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
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
THE Coronation of Dauid Wherein out of that part of the Historie of David that sheweth how he came to the Kingdome wee have set forth unto us what is like to be the end of these troubles that daylie arise for the Gospels sake By Edm. Bunny Psalm 89.20 I have found David my seruant with mine holy oyle have I annoynted him Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Gubbin and Iohn Perin 1588. ¶ Vnto the right honorable Henry Earle of Huntingdon Knight of the most noble order of the Garter L. President of her Ma. Counsell in the North parts established and Lieutenant Generall of her Ma. people and forces there IT is sufficiently knowne to vs all that of late yeeres the Lord hath diuersly exercised vs vnder his gentle chasticing hand For hauing touched vs before in our cattle corn and that more is in certaine daungerous straunge and vnnaturall practices against our Soueraign tending to the ouerthrowe of vs all now of late he hath threatned vs with hostilitie and forrein inuasion and with the worst that a proud an idolatrous and an insolent people is able to do Wherein although hee hath not forgotten vs cleane but in the middest of those threatnings hath hitherto vsed great mercie towardes vs yet do we our selues plainly perceiue that as yet he hath not left off calling vpon vs but still doth put vs in mind of our wayes as otherwise also so especially by hostilitie now and by the continuance of our enimies malice against vs. Jn which case so long as we stand it is needefull we take good heede to these two thinges that the cause be right wherein wee stand and that we our selues do take it in hand in such sort as we ought to doe The equitie of the cause both is now and euer hath beene so plaine in it selfe seeing that it is for the Ghospels sake that so they bende themselues against vs that when of late I entred into a deeper consideration of these callings of God and thought it needefull to set foorth somewhat concerning the same yet notwithstanding J then thought it needelesse to bestow any labor in beating out that which was plaine ynough in it selfe and rather chose to imploy my pen in the other to shew in what sort this good cause of ours should be taken in hand of vs. Whereupon I did then set foorth an admonition out of the Prophet Joel the better to gather vs neerer to God by occasion of the scarcitie wherewith at that time wee were something touched a text that then did not onely in respect of that scarcitie but otherwise also and yet doth fitly agree to these present dayes and out of which we might take to our selues both then and now instruction and comfort in plentifull measure Since which time I haue often marked that what by our enimies themselues by their fauourites that are among vs and what by the weaknesse of diuers of vs likewise there is such a desperate fear conceiued of many that they are vtterly void of any good hope that these our troubles may be ouerblowne or at any time sorted to prosperous end For the enimie we see and often haue founde whensoeuer by his owne strength or our loosenesse he doth hope to preuail is then passing full of presumptuous boasting and resolute threates Their fauourites also doe as redily then get holde thereof and helpe them forward the best that they can euer blowing such terrors abroad and for the most part encreasing them also euer casting wheresoeuer they come great perils themselues And when they are foiled and haue gotten the worse and finde that God in those their attempts is flatly against them yet doe they not thereupon leaue of and turne vnto him but euer continue their former malice and busilie repayre their forces againe Among vs likewise as there be some that by such occasions drawe neerer to God and acknowledging that our sinnes deserue that we should be cleane cut off doe neuerthelesse in the goodnesse of the cause and the mercies of God conceiue good hope so are there others that refusing the comfort that those groundworkes do yeelde do so much relie on the iust desert of our sinnes and the seueritie of God against it or being of a timerous nature are stroken with such feare by the enimies threates and continuall malice and by the great perils that their confederates do cast at home that they haue left them no hope at all but verily thinke that in the end all will be naught Hauing therefore already done my endeuour by my former admonition out of Joel to stir vs vp to a sensible feeling of those gracious callings of God vnfeignedly to turne vnto him I haue nowe thought good out of some one text or other for to declare what comfort the faithfull may iustly conceiue out of the nature of the cause that we haue in hand being as it is for the gospels sake that we are so much maligned For which matter I haue made choice of that part of the historie of David that sheweth how he being annointed of God to the kingdom neuertheles could not come vnto it but thorough many perils with much busines before But although hee were kept out for a season and had many lets for a long time together cast in the way yet in the end he came to the crown and had it confirmed vnto himselfe and his line for euer Jn which storie we may see as it were in a table both what crosses we must looke for to be cast in the way of the gospel now how notwithstanding it shall preuail in the end against them all And as it was the godlesse and loose gouernment of Saul that gaue that occasion of remouing that same and of the bringing in of the godlier regiment of David euen so in the late days of ignorance the gouernmēt of most of our princes hath bine such so far short of that which it should as that it ought to be lesse maruel to any if now it the be pleasure of God to aduance the gospel the scepter of the sonne of David to reforme whatsoeuer before was decayed Which storie lieth in the latter part of the first booke of Samuel in the beginning of the second for which cause also seeing that it lieth altogether within this compasse therefore haue I but seldome set down in my quotations the name of the Book but the chapters verses only And seing that it goeth of this matter only wheras there are many other stories places of scripture besides that would yeeld the self same cōfort therfore haue J thoght The Coronatiō of David to be the meetest name for the treatise Now such as it is if it please your honour to accept in good part I thought it my duetie for to offer the same vnto you For beeing of this mind that as I wish the benefit therof vnto al so notwithstanding J speciall wish it to the people here
was Annointed unto the Kingdom euen so in some sense is the Gospel also Sect. 2 3. Likewise as David was grieuouslie persecuted before that he could attain to the Kingdom that so it hath bin and yet is with the Gospel of Christ Sect. 4 5 6 7. And that as David was afterward brought first to one part of it and then to the whole so the Gospel being in such sort aduanced as alreadie it is is therein as likely also to be further aduanced Sect. 8 9. But yet that we are to await this goodnes of God in such a course as David did Sect. 10 11. And so doing that we neede not to doubt for that such aduancement of his glorie standeth not on our worthines but on his goodnes also Sect. 12. And though it did yet that there is no such difference betweene David then and the children of God now because that he also was subject unto great infirmities Sect. 13. Besides all this that the want of gouernment in the world now doth asmuch require the advancement of the Gospel to make supplie as the want of government in the daies of Saul did then need the kingdom of David Sect. 14 15. Divers examples of the like works of God brought in and applied to our comfort Sect. 16. 17. A Praier to that end going upon the whole storie Sect. 18. How David exercised himselfe to Godward in those his troubles and what Psalmes they are which then he made Sect. 19 20. FINIS ⧠The Coronation of Dauid 1 HOw great broyles at this day are raysed in these parts of Christendome agaynst the Ghospell of Iesus Christ What is like to be the end of these troubles that are for the Gospels sake and how as yet they are like to continue because that new and fresh troubles do continually follow hard vpon such as are gone before is a thing in it self so plain and euident that no body at al would he neuer so fayn can be ignorant of it Insomuch that as in the lake Genazereth the wind and the sea did both together seeme to conspire agaynst that Bark wherein Christ was with his disciples for to haue drenshed and drowned them al the wind stirring vp and raysing the sea the sea getting vp and growing rageous and both together furiously beating with al their might on that seely vessel euen so now also euer synce it pleased the Lord to vouchsafe vs the Ghospel agayn in so plentiful maner al the powers and states of the world haue redily bent themselues agaynst it those that are especially led by the spirit of error and haue a mouth giuen them to speake proud things stirring vp both Princes and their people agaynst the truth those Princes likewise and their people with them willingly taking that quarel in hand and both together with might and mayn rushing vpon the word of life and earnestly labouring al that they may cleane to suppresse and extinguish the same Which whosoeuer doth with aduisement consider he in reason might easily be in daunger to think both that there were some special great cause in this profession why it should be so much maligned and that ere long needs must it be destroyed also Howbeit the truth is that neyther is there in it any cause at al why they should so rage agaynst it neyther shall any nor al together in such sort preuayle agaynst it when they haue done al that they can Neuerthelesse it cannot be denied but that there are of the weaker sort that can hardly conceaue so good assurance of the inuinciblenes of the cause it self and others agayn so much presuming of the goodnes of the cause that they regard not much what carelesnes or iniquity of theirs they mingle withal and hope notwithstanding that al shal be wel laying al on the goodnes of the cause For which cause I think it a work not vnworthy the labour and very meete for the present tyme that such as are the Lords watchmen commend vnto the people of God such places of Scripture as best may serue both to describe and to lay forth these matters vnto them and withal to teach them what shal be the yssue therof in the end and how to behaue themselues therein An example of the like among the Iewes at Ierusalem Ruffin lib. 1. cap. 37. Socr. lib. 3. cap. 20. Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 2. And so may we read in auncient tyme as of many others so namely of Cyril the Bishop of Ierusalem that when the like occasion was offered vnto him he also tooke the self same course The like occasion that was offered vnto him was a great fear that many of the people of God in those parts conceaued that Christian religion hauing alredy bene receaued and planted there by publike authoritie should after giue place to Iudaisme agayn For Iulian the Emperour himself professing the faith at the first and finding the same alredy established by publike authoritie fourty yeres before that he came to the Crown by Constantine the great and Constantius his sonne and hauing a secret intent with him to set vp heathnish idolatrie agayn among other practises that he vsed to crosse the faith of Christ and those that did professe it so much as he could gaue libertie comfort and ayd vnto the Iewes to build vp the Temple at Ierusalem agayn and there to sacrifice and obserue the law as before they were wont Whereupon great multitudes of the Iewes assembled themselues together out of al quarters set in hand with their busines in great confidence prepared things needful for the building in great pentie had in a brauerie many of their working instruments of siluer euen to their baskets spades and mattokes before hand threatned the Christians there how néere they would sit vnto them ere long and in al things had held such a course therein for the time as that it seemed vnto many that the faith of Christ should be abolished there and Iudaism set vp agayn But Cyril the Bishop perceauing what offence this might breed vnto many and that diuers were not a litle dismayed thereat and therfore much weakened in the faith thereby calling to mind what things Daniel and Christ himself before had spoken of the vtter ouerthrow of that Temple and citie did resolutely set down vnto the faithful euen when the matter was at the highest and their new building in greatest likelihood to go forward that yet notwithstanding it should not prosper but go back agayn and come to no proofe in the end And so it came to passe immediatly after For the lime and the sand they had gotten together in great heapes was with mightie winds so blown away that they knew not where to finde it the old foundation when they had taken the rubble from it and now were redy the next day after to haue begun their new building theron was in the night by a straunge and mightie earthquake so clene turned vp and shaken in péeces that there was
they were holpen by him How slenderly he set in hand to séeke redresse in these matters may sufficiently appeare if we do but vnfould his doings herein and consider of them For certeyne it is that somewhat he did and such as might beare a reasonable shew and yet notwithstanding his doings being better considered he did in a manner nothing at all That somewhat he did That which might beare some reasonable shewe was first on behalfe of some part of the people then afterward somewhat that he did on behalfe of them all That which he did on behalfe of some part of them was that peece of seruice that he did at o 11.1.13 Iabesh Gilead one of the the Cities beyond Iorden which Nahash the King of the Ammonites had strongly besieged and when the Citizens sued for peace he would in no wise graunt it vnto them but vpon a very cruell and dishonorable condition which was that he might thrust out the right eye of euery one of them and so bring a perpetuall reproach vpon them and vpon the whole nation withall Wherevpon the spirit of the Lord comming vpon Saule he sent foorth his messengers to commaund the people forth-with to followe he quickly got a great number together made haste to Iabesh raysed the siege and gaue a notable ouerthrowe to the enemie Insomuch that whereas before certeyne euill persons made light account of him which also was easily put vp of the rest now were the people generally so farre in loue with this their new King that had not Saul himself stayed them needes would they haue had those ill persons to haue been sought out and for that their former contempt to be put to death now That which afterward he did on behalfe of them all was some part of it of his owne accord and some part agayne by the direct commandement of God Of his owne accord both he did somewhat at the first entrie into his kingdome and afterward he proceeded somewhat further also At his first entrie into his kingdom both p 13.2 he chose out 3000. men to haue in a readinesse vpon all occasions two thousand to attend vpon himselfe and the other thousand on Ionathan his sonne and q 13.5 when the Philistims now began to inuade them agayne he did not only r 13.35.16 addresse himselfe to giue them battaile but also when as ſ 14.1.15 by other meanes they were discomfited he t 14.20 followed vpon them and gaue vnto them a great ouerthrow That which somewhat after he did was in effect no more but this that he did his endeuour in some measure to deliuer his countrie from their enemies Which thing is deliuered vnto vs by two speciall poynts one how he esteemed of such as were meet for the warres the other in what sort he dealt with the enemie Concerning the former u 14 52. it is sayd that he made much of them Concerning the latter it is sayd first generally that x 14.47 not only he did still warre vpon them on euery side and that y 14.52 right sore agaynst the Philistims but also that he z 14.4 euer put them all to the worse and did a 14.48 much rid his people out of the hands of those that spoyled them More specially there are numbred among them not only those of whom we haue some storie set downe as the Ammonites Philistims and the Amalekites but others also of whom we haue no further storie as the Moabites Idumeans and the Kings of Zoba That which he did by the speciall commaundement of God was his expedition b 15.1.9 agaynst the Amalekites at such time as God was disposed to be auenged on them for an old iniurie that almost 400. yeres before they had done to the children of Israel as in the Wildernesse they were passing on to the land of promise In which expedition although he did not execute the iudgment of God agaynst them so strictly and fully as he was commaunded to do yet c 15.7.8 made he a great destruction of the enemie and besides that d 15.6 had a speciall care of the Kenites certeyne auncient friends of the children of Israel to get them out of the way But that it was nothing to speake of that they perished not with the other That yet notwithstanding all these goodly shewes he did in a manner nothing at all it appeareth in this for that the Lord doth flatly reiect him for the want that he found in him Which want of his was of the chiefe and principall matter of all that is of an heart or setled purpose in al things to awayt the Lords direction and then to frame his doings thereafter For seeing that now he was chosen to bee King of Israel that is both to susteyne the person of God among them and to gouerne them not as his owne but only as the people of God how could he but see that now of necessitie he must needes resigne himselfe vnto God euer to seeke his direction of him and in all things to do as he should appoynt That so he did not we haue deliuered vnto vs by two examples that playnlie declare how short he was in those two poynts one in that e 13.9 he awayted not the comming of Samuel the other in that f 15.9 he did not execute the sentence of GOD agaynst the Amalekites with that seueritie that was appoynted In both which notwithstanding we may see that he grewe so néere to his full duetie in those two poynts that a reasonable man would thinke he had done very well and yet in trueth he came very short of that which he ought to haue done in deede For as touching the former of them that is the awayting of Samuels comming the storie is this that Samuel promised to come thether vnto him g 10.8 both to instruct further what he should do and h 11.14 to renew or establish the kingdome vnto him with the generall consent of all before the Lord and therefore willed him there to abide till he came vnto him i 10.8 naming in deed but seauen dayes after the manner of their kinde of speach but yet not meaning any determinate number but that if he thought he taried somewhat long yet not to be wearie for so small a matter This platforme being layd forth vnto him now are wee to see how néere it is that he seemeth to come vnto it and how farre in trueth he commeth short of it He may seeme to come néere vnto it both in that he taried so long as he did and in that he had so good cause as he had then to breake vp He taried k 13.8 vntill the seauenth day and as it seemeth vntil the time of the euening sacrifice of that day it may be also that he taried fully the seauen dayes outright and so consequently altogether so long as the Prophet in strict letter required of him
not left one stone vpon an other that was not shaken out of his place as for the timber and stone which they had prouided and that in great quantitie and their instruments or tooles wherewithal they should haue wrought and many of the people themselues they were destroyed by fier such as the Lord in extraordinarie maner cast vpon them As therefore Cyril at that time was able out of the Scriptures to minister sound comfort to the people of God agaynst that discomfortable case of theirs and as he was able accordingly did it so the godly in these dayes also haue in great plenty wherewithal to comfort those that are weake and that in their weaknes doubt very much whereunto these broyles may grow For now also these Iewes of ours haue obteyned the comfort and ayd of certeyn Iulians that they hope ere long to banish the Ghospel and to set vp Poperie agayne they haue also contriued and complotted their matters so that nothing they hope shal frustrate their vayn presumption therin But he that dwelleth in the heauens doth laugh them to scorne the Lord will haue them in derision Let the Lords watchmen but looke about them and they shal be able to finde and that in very plentifull measure wherwithal soundly to comfort and fully to establish the hearts of those that in their weakenesse so readilie feare that when tyrants begin to threaten and make preparation to do some mischief then is the Gospell not like to escape it and the power of darknesse that of late ouerwhelmed the face of the earth like to preuayle agaynst vs agayne To the which end as I wish those that can rightly do it diligently to beate out this poynt of doctrine to the people of God so my self also haue thought good to take in hand some such argument at this present and among so many places of Scripture that yéeld for this matter most singular comfort to deliuer some one to the instruction and comfort of those that in these dayes of ours do in such sort need to be called vpon For which cause I haue made choyce of that part of the storie of David wherein we haue set foorth vnto vs how being ordeyned to be King ouer Israel he was kept backe and notably exercised for a time and yet notwithstanding fully possessed thereof in the end For seeing that David was a figure of Christ and such as was the estate of Christ here on the earth such also must be the state of the Gospell whensoeuer the same is sent vnto vs therefore must it needes follow that as in that part of Davids historie wee may see a liuely description of those matters in Christ both how he was kept backe for the time and how in the end he was aduaunced so may we likewise therein behold the estate of the Gospell in these our dayes for both those matters that is how great resistance for a time it findeth among vs and how notwithstanding it is most sure to preuayle in the end The text therefore being so pregnant and so effectuall to such a purpose that I likewise may the better finde out in some good measure whatsoeuer doth belong therunto I humbly beseech that sonne of David our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to vouchsafe me that mercie that I may so do it as may soundly tend both to the aduancement of his eternall and only trueth and to the comfort of all those that vnfeignedly loue and embrace the same 2 And so being purposed by the goodnes and grace of God in such sort to vnfold that part of the storie of David What comfort we have in that which is alreadie done on behalfe of the Gospell as that our selues may now also the better sée what to thinke of those broiles that now are for the Ghospels sake and how we are to demeane our selues in the meane season it shal be good first to consider how far-forth we are holpen forward to good assurance by the accord that we find in that which is alreadie done héere among vs with that which in this historie of David we find to haue bin done before and then to aduise our selues further of the hope that we may conceiue of the full accomplishment of it for the time to come The good assurance whereunto we are holpen by the accord that we find in that which is alreadie done among vs with that which in this historie of David we find to haue bin done before wil best appeare if we shall first set downe the chiefe and principall parts of the historie it self and then lay vnto it from point to point such things as we find in these our dayes to agree thereunto The chiefe and principall points of the Storie it selfe are two how it pleased God to bring him foorth to be in a readines for that matter and afterward how he brought him vnto it That it pleased God first to bring him foorth to be in a readines for that matter may sufficiently appeare first by the maner that he vsed to make the matter known to David himselfe and then for that he did so effectually commend him to others Vnto himselfe he made it knowne for that by the ministerie of Samuel the Prophet he did annoint him thereunto In which his Annointing we are first to consider The Annointing of David vnto the Kingdome how it standeth with a certaine Propheticall direction that was giuen forth long before and then of certaine other things which to that present time apperteined That Propheticall direction that I now speake of was giuen forth by Jaakob himself on his deathbed among other blessings of his to his children namely a Gen. 49.8 10. that the chiefe gouernment should be in the tribe of Judah Whereas therfore Ishai the father of David was of the tribe of Judah which had the promis it is so much the more likely that some one might be taken thence vnto whome the Kingdome should be established then of the family of Kish the father of Saul being of the tribe of Benjamin vnto whome no such promis was made Insomuch that whereas it had pleased God now for a time to call Saul vnto the kingdom it may séeme that it was no more but to make a readier way vnto the other that was to stand and therewithal to set downe a patterne vnto all Princes that were to follow A readier way might be made thereby vnto the other that was to stand both for that thereby they should now be inured to some obedience and for that they were woont to obey not only a meane man by parentage and of the least tribe among them all but also in such hard cases somtimes as wilful regiment is wont to yeeld A patterne likewise may therein be left to all Princes whatsoeuer to take good heed to their maner of gouernment when as they may see with what seueritie the Lord did punish those two faults in the first King of Israel in whom there
the first she f 18.20 loued him as one whom she would be glad to make her husband that so wheras Saul g 17.25 before had promised to giue one of his daughters in mariage to him that should slay Goliath now he might the better performe it and David might thereby haue a readier way to that whereunto God had called him a little before and h 19.11.12 after saued his life likewise In the multitude we also finde not only that they thought very well of him for this his victorie but also that they did the like of his other behauiour besides in such things as were now at the first commended vnto him For this is his victorie i 18.6.7 they do not only welcome him home in very good manner out of all their cities and with their instrustuments of musick but also k 18.7 rightly apportion the commendation thereof yeelding to Saul the ordinary power the prayse of one thousand but vnto David or to the extraordinary goodnes of God no lesse than ten thousand And as for his other behauiour likewise in all such things wherein it pleased Saul to imploy him l 18.5 it is also recorded that he was accepted or highly ēstéemed in the sight of all the people and that is more euen in the sight of Sauls seruants also 3 Whether the Lord haue in like sort dealt in these dayes of ours is now to bee seene that is That such a like thing is in these dayes done on behalfe of the Gospell likewise whether in such sort he hath brought in any David vpon the want that is found in others as that by the nature and course of his dealing therein we may hope to see the same David to be by him not only aduaunced but established also for euer Concerning which it is most certeyne that in these dayes also he hath begun to aduance such a David and so fitly agreeing to the patterne that is here set downe as that wee may vpon good ground looke to see the full accomplishment thereof in his good time For whereas Christ and his Gospell can in no wise bee parted and seeing that the Gospell is the scepter of his kingdome here on earth whatsoeuer wisedome and power of God we finde in the manner of Davids aduancement looke by what right wee may translate the same from David vnto the person of Christ as from the figure vnto the trueth by as good right may wee translate it vnto the Gospell likewise the only Scepter of his kingdome on earth First therefore néedes must it also be so inseperably annexed vnto the gouernment that was promised to the tribe of Iudah that by vertue of the promise made vnto it wee may looke for the accomplishment in this likewise And it may be that for that cause especially God hath for so long a time in the late power of darknesse inured Christendome vnto so base and hard a gouernment much worse then was that same of Saules that so the lawfull and most blessed regiment of the Gospel otherwise irksome to flesh and blood might be more welcome not only to the children of God but euen to the common multitude also It may be also that seeing that Princes haue gouerned so ill as for the most part they haue al done few of them so tollerably as did King Saul therefore the Lord doth now begin to aduance the Gospell that so those godlesse and careles Princes may better see what their gouernment was that now by the Gospell they finde to bee so playnlie called vnto the checke and in many things so sharply reprooued and so flatly condemned likewise For it is meete that if the casting away of Saul will not serue to bee a warning vnto them then that they and their gouernment also should be remooued so farre as is néedfull that they be no hinderance to the Gospell of Christ In what sort it is annoynted In the outward annoynting that the Gospell hath had in these dayes of ours though wee denie not but great fault is found yet in effect is it none other but such as was in Davids also For if they say that the Gospell with vs was not at the first receiued by any publike consent of all no more was it at the beginning in the time of Christ and his Apostles neither had David at the first any such annoynting If they say that the wiser and greater sort made but little reckoning of it and had better liking to their owne profession yet therein also they alleage nothing els but the same that before we did see to be the portion of David likewise And seeing that the Gospell now hath the inward testimonie of the spirit in so plentifull measure for that now also the blind do see the deaffe do heare the lame do go the sicke are cured the dead are raysed and such like and the same not only in particular persons and seuerall congregations but in whole States and diuers mightie Kingdomes likewise such petite quarels about the outward annoynting can be no great matter when as the outward is by the inward so throughly confirmed But to make it more out of doubt may we not see if wee looke well about vs that God hath made a way to the Gospell euen as before he did vnto David And though his wisedome and power be infinite and so he were able to deuise and vse many other wayes whatsoeuer yet may we not see that he hath done it in the self same maner that he vsed for David before that so by the former we might the sooner acknowledg his hand in the latter For first we may see How beneficiall the Gospell is made vnto divers First in comforting our troubled mindes that by the Gospell hee hath bestowed great benefits on many and namely such as it pleased him by the hands of David to bestowe vpon others It pleased God by the instrument and musik of David to giue vnto Saul some ease in those mad fits of his And doth hee not much more appease the troubled and desperate conscience of man with that spirituall and heauenly musik which by his Gospell hee bringeth vnto vs and by that notable Harmony that is betwixt the old Testament and the new in those great mercies of God towards all beléeuers now aswell as to the Patriarkes Prophets before and by the vertue of that Communion wherby he hath coupled all the Saints together in one And in what manner or measure soeuer the euill spirit departed from Saul and gaue him some respit whensoeuer David played on his Harpe vnto him sure wee are that when as now the sonne of David playeth on his instrument vnto vs by the preaching of the Gospell wee haue not only a great refreshing in our inward man but also are cleane rid of many euill spirits that before did much molest vs. The seruants of Saul taking his maladie to be but naturall thought of no other helpe but naturall
Insomuch that they which by vertue of their office ought to bee a shield and defence to all those that are oppressed themselues are readie euen with their owne hands to do that violence that in no wise they should suffer to be offered by any And as they are as forward as Saul in this so are they not behind in the other neither for diuers of them For on them also is layd the hand of God in sensible maner and in such sort either on their owne person or on their States as doth plainly vrge them vnto repentance and namely to striue no longer agaynst the Gospell offered vnto them and yet being vnder some such speciall hand of God they neuerthelesse haue a secret intent one way or other to make away the Gospell of Christ and vtterly to chace it away from the face of the earth And as David had deserued merueilous well in that very matter for the which he should haue been destroyed both of all generally and more specially of Saul so the Gospel likewise of those that crosse it so much as they do both generally of them altogether and more specially of those that are the leaders of them For the Gospell also in these our dayes and before our eyes wee standing by and looking thereon hath ouerthrowne those Philistims of ours which were both common enemies vnto all and specially to Princes themselues Common enemies they were vnto all whether wee respect the slauerie that they held vs in or whether wee respect the corruption of religion and life that they brought with them Vnto Princes more specially they were so daungerous enemies both because that they tooke them downe and got aboue them and for that the corruption that they bring with them is so contrary as it is vnto the right and orderly gouernment of any state The time likewise is the same with these that it was with Saul immediatly after that they haue receiued by the benefite of the Gospell so many good blessings as ought to haue filled all the powers of them with most thankfull estimation thereof And whereas Saul as yet had this purpose with him but twise these of ours haue had it more often and therewithall doe both shewe themselues more playnlie and leaue a sufficient warning to others how little in such case they are to be trusted But when themselues are not able so to performe their secret intents then will they seeme busily to seeke the preferment of those whom they would haue so fayne dispatched then must they bee put in some speciall trust then must there bee treatie of some speciall mariage Which things are so cleare in themselues that wee neede not take any paynes to shewe them this only shal be sufficient for vs to knowe what they meane when any of that sort do offer such fauours to any of vs. Our selues may yet very well remember and cannot forget it would we neuer so fayne what hurt the cause of religion susteyneth by accepting such courtesies from them And yet notwithstanding as in some particular cases the cause of religion hath been for a time hindred thereby so hath it been at other times and that very often by such kinde of dealing notably holpen though full sore agaynst their wils God of his goodnesse so disposing that the same that they had layd as a baite or snare vnto vs should turne to some great aduantage to the cause of the Gospell withall be a snare to those that layd it And as Saul would seeme in that his preferment of David not to seeke the ouerthrowe of any but only of the common enemie of both so hath it been the manner of diuers among vs with such colour to cast those into daunger by whom they haue seene the cause of the Gospell to be mainteyned To warre on the Turke for the holy land was wont to bee an old tale to such a purpose but that being knowne vnto all and their deuise being growne much finer now they handle their matters so much more cunningly and so much the hardlier can bee espied Whereby notwithstanding themselues do finde that they haue preuayled so little Then openly that as with Saul they haue walked in the darke for a time so do they as readily with him also breake forth into open tyrannie For howsoeuer it be the manner of such to dispatch their purposes in secret if they may yet when in such sort they cannot come to the end of their wicked endeuours then doe they fall openly in hande therewith howsoeuer they can thinke that any way is open vnto them And as Saul gaue a more speciall charge vnto Ionathan for the execution of that matter and then generally to all his seruaunts besides so these likewise take the same course that so they may the sooner attain vnto their desire They specially stirre vp all such Ionathans as they haue among them that is all such as may seeme to bee touched any thing nere with the quarrell that they haue taken vpon them hoping that the neerer that they are touched with it the more willing and ready they will be to ioyne with them in this kind of quarrel the best that they can And to the end that it faile not to be done they in like sort giue the same charge to all their seruaunts generally that howsoeuer it may fall out that some of them cannot be induced vnto it and others may want such opportunities or such other meanes as were needefull to such a purpose yet among so many there might euer bee some by whome it might bee as fully effected as themselues coulde desire In which point the likelihood in this case is so much the greater as we may see that the commaundement of a King to doe such a matter is in it selfe neuer so strong as when there is a perswasion conceiued that the same hath a further warrant from the head of the church that cannot erre and beeing done as they thinke on the behalfe of the catholicke Church is not onely allowable but commendable also and meritorious Princes we may thinke may haue their infirmities and be ready somtimes without any cause to take away such as they are offended withall But when it is further not onely warranted but strongly also vrged by him that is thought to do all things by the onely direction of Gods holy spirite that carieth such a colour with many as that they thinke they neede no more to excuse them for any thing whatsoeuer it bee euen before the iudgement seat of God himselfe 6 As touching the latter of those persecutiōs that against David were raised by Saul His latter percecution as it was by Saul more egerly followed then the former so God on the other side afforded David a litle more help in this then he did in the other So are we here to cōsider first of the persecutiō it felf as it was raised against him by Saul and then of that helpe What the persecution it selfe
course if wee see that the Lord hath at any time taken wee neede not to doubt but that now he meaneth to haue the kingdome of Christ more fully aduanced when as wee see that he doth so much remooue whatsoeuer offences are in the way We may see likewise Then that he hath given in some good measure the thing it selfe that he hath not only made away vnto it but that alreadie he hath in some good measure aduanced that kingdome of his among vs. For as then he did put into the heart of David to seeke vnto him and wholly to referre himself to his direction and then stirred vp the whole tribe of Iudah to receiue him likewise so now in like manner he hath both put into the hearts of diuers Princes to seeke the Lord and to take their direction of him and withall hath stirred vp many therein to yéeld their alleageance vnto them But as then it was no other tribe among them all that at the first did so readily yeeld to the kingdome of David but only the tribe of Iudah whereof David him self came and which had the greatest promise of spirituall blessing so now likewise we finde not that all generally receiue the Gospell at least not so readily when the same is first preached vnto vs but that it is only those that are of the spirituall linage in Christ and to whom God hath vouchsafed in those things that apperteyne to the kingdome of God a more speciall blessing then otherwise he hath done to many others This being done That we are in such sort exercised before before that God bring all the whole generally vnto the obedience of the scepter of Christ wee may finde likewise that God is disposed to exercise vs euen as he exercised him before both in respect of the nature of that his exercise and in the respect of the continuance also For as touching the nature of it diuers hopes and likelihoods are likewise giuen to those that do earnestly wishe the aduauncement of the kingdome of Christ which notwithstanding come to no proofe in the ende Sometimes it seemeth that when some haue yéelded their obedience alreadie others thereupon might bee more easily perswaded to come in also But that course can no sooner be taken but that some Abner or other will quickly crosse it and in no wise suffer Iabesh-Gilead to come in so soone And they on the other side may well be readie and very forward to do such a poynt of ciuil duetie as to commit the bodie of Saul to buriall and yet notwithstanding bee nothing the néerer to any sincere loue of the Gospell Insomuch that as David when he sawe that noble minde in them thereupon belike conceiuing good hope that they might easily haue been induced to his alleageance was notwithstanding deceiued therein so wee likewise may be as farre to seeke if where wee finde in such ciuill dueties so heroicall mindes wee hope that they also might soone bee wonne to the Gospell of Christ It is very true that for the most part of base mindes little good may be looked for to the kingdome of Christ and that our best hope for such matters lieth in those that are more nobly minded which also it may be was a good secondarie cause why so many Capteynes and Souldiers who for the most part are more nobly minded at least if it be their owne disposition that hath brought them to that kinde of life are found in the Bible but especially in the new Testament so readily to haue imbraced the trueth and to haue ioyned themselues vnto the professors of it But yet in such also may we bee often deceiued if we relie ouermuch vnto it Sometimes agayne there is hope conceiued that if Ishbosheth and Abner fall out and Abner thereupon bee purposed to reuoult and to reduce the kingdome to David then will the matter be soone at an end and that it must needes bee a sure and a readie way to put David in possession of the whole But that course also doth not finde so good successe in the ende as to flesh and bloud it might seeme that it would God is most honorable in all his doings and though sometimes he turneth such deuises to good in the end yet to those that awayt him in godly patience he layeth foorth in his good time more orderly meanes to atteyne to the thing that they desire especially when the matter concerneth the aduancement of his kingdome here on earth As for the time it is not so much as to be expected that the Gospell should by and by be spread abroad ouer all As it had a time to come to so low an ebbe as in these dayes of ours we haue found it to be at so must it haue a time agayne to get vp to that heighth that we would gladly wish to see it in if so it might stand with the pleasure of God And that the likelihoods are great that the Gospell is ere long to bee much more aduanced But as David after that he had reigned ouer one part only for the time was afterward brought vnto the whole so our trust is that our Israelites also that now stand out will at length remember themselues and with one consent submit themselues vnto the scepter and kingdome of Christ Their leaders they may find although that they be the contrary partie yet to bee innocent of the bloud of all such Abners as opposing themselues agaynst the kingdome of Christ haue iustly falne but not by the hand or consent of David into the like iudgements of God At least though men be so subiect vnto their owne infirmitie and so caried away sometimes by their affections that euer in such poynts all can not be so fully excused yet those also are so free herein that any reasonable man may hold himself therein contented and whatsoeuer thereof wanteth in man that is fully supplied by Christ For he came not into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might bee saued and so is there no man that needeth to doubt but that he is absolutely free from the bloud of all Neither may these Israelites of ours see only that David is free from the bloud of such Abners as otherwise of themselues or by the hands of others haue iustly perished but also that it is he that ought to reigne and that is ordeyned of God to bee their King Of which they haue so euident proofe both in the word and many other wayes besides that we need not to stand vpon it especially if the comparison bée betwixt those base ordinances of man which they would haue so highly aduanced and the excellencie of the glorious Gospell of Christ vnto whom all power is giuen in heauen in earth and also in hell If therefore the children of Israel were by such things in David induced to make a couenant with him and to yeeld their alleageance vnto him how much rather may these
body is faythfully and effectually exercised the meeter is hee if other things want not to such a purpose and our Prophets except their calling are nothing meet or then any others by the ordinary course of Gods dealing with vs nowe but onely so farre as in this point they haue the aduantage and there by are better inabled then others are The lesser that Princes them selues are exercised in Gods holy word the vnlikelier they are to gouerne their affayres by the leuell thereof and the vnlikelier they are themselues to doe it the more doe they neede to haue the helpe of those that can And for the most part wee see it to be the maner of God that giuing the soueraignty or stroke vnto one direction and counsell hee giueth oft times more fully to others In his want that he felt in that his banishment of the exercise of religion in that thereby he was kept from the tabernacle and from the publique worship of God as it sheweth a notable good disposition in him so may it teach as like wise howe precious a treasure wee ought to account it to haue accesse to the Temple of God and euer to haue a part in those thinges that there are done but in the publique seruice of God and for our owne instruction besides And the more plainly that we may finde it to bee our manner that the greater we are the more doe we for the moste part absent our selues from those assemblies and either breake vs for our honour or ease vnto our priuate chapels at home or altogether absent our selues from all places of publique worship the more needefull is it that wee shoulde remember what David was in that respect a man of great honour and calling imployed about great and waighty affayres and so deepely in daunger of his life for a long time nowe that hee had ynough to one to keepe him selfe from the iawes of death and yet complayning moste of this that he was kept from the house of the Lord and from his inheritance there In the mind that he caried towardes others What minde to carie towards others first towards his enimies we find that although he was careful of his owne safety yet against them might hee neuer vse any euill practise Out of his care for his owne safety wee also may learn to take this lesson not only that it is lawful for such to defend themselues against vniust violence but also that it is expedient that so they should It is meet that we take good heede that the Sauls of our time in any of their mad moodes do vs not some displeasure on the sudden it is meete also that we behaue our selus wisely in al things so much the rather for that the enimy doth diligētly await al such occasions as wherby he may be able any way to annoy vs so to come to any part of his desire And as for such helps as draw vnto those that in such case are now molested it may be also that some-times they are such as of whom in some respects they might be ashamed yet in no wise to bee refused being such as the Lord thinketh good to sēd vs. And seeing that Christ himself hath none other we are so much the rather for to content our selues with the like especially when as we may hope that he that giueth so few simple at the first wil at length giue mo and better as we sée that heere-tofore he dealt with David himselfe If God also vouchsafe of his goodnes to bestow any Jonathans on vs such as will deale faithfully for vs and themselues are desirous and readie to be in league with vs it is our parts again both to vse their help as occasion serueth not to refuse to be in league of friendship with such But as we may vse such lawfull meanes for our owne defense so must we take heed that we lay no violent hands on any of the Lords annointed such I meane as are his annointed to vs and vnto whome we are none other but meere subiects Insomuch that if God at any time bring them into our hands and neuer so eagerly bent vpon vs yet are we to know that they are not therefore brought into our hands that we should take them at that aduantage but that by sparing them we should declare how much we abhor to séeke our own safetie or peace by inordinate wayes Neither are we to content ourselues only to bear them no heauier minds but that we can be cōtent to spare thē but also to beare them so sound good will as that we do in hart detest any violence done vnto them and vnfeignedly mourne when their ease is such as any way deserueth to be lamented Then also comming to others we are to haue that care of the hard estate or distresse of others that although we be in hard case our selues yet should we be ready if it lye in vs to help such others as are in néede If any of these Philistims of ours come and spoile any Keilah of our neighbours adioyning though we haue busines inough of our owne yet if it be in vs to help those distressed neighbours of ours we may not slip from their iust defence in time of néede But being in armes then are we especially for to take heede that we and our companie be not grieuous to those among whom we abide or by whom we passe as occasion serueth Better a great deale so to vse them that both we may do our selues good and still they may be our faithfull friends then by ill dealing to make them our enemies and to hurt our selues withall A rule that is so little regarded with vs whēsoeuer we are in armes that lightly we do more hurt to our neighbours and friends in lying by them then to our enemies in warring vpon them Our souldiers also are much forgotten and haue their due inter-cepted by those that are their leaders Though euer we send them foorth like men yet seldom find we but that they are beggars when they returne But besides that is no wisedom so hardly to vse so néedfull helps it is iniurie also and great oppression so far to defraud those that lay downe their liues in our quarell and the greater that the cause is about which we are to imploy them the more doth it aggreuate whether our folly or else our fault wherewithall in this case we are to be charged As for our friends I trust I néede not speak for them but sure it is that if they be not from time to time wel remembred as abilitie and opportunitie serueth and that not only that so we may the better keepe them to our own benefit but also of the inward and vnfeigned thankfulnes of the heart we are in great ieopardie with God that seethe our in-most thoughts iustly to leese those that we do so loosely keepe In both these therefore if we regard to hold on that course that David did
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
haue the ministerie or help of the Prophet to his further inauguration at Gilgal in a publike assemblie of the people yet doth it not follow thereupon that there is any vse of such help in their case also It was meete for Saul for that as yet he was not fully inuested in the Kingdome notwithstanding that he was before d 10.1 annointed by the Prophet at Ramah e 10.17.24 chosen by lot before the Lord in Mizpeh f 11.12 and with speciall ioy and fauour acknowledged and accepted of the people at Iabesh-Gilead For his annointing was but secret g 9.27 none other being priuie thereto but the Prophet and him-selfe alone but yet to him ward h 10.2.10 notably confirmed by signes that followed but election at Mizpeh was no more but i 10.20.21 only an election shewing vnto them who it was whome the Lord would haue to be their King and though he were ackowledged and accepted of the people at Iabesh-Gilead yet k 11.7.8.12 was it but of a part of the people only of those forces that were gathered together against the Ammonites and yet to the number of 330090. And because all this was no full establishing of the Kingdom vnto him therefore was he first to awaite a further solemnitie of inauguration in some general assemblie of al and wherein the ministerie of the Prophet was verie conuenient Many of ours would haue thought much lesse then thus much to be sufficient especially whē as so vrgēt occasion should make them to hasten to enter into it without so perfect inauguration And yet Saul as it seemeth did not of any greedinesse in himselfe so hasten his entry for he awayted the Prophet seuen dayes as before is declared but onely for that hee tooke himself to bee very iustly called vnto it or rather by strict necessitie strongly vrged And as for instruction not many of vs if in our iudgement our title were good and so readie a way layde open vnto vs woulde haue thought that a sufficient cause to haue awayted the Prophet so long especially if our selues before had receiued the spirite of prophecie l 10.10 as hee had done and if wee had at that present m 13.5 so weighty matters in hande besides For it is the manner with vs eyther altogether to shut out the Prophet from all our aduices and councelles in such matters euen of contempt or inwarde dislike that wee haue to such a course or at least vnder pretence of our owne sufficiencie if so bee that wee haue any measure of knowledge or else vpon euery slight and easie businesse to holde our selues as iustly hindred As for the other that is Punishment of offendors such as God appointeth in such sort to punish offendors as God appoynteth that is such a matter as hardly can wee frame our selues in diuers causes to come any thing near Insomuch that although Saul were in this point so maruellous short that chiefly for that cause hee cast him away yet if wee consider that case of his wee may finde that hee went much nearer to that which the Lorde did appoint him to doe then wee in such case were like to haue done whether wee respect the nature or substaunce of that case it selfe or certayne circumstaunces thereunto appertaining Vnto the nature of the case it belongeth to consider that it was an execution and the same very seuere If wee haue to deale in an execution commmonly we think that some worke of mercy doth much better become vs. If it taste of seuerity though neuer so iust yet if much it stande thereupon as in this case it did beeing n 15.3 commaunded to destroy both the people themselues and all that did belong vnto them both man and woman infant and suckling Oxe and Sheepe Camell and Asse and to haue no compassion of them and all this for no cause else but onely for that o 15.2 certaine auncesters of theirs long before layde wayte for the Israelites in the way as they came vp from Aegypt and skirmished with them then doe wee seeke to giue it the slippe so much as we can and euer lightly do but sliue it when we haue any such thing to doe The circumstaunces are two one of the time an other of their persons As for the time it was almoste 400 yeares ago when that fault was made that nowe was punished And this execution was to bee done when first he entred into his kindgome As for their persons the time it selfe sufficiently prooueth that they were not the offendors themselues but their posteritie very neare to the tenth generation And yet notwithstanding although hee spared some the Text it selfe doth beare him witnesse that those excepted p 15.8 hee vtterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sworde and himselfe addeth further that q 15.15 hee destroyed all the rest Neither doe wee reade that hee spared any thing for any benefite to himselfe or his people but r 15.15.22 onely to offer them in sacrifice vnto the Lorde though Samuel ſ 15.19 doth tharge him that in that case also hee did no better then turne to the pray and did exceeding wickedly before the Lorde How much the rejection of Saul ought to touch our Christian Princes But O mercifull God if Saul in thy iustice deserued for this to be cast away as altogether vnmeete to sitte in the throne of thy iudgement on earth howe iustly haue our Princes also deserued to bee remooued and to giue place to the worde of thy power that trueth and equity may be established and set vp for euer And howe commeth it to passe that Saul beeing made so fearefull an example to vs wee neuerthelesse do so much transgresse wherein wee see that a small fault in him in comparison of a thousande of ours neuerthelesse had and iustly to it must needes be so an heauie iudgement But at this present wee néede no more but so farre to consider of the want that was founde in Saul as that if wee finde the like in our late gouernment also wee then acknowledge it to bee so much the more likely that God will now aduance the Gospell or kingdome of Christ as we see that the want of good gouernment in the Princes and States of Christendome haue iustly occasioned that so he should 16 And so haue we heard The conclusion wherein to the further raising up of the hope aforesaid divers examples are brought to shew that although for a time God hath suffered his people and his glorie to be held under yet in the end he hath advaunced them both Izhak Iaakob that as it pleased God first to annoint David to be in readinesse and to procure him the fauour of many so hath hee doone in these dayes of ours for the Gospell also and as afterwarde it pleased him by many tribulations to bring him to the kingdome so hath hee brought the Gospell likewise to so
was blessed and so must stand it coulde not be altered If they desired so to destroy them that they shoulde bee no people or but a fewe it was playnly tolde them that they shoulde bee as the dust of the earth that is innumerable If they desired but to holde them vnder for that point they had their aunswere also that they had the strength of the Vnicorne and that as a Lion they shoulde anietly sende on their pray Easilie distressed by others when the Lord was offended with them but afterward invincible wheresoever they cam and rise vp and lie downe at their pleasure During the time that the Lorde was offended with them and for that cause woulde not giue them any entrie yet into the lande of promis nor to preuaile against their enimies a fewe of the Canaanites beate them away when they approched but somewhat neare to the border of them But afterwarde when the time of that his displeasure drewe towardes an ende and that nowe hee was disposed to bring them in and to make it known that they were his people howe notably did they preuaile in whatsoeuer they tooke in hande Nom. 21.3 They notably preuayled against certaine of the Canaanites that prouoked them in the way Ib. 21.35 they vtterly destroyed the two kingdomes of the Amorites that denied them passage and they did so great an execution against the Midianites who by their wiles had wonne certaine of the Israelites to idolatrie Nom. 31.32.35.49.50.25 and whoredome that being but twelue thousande in all they stewe the fiue kinges of the Midianits and Balaam their lewde Prophet with them and tooke a notable pray besides of sixe hundred threescore and fifteene thousand sheepe threescore twelue thousande beeues threescore and one thousande asses and thirtie and two thousand maidens and yet notwithstanding lost not one man of their companie whereupon they gaue a free-will offering of sixteene thousande seuen hundred and fiftie shekels of golde amounting vnto in our coine about 7468 ounces When they were to make their entrie howe did Iordan that great water stay his course beeing at that time strong and great and gaue them passage on the drie grounde and immediatly after how did those strong and high walles of Iericho of themselues fall downe on euery side as the people of Israel stoode about them A while after again when a great power of the enimies had gathered them selues together against the people of Israel Iosh 10.11.14 howe did the Lorde destroy a great number of them with haile from Heauen and howe did both the Sunne and the Mooone stay their course and stoode still where they were at the commaundement of Ioshua to giue them time and light to make an vtter destruction of them And so proceeding in the conquest hee slewe one and thirtie Kings tooke away their kingdomes and parted the same among the people But the whole course of the scriptures besides doe playnely witnes that howsoeuer it hath pleased God oft times to stay for a season the iust and due aduancement of his owne glorie and therein to holde his children vnder some harde and grieuous discipline yet in the ende and when the time appointed was come hee hath fully declared what regarde hee had both vnto the cause it selfe and vnto those that tooke part with it And seeing that by these fewe not culled out of the whole but taken as they lie together within that compasse it is apparant ynough what comfort we might haue in the rest that are of this kinde therefore it shall not bee needefull to prosecute all but to holde our selues contented onely with these 17 Wherein if yet this once more wee come in our selues what letteth The application of those former examples unto our selves and to the present estate of the Church now but that out of the examples before set downe wee also might rayse vnto our selues the selfe same comfort that before wee spake of Hath Ishmael beene so long grieuous to Izhak already and yet may wee in no wise hope that hee can bee cast out as yet Shall Esau still bee so heauie to Iaakob for the blessing that is bestowed on him shall hee make him still to runne his countrie and to serue in so harde a bondage else-where and shall the Lorde playnely pronounce that the elder shoulde bee subiect vnto the yonger and yet may we not after so long and grieuous banishmentes endured hope in the end to see the performaunce of that his promis no not nowe when wee see that from Heauen hee hath giuen vs such helpes and made vs so ready a way vnto it May wee in Ioseph so plainly behold the very cause why they haue bin so grieuous vnto vs liuely set forth in perfect colours and yet may we in no wise hope to find the like issue likewise in the end for what other cause haue they but for that they doe perceiue that God meaneth for to aduaunce the selfe same cause that wee haue in hande And seeing that for a time they haue kept it vnder why may we not hope that there is a time likewise when it is to preuayle against them and to attayne vnto the honour that is due vnto it In bondage likewise long wee haue beene with the children of Israel in the lande of Aegypt and may wee not looke with them also to bee deliuered When the Lorde wee see hath sent his Moses and Aaron with the worde of his mightie power when wee see that those his seruauntes faythfully doe their message to Pharaoh and require him in the name of the Lorde to let his people goe when wee see it is euident also that the Lorde so ioyneth with them that notably hee sheweth foorth his power before them all and strongly shaketh certayne of those states that stande against him must wee notwithstanding be so farre out of heart without former oppression that wee may in no case hope although wee haue so pregnant tokens that nowe the Lorde is in hande to worke foorth our wished deliueraunce And what though nowe it doe repent many of them that they haue set vs goe so much as they haue what though hearing that we are sometimes intangled in some wildernesse of theirs thereupon they come foorth against vs with a freshe power either to bring vs back into bondage againe or else to put vs all to the sword Is it of necessity that because they woulde so haue it therefore it must bee so in deede Can they in no wise otherwise take it but that if once we bee entangled then are they sure to preuaile agaynst vs When they haue seene such iudgementes of God before and themselues haue lately ynough sufficiently felt the hande of God in this quarrell can they notwithstanding neuer suspect that the wrath that of Lord which they haue so many ways so iustly prouoked may by such meanes trayne them foorth to further vengeance Or if the oportunitie of the place giue heart
so strong apart by themselues and in this quarell so knit together the one with the other the ecclesiasticall and ciuile together But when now the time was come the Priests that bare the Arke of the Lord could no sooner by the commandement of Ioshua step into the riuer and but profer to make their entrie but that by and by a wonder to see the waters parted and gaue them passage on dry ground Our Iericho also was verie strongly walled about But are not the walles thereof in good part falne alreadie and do they not yet daily fall more and more at least wheresoeuer the Priests do sound their trumpets and the people according thereto lift vp their voice and cry them downe Many Kings and Princes there are that haue gathered themselues together against our Ioshua also so soone as euer he hath made his entrie and though it were in so wonderfull maner that therein only they may plainly perceiue that his entrie was from aboue by the mightie hand of God yet were they not so touched therewith but that still they would bend their forces against him so much as they could But what haue they gained thereby Diuers of them haue sharply felt the mightie hand of God against them and what letteth but that we may looke to see these beginnings at the length to be brought to happy endings Certainly our Ioshua is to preuaile against all those that come against him and to diuide the promised land to the children of Israel Only let vs take héede to this that when God is so redie as to bestow these mercies on vs our selues be not so far to séeke whē we should receiue them or do not endeuour in such sort to addresse our selues thereunto as our own good and the nature of the cause doth require Let there be no want in vs and then shall we vndoubtedly sée the goodnes of God in the land of the liuing For he is faithfull that so hath promised 18 And now O Lord what els remayneth A Prayer upon this whole storie but that as thou hast alreadie begun to thy glorie and our comfort thus farre to aduaunce thy kingdome among vs euen so it would please thee to proceede vnto the ende euen to the full accomplishment of it The Gospell that thou hast sent vnto vs and which as thou hast aduaunced alreadie in some good measure so wee desire that it may be aduaunced still euery day more and more what is it els but the power and very Scepter of thine annoynted And what one is there among vs all that may reasonably doubt but that thine holy oyle is vpon it When thy holye spirit worketh so mightily with it euen that only doth sufficiently witnesse that it also is annoynted by thee The benefite that thereby redoundeth to others is so apparant and great that in that respect also it may not be doubted but that it procéedeth from thée and right well deserueth to be further aduaunced that so the benefite that commeth with it may be thereby enlarged to mo For by it also our troubled spirits and doubtfull hearts towards God are notably appeased and deepely setled in sound comfort and ioy in that we vnderstand thereby how thy wrath is appeased towards vs and that there is no damnation to those that are in thee And whereas wee also were as much in bondage to certayne of late as thy Israel was to those Philistims then and out faced likewise with a monsterous Goliath that defied thy saincts and often brake foorth into most blasphemous speaches agaynst thy trueth and of whom al thy people were so afrayd that they durst not abide his presence thou hast in these dayes and before our eyes by this the power of thy out-stretched and mightie arme so notably ouerthrowne and trodden downe that out-growne Champion of theirs and therewithall put the whole power of them to such a flight as that thereby thou hast deliuered many of thy people out of their hands and so vnioynted their power ouer the residue also that now it is no hard matter for any that will to deliuer themselues from this their tyrannie Neither can it bee denied but that in these dayes there are not a fewe that do beare it such a good will as that thereby thou hast made vnto it in these secondarie meanes with vs a readier way to come to the height that is due vnto it For not only the people generally do in many places beare good will vnto it and leauing the glorie of a thousand to Saul ascribe no lesse then ten thousand to it but many Ionathans also there are whose hearts thou hast in such sort touched that they haue it in so great not estimation only but euen admiration also that al they can do is too little for it Neither their furniture nor abiliments of honour are so deare vnto them but that it must haue them all and though it be their owne father that would do it any dishonor or hurt yet can they not suffer it at their hands neither but still preuent it so much as they can And whereas yet there are many likewise that are enemies vnto it yet doth not that enmitie of theirs proceede of other occasion then that of Saul did agaynst David nor yet is prosecuted in other manner For what other thing is there that so kindleth their hearts agaynst the Gospell but only the ill temper that is in them and for that they playnlie see that it is the thing that thou art disposed now to aduance and that themselues and their loose regiment must now come downe and giue place vnto it And that it might the better be knowne to bée of the same nature that the other was of how doth it proceed after one and the selfe same manner first in secret and openly after and yet very rageous not only agaynst David himself but also agaynst many others for his sake euen as their furie therein doth leade them A thing that though themselues perceiue not yet is it to vs and to all that are able to see a sufficient matter whereby to decipher both what it is they do impugne and who they are that do impugne it We see likewise and must needes acknowledge and as to our comfort we do behold it so do wee right gladly acknowledge it also that notably thou hast begun alreadie to aduaunce thy Gospell among vs that thou hast made it a readie way by preseruing encreasing and strengthning those by whom it pleaseth thee to aduance it and that thou hast alreadie subdued many countries and kingdomes vnto the obedience of the same and much weakned diuers of those that stand agaynst it In Hebron thou doest already reigne ouer the tribe of Iudah thine owne kindred and though Israel for many of them do as yet stand out agaynst thee yet those also hast thou weakened much and daily encreasest in strength agaynst them But O Lord such is thy maiestie and so worthie art thou to
passe away when he shooteth his arrowes let them be as broken 58.7 As raw flesh before your pots feele the fire of thornes so let him carie them away as with a whirl-wind in his wrath 9. Let them be as chaffe before the wind let the Angel of the Lord scatter thē 35.5 Slay them not least my people forget it but scatter them abroad by thy power and put them downe ô Lord our shield 59.11 For the sinne of their mouth and the words of their lips and let them be taken in their pride even for their perjurie and lies that they speake 12. Consume them in thy wrath consume them that they be no more let them know that God ruleth in Iaakob even unto the ends of the world 13. Let their way be dark slippery and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them 35.6 Let coales fall upon them let him cast them into the fire and into the deepe pits that they rise not 140.10 Let destruction come upon him at unawares and let his net that he hath layd privilie take him let him fall into the same destruction 35.8 Let the wicked fall into his nets together whiles I escape 141.10 Set thou the wicked over him and let the adversarie stand at his right hand 109.6 Whē he shal be judged let him be condēned let his praier be turned into sin 7. Let his dayes be few and let another take his charge 8. Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widow 9. Let his children bee vagabonds and beg their bread comming out of their places destroyed 10. Let the extortioner catch al that he hath let the straunger spoyle his labour 11. Let there be none to extend mercie unto him neither let there bee any to shew mercie upon his fatherlesse children 12. Let his posteritie be destroyed and in the generation following let his name be put out 13. Let the iniquitie of his fathers be had in remembraunce with the Lord and let not the sinne of his mother be done away 14. But let them alway bee before the Lord that he may cut off their memoriall from the earth 15. Let destruction be unto him as a garment to cover him and for a girdle wherwith he shal be alway girded 19. Let this bee the reward of mine adversarie from the Lord and of them that speake evill agaynst my soule 20. As for the chiefe of them that compasse me about let the mischiefe of their owne lips come upon them 140.9 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame and let them cover themselves with their confusion as with a cloake 109.29 O let the malice of the wicked come to an end but guide thou the just 7.9 Let them be confounded and put to shame together that rejoyce at mine hurt let them be clothed with confusion and shame that lift up themselves against me 35.26 But let them be joyfull and glad that loue my righteousnesse yea let them say alway let the Lord be magnified which loveth the prosperitie of his seruant 27. The third Psalme of the second sort The Argument In the third he prayeth for the praeseruation of himself and the godlier sort as hauing consecrated themselues vnto him and for that they haue deserued no such thing at their enemies hands as was by them intended agaynst them And as there is in these dayes of ours good cause as earnestly for to beg for our safetie at the hands of God so may we likewise in these respects bee bold to do it and hope well of the successe that God shall giue it The Psalme The fifth Psalme IVdge me ô God and defend my cause agaynst the unmercifull people deliver me from the deceitfull and wicked man 43.1 Incline thine care ô Lord and heare me for I am poore and needie 86.1 Be mercifull unto me ô Lord for I crie unto thee continually 3. O my God deliver me from mine enemies defend me from them that rise up agaynst me 59.1 Deliver me from the wicked doers and save me from the bloudie men 2. For the voyce of the enemie and for the vexation of the wicked because they have brought iniquitie upon me and furiously hate me 55.3 Hearken unto me and answer me I mourn in my prayer and make a noyse 2. Heare my prayer ô God and hide not thy self from my supplication 1. O Lord my God if I have done this thing if there bee any wickednesse in my hands 7.3 If I have rewarded evill unto him that dealt friendly with me yea I have delivered him that without any cause is mine enemie 4. Then let my enemie persecute my soule and take me yea let him tread my life downe upon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust 5. Stand up O Lord in thy wrath and lift up thy self because of the indignations of mine enemies arise up for me in the judgement that thou hast commaunded 6. But judge thou me ô Lord my God according to thy righteousnesse and let them not rejoyce over me 35.24 O Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth 26.8 Gather not my soule with the sinners nor my life with the bloudie men 9. Iudge me ô Lord for I have walked in mine innocencie my trust also hath 1. been in the Lord therefore shall I not slide Arise and wake to my judgement even to my cause my God and my Lord. 35.23 Be mercifull unto me ô God for man would swallow me up he fighteth continually and vexeth me 56.1 Deliver my soule ô Lord from lying lips and from the deceitfull tung 120.2 Deliver me ô Lord from the evill man praeserve me from the cruel man 140.1 Least he devour my soule like a lion and teare it in peeces while there is none to helpe 7.2 Keepe me from the snare which they have layd for me and from the grens of the workers of iniquitie 141.9 Let not them that are mine enemies unjustly rejoyce over me neither let them winke with the eye that hate me without a cause 35.19 Keepe me ô Lord from the hands of the wicked praeserve me from the wicked man which purposeth to cause my steps to slide 140.4 But thou ô Lord my God deale with me according to thy name deliver me for thy mercie is good 109.21 Lord how long wilt thou behold this deliver my soule from their tumult even my desolate soule from the lions 35.17 For thou art the God of my strength why hast thou put me away why go I so mourning when the enemie oppresseth me 43.2 Helpe me ô Lord my God save me according unto thy mercie 109.26 And they shall know that it is thy hand and that thou Lord hast done
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