L 1 a. XIII. DAviDandAHIM aLa c "· A wallow againe: That we have good thoughts,it is no thank to us j that we anfwer themnot,itisbothourfinandjudgement. · · · · · ' .. '· Dav idhath learned not to truft thefe fits ofdevotion,bilt flies from Samuel to Io· nathan,from Jonathanto Ahimdtch;when he was hunted from the Prophet; he flies to the Pri<ft,as one that knew juftice and compaflion lhould dwell in thofe breafts which are confecratedunto God. The Ark and theTabernacle were then feparated ;The Ark was atKiriathjearim; theTabernacle at Nob;God wasprefentwith both: Whith.r .fuould Davidflie for futcourbut to theHoufeofthat God,which had anointed him~ Ahimeltch was wont to fee Davidattendedwith the troups oflfrael, or withthe Gallantsofthe Court;it feemesftrange therefore to him,to fee fo great a Peere and B Champion oflfrael come alone; Thefe are the alterations to which earchly Greatnelfeisfubjett; Not manydaiesarepaft, fincenoman was honoured at Counbut Jonathan and David; now they are bothfor the time in difgrace; Now dare not the Kings Son in Law, Brother to the Prince both in Love andMariage, lhew his head at the Coun; nor any ofthofe that bowed to him,dare ftir a foot with him;Pr!nces are as the Sun, and great Subjetts are like toDials, ifthe Sun lhine not on theDial no manwill look at it. · Even he that overcame theBeare,the Lyon, the Gyant,is overcome with feare : He that had cut offtwo hundred fore-skins ofthePhiliftims,hadnot circumcifed.his own hearrofthe weak paffions that follow Diflruft; Now that he is hard driven, hepralllfes to help himfelfwith an unwarrantable lhift : Who can look to palfe C this Pilgrimagewithout infirmities,when David di,lfembleth to Ahimeltch? Aweak mans rules may be better then the be(l mans adions;Godlets us fee fome blemilhes in his holieft Servants, that we may neither be too highly conceited offlelh and bloud,nor too muchdejeded when we have binmifcarryed into fin. Hitheno bath David gone upright,now hebegins to halt with the Prieft ofGod; and under pretence of Sauls imployment,drawcs that favour from Ahimelech, which lhall afterwards co(l him his head. What could vfhimelech have th9ught too deare for GodsAnointed, for Gods Champion~ It is notlikebutthatifDavidhad fincerely opened himfelfe to the Prieft as he hath done to the Prophet, vfhimelech would have feconded Sam•tl in Come fecret and fafe fuccour offo unjufta diflrelfe,whereas he is now by afalfe coD lourkd to that kindnelfe which lhall be prejudiciall to his life : Extremities ofevil! are co~monly inconfiderate ; either for that we have not Jeifure to our thoughts, orperhaps (fo aswemay be perplexed) not thoughts to our leifure: What would DA'IJid h:~vegiVeri afterwards to haveredeemed this over.fight ~ Under this pretence he craves adouble favour of vfhin~elech; The one ofbread for his fuflenance, the other ofaSword for hisd<fence : Therewas no breadunder the hands ofthe Priefl butthat which " 'as confeaared to God ; and whereofnone mighttaft butthedevli>tedServanrsofiheAitar; Even that whichwas with folemne dedication fer upon the holy Tablesbefore the faceofGod; a Sacramentall Bread prefented to Godwith Incenfe,figuring that true Bread that came doWt!from Hea: ven; yet even this Bread mightin cafeofneceflity become com'mon, arid begiven ~ by vfhimelech,and received byDavid and his fo\Jowers<Our Saviour himfdfju£li· fits' the ad ofboth;Ceremonies muft give place to fubflance;God will have~rcy and notSacrifice;Charity is the fumme and theend oftheLaw;That muftbe ~imed ~tin all out allions; wherein it may fall out, tlm the way to keep the Law m3y be to bfeakititheintention may be kept,and theLetter violated ;and it may bea dangetotiHranfgrefliotl oftheLaw to obfervethe words,an<l negled thefcope ofGod; That which would have di!penfed with David for the fubftance of the aCt, would havemuchmore difpenfed withhim forthe circumflance; The touch oftheir lawfull Wives bad contratted a legall impurity, not a morall ;That could have bin no fulliqent reafon why inan urgent neceflity they might not have panaked ofthe holy Bread : Ahimelech was no perfed Cafui(l; rhefe menmight not famifh, if they wereceremonially impure.Bur this queflion bewrayed the careof Abimtl<eh in dtV u uu 3 ftributing Io6i
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