Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and…

We read Judges 2. 12. 3, 4, 5. the Lord sent an Angel from Gilgal to the men of Israel, who told them how graciously he had dealt with them, yet they had contrary to the command of God made a league with the inhabitants of the Land, for which the Lord threatened that they should be as thorns in their sides. When the Angel spake these words to the children of Israel, the people lift up their voice and wept. And they called the name of that place Boehim, a place of tears. Their sin was too much joining, joining in league where God would not have them: those whom they joined with, God told them should be thorns in their sides. Upon this they wept, and that so sore, that the place received its name from their weeping. But oh that the Lord would send his Angel, yea his Spirit to us, to convince us of our evil, that we to this day have not joined in sure league one with another, but are thorns in the sides of one another: and that after so many mercies, such great deliverances from our bondage, from the rage of ungodly men, yea that we are so false one to another, though the Lord hath never broke covenant with us, which was the heart-breaking argument the Angel used, ver. 1. Yea the Lord hath done abundantly for us, beyond our hopes, desires, thoughts, and that after all this there should be nothing but breaches and divisions amongst us, that we should be not only thorns, but spears and swords in one another's sides, piercing to one another's hearts. Are we the children of Israel? Let our hearts then break for the breaches of our hearts. Let them break, and melt, and mourn, and bleed, and resolve that nothing shall comfort them, but peace with our God, and peace one wth another.

We read Judges 2. 12. 3, 4, 5. the Lord sent an Angell from Gilgal to the men of Israel, who told them how graciously he had dealt with them, yet they had contrary to the command of God made a league with the inhabitants of the Land, for which the Lord threatned that they should be as thorns in their sides. When the Angell spake these words to the children of Israel, the people lift up their voice and wept. And they called the name of that place Boehim, a place of tears. Their sin was too much joyning, joyning in league where God would not have them: those whom they joyned with, God told them should be thornes in their sides. Upon this they wept, and that so sore, that the place received its name from their weeping. But oh that the Lord would send his Angell, yea his Spirit to us, to convince us of our evill, that we to this day have not joyned in sure league one with another, but are thorns in the sides of one another: and that after so many mercies, such great deliverances from our bondage, from the rage of ungodly men, yea that we are so false one to another, though the Lord hath never broke covenant with us, which was the heart-breaking argument the Angell used, ver. 1. Yea the Lord hath done abundantly for us, beyond our hopes, desires, thoughts, and that after all this there should be nothing but breaches and divisions amongst us, that we should be not only thornes, but speares and swords in one anothers sides, piercing to one anothers hearts. Are we the children of Israel? Let our hearts then break for the breaches of our hearts. Let them break, and melt, and mourn, and bleed, and resolve that nothing shall comfort them, but peace with our God, and peace one wth another.