To come more particularly to the point that we may resolve Conscience anon we will see first what Saul did and by whose Instigation he did it Then who this Edomite was What Saul did is legible before written in bloudy Characters which will remaine unto the worlds end By whoâ—e instigation he did it This is as legible also By the instigation of the Divel vexing and tormenting Saul effectually working in him together with his owne spirit thereby agitated stirred-up and boyled to the heigth of extreme wrath against David and all those that wished well unto or had their hand with David This being premised I conclude first That Conscience could not hold-backe Israel from helping their Brethren in the day of distresse and treading downe for who did so oppresse Israel at this time It must be answered Saul their King for he had hands and feet and other Instruments besides to execute the wrath but all he did was by the divels motion that Evill spirit upon him which hurried him from place to place so as he did not goe but was driven and all his way long he breathed out threatnings against David By the motion of this Evill spirit and his owne which every man Saul also are bound to resist did Saul doe all this Therefore whatsoever Israel makes conscience of they cannot make conscience of resisting the divell or the private will which by the helpe of the divell has done all the violences that ever were done in the world I presume this is a cleared case therefore I leave it for if Saul acted by an Evill spirit will flye at Israels throat they can make no conscience in the world to resist him I meane the bloudy actings and notorious violences of the divell Secondly Israel must looke upon Saul now the great Fiduciary of the Kingdome betraying that trust into an Edomites hand then smiting Israels City Man and Beast there Conscience well informed now calls-in Israel to help their distressed Brethren so far as was in the power of their hands to helpe grant so much power in their hands that they could and were able to relieve their Brethren and yet would not then Conscience will be so far from pleading their excuse that it will condemne them as accessary to that murder and bloodshed Israel stands charged not to suffer bloud to be shed so farre as they can hinder the shedding of it Deut. 21.7 Our hands have not shed this bloud nor have our eyes seene it That is Conscience to quit their Eyes in this case as well as their hands had their Eyes seene innocent bloud-shedding as in this case and not come-in to rescue the Innocent they had not been innocent Conscience then did not hold Israel backe from comming-in all as one man to rescue Nob the Priests and People there now greatly distressed and to deliver David Rather Conscience rightly informed engageth Israel upon all this being in the power of their hands for it is to shew mercy to their Brethren in this time of their great distresse and treading down by the foot of pride Thirdly they had shewne mercy indeed to Saul their Master even to his soule could they have conjured that Evill spirit and overcome him solacing and delighting himselfe as his manner is in proud wrath and wherewith their Master Saul was sore vexed that like the Lunaticke man he falls oft times into the fire and oft times into the water i.e. into most imminent apparent and destructive dangers Doubtlesse it had been a point of pure love duty and conscience to have resisted him to have with-held him driving-on furiously to shed bloud Had Israel done so they had shewne themselves conscientious men who understood their duty and entirely loved their King and therefore would not suffer him to doe that which would undoe him for ever O! it had been an act of mercy and of a well instructed conscience if Israel had every man to his power as one man stept-in and withstood Saul in his bloudy way and all the true Israel in the world would have acquitted them so doing and said in meere pitty and compassion to Saul and that which should be dearest unto him have they done this with-held their Master from shedding bloud Nay Saul himselfe had he ever come to himselfe but the Evill spirit haunted him to the day of his death would have thanked Israel for so doing But here though nothing can be said for Saul in justification of what he did yet much is said against them that had any hand with David That they were Rebells and Traitors all against the King and so Saul himselfe chargeth all his servants and all the Priests too All of you have conspired against me 2 Sam. 22. Vers 8. Vers 13. and why have ye done so An heavie charge but yet no honest man made any account of it as a charge of dishonour They counted it a cheape word a great honour rather being the Cognizance of the choicest men of all Israel and they could glory in it defamed for rigâ—teousnesse sake for the very best and choicest men in those dayes were called Conspirators Rebels to their King David was called so I know not how often and the Edomite the Rightest man and best Subject yet let us heare what may be charged upon these so defamed men though nothing can be proved That Ob. had Israel rose up to defend themselves and their Brethren they had withstood their King No Ans they had stood for him and had done him an infinite service could they have delivered their King from the power of the Evill spirit and his owne Will and from the hands of the Edomite who withstood the King indeed and fought against his Crowne Peace and Dignity But if Israel Ob. standing up in their own defence had not withstood Saul yet they had resisted the ordinance of God and they must make conscience there Yes Ans great Reason they should let Israel make conscience evermore of resisting Saul their King or their Kings power for that power is the ordinance of GOD and hee that resisteth the ordinance of GOD doth resist GOD. That is true but these orders disorders rather of the evill spirit and of mans perverse will are not the ordinance of GOD Therefore to resist these is to obey GOD and to resist the divell Make conscience evermore of resisting Saul the King the power which GOD hath intrusted him with but never make conscience of resisting the evill spirit ruling and commanding in Saul the King he did nothing in prosecution of David but by suggestion from that evill spirit mighty in Saul and in other of Israels Kings and Queenes And this spirit was pro tempore Dominus fac totum therefore it could not be conscience that kept Israel quiet and still the while A sinfull and base fearfulnesse iâ— might be yet I will not be so bold as to determine that a stupidity a benummednesse a drossinesse of spirit
contracted by long rest and so Israel might be like a Dove without an heart an Asse and a strong Asse couching downe betwixt burthens laid upon them by Saul and his bloudy Courtiers for Saul commands and the Edomite smote Nob and overthrowes all who stood-up for or had an hand with David And all Israel stood shrinking up their armes into their sleeves as we reade in Xenophon The Persians were wont to doe before their King in homage and subjection to all his commands But as I said I will not conclude so That a deadnesse of spirit was upon Israel at this time I beleeve there was a more commanding cause then that which with-held Israel at that time Wee shall heare that anon when I have taken off the imputation of treason and rebellion charged upon David by his master Saul for David a private man doth defend himselfe as well as hee can and would have fortified Keilah had they not proved treacherous to him and the lawfulnesse of this may be questionable by all Israel as well as by Saul himselfe Whether David in defending Keisah Quest had not maintained it against Saul It was not against Saul Ans It was against the notorious violences of his evill spirit those David would have withstood But Keilah was Israels City Saul the King of Israel Qu. why would David fortifie that City As it is more then probable he would have done had not the Keilites proved themselves ungratefull and treacherous Because David knew That Saul secretly practised mischiefe against him Ans and would destroy Keilah for his sake All this is written 1 Sam. 22. Therefore hee thrust himselfe into Keilah would have fortified that place But Saul might thrust out David thence for it was Sauls City Qu. was it not No it was Israels City Sauls for Israels good to defend Israel Ans not to destroy Israel We are sure of that But David had strong-holds here and there Qu. and did Breast-worke himselfe against Saul his master No Ans not against Saul his master but against those notorious violences the actings of the evill spirit upon Saul his master Against these extreame out-rages and riots David did fortifie and Breast-worke himselfe And where ever we reade of these strong-holds and Breast-works there we shall reade of Sauls bloudy persecution against David Israels best friend and temporall Saviour Therefore will those strong holds be an eternall dishonour to King Saul till the Records of Time be lost 1 Sam. 26.19 1 Sam. 23.14 David did get up to his strong-hold where be abode and there he did Breast-worke himselfe Why It is answered for Saul sought every day to kill him It is upon ever-lasting Record an eternall dishonour to King Saul so to persecute his best servant for who so faithfull as David in all his Kingdome And if David a private man did so fortifie himselfe to safe-guard his owne throat much more might all Israel for their owne and Davids sake stand-up against the insolencies of a private will and an evill spirit acting thereby Whatever held in Israel from comming-out armed at this time conscience it was not To let the King doe what a Tyrant does make will his law and doe what he pleaseth and yet Israel stand still the while behold all this with open face hold their hands in their pockets or shrinke them up into their sleeves in homage forsooth to the Evill spirit commanding in Saul and in obedience to the Edomite executing that command Surely the like was never done since the beginning of the world untill this Day For here is the King of Israel smiting Israel the great Fiduetary of the Kingdome to whom Cities and Townes Priests and People are all intrusted betraying this Trust into an Edomites hands And so he that should next to GOD uphold and preserve Israel destroyes Israel and will lay their Cities waste And all this that he may be avenged of David one of the best men and best subjects he had in his Kingdome We are well resolved now in point of Israels subjection to that power which GOD had intrusted Saul with thereby to be a Terrour to the evill not to good workes Rom. 13.3 And that if Israel had stood-up in their owne and Davids defence they had not stood-up against Saul but for him and against the notorious violences the actings of the evil spirit by Sauls and his Edomites hands And so I come to enquire concerning this Edomite who he was VVhen we know him we shall see plainly that Israel could make no scruple of conscience to stand up in resistance of him who stood up against the Crowne and peace of Israels King and Kingdome VVho this Edomite was How bloudy his minde against Israel VVho was this Edomite A Childe of Edom who in the day of Hierusalem said Rase it rase it even to the foundation thereof And The LORD remembers this and chargeth the Edomite with it Amâ—s 1 11. hee did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pitty and his anger did teare perpetually and kept his wrath for ever The LORD threatens the Edomite in the same place also For three transgressions of Edom and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof A finite number for an infinite for three transgressions and for foure But his bloudshed his cruelty towards his brother that shall set deepe upon his score Though the LORD should passe over six transgressions of Edom yet the seventh GOD will not passe over I will not turne away the punishment thereof Edom has broken all the bands of Nature O take heed of breaking those bands of Nature and brother like kindnesses the Edomite did so he did pursue his brother with the sword and when he had his brother under his hands he cast-off all pitty his anger did teare as wee reade before An old adversary to Israel Num. 20.14 The Edomite knew of all the travell that befell his brother Yet he will not shew his brother the least favour he will not suffer him to passe by the Kings high way though Israel will not be chargeable to the Edomite for a drop of water or a mouthfull of grasse if my Cattell drinke of thy water then we will pay for it A reasonable request as ever was asked yet the Edomite would not grant it He would give his brother a stone for bread and for a fish a Serpent so he answered his brothers request and then came-out against his brother with much people and a strong hand When In the day of Iacobs trouble And now see what he has done He had no sooner the word of command from Sauls mouth but hee answers it with his hand Turne thou and fall upon the Priests And Doeg the Edomite turned and pursued his Brother with the sword and shewed no pity Ah Lord Can an Israelites heart endure to see this An Edomite flourishing with his sword in Israels
Land and hold their hands Can they endure to see 85. Priests slaine in one day their City smote with the edge of the Sword both Men and Women Children and Sucklings and Oxen and Asses and Sheepe with the edge of the Sword and by the command of the Evill spirit Can they endure to see all this and stand still the while seeing an Edomite not onely buffeting Israel but utterly destroying a City in Israel Conscience could not hold backe Israel that is certaine But perusing the Text I perswade my selfe thus it was The sentence was hasty from the King hee did indeed suffer Ahimelech to plead for himselfe but Saul was resolved upon the question though there was a parley or treaty betwixt them as if they would come to a good understanding and so end the matter yet Saul was resolved what to doe as some Judges have beene resolved in the Case before they came to their Court to heare the matter To take away Ahimelechs life And he was quicke in doing of it No sooner Ahimelech had given-in his Answer as good Reason and Law both as ever was given but Saul passed his sentence Thou shalt surely dye Ahimelech c. And so it was it was presently done as Saul commanded the evill spirit on him for an Edomite had the doing of it and it was done suddenly on that day he slew 85. Priests and smote their City Man and Beast there On that day A suddaine execution for the evill spirit is strong and as cunning too we are not ignorant of his devices but know not halfe the depths of Sathan he surprized the City before the inhabitants were aware much lesse could the neighbouring Israelites be provided to come-in and rescue their Brethren so suddenly surprized for the Divell watcheth whom and when hee may destroy Besides it was not an ordinary strength that could give checke to and mate That evill spirit working so effectually in Saul and the Edomite the Manager of the Divels and Sauls wrath See we now how all this relates to the present Time And if wee shall finde That the Divell has as active instruments now and Managers of his wrath against Israel as once he had Then I hope wee shall make no more scruple of Conscience to resist the Divell now than the Israelites did make then VVith Gods helpe we will examine the matter and resolve the case of Conscience at that point CHAP. 3. This persecution comes-up to our Times as bloudy now as ever any was in any time The Papists now of the same generation with the Edomites then and as bloudy now as then Our engagements to withstand them In so doing we stand for the King What should be our prayer for him and a case of Conscience touching our obedience to him resolved and the chiefe Objections touching that matter THis persecution of David mannaged by King Saul and the Edomite comes fully up to our times though in the degrees of cruelty and execution thereof it falls much short of what is done now Saul and the Edomite in those dayes destroyed a City of Priests for Davids sake and would have destroyed Keilah also The King by his wicked Counsell have the same execution more then upon designe they have executed the same wrath upon two kingdomes But two Cities then one destroyed the other in designe for destruction Two kingdomes here For Davids sake then The same Reason now because the hands of the godly are with David now I will not spend time now to prove this That the Atheists and Papists are the same in these dayes with the Edomites in Sauls dayes Their words and actions make too sufficient proofe thereof For they have done Psal 137.7 as their Fathers said before them in the day of Ierusalem RASE IT RASE IT EVEN TO THE FOVNDATION THEREOF Children of Edom sure enough So they said in ancient time so they say now So they pursued their Brother with the Sword then so they pursue him now They shewed no pitty then they shew no pitty now They did smiâ—e and burne Cities then they doe the same now Reader I could stuffe my Pages from out of the Records of time with the most horrid horrible divellish c. But I purposely forbeare for thou art satisfied touching this matter from what thou hast heard seene and felt Therefore thou wilt make no question here for Conscience sake Thou wilt resist the Edomite according to the power in thy hand for Conscience sake Conscience of thy vow in Baptisme thou hast vowed there to renounce the divell then this Edomite sure he must be renounced too he is singular but a Legion who is the great MANAGER of all the divels affaires against the â—ity of GOD all the Christian world over Who but the Edomite he does all hee transacts all all the divels affaires come through his hands whether they concerne his Warre or his Peace there is not a Pin to choose if his Peace were not the worst of the two in conscience of thy Vow in Baptisme thou must renounce the Edomite the Sonne as well as the Father the divels Right-hand the Manager of all his affaires upon earth I say it againe that it may bee remembred alwayes Secondly in Conscience to thy oath of Allegeance Thou hast taken an oath to subject thy selfe to the Power GOD has set over thee and that is a Power which cannot be perverted to base ends against GOD and the power of Godlinesse it cannot be Committed to an Edomites hand nor can he be the MANAGER thereof Wee shall heare more of this anon 3. In Conscience of thy Covenant entred-into You are not your own now you are bought with a price you are GODS a sworn Servant to Him You have sworne and will not repent to serve the Living GOD and not the Lusts of Men You have entred into Covenant by the helpe of GOD you are resolved to stand to it and then to stand-up against all those who stand up against GOD and His Truths revealed in His Word We are fully and clearly resolved at this point To stand-up for GOD against the Edomites of these times for Conscience sake nay for the Common-wealths sake as our Countrey-men stood up against the Wolves our Land would not beare them Sect. 2 chap. 6. say some nay the Land would not endure them say I for so sayes my Author too Every man stood-up with his weapon in his hand and out they thrust the Wolves they could not endure them The time will come when we shall doe so with these Edomites too else we cannot maintaine our Lawes our Liberties our Lives and which is the Life of our Lives and should be the Crown of our rejoycing The Gospel we cannot maintaine that if we doe not thrust out the Edomites for they will Thrust us from the Gospel and the Gospel from us We are resolved in this case of conscience touching the Edomite Resistance of him But here is a greater case If wee resist
the Edomite in our sense and in Scripture language That Legion of the Papists now Raging and Rioting in our Land we shall resist the King too for this Edomite is the chiefe MANAGER next to the Divel of all the Kings affaires in this Kingdome his very best Subjects and truest Friends O horrible what words are these Papists his best Subjects It must passe for it has the Kings allowance he has declared it so he has proclaimed it so once and againe and a third time The Edomites in Ireland in England they are the Kings best Subjects those he may confide-in his heart may cleave to them in love when David The faithfull of the LORD are called Traitors every day and his good People Rebels all O David cannot be silent now any longer GOD knowes and all the Christian world knowes Davids heart is upright and his hands cleare and his prayer pure touching this matter Their hands have not shed innocent bloud nor have their eyes seen it but with indignation and Zeale against these Murtherers And we say That many Kings have beene seduced by evill counsels Many whose hearts have beene stolne away from their good people and given-up into their enemies hands cleaving to them in love and some have shed bloud to their power as Saul here and others after him But oh how loth I am to speake The Evill Counsellours have carried-on the King in the Path of the destroyer beyond all These for he has given a Commission to destroy his good people and makes shewes That his soule bleeds over them He pittieth his Peoples nakednesse and takes from them their cloathes hee calls them Rebels in Ireland and entertaines the same Rebels here He professeth to do all by helpe of GOD and the Law and all he does has a manifest contrariety to GOD and contradiction to the Law He professeth with his tongue to be for Religion indeed when his heart and hand is utterly against the professors of the same To take them from the Earth He professeth to maintaine his Peoples liberties and does all that is in the power of his hands to inthrall and oppresse his people To make their neckes bend to the Edomites yoake he would make beleeve his hand goes along with GOD when hee puts it forth against The Almighty in all his peoples sight as if he had an arm like GOD. But the bloudshed in both his Kingdomes this The Lord sees and heares the voice of it too And which maketh the voice yet louder The LORD heares how he chargeth it upon the innocent and blesseth the Murtherers those that have shed it indeed The LORD lay it close to the heart of his Majesty that his soule may bleed over the blood he hath shed That he may forbeare to say so till he does so That his soule may shed teares for the bloud he hath shed indeed and indeed Let others pray The LORD bring his Majesty home to his Parliament upon the wings of the Churches Prayers They that pray so pray well but they pray better who pray The Lord open the Kings eyes and heart that he may discerne the Path he has trod the way he is in and feele the working of that bloud shed upon his soule working in him a sorrow after a godly sort The LORD shew him the falshood the hypocrisie of his heart make it as manifest to him as it is to all his good People That his uncircumcised heart may be humbled that he may abhorre evill and loath himselfe for what he has done Amen say I and all who wish that his soule may prosper He may come home to his Parliament and doe more hurt then good there unlesse his heart be humbled for all he has done first I remember very well the Eleventh King of Scotland the worst King that ever was I thinke yet was brought home to his Parliament I meane he came-up to his good People even to all the desire of their hearts for thus he did Those pernicious Counfellors he had many and they stole away his heart or he stole away theirs surely the King was worst because chiefest in the trespasse he suffered to be imprisoned and over some the wheele was turned And all this he did in deep dissimulation that he might the more freely with no resistance worke-out his owne will and doe according to his owne pleasure afterwards And so he did the yeare after by that time he saw all cleare before him the hearts of his Nobles gained for he gave the offenders into their hands and all was well and now they must be feasted They were glad of that and to supper they came which was served-up in a Lordly dish and after the meat Wine they are and dranke and their hearts were merry but the worst Wine was kept last towards the close of the Feast the Nobles were made drunke with their owne bloud as with sweet Wine A few escaped and those few by the helpe of the People rose-up against their King and slew him I shall not meddle with that though in the close of the worke I shall point to that King againe and another halfe as bad I conclude from hence That till the King be truly informed for what he has done That he has walked in the counsell of the ungodly his foot has stood in the way of sinners and he sitteth in the seat of the scornfull Till his heart be humbled for this Tâ—ll his soule cleaves to the ground for this and what else God and his conscience best knowes Till this be the King cannot come-back to his Parliament he caâ—not be to the heart and desires of his good People there Therefore pray we LORD turne the heart of the King give him a sight of what he has done and humble his soule in the sight of it th the hath blasphemed the Name of his GOD deal deceitfully with his Maker treacherouoy with His People abominably with His Day prophaning it by a Law He must be restlesse in his spirit till he hath vindicated That dishonour done to That Rest forcing and persecuting His best Servants touching that matter and shedding their bloud to his power ever since LORD give the King a sight of all this and of all that The Searcher of hearts and his owne heart knowes by himselfe and kindly humble him for all Then all the rest followes the King will be right for his Parliament his heart will be with them then it will be said and not till then What the King does pleaseth all his people and what his good people doe pleaseth the King Amen But if the King doe not his duty his people must doe theirs if hee looke not to his charge how he rules not his but Gods People THY PEOPLE sitting in GODS Throne Yet must the people look to their obedience they must be subject to the higher Power notwithstanding I come then to resolve what this higher Power is and the cases of conscience thereabouts Not touching the giving of
consisted in suffering rather then in obeying rather in bearing from the hand what the Power inflicted Magistratibus ex animo deferendus honor etiam Tyrannis Ans then in doing what the Power commanded This is true for there is an obedience in suffering and so no resisting of the power for he that suffers from the hand of the Ruler for what his conscience will not suffer him to doe he doth not resist but obeyes the Ruler And yet we must note That there is a wide difference betwixt giving obedience to that the Heathen Emperours commanded by their Lawes and obedience to that which Kings now command against Law Christians then did take-up the burden of their Ruler with a bended knee as the Lord Verub expresseth it and as I may interpret it i. e. They made their body bow unto it not their conscience They suffered for that they could not obey as the three Worthies in Daniel who yeelded-up their bodies â—o the dispose of their King and so The LORD Whom they served kept their bodies untouched by the fire who would keepe their consciences free from polution It is otherwise with Christians now They are called to liberty To obey their King ruling by Law The â—igher Power which GOD has set over them and which the King cannot commit to an Edomites hand If he dâ—es it ought to be resisted for it is a terrour to the good not to evill workes Cleane contrary to tâ—at a Minister of GOD should be And whereas it is said We must give honour to Magistrates though Tyrants we grant as much for it hath beene and is the manner of all the children of GOD so to do David did so witnesse his words and humble deportment before Saul But David did not give his throat to Saul though Saul was King and David a private man yet he read no Law nor could see Reason for that but all Law and Reason against it There is one argument more from the example of the Jewes if not shrinking-up their hands into their sleeves after the Persian manner yet bowing their hands behinde them in homâ—ge to their Emperours person and commands Philo relates the story in his Ambassie to Cajus as followes Caligula would set-up his Image in the Temple of Jerusalem that Abomination in that Sacred Place So he would do And for that end Petronius was sent unto them to assure them That Caligula their Emperour would have it so and for that purpose an Army of foot and horse was in a readinesse to shoulder-in the Image if by faire meanes he prevailed not The Jewes with their wives and children met the Emperours Ambassadour stand before him as children before their parents with their Armes bent behinde them assuring the Ambassadour by that reverentiall posture of their bodies That as they were not so mad as to withstand their Lord so they were not so mindlesse of their duty to GOD as to suffer that abomination to be brought into their Temple unlesse over the heads of themselves their wives and children trampled upon all the way thither as the myre in the streets And so they quitted themselves say they of themselves like men in hese two great points In preserving entire the service of their GOD And the bâ—nd of allegeance to their Prince This is the very posture of good Subjects Ob. to carry their hands bent behinde them while they suffer the Rebels to ride over their heads And that is the objection from hence I confesse this Story speakes as fully to Doctor Fearnes purpose Ans as any we have read yet will it not satisfie his tender conscience nor any understanding man For he must heare Reason A wise man will not show his teeth that cannot bite his offer that way may cause all his teeth to be struck out I will shrinke my hands up into my sleeves or turne them behinde me if I am not able to use my hands Againe If the Jewes at that time would expose themselves wives and children to the lust of one domineering Lord That is no rule for Christians so to doe Nay it was no rule for the Christians after them So we will answer practice with practice For they being oppressed by the hand of an Heathen Emperour Lucinius sought helpe from a Christian Emperour who gave them aid and thereby they oppressed him that oppressed them Though yet it makes a wide difference to live under them whose will is their law and will doe what they list And under him who is under a power which must rule him and his commands Whereof bâ—fore The case is cleared without controversie the King is not the higher Power Yet before we conclude let us heare how the Heathen have resolved this matter Whose is the power The Kings Who has the power over the King The Law Then the Law is the higher power sayes Plutarch in his Moralls But me thinkes Aristotles words are yet more notable he sayes He that will have the Law to be the higher power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polit. lib. 3. sub finem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obliquos agit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid sets GOD uppermost and the Law next to Him But he that will have man to be the higher power sayes a Beast may be it A Beast Yes so sayes Aristotle and his Reason must be this though I finde it not in the place for it is sufficient that he sayes a Beast Man may be carried by his sensuall part then he walks like a Beast and acts like a Beast his Reason and Judgment may be steeped as was said in his affections Lust may sway him Anger too and turne him from the rule of Law and Reason both yes that it may the best men living and all the while the man is so carried he acts like a Beast Therefore we must not place the higher power in him What is the higher power then The Law What is the Law It is as the minde of the Law-giver Senate or Councell should be void of all sensuall Desire and Appetite I expresse it as well as I can I would it were expressed better and better thought upon for truely it is very excellent I conclude then that is the higher power that can doe me no Wrong but all the Right that can be because it is void of all manner of Malignity from selfe seâ—fe-seeking or selfe-pleasing Then it is a Truth as cleare as the Sun-beame That the King is not the higher power he is a Man and may doe and does much wrong for there is a Malignity in man even in the best of men and will be there so long as selfe is in him I am now to make further discovery of this malignant spirit in Saul persecuting of David so we proceed in the Story where we shall read that which may be a great disheartning to Israel now while they looke downward upon number and strength of men But if they looke upward setting their faces
lift-up the right hand of Davids Adversaries does David and Israel say Yes and so He may doe that He may exalt His owne right-Right-hand toward David anon Where we shall see That Davids cause is not carried on by number or multitude or by strength but by an over-ruling Hand And That GOD on Davids side answers all advantages on the Adversaries side both of number and strength and all disadvantages on Davids side in want of both Though for Thousands with Saul he can write but hundreds yet hee will not feare for GOD is with David and is departed from Saul and that answers all advantages on Sauls side and all disadvantages on Davids side as was said For now GOD delights to shew Himselfe and His Arme else we will not see it unlesse it be made most bare of flesh we would have many on our side so it will be but not yet but let us remember they may be too many for GOD to give us victory Iudges Eccles. 9.11 for we thinke The race must be to the swift and the battell to the strong When in Davids war it is quite contrary So much to Sauls Alarm to war his successe therein his numbers of men and how it relates to this war against David as it is at this day and answers Sauls seeming advantages and takes off the wonder there Now I come to examine what persons these were who come-in to Saul side to carry-on his persecution against David Saul called all the people together to war and they came-in by Troops an Host of three thousand chosen men What manner of persons were they Murtherers all I faâ— all nay GOD sayes all and every one of them were murtherers that were privy to Sauls intents and willingly followed the Commandement Marke that and marke we what we reade Saul spake to all his servants What to doe That they should kill David And they 1 Sam. 19.1.2 who did as Saul spake To their power were murtherers to their power And it was very possible to finde-out some Thousands chosen men in Israel who would kill David the faithfull of the LORD at this time for there were many Noble men in Israel and not many of these would give their hand to David conflict with him against him rather giving their hand to Saul Very probable it was so There were many rich men in Israel And whaâ— sayes the Apostle of them They despise they oppresse the poâ—re they draw them we need not make it a question Ia◠〈◊〉 2.6 our eyes have seene it befâ—re the judgement seat they blaspheme the worthy Name by which we are called Doubtlesse many of these were with Saul and bare their owne charges And I am more then halfe perswaded That Davids five hundred Troopers were but poore men a ragged Regiment very poore and almost naked for whence should they have supplies of necessaries GOD knowes surely man cannot tell I finde them in a wildernesse for the most part amongst wilde Goats No strange place to David and his Army They senâ— to a very Rich Man and he sent them a very churlish Aâ—swer but not one biâ— of bread And yet contented men they were whether paid or not paid and pillage they would not rather dye then doe wrong It it had or beene so they might have made brave pillage of Nabals sheep whereas they would not no not they Davids Souldiers 1 Sam. 25.16 they were a wall unto Nabals shepheards and their flockes both by night and by day And yet such a Nabal he was such a Churle and such a Foole when he made a feast like a King surfeited on his meat and was very drunke Nay before he was so distempered he would not give David no not a morsell This stirred Dâ—vids spirit not a little I passe it over here onely this in passage Davids spirit must be discovered to himselfe and that will be one maine Reason anon why his deliverance was delayed The Note is this The Rich Churlâ— mindes not David in the wildernesse nor shall he or his men taste of his morsels David shall taste of the Rich Mans spirit he will give David bad language and censure him withall Who is David A despicable person I warrant you he and his men are broken away from their Masters There 's his censure for as his name is so is he Nabal is his name and folly is with him Verse 25. he censures David at pleasure But it was well for the Rich man that Dâ—vid and his men were so neare his Shepherds and his Flocks had Sauls Troopers been so neare they would have taken them all for Booâ—ies and had they smelt-out Nabals feast they would not have sent Messengers unto him with a Blessing in their mouth Peace be both to thee Verse 6. and peace be to thy house and peace be unto all that thou hast Nor would they have spoken supplications Verse 8. Let the young men find favour in tâ—â—ne eyes for they come in a good day give I pray thee c. No they would not have prayed they would have commanded and done as the vile Priests did 1 Sam. 2.16 Thou shalt give it me now and if not I will take it by force Such a commanding Host was with Saul and past question such Priests were with him too to helpe-on the persecution for it was against David And never was there any persecution against David wherein the Priests were not most Active Ministers not knuckle deepe as we say but elbow deep in bloud as at this day We will take a view now of the Kings Army As before many Nobles there not many with David Rich men there such as the Apostâ—e has described great hunters before The LORD mighty to oppresse and to blaspheme The Name of their GOD. There are the vile Miniâ—ters too Isa 56.10 they kennell neare the Court even all your Dumb-Dâ—gs which cannot bâ—rke sleeping lâ—ing downe loving to slumber All these all over the Land are with the King now that his hand is against David and to strengthen his persecution They cave murthered Soules already now they will murther Bodies If they cannot with their hands they will set their heart to the worke and open their purses wide towards it Shall these and these men prosper Shall they carry-on their designe against David Shall they that hate The LORD lift-up the head Yes for a Time till GOD has perfected His work And His Adversaries have done theirs filling-up their measures and for other excellent Reasons which we shall heare anon We have seene now what Persons they ever have beene and are who have their hand against David murtherers all mighty hunters before The LORD And yet as I am not so foolishly ignorant to thinke That the vile Priests were not a part of Sauls Army either in Action or Affection contributing their Prayers and Purses towards the holy warre wherein they alwayes have beene a willing people of very large hearts So I am
they went along with him and they were slaine the same day TOGETHER Certainly it is not safe to goe one step forward with a man when we see plainly what way he goes and that he drives furiously on towards a cursed end If we see two men walke together we must needs thinke they are agreed for so sayes the Spirit they cannot walke together else yet we will not judge that all in the Kings Court are Enemies to David We think rather That some there be whose body is with their King and their heart with David We acknowledge That Relations are binders and Court-bands are shackles But yet there is no such binder in the world as our engagement to David Which Ionathan answered as a right precious and faithfull friend therefore no blame can lye upon him And in case we finde him persecuted GOD will beare us out in it if we cast off all orher bands and shackles and come to helpe David for then wee helpe The LORD against Whom the Adversary kicks when he kicks David And let the Adversary remember and all his men with him That Saul died and all his men That same day TOGETHER 4. Saul called together his men bade them follow him doe as he did pursue David and shed bloud to their power 2 Sam. 13.28 Be couragious and be valiant have not I commanded you So he said to his followers as Absalon to his Servants Smite David then kill him feare not my COMMISSION shall be your WARRANT for you and every one of you to beare you out in all violences you shall doe against David VVell GOD takes the matter into his owne hand and in the day of Recompences for Sion Saul is slaine and all his men together And then what good does it to his servants That they had their masters Command for what they did and his Commission for their Warrant The Servant has done his Masters worke as his charge was and the power in his hands and now the hang-man must pay him his wages They are the most unhappy servants in the world that are servants to men who will put their servants upon desperâ—te designes and then tell them that they shall have a Warrant for what they doe under the Great Seale which yet is of no more strength then are the Popes Paper-pardons from whom the LORD deliver us and from them and their commands who are not Masters of themselves It is good and safe to be at the command of that LORD who gives His Command and His Warrant and His Wages too He will beare-out His Servants in all they shall doe by Command from His Mouth That shall be their Warrant indeed To them and every one of them for what they doe and for so doing there is a sure reward And if the adversary shall thrust these men for doing their duty into a fiery furnace or Lions den yet GOD HAS COMMANDED That is their Warrant still and shall carry them boldly into the mouth of the devourers so as they shall quench the violence of the fire and stop the mouth of Lyons O how good a thing it is to be at the command of such a Master whose command is your Warrant your defence and reward too We have viewed the Armies on both sides Saul has most men and the most successefull he is and strong for the warre But GOD is with David Iob 9.19 and if we speake of strengâ—h Lo He is strong or of counsell Lo He is WONDERFUL COUNSELLOR the MIGHTY GOD or of Reward Lo there is no service to the service of That KING nor Wages like to that He gives Wo must proceed in the Chapter Saul has David in chase he will pursue him to the utmost extent of his chaine as farre as his hand can reach so farre we will follow him and so end the Chapter David and his men are hunted from Keilah whence they went whathersoever they could goe 1 Sam. 23.13 And the best way they could thinke-on in their distraction was to goe into a mountainous and wilde countrey where David abode in strong holds Vers 14. even in the wildernesse of Ziph And Saul sought him every day but God delivered him not into Sauls hand Ionathan Sauls sonne Vers 16. a true friend visits David in the wood strengthened his hand in GOD they two made a Covenant together then Ionathan returned to his house lest David in the wood in a strong hold there with the Ziphites Vers 17.18.19 20 Now they play their prankes give notice to Saul where Sauls abode is Saul takes this wondrous kindly counts it the Ziphites treacherous dealing a compassion blesseth them those Murtherers then bids them prepare his way Vers 21. Num dicebat mihi esse c. Trem. observe Davids haunt a subtle fellow he told me so himselfe sayes Saul when we were familiar together bring me word sayes Saul touching the certainty of Davids abode Vers 23. and his lurking places and I will goe up with you and search him out throughout all the thousands of Iudah Vers 22.23.25 See! Saul workes all by treachery if any help and successe in his way the divel helps him to it for he makes lyes and liars his refuge And Saul does as he said hee and his men went to seeke David And they told David Who told him Some in Sauls camp sure faithfull to David See! David has friends perhaps besides Ionathan Vers 19. in Sauls Court So he leaves Hachilah came down to Maon and before he could breath himself Saul hears where his abode is and pursues David even thither There David is in a maze knowes not in the world what way to take for Saul and his men have compassed him round But behold in passage the wonderfull workes of GOD towards David Saul pursues after David in all haste as after an enemy has him in a Coop makes no more conscience of destroying him then he does to eat bread Saul shall lose his advantage for now he must be told that an enemy indeed has invaded his land so Saul must hasten as fast against the Philistines as he hasted before in the pursuite of David c. for it is noted before Thus David escaped at this time and at all times Vers 29. and he now dwels in strong holds in En-gedi Saul has cleared his land of the Philistines 1 Sam. 24. now he drives after David as furiously as before for David is discovered againe and Saul is told where Davids abode is even among the wilde goats Vers 2. and upon the rockes there Saul a mighty hunter before the LORD hunts David with two thousand dogges and more not three thousand I thinke for the reason before said though so many were with him Notwithstanding Sauls Companies David shall have the better Saul had an advantage upon David before but could not take it David has an advantage now of Saul but will not take it farther then to declare
his uprightnesse towards his Master As for wickednesse it does ever proceed from the wicked man This we have read before and the words are cleare and so Davids innocency is cleared as the noone day and Saul abundantly satisfied and his Evill spirit silenced for that time But yet David would not trust Saul No reason he should trust him in whom is no truth and from whom God is departed So David and his men gat them up into the hold in the hill of Hachilah Vers 22. 1 Sam. 26.1 among the Ziphites againe and these are as treacherous as before 'T is expected so Knave once and Knave still Treacherous persons will deal treacherously they saw Saul did deale so it was his common practise they would follow such a great Master he hearkened to lies and all his servants were wicked Pro. 29.12 But methinkes GOD does not deal so gratiously with His gracious Servant the poore man knows not whither to run hee went forward even now and now backward againe and still almost in the mouth of danger and hands of treacherous men Is this GODS kindnesse to His Friend may some say Yes indeed is it and we shall see it to be so anon Admirable Kindnesse wonderfull Providence strange Discoveries but we will remember all Davids adventures first In the meane time this will serve to beare-up our Spirits that it matters not whither David runs whether forward or backward so he keeps with GOD and GOD with him nay though he doe stray from GOD a little yet GOD will not leave David We proceed Saul reading the Ziphites Intelligence drives furiously with the three thousand men to Ziph againe where he knowes he has Right-men for his service what followes now in the Chapter we have read before but it is very well worth the paines to read the Chapter againe for besides the beholding GODS wonderfull hand there in working for David and casting his enemy into a deep sleep we shall observe there also That the divel was non-â—lust quite silenced he had not a word to say and yet David who could have trusted Saul very well durst not trust his Evill spirit but concludes It is better for him to make speed into the land of the Pâ—ilistines and thither he goes and dwells in Gath driven out from abiâ—ing in the inheritance of the LORD The King shewes David favour there assigneth him a Towne called Ziglag which must be smitten anon and burnt with fire Now we may suppose Davids case to be full of distraction David lookes on the right hand calls out Who is on my side who The Keilites thought he No but they are not their hand is with Saul Then he looked on the left hand to the Ziphites to see if they would helpe him No they are with Saul as Right as the other No help from men they are deceitfull and treacherous Then Dâ—vid lookes before him and hastened to that strong hold and the other and Saul drives him out thence also then into the Wildernesse he goes Saul hunts him there then to Gath and there he is out of Sauls reach whose power vvas stinted there when his vvill to doe David mischiefe vvas boundlesse Novv to the Relation it has vvith our time as it is at this day and then I will conclude the Chapter Indeed it relates it selfe Saul has thrust out a rough hand against David Davids LORD an Almighty Hand to deliver him from out of Sauls hand The hotter the persecution the more glorious the rescue But how did Saul gain advantage upon David By corruption in the Officers and base treachery which we call fine designes But the LORD wrought-forth glorious salvations for David hereby All shall yeeld pretious matter for his soule and spirit to work upon filling his mouth with MICHTAMS golden Songs of deliverance Michtam of David a golden jewell oâ— notable Song and so notes the excellency of these Psalmeâ— 16.56 57 58 59 60. So it was with David in those times So it will be with David The People and Friends of GOD unto the worlds end But these Michtams had beene lost this pretious Treasure of the Church had there not beene such fine devices such subtile contrivances against him had there not beene so much of Hell in all Sauls designes against David there had not been so much of Heaven in Davids Psalmes Nay had not David been in these and these straits had not his friends deceived him and all his Strong-holds too the Church had lost Davids MASCHILS also his Psalmes to give Instruction how to make advantage of an Adversary and of all the mischiefes he shall doe or intend to doe against David He could not have wanted any one thing was done against him by the violence of man either from their hand or from their tongue David could not have been so high above his Adversaries at the last had they not had him under at the first had not his Enemies dealing towards him been so base vile and treacherous David had not been so glorious The truth is Sauls violent dealing with David did David much good he could not have wanted it So likewise the treacherous dealing of the Keilites and Ziphites all this did him much good also And for his strong-holds he lost them with more advantage at the last then he gained them at the first These stood him in stead but for the present time to keepe Saul from his throat the losse of them turned unto infinite advantage To sum-up all that has beene spoken last David is come to Nob gets the sword into his hand the best Sword that ever was in the world for he sees The print of an Almighty hand upon it and carryes the revenge of The LORD along with him in it And now he thinks he shall be delivered No not yet Then he came to Keiliah he has wrought a strange deliverance for them Now he makes no doubt but they will worke for his deliverance with all their might No they are treacherous Then to Ziph he came to see what the Ziphites will doe As little as the Keilites all they can against David Friends prove themselves all false Strong-holds are all too weake yet all to make David strong in his GOD at the last to fill Davids mouth with MICHTAMS and with MASCHIL's pretious songs for deliverance and To give instruction Therefore though we see great reason why all should be even so with David yet we will soberly enquire more fully into all these matters for GOD will give us excellent resolution thereunto CHAP. 5. God suffer'd the Adversary to prevaile a while To worke-out his designes against David That thereby Davids spirit might be discovered to himselfe That his Adversarâ—es spirits might bee made manifest also and convinced And GODS right-Right-hand made glorious towards David This in all particulars relates to David The Faithfull of The LORD evermore VVHy does The LORD deale thus hardly for so it seemes Qu. with His gracious Servant Dâ—vid For
confidences and how their hearts departed from their GOD for so much as the heart drawes and inclines to the creature so much and by the very same steps and degrees it withdrawes from GOD so much of the world as comes-in so much of heaven goes-out This were excellent matter to dilate upon but every good mans spirit is fitted for such a worke selfe-searching and triall what spirit he is of and how it has been discovered to himselfe all this time O the murmurings of his spirit how many have they been what haste has he made If he be not delivered now he shall be tyred and can follow GOD in His way no longer It is not necessary nay nor possible to set downe the murmurings warpings hastinesses of the best mans spirit but he will confesse he has in his HASTE limited the Holy One of Israel and tyed GOD like a creature to his owne time and way A man would doe it at such a time and by such meanes Therefore GOD must doe so too GOD must worke like a man This argueth a great distemper of spirit and must be corrected Alas shall David be delivered at this present time It cannot be the Servant of the Lord must be instructed first to a constancy of spirit so as he can come to this Period and stop there David shall be delivered the fittest time and after such a manner as shall most gloriously exalt GODS Name and Davids comfort and that I hope will best content and so he will conclude Therefore he will doe his worke and let GOD alone to perfect His and he will let GOD alone to His owne Time and to His owne Way in confident assurance That if Davids deliverance be delayed there is mighty Reason why it is so and the prime Reason is that David may be discovered his owne spirit made fully manifest to himselfe Secondly That Davids adversaries every one may be discovered too all the Right-men his true Enemies and false friends all their fine designes all their horrid hellish machinations that all may be discovered and layed open before all Israel and before the Sun David thought GOD was slack touching His Promise He was indeed as we count slicknesse when things are not done and deliverance wrought by the very same meanes and at the very nicke of time which we in our haste have concluded upon GOD was not slacke nor is he slacke towards David He is working wonders for David and we shall see it anon Davids deliverance stayes a little Why That all Davids enemies may be discovered how wicked how pernicious they are how mightily they fight against GOD and His servant David The enemy must be clearly convinced too we will take this and Davids adversaries in order and proceed upon discovery First Sauls most malignant spirit shall be made as manifest and naked to Israels eye as his body was in the day he was born He made shewes of love to David all his shewes shall shrinke-up to nothing or prove reall hatred Saul would have it told David That the King delighted in him Does â—e so Heare what Saul sayes and tell your selfe Saul blesseth the Ziphites those Murtherers 1 Sam. 23.19 Blessed be ye of the LORD Why blessed Because they undertooke Davids destruction in designe in the manner as they did at Bristoll London Lincolne To deliver David into Sauls hands that he might doe to him according to all the desire of his soule What desire was that To sheath his sword in Davids bowels Will the Ziphites give such a price into Sauls hand that he may doe to David according to all the desire of his soule will they so Blessed are ye of the Lord O strange Nay it was not strange it was ordinary with Saul to blesse his Right-men Murtherers and no others Blessed are ye of the Lord. O monstrous what abominable words are these Saul blesseth the Ziphites I ask againe Why does he so Because the Ziphites have a fine designe upon David as our Right-men upon Bristoll c. as was said to deliver him into Sauls hand that Saul may doe to David as we understood before The Ziphites have that in designe and Saul blesseth them for it and so his wickednesse is shewne before the whole congregation Prov. 26. For that is GODS designe too Saul shall not couzen the world any longer but GOD will turne Sauls blessings into curses Saul blesseth Murtherers GOD curseth them a treacherous and a murtherous Generation though they curse yet blesse thou So GOD will and curse them whom Saul blesseth Saul applauds their designes GOD abhorres them and their designes too and the Hang-man is appointed to give them their wages for their worke Observe further the Evill spirit of the man must be made more manifest for he saith ye have compassion on me What ye or who were they The same men who would lay a City waste so they might gratifie Saul in the destruction of David and this Saul calls compassion O blindnesse O desperate wickednesse he counts that a COMPASSION to his soule the working his will upon David which will destroy Sauls life here and his soule for ever Who is there that understands this and does not pray Lord leave me not in the lap of my owne will to run mine owne way and to accomplish my owne desire Does not many a man now-a-dayes count the granting of that a Compassion to his soule which being granted and effected to his hearts desire will destroy body and soule both eternally But I forbeare Here was a full discovery of Sauls spirit But let me speake a word for Saul for truely he had good things in him which must be remembred though the Evill spirits the Divell and his owne Spirit perverted all the contrary way Sauls good spirit was discovered too we fâ—â—de him weeping in one place and blessing David in another True But the Text sayes David would not trust him for all that Saul gave David good words and Blessings too and there was an Oath betwixt them and doubtlesse All was done heartily Saul did not treat with David and in the meane time carry on a fine designe to take away Davids life No doubtlesse Saul spake as he thought and meant to performe 1 Sam 24.22 But sayes the Text David would not trust Saul he and his Men got them up into the hold And the Reason was David knew an Evill Spirit haunted Saul an Edomite besides still at his Elbow and Saul had his foot entred into bloud up to the ankles David would not trust him Had Saul shed but a bottle of Bloud he might have bethought himselfe upon cold bloud as we say and repented and he might shew favour to an Edomite being his Herdsman But Saul has filled Nob with bloud from Corner to Corner And now that the Edomite is declared to be the Chiefe Malignant to Israel that ever was in Israels Land Saul approves of him the more The more bloud he hath shed the
better Subject he is and friend both and more right for Sauls designes the more he declares himselfe an enemy to David Why now David cannot trust Saul All his sweet words are lost if he be melting a little the Evill spirit and the Edomite will harden him againe So David will to his Strong-hold and is resolved upon the question To go to GATH out of Sauls reach else he could not avoid Sauls bloody hand he thought which pursued him so far even till he had driven David from out of the Inheritance of the Lord And so Sauls Evill spirit is fully discovered now and manifest He must be convinced also non-plussed and put to silence The Evill spirit shall bee convinced that he shall not be able to say a word but in way of acknowledgement and honest confession from a sound conviction That he is a lyar a murtherer and has erred exceedingly See how convincing Truth is from Davids mouth and how ingenuous Saul is in his confession 1 Sam. 26.21 I have played the foole and erred exceedingly He had indeed Saul Davids grand enemy is fully discovered convinced also yet David is not delivered no. though all Sauls Right men the Edomites implacable adversaries his false friends Keilites and Ziphites are made manifest too yet David is not delivered no not yet we shall see more reason for it anon first we must bring-this-up-to our time GOD delayes his Churches deliverances now for the same reason sure That the adversaries thereof might be fully manifest to all Israel The actings of the evill spirit President over the Kings Councell were not manifest enough sixe yeares agoe when they thrust a cursed Booke upon the Scots and after that the sword Nor when they called a Parliament in England not to ease the yokes but to ingage the Kingdome in that warre which would have â—ashed the people one against the other even the father and the son together Ierem. 13.14 This evill spirit was not manifest enough yet for wickednesse may bee established by a Law in Scotland and yet pretence very faire To establish True Religion Lawes and Liberties here in England And goodly and sweet words were spoken that way and much done touching Bishops and their Courts And all this while the evill spirit was as an Angell of light And his Actings more indiscernable then before But then the Designe touching the Army in the North changed the Divels colour quite and made him looke as black as soot as he is an Angel of darknesse But let the evill spirit alone he can cleare up himselfe againe he will not be made manifest yet No not when he prevailed by the evill Counsell To remove the Lieutenant of the Tower in whom all Israel could confide and placed a Murtherer there in that Strong-hold notwithstanding the evill spirit was not manifest enough No nor when he counselled the King to desert the Parliament No nor when he perswaded the King to call all Israel to war against David and all that had their hand with David under pretence of taking a guard to his person Nor when he made the Edomite Generall in the field MANAGER of all the Kings affaires here in Israels Land notwithstanding the evill spirit was not manifest enough yet But now we know what spirit they are of and who rules them For the Land is filled with bloud from corner to corner Zeph. 3.3 The Princes within her are roaring Lyons reade-on her Iudges are evening Wolves never such violences acted by Tartars Caniballs as by these Princes Surely I cannot tell what shall be done unto them these murtherers GOD knowes And that they have broken all the lawes of Heaven and Earth Divine and Humane such Children of Belial they are Iob 31.3 I cannot tell what strange punishment shall befall these workers of iniquity Doth not the LORD see their wayes and count all their steps We will leave them in His Hands Who has put a bridle in their lips But this I can tell What an execution The LORD would have done upon those who had wrought villany in Israel joyning themselves unto BAAL-PEOR Num. 25.3 as these unto as abominable an Idol as was that But they had not shed bloud in the defence of that Idol These Princes in name have filled the Land with bloud from corner to corner Yet hearken what The LORD sayes unto those who joyned themselves unto Baal-Peor as these to the Idol of Rome Take all the heads of the people Vers 4 and hang them up before the LORD against the Sun that the fierce anger of The LORD may be turned away from Israel We will wait Gods time for then they shall be made manifest indeed before Israel and before the Sun In the mean time the evil spirit is discovered and discerned plaine enough for by his meere motion he has prevailed with the King to seale a Commission to his Edomites To kill and to slay his good people to lay a City waste even a Mother in Israel And if they will doe so to their power They shall approve themselves in so doing his best subjects and truest friends so he blesseth murtherers whom GOD will lay if they repent not in the lowest hell They have compassion on their King why they Because they will to their power destroy a mother City in Israel They would have a whole Kingdome wasted Blessed be ye of the LORD ye have compassion on me does the King say Blessed be The LORD The discovering GOD Who has had compassion on His poore people trusting in His Name and on His dwelling place Blessed be GOD The Spirit that rules the King and his Councell is discovered the Edomites also those bitter enemies the Keilites and the Ziphites too those false and treacherous friends Take them in order The Edomites first Those called SPIRITVALL Lords They must be discovered how full of spirit they were Their spirit was not sufficiently discovered eight yeares ago when they forced a cursed Paper to be read in all the Churches there to publish a Declaration for Sports and Passe-times on The LORDS DAY Their spirit was not discovered by all this for this the people liked reasonably well They had an Advouson for liberty To riot on the LORDS DAY and they were glad of that The people had a grant from the Bishops The Bishops from the Archbishop he from the King and that should be sufficient warrant for them and every one of them to riot on the LORDS DAY And for every Minister from the Pulpit GODS mouth there To command the people so to do O abominable Yes they have justified the Heathen at this point And yet these Bishops are not discovered yet They are in their white Robes yet we shall see them in Scarlet by and by And yet not manifest to all the Christian world say they how spirituall they were when with the Scarlet Whore they would have rode in the bloud of Scotland up even unto their horses bridles by the
but sure there is something in this Ver. 20. and Samuel standing as appointed over them Doubtlesse this change upon Saul the restraint of his bloudy hand the thrusting-backe of his sword three times successively was the fruit of Samuels words and answere of his prayers for an in behalfe of David and to withhold Saul from shedding innocent blood I make mention of it here To shew that all faire and warrantable wayes were used prayers and supplycations were put-up for Saul while there was time for it and persons fit for that service which did properly belong to Samuel and the Priests not to the Heads of the Tribes It was their time now to appeare in the Field there to hold up their hands with their Swords for Saul in pursuance of his own way and to satisfie his will hath commanded the Edomite and Nob is destroyed and Saul is hasting to Keilah and hath called together five thousand men David and his men must look to have the roughest hand put out against them that ever was put forth for it is Sauls hand and his Edomites as it is at this Day Therfore I will cleare Israels duty now touching their prayers for their King now as I have cleared their practice in taking-up Defensive Armes That they have performed their duty at that point just as belongeth to the Israel of GOD. Armies appeare in the field in a seeming opposition to the King yet not so indeed but in opposition to his wicked Councell carryed on and acted by that evill spirit who now workes so effectually all over all the Christian world Now the Objection is That Christians should make no Resistance no not of the Devill but by prayer and fasting I have denyed that and made it cleare That when the Devill acts by the hand of an Edomite then he must be resisted by the sword of an Israclite We must make him bleed a spirit though he be if he maketh us bleed Yet I say as Israel then so have Israel now taken the old way of disposessing the Divell by prayer and fasting They have made petitions to their King prayers and supplications have been put-up to him So many and so servent That Israel may be said in this behalfe to be a praying people wrastlers with GOD for their King and their King may be said to be a King of prayers But yet there is no Answer of prayer Yes there is as shall appeare by and by though yet not such an Answer as Israel could desire with all their hearâ—s And for this it is a sad thing to consider Whether the sighing of the poore under his oppression hath not thrust-back the sighings and groanes of the poore for and in his behalfe whether the blood he hath shed for he hath given a commission to the Edomite the Papist an old Adversary to Israell vvhether this blood he hath spi t like water cryes not lowder in the eares of the LORD for Revenge Then the prayers of his faithfull servants can doe for mercy vve cannot resolve it but it yeelds a sad consideration Yet certain it is The true Israell of GOD Ministers and people may see a Return of prayer for and in behalfe of their King which appeares thus The King by the motion of his evill Councell pursued a way not good he sent a cursed Booke into Scâ—tland vvorse then a Sword against David This destroyes the body That the soule This Booke was rejected by the best Law and Reason that ever was read Facile est quic quid in presenti faculonocet illud grave c. Salv. de Eccl. lib. 2. yet the King vvas pleased to force it upon them and they forced it away The King pressed by an evill Councell pressed-on and sent Messengers again and again and then the Sword pressed on Then he vvent himselfe to the borders as often as Saul sent Messengers to fetch David-in The third time he went himselfe And vvhat he did there for and in behalfe of David I meane the true servants of GOD he knowes and GOD knowes and more then tvvo or three in the vvorld for his ovvn hand has made it legible pursuing David vvith the Sword and those that have an hand vvith David ever since His heart could not be vvith David the faithfull in the LORD in one Kingdome and his hand against them in another But how comes it to passe that the King we must speake out now or never has driven on-vvard furiously more then 4. yeares together pressing-on against the dravvn sword and yet the svvord has not taken him off from the earth We must say GOD is exceedingly patient and long-suffering but sure the prayers of them vvhom he persecutes has hitherto been as a shield over his head to keep off that deadly shower vve read of from falling on his hayry scalpe Psal 116. Prayers have turned back from him the svvord of the destroyer vvherevvith he assayed tvvice to have destroyed his native people or to make their necks stoop to an iron yoake Prayers have vvithheld from his lippes That horrible draught the portion of their Cup vvho vvalke in such vvayes fier and brimstone and an horrible tempest His good people have put up prayers for their King they are not wanting therein If they are wanting to their King it is in reproofes in telling him in plaine and down-right words as the Prophets before him That he is in a perishing way Certainly if they are wanting to their King it is in this they have not sent him a writing such as Iehoranâ— received wherein was written Lamentations Mourning and Woe 2 Chro. 21.12 They have sought GOD for their King and they have not sought Him in vaine therfore it is that he yet drives-on furiously to destroy David and those that have an hand with David and against the Angels sword in his way and yet the sword has not cut him off from the earth And his good people are not a weary they will continue seeking GOD for him still though he revile them they will blesse him See Thank-off p. 83.83 though defamed they entreat being persecuted they will suffer it For this is his good Peoples duty theirs whose duty it is to lye on their face but not theirs to whom GOD sayes now as unto Ioshua GET THEE VP there is an accursed thing which has thrust you from the Lord and it must be thrust away they must be cut off from the earth who have taken peace thence and have put forth their power to dethrone the LORD Christ Ioshus then and the Worthies of the LORD now must not lye upon their faces but according to the power that GOD has put into their hands they must oppose these actings of the evill spirit working effectually with the Princes of the earth I Remember now what the Scots did not 3. Yeeres agoe but almost as many hundred Their King Iames the third lived an idle life from the beginning of his Reigne which was the Seventh
trust and not be afraid for The LORD IEHOVAH is my strength Isa 12.2 Looke unto Me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else Isa 45.22 ENGLANDS Third Alarm to VVAR Against the Beast SECT III. 0200 DAvids story Sauls persecution is continued his hand is restrained but his heart is bloody and men are as their hearts are David delivers the Keilites yet they will deliver David into a murtherers hand A lesson from thence Saul holds-on his foot in the path of the destroyer Why does not Israel stand-up for Israel and for their temporall Saviour against an over-bearing Lord and an insulting Edomite The Answer will resolve the Case of Conscience and Israels duty touching that matter Saul drives-on furiously after David seemes to prosper gaines men The Chosen out of all Israel to carry-on his bloody designe and drives David from all his strong holds every one Davids GOD looks upon all this and suffers it to be done for excellent Reasons relating To David To his Adversaries and To GOD Himselfe and all relating to these times David was delivered then and he shall be delivered now but not before all his strong holds are cast downe The Tribes come in at last when the way was cleared before them and all good meanes used first All true Israelites will come in shortly To helpe The LORD against THE MIGHTY when That which letteth is taken away There is the Conclusion GODS Time is the best Time best to Advance His Glory and His Peoples Peace CHAP. 1. Davids story and Sauls persequution is continued his heart as bloody as before though after his march from Nob hee could draw no more blood for a Man is as his Will is David delivers the Keilites out of the hand of spoilers and the Keilites would deliver David into Sauls hands David will doe his Duty notwithstanding and leave the rest to God PRoud and haughty Scorner is his name Prov. 21.24 who dealeth in proud wrath The Edomite is he who had a Bloody Commission scaled unto him and has executed it accordingly Turne thee and fall upon the Friests because their hand is with David and the Edomite turned and did as aforesaid And so we have read a bloudy Tragedy Nec adhuc finitus Orestes scriptus at à tergo and yet we are not at an end Turne over the leafe on the backside we have as much more As much more I say in proposition and designe only not in conclusion which God makes that was and will be glorious still But much more endeavoured nothing done Much Action yet nothing effected to Sauls heart and purpose And yet was it a deadly Persecution True it was The LORD suffered the Evill Spirit to open by the hands of Saul and the Edomite a sluce or floodgate of wrath and there-out issued a mighty streame of blood But Hee That opens at pleasure and shuts also at pleasure Hee quickly shut 02 this Sluce and stopt this full streame So as Though Saul and his Edomite persecuted David I know not how many yeares after with deadly hatred yet they shed not one drop of bloud all that time A wondrous thing Psal 31.15 we cannot stand upon it My TIMES are in Thy hands sayes David They are indeed and it is Davids comfort that they are so that Davids life and all his concernments are in GODS hand He will dispose of all and all shall come through His hands and shal be transacted there all for Davids good in the end If not a Sparrow falls to the ground without your FATHER Matth. 10.29 then not one drop of Davids bloud sure Though Saul and his Edomite pursued-hard after David yet they shall draw no more blood Though five hundred drawne swords after our account nay five thousand drawn swords are about D viâ— round about as we shall see anon yet not one drop of bloud is drawne by Saul or his men Why then Qu. how is the story Tragicall you will say for we shall reade no more of men or garments rolled in Blood True we shall not and yet we shall see the Story is Tragicall Ans and Saul the King with the Edomite his Generall are as grievous persecutors as before The Divell was a murthâ—rer from the beginning So he will be to the end a murtherer stilâ— not because he actually sheds bloud every where at pleasure but bâ—â—â—use intentionally hee alwayes has a will to doe it Had the divell power in his hand but God has him in His Chaine if he could doe what he would doe hee would make the whole earth one stage to act a Tragedy which would destroy the stage whereon it is acted he would make the world a field of bloud HORMAH as was said utter destruction such a good wil. the divell has he has not power that must be let forth or restrained as GOD pleaseth and as it was here But this is the point The will makes the murtherer for A MAN IS AS HIS WILL IS And such an one was Saul and his Edomite both their wills were murtherous and destructive wasting was in their paths therefore they were murtherers men of blouds That it was so we shall well understand if we reade the Text. Saul and his Edomite pursue David What to doe To take away from him his Sword No the Text is cleare To take away his life 1 Sam. 19.1 They sought David every day To kill him sayes the Text. What care bloudy enemies for the Sword Their care is to sheath the Sword in Davids bowels that will satisfie and nothing else So the enemies Saul with his Edomite drive-on furiously towards â—his Citty and the other strong nolds Why doe they drive-on so furiously The ansâ—er is upon everlasting Record TO DESTROY THE CITY FOR DAVIDS SAKE But I will not huddle up things so I will proceed in order 1 Sam. 22.10 and keepe pace with Sauls and his Edomites march after David taking in the Remarkables by the way We shall see the Persecution was very sore and that Conscience could not hold backe the neighbouring Israelites from comming in to hold Sauls Sword and his Edomites hand from shedding bloud and acting such notorious violences This will be put to the question anon and resolved I hope to every reasonable mans satisfaction I will follow Saul and the Edomite a little in this march and David in his slight It was well for David that Doeg espied him at Nob for he knowes what will follow therefore he hastens thence and leaves the City as 〈◊〉 lefâ— â—odom or as a man leaves his house no sooner he is gone out thence but he sees it fall into ashes David flies bee knowes not well whither but for feare of Saul he went to Achish â—ing of Gath Thâ—â— the Kings servants hurt him by recording his commendations in a Panagerick and make him so sore afraid 1 Sam. 21.11 That he seemes not to be
himselfe and so playes mad prankes Reader you cannot justifie David in all he did though one of the best men in those dayes nor may you condemn him Nor may you say if you had been in his case you would not have done as David did You know not what you might have done had you been in his case close pursued at the heels by a cruell Lord a bloudy Edomite Thou little knowest now what thou mightest have done then being in Davids case It is thy neighbours case now pitty them condemne them not but looke to thy owne standing and in whose strength thou doest stand Meditate Terrour and strengthen thy hand and thy heart in GOD against the day of trouble and treading downe Now proceed The Lord orders all even Davids mad prankes for Davids good He is not more affraid of Achish then Achish is affraid of David A mad fellow I have no need of him David shall not come into my house sayes Achish David cared not whether he came thither or no. Nay he counts it a mercy That he is escaped thence And now hee is gone to the Cave Adullam 1 Sam. 22. There his friends comfort him and he has an Army of five hundred men He goes on somewhat an indirect course we shall heare more of that anon for he was affraid The Prophet meets with him bids him goe backe againe into the land of Judah There Saul heares tidings of him and from Doegs mouth he heares of all that was done at Nob. Then followes a miserable destruction as we heard all the Priests slaine except one who escaped to bring David the heavy tidings of All that befell the Citty of Priests which yet David expected knowing it would be so because he saw the Edomite was there But David has escaped and being delivered hee will doe some service in testimony of his thankfull remembrance for that deliverance David heares that the Keilites were distressed the Philistines were fighting against them and notorious Pillagers they were almost as these in our dayes 1 Sam. 23.1 They robbed the threshing floores tooke from the poore People their provision they had layed-up against winter David cannot endure this wrong his Soule hates oppression where ever he sees it and to the LORD he goes for He is Davids Oracle The LORD delayes not David gives him present Answer Goe and smite the Philistines and save Keilah Verse 2. No but doe not said his men See! they crosse Gods command Verse 3. but they give good Reason for it so as they put David to a stand We are afraid say they of one man Saul who is behind us and wilt thou thrust thy selfe into the mouth of the Troopers before thee a legion of them A poore hand-full of men against the Armies of the Philistines a fronte Wilt thou so It must not be so The men spake like men very good reason but they who can speak no more are not for action they will hinder Davids victories Now David is at a stand and faints hastens to GOD againe thither he can retire himselfe still and refresh his fainting spirits enquires of The LORD and is established A gracious God! He does not reprove David for hearkning to his men after he had heard what God said but gives him the same answere as before And now David is upon his legges again and as bold as a Lion he will venture himself among Scorpions now what cares he who they are they are Gods enemies or how many they are they are but men all and miserable men David carries the revenge of God with him and he must prevaile and doe worthily God bids him goe against them and he will goe David waits but for GODS commission and that shall be a sufficient warrant for David indeed Let God alone with the rest In point of worke and good service we must divide with God Wee have to doe with no more but the Duty the doing Gods command as here Davids command was Goe and smite the Philistines David must goe for GODS command carries a good man as Abraham blind-fold he knowes not whither But the distracting troublesome part that which is above strength the difficulty the darksome part of the worke which so disheartned Davids men and so shakes the soule with feare that is not ours but Gods part It must bee rolled upon Him Who is mighty and set Faith to work there A little Man and a great Faith an hand-full of Men and an heart-full of Faith will doe great matters Put to flight Armies of Aliens So David did here he smote those Pillagers and saved the Inhabitants of Keilah And now there David is even at KEILAH amongst the inhabitants there he is amongst those whom he has indeared and engaged to him he thinkes by unrecountable favours This was told to Saul That David was come to Keilah and Saul was glad of that and so he said God hath delivered him into my hands 1 Sam. 23.7 for he is shut in by entring into a Towne that hath gates and barres And that he may take the opportunity which GOD put into his hand he thought which yet was but to discover Sauls spirit the treachery of the Keilites and his owne glorious Arme stretched out still against Saul and for his Servant David Saul calls all the People together to war to goe downe to Keilah to besiege David and his men there David understands all this and more for this was Davids advantage and comfort both GOD was with David and went along with him where ever David went a Refuge to Whom he could continually resort for counsell and direction from His Mouth So David understands all the purposes of Sauls heart and that the Keilites will prove Treacherous also Set a Marke upon these Keilites as we passe that we may know them where ever we meet them Wicked ungratefull people David has taken off their yokes delivered them out of the hands of Spoylers made them Free-men who were Slaves before David put his life in his hand would jeopard it for them stand up for them against an Army of Philistines In a word David did for these KEILITES as the Parliament have done for us and when all this is done ungratefull wretches as they are they are so far from standing up for David that they will betray him into Sauls hand O monstrous c. Deliver up deale treacherously with him who was the best friend they had in the world Give him up into the hand of Saul and his Spoylers the Edomites to be spoyled who had delivered them from out of the hands of Spoilers O monstrous But yet David must not repent of what he has done it was his duty he had a command for it Though Saul is a bloudy man and the Keilites treacherous GOD is faithfull He will but learne His Servants this great Lesson Not to trust in men but in the Living and Faithfull and True God Men will deale like men deceitfully GOD is
the Sword Strong-holds and Forts Ammunition and the like into confiding hands To this there is enough said though I had said nothing I will say but this So long as these Strong-holds and Breast-workes doe stand they will bee a memoriall of the Kings illegall and most injurious dealing with a righteous people So long as these shall be spoken of will the injustice the bloudy proceedings of the King in the hands of bloudy Counsellours be remembred also to all generations We shall tell it to our children and they to their children That the King of England would have oppressed his owne people he would have inthralled their Lawes Liberties Religion And for the maintenance of all these their lives and all that was deare unto them did his people so fortifie and Breast-worke themselves against the fury and rage of their King in the hands of bloudy persecuters The Case of Conscience now The People must not stand up for their lives and liberties Ob. against murtherers for if they stand up against them they stand up against their King We deny that and conclude the Contrary Ans That a standing up against Murtherers is a standing up for their King To deliver him out of the hands of Murtherers It has an affiance with duty a full aspect and agreement thereunto Why but if you resist these Murtherers Obj You resist the King and if you resist the King You resist the Higher power and that is the Ordinance of GOD wherto we must be subject for Conscience sake Yes but wee are cleare mistaken in point of Power Ans Therefore I will aske a question and resolve it What is this higher Power Qu. I will tell you first what it is not It is not that Power Ans which the King may have a will to give and may commit to an Edomites hand It is not a destructive power that is from the Divell whereby Saul and his Edomite were inabled to lay waste one City and made faire-offer to destroy another Not such a Power whereby the King and his wicked Councell now indeavour the same destruction to two Kingdomes It is not such a Power What Power then Qu. A Power whereunto in case the King or his Edomite wrongs me Ans though the lowest in his Kingdome yet I may appeale from him or them for Righteous Judgement And this Power is the Law and in the high Court Who can determine what Law is and doe stand bound to right mee oppressed by a Contrary Power though the meanest of many Thousands and not worhty the dust I tread upon yet This Court stands bound to right me And if so be they stand so bound to a private Person we must note this by the way how much stronger is their obligation to two or three Kingdomes To stand up for Defence of Lawfull power against this Destructive Power And now we have learn't our duty and office too we would have the Pa liament stand up for us we made choice of them for that end The greatest shame in the world If wee should not stand up for the Parliament with our Swords in our hands or with what commeth next to hand in defence of Lawfull power and all that is deare or neere unto us involved in the same What! see a King seduced by evill Counsell giving up his power I say his power not the higher power into an Edomites hand and this Edomite flourishing with his Sword and displaying his Banners in Israels Land and Israel stand still the while What a shame to all Israel But blessed be God they doe not stand still they move and they doe great things as their GOD inables them Who gives Courage Spirit and invention when and where Hee pleaseth And where the Inhabitants of the Land are not over-powered by the King and his bloody party there they doe fortify the Cities and Townes and Breast-worke themselves there And these Forts and Breastworkes are like to remaine to after Generations an Eternall dishonour to the King now in the hands of desperate and pernicious Men For when the Childe shall aske Wherefore were these Forts and Breastworkes raised The Father will Answer The King of England seduced by evill Counsell would have destroyed the Parliament of England Laws Liberties Religion Life and all Therefore did the Parliament and all good people in defence of the Parliament and themselves raise up themselves and these Forts Strong-holds and Breastworkes so wee shall declare to our Children what the King by his pernicious Counsellors has done against his good people and what the Lord has done for them shall be had in perpetuall remembrance But will not this be called a resisting of the higher power Qu. Yes by those who understand not what higher power or Law meaneth Ans or judge it to be that which ruleth in their Members Or doe understand by power The Kings private will or that Commission he can give under the Great Seale such a KEEPER it hath into the hands of Edomites Davids utter and implacable enemies now not like but of the same generation with the Edomites in ancient dayes But is it not a Resistance of the Power Quest which is indeed the Ordinance of God No Ans but a contending for that Power the setling and establishing thereof in the Land by all lawfull meanes which GOD has not onely allowed but commanded That his people may live as His people in holinesse and righteousnesse giving obedience to their Master in Heaven and in Relation to Him to that power He has set over His people on earth This is more then enough to these questions which we finde so fully and excellently cleared to every eye but theirs who will not see though we should as the Proverbe is Shew them the Sun in our hand Si solem ipsum gestemus in manibus Last 7.1 I conclude then That they and they onely shew themselves conscientious men and to understand the weight of duty who stand-up now for their Lawes and Liberties and life of their lives their Religion so to deliver a captive King a distressed Church and State now in the hands of bloudy and most pernitious Counsellours And if all the people in the Land doe not stand-up now in this breach it is not because they want will but because they want power they are over-powered The Divell is as strong now and works as mightily now so does the Edomite also the Divels right hand in our Land as they did anciently in the Kingdome of Iudab But some make scruple here and conscience too for they say They have taken an Oath to serve the King Ob. and they cannot dispence with their Oath God forbid they should Let them serve the King and serve him heartily and faithfully but then they must not serve his private Will which they see enlived made strong and mighty by an Evill spirit now ruling against the Common-wealth and publike Faith of
Israelite wherein Israel now must not be wanting neither but doe as Israel did and as their Brethren in Scotland have done of late and in ancient Times DAvid greatly distressed has encouraged himselfe in The LORD his GOD then enquiring of The LORD is commanded to pursue after his enemies and assured without faile to recover all His army is but in an ill case for service six hundred in all two hundred so faint that they could not go Notwithstanding GOD who hangs the greatest waights upon the weakest wyers does the greatest matters by the weakest instruments has done His worke by these weake men But yet that all Israel may attest Davids innocency and secure him from Sauls and his Edomites insolencies GOD sends them all-in now to help David And in they come with a blessing in their mouths Peace peace be unto thee and peace be unto thine belpers for thy GOD helpeth thee 1 Chro. 12.18 Here is a grave question now touching the manner of resistance If the Tribes come-in not to resist Saul Obj but as affirmed before his private will or spirit like a strong man keeping possession in Sauls heart and holding his tenure therein more firmly by the activity and effectuall working of the evill spirit which came upon Saul and never left him to the day of his death If so Then me thinkes this kinde should have beene cast forth by Prayer and Fasting The meaning is Israel should not have taken Bow and Arrowes Shield and Buckler into their hands but have fallen downe upon their knees and have prayed for their Master and so by mighty-wrastlings have dispossessed Saul of his own spirit so by mighty in him This had been according to the Rule and word of The LORD Christ Matth. 17.21 This kind is not cast forth but by Prayer and Fasting To this I reply first and doe grant 1. That this kinde while it does act as a spirit is to be resisted by the spirit of Prayer and so alwayes has beene cast forth But when his actings are more open and visible upon any person as upon that Lunatick there Then if there had beene force enough to resist him the father of the childe would not have called it a Resistance of his childe which was but the restraining of the childe from falling into the fire and into the water So we see in this case There might have been a resisting of the divell which had had an affiance and good agreement with duty Much more then had this Lunaticke Person played the Edomite flourished with his sword slaine all he met man woman and childe sucklings too beasts also made Cities ruinous heaps Should Israel goe to prayer now Pray the divell to be quiet So they might have beene killed upon their knees Israel knew the divell well enough and the Edomite too That the more they prayed them the fiercer they would be as Rabshakeh cried the louder in the Jewish language the more he was prayed to speake in the Syriacke tongue 2 Kin. 18.28 When the divell has put a sword into an Edomites hand we must not use supplications but put force to force and conjure-out the divell with the Sword If the divell make you bleed try a conclusion whether you cannot make the divell bleed which is very poffible sayes Zanchie and he has a large discourse upon it and touching the methods of Satan The divell acts now by the hand of an Edomite he must be resisted by the hand of an Israelite This first I affirm 2. That Israel Priests and People there went by their Rule doubtlesse they had used all fair means before they tooke the sword in hand They had prayed for Saul and to make their prayer the more fervent they fasted for him also But here was a sad case you read it before Saul has murthered those Priests who were the likeliest men in all Judah to pray and fast for him he murthered them Indeed it was as sad a case as I thinke is imaginable for whereas he might have had groanes and Prayers put up to the throne of grace in his behalfe from the Priests mouth he makes the good Priests groane because of his oppression The good Priests would have cryed for him spake good for him before his and their LORD night and day Saul regards not that he has shed their bloud and now their bloud cries against him night and day How long LORD how long â—er thou doest avenge our bloud that is shed Truely this is an heavie case certainly Israel went by rule they prayed for their King they were not wanting in that point Indeed there is one thing touching this matter which seemed strange to me All this time which Soul has cast away and worse then lost in persecution of David I heare not one word of counsell or Prayer from Samuels mouth that good old Prophet It is true before this persecution begun we read Samuel came no more to see Saul 1 Sam. 15 35. till the day of his death Yet me thinkes it is very cleare and expresse though not in words that Samuel prayed for Sauâ— Neverthelesse Samuel mourned for Saul sayes the Text Then he prayed for him sure 1 Ioâ—n 5.16 There is a sin unto death sayes Saint Iâ—hn I doe not say that be shall pray for it But sayes another If thou maist not pray for him yet maist thou grieve Si non ores gema tamen sortassis gemitus tuas penetâ—et quo oratio non pâ—aesumat tendere and â—â—â—urne for him perhaps thy sighes groanes and in urnings of thy sâ—irit may ascend thither where thy prayer presumes not to come Samuel MOVRNED for Saul That was a servent prayer And certainly the LORD answered Samuels Prayer touching Saul though not as Samuel desired yet as best pleased the Lord. He answered him and in a very effectuall way and manner of answering for thus we read So David fled and escaped the hands of Saul and came to Ramih 1 Sam. 19 18. and told him all that Saul had done to him all Sauls ungodly deeds and hard words committed against David he told Samuel all and they dwelt together at Naioth Saul heares of this thing and where Davids abode is and he sent messengers to take David GOD prevented them Verse 20. and made a change of them quickly no sooner came they thither but they doe for the time as others did they prophesie Saul heares all this he will have his Will sends more Messengers and thither they came and it was with them as it was with the former Ver. 21. they prophesie also Then Saul went himselfe to Ramah for he will have David whether GOD will or no But when he comes thither he is changed for that season and does as all his messengers befâ—re him and then it became a Proverbe How was this sudden change made in Sauls messengers and in himselfe It is answered The Spirit of GOD came upon them That is true
those few prevailed for the evill was from themselves the accursed thing is in Israels Camp There is a deep matter in it said Iob A root of wickednesse it must be discovered and rooted out before The LORD will take off His hand Who gave Iacob for aspoile and Israel to the robbers Did not The LORD Isa 42.24 He against Whom we have sinned For they would not walke in His wayes neither be obedient to His law Verse 25. Therefore He hath poured upon him the fury of His anger and the strength of battell The anger of the LORD is kindled against His people and He hath stretched forth His hand against them and their carcasses were torne in the midst of the streets Then the LORD was pacified towards His people was He not No for all this His anger is not turned away but His hand is stretched out still The Syrians before and the Philistines behinde and they shall devoute Israel with open mouth Now The LORD is pacified No not yet For all this His anger is not turned away but His hand is stretched out still And the very same reason now as then For the people tâ—rneth not unto Him That smiteth them neither doe they seeke The LORD of bosts Therefore His hand is stretched out still It is repeated againe and againe to assure us if we proceed in our sinning before The LORD He will proceed in punishing before all Israel and before the Sunne till we repent of our sins He will not repent of His sore plagues He will proceed to smite till our uncircumcised hearts be humbled till we can accept of our punishment and say from an ingenuous and humble spirit The LORD is righteous in all that He has done against us Till this be we shall finde it will be thus His anger is not turned away but His hand is stretched out still I will punish you seven times more for your sinnes and I will breake the pride of your power Levit. 26.18 i. e. If you will walk contrary to Me I will walk contrary to you And now consider we with all our hearts how contrary we have walked We thinke the wrath that lyes upon the land is sore and heavy and indeed it is so But consider we was it a light provocation to prophane The LORDS day to mar the beauty of it more then any other day The Bishops gave command for that you will say That is true Therefore the land has spewed them forth You shall heare more of their rough hand and bloudy designes But never any more of their unrighteous decrees and grievousnesse Be the Nations never so angry they shall never prevaile to bring in Bishops againe But the people were content to have it so to have The LORDS Day so prophaned to have such a scorne put upon it And therefore if we be trod-upon all the land over as mire in the streets And if the land should now lye-fallow and keep her Sabbaths we must acquit The LORD and say Hee is righteous But I will not reckon up particular sins for they are infinite We are conluded Great and marvellous are Thy workes LORD GOD ALMIGHTY just and true are Thy wayes Thou King of Saints for Thy judgements are made manifest Rev. 15.3 2. The LORD makes His Adversaries successefull gives them power over His people to put forth all their wrath against them as at this day I say all their wrath never was there such a wrath boiled to such a height of rage as now it is at this day for it is agâ—iâ—â—â— David and his men put forth by Davids King and his men which will be a scorching wrath and it shall be put forth to the utmost extent because under specious shewes and formall pretences to maintaine our Lawes by lawlesse men our Liberties by companies of Robbers our Religion by Papists the bloudiest men that are or ever were in the world haters of GOD and the power of godlinesse This will be a bloudy persecution the roughest hand will be put forth now that ever was put forth against the Church for it is put forth against David and his men as was said by Davids King and his men for Reasons so specious and formall in some mens eyes as aforesaid Never any Popes were greater oppressors then those that had the most specious names Pope Godly Pius Pope Harmlesse Innocent Pope Civill Vrban these were wicked Popes yet not more wicked then they who have a form and specious pretences They will make a people free by oppressing their Lawes and them under the foot of pride c. and their King glorious so they say by making him a Lord over a conquered Nation Vnum aliqueâ— voluptate ac deliciis flâ—ere gementibus undique ac lament antibus aliiâ— hoc non est Regni sed carceris esse custodem Th. Aâ—â— Vâ—â—p and that sayes Sir Thomas Moore is not to be a King over men but a Taylor over Captives To be a Keeper of a prison and not chiefe Guardian in a Kingdome Yet the LORD may suffer these men or rather beasts in the shape of men to goe-on to the length of their chaine and to prosper so as it may be said The Tabernacles of Robbers prosper and they that provoke GOD are secure into whose hand the LORD bringeth abundantly GOD is righteous so we are resolved But why is it so For excellent Reason That their Adversaries may fill up their measure apace and heighten their destruction which will be in all His peoples sight as lifted-up even to the Skies Their rage reacheth to heaven so shall their judgment also Secondly GOD useth the wicked as Scullions to try His people and to purge and to make them white so perfecting His praise and His Churches salvation to make His people MEET for deliverance as we shall heare by and by GOD does not suffer this viperous generation to run at large laxis habenis as a best with reines on nâ—ck that they might satisfie their lusts upon His people though so they do and GOD suffers it to be done but that is not Gods end this God intends The purifying the purging the humbling of His servants that their lusts may be subdued the lusts of the Eye of the world and Pride of life This is Gods end the very purpose of His heart to make a people meet for deliverance when this is done the Rod shall be cast into the fire the tabernacles of the Robbers shall be destroyed and they sent to their owne place We wait and God waits We have waited three yeares God has waited eighty yeareâ— we wait for deliverance GOD waits for glory in waiting to shew mercy we shall have our waitings in good time when His people shall be truly humbled for then they shall see their desire upon their enemies and give GOD the glory of all His worke even of His strange workâ— for Thirdly When His people are meet for deliverance they shall be delivered
Truth and Davids Mercies are sure There is Davids Hold-fast He has nothing to doe 't is not his part to trouble himselfe about this What Saul is or what the Keilites are he may enquire of the LORD about it and he shall be told That Sauls intentions are bloudy and the Keili es treacherous but he must not trouble himselfe about it not about what Saul will doe or the Keilites will doe David must doe his duty that is his part to doe let God alone with Saul and his Keilites they shall doe David no hurt but good a great deale so be David does hâ—s duty We have learnt our part also and what is our duty to doe now and now we proceed David was resolved to have defended himselfe and the Keilites he would not have sâ—ffered their City to be destroyed for his sake but advising with his Oracle and understanding how the Keilites were minded he quits the place and with his men marcheth away towards the Wildernesse Here a grave Question may be asked Why does the Lord suffer David to be put to his shifts Quest why is his condition so restlesse from place to place and no certaine place before he can fixe his foot stand still and breath himselfe he must run for his life For excellent Reasons the Lord did this Ans That David might know this woâ—â—d is a Wilâ—ernesse indeed not the place of his rest and that he mig t not trust in strong-holds neither nor in men therefore was his condition so fleeting and full of changes He must be raised to a Crowne it must be from a low bottome after mens hearts towards him are â—â—lly discovered and all his strong-holds are thrown down for GOD must be exalted in that day But of this towards the conclution Isa 10.11 when we shall see GOD performing His whâ—â—â— worke and what end He makes for then we shall â—ee the LORD is very pitifull and of tender mâ—â—ey Jam. 5.11 But we must wait fâ—r this as the Husbandman â—aiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it Therefore I will referre that to the last and give resolution here to another Question CHAP. II. Why did not the Neighbouring Israelites Come-in to help their Brethren and Sisters grievously oppressed by a cruell Lord and a bloudy Edomite Or why did they not relieve David now driven into the Wildernesse What Saul did and would have done is examined and who this Edomite was So it is made very cleare That Conscience could not hold-backe the neighbouring Israelites from standing-up every man in his place to defend himselfe and to withstand the notorious violences from Sauls and his Edomites hands HEre 's a strange sight Saul with his Edomites have smitten and burnt Nob a City of Priests and have destroyed Man and Beast there They make the like offer against Keilah to destroy that City for Davids sake They pursue David still with fire and sword and now they have driven him out into the wildernesse as he sayes himselfe from abtaing in the inheritance of the LORD Why does Israel suffer all this VVhy doe they not bring forth the speare to stop their Master Saul and his Edomite driving on furiously in the Path of the destroyer VVhy did not Israel withstand their Master Saul 2 Chro. 26.17 18. as AZariah with fourscore Priests more withstood VZZiah their King entring upon their office And why did they not deale with the Edomite as the Prophet caused that messenger to be dealt withall who had a Commission from King Ahab to fetch away his head 2 Kin. 6.32 VVhy did they not deale so or more roughly with the Edomite It is answered here boldly enough That Israel were a conscientious People they knew their duty they saw no VVarrant to make resistance let their King Murther Priest and People then Pillage rob and spoile them by his Servants like the high-lander theeves there meere Conscience keeps these neighbouring Israelites hands close in their Pockets the while It is their King they will not resist him meere conscience forbids them I would speake something here in the generall first Conscience is a tender thing and must be tenderly dealt with and not judged rashly But certaine it is we of the common fort have been and now are very little troubled in point of Conscience about such matters as these are we are not so conscientious of our duty as to commune with Conscience about it we minde other matters here Hab. 26. to lade our selves with thicke clay which we call private wealth neglecting the common How long It is a Prophets question and by an Interrogation he makes his Answer very strong and terrible untill they shall rise-up suddenly that shall bite thee and awake that shall vexe thee Veâ—s 7. and thou shalt be booties unto them To whom To Spoylers and Robbers That thicke clay wherein we have laboured shall be booties unto those Robbers there is the crosse indeed and if it were not for feare we would fight our selves out of slavery sure were it but to secure our private wealth but because we would rather be accounted Conscientious men then Cowards we will not hold-up our hands for feare it should be taken to be a lifting-up the hand against our King This were well now if we did make conscience in other things of Lying Swearing Blaspheming Cursing Robbing Spoiling c. and of all unjust gaine or if we did make conscience not to keep our Purses shut when the necessity of the Poore commanded us to open or if being able men and could goe a warfare at our owne proper cost we did make conscience of taking gaine of money when we stand-up for our selves our owne lives and liberties If we make conscience of these things wee might be accounted conscientious men in other matters in point of resistance for feare we make warre against the King wherein every true Israelite must make conscience or else quit that name for he is unworthy the name of Israel that does not make conscience at that sacred point To proceed a little in the generall GOD forbid that any Israelite in the world should Resist their King and make conscience so to doe Nay more for I keep to the story GOD forbid that an Israelite should have resisted Saul he is the Anointed of the LORD â—s was said the great Fiduciary of the Kingdome An Israelite will make conscience of resisting Saul I say Saul for hearken what Ahimelech sayes Be it far from me Let not the King impute any thing unto his servant nor to all the house of my Fathers 1 Sam. 22.15 What should not Saul impute unto Ahimelech That he resisted his Lord King Saul and intended ill unto him it was far from him so to doe And certainly it was and is far from all true Israelites in the world To resist Saul to oppresse him and doe him hurt The LORDS Anointed they remember that still
not so uncharitable as to thinke That all these three thousand were all murtherers They that were acquainred with Sauls minde and willingly followed the Commandement Those all were murtherers in the highest degree there is no doubt of all that But some there were a very few who followed Saul and crossed his commandement what they could So did Jonathan and how many more I cannot tell And others there were who followed Saul as sheepe are driven by the Shepheard when hee meanes to plunge them into the waters They did not properly follow Saul but were driven by the hand of violence as some of late have beene and as Saul himselfe was by the Divell To exemplifie this by the Edomites practice at this time The Edomite now in the North we have no other name for him has exercised such cruelties upon the inhabitants there to force them to his side tying their heads and heeles together till from some of them breath departed And by these Turkish inforcements he has gained many bodies to his side but David has their hearts And so we may conceive and so judge it was with men in Sauls Host because the Sacred Scripture gives us that allowance For we reade of no execution done upon Israel upon their Cities but by Saul and the Edomite Saul spake indeed to all his Servants That they would kill David and wee make no doubt many were active Instruments that way for the Edomite could not doe all his executions alone But that all this Host was ingaged upon this service and would have answered Sauls bloudy will had they come to a set Battell is more then I can tell or any man in the world for we have not a word for it Onely to cleare this and to say as much as needs in reference to the present tiâ—e also for all is plaine all along this I will say That whosoever amongst those three thousand did follow Saul and his Command though grieving for Conscience not asleep or seared will regret and recoile give checke sometimes and yet approving An. lib. 14 cap. 〈◊〉 In some Bookes the fourth Moerens ac laudans as Tacitus speakes of Burrhus in a case not unlike I say All such as followed Saul so though grieving yet approving and commending what Saul did these were as one of them Edomites murtherers in true judgement and Scripture account And if the Sacred Scripture accounts these men murtherers then GOD accounts them so and then what will their Commission and Warranâ— profit them Or can it bâ—are them out in these outrages they have committed when they are indeed the fiercest enemies that ever the Church had But I will draw-up to a conclusion of this matter with some few observations from all wee have read First 1. Here an Edomite has done all the mischiefe a Right-hand to Saul in his bloudy execution What was hee A meane man sure an Heards-man then he was lifted up higher and made Steward of Sauls house set over his Servants there Conferring of honours upon him engaged him to Saul and his service so Saul made him Generall in the Field O! This preferment these honoâ—rs are a sweet bait it takes a man strangely it will take a man quite from Dâ—vid that hath not his heart engaged to his GOD Saul knew what he did when he raâ—lâ—d the Edomite to honour he shall doe what Saul will have him doe He is more then a man who can shut his eyes against the glory of the world and contemne it for Daviâ—s sâ—ke A man without â—ruth of Grace is like a ship without ballast it cannot endure a stonne That can be content to passe over with a carelesse eye the pleasures and profits of the Court. and endure afflictions with David the friends of GOD. An HOTHAM who had the boldnesse when time was and GODS pleasure to maintaine David and his cause to out face a Prince could not out-face the glory of the world he is taken with the bait of honour gaine or I know not what and so hath undone what he did and made himselfe infamous to all generations The King has that at his dispose which will worke upon all complexions but honour for the proud workes strangely brings many to his side and makes them RIGHT for his service David is in a Wildernesse has little for himselfe and lesse for his friends but they that serve David serve Him heartily nothing can win them to Davids side but meere conscience of duty to GOD and His cause LORD stablish the heart with Grace a sleeting thing we are never sure of it and must never be secure about it shew it the excellencies in the LORD JESUS then we shall not be taken with the â—omp of the world Acts 24. a Phantasie nor be offended at the troubles of David Secondly there were many Noble many Rich many Stout many valiant men and many wife men on Sauls side but yet they must not be a dishonour to Israel all these must come-in under one Head and the Edomite their Generall must beare the envie and dishonour of that Naturall war for it is as Naturall for the Edomite to warre with David as for the fire to burne It is not said Israel smote Nob No The Edomite smote Nob and all his helpers some Israelites no doubt yet they goe under that name So here are two Kingdomes smitten with the sword Who smote them It shall not be said This Prince or That Prince This Noble-man or That Noble-man No The Edomite did it It shall not lye as a reproach upon England it shall cause her sorrow that her owne children whom she has dandled upon her lap have to their power eat out her bowels It is a grievous thing And that those Brethren in evill who ought themselves unto this Church should prove such vipers and doe her such mischiefe This is grievous But the dishonour of it shall not lye upon this Mother-Church but upon Rome it shall lye upon the children of that Edom and the Church shall remember them to all generations Who in the day of Ierusalem said Rase it rase it even to the foundation thereof Thirdly though we doe not question Ionathans sincerity being well resolved at that point that he was a good man and a true friend to David and did him great service at the Court yet I thinke wee may question whether his bands of nature or Court-bands all very strong no doubt were strong enough to bind his bodily presence to continue with his father all the time his father persecuted David I determine nothing here because the Scripture is silent but thus the Scripture speakes out and we may set a marke upon it that if Ionathan was not slaine first which yet the Text seemes to say yet thus it was 1 Sam. 31.6 Saul died and his three Sonnes and his Armour-bearer and all his men that same day together TOGETHER they went along with Saul in a bloudy Path he did drive-on furiously but
excellent Reasons has The LORD done all this First Ans I. 1. The Lord will discover David to himselfe Saul shall prosper yet longer he shall have fine devices and neat contrivances against David he shall corrupâ— by flattery and worke mightily by treacheries And David shall continue in his straits yet longer Why That Sauls spirit might be fully manifest and all his fine prankes fully opened to the world That is true as we shall heare presently But there is a maine and prime cause first to be considered on That David may be discovered to himselfe Alas David knows not himselfe yet he shall before he be delivered and his adversary shall helpe him exceedingly at this high point To discover Davids spirit to himselfe wherewith in probability David had not beene acquainted had not Saul persecuted him from place to place As first 1. Suppose Saul and David had come to a good understanding and then to an agreement before David came to Nob Then David had not beene acquainted with his lying spirit I will but point at things for excellent reason that GOD may have the glory for I like not to stay upon the Saints infirmities The truth was David had a lying spirit and he hath told all the world so much who will heare him It was customary to him to tell a lye he came to the Priest at Nob and slaps him in the mouth with foure lyes before he came to a full stop And he traversed the way of lying till he came to Achish in Gath and then he was in the way of lying too David shall not be delivered yet fully This lying spirit must bee discovered to David first And blessed be GOD Who sanctified Sauls rough hand towards David and the treacheries of men for this high end The making Davids lying spirit manifest to himselfe so as he can abhor himselfe for it and desires of his GOD nothing more then That He would remove out of sight now upon his deepe humiliation these wicked shifts Psal 119.29 Remove from mee sayes hee the way of lying 2. Davids spirit could close with the creature it could rest it selfe upon the Arme of flesh he had done a notable service for the Keilites now thought he they whom I have so and so delivered from such and such dangers They will be fast friends unto me I may rest upon them No if that be his thought he shall be hunted yet further till he see clearly That men are vanity deceitfull and light upon the ballance There is no trust to be put in men Saul may take them off with a profer of honour gaine or the like But David may trust in GOD He is faithfull Davids spirit shall be restlesse till it winde-up it selfe by GODS power above man all humane props and hath bottomed it selfe upon GOD an Almighty foundation So for Strong-holds too he must be driven from them all because his spirit could secure it selfe so well in such hiding-places David must not be delivered yet till he be acquainted with his owne spirit at this point also That David may say Surely Thou onely art my strong-hold and my Hiding place But more of this when we come to Ziglag 3. David had a very shifting fleeting spirit bessides his mad pranks which we will not recall he fluttered from place to place I cannot tell how warrantable his way was either when he went to the King of Moab or afterwards to Gath True it was David was hardly driven Saul still at his heels and Saul was driven by the divell It would make the wisest man run and flye also to get out of the divels reach But yet surely the Prophet advised David well Get thee into the land of Iudah David must be advised whither he runs and suffer reproofe too What makest thou with the King of Moab 1 Sam. 21.5 Get thee into the land of Iudah It seemes spoken by way of reproofe David would thrust himselfe into this place and into that here he might have refuge and there No David must be taught now and Saul shall be his good master That these are but shifts vaine thoughts These places being trusted unto as we shall see anon are but like childrens castles which they have framed with their owne hands not likely to bee of any continuance GOD must be Davids refuge whereto he may continually resort 4. David was very impatient of delayes he could not wait till GOD had perfected His worke A man of an hasty spirit If he was not delivered at this time then GOD was slacke as he counted slacknesse And if not delivered at the other time just when he would have it Then all men were lyars Samuel and all Non Deispiritu propheticè sed c. Psa 116.11 All his promises touching a Kingdome were but words and they vanish into winde hee shall never be King but by Sauls hand he shall fall he said so in his HASTE haste indeed all men are lyars It is well then Accellerando cum praeceps raperetur in perturbatione carnis Ibid. David shall not be delivered till he has got more power over his spirit more constancy there Till he can be long-suffering endure and wait GODS time which is evermore best for David Now I may be the briefer in relating to these times God seemes to deale hardly with His Friends They are not delivered They expected That at such a time deliverance would be and at such a time but yet deliverence is delayed and a rough hand is put-out against them to the uttermost as it is at this day It is well it is so for GOD does all things well Alas what a little ease of Iron yoakes would have pleased His People How little of purity in GODS Ordinances Quicquid Deuâ— instituerit faciendum praeceperit certum est non esse rem nihili sed pretiosam utilem etiamsi externâ facie stâ—pulâ fabali aut casiâ nuce esset inanioâ— levior Luth. Cat. de Bap. Tempore sâ—o Is â— 60.12 would have pleased them well might they have had their Will and their Time A little though nothing is liâ—tle there and the least swerving from the Rule makes a great Rent and greatly to bee stood upon But I say and I doe but point at it how little would have served the turne would GOD have left His People to their own time and way GOD is better to them then they are to themselves Blessed be His Name He has provided better for them above their prayers and beyond their hopes They shall have a deliverance if they will wait a little A full Reformation But â—hey must leave GOD to His Owne Time and Way But how are the spirits of the best men discovered by these seeming delayes unto themselves Even David the best servants of the LORD made lyes their Refuge That they did and it is plainly discovered unto them now that so they did so also the warpings of their spirits and their vaine
I know not how much more He has gained a full sight of all his adversaries their malice treacheries and falshoods are all made manifest his adversaries are convinced too and the Evill spirit silenced also Why then the Church will trust in their GOD for ever and well they may the LORD deales so and so with David His faithfull servant He delaied Davids deliverance it stayed as a Child comming to the birth when there is no power to bring forth but yet all this slacknesse as we call it in our haste was but to open Davids mouth the wider that he might be more filled with MICHTAMS and with MASCHILS Blessed be GOD then that the Churches deliverance does seeme to linger to be long a comming Blessed be His Name it is GODS doing and he does all things well and this He does now deferring His Churches deliverance is best of all Is it not best of all that the Church sees now more clearly into the way of their owne spirits and more through into the Path of the destroyer and into the very intents and purposes of her Adversaries Certainly if her deliverance be longer delayed as we call delay it is best for the Church still for all her straits shall be a meanes to open her mouth the wider to let in and give forth her MICHTAMS and her MASCHILS If deliverance stayes it is because there must be more discovery yet even of Gods Right-hand with David and this comes now to be considered on for it containes much Thirdly We will read Davids case first how wonderfully God made bare His arme towards him though he did not complete His deliverance yet This will be quickly done Then I will bring it up to these times even as it is at this day where we shall see the Church had seen very little of God had she been delivered after the manner and at the time they would have made choice of But GOD delaying the time from day to day the Church sees much in God every day See it in David first Had not Saul sought David every day to kill him David had not seene GODS hand so wonderfully reached-forth towards him in his salvation How wonderfully was David delivered from the Lions mouth at Nob A wonderful hand is reached out to David when he is delivered from treacherous persons that dealt treacherously Then in the wildernesse of Maon where the LORD wrought as wonderfully for David as He did for the children of Israel when He set-up a pillar betwixt the Egyptians and Israel assuring their adversary but he will not understand who must perish that he must overcome GOD first who lookes to overcome Israel So here is a Rocke of Separation as was said before so wonderfull was GOD in Davids deliverance as in Hachilah and in the wildernesse of Ziph where Ionathan helped David to strengthen his band in GOD and then did Davids GOD strengthen His hand towards David ever more strong towards His servants then when they are in a wood So also in the Philistines Countrey and when Davids City was burnt But I must referre this burning of Ziglag to the last for it was his last refuge and when David sate in ashes there he was nearest to his Crowne To apply this to our times 1 Sam. 23.26 1 Sam. 26. Had the Church been delivered with a deliverance as we had accounted a deliverance not a halfe deliverance but had we been delivered so as would have served our desires capacious and large as the Sea towards the world and things there but straitned to better and higher matters When the Lords and Commons went downe into the North three yeares agoe Then where had beene our Parliament Yet was Gods Hand wonderfull towards His people there Had it been granted to us from that high Court quickly after their sitting there according to the desires of our soules feeling no burden but what presseth and pincheth the outward man That the hurtfull sword should not hurt us at that time that should be sheathed our yokes should be taken off the shoulders ship-money and the like most illegall taxations then had we an ignorant and bruitish people rested our selves wonderously contented we had had enough And the Clergy also a sound part of them had been well enough too had the high Court freed them from that horrible Oath but for the ET-CAETERA'S there there let them be the Clergy thought not of those mischiefes minding the Oath onely that abominable invention I might goe-on but I must stand still and admire too little O the goodnesse of our GOD Hee would not grant our desires He would give us a deliverance indeed He will have things done in order the Prison-doores shall be opened to His servants and fast shut upon His adversaries He will make His enemies who sayd they were Bishops and were not Spirituall and were not Rev. 2.9 Lords and were not whose Blasphemy the LORD knowes He will make those uncase themselves and plucke-off their owne vizards and throw out themselves too at the last with their owne hands He will turne His wheele over the head that consulted against Him and throw downe those Powers that exalted themselves against His hidden one GOD would have glorious things done whether we would or no so as we can say now we were too hasty God has done all things well admirably well hitherto He has cast on the â—â—sâ—â—ps throwne downe their bloody Courts taken away those cu sed Oaths they shall be no more for a snâ—re and a traâ— How wonderfull was GODS right-hand here His people will trust Him for after times If He delayes deliverance it is to make bare His arme more which is best for His people if in patience and with an holy resignation of themselves into His hands they can wait for Him Wait does the hasty and impatient man say the LORD is consuming his house in the fire of His wrath and heat of His sore displeasure No no let GOD alone with His house and houshold all that the LORD does doe is but to exalt His owne Right-hand in all His peoples sight in His Churches deliverance and to open the Churches mouth wide in praise and thanksgiving So we will put the exalting of Gods hand and the exalting of His praise both together 4. Had not the pit of destruction been made wide and deep for Daviâ— his mouth had not been so wide open nor his heaâ—t so inlarged to the Praises of His GOD If he had not been in the depths he had not sung the high Praises of His GOD. Now so many deliverances so Many MICHTAMâ— and how many enemies were discovered so many Masâ—â—ils these pretious songs we find here and â—here And some Psalms TO BRING TO REMEMâ—Râ—Nâ—E Psal 38.70 It was necessary the Church should passe through these and those straâ—ts here and there a Gulfe else she would not have made use of her â—reasure which Daviâ— has prepared for tâ—em I might Reflâ—ct back now an
He will deliver He will deliver indeed And see how graciously He has dealt with His Servants that serve Him with a willing mind He has given them successe ever since even to admiration and sent-them-in supplies and prospered those supplies after a wonderfull manner They have been in straits so often but these have served to make their way more passable and their enlargement more glorious I have recalled all this recording the yeares by-past and remembring the Right-hand of the Most High to strengthen and fortifie our spirit that we may not faint in the day of trouble when our Ziglags are smitten and burnt over our heads GOD is He who hath delivered 2 Cor. 1.10 saith the Apostle And so he concludes comfortably for the present and for after time But give me leave to reason a little as flesh bloud will whether we will or not Though GOD has delivered it does not therefore follow that He will deliver He had delivered His People from these and these enemies yet when His People had provoked Him by their images and strange vanities the LORD tells them plainly He will deliver them no more And why may not we expect to heare the same words Ye have rebelled more and more therefore I will deliver you no more We might indeed expect to heare the same words if the LORD in shewing mercy to a land did consult with the People of the Land with their deservings and the merit of their workes which he does not doe but with His free Mercy Goodnesse and loving Kindnesses consulting with Himselfe He hath delivered us from SO GREAT A DEATH marke that SO GREAT A DEATH for we had it not before when the righteous were pressed out of measure above strength when they were brought to the brow and brinke of the hill purposely to throw them downe headlong thence when they despaired even of life when the sentence of death was received in themselves when GOD doth deliver after such a manner as this such an unexpected glorious manner which heaven and earth stand wondring at from so great a death when He turneth the cap ivity of a People as Jordan back when He worketh so strangely so wonderfully this is an evident token that though the deliverance be not perfected yet it is perfecting The LORD doth watch over it and is working and contriving what way to make it more glorious for His Name is engaged upon it It may goe-backe till it be out of sight it may have many stops in comming-on againe it may fall into the depths where we can finde no bottome nor any humane helpe whereby it may rise again Notwithstanding GOD is working gloriously all this while so as we may say even now Now when they that hate the Lord lift-up the head why yet deliverance goes-on the LORD watcheth it and promoteth it and as it is in the Text. He dotâ— deliver while He is fitting His servants and making them MEET for deliverance And the more we shall see the Pit opened before us and hell there the more the way to deliverance shal be opened and the more of heaven we shall see there to doubt thereof were to provoke the LORD as they did at the SEA even at the RED SEA And now I suppose we are better fitted by all this to read over Davids case and therein our owne anon when I have given or rather not I but the Lord a resolution to certaine Quere's touching Davids case why the LORD dealt so bitterly with him Indeed David was greatly distressed a great desolation before his eyes but his eyes are to The LORD and that will helpe all David is as low brought as can be yet not too low for GOD to raise againe if He puts under His hand it is done and it is His glory to put forth His right hand at a dead lift David has said Try me O LORD and prove me the LORD will doe it he shall be tryed as silver is tryed but God his God will stand by him while he melts David shall be at no losse onely the drosse shall goe forth and his scum David had said Thou art my portion O LORD he had not said so had he not found what poore portions of comfort the creature yeelds us here below in the day of trouble David had prayed The LORD bring me to the rocke that is higher then I The LORD will doe it by unbottoming him of all creature confidences Alas how are we deceived we fooles build our house here as if so be we expected alwayes faire weather No we must build so as those who know the Raine will fall Windes will blow stormy haile will beat upon our house Heb. 11.10 We may read Abraham lookt for a City that hath foundations but not before all his strong-holds were downe and he was driven from all his foundations his creature-comforts here below We see already excellent Reasons why David was laid so low but I will speake of them very briefly in this order First David is in a strange land he lookes for peace there No he had no peace in his owne land and expects he to have it amongst the Philistines GOD will not give David rest from all adversity in the Philistines land David must not sit downe at rest till he be returned to his owne People And there is not the place of his rest neither our expectations from worldly things will deceive us it is good to learn how uncertaine these things are betimes that we may put no trust in them 2. Davids Ziglag is smitten and burnt with fire That David might now well understand what kinde of thing his Ziglag is casuall and hazardous He smote Amalecks town a few dayes ago Now Amaleck smites Davids town These are the changes here below up and downe The Adversary was smitten yesterday David to day a great difference in the stroke because GOD ordered it we can conclude neither love nor hatred from these things Do we hear that the Adversaries Right hand is lifted-up has smitten and burnt Davids City and he goes on valiantly as if he would carry all before him Be not dismaid at this it is no new thing Davids case he is low now but he will be up again and confound the Adversary anon and be more then conquerour It was said of the Romanes They were put to the worse in many skirmishes and light battels but never in a War They were worsted in the world many times never conquered there but they conquered the world This truly relates to David and his Warriours They are worsted in the world but yet in Christ they have overcome the world and shall be more then conquerours there anon after they have endured like good souldiers a little hardnesse 3. Davids Ziglag is smitten all his delectable things taken captive thence but not one slaine The Sword is in the enraged Amalekites hand yet does drinke no bloud nor eate flesh I told you before GOD would stand by
David when he was in the refining pot melting there His presence would be with him as with the three Worthies He will moderate the fire if He does not quench it the extream heat of the enemies rage against David he shall do David no hurt blessed be His Name But yet behold the Ciâ—y is burnt with fire wives sons and daughters taken captives Davids wives too Learne then 4. How corruptible our Ziglags are how uncertaine our comforts there like Ionas Gourd they cast a shadow in the morning and we sit contentedly under them at night they are withered David and his men a very few dayes ago had every man an house wives and children round about them and David had a City a place of refuge to go unto Now their houses lye in ashes and all their delectable things taken thence Let us consider well on it and reade the Case once more David and his men are gone from home they returne in ashes their houses smitten and burnt all their comforts taken thence It was Davids case and theirs whose hand was with David Then why maâ— it not be ours LORD teach us by this example not to set our eyes upon our Ziglags not our hearts upon our comforts there A great lesson for this time and because of our dotings that way a maine reason why The LORD infinitely wise and exceeding loving to Daviâ— suffers his Ziglag to lye in ashes before his eyes haply David and his men had set their eyes upon that place and their comforts there they had delighted in them too much Whosoever does so David must not therefore his Ziglag shall be smitten and burnt with Fire But we do not see the worst of Davids case yet His City is burnt it is possible for David a valiant man to get another His wives are taken captives he may recover them againe but he cannot doe all this without his men and see hâ—s case they will turn from him or turn against him for they spake of stoning him It is the saddest case that ever I read I meane an outward case and so every man will say that observes it David is in a strange Countrey he has a shelter there It is burnt with fire all his comforts taken thence O for a friend now to comfort him he has not one They that should comfort him are miserable comforters Their soule is grieved every man for his sons and daughters then they spake of stoning David Israels old doings Their father 's dealt little better with Moses If they wanted bread or water or were in danger then presently they blamed Moses So here these men are smitten whose ever was the hand it was GODS rod and they speak of smiting David Surely David is in a sad and a darksome condition he walks now in the shadow of death but GOD will be a light unto him and David looks for Him even for a light to rise in this obscurity I remember there was a Kingdom which wanted an heire Competitors there were enow It was agreed upon amongst the Nobles That he should be King who could first spy the Suns rising You will imagine now that many eyes were turned eastward intent that way for they looked for a Kingdom and yet not all one amongst many and but one looked as stedfastly westward and got a Kingdom by it for without controversie he spied the beams of the rising Sun first striking upon the high places of the earth westward Here is the patience of the Saints They can wait upon GOD stay His leasure leave Him to His own way and Time Who created the light and formed the darknesse His servants expect now the clearest manifestation of the light of GODS countenance towards them there Isa 58.10 where the Sun of all their outward comforts set Thy light shall rise in obscurity and Thy darknesse shall be as the noone day Every man expects light in the morning and to see the Sun rise in the East But to expect light to rise in the West where the Sun of all our comforts here below sets here is the wisedome and patience of the Saints also And it is a wonderfull Promise In the morning it shall be light Are those the words No for that runs along vvith our sense too but vvhen vve think the time vvill be darkest as novv in Davids case vvhen the Sun of all his comforts is set novv to expect light there is the wisedome and patience of the Saints and they have a vvonderfull promise for it praised be His glorious Name But it shall come to passe Zech. 147. That at EVENING IT SHALL BE LIGHT It shall be the lightest Time vvith David vvhen he expects it vvill be darkest i.e. When he is in the shadovv of death AT EVENING IT SHALL BE LIGHT vvhich Davids GOD vvill create for David and that is a glorious light We can novv resolve our selves vvhy The LORD vvill have it night vvith David vvhy He vvill have the Sun of all his outvvard comforts goe dovvne and set all at once Why To indeare light unto him VVhile the Sun shines and it is day vvith us light is but an ordinary thing and but an ordinary rate set upon it an excellent creature though it be But vvhen neither Sunne nor Moone nor Stars appeare in the night of our affliction then to have light come-in unto us as to Paul and Silas in the prison this indeares light novv it is light indeed To have a light arise in obscurity that is comfortable indeed in this evening of our distractions in the night of our affliction it shall be light That is a glorious promise and it is a new Creation The LORD suffers the adversary to over-power David to take from him all was his all below that David could take delight in Now would we say David is an undone man No we are deceived the enemy cannot undoe a man he may distresse him for a minute or an houre but he cannot undoe him the enemy cannot take GOD from a man and till that be done till GOD be gone from a man he is never undone Nay the more fierce and violent the enemy is upon David the nearer GOD is to him as wee are nearest our children when trouble and paines are upon them then we are nearest them so is GOD too and He is the Fountaine of Light be it Even-tide or Mid-night with us He maketh it day where-ever He is And now His Servant David will set his face more stedfastly to looke after this light now that his shadow is so dark If his comforts be not removed from his eye the streame of his affections will not run cleare towards the Spring-head The Living Fountain of light and comfort David must finde a nothingnesse in the creature before he can finde all in GOD. He cannot be taught that great lesson but by losses after losses David must be a King just and mercifull therefore he must feele oppression and grone under it He must see
affliction and be acquainted with it David is rising a pace to his Crown It must be from the lowest bottome and when he was there in dust and ashes though he thought not so the Crown was hastning to his head For he did not faint in his minde But David encouraged himselfe in The LORD Mighty words and they make David strong and mighty in his GOD. All was gone All the discouragements that the world could lay upon David lyes now upon him yet he can encourage himselfe in GOD and so makes-up all his losses in one GOD. Indeed GOD is all-sufficient And now GOD turnes the heart of his men unto David againe And they march forth against the enemy in the strength of The LORD and fetch all back againe If David can encourage himselfe in GOD he shall see the streame turned presently as the rivers in the South If we can beleeve trust perfectly That which we think cannot be is possible and shall be That which we thinke is gone shall all turn back againe If we can be patient we shall receive all againe with advantage This in passage I would rather set a marke upon the time when David was delivered David was delivered but not before he was driven from all his strong-holds not before his-last place of refuge was smitten and burnt with fire not before all his comforts were taken from him and his men spake of stoning him Then he was delivered when to the eye of Reason deliverance was farthest off cleane out of sight I conclude from hence that David now all the faithfull of the LORD shall be delivered but not yet deliverance is comming-on and perfecting every day even by those meanes and wayes whereby we thinke it is set further backe but it will not be perfected not compleated as it shall be in time and as we call complete before all strong-holds and brest-workes are cast downe and destroyed I cannot be mistaken here I doe not meane that all the strong holds forts and brest-workes before our eyes must be destroyed before the Church shall be delivered no the Church is alwayes allowed the wisdome of the serpent to stand upon her guard and in her watch-tower to fortifie and brest-worke themselves against an insulting adversary who if he should prevaile will tread upon the head of the righteous more heavily then ever yet they were trod upon so as their neckes shall bow downe to the foot of pride shall be trod upon as the mire in the streets Blessed be GOD His servants have so fortified themselves and His blessings be upon the heads of those who have given forth their heart and hand to the raising these works for I verily beleeve these will be very serviceable to the Church till the very time when her LORD will make her a quiet habitation all the time before is like to be Troublous The meaning then is not That these forts and brest-workes before our eyes must be destroyed before the Church is delivered though it is very notable that so it was with David all was downe before he was raised quite forsaken before GOD took him up But all the Churches strong-holds within must be destroyed their vaine confidences their brest-works within raised there by these without making the Church confident and secure trusting in them these must be destroyed before the Church can be delivered Nay if these brest-workes and strong holds within be not destroyed they will destroy us they will put deliverance further backe and destroy these without I meane our trusting in them expecting salvation from them will destroy us and them it will bring a curse upon all the sword shall impoverish thy fenced Cities saith the LORD Ier. 5.17 Why will the Lord suffer the Adversarie to doe so Because His People set their hearts that way and departed from the LORD they expected salvation from their fenced Cities it is as idolatrous every whit as to expect salvation from stockes and stones therefore the LORD would impoverish their fenced Cities wherem thou TRVSTEDST with the sword their trust in these things destroyed the things and persons too But more of this in the eighth and last Chapter Our deliverance is delayed we shall see reason why it is so we are very high now and exalted but GOD must be exalted in that day We do indeed many of us lye among the Pots like as Scullions betwixt the Raunges i.e. sore troubles are upon us Psal 63.13 In summis angustiis sordibus squalore vixeritii Metaphora a calonibus castrensibus Iunius and our eyes have seen adversity and yet because our out-sides shew forth no such thing our outward garbe is so unsutable to Mourners to those that are sultied among Pots because our faces doe not change colour yet nor our cloaths we doe not take shame unto our selves Therefore GOD will not take off our reproach we shall see more adversity before GOD will put glory upon us before we shall be as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and yellow gold But more of thâ—s anon Now David is delivered for all his strong holds are downe and he can encourage himselfe in the Lord when all the discouragements that could be were upon him when he was weakest then was he strongest when he was driven from all his strong holds when all his comforts were removed when his men turned themselves against him then GOD comes in when no help from earth there is much from heaven GOD loves to shew himselfe for David when they can see nothing but His right hand put forth in their salvation Blessed be GOD a refuge that never failed David He comes-in when all goes out a present help in trouble Refuge failed me said David in his Maschil when he was in the Cave no man careth for me Psal 142.4 my owne servants speake of stoning me did he say at that time but then he encouraged himselfe in the LORD his GOD and said Thou art my refuge O! blessed be GOD Be the Nations never so angry and the earth unquiet Ier. 3.23 the Sea of this world never so tempestuous yet His servants eyes are ever to the LORD they can put-in into that harbour and they are secure I conclude Truely in vaine is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountaines Trulâ— in the LORD our GOD is the salvation of Israel Isa 29.19 The meeke shall increase their joy in the LORD and the poore among men shall rejoice in the Holy one of Israel In the way of thy judgements O Lord Isa 26.8 have we waited for thee the desire of our soule is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee Amen CHAP. 7. A grave Question resolved Touching the manner how a Spirit is to be resisted If he acts like a Spirit then by the spirit of Prayer wherein Israel neither was nor is wanting If hee acts by the hand of an Edomite then he must be resisted by the sword of an
Yeere of his Age He was no sooner Marryed but hee Doted and had a speciall gift in flattering himselfe Excluâ—a Nobilitate And those about him few or none of the Nobility the worst he could pick from cut of the Cities or Country quickly learnt the Court-Art and could flatter as well as their King but none more accurately then the Priests could doe They told their King he might doe what he listed he was King and his will was the Law Thereafter he might punish and might pardon and bestow his honours as he would and not as the Common Law wills but saies the Author all as hee wills so it must bee will was Law and King both and Commands all What a miserable Confusion was here The face of the Kingdome quite changed Nobles could not be heard nor the Law neither and good Men were Silent Some base Men or quite degenerate had the eare of their King and his heart and commanded his hand and they did all till they had almost undone all for they Monopolized the Common good of all the Subjects their King They Ingrossed his heart that deare Commodity So as That which should be as Rivers of water to Refresh the whole Kingdome they made as a sealed fountaine quite shut-up to all honest Men and open to c. In the Nick of Time there came an Ambassadour out of England if I well remember to treat of Peace and to seale it with a Marriage when the Prince and Princesse should come to age So great a businesse required consultation The King calls a Parliment He with his wicked Counsell has his end satisfaction of a Private will and to enlarge Private wealth The Nobles and Commons have their end the Common-wealth the publike Faith and Trust of the Kingdome They are all assembled the Lord Douglasse a faithfull Minister of State is their Speaker his Speech is long that which relates to the present is short He tells them wherefore they were called together what their Kings end what theirs the Kings businesse requires no haste the matters of the Kingdome does he opens unto them the sinke of the Court shewes the Nobles and Commons their Vassalage under these the vilest persons who stanke all the Kingdome over We are Nobles sayes he ye and we are a free people yet if we looke not to it quickly we must be made servants to the basest Masters the lusts of our King and his favourites who have stollen away our King his heart is gone quite alienated from his friends and betrayed to his enemies No sooner this was spoken and his speech ended but out he and the rest went Nobles and Commons and to the Court gate What is the mattes sayes the King We will plucke the evill Counsellours from your side said they The Question was quick the Answer was as quick They will have their demands and they have them those evill Counsellours the Plague and Pests of the King and Kingdome all but one and he was a youth too ingenuous to learne the art so quickly is spared at the request of the King but all the rest are given over unto them and they as quickly hang them up How did they doe for Ropes That might be a question indeed being so neare the Court gates Vt câ—m funes in re subâ—ta decsseâ—â— They made an honest shift for they hanged these evill men up with their horses bridles Perfidious Scots said some three years agoe Honest Scots say I and shall say so till I read and finde the contrary They will bestirre themselves when they see a Kingdome neare to ruine There is not the like story but a very notable one of Dursthus their eleventh King mentioned befoâ—e hee was slaine in battell by his owâ—e subjectâ— They â—re blamed for it to this day that they brake their Oath with their King No they did not he brake with them and was the most perfidious King that you shall read of in any Chronicle The case is plaine and the manner of resistance cleared to be as becommeth Israel then and now But all Israel comes not in now as they did then to help the LORD against the Mighty There will be excellent Reason given for this in the next Chapter CHAP. 8. Mans extremity is Gods opportunity David had a glorious deliverance when he was made meet for it So shall the Church have when their adversaries have filled up their measures When Gods People are purified in their furnace then their God will send them glorious Saviours and a glorious Salvation In the meane time they hold fast their confidence DAvids helpers came-in he was raised to a glorious condition here on earth the Crowne was set upon his head presently and there is mighty Reason why it was so His head was made meet for a Crowne he was fitted for deliverance All his strong holds were downe all his Altars the lying vanities whereto he trusted were as Chalke stones that are beaten asunder Isa 27.8 He was greatly distressed forsaken of all humane helps refuge failed all is gone and all the discouragements in the world were upon him yet at such a time he fainted not but encouraged himselfe in the LORD his GOD Then he could exalt GOD in that day Psal 18.12 he could say of Him Thou art my strength my Rocke my Fortresse c. he called upon the LORD in that day SO he was saved from his enemies and from the hand of Saul 2 Sam. 22. Our case is otherwise our helpers come-not-in as to David all as one man we are yet greatly distressed True you will say in some quarters of the Land but it is not every mans case and God forbid it should be so all the Land over So say I too Amen And yet it must be every mans case I meane not to suffer all alike the spoyling of our goods but to be affected and afflicted for what others our Brethren and Sisters doe suffer that way this must be every mans case to have a sympathy a fellow-feeling of what others doe suffer wee must suffer all in compassion before we are dâ—livered every man must beare his part Heb. 10.33 partly sayes the Apostle whilest we were made a gazing stocke both by reproaches and assliâ—â—ions and partly while ye became companions of them that were so used If we examine our case by this Scripture it will tell us how fit and meet wee are for deliverance which we wonder does linger so long The sword has greatly distressed our land how has it wrought upon the oppressed therein or what compassion in those who have not yet been oppressod by it Surely it may be answered Perdidistis utilitatem calamitatii miseâ—rimi fâ—cti estis pessimi permansistis Aug. de Civis l. 1. c. 33. that the most of us have lost the fruit of all this sore wrath which has lyon upon our neighbours these many yeares and upon our owne land these few moneths which yet
suddenly then the Lord will send them meet Saviours It is true GOD can worke by what instruments he pleaseth but He will not use base and inglorious instruments to worke forth a glorious salvation such as He has now in designe not such as pretend to have an hand with David and work all the mischiefe they can against David and those that have an hand with him and drinke the health of those who have sworne the destruction of David and in pursuance of that shed bloud to their power These men who have drunke a way their wits and their valour and their healths and cursed away their soules the Lord has rejected they shall not if they would doâ— Him service in this warre He will purge His Armies as He has done the Courts He will have Noble Instruments I meane faithfull such as feare GOD above many to carry on these designes and to bring about a worke of this nature Certainly they must be Mosesses and Ioshua's and Davids by which He will worke forth this glorious deliverance when GOD does glorious things wee shall see they are done by glorious instruments so it was in ancient times so it will be now We smote Og and all his people till there was none left to him remaining And a huge fellow this was King of Bashan who remained of the remnant of the Gyants and we tooke all his Cities at that time Deut. 3.3.4 5. there was not a City which we tooke nâ—t from them threescore Cities and these were fenced with high walls gates and barres besides unwalled Townes a great many Who was he that was so victorious Moses the faithfull Servant of the Lord. It is as notable how successefull Ioshua Moses Successor was when the accursed thing was removed we never read the like untill this day He came upon his enemies like a tempest destroyes all as he goes he passed-on to that strong-hold looked upon it and tooke it upon that day sayes the Text That is the account he gives us He came looked upon Makkedah Libnah Lachish Eglon Hebron and Hazor the heads of the Kingdomes tooke them on that day destroyed them neither left they any to breath Some adversaries melted before him others submitted others stood-it-out and quickly fell to his foot which Joshua set upon their neckes and gives Israel assured confidence for ever Thus shall the LORD doe against all the enemies against whom you fight But when are a people meet for such Saviours Quest When the people can love such Saviours Ans and not dote upon them When they can pray for them but not trust in them when they can use them as glorious Instruments in Gods hands but not leane upon them for that is to depart from an Almighty Hand the Church LEANES upon her BELOVED When they can give them their due thankes honour and praise and God all the glory O how faulty have we been at this point therefore how has The LORD pluckt some of those instruments from us those that were most faithfull If we give Gideons sword the preheminence we undo him and overthrow all and weakned the strength of others because we looked so stedfastly towards them How hath he discovered the treachery of others And all this that we may take our hope wholly off from the creature and six it fully upon Him vvho is faithfull If The LORD shevv us no more blessed be His Name that He hath shevved us so much and that He hath strengthned the hand of any of His Servants to bring salvation to His Israel notvvithstanding Israel is so prone to idolize Men. I must give resolution to one question more VVhen are a people fit and meet for such a salvation GOD has novv upon designe Qu. When their uncircumcised hearts are humbled Ans when they can indeed and in truth acknowledge their contrary walking It is a sad relation I read from 2. great persons who had travelled all Germany over that they found the Protestants there sarte more wicked under their pressures and calamitie then when they were in their ease and prosperity Ier. 6.29 and accept of the punishment for walking so contrary to the rule and will of GOD when their drosse and scum is sod forth in the furnace of their affliction this must be before we are delivered GOD does not deliver out of the furnace before His people are purified therein We think we have lyen long in the furnace But what have we profited by lying there so long Is not he that was proud proud still he that was filthy filthy still Is not the great scum sod in and are not the Bellows burnt As The Lord complaineth We are Brasse and Iron indeed an ordinary fire ordinary affliction will not melt us And though some are more tender and with Iosiah will quickly melt at the very hearing of wrath denounced yet these things must be soberly enquired into by all before we be delivered 2. A people are meet for deliverance when the accursed whether persons or things are destroyed from amongst them then Ioshuah was mighty and prevailed and not before Iosh 7.11 Till the accursed were destroyed from amongst Israel Israel were accursed and lying on the face could not help them That is a resolved Case 3. A people is meet for deliverance when all their Strong-holds are down I do not meane those before our eyes though this may he All our Forts and â—reast-workes must be destroyed before our eyes also as Davids was I say it may be so and likely so because it is so hard a matter to have them and not to Trust in them And if we do trust in them then they must be impoverished saith The LORD All our strong-holds must downe All wherein thou trustedst that is out of question Every thing that exalts it selfe against GOD must down for GOD will be exalted in that day It will be a glorious deliverance His people shall be greatly exalted Their enemies all shall be strangely confounded None of the glory of this wonderfull salvation shall be given to the Arm of flesh GOD will have all He is dainty at that point He will not give His glory to another To conclude we think GOD is long in comming and salvation sleepeth No GOD will come in the fittest season His salvation shall come and not stay It shall come and in such a season and in such a glorious manner as His people shall say Salvation could not have come in a fitter time It is certaine that the Servants of The LORD shall acknowledge they could not have wanted any one thing Their LORD has done in shew and semblance for their Adversaries and against them His own people their falling before their enemies has made them fall low before their GOD and rise high in their faith and to hold their confidence the faster They could not have wanted those blowes in the North no nor those blowes in the West which were like those stones thrown