also yet did it please the goodnes of God to blesse the naturall helpe that they sought with supernatural operation So now likewise though many that know not their owne estate giue eare to the Gospell but only in some earthly respects yet those also oftimes are vouchsafed an extraordinarie and speciall blessing thereby accompanied with euerlasting peace Then in the overthrow of certeyne of our Philistims and of their Goliah withall As for the other benefite of David that belonged to the whole host of Israel by the ouerthrow of Goliath and consequently of the whole armie of the Philistims besides that is among vs so euidently and plainly performed by the Gospell of Christ that I shall not neede to stand to declare it For our Philistims also haue their Goliath an outgrowne monster of merueilous stature much greater a great deale as his Canonistes say and vsurpation wee knowe hath brought him vnto then the greatest of the great men of the earth his furniture likewise strong and fearefull a naturall enemie to the people of God and to God himselfe his mouth speaking proud and cruell things agaynst God and his people comming into the field with a mightie armie all enemies vnto the Trueth and to all the professors of it such as heretofore haue had the people of God in great subiection of whom also the children of Israel haue been so afrayd that they durst not abide their presence but haue fled from them by heapes none of them al hauing the heart to encounter with that strong mightie Giant so fearfully armed and blustering out so terrible speaches But now we also God be praysed haue our David in the power of the Gospell that Iesus Christ the sonne of David hath now in these dayes sent vnto vs. When our brethren disdayned to heare vs talke of any such matter when the wiser sort thought it impossible without Saules armour without any earthly helpe whatsoeuer vpon assurance of such like matters before atchieued with a sting a stone is Goliath with great courage incountered and with as good successe in a manner cleane ouerthrowne euen when the attempt was either distrusted or scorned of all The residue also of those godlesse and idolatrous Philistims seeing their champion so little able to stand before David are likewise discomfited and seeke to saue them selues by flight Such favours likewise shewed foorth to the Gospell as were shewed to David before so well as they can The fauours also that by the goodnesse of God are shewed to the Gospell and to those that professe it are not inferiour to those that were as before is declared shewed to David For God be thanked there be diuers euen of our earthly Princes such as are no better then Saul that seeing the dignitie and mightie working of the Gospell of Christ in these dayes of ours are so taken with the maiestie of it that themselues loue both it and many of those that professe it also as much as Saul at that time loued David and that was as the text sayth very well and to confirme the same the better both desire to reteyne it still and bestowe honorable roomes and of speciall credit on those that professe it Some Ionathans also and godly Princes we haue besides that loue the Gospell most entirely and for the Gospels sake and for the loue that they beare thereunto do gladly make a couenant with it and with those that professe it and from their owne backes most freely bestow vpon it and on those that professe it both ornaments of honor and conuenient furniture likewise Neither doth the Gospell altogether want those Michals neither that is such godly and Christian soules as though they be according to the flesh descended of Saul yet beare they so speciall a loue vnto David that both they desire to bee ioyned together in mariage with him and are readie at al times as need shall require to saue the liues of those that are of the Trueth wheresoeuer they come to any such daunger how neere soeuer they bee vnto them by whom such persecution is mooued And so farre as Michals good will may stand in stead in time to come to helpe to the kingdome so farre also she doth not sticke now to bestowe the same vpon him Amongst the multitude also many there be that are heartily glad to see our Philistims also with their Goliath to bee so much brought downe as they are to whom our David in that respect is merueilous welcome who also haue learned so to distinguish betwixt the speciall working of God and the secondary meanes that he vseth that although they giue vnto Saule his thousand also yet do they euer keepe their ten thousand for David alone Neither do they thus solemnize only this victorie of the Gospell but also conceiue a speciall good liking of the whole course and proceeding of it and not only those that are the freest and so may safelier like as they list without controulment but many of the seruants of our Sauls likewise such as on their maisters behalf haue no such cause to like of David Where we see thus much already there may we hope there is more behind and in due time to be accomplished 4 To find out now in what sort it pleased God to bring him to the kingdome That for a time David was exercised with great affliction before that he was brought unto the Kingdom after that once he had annointed him vnto it and so effectually commended him to others we are to knowe that he did not bring him vnto it till first he had notably exercised him with much affliction sundrie trials and many crosses cast in the way So are we first to consider of those his afflictions and then how it pleased God notwithstanding at length to bring him vnto the Kingdome His afflictions were such persecutions and molestations as it pleased Saul to stir vp against him Concerning which it is to be knowne that they were especially two whereof the former was finished with a reconciliation that was made by Jonathans meanes the other continued so long as Saul himself did liue His former persecution Concerning the former of these two we are first to sée vpon what occasion it was raised against him and then what was the maner of it The occasion of it was first his owne distemperature The occasion of it then the towardnes or likelyhood that David was in to come to the Kingdome His owne distemperature we may plainely sée might well be great not only because the euill spirit of the Lord a 16.14 was sent vnto him and b 16.15.18.10.19.9 oft did vexe him but also for that we may sée likewise that c 18.8.9.20.31 it gréeued him much to part with the Kingdome And then lesse marueile if he were so far out of temper and consequently so rageous withall when as he did so impatiently take so great a losse and sometimes also was extraordinarily
far we misliked sometimes our owne doings therein nor what we promised to the contrarie Not only in labouring for Kingdoms but in this quarel also oathes must be no oathes with vs now And that which is more this hideous quarell must so be manned and toughly followed that the common enemie must rather be suffered to do what he will then so much as a latchet wanting in this But as God then also gaue David some little helpe Such a like helpe as was affoorded to David before affoorded vnto the Gospell now in the companie that came vnto him so it pleaseth him now also not altogether to leaue those destitute whom the Saules of our time so busily persecute for the Gospels sake Those that are of the kindred of David and others besides that feele themselues indebted to God and are of a broken or troubled spirit will now and then be stealing to David do Saul in the meane time what he can to the contrary and so much the more as they see David so valiantly to imploy himself agaynst the Philistims How David was afterward brought to the kingdome 8 How it pleased God notwithstanding these persecutions to bring David at length to the kingdome is now to bee seene and first how he brought him to one part of it and then how he brought him to all the rest Vnto some part of the kingdome we finde that he brought him First but vnto some part of it immediatly after the death of Saul but not to the rest til Ishbosheth also the sonne of Saul was taken away In the former of which we are to note how conuenient a way he made him vnto it a little before he was to enter and then how he brought him to the fruition or vnto the reall possession of it He made him a conuenient way to enter both in such things as concerned the preparing of David vnto it What way was made vnto it First preparing David vnto it and then in remoouing certeyne others out of the way that otherwise might be an hinderance vnto him He prepared David vnto it both in preseruing him from such things as were agaynst him and in prouiding him one speciall helpe which made to his purpose Those things that made agaynst him were two one the perill of his person the other the hazard of his good name For the preseruation of his person the Lord was so good and gracious vnto him that a 27.1.2 when he was afrayd to tarie in Iudea and thereupon fled vnto Achish one of the Princes of the Philistims the Lord neuerthelesse gaue him safetie there also when as notwithstanding David b 27.8.9.11 so behaued himselfe there that it was great marueile that he brought not himselfe into greater daunger there then he was in before in Iurie as after we shall haue more conuenient place to declare The perill that his good name was in was for that being now among the enemies of Saul and being c 28.2 readie to go to the field with them agaynst him the Lord neuerthelesse d. 28.2.11 so prouided that he should not bee in the field that day that Saul should bee ouerthrowne whereas otherwise either himself might haue been some cause of his ouerthrowe or els at least he had been more open to that reproach That speciall helpe that it pleased God to bestowe vpon him and which made so much to his purpose at that present consisted in two principall poynts wherof the former was e 30.20 a great bootie or pray which by occasion that then fell out he got from certeyne of the Amalekites the other was a greater power of men that at that time also drew vnto him With his bootie he f 30.26.31 remembred his friends in Iury where he and his men were wont to haunt to the number of thirteene cities by name and to certeyne others besides a very good preparatiue to make his friends faster vnto him now that he was very soone after to stand in neede of their helpe for the kingdome That greater power of men that came vnto him * 1. Chro. 12.1.22 were diuers of the tribes of Benjamin Gad Iudah Manasses all actiue valiant and expert men and meet for the warres Who are sayd to haue resorted to him * Ib. 1.20 at Ziklag but because there is no mention but only of his former sixe hundred at his returne from the Amalekites therefore it is likely that they came not vnto him till he was returned thether agayne and that the same was shortly after that Saul receiued the ouerthrow At which time comming as they did they came very fitly for Davids purpose now that he was to enter the possession of some part of the Kingdome Those others that might bee some hinderance vnto him Then by taking others out of the way that would or might haue been some hinderance vnto him are especially Saul and his sonnes then also as many of the armie besides as being that way affected were there ouerthrowne That Saul himself would haue been an enemie to David in that quarell all his doings do so fully witnesse that wee need not to stand vpon that poynt of the matter and yet shall it bee good to consider more specially in what manner he the greatest enemie that David had and the strongest hinderance vnto his kingdom was remooued The manner whereof resteth in two principall poynts one how he might vnderstand himself to be altogether forsaken now before his death the other how he was accordingly brought to a miserable end He might vnderstand him self to be altogether forsaken both in the straungenesse that he found in the Lord towards him when after a sort he sought to haue some direction of him what he should do when now the Philistims came in agayne so strong vpon him and in that answer that was giuen by such as he in that case thought good to séeke vnto The straungenes that he found in the Lord towards him was such as that now g 28.5.15 in this great daunger approching and when he was so heartily afrayd thereof and he in this his distresse h 28.6 sought vnto him neuerthelesse the Lord gaue him i Ibid. no answer at all neither immediatly by dreames nor by the ministerie of others either ordinarie as by Urim or extraordinarie as by any Prophet And good reason it was that he which k 13.8.13.15.9 twise before had made so light account of the word of the Lord and now at this present did so hotely persecute David directly agaynst l â—â— 21. his owne knowledge of the ordinance of God leaning to David and that in so cruell and rageous manner as that for his sake and otherwise for no cause at all m 22.18 he slew so many Priestes of the Lord should at no hand finde any answer at the mouth of the Lord in this his distresse or whensoeuer he most should neede or faynest would
rule ouer all that not only those that are neerest vnto thee but the farthest also euen to the vttermost ends of the earth ought to yeeld their obedience to thee True it is that in David we found very good things and such as might well commend him to vs vnto the place that thou at the length didst call him vnto towards thee a speciall good regard to thy will and a delight in thee and thine and towards others a very good heart not only to his acquaintance and friends but euen to straungers and enemies also But whence had David these but from thee In him they were but in some measure and in comparison but in small portions neither in thee they are immeasurable and in greater aboundance than can be conceiued He was but a shepheard at the first though it pleased thee after to make him a King The basenes of his estate before might be no hinderance at all vnto him to his further aduancement when the time was come wherein thou diddest meane to bestowe it vpon him Thy Sonne our Lord hath been thou knowest a Shepheard alreadie he disdayned not to abase himselfe vnto it and he stucke not for any traueile or paines that did apperteyne to the full accomplishment of it And should he not haue as readie a way thence to the kingdome as David had Or could the sonne of Ishai bee so aduaunced and shall not the eternall Sonne of the Father the God of all power and glorie and to whom only al kingdom and maiestie doth only belong haue as readie a way vnto it Our selues we graunt by whom we would haue this kingdom of thine to be aduanced are farre short in al such graces as were meete for those that should bee vouchsafed that speciall fauour But neither is there any flesh and bloud in thy sight found worthie of any such fauour neither is it meete that for our vnworthines thy kingdome should not bee aduanced on earth in such sort as to thy glorie doth apperteyne and may stand with thy pleasure here on earth And seeing that it pleased thee in the face of thine annoynted to vouchsafe that fauour to David thy seruant notwithstanding that of himselfe he was no better then any others and notwithstanding those great infirmities of his that were found in him after his calling wee humbly beseech thee in those thy mercies so to couer whatsoeuer corruption is in vs as that for it thou suffer not the aduancement of thy kingdome to be hindred among vs. Israel thou seest for a great part of vs is yet in bondage vnto those Philistims of ours and by them kept vnder in miserable slauerie and grosse idolatrie and such as thou hast set vp among vs to proceede and go forward with this our deliuerance do for the most part so little remember that part of their duetie that therein they do but very little and many of them nothing at all Saul did somewhat and merueilous well in comparison of many of ours not only when his kingdome was better confirmed as agaynst the Philistims and Amalekites also but euen at his first enterance likewise when as he was but newly come to his kingdome and the same did hang but loosely vnto him as yet as in that valiant expedition of his agaynst the Ammonites at Iabesh-Gilead But the lesse O Lord that they haue done and are disposed as yet to do the more needfull is it for thée to take some further order for it both for the reliefe of thy distressed people and for the aduancement of thy kingdome among vs. The lesse likewise that our meane and base estate here in this life is capable of so great prosperitie and glorie as to thy kingdome of right apperteyneth the more we desire that it would please thee to hasten the time of the second comming of our Lord and Sauiour that he taking downe this Tabernacle on earth may set vp thy pallace for euer in heauen and there aduaunce thy glorious kingdome euen to the full The cause O Father wee knowe is thine and wee are thine and now hauing made our prayers to thee we humbly beseech thee to heare the same euen in the face of thine annoynted Iesus Christ thy Sonne our Lord to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be ascribed al power thanks kingdome and glorie for euer and euer Amen The exercise that David vsed more specially described Of the exercise of David in those Psalmes that he made in the time of trouble 19. IN what sort David exercised himselfe in those his troubles is alreadie declared so far as the course of the historie yéelded But then it was noted withall that it might be farther gathered out of the Psalmes those I meane that he made in those his troubles as occasion from time to time was giuen him Of which as then I promised to 〈◊〉 somewhat to the end of the treatise so now I meane by the greatnes of God héere to performe it that so we may with one 〈◊〉 the selfe-same labour see both how David in that case was occupied and how we also might in these daies of ours to good purpose imploy our selues And first the truth is that if we were of that good temper that David was of we néeded none other In whâ—â—â— they 〈◊〉 fit us likâ—â— but euen those Psalmes in order as they lye that then he made so oft as our occasion is none other then was that of his wherevpon they were made For then being in like sort exercised they would as fitly agree vnto vs as they did vnto him if we were of such disposition as that we could so fitly and redily apply them to our case as he at that time did apply them to his But then must we be of a quick and a nimble spirit and well experienced in such maner of exercise as it pleaseth the Lord to vse towards his children so that we may at once and as it were with one breath redily fall in with all sorts of passions and affections whatsoeuer that the spirit of God in such case stirreth vp in those whom it pleaseth him to exercise For so shall we find that David did in most of the Psalmes that euer he made not only in these that now we speake of but in most of the residue also sometime beginning with a praier and by and by falling into thanksgiuing sometime acknowledging his great feare of the enimie and streight way growing to inuincible boldnes sometime complaining of the great corruption of the world and forthwith reposing himselfe in the goodnes of God But the formes and examples hereof are so many and diuers that it were hard to reckon them vp and it is sufficient for vs vnto the purpose that now we haue in hand to be thus far warned before that we can hardly apply most of the Psalmes to our vse sauing only when we are in such sort exercised as David was at the time when he made them and vnlesse we
vexed by that euill spirit that from the Lord was sent vnto him The towardnes or likelihood that David was in to come to the Kingdom was first in that sentence of God that now it should be giuen to another then for that David was likeliest to be that other that God did speake of For the text doth not shew that he knew as yet of Davids annointing and because that he neuer said any thing to Samuel about it nor otherwise maketh any mention of it it is the most likely that he did not knowe of it Yet thus much he knew that d 13.14.15.23.26.28 Samuel had told him twise alreadie that the Lord had cast him away and now prouided himselfe of another and he might well see that David was likeliest to be that other both for that e 17.34.36.38.51 God had wrought such things by him and for the f 18.7 fauour that now he had gotten Concerning the maner of this his first persecution first he sought by secret meanes The maner of it First in secret to haue taken away the life of David and then he set in hand more openly with it Secretly he did attempt first by his owne hands to haue done it and then by the Philistims By his owne hands he would first haue done it at such time g 18.10 as he was in one of his fits as David was playing on his instrument to mitigate his passions euen on the morrow after that they came home from the slaughter of Goliath and the Philistims h 18.11 twise together he had in his mind for to haue executed this mischeuous purpose A wonderfull thing that he should be so minded though he had bin so minded but once not only in respect of the fact it selfe but also in respect of diuers circumstances thereunto apperteining The fact it selfe must néedes haue bin wilfull murther then the which there néeded no greater both to haue conuinced him of great iniquitie before men and vtterly to haue cast himselfe away before God The circumstances that are do chiefly appertaine vnto their persons but partly also vnto the time The persons are two Saul and David Saul being the King and so consequently being ordeined to be the mainteiner of equitie and a buckler and shield vnto the oppressed ought not to haue made such a fault himselfe besides that at that time being in one of his fits and sensibly féeling the hand of God vpon him for his former sinnes he should rather haue vsed it to his further amendment then so to take the aduantage of it to a further mischiefe David was not only innocent but also had in that verie matter for the which he should haue bin destroied deserued marueilous well both of all generally for that he had giuen so great an ouerthrowe vnto the common enimie of all and especially of Saul because they were by reason of the person that he susteined enemies to none so much as to him The time when he would haue done this mischiefe was the verie next day after that they were welcomed home from the victorie the people reioicing and singing vnto them that Saul had slaine his thousand and David his ten thousand as vnseasonable a time for such a purpose as could be deuised because that as yet the benefit that he had receiued was so fresh that it ought so to haue filled all the powers of his mind with all thankefull remembrāce as that there might haue bin no corner at all in his heart wherein so much as a little spark of so great vnthankfulnes might find any place In that he had this purpose twise it doth both argue his vnthankfulnes and ill dealing to be so much the greater and might be withall a warning to David not to thinke that because Saul had once failed when first he attempted to do him that mischiefe he would neuer for shame attempt it againe When this way failed he then thought good that it should be done by the Philistims his hand now should not be vpon him And that by the Philistims it might better be done he i 18.13 both gaue him the charge of a thousand men and would needes k 18.17.21 set him foorth one of his daughters in mariage also In giuing him charge ouer such a band of souldiers he would seeme not only to put him in trust but also to seeke his preferment and honour and yet in truth he sought nothing else but his ouerthrow hoping that by that occasion more boldly encountering with the enemie one time or other he should be ouerthrowne In setting him forth one of his daughters in mariage and in such sort as he did both l 18.22.25 earnestly labouring it by such meanes as he vsed and m 18.25 requiring of him no other dowry but an hundreth foreskins of the Philistims although in truth he sought n 18.17.21.25 nothing else in this also but only his ouerthrow yet herein did he séeke it more cunningly and therefore to David so much more dangerously for that hereby he would seeme both to beare a speciall fauour to David and in the ouerthrow of the enemy chiefly to respect the cause of religion The former of them is plaine inough in it selfe The latter also doth plainly appeare for that he doth not require their heads or other parts but only their foreskins which in those dayes was a speciall difference betwixt the people of God and the heathen When he had made some triall of those secret practises Then openly and found that they neuer came to any such proofe as he desired but on the other side o 18.27.28 that they were meanes to make David both much stronger and more renouned then he was before being able now to stay no longer he p 18.29.19.1 brake forth into open persecution and gaue speciall charge both vnto Jonathan and to all his seruants one way or other to make him away wherein it seemeth that he vsed Ionathan as one of whome he might be assured the others for the spedier dispatch of the matter It might séeme that he might make sure of Ionathan both because he was his sonne and especially because that the cause was his so néere as it was For being the Kings sonne and next to the Crowne by lineall descent it was likely in reason that he would haue bin as readie as Saul to haue taken David out of the way And his other seruants being many it was likely also that séeing he gaue the charge to them all it must needs be quickly dispatcht either for emulation among themselues who should first gratifie the King therein or for that some one or other among so manie was like to be found that would attempt any mischiefe whatsoeuer hauing once the Kings commandement for it Howbeit Ionathan héereupon so q 19.4.5 laboured the King after that r 19.2.3 first he had warned David to keepe himselfe close that he wrought a reconciliation betwixt
The Lord so estraunging him self vnto him he did not humble himself before his face nor so much the more earnestly seeke his fauour but presently turned aside to such as gaue themselues to ill artes and such as for that cause himself had n 28.3 9. before destroyed so farre as he could And the answer that so he receiued was altogether euill o 28.15.19 that the Lord was his enimie for that he did not execute his fierce wrath vpon the Amalekites and that now the Lord would deliuer him and his both his sonnes and his people into the hands of the Philistims Which heauie sentence was notwithstanding p 28.19 the next day after q 31 1 7. fully performed Ionathan r 23.17.18 it seemeth of himself would neuer haue molested David for the kingdome but fully would haue contented himself to haue been as a friend neere about him But yet were it likely that those that were of Saules faction would haue laboured for to haue set him vp agaynst David or if he would not then some other of his brethren as notwithstanding ſ 2.8.9 Ishbosheth was shortly after set vp agaynst him So that this way though not of himself yet by the solicitation of others it was likely enough that Ionathan also might haue been sinne hinderance vnto him As for Abinadab and Malchishua his other sonnes t 31.2 that together with Ionathan at that field were slaine they were more likely to haue been an hinderance to David because that as they were the sonnes of Saul so do we reade of no such fauour that they bare vnto David that were like to stay them from encombring of him in that action Those of the armie that in that quarell or controuersie held with Saul and with him were there ouerthrowne would no doubt if they had liued haue wrought what comber they could vnto David about the kingdome as afterward also those that remayned u 2.8.9 readily did and therewithall shewed what might be feared in the others That it pleased God therefore to take away those we may see that thereby he made a readier way vnto David to come to the kingdome To finde out how he brought him to the fruition of it it is to be noted The performance of the first part of the kingdome unto him that now that this way was prepared vnto it and the time was come wherein God was purposed to bring him to some part of the kingdome it self he wrought foorth such things as thereto apperteyned both in David himself and in the whole tribe of Iudah likewise In David now agayne he wrought x 2.1 to seeke vnto him for his direction both whether it was his pleasure that now he should enter vnto his kingdome and where he should begin the same and withall y 2.1 he gaue him direct and plaine answer to both those questions willing him now to enter into it and telling him likewise where to begin it and wrought in him z 2.2.3 to do accordingly In the whole tribe of Iudah likewise he so wrought that of their owne accord they * 2.4 came and made him their King at which time David was now agayne by them thereunto annoynted To finde out how he brought him to all the rest Afterward he brought him unto the whole Divers wayes exercising him for a season wee are to consider that here agayne wee haue noted vnto vs first how it pleased God to exercise him for a time and then how it pleased him in the end to bring him vnto it As touching that exercise of his in the meane season it resteth in two principall poynts one the substance or nature of it the other the time of the continuance The substance or nature of it is such as hath two principall poynts of hardnesse the one that he was wrongfully kept from the greatest part of his kingdome the other that when opportunitie was offered as David tooke it to come to his full right therein although he was readie for to haue taken the benefite of such opportunitie yet he found that it came to no proofe in the end He was wrongfully kept from the greatest part of his kingdome because that a 2.8.9 Ishbosheth was set vp by Abner directly contrary to the ordinance of God and because that b 2.10 but one tribe only claue vnto David and all the others were drawne vnto Ishbosheth the sonne of Saul and yet no better then a plaine vsurper now The opportunities that David was so ready for to haue taken to haue come to his right thereby but yet came to no proofe in the end were two whereof the one was but only for a part of that which yet stood foorth agaynst him the other seemed to offer the whole That which was but only for some part of it was c 2.4 that the inhabitants of Iabesh-Gilead hauing buried Saul d 2.5.7 David thereupon taking occasion to send vnto them to giue them thankes for it and to assure them of a good turne at his hands if it came in his way did withall somewhat inuite them to take him for their King as the tribe of Iudah had done alreadie But e 2.8.9 Abner belike fearing that the same ambassage of David was like enough to take effect if it were not in time preuented forth-with speedeth himself to those parts there setteth vp Ishbosheth to be their King and to rule not only ouer those two tribes and an halfe beyond Iorden but also ouer all the rest and so was David herein preuented That which seemed to offer the whole was whē Abner f 3.8 being grieued with Ishbosheth his Lord and Soueraigne vnto whom he had plight his alleageance for that he was by him iustly reproued for a fault that he made and yet it may be ouer-slenderly esteemed also g 3.12.20 came vnto David for to bring the whole kingdome vnto him being false vnto him whom he had set vp a little before Neuerthelesse David h 3.20.21 was content so to haue receiued it if so it had falne out But God that had determined of a more orderly course for David to come vnto it gaue no successe to that inordinate way For Abner i 3.26.27 was slaine before he could returne to do it and so was David in that also defeared The time of continuance k 2.11 was somewhat better then seauen yeares during which time l 3.1 the house of Saul and the house of David were at variance about the Kingdome and euer among tried their quarell by the sword But then bringing him vnto the full fruition of it How it pleased God to bring him to the whole in the end hath likewise two principall points first how he made him some way vnto it then how he put him in possession of it The why that he made him vnto it was partly in that which concerned the estate of both the Kingdomes
course if wee see that the Lord hath at any time taken wee neede not to doubt but that now he meaneth to haue the kingdome of Christ more fully aduanced when as wee see that he doth so much remooue whatsoeuer offences are in the way We may see likewise Then that he hath given in some good measure the thing it selfe that he hath not only made away vnto it but that alreadie he hath in some good measure aduanced that kingdome of his among vs. For as then he did put into the heart of David to seeke vnto him and wholly to referre himself to his direction and then stirred vp the whole tribe of Iudah to receiue him likewise so now in like manner he hath both put into the hearts of diuers Princes to seeke the Lord and to take their direction of him and withall hath stirred vp many therein to yéeld their alleageance vnto them But as then it was no other tribe among them all that at the first did so readily yeeld to the kingdome of David but only the tribe of Iudah whereof David him self came and which had the greatest promise of spirituall blessing so now likewise we finde not that all generally receiue the Gospell at least not so readily when the same is first preached vnto vs but that it is only those that are of the spirituall linage in Christ and to whom God hath vouchsafed in those things that apperteyne to the kingdome of God a more speciall blessing then otherwise he hath done to many others This being done That we are in such sort exercised before before that God bring all the whole generally vnto the obedience of the scepter of Christ wee may finde likewise that God is disposed to exercise vs euen as he exercised him before both in respect of the nature of that his exercise and in the respect of the continuance also For as touching the nature of it diuers hopes and likelihoods are likewise giuen to those that do earnestly wishe the aduauncement of the kingdome of Christ which notwithstanding come to no proofe in the ende Sometimes it seemeth that when some haue yéelded their obedience alreadie others thereupon might bee more easily perswaded to come in also But that course can no sooner be taken but that some Abner or other will quickly crosse it and in no wise suffer Iabesh-Gilead to come in so soone And they on the other side may well be readie and very forward to do such a poynt of ciuil duetie as to commit the bodie of Saul to buriall and yet notwithstanding bee nothing the néerer to any sincere loue of the Gospell Insomuch that as David when he sawe that noble minde in them thereupon belike conceiuing good hope that they might easily haue been induced to his alleageance was notwithstanding deceiued therein so wee likewise may be as farre to seeke if where wee finde in such ciuill dueties so heroicall mindes wee hope that they also might soone bee wonne to the Gospell of Christ It is very true that for the most part of base mindes little good may be looked for to the kingdome of Christ and that our best hope for such matters lieth in those that are more nobly minded which also it may be was a good secondarie cause why so many Capteynes and Souldiers who for the most part are more nobly minded at least if it be their owne disposition that hath brought them to that kinde of life are found in the Bible but especially in the new Testament so readily to haue imbraced the trueth and to haue ioyned themselues vnto the professors of it But yet in such also may we bee often deceiued if we relie ouermuch vnto it Sometimes agayne there is hope conceiued that if Ishbosheth and Abner fall out and Abner thereupon bee purposed to reuoult and to reduce the kingdome to David then will the matter be soone at an end and that it must needes bee a sure and a readie way to put David in possession of the whole But that course also doth not finde so good successe in the ende as to flesh and bloud it might seeme that it would God is most honorable in all his doings and though sometimes he turneth such deuises to good in the end yet to those that awayt him in godly patience he layeth foorth in his good time more orderly meanes to atteyne to the thing that they desire especially when the matter concerneth the aduancement of his kingdome here on earth As for the time it is not so much as to be expected that the Gospell should by and by be spread abroad ouer all As it had a time to come to so low an ebbe as in these dayes of ours we haue found it to be at so must it haue a time agayne to get vp to that heighth that we would gladly wish to see it in if so it might stand with the pleasure of God And that the likelihoods are great that the Gospell is ere long to bee much more aduanced But as David after that he had reigned ouer one part only for the time was afterward brought vnto the whole so our trust is that our Israelites also that now stand out will at length remember themselues and with one consent submit themselues vnto the scepter and kingdome of Christ Their leaders they may find although that they be the contrary partie yet to bee innocent of the bloud of all such Abners as opposing themselues agaynst the kingdome of Christ haue iustly falne but not by the hand or consent of David into the like iudgements of God At least though men be so subiect vnto their owne infirmitie and so caried away sometimes by their affections that euer in such poynts all can not be so fully excused yet those also are so free herein that any reasonable man may hold himself therein contented and whatsoeuer thereof wanteth in man that is fully supplied by Christ For he came not into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might bee saued and so is there no man that needeth to doubt but that he is absolutely free from the bloud of all Neither may these Israelites of ours see only that David is free from the bloud of such Abners as otherwise of themselues or by the hands of others haue iustly perished but also that it is he that ought to reigne and that is ordeyned of God to bee their King Of which they haue so euident proofe both in the word and many other wayes besides that we need not to stand vpon it especially if the comparison bée betwixt those base ordinances of man which they would haue so highly aduanced and the excellencie of the glorious Gospell of Christ vnto whom all power is giuen in heauen in earth and also in hell If therefore the children of Israel were by such things in David induced to make a couenant with him and to yeeld their alleageance vnto him how much rather may these
others of his people then he gaue a notable light yet find we also that the light which he gaue vnto thē was far inferior vnto that which now he hath giuen forth to many others otherwise far inferior vnto them In which case we are not in deserts or worthines to prefer those that follow vnto those that were before as though that God for that cause were so much better to them because he found them better then others but euer to ascribe all to the meere goodnes of God nothing at all in such case respecting whether men are worthy or not whome euer he should find without question to be of themselues as void of all deserts and woorthines as could be deuised But thus rather we are to gather that as the Sunne the neerer it is to his rising the more light it spreadeth forth on the face of the earth so Christ also the Sonne of righteousnes the néerer that he is to aduance his glorious Kingdome vnto that fulnes that is due vnto it and that the faithfull are put in hope once to behold the more doth he increase his comfortable blessings in the meane season that so we may be so much the better prepared thereunto against the time that he shall bestow that fulnes vpon vs. Among all the men of the world that euer were are or shal be Christ only excepted there is not one of that desert or worthines in him-selfe before God that might procure any such speciall blessing of him nor till God him-selfe of speciall fauour hath otherwise wrought it not one of vs all any thing better than any other The enlarging of his goodnes vnto the world is altogether his owne and none of ours it proceedeth nothing at all from vs but altogether and only from him 13 But now more specially to examin what is the differēce that is betwixt vs we are to consider That on Davids part there is no such differēce betwixt him at that time and the children of God since whether it be such as may iustly import that although God were so gracious to him yet is there no cause for vs to thinke that well may he be as gracious to vs. But the truth is that we find no such difference betwixt vs as maketh any odds for this matter whether we respect but those things only that concerne his owne person or the occasion whereupon it pleased God to bring him to the Kingdome For if we respect those things that concerned his owne person the euent it selfe will plainly declare that he had not all those mercies of God bestowed vpon him so much for himselfe as for the people whom he was to gouerne Insomuch that whether David were without his infirmities or not and those that on the behalfe of the Gospell were to be aduanced now had their infirmities many and great yet were not such odds betwixt the persons of any such force as might bar vs of the hope before described But it cannot be denied but that David had his infirmities and that as he notwithstanding otherwise had good cause to await the full accomplishment of those great mercies that God had begun to bestowe vpon him so we also haue such reason for vs as that in like maner we may looke to enioy a further manifestation of the Kingdome of Christ that in some measure alreadie is aduanced among vs. The infirmities of David such as belong to the compas of time that now we speake of Of Davids infirmities for we are not in this case to search any further are of two sorts some of them such as in some sense might be excused others againe so apparantly euill as in no wise may be defended Such as in some sense might be excused Those that in some sense might be excused do most of them arise out of the troubles that he had in hand but one there is that was nothing at all so far as we read occasioned thereby Those also that arose out of his troubles are some of them belonging to that compas of time wherein Saul himselfe liued one to the time of Ishbosheth his sonne Of those that belong to the time of Saul two there were when first for altogether he fled the presence of Saul and two others also shortly after when now he had openly professed to flye his presence for his owne safetie Eating of the Shew-bread The two former are that he did eate a 21.4.6 the Shew-bread and that he did take back again the b 21.87.9 sword of Goliath to his owne priuate vse For the Shew-bread it may seeme that he is in some measure c Mat. 12.3.4 Mar. 2.25.26 Luc. 6.3.4 excused by Christ And yet because it is by the Law plainly d Lev. 24.9 Exo. 29.33 set downe that only the Priest might eate thereof and Christ himselfe in the places alleadged doth so acknowledge it cannot be auoided but that néedes it must be either a breach of the law of God or that Davids face therein was extraordinarie If it were a breach of the law of God then do not those words of Christ tend to excuse him but only to put them in mind how themselues might he able to find how great their malice was towards Christ and his Disciples that could so easily put vp that in David and so hardly exact this of them As whē the e Ioh. 8.3.7 adulteresse was brought vnto him and he willed that whosoeuer he were among them that was without sin he should cast the first stone at her he did not therby excuse her lewdnes or made no reckoning of the Law of God but himselfe not medling to be her iudge rebuked thē also that they were so prying into other folks sinnes and so forgetfull of then owne But his fact might verie well be extraordinarie also and so no breach of the law of God nor to be reckoned among his infirmities if we could any way be certaine that so it were such as that f Nomb. 25.7.8 knowne fact of Phinehas is most commonly taken to be and such as was that fact of Christ himselfe as he came in the forme of a seruant when he g Ioh. 2.14.17 Math. 21.12.13 scourged the buiers and sellers out of the Temple For so it pleaseth God sometimes so thoroughly to seize vp to holie vses and so fully to possesse the children of God that in their zeale they are caried beyond the bounds that the Law prescribeth and yet in no wise to the impeachment or derogation of the Law prescribed to all In which sense whether David in that want of other victuals did it or not yet do those words of our Sauiour teach that the same fact h Math. 12.2 which the Pharises misliked in the Disciples might be of that kind for ought that they did knowe to the contrarie and that such an other they had long before in David himselfe And seeing that David was a man subiect to infirmitie as
that idolatrous Prince a naturall enemie to the people of God and for that he did it vpon distrust of the prouidence of God to be safe at home In his demeanour while he was there we find that he did not only y 27.8.9.11 deale very ill with certeyne of the people of those quarters the Geshurites Girzites and Amalekites destroying man woman and child leauing none to complayne of his doings and the better to couer his doings from Achish his friend z 27.10 deepely dissembled the same vnto him but also that a 28.2 29.8 he was content and readie to go to the field vnder Achish agaynst the Israelites his owne countrimen and the people of GOD That hereby may appeare that our infirmities also can not iustly hinder his good hope in us of the accomplishment of that which alreadie he hath begun and agaynst the King his maister The reason why wee may looke to enioy a further manifestation of the kingdome of Christ that in some measure alreadie is aduaunced among vs is so dispersed throughout this whole discourse of the historie wee haue in hand that heere we shall not néede to stande thereupon specially But this is the thing that héere I would note that if such were the purpose of God then to aduance his owne glorie and to do his people good that notwithstanding these imperfections of David yet he would not be hindered thereby but went on forward vnto the end there is no cause why we neede to doubt of the same purpose of God now likewise for the aduancement of his truth when we see that it should so plainly tend to his glorie and to the benefit of his people and in this David of ours that is in the Gospell of Iesus Christ there cannot be found not only no so grosse infirmities but also no blemish at all no not the least that can be conceiued And as for those that now do wish the aduancement of it both professing it themselues and commending the same vnto others the best that they can although they be sinners yet seeing that David also was not exempted and this worke standeth not on the desert or merit of man as we haue great cause to hope it if we respect the excellencie of the Gospell it selfe so in this case haue we no great cause to doubt it neither though we do find no small infirmities in those that professe it What want there was in the government then why David should be brought to the kingdome 14 The occasion whereupon David was brought to the kingdome was the want that was found in Saul that reigned before him Which that we may the better perceiue we need to consider but these two things in how ill estate the common wealth of Israel was when he came vnto it and how slenderly he set in hand to redresse the same That the common wealth of Israel was in ill case The hard estate of the cōmon wealth of Israel when Saul came to it Subiect unto a forreyne people it appeareth sufficiently in these two things that the people were so much ouerlayd by grieuous seruitude to a forreyne nation and that the forreyne people to whom they were subiect were so idolatrous or so cleane contrarie to them in religion How much they were ouerlayd by greeuous seruitude may likewise appeare both for that the text it self doth plainly say it and by other vndoubted tokens that there are found The text it self doth plainly say it for that it telleth vs a 13.6 that at that time the people were in great distresse Those other vndoubted tokens thereof are two one how the people at that time demeaned themselues the other what want there was of such warlike furniture as was conuenient The peoples demeanour at that time was that they had not the heart to looke their enemie in the face but that some of them b 13.6 hid themselues in caues and in holes and in rockes and in towers and in pits on that side of Iordan that was next to the Philistims some others agayne did leaue that part of the countrie and c 13.7 went ouer Iordan vnto the land of Gad and Gilead so to bee farther from the daunger of them The want that they had of such warlike furniture as was conuenient was very great both for that the Philistims did not suffer any d 13.19 Smith or Cutler to dwell among them by whom they might haue had some weapons made no e 13.20.21 not so much as for their instruments of husbandrie but either must carie them to the Philistims to bee mended or sharpened there or els might not haue but only the helpe of the file at home and for that among all the people that followed Saul to withstand the enemie which also were but very fewe but only about f 13.15 sixe hundred in all when the others were gone that g 13.8.11 gat themselues away for feare there h 13.22 was not so much as either a sword or a speare found but only with the King him self and his sonne That the people to whom they were subiect were idolatrous and directly contrary to them in religion And those idolatrous is most apparant not only for that they were none of the people of Israel but of the Gentiles and enemies vnto the people of God but also for that the text doth make particular mention both of one speciall Idol that they worshipped and of their blasphemous dealing agaynst the true and liuing God That one speciall Idoll that they worshipped was i Iud. 16.23 Dagon being as the learned do note 1. Sam. 5.2 for the vpper parts like to a beautifull woman and for the nether like to a fish as the text also doth ascribe to the vpper parts both k 5.4 head and hands and saith that the residue that remayned as Tremelius translateth representeth a l Ibid. fish Their blasphemous dealing agaynst the true and liuing Lord doth not only appeare in their deliuering vp of the Arke of the Lord m 5.2 into the Temple of their Idoll Dagon as though that their Idoll had been the better and that by his power they had then preuayled agaynst the God of Israel but also in that n David doth charge that great monsterous beast their champion Goliath for to haue rayled on the God of the host of Israel And though he were but one man yet seeing he was their common champion and came foorth in the name of them all they may all by good right be charged therewith And then when themselues are not only so corrupt in the highest matter of all euen in religion but also so contrarie vnto the Trueth and so blasphemous to GOD himself it could not bee otherwise but that in these things the common wealth of Israel must needes be in hard and pitifull case that was in such thraldome vnto so ill a people as these How little
haue the ministerie or help of the Prophet to his further inauguration at Gilgal in a publike assemblie of the people yet doth it not follow thereupon that there is any vse of such help in their case also It was meete for Saul for that as yet he was not fully inuested in the Kingdome notwithstanding that he was before d 10.1 annointed by the Prophet at Ramah e 10.17.24 chosen by lot before the Lord in Mizpeh f 11.12 and with speciall ioy and fauour acknowledged and accepted of the people at Iabesh-Gilead For his annointing was but secret g 9.27 none other being priuie thereto but the Prophet and him-selfe alone but yet to him ward h 10.2.10 notably confirmed by signes that followed but election at Mizpeh was no more but i 10.20.21 only an election shewing vnto them who it was whome the Lord would haue to be their King and though he were ackowledged and accepted of the people at Iabesh-Gilead yet k 11.7.8.12 was it but of a part of the people only of those forces that were gathered together against the Ammonites and yet to the number of 330090. And because all this was no full establishing of the Kingdom vnto him therefore was he first to awaite a further solemnitie of inauguration in some general assemblie of al and wherein the ministerie of the Prophet was verie conuenient Many of ours would haue thought much lesse then thus much to be sufficient especially whē as so vrgēt occasion should make them to hasten to enter into it without so perfect inauguration And yet Saul as it seemeth did not of any greedinesse in himselfe so hasten his entry for he awayted the Prophet seuen dayes as before is declared but onely for that hee tooke himself to bee very iustly called vnto it or rather by strict necessitie strongly vrged And as for instruction not many of vs if in our iudgement our title were good and so readie a way layde open vnto vs woulde haue thought that a sufficient cause to haue awayted the Prophet so long especially if our selues before had receiued the spirite of prophecie l 10.10 as hee had done and if wee had at that present m 13.5 so weighty matters in hande besides For it is the manner with vs eyther altogether to shut out the Prophet from all our aduices and councelles in such matters euen of contempt or inwarde dislike that wee haue to such a course or at least vnder pretence of our owne sufficiencie if so bee that wee haue any measure of knowledge or else vpon euery slight and easie businesse to holde our selues as iustly hindred As for the other that is Punishment of offendors such as God appointeth in such sort to punish offendors as God appoynteth that is such a matter as hardly can wee frame our selues in diuers causes to come any thing near Insomuch that although Saul were in this point so maruellous short that chiefly for that cause hee cast him away yet if wee consider that case of his wee may finde that hee went much nearer to that which the Lorde did appoint him to doe then wee in such case were like to haue done whether wee respect the nature or substaunce of that case it selfe or certayne circumstaunces thereunto appertaining Vnto the nature of the case it belongeth to consider that it was an execution and the same very seuere If wee haue to deale in an execution commmonly we think that some worke of mercy doth much better become vs. If it taste of seuerity though neuer so iust yet if much it stande thereupon as in this case it did beeing n 15.3 commaunded to destroy both the people themselues and all that did belong vnto them both man and woman infant and suckling Oxe and Sheepe Camell and Asse and to haue no compassion of them and all this for no cause else but onely for that o 15.2 certaine auncesters of theirs long before layde wayte for the Israelites in the way as they came vp from Aegypt and skirmished with them then doe wee seeke to giue it the slippe so much as we can and euer lightly do but sliue it when we haue any such thing to doe The circumstaunces are two one of the time an other of their persons As for the time it was almoste 400 yeares ago when that fault was made that nowe was punished And this execution was to bee done when first he entred into his kindgome As for their persons the time it selfe sufficiently prooueth that they were not the offendors themselues but their posteritie very neare to the tenth generation And yet notwithstanding although hee spared some the Text it selfe doth beare him witnesse that those excepted p 15.8 hee vtterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sworde and himselfe addeth further that q 15.15 hee destroyed all the rest Neither doe wee reade that hee spared any thing for any benefite to himselfe or his people but r 15.15.22 onely to offer them in sacrifice vnto the Lorde though Samuel ſ 15.19 doth tharge him that in that case also hee did no better then turne to the pray and did exceeding wickedly before the Lorde How much the rejection of Saul ought to touch our Christian Princes But O mercifull God if Saul in thy iustice deserued for this to be cast away as altogether vnmeete to sitte in the throne of thy iudgement on earth howe iustly haue our Princes also deserued to bee remooued and to giue place to the worde of thy power that trueth and equity may be established and set vp for euer And howe commeth it to passe that Saul beeing made so fearefull an example to vs wee neuerthelesse do so much transgresse wherein wee see that a small fault in him in comparison of a thousande of ours neuerthelesse had and iustly to it must needes be so an heauie iudgement But at this present wee néede no more but so farre to consider of the want that was founde in Saul as that if wee finde the like in our late gouernment also wee then acknowledge it to bee so much the more likely that God will now aduance the Gospell or kingdome of Christ as we see that the want of good gouernment in the Princes and States of Christendome haue iustly occasioned that so he should 16 And so haue we heard The conclusion wherein to the further raising up of the hope aforesaid divers examples are brought to shew that although for a time God hath suffered his people and his glorie to be held under yet in the end he hath advaunced them both Izhak Iaakob that as it pleased God first to annoint David to be in readinesse and to procure him the fauour of many so hath hee doone in these dayes of ours for the Gospell also and as afterwarde it pleased him by many tribulations to bring him to the kingdome so hath hee brought the Gospell likewise to so
THE Coronation of Dauid Wherein out of that part of the Historie of David that sheweth how he came to the Kingdome wee have set forth unto us what is like to be the end of these troubles that daylie arise for the Gospels sake By Edm. Bunny Psalm 89.20 I have found David my seruant with mine holy oyle have I annoynted him Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Gubbin and Iohn Perin 1588. ¶ Vnto the right honorable Henry Earle of Huntingdon Knight of the most noble order of the Garter L. President of her Ma. Counsell in the North parts established and Lieutenant Generall of her Ma. people and forces there IT is sufficiently knowne to vs all that of late yeeres the Lord hath diuersly exercised vs vnder his gentle chasticing hand For hauing touched vs before in our cattle corn and that more is in certaine daungerous straunge and vnnaturall practices against our Soueraign tending to the ouerthrowe of vs all now of late he hath threatned vs with hostilitie and forrein inuasion and with the worst that a proud an idolatrous and an insolent people is able to do Wherein although hee hath not forgotten vs cleane but in the middest of those threatnings hath hitherto vsed great mercie towardes vs yet do we our selues plainly perceiue that as yet he hath not left off calling vpon vs but still doth put vs in mind of our wayes as otherwise also so especially by hostilitie now and by the continuance of our enimies malice against vs. Jn which case so long as we stand it is needefull we take good heede to these two thinges that the cause be right wherein wee stand and that we our selues do take it in hand in such sort as we ought to doe The equitie of the cause both is now and euer hath beene so plaine in it selfe seeing that it is for the Ghospels sake that so they bende themselues against vs that when of late I entred into a deeper consideration of these callings of God and thought it needefull to set foorth somewhat concerning the same yet notwithstanding J then thought it needelesse to bestow any labor in beating out that which was plaine ynough in it selfe and rather chose to imploy my pen in the other to shew in what sort this good cause of ours should be taken in hand of vs. Whereupon I did then set foorth an admonition out of the Prophet Joel the better to gather vs neerer to God by occasion of the scarcitie wherewith at that time wee were something touched a text that then did not onely in respect of that scarcitie but otherwise also and yet doth fitly agree to these present dayes and out of which we might take to our selues both then and now instruction and comfort in plentifull measure Since which time I haue often marked that what by our enimies themselues by their fauourites that are among vs and what by the weaknesse of diuers of vs likewise there is such a desperate fear conceiued of many that they are vtterly void of any good hope that these our troubles may be ouerblowne or at any time sorted to prosperous end For the enimie we see and often haue founde whensoeuer by his owne strength or our loosenesse he doth hope to preuail is then passing full of presumptuous boasting and resolute threates Their fauourites also doe as redily then get holde thereof and helpe them forward the best that they can euer blowing such terrors abroad and for the most part encreasing them also euer casting wheresoeuer they come great perils themselues And when they are foiled and haue gotten the worse and finde that God in those their attempts is flatly against them yet doe they not thereupon leaue of and turne vnto him but euer continue their former malice and busilie repayre their forces againe Among vs likewise as there be some that by such occasions drawe neerer to God and acknowledging that our sinnes deserue that we should be cleane cut off doe neuerthelesse in the goodnesse of the cause and the mercies of God conceiue good hope so are there others that refusing the comfort that those groundworkes do yeelde do so much relie on the iust desert of our sinnes and the seueritie of God against it or being of a timerous nature are stroken with such feare by the enimies threates and continuall malice and by the great perils that their confederates do cast at home that they haue left them no hope at all but verily thinke that in the end all will be naught Hauing therefore already done my endeuour by my former admonition out of Joel to stir vs vp to a sensible feeling of those gracious callings of God vnfeignedly to turne vnto him I haue nowe thought good out of some one text or other for to declare what comfort the faithfull may iustly conceiue out of the nature of the cause that we haue in hand being as it is for the gospels sake that we are so much maligned For which matter I haue made choice of that part of the historie of David that sheweth how he being annointed of God to the kingdom neuertheles could not come vnto it but thorough many perils with much busines before But although hee were kept out for a season and had many lets for a long time together cast in the way yet in the end he came to the crown and had it confirmed vnto himselfe and his line for euer Jn which storie we may see as it were in a table both what crosses we must looke for to be cast in the way of the gospel now how notwithstanding it shall preuail in the end against them all And as it was the godlesse and loose gouernment of Saul that gaue that occasion of remouing that same and of the bringing in of the godlier regiment of David euen so in the late days of ignorance the gouernmēt of most of our princes hath bine such so far short of that which it should as that it ought to be lesse maruel to any if now it the be pleasure of God to aduance the gospel the scepter of the sonne of David to reforme whatsoeuer before was decayed Which storie lieth in the latter part of the first booke of Samuel in the beginning of the second for which cause also seeing that it lieth altogether within this compasse therefore haue I but seldome set down in my quotations the name of the Book but the chapters verses only And seing that it goeth of this matter only wheras there are many other stories places of scripture besides that would yeeld the self same cōfort therfore haue J thoght The Coronatiō of David to be the meetest name for the treatise Now such as it is if it please your honour to accept in good part I thought it my duetie for to offer the same vnto you For beeing of this mind that as I wish the benefit therof vnto al so notwithstanding J speciall wish it to the people here
such as belong to your Ho. Liuetenancie to whō I also in diuers good respects am most bounden in al these parts I was not able to find any one that was more exercised in these affairs or to whom my self in al humble duety was more beholding or vnder whose protection I could rather wish the same to come foorth Which although I had finished and sent vp to the print before to haue come foorth the last terme before the attempt of this late forrein inuasion yet by reason that vpon some priuate respect a small occasion was taken by such as should print it to require my further aduice in one speciall point the long vacation that hath come betwixt hath easily brought to passe that it could not come foorth till now In which mean time the daunger of the forrein inuasion God be thanked is grown to be litle and the feare thereof with vs much lesse But yet notwithstanding neither is that daunger clene remoued neither may we looke for any other but that still they will bee doing with vs if they may get vs at the aduantage and besides that we may in this one attempt of theirs being so much broken as alreadie and but hitherto it is see some part of that trueth that out of the Scripture is in this Treatise deliuered vnto vs. Which things beeing considered although nowe it come foorth somewhat with the latest in some respect yet in others J doe not doubt but that it may and will bee thought nowe also to come foorth fitly ynough J graunt it were to be wished rather that neither now nor at any time else there neede to be any vse of this or of any such like but the causes remaining the effect also must needes continue Our enimies will bee enimies still the seede of the serpent will euer lye in waite for to annoy the seede of the woman Though now they bee foiled and often haue beene yea and though they had bene cleane ouerthrowne yet notwithstanding they will not giue ouer but cast about it againe for some other aduantage and redily take it whensoeuer it falleth into their handes so long as they are not yet subdued vnto the obedience of the Gospell but remaine enimies stil there is nothing els to be looked for of them but that on al occasions they will be readie to exercise whatsoeuer enmitie they are able against vs. We also on the other side haue many thinges among vs that should be amended which we are not disposed to amend nor so much as to heare of them neither Hauing found the spoile of many of our Churches in our late Monasteries and Chaunteries as apparant dens of theeues as euer were any wee are not therewith contented Those that are left we suffer their Patrons if they bee greedie and wilie withall to abuse at their pleasure Whereby God is robed of his glory and the people of their saluation We suffer also mercilesse men daily more and more to eate vp the pore to dispeople fermings and townes and to take in all to them selues If therefore there were no more but these thinges onely which in deede I take to bee the greatest yet were they sufficient without any other so strongly to cry to the Lorde for vengeance as that it may be no maruell vnto vs if the Lord do still raise vp enimies against vs. If needes wee will spoyle the Lordes houses heere and his people withall both of his word and of their owne liuings and will not restore nor grow to amendment the more that we doe such thinges our selues the lesse may we maruel if the Lord send in enimies to do the like and to be auenged on the Lords behalfe of that which we mean not to amend Being therfore so likelie a matter as it is that some heauie iudgements of God are growing against the vngodlie that are among vs and so consequently much businesse to al one with another indifferently and being so certaine that the Lord is euer wont to exercise those that are his it cannot bee but to needefull purpose that this kind of argument should be debated that so the godly may see what securitie is layd vp for them and others likewise may know of that refuge whensoeuer they are disposed to vse it and turn to the Lord. And so now hauing sayd what J thought most needeful to expresse the cause generall end of the Treatise ensuing J am not to trouble your Honour any further at this present moste humblie beseeching the Lord of his goodnesse that as nowe alreadie these many yeres he hath bestowed great blessings on these parts by your godly milde and prudent gouernment so it may please him long to continue your L. among vs and to encrease all his graces and mercies towardes you in Christ Iesus At York 28 of August 1588. Your Honours most humble in the Lord Ed. Bunny A Table declaring what is the Method or maner of handling the matter ensuing Besides the enterie into the Treatise in the first Section and the Conclusion Praier Psalms in five of the last wee have heere set downe out of the historie of Davids advancemēt what hope we may conceive in these troublesome times for the like advancemēt of the Ghospell also and First out of that which is alreadie done with us because it doth so fitly agree with that which was done for David before But heerein First how God did bring him foorth to be in a readines to enter into the kingdom when the time should come Sect. 2 3. Then how he brought him unto the Kingdome but heerein First of his persecutions which were chiefly two Sections 4. 7. Then how God perfoormed his promis unto him first bringing him unto some part of the Kingdome and then to the whole Sect. 8 9. Then concerning our further hope to have the Gospell yet better aduanced First it is declared what course it is wherein we may conceive such hope Sect. 10 11. Then how to answere certain objections that may be conceived against it upon the difference that may be supposed to be betwixt his case and ours Concerning which First wee are taught that in such case there is with God no regard to that matter Section 12. Then it is further shewed First as touching Davids owne person that hee also was not without his infirmities Sect. 13. Then as touching his Kingdome that ther was not more neede of it then for wāt of better government in Saul than there is now for the like cause also Sect. 14 15. The Contents of the Booke ensuing gathered after so playne a maner as best may serve to leade on the simpler sort unto the better understanding of it COncerning those troubles that are for the Gospels sake first it is set down generally that out of the Scripture it may sufficiently be gathered whereunto they are like to sort themselves in the end Sect. 1. Then out of this part of the storie of David it is declared that as David
was Annointed unto the Kingdom euen so in some sense is the Gospel also Sect. 2 3. Likewise as David was grieuouslie persecuted before that he could attain to the Kingdom that so it hath bin and yet is with the Gospel of Christ Sect. 4 5 6 7. And that as David was afterward brought first to one part of it and then to the whole so the Gospel being in such sort aduanced as alreadie it is is therein as likely also to be further aduanced Sect. 8 9. But yet that we are to await this goodnes of God in such a course as David did Sect. 10 11. And so doing that we neede not to doubt for that such aduancement of his glorie standeth not on our worthines but on his goodnes also Sect. 12. And though it did yet that there is no such difference betweene David then and the children of God now because that he also was subject unto great infirmities Sect. 13. Besides all this that the want of gouernment in the world now doth asmuch require the advancement of the Gospel to make supplie as the want of government in the daies of Saul did then need the kingdom of David Sect. 14 15. Divers examples of the like works of God brought in and applied to our comfort Sect. 16. 17. A Praier to that end going upon the whole storie Sect. 18. How David exercised himselfe to Godward in those his troubles and what Psalmes they are which then he made Sect. 19 20. FINIS ⧠The Coronation of Dauid 1 HOw great broyles at this day are raysed in these parts of Christendome agaynst the Ghospell of Iesus Christ What is like to be the end of these troubles that are for the Gospels sake and how as yet they are like to continue because that new and fresh troubles do continually follow hard vpon such as are gone before is a thing in it self so plain and euident that no body at al would he neuer so fayn can be ignorant of it Insomuch that as in the lake Genazereth the wind and the sea did both together seeme to conspire agaynst that Bark wherein Christ was with his disciples for to haue drenshed and drowned them al the wind stirring vp and raysing the sea the sea getting vp and growing rageous and both together furiously beating with al their might on that seely vessel euen so now also euer synce it pleased the Lord to vouchsafe vs the Ghospel agayn in so plentiful maner al the powers and states of the world haue redily bent themselues agaynst it those that are especially led by the spirit of error and haue a mouth giuen them to speake proud things stirring vp both Princes and their people agaynst the truth those Princes likewise and their people with them willingly taking that quarel in hand and both together with might and mayn rushing vpon the word of life and earnestly labouring al that they may cleane to suppresse and extinguish the same Which whosoeuer doth with aduisement consider he in reason might easily be in daunger to think both that there were some special great cause in this profession why it should be so much maligned and that ere long needs must it be destroyed also Howbeit the truth is that neyther is there in it any cause at al why they should so rage agaynst it neyther shall any nor al together in such sort preuayle agaynst it when they haue done al that they can Neuerthelesse it cannot be denied but that there are of the weaker sort that can hardly conceaue so good assurance of the inuinciblenes of the cause it self and others agayn so much presuming of the goodnes of the cause that they regard not much what carelesnes or iniquity of theirs they mingle withal and hope notwithstanding that al shal be wel laying al on the goodnes of the cause For which cause I think it a work not vnworthy the labour and very meete for the present tyme that such as are the Lords watchmen commend vnto the people of God such places of Scripture as best may serue both to describe and to lay forth these matters vnto them and withal to teach them what shal be the yssue therof in the end and how to behaue themselues therein An example of the like among the Iewes at Ierusalem Ruffin lib. 1. cap. 37. Socr. lib. 3. cap. 20. Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 2. And so may we read in auncient tyme as of many others so namely of Cyril the Bishop of Ierusalem that when the like occasion was offered vnto him he also tooke the self same course The like occasion that was offered vnto him was a great fear that many of the people of God in those parts conceaued that Christian religion hauing alredy bene receaued and planted there by publike authoritie should after giue place to Iudaisme agayn For Iulian the Emperour himself professing the faith at the first and finding the same alredy established by publike authoritie fourty yeres before that he came to the Crown by Constantine the great and Constantius his sonne and hauing a secret intent with him to set vp heathnish idolatrie agayn among other practises that he vsed to crosse the faith of Christ and those that did professe it so much as he could gaue libertie comfort and ayd vnto the Iewes to build vp the Temple at Ierusalem agayn and there to sacrifice and obserue the law as before they were wont Whereupon great multitudes of the Iewes assembled themselues together out of al quarters set in hand with their busines in great confidence prepared things needful for the building in great pentie had in a brauerie many of their working instruments of siluer euen to their baskets spades and mattokes before hand threatned the Christians there how néere they would sit vnto them ere long and in al things had held such a course therein for the time as that it seemed vnto many that the faith of Christ should be abolished there and Iudaism set vp agayn But Cyril the Bishop perceauing what offence this might breed vnto many and that diuers were not a litle dismayed thereat and therfore much weakened in the faith thereby calling to mind what things Daniel and Christ himself before had spoken of the vtter ouerthrow of that Temple and citie did resolutely set down vnto the faithful euen when the matter was at the highest and their new building in greatest likelihood to go forward that yet notwithstanding it should not prosper but go back agayn and come to no proofe in the end And so it came to passe immediatly after For the lime and the sand they had gotten together in great heapes was with mightie winds so blown away that they knew not where to finde it the old foundation when they had taken the rubble from it and now were redy the next day after to haue begun their new building theron was in the night by a straunge and mightie earthquake so clene turned vp and shaken in péeces that there was
not left one stone vpon an other that was not shaken out of his place as for the timber and stone which they had prouided and that in great quantitie and their instruments or tooles wherewithal they should haue wrought and many of the people themselues they were destroyed by fier such as the Lord in extraordinarie maner cast vpon them As therefore Cyril at that time was able out of the Scriptures to minister sound comfort to the people of God agaynst that discomfortable case of theirs and as he was able accordingly did it so the godly in these dayes also haue in great plenty wherewithal to comfort those that are weake and that in their weaknes doubt very much whereunto these broyles may grow For now also these Iewes of ours haue obteyned the comfort and ayd of certeyn Iulians that they hope ere long to banish the Ghospel and to set vp Poperie agayne they haue also contriued and complotted their matters so that nothing they hope shal frustrate their vayn presumption therin But he that dwelleth in the heauens doth laugh them to scorne the Lord will haue them in derision Let the Lords watchmen but looke about them and they shal be able to finde and that in very plentifull measure wherwithal soundly to comfort and fully to establish the hearts of those that in their weakenesse so readilie feare that when tyrants begin to threaten and make preparation to do some mischief then is the Gospell not like to escape it and the power of darknesse that of late ouerwhelmed the face of the earth like to preuayle agaynst vs agayne To the which end as I wish those that can rightly do it diligently to beate out this poynt of doctrine to the people of God so my self also haue thought good to take in hand some such argument at this present and among so many places of Scripture that yéeld for this matter most singular comfort to deliuer some one to the instruction and comfort of those that in these dayes of ours do in such sort need to be called vpon For which cause I haue made choyce of that part of the storie of David wherein we haue set foorth vnto vs how being ordeyned to be King ouer Israel he was kept backe and notably exercised for a time and yet notwithstanding fully possessed thereof in the end For seeing that David was a figure of Christ and such as was the estate of Christ here on the earth such also must be the state of the Gospell whensoeuer the same is sent vnto vs therefore must it needes follow that as in that part of Davids historie wee may see a liuely description of those matters in Christ both how he was kept backe for the time and how in the end he was aduaunced so may we likewise therein behold the estate of the Gospell in these our dayes for both those matters that is how great resistance for a time it findeth among vs and how notwithstanding it is most sure to preuayle in the end The text therefore being so pregnant and so effectuall to such a purpose that I likewise may the better finde out in some good measure whatsoeuer doth belong therunto I humbly beseech that sonne of David our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to vouchsafe me that mercie that I may so do it as may soundly tend both to the aduancement of his eternall and only trueth and to the comfort of all those that vnfeignedly loue and embrace the same 2 And so being purposed by the goodnes and grace of God in such sort to vnfold that part of the storie of David What comfort we have in that which is alreadie done on behalfe of the Gospell as that our selues may now also the better sée what to thinke of those broiles that now are for the Ghospels sake and how we are to demeane our selues in the meane season it shal be good first to consider how far-forth we are holpen forward to good assurance by the accord that we find in that which is alreadie done héere among vs with that which in this historie of David we find to haue bin done before and then to aduise our selues further of the hope that we may conceiue of the full accomplishment of it for the time to come The good assurance whereunto we are holpen by the accord that we find in that which is alreadie done among vs with that which in this historie of David we find to haue bin done before wil best appeare if we shall first set downe the chiefe and principall parts of the historie it self and then lay vnto it from point to point such things as we find in these our dayes to agree thereunto The chiefe and principall points of the Storie it selfe are two how it pleased God to bring him foorth to be in a readines for that matter and afterward how he brought him vnto it That it pleased God first to bring him foorth to be in a readines for that matter may sufficiently appeare first by the maner that he vsed to make the matter known to David himselfe and then for that he did so effectually commend him to others Vnto himselfe he made it knowne for that by the ministerie of Samuel the Prophet he did annoint him thereunto In which his Annointing we are first to consider The Annointing of David vnto the Kingdome how it standeth with a certaine Propheticall direction that was giuen forth long before and then of certaine other things which to that present time apperteined That Propheticall direction that I now speake of was giuen forth by Jaakob himself on his deathbed among other blessings of his to his children namely a Gen. 49.8 10. that the chiefe gouernment should be in the tribe of Judah Whereas therfore Ishai the father of David was of the tribe of Judah which had the promis it is so much the more likely that some one might be taken thence vnto whome the Kingdome should be established then of the family of Kish the father of Saul being of the tribe of Benjamin vnto whome no such promis was made Insomuch that whereas it had pleased God now for a time to call Saul vnto the kingdom it may séeme that it was no more but to make a readier way vnto the other that was to stand and therewithal to set downe a patterne vnto all Princes that were to follow A readier way might be made thereby vnto the other that was to stand both for that thereby they should now be inured to some obedience and for that they were woont to obey not only a meane man by parentage and of the least tribe among them all but also in such hard cases somtimes as wilful regiment is wont to yeeld A patterne likewise may therein be left to all Princes whatsoeuer to take good heed to their maner of gouernment when as they may see with what seueritie the Lord did punish those two faults in the first King of Israel in whom there
the first she f 18.20 loued him as one whom she would be glad to make her husband that so wheras Saul g 17.25 before had promised to giue one of his daughters in mariage to him that should slay Goliath now he might the better performe it and David might thereby haue a readier way to that whereunto God had called him a little before and h 19.11.12 after saued his life likewise In the multitude we also finde not only that they thought very well of him for this his victorie but also that they did the like of his other behauiour besides in such things as were now at the first commended vnto him For this is his victorie i 18.6.7 they do not only welcome him home in very good manner out of all their cities and with their instrustuments of musick but also k 18.7 rightly apportion the commendation thereof yeelding to Saul the ordinary power the prayse of one thousand but vnto David or to the extraordinary goodnes of God no lesse than ten thousand And as for his other behauiour likewise in all such things wherein it pleased Saul to imploy him l 18.5 it is also recorded that he was accepted or highly ēstéemed in the sight of all the people and that is more euen in the sight of Sauls seruants also 3 Whether the Lord haue in like sort dealt in these dayes of ours is now to bee seene that is That such a like thing is in these dayes done on behalfe of the Gospell likewise whether in such sort he hath brought in any David vpon the want that is found in others as that by the nature and course of his dealing therein we may hope to see the same David to be by him not only aduaunced but established also for euer Concerning which it is most certeyne that in these dayes also he hath begun to aduance such a David and so fitly agreeing to the patterne that is here set downe as that wee may vpon good ground looke to see the full accomplishment thereof in his good time For whereas Christ and his Gospell can in no wise bee parted and seeing that the Gospell is the scepter of his kingdome here on earth whatsoeuer wisedome and power of God we finde in the manner of Davids aduancement looke by what right wee may translate the same from David vnto the person of Christ as from the figure vnto the trueth by as good right may wee translate it vnto the Gospell likewise the only Scepter of his kingdome on earth First therefore néedes must it also be so inseperably annexed vnto the gouernment that was promised to the tribe of Iudah that by vertue of the promise made vnto it wee may looke for the accomplishment in this likewise And it may be that for that cause especially God hath for so long a time in the late power of darknesse inured Christendome vnto so base and hard a gouernment much worse then was that same of Saules that so the lawfull and most blessed regiment of the Gospel otherwise irksome to flesh and blood might be more welcome not only to the children of God but euen to the common multitude also It may be also that seeing that Princes haue gouerned so ill as for the most part they haue al done few of them so tollerably as did King Saul therefore the Lord doth now begin to aduance the Gospell that so those godlesse and careles Princes may better see what their gouernment was that now by the Gospell they finde to bee so playnlie called vnto the checke and in many things so sharply reprooued and so flatly condemned likewise For it is meete that if the casting away of Saul will not serue to bee a warning vnto them then that they and their gouernment also should be remooued so farre as is néedfull that they be no hinderance to the Gospell of Christ In what sort it is annoynted In the outward annoynting that the Gospell hath had in these dayes of ours though wee denie not but great fault is found yet in effect is it none other but such as was in Davids also For if they say that the Gospell with vs was not at the first receiued by any publike consent of all no more was it at the beginning in the time of Christ and his Apostles neither had David at the first any such annoynting If they say that the wiser and greater sort made but little reckoning of it and had better liking to their owne profession yet therein also they alleage nothing els but the same that before we did see to be the portion of David likewise And seeing that the Gospell now hath the inward testimonie of the spirit in so plentifull measure for that now also the blind do see the deaffe do heare the lame do go the sicke are cured the dead are raysed and such like and the same not only in particular persons and seuerall congregations but in whole States and diuers mightie Kingdomes likewise such petite quarels about the outward annoynting can be no great matter when as the outward is by the inward so throughly confirmed But to make it more out of doubt may we not see if wee looke well about vs that God hath made a way to the Gospell euen as before he did vnto David And though his wisedome and power be infinite and so he were able to deuise and vse many other wayes whatsoeuer yet may we not see that he hath done it in the self same maner that he vsed for David before that so by the former we might the sooner acknowledg his hand in the latter For first we may see How beneficiall the Gospell is made vnto divers First in comforting our troubled mindes that by the Gospell hee hath bestowed great benefits on many and namely such as it pleased him by the hands of David to bestowe vpon others It pleased God by the instrument and musik of David to giue vnto Saul some ease in those mad fits of his And doth hee not much more appease the troubled and desperate conscience of man with that spirituall and heauenly musik which by his Gospell hee bringeth vnto vs and by that notable Harmony that is betwixt the old Testament and the new in those great mercies of God towards all beléeuers now aswell as to the Patriarkes Prophets before and by the vertue of that Communion wherby he hath coupled all the Saints together in one And in what manner or measure soeuer the euill spirit departed from Saul and gaue him some respit whensoeuer David played on his Harpe vnto him sure wee are that when as now the sonne of David playeth on his instrument vnto vs by the preaching of the Gospell wee haue not only a great refreshing in our inward man but also are cleane rid of many euill spirits that before did much molest vs. The seruants of Saul taking his maladie to be but naturall thought of no other helpe but naturall
generally and partly in that which concerned David more specially That which did concerne the estate of both the Kingdoms generally was m 3.1 that the kingdom of Iudah euer increased and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker That which concerned David more specially was that he n 3.28.39 made it so well knowne how cleere he was from the bloud of Abner and that many of the contrary part o 5.2 did know that it was David and none other that was thereunto appointed of God He put him in possession of it by taking away Ishbosheth that had set vp himselfe against him and putting into the harts of the people now to yeeld their obedience vnto him Ishbosheth was taken away p 4.2.5.8 by two of his owne Captaines without the consent or knowledge of David and on their parts in verie ill and treacherous maner for the which David q 4.9.12 put them to death so soone as they brought that tidings vnto him Which being done then whole Israel r 4.1 being first striken with a great feare as vpon the death of Abner before so now vpon the death of Ishbosheth also Å¿ 5.1.3 no all come in to the number of t 1. Chro. 12.23.40 aboue three hundred forty and fiue thousand and those also u Ib. 38. with consent of the rest and making a couenant with him do annoint him King ouer all and so is David entered now into the possession of the whole 9 If now againe we returne to our selues there may we find that in these daies also God hath such a worke in hand among vs. That God hath so dealt for the Gospel likewise It hath pleased him alreadie to bring the Gospel to some part of the Kingdome thereunto apperteining and we trust that in the end he will bring it vnto the whole And this we hope so much the rather for that he obstrueth a much like course now as he did before and walking as it were in the selfe-same path giueth vs before hand to vnderstand thereby whether he meaneth to come in the end That first he maketh a way unto it For first we see that he maketh now as conuenient away vnto the Gospell and to the spirituall Kingdome of Christ as he did vnto David before partly in such things as concerne the preparing of those that do aduance the Gospel to be the meeter instruments to such a purpose but especially in remouing out of the way many of those that would be against it By preparing those that are to aduance the Gospell For to the end that such as are to aduance the Gospell may be the meeter to do the thing for the which they are ordeined he preserueth not only their persons to be in a readines against the time that they are to be imploied but their good name also in that point of dutie to their superiours for the most part of them though otherwise it is not vnlikely but that some particulars may in a great number be found that by infirmitie hasten thereunto somewhat faster then it were meete that they should So likewise he putteth into their hands wherewithall to make them such friends as they neede against the time that they shall haue occasion to vse them and sendeth in vnto them a further power to help to bring them vnto their right And by removing others out of the way Those also whome he hath remoued out of the way and daily yet doth more and more are both such as are the chiefe resisters of this ordinance of God and their adherents together withall In those that are the chiefe as they are the greatest cause of offence so may we see the hand of God heauiest on them For we may verie plainly see that the Lord denieth to giue any answer vnto them either immediatly betwixt him and them by secret inspiration or by inclining their hearts to such a course as it were meete for them to walke in or by the ministerie of any of those whome it pleaseth him in such case to vse For being destitute of the ministerie that haue their annointing in Iesus Christ needs must they be destitute of Urim also and so can they haue no answer by such An idolatrous and a massing Priesthood they haue that standeth vpon the inuention of man and vpon their owne vsurpation withall and for the better credit thereof they haue an outward kind of ointment also such as standeth on no ordinance of God and therefore is destitute of the inward grace without any question But such a ministerie as Christ himselfe did leaue vnto vs and by the Apostles his seruants was afterward deliuered vnto the Church faithfully distributing the word of life vnto the people and holding themselues contented there that is altogether wanting in them and therefore haue they in their greatest affaires no answer by Urim nor by the ordinarie ministerie of the word As for that which is extraordinarie it pleaseth not God now to vse the same to his children but very seldome much lesse to those that are without For they haue destroyed the Priestes of the Lord with all the crueltie that can bee deuised and that for no fault at all on their parts but only vpon pretenced quarels and causeles furmises of their owne And as the Lord doth in this sort before hand by such estraunging of himself from them giue them to vnderstand how much he is offended with them and iustly too so may we see that in the end likewise he taketh them away in such sort as may well betoken his displeasure therein also and many of them in as miserable and desperate manner as he tooke away Saul For as in the end he spared not himself whom Davids hands ofttimes had spared before so many of those that in these dayes of ours haue been principall doers in the persecuting of the Gospell of Christ and contriuing trecheries agaynst those that professe it being often spared before by those that iustly might haue been reuenged of them for those their trecheries haue at the length layd hands of themselues and so the iust iudgements of God that others in compassion and pitie would not themselues haue executed in most desperat manner vpon themselues Among the adherents of these wee may see likewise that not only such as of whom there was no better hope are taken away but also that some of our Ionathans likewise are wrapped vp together with them in the same iudgements such I meane as though they did beare good will themselues to the Gospel of Christ yet some way or other were such notwithstanding as by whom the course of the Gospell might haue been hindered But what may those that are enemies hope for when as such as for their owne parts are faithfull friends are notwithstanding by God himself sometimes remooued yet for no malice in them but for that by some other circumstance they might be offensiue to the kingdom of Christ Which
again asked counsell of the Lord whether hee shoulde followe on those that had done it and whether that voyage shoulde bee prosperous vnto him And so receiuing aunswere to his desire hee set in hande with the voyage and not onely recouered all they had lost but also gained much more vnto it Afterwarde againe when worde was brought him that Saul and his sonnes were slayne in the fielde so that nowe the kingdome was deuolued vnto him and the time came that he was to enter into the possession of it in which case there are not many of the moste godly that these dayes haue that would awayt any playner or further calling yet would he in no wise take that course or be so bolde as to step one foote towardes it vntill the time that he had i 2. Sam. 2.1 first inquired of the Lord both whether it was his pleasure that now he shoulde make any entrie into the kingdome and in what city he shoulde begin But being aunswered in both these pointes he them foorthwith addressed himselfe to doe accordingly It may be also that when hee was with Ahimelech hee did there likewise by the ministery of Ahimelech aske counsell of the Lord both because that * 22.10 Doeg doth so charge Ahimelech and because that * 22.15 Ahimelech doth net deny it But otherwise wee haue no mention in the Text it selfe that so hee did And yet notwithstanding Ahimelechs aunswere doth wel import that at other times before he had done it so consequently that it was an vsuall exercise with David so to doe Neither did hee onely thus religiously hang on the Lorde himselfe Obeying the Prophets of the Lord. but also on a time k 22.5 when the Prophet Gad but one of the seruauntes of the Lorde came vnto him willing him not to abide in the holde which for a time he had taken in the land of Moab for his owne safety and with the Kinges good licence therein first obteined but to returne into Iury againe him also in this point hee redily obeyed And yet was it but such as wee terme a matter of state and in reason full of daunger and so consequently no good aduice neither doth the text declare that it was the worde of the Lorde but onely that the Prophet did will him so to doe Longing after the Sanctuary Neither was he so deuoutly giuen to reuerence God himselfe and his seruauntes but euen the place it selfe of Gods worship and the assembly of the people of God were so dear vnto him that l 26.19 he specialy complained of the want therof vnto Saul as the greatest and most grieuous part of al his troubles as m Psal 84.3 elswhere also he doeth very grieuousslye complaine of that matter not vnto Saul who might thinke it to be nothing els but of ostentation but to God himself apart from men that in that point his estate was so miserable that the estate of the birds of the ayre What minde he caried towards others Towardes his enimies that might approche the sanctuary of the Lorde was better then his How good a minde he caried to others may likewise appeare two speciall wayes first and principally by his dealing with his enimies but partly also by his dealing with others besides His enimies that nowe we speake of who were the causers of these his troubles were to make account of none other but Saul for his time and after him Ishbosheth his sonne and Abner the generall of his army Against all which he so defended himselfe that neuerthelesse he neuer sought by any yll meanes to take away them so to ease himselfe of his troubles the sooner For his own needefull and iust defence we finde that n 18.11.19.10 euer he tooke diligent heed vnto Saul that he did him no displeasure on the suddayne and that o 18.14.30 wisely he behaued him selfe in all his wayes Then also not despising the helpe of others such as it pleased God to offer vnto him we finde likewise that p 22.2 he tooke such aydes as came vnto him of their owne accord though otherwise many of them were so infamous and base as many of a nice kind of holines would haue disdayned and both q 20.5.8 vsed the help of Ionathan his friende and r 23.18 renued his bond of amity with him But as touching any euill practise against any of those his enimies first as touching Saul we finde that he spared him Å¿ 24.3.7.26.7.11 twice when as not onely himselfe might haue done it very easily without any danger to his owne person or shedding any mans bloud besides but also if hee woulde but haue suffered them others woulde haue done it for him and that when as without his knowledge one had destroyed him in the fielde and brought him word of it hee t 2. Sam. 1.2.16 both auenged the death of the one with the death of the other and besides that u Ibid. 17.27 mourned heartily for him As for the others he likewise both x 3.31.35 mourned for Abner and y 4.9.12 auenged Ishbosheths death that hough these had hitherto kept a great part of his kingdome from him and nowe that these were taken away hee mght well perceiue that it must needes presently come all to his handes Those others besides with whome David is founde heere to haue dealt so well are partly straungers or those that were further of from him and partly his friendes or those that were neerer vnto him Towardes the oppressed Of the former sort we may account the Citizens of Keilah and such of the country as among whome he soiourned With the Citizens of Keilah his dealing was that although z 23.3 hee was in distresse himselfe and it was daungerous for him to bee acknowen where hee was yet a 23.5 both readily hee came to their helpe and valiantly deliuered them also With those others of the countrie among whome hee soiourned howe hee dealt Towardes those among whome he soiourned wee haue it not so playnely set downe But so farre as one storie may be some helpe to gather it and one circumstaunce of likelihood besides we may well conceiue that he dealt very wel with them That one storie that I speake of is of his good dealing towardes Nabal by whome while he soiourned b 25.7.15.21 hee did not suffer his souldiers to pray vpon him or to take any thing from him thought c 25.2.3 he were but a churle and very wealthy but moreouer d 25.16 was a wall or defence vnto him and to all that hee had both day and night against any that would So that if this were his manner of dealing with others also by whome hee soiourned no doubt it was maruellous good That circumstaunce of likelihood that I doe meane is that when he got that bootie from the Amalekites e 30.26.31 hee did so friendly remember many of
his friendes and about thirteene Cities by name where hee and his men in time of their distresse were wont to haunt For seeing that David shewed such friendship to them be like they shewed when he was among them friendship to him But it is not likely that they woulde shewe him any such friendship if hee had liued on the spoyle among them Whereas on the other side if hee dealt with them as hee did with Nabal and when hee had neede made his moane vnto them to obteine such helpe at their handes as hee might with their fauour then was there no reason but that if there were any good nature in them they must needs both help him for the time so well as they coulde and euer after also bee friendly vnto him Those that were more neare vnto him were his souldiers and those his friends that nowe wee speake of His souldiers f 30.22 15. hee did not defraude of a liberall portion of the pray they had taken Towards his souldiers and when there were of the company that woulde haue allowed nothing to some of their fellowes that for g 33 10.21.24 wearinesse taried behinde and thereupon were left to keepe their stuffe hee woulde not suffer them to bee defrauded of any part of their portion neither Of his friendes also wee see that hee reteined so thankfull remembraunce that so soone as God sent him wherewithall to remember them Towards his friends h 30.26.31 he by and by sent a remembraunce vnto them and seeing that hee sent to so many and the text it selfe doth playnely say that hee sent vnto all places whether hee and his men were wont to resort it seemeth that hee coulde not content him selfe to remember some fewe of them How to derive this good course of David vnto our selves but woulde haue beene loath for to haue missed any one of them all 11 Howe to apply the same in these dayes of ours vnto our selues is nowe to bee seene and first as touching his deuotion towardes God What minde to carie towards God and then as touching his good dealing with others also And out of his deuotion towardes God wee may doe well to take to our selues in our distresse or griefe of minde to seeke to good company vnto the Prophetes and Priestes of the Lorde with them and by their helpe the better to exercise our selues in the comfort of Scripture and in worshipping toward his holy temple And in trueth howsoeuer that the vaine pleasures of the worlde are otherwise pleasaunt to flesh and blood and that not onely to the children of the world but also in some measure to the children of God yet notwithstanding whensoeuer wee are in distresse in such sort that in any good measure wee are humbled thereby and that wee finde kindely indeede that the worlde doth hate vs and and wee are fallen out with the worlde agayne or as the Apostle doth vtter it that we are crucified to the worlde and the worlde vnto vs then is there nothing sweeter than in such case to flee to the Lorde neyther is there any sound comfort but onely in him then the heart doth gladly prease to the soyle and neuer can rest till hee come there The children of the worlde do in such case seeke to some worldly comfort or other but it is because they knowe no better And seeing that such hauock is already made of the seruauntes of God by the Romane state of long and by the confederates thereof yet that skantly haue they left vnto vs some one Abiathar or other that hath saued himselfe by flight in comparison of those that otherwise the church of God might haue enioyed to their great and singular comfort what coulde bee more seemely for the Davids of our time those Princes I meane that professe the Gospell then to receiue into their protection such Abiathars as are escaped wherein coulde they better expresse their zeale towards God wherein may they take a better course for them selues For David hauing Abiathar with him now vpon euery occasion had oportunity and oft times did accordingly vse it to inquire of the Lord what he had to doe when the Philistims inuade Keilah and when Saul doth cast to surprise him when his owne City is spoyled and himselfe in peril to bee stoned for it when hee is to goe to his kingdome and where he is to make his entrie And no doubt by these Abiathars of ours our Davids also may in all thinges vnderstande what is the good will and pleasure of God in whatsoeuer it is that they haue to doe Where that annointing is there the Lorde will aunswere by Urim there is no question And blessed be God that as he vouchsafed that mercy to David in that his distresse to send vnto him such an Abiathar with the Ephod with him as by whome hee might bee safely guided in all his actions in those troublesome and daungerous affayres so nowe also hee hath prouided our Princes likewise of the selfe same helpe by such as he hath to the selfe same vse of his goodnesse preserued from all such massakers as heeretofore haue bene of the Lords seruauntes when as by the wicked it was intended vtterly to haue destroyed them all if by any meanes they coulde haue performed it And seeing that so good oportunitie is offered of so ready and sure aduice farre be it from any of our Davids that any of them shoulde so much forget or so little esteeme so good an helpe Iosh 6.3.16 as not take the benefiet of it Ioshua him selfe and all the Princes and Elders of Israel and generally the whole people besides whome Moses did a little before so much aduaunce for vnderstanding and wisedome Deut. 4.6.8 in respect of those most worthy and excellent lawes that were giuen vnto them and because that the Lorde was in all things so neere vnto them and so present with them in all their affayres were notwithstanding notably ouer-reacht by the Gibeonites when as they inquired not of the Lorde what they were to doe in that matter vpon a wrong supposall that themselues had already espied the bottome of it And the trueth is that if euer wee take our aduice of the Lorde then can we neuer be deceiued howe simple soeuer wee are besides but if wee leaue him and rest in our selues then are wee much and often deceiued howe great soeuer our wisedome may bee in whatsoeuer wee haue to deale Much like hereunto it is that he did so easily yeelde to the Prophet Gad in so great a matter as it was vnto him and it were much better for many of vs likewise to giue eare to our Prophetes such as wee finde to be of the Lorde than otherwise to runne the course that wee doe Let all things be done by the rule of the worde of God and it is the thing that for this matter is the vttermoste that can bee desired In which word the more that any
others were and seeing that it is not vnlikely but that these words of Christ may rather shewe in what sense David might haue done it well then precisely in what sense it was done in deede therefore it remayneth that this also might come of his infirmitie and so be gathered to that account Taking agayn the sword of Goliath to his private vse As touching his sword it i Pet. Mar in 1. Sam. 21.9 may well be that he had consecrated it to the Lord to the honour and prayse of God If so he had then was there k Leui. 27.28 a law that nothing altogether separate vnto the Lord might agayne be taken to common vse So that it may be that in this also he did offend vnlesse he were holpen by the self same warrant that we may suppose he was in the other But because that that doth not so appeare and otherwise the law was directly agaynst it wee cannot well hold him excused herein vnlesse wee had some further warrant although notwithstanding we do not denie but that it may be that in this also he was excusable The two latter are that he l 22.2 enterteyned such a band of infamous persons for his defence and that Interteyning infamous persons swearing to Saul at the request of Saul m 24.21.22 he was content to sweare not to destroy his seede after him In both which although it may be that some gouerned himself in them both as that in them also he was vnreprouable yet is it not to be denied but that the case might also be such as that he might haue offended therein In the former of them for that he enterteyned forces now especially so infamous as many of them were in the latter for that he could not be ignorant but that the Lord had cast away Saul raysed him to gouerne in his place and so consequently was in likelihood to bee called to such actions as were likely to accord but ill with the oath he had takē That which belonged vnto the time of Ishbosheth the sonne of Saul Not refusing the falshood of Abner was that when Abner being falne out with Ishbosheth aforesayd his Lord and maister thereupon came vnto David and offered to bring the whole kingdome vnto him although this offer were of that condition that he could not performe it without some kinde of il dealing with him that put him in trust yet n 3.20 did he accept of him and enterteyned him with solemne feasting Wherein although it might bee he did no more but that which he might in all poynts iustifie the place it self being his owne and for that the meanes wherby Abner would seeme vnto him to go about to bring it to passe might also bee good yet because that the other also might be and is as likely therefore in this also it may seeme vnto vs that his doing therein might proceede of infirmitie His Polygamie That one that we noted to be nothing at all so farre as wee reade occasioned by those troubles that now he susteyned was o 25.41.43 his Poligamy in that he had so many wiues first with Michall the daughter of Saul Ahinoam also and when Saul had bestowed his daughter in these his troubles vpon an other it may be not only for hatred of him in his principall quarell but also for that David held not himselfe contented with her but tooke vnto him an other besides Abigail also the widowe of Nabal but a little before deceased In which although he did manifestly corrupt the first institution of that holy ordinance as p Math. 19.4.6 Mar. 10.5.11.9 Christ himself did afterward more fully teach vs and hauing one alreadie could not take an other vnto her but that needs he must do a manifest wrong vnto the former as the q 1. Cor. 7.3.5 Apostle also did in like sort afterward witnesse yet because that it was in those dayes ouer common a fault with many of the Fathers and so little either forbidden by the lawe or rebuked by the Prophets that most men hold it as tollerated of God himself vnto that people for the time in other respects therefore haue I placed it here among those his infirmities that in some sense might be excused whereas otherwise if we should seperate it from that people and from that time it were in no wise to be allowed so easie a censure Those others that are so apparantly euill as that in no wise they may bee defended Such as were apparantly evill are some of them agayne not so immoderate as others of them but certeyne of them very immoderate and such as no man might looke for in him Some not to immoderate Those that were not so immoderate were imployed about his owne defence first at home and then abroad At home he r 20.5.6 both directeth Ionathan how to excuse him by an vntrueth and ſ 21.2 himself also maketh an vntrue report of his comming to Ahimelech the Priest in such sort as he did Abroad there were two First flying to Achis one of the Kings of the Philistims to escape the present daunger that he was in there also espying himself to bee in daunger t 21.10.15 he fell to dissemble and in very dishonorable manner for such an one as he was fayned himselfe to bee out of his wits and shortly after * 22.3.5 flying to the King of Moab there to leaue his father and mother till he sawe what the Lord would do with him by the Prophet Gad he was forbidden there to abide and willed to returne into Iudea again and so found that course of his to be wrong likewise Others verie immoderate Those that were so very immoderate and such as none might looke for in him were especially two one that cruell reuenge that he had intended agaynst Nabal and all his familie the other about his owne flight now the second time to Achish agayne His intended crueltie agaynst Nabal was such His intended revenge against Nabal as that for his chorlishnes shewed vnto him when he sent certeyne of his men vnto him to desire him to help him with some victuals u 25.22.34 he thought forthwith to haue destroyed him and all his with the edge of the sword whereas notwithstanding there was one of that familie whom shortly after he tooke to himself vnto the neerest friendship that could be His second flight vnto Achish and his doings there In his second flight vnto Achish we may finde diuers things that a man would bee sorie to finde in him both in the manner of his fléeing thether and in his demeanour while he was there In the manner of his fléeing thether we are to note that it was not of a sodeyne now as it was before to auoyde a present daunger but that it was x 27.1.2 with deliberate aduise and then must it needes be so much the worse both because he fled to
they were holpen by him How slenderly he set in hand to séeke redresse in these matters may sufficiently appeare if we do but vnfould his doings herein and consider of them For certeyne it is that somewhat he did and such as might beare a reasonable shew and yet notwithstanding his doings being better considered he did in a manner nothing at all That somewhat he did That which might beare some reasonable shewe was first on behalfe of some part of the people then afterward somewhat that he did on behalfe of them all That which he did on behalfe of some part of them was that peece of seruice that he did at o 11.1.13 Iabesh Gilead one of the the Cities beyond Iorden which Nahash the King of the Ammonites had strongly besieged and when the Citizens sued for peace he would in no wise graunt it vnto them but vpon a very cruell and dishonorable condition which was that he might thrust out the right eye of euery one of them and so bring a perpetuall reproach vpon them and vpon the whole nation withall Wherevpon the spirit of the Lord comming vpon Saule he sent foorth his messengers to commaund the people forth-with to followe he quickly got a great number together made haste to Iabesh raysed the siege and gaue a notable ouerthrowe to the enemie Insomuch that whereas before certeyne euill persons made light account of him which also was easily put vp of the rest now were the people generally so farre in loue with this their new King that had not Saul himself stayed them needes would they haue had those ill persons to haue been sought out and for that their former contempt to be put to death now That which afterward he did on behalfe of them all was some part of it of his owne accord and some part agayne by the direct commandement of God Of his owne accord both he did somewhat at the first entrie into his kingdome and afterward he proceeded somewhat further also At his first entrie into his kingdom both p 13.2 he chose out 3000. men to haue in a readinesse vpon all occasions two thousand to attend vpon himselfe and the other thousand on Ionathan his sonne and q 13.5 when the Philistims now began to inuade them agayne he did not only r 13.35.16 addresse himselfe to giue them battaile but also when as ſ 14.1.15 by other meanes they were discomfited he t 14.20 followed vpon them and gaue vnto them a great ouerthrow That which somewhat after he did was in effect no more but this that he did his endeuour in some measure to deliuer his countrie from their enemies Which thing is deliuered vnto vs by two speciall poynts one how he esteemed of such as were meet for the warres the other in what sort he dealt with the enemie Concerning the former u 14 52. it is sayd that he made much of them Concerning the latter it is sayd first generally that x 14.47 not only he did still warre vpon them on euery side and that y 14.52 right sore agaynst the Philistims but also that he z 14.4 euer put them all to the worse and did a 14.48 much rid his people out of the hands of those that spoyled them More specially there are numbred among them not only those of whom we haue some storie set downe as the Ammonites Philistims and the Amalekites but others also of whom we haue no further storie as the Moabites Idumeans and the Kings of Zoba That which he did by the speciall commaundement of God was his expedition b 15.1.9 agaynst the Amalekites at such time as God was disposed to be auenged on them for an old iniurie that almost 400. yeres before they had done to the children of Israel as in the Wildernesse they were passing on to the land of promise In which expedition although he did not execute the iudgment of God agaynst them so strictly and fully as he was commaunded to do yet c 15.7.8 made he a great destruction of the enemie and besides that d 15.6 had a speciall care of the Kenites certeyne auncient friends of the children of Israel to get them out of the way But that it was nothing to speake of that they perished not with the other That yet notwithstanding all these goodly shewes he did in a manner nothing at all it appeareth in this for that the Lord doth flatly reiect him for the want that he found in him Which want of his was of the chiefe and principall matter of all that is of an heart or setled purpose in al things to awayt the Lords direction and then to frame his doings thereafter For seeing that now he was chosen to bee King of Israel that is both to susteyne the person of God among them and to gouerne them not as his owne but only as the people of God how could he but see that now of necessitie he must needes resigne himselfe vnto God euer to seeke his direction of him and in all things to do as he should appoynt That so he did not we haue deliuered vnto vs by two examples that playnlie declare how short he was in those two poynts one in that e 13.9 he awayted not the comming of Samuel the other in that f 15.9 he did not execute the sentence of GOD agaynst the Amalekites with that seueritie that was appoynted In both which notwithstanding we may see that he grewe so néere to his full duetie in those two poynts that a reasonable man would thinke he had done very well and yet in trueth he came very short of that which he ought to haue done in deede For as touching the former of them that is the awayting of Samuels comming the storie is this that Samuel promised to come thether vnto him g 10.8 both to instruct further what he should do and h 11.14 to renew or establish the kingdome vnto him with the generall consent of all before the Lord and therefore willed him there to abide till he came vnto him i 10.8 naming in deed but seauen dayes after the manner of their kinde of speach but yet not meaning any determinate number but that if he thought he taried somewhat long yet not to be wearie for so small a matter This platforme being layd forth vnto him now are wee to see how néere it is that he seemeth to come vnto it and how farre in trueth he commeth short of it He may seeme to come néere vnto it both in that he taried so long as he did and in that he had so good cause as he had then to breake vp He taried k 13.8 vntill the seauenth day and as it seemeth vntil the time of the euening sacrifice of that day it may be also that he taried fully the seauen dayes outright and so consequently altogether so long as the Prophet in strict letter required of him
The cause that himself alleadgeth why he was so bolde as to breake vp then was l 13.11.12 for that the people began to steale away apace and seeing that the enemies lay so neere as they did he thought he might seene bee driuen to encounter with them and that he would bee loath to do before he had sacrificed vnto the Lord. But it may bee further that seeing he was m 10.6.9.10 11.6 before endued in some good measure with the Spirit of God and his kingdome so much established as n 11.12 before it was both by his victorie against the Ammonites and for that the people there vpō that occasion accepted of him he was now perswaded that neither he needed any further instruction of the Prophet nor any further inauguration by his ministerie before the Lord especially at such a time when as those other considerations in reason required such hast as they did Short he came o 13.13.14 for that he awayted not that further instruction and that further renewing or establishing of the kingdome to him before the Lord notwithstanding that the Prophet taried so long as he did and notwithstanding those reasons he had so much to hasten Now as touching the latter of them wherein his doings do lye more open than in the other he might seeme to haue gon very néere to the Lords commaundement for that he p 15.8.9.10 destroyed so much as he did and for that the residue that they did not destroy yet q 15.15 brought they away and to r 15.15 offer in sacrifice vnto the Lord. But yet was he short ſ 15.18.19.22.23 for that vpon his owne reason and the liking of those that were with him he did not execute the sentence of God to the vttermost poynt that was commanded and withall turned vnto the pray or greedily sought some aduantage therby That as good occasion hath bin offered now to advāce the kingdome of Christ in the want of government that was before and yet is as before to advance the kingdome of David for the want of government that was in Saul 15 To come to our selues we are to consider whether the estate of Christendome were in any such miserie now as the estate of Israel was then and if it were whether such as haue raigned among vs and yet do haue better imploied thēselues then Saul did vnto the redresse of whatsoeuer they find out of square For if the estate of Christendome also were of late or yet is in many places as far out of square as then the estate of Israel was and those that haue reigned or yet do be in most places as short of their dutie as Saul was then it is not to be denied by any but that the like occasion being offered now as we find to be offered then the like hope may be conceiued now also of the aduancement of the kingdome of Christ alreadie begun as heerein we find of the kingdome of David that vpon that occasion was now first aduanced First therefore as towching the estate that Christendome was in In what estate Christendom was vnder Poperie and yet is before these daies of the Gospell and yet is where the Gospell is not receiued and among all those that after a sort receiue it so far-forth as they do not soundly receiue it in effectuall maner it may soone appeare that it was altogether as ill as was the estate of Israel then as yet also it is either fully agréeable thereunto where the Gospell is so much reiected or somewhat fauoring of it where the Gospell is not so fully receiued in such proportion as yet they hold it out from among them For whereas the text said of them that the people were in distresse not only a Math. 24.29 Luk. 21.25.26 2. Tim. 3.1.5 Apo. 8.13.9.1.5 the text it selfe doth likewise fore-shew in many places that such should be those daies of vengeance procéeding from the wrath of the Lord that now we speake of but also both the histories do so plentifully witnes the same and the experience of those daies hath made so sensible demonstration thereof vnto vs that no body now can be either altogether ignorant or but so much as doubtfull of it So likewise where were there any then to be found that durst looke those enimies of ours in the face or rather who did not either hide themselues in the most secret places that they could thinke of or else abandoning their owne countries and houses got them farther off out of danger for such hath bin the power of those our Philistims of the Church of Rome for certain ages that it was past the power of Princes and much rather of meaner estates to deale with them after that by their slacknes before they had now got the bridle into their téeth As for any furniture against the wars who knoweth not but that they swept all as cleane from vs as euer the Philistims did from them For whereas the word of God is the swoord of our warfare as b Math. 4.4.7.10 Christ in his owne person hath taught vs and as the c Ephes 6.17 Apostle likewise doth call it what part thereof did they leaue vnto vs in our mother-toong or in such sort as we might be able in time of néede to attaine thereunto neither the old Testament nor the new neither the Prophets nor the Apostles nor Christ himselfe neither the preachings nor yet the writings of any of their And this haue they done in so greedie and watchfull maner that as among the children of Israel only King Saul and Jonathan his sonne were found to haue either sword or speare and yet being but sixe hundred in all it had bin but a small matter if fo many had had weapons ynow thrée-fold ouer so likewise with vs though in that corrupt time there were not many that so much misliked the seruititude they were in that they could be content to take part with their Princes against those other Philistims of theirs but that it had bin as small a matter for them to haue had weapons ynow yet among them also but few were found heere and there one with some rare and principall man and otherwise not so much as one among them all Neither were our Philistims content to spoile vs of our weapons only but they tooke away all such artificers also or men of learning as were able to make any mo Insomuch that as they for the repairing of their instruments of husbandrie were faine to séeke vnto the Philistims or else at home might neuer haue but the vse of a file a seely and a busie help for the mattok coulter and share so we likewise euen for the artes and liberall sciences were driuen to séeke vnto these Philistims of ours that they only might giue the heate and haue the hammering of all those matters And if any of vs thought much in those things to be so beholding to them or would
good a forwardnes for that matter that well may we hope of the like successe in the end We see also what is the course wherein wee are to awayt this goodnesse of God and of howe little force it is that out of the oddes betwixt David and vs may bee obiected What therefore remayneth nowe but to lift vp our heades and to awayte the full aduancement of that glorious kingdome of Christe among vs In the house of Abraham Ishmael for a time was grieuous to Izhak because of the promise but his mother and hee were for the same cast out in the ende In the wombe of Rebekah Esau stroue against Iaakob his brother but both it was tolde Rebekah by and by that the elder shoulde serue the yonger and afterwarde it was brought to passe in deede that so hee did Esau hated Iaakob agayne because of the blessing wherewith Father Iahak had blessed him and although him selfe had made but very slender account of it yet when hee sawe that his brother had it hee fully purposed to destroy him for it But Iaakob was had to a place of safetie in the meane season while his brothers wrath was asswaged and his brother himselfe otherwise placed and afterwarde was hee brought home in peace with abundance of riches many children and a great familie vnto the quiet and peaceable fruition of so much of that blessing of his as that present estate of his was capable of peaceably soiourning in that lande of promis an earnest to him and to his children of greater mercies intēted towards them whence Esau and his were already remooued Ioseph Ioseph for the speciall knowledge that God had giuen him of great aduauncement in time to come was by his naturall but vnnaturall brethren soulde for a bond-slaue and so by them cast what was in them into the moste yrkesome and grieuous miserie of perpetuall bondage and after againe by the false accusation of the wicked and by the credulitie of such as had authoritie was cast into prison and there for a time both hee and his innocencie lay fast bound and in a manner buried together Yet in the end hee was deliuered his innocencie made knowne and himselfe brought to maruellous honour vnto whome not onely the Aegyptians but his owne brethren also yeelded all the obeisance they coulde The children of Israel in bondage The children of Israel for a time were in bondage and serued the Aegyptians a long season and by them were kept in miserable slauerie and when Moses himselfe pitying their estate was very forwarde and would haue holpen them somewhat before the time was come though at that true hee was in great fauour in the court and very mightie yet was hee not able to bring it to passe but medling with it somewhat to timely made it worse then it was before But afterwarde when the time was come God himselfe required the King of Aegypt to let his people goe to serue him and when hee woulde not hee powred foorth his plagues vpon them in so plentifull manner that hee made him fayne against his wil to let them goe and to suffer them to take away with them all their iewels and precious thinges euen all the spoyle of the Lande of Aegypt Intangled And when soone after hearing that the children of Israel were intangled in the Wildernes so that he might haue them at great aduantage to destroy them euery one hee repented nowe that hee had let them goe before and sought for to get them into bondage agayne or else to destroy them hee quickly founde that the date of the bondage of the people of God was nowe at end and that hee might not in any wise looke not so much as to bring them nowe afresh into their former estate of bondage againe much lesse to preuaile against their liues although of long time they had so done before Their intangling in the wildernesse was not to put them into their handes agayne but to prouoke them to come out to receiue the vengeance that they had so iustly deserued that seeing they would in no time finde the good and mercifull calling of God leading them vnto a sounde repentaunce of the former oppression and cruelty that they had exercised against the people of God they might now in their most iust destruction giue matter of great comfort and ioy to the people of Israel then and of better aduice and moderate dealing to all posterities that were to come In the wildernes as they passed by In the wildernes and hauing already nowe begun that long and tedious iourney of theirs as they trauailed on in their owne weakenesse fayntly ynough to the lande of promis the Amalekites that dwelt thereby coulde not finde in their heartes to suffer them to passe so quietly by them but must needes lay themselues in ambush to annoy them and euer nowe and then cut of some straglers of them But such order was taken with them that both presently they were beaten home by a fewe souldiers that were sent to encounter them and while Moses getting vp to an hill that was thereby helde vp that staffe of his whereby so many great workes haue beene done as the standarde of the Lorde vnto his people and had withall for the time to come an heauier iudgement denounced against them that for this their discurtesie to the people of God they shoulde afterwarde bee vtterly destroyed from the face of the earth A while after themselues Refusing to to enter into the land of promis euen all the whole company of them a very fewe seuerall persons onely excepted did so much offend the Lorde for that they woulde not enter the lande when the Lorde had layde it open vnto them that now by oath and sentence giuen hee excluded them for euer and woulde neuer suffer any of them all to goe in and see the goodnesse of it But yet mindefull of his promise to Abraham Izhak and Iaakob he afterward brought in their children into it as many in number as their fathers were that were excluded and somewhat me after that they were growne vp to mans state and had for a time born the punishment of their fathers sins Towards the end of this their iourney howe did the Moabites and Midianites together when they sawe the children of Israel to bee a mightier people Secretly assaulted by the wicked practises of the Moabites and Midianites then that by strong hande they coulde haue any hope to preuayle against them giue themselues to secrete practises howe earnestly did they labour Balaam for that cause to come vnto them howe many sacrifices did they willingly offer howe earnestly and howe often did they intreate the highest power of all to haue giuen them some hande against the Israelites the Israelites that meant no yll against them and that quietly lay in their campe little knowing how these were occupied And yet when they had done all that they coulde they coulde doe nothing Israel
Israelites of ours be induced therby to make a couenant with Iesus Christ and to yeeld themselues to his kingdome For if David were free from Abners bloud and if he were ordeyned of God to bee their King as in trueth he was and if the matter were so euident in him that now they all did playnlie perceiue it much more must those things be in Christ and in his Gospell in farre greater measure without comparison and so consequently much more euident also in him And so it is not to bee doubted that how farre of soeuer these Israelites of ours do yet stand out agaynst Christ and his word yet is there a time which God hath appoynted when as they shall mislike their folly and with one consent make him their king that so he may enter into the whole For if the children of Israel were so effectually touched at the length to yeeld vp their obedience to David that they came with so great a number and those the principal men of them al and with the consent of all the rest it may not bee doubted but that Christ also his eternall trueth shal haue the same in some good time performed likewise And seeing that David was but a figure Iesus Christ is the trueth it self so much the rather may we hope that as wee sawe the glorie of Christ at the comming in of the Gentiles a great deale greater then was this of David at the cōming in of al the Israelites so we may now also atteyne to sée the like general assent in some good time yéelded to the Gospell of Christ by the states people of Christendome that in some good measure may proportionably answer the comfortable patterne that we haue seene alreadie in Christ 10 But so beeing come to good opportunity to treat of the hope that we may conceiue of this matter that is What course it is wherein we may iustly conceive this hope aforesaide of a further accomplishment of the kingdome of Christ by his worde we are to consider first what is the course wherein wee may conceiue the hope aforesayde then howe to aunswere that which may seeme to goe against it Concerning the former of these two we are to knowe that if wee woulde exactly haue it we are to gather it not onely out of this booke of the historie but also out of all such Psalmes as belong vnto this compasse of time But because the historie will be sufficient for this matter and more agreeable vnto the order that hitherto we haue obserued we shal holde our selues contented therewith and yet because that out of those Psalmes we may learne howe to exercise our selues to good purpose in these our troubles in the end wee shall consider of those also both to see how David exercised him selfe therein and how we may doe the like our selues Keeping our selues therefore but vnto the historie at this present wee are there to marke what is the course that David held in these matters and then how wee may in these dayes of ours apply the same vnto our selues In the course that David helde in these matters we are to consider what minde he caried first towardes God and then towards others What mind David caried towards God Seeking after spirituall comfort Towardes God wee may finde that hee bare a very good minde so soone as euer this persecution was raysed agaynst him and in the course of all his dealings afterward also For at the first so soone as euer persecution was raysed against him hee being forced to steppe aside to auoid the present daunger forthwith got him to the godlier sort first vnto Samuel at Ramah and then vnto Ahimelech the Priest Vnto a 19 18. Samuel hee came when Saul had mist of him b 19.10 himselfe and thereupon presently c 19 11. sent vnto his house to ouertake him there and to dispatch him Whereupon being driuen to saue himselfe by flight he tooke his course to Samuel the Prophet there belike in this distresse to seeke some comfort in the Lorde Shortly after vnderstanding more fully by the helpe of Ionathan that Saul was fully bent to destroy him being then occasioned again to saue him selfe by flight d 22.1 he came to Ahimelech the Priest belike to worship the Lorde there and to see what comfort so he might finde in this his perillous and troublesome case And as thus he began when persecution was first raised against him so held he on in al the course of his dealings besides For wheras Abiathar one of the Priests and sonne to Ahimelech escaping that great cruell slaughter that Saul did make of al the whole company of the Priests at Nob for his safetie and succour came vnto David althoughe it were a dangerous matter for him to giue any entertainment vnto him beeing so far in displeasure himselfe as he was yet e 22 23. did he not only receiue him but such loue bare he to the Priests of the Lorde he willed him also to be of good comfort and told him plainly the with him he should not miscary so far as he should be able to help Ever inquiring of the Lord in all his great and doubtfull affayres And hauing so gotten one of the pristes of the Lord vnto him accustomably in his waighty affairs he asked consel of the Lord that so he might be able to direct his waies the better to the good liking and pleasure of God As for example when word was brought him that the Philistims were come against Keilah f 23.2 he asked counsell of the Lord whether he should goe against them or not At which time although the Lord bad him go yet because that his company made further question g 23.4 he asked the Lord of the same point agayne and agayne receiued the same aunswere of him So likewise during the time that he was at Keilah after that hee had deliuered them from their enimies hearing that Saul was determined to come against him and then wisely premeditating with himselfe in what daunger he was like to bee if the Lords of Keilah would not stand fast vnto him although in reason he might haue presumed that after so good deserts of his hee needed not to doubt of any of them especially so very soone after yet knowing how easily he might be deceiued if he should rest ouermuch in men there againe h 23.10.12 he sought to the Lord to know in deede whether Saul would come thither and if he came whether the Lordes of Keilah would deliuer him and his men into his hands Whereunto the Lord aunswered both that Saul would come in deede and that the Lordes of Keilah notwithstanding his former deserts would deliuer him if there he taried into his handes In like manner when at his returne he found Ziklag spoiled and his souldiers in their impatience were about to haue stoned him * 30.6.8 he in this distresse pluckt vp his heart and