I l-11 '• f• Jonathans l"i'ilory andSaulsOath. J 0 N A T H A N S /fiEJory and SA ULS Oath. r' - - is no wonder if Sau{s courage were much cqoled with rhe heavy newes ofhis rejeCtion': Aft« rhis he lbies under the Pomegranate tree in Cibeal1; Hellirresnorrowards the G:tri!on of the Philillims: As Hope is the mother ofl'ortirude,fo n?thing dorh more breed.coward. B lineffe,rhen defpmre: Every dung drfmaye. that hearr, wluch God horh put dur of proref'lion. Worthy Ionathan (which fprun9 fi·om Sar~l as fome fwcedmpe growes Oflt ofa Crabllock) is therefore full ofvalour, becaufe full of faith, He-wellknew;· tl\:rt he !hould have norhing,butdifcouragements from his fathers feare l as rather ~hqofing therefore, to avoid all the blocks rhar might lye iJ' rheway, rHen 10 le!ip,ovcrrhem,he departs fecretl);' wirhouuhe difmillion of hrs Farhe< or no1ice oftiTe people; one!y God leads hrm, and hrs Armour-bearer followj,s'bim. 0 admirable fairhofionath4n, whom qeirher rhe Qeepneffe ofRocks, nor thi:: multitude ot'etli::mies can 9iffivadefrom. fo urtlikely an alfaulr! Is ir pollible, rhatn~g men, wfietk6Fbn.e\vasweaponleffe,!hdulddare tothink of incounrring fo manythoufands ~ 0 DivinePow.erofFaith, that in all difficulties and attempts., m~~-a m~n l)lOfe'ihen men, iindre_gards do more armies ofmen, then fwarmes of ayes! There isno~yafur to the 16rd (faith he) to favewirh many, or by few, It was'!lotfo·great9"ves,thatS•i;l-lh\}uld be amon~ll rh~Prophets,as that fuch a word lhonl!! collie fronHh~ Son of.!' ali : ' · I{ his Pl~her trad hadbuifomudi';t>ivinity,h.e had nor f.1erificed: The !lrength of~\S'Goll,inhsJround ofhiS'4~dil\!h In' Go~; Thequellion i~ not,wh;Jt/enatf<an can 9ot,but what G6d_cao do<; wifo1tl power IS not m the meanes, but ln hrmfelfe: Tharman~faith is well o'n<\<;rhli<till~h'ip)lols it ftlfby rh~ Omriipor<ncy of God; thu's rhe: Farhk6frl\l:_fafrHful( bQjft liis alt,\rante upon the power oftheAlmighty. Blit,marly thingsGod c:\n doe;whi<"'(lte.wiH'Il6t doe;How knowell: rhou,ronathan, I rhat'God ;vill be a~ forwald,as he is able,ro give theevitlory ~ Forthis (faith he) I D have.a watch-wot-d fromGoa;oul'ofrhe·mouthes of the Phili!lims : If they fay, 1 comeuR,we willgoebp; for Gocfjlathddiveredthem inro our hands: Ifthey fay, , Tar?"y_,tilhve co'mt :o;ofi~JJe wi!lf!aPU7!f'lf: Jimatban WJS too wife to rrull: unto a cafu.. ' all prtf.1Ne; There)Tligh! be fome fur ferchr conjectures ofthe tl'ent from the word; we.wi!FCOlTIO'W}"Ol!, IVOS a rh,e!!r ofrefolurion; Come you to us,was a challenge of fear~!' ~orperhap<,Come "f to!tl,~vas a word ofinfulration,from rhem,rhattrulled I to rhe in;tcceffiblenffeofthe pf:lce, and multitudesofmen.Infultarion is from pride, prid~ argued a fall, but faith harh nothing to doe wi.th probabilities, as that, which acknowledgerh no Argument,but demonflrarion; Ifthere had not been an inllinet from Cod ofrbis :lffirredw>rranrof fucceffe, Ionarh,m had prefumed, in ll:ead of I belc'eving, aad had.tempted thlt G 0 D, whom he profdled to glorifie by his E rrufr. ' There can"be no f.1irh, where\here is no promifc, and where there is a promife, ther~ canbe no prtfumption :Words are voluntary ; The tongues ofthe Phili!lims wereas freetofay,Tarry,as Comt: ThatGod,inwhomour very tongues move,overruled them fo,as now they 01all fpeak that word, which 0Jall cut their own throats: They knew no more harm inCome,rhenTarry;both were alike fafe forrhe found,for the fenfe;buthe,that put a fignification oftheir Oaughrer~n the one,not in the other, did p~t that word into their mouth,whereby they might invite their own dellruCtion. The difpofirionofour words are from the providence ofthe Almighty. God and ourhearts haye not alwaie. the fame meaning in our fpeeches; In rhofe words, whichwe fpcak at randome,orout ofa!leClarion,God batha further drift ofhisown glory,and perhaps our judgement. Ifwicked men fay, Our tongues are our owne, · sm. ~
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