Contemplations. LIB. X. nourifh his haire,whilcs he fcedsthefe pa!lions.How eatlly dovigor of body,& in- )\ firmtty ofmmd lodge under one roof?On the contrary,a weakl(h ourfide is a Hrong motive to mortification: Samfonr vttl:ones have fubdued him, and have made him fidt a fta.•e to Ic,vd defires,and then to the Pbiliftims. I may fafely fJy, that mGre vc!fels mifcarry with a fa ire gale,thanwith a tcmpell:. Yet 1•as not Samfon fo blinded with lull:, as notfat all to lookc before him . lle fore-faw, the morning would be dangerous, the bed of his fornication therefore could hold him no longer than midnight; then he rifes, and in a mock ofthofe ambufhes which the .Azzahites layd for bim, he carries away the gates wherein they thought to have encaged him. lf a temptation have drawne us alide, to lie downe to fin, iris happy for us iT we can rife ere we be furprifed with judgement. Samfon had nor left Ius ftrensth m the bed ofan harlot; ne1ther had that God which gave B ir him, ftript him of ltwith his clothes, when he laid him downe in uncleanne!fe: His mercy ufcs not to take vantage of our unwortbine!fe, but even when wee caft him off, holds us fall:. That bounufull hand leaves us richofcommon graces, when 1ve havemif-fpent our better !lore: Like as our firll Parents, when they had fpoyled thcmfclves of the Image of their Creator, yet were left wealthy of noble faculties ofthefou'c. I find Sa~lljon como off from his tinnewith fafety, he runnes away lightly with an heaVIer w<Ight than the gates of .Azzah,the burthen ofan 11 atl:.Prelent 1mpunity argues nor an abatement ofrhewickedne!fe of his finne, or ofrhe diftike of God: nothing is fo worthy ofpirty,as finners peace: Good is not therefore good,becaufe it profpers, burbecaufeir is commanded: Evill is nor evill becaufeit is punifhed C but becaufe it is forbidden. ' Ifthe holy Parents of Sampfon lived to tee thefe outrages of their Naz•rite, I doubt whether they did not repent oftheir joy, to heare the newcs ofa fonne. Iris a fhameto fee how he that might not drinkewine, is drunk with the cup of fornicarions;His lull carries him from Az.z.ab,to the plain ofSorek,and now bath found a L'alilah, that fl1all pay him for all his former uncleannelfe. Sinoe is 1\eepe and flippery,and ifafter one fall,IY,e have found where to 1\and, it is the f1r2ife, not of our footing, bur of the hand ofGod. · The Princes ofthc Phlliftims knew alreadywhere Samfonrweaknelfe lay, though not his llrength;and therefore they would intice his harlot by gifrs,to intice him tly her dalliance to betray himfdfe. It is no marvel!, iffhe that would be lilthy,would D be alfo perfidious. How could Sam[on, chufe burthinke, if lull had not bewitched him,fhe, whole body is mercen•ry to me, will eafily fell me to others ; Shewillbe falfe,if fhe will be an harlor. A wide confciencewill fivallow any finne? Thofethat have once thralled themfelves to a known evil,can make no other difference offins, but their own lo!fe, or advantage: A lyer can llcale, a theefe can kill; a crucll man can be a Traytor; a drunkard can falfilie; wickedoe!fe onceentertained, can put on any {hape: Trull: l1im in nothing that makes not a confciencc ofeverything. Was there ever fuch another motion made to a reafonable man ? Tell me• wherein thy greM ftrength lyetb, and wherewith thou m•yef16e hound to doe thee hurt. Whowouldnor have fpurnedfuch a futor outofdoores? Whatwill not impudcncy aske, or llupiditie receive ? Hee that ~illed the thoufand Phili ftims E forcommingro binde him, indures this harlot of the Philiftims to confult with himfclfe of oinding him 1 and when upon the tryall of a falfe anfwer, hee fa~v ' fo apparanttrcchery,yetwilfully berrayes his life by her, to his enemies: All finnes,all pa!lions have power to infatuate iman,but lullmoll of all. Never man that had drunk flagons ofwine, had lelfe reafon th•n this Nazarite ; Many a one lofcs his liie; bur this cafl:s it away; not in hatred of himfclfe, but in love to a !trumpet. Wewond!" rthat a man could po!libly be fo fotrifh,and yerwe our fclves by rcntarion become no lc!fe infcnfare ; Sinfull pleafures, like a common Dalilah, lodge in our bofomcs :we kn01v they aime at nothing but the death ofour foule,we wilfyceld torhem, and die: Ercry willingfinner is a Samfon, Ictus nor inveigh aainll
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