Contemplations. LIB. X. is thus plagued? This great heart could not but ha;ebrokenwith indignation, if it A had nor panfied 1t felfe IYHh the ~on~neoce ofthe JUtl defert of all this vengeance. It lS better for Samfonto bc b!md m pnfon, than to abufc his eyes in Sorek: yea · I may fafcly fay, hewas more blind when he faw liccntioully, than now that be fee; . not. He was a greater fla,c when he ferved his alfet;iions, than now in grinding for the PhiliO:ims.Thc lolfe of his eyes,Chewes him his finne;tl<ither could he fee bow ill he had doPe, till he ftw not. • Ev<n yer,O:ill the God of mercy look'd upon the blindoes ofSamfon,and in thefe fetters inlargcth hi• heartfrom tloleworfe l'rifon of his fin; his haire grew together w1th Ius rrpenrancc,and lm tlrength w1th h1s lmrc.Gods merc1ful humiliations~£ his owne,are fomctimcs fo fevcre, that they feemc to differ little from deferrions· yet at theworn, he love• us bleeding: and when we have (marred enough, WC Cha!I B ~~~ . W bat thankful! Idolater. were thefe Philitlims ? They could not but know,that their bribes,and their D•lilah,haddelivered Samfon to them; and yet they facrificc to their :Vago";and,as thofe that would be liberall in calling favors upon a fenllelfe Idol(ofwh~m theycould receive none)theycry out,OMr goahath deliveredour memy :nto ourhllnas. Wherewas theu Dagon, when athoufand of hiS chents were Oainc with an Ancs jaw? there was more llrength in that bone, than in all the makers of this god;and yet thefe ' 'ainc Pagans fay,Our god. It is the quality offuperllition to mif-inrerpret all events,and to feed it felfe with the conceit ofrhofe favours,••hich are fo farre from being done,tbat their authors never were.Why doe not we learn zealcofldolaters?And ifthey be fo forward in ackPowledgment oftheir deliverances to a falfedrity;how cheerfully Chould we afcribe ours to the true?O God,what- C foever be the means, thou art the·Author of all our fuccelfe. 0 that men would praifc theLord for his goodnelfe, and tell the wonders that he dbth for the fons of men! J:-~o Mufician wo?ld fervc for this f~all,but Samfo"; be mull n?w be their fport, wh1chwas once theu terror,thathe m•ghtwant no fortow;fcorn 1s added to h•smifery: Every wit and hand plays upon him; Who is not ready to call his bone and his jell at fuch a captive ? Soas doubtle!fe he wifh't himfelfe no lelfe deafc, than blind, and that his foule might have gone outwith his eye:>- 0 ppre!lion i.able to make awife man mad;& rhe greater tnecourage is,rhe more painful the infultation. N01v Samfon is punifhed, Cha!l the Philillims efcape? Ifthe Judgement ofCod 0 beginne at his owne, what Chall become of his enemies ? Tl1is aJvanrage Chall Samfon make oftheircyranny, that now death is no puuiChmentto IJim, h1s foule (JJal! Aie forth in this .bitternelfe, without paine ; and that his dying revenge !hall be no lelfc fwcettohim than the liberty ofhis former life. He coufJ not bur fecle God mock'd through him; and tberefo.re whiles they are fccfling,he prayes; his ferioufne!fe hopes to pay them for all thofe _Jells. If hcc cou!J have beene rhus earnell with God in b1s profperity, the Phihllims had wanted this laughing fiotke. No devotion is fo fervent, as that which anfes from extremity : 0 Lorfl God, I pray tlm think< upon mt; 0 God, I htfeuh thtt jlr~»gthenmee at thif time onely. Though Samfons haire were lhortcr,yet he knew Gods handwas not; as one tboreforc tl1at had yet eyes cnow ro fee him that was invHiblc, anbwhofe faith was reco- E vered before his !irer.gth, he fues to that God, wbich was a party in this indignity, Ifor pbwer to revengel1is wrongs more than hisow'!J:It is.zeale that moves him,and not malice; his renued fairb tels him, that he was dcfitned to plague the Philillims, and reafon tel• him,that his blindne!l'e puts h1m out ofthe hopeoffuch another opportuniry.Knowing therforc,that this play ofrhePhilitlims mull end inhs death,he recollcdsol the forccsofhi. foulc & body,that his death may be a puPi!l>- ment in £lead ofa difport;and th•t his foule maybe more vitiorious in the parri·Jg, than in the ani!l)1ltion:and foaddrefles bimfelfe both to die, and kill; as ore" h"fe foule 01all not fecle his owne dilfolution, whiles it Ch~ll carry fo many thoufanJ Ph.ilillims with it ro the pit . All theatis of sam[on arcfor wonder,not for imitation:
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