first encounter the Philistim receiues the first foile and shall first let in death into his eare ere it enter into his forehead Thou com'st to me with a sword and a speare and a sheild but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the host of Israel whom thou hast railed vpon This day shall the Lord close thee in my hand and I shall smite thee and take thine head from thee Here is another stile not of a boaster but of a Prophet Now shall Goliah know whence to expect his bane euen from the hands of a reuenging God that shall smite him by Dauid and now shall learne too late what it is to meddle with an enemy that goes vnder the inuisible protection of the Almighty No sooner hath Dauid spoken then his foot and hand second his tongue Hee runnes to fight with the Philistim It is a cold courage that stands onely vpon defence As a man that saw no cause of feare and was full of the ambition of victory hee flyes vpon that monster and with a stone out of his bag smites him in the forehead There was no part of Goliah that was capable of that danger but the face and that piece of the face the rest was defenced with a brazen wall which a weake sling would haue tryed to batter in vaine What could Goliah feare to see an aduersary come to him without edge or point And behold that one part hath God found out for the entrance of death He that could haue caused the stone to passe through the shield and brest-plate of Goliah rather directs the stone to that part whose nakednesse gaue aduantage Where there is power or possibility of nature God vses not to worke miracles but chuses the way that lies most open to his purposes The vaste fore-head was a faire marke but how easily might the sling haue missed it if there had not beene another hand in this cast besides Dauids Hee that guided Dauid into this field and raised his courage to this combat guides the stone to his end and lodges it in that seat of impudence There now lyes the great Defier of Israel groueling and grinning in death and is not suffered to deale one blow for his life and bites the vnwelcome earth for indignation that he dies by the hand of a Shepheard Earth and Hell share him betwixt them such is the end of insolence and presumption O God what is flesh and blood to thee which canst make a little peeble-stone stronger then a Gyant and when thou wilt by the weakest meanes canst strew thine enemies in the dust Where now are the two shields of Goliah that they did not beare off this stroke of death or wherefore serues that Weauers beame but to strike the earth in falling or that sword but to behead his Master What needed Dauid load himselfe with an vnnecessary weapon one sword can serue both Goliah and him If Goliah had a man to beare his shield Dauid had Goliah to beare his sword wherewith that proud blasphemous head is seuered from his shoulders Nothing more honours God then the turning of wicked mens forces against themselues There is none of his enemies but caries with them their owne destruction Thus didst thou O Sonne of Dauid foyle Satan with his owne weapon that whereby he meant destruction to thee and vs vanquished him through thy mighty power and raised thee to that glorious triumph and super-exaltation wherein thou art wherein we shall bee with thee IONATHANS Loue and SAVLS Enuy. BEsides the discomsiture of the Philistims Dauids victory had a double issue Ionathans Loue and Sauls Enuy which God so mixed that the one was a remedy of the other A good sonne makes amends for a way-ward father How precious was that stone that killed such an enemy as Goliah and purchased such a friend as Ionathan All Sauls Courtiers lookt vpon Dauid none so affected him none did match him but Ionathan That true correspondence that was both in their faith and valour hath knit their hearts If Dauid did set vpon a Beare a Lyon a Gyant Ionathan had set vpon a whole Host and preuailed The same Spirit animated both the same Faith incited both the same Hand prospered both All Israel was not worth this paire of friends so zealously confident so happily victorious Similitude of dispositions and estates tyes the fastest knots of affection A wise soule hath piercing eyes and hath quickly discerned the likenesse of it selfe in another as we doe no sooner looke into the Glasse or Water but face answers to face and where it sees a perfect resemblance of it selfe cannot choose but loue it with the same affection that it reflects vpon it selfe No man saw Dauid that day which had so much cause to dis-affect him none in all Israel should be a loser by Dauids successe but Ionathan Saul was sure enough setled for his time onely his Successor should forgoe all that which Dauid should gaine so as none but Dauid stands in Ionathans light and yet all this cannot abate one ior or dram of his loue Where God vniteth hearts carnall respects are too weake to disseuer them since that which breakes off affection must needs be stronger then that which conioyneth it Ionathan doth not desire to smother his loue by concealment but professes it in his cariage actions He puts off the Robe that was vpon him and all his garments euen to his Sword and Bow and Girdle giues them vnto his new friend It was perhaps not without a mystery that Sauls cloths fitted not Dauid but Ionathans fitted him and these he is as glad to weare as he was to be disburthened of the other that there might be a perfect resemblance their bodies are suted as well as their hearts Now the beholders can say there goes Ionathans other selfe If there bee another body vnder those clothes there is the same soule Now Dauid hath cast off his russet coate and his scrip and is a Shepheard no more he is suddenly become both a Courtier and a Captaine and a Companion to the Prince yet himselfe is not changed with his habit with his condition yea rather as if his wisedome had reserued it selfe for his exaltation he so manageth a sudden Greatnesse as that he winneth all hearts Honour shewes the man and if there be any blemishes of imperfection they will bee seene in the man that is inexpectedly lifted aboue his fellowes He is out of the danger of folly whom a speedy aduancement leaueth wise Ionathan loued Dauid the Souldiers honoured him the Court fauoured him the people applauded him onely Saul stomackt him and therefore hated him because he was so happy in all besides himselfe It had beene a shame for all Israel if they had not magnified their Champion Sauls owne heart could not but tell him that they did owe the glory of that day and the safety of himselfe and Israel vnto the sling of Dauid who in
Philistims may be against him The purpose of any fauour is more then the value of it Euen the greatest honours may be giuen with an intent of destruction Many a man is raised vp for a fall So forward is Saul in the match that hee sends spokes men to sollicit Dauid vnto that honour which he hopes will proue the high-way to death The dowry is set An hundred fore-skins of the Philistims not their heads but their fore-skins that this victory might bee more ignominious still thinking why may not one Dauid miscary as well as an hundred Philistims And what doth Sauls enuy all this while but enhance Dauids zeale and valour and glorie That good Captaine little imagining that himselfe was the Philistim whom Saul maligned supererogates of his Master and brings two hundred for one and returnes home safe and renowned neither can Saul now fly for shame There is no remedy but Dauid must be a sonne where he was a riuall and Saul must feed vpon his owne heart since he cannot see Dauids Gods blessing graces equally together with mans malice neither can they deuise which way to make vs more happy then by wishing vs euill MICHALS wyle THis aduantage can Saul yet make of Dauids promotion that as his Aduersarie is raised higher so hee is drawne nearer to the opportunity of death Now hath his enuy cast off all shame and since those craftie plots succeed not hee directly subornes Murtherers of his riuall There is none in all the Court that is not set on to bee an Executioner Ionathan himselfe is sollicited to imbrue his hand in the blood of his friend of his Brother Saul could not but see Ionathans cloathes on Dauids backe he could not but know the league of their loue yet because he knew withall how much the prosperitie of Dauid would preiudice Ionathan he hoped to haue found him his sonne in malice Those that haue the Iaundis see all things yellow those which are ouergrowne with malicious passions thinke all men like themselues I doe not heare of any reply that Ionathan made to his father when he gaue him that bloody charge but he waits for a fit time to disswade him from so cruell an iniustice Wisdome had taught him to giue way to rage and in so hard an aduenture to craue aide of opportunitie If we be not carefull to obserue good moodes when wee deale with the passionate we may exasperate in stead of reforming Thus did Ionathan who knowing how much better it is to be a good friend then an ill sonne had not onely disclosed that ill counsell but when be found his father in the fields in a calmes temper laboured to diuert it And so farre doth the seasonable and pithy Oratory of Ionathan preuaile that Saul is conuinced of his wrong and sweares As God liues Dauid shall not die Indeed how could it be otherwise vpon the plea of Dauids innocence and well-deseruings How could Saul say he should dye whom hee could accuse of nothing but faithfulnesse Why should he designe him to death which had giuen life to all Israel Oft-times wicked mens iudgements are forced to yeeld vnto that truth against which their affections maintaine a rebellion Euen the foulest hearts doe sometimes entertaine good motions like as on the contrary the holiest soules giue way sometimes to the suggestions of euill The flashes of lightning may be discerned in the darkest Prisons But if good thoughts looke into a wicked heart they stay not there as those that like not their lodging they are soone gone Hardly any thing distinguishes betwixt good and euill but continuance The light that shines into an holy heart is constant like that of the Sunne which keepes due times and varies not his course for any of these sublunary occasions The Philistim Warres renue Dauids victories and Dauids victory renues Sauls enuy and Sauls enuy renues the plots of Dauids death Vowes and Oaths are forgotten That euill spirit which vexes Saul hath found so much fauour with him as to winne him to these bloody machinations against an innocent His owne hands shall first bee imployed in this execution The speare which hath twice before threatned death to Dauid shall now once againe goe vpon that message Wise Dauid that knew the danger of an hollow friend and reconciled enemy and that found more cause to mind Sauls earnest then his owne play giues way by his nimblenesse to that deadly weapon and resigning that stroke vnto the wall flies for his life No man knowes how to be sure of an vnconscionable man If either goodnesse or merit or affinitie or reasons or oaths could secure a man Dauid had been safe now if his heeles doe not more befriend him then all these hee is a dead man No sooner is hee gone then messengers are sped after him It hath been seldome seene that wickednesse wanted Executioners Dauids house is beset with Murderers which watch at all his doores for the opportunitie of blood Who can but wonder to see how God hath fetch from the loines of Saul a remedy for the malice of Sauls heart His owne children are the onely meanes to crosse him in the sinne and to preserue his guiltlesse Aduersarie Michal hath more then notice of the plot and with her subtill with countermines her father for the rescue of an Husband Shee taking the benefit of the night lets Dauid downe through a window Hee is gone and disappoints the ambushes of Saul The messengers begin to be impatient of this delay and now thinke it time to inquire after their Prisoner She whiles them off with the excuse of Dauids sicknes so as now her Husband had good leisure for his escape and layes a Statue in his bed Saul likes the newes of any euill befalne to Dauid but fearing he is not sicke enough sends to aide his disease The messengers returne and rushing into the house with their Swords drawne after some harsh words to their imagined charge surprize a sicke Statue lying with a Pillow vnder his head and now blush to see they haue spent all their threats vpon a senselesse stocke and made themselues ridiculous whiles they would be seruiceable But how shall Michal answer this mockage vnto her furious father Hitherto shot hath done like Dauid wife now she begins to be Sauls Daughter He said to me Let me goe or else I will kill thee Shee whose wit had deliuered her Husband from the Sword of her Father now turnes the edge of her Fathers wrath from her selfe to her Husband His absence made her presume of his safety If Michal had not bin of Sauls plot he had neuer expostulated with her in those termes Why hast thou let mine enemy escapeâ— neither had she framed that answer He said Let me goe I doe not find any great store of religion in Michal for both she had an Image in the house afterward mocked Dauid for his deuotion yet Nature hath taught her to prefer an Husband to a Father to chide a
Father from whom she could not fly to saue an Husband which durst not â—ot fly from her The bonds of matrimoniall loue are and should bee stronger then those of nature Those respects are mutuall which God appointed in the first institution of Wedlocke That Husband and Wife should leaue Father and Mother for each others sake Treason is euer odious but so much more in the Mariage-bed by how much the obligations are deeper As she loued her husband better then her Father so shee loued her selfe better then her husband she saued her husband by a wyle and now shee saues her selfe by a lye and loses halfe the thanke of her deliuerance by an officious slander Her act was good but she wants courage to maintaine it and therefore seekes to the weake shelter of vntruth Those that doe good offices not out of conscience but good nature or ciuility if they meet an effront of danger seldome come off cleanly but are ready to catch at all excuses though base though iniurious because their grounds are not strong enough to beare them out in suffering for that which they haue well done Whither doth Dauid fly but to the Sanctuary of Samuel He doth not though he knew himselfe gracious with the Souldiers raise forces or take some strong Fort and there stand vpon his owne defence and at defiance with his King but he gets him to the Colledge of the Prophets as a man that would seeke the peaceable protection of the King of Heauen against the vniust fury of a King on earth Onely the wing of God shall hide him from that violence God intended to make Dauid not a Warriour and a King onely but a Prophet too As the field fitted him for the first and the Court for the second so Naioth shall fit him for the third Doubtlesse such was Dauids delight in holy meditations he neuer spent his time so contentedly as when he was retired to that diuine Academie and so full freedome to enioy God and to satiate himselfe with heauenly exercises The only doubt is how Samuel can giue harbour to a man fled from the anger of his Prince wherein the very persons of both giue abundant satisfaction for both Samuel knew the councell of God and durst doe nothing without it and Dauid was by Samuel anointed from God This Vnction was a mutuall Bond Good reason had Dauid to sue to him which had powred the Oile on his head for the hiding of that head which he had anointed and good reason had Samuel to hide him whom God by his meanes had chosen from him whom God had by his sentence reiected besides that the cause deserued commiseration Here was not a Malefactor running away from Iustice but an innocent auoiding Murder not a Traitor countenanced against his Soueraigne but the Deliuerer of Israel harboured in a Sanctuary of Prophets till his peace might bee made Euen thither doth Saul send to apprehend Dauid All his rage did not incense him against Samuel as the Abettor of his Aduersarie Such an impression of reuerence had the person and calling of the Prophet left in the minde of Saul that hee cannot thinke of lifting vp his hand against him The same God which did at the first put an awe of man in the fiercest creatures hath stamped in the cruellest hearts a reuerent respect to his owne image in his Ministers so as euen they that hate them doe yet honour them Sauls messengers came to lay hold on Dauid God layes hold on them No sooner doe they see a company of Prophets busie in these diuine Exercises vnder the moderation of Samuel then they are turned from Executioners to Prophets It is good going vp to Naioth into the holy Assemblies who knows how we may be changed beside our intention Many a one hath come into Gods House to carpe or scoffe or sleepe or gaze that hath returned a Conuert The same heart that was thus disquieted with Dauids happy successe is now vexed with the holinesse of his other Seruants Irangdrs him that Gods Spirit could finde no other time to seize vpon his Agents then when he had sent them to kill And now out of an indignation at this disappointment himselfe will goe and be his owne Seruant His guilty soule finds it selfe out of the danger of being thus surprised And behold Saul is no sooner come within the smell of the smoke of Naioth then hee also prophesies The same Spirit that when hee went first from Samuel inabled him to prophesie returnes in the same effect now that he was going his last vnto Samuel This was such a grace as might well stand with reiection an extraordinarie gift of the spirit but nor sanctifying Many men haue had their mouthes opened to prophesie vnto others whose hearts haue beene deafe to God But this such as it was was farre from Sauls purpose who in stead of expostulating with Samuel fals downe before him and laying aside his weapons and his Robes of a Tyrant proues for the time a Disciple All hearts are in the hand of their maker how easie is it for him that gaue them their being to frame them to his owne bent Who can be afraid of malice that knowes what hookes God hath in the nosthrils of men and Deuils What charmes he hath for the most Serpentine hearts DAVID and AHIMELECH WHO can euer iudge of the Children by the Parents that knowes Ionathan was the son of Saul There was neuer a falser heart then Sauls there was neuer a truer friend then Ionathan Neither the hope of a Kingdome nor the frownes of a Father not the feare of death can remoue him from his vowed amity No Sonne could be more officious and dutifull to a good father yet he layes down nature at the foot of grace and for the preseruation of his innocent Riuall for the Kingdome crosses the bloody designes of his owne Parent Dauid needs no other Counsellor no other Aduocate no other Intelligencer then hee It is not in the power of Sauls vnnaturall reproches or of his Speare to make Ionathan any other then a friend and patron of innocence Euen after all these difficulties doth Ionathan shoot beyond Dauid that Saul may shoot short of him In vaine are those professions of loue which are not answered with action He is no true friend that besides talke is not ready both to doe and suffer Saul is no whit the better for his propecying he no sooner rises vp from before Samuel then he pursues Dauid Wicked men are rather the worse for those transitorie good motions they haue receiued If the Swine be neuer so cleane washed shee will wallow againe That we haue good thoughts it is no thanke to vs that wee answer them not it is both our sinne and iudgement Dauid hath learned not to trust these fits of deuotion but flyes from Samuel to Ionathan from Ionathan to Ahimelech when he was hunted from the Prophet he flyes to the Priest as one that knew iustice and compassion
abasement Heroicall and that the onely way to true glory is not to be ashamed of our lowest humiliation vnto God Well might he promise himselfe honour from those whose contempt she had threatned The hearts of men are not their owne he that made them ouer-rules them and inclines them to an honourable conceit of those that honour their Maker So as holy men haue oft times inward reuerence euen where they haue outward indignities Dauid came to blesse his house Mical brings a curse vpon her selfe Her scornes shall make her childlesse to the day of her death Barrennesse was held in those times none of the least iudgements God doth so reuenge Dauids quarrell vpon Mical that her sudden disgrace shall be recompenced with perpetuall She shall not be held worthy to beare a sonne to him whom she vniustly contemned How iust is it with God to prouide whips for the backe of scorners It is no maruell if those that mocke at goodnesse be plagued with continuall fruitlesnesse MEPHIBOSHETH and ZIBA SO soone as euer Dauid can but breathe himselfe from the publike cares hee casts backe his thoughts to the deare remembrance of his Ionathan Sauls seruant is likely to giue him the best intelligence of Sauls sonnes The question is therefore moued to Ziba Remaineth there yet none of the house of Saul and lest suspition might conceale the remainders of an emulous liue in feare of reuenge intended he addes On whom I may shew the mercy of God for Ionathans sake O friendship worthy of the Monuments of Eternity fit only to requite him whose loue was more than the loue of women Hee doth not say Is there any of the house of Ionathan but of Saul that for his friends sake hee may shew fauour to the Posterity of his Persecutor Ionathans loue could not bee greater than Sauls malice which also suruiued long in his issue from whom Dauid found a busie and stubborne riualitie for the Crowne of Israel yet as one that gladly buried all the hostilitie of Sauls house in Ionathans graue hee askes Is there any man left of Sauls house that I may shew him mercie for Ionathans sake It is true loue that ouerliuing the person of a friend will bee inherited of his seed but to loue the posteritie of an enemie in a friend it is the miracle of friendship The formall amitie of the World is confined to a face or to the possibility of recompence languishing in the disabilitie and dying in the decease of the party affected That loue was euer false that is not euer constant and then most operatiue when it cannot be either knowne or requited To cut off all vnquiet competition for the Kingdome of Israel the prouidence of God had so ordered that there is none left of the house of Saul besides the sonnes of his Concubines saue only young and lame Mephihosheth so young that hee was but fiue yeeres of age when Dauid entred vpon the Gouernment of Israel so lame that if his age had fitted his impotence had made him vnfit for the Throne Mephibosheth was not borne a Cripple it was an heedlesse Nurse that made him so She hearing of the death of Saul and Ionathan made such haste to flee that her young Master was lamed with the fall Yw is there needed no such speed to runne away from Dauid whose loue pursues the hidden sonne of his brother Ionathan How often doth our ignorant mistaking cause vs to runne from our bestfriends and to catch knockes and maimes of them that professe our protection MEPHIBOSHETH could not come otherwise than fearefully into the presence of Dauid whom hee knew so long so spitefully opposed by the house of Saul hee could not bee ignorant that the fashion of the World is to build their owne security vpon the bloud of the opposite faction neither to thinke themselues safe whiles any branch remaines springing out of that root of their emulation Seasonably doth Dauid therefore first expell all those vniust doubts ere hee administer his further cordials Feare not for I will surely shew thee kindnesse for Ionathan thy fathers sake and will restore thee all the fields of Saul thy father and thou shalt eate bread at my table continually Dauid can see neither Sauls bloud nor lame legs in Mephibosheth whiles he sees in him the features of his friend Ionathan how much lesse shall the God of mercies regard our infirmities or the corrupt bloud of our sinfull Progenitors whiles he beholds vs in the face of his Sonne in whom he is well pleased Fauours are wont so much more to affect vs as they are lesse expected by vs Mephibosheth as ouer-ioyed with so comfortable a word and confounded in himselfe at the remembrance of the contrary-deseruings of his Family bowes himselfe to the earth and sayes What is thy seruant that thou shouldst looke vpon such a dead Dog as I am I find no defect of wit though of limmes in Mepihbesheth hee knew himselfe the Grand-childe of the King of Israel the sonne of Ionathan the lawfull heire of both yet in regard of his owne impotencie and the trespasse and reiection of his house hee thus abaseth himselfe vnto Dauid Humiliation is a right vse of Gods affliction What if hee were borne great If the sinne of his Grandfather hath lost his estate and the hand of his Nurse hath deformed and disabled his person hee now forgets what hee was and cals himselfe worse than hee is A Dogge Yet a liuing Dogge is better than a dead Lion there is dignity and comfort in life Mephibosheth is therefore a dead Dogge vnto Dauid It is not for vs to nourish the same spirits in our aduerse estate that wee found in our highest prosperitie What vse haue wee made of Gods hand if wee bee not the lower with ourfall God intends wee should carry our crosse not make a fire of it to warme vs It is no bearing vp our sayles in a tempest Good Dauid cannot dis-esteeme Mephibosheth euer the more for disparaging himselfe hee loues and honours this humilitie in the Sonne of Ionathan There is no more certaine way to glory and aduancement than a lowly deiection of our selues Hee that made himselfe a Dogge and therefore fit onely to lye vnder the table yea a dead Dogge and therefore fit onely for the ditch is raised vp to the table of a King his seat shall bee honourable yea royall his fare delicious his attendance noble How much more will our gracious God lift vp our heads vnto true honour before men and Angels if wee can bee sincerely humbled in his sight If wee miscall our selues in the meanenesse of our conceits to him hee giues vs a new name and sets vs at the Table of his glorie It is contrary with GOD and men if they reckon of vs as wee set our selues hee values vs according to our abasements Like a Prince truely munificent and faithfull Dauid promises and performes at once Ziba Sauls seruant hath the charge giuen him of
say Come vp we will goe vp for God hath deliuered them into our hands If they say Tarry till we come to you we will stand still Ionathan was too wise to trust vnto a casuall presage There might be some farre fetcht coniectures of the euent from the word We will come to you was a threat of resolution Come you to vs was a challenge of feare or perhaps Come vp to vs was a word of insultation from them that trusted to the inaccessiblenesse of the place and multitudes of men Insultation is from pride pride argued a fâ—ll but faith hath nothing to doe with probabilities as that which acknowledgeth no Argument but demonstration If there hid not beene an instinct from GOD of this assured warrant of successe Ionathan had presumed in stead of beleeuing and had tempted that GOD whom hee professed to glorifie by his trust There can be no faith where there is no promise and where there is a promise there can be no presumption Words are voluntary The tongues of the Philistims were as free to say Tarry as Come That God in whom our very tongues moue ouerruled them so as now they shall speake that word which shall cut their owne throats They knew no more harme in Come then Tarry both were alike safe for the sound for the sense but he that put a signification of their slaughter in the one not in the other did put that word into their mouth whereby they might inuite their owne destruction The disposition of our words are from the prouidence of the Almighty God and our hearts haue not alwayes the same meaning in our speeches In those words which we speake at random or out of affectation God hath a further drift of his owne glory and perhaps our iudgement If wicked men say Our tongues are our owne they could not say so but from him whom they defie in saying so and who makes their tongue their executioner No sooner doth Ionathan heare this inuitation then hee answers it Hee whose hands had learned neuer to faile his heart puts himselfe vpon his hands and knees to climbe vp into this danger the exploit was not more difficult then the way the paine of the passage was equall to the perill of the enterprize that his faith might equally triumph ouer both he doth not say how shall I get vp much lesse which way shall I get downe againe but as if the ground were leuell and the action dangerlesse hee puts himselfe into the view of the Philistims Faith is neuer so glorious as when it hath most opposition and will not see it Reason lookes euer to the meanes Faith to the end and in stead of consulting how to effect resolues what shall be effected The way to heauen is more steepe more painfull O God! how perillous a passage hast thou appointed for thy labouring Pilgrims If difficulties will discourage vs we shall but climbe to fall When we are lifting vp our foot to the last step there are the Philistims of death of temptations to grapple with giue vs but faith and turne vs loose to the spight either of Earth or Hell Ionathan is now on the top of the hill and now as if he had an army at his heeles he flyes vpon the hoste of the Philistims his hands that might haue beene weary with climbing are immediately commanded to fight and deale as many deaths as blowes to the amazed enemie He needs not walke farre for this execution Himselfe and his Armour-bearer in one halfe acres space haue slaine twenty Philistims It is not long since Ionathan smote their Garison in the hill of Geba perhaps from that time his name and presence carried terror in it but sure if the Philistims had not seene and felt more then a man in the face and hands of Ionathan they had not so easily groueled in death The blowes and shrikes cannot but affect the next who with a ghastly noise ranne away from death and afright their fellowes no lesse then themselues are afrighted The clamour and feare runnes on like fire in a traine to the very formost rankes Euery man would flye and thinkes there is so much more cause of flight for that his eares apprehend all his eyes nothing Each man thinkes his fellow stands in his way and therefore in stead of turning vpon him which was the cause of their flight they bend their swords vpon those whom they imagine to be the hinderers of their flight and now a miraculous astonishment hath made the Philistims Ionathans Champions and Executioners He followes and kils those which helped to kill others and the more he killed the more they feared and fled and the more they killed each other in the flight and that feare it selfe might preuent Ionathan in killing them the earth it selfe trembles vnder them Thus doth God at once strike them with his owne hand with Ionathans with theirs and makes them runne away from life whiles they would flye from an enemie Where the Almighty purposes destruction to any people hee needs not call in forraigne powers he needs not any hands or weapons but their own He can make vast bodies die no other death then their owne waight We cannot be sure to be friends among our selues whiles God is our enemy The Philistims flye fast but the newes of their flight ouer-runnes them euen vnto Sauls Pomegranate Tree The Watchmen discerne afarre off a flight and execution search is made Ionathan is found missing Saul will consult with the Arke Hypocrites while they haue leisure will perhaps be holy For some fits of deuotion they cannot bee bettered But when the tumult encreased Sauls piety decreases It is now no season to talke with a Priest withdraw thine hand Ahaiah the Ephod must giue place to Armes It is more time to fight then to pray what needs he Gods guidance when he sees his way before him He that before would needs sacrifice ere hee fought will now in the other extreame fight in a wilfull indeuotion Worldly minds regard holy duties no further then may stand with their owne carnall purposes Very easie occasions shall interrupt them in their religious intentions like vnto children which if a Bird doe but flye in their way cast their eye from their booke But if Saul serue not God in one kind he will serue him in another if he honour him not by attending on the Arke hee will honour him by a vow His negligence in the one is recompenced with his zeale in the other All Israel is adiured not to eate any food vntill the euening Hypocrisie is euer masked with a blind and thanklesse zeale To wait vpon the Arke and to consult with Gods Priest in all cases of importance was a direct commandement of God To eate no food in the pursuit of their enemies was not commanded Saul leaues that which he was bidden and does that which he was not required To eate no food all day was more difficult then to attend an houre vpon
against this Philistim to fight with him for thou art a boy and hee is a man of warre from his youth Euen Saul seconds Eliab in the conceit of this disparitie and if Eliab speake out of enuy Saul speakes out of iudgement both iudge as they were iudged of by the stature All this cannot weaken that heart which receiues his strength from faith Dauids greatest conflict is with his friends The ouercomming of their disswasions that he might fight was more worke then to ouercome his enemy in fighting Hee must first iustifie his strength to Saul ere he may proue it vpon Goliah Valour is neuer made good but by tryall He pleads the tryall of his puissance vpon the Beare and the Lyon that hee may haue leaue to proue it vpon a worse beast then they Thy seruant slew both the Lyon and the Beare therefore this vncircumcised Philistim shall be as one of them Experience of good successe is no small comfort to the heart this giues possibilitie and hope but no certainty Two things there were on which Dauid built his confidence on Goliahs sinne and Gods deliuerance Seeing he hath railed on the host of the liuing God The Lord that deliuered me out of the pawes of the Lion and the Beare he wil deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistim Well did Dauid know that if this Philistims skin had beene as hard as the brasse of his shield his sinne would make it penetrable by euery stroke After all brags of manhood hee is impotent that hath prouoked God Whiles other labour for outward fortification happy and safe were wee if we could labour for innocence Hee that hath found God present in one extremitie may trust him in the next Euery sensible fauour of the Almightie inuites both his gifts and our trust Resolution thus grounded makes euen Saul himselfe confident Dauid shall haue both his leaue and his blessing If Dauid came to Saul as a Shepheard hee shall goe toward Goliah as a Warriour The attire of the King is not too rich for him that shall fight for his King and Country Little did Saul thinke that his helmet was now on that head which should once weare his crowne Now that Dauid was arrayed in the warlike habit of a King and girded with his sword hee lookt vpon himselfe and thought this outside glorious but when he offred to walke and found that the attire was not so strong as vnweeldy and that it might be more for show then vse hee layes downe these accoustrements of honor and as caring rather to bee an homely victor then a glorious spoile he craues pardon to goe in no clothes but his owne he takes his staffe in stead of the speare his shepherds scrip in stead of his brigandine and in stead of his sword hee takes his sling and in stead of darts and iauelins hee takes fiue smooth stones out of the brooke Let Sauls coate bee neuer rich and his armour neuer so strong what is Dauid the better if they fit him not It is not to bee enquired how excellent any thing is but how proper Those things which are helpes to some may be encombrances to others An vnmeet good may be as inconuenient as an accustomed euill If we could wish another mans honor when wee feele the weight of his cares we should be glad to be in our owne cote Those that depend vpon the strength of Faith though they neglect not meanes yet they are not curious in the proportion of outward meanes to the effect desired Where the heart is armed with an assured confidence a sling and a stone are weapons enow to the vnbeleeuing no helps are sufficient Goliah though he were presumptuous enough yet had one shield caried before him another hee caried on his shoulder neither will his sword alone content him but he takes his speare too Dauids armour is his plaine shepheards russet and the brooke yeelds him his artillery and he knowes there is more safety in his cloth then in the others brasse and more danger in his peebles then the others speare Faith giues both heart and armes The inward munition is so much more noble because it is of proofe for both soule and body If we be furnished with this how boldly shall wee meet with the powers of darknesse and goe away more then conquerors Neither did the quality of Dauids weapons bewray more confidence then the number If he will put his life and victory vpon the stones of the brooke why doth he not fill his scrip full of them why will he content himselfe with fiue Had he been furnished with store the aduantage of his nimblenesse might haue giuen him hope If one faile that yet another might speed But now this paucity puts the dispatch to a sudden hazard and he hath but fiue stones cast either to death or victory still the fewer helps the stronger faith Dauid had an instinct from God that he should ouercome he had not a particular direction how he should ouercome For had he beene at first resolued vpon the sling and stone he had saued the labor of girding his sword It seemes whiles they were addressing him to the combat he made account of hand-blowes now he is purposed rather to send then bring death to his aduersarie In either or both he durst trust God with the successe and before-hand through the conflict saw the victorie It is sufficient that wee know the issue of our fight If our weapons and wards vary according to the occasion giuen by God that is nothing to the euent sure we are that if we resist we shall ouercome and if wee ouercome wee shall be crowned When Dauid appeared in the lists to so vnequall an aduersarie as many eyes were vpon him so in those eyes diuers affections The Israelites lookt vpon him with pitty and feare and each man thought Alas why is this comely stripling suffred to cast away himselfe vpon such a monster why will they let him goe vnarmed to such an affray Why will Saul hazard the honour of Israel on so vnlikely an head The Philistims especially their great Champion lookt vpon him with scorne disdayning so base a combitant Am I a dog that thou com'st to me with staues What could be said more fitly Hadst thou beene any other then a dog O Goliah thou hadst neuer opened thy foule mouth to barke against the host of God and the God of hosts If Dauid had thought thee any other then a very dogge hee had neuer come to thee with a staffe and a stone The last words that euer the Philistim shall speak are curses brags Come to me and I will giue thy flesh vnto the Fowles of the heauen and the beasts of the field Seldome euer was there a good end of ostentation Presumption is at once the presage and cause of ruine He is a weake aduersary that can bee killed with words That man which could not feare the Gyants hand cannot feare his tongue If words shall
God take aduantage of it for his ouerthrow but giues him protection euen where his presence offended and giues him fauour where himselfe bore iust hatred Oh the infinite patience and mercy of our God who doth good to vs for our euill and in the very act of our prouocation vpholdeth yea blesseth vs with preseruation COVLD Saul haue rightly considered it hee had found it no small losse and impayring to his Kingdome that so valiant a Captaine attended with sixe hundred able Souldiers and their Families should forsake his Land and ioyne with his enemies yet hee is not quiet till hee haue abandoned his owne strength The world hath none so great enemy to a wicked man as himselfe his hands cannot bee held from his owne mischiefe hee will needs make his friends enemies his enemies victors himselfe miserable DAVID was too wise to cast himselfe into the hands of a Philistim King without assurance What assurance could hee haue but promises Those Dauid had from Saul abundantly and trusted them not Hee dares trust the fidelity of a Pagan hee dares not trust the vowes of a King of Israel There may be fidelitie without the Church and falshood within It need not bee any newes to finde some Turkes true and some Christians faithlesse EVEN vnwise men are taught by experience how much more they who haue wit to learne without it Dauid had well found what it was to liue in a Court Hee therefore whom Enuie droue from the Court of Israel voluntarily declines the Philistim Court and sues for a Country-habitation It had not beene possible for so noted a stranger after so much Philistim-bloud shed to liue long in such eminency amongst the prease of those whose sonnes or brothers or fathers or allies hee had slaughtered without some perillous machination of his ruine therefore hee makes suit for an early remoue For why should thy seruant dwell in the chiefe Citie of the Kingdome with thee Those that would stand sure must not affect too much height or conspicuitie The tall Cedars are most subiect to windes and lightnings whiles the shrubs of the Valleyes stand vnmooued Much greatnesse doth but make a fairer marke for euill There is true firmnesse and safetie in mediocritie How rarely is it seene that a man loseth by his modestie The change fell out well to Dauid of Ziklag for Gath Now hee hath a Citie of his owne All Israel where he was annointed afforded him not so much possession Now the Citie which was anciently assigned to Iudah returnes to the iust Owner and is by this meanes entayled to the Crowne of Dauids Successours Besides that now might Dauid liue out of the fight and hearing of the Philistim Idolatries and enioy God no lesse in the wals of a Philistim-Citie than in an Israelitish wildernesse withal an happy oportunitie was now opened to his friends of Irael to resort vnto his aide the heads of the thousands that were of Menasseh and many valiant Captaines of the other Tribes fell daily to him and raised his six hundred followers to an army like the host of God The deserts of Israel could neuer haue yeelded Dauid so great an aduantage That God whose the earth is makes roome for his owne euery where and oft-times prouideth them a forraine home more kindly than the natiue It is no matter for change of our soyle so we change not our God If we can euery-where acknowledge him he will no where bee wanting to vs. IT was not for Gods Champion to be idle no sooner is he free from Sauls sword than he beginnes â—n offensiue warre against the Amalekites Girzites Geshurites Hee knew these Nations branded by God to destruction neither could his increasing Army bee maintained with a little By one act therefore hee both reuenges for God and prouides for his Host Had it not beene for that olde quarrell which God had with this people Dauid could not be excused from a bloudy cruelty in killing whole Countries onely for the benefit of the spoyle Now his Souldiers were at once Gods Executioners and their owne Forragers The interuention of a command from the Almighty alters the state of any act and makes that worthy of praise which else were no better than damnable It is now Iustice which were otherwise Murder The will of God is the rule of good what need we enquire into other reasons of any act or determination when we heare it comes from Heauen How many hundred yeares had this brood of Cananites liued securely in their Countrey since God commanded them to bee rooted out and now promised themselues the certainest peace The Philistims were their friends if not their LORDS The Israelites had their hands full neither did they know any grudge betwixt them and their Neighbours when suddenly the Sword of Dauid cuts them off and leaues none aliue to tell the newes THERE is no safetie in protraction with men delay causeth forgetfulnesse or abates the force of anger as all violent motions are weakest at the furthest but with him to whom all times are present what can bee gained by prorogation Alas what can it preuaile any of the cursed seed of Canaan that they haue made a truce with Heauen and a league with Hell Their day is comming and is not the further off because they expect it not MISERABLE were the straits of Dauid while hee was driuen not onely to maintaine his Armie by spoyle but to colour his spoyle by a sinfull dissimulation Hee tels Achish that hee had beene rouing against the South of Iudah and the South of the Ierahmelites and the South of the Kenites either falsly or doubtfully so as hee meant to deceiue him vnder whom he liued and by whom hee was trusted If Achish were a Philistim yet hee was Dauids friend yea his Patron and if hee had bin neither it had not becomne Dauid to bee false The infirmities of Gods children neuer appeare but in their extremities It is hard for the best man to say how far hee will bee tempted If a man will put himselfe among Philistims hee cannot promise to come forth innocent How easily doe wee beleeue that which we wish The more credit Achish giues vnto Dauid the more sinne it was to deceiue him And now the conceit of this ingagement procures him a further seruice The Philistims are assembled to fight with Israel Achish dares trust Dauid on his side yea to keepe his head for euer neither can Dauid doe any lesse than promise his aid against his owne flesh Neuer was Dauid in all his life driuen to so hard an exigent neuer was hee so extremely perplexed For what should hee doe now To fight with Achish hee was tyed by promise by merit Not to fight against Israel hee was tyed by his calling by his vnction Not to fight for Achish were to bee vnthankfull To fight against Israel were to bee vnnaturall Oh what an inward battle must Dauid needs haue in his brest when hee thinkes of this battle of Israel
god his deuotion can bee but his pleasure whereas the mortified soule hath learned to scorne these friuolous and sinfull ioyes and affects either solid delights or none and had rather be dull for want of mirth then transported with wanton pleasures When the world like an important Minstrell thrusts it selfe into his chamber and offers him musicke vnsought if he vouchsafe it the hearing it is the highest fauour he dare or can yeeld He rewards it not he commends it not Yea hee secretly lothes those harsh and iarring notes and reiects them For he finds a better consort within betwixt God and himselfe when he hath a little tuned his heart with meditation To speake fully the World is like an ill foole in a Play the Christian is a iudicious spectator which thinkes those iests too grosse to be laught at and therefore entertaines that with scorne which others with applause Yet in truth we finne if wee reioyce not there is not more error in false mirth then in vniust heauinesse If worldlings offend that they laugh when they should mourne we shall offend no lesse if we droop in cause of cheerefulnesse Shall we enuy or scorne to see one ioy in red and white drosse another in a vaine title one in a dainty dish another in a iest one in a book another in a friend one in a Kite another in a Dogge whiles wee enioy the God of Heauen and are sorrowfull What dull metall is this we are made of We haue the fountaine of ioy and yet complaine of heauinesse Is there any ioy without God Certainly if ioy be good and all goodnesse bee from him whence should ioy arise but from him And if hee be the author of ioy how are we Christians and reioyce not What do we freeze in the fire and starue at a feast Haue we a good conscience and yet pine and hang down the head When God hath made vs happy doe we make our selues miserable When I aske my heart Dauids question I know not whether I bee more angry or ashamed at the answer Why art thou sad my soule My body my purse my fame my friends or perhaps none of these onely I am sad because I am And what if all these what if more when I come to my better wits Haue I a father an aduocate a comforter a mansion in heauen If both earth and hell conspired to afflict me my sorrow cannot counteruaile the causes of my ioy Now I can challenge all aduersaries and either defie all miseries or bid all crosses yea death it selfe welcome Yet God doth not abridge vs of these earthly solaces which dare weigh with our discontentments and sometimes depresse the balance His greater light doth not extinguish the lesse If God had not thought them blessings hee had not bestowed them and how are they blessings if they delight vs not Bookes friends wine oyle health reputation competencie may giue occasions but not bounds to our reioycings We may not make them Gods riualls but his spokes-men In themselues they are nothing but in God worth our ioy These may be vsed yet so as they may bee absent without distraction Let these goe so God alone be present with vs it is enough He were not God if he were not All-sufficient We haue him I speake boldly Wee haue him in feeling in faith in pledges and earnest yea in possession Why doe we not enioy him why doe we not shake-off that senselesse drowsinesse which makes our liues vnpleasant and leaue-ouer all heauinesse to those that want God to those that either know him not or know him displeased ToM. W.R. Dedic to M. Thomas Burlz EP. IX Consolations of immoderate griefe for the death of friends WHile the streame of sorrow runs full I know how vaine it is to oppose counsell Passions must haue leasure to digest Wisdome doth not more moderate them then time At first it was best to mourne with you and to mitigate your sorrow by bearing part wherein would God my burden could be your ease Euery thing else is lesse when it is diuided And then is best after teares to giue counsell yet in these thoughts I am not a little straited Before you haue digested griefe aduice comes too early too late when you haue digested it Before it was vnseasonable after would be superfluous Before it could not benefit you after it may hurt you by rubbing-vp a skinned sore a-fresh It is as hard to choose the season for counsell as to giue it and that season is after the first digestion of sorrow before the last If my Letters then meet with the best opportunitie they shall please me and profit you If not yet I deserue pardon that I wished so You had but two Iewels which you held precious a Wife and a Sonne One was your selfe diuided the other your selfe multiplyed You haue lost both and well-neere at once The losse of one caused the other and both of them your iust griefe Such losses when they come single afflict vs but when double astonish vs and tho they giue aduantage of respite would almost ouerwhelme the best patient Lo now is the tryall of your manhood yea of your Christianitie You are now in the lists set vpon by two of Gods fierce afflictions show now what patience you haue what fortitude Wherefore haue you gathered and laid vp all this time but for this brunt Now bring forth all your holy store to light and to vse and approue to vs in this difficultie that you haue all this vvhile beene a Christian in earnest I know these euents haue not surprised you on a sudden you haue suspected they might come you haue put-cases if they should come Things that are hazardous may be doubted but certaine things are and must be expected Prouidence abates griefe and discountenances a crosse Or if your affection were so strong that you durst not fore-thinke your losse take it equally but as it falls A wise man and a Christian knowes death so fatall to Nature so ordinarie in euent so gainefull in the issue that I vvonder he can for this either feare or grieue Doth God onely lend vs one another and doe we grudge when he calls for his owne So I haue seene ill debters that borrow vvith prayers keepe vvith thankes repay vvith enmitie We mistake our tenure vve take that for gift vvhich God intends for loane Wee are tenants at will and thinke our selues owners Your vvife and child are dead Well they haue done that for vvhich they came If they could not haue dyed it had been worthy of vvonder not at all that they are dead If this condition vvere proper onely to our families and friends or yet to our climate alone how vnhappie should we seeme to our neighbours to our selues Now it is common let vs mourne that vve are men Lo all Princes and Monarchs daunce vvith vs in the same ring yea what speake I of earth The God of Nature the Sauiour of men hath trod the same
And if wee could but as heartily haue prayed for him before as we haue heartily wept for him since perhaps we had not had this cause of mourning From sorrow let vs descend to paines which is no small cause of crying and teares as I feare some of vs must the word howsoeuer it is here translated is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 labour I must confesse labour and paine are neere one another whence we say that he which labours takes paines and contrarily that a woman is in labour or trauell when shee is in the paine of child-birth teares cannot be wip't away whiles toile remaines That the Israelites may leaue crying they must bee deliuered from the brick-kilnes of Aegypt Indeed God had in our creation allotted vs labour without paine but when once sinne came into the soule paine seized vpon the bones and the minde was possessed with a wearinesse and irksome loathing of what it must do and euer since sorrow and labour haue beene inseparable attendants vpon the life of man Insomuch as God when he would describe to vs the happy estate of the dead does it in those termes They shall rest from their labours Looke into the field there you shall see toiling at the plough and sithe Looke into the waters there you see tugging at the oares and cabels Looke into the City there you see plodding in the streets sweating in the shops Looke into the studies there you see fixing of eyes tossing of bookes scratching the head palenesse infirmity Looke into the Court there you see tedious attendance emulatory officiousnesse All things are full of labour and labour is full of sorrow If we doe nothing idlenesse is wearisome if any thing worke is wearisome in one or both of these the best of life is consumed Who now can bee in loue with a life that hath nothing in it but crying and teares in the entrance death in the conclusion labour and paine in the continuance and sorrow in all these What Gally-slaue but we would be in loue with our chaine what prisoner would delight in his dungeon How hath our infidelity besotted vs if we doe not long after that happy estate of our immortality wherein all our teares shall be wip't away and we at once freed from labour sorrow and death Now as it is vaine to hope for this till then so then not to hope for it is paganish and brutish He that hath tasked vs with these penances hath vndertaken to release vs. God shall wipe away all teares While we stay here he keepes all our teares in a bottle Psal 56. so precious is the water that is distilled from penitent eies and because he will be sure not to faile he notes how many drops there be in his register It was a pretious ointment wherewith the woman in the Pharises house it is thought Mary Magdalene anointed the feet of Christ Luke 7.37 but her teares wherewith shee washt them were more worth than her spilâ—nard But that which is here precious is there vnseasonable then hee shall wipe away those which here hee would saue As death so passions are the companions of infirmity whereupon some that haue beene too nice haue called those which were incident into Christ Propassions not considering that he which was capable of death might be as well of passions These troublesome affections of griefe feare and such like doe not fall into glorified soules It is true that they haue loue desire ioy in their greatest perfection yea they could not haue perfection without them but like as God loues and hates and reioyces truly but in a manner of his owne abstracted from all infirmity and passion so doe his glorified Saints in imitation of him There therefore as we cannot die so wee cannot grieue we cannot be afflicted Here one saies My belly my belly with the Prophet another mine head mine head with the Shunamites sonne another my sonne my sonne as Dauid another my father my father with Elisha One cries out of his sinnes with Dauid another of his hunger with Esau another of an ill wife with Iob another of trecherous friends 2 Kings 4. with the Psalmist One of a sore in body with Ezechias another of a troubled soule with our Sauiour in the garden euery one hath some complaint or other to make his cheekes wet and his heart heauy Stay but a while and there shall be none of these There shall be no crying no complaining in the streets of the new Ierusalem No axe no hammer shall be heard within this heauenly Temple Why are we not content to weepe here a while on condition that we may weepe no more Why are we not ambitious of this blessed ease Certainly we doe not smart enough with our euils that we are not desirous of rest These teares are not yet dry yet they are ready to be ouertaken by others for our particular afflictions Miseries as the Psalmist compares them are like waues which breake one vpon another and tosse vs with a perpetuall vexation and we vaine men shall we not wish to be in our hauen Are we sicke and grieue to thinke of remedie Are we still dying and are wee loth to thinke of life Oh this miserable vnbeleefe that tho we see a glorious heauen aboue vs yet we are vnwilling to go to it we see a wearisome world about vs and yet are loth to thinke of leauing it This gracious master of ours whose dissolution is ours while he was here amongst vs his princely crowne could not keepe his head from paine his golden rod could not driue away his feuers now is hee freed from all his aches agues stitches convulsions cold sweats now he triumphs in glory amongst the Angels and Saints now he walkes in white robes and attends on the glorious bridegroome of the Church and doe we thinke he would be content now for all the kingdomes of the world to be as he was We that professe it was our ioy and honour to follow him whither soeuer he had gone In his disports in his warres in his trauels why are we not now ambitious of following him to his better crowne yea of raigning together with him for heauen admits of this equality in that glory wherein he raignes with his Sauiour ours Why doe we not now heartily with him that was rauished into the third heauan say Cupio dissolui esse cum Christo not barely to be dissolued a malecontent may doe so but therefore to be dissolued that we may be with Christ possessed of his euerlasting glory where we shall not onely not weepe but reioyce and sing Halleluiahs for euer not onely not die but enioy a blessed and heauenly life Euen so Lord Iesus come quickly Now if any man shall aske the Disciples question Master when shall these things be the celestiall voyce tels him it must bee vpon a change For the first things are passed It shall be in part so soone as euer our first things our life
forbearance of the reuenge had not beene so commendable although vpon the day of so happy a deliuerance perhaps it had not beene seasonable A man hath reason to be most bold with himselfe It is no praise of Mercy since it is a fault in Iustice to remit another mans satisfaction his owne he may SAMVELS contestation EVery one can be a friend to him that prospereth By this victorie hath Saul as well conquered the obstinacy of his owne people Now there is no Israelite that reioyceth not in Sauls Kingdome No sooner haue they done obiecting to Saul then Samuel begins to expostulate with them The same day wherein they began to be pleased God shewes himselfe angry All the passages of their proceedings offended him he deferred to let them know it till now that the Kingdome was setled and their hearts lifted vp Now doth God coole their courage and ioy with a backe reckoning for their forwardnesse God will not let his people runne away with the arrerages of their sinnes but when they least thinke of it cals them to an account All this while was God angry with their reiection of Samuel yet as if there had beene nothing but peace he giues them a victory ouer their enemies he giues way to their ioy in their election now hee lets them know that after their peace-offerings he hath a quarrell with them God may bee angry enough with vs whiles we outwardly prosper It is the wisedome of God to take his best aduantages He suffers vs to goe on till we should come to enioy the fruit of our sinne till wee seeme past the danger either of conscience or punishment then euen when wee beginne to be past the feeling of our sinne we shall beginne to feele his displeasure for our sinnes This is onely where he loues where he would both forgiue and reclaime he hath now to doe with his Israel But where he meanes vtter vengeance he lets men harden themselues to a reprobate senslesnesse and make vp their owne measure without contradiction as purposing to reckon with them but once for euer Samuel had disswaded them before he reproues them not vntill now If hee had thus bent himselfe against them ere the setling of the election hee had troubled Israel in that which God tooke occasion by their sinne to establish His opposition would haue fauoured of respects to himselfe whom the wrong of this innouation chiefly concerned Now therefore when they are sure of their King and their King of them when he hath set eauen termes betwixt them mutually hee lets them see how they were at odds with God Wee must euer dislike sinnes wee may not euer shew it Discretion in the choice of seasons for reprouing is no lesse commendable and necessary then zeale and faithfulnesse in reprouing Good Physitians vse not to euacuate the body in extremities of heat or cold wise Mariners doe not hoise sayles in euery wind First doth Samuel beginne to cleare his owne innocence ere he dare charge them with their sinne He that will cast a stone at an offender must be free himselfe otherwise he condemnes and executes himselfe in another person The conscience stops the mouth of the guilty man and chokes him with that sinne which lyes in his owne brest and hauing not come forth by a penitent confession cannot find the way out in a reproofe or if he doe reproue he doth more shame himselfe then reforme another He that was the Iudge of Israel would not now iudge himselfe but would bee iudged by Israel Whose Oxe haue I taken whose Asse haue I taken or to whom haue I done wrong No doubt Samuel found himselfe guilty before God of many priuate infirmities but for his publike cariage he appeales to men A mans heart can best iudge of himselfe others can best iudge of his actions As another mans conscience and approbation cannot beare vs out before God so cannot our owne before men For ofttimes that action is censured by the beholders as wrongfull wherein wee applaud our owne iustice Happy is that man that can bee acquited by himselfe in priuate in publike by others by God in both standers by may see more It is very safe for a man to looke into himselfe by others eyes In vaine shall a mans heart absolue him that is condemned by his actions It was not so much the triall of his cariage that Samuel appealed for as his iustification not for his owne comfort so much as their conuiction His innocence hath not done him seruice enough vnlesse it shame them and make them confesse themselues faulty In so many yeares wherein Samuel iudged Israel it cannot be but many thousand causes passed his hands wherein both parties could not possibly bee pleased yet so cleere doth he find his heart and hands that he dare make the grieued part iudges of his iudgement A good conscience will make a man vndauntedly confident and dare put him vpon any tryall where his owne heart strikes him not it bids him challenge all the world and take vp all commers How happy a thing is it for a man to be his owne friend and patron He needs not to feare forraine broyles that is at peace at home Contrarily he that hath a false and foule heart lyes at euery mans mercy liues slauishly and is faine to dawb vp a rotten peace with the basest conditions Truth is not afraid of any light and therefore dare suffer her wares to be caried from a dim shop-board vnto the street doore Perfect gold will be but the purer with trying whereas falshood being a worke of darknesse loues darknesse and therefore seeks where it may worke closest This very appellation cleared Samuel but the peoples attestation cleared him more Innocency and vprightnesse becomes euery man well but most publike persons who shall be else obnoxious to euery offender The Throne and the Pulpit of all places call for holinesse not more for example of good then for liberty of controlling euill All Magistrates sweare to doe that which Samuel protested he hath done if their oath were so verified as Samuels protestation it were a shame for the State not to be happie The sinnes of our Teachers are the teachers of sinne the sinnes of Gouernors doe both command and countenance euill This very acquiting of Samuel was the accusation of themselues For how could it be but faultie to cast off a faultlesse Gouernour If he had not taken away an Oxe or an Asse from them why doe they take away his authoritie They could not haue thus cleared Saul at the end of his reigne It was iust with God since they were weary of a iust Ruler to punish them with an vniust He that appealed to them for his owne vprightnesse durst not appeale to them for their owne wickednesse but appeales to Heauen from them Men are commonly flatterers of their owne cases It must be a strong euidence that will make a sinner conuicted in himselfe Nature hath so many shifts to coozen
the Arke The voluntary seruices of Hypocrites are many times more painfull then the duties enioyned by God In what awe did all Israel stand of the Oath euen of Saul It was not their owne vow but Sauls for them yet comming into the Wood where they saw the Honey dropping and found the meat as ready as their appetite they dare not touch that sustenance and will rather endure famine and fainting then an indiscreet curse Doubtlesse God had brought those Bees thither on purpose to try the constancy of Israel Israel could not but thinke that which Ionathan said that the vow was vnaduised and iniurious yet they will rather dye then violate it How sacred should wee hold the obligation of our owne vowes in things iust and expedient when the bond of anothers rash vow is thus indissoluble There was a double mischiefe followed vpon Sauls oath an abatement of the victorie and eating with the blood For on the one side the people were so faint that they were more likely to dye then kill they could neither runne nor strike in this emptinesse Neither hands nor feet can doe their office when the stomacke is neglected On the other an vnmeet forbearance causes a rauenous repast Hunger knowes neither choice nor order nor measure The one of these was a wrong to Israel the other was a wrong done by Israel to God Sauls zeale was guilty of both A rash vow is seldome euer free from inconuenience The heart that hath vnnecessarily intangled it selfe drawes mischiefe either vpon it selfe or others Ionathan was ignorant of his fathers adiuration he knew no reason why he should not refresh himselfe in so profitable a seruice with a little taste of Honey vpon his Speare Full well had he deserued this vnsought dainty and now behold his Honey is turned into Gall if it were sweet in the mouth it was bitter in the soule if the eyes of his body were enlightned the light of Gods countenance was clouded by this act After he heard of the oath he pleades iustly against it the losse of so faire an opportunity of reuenge and the trouble of Israel yet neither his reasons against the Oath nor his ignorance of the Oath can excuse him from a sinne of ignorance in violating that which first he knew not and then knew vnreasonable Now Sauls leisure would serue him to aske counsell of God As before Saul would not enquire so now God will not answer Well might Saul haue found sinnes enow of his owne whereto to impute this silence He hath grace enough to know that God was offended and to guesse at the cause of his offence Sooner will an Hypocrite finde out another mans sinne then his owne and now he sweares more rashly to punish with death the breach of that which he had sworne rashly The lots were cast and Saul prayes for the decision Ionathan is taken Euen the prayers of wicked men are sometimes heard although iniustice not in mercy Saul himselfe was punished not a little in the fall of this lot vpon Ionathan Surely Saul sinned more in making this vow then Ionathan in breaking it vnwittingly and now the father smarts for the rashnesse of his double vow by the vniust sentence of death vpon so vvorthy a sonne God had neuer singled out Ionathan by his lot if he had not beene displeased with his act Vowes rashly made may not be rashly broken If the thing we haue vowed be not euill in it selfe or in the effect we cannot violate it without euill Ignorance cannot acquite if it can abate our sinne It is like if Ionathan had heard his fathers adiuration he had not transgressed his absence at the time of that Oath cannot excuse him from displeasure What shall become of those which may know the charge of their heauenly Father and will not which doe know his charge and will not keepe it Affectation of ignorance and willing disobedience is desperate Death was too hard a censure for such an vnknowne offence The cruell piety of Saul will reuenge the braach of his owne charge so as he would be loath God should auenge on himselfe the breach of his diuine command If Ionathan had not found better friends then his father so noble a victory had beene recompenced with death He that saued Israel from the Philistims is saued by Israel from the hand of his Father Saul hath sworne Ionathans death the people contrarily sweare his preseruation his Kingdome was not yet so absolute that hee could runne away with so vnmercifull a Iustice their Oath that sauoured of disobedience preuailed against his Oath that sauoured too strong of cruelty Neither doubt I but Saul was secretly not displeased with this louing resistance So long as his heart was not false to his Oath he could not be sory that Ionathan should liue Contemplations THE THIRTEENTH BOOKE Containing SAVL and AGAG The Reiection of SAVL and the Choice of DAVID DAVID called to the Court. DAVID and GOLIAH IONATHANS loue and SAVLS enuy MICHALS Wile DAVID and ABIMELEC By IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR Thomas Edmonds KNIGHT TREASVRER OF HIS MAIESTIES HOVSHOLD AND OF HIS MOST Honourable Priuy Councell RIGHT HONOVRABLE AFter your long and happy acquaintance with other Courts and Kingdomes may it please you to compare with them the estate of old Jsrael You shall find the same hand swaying all Scepters and you shall meet with such a proportion of dispositions and occurrences that you will say men are still the same if their names and faces differ You shall find Enuy and Mutability ancient Courtiers and shall confesse the Vices of men still aliue if themselues die You shall see God still honouring those that honour him and both rescuing Jnnocence and crowning it Jt is not for me to anticipate your deeper and more iudicious Obseruations J am bold to dedicate this piece of my Labour to your Honour in a thankefull acknowledgement of those Noble Respects J haue found from you both in France and at home Jn lieu of all which J can but pray for your happinesse and vow my selfe Your Honours in all humble obseruance IOS HALL Contemplations SAVL and AGAG GOd holds it no derogation from his mercy to beare a quarrell long where hee hates Hee whose anger to the vessels of wrath is euerlasting euen in temporall iudgement reuengeth late The sinnes of his owne children are no sooner done and repented of then forgotten but the malicious sinnes of his enemies sticke fast in an infinite displeasure I remember what Amalek did to Israel how they laid wait for them by the way as they came vp from Aegypt Alas Lord might Amalek say they were our forefathers wee neuer knew their faces no not their names the fact was so farre from our consent that it is almost past the memory of our histories It is not in the power of time to raze out any of the arerages of God we may lay vp wrath for our
and the Philistims How doth he wish now that hee had rather stood to the hazard of Sauls persecution than to haue put himselfe vpon the fauour of Achish Hee must fight on one side and on whether side soeuer he should fight hee could not auoyd to bee treacherous a condition worse than death to an honest heart which way he would haue resolued if it had comne to the execution who can know since himselfe was doubtfull either course had bin no better than desperate How could the Israelites euer haue receiued him for their King who in the open field had fought against them And contrarily if hee would haue fought against his friend for his enemy against Achish for Saul hee was now inuironed with iealous Philistims and might rather looke for the punishment of his Treason than the glory of a Victorie HIS heart had led him into these straits the Lord finds a way to leade him out The suggestions of his enemies doe herein befriend him The Princes of the Philistims whether of enuie or suspition pleade for Dauids dismission Send this fellow backe that hee may goe againe to his place which thou hast appointed him and let him not goe downe to the battle lest hee bee an Aduersary to vs. No Aduocate could haue said more himselfe durst not haue said so much Oh the wisdome and goodnesse of our God that can raise vp an Aduersary to deliuer out of those euils which our friends cannot That by the sword of an enemie can let out that Apostume which no Physician could tell how to cure It would be wide with us sometimes if it were not for others malice There could not bee a more iust question than this of the Philistim Princes What doe these Hebrewes here An Israelite is out of his element when hee is in an Armie of Philistims The true seruants of God are in their due places when they are in opposition to his enemies Profession of hostilitie becomes them better than leagues of amity Yet Achish likes Dauids conuersation and presence so well that hee professeth himselfe pleased with him as with an Angell of God How strange is it to heare that a Philistim should delight in that holy man whom an Israelite abhorres and should bee loth to be quit of Dauid whom Saul hath expelled Termes of ciuilitie be equally open to all religions to all professions The common graces of Gods children are able to attract loue from the most obstinate enemies of goodnesse If we affect them for by-respects of Valour Wisedome Discourse Wit it is their praise not ours But if for diuine Grace and Religion it is our prayse with theirs Such now was Dauids condition that he must pleade for that hee feared and argue against that which he desired What haue I done what hast thou found in thy seruant that I may not goe and fight against the enemies of my Lord the King Neuer any newes could be more cordiall to him than this of his dismission yet must he seeme to striue against it with an importunate profession of his forwardnesse to that act which hee most detested One degree of Dissimulation drawes on another those which haue once giuen way to a faulty course cannot easily either stop or turne backe but are in a sort forced to second their ill beginnings with worse proceedings It is a dangerous and miserable thing to cast our selues into those actions which draw with them a necessitie either of offending or miscarriage SAVL and the Witch of Endor EVen the worst men may sometimes make head against some sinnes Saul hath expelled the Sorcerers out of the Land of Israel and hath forbidden Magick vpon paine of death Hee that had no care to expell Satan out of his owne heart yet will seeme to driue him out of his Kingdome That wee see wicked then oppose themselues to some sinnes there is neither maruell nor comfort in it No doubt Satan made sport at this Edict of Saul what cares he to be banished in Sorcery whiles he is entertayned in malice He knew and found Saul his whiles he resisted and smiled to yeeld thus farre vnto his Vassall If we quit not all sinnes hee will bee content wee should either abandon or persecute some Where is no place for holy feare there will bee place for the seruile The gracelesse heart of Saul was astonied at the Philistims yet was neuer moued at the frownes of that God whose anger sent them nor of those sinnes of his which procured them Those that cannot feare for loue shall tremble for feare and how much better is awe than terror preuention than confusion There is nothing more lamentable than to see a man laugh when he should feare God shall laugh when such an ones feare commeth Extremitie of distresse will send euen the prophanest man to God like as the drowning man reacheth out his hand to that bough which he contemned whiles hee stood safe on the banke Saul now asketh counsell of the Lord whose Prophet hee hated whose Priests hee slew whose Annointed he persecutes Had Saul consulted with God when hee should this euill had not beene but how if this euill had not beene hee had consulted with God The thanke of this Act is due not to him but to his affection A forced piety is thanklesse and vnprofitable God will not answer him neither by Dreames nor by Vrim nor by Prophets Why should God answer that man by Dreames who had resisted him waking Why should hee answer him by Vrim that had slaine his Priests Why should he answer him by Prophets who hated the Father of the Prophets rebelled against the word of the Prophets It is an vnreasonable vnequality to hope to finde God at our command when wee would not be at his To looke that God should regard our voice in trouble when wee would not regard his in peace Vnto what mad shifts are men driuen by despayre If God will not answer Satan shall Saul said to his seruants Seeke me a woman that hath a familiar spirit If Saul had not knowne this course Deuillish why did he decree to banish it to mulct it with death yet now against the streame of his conscience hee will seeke to those whom he had condemned There needes no other iudge of Sauls act than himselfe had he not before opposed this sinne he had not so hainously sinned in committing it There cannot bee a more fearefull signe of an heart giuen vp to a reprobate sense than to cast it selfe wilfully into those sinnes which it hath proclaimed to detest The declinations to euill are many times insensible but when it breakes forth into such apparant effects euen others eyes may discerne it What was Saul the better to fore-know the issue of his approaching battell If this consultation could not haue strengthened him against his enemies or promoted his victory there might haue beene some colour for so foule an act Now what could he gaine but the satisfying of his bootlesse curiositie in
the goods Wise and holy Dauid whose prayse was no lesse to ouercome his owne in time of peace than his enemies in warre cals his contending followers from Law to equitie and so orders the matter that since the Plaintifes were detained not by will but by necessity and since their forced stay was vse-full in garding the stuffe they should partake equally of the prey with there fellowes A sentence wel-beseeming the Iustice of Gods Annoynted Those that represent God vpon earth should resemble him in their proceeding It is the iust mercie of our God to measure vs by our wils not by our abilities to recompence vs graciously according to the truth of our desires and endeauours and to account that performed by vs which hee only letteth vs from performing It were wide with vs if sometimes purpose did not supply actions Whiles our heart faulteth not wee that through spirituall sicknesse are faine to abide by the stuffe shall share both in grace and glorie with the Victors The death of SAVL THe Witch of Endor had halfe slaine Saul before the Battell it is just that they who consult with Deuils should goe away with discomfort Hee hath eaten his last bread at the hand of a Sorceresse and now necessitie drawes him into that field where hee sees nothing but despaire Had not Saul beleeued the ill newes of the counterfeite Samuel hee had not beene strooke downe on the ground with words Now his beliefe made him desperate Those actions which are not sustayned by hope must needes languish and are only promoted by outward compulsion Whiles the mind is vncertaine of successe it relieues it selfe with the possibilities of good in doubts there is a comfortable mixture but when it is assured of the worst euent it is vtterly discouraged and deiected It hath therefore pleased the wisdome of God to hide from wicked men his determination of their finall estate that their remainders of hope may harten them to good In all likelihood one selfe-same day saw Dauid a victor ouer the Amalekites and Saul discomfited by the Philistims How should it bee otherwise Dauid consulted with God and preuailed Saul with the Witch of Endor and perisheth The end is commonly answerable to the way It is an idle iniustice when wee doe ill to looke to speede well The slaughter of Saul and his sonnes was not in the first Scene of this Tragicall field that was rather reserued by God for the last act that Sauls measure might bee full God is long ere hee strikes but when hee doth it is to purpose First Israel flees and fals downe wounded in Mount Gilboa They had their part in Sauls sinne they were actors in Dauids persecution Iustly therefore doe they suffer with him whom they had seconded in offence As it is hard to bee good vnder an euill Prince so it is as rare not to bee enwrapped in his iudgments It was no small addition to the anguish of Sauls death to see his sonnes dead to see his people fleeing and slaine before him They had sinned in their King and in them is their King punished The rest were not so worthy of pittie but whose heart would it not touch to see Ionathan the good sonne of a wicked father inuolued in the common destruction Death is not partiall All dispositions all merits are alike to it if valour if holinesse if sinceritie of heart could haue beene any defence against mortalitie Ionathan had suruiued Now by their wounds and death no man can descerne which is Ionathan The soule onely findes the difference which the body admitteth not Death is the common gate both to Heauen and Hell wee all passe that ere our turning to either hand The sword of the Philistims fetcheth Ionathan through it with his fellowes no sooner is his foot ouer that threshold than God conducteth him to glory The best cannot bee happy but through their dissolution Now therefore hath Ionathan no cause of complaint hee is by the rude and cruell hand of a Philistim but remoued to a better Kingdome then hee leaues to his brother and at once is his death both a temporall affliction to the sonne of Saul and an entrance of glorie to the friend of Dauid The Philistim-archers shot at randome God directs their arrowes into the bodie of Saul Lest the discomfiture of his people and the slaughter of his sonnes should not bee griefe enough to him hee feeles himselfe wounded and sees nothing before him but horror and death and now as a man forsaken of all hopes he begs of his Armour-bearer that deaths-blow which else hee must to the doubling of his indignation receiue from a Philistim Hee begges this bloudie fauour of his seruant and is denyed Such an awefulnesse hath God placed in souereigntie that no intreatie no extreamitie can moue the hand against it What metall are those men made of that can suggest or resolue and attempt the violation of Maiestie Wicked men care more for the sâ—â—â—e of the World than the danger of their soule Despâ—â—â—â— Saul will now supply his Armor-bearer and as a man that 〈◊〉 armes against himselfe he falls vpon his owâ—â— Sword What if he had died by the 〈◊〉 of a Philistin So did his sinne Ionathan and lost no glory These conceits of disreputation preuaile with carnall hearts aboue all spirituall respects There is no greater murderer 〈◊〉 glory Nothing more argues an heart voide of grace than to bee transporte onâ— idle popularity into actions preiudiciaâ—â—â— to the Soule Euill examples especially of the great neuer escaped imitation the Aâ—â—â—or-beateâ— of Saul followes his Master and came doe that to himselfe which to his King hee durst not as if their owne Swords had beeing more familiar executions 〈◊〉 they yeelded vnto them what they grudged to their pursuers From the beginning was Sauls euer his owne enemy neither did any hands hurt him but his owne to and now his death is sutable 〈◊〉 his life his owne hand paies his â—â—â—ard of all his wickednesse The end of Hypocrites and enuious men is commonly fearefull Now is the bloud of Gods Priests which Saul shed and of Dauid which hee would haue shed required and requited The euill spirit had said the euening before To â—â—rrow thou shalt bee with mee and now Saul hasteth to make the Deuill no Liemâ—â—â—â—â—er than faile he giues himselfe his owne Mittimus Oh the wofull extremities of a despairing soule plunging him euer into a greater mischiefe to auoide the lesse He might haâ—â— beene a patient in anothers violence and faultinesse now whiles hee will needs act the Philistins part vpon himselfe he liued and died a Murderer The case is deadly when the Prisoner breakes the Iayle and will not stay for his deliuery and though we may not passe sentence vpon such a soule yet vpon the fact we may the soule may possibly repent in the parting the act is hainous and such as without repentance kils the soule It was the next day ere the Philistims knew
for vs to striue in our prayers to striue with him not against him when once wee know them it is our dutie to sit downe in a silent contentation Whiles the Childe was yet aliue I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me that the Childe may liue but now he is dead Wherfore should I fast Can-I bring him backe againe The griefe that goes before an euill for remedie can hardly bee too much but that which followes an euill past remedie cannot bee too little Euen in the saddest accident Death wee may yeeld something to nature nothing to impatience immoderation of sorrow for losses past hope of recouery is more fullen than vse-full our stomacke may be bewrayed by it not our wisdome AMNON and TAMAR IT is not possible that any word of God should fall to the ground Dauid is not more sure of forgiuenesse than smart Three maine sins passed him in this businesse of Vriah Adultery Murder Dissimulation for all which he receiues present payment for Adultery in the deflowring of his Daughter Thamar for Murder in the killing of his Sonne Amnon for Dissimulation in the contriuing of both Yet all this was but the beginning of euils Where the Father of the Family brings sinne home to the house it is not easily swept our Vnlawfull Lust propagates it selfe by example How iustly is Dauid scourged by the sinne of his Sonnes whome his Act taught to offend Maacha was the Daughter of an Heathenish King By her had Dauid that beautifull but vnhappy Issue Absalom and his no lesse faire Sister Thamar Perhaps thus late doth Dauid feele the punishment of that vnfit choice I should haue maruelled if so holy a man had not found crosses in so vnequall a match either in his person or at least in his feed Beauty if it be not well disciplin'd proues not a Friend but a Traytour three of Dauids Children are vndone by it at once What else was guilty of Amnons incestuous loue Tamars rauishment Absoloms pride It is a blessing to be faire yet such a blessing as if the soule answer not to the face may leade to a curse How commonly haue we seene the foâ—â—lest soule dwell fairest It was no fault of Tamars that shee was beautifull the Candle offends not in burning the foolish flie offends in scorching it selfe in the flame yet it is no small misery to become a tentation vnto another and to be made but the occasion of others ruine Amnon is loue-sicke of his sister Tamar and languishes of that vnnaturall heat Whither will not wanton lust carry the inordinate mindes of pampered and vngouerned youth None but his halfe sister will please the eyes of the young Prince of Israel Ordinary pleasures will not content those whom the conceit of greatnesse youth and ease haue let loose to their appetite Perhaps yet this vnkindly flame might in time haue gone out alone had not there beene a Ionadab to blow these coales with ill counsell It were strange if great Princes should want some Parasiticall Followers that are ready to feed their ill humors Why art thou the Kings Sonne so leane from day to day As if it were vnworthy the Heire of a King to suffer either Law or Conscience to stand in the way of his desires Whereas wise Princes know well that their places giue them no priuiledge of sinning but call them in rather to so much more strictnesse as their example may be more preiudiciall Ionadab was the Cousin German of Amnon Ill aduice is so much more dangegerous as the interest of the giuer is more Had he beene a true friend hee had bent all the forces of his disswasion against the wicked motions of that sinfull lust and had shewed the Prince of Israel how much those lewd desires prouoked God and blemished himselfe and had lent his hand to strangle them in their first Conception There cannot be a more worthy improuement of friendship than in a feruent opposition to the sinnes of them whom we professe to loue No enemy can be so mortall to great Princes as those officious Clients whose flattery soothes them vp in wickednesse These are Traytors to the Soule and by a pleasing violence kill the best part eternally How ready at hand is an euill suggestion Good counsell is like vnto Wel-water that must be drawne vp with a Pumpe or Bucket Ill counsell is like to Conduit-water which if the cocke be but turned runnes out alone Ionadab hath soone proiected how Amnon shall accomplish his lawlesse purpose The way must be to faine himselfe sicke in body whose minde was sicke of lust and vnder this pretence to procure the presence of her who had wounded and only might cure him The daily increasing languor and leanenesse and palenesse of loue-sicke Amnon might well giue colour to a Kerchiefe and a pallet Now is it soone told Dauid that his eldest Sonne is cast vpon his sicke bed there needs no suite for his visitation The carefull Father hastenâ— to his Bed-side not without doubts and feates He that was lately so afflicted with the sicknesse of a Childe that scarce liued to see the light how sensible must we needs thinke hee would bee of the indisposition of his first borne Soone in the prime of his age and hopes It is not giuen to any Prophet to fore-see all things Happie had it beene for Dauid if Amnon had beene truly sicke and sicke vnto death yet who could haue perswaded this passionate Father to haue beene content with this succession of losses this early losse of his Successour How glad is he to heare that his Daughter Tamars skill might bee likely to fit the dyet of so deareâ— patient Conceit is word to rule much both in sicknesse and the cure Tamar is sent by her Father to the house of Amnon Her hand only must dresse that Dish which may please the nice Palace of her sicke Brother Euen the Children of Kings in those homelyâ—r Tymes did not scorne to put their fingers to some workes of huswifrie Shee tooke floure and did knead it and did make Cakes in his sight and did bake the Cakes and tooke a Pan and powred them out before him Had shee not beene sometimes vsed to such domestique imployments shee had beene now to seeke neither had this beene required of her but vpon the knowledge of her skill Shee doth not plead the impayring of her beauty by the scorching of the fire nor thinkes her hand too dainty for such meane Services but settles to the worke as one that had rather regard the necessities of her Brother than her owne state Only pride and idlenesse haue banisht honest and thrifty diligence out of the houses of the great This was not yet the Dish that Amnon longed for It was the Cooke and not the Cates which that wanton eye affected Vnlawfull Acts seeke for secrecie The companie is dismissed Tamar onely staies Good meaning suspects nothing Whiles she presents the meat
filthinesse of the sinne was not so great as the impudency of the manner When the Prophet Nathan came with that heauy message of reproofe and menace to Dauid after his sinne with Bathsheba hee could say from God Behold I will raise vp euill against thee out of thine owne house and will take thy wiues before thine eyes and giue them vnto thy neighbour and he shall lie with thy wiues in the sight of this Sunne For thou didst it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before this Sunne The counsell of Achitophel and the lust of Absalom haue fulfilled the iudgement of God Oh the wisedome of the Almighty that can vse the worst of euils well and most iustly make the sins of men his executioners It was the sinne of Reuben that he defiled his fathers bed yet not in the same height of lewdnes what Reuben did in a youthfull wantonnesse Absalom did in a malicious despight Reuben sinned with one Absalom with ten Reuben secretly Absalom in the open eyes of heauen and earth yet old Iacob could say of Reuben Thou shalt not excell thy dignitie is gone whiles Achitophel sayes to Absalom Thy dignitie shall arise from incest Climbe vp to thy fathers bed if thou wilt sit in his throne If Achitophel were a politician Iacob was a Prophet if the one spake from carnall sense the other from diuine reuelation Certainly to sin is not the way to prosper what euer vaine fooles promise to themselues there is no wisdome nor vnderstanding nor counsell against the Lord. After the rebellion is secured for continuance the next care is that it may end in victory this also hath the working head of Achitophel proiected Wit experience told him that in these cases of assault celeritie vses to bring forth the happiest dispatch whereas protraction is no small aduantage to the defendant Let me saith he choose out now twelue thousand men and I will vp and follow after Dauid this night and I will come vpon him while he is weary and weak-handed No aduice could be more pernicious For besides the wearinesse and vnreadinesse of Dauid and his army the spirits of that worthy leader were daunted and deiected with sorrow and offered way to the violence of a sudden assault The field had beene halfe won ere any blow stricken Achitophel could not haue beene reputed so wise if he had not learned the due proportion betwixt actions and times He that obserueth euery winde shall neuer sow but he that obserues no winde at all shall neuer reape The likeliest deuices doe not alwayes succeed The God that had appointed to establish Dauids throne and determined Salomon to his succession findes meanes to crosse the plot of Achitophel by a lesse-probable aduice Hushai was not sent backe for nothing where God hath in his secret will decreed any euent hee inclines the wills of men to approue that which may promote his owne purposes Neither had Hushai so deepe an head neither was his counsell so sure as that of Achitophel yet his tongue shall refell Achitophel and diuert Absalom The pretences were fairer though the grounds were vnfound First to sweeten his opposition hee yeelds the praise of wisdome to his aduersary in all other counsels that hee may haue leaue to deny it in this His very contradiction in the present insinuates a generall allowance Then he suggests certaine apparent truths concerning Dauids valour and skill to giue countenance to the inferēces of his improbabilities Lastly he cunningly feeds the proud humor of Absaloza in magnifying the power and extent of his commands and ends in the glorious boasts of his fore-promised victory As it is with faces so with counsell that is faire that pleaseth He that giues the vttrance to words giues also their speed Fauour both of speech and men is not euer according to desert but according to fore-ordination The tongue of Hushai the heart of Absalom is guided by a power aboue their owne Hushai shall therefore preuaile with Absalom that the treason of Absalom may not preuaile Hee that worketh all in all things so disposeth of wicked men and spirits that whiles they doe most oppose his reuealed will they execute his secret and whiles they thinke most to please they ouerthrow themselues When Absalom first met Hushai returned to Hierusalem hee vpbraided him pleasantly with the scoffe of his professed friendship to Dauid Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Sometimes there is more truth in the mouth then in the heart more in iest then in earnest Hushai was a friend his stay was his kindnes and now he hath done that for which he was left at Hierusalem disappointed Achitophel preserued Dauid Neither did his kindnesse to his friend rest here but as one that was iustly iealous of him with whom he was allowed to temporize he mistrusts the approbation of Absalom and not daring to put the life of his master vpon such an hazard he giues charge to Zadok and Abiathar of this intelligence vnto Dauid we cannot be too suspicious when we haue to doe with those that are faithlesse We cannot be too curious of the safety of good Princes Hushai feares not to descry the secrets of Absaloms counsell to betray a traytor is no other then a commendable worke Zadok and Abiathar are fast within the gates of Hierusalem their sonnes lay purposely abroad in the fields this message that concerned no lesse then the life of Dauid and the whole kingdome of Israel must bee trusted with a Maid Sometimes it pleaseth the wisedome of God who hath the variety of heauen and earth before him to single out weake instruments for great seruices and they shall serue his turne as well as the best No councellor of State could haue made this dispatch more effectually Ionathan and Ahimaaz are sent descried pursued preserued The fidelity of a maid instructed them in their message the suttlety of a woman saued their liues At the Well of Rogel they receiued their message in the Well of Bahurim was their life saued The sudden wit of a woman hath choked the mouth of her Well with dried corne that it might not bewray the messengers and now Dauid heares safely of his danger and preuents it and though weary with trauell and laden with sorrow he must spend the night in his remoue Gods promises of his deliuerance and the confirmation of his kingdome may not make him neglect the means of his safety If he be faithfull we may not be carelesse since our diligence and care are appointed for the factors of that diuine prouidence The acts of God must abate nothing of ours rather must we labour by doing that which he requireth to further that which he decreeth There are those that haue great wits for the publique none for themselues Such was Achitophel who whiles he had powers to gouerne a State could not tell how to rule his owne passions Neuer till now doe we find his counsell balked neither was it now
out the ringleader of this hatefull insurrection and will at once serue for his hangman and gallowes by one of those spreading armes snatching him away to speedy execution Absalom was comely and hee knew it well enough His haire was no small peece of his beauty nor matter of his pride It was his wont to cut it once a yeere not for that it was too long but too heauy his heart could haue borne it longer if his necke had not complained And now the iustice of God hath platted an halter of those locks Those tresses had formerly hanged loosely disheueld on his shoulders now he hangs by theÌ„ He had wont to weigh his haire and was proud to find it so heauy now his haire poyseth the weight of his body and makes his burden his torment It is no maruell if his owne haire turn'd traitor to him who durst rise vp against his father That part which is misused by man to sinne is commonly imployed by God to reuenge The reuenge that it worketh for God makes amends for the offence whereto it is drawne against God The very beast whereon Absalom sat as weary to beare so vnnaturall a burden resignes ouer his lode to the tree of Iustice There hangs Absalom betweene heauen and earth as one that was hated and abandoned both of earth and heauen As if God meant to prescribe this punishment for Traytors Absalom Achitophel and Iudas dye all one death So let them perish that dare lift vp their hand against Gods anointed The honest souldier sees Absalom hanging in the Oke and dares not touch him his hands were held with the charge of Dauid Beware that none touch the yong man Absalom Ioab vpon that intelligenceâ— sees him and smites him with no lesse then three darts What the souldier forbore in obedience the Captaine doth in zeale not fearing to preferre his Soueraignes safety to his command and more tendering the life of a King and peace of his Countrey then the weake affection of a father I dare not sit Iudge betwixt this zeale and that obedience betwixt the Captaine and the Souldier the one was a good subiect the other a good Patriot the one loued the King the other loued Dauid and out of loue disobeyed the one meant as well as the other sped As if God meant to fulfill the charge of his Anointed without any blame of his subiects it pleased him to execute that immediate reuenge vpon the rebell which would haue dispatcht him without hand or dart only the Mule and the Oke conspired to this execution but that death would haue required more leasure then it was safe for Israel to giue and still life would giue hope of rescue to cut off all feares Ioab lends the Oke three darts to helpe forward so needfull a worke of iustice All Israel did not afford so firme a friend to Absalom as Ioab had beene who but Ioab had suborned the witty widow of Tekoah to sue for the recalling of Absalom from his three yeeres exile Who but he went to fetch him from Geshur to Ierusalem Who but he fetcht him from his house at Ierusalem whereto he had beene two yeeres confined to the face to the lips of Dauid Yet now he that was his sollicitor for the Kings fauor is his executioner against the Kings charge With honest hearts all respects either of blood or friendship cease in the case of Treason well hath Ioab forgotten himselfe to be friend to him who had forgotten himselfe to bee a sonne Euen ciuilly the King is our common father our Country our common mother Nature hath no priuate relations which should not gladly giue place to these He is neither father nor sonne nor brother nor friend that conspires against the common parent Well doth he who spake parables for his masters sonne now speake darts to his Kings enemy and pierces that heart which was false to so good a father Those darts are seconded by Ioabs followers each man tries his weapon vpon so faire a marke One death is not enough for Absalom he is at once hanged shot mangled stoned Iustly was he lift vp to the Oke who had lift vp himselfe against his father and soueraigne Iustly is hee pierced with darts who had pierced his fathers heart with so many sorrowes Iustly is he mangled who hath dismembred and diuided all Israel Iustly is he stoned who had not only cursed but pursued his owne parent Now Ioab sounds the retrait and cals off his eager troupes from execution howeuer he knew what his rebellious Countrymen had deserued in following an Absalom Wise Commanders know how to put a difference betwixt the heads of a faction and the misguided multitude and can pity the one whiles they take reuenge on the other So did Absalom esteeme himselfe that hee thought it would bee a wrong to the world to want the memoriall of so goodly a person God had denied him sons How iust it was that he should want a sonne who had robd his father of a sonne who would haue robd himselfe of a father his father of a Kingdome It had beene pity so poysonous a plant should haue beene fruitfull His pride shall supply nature hee reares vp a stately pillar in the Kings dale and cals it by his owne name that hee might liue in dead stones who could not suruiue in liuing issue and now behold this curious pile ends in a rude heape which speakes no language but the shame of that carkasse which it couers Heare this ye glorious fooles that care not to perpetuate any memory of your selues to the world but of ill-deseruing greatnesse the best of this affectation is vanity the worst infamy and dishonour whereas the memoriall of the iust shall be blessed and if his humility shâ—ll refuse an Epitaph and chose to hide himselfe vnder the bare earth God himselfe shall ingraue his name vpon the pillar of eternity There now lies Absalom in the pit vnder a thousand graue-stones in euery of which is written his euerlâ—sting reproach well might this heape ouer-liue that pillar for when that ceased to be a pillar it began to bee an heape neither will it cease to bee a monument of Absaloms shame whiles there are stones to bee found vpon earth Euen at this day very Pagans and Pilgrimes that passe that way cast each man a stone vnto that heape and are wont to say in a solemne execration Cursed bee the paricide Absalom and cursed bee all vniust persecutors of their parents for euer Fasten your eyes vpon this wofull spectacle O all yee rebellious and vngracious children which rise vp against the loynes and thighes from which yee fell and know that it is the least part of your punishment that your carkasses rot in the earth and your name in ignominie these doe but shadow out those eternall sufferings of your soules for your foule and vnnaturall disobedience Absalom is sped who shall report it to his father Surely Ioab was not so much afraid of
the fact as of the message There are busie spirits that loue to cary newes though thanklesse though purposelesse such was AhimaaZ the son of Zadock who importunately thrust himselfe into this seruice wise Ioab who well saw how vnwelcome tydings must be the burthen of the first post disswades him in vaine hee knew Dauid too well to imploy a frieÌ„d in that errand An Ethiopian seruant was a fitter bearer of such a message then the son of the Priest The entertainment of the person doth so follow the quality of the newes that Dauid could argue a far off He is a good man he commeth with good tidings Oh how welcome deserue those messengers to bee that bring vs the glad tidings of saluation that assure vs of the foile of all spirituall enemies and tell vs of nothing but victories and Crownes and Kingdomes If we thinke not their feet beautifull our hearts are foule with infidelity and secure worldlinesse So wise is Ahimaaz growne by Ioabs intimation that though hee out-went Cushi in his pace he suffers Cushi to out-goe him in his tale cunningly suppressing that part which he knew must be both necessarily deliuered and vnpleasingly receiued As our care is wont to be where our loue is Dauids first word is not how fares the host but how farâ—â— the yong man Absalom Like a wise and faithfull messenger Cushi answers by honest insinuation The enemies of my Lord the King and all that rise against thee to doe thee hurt be as that yong man is implying both what was done and why Dauid should approue it being done How is the good King thunder strooke with that word of his Black-more who as if he were at once bereaued of all comfort and cared not to liue but in the name of Absalom goes and weepes and cryes out O my son Absalom my son my son Absalom Would God I had dyed for thee O Absalom my son my son What is this wee heare that hee whose life Israel valued at ten thousand of theirs should be exchanged with a traitors that a good King whose life was sought should wish to lay it down for the preseruation of his murtherer The best men haue not wont to be the least passionate But what shall we say to that loue of thine O Sauiour who hast said of vs wretched traitors not Would God I had died for you But I will dye I doe dye I haue died for you Oh loue like thy selfe infinite incomprehensible whereat the Angels of Heauen stand yet amazed wherewith thy Saints are rauished Turne away thine eyes from me for they ouercome mee Oh thou that dwellest in the Gardens the companions hearken to thy voyce cause vs to heare it that we may in our measure answer thy loue and enioy it for euer SHEBAES Rebellion IT was the doome which God passed vpon the man after his owne heart by the mouth of Nathan that the sword should neuer depart from his house for the blood of Vriah After that wound healed by remission yet this scarre remaines Absalom is no sooner cast down into the pit then Sheba the son of Bichri is vp in armes If Dauid be not plagued yet he shal bee corrected First by the rod of a son then of a subiect He had lift vp his hand against a faithfull subiect now a faithlesse dares to lift vp his hand against him Malice like some hereditarie sicknesse runs in a blood Saul and Shimei and Sheba were all of an house That ancient grudge was not yet dead The fire of the house of Iemini was but raked vp neuer throughly out and now that which did but smoke in Shemei flames in Sheba Although euen through this chastisement it is not hard to discerne a Type of that perpetuall succession of enmity which should be raised against the true King of Israel O Son of Dauid when didst thou euer want enemies How wert thou designed by thine eternall Father for a signe that should be spoken against How did the Gentiles rage and the people imagine vaine things The Kings of the earth assembled and the Rulers came together against thee Yea how doe the subiects of thine owne kingdome daily conspire against thee Euen now whiles thou enioyest peace and glory at thy Fathers right hand as soone shalt thou want friends as enemies vpon earth No eye of any traitor could espie a iust quarrell in the gouernment of Dauid yet Sheba blowes the trumpet of rebellion and whiles Israel and Iudah are striuing who should haue the greatest part in their re-established Soueraigne hee stickes not to say We haue no part in Dauid neither haue wee inheritance in the son of Ishai and whiles he sayes Euery man to his tents O Israel hee calls euery man to his owne So in proclaiming a liberty from a iust and loyall subiection he inuites Israel to the bondage of an vsuâ—per That a lewde Conspirator should breathe Treason it is no wonder but is it not wonder and shame that vpon euery mutinous blast Israel should turne Traitor to Gods anointed It was their late expostulation with Dauid why their brethren the men of Iudah should haue stolne him from them now might Dauid mâ—re iustly expostulate why a rebell of their brethren should haue stolne them from him As nothing is more vnstable then the multitude so nothing is more subieâ—â— distastes then Soueraignty for as weake minds seeke pleasure in change so euery light conceit of irritation seemes sufficient colour of change Such as the false dispositions of the vulgar are loue cannot bee security enough for Princes without the awfulnesse of power What hold can there bee of popularity when the same hands that euen now fought for Dauid to be all theirs now fight against him vnder the son of Bichri as none of theirs As Bees when they are once vp in a swarm are ready to light vpon euery bow so the Israelites being stirred by the late commotion of Absalom are apt to follow euery Sheba It is vnsafe for any State that the multitude should once know the way to an insurrection the least track in this kind is easily made a path Yet if Israel rebell Iudah continues faithfull neither shall the son of Dauid euer be left destitute of some true subiects in the worst of Apostasies Hee that could command all hearts will euer bee followed by some God had rather glorifie himselfe by a remnant Great Commanders must haue actiue thoughts Dauid is not so taken vp with the embroiled affaires of his state as not to intend domesticke iustice His ten concubines which were shamelesly defiled by his incestuous son are condemned to ward and widowhood Had not that constupration been partly violent their punishment had not been so easie had it not also beene partly voluntary they had not been so much punished But how much so euer the act did partake of either force or will iustly are they sequestred from Dauids bed Absalom was not more vnnaturall in his rebellion then in his
God and to Dauid Araunah is loth to bargaine Since it was for God Dauid wisheth to pay deare I will not offer burnt-offering to the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing Heroicall spirits doe well become eminent persons He that knew it was better to giue then receiue would not receiue but giue There can be no deuotion in a niggardly heart As vnto dainty palates so to the godly soule that tasts sweetest that costs most Nothing is deare enough for the Creator of all things It is an heartlesse piety of those base-minded Christians that care onely to serue God good cheape Contemplations THE SEVENTEENTH BOOKE Adonijah defeated Dauids end and Salomons beginning The execution of Ioab and Shimei Salomons choice with his Iudgement vpon the two Harlots The Temple Salomon with the Queene of Sheba Salomons defection BY IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER TO MY WORTHILY MVCH HONOVRED FRIEND SIR HENRY MILDMAY KNIGHT MASTER OF THE IEWELL-HOVSE ALL GRACE AND PEACE SIR Besides all priuate obligations your very name challengeth from mee all due seruices of loue and honour Jf I haue receiued mercy to beare any fruit next vnder heauen J may thanke the stocke wherein J was ymped which was set by no other then the happy hand of your Right Honorable Grandfather How haue J so long forborne the publike Testimonie of my iust gratulations and thankfull respects to so true an heire of his noble Vertues Pardon me that I pay this debt so late and accept of this parcell of my well-meant labours Wherein you shall see Salomon both in his rising and setting his rising hopefull and glorious his declination fearfull You shall see the proofes of his early graces of mercy in sparing Adonijah and Abiathar of iustice in punishing that riuall of his with Ioab and Shimei of wisedome in his award betwixt the two Harlots and the administration of his Court and State of pietie in building and hallowing the Temple all dashed in his fall repaired in his repentance J haue no cause to misdoubt either the acceptation or vse of these mine high pitched thoughts which together with your selfe and your worthy and vertuous Lady J humbly commend to the care and blessing of the highest who am bound by your worth and merits to be euer Your syncerely and thankfully deuoted in all obseruance IOS HALL Contemplations THE SEVENTEENTH BOOKE ADONIJAH Defeated DAVID had not so carefully husbanded his yeeres as to maintaine a vigorous age he was therfore what through warres what with sorrowes what with sicknesse decrepit betimes By that time hee was seuentie yeeres old his naturall heat was so wasted that his clothes could not warme him how many haue wee knowne of more strength at more age The holiest soule dwels not in an impregnable fort If the reuenging Angel spared Dauid yet age and death will not spare him Neither his new altar nor his costly sacrifice can be of force against decay of nature Nothing but death can preuent the weaknesses of age None can blame a people if when they haue a good King they are desirous to hold him Dauids seruants and subiects haue commended vnto his bed a faire yong Virgin not for the heat of lust but of life that by this meanes they might make an outward supply of fuell for that vitall fire which was well-neere extinguished with age As it is in the market or the stage so it is in our life One goes in another comes out when Dauid was withering Adonijah was in his blossome That sonne as he was next to Absalom both in the beautie of his body and the time of his birth so was he too like him in practice He also taking aduantage of his fathers infirmity will bee caruing himselfe of the Kingdome of Israel That he might no whit vary from his patterne he gets him also Chariots and Horsemen and fifty men to runne before him These two Absalom and Adonijah were the darlings of their father Their father had not displeased them from their childhood therefore they both displeased him in his age Those children had need to bee very gracious that are not marred with pampering It is more then God owes vs if we receiue comfort in those children whom wee haue ouer-loued The indulgence of parents at last paies them home in crosses It is true that Adonijah was Dauids eldest son now remaining and therefore might seeme to challenge the iustest title to the Crowne But the Kingdome of Israel in so late in erection had not yet knowne the right of succession God himselfe that had ordained the gouernment was as yet the immediate elector Hee fetcht Saul from among the stuffe and Dauid from the sheepfold and had now appointed Salomon from the ferule to the Scepter And if Adonijah which is vnlike had not knowne this yet it had been his part to haue taken his father with him in this claime of his succession and not so to preuent a brother that he should shoulder out a father and not so violently to preoccupate the throne that he should rather be a rebell then an heire As Absalom so Adonijah wants not furtherers in this vsurpation whether spirituall or temporall Ioab the Generall and Abiathar the Priest giue both counsell and aid to so vnseasonable a challenge These two had beene firme to Dauid in all his troubles in all insurrections yet now finding him fastned to the bed of age and death they shew themselues thus slipperie in the loose Outward happinesse and friendship are not knowne till our last act In the impotency of either our reuenge or recompence it will easily appeare who loued vs for our selues who for their owne ends Had not Adonijah knowne that Salomon was designed to the Kingdome both by God and Dauid he had neuer inuited all the rest of the Kings sonnes his brethren and left our Salomon who was otherwise the most vnlikely to haue beene his riuall in this honor all the rest were elder then hee and might therefore haue had more pretence for their competition Doubtlesse the Court of Israel could not but know that immediately vpon the birth of Salomon God sent him by Nathan the Prophet a name and message of loue neither was it for nothing that God called him Iedidiah and fore-promised him the honor of building an house to his Name and in returne of so glorious a seruice the establishment of the throne of his Kingdome ouer Israel for euer Notwithstanding all which Adonijah backed by the strength of a Ioab and the grauitie of an Abiathar will vnderworke Salomon and iustle into the not-yet-vacant seat of his father Dauid Vaine men whiles like proud and yet brittle clay they will be knoking their sides against the solid and eternall decree of God breake themselues in peeces I doe not finde that Adonijah sent any message of threats or vnkindnesse to Zadok the Priest or Nathan the prophet or Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada and the other worthies onely he inuited
beene worthy to inioy him for her honest compassion Not more iustly then wisely therefore doth Salomon trace the true mother by the footsteps of loue and pity and adiudgeth the child to those bowels that had yearned at his danger Euen in morality it is thus also Truth as it is one so it loues intirenesse falshood diuision Satan that hath no right to the heart would be content with a peece of it God that made it all will haue either the whole or none The erroneous Church striues with the true for the liuing childe of sauing doctrine each claimes it for her owne Heresie conscious of her owne iniustice could be content to goe away with a leg or an arme of sound principles as hoping to make vp the rest with her owne mixtures Truth cannot abide to part with a ioynt and will rather endure to leese all by violence then a peece through a willing conniuency The Temple IT is a weak and iniurious censure that taxeth Salomons slacknesse in founding the house of God Great bodies must haue but slow motions He was wise that said the matters must be all prepared without ere we build within And if Dauid haue laid ready a great part of the metals and timber yet many a tree must be felled and squared and many a stone hewne and polished ere this foundation could be laid neither could those large Cedars be cut sawne seasoned in one yeare Foure yeares are soone gone in so vast a preparation Dauid had not beene so intire a friend to Hiram if Hiram had not beene a friend to God Salomons wisdome hath taught him to make vse of so good a neighbour of a fathers friend he knowes that the Tyrians skill was not giuen them for nothing Not Iewes onely but Gentiles must haue their hand in building the Temple of God Onely Iewes medled with the Tabernacle but the Temple is not built without the aide of Gentiles They together with vs make vp the Church of God Euen Pagans haue their Arts from heauen how iustly may we improue their graces to the seruice of the God of Heauen if there be a Tyrian that can worke more curiously in gold in siluer in brasse in iron in purple and blew silke then an Israelite why should not hee be imployed about the Temple Their heathenisme is their own their skill is their Makers Many a one workes for the Church of God that yet hath no part in it Salomon raises a tribute for the worke not of money but of men Thirty thousand Israelites are leauied for the seruice yet not continuedly but with intermission their labour is more generous and lesse pressing it is enough if they keep their courses one moneth in Lebanon two at home so as euer ten thousand worke whiles twentie thousand breathe So fauourable is God to his creature that he requires vs not to be ouer-toyled in the workes of his owne seruice Due respirations are requisite in the holiest acts The maine stresse of the worke lyes vpon Proselytes whose both number and paines was herein more then the Natiues An hundred and fifty thousand of them are imployed in bearing burthens in hewing stones besides their three thousand three hundred ouer-seers Now were the despised Gibeonites of good vse and in vaine doth Israel wish that the zeale of Saul had not robbed them of so seruiceable drudges There is no man so meane but may bee some way vsefull to the House of God Those that cannot worke in gold and siluer and silke yet may cut and hew and those that can doe neither yet may cary burdens Euen the seruices that are more homely are not lesse necessarie Who can dis-hearten himselfe in the conscience of his owne insufficiency when he sees God can as well serue himselfe of his labour as of his skill The Temple is framed in Lebanon and set vp in Sion Neither hammer nor axe was heard in that holy structure There was nothing but noise in Lebanon nothing in Sion but silence and peace What euer tumults are abroad it is fit there should bee all quietnesse and sweet concord in the Church Oh God that the axes of schisme or the hammers of furious contentions should bee heard within thy Sanctuary Thine house is not built with blowes with blowes it is beaten downe Oh knit the hearts of thy seruants together in the vnity of the spirit and the bond of peace that we may minde and speak the same things that thou who art the God of peace maist take pleasure to dwell vnder the quiet roofe of our hearts Now is the foundation laid and the wals rising of that glorious fabricke which all Nations admired and all times haue celebrated Euen those stones which were laid in the Base of the building were not ragged and rude but hewne and costly the part that lyes couered with earth from the eyes of all beholders is no lesse precious then those that are most conspicuous God is not all for the eye he pleaseth himselfe with the hidden value of the liuing stones of his spirituall Temple How many noble graces of his seruants haue been buried in obscuritie not discerned so much as by their owne eyes which yet as hee gaue so hee crowneth Hypocrites regard nothing but shew God nothing but truth The matter of so goodly a frame striues with the proportion whether shall more excell Here was nothing but white Marble without nothing but Cedar and Gold within Vpon the Hill of Sion stands that glittering and snowy pile which both inuiteth and dazeleth the eyes of passengers a farre off so much more precious within as Cedar is better then stone gold then Cedar No base thing goes to the making vp of Gods House If Satan may haue a dwelling he cares not though he patch it vp of the rubbish of stone or rotten sticks or drosse of metals God will admit of nothing that is not pure and exquisite His Church consists of none but the faithfull his habitation is in no heart but the gracious The fashion was no other then that of the Tabernacle onely this was more costly more large more fixed God was the same that dwelt in both hee varied not the same mysterie was in both Onely it was fit there should be a proportion betwixt the worke and the builder The Tabernacle was erected in a popular estate the Temple in a Monarchy it was fit this should sauour of the munificence of a King as that of the zeale of a multitude That was erected in the flitting condition of Israel in the desert this in their setled residence in the promised Land it was fit therefore that should bee framed for motion this for rest Both of them were distinguished into three remarkable diuisions whereof each was more noble more reserued then other But what doe we bend our eyes vpon stone and wood and metals God would neuer haue taken pleasure in these dead materials for their owne sakes if they had not had a further intendment Me thinkes
instance in Moses 866 The wicked in their afflictions like the beasts that grow mad with baiting 874 Euery maine affliction is the godly mans Red-Sea 883 A way to discerne the afflictions of God and Satan 884 The enduring afflictions commendable 887 Afflictions send men to prayer 930 The purpose of affliction is to make vs importunate 971 When God hath beaten his child he will burne the rod. 971 The aduantage which afflictions haue 994 our afflictions more noted of the sender then of the sufferer 995 It is the infirmitie of our nature oft-times to bee afflicted with the causes of our ioy 997 An example of Gods making our afflictions beneficial 1000 Extremitie of distresse will send the prophanest to God 1109 1110 Agag of him and Saul 1073 Ag◠a pretty diuision of our ages and hopes in them 46 and burthens also 48 Agnus Dei The vertue of that which was sent by Pope Vrbanus the fift vnto the Greeke Emperour 621 Ahab of him Benhadad 1351 Of him and Naboth 1356 His spleene against Naboth whether of anger or griefe 1357 Iezebels cōforting him 1357 The power of conscience in him 1359 His sorrow censured 1359 Of his death 1360 c. The number of his Prophets ibid. All Satans subtiltie in desiring not all but halfe the heart p. 2 Our seruice to God must bee totall 477. 478 Whether all may reade the Scriptures 617 Trust him in nothing that hath not a conscience in euery thing 1006 Partiall conuersion of man is but hatefull hypocrisie 1051 The worst men will make head against some though not all sinnes 1109 Allegeance of the oath and iust suffering of those that refuse it 342 c. Almes it ought to be like Oyle 708 Alone Sinne is not acted alone 1138 Altar the altar of the Reubenites 967 No gaine so sweet as of a robbed altar 1054 The Altar cleaued to in danger by Ioab but otherwise not regarded 1261 1262 But t is no fit place for a bloody Homicide 1262 Alteration the itching desire of alteration manifested 1053 Amalek his foyle 893 His sin called to reckoning 1074 Ambition an ambitious man is the greatest enemy to himselfe 5 It hath torment enough in euery estate 16 Pretty steps of ambition 95 Its Character 197 Hard to say whether there be more Pride or Ignorance in ambition 985 Ambition euer in trauel 1150 Ammon of him and Thamar 1144 His lust prettily laid out 1146 Anabaptists their Kings or Captaines pride 443 Their dissention at Amsterdam prettily set out 445 Angels of the offices and acts of good and euill Angels 66 67 The vse that we should make of them as our friends and foes ibid. The danger of wicked men which haue Gods Angels to oppose them 934 Good Angels haue their stints in their executions ibid. How forward the good Angels are to incite to pietie 997 Hearty sacrifices are an Angels feast ibid. T is presumption to discourse of their Orders Titles c. 997 Of the Angell and Zacharie 1159 They reioyce to bee with vs whilst wee are with God 1161 What it is to pray to Angels in the Virgins salutation 1163 Anger the small difference betweene anger and madnesse 140 Anna and Peninna 1028 Of Eli and Hanna 1030 Amsterdam vid. Title Brownists and Separatists their separation iniury to the Church with the censure and aduice 315 Antiquitie of popish deprauing antiquitie 349 Apparell the children of God haue three suits of apparell 37 The glory of apparell is sought in noueltie c. with a sharpe reproofe of out-running modestie in it 1135 Appearance nothing more vncertaine then it 489 Of appearance of things and Men. 490 Appearance may bee reduced into three heads ibid. Where appearance is the rule see how the ordinances of God become to bee scorned 492 The Saints mis-deemed the Gallants estate mis-iudged 493 And false religion seeme true 494 Appearance is either a true falsehood or an vncertaine truth 1078 Application the life of doctrine 1142 Apocrypha whether it be to be receiued as Scripture 614 Austeritie there is euer an holy austeritie must follow the calling of God 995 Arke How to bee reuerenced 949 The strength of Gods Arke 952 The Arke and Dagon 1043 The prophane Philistims toyle in carying the Arke shames many our attendance at it ibid. The Arkes reuenge and returne 1046 The Israelites ioy of the returne of the Arke 1049 The remoue of the Arke 1050 Of Vzzah and the Arke 1127 Arts all arts are handmaids to Diuinitie 143 Asa of him 1326 Foure principall monuments of Asa his vertues 1327 Astonishment By it God makes way for his greatest messages 870 Authority An impression of Maiesty in lawfull authoritie 904 The errour of the mightie is armed with authority 917 Authority the marke of enuy 920 Awe The awefulnesse that God hath put into Soueraignty 1116 Awefulnesse is a good interpreter of Gods secret acts 1129 B BAdam Of him 931 And of his Asse 934 His madnesse in cursing the people 936 A pretty vse of Baalams death ibid. Bablers a good note of them 12 Baptisme A discourse of the necessity of it and of the estate of those which necessarily want it 367 Of Christs baptisme 1189 It giues vertue to ours ibid. Bathsheba Of her and Dauid and Vriah 1137 Shee mournes for her husbands death 1141 Beasts God will call vs to account for our cruelty to dumbe beasts 935 Beauty If it bee not well disciplin'd it proues not a friend but a foe 1145 Beelzebub Who he was 1289 Beginnings Wee must stop the beginnings of sin 937 Strange beginnings are not vsually cast away 994 Those affaires are like to proceed well that haue their beginnings of God 1025 Little can wee iudge by the beginnings of an action what will be the end 1053 As it is seene in Saul 1056 Beleefe First beleeue then conceiue 25 vide Faithfulnesse Beniamin His desolation 1019 Beneficence Our cheerfulnesse thereto excited 373 Benefits Wee lose the comfort of them if wee renue not our perils by meditation 1000 Birth Not to be too much discouraged by the basenesse of our birth 991 The very birth and conception of extraordinary persons is extraordinary 994 Bishops Whether ours be Antichristian 578 Blood It is a restlesse suter 1262 Boaz and Ruth 1025 Body How to bee caried in the worship of God 13 The gesture of the body shold expresse and helpe the deuotion of the soule 894 Dead bodies are not lost but layd vp 942 Boldnesse It s vsuall issue without ability 5 It is dangerous to bee too bold with the ordinances of God 949 Fearfull to vse the holy Ordinances of God with an vnreuerend boldnesse 1049 Boldnesse and feare are commonly misplaced in the best hearts 1052 A good conscience wil make a man bold 1060 Bookes Of neglecting good bookes 411 A bewailing the want of order iudgement in reading Popish bookes 412 God hath two bookes one of his word another of his works 1124 Brownists vide Separatists their scandalous aspersions
than the delicate Bed of her whom he thought as honest as he knew faire The Arke saith hee and Israel and Iudah dwell in Tents and my Lord Ioab and the Seruants of my Lord abide in the open Fields shall I then goe into my house to eat and drinke and lye with my Wife by thy life and by the life of thy soule I will not doe this thing Who can but bee astonished at this change to see a Souldier austere and a Prophet wanton And how doth that Souldiers austeritie shame the Prophets wantonnesse Oh zealous and mortified Soule worthy of a more faithfull Wife of a more iust Master how didst thou ouer-looke all base sensuality and hatedst to bee happy alone Warre and Lust had wont to bee reputed friends thy brest is not more full of courage than chastity and is so farre from wandring after forbidden pleasures that it refuseth lawfull There is a time to laugh and a time to mourne a time to embrace and a time to bee farre from embracing euen the best actions are not alwayes seasonable much lesse the indifferent Hee that euer takes libertie to doe what hee may shall offend no lesse than hee that sometimes takes libertie to doe what hee may not If any thing the Arke of GOD is fittest to leade our times according as that is eyther distressed or prospereth should wee frame our mirth or mourning To dwell in seeled Houses whiles the Temple lyes waste is the ground of Gods iust quarrell How shall wee sing a Song of the Lord in a strange Land If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning If I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth yea if I preferre not Hierusalem to my chiefe ioy As euery man is a limme of the Communitie so must hee bee affected with the estate of the vniuersall bodie whether healthfull or languishing It did not more aggrauate Dauids sinne that whiles the Arke and Israel was in hazard and distresse hee could finde time to loose the reines to wanton desires and actions than it magnifies the religious zeale of Vriah that hee abandons comfort till he see the Arke and Israel victorious Common dangers or calamities must like the rapt motion carrie our hearts contrarie to the wayes of our priuate occasions He that cannot bee moued with words shall bee tried with Wine Vriah had equally protested against feasting at home and societie with his wife To the one the authoritie of a King forceth him abroad in hope that the excesse thereof shall force him to the other It is like that holy Captaine intended onely to yeeld so much obedience as might consist with his course of austeritie But Wine is a mocker when it goes plausibly in no man can imagine how it will rage and tyrannize hee that receiues that Traytour within his gates shall too late complaine of surprizall Like vnto that ill spirit it insinuates sweetly but in the end it bytes like a Serpent and hurts like a Cockatrice Euen good Vriah is made drunke the holiest soule may be ouer-taken It is hard gaine-saying where a King beginnes an health to a subiect Where oh where will this wickednesse end Dauid will now procure the sinne of another to hide his owne Vriahs drunkennesse is more Dauids offence than his It is weakly yeelded to of the one which was wilfully intended of the other The one was as the Sinner the other as the Tempter Had not Dauid knowne that Wine was an inducement to Lust hee had spared those superfluous Cups Experience had taught him that the eye debauched with Wine will looke vpon strange women The Drunkard may bee any thing saue good Yet in this the ayme failed Grace is stronger than Wine Whiles that with-holdes in vaine shall the fury of the Grape attempt to carry Vriah to his owne Bed Sober Dauid is now worse than drunken Vriah Had not the King of Israel beene more intoxicate with sinne than Vriah with drinke hee had not in a sober intemperance climbed vp into that Bed which the drunken temperance of Vriah refused If Dauid had bin but himselfe how had he loued how had he honoured this honest and religious zeale in his so faithfull Seruant whom now he cruelly seekes to reward with death That fact which Wine cannot hide the Sword shall Vriah shall beare his owne Mittimus vnto Ioab Put yee Vriah in the fore-front of the strength of the Battle and recule backe frō him that he may be smitten and dye What is becomne of thee O thou good spirit that hadst woont to guide thy chosen Seruant in his former wayes Is not this the man whom we lately saw so heart smitten for but cutting off the lap of the Garment of a Wicked Master that is now thus lauish of the bloud of a gracious and well-deseruing Seruant Could it be likely that so worthy a Captaine could fall alone Could Dauid haue expiated this sinne with his owne bloud it had beene but well spent but to couer his sinne with the innocent bloud of others was a crime aboue astonishment Oh the deepe deceitfulnesse of sinne If the Deuill should haue comne to Dauid in the most louely forme of Bathsheba her selfe and at the first should haue directly and in termes solicited him to murder his best Seruant I doubt not but hee would haue spat scorne in that face on which hee should otherwise haue doted now by many cunning windings Satan rises vp to that tentation and preuailes that shall bee done for a colour of guiltinesse whereof the foule would haue hated to bee immediately guiltie Euen those that finde a iust horror in leaping downe from some high Tower yet may bee perswaded to descend by stayres to the bottome Hee knowes not where he shall stay that hath willingly flipt into a knowne wickednesse How many doth an eminent offender draw with him into euill It could not bee but that diuers of the Attendants both of Dauid and Bathsheba must bee conscious to that adulterie Great mens sinnes are seldome secret And now Ioab must be fetcht in as accessary to the murder How must this example needs harden Ioab against the conscience of Abners bloud Whiles he cannot but thinke Dauid cannot auenge that in mee which he acteth himselfe Honour is pretended to poore Vriah death is meant This man was one of the Worthies of Dauid their courage sought glorie in the difficultest exploits That reputation had neuer beene purchased without attempts of equall danger Had not the Leader and Followers of Vriah beene more treacherours than his Enimies were strong hee had come off with Victory Now hee was not the first or last that perished by his friends Dauid hath forgotten that himselfe was in like sort betrayed in his Masters intention vpon the dowrie of the Philistims-fore-skinnes I feare to aske Who euer noted so foule a plot in Dauids reiected Predecessour Vriah must be the Messenger of his owne death Ioab must be
a Traytor to his friend the host of God must shamefully turne their backes vpon the Ammonites all that Israelitish bloud must bee shed that murder must be seconded with dissimulation and all this to hide one adultery O God thou hadst neuer suffered so deare a Fauourite of thine to fall so fearefully if thou hadst not meant to make him an vniuersall example to Mankind of not presuming of not despairing How can wee presume of not sinning or despayre for sinning when wee finde so great a Saint thus fallen thus risen NATHAN and DAVID YEt Bathsheba mourned for the death of that Husband whom she had beene drawne to dishonour How could shee bestow teares enow vpon that Funerall whereof her sinne was the cause If shee had but a suspicion of the plot of his death the Fountaines of her eyes could not yeeld water enough to wash off her Husbands bloud Her sin was more worthy of sorrow than her losse If this griefe had beene right placed the hope of hiding her shame and the ambition to bee a Queene had not so soone mittigated it neyther had shee vpon any termes beene drawne into the Bed of her husbands murtherer Euery gleame of earthly comfort can dry vp the teares of worldly sorrow Bathsheba hath soone lost her griefe at the Court The remembrance of an Husband is buried in the ioyliltie and state of a Princesse Dauid securely enioyes his ill-purchased loue and is content to exchange the conscience of his sinne for the sense of his pleasure But the iust and holy God will not put it vp so hee that hates sinne so much the more as the offender is more deare to him will let Dauid feele the bruise of his fall If Gods best Children haue beene sometimes suffered to sleepe in a sinne at last he hath awakened them in a fright Dauid was a Prophet of God yet hee hath not only stept into these foule sinnes but soiournes with them If any profession or state of life could haue priuiledged from sinne the Angels had not sinned in Heauen nor man in Paradise Nathan the Prophet is sent to the Prophet Dauid for reproofe for conuiction Had it beene any other mans case none could haue beene more quick sighted than the Princely Prophet in his owne hee is so blinde that God is faine to lend him others eyes Euen the Phisician himself when hee is sick sends for the counsell of those whom his health did mutually aid with aduice Let no man thinke himselfe too good to learne Teachers themselues may bee taught that in their owne particular which in a generalitie they haue often taught others It is not only ignorance that is to be remoued but mis-affection Who can prescribe a iust period to the best mans repentance About tenne moneths are passed since Dauids sinne in all which time I finde no newes of any serious compunction It could not bee but some glances of remorse must needs haue passed thorough his Soule long ere this but a due and solemne contrition was not heard of till Nathans message and perhaps had beene further adiourned if that Monitor had beene longer deferred Alas what long and dead sleepes may the holyest Soule take in fearefull sinnes Were it not for thy mercie O God the best of vs should end our spirituall Lethargie in sleepe of death It might haue pleased God as easily to haue sent Nathan to checke Dauid in his first purpose of sinning So had his eyes beene restrayned Bathsheba honest Vriah aliue with honour now the wisdome of the Almightie knew how to winne more glorie by the permission of so foule an euill than by the preuention yea he knew how by the permission of one sinne to preuent millions how many thousand had sinned in a vaine presumption on their owne strength if Dauid had not thus offended how many thousand had despiared in the conscience of their owne weaknesses if these horrible sinnes had not receiued forgiuenesse It is happy for all times that we haue so holy a Sinner so sinfull a penitent It matters not how bitter the Pill is but how well wrapped so cunningly hath Nathan conueyed this dose that it begins to worke ere it be tasted there is no one thing wherein is more vse of wisdome than the due contriuing of a reprehension which in a discreet deliuerie helps the disâ—â—se in an vnwise destroyes Nature Had not Nathan beene vsed to the possession of Dauids care this complaint had beene suspected It well beseemes a King to take information by a Prophet Whiles wise Nathan was querulously discoursing of the cruell rich man that had forceably taken away the only Lambe of his poore Neighbour how willingly doth Dauid listen to the Storie and how sharply euen aboue Law doth he censure the fact As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing shall surely dye Full little did he thinke that he had pronounced sentence against himselfe It had not beene so heauie if he had not knowne on whom it should haue light Wee haue open eares and quick tongues to the vices of others How seuere Iusticers wee can bee to our very owne crimes in others persons How flattering Parasites to anothers crime in our selues The life of doctrine is in application Nathan might haue bin long enough in his narration in his inuectiue ere Dauid would haue bin touched with his owne guiltinesse but now that the Prophet brings the Word home to his bosome hee cannot but be affected Wee may take pleasure to heare men speake in the Cloudes we neuer take profit till wee finde a proprietie in the exhortation or reproofe There was not more cunning in the Parable than courage in the application Thou art the man If Dauid be a King he may not looke not to heare of his faults Gods messages may be no other than vnpartiall It is a trecherous flattery in diuine errands to regard greatnesse If Prophets must bee mannerly in the forme yet in the matter of reproofe resolute The words are not their owne They are but the Heralds of the King of Heauen Thus saith the Lord God of Israel How thunder-stricken doe we thinke Dauid did now stand How did the change of his colour bewray the confusion in his Soule whiles his conscience said the same within which the Prophet sounded in his eare And now least ought should be wanting to his humiliation all Gods former fauours shall be laid before his eyes by way of exprobration He is worthy to be vpbrayded with mercies that hath abused mercies vnto wantonnesse whiles we doe well God giues and sayes nothing when we doe ill hee layes his benefits in our dish and casts them in our teeth that our shame may be so much the more by how much our obligations haue bin greater The blessings of God in our vnworthy carriage proue but the aggrauations of sinne and additions to iudgement I see all Gods Children falling into sinne some of them lying in sinne none of them maintayning their sinne Dauid