Contemplations. LIB. XI.~ And now l.e thinkes,She finned againfl me; perhaps fhe bath repented; ptlthaps, A fhame and feare have w.ith-hcld her from rcturnmg; perhaps fhe wtll be more Joyall, for her fin: If het tmporrunuy lhould wm me,halfe the thankcswcre loll· but now,my voluntary offer offavor lhall oblige her for ever .Love procures truer' fcrvirudc than necclliry: Mercy becomes well the heart ofany mJn, but mofl ofa Le vire. He tbat had helped to offer fo many facrifices to God for the multitude ofevery Ifraclites fins, faw bow proportionable it was, that man fhould nvt hold one finneunpardonable: He had fervcd at tbe Altar to no purpofe, if he (whofe trade .vas to fue for mercy) had not at all learned to prattife it. · ,\nd ifthe rc~exion ofmercy wrought this in a fcrvant,what fhal we expelt from him, .vhofc cffcncc is mercy?O GoJ, we doe every daybreak rhc holy covcn.mt of ourlove;We proiliturc our fclves to every filthy tentarion, and then run, and hide B our fd• Cl in our ftt bers houfe, the world. I f thou didfl not fcekc u~ up,we fhoui<l never return ; it thy gracions proffer did not prevent us, we fhould be uncapable of forgivcncffc. It were abundant goodncffc in thee to receive us, when we ihould intrcat thee: butlo, thou intrearel1 us thatw~ would recetve thee. How lhould we now adore,and imitate thymercy,fith there is more rcafon,wc fhould fue to each other, than that thou ihouldfl fue to us;bccaufe .vc may as wcl offcnd,as be offended! I doe not fee the womans father make any meancs for reconciliation: but when remi.lion came home to his doors,no man could entertain it more thankfully. The nature ofmany men is forward to accepr,and negltgent to fue for; they can fpcnd fecrct wi01es upon that, wIHch fhallcofl them no indeavour. Grear is the power of lovc,which can in a fort undoe evils pafl,ifnot forrkc aCl C yer for the remembrance. V\ here true affection was onceconceived, it is eafi!; pieced agaire, after the flr<;>ngel1 interruption. Here needs no tedious recapitul. tion ofwrongs, no importunity of futc. The unkindnclfes are forgotten their love is renued; and110W the Lev1te is nota 1hanger,buta fon.; By how much'more willingly hecame,by fo much more unwillingly he is difmiffcd.The foure months abfence of his daugl'ter is anfivered .vith foure dayes fcafling ; Neither was there fo much jny in the former wedding feafl, as in this; becaufe then he delivered his daugbterinrire; now, defperate; then hefound a fonne; but nmv, that fon bath found his loll daughter, and he found both. The recoveryofany good, is far more pleafant tban the continuance. Little doe we know what evil! is towards us. No1v did this old man, and this re- 0 flow:\ couple promifc themfelvesal JOY and conteurment after this unkind florme; and fa id in themfelves,Now 1ve begin to live. And no1v this feafl, which was meant for their new nuptials, proves her funeral!. Even when we let our felves Joofcfl to 0ur pleafures, the hand of God (though invilibly) is writing bitter things again (I us. Sith we,are not worthy to know, it is wifcdome to fufpeCl the worfl, while it is leaf! feen. Sometimes it fals our, that nothing is more injurious than currefte. If this old man had thrufl his fon and daughter early out ofdoors, they had avoided this mi(- chiefe; now, his1oving importunity detaines ttem to their hm t, and pis owne repcntanc0.Such contentment doth fincere affection find in the prcfeQce ofthofc we love, that death it fclfc bath no other name, but departing. The grearef! comfort E ofour ltfe,i< the fruirion offricndfhip,thcdiffolution whereof, is the grearc!l paine ofdeath: As all earthly p!cafures, fo this of love, is diflafled with a neccf!iry of leaving.How worthy is that oncly love to take up our hearts, which is not open to any danger of interruption; which !hall out-live the d:;te.even of faith and hope, aud is .. crernall,as that Gpd, and thofe blclled fpirits whom WC love ? If. we h•ng never fo importunately upon one anothers lleeves, and 01cad floods of t"ares to flop their" ay,yet we mull be gone hence;no occafton, no force, n,all then remO\C us fcom our f, thers hm1fe. The Levirc" fl>ved beyond his time by importunity; the motions whereofare boundleffe and infinirc;onedaydrawson another;netther IS there anyre•fon ot rh1s da :cs
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