by a loving sympathy to honour and lament him O Jonathan c. The particle O is as an herald or chiefe chanter to all the parts of this dolefull song and harasange and may serve to be applyed to all As Oh For exclamation at the matter As Oh For affection to the name of the man O Jonathan As Oh For indignation to the place how in the high places As Oh For lamentation for the person wo is me for thee my Brother Jonathan As Oh In consideration of the loss very pleasant hast thou been to me As Oh For admiration of the Love thy love was wonderfull As Oh For the comparison of all passing the love of women Thus the life and death of Jonathan is shortly and sorrowfully descanted on by David Musathen Cap. 17. running as all mortals do upon the 7 notes of Musick with Longs and Shorts Sharps and Flats as Putean makes it out to call mens life here below untill we ascend above the spheres into heaven Revel 14. and there sing our part in the Song of the Lambe Revel 14. So I resort to the first part of my Text the Note of Exclamation at the matter O. The Masters of speech and eloquence observe this particle ô to attend all the passions of the mind Martin Lex in O. and in no less then twelve great affects of the soul expresse a full signification and sense of it self Tesmar de Eloq Pag. 167. as of joy Oh! that thou wert as my Brother that suckt the breasts of my Mother Cant. 8. And of griefe Oh waetched man that I am Rom. 7. Of wishing Oh that I had the wings of a Dove Of Indignation Oh faiihlesse and crooked generation Luk. 24. Of Expostulation Oh Inhabitants of Judah judge I pray you Isa 5. Of Exclamation Oh ye sons of men Psal 4. Of comparison Oh man who art thou that disputest with God Rom. 9. Of all at once as here ô Jonathan and thus it is made the Mistris to teach and the mouth to utter all our affections And serves us not to use it like the braying of an Asse Use as Erasmus forbids but seriously and in earnest when it comes on the hearts errand to witness unfainedly some affection of the mind as in the former places mentioned and then it becomes the speaker as the Bow of Jonathan and makes a faire impression in the heart as if written with a pen of Steel Jerem. 9.1 or the point of a Diamond and thus it is used by David who in the drawing of this Bow now bent for mourning fetcheth deep sighs from the bottome of his bowels and sendeth them forth like arrows singing in the air and are now come to our use and eares and so sink into our minds to cry out and complain to disdain and lament to consider and admire to compare and make a parallel with Davids Jonathan slain and ours deceased and leads me on to the second part of my text The affection to the name O Jonathan Lovers are much affected with the names of their Paramours and friends insomuch that the naming betrayes the guilt and conscience in the pulse and countenance Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu The Arabians have a proverb he that loves much makes much mention of his love 'T is Davids case he names Saul but three times in this song Jonathan foure Expen in Prob. Arab. and makes his name to carry the burden of the song with teares and kisses as the woman in the Gospel Pouring out her Alablaster box of oyntment on his body in token that she loved much or as Christ on Lazarus Behold how he loved him and Luke 7. John 11. Lord he whom thou lovest is dead Names saith Luther are the boxes that the graces of the Spirit of God are preserved in the Caskets of those Jewels the cups of the heavenly potions the combs of the honey and the baskets that take the fragments of the Divine banquet he that is not acquainted with these handmaids can very hardly come to the speech of that Mistress Agrip. Occult. Philos what influence or intelligence doth passe between stars and names let the curious Arts declare But sure I am that Saul had no ill Spirit to suggest or vexe him or ill presage to possesse him when he gave to his Son this name of Jonathan Lexicon Sanctum by Greg. a name turned into our English as much as Gods gift or the Dove comes Jon-tha as Bercorius alludes an heavenly extraction in the first and a sweet allusion in the last This in a transcendant way is drawn from God and the other in a lovely nature and Spirit comes to man the springs from above and the springs below which was Calebs choice gift Jug 1.11 do both meet in this name The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extremely to love is the name of the Dove that came from heaven sate upon the Son of God loves to dwel with man build in his house eat and drink with him brings him fruit and food and by similitude teacheth as a Domestical Chaplaine the lessons of faith to look up and ask of thanksgiving to God above of innocency having no gall of patience without complaint of charity without revenge of concord and joynt assistance in their building brood and company all which David by sweet experience found in Jonathan as the gift of God to him and a Dove coming still to comfort him thus Conveniunt rebus nomina saepe suis Names oftentimes agree To tell you what the man will be This experience that David had of his noble vertues and divine indowments had so ravish'd and transported him Use that he is in an holy extasie and a little out of himself making a speech to a dead man wishing that his name pronounced aloud might raise and awake him to life again or calling the world to witnesse that with Jonathan was buried the Mirrour of Love the Miracle of Nature and the Darling of Mankind In this name let us with David open the shels that we may find out the pearls unlock the caskets to come at the Jewels press and examine the combs that we may suck the honey open the baskets to feed on the dainties laid up in pious names for the honour of the owners and the imitation of their manners The practice of the Church of Rome is not so graceless as not to teach her children this lesson and that under Canon of the Councel of Trent and her Sermons seriously exhorting that pious names be imposed as copies and samplers for posterity to behold and imitate Regerlinck in Fest. circumcis Tit. 2. Let not Samaria out-do Jerusalem good names may imprint conformity to good manners and though we have laine with nature and the world like scullions among the pots and coales yet we may be by Gods grace as the wings of a Dove Psal
weak smal head-piece a black foule Bill and a note as churlish as a Frog in a fen a fair outside sham'd and belyed with a foule degenerous mind and language Happy our Jonathan and he that enjoyed him a sweet and alluring condition Plutarch like the Dove perfumed in his feathers as a harmlesse decoy draws all good natures to follow him and entertains them in his houses very pleasant hast thou been to me and more then so thy love was wonderfull A note of Admiration and my sixth part Niphleatha ahavatheca li 6. Thy love to me was wonderful and what 's that a thing wrought extraordinarie by the rare work of God Aug. ad Honorat cap. 16. above the common order of nature such was the love of Jonathan to David an holy fire that came from heaven and fell upon the altar of Jonathans heart kindling his affection to David an Heroick motion that God put into his minde which like the touch of a loadstone drew the needle of his thoughts to fix upon this pole-starre in a word when that gallant passe was made by little David upon that formidable Goliah the Philistim his head presented to Saul and his account of himself and sonship made unto the King the next word tells us how suddenly Jonathan fell in love with him and the soul of Jonathan was knit unto the soul of David 1 Sam. 18. Nichserah as if the finger of God had woven and knit two souls into one curious piece of work or tyed up two hearts into a ribband or bracelet All that the Moralists can prescribe make not out the perfection of this friendship not begotten with profit which is mercenary nor with pleasure which seeks her own end and interest sordid considerations that are won and lost for a triflle with the turning of an hand this is friendship at bowles with a self-bias But the vertue of Davids acts the grace of his sayings was the allective the own-sake and service to do David good was the end and God was the Author To neglect his own profit and apparant inheritance to a crown and the hope of a kingdome to hazard the evil will and displeasure of a King his father and to cleave so fast to an aspiring Rival and competitor against himself was wonderfull To see a souldier part with his armes 2. a courtier with his complements a Prince with his apparant expectances a politician with his pretences against his honour against his profession against hls fortunes against his family against his father against himselfe to a shepherd to plain country-swain a to divest his whole family and advance David this was divine friendship that had God to the father and Jonathan the performer 't was wonderfull For a man of his quality to covenant three times and keep them 3. of his relation to digest that disparagement to his father Saul his thousands but David his ten thousands to have the opportunity of Michal to make him away and would not be of the councell the command to kill him and to treat for his security and life to acquaint him with the danger and swear to do for him what his soul desired to hazard his mothers reputation and bring himself her within the misprision of high treason 1 Sam. 20.30 to yield to David the first title to the crown and content himself with the only hope of a second to quit himself in the next capacity and to designe it for anothers head this is a work of more then a man and a very wonder wrought in him by Almighty God Come all the paires of friends and twinnes of Amity recorded in divine or humane writings of Moses and Aaron of Joseph and Benjamin of Castor and Pollux c. The mirrors of love and friendship kissing each other in the mount clipping and entertaining in a farre different condition not accepting immortality if left without a second engaging body for body and life for life refusing honours and resigning Empires quitting lives and surrendring dear contracted spouses and put the fairest colours of all into one masterpiece and picture and Jonathan to David shall outshine them all Let the great Moralist limn and all his Commentators lay on colours to the life yet all will come too short of that love whose Original is Loves fountaine God whose subject is a Prince whose object is onely vertue whose effects are sincerity without hypocrisy charity without counterband secresy without impeachment resignation without consideration acquittance without payment continuance without revocation Beloved Use the old Picture of friendship was revived and a â—ed in our new deceased Jonathan A young man as Jonathan taking divine affection to a poor shepherd as was David young as never grown too old faire as alwayes in his flower Pagius Pâ—â— Aboâ—h bare-headed and open-fac'd as not ashamed of his friend in course clothes suited to serve you and yours to povertie it self his side open just against his heart without dawbing or dissembling his finger pointing to his bosome as ready to do from his heart whatsoever lies in his hand to do On his forehead is written summer and winter on the fringe of his garment in Life and Death and besides this posie yours at length and at hand Farre and near So you may learn to act and copy out this Jonathan of Davids and this Lucie of ours to the life So I come to my last part the Comparison Meahavath Nashim passing the love of women Nashim is taken in the best sense 7. of Nasha to forget because the name and house of their fathers is forgotten in exchange for their husbands In the worst of Nasah to deceive as if their loves were of no other use or matter then the Ignis fatuus a fire set forth to infatuate men and mock them from their wits but in the better sense it is as the moon that forgets her own shape to follow her husband the sunne The love here is interpreted passively Lyra. Serrar A Lap. in loâ— for the love men bear to women or actively as of women to men the first not so likely to be intended by David in the praise of a man yet that the man may not lose his commendation or the living their incouragement Gen. 2 let the love of Adam to the woman Eve appear in the first place when he embraced her body as the flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone loving her so farre that he lost the love of God himself and all Eden to pleasure her ne contristaret delicias suas that he might not displease his darling Aug. 2 Sam. 12. What adventures Jacob made for Rachel Shechem for Dinah Uriahs affection to Bathsheba the lamb that lay in his bosome is movingly set forth by the Prophets parable and Ezekiel was put hard to it Ezeâ— 24 15. when the desire of his eyes must be taken away and his eyes must not weep for the losse
wounded not his Liver Eyes or Ears The quiver of Christ puts three better into your hands The 1. is the Light of Scripture in this the Man of God must guide and give you aim 2. Is the Death of Nature this directs you to the life of grace The 3. is the day of Censure which keeps you in the fear of God The three first of Satans arrows he was free from and afraid of The three last he was much exercised in and well acquainted with his Example he hath bequeathed to you The Legacy Dear Mistris he hath left to you is comprised in three Counsels Have Purity in your Religion Erpenius Arab. Prov. Patience in your Condition and Prudence in your Conversation To you all and as many as follow these Rules peace be upon them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 which is in fine the vote of Your loving Countryman and humble Servant in Christ Jesus RICHARD HUNT JONATHANS BOW 2 SAM 25.26 Oh Jonathan thou wast slaine in thine high places I am distressed for thee my Brother Jonathan very pleasant hast thou been unto me thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of women IT was a solemn custome of the Hebrews to visit the graves of their Friends thereby to remind themselves of their mortalitie Novarin schedas lib. 5. sect 73. and the Bells of Aarons priestly coat were placed in the fringe and bottome of his garment to signifie to the people Origen in Exod. 28. that their passing-bell was alwayes tolling that they might consider their latter ends the bottome of life to them and the judgement to follow after Death David the sweet Singer of Israel accordingly hath lost a friend and for his commemoration and obsequies is musing on a Funeral Song whose name and title must be new and singular which himself will compose and set and then commit in charge to the men of Judah and their children sons and daughters to sing in the houses and streets all abroad as well as to the Choristers in the Quire This singular friend is Jonathan who deserves to have a Song and Lesson set to himself and that is this the Bow of Jonathan so called not for any surmised meaning to set up Artillery in the Common-wealth of Judah Willet ad locum as it was commonly mistaken but to set up and advance the life and death of Jonathan a master at that art of shooting and so excellent a Bowman that he might without arrogancy compare what all that were past challenge all then present and set a sample to all posterity so famous in their Ages Alex. ab Alex. 2 Sam. 22. as that Sythians Parthians Persians and Roman Emperors at the Bow and unexampled skill of shooting might learn of him From the Blood of the slain and the fat of the mighty the Bow of Jon. turned not back That this is the proper and approved sense and intention of David in this Title and that the men of Judah should learn the tune is the importance of the Hebrew word Chesheth the word Bow set emphatically and independently by it self without relation before or after it Serrar Sancher Cor. a Lap. Mariana and Mr. Greg. on the Plar The Seventy Translation sounds no discord but a Ditty dedicate to Lamentation to the same tune the vulgar Latine the report of Josephus that the Elegie continued to his time the custome of Israel to endite their sonnets in this sort and the consent of Gentile Authors to give some signal name and title to their tracts and poesies This Monodie nene or Lamentation funeral was recorded in the Canon and lest that should miscarry or not be exposed to common view behold it is written in the Book of Jasher where every one might read it a Letanie to be sung and a Legacie entailed to the use and memory of Jonathan and generations after him that bare the Burden of the Song O Jonathan Hence by the way we learn that Interpreters are not all in one tune and the opinions of men are of like authority unless reason and learning shew the difference Titles of Musick Lessons are not to be tampered with by unskilful hands lest they mistake a figure for a vulgar forme and dance a false measure after their own fancy like him that took Orpheus harpe supposing to himself like our unstinted fumblers that he made good musick how unskilfully soever he handled it being as St. Paul says to Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that love to hear themselves to sing or play Next to this we may consider with Solomon 2. Eccles 9.11 that the Race goes not alwayes with the swift as Asahel Mercer ex Midras Ibid. nor the Battle with the strong as Abner nor Bread to to the wise as Solomon nor Riches to men of understanding as Job nor Favour to men of skill as Moses for the swift sahel was overtaken the valiant Abner was slaine the wise Solomon by report beg'd his bread Job the wealthy was wasted to a potsheard and Moses lives not to enjoy a foot of the promised land And Jonathan how art thou made as heire apparent to the fortunes and successes of the most or all of them Proverbs how art thou cut down with the helve of thine own wood how wounded with the feathers of thine own wing how set in the stocks of thine own making how taken in thine own toyle falne in thine own pit roaring in thine own Bull slain by the bow of the Philistims thine own master-piece and weapon how doth time and chance untimely take thee away O Jonathan how wast thou slaine But now my Errand is to bend this Bow another way to teach the children of this coast and country the use of the Bow An ancient way of Triumphs was to erect great Arches or Bows of marble to the honour of worthy Patriots who had been Vindicators of their country against Enemies Pancirol de â—rcubus triumâ—h part 1. tit 28. and true deservers of renown and fame in these were written and inscrib'd the noble acts and atchievements done in memory of the actors hereof were thirty six at Rome and one thousand in the Eastern parts as in China This might be the mind of David and under favour of more knowing judgements may serve to instruct us that passe by to read and consider the merits and noble vertues of our deceased Friend and countreys Worthy who after many testimonies of grace and vertue exhibited in his life was at the last shot by a deadly Philistines arrow that drank up his Spirits riding a summers progress under the Sun that Apollo that in the camp of mankinde smites with his darts of Epidemical diseases here and there to Death Homer Il. 1. leaving us with David to erect his Arch to write his acts and publish his memorial When also all the hearts of the hearers may be so taken like untoucht instruments to resound and eccho