[ontemplations. L1a.XlV. / ofdeath: How ju!l: is it with God,thar thofe whofed,mifchieferoorhers finde it A to themfeIves; and even whiles they are fpreading nets are enfnared; Thei~ ddibe- ll rare plotting ofevill,is furprized with a fudden judgement. . How amazedly mull: David needs look, when he faw Saul enter into the Cave 1 where himfdfwas ( wlm is this(thinks he)which.God harh done~ Is this prefenc~ purpofed,or cafuall~ isSa11/ here eo purfue,or ro tempt me(Where fuddenly the aCtion bewraies theintent,and tels David that Saulfought fecrecy and nothim.Thefupeifluity ofhis malicioufndfe brought him into theWildernetfe,theneceflity ofnature led him into the Cave: Even thofe aCtions wherein we place lhame,are not exempted from a providence. The fingers of Davids followers itched ro ftize upon theirMa!l:ers enemy;&that they might not feem led fo much by f.1Clion,as by faith, they urge Da'tlid with a promife from God;Theday is come whereoftheLord faid B unto thee, Behold,! will deliver thine enemy into thine hand,and thou lhalrdoe to him,as it fhall feemgood to thee.This orgument feemed to cary fuch commandwith It, as that David not only may,but mull: embrue his hands in bloud, unletfe he will be found wanting roGod and himfelf;Thofetemptations aremoll: powerfull,which fetch their force from the pretenceofa religious obedience: Whereas thofewhich are raifed from arbitrary and private refpeC!s,admit ofan eafie difpenfation. If there were fuch a prediCtion,one claufe ofit was ambiguo~tS; and they take it at the wor!l:. Thou flialr doe to him as !hall feeme good to thee : That might nor feeme good to him,which feemed evil! to God. There is nothing more dangerous then tomake con!l:ruCtion ofGods purpofes out ofeventuall appe~rances.If carnall probabilities might be the ruleofour judgement, what could God feemeto intend C other then Sauls death in offering him naked into the hands of chafe whom he unju!l:ly perfecutedd1ow could Davids fouldiers thinkthat God had fent Saul thither onanyother errand,then to fetch his bane!andif3•,./ could have feen his own danger, he hadgiven himfelffor dead ; for his heart guilty to his ownbloudy defires, could not but have expeCted the fame meafure which it meant: But wife and holy David not rranfporred eitherwith mifconceitofthe event,or fury ofpaflion,or felicitation ofhis followers,dares make no other ufe ofthisaccident then the tryal of his loyalty,andthe inducement ofhis peace;It had bin as ea~e for him to cur.the throat of SAJil as his garment;burnow his coat only !hall be the worfe,not his perfon; nei· ther cloth he in this maiming of a cloak feek his own revenge, but a monument of his innocence.BeforeSa11/ rentSamuels garment,now David cutteth Sauls;both were D fignificant ; The rending ofthe one, figoified the Kingdom< torne our ofrhofe unworthy hands;thc cutting ofthe other,that the life of Saul might have bin as eafily cutoff. Saul needs no other Monitor ofhis own danger, then what he weares. The garment of Sdlil was laidafide,while he went to cover his feet; fo as the cutofthe garment did not threaten any touch of the body ; yer even the violence offered to a remote garment !l:rikes the heart of David, which findes a prefent remorfe for harmfullyrouching thatwhich did once touch the perfon ofhis Ma!l:er: Tender confciences aremoved to regret at thofeaetions, which'!l:rong hearts patfe overwith a careleffe eafe. It troubled nor Sa11l to feek after the bloud ofa righreous fervant ; there is no letfe differencesofconfciences then ftomacks;fome !l:omackswill dige!l: E the hardell: meats,and turn over fub!l:ances,not in their nature edible, whiles others furfet ofthe liohre!l: food,and complain even ofdainties: Every gracious heart is in fome meafure0fcrupulous,and findes more fafety in feare,then in prcfumption:And if it be fo !l:rait as to curb it felf in from the liberty which it might take in things whicharenorunbwfull,how much letfewillitdare rorake fcope unroevikBy how much that !late is better,wherenothingis allowed,thenwhereall things;by fo much is the !l:riCland timorous confcknce better then the lawlcffe. There is good likelihood ofchatman which is any way fcrupulous ofhiswayes;but he which makesno bones ofhis aClions,is apparently hopeletfe. . . . Since Davids followers pleaded Gods te!l:1mony to h1m as a mauve to bloud, David appeales the fame God for his prefervarion from bloud: TheLord keep me · from .
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=