himfelfe, which fa id ttwas his meat and drinke to doe his Fathers will,orelfe one of his fpiritualacrcndance of the fame diet.We can never feafl the Angels berrer, than •virh our hearty facrifices to God; VVhy doe not we learne this lcffon ofthcm,whom we propound eoour fel ves as patterns ofour obedience? We !hall be"once like the Angels in condition : why are we not in the mcane time inour difpoficions ?Ifwe doe not provoke,and exhort Qne another to godlineffe, and doe care more fora feafl than a facrifice, our appetite is not Angelica!l,buc bruci(b. le 1vas an hon~fl mind in Mano.sh,while hewasaddrefling a facrifice eo Go?, yet not to negleCt htsmeffengcr; fame would he kno-vwhom to honour; True ptery is C ·nocuncivt!l, butwhiles it magnifies the Auchour of all bleflings, is thankfull to the meanes. Secondary caufes areworthy of regard : neither need it detraCt any thing fro'? the praife ofc~e ageMt,to honour the mflrument.It is not only rudenes, but tnJnfltce m thofe, whtch can be co11tent eo heare good newes from God, with contempt of the bearers. The Angel will neithe~ rake nor give, butconceales his very name from Manuh. All honefl motions are not fit to be yeelded to;good intentions are not always fuffi cient grounds ofcondifcenc. Ifwe doe fometimcs askewhat we know nor,it is no marvelfifwe receive nor whatwe aske. In forne cafes, the Aggelof Godrels hi,. name unasked, as Gabriel to theVirg10; here,not by intreaty : If it were the Angel ofthe covenant, he hadas yet no name but Jthoval, : If a created Angel, he had no D commillion eo reil his name; and a faithfull meffenger hathnocawordbeyond htS charge:Bdides that,he fa IV it would be ofmore ufe for Manoah,to know him really, than-by words. 0 thebold prefumption ofchofe men, which (as if they had long fojourned in heaven,and been acquainted with all the holy legions of fpirirs) difcourfe ofcheirorders,oftheir titles,when this one Angel ftops the mouth ofa better man rhan they,.vith wiry doefl thou as/reafter my name,wbich is [tcrt t? Secret things to God; revealed eo us ando11r children. No word can be fo fignificanc asa ttions. The aCl: ofthe Angel tels beflwho hewa.s; He did wonderfulfy:Wonderful there~ fore was his name: So foon as ever the flame ofthe facnficeafcended, he mounted up in the fmoake of it; that <ManoaL m'ight feeths facrifice, and the meffenger bclonge~ both to one God; and might know,both whenceroacknowledge the mefE Cage, and whence toexpeCl: the performance. G ideon< Angel vanifhed at hiS facrifice, but this in the facrifice; that <Manoah might at once fee both the confirmation of his promife,and the acccpcacion of his obedi~nce,whilcs the Angel ofGod vouchflfed to perfume himfelfwith chat hol y fmoake,and carry the fent ofit ~p into heaven. Malfoah beleevecl before, and craved no fignctoafilm; him; God voluntarily confirmes it to himabove his defi re: T o him ,},., lwhJhall hegiven: Where there are beginnings offaith,the mercy of God .vill add perfetlion. Ho,vdoewe thin~ c.-1lanuband his wife looked to fee this fpeCl:acle? They had "ot fpirit enough left to looke one upon another: but in 1\ead oflookin:;up cheerfully eo heaven, they fall down eo the ·earth upon their faces ; as wcake eye• are N nnn z cl .n ~e-~
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