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of the Amorites, he knew the hailstones could do that alone; the sun needed not stand still to direct that cloud to persecute them: but the glory of the slaughter was sought by Joshua, that he might send up that whence those hailstones and that victory came. All the earth might see the sun and moon; all could not see the cloud of hail, which because of that heavy burden flew but low. That all nations might know the same hand commands both in earth, in the clouds, in heaven, Joshua now prays, that he, which disheartened his enemies upon earth, and smote them from the cloud, would stay the sun and moon in heaven. God never got himself so much honour by one day's work amongst the heathen: and when was it more fit than now, when five heathen kings are joined against him?

The sun and the moon were the ordinary gods of the world; and who would not but think, that their standing still but one hour should be the ruin of nature? And now all nations shall well see, that there is a higher than their highest; that their gods are but servants to the God whom themselves should serve; at whose pleasure both they and nature shall stand at once. If that God which meant to work this miracle had not raised up his thoughts to desire it, it had been a blameable presumption, which now is a faith worthy of admiration. To desire a miracle without cause, is a tempting of God. O powerful God, that can effect this! O power of faith, that can obtain it! What is there that God cannot do? and what is there which God can do, that faith cannot do?

CONTEMPLATION II.—THE ALTAR OF THE REUBENITES.

REUBEN and Gad were the first that had an inheritance assigned them, yet they must enjoy it last. So it oft falls out in the heavenly Canaan: the first in title are last in possession. They had their lot assigned them beyond Jordan; which, though it were allotted them in peace, must be purchased with their war; that must be done for their brethren, which needed not be done for themselves. They must yet still fight, and fight foremost, that, as they had the first patrimony, they might endure the first encounter. I do not hear them say, This is our share; let us sit down and enjoy it quietly; fight who will for the rest: but, when they knew their own portion, they leave wives and children to take possession,

and march armed before their brethren, till they had conquered all Canaan. Whe ther should we more commend their courage or their charity? Others were moved to fight with hope; they only with love: they could not win more; they might lose themselves: yet they will fight, both for that they had something, and that their brethren might have. Thankfulness and love can do more with God's children, than desire to merit or necessity. No true Israelite can (if he might choose) abide to sit still beyond Jordan, when all his brethren are in the field. Now, when all this war of God was ended, and all Canaan is both won and divided, they return to their own; yet not till they were dismissed by Joshua. All the sweet attractions of their private love cannot hasten their pace. If heaven be never so sweet to us, yet may we not run from this earthly warfare, till our great Captain shall please to discharge us. If these Reubenites had departed sooner, they had been recalled, if not as cowards, surely as fugitives: now they are sent back with victory and blessing. How safe and happy it is to attend both the call and the despatch of God!

Being returned in peace to their home, their first care is not for trophies, nor for houses, but for an altar to God; an altar, not for sacrifice, which had been abominable, but for a memorial what God they served. The first care of true Israelites must be the safety of religion. The world, as it is inferior in worth, so must it be in respect. He never knew God aright, that can abide any competition with his Maker.

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The rest of the tribes no sooner hear news of their new altar, but they gather to Shiloh to fight against them. They had scarce breathing from the Canaanitish war, and now they will go fight with their brethren if their brethren will, as they suspected, turn idolaters, they cannot hold them any other than Canaanites. The Reubenites and their fellows had newly settled the rest of Israel in their possessions; and now, ere they can be warm in their seats, Israel is up in arms to thrust them out of their own. The hatred of their suspected idolatry makes them forget either their blood, or their benefits. Israel says, These men were the first in our battles, and shall be the first in our revenge: they fought well for us; we will try how they can fight for themselves. What if they were our champions? their revolt from God hath lost them the thank of their former labours: their idolatry shall make them, of brethren, adversaries; their

own blood shall give handsel to their new yet many times suggests jealous fears of altar. O noble and religious zeal of Israel! | those we affect. If these Israelites had Who would think these men the sons of not loved their brethren, they would never them that danced about the molten calf? have sent so far to restrain them; they that consecrated an altar to that idol? Now had never offered them part of their own they are ready to die or kill, rather than patrimony: if they had not been excessively endure an altar without an idol. Every jealous, they had not censured a doubtful overture, in matter of religion, is worthy of action so sharply. They met at Shiloh, suspicion, worthy of our speedy opposition. where the tabernacle was; but if they had God looks for an early redress of the first consulted with the ark of God, they had beginnings of impiety. As in treasons or saved both this labour, and this challenge. mutinies, wise statesmen find it safest to kill This case seemed so plain, that they the serpent in the egg; so, in motions of thought advice needless: their inconsiderspiritual alterations, one spoonful of water ateness therefore brands their brethren with will quench that fire at first, which after- crimes whereof they were innocent, and wards whole buckets cannot abate. makes themselves the only offenders. In cases which are doubtful and uncertain, it is safe either to suspend the judgment, or to pass it in favour; otherwise, a plain breach of charity in us shall be worse than a questionable breach of justice in another.

Yet do not these zealous Israelites run rashly and furiously upon their brethren, nor say, What need we expostulate? the fact is clear: what care we for words, when we see their altar? What can this mean, but either service to a false god, or division in the service of the true? There can be no excuse for so manifest a crime: why do we not rather think of punishment than satisfaction? But they send ere they go, and consult ere they execute. Phineas the son of Eleazar the priest, and ten princes, for every tribe one, are addressed both to inquire and dissuade: to inquire of the purpose of the fact; to dissuade from that which they imagined was purposed. Wisdom is a good guide to zeal, and only can keep it from running out into fury. If discretion do not hold in the reins, good intentions will both break their own necks, and the rider's: yea, which is strange, without this, the zeal of God may lead us from God.

Not only wisdom, but charity, moved them to this message. For, grant they had been guilty, must they perish unwarned? Peaceable means must first be used to recall them, ere violence be sent to persecute them. The old rule of Israel hath been, still to inquire of Abel. No good shepherd sends his dog to pull out the throat of his strayed sheep, but rather fetches it on his shoulders to the fold. Sudden cruelty stands not with religion. He which will not himself break the bruised reed, how will he allow us either to bruise the whole, or to break the bruised, or to burn the broken?

Neither yet was here more charity in sending, than uncharitableness in the misconstruction. They begin with a challenge, and charge their brethren deeply with transgression, apostasy, rebellion. I know not how two contrary qualities fall into love: it is not naturally suspicious, and

Yet this little gleam of their uncharitable love began at themselves: if they had not feared their own judgments in the offence of Reuben, I know not whether they had been so vehement. The fearful revenges of their brethren's sin are still in their eye. The wickedness of Peor stretched not so far as the plague. Achan sinned, and Israel was beaten; therefore, by just induction, they argue," Ye rebel to-day against the Lord; to-morrow will the Lord be wroth with all the congregation." They still tremble at the vengeance passed, and find it time to prevent their own punishment, in punishing their brethren. God's proceedings have then their right use, when they are both carefully remembered, and made patterns of what he may do.

Had these Reubenites been as hot in their answer, as the Israelites were in their charge, here had grown a bloody war out of misprision: but now their answer is mild and moderate, and such as well showed, that though they were further from the ark, yet no less near to God. They thought in themselves, This act of ours, though it were well meant by us, yet might well be, by interpretation, scandalous; it is reason our mildness should give satisfaction for that offence which we have not prevented. Hereupon their answer was as pleasing, as their act was dangerous. Even in those actions whereby an offence may be occasioned, though not given, charity binds us to clear both our own name, and the conscience of others.

Little did the Israelites look for so good a ground of an action so suspicious: an altar without a sacrifice; an altar and no tabernacle; an altar without a precept

and yet not against God. It is not safe to | lords alone of the promised land, if their measure all men's actions by our own con- commiseration had not overswayed their ceit, but rather to think there may be a justice; and now their enemies are too cruel further drift and warrant of their act, than to them, in the just revenge of God, because we can attain to see. they were too merciful. That God, which in his revealed will had commanded all the Canaanites to the slaughter, yet secretly gives over Israel to a toleration of some Canaanites, for their own punishment. He hath bidden us cleanse our hearts of all our corruptions; yet he will permit some of these thorns still in our sides, for exercise, for humiliation. If we could lay violent hands upon our sins, our souls should have peace: now our indulgence costs us many stripes, and many tears. What a continued circle is here of sins, judgments, repentance, deliverances? The conversation with idolaters taints them with sin; their sin draws on judgment; the smart of the judgment moves them to repentance; upon their repentance follows speedy deliverance; upon their peace and deliverance they sin again.

By that time the Reubenites have commented upon their own work, it appears as justifiable, as before offensive. What wisdom and religion is found in that altar, which before showed nothing but idolatry! This discourse of theirs is full both of reason and piety. We are severed by the river Jordan from the other tribes; perhaps hereafter our choice may exclude us from Israel. Posterity may peradventure say, Jordan is the bounds of all natural Israelites, the streams whereof never gave way to those beyond the river: if they had been ours, either in blood or religion, they would not have been sequestered in habitation. Doubtless, therefore, these men are the offspring of some strangers, which, by vicinity of abode, have gotten some tincture of our language, manners, religion: what have we to do with them? what have they to do with the tabernacle of God? Since, therefore, we may not either remove God's altar to us, or remove our patrimony to the altar, the pattern of the altar shall go with us, not for sacrifice, but for memorial, that both the posterity of the other Israelites may know we are no less derived from them, than this altar from theirs; and that our posterity may know, they pertain to that altar whereof this is the resemblance. There was no danger of the present; but posterity might both offer and receive prejudice, if this monument were not. It is a wise and holy care to prevent the dangers of ensuing times, and to settle religion upon the succeeding generations. As we affect to leave a perpetuity of our bodily issue, so much more to traduce piety with them. Do we not see good husbands set and plant those trees whereof their grandchildren shall receive the first-fruit and shade? Why are we less thrifty in leaving true religion entire to our children's children?

CONTEMPLATION III.—EHUD AND EGLON.

Othniel, Caleb's nephew, had rescued them from idolatry and servitude; his life, and their innocence and peace, ended together. How powerful the presence of one good man is in a church or state, is best found in his loss.

A man that is at once eminent in place and goodness, is like a stake in a hedge; pull that up, and all the rest are but loose and rotten sticks easily removed: or like the pillar of a vaulted roof, which either supports or ruins the building. Who would not think idolatry an absurd and unnatural thing? which as it hath the fewest inducements, so had also the most direct inhibitions from God; and yet, after all these warnings, Israel falls into it again. Neither affliction nor repentance can secure an Israelite from redoubling the worst sin, if he be left to his own frailty. It is no censuring of the truth of our present sorrow, by the event of a following miscarriage. The former cries of Israel to God were unfeigned, yet their present wickedness is abominable: "Let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall."

No sooner had he said, Israel had rest, but he adds, They committed wickedness. The security of any people is the cause of their corruption. Standing waters soon grow noisome. While they were exercised As every man is guilty of his own sorrow, with war, how scrupulous were they of the these Israelites bred mischief to themselves. least intimation of idolatry! The news of It was their mercy that plagued them with a bare altar beyond Jordan drew them tothose Canaanites, which their obedience gether for a revenge: now they are at peace should have rooted out. If foolish pity be with their enemies, they are at variance a more humane sin, yet it is no less dan- with God. It is both hard and happy not gerous than cruelty. Cruelty kills others; to be the worse with liberty. The sedeaunjust pity kills ourselves. They had beentary life is most subject to diseases.

Rather than Israel shall want a scourge for their sin, God himself shall raise them up an enemy. Moab had no quarrel but his own ambition; but God meant by the ambition of the one part, to punish the idolatry of the other: his justice can make one sin the execution of another, whilst neither shall look for any other measure from him but judgment. The evil of the city is so his, that the instrument is not guiltless. Before, God had stirred up the king of Syria against Israel; now, the king of Moab; afterwards, the king of Canaan. He hath more variety of judgments, than there can be offences. If we have once made him our adversary, he shall be sure to make us adversaries enough, which shall revenge his quarrel whilst they prosecute their own. Even those were idolaters, by whose hands God plagued the idolatries of Israel In Moab, the same wickedness prospers, which in God's own people is punished. The justice of the Almighty can least brook evil in his own. The same heathen which provoked Israel to sin, shall scourge them for sinning. Our very profession hurts us, if we be not innocent.

No less than eighteen years did the rod of Moab rest upon the inheritance of God. Israel seems as born to servitude: they came from their bondage in the land of Egypt to serve in the land of promise. They had neglected God; now they are neglected of God: their sins have made them servants, whom the choice of God had made free, yea his first-born. Worthy are they to serve those men, whose false gods they had served, and to serve them always in thraldom, whom they have once served in idolatry. We may not measure the continuance of punishment by the time of the commission of sin: one minute's sin deserves a torment beyond all time.

Doubtless Israel was not so insensible of their own misery, as not to complain sooner than the end of eighteen years. The first hour they sighed for themselves, but now they cried unto God. The very purpose of affliction is to make us importunate. He hears the secret murmurs of our grief; yet will not seem to hear us, till our cries be loud and strong. God sees it best to let the penitent dwell for the time under their sorrows: he sees us sinking all the while, yet he lets us alone, till we be at the bottom; and when once we can say, "Out of the depths have I cried to thee;" instantly follows, "The Lord heard me." A vehement suitor cannot but be heard of God, whatsoever he asks. If our prayers want success, they want heart; their blessing is

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according to their vigour. We live in bondage to these spiritual Moabites, our own corruptions. It discontents us: but where are our strong cries unto the God of heavens? where are our tears? If we could passionately bemoan ourselves in him, how soon should we be more than conquerors? Some good motions we have to send up to him, but they faint in the way. We may call long enough, if we cry not to him.

The same hand that raised up Eglon against Israel, raised up also Ehud for Israel against Eglon. When that tyrant hath revenged God of his people, God will revenge his people of him. It is no privilege to be an instrument of God's vengeance by evil means. Though Eglon were an usurper, yet had Ehud been a traitor if God had not sent him. It is only in the power of him that makes kings, when they are once settled, to depose them. It is no more possible for our modern butchers of princes, to show they are employed by God, than to escape the revenge of God, in offering to do this violence, not being employed.

What a strange choice doth God make of an executioner! A man wanting of his right hand: either he had but one hand, or used but one, and that the worse, and the more unready. Who would not have thought both hands too little for such a work? or, if either might have been spared, how much rather the left? "God seeth not as man seeth." It is the ordinary way of the Almighty to make choice of the unlikeliest means. The instruments of God must not be measured by their own power or aptitude, but by the will of the agent. Though Ehud had no hands, he that employed him had enabled him to this slaughter. In human things, it is good to look to the means: in divine, to the worker. No means are to be contemned, that God will use: no means to be trusted, that man will use without him.

It is good to be suspicious, where is least show of danger, and most appearance of favcur. This left-handed man comes with a present in his hand, but a dagger under his skirt. The tyrant, besides service, looked for gifts; and now receives death in his bribe: neither God nor men do always give where they love. How oft doth God give extraordinary illumination, power of miracles, besides wealth and honour, where he hates! So do men too oft accompany their curses with presents; either lest an enemy should hurt us, or that we may hurt them. The intention is the favour in gifts, and not the substance.

Ehud's faith supplies the want of his hand. Where God intends success, he lifts up the heart with resolutions of courage and contempt of danger. What indifferent beholder of this project would not have condemned it, as unlikely to speed! to see a maimed man go alone to a great king, in the midst of all his troops; to single him out from all witnesses; to set upon him with one hand in his own parlour, where his courtiers might have heard the least exclamation, and have come in, if not to the rescue, yet to the revenge! Every circumstance is full of improbabilities. Faith evermore overlooks the difficulties of the way, and bends her eyes only to the certainty of the end. In this intestine slaughter of our tyrannical corruptions, when we cast our eyes upon ourselves, we might well despair. Alas! what can our left hands do against these spiritual wickednesses! But, when we see who hath both commanded and undertaken to prosper those holy designs, how can we misdoubt the success? "I can do all things through him that strengthens me."

When Ehud had obtained the convenient secrecy both of the weapon and place, now with a confident forehead he approaches the tyrant, and salutes him with a true and awful preface to so important an act: "I have a message to thee from God." Even Ehud's poniard was God's message: not only the vocal admonitions, but also the real judgments of God, are his errands to the world. He speaks to us in rain and waters, in sicknesses and famine, in unseasonable times and inundations: these are the secondary messages of God; if we will not hear the first, we must hear these to our cost.

I cannot but wonder at the devout rever ence of this heathen prince. He sat in his chair of state: the unwieldiness of his fat body was such, that he could not rise with readiness and ease; yet no sooner doth he hear news of a message from God, but he rises up from his throne, and reverently attends the tenor thereof. Though he had no superior to control him, yet he cannot abide to be unmannerly in the business of God.

This man was an idolater, a tyrant; yet what outward respects doth he give to the true God? External ceremonies of piety, and compliments of devotion, may well be found with falsehood in religion. They are a good shadow of truth where it is; but where it is not, they are the very body of hypocrisy. He that had risen up in arms against God's people, and the true

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worship of God, now rises up in reverence to his name. God would have liked well to have had less of his courtesy, more of his obedience.

He looked to have heard the message with his ears, and he feels it in his guts; so sharp a message, that it pierced the body, and let out the soul through that unclean passage: neither did it admit of any answer but silence and death. In that part had he offended, by pampering it and making it his god; and now his bane finds the same way with his sin.

This one hard and cold morsel, which he cannot digest, pays for all those gluttonous delicates, whereof he had formerly surfeited. It is the manner of God to take fearful revenges of the professed enemies of his church.

It is a marvel, that neither any noise in his dying, nor the fall of so gross a body, called in some of his attendants: but that God, which hath intended to bring about any design, disposes of all circumstances to his own purpose. If Ehud had not come forth with a calm and settled countenance, and shut the doors after him, all his project had been in the dust. What had it been better that the king of Moab was slain, if Israel had neither had a messenger to inform, nor a captain to guide them? Now he departs peaceably, and blows a trumpet in Mount Ephraim, gathers Israel and falls upon the body of Moab, as well as he had done upon the head, and procures freedom to his people. He that would undertake great enterprises, had need of wisdom and courage; wisdom to contrive, and courage to execute; wisdom to guide his courage, and courage to second his wisdom: both which, if they meet with a good cause, cannot but succeed.

coNTEMPLATION IV.—OF JAEL AND SISERA.

It is no wonder if they, who, ere fourscore days after the law delivered, fell to idolatry alone; now, after fourscore years since the law restored, fell to idolatry among the Canaanites. Peace could in a shorter time work looseness in any people. And if, forty years after Othniel's delive rance, they relapsed, what marvel is it, that, in twice forty after Ehud, they thus miscarried? What are they the better to have killed Eglon the king of Moab, if the idolatry of Moab have killed them? The sin of Moab shall be found a worse tyrant than their Eglon. Israel is for every mar ket: they sold themselves to idolatry; God

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