Neither is Achan alone called forth to death, but all his family, all his substance. The actor alone doth not smart with sacrilege; all that concerns him is enwrapped in the judgment. Those, that defile their hands with holy goods, are enemies to their own flesh and blood. God's first revenges are so much the more fearful, because they must be exemplary.

CONTEMPLATION V.

OF THE GIBEONITES.

THE news of Israel's victory had flown over all the mountains and valleys of Canaan; and yet those heathenish kings and people are mustered together against them. They might have seen themselves in Jericho and Ai, and have well perceived it was not an arm of flesh that they must resist; yet they gather their forces, and say, Tush, we shall speed better. It is madness in a man not to be warned, but to run upon the point of those judgments wherewith he sees others miscarry, and not to believe till he cannot recover. Our assent is purchased too late, when we have overstayed prevention, and trust to that experience which we cannot live to redeem.

Only the Hivites are wiser than their fellows, and will rather yield and live. Their intelligence was not diverse from the rest; all had equally heard of the miraculous conduct and success of Israel: but their resolution was diverse. As Rahab saved her family in the midst of Jericho, so these four cities preserved themselves in the midst of Canaan; and both of them, by believing what God would do. The efficacy of God's marvellous works is not in the acts themselves, but in

our apprehension; some are overcome with those motives, which others have contemned for weak. > Had these Gibeonites joined with the forces of all their neighbours, they had perished in their common slaughter; if they had not gone away by themselves, death had met them. It may have more pleasure, it cannot have so much safety, to follow the multitude. If examples may lead us, the greatest part shuts out God upon earth, and is excluded from God elsewhere. Some few poor Hivites yield to the church of God, and escape the condemnation of the world. It is very like, their neighbours flouted at this base submission of the Gibeonites; and, out of their terms of honour, scorned to beg life of an enemy, while they were out of the compass of mercy; but, when the bodies of these proud Jebusites and Perizzites lay strewed upon the earth, and the Gibeonites survived, whether was more worthy of scorn and insultation.

If the Gibeonites had stayed till Israel had besieged their cities, their yieldance had been fruitless: now they make an early peace and are preserved. There is no wisdom in staying till a judgment come home to us; the only way to avoid it, is to meet it half way. There is the same remedy of war and of danger. To provoke an enemy in his own borders is the best stay of invasion; and to solicit God betimes, in a manifest danger, is the best antidote for death.

I commend their wisdom in seeking peace; I do not commend their falsehood in the manner of seeking it: who can look for any better of Pagans? But as the faith of Rahab is so rewarded, that her lie is not punished; so the fraud of these Gibeonites is not an equal match of their belief, since the name of the Lord God of Israel brought them to this suit of peace.

Nothing is found fitter to deceive God's people, than a counterfeit copy of age. Here are old sacks, old bottles, old shoes, old garments, old bread. The Israelites, that had worn one suit forty years, seemed new clad in comparison of them. It is no new policy,

that Satan would beguile us with a vain colour of antiquity, clothing falsehood in rags. Errors are never the elder for their patching. Corruption can do the same that time would do. We may make age, as well as suffer it. These Gibeonites did tear their bottles, and shoes, and clothes, and made them nought, that they might seem old; so did the false patrons of new errors. If we be caught with this Gibeonitish stratagem, it is a sign we have not consulted with God.

The sentence of death was gone out against all the inhabitants of Canaan. These Hivites acknowledge the truth and judgments of God, and yet seek to escape by a league with Israel. The general denunciations of the vengeance of God enwrap all sinners; yet may we not despair of mercy. If the secret council of the Almighty had not designed these men to live, Joshua could not have been deceived with their league. In the generality there is no hope. Let us come, in old rags of our vileness, to the true Joshua and make our truce with him: we may live, yea we shall live. Some of the Israelites suspect the fraud; and, notwithstanding all their old garments and provisions, can say, "It may be thou dwellest amongst us." If Joshua had continued this doubt, the Gibeonites had torn their bottles in vain. In cases and persons unknown, it is safe not to be too credulous. Charity itself will allow suspicion, where we have seen no cause to trust.

If these Hivites had not put on new faces, with their old clothes, they had surely changed countenance when they heard this argument of the Israelites, "It may be thou dwellest amongst us; how then can I make a league with thee?" They had, perhaps, hoped their submission would not have been refused, wheresoever they had dwelt: but, lest their neighbourhood might be a prejudice, they come disguised; and now hear, that their nearness of abode was an unremovable bar of peace. It was quarrel enough

that they were Canaanites: God had forbidden both the league, and the life of the native inhabitants. He, that calls himself the God of peace, proclaims himself the God of hosts: and not to fight, where he hath commanded, is to break the peace with God, while we nourish it with men. Contention with brethren is not more hateful to him, than leagues with idolaters. The condition that he hath set to our peace is our possibility and power: that falls not within the possibility of our power, which we cannot do lawfully.

What a smooth tale did these Gibeonites tell for themselves, of the remoteness of their country, the motives of their journey, the consultation of their elders, the ageing of their provisions by the way: that it might seem not only safe, but deserved on their parts, that they should be admitted to a peace so far sought, and purchased with so much toil and importunity. Their clothes and their tongues agreed together; and both disagree from the truth. Deceit is ever lightly wrapped up in plausibility of words; as fair faces oftentimes hide much unchastity. But this guile sped the better, because it was clad with much plainness for who would have suspected that clouted shoes and ragged coats could have covered so much subtilty? The case seemed so clear, that the Israelites thought it needless to consult with the mouth of the Lord. Their own eyes and ears were called only to counsel; and now their credulity hath drawn them into inconvenience.

There is no way to convince the Gibeonitish pretences of antiquity, but to have recourse to the oracle of God. Had this been advised with, none of these false rags had shamed the church of God. Whether in our practice, or judgment, this direction cannot fail us; whereas what we take upon the words of men proves either light or false wares.

The facility of Israel had led them into a league, to an oath, for the safety of the Gibeonites: and now, within three days, they find both their neighbourhood

and deceit. Those old shoes of theirs would easily hold to carry them back to their home. The march of a great army is easy; yet within three days the Israelites were before their cities. Joshua might now have taken advantage of their own words, to dissolve his league, and have said, Ye are come from a far country, these cities are near: these are not therefore the people to whom we are engaged by our promise and oath and if these cities be yours, yet ye are not yourselves. Ere while ye were strangers, now ye are Hivites born, and dwelling in the midst of Canaan : we will therefore destroy these cities near hand, and do you save your people afar off. It would seem very questionable, whether Joshua needed to hold himself bound to this oath: for fraudulent conventions oblige not; and Israel had put in a direct caveat of their vicinity: yet dare not Joshua and the princes trust to shifts for the eluding their oath, but must faithfully perform what they have rashly promised.

Joshua's heart was clear from any intention of a league with a Canaanite, when he gave his oath to these disguised strangers: yet he durst neither repeal it himself, neither do I hear him sue to Eleazar the high-priest, to dispense with it; but takes himself tied to the very strict words of his bath, not to his own purpose. His tongue had bound his heart and hands, so as neither might stir; lest, while he was curious of fulfilling the will of God, he should violate the oath of God. And if the Gibeonites had not known these holy bonds indissoluble, they had neither been so importunate to obtain their vow, nor durst they have trusted it, being obtained. If either dispensation with oaths, or equivocation in oaths, had been known in the world, or at least approved, these Gibeonites had not lived, and Israel had slain them without sin. Either Israel wanted skill, or our reservers honesty.

The multitude of Israel when they came to the