I G b D COMPARED TO A L I 0 N. Book II. SIMILE. PARALLEL. Proportions the Punillunent, to the Kature and ~1al.i.ty of the Offence. and feeing this!Crnelty, and Breach of Love, Amity, and Concord, that had boen amongfr them, was inflamed to revenge that Perfidy, and like a true King of Beafl:s, meafured to the Bear, ~s he had done to the Dog, and ferved hun wtth the lame Sauce, tearing him inflantly w P1eoes. If a L10n IS wounded or hurt by a Man, with a Stone or Dart, accordinO' to the Greatnefs of the Hurt, he frames his Revenge. " VI. It is obferved of the Lion, VI. The Lord narrowly obferves tho[e Men that he will narrowly mark any one that fight againft him w.ith a high Hand, who tl>at wounds him: And though wound his Name, and abufe his People; and 1here are hundreds of Men toge- {urely they muft not think to e[cape amongft ther and bur one wound him, or others; though the Evil may be forgotten by the fhoot at him, or any ways hurt or Sinner, being fornJerly done, yet God remembers injure him, he will obferve and it. 'Ibus faith the Lord, Go a11d fmite Amalek, mark that Man, and keep the I remember what Amalek did, and utterly dejlroy Wrong in his Mind a long Time. all they have, 1 Sam. xv. 2, 3· 'fhefe 'fhings haft thou done, and I keptjilence, thou thoughtejl I had been altogether fuch an one as thyfelf: But I will reprove thee, and jet them in Order before thine Eyts. Confider this, ye that forget God, lejl I tear you in Pieces, and there be none to deliver, Pfal. l. 2 I, 22. VII. Moreover it is obfer¥ed of the Lion, that he lleeps but little, and with his Eyes open; or as fome others note, he having great Eyes, and fo fmall Eye-lids, they cannot wholly cover his Eyes. VII. The Lord that keeps Ifrael neither lleep· eth nor flumbereth, his Eyes are always open, he ieeth the Sinner at all Times. No dark nor fe– cret Place can hide fron1 him ; he beholds the Wicked when they work; Day and Niaht are alike to him. He that keepeth Ifrael jleep~th not, Pfal. cxxi. 3· which is matter of Comfort to them: So he that dcllroys their Enemies fleeps not, which is ground of Terror to them. VIII. The Lion will fall upon VIII. The Lord, though his Wrath be dreadIJO Creature, excep the be in hunful as a Lion's, yet he is not fo ready to fall upon ger, or is greatly provoked. his Creatures ,prefently. He breaks not in upon them, until he is greatly provoked, and there is no Remedy; but then he falls terribly upon them indeed, like as an hungry and in– cenfed Lion, 2 Chro11. ><xxvi. I 6, 1 7. IX. The Lion (as P/iny<:>bferves IX. The Lor.d hates thofe that look afquint Lib. viii . p. 202.) cannot endure to upon him; we mean thofe l'rofelfors, that have to be looked afquint upon by any. by and jinij/er Ends of their own, that haye not a right and pure Eye to his Glory in what they do. The Lord loves Uprightnefs in all our Ways a,ild Carriages to him, I Chron. xxix. '7• X. Again, of all wild Beafts, it X. God is full of Clemency and Bowels to all is obferved that the Lion, if one that fubmit to him. When he fees a poor Crea– do f11ll down, and proftrate himture humble himfdf, and fall .down at his Feer, felf befme him, as it were, and and petition for Mercy, 0 how ready is he to foJ– petition for his Life, he will fpare give and pafs by all former Treafons and Rebel– hi Al. Take Pliny's <:>wn Words, lions againft him! Seefl thou bow Ahab hmnbleth Lib. viii.p. zoz. 'fbe Lio11 alone, of bimfelf? I will not,faith the Lord, becaufe he bath 4/t wild Beafls, is gentle to tbofe bumbled himfelf, bring the Evil in his Days, I Ki11g1 that humble themfelves unto him, xxi. I9· yet this Ahab was an abominable Wretch and will not touch any fuch upon in God's Sight, a Monfter of Wickcdnefs; there- , Submi.f!ion, but fpareth what Creafore it is faid, 'fhere was none like Ahab, who fold ture foever lieth projlrate before himfelfto work Wickednejs in the Sight of the Lord, him "· whom Jezebel hzs Wife jltrred up, 1 Kzngs xxt. z3. Epbraim provoked God to Anger, but he bemoans himfelf, and repents with Tears, and fmites upon his Thigh, with Shame and Confufi– on of Face; and what faith God now toEphraim? I willfurely ht~ve Mercy upon him, my Bowels are troubled for him, I willfurely have Mercy upon him, faith t.he Lord. · I will not exe~ute the Fiercenefs of mine Anger. I will not return to dejlroy Ephraim, for I am !' Corpora mag11animofo1i1 ejlprojlraffi Lmd. 0\•id. Coil
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