satisfy the owner. Oftentimes the circumstance of an action mars the substance. In divine matters, we must not only look, that the body of our service be sound, but that the clothes be fit. Nothing hinders, but that sometimes good advice may fall from the mouth of wicked men. These superstitious priests can counsel them, not to send away the ark of God empty, but to give ita sin-offering. They had not lived so far from the smoke of the Jewish altars, but that they knew God was accustomed to manifold oblations, and chiefly to those of expiation. No Israelite could have said better. Superstition is the ape of true devotion; and if we look not to the ground of both, many times it is hard by the very outward acts to distinguish them.

Nature itself teacheth us, that God loves a full hand. He, that hath been so bountiful to us as to give us all, looks for a return of some offering from us: if we present him with nothing but our sins, how can we look to be accepted? The sacrifices under the Gospel are spiritual; with these must we come into the presence of God, if we desire to carry away remission and favour.

The Philistines knew well, that it were bootless for them to offer what they listed their next suit is to be directed in the matter of their oblation. Pagans can teach us how unsafe it is to walk in the ways of religion without a guide; yet here their best teachers can but guess at their duty, and must devise for the people, that which the people durst not impose upon themselves the golden emerods and mice were but conjectural prescripts with what security may we consult with them, which have their directions from the mouth and hand of the Almighty:!

God struck the Philistines at once, in their god, in their bodies, in their land; in their God, by his ruining and dismembering; in their bodies, by the emerods; in their land, by the mice: that base vermin did God send among them on purpose to shame their Dagon and them, that they might see how unable their god was (which they thought the victor of the ark) to subdue the least mouse, which the true God did create, and command to plague them.

This plague upon their fields began together with that upon their bodies: it was mentioned, not complained of, till they think of dismissing the ark. Greater crosses do commonly swallow up the less at least, lesser evils are either silent or unheard, while the ear is filled with the clamour, of greater.

Their very princes were punished with the mice, as well as with the emerods: God knows no persons in the execution of judgments: the least and meanest of all God's creatures is sufficient to be the revenger of his Creator.

God sent them mice and emerods of flesh and blood: they return him both these of gold, to imply, both, that these judgments came out from God and that they did gladly give him the

glory of that whereof he gave them pain and sorrow, and that they would willingly buy off their pain with the best of their substance the proportion betwixt the complaint and satisfaction is more precious to him than the metal. There was a public confession in this resemblance, which is so pleasing unto God, that he rewards it, even in wicked men, with a relaxation of outward punishment.

The number was no less significant, than the form: five golden emerods and mice, for the five princes and divisions of Philistines. As God made no difference in punishing, so they make none in their oblation: the people are comprised in them, in whom they are united, their several princes: they were one with their prince, their offering is one with his; as they were ringleaders in their sin, so they must be in the satisfaction. In a multitude it is ever seen, as in a beast, that the body follows the head. Of all others, great men had need to look to their ways; it is in them, as in figures, one stands for a thousand. One offering serves not all; there must be five, according to the five heads of the offence. Generalities will not content God; every man must make his several peace, if not in himself, yet in his head. Nature taught them a shadow of that, the substance and perfection whereof is taught us by the grace of the Gospel. Every soul must satisfy God; if not in itself, yet in him, in whom we are both one and absolute. We are the body, whereof Christ is the head: our sin is in ourselves; our satisfaction must be in him.

Samuel himself could not have spoken more divinely, than these priests of Dagon. They do not only talk of giving glory to the God of Israel, but fall into a holy and grave expostulation: Wherefore then should ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts, when he wrought wonderfully amongst them? &c. They confess a supereminent and revenging hand of God over their gods; they parallel their plagues with the Egyptian; they make use of Pharaoh's sin and judgment; what could be better said? All religions have afforded them that could speak well.

These good words left them still both Philistines and superstitious. How should men be hypocrites, if they had not good tongues yet, as wickedness can hardly hide itself, these holy speeches are not without a tincture of that idolatry, wherewith the heart was infected; for they profess care, not only of the persons and lands of the Philistines, but of their gods; That he may take his hand from you, and from your gods. Who would think that wisdom and folly could lodge so near together? that the same men should have care both of the glory of the true God, and preservation of the false; that they should be so vain, as to take thought for those gods which they granted to be obnoxious unto a higher deity? Oft-times even one word bewrayeth a whole

pack of falsehood; and though superstition be a cleanly counterfeit, yet some one slip of the tongue discovers it; as we say of devils, which, though they put on fair forms, yet are they known by their cloven feet.

What other warrant these superstitious priests had for the main substance of their advice, I know not; sure I am, the probability of the event was fair. That two kine, never used to any yoke, should run from their calves, which were newly shut up from them, to draw the ark home into a contrary way, must needs argue a hand above nature. What else should overrule brute creatures to prefer a forced carriage unto a natural burden? what should carry them from their own home, towards the home of the ark? what else should guide an untamed and untaught team, in as right a path toward Israel, as their teachers could have gone? what else could make very beasts more wise than their masters? There is a special providence of God, in the very motions of brute creatures. Neither the Philistines nor Israel saw aught that drove them; yet they saw them so run, as those that were led by the divine conduct. The reasonless creatures also do the will of their Maker: every act that is done, either by them, or to them, makes up the decree of the Almighty; and if in extraordinary actions and events his hand is more visible, yet it is no less certainly present in the common.

Little did the Israelites of Bethshemesh look for such a sight, while they were reaping their wheat in the valley, as to see the ark of God come running to them without a convoy; neither can it be said, whether they were more affected with joy, or with astonishment; with joy at the presence of the ark, with astonishment at the miracle of the transportation. Down went their sickles ; and now every man runs to reap the comfort of this better harvest, to meet that bread of angels, to salute those cherubims, to welcome that God whose absence had been their death; but, as it is hard not to overjoy in a sudden prosperity, and to use happiness is no less difficult than to forbear it, these glad Israelites cannot see but they must gaze; they cannot gaze on the glorious outside, but they must be (whether out of rude jollity, or curiosity, or suspicion of the purloining some of those sacred implements) prying into the secrets of God's ark: nature is too subject to extremities, and is ever either too dull in want, or wanton in fruition. It is no easy matter to keep a mean, whether in good or evil.

Bethshemesh was a city of priests: they should have known better how to demean themselves towards the ark: this privilege doubled their offence. There was no malice in this curious inquisition the same eyes, that looked into the ark, looked also up to heaven in their offerings; and the same hands, that touched it, offered sacrifice to the God that brought it.

Who could expect any thing now but acceptation?

Who

could suspect any danger? It is not a following act of devotion, that can make amends for a former sin: there was a death owing them, immediately upon their offence; God will take his own time for the execution; in the mean while, they may sacrifice, but they cannot satisfy; they cannot escape.

The kine are sacrificed; the cart burns them that drew it : here was an offering of praise, when they had more need of a trespass offering: many a heart is lifted up in a conceit of joy, when it hath just cause of humiliation.

God lets them alone with their sacrifice, but when that is done, he comes over them with a back-reckoning for their sin fifty thousand and seventy Israelites are struck dead for this irreverence to the ark: a woeful welcome for the ark of God into the borders of Israel. It killed them for looking into it, who thought it their life to see it; it dealt blows and death on both hands; to Philistines, to Israelites; to both of them for profaning it, the one with their idol, the other with their eyes. It is a fearful thing to use the holy ordinances of God with an irreverent boldness. Fear and trembling become us in our access to the majesty of the Almighty.

Neither was there more state than secrecy in God's ark: some things the wisdom of God desires to conceal. The irreverence of the Israelites was no more faulty than their curiosity; Secret things to God; things revealed to us and to our children.

CONTEMPLATION III.—THE REMOVAL OF THE ARK.

1 SAMUEL VII.

I HEAR of the Bethshemites' lamentation, I hear not of their repentance: they complain of their smart, they complain not of their sin; and, for aught I can perceive, speak, as if God were curious, rather than they faulty: Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God; and to whom shall he go from us? As if none could please that God which misliked them. It is the fashion of natural men, to justify themselves in their own courses; if they cannot charge any earthly thing with the blame of their suffering, they will cast it upon Heaven: that a man pleads himself guilty of his own wrong, is no common work of God's Spirit.

Bethshemesh bordered too near upon the Philistines. If these men thought the very presence of the ark hurtful, why do they send to their neighbours of Kirjath-jearim, that they might make themselves miserable? Where there is a misconceit of God, it is no marvel if there be a defect of charity.

How cunningly do they send their message to their neighbours! They do not say, "The ark of God is come to us of its own accord," lest the men of Kirjath-jearim should reply, "It is come to you, let it stay with you :" they say only, "The Philistines have brought it." They tell of the presence of the ark; they do not tell of the success, lest the example of their judgment should have discouraged the forwardness of their relief: and after all, the offer was plausible; Come ye down, and take it up to you; as if the honour had been too great for themselves; as if their modesty had been such, that they would not forestall and engross happiness from the rest of Israel. It is no boot to teach nature how to tell her own tale: smart and danger will make a man witty. He is rarely constant, that will not dissemble for ease. It is good to be suspicious of the evasions of those, which, would put off misery.

So

Those of Bethshemesh were not more crafty, than these of Kirjath-jearim (which was the ground of their boldness) faithful. many thousand Bethshemites could not be dead, and no part of the rumour fly to them: they heard how thick, not only the Philistines, but the bordering Israelites fell down dead before the ark; yet they durst adventure to come and fetch it, even from amongst the cascases of their brethren.

They had been formerly acquainted with the ark; they knew it was holy; it could not be changeable; and therefore they well conceived this slaughter to arise from the unholiness of men, not from the rigour of God; and thereupon can seek comfort in that, which others found deadly: God's children cannot by any means be discouraged from their honour and love to his ordinances: if they see thousands struck down to Hell by the sceptre of God's kingdom, yet they will kiss it upon their knees; and if their Saviour be a rock of offence, and the occasion of the fall of millions in Israel, they can love him no less: they can warm them at the fire, wherewith they see others burned; they can feed temperately of that, whereof others have surfeited to death.

Bethshemesh was a city of priests and Levites: Kirjathjearim a city of Judah, where we hear but of one Levite, Abinadab; yet this city was more zealous of God, more reverent and conscionable in the entertainment of the ark, than the other. We heard of the taking down of the ark by the Bethshemites, when it came miraculously to them; we do not hear of any man sanctified for the attendance of it, as was done in this second. lodging of the ark: grace is not tied either to number or means. It is in spiritual matters as in the estate; small helps with good thrift enrich us, when great patrimonies lose themselves in the. neglect.

Shiloh was wont to be the place, which was honoured with the presence of the ark. Ever since the wickedness of Eli's sons, that was forlorn and desolate; and now Kirjath-jearim