CONTEMPLATIONS.

BOOK X.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD,

SIR HENRY DANVERS, KNIGHT,

BARON OF DANTESEY;

A WORTHY PATTERN OF ALL TRUE NOBILITY, ACCOmplished BOTH FOR WAR AND PEACE; A MUNIFICENT FAVOURER OF ALL TRUE LEARNING AND VIRTUE:

J. H.

WITH HUMBLE APPRECATION OF ALL TRUE HAPPINESS,
DEDICATES THIS PART OF HIS POOR LABOURS.

CONTEMPLATION 1.-JEPHTHAH.

JUDGES XI.

It

ISRAEL, that had now long gone a whoring from God, hath been punished by the regiment of the concubine's son, and at last seeks protection from the son of a harlot it is no small misery to be obliged unto the unworthy. The concubine's son made suit to them; they make suit to the son of the harlot. was no fault of Jephthah that he had an ill mother, yet is he branded with the indignity of his bastardy; neither would God conceal this blemish of nature, which Jephthah could neither avoid nor remedy. God, to shew his detestation of whoredom, revenges it not only upon the actors, but upon their issue: hence he hath shut out the base son from the congregation of Israel to the tenth generation, that a transient evil might have a during reproach attending it; and that after the death of the adulterer, yet his shame might live. But, that God, who justly ties men to his laws, will not abide that we should tie him to our laws, or his own: he can both rectify and ennoble the blood of Jephthah. That no man should be too much discouraged with the errors of his propagation, even the base son of man may be the lawfully begotten of God; and though he be cast out from the inheritance of his brethren upon earth, may be admitted to the kingdom of Israel.

I hear no praise of the lawful issue of Gilead; only this misbegotten son is commended for his valour, and set at the stern

of Israel: the common gifts of God respect not the parentage of blood, but are indifferently scattered where he pleases to let them fall. The choice of the Almighty is not guided by our rules; as in spiritual, so in earthly things, it is not in him that willeth. If God would have men glory in these outward privileges, he would bestow them upon none but the worthy.

Now who can be proud of strength or greatness, when he sees him that is not so honest, yet is more valiant, and more advanced? Had not Jephthah been base, he had not been thrust out; and if he had not been thrust out from his brethren, he had never been the captain of Israel. By contrary paces to ours, it pleaseth God to come to his own ends: and how usually doth he look the contrary way, to that he moves? No man can measure the conclusion of God's act by his beginning: he, that fetches good out of evil, raises the glory of men out of their ruin. Men love to go the nearest way, and often fail; God commonly goes about, and in his own time comes surely home.

The Gileadites were not so forward to expel Jephthah, as glad to recall him: no Ammonite threatened them when they parted with such a helper; now, whom they cast out in their peace, they fetch home in their danger and misery. That God, who never gave aught in vain, will find a time to make use of any gift that he hath bestowed upon men: the valour of Jephthah shall not rust in his secrecy, but be employed to the common preservation of Israel. Necessity will drive us to seek up all our helps, even those whom our wantonness hath despised.

How justly are the suits of our need, upbraided with the errors of our prosperity! The elders of Gilead now hear of their ancient wrong, and dare not find fault with their exprobration; Did ye not hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? How then come ye now to me, in time of tribulation? The same expostulation that Jephthah makes with Gilead, God also at the same time makes with Israel; Ye have forsaken me, and served other gods; wherefore should I deliver you any more? Go and cry unto the gods whom ye have served. As we, so God also, finds it seasonable to tell his children of their faults, while he is whipping them. It is a safe and wise course, to make much of those in our peace, whom we must make use of in our extremity; else it is but just, that we should be rejected of those, whom we have rejected.

any

"Did

Can we look for other answer from God than this? ye not drive me out of your houses, out of your hearts, in the time of your health and jollity? Did ye not plead the strictness of my charge, and the weight of my yoke? Did not your wilful sins expel me from your souls? What do you now, crouching and creeping to me in the evil day?" Surely, O God, it is but justice if thou be not found of those which were glad to lose thee; it is thy mercy, if, after many checks and delays, thou wilt be found at last. Where an act cannot be reversed, there is no amends

but confession; and if God himself take up with this satisfaction, He that confesses shall find mercy; how much more should men hold themselves well paid with words of humility and deprecation!

Jephthah's wisdom had not been answerable to his valour, if he had not made his match beforehand. He could not but know how treacherously Israel had dealt with Gideon. We cannot make too sure work, when we have to do with unfaithful men. It hath been an old policy, to serve ourselves of men and after our advantage, to turn them up. He bargains therefore for his sovereignty, ere he win it; Shall I be your head? We are all naturally ambitious, and are ready to buy honour even with hazard. And if the hope of a troublesome superiority encouraged Jephthah to fight against the forces of Ammon, what heart should we take in the battles of God against spiritual wickedness, when the God of heaven hath said, To him that overcomes, will I give power over nations, and to sit with me on my throne? Oh that we could bend our eyes upon the recompense of our reward; how willingly should we march forward against these mighty Ammonites! Jephthah is noted for his valour; and yet be intreats with Ammon, ere he fights. To make war any other than our last remedy, is not courage, but cruelty and rashness; and now, when reason will not prevail, he betakes himself to his sword.

As God began the war with Jephthah, in raising up his heart to that pitch of fortitude; so Jephthah began his war at God, in craving victory from him, and pouring out his vow to him: his hand took hold of his sword; his heart of God: therefore he, whom the Old Testament styles valiant, the New styles faithful; he, who is commended for his strength, dares trust in none, but the arm of God; If thou wilt give the Ammonites into my hand. If Jephthah had not looked upward for his victory, in vain had the Gileadites looked up to him. This is the disposition of all good hearts; they look to their sword or their bow, as servants, not as patrons; and whilst they use them, trust to God. If we could do so in all our businesses, we should have both more joy in their success, and less discomfort in their miscarriage.

It was his zeal to vow; it was his sin to vow rashly. Jacob, his forefather, of whom he learned to vow, might have taught him a better form; If God will be with me, then shall the Lord be my God. It is well with vows, when the thing promised makes the promise good; but when Jephthah says, Whatsoever thing cometh out of the doors of my house shall be the Lord's, or I will offer it for a burnt sacrifice; his devotion is blind, and his good affection overruns his judgment; for what if a dog, or a swine, or an ass had met him? where had been the promise of his consecration?

Vows are as they are made. Like unto scents, if they be of ill composition, nothing offends more; if well tempered, nothing is more pleasant. Either certainty of evil, or uncertainty of good,

or impossibility of performance, makes vows no service to God. When we vow what we cannot, or what we ought not to do, we mock God instead of honouring him. It is a vain thing for to go about to catch God hoodwinked. The conscience shall never find peace in any way, but that which we see before us, and which we know safe, both in the kind and circumstances. There is no comfort in "Peradventure, I may please God."

What good child will not take part of the parent's joy? If Jephthah return with trophies, it is no marvel if his daughter meet him with timbrels: Oh that we could be so affected with the glorious acts of our heavenly Father! Thou subduest thine enemies, and mightily deliverest thy people, O God; a song waiteth for thee in Sion.

Who would have suspected danger in a dutiful triumph? Well might Jephthah's daughter have thought, "My sex forbade me to do any thing towards the help of my father's victory; I can do little, if I cannot applaud it: if nature have made me weak, yet not unthankful; nothing forbids my joy to be as strong as the victor's: though I might not go out with my father to fight, yet I may meet him with gratulations; a timbrel may become these hands which were unfit for a sword; this day hath made me the daughter of the head of Israel; this day hath made both Israel free, my father a conqueror, and myself in him noble : and shall my affection make no difference? What must my father needs think, if he shall find me sitting sullenly at home, while all Israel strives who shall run first to bless him with their acclamations? Should I only bé insensible of his and the common happiness?

And now, behold when she looks most for thanks, her father answers the measures of her feet with the knockings of his breast, and weeps at her music, and tears his clothes, to look upon her whom he best loved; and gives no answer to her timbrels, but Alas, my daughter, thou art one of them that trouble me: her joy alone hath changed the day, and lost the comfort of that victory, which she enjoyed to see won. It falls out often, that those times and occasions which promise most contentment, prove most doleful in the issue: the heart of this virgin was never lifted up so high as now, neither did any day of her life seem happy but this; and this only proves the day of her solemn and perpetual mourning as contrarily, the times and events which we have most distrusted, prove most beneficial. It is good, in a fair morning, to think of that storm that may arise ere night, and to enjoy both good and evil fearfully.

Miserable is that devotion which troubles us in the performance; nothing is more pleasant than the acts of true piety; Jephthah might well see the wrong of this religion, in the distaste of it; yet, while himself had troubled his daughter, he says, Alas, my daughter, thou art of them that trouble me: she did

but her duty; he did what he should not; yet he would be rid of the blame, though he cannot of the smart. No man is willing to own a sin; the first man shifted it from himself to his wife; this, from himself to his daughter: he was ready to accuse another, which only committed it himself. It were happy, if we could be as loath to commit sin, as to acknowledge it.

The inconsideration of this vow was very rough, and settled: I have opened my mouth, and cannot go back. If there were just cause to repent, it was the weakness of his zeal, to think that a vow could bind him to evil: an unlawful vow is ill made, but worse performed. It were pity this constancy should light upon any but a holy object. No loan can make a truer debt than our which if we pay not in our performance, God will pay us with judgment. We have all opened our mouths to God in that initial and solemn vow of Christianity; Oh that we could not go back! So much more is our vow obligatory, by how much the thing vowed is more necessary.

Vow;

Why was the soul of Jephthah thus troubled, but because he saw the entail of his new honour thus suddenly cut off? He saw the hope of posterity extinguished, in the virginity of his daughter. It is natural to us, to affect that perpetuity in our succession, which is denied us in our persons: our very bodies would emulate the eternity of the soul. And if God have built any of us a house on earth, as well as prepared us a house in heaven, it must be confessed a favour worth our thankfulness; but as the perpetuity of our earthly houses is uncertain, so let us not rest our hearts upon that, but make sure of the house which is eternal in the heavens.

Doubtless, the goodness of the daughter added to the father's sorrow. She was not more loving than religious; neither is she less willing to be the Lord's, than her father's: and as provoking her father to that which he thought piety, though to her own wrong, she says, If thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do with me as thou hast promised. Many a daughter would have dissuaded her father with tears, and would have wished rather her father's impiety than her own prejudice; she sues for the smart of her father's vow. How obsequious should children be to the will of their careful parents, even in their final disposition in the world, when they see this holy maid willing to abandon the world upon the rash vow of a father! They are the living goods of their parents, and must therefore wait upon the bestowing of their owners. They mistake themselves, which think they are their own: if this maid had vowed herself to God without her father, it had been in his power to abrogate it; but now that he vowed her to God without herself, it stands in force. But what shall we say to those children, whom their parents' vow and care cannot make so much as honest; that will be no other than godless, in spite of their baptism and education?