1056 I [ontemplationt. Lr n. XIII. I 1hewes the man, ~ndifthere be any blemilbesofim(l<'rfeClion,thcywill bcfe.ne Pi. inrhe m~n,tharis inexpeCtedly lifted aho1oe his fdlowes : He i; QUt oitl)e d.1ngcr of fol!y,whom a fpeedy advanctment !ea\!lOth 1\.ife. Jonathan loved D~vil,the Souldie(> honoured him,the Court f~vourod hiq>,\he : I people {{;plaqded h1m,one!y Saul !lomackt hun,and therefqr~ hated him, becaufe he was o happy in all .bdi4es hhnfdfe: It had beena flJanw for all Ifrae), if they ' had no; magnified thm Cliamp10n : Sauls owne heart cm~ld Mt bul:f.e!l hitn, that they dtd owe the glory ot that day, and the faf<ty ofh1mfelfe ana !frll'l unto ihe fiingofDavid,whoin onemanlluea!! thofnhoufands ar a blow.It wa;c~ou"h forthe puiffant King of!frae!,to follow the chafe, and to kill rhem, WhGnJ p4,(};,J had put to Right; yet he, that could lend his clothes and his ormourto tl]is e}<ploit, cannot abide to part with the honour of it to him, that had earned it fo<!earely: ! The holy Songs of David had not more quieted his fpirits before, then npw 1he thankfu!l Songofthe Ifracliri1hwomen vexos him : One little Pii>Y (of S••l hAib flaint his thoufand, aniDavid his ttn thoufond) fung unto the Timbrds of Ifrao!, fetchragain that evil! fpirir,which Davids Mufiqucbad expelled: S414l Q~edcq ftP! thetormemofa worfe fpirir,then Envy. Oh the unreafonablenelfe of rhis wicked pa{fion ! The women gave Sa11! more,and Davidldfe,rhen he deferved : For Sartl alone could not kill a thoufanp, and .Davidi~ tlj;lt one atl of)<jlling Goliah,Oue in effecr, all the Philillims that were llainethaH!ay; and yet becauferhey give more to David then ro himfdfe, he that 1hould haVJ: endited, and begun that Song of , ' thankfulneffe, repines and growes nowas mad with envy, as he was before with . griefi: Truth and Ju!lice are no protedion again!l Ml!!ict 1 Envy is blinde re a!! § obj•tls,favll0ther mens happineffe: IftJ:tt,ey.sofmtn could be~ontained within ' theirowne bounds, and not rove forth into comp>rifons; th.re could be-no pllll:e for this vicious affetlion; bur when they have once taken this lawlolfe fcope to themfe!ves,~hey lofe thekndwledge ofhome,and care onlrtobe e111p\oyed abroad in their ovln torm•nt, Never was Sttll!t bre!l fo fir a lodgiftgfortheovill fpi,ir,as now, that itisdrell up with envy: It is :is imtaflible that Hell lhould be freefrom Devils,as amalicious heart : Now doth the rantike King of Ifrael tenew his old fits, and walks, and . talks dillratledly; He was mad with D•viJ, and who but David mull be called to ala)'his madneffe ~ Such was Davids wifdomc, hecouldnnt but knowthe termes, wherein he flood with SAt•!; yetin lieu ofthe harlh and difcordous notes ofbis ma. D /lers envy,he returns ple:dingMufidue unto him : He can nover begood Courrier, nor good man, that bath not !earne to repay, ifnor injuries wirh thanks, yereviU with good. Whil.s there was a Harp in V•vids hand, there was a Spearein s.. ts, wherewith he ihrearens dearhas the recoml"'nce of that fw:et melody: He {aid (I will fmiu D•vid tbrougl. t~thewa!l.) Iris well for the innocent, that wicked tneo cannot keep theirown counfel!: Godfetchethrheir thoughts out of their mouthes, or their countenance for a feafonablepreventi<>n,which e!fe might proc«:d to fe=t execution: It was timefor Davidto withdraw himfe!f,his obediencadidnouichim to be the mark or a'furious ma!ler; he might eafl! S•ul witbhi~mufique, with his bloud he !)light nor:Twice tbereli>rc doth heavoid the Prefene<,not the Cc;mrr,not the Service of Saul. li One ,.ould have thouoht rather, that D•vid · lhould have b!,ene affraidof Saol oecaufe the~vi!! was i'o llrongwith him, tl1en rhatSau/ lhauld be ailhid of D•"vid becaufe the Lord WlS with him; yet we finde all ~he feare in S••l of DNtnd, ribne i~ David of Sa"l : Hmed and feare are ordinary companions ' Davit/ ftaa wi(etlome ond faith to difpdl his feares, Saul had n~thing bur lnfiddiry, and Bej~~ed, felfe-condemned, dillempered thoughts, wllfch mull needs nou. rilh them ; yet San! could not fc;are any hurt from D•vid, whom he found fo loyal! and ferviceable: He feares ondy too much good unto David; :Illc\ rbe envious feare is much more then the di!lrullfHll : now Da'IJ'iiJ prefence begiOS to be,;,ore difpleafing, then his mulique was fweet; Defpighr it feMe; had r:~~:her preffqe ftim to a remote dignity, then endure him aaeerer anendant: This prom(}- I uon
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