[ontemplationl. L'r s.Xlll, world, ought to be confccrated to that Majefiie, whom they refemble, bypublike A devotions: Every important aetion requires a Sacrifice to blclfe it, much more that aQ,which impons the whole Church,or Corinnon-wealth. It was great news to fee Sam~d at Bethlcem, he was no gaddec abroad, taone but necelfary occafions cot~ld make h1m fi1r from R.amath:TheElders ofthe Cityther· fore,welcome himwith ~rcmbling,not forchat theywereafraidofhim,butofthemfelves;they knew,that guefi would not come to the for fumiliarity,firaight do they fufpecr,it was the pm·pofe offome judgement,that drew him thither: Commtjl thDU prawhly ? It is a good thing to !land in aweofGods Melfeng~rs,and to hold good terms vlith themupon all occa{ions:The Bethlemitesareglad to hearofno other crrand,buta Sacrifice,;md now mull they fanetifie themfelves for fo facred abufinefs: We may not prefume to facrifice unto God unfanctified, this were to mar ao holy B act,and make our [elves more profane,by profaning that, which !hould be holy. All the Citizens fanctific themfelves, but Ijhai and his fons were in a fpeciall falhion fanctificd by Samucl.This bnfintffc was moll theirs,and all Ifrael in them;the more God hath to doe with us, the more holy 010uld we be. With what defire did Samuelln?k upon the fonnes of Ifoai, that he might fee the face ofthe man whom God had chofcn~ And now, whenEiiah the eldefi foncame forth,a man ofagoodly prefence, whofe pcrfon feemed fit eo fucceed Saul, he thinks with himfdfe, This choice is foon made,! have alreadyefpied the head,on which I mull fpend this holy Oile:Thisis the man,which hath both the priviledgeofnature in his primogeniture,and ofoutwardgoodlinelfe in proportion:Surely theLords Anointed is before him.Even the holid\ Prophet,when he goes withoutGod, runsjnco error:The beft C 1 judgment is fubjeC\ to deceit: It is no trufiing anymortal! man, when he fpeakso~ himfelf: Our eyes can be led by nothin~ but fignsand appearances, andthofchave commonly in themeithtr atrue falfhooa,or uncertain truth. That which 01ould have forewacned samlltl,deceived him;he had feenthe proof ofa goodly fiaturcunanfwerable to their h9pes,and yethiseye erres in the lhape: He, that judgetl1 by the infide both ofour hearts and atlions, checks Samuel in this mifconceit: (l-ook noton hil countenance, nor m the htight •fhisjlaturt, ftecaufi I have ref•Jtdhim;[orGodfurh not"" mar> fetth: )The Kingwith whomGodmeant to fatif- £e the untimely defires oflfrael,was chofenby his fiature,butthe King with whom God meant to pleafe himfdfis chofen by the heart. All the [even fons of Ifoai are prefentedto rhe Prophet, noone is omittedwhom their fatherrhought capable of 0 any refpect: if either S1moel or Ijbai lhould have chofen, IJavid 01ould never have beenKing:His farher thought him fit to keep 01eep,his brethren fit to rule men;yet evenDavid(the youngefi fonne)is fetcht from thefold,and by the choice ofGod defiined to the Throne : Nature,which is commonly partial! to her own,could not fuggeft ought to Ijhai , to make him think David worthy to be remembred in any competition ofhonour, yet him bath God fingled outtorule. God wil have hisWifdome magnified in the unlikehhoods ofhis eleC\ion:Davids countenancewas ingenuous,and beautiful,but if it had promifed fo much as EJiabs, · or Aminadabs,he had not been in the fields,whiles his brethren wereattheSacrificd: Ifwe doe altogether follow our eye, and fuffer our [elves eo be guided by outward refpeC\s in our choice for God or our felves,we carinot but goe amilfe.What dowe E think the brethren of David thought, whm they fawme oyle powred upon his head~ Surely(as thty were envious enough)they had too much repined, ifthey had either fully apprehended the purpofe ofthePropher,orelfe had notthoughtoffome improbability in the fuccelfe: Eirher they underfiood nor, or belceved nor, what God woulddoe with their brother; They faw him graced with Gods Spiritabove his wont,but perhaps forefaw not,whither it tended: D4vid(as no whit changed in his condition)retutns to his lheep again,&with an humbleadmiration ofGods gracious refpeCl to him, calls himfelfupon the wife and holy Decr.e oftheAlmighty, rofigning himftlfc to the difpofiuon ofthofe hands1 wh1ch had chofen h1m ; lVhen fuddcnly aMdfenger is font from Saul to call h1m mall hafie,to that Court,\yhereofhe!hallonce beMafier :The occafion is no leff~ from God,tben the cvenr. 1------~----------------------------------------------~U~~AV~
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