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Contemplations upon the principal passages of the Old and New Testaments
Contemplations upon the principal passages of the Old and New Testaments Author:Joseph Hall Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Yet Trhat is this I see ? This very shadow of repentance cafrias away mercy. It is no small mercy, to defer an eviL Even Ahab's homiliation shall prorogue the ju... more »dgment. Such as the penitence was, such shall be the reward ; a temporary reward of a temporary penitence. As Ahab might be thus sorrowful, and never the better; o he may be thus favoured, and never the happier. O God, how graciously art thou ready, to reward a sound and holy repentance, who art thus indulgent to a carnal and servile dejection ! 1Rings xxi. AHAB AND MICAIAH; OR, THE DEATH OF AHAB. Who would hare looked, to have heard any more of the wars of the Syrians with Israel, after so great a slaughter, after so firm a league; ft league, not of peace' only but of brotherhood ? The halters, the sackcloth, of Benhadad's followers, were worn out, as of tree, scr of memory ; and now they are changed for iron and steel. '," It is but three years, that this peace lasts ; and now that war begins,' which shall make an end of Ahab. The king of Israel rues his unjust mercy. According to the word of the prophet, that gift Of a life was but an exclrange. Because Ahab gave Benhadad his life, Benhadad shall take Ahab's. He must forfeit irfhimself, what he hath given to another. There can be no better fruit, of too much kindness to infidels. It was one article of the league betwixt Abab and his brothe Benhadad, that there should be a speedy restitution of all the Israef- itish cities. The rest are yield eel: only Ramoth Gi'Tead! is held back, unthankfully, injuriously. He, that begged but his life, receives his kingdom; and now rests not content, with his own bounds. Justly doth Ahab challenge his own: justly doth he move a war, to recover Iris own from a perfidious tributary. The lawfulness of actions may not be ju...« less