also yet did it please the goodnes of God to blesse the naturall helpe that they sought with supernatural operation So now likewise though many that know not their owne estate giue eare to the Gospell but only in some earthly respects yet those also oftimes are vouchsafed an extraordinarie and speciall blessing thereby accompanied with euerlasting peace Then in the overthrow of certeyne of our Philistims and of their Goliah withall As for the other benefite of David that belonged to the whole host of Israel by the ouerthrow of Goliath and consequently of the whole armie of the Philistims besides that is among vs so euidently and plainly performed by the Gospell of Christ that I shall not neede to stand to declare it For our Philistims also haue their Goliath an outgrowne monster of merueilous stature much greater a great deale as his Canonistes say and vsurpation wee knowe hath brought him vnto then the greatest of the great men of the earth his furniture likewise strong and fearefull a naturall enemie to the people of God and to God himselfe his mouth speaking proud and cruell things agaynst God and his people comming into the field with a mightie armie all enemies vnto the Trueth and to all the professors of it such as heretofore haue had the people of God in great subiection of whom also the children of Israel haue been so afrayd that they durst not abide their presence but haue fled from them by heapes none of them al hauing the heart to encounter with that strong mightie Giant so fearfully armed and blustering out so terrible speaches But now we also God be praysed haue our David in the power of the Gospell that Iesus Christ the sonne of David hath now in these dayes sent vnto vs. When our brethren disdayned to heare vs talke of any such matter when the wiser sort thought it impossible without Saules armour without any earthly helpe whatsoeuer vpon assurance of such like matters before atchieued with a sting a stone is Goliath with great courage incountered and with as good successe in a manner cleane ouerthrowne euen when the attempt was either distrusted or scorned of all The residue also of those godlesse and idolatrous Philistims seeing their champion so little able to stand before David are likewise discomfited and seeke to saue them selues by flight Such favours likewise shewed foorth to the Gospell as were shewed to David before so well as they can The fauours also that by the goodnesse of God are shewed to the Gospell and to those that professe it are not inferiour to those that were as before is declared shewed to David For God be thanked there be diuers euen of our earthly Princes such as are no better then Saul that seeing the dignitie and mightie working of the Gospell of Christ in these dayes of ours are so taken with the maiestie of it that themselues loue both it and many of those that professe it also as much as Saul at that time loued David and that was as the text sayth very well and to confirme the same the better both desire to reteyne it still and bestowe honorable roomes and of speciall credit on those that professe it Some Ionathans also and godly Princes we haue besides that loue the Gospell most entirely and for the Gospels sake and for the loue that they beare thereunto do gladly make a couenant with it and with those that professe it and from their owne backes most freely bestow vpon it and on those that professe it both ornaments of honor and conuenient furniture likewise Neither doth the Gospell altogether want those Michals neither that is such godly and Christian soules as though they be according to the flesh descended of Saul yet beare they so speciall a loue vnto David that both they desire to bee ioyned together in mariage with him and are readie at al times as need shall require to saue the liues of those that are of the Trueth wheresoeuer they come to any such daunger how neere soeuer they bee vnto them by whom such persecution is mooued And so farre as Michals good will may stand in stead in time to come to helpe to the kingdome so farre also she doth not sticke now to bestowe the same vpon him Amongst the multitude also many there be that are heartily glad to see our Philistims also with their Goliath to bee so much brought downe as they are to whom our David in that respect is merueilous welcome who also haue learned so to distinguish betwixt the speciall working of God and the secondary meanes that he vseth that although they giue vnto Saule his thousand also yet do they euer keepe their ten thousand for David alone Neither do they thus solemnize only this victorie of the Gospell but also conceiue a speciall good liking of the whole course and proceeding of it and not only those that are the freest and so may safelier like as they list without controulment but many of the seruants of our Sauls likewise such as on their maisters behalf haue no such cause to like of David Where we see thus much already there may we hope there is more behind and in due time to be accomplished 4 To find out now in what sort it pleased God to bring him to the kingdome That for a time David was exercised with great affliction before that he was brought unto the Kingdom after that once he had annointed him vnto it and so effectually commended him to others we are to knowe that he did not bring him vnto it till first he had notably exercised him with much affliction sundrie trials and many crosses cast in the way So are we first to consider of those his afflictions and then how it pleased God notwithstanding at length to bring him vnto the Kingdome His afflictions were such persecutions and molestations as it pleased Saul to stir vp against him Concerning which it is to be knowne that they were especially two whereof the former was finished with a reconciliation that was made by Jonathans meanes the other continued so long as Saul himself did liue His former persecution Concerning the former of these two we are first to sée vpon what occasion it was raised against him and then what was the maner of it The occasion of it was first his owne distemperature The occasion of it then the towardnes or likelyhood that David was in to come to the Kingdome His owne distemperature we may plainely sée might well be great not only because the euill spirit of the Lord a 16.14 was sent vnto him and b 16.15.18.10.19.9 oft did vexe him but also for that we may sée likewise that c 18.8.9.20.31 it gréeued him much to part with the Kingdome And then lesse marueile if he were so far out of temper and consequently so rageous withall when as he did so impatiently take so great a losse and sometimes also was extraordinarily
that idolatrous Prince a naturall enemie to the people of God and for that he did it vpon distrust of the prouidence of God to be safe at home In his demeanour while he was there we find that he did not only y 27.8.9.11 deale very ill with certeyne of the people of those quarters the Geshurites Girzites and Amalekites destroying man woman and child leauing none to complayne of his doings and the better to couer his doings from Achish his friend z 27.10 deepely dissembled the same vnto him but also that a 28.2 29.8 he was content and readie to go to the field vnder Achish agaynst the Israelites his owne countrimen and the people of GOD That hereby may appeare that our infirmities also can not iustly hinder his good hope in us of the accomplishment of that which alreadie he hath begun and agaynst the King his maister The reason why wee may looke to enioy a further manifestation of the kingdome of Christ that in some measure alreadie is aduaunced among vs is so dispersed throughout this whole discourse of the historie wee haue in hand that heere we shall not néede to stande thereupon specially But this is the thing that héere I would note that if such were the purpose of God then to aduance his owne glorie and to do his people good that notwithstanding these imperfections of David yet he would not be hindered thereby but went on forward vnto the end there is no cause why we neede to doubt of the same purpose of God now likewise for the aduancement of his truth when we see that it should so plainly tend to his glorie and to the benefit of his people and in this David of ours that is in the Gospell of Iesus Christ there cannot be found not only no so grosse infirmities but also no blemish at all no not the least that can be conceiued And as for those that now do wish the aduancement of it both professing it themselues and commending the same vnto others the best that they can although they be sinners yet seeing that David also was not exempted and this worke standeth not on the desert or merit of man as we haue great cause to hope it if we respect the excellencie of the Gospell it selfe so in this case haue we no great cause to doubt it neither though we do find no small infirmities in those that professe it What want there was in the government then why David should be brought to the kingdome 14 The occasion whereupon David was brought to the kingdome was the want that was found in Saul that reigned before him Which that we may the better perceiue we need to consider but these two things in how ill estate the common wealth of Israel was when he came vnto it and how slenderly he set in hand to redresse the same That the common wealth of Israel was in ill case The hard estate of the cōmon wealth of Israel when Saul came to it Subiect unto a forreyne people it appeareth sufficiently in these two things that the people were so much ouerlayd by grieuous seruitude to a forreyne nation and that the forreyne people to whom they were subiect were so idolatrous or so cleane contrarie to them in religion How much they were ouerlayd by greeuous seruitude may likewise appeare both for that the text it self doth plainly say it and by other vndoubted tokens that there are found The text it self doth plainly say it for that it telleth vs a 13.6 that at that time the people were in great distresse Those other vndoubted tokens thereof are two one how the people at that time demeaned themselues the other what want there was of such warlike furniture as was conuenient The peoples demeanour at that time was that they had not the heart to looke their enemie in the face but that some of them b 13.6 hid themselues in caues and in holes and in rockes and in towers and in pits on that side of Iordan that was next to the Philistims some others agayne did leaue that part of the countrie and c 13.7 went ouer Iordan vnto the land of Gad and Gilead so to bee farther from the daunger of them The want that they had of such warlike furniture as was conuenient was very great both for that the Philistims did not suffer any d 13.19 Smith or Cutler to dwell among them by whom they might haue had some weapons made no e 13.20.21 not so much as for their instruments of husbandrie but either must carie them to the Philistims to bee mended or sharpened there or els might not haue but only the helpe of the file at home and for that among all the people that followed Saul to withstand the enemie which also were but very fewe but only about f 13.15 sixe hundred in all when the others were gone that g 13.8.11 gat themselues away for feare there h 13.22 was not so much as either a sword or a speare found but only with the King him self and his sonne That the people to whom they were subiect were idolatrous and directly contrary to them in religion And those idolatrous is most apparant not only for that they were none of the people of Israel but of the Gentiles and enemies vnto the people of God but also for that the text doth make particular mention both of one speciall Idol that they worshipped and of their blasphemous dealing agaynst the true and liuing God That one speciall Idoll that they worshipped was i Iud. 16.23 Dagon being as the learned do note 1. Sam. 5.2 for the vpper parts like to a beautifull woman and for the nether like to a fish as the text also doth ascribe to the vpper parts both k 5.4 head and hands and saith that the residue that remayned as Tremelius translateth representeth a l Ibid. fish Their blasphemous dealing agaynst the true and liuing Lord doth not only appeare in their deliuering vp of the Arke of the Lord m 5.2 into the Temple of their Idoll Dagon as though that their Idoll had been the better and that by his power they had then preuayled agaynst the God of Israel but also in that n David doth charge that great monsterous beast their champion Goliath for to haue rayled on the God of the host of Israel And though he were but one man yet seeing he was their common champion and came foorth in the name of them all they may all by good right be charged therewith And then when themselues are not only so corrupt in the highest matter of all euen in religion but also so contrarie vnto the Trueth and so blasphemous to GOD himself it could not bee otherwise but that in these things the common wealth of Israel must needes be in hard and pitifull case that was in such thraldome vnto so ill a people as these How little
Psalme of the third sort The Argument In this likewise he doth more specially expresse his confidence yet not so directly of the enemies now but only on behalfe of himself and others of the godlier sort shewing that although their case bee hard yet shal they not miscarie but shall haue a readie helpe in their mightie and merciful God By direction whereof we likewise in the cause that we haue in hand and so farre as our selues are no hinderance vnto our selues are to rayse vp our faith vnto the fulnesse of this assurance that we finde in him The Psalme The 8. Psalme GReat are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all 34.19 Surely the Lord will not fayle his people neither will he forsake his inheritance 94.14 The Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him and delivereth them 34.7 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous his eares are open unto their cry 18. I know that the Lord will auenge the afflicted and judge the poore 140.12 Why art thou cast downe my soule and unquiet within me wayt on God for I will yet give him thanks for the helpe of his praesence 42.5 Surely the righteous shall praise thy name the just shall dwel in thy praesence 140.13 For judgemēt shal return to justice al the upright in heart shal follow after it 94.15 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousnes his countenāce doth behold the just 11.7 For he will stand at the right hand of the poore to save him from them that would condemne his soule 109.30 He keepeth al his bones not one of them is broken 34.20 The Lord will graunt his louing kindnesse in the day and in the night will I sing of him even a prayer unto the God of my life 42.8 I will say unto God which is my rock why hast thou forgotten me why go I mourning when the enemie oppresseth me 9. Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will ever prayse thee 84.4 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee and in whose heart is thy wayes 5. Blessed is the man whom thou chasticest ô Lord and teachest him in thy law 94.12 That thou mayst give him rest from the dayes of evill whilest the pit is digged for the wicked 13. The lions do lack and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good 34.10 Why art thou then cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within me wayt on God for I wil yet give him thanks he is my praesent help my God 43.5 Behold God is mine helper the Lord is with them that uphold my soule 54.4 My defence is in God who praeserveth the upright in heart 7.10 The Lord is my refuge and my God is the rock of my hope 94.22 He will send from heaven and save me from the reproofe of him that would swallow me God will send his mercie and his trueth 57.3 The Lord shal judge his people judge thou me ô Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine innocencie that is in me 7.8 For thy louing kindnes is ever before mine eyes therefore have I walked in thy trueth 26.3 I will rejoyce in God because of his word I trust in God and will not feare what flesh can do unto me 56.4 Thou hast given me more joy of heart then they have had when their wheat and their wine did abound 4.7 Why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within me wayt on God for I will yet give him thanks he is my praesent help and my God 42.11 I will call upon God and the Lord will save me 55.16 Evening and morning and at noone day will I pray and make a noyse and he will heare me 17. He hath delivered my soule in peace from the battell that was agaynst me for many were with me 18. God shall heare and afflict them even he that reigneth of old 19. O Lord of hosts blessed is the man that trusteth in thee 84.12 Let Israel wayt on the Lord from hence-forth for ever 131.3 The Argument Fourthly he vpbraideth his enemies triumpheth ouer then charging them with great malice in heart and the same to breake forth of them plentifully in word and deede and withal that they shal certeynly come to confusion to the comfort of the godly and to the glorie of God himself A very good course for vs also to follow in these dayes of ours and such as we neede not to estraunge from our selues whensoeuer we can finde in our hearts to clense vs truely from our wonted sinnes and in the goodnesse of this our cause to cleaue to the Lord. The Psalme The 9. Psalme IS it true ô ye congregation I speake ye justly ô sonnes of men judge ye vprightly 58.1 Yea rather ye imagine mischief in your hearts your hands execute crueltie upon the earth 2. The wicked are straungers from the wombe even from the bellie have they erred and speake lyes 3. Their poison is even like the poison of a serpent like the deaffe adder that stoppeth his eare 4. Which heareth not the voyce of the inchanter though he bee most expert in charming 5. O ye sonnes of men how long will ye turne my glorie into shame loving vanitie and seeking lyes 4.2 For be ye sure that the Lord hath chosen to himself a godly man the Lord will heare when I call unto him 3. Tremble and sinne not examine your owne heart upon your bed and be still 4. What doth thy deceitfull tung bring unto thee or what doth it auayle thee 120.3 It is as the sharpe arrowes of a mightie man and as the coales of Iuniper 4. Why boastest thou thy self in thy wickednesse ô man of power the loving kindnesse of God endureth daylie 52.1 Thy tongue imagineth mischief and is like a sharpe rasour that cutteth deceitfully 2. Thou doest love evill more then good and lies more then to speake the trueth 3. Thou lovest all words that may destroy ô deceitfull tung 4. So shall God destroy thee forever he shall take thee and plucke thee out of thy tabernacle and roote thee out of the land of the living 5. The righteous also shall see it and feare and shall laugh at him saying 6. Behold the man that tooke not God for his strength but trusted in the multitude of his riches and put his strength in his malice 7. He hath made a pit and digged it and is falne into the pit that he made 57.6 Because he remembred not to shewe mercie but persecuted the afflicted and poore man and the sorowfull hearted to slay him 109.16 As he loved cursing so shall it come unto
such as belong to your Ho. Liuetenancie to whō I also in diuers good respects am most bounden in al these parts I was not able to find any one that was more exercised in these affairs or to whom my self in al humble duety was more beholding or vnder whose protection I could rather wish the same to come foorth Which although I had finished and sent vp to the print before to haue come foorth the last terme before the attempt of this late forrein inuasion yet by reason that vpon some priuate respect a small occasion was taken by such as should print it to require my further aduice in one speciall point the long vacation that hath come betwixt hath easily brought to passe that it could not come foorth till now In which mean time the daunger of the forrein inuasion God be thanked is grown to be litle and the feare thereof with vs much lesse But yet notwithstanding neither is that daunger clene remoued neither may we looke for any other but that still they will bee doing with vs if they may get vs at the aduantage and besides that we may in this one attempt of theirs being so much broken as alreadie and but hitherto it is see some part of that trueth that out of the Scripture is in this Treatise deliuered vnto vs. Which things beeing considered although nowe it come foorth somewhat with the latest in some respect yet in others J doe not doubt but that it may and will bee thought nowe also to come foorth fitly ynough J graunt it were to be wished rather that neither now nor at any time else there neede to be any vse of this or of any such like but the causes remaining the effect also must needes continue Our enimies will bee enimies still the seede of the serpent will euer lye in waite for to annoy the seede of the woman Though now they bee foiled and often haue beene yea and though they had bene cleane ouerthrowne yet notwithstanding they will not giue ouer but cast about it againe for some other aduantage and redily take it whensoeuer it falleth into their handes so long as they are not yet subdued vnto the obedience of the Gospell but remaine enimies stil there is nothing els to be looked for of them but that on al occasions they will be readie to exercise whatsoeuer enmitie they are able against vs. We also on the other side haue many thinges among vs that should be amended which we are not disposed to amend nor so much as to heare of them neither Hauing found the spoile of many of our Churches in our late Monasteries and Chaunteries as apparant dens of theeues as euer were any wee are not therewith contented Those that are left we suffer their Patrons if they bee greedie and wilie withall to abuse at their pleasure Whereby God is robed of his glory and the people of their saluation We suffer also mercilesse men daily more and more to eate vp the pore to dispeople fermings and townes and to take in all to them selues If therefore there were no more but these thinges onely which in deede I take to bee the greatest yet were they sufficient without any other so strongly to cry to the Lorde for vengeance as that it may be no maruell vnto vs if the Lord do still raise vp enimies against vs. If needes wee will spoyle the Lordes houses heere and his people withall both of his word and of their owne liuings and will not restore nor grow to amendment the more that we doe such thinges our selues the lesse may we maruel if the Lord send in enimies to do the like and to be auenged on the Lords behalfe of that which we mean not to amend Being therfore so likelie a matter as it is that some heauie iudgements of God are growing against the vngodlie that are among vs and so consequently much businesse to al one with another indifferently and being so certaine that the Lord is euer wont to exercise those that are his it cannot bee but to needefull purpose that this kind of argument should be debated that so the godly may see what securitie is layd vp for them and others likewise may know of that refuge whensoeuer they are disposed to vse it and turn to the Lord. And so now hauing sayd what J thought most needeful to expresse the cause generall end of the Treatise ensuing J am not to trouble your Honour any further at this present moste humblie beseeching the Lord of his goodnesse that as nowe alreadie these many yeres he hath bestowed great blessings on these parts by your godly milde and prudent gouernment so it may please him long to continue your L. among vs and to encrease all his graces and mercies towardes you in Christ Iesus At York 28 of August 1588. Your Honours most humble in the Lord Ed. Bunny A Table declaring what is the Method or maner of handling the matter ensuing Besides the enterie into the Treatise in the first Section and the Conclusion Praier Psalms in five of the last wee have heere set downe out of the historie of Davids advancemēt what hope we may conceive in these troublesome times for the like advancemēt of the Ghospell also and First out of that which is alreadie done with us because it doth so fitly agree with that which was done for David before But heerein First how God did bring him foorth to be in a readines to enter into the kingdom when the time should come Sect. 2 3. Then how he brought him unto the Kingdome but heerein First of his persecutions which were chiefly two Sections 4. 7. Then how God perfoormed his promis unto him first bringing him unto some part of the Kingdome and then to the whole Sect. 8 9. Then concerning our further hope to have the Gospell yet better aduanced First it is declared what course it is wherein we may conceive such hope Sect. 10 11. Then how to answere certain objections that may be conceived against it upon the difference that may be supposed to be betwixt his case and ours Concerning which First wee are taught that in such case there is with God no regard to that matter Section 12. Then it is further shewed First as touching Davids owne person that hee also was not without his infirmities Sect. 13. Then as touching his Kingdome that ther was not more neede of it then for wāt of better government in Saul than there is now for the like cause also Sect. 14 15. The Contents of the Booke ensuing gathered after so playne a maner as best may serve to leade on the simpler sort unto the better understanding of it COncerning those troubles that are for the Gospels sake first it is set down generally that out of the Scripture it may sufficiently be gathered whereunto they are like to sort themselves in the end Sect. 1. Then out of this part of the storie of David it is declared that as David
to shew that hee had the king in his handes to haue done with him whatsoeuer hee woulde Which when the king perceiued g 26.21.25 he was now againe for the time so mooued with it that presently hee brake of this his pursuit and so returned home againe The likelihoodes that Saul had giuen that he would neuer haue offered to David so hard measure againe were h 24.22 that he did acknowledge his fault in pursuing of him and besought his fauour vnto his seede and these with teares That speciall circumstaunce that dependeth heereon and somewhat better helpeth forward to shewe howe egerly he was set vpon David was that so much hee followed on him when as it had bene a great deale meeter to haue deale with the Philistims the common enimie because that they i 23.1 both came vnto Keilah and fought against it and k 23.27.28 afterward againe came into the land during the time of this his pursuing of innocent David The litle helpe that in this persecution God did giue him What helpe it pleased God to afford him in this persecution was in the company that came vnto him for his defence when hee was in distresse by that persecution to the number of sixe hundred men in all Whereof l 22.1.2 fower hundred came vnto him while he was at Adullam and other two hundred mo a while after For we haue mention of sixe hundred in all m 23.13 both when he departed from Keilah and n 30.10 when he went against the Amalekites that had spoyled Ziklag The first fower hundred o 22.1.2 were some of his kindred the residue such as were in debt or timber Of the other there is no speciall thing reported not so much as the time when they came vnto him Sauing that séeing they are found with David when he departed from Keilah and we haue no mention of them before it may seeme that they came vnto him while he was there And likely inough that seeing that David was knowne to be of great valour that such as were disposed to giue themselues to such aduenture would easily vpon such occasion resort vnto him 7 All which things if in these dayes we shall apply to our selues and lay thē to such doings as our eies haue often seene That this latter persecution of Davids is rightly exemplified in these dayes also against the Gospell and dayly yet sée we shall find them to agrée so fitly together as could be deuised and sufficiently to teach vs both what to looke for at the hands of many and how warily to behaue our selues in the meane season whether we respect the occasion of this his persecution or else but the maner whereby it procéedeth For if we respect the occasion of it The occasion whereon this persecution of ours is raysed what is it else that so much offendeth and so greuously incenseth the Sauls of our time but only the good successe of the sonne of David against these Philistims of ours and for that same euill spirit of the Lord doth hereupon help to kindle the furious rage of them against vs For seeing that the Gospell euer now and then getteth in these daies of ours some good hand against all those that seeke to suppresse it they see verie well that if it may still hold on this course it were like shortly to come to passe not only that their craft should be in perill to be set at naught Act. 19.27.37 but also that the Temple of their great Goddesse Diana should be despised and her magnificence should be destroied whome almost all Europe and as they would haue it thought the world did worship whereunto if they haue any speciall fit of that euill spirit of the Lord adioined it is lesse maruell then if all the companie of them thereupon growe to some rageous vprore no maruell then if they be full of wrath and cry out as if they were mad Great is Diana of the Ephesians No maruell then if in their furie they rush together into the common Hall if they catch and hurrie with them Gaius and Aristarchus Pauls companions if some of them draw forth Alexander out of the multitude and others thrust him forward as fast that getting him forth they may there dispatch him as they list if it be a sufficient cause for them all to stop their eares to whatsoeuer he were able to say for his defence only for that he was a Iew and if hauing no cause at all of any concourse much lesse of such a tumultuous vprore yet notwithstanding a shout almost for two howers among them doth rise crying Great is Diana of the Ephesians And when once they are set on such a gog it is not then to say in how eager maner they are like to follow on the seruants of God nor how outrageous crueltie they are like to practise against all such as on the behalfe of the Gospell of Christ shall stand in their way And yet notwithstanding if we come to the maner of such dealing of theirs In what maner it is prosecuted we shall commonly find that for the most part they euer proceede in such sort as the patterne before prescribeth vnto vs and almost euen after the selfesame manner that before they find in the other First in secret For first they do euer desire to do it in secret maner so neere as they can and then if they find that so they cannot they stick not likewise to rush vpon it howsoeuer they thinke occasion offered And as Saul would now again first haue done it by his owne hands in another mad fit of his so to haue coloured the matter the better and now came verie néere vnto it belike because that David did ouermuch trust the oath that he did take to the contrarie a little before euen so we may see that our Sauls also would not stick with their owne hands to put such things in execution especially the case being such as would affoord them any reasonable coulour vnto it whereunto they also come oftimes ouer néere for that vpon their promises and oathes they are ouermuch trusted When themselues are not able to do it then do they imploy others about it and that howsoeuer oportunitie is offered neither sparing such as be sick but séeking to haue them bed and all nor so much as able either to hold pacience with any though neuer so néere that any way frustrate their wicked attempts or to find any other meaning if so they should but that they are mocked therein And that which is more when they find themselues in such sort defeated as that they may plainly perceiue that it is no meaner then God himselfe that doth resist them and though he do the same also in neuer so good and gracious maner yet will they neuer be warned thereby nor any thing staied in their wicked attempts but euer run on to the vttermost point that they are able
far we misliked sometimes our owne doings therein nor what we promised to the contrarie Not only in labouring for Kingdoms but in this quarel also oathes must be no oathes with vs now And that which is more this hideous quarell must so be manned and toughly followed that the common enemie must rather be suffered to do what he will then so much as a latchet wanting in this But as God then also gaue David some little helpe Such a like helpe as was affoorded to David before affoorded vnto the Gospell now in the companie that came vnto him so it pleaseth him now also not altogether to leaue those destitute whom the Saules of our time so busily persecute for the Gospels sake Those that are of the kindred of David and others besides that feele themselues indebted to God and are of a broken or troubled spirit will now and then be stealing to David do Saul in the meane time what he can to the contrary and so much the more as they see David so valiantly to imploy himself agaynst the Philistims How David was afterward brought to the kingdome 8 How it pleased God notwithstanding these persecutions to bring David at length to the kingdome is now to bee seene and first how he brought him to one part of it and then how he brought him to all the rest Vnto some part of the kingdome we finde that he brought him First but vnto some part of it immediatly after the death of Saul but not to the rest til Ishbosheth also the sonne of Saul was taken away In the former of which we are to note how conuenient a way he made him vnto it a little before he was to enter and then how he brought him to the fruition or vnto the reall possession of it He made him a conuenient way to enter both in such things as concerned the preparing of David vnto it What way was made vnto it First preparing David vnto it and then in remoouing certeyne others out of the way that otherwise might be an hinderance vnto him He prepared David vnto it both in preseruing him from such things as were agaynst him and in prouiding him one speciall helpe which made to his purpose Those things that made agaynst him were two one the perill of his person the other the hazard of his good name For the preseruation of his person the Lord was so good and gracious vnto him that a 27.1.2 when he was afrayd to tarie in Iudea and thereupon fled vnto Achish one of the Princes of the Philistims the Lord neuerthelesse gaue him safetie there also when as notwithstanding David b 27.8.9.11 so behaued himselfe there that it was great marueile that he brought not himselfe into greater daunger there then he was in before in Iurie as after we shall haue more conuenient place to declare The perill that his good name was in was for that being now among the enemies of Saul and being c 28.2 readie to go to the field with them agaynst him the Lord neuerthelesse d. 28.2.11 so prouided that he should not bee in the field that day that Saul should bee ouerthrowne whereas otherwise either himself might haue been some cause of his ouerthrowe or els at least he had been more open to that reproach That speciall helpe that it pleased God to bestowe vpon him and which made so much to his purpose at that present consisted in two principall poynts wherof the former was e 30.20 a great bootie or pray which by occasion that then fell out he got from certeyne of the Amalekites the other was a greater power of men that at that time also drew vnto him With his bootie he f 30.26.31 remembred his friends in Iury where he and his men were wont to haunt to the number of thirteene cities by name and to certeyne others besides a very good preparatiue to make his friends faster vnto him now that he was very soone after to stand in neede of their helpe for the kingdome That greater power of men that came vnto him * 1. Chro. 12.1.22 were diuers of the tribes of Benjamin Gad Iudah Manasses all actiue valiant and expert men and meet for the warres Who are sayd to haue resorted to him * Ib. 1.20 at Ziklag but because there is no mention but only of his former sixe hundred at his returne from the Amalekites therefore it is likely that they came not vnto him till he was returned thether agayne and that the same was shortly after that Saul receiued the ouerthrow At which time comming as they did they came very fitly for Davids purpose now that he was to enter the possession of some part of the Kingdome Those others that might bee some hinderance vnto him Then by taking others out of the way that would or might haue been some hinderance vnto him are especially Saul and his sonnes then also as many of the armie besides as being that way affected were there ouerthrowne That Saul himself would haue been an enemie to David in that quarell all his doings do so fully witnesse that wee need not to stand vpon that poynt of the matter and yet shall it bee good to consider more specially in what manner he the greatest enemie that David had and the strongest hinderance vnto his kingdom was remooued The manner whereof resteth in two principall poynts one how he might vnderstand himself to be altogether forsaken now before his death the other how he was accordingly brought to a miserable end He might vnderstand him self to be altogether forsaken both in the straungenesse that he found in the Lord towards him when after a sort he sought to haue some direction of him what he should do when now the Philistims came in agayne so strong vpon him and in that answer that was giuen by such as he in that case thought good to séeke vnto The straungenes that he found in the Lord towards him was such as that now g 28.5.15 in this great daunger approching and when he was so heartily afrayd thereof and he in this his distresse h 28.6 sought vnto him neuerthelesse the Lord gaue him i Ibid. no answer at all neither immediatly by dreames nor by the ministerie of others either ordinarie as by Urim or extraordinarie as by any Prophet And good reason it was that he which k 13.8.13.15.9 twise before had made so light account of the word of the Lord and now at this present did so hotely persecute David directly agaynst l â—â— 21. his owne knowledge of the ordinance of God leaning to David and that in so cruell and rageous manner as that for his sake and otherwise for no cause at all m 22.18 he slew so many Priestes of the Lord should at no hand finde any answer at the mouth of the Lord in this his distresse or whensoeuer he most should neede or faynest would
others of his people then he gaue a notable light yet find we also that the light which he gaue vnto thē was far inferior vnto that which now he hath giuen forth to many others otherwise far inferior vnto them In which case we are not in deserts or worthines to prefer those that follow vnto those that were before as though that God for that cause were so much better to them because he found them better then others but euer to ascribe all to the meere goodnes of God nothing at all in such case respecting whether men are worthy or not whome euer he should find without question to be of themselues as void of all deserts and woorthines as could be deuised But thus rather we are to gather that as the Sunne the neerer it is to his rising the more light it spreadeth forth on the face of the earth so Christ also the Sonne of righteousnes the néerer that he is to aduance his glorious Kingdome vnto that fulnes that is due vnto it and that the faithfull are put in hope once to behold the more doth he increase his comfortable blessings in the meane season that so we may be so much the better prepared thereunto against the time that he shall bestow that fulnes vpon vs. Among all the men of the world that euer were are or shal be Christ only excepted there is not one of that desert or worthines in him-selfe before God that might procure any such speciall blessing of him nor till God him-selfe of speciall fauour hath otherwise wrought it not one of vs all any thing better than any other The enlarging of his goodnes vnto the world is altogether his owne and none of ours it proceedeth nothing at all from vs but altogether and only from him 13 But now more specially to examin what is the differēce that is betwixt vs we are to consider That on Davids part there is no such differēce betwixt him at that time and the children of God since whether it be such as may iustly import that although God were so gracious to him yet is there no cause for vs to thinke that well may he be as gracious to vs. But the truth is that we find no such difference betwixt vs as maketh any odds for this matter whether we respect but those things only that concerne his owne person or the occasion whereupon it pleased God to bring him to the Kingdome For if we respect those things that concerned his owne person the euent it selfe will plainly declare that he had not all those mercies of God bestowed vpon him so much for himselfe as for the people whom he was to gouerne Insomuch that whether David were without his infirmities or not and those that on the behalfe of the Gospell were to be aduanced now had their infirmities many and great yet were not such odds betwixt the persons of any such force as might bar vs of the hope before described But it cannot be denied but that David had his infirmities and that as he notwithstanding otherwise had good cause to await the full accomplishment of those great mercies that God had begun to bestowe vpon him so we also haue such reason for vs as that in like maner we may looke to enioy a further manifestation of the Kingdome of Christ that in some measure alreadie is aduanced among vs. The infirmities of David such as belong to the compas of time that now we speake of Of Davids infirmities for we are not in this case to search any further are of two sorts some of them such as in some sense might be excused others againe so apparantly euill as in no wise may be defended Such as in some sense might be excused Those that in some sense might be excused do most of them arise out of the troubles that he had in hand but one there is that was nothing at all so far as we read occasioned thereby Those also that arose out of his troubles are some of them belonging to that compas of time wherein Saul himselfe liued one to the time of Ishbosheth his sonne Of those that belong to the time of Saul two there were when first for altogether he fled the presence of Saul and two others also shortly after when now he had openly professed to flye his presence for his owne safetie Eating of the Shew-bread The two former are that he did eate a 21.4.6 the Shew-bread and that he did take back again the b 21.87.9 sword of Goliath to his owne priuate vse For the Shew-bread it may seeme that he is in some measure c Mat. 12.3.4 Mar. 2.25.26 Luc. 6.3.4 excused by Christ And yet because it is by the Law plainly d Lev. 24.9 Exo. 29.33 set downe that only the Priest might eate thereof and Christ himselfe in the places alleadged doth so acknowledge it cannot be auoided but that néedes it must be either a breach of the law of God or that Davids face therein was extraordinarie If it were a breach of the law of God then do not those words of Christ tend to excuse him but only to put them in mind how themselues might he able to find how great their malice was towards Christ and his Disciples that could so easily put vp that in David and so hardly exact this of them As whē the e Ioh. 8.3.7 adulteresse was brought vnto him and he willed that whosoeuer he were among them that was without sin he should cast the first stone at her he did not therby excuse her lewdnes or made no reckoning of the Law of God but himselfe not medling to be her iudge rebuked thē also that they were so prying into other folks sinnes and so forgetfull of then owne But his fact might verie well be extraordinarie also and so no breach of the law of God nor to be reckoned among his infirmities if we could any way be certaine that so it were such as that f Nomb. 25.7.8 knowne fact of Phinehas is most commonly taken to be and such as was that fact of Christ himselfe as he came in the forme of a seruant when he g Ioh. 2.14.17 Math. 21.12.13 scourged the buiers and sellers out of the Temple For so it pleaseth God sometimes so thoroughly to seize vp to holie vses and so fully to possesse the children of God that in their zeale they are caried beyond the bounds that the Law prescribeth and yet in no wise to the impeachment or derogation of the Law prescribed to all In which sense whether David in that want of other victuals did it or not yet do those words of our Sauiour teach that the same fact h Math. 12.2 which the Pharises misliked in the Disciples might be of that kind for ought that they did knowe to the contrarie and that such an other they had long before in David himselfe And seeing that David was a man subiect to infirmitie as
vnto them as sometimes hauing vs in the cause that wee susteine at great aduantage hauing the Sea before vs our enimies behinde and such rockes on eyther side as doe yeelde no passage by them at al can they in no wise so much as think that in such case God knoweth howe to deliuer those that are his and hath yet left him wayes ynow beyond the deuise and reach of man If nowe they annoy vs as wee are in our way trauelling towardes the lande of promis what doe they else but as the Amalekites did before and if they take part with them in their sinne may wee not hope that they shall bee made partakers of their vengeance also Let Moses on the top of the hill in the sight of the hoast of the Lord and in the sight of all their enimies aduaunce the Lordes Standard if he bee olde and therefore somewhat weake and bee not able still to aduaunce it in such sort as hee shoulde let Aaron and Hur bee supporters vnto him that so the Lordes Standard may still be aduaunced and then it neede not to bee doubted of any but that our Amalekites also shall soone bee beaten backe and taught to giue more quiet passage to the children of Israel as they are at the Lordes appointment to passe by their borders And if these Amalekites of ours in this large space of repentaunce that God doth giue them will in no time turne to the Lorde why may we not looke but that on them the Lorde will at the length bring an vtter destruction euen before our eyes in sight vnlesse it please him of mercie to spare them or to reserue them to heauier iudgements against that day when he shall call to account all the vngodly of the earth for all their vngodly deedes which they haue vngodlie committed and for all their cruell speakings which vngodly sinners haue spoken against him That as yet wee are not so fully entered into the possession of our inheritance whome may we thanke so much as our selues For when God woulde haue brought vs in wee made light account of it and did not beleeue his goodnes towardes vs wee woulde needes haue searchers to goe and see whether it were so good a lande and whether we should bee able to get it God had already told vs both that it was a notable land and that hee woulde giue it vnto vs but that woulde not serue If men of our owne choyce did not tell vs so too wee thought it no wisedome so soone to yeelde vnto the bare worde of God alone and wee were not ashamed to put to his triall euen the trueth of God himselfe and to make him to stande at our barres and there to bee tried by the verdict of lying men What reason therefore but that hauing done so great dishonour or vilany rather to the God of all trueth and glorie wee should iustly hee excluded for a time from that comfortable fruition of this land of promis that nowe wee would so fayn enioy But seeing that wee the children of those our great auncestours haue so long beene kept out and borne the iniquitie of our parentes refusall what letteth but that nowe when wee see that God beginneth to perfourme his mercies towards vs wee may hope that the time of that wrath of his is almost expired and that nowe hee is willing and reedie to bring vs in and to put vs in full possession If wee also haue had our Moabites and Midianites that haue busily sought to infringe our peace and to make a breach into the good estate that God hath giuen vs and haue hiered their Balaams against vs if not once or twice but verie often they haue assayed by secrete practises to doe vs some mischiefe If they haue multiplied their masses against vs and neuer so often reiterated that sacrifice of theirs which they call vnbloodie but yet is bloddy and cruell in deede must wee therefore doubt that sometime or other they shall preuayle and that the Lorde will cast vs head-long downe into that insatiable gulfe of their blood-thirstinesse Or many wee not rather hope on behalfe of the quarrell that wee haue in hande that as at that time he confounded all their deuices and made frustrate all their attempts and turned the cruell and deadly cursing that they had intended into a ritche and speciall blessing so nowe likewise hee will in like sort accurse all their open attemptes and secrete counsels that neuer they shall bee able to preuayle against the cause that wee haue in hande but that euen by their owne endeuours they must come downe more and more Est 6.18 If not onely the wiser friendes of Haman but euē Zaresh his wife likewise espied that whereas they perceiued nowe that Mordecai whose destruction hee sought was founde to bee one of the people of God he should neuer preuaile against him but should certainly fall before him more and more howe much rather ought wee to bee assured and what dulnes were it not to perceiue that seeing they haue alreadie attempted the like crueltie against the people of God vtterly to destroy them all but now in these dayes haue begun to fall before them they shoulde not nowe bee neare to their end and dayly more and more come downe before those that they woulde haue deuoured the inuincible race that is borne a newe not of corruptible seede but of incorruptible the eternall trueth of the liuing God And if wee coulde open but the eares of our mindes by fayth no doubt wee might finde that euen in their secrete corners among themselues many of them haue such speaches one with another complaining of their own ruinous state and setting it downe for a verie truth and that themselues do looke for no other but that in this cause we are so blessed of God himself as that their cursings can take no place but that the cause we haue in hand must still preuaile and that their impugning of it can be of no force but against themselues Not long since we graunt that a few of them did verie often and very easily put to flight many of vs and if any stood against them they easily bereft them of their libertie lands and life But those were the daies of the heauie wrath of the Lord and the time as then was not come wherein God meant to shew forth his power on their behalf But as the Israelites did shortly after when the time of vengeance was ouerblowne notably preuaile against the Canaanites Amorites and Midianites cleane beyond all expectation so what letteth but that the Lord hauing alredie begun to worke so mightily for vs also in the quarell we haue in hand we may with good comfort lift vp our heads and confidently looke for the full performance of it at his good pleasure Iordan with vs also had filled the brinks and séemed at the first vtterly to deny all passage to any that would attempt to enter in earthly power they were