LIB. XI. The Le'Vites [oncubiJJ~. A dayos (lay,which ~ay n~t!erve (\ill for to mo.rrow. HI> refolurion atla(l brtakcs rhoro.v all rhofe kmd lundoranccs; rather .,.,u he venture a bemghrm~, t han an unneccffary delay. I r is a good hcarin~ that the Levire makes ha(\c h~me: An hone(\ noans heart is where his calling lS; fuch a one, when he is abro1d, is l1ke a filb in t he ayre; whereinto if it loapc for recrear ion, or neceffiry, yet it foonc rcrurncs to hisowneelement. This charge, by how muchmorofacrd it is, fo much more attendance it expeeteth : f. vena day brcakes fqua"c with the confcio nable. • The Sunne is ready to lodge before them. His fcrvant advires him to fborren his journcy,holding it more fir to rru(\ an early lnne oft he Jebufites,than to t!Je mercy of the night. And if rbat counfcll had been followed, perhaps, they which founJ ~ Jcbutircs in lfrael, might have found lfradircs in Jebus. No wit<: man can h~ld good couufell d1fp.uaged,by the m~anncffe of the Author: lf1ve be glad to rece1ve anytreafurc from our lcrvant, why not precious admonitions I It was the zeak of this Levite,that (\IUthim out ofjebus; we will Mt lo1ge in the City of flrange/s. The Jcbufites were ftrangers in H cligion, not (\rangersenou>h in the1r habitation: The Levite will not receivecommon courtcfic froru thole ,.:'bich were aliens from God, though home-borne in the heart of If<"~l. It is lawfull enough in terms of civilitvto dealc with Infidels; the earth isthe Lords, and we may·injoy it in rhc r~11t of the owner, while we protcft again£1: the wrona of the ufurper; yet the Ienc commUnion \'\.. ith Gocl.ser..emies, rfle more fJfcty.1f there were another aire ro breath in from theirs,anor',erearrh to treJd t>pt')n,rhey Chould C have their Oil' no. Thote that a!feet a familiar intirencffe with Jebu.ircs, in conver· fition, in leagues of amity, in mltrimoniall coritra&s, bewraydrher too much bol~r.etfc,or too litrle confcicncc. , ffi, harh i1o blood ot anlfrael!te, that delights to lodge in Jebu.s:lt was the fault dfltrael,rhat an heat:Jcnifl, Towne ftood yer m the navel of thetribcs,and that Tebus was no foorer turned toJerufJlcm: Their lenity and neglect were guilty ofrhis r:ci~hbour-hodd,that now no nun can paffe frotn Bethleem fuqa to ~ount Ephraim;but by t he City of the Jebutites. Seafonable jufiice might pre~ent a thoufand evils •vhich afterwards know no remedy but l'atience. TlJe warw2S not long betwixt Jebus and Gibcah: for the Sunne was fioopiR" 1vhcn the evire was over again(\ the fir(\, and is but nmv declined when he ~ome~ D to th~ other. Ho•v his heart'was lightened, when heentred into an Ifraeliti~ City! and tan thinkc of nothing but hofpitality, rcfi, fecurity. The.re is no pcrfu[lle fo fweet to a TrJvclier as his own fmoake• .!loth expectation and feare doe commo·1. ly Ji(app,inr us ; fof fcldomeeverdoe we injoy the good we looke for, or fmart with a feared eviU. The poore Levite could have found but fuch entertainment with the ]cbu~tes. \1\' hirher are the pofierityof Benj•min degenerated, that their Gibcah rhouiJ he no lcffe wicked than populous? The fir(\ ~gne ofa fetled godlefndfe, is, that a Lcvttc is fuffered to lie without doores. IfGod had been in any of rhcir houfcs, his fervant had not beene e~c!uded. Where no refpect is given to Gods rneffcogers, there can be noReligion. _ Gibeah •vas a fccom!Sodome; even there alfo is another Lot:•vhich is tl1erefore E fo much m0rc hofpitall to (\rangers, bccaufc himfelfe was a (\ranger. The Ho!l: as well os t~e Levite is ofMount Ephraim:Eachman knows be(\ tocommifcrJtethat evil.l in others, whic~ himfelfe bath pafiod thoro•v. All thar prof<:ffe the Name of Chril\,~re C ountry-mcti,and yet (\rangers ~ere bdow.Howcheerefully fbould we estert_ame each other, when we meet in the Gibeah ofthis inhofpirall world 1 Tlus g6odo!J m•n.qfGibeah came home late from his work~ in the fields: The Sunne was fer ere he gave over; and now, feeing this man a (\ranger, an l!raelite, a Levifc, an Ephrai"' itc, and rhat in his 1vay to 'the ho~fe of Goa, to take up. his lodgmg m the fireet,he prnff ·rs him the kindncffe ofhlS boufe-roome.Indufinous fp~tits are the fitte[l receptacles of.all good motions; whereas thofc which give themfelvcs to ille andloofc courfcs, aoe not care fo much as for themfelves. I • heare
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=