edness of Benjamin sped better for the time, than the honesty of Israel. Twice was the better part foiled by the less and worse; the good cause was sent back with shame, the evil returned with victory and triumph. O God, their hand was for thee in the fight, and thy hand was with them in their fall! They had not fought for thee; but by thee; neither could they have miscarried in the fight, if thou hadst not fought against them: thou art just and holy in both. The cause was thine; the sin in managing of it was their own. They fought in a holy quarrel, but with confidence in themselves; for, as presuming of victory, they ask of God, not what should be their success, but who should be their captain. Number and innocence made them too secure: it was just therefore with God to let them feel, that even good zeal cannot bear out presumpand that victory lies not in the cause, but in the God that owns it. Who cannot imagine how much the Benjamites insulted in their double field and day, and now began to think, God was on their side! Those swords, which had been taught the way into forty thousand bodies of their brethren, cannot fear a new encounter. Wicked men cannot see their prosperity a piece of their curse, neither can examine their actions, but the events. Soon after they shall find what it was to add blood unto filthiness, and that victory of an evil cause is the way to ruin and confusion.

tion;

I should have feared, lest this double discomfiture should have made Israel either distrustful, or weary of a good cause: but still I find them no less courageous with more humility. Now they fast and weep, and sacrifice. These weapons had been victorious in their first assault. Benjamin had never been in danger of pride for overcoming, if this humiliation of Israel had prevented the fight. It is seldom seen, but that which we do with fear prospereth; whereas confidence in undertaking, lays even good endeavours in the dust.

Wickedness could never brag of any long prosperity, nor complain of the lack of payment: still God is even with it at last. Now he pays the Benjamites both that death which they had lent to the Israelites, and that wherein they stood indebted to their brotherhood of Gibeah: and now, that both are met in death, there is as much difference betwixt those Israelites, and these Benjamites, as betwixt martyrs and malefactors. To die in a sin is a fearful revenge of giving patronage to sin. The sword consumes their bodies, another fire their cities, whatsoever became of their souls.

Now might Rachel have justly wept for her children, because they were not; for, behold, the men, women, and children of her wicked tribe, are cut off; only some few scattered remainders ran away from this vengeance, and lurked in caves, and rocks, both for fear and shame. There was no difference but life betwixt their brethren and them; the earth covered them both yet unto them; doth the revenge of Israel stretch itself, and vows to destroy, if not their persons, yet their succession, as holding them unworthy to receive comfort by that sex to which they had been so cruel, both in act and maintenance. If the Israelites had not held marriage and issue a very great blessing, they had not thus revenged themselves of Benjamin: now they accounted the withholding of their

wives a punishment second to death. The hope of life in our posterity, the next contentment to an enjoying of life in ourselves.

is

They have sworn, and now, upon cold blood, repent them. If the oath were not just, why would they take it? and if it were just, why did they recant it? If the act were justifiable, what needed these tears? Even a just oath may be rashly taken. Not only injustice, but temerity of swearing, ends in lamentation. In our very civil actions, it is a weakness to do that which we would after reverse; but in our affairs with God, to check ourselves too late, and to steep our oaths in tears, is a dangerous folly. He doth not command us to take voluntary oaths; he commands us to keep them. If we bind ourselves to inconvenience, we may justly complain of our own fetters. Oaths do not only require justice, but judgment; wise deliberation, no less than equity.

Not conscience of their fact, but commiseration of their brethren, led them to this public repentance. "O God, why is this come to pass, that this day one tribe of Israel shall want!" Even the justest revenge of men is capable of pity. Insultation, in the rigour of justice, argues cruelty; charitable minds are grieved to see that done, which they would not wish undone : the smart of the offender doth not please them, which yet are thoroughly displeased with the sin, and have given their hands to punish it. God himself takes no pleasure in the death of a sinner, yet loves the punishment of sin: as a good parent whips his child, yet weeps himself. There is a measure in victory and revenge, if never so just, which to exceed, loses mercy in the suit of justice.

If there were no fault in their severity, it needed no excuse: and if there were a fault, it will admit of no excuse: yet, as if they meant to shift off the sin, they expostulate with God: "O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass this day!" God gave them no command of this rigour ; ; yea, he twice crossed them in the execution; and now, in that which they entreated of God with tears, they challenge him. It is a dangerous injustice to lay the burden of our sins upon him, which tempteth no man, nor can be tempted with evil; while we so remove our sin, we double it.

A man that knew not the power of an oath, would wonder at this contrariety in the affections of Israel; they are sorry for the slaughter of Benjamin; and yet they slay those that did not help them in the slaughter. Their oath calls this to more blood: the excess of their revenge upon Benjamin may not excuse the men of Gilead. If every oath might look for a dispensation, this might plead it: now they dare not but kill the men of Jabesh-Gilead, lest they should have left upon themselves a greater sin of sparing than punishing. Jabesh-Gilead came not up to aid Israel, therefore all the inhabitants must die. To exempt ourselves, whether out of singularity or stubbornness, from the common actions of the church, when we are lawfully called to them, is an offence worthy of judgment. In the main quarrels of the church, neutrals are punished. This execution shall make amends for the former; of the spoil of Jabesh-Gilead shall the Benjamites be stored with wives. That no man may think these men slain for their daughters, they plainly die for their sin; and these Gileadites might not have lived without the perjury of Israel; and now, since they must die, it is good to make benefit of necessity. I inquire

not into the rigour of the oath: if their solemn vow did not bind them to kill all of both sexes in Benjamin, why did they not spare their virgins? and if it did so bind them, why did they spare the virgins of Gilead? Favours must be enlarged in all these religious restrictions. Where breath may be taken in them, it is not fit nor safe they should be straitened.

Four hundred virgins of Gilead have lost parents, and brethren, and kindred, and now find husbands in lieu of them. An enforced marriage was but a miserable comfort for such a loss; like wards, or captives, they are taken, and choose not. These suffice not; their friendly adversaries consult for more upon worse conditions. Into what troublesome and dangerous straits do men thrust themselves, by either unjust or inconsid

erate vows!

In the midst of all this common lawlessness of Israel, here was conscience made on both sides of matching with infidels. The Israelites can rather be content their daughters should be stolen by their own, than that the daughters of aliens should be given them. These men, which had not grace enough to detest and punish the beastliness of their Gileadites, yet are not so graceless as to choose them wives of the heathen. All but atheists, howsoever they let themselves loose, yet in some things find themselves restrained, and show to others that they have a conscience. If there were not much danger, and much sin in this unequal yoke, they would never have persuaded to so heavy an inconvenience. Disparity of religion, in matrimonial contracts, hath so many mischiefs, that it is worthy to be redeemed with much prejudice.

They which might not give their own daughters to Benjamiu, yet give others, while they give leave to steal them. Stolen marriages are both unnatural and full of hazard; for love, whereof marriage is the knot, cannot be forced; this was rather rape, than wedlock. What unlikeliness, perhaps contrariety of disposition, what averseness of affection may there be, in not only a sudden, but a forcible meeting! If these Benjamites had not taken liberty of giving themselves ease by divorcement, they would often have found leisure to rue this stolen booty. This act may not be drawn to example; and yet here was a kind of indefinite consent. Both deliberation and good liking, are little enough for a during estate, and that which is once done for ever.

These virgins come up to the feast of the Lord; and now, out of the midst of their dances, are carried to a double captivity. How many virgins have lost themselves in dances! And yet this sport was not immodest. These virgins danced by themselves, without the company of those which might move towards unchastity; for if any men had been with them, they had found so many rescuers as they had assaulters; now, the exposing of their weak sex to this injury proves their innocence. Our usual dances are guilty of more sin. Wanton gestures, and unchaste touches, looks, motions, draw the heart to folly. The ambushes of evil spirits carry away many a soul from dances, to a fearful desolation.

It is supposed, that the parents, thus robbed of their daughters, will take it heavily. There cannot be a greater cross than the miscarriage of children; they are not only the living goods, but pieces of their parents : that they should therefore be torn from them by violence, is no less injury than the dismembering of their own bodies

CONTEMPLATION III-NAOMI AND RUTH.

BETWIXT the reign of the judges, Israel was plagued with tyranny, and, while some of them reigned, with famine. Seldom did that rebellious people want somewhat to humble them. One rod is not enough for a stubborn child. The famine must needs be great, that makes the inhabitants to run their country. The name of home is so sweet, that we cannot leave it for a trifle. Behold that land which had wont to flow with milk and honey, now abounds with want and penury: and Bethlehem, instead of an house of bread, is an house of famine. "A fruitful land doth God make barren, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein." The earth bears not for itself, but for us; God is not angry with it, but with men. For our sakes it was first cursed to thorns and thistles, after that to moisture, and since that, not seldom to drought, and by all these to barrenness. We may not look always for plenty. It is a wonder, while there is such a superfluity of wickedness, that our earth is no more sparing of her fruits.

The whole earth is the Lord's, and in him ours. It is lawful for the owners to change their houses at pleasure. Why should we not make free use of any part of our own possessions? Elimelech and his family remove from Bethlehem-Judah unto Moab. Nothing but necessity can dispense with a local relinquishing of God's church; not pleasure nor profit, not curiosity. Those which are famished out, God calls, yea, drives from thence. The Creator and Possessor of the earth hath not confined any man to his necessary destruction.

It was lawful for Elimelech to make use of pagans and idolaters, for the supply of all needful helps. There cannot be a better employment of Moabites, than to be the treasurers and purveyors of God's children. Wherefore serve they, but to gather for the true owners? It is too much niceness in them, which forbear the benefit they might make of the faculties of profane or heretical persons; they consider not that they have more right to the good such men can do, than they that do it, and challenge that good for their own.

But I cannot see, how it could be lawful for his sons to match with the daughters of Moab. Had these men heard how far, and under how solemn an oath, their father Abraham sent for a wife of his own tribe, for his son Isaac ? Had they heard the earnest charge of holy Isaac to the son he blessed, "Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan?" Had they forgotten the plagues of Israel, for but a short conversation with the Moabitish women? If they plead remoteness from their own people, did they not remember how far Jacob walked to PadanAram? Was it further from Moab to Bethlehem, than from Bethlehem to Moab? And if the care of themselves led them from Bethlehem to Moab, should not their care of obedience to God have as well carried them back from Moab to Bethlehem? Yet if their wives would have left their idolatry with their maidenhead, the match had been more safe; but now, even at the last farewell, Naomi can say of Orpah, that she is returned to her gods. These men have sinned in their choice, and it speeds with them accordingly. Where did ever one of these unequal

matches prosper ? The two sons of Elimelech are swept away childless in the prime of their age, and, instead of their seed, they leave their carcasses in Moab, their wives widows, their mother childless and helpless amongst infidels, in that age which most needed comfort. How miserable do we find poor Naomi, which is left destitute of her country, her husband, her children, her friends, and turned loose and solitary to the mercy of the world! Yet even out of these hopeless ruins will God raise comfort to his servant. The first good news is, that God hath visited his people with bread; now therefore, since her husband and sons were unrecoverable, she will try to recover her country and kindred. If we can have the same conditions in Judah that we have in Moab, we are no Israelites if we return not. While her husband and sons lived, I hear no motion of retiring home; now these her earthly stays are removed, she thinks presently of removing to her country. Neither can we so heartily think of our home above, while we are furnished with these wordly contentments: when God strips us of them, straightways our mind is homeward.

She that came from Bethlehem under the protection of a husband, attended with her sons, stored with substance, resolves now to measure all ~ that way alone. Her adversity had stripped her of all, but a good heart: that remains with her, and bears up her head, in the deepest of her extremity. True christian fortitude wades through all evils; and, though we be up to the chin, yet keeps firm footing against the stream: where this is, the sex is not discerned; neither is the quantity of the evil read in the face. How well doth this courage become Israelites, when we are left comfortless in the midst of the Moab of this world, to resolve the contempt of all dangers in the way to our home! As, contrarily, nothing doth more misbeseem a Christian, than that his spirits should flag with his estate, and that any difficulty should make him despair of attaining his best ends.

Goodness is of a winning quality wheresoever it is; and even amongst infidels, will make itself friends. The good disposition of Naomi carries away the hearts of her daughters-in-law with her, so as they are ready to forsake their kindred, their country, yea, their own mother, for a Those men are worse than stranger, whose affinity died with her sons. infidels, and next to devils, that hate the virtues of God's saints, and could love their persons well, if they were not conscionable.

How earnestly do these two daughters of Moab plead for their continuance with Naomi; and how hardly is either of them dissuaded from partaking of the misery of her society! There are good natures even among infidels, and such as, for moral disposition and civil Who can suffer his respects, cannot be exceeded by the best professors. heart to rest in those qualities, which are common to them that are without God!

Naomi could not be so insensible of her own good, as not to know how much comfort she might reap to the solitariness, both of her voyage and her widowhood, by the society of these two younger widows, whose affections she had so well tried; even every partnership is a mitigation of evils; yes, so earnestly doth she dissuade them from accompanying her, as that she