to him; accompanied with the bounty of other sacrifices, more in number and measure than the law of God required of her: and all this is too little for her God, that so mercifully remembered her affliction, and miraculously remedied it. Those hearts which are truly thankful, do no less rejoice in repayment, than in their receipt; and do as much study how to show their humble and fervent affections for what they have, as how to compass favours when they want them; their debt is their burden, which, when they have discharged, they

are at ease.

If Hannah had repented of her vow, and not presented her son to the tabernacle, Eli could not have challenged him: he had only seen her lips stir, not hearing | the promise of her heart. It was enough that her own soul knew her vow, and God, which was greater than it. The obligation of a secret vow is no less, than if it had ten thousand witnesses.

Old Eli could not choose but much rejoice to see this fruit of those lips, which he thought moved with wine; and this good proof, both of the merciful audience of God, and the thankful fidelity of his handmaid: this sight calls him down to his knees: "He worshipped the Lord." We are unprofitable witnesses of the mercies of God and the graces of men, if we do not glorify him for others' sakes, no less than for our own.

Eli and Hannah grew now better acquainted; neither had he so much cause to praise God for her as she afterwards for him; for if her own prayers obtained her first child, his blessings enriched her with five more. If she had not given her first son to God, ere she had him, I doubt whether she had not been ever barren; or, if she had kept her Samuel at home, whether ever she had conceived again. Now that piety which stripped her of her only child for the service of her God, hath multiplied the fruit of her womb, and gave her five for that one, which was still no less hers because he was God's. There is no so certain way of increase as to lend or give unto the owner of all things.

virtue were as well entailed upon us as sin, one night serve to check the other in our children; but now, since grace is derived from heaven on whomsoever it pleases the Giver, and that evil, which ours receive hereditarily from us, is multiplied by their own corruption, it can be no wonder that good men have ill children; it is rather a wonder that any children are not evil. The sons of Eli are as lewd, as himself was holy. If the goodness of examples, precepts, education, profession, could have been preservatives from extremity of sin, these sons of a holy father had not been wicked; now neither parentage, nor breeding, nor priesthood, can keep the sons of Eli from the sons of Belial. If our children be good, let us thank God for it; this was more than we could give them: if evil, they may thank us, and themselves: us for their birth-sin; themselves for the improvement of it to that height of wickedness.

Α

If they had not been sons of Eli, yet being priests of God, who would not have hoped their very calling should have infused some holiness into them? But now, even their white ephod covers foul sins; yea, rather, if they which serve at the altar degenerate, their wickedness is so much more above others, as their place is holier. wicked priest is the worst creature upon earth. Who are devils but they which were once angels of light? Who can stumble at the sins of the evangelical Levites, that sees such impurity even before the ark of God? That God which promised to be the Levite's portion, had set forth the portion of his ministers; he will feast them at his own altar; the breast and the right shoulder of the peace-offering was their morsel. These bold and covetous priests will rather have the flesh-hook their arbiter, than God. Whatsoever those three teeth fasten upon, shall be for their tooth; they were weary of one joint, and now their delicacy affects variety; God is not worthy to carve for these men, but their own hands; and this they do not receive, but take; and take violently, unseasonably. It had been fit God should be first served; their presumption will not stay his leisure: ere the fat be burned, ere the flesh be boiled, they snatch more than their share from the altar; as if the God of heaven should wait on their palate; as if the Israelites had come thither to sacrifice to their bellies. And, as commonly a wanton tooth is the harbinger of luxurious wantonness, they are no sooner fed, than they neigh after the dames of Israel. Holy women assemble to the door of the tabernacle; these varlets

tempt them to lust, that came thither for devotion: they had wives of their own, yet their unbridled desires rove after strangers, and fear not to pollute even that holy place with abominable filthiness. O sins too shameful for men, much more for the spiritual guides of Israel! He that makes himself a servant to his tooth, shall easily become a slave to all inordinate affections. That altar, which expiated other men's sins, added to the sins of the sacrificers. Doubtless many a soul was the cleaner for the blood of the sacrifices which they shed, while their own were more impure; and as the altar cannot sanctify the priest, so the uncleanliness of the minister cannot pollute the offering; because the virtue thereof is not in the agent, but in the institution; in the representation, his sin is his own, the comfort of the sacrament is from God. Our clergy is no charter for heaven. Even those, whose trade is devotion, may at once show the way to heaven by their tongue, and by their foot lead the way to hell. It is neither a cowl, nor an ephod, that can privilege the soul.

The sin of these men was worthy of contempt. yea, perhaps their persons; but for the people therefore to abhor the offerings of the Lord, was to add their evil unto the priests, and to offend God, because he was offended. There can no offence be justly taken, even at men, much less at God for the sake of men. No man's sins should bring the service of God into dislike: this is to make holy things guilty of our profaneness. It is a dangerous ignorance, not to distinguish betwixt the work and the instrument; whereupon it oft comes to pass, that we fall out with God, because we find cause of offence from men, and give God just cause to abhor us, because we abhor his service unjustly. Although it be true, of great men especially, that they are the last to know the evils of their own house; yet either it could not be, when all Israel rung of the lewdness of Eli's sons, that he only should not know it; or, if he knew it not, his ignorance cannot be excused; for a seasonable restraint might have prevented this extremity of debauchedness. Complaints are long muttered of the great, ere they dare break forth into open contestation. Public accusations of authority argue intolerable extremities of evil. Nothing but age can plead for Eli, that he was not the first accuser of his sons. Now, when their enormities came to be the voice of the multitude, he must hear it by force; and doubtless he heard it with grief enough, but not with anger enough: he that was

the judge of Israel, should have impartially judged his own flesh and blood; never could he have offered a more pleasing sacrifice, than the depraved blood of so wicked sons. In vain do we rebuke those sins abroad, which we tolerate at home. That man makes himself ridiculous, that, leaving his own house on fire, runs to quench his neighbour's.

I heard Eli sharp enough to Hannah, upon but a suspicion of sin, and now how mild I find him to the notorious crimes of his own! "Why do you so, my sons? it is no good report; my sons, do no more so." The case is altered with the persons. If nature may be allowed to speak in judgment, and to make difference, not of sins, but of offenders, the sentence must needs savour of partiality. Had these men but some little slackened their duty, or heedlessly omitted some rite of the sacrifice, this censure had not been unfit; but to punish the thefts, rapines, sacrileges, adulteries, incests of his sons, with "why do ye so?" was no other than to shave that head, which had deserved cutting off. As it is with ill humours, that a weak dose doth but stir and anger them, not purge them out, so it fareth with sins: an easy reproof doth but encourage wickedness, and makes it think itself so slight as that censure importeth. A vehement rebuke to a capital evil is but like a strong shower to a ripe field, which lays that corn which were worthy of a sickle. It is a breach of justice, not to proportionate the punishment to the offence: to whip a man for a murder, or to punish the purse for incest, or to burn treason in the hand, or to award the stocks to burglary, it is to patronize evil, instead of avenging it. Of the two extremes, rigour is more safe for the public weal, because the over punishing of one offender frights many from sinning. It is better to live in a commonwealth where nothing is lawful, than where every thing.

Indulgent parents are cruel to themselves and their posterity. Eli could not have devised which way to have plagued himself and his house so much, as by his kindness to his children's sins. What variety of judgments doth he now hear of from the messenger of God! First, because his old age (which uses to be subject to choler) inclined now to misfavour his sons, therefore there shall not be an old man left of his house for ever; and because it vexed him not enough to see his sons enemies to God in their profession, therefore he shall see his enemy in the habitation of the Lord; and because himself forbore to take venge.

ance of his sons, and esteemed their life above the glory of his Master, therefore God will revenge himself, by killing them both in one day; and because he abused his sovereignty by conniving at sin, therefore shall his house be stripped of this honour, and see it translated to another; and, lastly, because he suffered his sons to please their own wanton appetite, in taking meat off from God's trencher, therefore those which remain of his house shall come to his successors to beg a piece of silver, and a morsel of bread. In a word, because he was partial to his sons, God shall execute all this severely upon him and them. I do not read of any fault Eli had, but indulgence; and which of the notorious offenders were plagued more? Parents need no other means to make them miserable, than sparing the rod.

Who should be the bearer of these fearful tidings to Eli, but young Samuel, whom himself had trained up! He was now grown past his mother's coats, fit for the message of God. Old Eli rebuked not his young sons, therefore young Samuel is sent to rebuke him. I marvel not, while the priesthood was so corrupted, if the word of God were precious, if there were no public vision. It is not the manner of God to grace the unworthy. The ordinary ministration in the temple was too much honour for those that robbed the altar, though they had no extraordinary revelations. Hereupon it was, that God lets old Eli sleep (who slept in his sin), and awakes Samuel, to tell him what he would do with his master. He which was wont to be the mouth of God to the people, must now receive the message of God from the mouth of another: as great persons will not speak to those with whom they are highly offended, but send them their checks by others.

The lights of the temple were now dim, and almost ready to give place to the morning, when God called Samuel; to signify perhaps, that those which should have been the lights of Israel, burned no less dimly, and were near their going out, and should be succeeded with one so much more lightsome than they, as the sun was more bright than the lamps. God had good leisure to have delivered this message by day, but he meant to make use of Samuel's mistaking; and therefore so speaks, that Eli may be asked for an answer, and perceive himself both omitted and censured. He that meant to use Samuel's voice to Eli, imitates the voice of Eli to Samuel: Samuel had so accustomed himself to obedience, and to answer the call of Eli, that lying in the

further cells of the Levites, he is easily raised from his sleep; and even in the night runs for his message to him who was rather to receive it from him Thrice is the old man disquieted with the diligence of his servant; and, though visions were rare in his days, yet is he not so unacquainted with God, as not to attribute that voice to him which himself heard not. Wherefore, like a better tutor than a parent, he teaches Samuel what he shall answer: "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."

It might have pleased God, at the first call, to have delivered his message to Samuel, not expecting the answer of a novice unseen in the visions of God; yet doth he rather defer it till the fourth summons, and will not speak till Samuel confessed his audience. God loves ever to prepare his servants for his employments, and will not commit his errands but to those whom he addresseth, both by wonder and attention, and humility.

Eli knew well the gracious fashion of God, that, where he intended a favour, prorogation could be no hindrance; and therefore, after the call of God thrice answered with silence, he instructs Samuel to be ready for the fourth. If Samuel's silence

had been wilful, I doubt whether he had been again solicited; now God doth both pity his error, and requite his diligence, by redoubling his name at the last.

Samuel had now many years ministered before the Lord, but never till now heard his voice; and now hears it with much terror, for the first word that he hears God speak is threatening, and that of vengeance to his master. What were these menaces, but so many premonitions to himself that he should succeed Eli? God begins early to season their hearts with fear, whom he means to make eminent instruments of his glory. It is his mercy to make us witnesses of the judgments of others, that we may be forewarned, ere we have the occasions of sinning.

I do not hear God bid Samuel deliver his message to Eli. He, that was but now made a prophet, knows, that the errands of God intend not silence; and that God would not have spoken to him of another, if he had meant the news should be reserved to himself: neither yet did he run with open mouth unto Eli, to tell him this vision unasked. No wise man will be hasty to bring ill tidings to the great; rather doth he stay till the importunity of his master should wring it from his unwillingness; and then, as his concealment showed his love, so his full relation shall approve

his fidelity. If the heart of Eli had not told him this news, before God told it Samuel, he had never been so instant with Samuel not to conceal it: his conscience did well presage that it concerned himself. Guiltiness needs no prophet to assure it of punishment. The mind that is troubled, projecteth terrible things; and though it cannot single out the judgment allotted to it, yet it is in a confused expectation of some grievous evil. Surely Eli could not think it worse than it was: the sentence was fearful, and such as I wonder the neck or the heart of old Eli could hold out the report of: That God swears he will judge Eli's house, and that with beggary, with death, with desolation, and that the wickedness of his house shall not be purged with sacrifice or offerings for ever: and yet this, which every Israelite's ear should tingle to hear of, when it should be done, old Eli hears with an unmoved patience and humble submission: "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." O admirable faith, and more than human constancy and resolution, worthy of the aged president of Shiloh, worthy of a heart sacrificed to that God, whose justice had refused to expiate his sin by sacrifice! If Eli have been an ill father to his sons, yet he is a good son to God, and is ready to kiss the very rod he shall smart withal: “It is the Lord," whom I have ever found holy and just and gracious, and he cannot but be himself; "let him do what seemeth him good;" for whatsoever seemeth good to him, cannot but be good, howsoever it seems to me. Every man can open his hand to God while he blesses; but to expose ourselves willingly to the afflicting hand of our Maker, and to kneel to him while he scourges us, is peculiar only to the faithful.

If ever a good heart could have freed a man from temporal punishments, Eli must needs have escaped. God's anger was appeased by his humble repentance, but his justice must be satisfied. Eli's sin, and his sons', was in the eye and mouth of all Israel; his, therefore, should have been much wronged by their impunity. Who would not have made these spiritual guides an example of lawlessness, and have said, What care I how I live, if Eli's sons go away unpunished? As not the tears of Eli, so not the words of Samuel, may fall to the ground. We may not measure the displeasure of God by his stripes. Many times, after the remission of the sin, the very chastisements of the Almighty are deadly. No repentance can assure us that

we shall not smart with outward afflictions: that can prevent the eternal displeasure of God, but still it may be necessary and good we should be corrected: our care and suit must be, that the evils, which shall not be averted, may be sanctified.

If the prediction of these evils were fearful, what shall the execution be? The presumption of the ill-taught Israelites shall give occasion to this judgment; for, being smitten before the Philistines, they send for the ark into the field. Who gave them authority to command the ark of God at their pleasure? Here was no consulting with the ark, which they would fetch; no inquiry of Samuel, whether they should fetch it; but a heady resolution of presumptuous elders to force God into the field, and to challenge success. If God were not with the ark, why did they send for it, and rejoice in the coming of it? If God were with it, why was not his allowance asked that it should come? How can the people be good, where the priests are wicked? When the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, that dwells between the cherubims, was brought into the host, though with mean and wicked attendance, Israel doth, as it were, fill the heaven and shake the earth with shouts; as if the ark and victory were no less inseparable, than they and their sins. Even the lewdest men will be looking for favour from that God, whom they cared not to displease, contrary to the conscience of their deservings. Presumption doth the same in wicked men, which faith doth in the holiest. Those that regarded not the God of the ark, think themselves safe and happy in the ark of God. Vain men are transported with a confidence in the outside of religion, not regarding the substance and soul of it, which only can give them true peace. But rather than God will humour superstition in Israelites, he will suffer his own ark to fali into the hands of Philistines. Rather will he seem to slacken his hand of protection, than he will be thought to have his hands bound by a formal misconfidence. The slaughter of the Israelites was no plague to this; it was a greater plague rather to them that should survive and behold it. The two sons of Eli, which had helped to corrupt their brethren, die by the hands of the uncircumcised, and are now too late separated from the ark of God by Philistines, which should have been before separated by their father. They had lived formerly to bring God's altar into contempt, and now live to carry his ark into captivity: and at last, as those that had made up the

measure of their wickedness, are slain in their sin.

Ill news doth ever either run or fly. The man of Benjamin, which ran from the host, hath soon filled the city with outcries, and Eli's ears with the cry of the city. The good old man, after ninety and eight years, sits in the gate, as one that never thought himself too aged to do God service, and hears the news of Israel's discomfiture, and his sons' death, though with sorrow, yet with patience but when the messenger tells him the ark of God is taken, he can live no longer; that word strikes him down backward from his throne, and kills him in the fall. No sword of a Philistine could have slain him more painfully: neither know I whether his neck or his heart were first broken. O fearful judgment, that ever any Israelite's ear could tingle withal! The ark lost! What good man would wish to live without God? Who can choose but think he hath lived too long, that hath overlived the testimonies of God's presence with his church? Yea, the very daughterin-law of Eli, a woman, the wife of a lewd husband, when she was at once travailing (upon that tidings), and in that travail dying, to make up the full sum of God's judgment upon that wicked house, as one insensible of the death of her father, of her husband, of herself, in comparison of this loss, calls her (then unseasonable) son Ichabod, and with her last breath says, "The glory is departed from Israel, the ark is taken." What cares she for a posterity which should want the ark? What cares she for a son come into the world of Israel, when God was gone from it? And how willingly doth she depart from them, from whom God was departed! Not outward magnificence, not state, not wealth, not favour of the mighty, but the presence of God in his ordinances, are the glory of Israel; the subduing whereof is a greater judgment than destruction.

Ŏ Israel, worse now than no people! a thousand times more miserable than Philistines! Those Pagans went away triumphing with the ark of God and victory, and leave the remnants of the chosen people to lament that they once had a God.

O cruel and wicked indulgence, that is now found guilty of the death, not only of the priests and people, but of religion! Unjust mercy can never end in less than blood and it were well if only the body should have cause to complain of that kind cruelty.

BOOK XII.

CONTEMPLATION IV.—THE ARK AND DAGON.

Ir men did not mistake God, they could not arise to such height of impiety; the acts of his just judgment are imputed to im potence. That God would send his ark captive to the Philistines, is so construed by them, as if he could not keep it. The wife of Phinehas cried out, that glory was departed from Israel; the Philistines dare say in triumph that glory is departed from the God of Israel. The ark was not Israel's but God's: this victory reaches higher than to men. Dagon had never so great a day, so many sacrifices, as now that he seems to take the God of Israel prisoner. Where should the captive be bestowed, but in custody of the victor? It is not love, but insultation, that lodges the ark close beside Dagon. What a spectacle was this, to see uncircumcised Philistines laying their profane hands upon the testimony of God's presence! to see the glorious mercy-seat under the roof of an idol! to see the two cherubims spreading their wings under a false god!

O the deep and holy wisdom of the Almighty, which overreaches all the finite conceits of his creatures! who, while he seems most to neglect himself, fetches about most glory to his own name! He winks, and sits still, on purpose to see what men would do, and is content to suffer indignity from his creature for a time, that he may be everlastingly magnified in his justice and power. That honour pleaseth God and men best, which is raised out of contempt.

The ark of God was not used to such porters: the Philistines carry it unto Ashdod, that the victory of Dagon may be more glorious. What pains superstition puts men unto, for the triumph of a false cause! And if profane Philistines can think it no toil to carry the ark where they should not, what a shame is it for us, if we do not gladly attend it where we should! How justly may God's truth scorn the imparity of our zeal!

If the Israelites did put confidence in the ark, can we marvel that the Philistines did put confidence in that power, which, as they thought, had conquered the ark? The less is ever subject unto the greater; what could they now think, but that heaven and earth were theirs? Who shall stand out against them, when the God of Israel hath yielded? Security and presumption attend ever at the threshold of ruin.