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confusion of God? Both good and evil are sure paymasters at the last.

He that was so soon pacified towards his wife, could not but have thought this revenge more than enough, if he had not rather wielded God's quarrel than his own: he knew that God had raised him up, on purpose to be a scourge to the Philistines, whom as yet he had angered more than punished. As if these therefore had been but flourishes before the fray, he stirs up his courage, and strikes them both hip and thigh with a mighty plague. That God which can do nothing imperfectly, where he begins either mercy or judgment, will not leave till he have happily finished. As it is in his favours, so in his punishments, one stroke draws another.

The Israelites were but slaves, and the Philistines were their masters; so much more indignly therefore must they needs talk it, to be thus affronted by one of their own vassals: yet shall we commend the moderation of these Pagans. Samson, being not mortally wronged by one Philistine, falls foul upon the whole nation: the Philistines, heinously offended by Samson, do not fall upon the whole tribe of Judah, but, being mustered together, call to them for satisfaction from the person offending. The same hand of God, which wrought Samson to revenge, restrained them from it. It is no thank to themselves, that sometimes wicked men cannot be cruel.

The men of Judah are by their fear made friends to their tyrants, and traitors to their friend; it was in their cause that Samson had shed blood, and yet they conspire with the Philistines to destroy their own flesh and blood. So shall the Philistines be quit with Israel, that as Samson by Philistines revenged himself of Philistines, so they of an Israelite by the hand of Israelites. That which open enemies dare not attempt, they work by false brethren; and these are so much more perilous, as they are more entire.

It had been no less easy for Sainson to have slain those thousands of Judah that came to bind him, than those other of the Philistines that meant to kill him bound. And what if he had said, Are you turned traitors to your deliverer? Your blood be upon your own heads. But the spirit of God (without whom he could not kill either beast or man) would never stir him up to kill his brethren, though degenerated into Philistines; they have more power to bind him than he to kill them. Israelitish blood was precious to him, that made no more

VOL. I.

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scruple of killing a Philistine than a lion. That bondage and usury, that was allowed to a Jew from a Pagan, might not be exacted from a Jew.

The Philistines, that had before ploughed with Samson's heifer, in the case of the riddle, are now ploughing a worse furrow with an heifer more his own. I am ashamed to hear these cowardly Jews say: "Knowest thou not that the Philistines are lords over us? Why hast thou done this unto us? We are therefore come to bind thee." Whereas they should have said, We find these tyrannical Philistines to usurp dominion over us; thou hast happily begun to shake off their yoke, and now we are come to second thee with our service; the valour of such a captain shall easily lead us forth to liberty. We are ready either to die with thee, or to be freed by thee. A fearful man can never be a true friend; rather than incur any danger, he will be false to his own soul. O cruel mercy of these men of Judah! "We will not kill thee, but we will bind thee, and deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines, that they may kill thee." As if it had not been much worse to die an ignominious and tormenting death, by the hands of the Philistines, than to be at once dispatched by them, which wished either his life safe, or his death easy.

When Saul was pursued by the Philistines upon the mountain of Gilboa, he could say to his armour-bearer, "Draw forth thy sword, and kill me, lest the uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mock me ;" and, at last, would rather fall upon his own sword than theirs: and yet these cousins of Samson can say, "We will not kill thee, but we will bind thee, and deliver thee." It was no excuse to these Israelites, that Samson's binding had more hope than his death. It was more in the extraordinary mercy of God, than their will, that he was not tied with his last bonds. Such is the goodness of the Almighty, that he turns the cruel intentions of wicked men to an advantage.

Now these Jews, that might have let themselves loose from their own bondage, are binding their deliverer, whom yet they knew able to have resisted. In the greatest strength, there is use of patience: there was more fortitude in this suffering than in his former actions. Samson abides to be tied by his own countrymen, that he may have the glory of freeing himself victoriously. Even so, Ŏ Saviour, our better Nazarite, thou which couldst have called to thy Father, and have had twelve

legions of angels for thy rescue, wouldst be bound voluntarily, that thou mightest triumph; so the blessed martyrs were racked, and would not be loosed, because they expected a better resurrection. If we be not as well ready to suffer ill, as to do good, we are not fit for the consecration of God.

To see Samson thus strongly manacled, and exposed to their full revenge, could not but be a glad spectacle to these Philistines; and their joy was so full, that it could not but fly forth of their mouths in shouting and laughter; whom they saw loose, with terror, it is pleasure to see bound. It is the sport of the spiritual Philistines, to see any of God's Nazarites fettered with the cords of iniquity; and their imps are ready to say, Aha! so would we have it. But the event answers their false joy, with that clause of triumph, "Rejoice not over me, O mine enemy: though I fall, yet I shall rise again." How soon was the countenance of these Philistines changed, and their shouts turned into shriekings! "The spirit of the Lord came upon Samson;" and then, what are cords to the Almighty? His new bands are as flax burnt with fire; and he rouses up himself, like that young lion whom he first encountered, and flies upon those cowardly adversaries, who, if they had not seen his cords, durst not have seen his face. If they had been so many devils as men, they could not have stood before the Spirit which lifted up the heart and hand of Samson. Wicked men never see fairer prospect, than when they are upon the very threshold of destruction. Security and ruin. are so close bordering upon each other, that, where we see the face of the one, we may be sure the other is at his back. Thus didst thou, O blessed Saviour, when thou wert fastened to the cross, when thou layest bound in the grave with the cords of death; thus didst thou miraculously raise up thyself, vanquish thine enemies, and lead captivity captive! Thus do all thy holy ones, when they seem most forsaken, and laid open to the insultation of the world, find thy spirit mighty to their deliverance, and the discomfiture of their malicious adversaries.

Those three thousand Israelites were not so ill advised, as to come up into the rock unweaponed to apprehend Samson. Samson therefore might have had his choice of swords or spears for his skirmish with the Philistines; yet he leaves all the munition of Israel, and finding the new jaw-bone of an ass, takes that up in his hand, and, with that base instrument of death, sends a thousand Philistines to their place. All the

swords and shields of the armed Philistines cannot resist that contemptible engine, which hath now left a thousand bodies as dead as the carcass of that beast whose bone it was. This victory was not in the weapon, was not in the arm; it was in the spirit of God, which moved the weapon in the arm. O God, if the means be weak, yet thou art strong! Through God we shall do great acts; yea, I can do all things through him that strengtheneth me. Seest thou a poor Christian, which by weak counsel hath obtained to overcome a temptation; there is the Philistine vanquished with a sorry jawbone.

It is no marvel, if he were thus admirably strong and victorious, whose bodily strength God meant to make a type of the spiritual power of Christ. And, behold, as the three thousands of Judah stood still gazing, with their weapons in their hands, whilst Samson alone subdued the Philistines; so did men and angels stand looking upon the glorious achievements of the Son of God, who might justly say, "I have trode the wine-press alone."

Both the Samsons complained of thirst. The same God, which gave this champion victory, gave him also refreshing; and by the same means. The same bone yields him both conquest and life, and is, of a weapon of offence, turned into a well of water. He that fetched water out of the flint for Israel, fetches it out of a bone for Samson. What is not possible to the infinite power of that Almighty Creator, that made all things of nothing! He can give Samson honey from the mouth of the lion, and water from the mouth of the ass. Who would not cheerfully depend upon that God, which can fetch moisture out of dryness, and life out of death!

ness.

CONTEMPLATION V.

Samson's End.

I CANNOT wonder more at Samson's strength, than his weakHe, that began to cast away his love upon a wife of the Philistines, goes on to mispend himself upon the harlots of the Philistines he did not so much overcome the men, as the women overcame him. His affections blinded him first, ere the Philistines could do it; would he else, after the effusion of so much of their blood, have suffered his lust to carry within their walls, as one that cared more for his pleasure than his life? O strange debauchedness, and presumption of a

him

Nazarite! The Philistines are up in arms to kill him he offers himself to their city, to their stews, and dares expose his life to one of their harlots whom he had slaughtered. I would have looked to have seen him betake himself to his stronger rock than that of Etam, and, by his austere devotion, to seek protection of Him of whom he received strength: but now, as if he had forgotten his consecration, I find him turned Philistine for his bed, and, of a Nazarite, scarce a man. In vain doth he nourish his hair, while he feeds these passions. How easily do vigour of body, and infirmity of mind, lodge under one roof! On the contrary, a weakish outside is a strong motive to mortification. Samson's victories have subdued him, and have made him first a slave to lewd desires, and then to the Philistines. I may safely say, that more vessels miscarry with a fair gale, than with a tempest.

Yet was not Samson blinded with lust, as not at all to look before him he foresaw the morning would be dangerous; the bed of his fornication therefore could hold him no longer than midnight. Then he rises, and, in a mock of those ambushes which the Azzahites laid for him, he carries away the gates wherein they thought to have engaged him. If a temptation have drawn us aside, to lie down to sin, it is happy for us, if we can arise, ere we be surprised with judgment. Samson had not left his strength in the bed of an harlot, neither had that God, which gave it him, stripped him of it with his clothes, when he laid him down in uncleanness. His mercy uses not to take vantage of our unworthiness, but even, when we cast him off, holds us fast. That bountiful hand leaves us rich of common graces, when we have mispent our better store: like as our first parents, when they had spoiled themselves of the image of their Creator, yet were left wealthy of noble faculties of the soul.

I find Samson come off from his sin with safety; he runs away lightly with an heavier weight than the gates of Azzah, the burden of an ill act. Present impunity argues not an abatement of the wickedness of his sin, or of the dislike of God. Nothing is so worthy of pity, as sinners' peace. Good is not therefore good because it prospers, but because it is commanded. Evil is not evil because it is punished, but because it is forbidden.

If the holy parents of Samson lived to see these outrages of their Nazarite, I doubt whether they did not repent them of

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