LIB. X. SA M s 0 N s rllvfarria~,e. A howdarewcnotrcgardirinourmoO:imporrantchoicc? Is fhcafaire Philitlim? Why is not this deformity ofthe foule more powerful! to <hfhvadc us, than the beamy ofthe f•ce,orofmetall,to allureus?To dote upon a fa ire skin,:when WC fee a Philitlim under it, is fcnfuall and brutifh. Affection is not more blindc, than deafe. In vaine doe the parent> feeke to alter a youn~ man, not more O:rona in body, than in will; Thou~h he cannot defend his de fires~ yet he purfues rh em~ Get her,for [he pleafos me. And although it mull needs be aweak motion that can plead no reafon, bMt appcmc; yet the good Parents, fith they cannot bow the affection of their fon with perfwafion, dare not bre•ke it with violence. As it becomes no.t children'? oc f~nvard in their choyce; fop~ rents maynot be too peremptory m theu dcmall:It IS not f.1fe for cluldten to overB ru.n parents in fetlin~ their affections; nor for parents (where the unpediments arc not very matcrial)to come {bore oftbctr cluldren,whcn the affecbons Jrc once fetled: The~ne is difobcdience; the other may be tyranny. I know not wether I may excufeeither ;-amfon in making this (utc, or his parents in yeelJing to it, by a divine d1fpcnfation in borh: For on the one fide, whiles the Spirit ofGod norcs, that as yet his parents knew not tlus was of the Lord, it may . feeme thot he knew it; and is it likely he would know and not impart it?This alone ! was enough rowin,tyea to command his parents; Iris not mine eyconely,but the •counfellofGod thar leadsme to this choice: The way toquarrellwith the Philit llimsJ is to match with them; If I follow mine affeCl:ion~ mine affctlion follo1vcs God, in this project. Surely, he that commanded his Prophet afrenvards to marry C an harlor, nJJy have appointed his Nazarite to marry with a Philitlim: On the other fide,whcthcr it were ofGods permitting, or allowing, I fiodnot: It micrht fo be of God,as all thecvilin the city;and then the mtcrpofirion ofGods decrc~,fhal be no excufe o[Samfons infirmity. I would rather thinkc, that God meant onclyto ma~ea Treacle ofaViper; and rath~r appointed to fetch good out ofS.•mfons evil, tlun to approve that for godin samfon,which in it felfe wos evill. When S•mfon went on wooing, he might have made the fluggards excufe, There ;, a LrM in the way: but he that could not lJc fhid by pcdivafion,willlnotby fearc. A Lion, young,wilde, fierce,hungry, comes roaring upon him, when be had no weapon but his hand, no fence bnt his tlrength : the fame providence'that carried him toTimnah, brought the Lion to him. It hath been ever the fafhion ofGod, to exD crcifc hisChampiOns with fome initiatory iucounters:BothSamfo,andDavidmull firtl fight with Lions, then with Philillims; and he whofe type they bore, mcetes with th.r ro1ring Lion of the wilderneffe, in the very threfl<old of his publike chaq;e.The fame hand that prepared a Lion for Sdmfon, hath proportionable matches fore1cry ChriO:ian; God never gives llrength, but he im.ployes it: Poverty meets one ltke an armedman; Infamy, hkc fome fnnous Ma(hvc, comes flymg in rhc face ofanother:thcwildBore uut ofthe forreCl,or the bloody Tigcrofperfecution fets upon one; thebrawling curs of heretical! pravity or contentious neighbourho'Jd, arc ready to bait another: and by all thefe meaner and brutifh adverfarics, will God fit us for grc2t\'r confliCl:s: It is a pledge ofour future viCl:ory over tbc fpiriruall Phili!Hms, ifwe can fay, My foule harh been among Lions. Come E forth now,thouweak ChriO:ian,and behold this prepararorybattefof Samfon;Do(l thou thinkc God deals hardlywith thee in matching thee fo hard, and calling thee 1 fnrth to fo rr.any fraies? What doeO: thou but repine at thine owne glory? How o,ouldO: thou be vi<l:orious without refitlancc? I fthc parents of Samfort had now O:ood behind the hedgc,and fcene this incounter,they would have taken no further care of matching their fonne with a Phi· linim; For who that l110uld fee a Clrong Li0n ramping upon an unarmed man, would hope for ltis life and vitl:ory ? The bca!l came brit! ling up his fcarefull marc, wafring his raifed fierne;his eyes fparkling with fury,his mouth roaring out ' knc[, of his latl paffage,and breatbingdeath from his no!lrils,& now rejoicedat fo fmt a prey. Surcly,if the Lion had haci no other adverfary than himwhom he faw, Nnno; he
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