Gibeon and rescued vs from the powers of hell and death Ioshua fought but God discomfited the Amorites The praise is to the workman not the instrument Neither did God slay them onely with Ioshua's sword but with his owne haile-stones that now the Amorites may see both these reuenges come frō one hand These bullets of GOD doe not wound but kill It is no wonder that these fiue Kings flie They may soone run away from their hope neuer from their horror If they looke behind there is the sword of Israel which they dare not turn vpon because God had taken their hart from them before their life If they looke vpwards there is the haile-shot of God fighting against them out of heauen which they can neither resist nor auoyd If they had no enemy but Israel they might hope to runne away from death sith feare is a better footeman then desire of reuenge but novv vvhither-soeuer they runne heauen will be aboue their heads And now all the reason that is left them in this confusion of their thoughts is to wish themselues well dead there is no euasion where GOD intends a reuenge Wee men haue deuised to imitate these instruments of death and send foorth deadly bullets out of a clowd of smoke wherein yet as there is much danger so much vncertaintie but this God that discharges his Ordinance from heauen directs euery shotte to an head and can as easily kil as shoot It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God hee hath mo waies of vengeance then hee hath creatures The same heauen that sent foorth water to the old world fire to the Sodomites lightning and thunderbolts to the Egyptians sends out haile-stones to the Amorites It is a good care how wee may not anger God it is a vain study how we may fly from his iudgements when wee haue angred him if wee could run out of the vvorld euen there shall we finde his reuenges far greater Was it not miracle enough that God did braine their Aduersaries from heauen but that the Sunne and Moone must stand stil in heauen Is it not enough that the Amorites fly but that the greatest Planets of heauen must stay their owne course to witnesse and wonder at the discomfiture For him which gaue them both beeing and motion to bid them stand still it seemes no difficulty although the rarenes would deserue admiration but for a man to commaund the chiefe starres of heauen by whose influence he liueth as the Centurion would do his seruant Sunne stay in Gibeon and Moone stand still in Aialon it is more then a wonder It was not Ioshua but his faith that did this not by way of precept but of prayer If I may not say that the request of a faithfull man as wee say of the great commaunds Gods glorie vvas that which Ioshua aimed at hee knew that all the world must needs be witnesses of that which the eye of the world stood still to see Had he respected but the slaughter of the Amorites hee knew the haile-stones could doe that alone the Sunne needed not stand still to direct that clowd to persecute them but the glory of the slaughter was sought by Ioshua that hee might send that vp whence those haile-stones and that victory came All the earth might see the Sunne and Moon all could not see the cloud of haile which because of that heauie burden flew but low That all Nations might knowe the same hand commands both in earth in the clouds in heauen Ioshua now prayes that hee which dishartned his enemies vpon earth smote them from the cloud would stay the Sunne and Moone in heauen God neuer got himselfe so much honour by one dayes worke amongst the heathen and vvhen was it more fitte then now vvhen fiue heathen Kings are banded against him The Sun and the Moone were the ordinary Gods of the world and who would not but think that their standing still but one houre should be the ruine of Nature now all Nations shall well see that there is an higher then their highest that their Gods are but seruants to the GOD whom themselues should serue at whose pleasure both they and Nature shall stand at once If that God which meant to work this miracle had not raised vp his thoughts to desire it it had bin a blameable presumption which now is a faith vvorthy of admiration To desire a miracle without cause is a tempting of God O powerfull GOD that can effect this O power of faith that can obtaine it What is there that God cannot doe and what is there which God can doe that faith cannot doe THE ALTAR of the Reubenites REuben and Gad were the first that had an inheritance assigned thē yet they must inioy it last So it falls out oft in the heauenly Canaan the first in title are the last in possession They had their lot assigned them beyond Iorden which tho 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 themselues they must yet still fight and fight for-most that as they had the first patrimonie they might indure the first incounter I do not hear them say This is our share let vs sitte downe and enioy it quietly fight who will for the rest but when they knew their own portion they leaue wiues and children to take possession and march armed before their brethren till they had conquered all Canaan Whether should wee more commend their courage or their charitie Others were mooued to fight with hope they onely with loue they could not winne more they might lose themselues yet they wil fight both for that they had something and that their brethren might haue Thankfulnesse and loue can doe more with Gods children then desire to merit or necessitie No true Israelite can if hee might chuse abide to sitte still beyond Iordan when all his brethren are in the field Now when all this war of God was ended and all Canaan is both won and diuided they returne to their owne yet not till they were dismissed by Ioshua all the sweet attractiues of their priuate loue cannot hasten their pase If heauen be neuer so sweet to vs yet may we not runne from this earthen warfare till our great Captaine shall please to discharge vs. If these Reubenites had departed sooner they had been recalled if not as cowards surelie as fugitiues now they are sent back with victorie and blessing How safe and happie it is to attend both the call and the dispatch of GOD Beeing returned in peace to their home their first care is not for Trophees nor for houses but for an Altar to God an Altar not for sacrifice which had been abominable but for a memoriall what God they serued The first care of true Israelites must be the safetie of Religion the world as it is inferiour in worth so must it be in respect Hee neuer knew God
CONTEMplations Vpon the principal passages of the holie Historie THE THIRD VOLVME IN THREE BOOKES BY I. HALL Doctor of Diuinitie Printed by H. L. for Nathanael Butter and William Butler 1615. Contemplations THE NINTH BOOKE Containing The Rescue of Gibeon The Altar of the Reubenites Ebud and Eglon. Iael and Sisera Gideons calling Gideons preparation victory The reuenge of Succoth and Penuel Abimelech's vsurpation TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD SIR THO EGERTON KNIGHT Lord Ellesmere Lord Chancelour of England Chancelour of the Vniuersitie of Oxford The sincere and graue Oracle of Equitie The great sure friend of the Church The sanctuarie of the Clergy The bountifull incourager of Learning J. H. With thankfull acknowledgement of Gods blessing vpon this State in so vvorthy an Instrument and humble prayers for his happy continuance Dedicates this poore and vnworthy part of his labors CONTEMPLATIONS THE RESCVE of Gibeon THE life of the Gibeonites must cost thē seruitude from Israel and danger from their neighbours if Ioshua will but sit stil the deceit of the Gibeonites shall be reuenged by his enemies Fiue kings are vp in Armes against them and are ready to pay their fraude with violence VVhat should these poore men doe If they make not their peace they die by strangers if they doe make their peace with Forrainers they must die by neighbours There is no course that threatens not some danger Wee haue sped well if our choice hath light vpon the easiest inconuenience If these Hiuites haue sinned against God against Israel yet what haue they done to their neighbours I heare of no trechery no secret information no attempt I see no sinne but their league with Israel their life yet for ought we find they were free men no way either obliged or obnoxious As Satan so wicked men cannot abide to lose any of their community if a Conuert come home the Angels welcome him with songs the Diuels follow him with vprore and fury his old Partners vvith scornes and obloquy I finde these neighbour Princes halfe dead with feare and yet they can finde time to be sick of enuie Malice in a wicked hart is the king of Passions all other vaile bow when it comes in place euen their owne life was not so deare to them as reuenge Who would not rather haue lookt that these Kings should haue tryed to haue followed the Copie of this league or if their fingers did itch to fight why did they not rather think of a defensiue war against Israel then an offensiue against the Gibeonites Gibeon was strong and would not bee won without bloud yet these Amorites which at their best were too weake for Israel would spend their forces before hand on their neighbors Here was a strong hatred in weake breasts they feared and yet began to fight they feared Jsrael yet began to fight with Gibeon If they had sat still their destruction had not beene so suddaine the malice of the wicked hastens the pase of their owne iudgement No rod is so fit for a mischieuous man as his owne Gibeon and these other Cities of the Hiuites had no King none yeelded and escaped but they Their Elders consulted before for their league neither is there any challenge sent to the King but to the Citie And now the fiue Kings of the Amorits haue vniustly compacted against them Soueraignty abused is a great spur to out-rage the conceit of authoritie in great persons many times lies in the way of their own safety whiles it vvill not let them stoope to the ordinarie courses of inferiours Hence it is that heauen is peopled with so few Great-ones hence it is that true contentment seldome dwells high whiles meaner men of humbled spirits enioy both earth and heauen The Gibeonites had wel proued that thogh they wanted an Head yet they wanted not wit and now the same wit that won Ioshua and Israel to their friendship and protection teacheth them to make vse of those they had won If they had not more trusted Ioshua then their walls they had neuer stolne that league whē shold they haue vse of their new Protectors but now that they were assailed Whither should wee fly but to our Ioshua when the powers of darknes like mighty Amorites haue besieged vs If euer wee will send vp our prayers to him it will be when we are beleaguered with euils If we trust to our owne resistance wee cannot stand we cannot miscary if we trust to his in vaine shall we send to our Ioshua in these straits if we haue not before come to him in our freedom Which of vs would not haue thought Ioshua had a good pretence for his forbearance haue said You haue stolne your league with me why do you expect help from him whom yee haue deceiued All that wee promised you was a sufferance to liue inioy what wee promised wee will not take your life from you Hath your faithfulnes deserued to expect more then our couenant we neuer promised to hazard our liues for you to giue you life with the losse of our owne But that good man durst not construe his owne couenant to such an aduantage Hee knew little difference betwixt killing them with his own sword and the sword of an Amorite vvhosoeuer should giue the blow the murder would bee his Euen permission in those things wee may remedy makes vs no lesse actors then consent some men kill as much by looking on as others by smiting VVee are guilty of all the euill wee might haue hindered The noble disposition of Ioshua besides his ingagement will not let him forsake his new vassalls Their confidence in him is argument enough to draw him into the Field The greatest obligation to a good mind is anothers trust which to disappoint were mercilesly perfidious How much lesse shall our true Ioshua faile the confidence of our faith Oh my Sauiour if we send the messengers o◠our prayers to thee into thy Gilgal thy mercy bindes thee to releefe neuer any soule miscaried that trusted thee we may be wanting in our trust our trust can neuer want success Speed in bestowing doubles a gift a benefit deferred loses the thanks and prooues vnprofitable Ioshua marches all night fights all day for the Gibeonites They tooke not so much pains in comming to deceiue him as he in going to deliuer them It is the noblest victory to ouercome euill with good if his very Israelites had been in danger he could haue done no more God and his Ioshua make no difference betwixt Gibeonites Israelited and his owne naturall people All are Israelites whom he hath taken to league we strangers of the Gentiles are now the true Iewes GOD neuer did more for the naturall Oliue then for that wild Impe which he hath graffed in And as these Hiuites could neuer be thankfull enough to such a Ioshua no more can we to so gracious a Redeemer vvho forgetting our vnwoorthiness descended to our
suddenly cut off He saw the hope of posteritie extinguished in the virginity of his daughter It is naturall to vs to affect that perpetuitie in our succession which is denied vs in our persons Our very bodies would emulate the eternity of the soule And if GOD haue built any of vs an house on earth as well as prepared vs an house in heauen it must be confessed a fauour worth our thankfulness but as the perpetuitie of our earthlie houses is vncertaine so let vs not rest our harts vpon that but make sure of the house which is eternall in the heauens Doubtlesse the goodnes of the daughter added to the fathers sorow Shee was not more louing then religious neither is she lesse willing to be the Lords then her fathers and as prouoking her father to that which he thought pietie though to her own wrong she saies If thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the Lord doe with mee as thou hast promised Many a daughter would haue disswaded her father with teares and haue wisht rather her fathers impietie then her own preiudice Shee sues for the smart of her fathers vowe How obsequious should children be to the will of their carefull Parents euen in their finall disposition in the world when they see this holie maid willing to abandon the world vpon the rash vow of a father They are the liuing goods of their Parents and must therefore waite vpon the bestowing of their owners They mistake themselues which thinke they are their owne If this maid had vowed herselfe to God vvithout her Father it had been in his power to abrogate it but now that hee vowed her to GOD vvithout her selfe it stands in force But what shall wee say to those children whom their Parents vow and care cannot make so much as honest that will be no other then godlesse in spight of their Baptisme and education What but that they are giuen their Parents for a curse and shall one day finde what it is to bee rebellious All her desire is that shee may haue leaue to bewaile that which she must be forced to keepe Virginitie If shee had not held it an affliction there had been no cause to bewaile it it had bin no thanke to vnder-goe it if shee had not known it to be a cross Teares are no argument of impatience wee may mourne for that wee repine not to beare How comes that to be a meritorious vertue vnder the Gospell which was but a punishment vnder the Law The daughters of Israel had been too lauish of their teares if virginitie had bin absolutely good VVhat iniurie should it haue been to lament that spirituall preferment which they should rather haue emulated While Iepthaes daughter vvas two monethes in the mountaines she might haue had good opportunitie to escape her fathers vow but as one whom her obedience tyed as close to her father as his vow tyed him to God she returns to take vp that burden which she had bewailed to foresee If we be truly dutifull to our father in heauen wee would not slip our necks out of the yoke tho we might nor flie from his commaunds though the doore were open Sampson conceiued OF extraordinary persons the very birth conception is extraordinary God beginnes his wonders betimes in those whō hee will make wonderfull There was neuer any of those which were miraculously conceiued vvhose liues were not notable and singular The presages of the wombe and the cradle are commonly answered in the life It is not the vse of GOD to cast away strange beginnings If Manoahs wife had not been barren the Angell had not been barren the Angell had not been sent to her Afflictions haue this aduantage that they occasion GOD to show that mercy to vs whereof the prosperous are vncapable It would not beseem a mother to bee so indulgent to an healthfull child as to a sick It was to the woman that the Angell appeared not to the husband whether for that the reproach of barrennesse lay vpon her more heauily then on the father or for that the birth of the child should cost her more deare then her husband or lastly for that the difficultie of this newes was more in her conception then in his generation As Satan layes his batteries euer to the weakest so contrarily God addresseth his comforts to those harts that haue most need As at the first because Eue had most reason to be deiected for that her sin had drawne man into the Transgression therefore the Cordiall of GOD most respecteth her The seed of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head As a Physitian first tells the state of the disease with his Symptoms and then prescribes so dooth the Angell of God first tell the wife of Manoah her complaint then her remedy Thou art barren All our afflictions are more noted of that GOD which sends them then of the Patient that suffers them how can it be but lesse possible to indure any thing that he knows not than that hee inflicteth not Hee saith to one Thou art sicke to an other Thou art poore to a third Thou art defamed Thou art oppressed to another That all-seeing Eye takes notice from heauen of euery mans condition no lesse then if he should send an Angel to tell vs he knew it His knowledge compared with his mercy is the iust comfort of all our sufferings O GOD vvee are many times miserable and feele it not Thou knowest euē those sorrowes which wee might haue Thou knowest what thou hast done do what thou wilt Thou art barren Not that the Angel would vpbrayd the poore woman with her affliction but therefore he names her paine that the mention of her cure might be so much more welcom Comfort shal com vnseasonably to that hart which is not apprehensiue of his owne sorrow We must first know our euils ere we can quit them It is the iust method of euery true Angel of GOD first to let vs see that whereof either wee doe or should complaine and then to apply comforts Like as a good Physitian first pulls downe the body and then raises it with cordialls If wee cannot abide to heare of our faults wee are not capable of amendement If the Angel had first said Thou shalt conceiue and not premised Thou art barren I doubt whether shee had conceiued faith in her soule of that infant which her body should conceiue Now his knowledge of her present estate makes way for the assurance of the future Thus euer it pleases our good God to leaue a pawne of his fidelitie with vs that vvee should not distrust him in what he will do when we find him faithfull in that which we see done It is good reason that he which giues the sonne to the barren mother should dispose of him and diet him both in the wombe first and after in the world The mother must first be a Nazarite that her sonne may be so Whiles shee was barren she might drink what she
a lap-full of parched corne a draught of the seruants bottles a loose sheafe was such a fauour to Ruth as she thought was aboue all recompence This was not seene in the estate of Boaz which yet makes her for the time happy If we may refresh the soule of the poore with the very offalls of our estate and not hurt our selues woe be to vs if we doe it not Our barnes shall bee as full of curses as of corne if we grudge the scattered eares of our field to the hands of the needie How thankfully doth Ruth take these small fauours from Boaz perhaps some rich Iewell in Moab would not haue been so welcome Euen this was a presage of her better estate those which shall receiue great blessings are euer thankfull for little and if poore soules be so thankfull to vs for but an handfull or a sheafe how should we be affected to our God for whose fieldsfull for full barnes full garners Doubtlesse Boaz hauing taken notice of the good nature dutifull cariage and the neere affinitie of Ruth could not but purpose some greater beneficence and higher respects to her Yet now onwards he fits his kindnes to her condition and giues her that which to her meanenesse seemed much tho he thought it little Thus doth the bountie of our God deale with vs It is not for want of loue that he giues vs no greater measure of grace but for want of our fitnesse and capacitie Hee hath reserued greater preferments for vs when it shall bee seasonable for vs to receiue them Ruth returnes home wealthy with her Ephah of barley and thankfully magnifies the liberalitie of Boaz her new benefactor Naomi repayes his beneficence with her blessing Blessed be he of the Lord. If the rich can exchange their almes with the poore for blessings they haue no cause to complaine of an ill bargaine Our gifts cannot be worth their faithfull prayers Therefore it is better to giue then to receiue because he that receiues hath but a worthlesse almes hee that giues receiues an vnualuable blessing I cannot but admire the modestie and silence of these two women Naomi had not so much as talked of her kinred in Bethleem nor till now had shee told Ruth that she had a wealthy kinsman neither had Ruth inquired of her husbands great alliance but both sate downe meekly with their owne wants and cared not to know any thing else saue that themselues were poore Humilitie is euer the way to honor It is a discurtesie where we are beholden to alter our dependencie Like as men of trade take it ill if customers which are in their bookes goe for their wares to another shop Wisely doth Naomi aduise Ruth not to bee seene in any other field whiles the haruest lasted The very taking of their fauours is a contentment to those that haue already well deserued and it is quarrell enough that their curtesie is not receiued How shall the God of heauen take it that whiles he giues and proffers largely wee runne to the world that can afford vs nothing but vanitie and vexation Those that can least act are oft-times the best to aduise Good old Naomi sits still at home and by her counsell payes Ruth all the loue shee owes her The face of that action to which shee directs her is the worst peece of it the heart was sound Perhaps the assurance which long tryall had giuen her of the good gouernment and firme chastitie of her daughter in law together with her perswasion of the religious grauitie of Boaz made her thinke that designe safe which to others had been perilous if not desperate But besides that holding Boaz next of blood to Elimelech shee made account of him as the lawfull husband of Ruth so as there wanted nothing but a challenge and consummation Nothing was abated but some outward solemnities which tho expedient for the satisfaction of others yet were not essentiall to marriage And if there were not these colours for a proiect so suspicious it would not follow that the action were warrantable because Naomies Why should her example be more safe in this then in matching her sonues with Insidels then in sending backe Orpah to her fathers Gods If euery act of an holy person should bee our rule wee should haue crooked liues Euery action that is reported is not straight-waies allowed Our courses were very vncertaine if God had not giuen vs rules whereby wee may examine the examples of the best Saints and as well censure as follow them Let them that stumble at the boldnes of Ruth imitate the continence of Boaz. These times were not delicate This man though great in Bethleem laies him downe to rest vpon a pallet in the floore of his barne when hee awakes at midnight no maruell if he were amazed to finde himselfe accompanied yet though his heart were cheared with wine the place solitarie the night silent the person comely the inuitation plausible could hee be drawne to a rash act of lust His appetite could not get the victorie of reason tho it had wine and oportunitie to helpe it Herein Boaz showd himselfe a great master of his affections that hee was able to resist a fit tentation It is no thanke to many that they are free of some euills perhaps they wanted not will but conuenience But if a man when hee is fitted with all helps to his sin can repell the pleasure of sin out of conscience this is true fortitude In steed of touching her as a wanton he blesses her as a father incourageth her as a friend promiseth her as a kinsman rewards her as a patron sends hir away lade with hopes gifts no lesse chaste more happy then shee came Oh admirable temperance worthy the progenitor of him in whose lips and heart was no guile If Boaz had been the next kinsman the marriage had needed no protraction but now that his conscience told him that Ruth was the right of another it had not been more sensualitie then iniustice to haue touched his kinswoman It was not any bodily impotencie but honestie and conscience that restrained Boaz for the very next night shee conceiued by him that good man wished his mariage bed holy and durst not lye downe in the doubt of a sinne Many a man is honest out of necessitie and affects the praise of that which hee could not auoide but that mans minde is still an adulterer in the forced continence of his bodie No action can giue vs true comfort but that which we do out of the grounds of obedience Those which are fearefull of sinning are carefull not to bee thought to sin Boaz though he knew himselfe to be cleare would not haue occasion of suspicion giuen to others Let no man know that a woman came into the floore A good heart is no lesse afraide of a scandall then of a sin whereas those that are resolued not to make any scruple of sin despise others constructions not caring whom they