106~ \ [outemp!dtionr. L t B.X 11 J. ---- fiributing theholy Bre;~d; Theremight be in thefe men a double incapacity the one A as they were Seculars,the other,as uncleane; he faw the one mull 1><- 110 fe~cd ltft the orherlhould be;as one that wilh<d as little indifpofition(as poffiblc might be) in thofe which lhould beftd from Gods Table. It is I! range that D•vidflJOuld come to the Ptidl of God for aSword 1 Wbo in all lfrad was fo unlikely to furnifl1 him"tvirh weapons,as a m,_, ofPeace whofear. mour was onlyfpiritualh Doubtle!fe Davidknew well where G•li•hs s:vord lay . as the noble relique of Gods victorious deliverance, dedicated to the fame God' which·won it; at this did thatfilit aime: None could be fo fitfo~ David ROnecould be fo fi~ for it osD•vid: Who could ~ave fo much right to that Sword,~s he againfl .whom 1t was drawn, and by whom 1t was taken~ There was morein that Sword, thenMetal,and form;Davidcould never call his de upon it,but he faw an undoubt- B edmonument of the merciful! protection of the Almighity l there was therefore morefirength:inthat.Sword, then lharpne!fe; neither was Davids arme fo much firengthened by it as hisfuith; nothing canovercome him, whiles he carries with him that a!fured figne ofvictory: It is good to take all occafions ofrenuing the remembranceof Gods mercies tous, and our obligations to him. Doeg the Maflor of Sa11ls Herdmen(for he thatwenqo fcek hisFathers A!fes be. fore he wasKing,horh herds and droves now that he isaKing)was now intheCourt ofthe Tabernode,upon fome occa!ionofdevotion;Though an Ifraelite in profeffion,he was an Edomite no ldfe in heart then inblood; yet he hath fome vow upon him,and not onlycomes up to Gods Houfe,butabides before thelord:Hyporcites have equal! accdfeto thepublikeplaces,and meanes ofGods fervice: Even hethar C knowes the hearr,yet !huts his doores upon none;howmuch leffe /hould wedare to -c:xclude any,whieh can onely judgeofthe heart by the face~ Doeg may fee his foot as far within theTab<-rnacle, as D•vid,he fees the paffages betwixt him,and Ahimtlech,and laies them up for an advantage ; Whiks he lhould haveedified himfelf by thofe holy fervices,hecarps at th~ Priefi ofGod,and (after a lewd mif-imerpremtion ofhis actions)of an attendant,proves an accufer;Toincur favour with an unju!lMafter,he informs againflinnocent4hi,.elech;and makes that his aCt which was duwnfrom him by a cunningcircumvention: Whenwe fee our Auditors before us,litdedo we know withwhat hearts they are there; nor, ~hat ufe theywill tnake of their pretended devotion: Ifmany come in fimplicity of heart to ferve their God, fome others may perhaps come to obferve their Teachers, and D to pickquarrels wherenone are; Onely God and the iffue can diflinguiOt b<-twixt a Dnvid,and a Doeg, when they are both in theTab<-rnacle.Honeft c.Ahi•neltch could littlefufJ>eCI that he now offered a Sacrifice for his Exocutioner 1 yea, for the Murthererofall his Family: Oh the wife and deep judgements ofthe Almighty! God owed a revenge to theHoufe ofEli,and nowby the delation of Dll<g,he takes occ~ fian to pay it: lt\iras jufl in God,which in Ddegwas moflunju!l : Sa#/s cruelty and the ~reachery of Doegdo notlofe one dram oftheir guilt by the Cou~feU ofGod ; neither doth the holy Counfell ofGod gather any blemtOJ by theirWlckedneffe; If it had pleafed God to inflict death upon themfoonerwithout any pretenceofoccalion,his Juflice had bin cleare from aU imputations;now if SA11/andDoeg be in ftead ofa pefiilence or fever,who can cavill1 The judgements ofGod are not open, but E arealwaies jufl;He knowes how by one mans fin topunifh the fin ofanother,andby boththeir fins and puniOJments to glorifie himfelf. lfhi> word lleep,it Otall not die; but afrer long intermillions breaks forth in thofe effefuwhicli we had forg<>tten ro look for,andceafed to feare. 0 Lord, thou artfure when thou threarndl, andjull when thou judgefi; Keep thou us from the fmtenceofdeath,elTtm vam 01all we labourro keep our [elves from the execution. Con-
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