I known not whether more to commend Gideon's wisdom and moderation in the proceedings, than his resolution and justice in the execution of this business. I do not see him run furiously into the city, and kill the next; his sword had not been so drunken with blood, that it should know no difference but he writes down the names of the princes, and singles them forth for revenge.

When the leaders of God came to Jericho, or Ai, their slaughter was unpartial; not a woman or child might live to tell news: but now that Gideon comes to a Succoth, a city of Israelites, the rulers are called forth to death; the people are frighted with the example, not hurt with the judgment. To enwrap the innocent in any vengeance, is a murderous injustice. Indeed, where all join in the sin, all are worthy to meet in the punishment. It is like, the citizens of Succoth could have been glad to succour Gideon, if their rulers had not forbidden. They must therefore escape while their princes perish.

I cannot think of Gideon's revenge without horror; that the rulers of Succoth should have their flesh torn from their backs with thorns and briers, that they should be at once beaten and scratched to death. What a spectacle it was, to see their bare bones looking somewhere through the bloody rags of their flesh and skin, and every stroke worse than the last, death multiplied by torment! Justice is sometimes so severe, that a tender beholder can scarce discern it from cruelty.

I see the Midianites far less ill; the edge of the sword makes a speedy and easy passage for their lives, while these rebellious Israelites die lingering under thorns and briers, envying those in their death whom their life abhorred. Howsoever men live or die without the pale of the church, a wicked Israelite shall be sure of plagues. How many shall unwish themselves Christians, when God's revenges have found them out! The place where Jacob wrestled with God, and prevailed, now hath wrestled against God, and takes a fall: they see God avenged, which would not believe him delivering.

It was now time for Zeba and Zalmunna to follow those their troops to the grave, whom they had led in the field. Those, which the day before were attended with an hundred and thirty-five thousand followers, have not so much as a page now left to weep for their death, and have lived only to see all their friends, and some enemies die for their sakes.

Who can regard earthly greatness, that sees one night change two of the greatest kings of the world into captives! It had been both pity and sin, that the heads of that Midiantish tyranny, into which they had drawn so many thousands, should have escaped that death.

And yet, if private revenge had not made Gideon just, I doubt whether they had died. The blood of his brothers calls for theirs, and awakes his sword to their execution. He both knew and complained of the Midianitish oppression, under which Israel groaned: yet the cruelty offered to all the thousands of his father's sons, had not drawn the blood of Zeba and Zalmunna, if his own mother's sons had not bled by their hands.

He that slew the rulers of Succoth and Penuel, and spared the people, now hath slain the people of Midian, and would have spared their rulers; but that God, which will find occasions to wind wicked men into judgment, will have them slain in a private quarrel, which had more deserved it for the public; if we may not rather say, that Gideon revenged these as a magistrate, not as a brother. For governors to respect their own ends in public actions, and to wear the sword of justice in their own sheath, it is a wrongful abuse of authority. The slaughter of Gideon's brethren was not the greatest sin of the Midianitish kings; this alone shall kill them, when the rest expected an unjust remission. How many lewd men hath God paid with some one sin for all the rest!

Some, that have gone away with unnatural filthiness, and capital thefts, have clipped off their own days with their coin; others, whose bloody murders have been punished in a mutinous word; others, whose suspected felony hath paid the price of their unknown rape. O God, thy judgments are just, even when men's are unjust!

Gideon's young son is bidden to revenge the death of his uncles: his sword had not yet learned the way to blood, especially of kings, though in irons. Deadly executions require strength both of heart and face. How are those aged in evil, that can draw their swords upon the lawfully anointed of God? These tyrants plead not now for continuance of life, but for the haste of the death; "Fall thou upon us." Death is ever accompanied with pain, which it is no marvel if we wish short. We do not more affect protraction of an easy life, than speed in our dissolution; for here every pang, that tends toward death, renews it. To lie an hour under death is tedious, but

to be dying a whole day, we think above the strength of human patience. O what shall we then conceive of that death which knows no end? As this life is no less frail than the body which it animates, so that death is no less eternal than the soul which must endure it.

For us to be dying, so long as we now have leave to live, is intolerable; and yet one only minute of that other tormenting death is worse than an age of this. O the desperate infidelity of careless men, that shrink at the thought of a momentary death, and fear not eternal! This is but a killing of the body, that is a destruction of body and soul.

Who is so worthy to wear the crown of Israel, as he that won the crown from Midian? Their usurpers were gone, now they are heedless; it is a doubt whether they were better to have had no kings, or tyrants. They sue to Gideon to accept of the kingdom, and are repulsed. There is no greater example of modesty than Gideon. When the angel spake to him, he abased himself below all Israel; when the Ephraimites, contended with him, he prefers their gleanings to his vintage, and casts his honour at their feet: and now, when Israel proffers him that kingdom which he had merited, he refuses it. He that in overcoming would allow them to cry, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon," in governing, will have none but "The sword of the Lord."

That which others plot, and sue, and swear, and bribe for, (dignity and superiority,) he seriously rejects, whether it were for that he knew God had not yet called them to a monarchy, or rather for that he saw the crown among thorns. Why do we ambitiously affect the command of these mole-hills of earth, when wise men have refused the proffers of kingdoms? Why do we not rather labour for that kingdom which is free from all cares, from all uncertainty?

Yet he that refuses their crown, calls for their ear-rings, although not to enrich himself, but religion. So long had God been a stranger to Israel, that now superstition goes current for devout worship. It were pity that good intentions should make any man wicked; here they did so. Never man meant better than Gideon in his rich ephod; yet this very act set all Israel on whoring. God had chosen a place, and a service of his own. When the wit of man will be overpleasing God with better devices than his own, it turns to madness, and ends in mischief.

CONTEMPLATION VIII.

Abimelech's Usurpation.

GIDEON refused the kingdom of Israel when it was offered; his seventy sons offered not to obtain that sceptre, which their father's victory had deserved to make hereditary: only Abimelech, the concubine's son, sues and ambitiously plots for it. What could Abimelech see in himself, that he should overlook all his brethren? If he looked to his father they were his equals; if to his mother they were his betters. Those that are most unworthy of honour are hottest in the chase of it; whilst the conscience of better deserts, bids men sit still, and stay to be either importuned or neglected. There can be no greater sign of unfitness, than vehement suit. It is hard to say, whether there be more pride or ignorance in ambition. I have noted this difference betwixt spiritual and earthly honour, and the clients of both; we cannot be worthy of the one without earnest prosecution, nor with earnest prosecution worthy of the other. The violent obtain heaven; only the meek are worthy to inherit the earth.

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That which an aspiring heart hath projected, it will find both argument and means to effect: if either bribes or favour will carry it, the proud man will not sit out. The Shechemites are fit brokers for Abimelech; that city which once betrayed itself to utter depopulation, in yielding to the suit of Hamor, now betrays itself, and all Israel, in yielding to the request Abimelech. By them hath this usurper made himself a fair way to the throne. It was an easy question, Whether will ye admit of the sons of Gideon for your rulers, or of strangers? If of the sons of Gideon, whether of all, or one? If of one, whether of your own flesh and blood, or of others unknown? To cast off the sons of Gideon for strangers, were unthankful; to admit of seventy kings in one small country, were unreasonable to admit of any other, rather than their own kinsman, were unnatural. Gideon's sons therefore must rule amongst all Israel; one of his sons amongst those seventy: and who should be that one but Abimelech ? Natural respects are the most dangerous corrupters of all elections. What hope can there be of worthy superiors in any free people, where nearness of blood carries it from fitness of disposition? Whilst they say, "He is our brother," they are enemies to themselves and Israel.

Fair words have won his brethren, they the Shechemites; the Shechemites furnish him with money, money with men : his men begin with murder, and now Abimelech reigns alone. Flattery, bribes, and blood, are the usual stairs of the ambitious. The money of Baal is a fit hire for murderers; that which idolatry hath gathered, is fitly spent upon treason. One devil is ready to help another in mischief; seldom ever is ill gotten riches better employed. It is no wonder if he, that hath Baal his idol, now make an idol of honour. There was never any man that worshipped but one idol. Woe be to them that lie in the way of the aspiring; though they be brothers, they shall bleed; yea, the nearer they are, the more sure is their ruin. Who would not now think that Abimelech should find an hell in his breast, after so barbarous and unnatural a massacre? and yet, behold, he is as senseless as the stone upon which the blood of his seventy brethren was spilt. Where ambition hath possest itself thoroughly of the soul, it turns the heart into steel, and makes it uncapable of a conscience. sins will easily down with the man that is resolved to rise.

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Only Jotham fell not at that fatal stone with his brethren. It is an hard battle where none escapes. He escapes, not to reign, nor to revenge, but to be a prophet, and a witness of the vengeance of God upon the usurper, upon the abettors: he lives to tell Abimelech that he was but a bramble, a weed rather than a tree. A right bramble indeed; that grew but out of the base hedge-row of a concubine, that could not lift up his head from the earth, unless he were supported by some bush or pale of Shechem, that had laid hold of the fleece of Israel, and had drawn blood of all his brethren; and, lastly, that had no substance in him, but the sap of vain glory, and the pricks of cruelty. It was better than a kingdom to him, out of his obscure bier, to see the fire out of this bramble to consume those trees. The view of God's revenge is so much more pleasing to a good heart, than his own, by how much it is more just and full.

There was never such a pattern of unthankfulness as these Israelites. They who lately thought a kingdom too small recompense for Gideon and his sons, now think it too much for his seed to live; and take life away from the sons of him, that gave them both life and liberty. Yet if this had been some hundreds of years after, when time had worn out the memory of Jerub-baal, it might have borne a better excuse.