are hyred into the field against Israel Fond Pagans that know not the value of a man their bloud cost them nothing and they care not to sell it good cheape How can wee thinke those men haue Soules that esteeme a little white earth aboue themselues that neuer inquire into the iustice of the quarell but the rate of the pay that can rifle for drams of siluer in the bowels of their owne flesh and either kill or die for a dayes wages Ioab the wise Generall of Israel soone findes where the strength of the battle lay and so marshalls his troupes that the choyce of his men shall incounter the vantgard of the Syrians His brother Abishai leads the rest against the children of Ammon with this couenant of mutuall assistance If the Syrians be too strong for mee then thou shalt helpe mee but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee then will I come and helpe thee It is an happy thing when the captains of Gods people ioyne together as brethren and lend their hand to the ayde of each other against the common aduersary Concord in defence or assault is the way to victory as contrarily the deuision of the Leaders is the ouerthrow of the army Set aside some particular actions Ioab was a worthy Captaine both for wisdome and valour Who could either exhort or resolue better then he Be of good courage and let vs play the men for our people and for the cities of our God and the Lord doe that which seemeth him good It is not either priuate glory or profit that whets his fortitude but the respect to the cause of God and his people That Souldier can neuer answer it to God that strikes not more as a Iusticer then as an enemy Neither doth hee content himselfe with his owne courage but he animates others The tongue of a Commander fights more then his hand it is enough for priuate men to exercise what life and limmes they haue a good Leader must out of his owne abundance put life and spirits into all others If a Lyon lead sheep into the field there is hope of victory Lastly when he hath done his best he resolues to depend vpon God for the issue not trusting to his sword or his bowe but to the prouidence of the Almightie for successe as a man religiously awfull and awfully confident whiles there should bee no want in their owne indeuours he knew well that the race was not to the swift nor the battle to the strong therefore hee lookes vp aboue the hills whence commeth his saluation All valour is cowardise to that which is built vpon religion I maruel not to see Ioab victorious whiles he is thus godly The Syrians flee before him like flocks of sheepe the Amonites follow them The two Sons of Zeruiah haue nothing to doe but to pursue and execute The throates of the Amonites are cut for cutting the beards and cotes of the Israelitish messengers Neither doth this reuenge end in the field Rabba the royall city of Ammon is strongly beleguered by Ioab the City of waters after well-neare a yeares siege yeildeth the rest can no longer hold out now Ioab as one that desired more to approue himselfe a loyall and carefull subiect then a happy Generall sends to his master Dauid that he should come personally and encampe against the City and take it Least saith he I take it and it be called after my name Oh noble and imitable fidelity of a dutifull seruant that prefers his Lord to himselfe and is so farre from stealing honor from his masters deserts that he willingly remits of his owne to adde vnto his The warre was not his he was only imployed by his Soueraigne The same person that was wronged in the Ambassadors reuengeth by his soldiers the praise of the act shall like fountaine water returne to the sea whence it originally came To seeke a mans owne glory is not glory Alas how many are there who being sent to sue for God wooe for themselues Oh God it is a fearfull thing to robbe thee of that which is dearest to thee glory which as thou wilt not giue to any creature so much lâ—sse wilt thou indure that any creature should filtch it from thee and giue it to himselfe Haue thou the honor of all our actions who giuest a beeing to our actions and vs and in both hast most iustly regarded thine owne praise Dauid with Bathsheba and VRIAH WIth what vnwillingnes with what feare do I still look vpon the miscariage of the man after Gods owne hart O holy Prophet who can promise himselfe alwayes to stand when he sees thee falne and maimed in the fall Who can assure himselfe of an immunity from the foulest sins when hee sees the offending so haynously so bloudily Let profane eyes behold thee contentedly as a patterne as an excuse of sinning I shall neuer looke at thee but through teares as a wofull spectacle of humane infirmity Whiles Ioab and all Israel were busie in the warre against Ammon in the siege of Rabbah Satan findes time to lay siege to the secure hart of Dauid Who euer found Dauid thus tempted thus foyled in the dayes of his busie warres Now only doe I see the King of Israel rising from his bed in the euening The time was when he rose vp in the morning to his early deuotions when hee brake his nightly rest with publique cares with the businesse of estate all that while he was innocent he was holy but now that he wallowes in the bed of idlenesse he is fit to inuite a tentation The industrious man hath no leasure to sinne The idle hath neither leasure nor power to auoyd sinne Exercise is not wore wholsome for the body then for the Soule the remission whereof breeds matter of disease in both The water that hath beene heated soonest freezeth the most actiue Spirit soonest tyâ—eth with slackning The earth stands still and is all dregs the heauens euer moue and are pure We haue no reason to complaine of the assiduity of work the toyle of action is answered by the benefit If wee did lesse wee should suffer more Satan like an idle companion if he finde vs busie flies backe and sees it no time to entertaine vaine purposes with vs Wee cannot please him better then by casting away our work to hold chat with him wee cannot yeild so farre and bee guiltlesse Euen Dauids eyes haue no sooner the sleepe rubbed out of them then they roue to wanton prospects He walkes vpon his roofe and sees Bathsheba washing her selfe inquires after her sends for her solicits her to vncleanenesse The same Spirit that shut vp his eyes in an vnseasonable sleepe opens them vpon an intising obiect whiles sinne hath such a Solicitor it cannot want either meanes or opportunitie I cannot thinke Bathsheba could bee so immodest as to wash her selfe openly especially from her naturall vncleanenesse Lust is quick-sighted Dauid hath espyed her where she could espye no
counterfait Samuel he had not beene strook downe on the ground with words Now his beleefe made him desperate Those actions which are not sustained by hope must needs languish and are only promoted by outward compulsion Whiles the minde is vncertaine of successe it relieues it selfe with the possibilities of good in doubts there is a comfortable mixture but when it is assured of the worst euent it is vtterly discouraged and deiected It hath therefore pleased the wisdome of God to hide from wicked men his determination of their finall estate that their remainders of hope may harten them to good In all likelyhood on selfe-same day saw Dauid a victor ouer the Amalakites and Saul discomfited by the Philistims How should it bee otherwise Dauid consulted with God and preuailed Saul with the Witch of Endor and perisheth The end is commonly answerable to the way It is an idle iniustice when we do ill to look to speed well The slaughter of Saul and his sonnes was not in the first scene of this Tragicall field that was rather reserued by God for the last act that Saules measure might be full God is long ere he strikes but when he doth it is to purpose First Israel flees and falls downe wounded in mount Gilboa They had their part in Sauls sinne they were actors in Dauids persecution Iustly therfore doe they suffer with him whom they had seconded in offence As it is hard to be good vnder an euill Prince so it is as rare not to be enwrapped in his iudgements It was no small addition to the anguish of Sauls death to see his sonnes dead to see his people fleeing and slaine before him They had sinned in their King and in them is their King punished The rest were not so worthy of pittie but whose heart would it not touch to see Ionathan the good Sonne of a wicked Father inuolued in the common destruction Death is not partiall All dispositions all merits are alike to it If valour if holines if syncerity of heart could haue beene any defence against mortality Ionathan had suruiued Now by their wounds and death no man can discerne which is Ionathan The soule only findes the difference which the body admitteth not Death is the cōmon gate both to heauen and hell we all passe that ere our turning to either hand The sword of the Philistims fetcheth Ionathan through it with his fellowes no sooner is his foot ouer that threshold then God conducteth him to glory The best cannot bee happy but through their dissolution Now therefore hath Ionathan no cause of complaint he is by the rude and cruel hand of a Philistim but remoued to a better Kingdome then hee leaues to his brother and at once is his death both a temporall affliction to the Sonne of Saul and an entrance of glory to the frend of Dauid The Philistim-archers shot at random God directs their arrowes into the body of Saul Least the discomfiture of his people and the slaughter of his sonnes should not bee griefe enough to him hee feeles himselfe wounded and sees nothing before him but horror and death and now as a man forsaken of all hopes hee begs of his armor-bearer that deaths-blow which els he must to the doubling of his indignation receiue from a Philistim Hee begs this bloody fauour of his seruant and is denyed Such an awefulnes hath God placed in soueraigntie that no intreaty no extremity can moue the hand against it What mettall are those men made of that can suggest or resolue and attempt the violation of maiesty Wicked men care more for the shame of the world then the danger of their soule Desperate Saul will now supply his armor-bearer and as a man that bore armes against himselfe hee falls vpon his owne sword What if he had dyed by the weapon of a Philistim So did his Son Ionathan and lost no glory These conceites of disreputation preuaile with carnall hearts aboue all spirituall respects There is no greater murderer then vain-glory Nothing more argues an heart voyd of grace then to be transported by ydle popularity into actions preiudiciall to the Soule Euill examples especially of the great neuer escaped imitation the armour-bearer of Saul followes his master and dares do that to himselfe which to his King he durst not as if their owne swords had beene more familiar executioners they yelded vnto them what they grudged to their pursuers From the beginning was Saul euer his owne enemy neither did any hands hurt him but his owne and now his death is sutable to his life his owne hand payes him the reward of all his wickednesse The end of hypocrites and enuious men is commonly fearefull Now is the blood of Gods Priests which Saul shed and of Dauid which he would haue shed required requited The euil spirit had said the euening before To morrow thou shalt be with mee and now Saul hasteth to make the diuell no lyer rather then fayle he giues himselfe his own mittimus Oh the wofull extremities of a dispayring Soule plundging him euer into a greater mischiefe to auoyd the lesse Hee might haue beene a patient in anothers violence and faultlesse now whiles hee will needs act the Philistims part vpon himselfe hee liued and dyed a murderer The case is deadly when the prisoner breakes the Iayle and will not stay for his deliuery though wee may not passe sentence vpon such a Soule yet vpon the fact we may the Soule may possibly repent in the parting the act is haynous and such as without repentance kills the Soule It was the next day ere the Philistims knew how much they were victors then finding the dead corpes of Saul and his Sonnes they begin their triumphs The head of King Saul is cut off in lieu of Goliahs and now all their Idoll temples ring of their successe Foolish Philistims If they had not beene more beholden to Sauls sinnes then their Gods they had neuer carryed away the honor of those trophees In steed of magnifying the iustice of the true God who punished Saul with deserued death they magnifie the power of the false Superstition is extemely iniurious to God It is no better then theft to ascribe vnto the second causes that honor which is due vnto the first but to giue Gods glory to those things which neither act nor are it is the highest degree of spirituall robbery Saul was none of the best Kings yet so impatient are his subiects of the indignity offered to his dead corps that they will rather leaue their owne bones amongst the Philistims then the carcasse of Saul Such a close relation there is betwixt a Prince and subiect that the dishonor of either is inseparable from both How willing should wee bee to hazard our bodyes or substance fo the vindication either of the person or name of a good King whiles he liues to the benefit of our protection It is an vniust ingratitude in those men which can endure the disgrace of
Dauid securely inioyes his ill-purchased loue and is content to exchange the conscience of his sinne for the sense of his pleasure But the iust and holy God will not put it vp so he that hates finne so much the more as the offender is more deare to him will let Dauid feele the bruise of his fall If Gods best children haue beene sometimes suffered to sleep in a sin at last he hath awakened them in a fright Dauid was a Prophet of God yet he hath not only stept into these foule sinnes but soiournes with them If any profession or state of life could haue priuiledged from sinne the Angels had not sinned in heauen nor man in Paradise Nathan the Prophet is sent to the Prophet Dauid for reproofe for conuiction Had it beene any other mans case none could haue bene more quick-sighted then the Princely Prophet in his owne he is so blinde that God is fayne to lend him others eyes Euen the Phisition himselfe when he is sicke sends for the counsell of those whom his health did mutually ayde with aduise Let no man think himselfe too good to learne Teachers themselues may be taught that in their owne particular which in a generality they haue often taught others It is not only ignorance that is to be remoued but mis-affection Who can prescribe a iust period to the best mans repentance About ten moneths are passed since Dauids sinne in all which time I finde no newes of any serious compunction It could not be but some glaunces of remorse must needes haue passed thorough his Soule long ere this but a due and solemne contrition was not heard of till Nathans message and perhaps had bene further adiourned if that Monitor had beene longer deferred Alas what long and dead sleepes may the holyest Soule take in fearefull sinnes Were it not for thy mercy O God the best of vs should end our spirituall lethargie in a sleep of death It might haue pleased God as easily to haue sent Nathan to check Dauid in his first purpose of sinning So had his eyes beene restrayned Bathsheba honest Vriah aliue with honor now the wisdome of the Almighty knew how to winne more glory by the permission of so foule an euill then by the preuention yea he knew how by the permission of one sinne to preuent millions how many thousand had sinned in a vaine presumption on their owne strength if Dauid had not thus offended how many thousand had despayred in the conscience of their owne weakenesses if these horrible sinnes had not receiued forgiuenesse It is happie for all times that wee haue so holy a sinner so sinfull a penitent It matters not how bitter the pill is but how well wrapped so cunningly hath Nathan conueyed this dose that it begins to worke ere it bee tasted there is no one thing wherin is more vse of wisdome then the due contriuing of a reprehension which in a discreet deliuery helps the disease in an vnwise destroyes nature Had not Nathan bene vsed to the possession of Dauids eare this complaint had beene suspected It well beseemes a King to take information by a Prophet Whiles wise Nathan was querulously discoursing of the cruell rich man that had forceably taken away the only Lambe of his poore neighbour how willingly doth Dauid listen to the story and how sharply euen aboue law doth he censure the fact As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing shall surely dye Full little did he thinke that he had pronounced sentence against himselfe It had not bene so heauy if he had knowne on whom it should haue light We haue open eares quick tongues to the vices of others How seuere Iusticers we can be to our very owne crimes in others persons how flattering parasites to anothers crime in our selues The life of doctrine is in application Nathan might haue beene long enough in his narration in his inuectiue ere Dauid would haue bene touched with his owne guiltinesse but now that the Prophet brings the word home to his bosome he cannot but be affected Wee may take pleasure to heare men speake in the clouds we neuer take profit till we finde a propriety in the exhortation or reproofe There was not more cunning in the parable then courage in the application Thou art the man If Dauid be a King hee may not look not to heare of his faults Gods messages may be no other then vnpartial It is a trecherous flattery in diuine errands to regard greatnesse If Prophets must be mannerly in the forme yet in the matter of reproofe resolute The words are not their owne They are but the Heralds of the King of heauen Thus saith the Lord God of Israel How thunder-striken do we thinke Dauid did now stand how did the change of his colour bewray the confusion in his Soule whiles his conscience said the same within which the Prophet sounded in his eare And now least ought should be wanting to his humiliation all Gods former fauours shall bee layd before his eyes by way of exprobration He is worthy to be vpbraided with mercies that hath abused mercyes vnto wantonnesse whiles we doe well God giues and sayes nothing when we doe ill hee layes his benefits in our dish and casts them in our teeth that our shame may bee so much the more by how much our obligations haue bene greater The blessings of God in our vnworthy caryage proue but the aggrauations of sinne and additions to iudgement I see all Gods children falling into sinne some of them lying in sinne none of them maintayning their sinne Dauid cannot haue the hart or the face to stand out against the message of God but now as a man confounded and condemned in himselfe hee cryes out in the bitternesse of a wounded Soule I haue sinned against the Lord It was a short word but passionate and such as came from the bottome of a contrite hart The greatest griefes are not most verball Saul confessed his sinne more largely lesse effectually God cares not for phrases but for affections The first peece of our amends to God for sinning is the acknowledgement of sinne He can do little that in a iust offence cannot accuse himselfe If we cannot be so good as we would it is reason we should do God so much right as to say how euill we are And why was not this don sooner It is strange to see how easily sin gets into the hart how hardly it gets out of the mouth Is it because sinne like vnto Satan where it hath got possession is desirous to hold it and knowes that it is fully eiected by a free confession or because in a guiltinesse of deformity it hides it selfe in the brest where it is once intertained and hates the light or because the tongue is so fee'd with selfe-loue that it is loath to bee drawne vnto any verdict against the hart or hands or is it out of an idle misprision of shame which whiles it should bee placed
in such a Teacher and therefore is glad to honour his ship with such a guest and is first Christs host by sea ere hee is his Disciple by land An humble and seruiceable entertainment of a Prophet of God was a good foundation of his future honour Hee that would so easily lend Christ his hand and his ship was likely soone after to bestow himselfe vpon his Sauiour Simon hath no sooner done this seruice to Christ then Christ is preparing for his reward when the sermon is ended the ship-roome shall bee payd for abundantly Neither shall the Host expect any other pay-master then himselfe Lanch forth into the deepe and let downe your nets to make a draught That ship which lent Christ an opportunity of catching men vpon the shore shall bee requited with a plentifull draught of fish in the deepe It had beene as easie for our Sauiour to haue brought the fish to Peters ship close to the shore yet as chusing rather to haue the ship carried to the shole of fish hee bids Lanch forth into the deep In his miracles hee loues euer to meet nature in her bounds and when she hath done her best to supply the rest by his ouer-ruling power The same power therefore that could haue caused the fishes to leap vpon dry land or to leaue themselues forsaken of the waters vpon the sands of the Lake will rather finde them in a place naturall to their abiding Lanch out into the deepe Rather in a desire to gratifie and obey his guest then to pleasure himselfe will Simon bestow one cast of his net Had Christ enioyned him an harder taske he had not refused yet not without an allegation of the vnlikelyhood of successe Master wee haue trauailed all night and caught nothing yet at thy word I will let downe the net The night was the fittest time for the hopes of their trade not vniustly might Simon misdoubt his speed by day when hee had worne out the night in vnprofitable labour Sometimes God crosseth the fayrest of our expectations and giues a blessing to those times and means wherof we despayre That paynes cannot be cast away which we resolue to loose for Christ Oh God how many doe I see casting out their netsin the great lake of the world which in the whole night of their life haue caught nothing They conceiue mischiefe and bring forth iniquity They hatch Cokatrices eggs weaue the spiders web he that eateth of their egs dyeth and that which is troden vpon breaketh out into a Serpent Their webs shal be no garment neither shall they couer themselues with their labours Oh ye sonnes of men how long will ye loue vanity and follow after lyes Yet if wee haue thus vainely mispent the time of our darkenesse Let vs at the command of Christ cast out our new-washen nets our humble and penitent obedience shall come home laden with blessings And when they had so done they inclosed a great multitude of fishes so that their net brake What a difference there is betwixt our owne voluntary acts and those that are done vpon command not more in the grounds of them then in the issue those are oft-times fruitlesse these euer successfull Neuer man threw out his net at the word of his Sauiour and drew it backe empty who would not obey thee ô Christ since thou dost so bountifully requite our weakest seruices It was not meere retribution that was intended in this euent but instruction also This act was not without a mistery He that should be made a fisher of men shall in this draught foresee his successe The kingdome of heauen is like a draw-net cast into the sea which when it is full men draw to land The very first draught that Peter made after the complement of his Apostleship inclosed no lesse then three thousand soules Oh powerfull Gospell that can fetch sinfull men from out of the depthes of naturall corruption Oh happy soules that from the blinde and muddy cells of our wicked nature are drawne forth to the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Simons net breaks with the store Abundance is sometimes no lesse troublesome then want the net should haue held if Christ had not meant to ouer-charge Simon both with blessing and admiration How happily is that net broken whose rupture drawes the fisher to Christ Though the net brake yet the fish escaped not Hee that brought them thither to be taken held them there till they were taken They beckened to their partners in the other ship that they should come and help them There are other ships in partnership with Peter he doth not fish all the lake alone There cannot be a better improuement of society then to helpe vs againe to releeue vs in our profitable labours to draw vp the spirituall draught into the vessell of Christ and his Church wherfore hath God giuen vs partners but that he should becken to them for their ayd in our necessary occasions Neither doth Simon slacken his hand because he had assistants What shall we say to those lazie fishers who can set others to the drag whiles themselues looke on at ease caring onely to feede themselues with the fish not willing to wet their hands with the nett What shall wee say to this excesse of gaine The nets breake the ships sinke with their burden Oh happy complaint of too large a capture O Sauiour if those Apostolicall vessels of thy first rigging were thus ouerlayd ours flote and totter with an vnballasted lightnes Thou who art no lesse present in these bottoms of ours lade them with an equall fraight of conuerted soules and let vs prayse thee for thus sinking Simon was a skilful Fisher and knew well the depth of his trade and now perceiuing more then Art or nature in this draught hee fals downe at the knees of Iesus saying Lord goe from mee for I am a sinfull man Himselfe is caught in this net He doth not greedily fall vpon so vnexpected and profitable a booty but hee turnes his eyes from the draught to himselfe from the act to the Author acknowledging vilenesse in the one in the other Maiesty Goe from me Lord for I am a sinfull man It had beene pitty the honest Fisher-man should haue beene taken at his Word Oh Simon thy Sauiour is comne into thine owne ship to call thee to call others by thee vnto blessednesse and doest thou say Lord goe from me As if the Patient should say to the Physician Depart from me for I am sicke It was the voyce of astonishment not of dislike the voyce of humility not of discontentment yea because thou art a sinfull man therfore hath thy Sauiour neede to come to thee to stay with thee and because thou art humble in the acknowledgement of thy sinfulnes therfore Christ delights to abide with thee and will call thee to abide with him No man euer fared the worse for abasing himselfe to his God Christ hath left many a soule for froward and