Contemplations. Ll B. X. forth in an uncxpeaedinfea~on; and l:lld wood is theaptefl to take this fire: After A all tl;e airing in the defart, M ich•'s mother ;v ill fmdl of Egypt. It hadbeen better the filver had been fiolne than thus lxlflowed; for now they ha~e fo imployed it,that it bath fi~lne_awaythcir hearts from God; and yet while It ts moltcmnto an 1mag•, they thmk ttded1catcd to t he Lord. If Religion might be judgedaccording to the intention, there fhould fcafce bo any Idohtry in the world. Thiswoman loved her filver enough ; and1f fhe had not thought this coflly piety worth thanks, fhc knewwhichway to haveimployep her flock to advantage. Even ev1ll achons,havc oft times good meantngs, and thofe go0d meanings arcanfwercd with evil! recornpenccs. Many a one befiowes their cofl, their labour their blood, and receives torment in flead ofthanks. ' Behold a fuperflitious Sonneofa fuperfiitious Mother ; She makes a god and B he harbours it; yea, (as the fireamc is commonly broader than the head) h~ exceeds his mother in evil!: He bath an .houfeof gods, an Ephod, Teraphin. and that he migh be complcat in his Jevotion,he makes his fonnc his Priefl,and fe'olfcs that finne upon his fonne, which he received from his Mother. Thofe fin~es which nature convaycs'not to us, we have by imitation. Every aClion and gcflure of the Pareuts, is an example to the childe: and the mother, as fhe .is more tender over her fonne, fo by the power of a reciprocal! love, {he can worke moll: upon his inclination. Whence it is, that in the h1flory of the Ifraclitifh Kings, the mothers name is commonly noted: and as civilly, fo alfo morally, The birrb followes the belly. Thofe fonncs may bldfe their fecond birth,that are delivered from the linnes oftheir education. Who cannot but think how far re .Mic/Ja over-look'd all his fellow lfraelites,and C thought them profane and goclleffe in comparifon ofhimfelf?H~w did he fecretly clap IHmfelfe on the brefl, as the man,whofe happmeffe 1twas to mgrofrc Religion from al theTribes of IfraeJ,and little can imagine,that the further he runs,the more out oftheway.Canan I fraelite be thus Paganifh?O Micha ! t101v bath fuperfiition bewitched thee, that thou canfi not fee rebellion in every of thefe actions, yea in every circumflance rebellion ? What,more gods than one ?An houfeofgods, befide Gods houfe? An Image of filver to the invifible God? An Ephocf, and no Priefi? A Priefl,belidestlicfamilyof Levi? APrie~of~hin~ownebegetting,of rhine owneconfecrauon?What II!onflers doth.~a~s 1magmatJon produce,when it is forfakenofGoJ 1 It tswell feen there ts no Kmgm lfrael. IfGod had been their King, his !awes had ruled tbell). If Mofesor Jofbua bad been their King, their livord had awed them. Ifanyothcr,the courfes of Ifrael could not have been fo headleffe. V•ic are beholden to !jOVCrnment for order,for peace,forRcligion.vVhere there is noKing, every one will be a King, yea,a God tohimfelfe. We are worthy of nothing but con!bfion, ifwe blcffe not God for authority. It is no man·ell if Levites wandred for maintenance, while therewas no King in Ifracl.The tithes and olferin~s were their due:ifthefe had bin paid,noneofthe holy Tribe needed to fhift his flauon. Even where Royal! power feconds the claime of the Levite, the injuflice ofmen fhortens his right.What fhould become ofrhe Levitcs,iftherc .vere no King?Andwhat ofthe Church,ifno Levites? No Kingtberefore,no Church. How could the impotent child live \Yithout aNurfe? Kings fhall E by thy nurfing fathers,and Queens thy nurfes, faith God. Nothing more argues the diforder ofany amrch, or the decayof Religion, than the forced firagling of the Levites.Therc 1s hope of growtb,when Micha rides to feek a Levite; but when the Levitecomes to (eek a ferviceof Mich•, it is a fign_e of gafping devotion. Micba was no obfeure man;allMount Ephraim coul<l not but takc'notie< of his domcflicall gods. This Levite could not but heareofhis difpofirlon,ofhis mif-devot ion;yct want ofmainronance, no lelfe than confCiencc,dra\vs him on,to the danaer ofanIdolatrous patronage.Holine• is not tied to anyprofcflion.Happywere ir i'orthc Church,ifthe Clcrgycou[d be a previledge from lewdncs:when need meet• with unconfcionablcnes,al conditions are cafily livallowedofunlawful cntrances.of wicked
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=