omitted some rite of the sacrifice, this censure had not been unfit t; but to punish the thefts, rapines, sacrileges, adulteries, incests of his sons, with Why do ye so? was no other than to shave that head, which had deserved cutting off. As it is with ill humours, that a weak dose doth but stir and anger them, not purge them out; so it fareth with sins: an easy reproof doth but encourage wickedness, and makes it think itself so slight, as that censure importeth, A vehement rebuke to a capital evil, is but like a strong shower to a ripe field, which lays that corn which were worthy of a sickle. It is a breach of justice, not to proportionate the punishment to the offence: to whip a man for a murder, or to punish the purse for incest, or to burn treason in the hand, or to award the stocks to burglary, it is to patronize evil, instead of avenging it: of the two extremes, rigour is more safe for the public weal; because the over-punishing of one offender frights many from sinning. It is better to live in a commonwealth where nothing is lawful, than where every thing.

Indulgent parents are cruel to themselves and their posterity. Eli could not have devised which way to have plagued himself and his house so much, as by his kindness to his children's sins. What variety of judgments doth he now hear of from the messenger of God! First, because his old age, which uses to be subject to choler, inclined now to misfavour his sons, therefore there shall not be an old man left of his house for ever; and, because it vexed him not enough to see his sons enemies to God in their profession, therefore he shall see his enemy in the habitation of the Lord; and, because himself forbore to take vengeance of his sons, and esteemed their life above the glory of his Master, therefore God will revenge himself, by killing them both in one day; and, because he abused his sovereignty by connivance at sin, therefore shall his house be stripped of this honour, and see it translated to another; and lastly, because he suffered his sons to please their own wanton appetite, in taking meat off from God's trencher, therefore those which remain of his house shall come to his successors, to beg a piece of silver and a morsel of bread: in a word, because he was partial to his sons, God shall execute all this severely upon him and them. I do not read of any fault Eli had, but indulgence; and which of the notorious offenders were plagued more? Parents need no other means to make them miserable, than sparing the rod.

Who should be the bearer of these fearful tidings to Eli, but young Samuel, whom himself had trained up? He was now grown past his mother's coats; fit for the message of God. Old Eli rebuked not his young sons, therefore young Samuel is sent to rebuke him. I marvel not, while the priesthood was so corrupted, if the word of God were precious; if there were no public vision. It is not the manner of God, to grace the unworthy. The ordinary ministration in the temple was too much honour for those that robbed the altar, though they had no extraordinary revelations. Hereupon it was, that God lets old Eli sleep (who slept in his sin),

and awakes Samuel, to tell him what he would do with his master. He, which was wont to be the mouth of God to the people, must now receive the message of God from the mouth of another; as great persons will not speak to those with whom they are highly offended, but send them their checks by others.

The lights of the temple were now dim, and almost ready to give place to the morning, when God called Samuel; to signify, perhaps, that those, which should have been the lights of Israel, burned no less dimly, and were near their going out, and should be succeeded with one so much more lightsome than they as the sun was more bright than the lamps.

God had good leisure to have delivered this message by day; but he meant to make use of Samuel's mistaking; and therefore so speaks, that Eli may be asked for an answer, and perceive himself both omitted and censured. He, that meant to use Samuel's voice to Eli, imitates the voice of Eli to Samuel. Samuel had so accustomed himself to obedience, and to answer the call of Eli, that, lying in the further cells of the Levites, he is easily raised from his sleep; and even in the night runs for his message to him, who was rather to receive it from him. Thrice is the old man disquieted with the diligence of his servant; and, though visions were rare in his days, yet is he not so unacquainted with God, as not to attribute that voice to him, which himself heard not: wherefore, like a better tutor than a parent, he teaches Samuel what he shall answer; Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.

It might have pleased God, at the first call to have delivered his message to Samuel, not expecting the answer of a novice unseen in the visions of a God; yet doth he rather defer it till the fourth summons, and will not speak till Samuel confessed his audience. God loves ever to prepare his servants for his employments; and will not commit his errands, but to those, whom he addresseth both by wonder, and attention, and humility.

Eli knew well the gracious fashion of God, that, where he intended a favour, prorogation could be no hindrance; and there fore, after the call of God thrice answered with silence, he instructs Samuel to be ready for the fourth. If Samuel's silence had been wilful, I doubt whether he had been again solicited; now God doth both pity his error and requite his diligence, by redoubling his name at last.

Samuel had now many years ministered before the Lord, but never till now heard his voice, and now hears it with much terror; for, the first word that he hears God speak, is threatening, and that of vengeance to his master. What were these menaces, but so many premonitions to himself, that should succeed Eli? God begins early to season their hearts with fear, whom he means to make eminent instruments of his glory. It is his mercy, to make us witnesses of the judgments of others, that we may be forewarned, ere we have the occasions of sinning.

I do not hear God bid Samuel deliver his message to Eli. He, that was but now made a prophet, knows that the errands of God

intend not silence; and that God would not have spoken to him of another, if he had ineant the news should be reserved to himself. Neither yet did he run with open mouth unto Eli, to tell him this vision unasked: no wise man will be hasty to bring ill tidings to the great; rather doth he stay, till the importunity of his master should wring it from his unwillingness; and then, as his concealment shewed his love, so his full relation shall approve his fidelity.

If the heart of Eli had not told him this news, before God told it Samuel, he had never been so instant with Samuel, not no conceal it; his conscience did well presage that it concerned himself: guiltiness needs no prophet, to assure it of punishment. The mind that is troubled projecteth terrible things; and though it cannot single out the judgment allotted to it, yet it is in a confused expectation of some grievous evil. Surely, Eli could not think it worse than it was.

The sentence was fearful; and such as I wonder the neck or the heart of old Eli could hold out the report of; that God swears he will judge Eli's house, and that with beggary, with death, with desolation, and that the wickedness of his house shall not be purged with sacrifice or offerings for ever: and yet this, which every Israelite's ear should tingle to hear of when it should be done, old Eli hears with an unmoved patience and humble submission, It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good.

. Oh admirable faith, and more than human constancy and resolution; worthy of the aged president of Shiloh; worthy of a heart sacrificed to that God, whose justice had refused to expiate his sin by sacrifice! If Eli have been an ill father to his sons, yet he is a good son to God, and is ready to kiss the very rod he shall smart withal. "It is the Lord whom I have ever found holy, and just, and religious; and he cannot but be himself. Let him do what seemeth him good; for whatever seemeth good to him cannot but be good, howsoever it seems to me." Every man can open his hand to God, while he blesses; but to expose ourselves willingly to the afflicting hand of our Maker, and to kneel to him while he scourges us, is peculiar only to the faithful.

If ever a good heart could have freed a man from temporal pu nishments, Eli must needs have escaped. God's anger was appeased by his humble repentance, but his justice must be satisfied: Eli's sin and his sons' was in the eye and mouth of all Israel; his therefore should have been much wronged by their impunity. Who would not have made these spiritual guides an example of lawlessness; and have said, "What care I how I live, if Eli's sons go away unpunished?"

As not the tears of Eli, so not the words of Samuel may fall to the ground. We may not measure the displeasure of God by his stripes many times, after the remission of the sing the very chastisements of the Almighty are deadly. No repentance can assure us, that we shall not smart with outward afflictions: that can prevent the eternal displeasure of God, but still it may be necessary and good we should be corrected. Our care and suit must be, that the evils which shall not be averted may be sanctified...

If the prediction of these evils were fearful, what shall the execu tion be? the presumption of the ill-taught Israelites shall give occasion to this judgment; for being smitten before the Philistines, they send for the ark into the field. Who gave them authority to command the ark of God at their pleasure? Here was no consulting with the ark, which they would fetch; no inquiry of Samuel, whether they should fetch it; but a heady resolution of presumptuous elders, to force God into the field, and to challenge success. If God were not with the ark, why did they send for it, and rejoice in the coming of it? If God were with it, why was not his allowance asked, that it should come? How can the people be good, where the priests are wicked?

When the ark of the covenant of the Lord of Hosts that dwells between the cherubims, was brought into the host, though with mean and wicked attendance, Israel doth, as it were, fill the heaven and shake the earth with shouts; as if the ark and victory were no less inseparable, than they and their sins. Even the lewdest men will be looking for favour from that God, whom they cared not to displease, contrary to the conscience of their deservings. Presumption doth the same in wicked men, which faith doth in the holiest. Those, that regarded not the God of the ark, think themselves safe and happy in the ark of God: vain men are transported with a confidence in the outside of religion, not regarding the substance and soul of it, which only can give them true peace.

But rather than God will humour superstition in Israelites, he will suffer his own ark to fall into the hands of Philistines: rather will he seem to slacken his hand of protection, than he will be thought to have his hands bound by a formal misconfidence. The slaughter of the Israelites was no plague to this. It was a greater plague rather, to them that should survive and behold it.

The two sons of Eli, which had helped to corrupt their brethren, die by the hands of the uncircumcised; and are now too late separated from the ark of God by Philistines, which should have been before separated by their father. They had lived formerly to bring God's altar into contempt, and now live to carry his ark into captivity; and at last, as those, that had made up the measure of their wickedness, are slain in their sin.

Ill news doth ever either run or fly. The man of Benjamin, which ran from the host, hath soon filled the city with outcries, and Eli's ears with the cry of the city. The good old man, after ninety and eight years, sits in the gate, as one that never thought himself too aged to do God service; and hears the news of Israel's discomfiture and his son's death, though with sorrow, yet with patience; but when the messenger tells him of the ark of God taken, he can live no longer: that word strikes him down backward from his throne, and kills him in the fall: no sword of a Philistine could have slain him more painfully; neither know I whether his neck or his heart were first broken.

Oh fearful judgment, that ever any Israelite's ear could tingle withal! The ark lost! What good man would wish to live without

God? Who can choose but think he hath lived too long, that hat over-lived the testimonies of God's presence with his Church?

Yea, the very daughter-in-law of Eli, a woman, the wife of a lewd husband; when she was at once travailing (upon that tidings), and in that travail dying (to make up the full sum of God's judg ment upon that wicked house), as one insensible of the death of her father, of her husband, of herself, in comparison of this loss, calls her (then unseasonable) son Ichabod; and with her last breath, says, The glory is departed from Israel; the ark is taken. What cares she for a posterity, which should want the ark? What carcs she for a son come into the world of Israel, when God was gone from it? And how willingly doth she depart from them, from whom God was departed! Not outward magnificence, not state, not wealth, not favour of the mighty, but the presence of God in his ordinances, is the glory of Israel; the subducing whereof is a greater judgment than destruction.

Oh Israel, worse now than po people! a thousand times more miserable than Philistines: those pagans went away triumphing with the ark of God, and victory; and leave the remnants of the chosen people to lament, that they once had a God.

Oh cruel and wicked indulgence, that is now found guilty of the death, not only of the priests and people, but of religion! Unjust mercy can never end in less than blood; and it were well, if only the body should have cause to complain of that kind cruelty.

1 Sam, ii, ii, Mi