\ :'741 [ontrmplationr. LIB. X. It had beeu ~o ldfc cafie forSamfon to have_fi~inethofcthoufands of Judah that A came to bmd lum,th~n thofe other ofthe Ph1hfhms that meant to kill him bound: And what if he hadfaid; Arc ye turned traytors to your Deliverer 1 your blood be upon your own heads: but the SpiritofGod (without whom he could not kill either beaft orman) would never ftirre him up to kill his brethren, though degenerat<dintoPhiliftims0 thcyha-·e more powertobinde him, than he to kill them: Ifraeliti!h blooJwas precious to him, that made no more fcruplc of killing a Phili!hm, thana Lyon. Thatbondage and ufury that was allmvcd to a Jew from a Pagan, might not be exaCted from a ]e1v. Tbe l'>hiliftims that had before plowod with Sam[OJJs Heifer in the cafe of the Riddle, arenOIY plowingaworfe furrow with an Heifer more hisowne. Iama- !hamed to heare thefecowardly Jews fay,K,.o;veft thou not that thtPbi!t(lims artLords B over us ;t Wjy haft thtu done tb#umto U6 ? we are ther~fore come to hind thee. Whereas they !hould1have faid; V\ c find thefe tyrannicall Philiftims to ufurp dominion over us; thou haft happily begun to !hake offtheir yoke, and now we arccome to fccondthee with our frrvicc; the valour of fuch a C>ptainc fhall eafily lead us forth to liberty; we are ready either to die with thee, or be freed by thee : A fcarefull man can never be a true friend; rather than incurre anr danger,he will be fJ!fcto his owne foule. 0 cruell mercy ofthefe men of Judah. Wtwtlillot kill thtt, hut"'' wi/16ind thet,&nd Jtli'Otr tbtt to tht hands of tht 'l'bilijlims, that thty may killthtt. As if it had not beene~uch worfc to die an ignominious and tormenting_ deatl•, by tre hands of tl·e Phihfttms, than to beat once d1fpatch'd by them, wliiCh wifhcd either his life Cafe, or his death eafie. c V\' l·en Saul was purfued by the Philillims, upon the mountaines of Gilboa, he could fay t'> his Armour-be.>rcr, Draw forth thy fwordandkill me, left the uncircumcifed comeanJ thruft me thorow, and mocke me; and at !aft would rather fall upo~: ~is owni: fivord, than tl .tirs: And yet thefe cofinsofsamj6ncan fay, H't ,..j(/ ,,ot !till t! tt, I·Mt "''~Pill tindthtt anddtlivtr thu. It ITaS no excufc to t!Jefe I!raclitcs that Sam}o"s binding bad more hope, thanhis death ; It was more in the extraordi~ nary mercy ofGO<f,thaP their will, that he was not tyed with his !aft bonds: Such is the goodneffcoftbcAlmighty,that he turns the cruel! intentions ofwicked men roan advant.'go. Now tl,cfe ]ewes that might have let themfelves loofc from their owne bondage, arc binding their Dcliverer,whom yet they know •blc to have relifted. In the D greateft ftrcngtfi,rhercis ufc ofpatience; Therewas more fortitude m this fulfering, than in his former ad:ions;S•mfo~'abides co l5c tyed by his ownc couotrymen, that ~c may have the gloryof freeing'himfelfe viltorioufiy. Even fo, 0 Saviour, our better Nazarite,thou which couldft have called to thy Fatl>er, and have had twelve Legions of Angds for thy refcue, would!l be bound voluntarily, thatthou mightcll triumph ; So the bletfedMartyrs were racked, and would nor be looled, becaufe they expecteda bctrcr rcfurrcetion~ Ifwe be not as well ready to fulfer ill, as co doe good, we arc not fit forthe confecration ofGod. To fee S.1m(on thu< ftrongly manicled,and expofed to t~dr ful revenge,could not buree a !!;lad fpcetacle to tl·efe Pbilillims;and tbcir joywas fo full,thar it could r.ot but fiidorth oftheir mouthes in fhouring and laugbter; V\< horn they faw loofwith E terror,it is plcafure ro fee bound.It is thetportoftbe fpiritua!Philiflims,to Ice any ofGodsNaurits fettered with the cords of iniquity;& rh<·ir Imps arc ready to lay A ha, fo would we have it Burthe event anfwerstheir f.• lfc jov, with th•r claufc of triun•ph,R•j•yct not over mt,O minrtntm; : thou/!,h I f •l,)tt I fr. a/ rt{t •x•in. How loon was the countenanceof thefcPhili!lim• changed,& tl1eir fhours turned irro !hri•~ ings? Tht Spi,it oftiJ< Lordwnt II(!M Samfon:and tren,what are cords tfl r~c Almighty? His new bonds are as flax burnrwith fire; and he ronzcs up himfdfe like tbr vong Lion whom he fir(\ incounrred,and flies upon thofecowardly ad,.erfaric<.•,·l o ifthev had not fcen hi.cords, durft not have feene his face.lfthcy had eern fo many di>elsas men, they could not have ftood before the Spirit, which lifrcdur r1 c l·c1rt
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