LIB.XII. Jonathans P'if!ory andS!_ulsOath. -:-::----- A the one, is recompenced with the zeale in the other.All Ifrael is adjured not to eace· any food until! the evening; Hypocrifieis evermasked with a blinde and thankleffe ,ealc.To wait upon the Ark,and confultwitbGodsPriell in all cafesofimportance, was a direet commandement ofGod; To eate no fvod in the purfuit oftheir enemieswas not commanded. .Sar•lleavcs that which he was bidden, and does that which he was notrequired. To eate no fo~d all day was more difficulr, then to attend an houreupon the Ark; Thevoluhtaryfervices ofHypocrites are many times more painfull,chen the dutits enjoyned by God. In what awe did alllfrael /land of the Oath even of Sdul ? lt was not their owne vow, but Sauls for them; yet comming into the wood, where they faw the Honey dropping, and found the meat as ready as their appetite ; they dare not touch char B fufienance, and will rather endure famine, and fainting, then an indifcreet curfe. DoubtleffeGod had brought thofe Bees thither on purpofe to try the conflancy of Ifrael; Jfrael couldnot but think (that which Ionathan faid) that the vow was unadvifed and Injurious; .yet they will rather die thenviolate it : HowC1cred lhould we hold the obligation ofourowne vowes in things jufiand expedient,when thebond ofanothers ralh vow is thus inditfoluble. Therewas a double mifchiefe followed upon Sauls oath,an abatement ofthe viGlory,and eatingwiththe bloud : For, on the one fide, the people were fo faint that they were more likely to die,then kill; they could neither run,nor flrike in this emptineffe;Neither hands nor feet candoe theiroffice, '\~hen the fiomack isnegleCted: On the other,an unmeet forbearance cauf~s a ravenous n::paft: Hunger knowes neiC ther choyce, nor order, nor meafure: The one of thefe was a wrong to Ifrael, the other was awrong done by Ifrael to God: SaN!s zeak was guiltyofboth : A ralh vowisfeldome ever free from inconvenience: The heart that hath unneceffarily intangled it fdf,drawes mifchiefe either uponit fdforothers. Ionathan was ignorant ofhisfathers adjuration,he knewno reafonwhy he lhould not refrelh himfelfin foprofitable a fervice, with a little tafle ofHoney upon his Speare:Full well hadhe deferved this unfought dainty; and now behold his Honey is turned into Gall: ifitwere fweet in the mouth,itwas bitter \n the fouk1 ifthe eies ofhis body were enlightned, the light ol Gods countenance was clouded by this aa.After he heard of the oath, he pleads juflly againfl it,the loffe offo taire anopportuniryofrevenge,and the troubleoflfrael ; yet neither hisreafons againfl the D Oath, nor his ignorance ofthe Oath,canexcufe him from a fin ofignorancein violating that,which firfi heknew not,and then knew unreafonable.Now Saulsleifure would ferve him to ask counfell ofGod;As before Saal would not enquire, fo now God will not anfwer:Wcll mightSau/havefound fins enowofhis owne, whereto to impute this liknce:Hehathgrnceenough to know thatGod was offended,and to guel!e at the atufe ofhis offence: Soonerwill anHypocrite finde out anothermans fm then his own ; and now he fweares more ralhly eo punilh with deatb,the breach ofthat, which he hadfworne ralhly. Thelots were caft,and Saul prayes for thedecifion; Ionathan is taken : Eventhe prayersofwicked Jllen are fometimes heard,although in juflice,not in mercy : Saul himfdfewaspunilhed not a little,in the fall of this lot upon lonathan;Surely Satd finned more in making this vow, theg Ionathan in E breaking itunwittingly, and now the father fmms for the ralhneffe ofhis double vow,bythe unjufl fentence ofdeath upon fo worthy a fon: God had neve.rfingled out I•nathan by his lot,ifhe had not bin difpleafedwith his aCl: Vowes ralhlymade may not be ra!hly bcoken; If the thing we havevowed be not evill in it felf,or in the effeCt,we cannot violate it without evill. Ignorancecannot3cquir,ifit can abate our fin. It is like, if lonathan had heard his fathers adjuration, he had not tranfgreffed; his abfenceat the time ofthat Oath,cannotexcufe him fromdifpleafure:What lhall becomeofthofe,which may knowchecharge oftheir heavenlyFather,andwill not~ which doe know his charge, and will not keep it ~ AffeCtation of ignorance, and willing difobedience, is defperate. Dea~h was too hard acenfurefor fuch anunkaowne offence : The cruel! piety of Saul will revenge the breach of his own chargefo as he would be loth God lhould S fff a>·en ·e
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=