as I have done saith Adonibezek Judg. 1. 7. so God hath rewarded me Even so us our Abnor our great man in the Text falls by the hâ—nd of Joab so Joab must look to have his fall too although it be many years after by Benaiah 1 Kings 2. 31 32 33 34. and the curse of Jehoiakim King of Judah shall follow him to his grave Jer. 22. 18. There shall be none to lament him saying Ah my Brother or ah Lord or ah his glory And let all true hearted Israelites speak as Cushi did to David of Absolom 2 Sam. 18. 32. So let all the Enemies of the Lord their King perish and be as Joab is The Text is a vindication of Davids innocencie in and a lively description of Abners death wherein let us consider these five particulars 1. His qualities and so he was no mean man sprung from the dunghil or Ale-tap no broken Citizen or bankerout Gentleman no Mechanick or Artificer none of the base condition of Davids followers when he fled from Saul 1 Sam. 22. 2. but he was Ishbosheths staff the supporter of Sauls house and the glory of that Diadem and so the Pen-man sets him out two waies 1. As a Prince 2. As a great man 1. As a Prince unto which the Latine word hath a near relation Princeps the which signifies a chief head or ruler secretly inssinuating that as of a head he ought to be defended and made much of because life consists so well in the head as in the heart then as a Ruler he ought to be obeyed and feared according to Saint Paul's rule Rom. 13. 1. Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers but Joab had learned instead of Obsta principiis Obsta Principibus withstand the beginnings of sin stifling the first conception of murther in his heart to promote it and give life unto it by the fall of a Prince and so hath received to himself condemnation ver 2. 2ly The Hebrews use many words signifying a Prince but I shall make use but of one and that is Naghidh carrying this sence Dux Princeps a Captain and chief Commander ordering disposing and giving rules to Souldiers to go out and come in to draw and to sheath their swords and such a Prince was Abner and a valiant Prince but whom Ajax cannot conquer Vlysses will undermine by treason For know ye not that a Prince and a great man is fallen And so I passe to the second Branch 2. As a great man As when Ephraim spake there was trembling Hos 13. 1. As when the Lion roars who will not be afraid Amos 3. 8. even so when this great man speaks not onely the inferiour beasts of the Forest but even the Lion himself coucheth as is clear in the 11 verse before the Text and if a bare hand upon the wall did so starcle Belshazzar in his cups when men are most Pot-valiant and in the Guard of his Princes and making metry with his wives and concubines that his countenance changed the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another Dan. 5. 6. How will Joab look How will Joab stand How will he shift when the great God shall make inquisition for this great mans blood Psal 9. 12. Davids heart smote him for cutting off but the Lap of Saul's garment 1 Sam. 24. 5 6. How then deeply may they be touched that had a hand in cutting off the head of the Lords anointed for the greater the person the greater is the sin in them that conspire his death Kings and Princes and great man in authority are termed gods by Gods own mouth Psal 82. 6 and to act Treason against such is to be treacherous to God himself for which cause God spared not the Angels that had finned but cast them down into hell and delivered them into chains of darknesse to be kept unto damnation 2 Pet. 2. 4. What Christ spake in another kind holds true in this Matth. 25. 40. In as much as ye have done it unto them ye have done it unto me Another particular is the manner of this great Princes death so he is not threatned a fall as God told Adam that if he should eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in that day he should die the death Gen. 2. 17. for then he would have looked about him either to prevent his fall or to make a good preparation for his soul against his fall as the wise Steward did for his body Duke 26. 4. but in the present tense occidit is fallen noting the suddennesse of his death and his unprovidenesse for his grave Joab not onely labouring to kill his body but so far as he could his soul too like as the Italian I read of endevoured to serve his enemy overcome in duel wherein we may observe 1. Prov. 12. 10. The mercies of the wicked are truel 2ly The uncertainty of our death we have one way into the world but many out Ferro peste fame vinclis algore calore Mille modis miseros mors rapit una viros as sometimes by fire famine plague water sword like Abner and Joab And this consideration should move us to look for that in every place which every where looks for us Pharaoh tasted of deaths Cup in the deep Sea Herod upon his throne Eglon sunning himself in his Summer Parlour Amnon when his heart was merry with wine Ahab in the battel Zenecharib in the house of his God And who amongst us can coast of to morrow for we know not what a day may bring forth Prov. 27. 1. Let it be our wisedom then 1. So to live as if we were alwaies dying and giving up our accounts to the great judge of Heaven and Earth of our several stewardships 2ly With Joseph in the time of famine with Solomons Pismire in the harvest time and with the wise Virgins in the acceptable time to provide oyl for our Lamps that we may be found a people ready prepared for our God when he shall knock at our door and call us 3ly To pray alwaies as the Church hath taught us From sudden death Good Lord deliver us 3ly The next particular is the time of Abners fall and that is said to be hoc die this day Know ye not that there is a Prince and a great man this day fallen in Israel This was a day of darknesse and of blacknesse a day of clouds and obscuritie Joel 2. 2. a day of heavinesse and mourning a stormy and watery day and in a word such a sad day to David and all Israel as if as one man they had combined to revive their Abner with their tears as Christ did Lazarus John 11. or if they could not do that for him yet they would witnesse to the world their love to him and how wonderfully they lamented his losse To love a rich man and a great man living is no news the living dog being better than the dead Lion Eccles 9.
4. and moreover every mans affection almost extending more propter sua than propter se for his private profit or preferment than for any parts or goodnesse he finds in him like drones which haunt the Hive for the honny sake but to love him dead when he can do him neither good nor harm is rara avis nigroque similima cygno a rare quality hardly to be found among the sons of men and yet this was Davids case Israels case for Abner and ought to be our case for our Prince and great man that is this day fallen in our Israel And so this leads me to the next particular 4ly The place where he fell and that is said to be Israel he fell not amongst the barbarous Gothes and Vandals amongst the Turks and Cannibals amongst the inhuman Switzers in the Conquest of the Thuricences in battel Anno Dom. 1443. or amongst the Numantines who vowed not to break their fast but with the flesh of a Roman nor drink till they had tasted of the blood of an Enemie or amongst the heathen and uncircumcised but in Israel where God was known in her Palaces Psal 48. 3. but in Israel where his wonderfull acts were manifested but in Israel a peculiar people chosen to himself but in Israel where his Prophets taught and his name was called upon Quis talia fando temperet à lacrimis who can restrain tears that where there was such gracious means there should be such gracelesse practices by a brotherhood like Simeon and Levi brethren in evil Gen. 49. 5. If this had been done at Rome where degrading of Princes murthering of heretical Princes with their whole families is a warrantable and meritorious tenet the world would not have trembled at it nor wondered or admired it but to be practiced in Israel the wonder of the world for as it is Deut. 47 8. What Nation is so great unto whom the Gods come so near unto them in all that they call unto the Lord for And what Nation is so great that hath ordinances and Laws so righteous Surely this makes Israels condition equivalent to Chorozins and Bethsaidaes Mat. 11. 21. Wo to thee Corazin wo to thee Bethsaida for if the great works which were done in you had been done in Tyrus and Sidon they had repented long agone in Sackeloth and Ashes Wherefore it shall be easier for Tyrus and Sidon at the day of judgement than for you than for Israel Joab and Abishai his brother were men of War and so the lesse marvell they neither respected the person nor place where they shed blood but the hunters of our Prince and great man to death were not only Sword-men but Gown-men even wolves in sheeps clothing and if God spared not the old world nor Sodom nor Gomorrah 2 Pet. 2. 5 6. how shall they escape the judgement of God to come and the judgement of God is according to truth against them that commit such things Rom. 2. 2. Wherefore as Daniel counselled King Nebuchadnezzar 4. 27. Break off thysins by righteousness and thine iniquities by mercy towards the poor that there be a healing of thine errour even so my counsel to all Israel that have had a hand in the Princes death and great mans fall is according to that we read of Amos 4. 12. Prepare to meet thy God O Israel For repentance may heal where thy sin hath wounded 5ly Davids Proclamation throughout all Israel and Judah to take notice of his losse and their losse his and their losse as if they had with him lost the brightest star in the Firmament or had lost their right eyes right hands or their right feet or as the Church complained Lam. 4 20. The breath of our Nostrils the Anointed of the Lord is taken from us of whom we said Vnder his shadow we shall be preserved alive among the Heathen How hath the Lord darkened the Daughter of Zion in his wrath and hath cast down from Heaven unto earth the beauty of Israel draw near behold and see what a Prince what a great man is this day fallen Know ye not that there is a Prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel 1. The causes moving David to publish this Proclamation were v. 37. his Innocency to clear him in the face of all the people that he had no hand in spilling this innocent blood finding no fault in the man of those things whereof others accused him as Pilate said of Christ although with a better mind Lu. 23. 14. 2ly To make Joab the more odious to the people for executing such a rash and malicious and unnatural fact As Jeroboam is stigmatized with this brand-mark lying in his Grave Jeroboam the Son of Nebat who made Israel to sin and as Judas the Traytor with this Judas Iscariot who betrayed his Master So Joab hath this spot and blot upon his Coat of Arms to be seen read of all ages Joab that in the time of peace slew Abner in the Gate v. 27. And for this David and let all Israel curse him in the words verse 29. Let the blood of Abner fall on the head of Joab and on all his Fathers House that the House of Joab be never without some that have running Issues or Leper or that leaneth on a staff or that doth fall on the sword or that lacketh bread 3ly That Joab by the sight of the publick mourning and vent which the King and People gave to their full hearts might be convinced of his sin and so brought to repentance Know ye not and thou Joab too that there is a Prince and a great man this day fallen in Israel The Observations from what hath been said are Observ 1. That great mens death and Princes fall ought to be lamented by all This David confirms both by Precept and Example and it is said Praecepta ducunt Exempla trahunt Precepts do sweetly allure but examples do violently draw men to obedience So that if the one or the other be of force to work upon our hearts and eyes to weep with Jeremiah day and night for our Abner then look upon David Lissen to his charge to all the people that were with him vers 31 32. Rent your clothes and put on Sackcloth and mourn before Abner and King David himself followed the Beer And the King lift up his voice and wept besides the Sepulchre of Abner and all the people wept and vers 33 34. The King lamented over Abner and all the people wept again for him As if such a mans death can never be over-lamented Know ye not saith David as if no man should be ignorant of this his duty to his Prince to his Country When Josiah was buried there was so great mone made for him 2 Chron. 35. 22. that it grew into a Proverb Zech. 12. 11. Like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon Yea when Jacob but a mean man although father to a Prince was buried they made so great such an
exceeding sore lamentation for him that when the Canaanites which dwelt in the land saw the mourning in Gored Aâ—ad They said among them selves Surely this is a great mourning unto the Egyptians Gen. 50. 10 11. Our Abner our Josiah our Prince our great man is fallen and why should not we do likewise as Christ told the Lawyer Luke 10 37. 1. Because Princes are nursing Fathers to their people Thus saith the Lord Isa 49. 23. Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queens thy nursing Mothers Now with what a tender love with what strong affections and with what vigilant care do Fathers mothers bear their sons in their arms and carrie them on their shoulders as is the Prophets phrase Christs commandement to the Disciples of the Pharisees with the Herodians was reddere Caesari quae sunt Caesaris to give to Cesar those things which are Cesars Mat. 22. 22. and if we must do this to Cesar a Paynim Emperour then much more are we bound to give to Christian Kings their due and what those things are Saint Paul tells us Rom. 13. 7. 1. Tribute 2. Obedience 3. Honour First Tribute for their care over us and great charge in providing for us at home and abroad Secondly Obedience as our Superiours Thirdly Honour as our tender Fathers Exod. 20. 12. so that I may invert Gods own words Mal. 1. 6. A son honoureth his father and a servant his Master If they be your fathers where is their Honour Surely they are bastards and not sons that will not honour their fathers I and such carefull fathers who wake whiles we sleep soundly and watch like Epaminondas whilst we sport our selves and take care for us when we little dream of their care The Chronicles speak of Henry the 4th who being sick and in a trance that his son and heir Henry the 5th took his Crown from his beds head and tried how it would fit his own but his father recovering himself and awaking and missing of it and understanding the matter told him Ah son didst thou but know how full of cares the Crown is thou wouldst not be so greedy of it And it is written of Eutrapiles that his custome was to prefer those to honour and riches whom he most hated thereby to fill their hearts and heads with continuall cares and vexations there being more gall than hony in them so that as one spake worthily of a Bishop Episcopatus nomen est laboris non honoris the name of a Bishop sounds more of labour than honour unto which alludes that of the Apostle 1 Tim. 3. 1. This is a true saying if any man desire the Office of a Bishop he desireth a worthy work Even so the Office of a King or Prince speaks not so much his sublimity or glory as his activity for the common good and if this were well weighed in wisdomes ballance Can any Children be so unnatural as not to lament the losse of such a father Certes He that hath not a tear nay many tears for his fall discovers his foul disposition and that he hath sucked unnatural milk like Rhemus and Romulus of whom History makes mention that they were nourished up by a she-Wolf Know ye not that a Prince agreat man Pater Patriae a father of our Countrey a Martyr for his Countrey is fallen and do not the Lamentations of Jeremy better become us than the Canticles of Solomon Do not Heraclitus his tears suis better huic diei to this day than Democritus his laughter Laugh that will thinks David But I will weep till I can weep no more 2ly Because Princes are the Ministers of God for our wealth Rom. 13. 4. They are as Shepherds over the flock of Christ Num. 27. 17. They are as Bucklers and shields unto the people Psal 47. 9. Vnder whose shadowing boughs our nests are built Ezech. 31. 3 6. They are as watchmen over a City as the foundation to an house as the walls to a Vineyard as Pilots to a ship and as the Chariots and horsemen of Israel Now if the Watchman sleepeth the foundation decayeth the walls be broken down the Pilot dieth and the Chariots and horsemen be snatched and taken away hath not the City the house the ship and all Israel that is in it great cause to screek and scream and roar and blubber their cheeks with tears for such a losse 3ly Because if the Title of father which is an amiable Title or Minister which is a serviceable Title cannot draw water out of the hard rock in Horeb and your stony hearts then lo they are called angels 2 Sam. 24. 17. and the sons of God which are Titles of honour indeed Psalm 82. 6. to be the son of God is the noblest Pedigree in the world to be as the Angels of God is the highest promotion in heaven and of them it is said Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heirs of salvation I read of divers properties of Angels which may allude to good Kings 1. Dirigere gradientes To guide and direct men in the right way Prov. 23. 20. Behold I send mine Angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee to the place which I have appointed 2ly Confortare deficientes To comfort the broken hearted and to relieve those that are in want Gen. 21. 17 19. The Angel of God called unto Hagar in distresse and shewed her a well of water whereby she and her child were preserved from death and 1 Kings 29. 5 6. The Angel of God brought bread and water to nourish Elijaâ— in his distresse 3ly Flagellare praevaricantes To scourge those that do amisse thus the Angel of the Lord smote in the Camp of the Assyrians one hundred fourscore and five thousand in one night 2 Kings 19. 35. and 2 Mach. 3. 26. We find how Heliodorus was beaten with sore stripes for robbing the Temple that at his return he certified his Master that if he had an enemy traytor he should send him to Hierusalem and from thence he should receive him well scourged if he escaped with his life Cautiores exemplo vos If one Angel of God could do such execution upon malefactors how should ye be afraid to do any thing to grieve him when he hath mo than twelve legions of Angels to fight his battels against offendors Matth. 26. 53. 4ly Gratificare orantes To offer up the prayers of the Saâ—nts Rev. 8. 3. 5ly Juvare certantes To give aid to the servants of the living God against their enemies and so when the Aramites compassed Samaria with a great host and the Prophets servant was at his wits end not knowing what to do or whither to turn him presently at Elisha's prayer his eyes were opened and he looked and beheld the mountain was full of horses and Chariots round about Elisha 2 Kings 6. 17. Here ye have heard of the office of Angels for the good of man especially
for them that fear God and Kings with Princes were ordained to the like purpose i. e. by godly example good Laws and faithfull labourers in the Gospel under them to lighten men to Canaan above for Regis ad exemplum totuâ— componitur orbis 2ly To relieve those that are in want Thus the Kings of England have their Almoners to fling out money to the poor 3ly The Apostle tells us Rom. 13. 4. They bear not the sword for nought for they are the Ministers of God to take vengeance on them that do evil 4ly Righteous lips are the delight of Kings Prov. 16. 13. and so stand in the gap like Moses between God and his people to make their atonement for them 5ly To vindicate the cause of the innocent from the oppressour and wrong-doers To this effect speaks Solomon Prov. 29. A King that judgeth the poor in truth his Throne shall be established for ever and Prov. 29. 28. and for this light to be put out and extinguished this oyl to be poured on the ground this sword to rust this innocency to be smothered in dust and ashes this judge of the poor fatherlesse and widow to be condemned and this Angel to fall Let us not any more cry out with the woman of Tekoah 2 Sam. 14. 4. Help O King but help O Israel for a Prince and a great man is fallen this day in thee O Israel 4ly Because people without a Prince are like those Acephali a body without a head and sheep without a shepherd as Orphans Fatherlesse as Servants without a Master as the world without a Sun If the eye or head be cut off surely the body will perish If there be no shepherd the sheep lie open to spoil by the greedy wolf and Jesuite If the world loseth his Sun all things wither to nought and if the Servant be robbed of his Master that feeds him fully cloths him richly and rewards him liberally can their eyâ—s be dry to think of their losse Magis câ—rendo quam fruendo The Sheep the Servant the body will know and feel their misery sooner by the want of their Prince than they were sensible of their own happinesse in him Had I wist will not serve turn to say they were deceived to say they were not sensible of Joab's juggle will not avail them in the day of wrath no more than their unjust gotten riches since by Abners fall Prov. 11. 4. And seeing one Prince one great man will not be suffered to reign over them as they in the Gospel said Luke 19. 14. How just will it be with God as the wise man speaks Prov. 28. 2. For the transgression of the Land many should be the Princes thereof whose least finger should be heavier than the others loins as Rehoboam told the Israelites and for gentle rods they should be chastised with scourges 1 Kings 12. 14. 5ly Princes seldom fall alone but their Lord-like Train will as well follow them to the grave as to the palace If the tree be stubbed up at the root the top branches must fall with it the Lord avert this sad presage if it be his blessed will Vse Is for our Instruction 1. To lament over and for our Abner As the Turks have a Proverb unto this day when they would expresse their grief in the privation of any comfort Great such a one is dead as if all their hopes were bedded with him and all their joyes were nipped in the bud And as Phinehas his wife hearing that the Ark of God was taken 1 Sam. 4. 21. presently fell into travel calling hir Sons name Ichabod for saith she The glory is departed from Israel Even so every true Israelite may speak Ichabod our glory is departed from us Abner is fallen great Abner and not more great than good Of whom it may be said as Pharaoh of Joseph Gen. 41. 38. Can we find such a man as this and yet this Abner this great man is fallen the Lord be good unto our Israel that all Israel falls not presently after him Ob. If your Abner were so great so good why did not God suffer him to grow to a good old age as he once promised Abraham Gen. 15. 15. Nay why did God suffer Joab to mow him down like grasse before his eye was satisfied with seeing his ear with hearing and his heart with lusting Eccles 1. 8. Ah certainly latet anguis sub herba there was some Pad hidden under this straw Some Achans wedge of gold Some abominable execrable thing in him that God brought him down so suddenly so wonderfully as it is said of Jerusalem Lam. 1. 9. Ans 1. It is not for dust and ashes to enter into arcana Dei Gods secrets or dive into Gods Cabinet counsel lest whilst we seek to know those things that are not revealed ' we sind not the comfort of those things that are reveiled It was wittily answered by one that was asked what God did before he made the World makes this reply He made Hell for such curious Inquisitors as thou art quae supra nos nihil ad nos those things that are above our sphere belong not unto us to search into Peevish curiositie in man below is detested by God above As the Master of the house said to his Labourer Mat. 20. 14. So I speak to thee Friend take that which is thine own and go thy way and let the rest alone 2ly Who art thou O man that contendest against God or pleadest with God Rom. 9. 20. Wilt thou take Gods glory away and give it to another Isa 42. 8. Wilt thou wrest the sword out of the Lords hand and maintain justice in thine own Shew me thy warrant from Heaven for this Shew me any Law of God or any Law of man for this Ob. 1 Sam. 15. 3. 33. Did not the Lord command Saul to smite Agag King of the Amalekites and when Saul had spared his life did not Samuel hew him into pieces Answ But our Abner was no Agag our Joab no Samuel and so I proceed 3ly Isa 57. 1. The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and merciful men and Kings too are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come 4ly God might suffer Abner to fall for the greater aggravation of Joab's condemnation 5ly Suppose our Abner our Prince our great man had sin in him as there is no man that sinneth not saith Solomon 1 Kings 8. 46. and to the like effect speaks John 1 Ep. 1. 8. yet Religion yet Charity thinketh no evil 1 Cor. 13. 5. that he was not guilty of so soul a crime that nothing could expiate his sin but his Fall 2ly It teacheth us that it is a great shame for any of our eyes to be dry in such a general losse and publik calamity Jacob wept and mourned for his Joseph and would not be comforted Gen. 37. 35. how much more cause have we to mourn for the losse of
among thorns and an apple-tree among the trees of the Forest Cant. 2. 2 3. yet being stricken upon the heart-vein he quarrels with every thing stood in his way and was in his eye he falls out with his mother that conceived him the midwife that helped to bring him into the world the night the light the day chap. 3. yea with God himself His distemper is so hot and virulent and violent upon him that no cords or banks or bounds can hold him David that did face a Lion killed a Bear conquer the huge Giant and overcame all his enemies was overcome and drunken with passion for the losse of his Absalom Vse Hence we learn what Babes and Weaklings and Striplings we are if we loose our hold from grace for as by faith so by grace we stand 2 Corinthians 1 24. 2ly That it is not mans merit but Gods free mercy saves him For what is man that he should be mindfull of him or the Son of man that he should regard him Psal 8. 4. there is nothing in him if well canvassed but repining and Rebellion against his Maker 3ly That if Jachin and Boaz the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel and the godly and faithful have such shrewd faults and foils and falls then how horribly and often do the wicked shoot their sharp arrows even bitter words Psal 64. 3. against God for their crosses 4ly In all our afflictions to follow God with our prayers to strengthen us with strength in our souls Psal 138. 3. that we may possesse our souls in patience Luke 21. 19. speaking with Job 12. 0. What shall we receive good from the hand of the Lord and not evil Blessed be the name of the Lord. Obs 3. From Davids wonderfull love to his son we gather that Gods love to his children is unmatchable As 't was said of Christ Acts 8. 33. Who can declare his generation so I may speak in this kind Who can declare his love to man Let us take a survey of it afar of as Moses did of Canaan and we shall but admire it and with John Rev. 17. 6. wonder with admiration 1. If we look into his first frame he was created after the image of God according to his likenesse Gen. 1. 27. and this was a most glorious condition like that which Saint Paul speaks of 1 Cor. 2. 9. which the tongue of man is not able to expresse nor the heart to conceive of 2ly He delivered into his hand the Soveraignty over all fish and beasts and all flying fowls and all things Gen. 1. 28. He was sole Monarch and commander in chief of the whole world there was none could hurt him till he hurt himself by sin so that like Israel Hos 13. 9. Perditio sua de se his destruction was from himself 3ly After his fall he raiseth him again with the promised Messiah Gen. 3. 15. which was a sure token of his love to send the son of his love to pay his debt for him by cancelling his Obligation Col. 2. 14. 4ly In Christ to bind up his soul in the bundle of life So that now thou mayest speak Why art thou so heavy O my soul why art thou disquieted within me Psal 42. 5. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world John 1 29. 5ly That he takes notice of his name as he did know Moses by his name and moreover write his name in the Book of Life Phil. 4. 3. 6ly If We look lower his love is manifested to mans body for it shall be clothed with glory For when Christ which is our life shall appear then shall we all appear with him in glory Col. â— 4. 7ly If we look yet lower his love is seen in the bones of man that he should keep them Psal 34. 20. 8ly If we look yet lower upon partes excrementitias his excrementitial parts his love to man is highly discovered as 1. In numbring of the hairs of his head Matth. 10. 30. 2ly In not suffering any of them toperish Luke 21. 18. 3ly In treasuring up our tears in a bottle Psal 56. 8. and in registring of them 4ly In wiping away all tears from all faces Isa 25. 8. 9ly In preserving him in his going out and coming in Psal 121. 8. and compassing all his paths and lying down Psal 139. 3. and directing his paths Proverbs 3. 6. 1. When man goeth out he may never come in more when he comes in he may never lie down or go to bed more when he goeth to bed he may never rise more as we have plentiful examples of each Now what a good God have we that undertaketh to be our Nurse and Keeper and preserver from all evil Psal 121. 7. 2. Paul may plant and Apollo water and man may eat the bread of carefulnesse rising early and going to bed late Psal 127. 2. but unless God directs him blesseth him he laboureth but in vain and spendeth his strength in vain like Isa 49. 4. and therefore let it be his wisdome when he goeth about any businesse or enterpriseth any thing to call upon God by Prayer to assist him direct him and prosper him as Abrahams servant did Gen. 24. 12. and then without all doubt he will make thee as successefull as him 10ly In giving entertainment to the sighs and sobs of a troubled spirit Israel could not grone but God heard it Exod. 2. 24. As the sin of the old world so the sighs of the afflicted ascend up to heaven and come before God and are so graciously accepted that he sets a mark on such as mourn for the abominations of the times Ezek. 19. 4. and their own miseries so that we may cry out with Paul Rom. 11. 33. oh the deepness of the riches of his goodnesse to man As for the Application I will refer it to the next point Obs 4. From the consideration of Davids love to his rebellious and wicked son Absalom I observe That much greater is Gods love to poor sinners Hear God himself pleading the case or cause between himself and Israel The people were bent to rebellion against him Hos 11. 7. that is set on mischief not caring what they did nor how they provoked him to anger Now God at last is awakened like a Giant out of wine with the crie of their sins and seems to deliberate the matter in these words vers 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned with in me my repentings are rouled together I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man and again Jer. 31. 20. Is Ephraim my dear son or pleasant childe yet since I spake unto him I still remembred him therefore my bowels are troubled for him If will surely have compassion on him If the words be well scanned what love of any