all the miserable betook themselves unto him unto the number of 400. men which entrenched themselves in a fortresse going forth every day for to rob to maintain themselves thereby In the midst of all these misfortunes the good Prince kept alwayes in his heart a true love of his countrey and knowing that the Philistims had laid siege before Keilah he failed not to go to help it and to deliver it although this ungratefull city was intened to deliver him to Saul if he had enclosed himself therein the which he would not do having consulted with the Oracle of God but retired himself to the desert of Ziph whither Jonathan that The visit of Jonathan secret and and very profitable to David burned with a great desire to see him came to find him secretly and they were for some time together with unspeakable expansions of heart This good friend comforted him and assured him that he should be King after his father and for himself he would be content to be his second which sufficiently witnessed the wonderfull modesty of this Prince and the incomparable love that he bore to David But the Ziphims men for the time that would provide for their own safety sent their deputies to Saul to advertise him that David was retired into their quarters and if it pleased him to follow him they would deliver him into his hands At the which Saul was exceeding joyful and entred the chase to entrap him compassing him on every side and hunting him like a poor deer chased by men and dogs with great out cries The danger was very manifest and David in great hazard to be taken had it not been for a happy message it may be procured by Jonathan that advertised Saul that the Philistims had taken the field and made great waste upon his lands at which he returned to bring remedy thereto deferring his former design till another occasion In the mean while David ran from desert to desert The rudenesse of Nabal towards David with his troops and was hardly able to live which made him have recourse to Nabal a rich man and that had great means entreating him for some courtesie for to maintain his people which had used him with very great respect defending his house his flocks and all his family against the spoilings of robbers This Nabal that was clownish and covetous answered the deputies of David that he knew not the son of Jesse but that he was not ignorant that there were evil servants enough which were fled from their masters and that he was not in case to take the bread from his hired servants for to give it to high-way men This word being told to David incensed him so much that he was going to set upon his house for to rob and sack it But Abagail the The wisdome of Abigail his wife wife of Nabal better behaved and wiser without busying her self to discourse with her husband that was a fool and drunk caused presently mules to be loaden with provision necessary for the men of war and went to meet David to whom she spake with so great wisdome comelinesse and humility that she turned away the tempest and stayed the swords already drawn out of the scabbards for to make a great slaughter in her house David admiring the wisdom and goodnesse of this spirit of the woman married her after the death of her husband It is so true that a good deed bestowed on a high A good deed done to a great one afflicted is of much value person in time of his affliction and when he hath most leasure to consider it is a seed-sowing which in its time brings forth and bears fruits of blessednesse After that Saul had driven back the Philistims he returns to the pursuit of David accompanied with three thousand men with a purpose to take him although he should hide himself under ground or should fly through the air And indeed he crept up rocks unaccessible David furiously pursued by Saul which were not frequented by any but by wild goats and as he passed that way he entred into a cave for some naturall necessity where David was hid with a small number of his faithfullest servants which failed not to tell him that this was the hand of God which had this day delivered his deadly enemy into his hands and that he should not now lose time but to cut him off quickly whilst that he gave him so fair play and this would be the means to end all those bitternesses wherewith his life was filled by the rage of this barbarous Persecutour This was a strong temptation to a man so violently His generousnesse in pardoning his enemy very admirable persecuted and whose life was sought by so many outrages Neverthelesse David stopping all those motions of revenge resolved in his heart by a strong inspiration of God never to lay his hands upon him which was consecrated King and contenting himself with cutting off the skirts of his coat he went out of the cave after Saul and crying with a loud voice he worshipped him prostrate on the earth holding in his hand the piece of his casock and saying to him Behold my Lord my Father and my King the innocence of my hands and do not believe them any more which filled you with suspicions of poor David you cannot be ignorant at this time that God hath put you into my power and that I could have handled you ill by taking away your life have saved mine own But God hath kept me by his holy grace from this thought and hath preserved you from all evil I never yet had any intent to hurt your Majesty having alwayes reverenced and served it as your most humble servant and subject whiles that you cease not to pesecute me and to torment my poor life with a thousand afflictions Alas my Lord what is it that you desire Against whom are you come forth with so great furniture of Arms and Horses against a poor dead Dog a miserable little beast I beseech the living God to judge between us two and to make you to know the goodnesse of my cause One may avouch that great and glorious actions The greatnesse and benefit of clemency of Clemency do never hurt Princes but that often they do place or keep the Crown upon their heads God and Men concurring to favour that goodnesse that approches so near to the highest Saul was so amazed with this action that he ran to him and embraced him weeping and said to him This is a sure sign O David which I acknowledge at the present and whereby I know for certain that you must reign after me so great a goodnesse not being able to be rewarded but by an Empire I do pray and conjure you onely to have pity on my poor children after my death and not to revenge your injuries upon them hereupon he swore to him to deal with him afterwards peaceably But as this spirit was unequall
King he is sufficiently faulty because he is too virtuous They say that Love and Tears are learned without Envy is easily learned at the Court. any master and I may say that there is no great need of studying at the Court to learn Envy and Revenge It is a strange thing that Saul of a simple countrey-fellow should become so malicious and subtil a Courtier as to practise the most refined dissimulations of the Court He had resolved to destroy David and yet conceived that this duel with Goliah had set him in too high an esteem in the opinion of the people and that if he should openly attempt against his life he should bring his own into danger He thought best to bestow on him a chief place in the Army under pretence of honour which might be most subject to the violence of the Philistims believing that his courage would carry him into dangers and that the Philistims being incensed by the death of their countrey-man would no wayes spare him and that by this means his death would be imputed to his Destiny and not to the Envy of Saul But after that he saw that he returned from the manifest dangers with a crowned head with the applause of the people and that he behaved himself within the Kingdom with very great wisdome he began to suspect him more then before he took heed of bestowing great riches on him and married his eldest daughter which he had promised to him to another using him by this means injuriously Nevertheless for that his honour was engaged therein and that one might justly complain of his faithlessnesse he took advice to marry him to his younger which was Michol with very harsh and dangerous conditions making him to buy a thing that was due to him by the death of 200. Philistims conceiving that by so great a number of men and so many fights re-iterated he might be entangled in some mischance or if he should escape that the best that could hap was onely to gain a woman of a costy humour which would be to him but for a reproach and much discontent Behold how mans reasoning doth propound but Humane wisdome overthrown by the power of heaven God which catches the subtil in their devices and overthrows the designs of the malicious to establish his own counsels upon their ruines caused the victories and the marriage of David to succeed to his good content together with the good will and admiration of all the Court Jonathan the eldest son of Saul was so astonished The love of David and Jonathan with his valiant exploits his rare virtues and his incomparable brave carriage that he loved him as his own heart and bereft himself of the most precious things that he had to adorn him withall David likewise swears unto him reciprocally an immortal friendship These two souls to speak according to the phrase of the Scripture were united together with an indissoluble affection Their hearts were two fornaces which continually breathed forth flames of sacred love and might sooner be found without any thoughts then to be without thinking one of the other Their separations were as so many dyings and their meetings again did prevent their paradise The longest dayes were but as a small moment while they lovingly conversed together then they never perceived that the time ran away and they were departed from each other but with promise to visit again as soon as may be Each of them in their absence seemed to it self a wandring soul without habitation and without a body their spirits made wonderful transpirations for to joyn themselves together and talk to each other as in an Idea when Saul hindred their visits Poor Jonathan which was of an incomparable mildnesse The good offices of Jonathan declared to his father as much as he could the Innocency of David and the great services that he had done for the Crown and when he saw his spirit moved against him he was almost ready to die therefore he ceased not to represent to him with horrour of mind the monstrous impiety that it would be to sacrifice such a personage as he which had so often devoted himself for the safety of his Countrey the out-cry of the people and the vengeance of God At other times he dealt with him with sweet and persvvasive language causing him as it were to touch with his fingers the brave carriage and excellencies of David and assuring him that there was not a man in his whole Kingdome which was of a more harmlesse and pleasing a conversation and that it was the joy of his heart and his onely safety to have him alwayes at his side Saul suffered himself to be overcome with these his discourses whether it were indeed that he was perswaded Saul cleared for a while again returns to his evil spirit or whether he feigned himself to be appeased and suffered David whom he had driven farre of to return again near his person But this mad-man upon a day when he played on the Harp in his presence took his launce and endeavoured to strike him through therewith which he dad done if David by his nimblenesse had not avoided that evil blovv and lest that any should charge him vvith this perfidiousnesse he excused it by the distemper of his spirit Jonathan endeavoured yet another time this reconciliation but having been repelled by Saul by pricking words and vvith threatnings to kill him if he did not give over this his frienship with David he saw clearly that there was no more safety for his friend and gave him the counsel which was for himself the sharpest of all causing him to retire David goes from the Court and makes a sad departure from his friend for to avoid the unmercifull fury of his father These two dear souls on the day of this sad departure were pierced with a thousand darts of grief and were a thousand times upon their eyes and lips for to fly from thence and to mingle themselves one with the other The time past caused them to remember that which they had lost the present that which they were to lose and that to come was unto them a bottomlesse pit of terrour and affrightment They apprehended the one for the other as many dangers as there are upon the earth and sea and they could not promise themselves any thing but dayes without comforts and nights full of terrible dreams and torments They poured out so many tears and fetched so many sighs having no other eloquence but that of their hearts mutually wounded in their lodging that it was a thing vvorthy of compassion even of Saul himself This mad-man seeing that he vvas escaped out of David is pursued and escapes his bloudy hands vvould have caused him to be taken and sent forth souldiers for to bring him back But his vvife Michol having descryed the evil intent of her father advertised her husband of it and made him depart suddenly in the deep silence of
from equals lasteth long by the counterpoise of power evenly balanced and wasteth wretched hearts in the search after a cursed revenge which drowneth pleasure in great acerbities and many times life in bloud We must instantly labour for reconciliation by a just satisfaction of the offended party or stand upon our guard that the enemy may not prevail The hatred of inferiours towards great ones whilst it is spread amongst the confusions of the multitude oft-times long remaineth under silence shut up as the impetuous current of a River kept in by a trench but so soon as it hath liberty it with so much fury overfloweth that it turneth men into Tygers and Leopards So we see in Histories many miserable Princes overwhelmed with the hatred of the people with a thousand inventions of cruelties which force compassion from the most obdurate All books are filled with these disastrous events but I do not think we can behold a more tragicall spectacle of popular hatred then that which is represented by Nicetas in the person of Andronicus Emperour of Horrible example of the hatred of the multitude Constantinople He entred into the Empire like a Fox by tyrannicall usurpation and covered his crimes with a dumb shew of a sophisticate devotion at which time God the avenger of iniquities was pleased to chastise him with an iron rod and to make him as an example of his justice to all posterity He fell alive into the hands of his enemy who having loaden him with injuries and contumelies abandoned him to the people for the punishment of his perfidiousnesse From that time he was entertained with all the despites which Hatred and the liberty of doing all permitted his enemies For he had buffets redoubled one upon another given him with implacable violence his hair was torn off his beard was pulled away his teeth were knocked out and not so much as women but ran upon his wretched body to torture and torment it whilest he replyed not a word Some dayes after his eyes being digged out and his face disfigured with blows they set him on an old botchy Cammel without ought else to cover him then an old shirt to lead him through publick places in the manner of a triumph This spectacle so full of horrour nothing at all mollified the peoples hearts but desperate men were to be seen to rush upon him on every side as thick as in Autumne swarms of flies fleshed with some carrion some covered him all over with dirt and filth others squeezed spunges filled with ordure on his face others gave him blows with clubs upon the head others pricked him with Auls and Bodkins and divers threw stones at him calling him at every stroke Mad Dog And there was a wicked woman of the dregs of the vulgar who threw a pail of scalding hot water upon his head that his skin pild off Lastly they hastned to hang him on a gibbet by the feet exposing him to a shamefull nakednesse in sight of all the world and they tormented him to the last instant of death at which time he received the favourable blow from a hand which thrust a sword through his mouth into his bowels without other complaint then to beseech God to have mercy on him Behold the most bloudy effects of this cruell Passion But we may say if this of the people resemble torrents that of great and powerfull ones is not unlike thunders and lightnings Many Monarchs may be compared to the mountain Mountain of Vesuvius Julius Recupitus Vesuvius near Naples which as it is written is so fertill that it yieldeth unto those who manure it a million of gold in revenue but when it comes to cast forth its all-enflamed entrails it oft-times makes as much a havock in one day alone as it brings profit in a whole Age. How many persons meet we in ancient and modern History raised to flourishing estate and enriched with the spoils of the Universe who in a moment of misfortune have lost the honours and wealth which in so many years of favours they had with full hand amassed together in their houses But most especially imperious women are ardent Hatred of women and exorbitant in their revenges when a great power combineth with Passion to replenish all with disasters Hatred shewed it self fierce and insolent in Eudoxia against S. John Chrysostome furious in Justina against S. Ambrose bitter in Theodora against Narses bloudy in Fredegonda against Pretexatus Archbishop of Roan whom she caused to be murthered at the Altar And when this Hatred is enkindled with the flame of love it self and that they in their dispose have the arms of their Amorists and servants for execution of their purposes they cause cruelties which would make the History of Man-haters and Lestrygons to blush It is good for prevention of this kind of Hatred to Means to eschue and prevent the Hatred of powerfull men have little occasion to entermeddle with such kind of people nor too eagerly to pursue the favour of great ones nor the pompous glories of worldly fortunes since its felicities like as if they were crimes never scape scot-free You must not enter too farre into the intrication of affairs and persons keep your self from slanders and mischievous strokes of the Tongue ill offices and treasons of such as have no soul to make your self recommendable by Piety Justice Liberality Moderation Sweetnesse and so many other virtues which having adorned you in prosperity raise a lustre and consolation in the bottome of adversity To this also you must adde powerfull friends who enlighten with the ray of truth that darknesse which envie ceaseth â—ot to spread over lives the most innocent and which permit not virtue to be ever oppressed by Iniquity As for such as are in charges offices dignities and commands wherein in reason alteration may be expected if they see themselves to be persecuted by publick hatred it is best for them to change their condition to find repose and especially when there are powers which will hate out of humour or levity and who shutting up all passages to Reason do onely open an ear to slander I ask whether in such a case God hath not consecrated a sanctuary for evil fortune in the pitty of a neighbour The Divine Providence never permitted that one sole man should be King of the whole world He who is persecuted in one Province passeth to another and often finds friends who wipe away his tears and gild his fetters Whilest Hatred swayeth in the Consistory of Cruelty to draw down lightnings and dart thunders on his head Joseph sold by his brethren found innumerable favours in Egypt David pursued on all sides by the envy of Saul like a wild Beast met with refuge and employment under Abimelech S. Athanasius sanctified the places of his banishment by the sanctity of his virtues S. Hillary pulled out of his Bishoprick lighted in Phrygia upon a silent repose which gave him leave to write his learned
anxious wayward and irksome to our selves The onely means to amend and correct your self is to represent the hurt this passion bringeth by depriving you of wisdome of justice civility concord virtue and of the splendour of the spirit of God The way to lessen the opinion you have of being despised is not lightly to believe tale-tellers and to find reasons to excuse him who hath erred not to be curious to know that which may displease you to fortifie your self in that side you find to be most feeble in you avoiding objects which most ordinarily provoke you to live with peaceable people to shun cares and troublesome affairs to afford your self convenient solaces to extirpate petty Curiosities and false opinions which you have of your sufficiency in such sort that you imagine within your self that you ought to be used with great respect and that you should not suffer any disgrace either by word or deed but that men and elements must contribute to your likings Behold from whence your feaver proceedeth and how you may handsomely remedy it O soul infinitely nice It seems you were bred in a box in perfumed Cotton and that you must endure nothing Broth overmuch salted a garment too straight a mustachio ill turned up the creaking of a door the wind of a window the least indiscretion of a servant puts you out of your self What do you take your self to be You believe those flatterers who say Do you suffer this you measure not your self by your quality And yet Kings and Queens and the Monarchs of the earth have endured and daily do endure many slight oppositions with great tranquillity and you silly worm of the earth turn against God when he permitteth any thing to happen contrary to your liking Frame unto your self a life simple and free from affectations take away your wantonnesse your pleasures and petty peevishnesse Choler is engendred by overmuch curiosities Seneca de Ira. Ira voluptatibuâ— generatur volu ptatum suppressionâ— sopitur Seneca de Ira l. 2. c. 14. Ira perturbat artes Agrippinus Epictetus Stobâ—us of spirit stifle them and you immediately extinguish it Know that to quarrell with an equall is hazardous with an inferiour is contemptuous and with a superiour it is foolish Set before you the Maxime of Pirrhus that great Master of Fence who said this passion was a Trouble-Trade and that whilst you continue the same humour you shall be unable for all good employments Do as the brave Philosopher Agrippinus of whom Epictetus makes mention who perceiving that when any misfortune befell him he thereby became hasty and chollerick What is this saith he I play the slave where I should play the Monarch O misfortunes I will deceive you Thereupon he wrote the praises of every evil which might happen against his will If a calumny the praise of the profit calumny brought If an Exile the praise of exile If a quartane Ague the praise of the Quartane Ague And by this means he came to such a height of Tranquillity that so soon as a fresh mischief assailed him he met it with a smiling countenance and said God be praised behold the way of my exercise And you who are a child of light fed with the body and bloud of your master for Heaven and the company of Angels you cannot say when some little inconvenience befalleth you praised be Jesus behold here how the good purpose I have made of patience is exercised And then if you feel any rebellion Take heed you shew it not either by words or outward signs but get you and lodge at the signe of silence where the haven of Tranquility is Do as those that are ill of the falling sicknesse who retire at the approch of their fits that they may not let any things uncomely appear Renedictus Dominus Deus meus qui docet manus meas ad praelium digitos meos ad bellum Psal 143. Benedictus Dominus rupes mea Stabilisque manens dâ—t cuncta moveri say Blessed be our Lord God who teacheth my hands to fight and frameth my fingers to warre The Hebrew hath it Blessed be our Lord who is my rock To shew you that God if you endeavour to vanquish your passions will place you upon the holy rock of Tranquility from whence he in his immutability beholdeth the motion of all ages Take a good friend a faithfull companion who may divert your passion in its first fit who may admonish you and play on Davids harp to drive away this devil of mad Saul and take you from the occasions of hurt The second remedy for such as long chew on their choler and entertain aversions irreconcileable is that It The second remedy Cogitemus nequaquam licere nobis orare nec iratas fundere preces ad Deum quotidie crèdamus nos è corpore migraturos nihilque nobis continentiâ castitatis nihil abre nuntiatione facultatum nihil divitiarum contemptu nihil jejuniorum vigiliarum laboribus conserendum quibus propter iracundiam solam odium ab universitatis judice supplicia promittuntur aeterna Cassian l. 8. c. 21. de Institutis Renunt Vade priuÌ„s reconciliare â—â—atri tuo tunc veniens offeres munus tusi Matth. 5. 24 were good to ponder and consider the words of Cassian Let us perswade our selves that whilst we are angry It is not permitted us to pray unto God and to present him our prayers Let us take each day to be our last and let us not think that for being chast and continent for having forsaken the pleasures of the world and despised riches for macerating our bodies with fastings watchings and labours much is due to us if at the end of the reckoning it be found we carry hatred and anger in our hearts That alone is sufficient to condemn us to eternall punishments by the sentence of him who shall judge the whole world Take not this as my saying but take it as an oracle which that great man hath collected from many holy men of his age When you keep in your heart some hatred against your neighour you do a notable wrong to your soul For first what have we more sweet more mercifull then altars There we should seek for mercy if God had banished it from all parts of the world and yet whilst you deferre reconciliation with your enemy you deprive your self of the right of altars and if you still have some spark of Christianity as often as you approch to them you hear the voice of the son of God who speaketh to you in the bottome of your heart and saith these words of the Gospel Go first of all and reconcile your self to your brother and then you shall come to offer your sacrifice of the altar By despising these words of our Saviour and going on you commit a new sacriledge by recoyling back and avoiding the altar and sacrifice you fly from pardon and life And then in what a state are you
and did oftentimes David goes out of the kingdome and retires himself among strangers easily depart from reason for long seasons David resolved to go out of the Kingdome and to betake himself to Achish King of the Philistims Some may seek occasion to blame his behaviour in this matter and may think it strange that he should retire himself to the Philistims the sworn enemies of the people of Israel especially after this reconciliation and oath passed between him and Saul But it must be considered that his life was no wayes assured within the Kingdome and that Saul at another time having given so solemn a promise to Jonathan for the safety of his friend yet would have kill'd him with his own hand and further that he was every day in danger to be set upon by arms from the other party with effusion of bloud both of the one and other and that it seemed better to him to avoid the occasion then to see himself perpetually obliged by so miserable a necessity to defend himself Further he considered that he brought his chiefest friends into danger not being able to retire himself amongst them without making them guilty of treason and exposing them to slaughter lastly he found not so much security amongst other Kings which having no war with Saul would have made some difficulty in enterteining him or might have delivered him up after they had received him for their own commodity This made him resolve to take his refuge amongst a Nation that bore an irreconcileable hatred against Saul But forasmuch as some have thought that he 1 King 27. bore arms for Achish against the people of God this is manifestly convinced of falshood by the Text of the Scripture where it is expressly said that David did invade the Amalekites and other people Infidels although that Achish perswaded himself that he would do the like to the Israelites after he had been so evilly used by his own Nation But he used dissimulation herein for to maintein himself in good favour with the King as the Doctour Tostatus hath very well noted And this was the cause that the great ones of the Kingdome which perceived this dissembling of David would never suffer him to be in the Army-Royall in the day that the battell joyned against the people of Israel saying openly to the King that he would betray the party and would reconcile himself with his own men by the price of the lives of the Philistims unto the great disadvantage of the whole Realm which was the cause that Achish gave him leave to depart fairly excusing it upon the suspicions which the Noble-men had taken of him At the last the fatall day of Saul drew near and he saw the Philistims which came thick and threefold upon him with the chiefest forces of their Empire he felt Saul being in great perplexitie consults with the soul of Samuel the remorse of conscience and the blood of so many Innocents undeservedly shed ceased not to leap up against his faulty head In these confusions of a troubled spirit by the representation of his crimes he sought unto the Divine Oracles to learn what he should do in so pressing a necessity But this unhappy Prince that had used Samuel so unworthily in his life and driven away as farre as he could all honest men from his councels for to let loose the raines of his fury sought after the dead in vain having trod under feet the admonitions of the living I have declared in the Maxime concerning the Immortality of the soul the whole discourse about his consulting with the Witch at Endor and it is not my purpose here to trouble again my Reader with the rehearsall of those things We may onely note that the soul of Samuel having appeared before that the Sorceresse could employ the charms of her profession rebuked Saul for having disquieted it and foretold him the routing of his Army his Death with that of his Children at which he was so affrighted that he fell down in a swound having eaten nothing all that day Whereat the Sorceresse having pity and having prepared somewhat to eat was urgent with him to take some little refreshment which he did and condescended to her intreaties and those of his servants After he went from her table he marched all night He marches against the Philistims in battell and is overthrown that he might come to the Army whether it were that he did not firmly believe that his last mishap or whether he would willingly sacrifice himself without any contrarying Gods appointment The next morning he perceived the Army of the Philistims wonderfully increased and with full resolution to fight and on the contrary the Israelites exceedingly weakned and which seemed already to carry the picture of their disastre printed in their faces The enemies gave the onset with very great violence and overthrew the van-gard in which Jonathan was with his two brethren all which sealed the last proofs of their valour with their blood and death The miserable father saw carryed away before he dyed all that might have obliged him to live and presently perceived that the whole body of the Army of the Philistims was falln upon him and yet for all that he had no desire to retire not willing to over-live those his misfortunes He was ill handled by those of the forlorn hope which ceased not to let fly their arrows very thick upon the Troops where he was and which fell with such violence and multitude that they seemed to imitate the hail in a great tempest which furiously beats down the hopes of a poor husbandman He saw his bravest Captains dy before his eyes which sacrificed themselves with despair of better fortune and although he were wounded with many wounds and that he had lost almost all his blood yet he stoutly upheld The end of Saul himself desiring nothing so much as to dye in the bed of honour But as forces failed him and the violence of his adversaries redoubled fearing lest they had a purpose to take him alive he commanded his Target-bearer to make an end of him and to give him his deaths-blow before he should fall into the hands of the Philistims The other excused himself wisely saying That he would never undertake that against his Majesty and upon so sacred a person and that one ought to expect the destiny and not to prevent it Then Saul seeing that he could not dye so soon as he desired neither by the hands of his friends nor of his enemies suffered himself to fall upon his sword and made it enter into him vomiting forth both his soul and blood with ragings and griefs unspeakable The Philistims having found his body amongst the dead corps took off his armour and cut off his head which they carried through the towns of Palestina for a pittifull spectacle making many thanksgivings in the Temple of their Idol for this victory And not content herewith they took the
woman well bred and of good courage Ishbosheth was offended thereat for that he had done this without telling him of it But Abner for one poore word spoken to in a very mild manner entred into a rage against The insolence of Abner his King and said that it was to use him like a dog to quarrel with him for a woman after so great services as he had done for the Crown reproching his Master for that he held both his life and his Kingdome of him But seeing that he used him in this manner he would take a course with him and would translate the government from the house of Saul to that of David Masters should not give too much authority to their subjects The poor Prince held his peace and durst not answer one word onely to this bold fellow which was a pitifull thing to see him thus devoured by his own servant The houses of Great ones are very often filled with such servants who having been honoured with an especiall confidence of their Master in the administration of their affairs whether they be their Receivers or Stewards of their families take upon them authority and not contenting themselves to govern the goods enter upon the right of their Lords leaving them nothing but a name and shadow of the Power which is due unto them Abner grew so hot with anger that he dispatched He treateth with David his Messengers to David to desire his friendship and promiseth him to bring the whole Kingdome of Ishbosheth into his hands David answered that he was content to make peace with him so that he would cause his wife Michol to be restored him whom they had married to another after his departure which was readily agreed to for him for they took her away from the hands of her husband that followed her weeping this woman with her lofty spirit had some pleasing behaviour wherewith Davids affection was taken In the mean while Abner powerfully sollicits the people of Israel to betake themselves on Davids side shewing them that God had committed their safety and rest into his hands and that it was he which should unite together all the families under his obedience for to compose a Monarchy which should become happy to his people helpfull to his friends and terrible to his enemies This discourse did very much shake the principall ones of the Nation which were not ignorant of the small hopes that were in the person of Ishbosheth which was disparaged both by nature and fortune This stout Captain following the businesse came to meet with David in Hebron who made him a feast hearkened unto his propositions and conducted him back with honour Joab who was at that time absent at his return quickly understood of the coming of Abner whereat Joabs Jealousie over Abner he entred into a furious jealousie fearing lest David should be of the humour of those which delight more in making of friends then keeping of those that are made and that the friendship of a man which seemed to draw a whole Kingdome after him might much prejudice his fortunes He enters roughly into his Kings chamber telling him that this was but a deceiver which came but to spy out his secrets and to do him some ill turn that he should lay hold of him seeing he was come under his power And for that David answered him nothing seeing him in a hot anger he went out furiously and without authority sent a message to the chief Captain Abner to intreat him to return to Hebron under colour of treating more fully with David The death of Abner He lightly believed it and came back the same way when as Joab that lay in wait for him took him treasonably and killed him at the gate of the city David was indeed very much perplexed hereat and David tolerates Joab in his fault upon necessitie uttered grievous curses against Joab and his whole race neverthelesse as the wisest did judge that there was a great interest in this death and that his chief Captain had become the executour thereof this made some to think that there was some design and though that suspicion was false David did all that he could to deface the blemish thereof assisting at the funeralls of Abner very near to the corps protesting against the cruelty of those that had taken his life from him and highly setting forth the praises of the dead yet he caused not processe to be made against Joab conceiving that he was not able to destroy him in such a time when it was dangerous to provoke him Neverthelesse he kept the resolution to punish him even to his death but Joab contemned all upon the confidence that he had that none could go beyond him and measured his own greatnesse by the impunity of his great offences It is hard to excuse David upon this treaty that he David cannot be excused upon the treaty made with Abner if one have not recourse to the secret and over-ruling will of God projected with Abner traytour to his Master if one have not recourse to the secret and over-ruling will of God or to the right that he pretended to have to the Crown in consideration of his first anointment made by Samuel He knew that the Edicts of his royall dignity were written in heaven and for this cause without endeavouring by any criminall way he expected the work of Providence and applyed himself to the events for without any thought of his Ishbosheth King of Israel was slain by two murtherers Rechab and Baana which killd him as he slept upon his bed at noon-day and brought his head to him at which this great King was so highly incensed abhorring this barbarous act that he condemned them presently to death and after he had caused their heads and feet to be cut off he made them to be hanged at the fish-pond of Hebron David absolute by the death of Ishbosheth son of Saul The death of Ishbosheth the son of Saul ended the difference which was between the two Royall houses and the other families yielded themselves to David by an universall consentment It was then that he began to reign absolutely and to make to appear as in a glorious light the admirable qualities and Royall virtues wherewith he was adorned And it is certain that of all the Kings of Juda there was none hath equalled him in all kind of perfections He was one that feared God without superstition religious without hypocrisie valiant without any sternnesse liberall without reproching it to any one a good husband without covetousnesse The Royal qualities of David stout without insolency vigilant without unquietnesse wise without subtilty courteous without loosnesse humble without cowardlinesse chearfull without too much familiarity grave without fiercenesse and kind without any complements He united all those things together which ordinarily His zeal to religion make Princes great and proved in each of them so advantageous as if he had been
they preferred a flint before a pearl The first unhappinesse of his conduct was that he had not an heart for God but for his own interest and that he did not unite himself close enough to Samuel that had made him King and that was the Oracle from which he should have learned the divine Will The second was a furious State-jealousie his capitall devil that put his Reason into a disorder and infected all the pleasures and contentments of his life He was but weak to hold an Empire and govern with love and yet he loved passionately all that he could least compasse and would do every thing of his own head thinking that the assistance of a good Councel was the diminution of his Authority Sometimes he was sensible of his defects but instead of amending them he desired to take away the eyes of those men that perceived them His Spirit was little in a great body his Reason barren in a multitude of businesse his Passions violent with small reservednesse his Breakin gs out impetuous his Counsels sudden and his Life full of inequalities Samuel had prudently perceived that the Philistims were dangerous enemies to the State of Judea because they knew its weaknesse and kept it in subjection a long time depriving it of the means of thinking fully upon its liberty And therefore he maintained a peace with them and used them courteously gaining all that he could by good Treaties and would not precipitate a Warre which was to weaken the Israelites without recovery But Saul thought not himself an able man if he had not spoiled all and without making any other provision of necessary things he made a great levy of Souldiers and a mighty Army to go against the enemies in which there was but two swords It was a plot that permitted not the Hebrews to have Armorers nor other men that laboured in Iron totally to disarm them and at the least motion that they should make expose them for a pâ—ey These assaulted Philistims found him businesse enough through the whole course of his Government and Life and in the end buried him with his children in the ruines of his State But God that would give some credit to Samuel's choice sent at first prosperities to Gods people under the conduct of that new King wherein that which served for a glory to that holy man was a vain bait to Saul to make him enterprise things that could give him no other ability but to destroy himself About a moneth after his election Nahash the Ammonite raised an Army to fall upon the Jabites that were in league with the people of Israel and those seeing that they were not strong enough to resist so terrible an enemy dispatched an Embassage to him to treat about a Peace But that insolent Prince made answer to their Embassadours that he would not make any treaty of Peace with them on any other condition then by plucking out their right Eyes and covering them with a perpetuall ignominy These poor people that were reduc'd almost to a despair implored on all sides the assistance of their neighbours and failed not to supplicate to the Israelites their friends to do something in their favour Their Messengers being arriv'd at Gibeah related the sad news of the cruelty of Nahash that filled the people with fear and tears Saul returning from the fields was driving his oxen when hearing the groans of his Subjects demanded the cause of it and having been informed entred into so great a rage at the pitilesse extremities of that fierce Ammonite that he instantly tore in pieces his two oxen and sent the pieces of them through all the cities and villages of his Dominion commanding every one to follow him to revenge that injury otherwise their cattle should be dealt with as he had done with his two oxen The Israelites mov'd partly by compassion and partly also by fear of those menaces poured out themselves from all parts to this Warre in such a sort that he had got together three hundred thousand men He divided them into three Battalions and went to meet the Ammonite whom he set upon so vigorously and combated so valiantly that he totally defeated his Army and humbled that proud Giant that thought on nothing but putting out mens eyes making him know that pride goes before reproach as the lightning before the thunder All the great people that compos'd that Army returned unto their houses and Saul retained onely three thousand men whereof he gave one thousand to his son Jonathan that was a man full of spirit and generosity and farre better liked then his father Saul This Militia was too little considerable for so great enemies yet he had a courage to assault a place of the Philistims and routed their Garrison whereat they being pricked beyond measure betake themselves into the field with an Army in which there were thirty thousand chariots of warre and people without end whereat the Israelites were so affrighted that all scatter'd themselves and went to hide themselves in caves so that there remained but about six hundred men with Saul who marched with a small noise and durst not appear before his adversaries Samuel had promised to see him within seven dayes to sacrifice to God and encourage the people But Saul seeing that the seventh day was come without having any tidings of him takes himself the burnt offering offers the Sacrifice and playes the Priest without having any Mission either ordinary or extraordinary As soon as he had made an end of burning the Holocaust Samuel arrives to whom he related how that seeing all the people debauch themselves and quit the Army and how that being pressed by his enemies in a time wherein it behoved them to have recourse to prayer before they gave battle he was perswaded that God would like well enough that in the necessity and long absence of Samuel he should perform the office of a Priest by presenting the burnt offering which he had done with a good intention without pretending to usurp any thing upon his office Samuel rebuked him sharply for that action to shew that there is no pretense nor necessity that is able to justifie a sin and that it no way belongs to Lay-people to meddle with the Censer and to do the Functions that regard the Priests Then Samuel fore-told him that his Kingdome should not be stable and that God would provide himself another that should be a more religious observer of his Law thereupon he left him for a time and Saul having recollected all the people that he could endeavoured to oppose the enemy The brave Jonathan accompanied with his armour-bearer found a way to climb over rocks and to surprise a court-of-Guard of the Philistims which they thought had been inaccessible which put them in a terrible fright imagining that those that had got so farre had great forces though they did not yet appear This brought their Army into a confusion and God also putting his hand farre into the