L1a.XIV. D A v 1 D and A c a 1 s H. A • Philiflim-Court; and fues for a Country-habitation; It had not been pollible for I fo noced a1\ranger, afrer fo much Philillim-bloud-flted, to live long in fucn aneminency,amongfl the preafe ofrhofe,whofe fonnes,or brothers,or fathers,orallies he had llaughrered, without fome perilous machination of his rui9e : therefore'he makes fuite for an early r<move: (For why lhould thy fervant dwdl in the chiefe City of the Kingdome with thee!) Thofe that wouldflandfure, mull nor alfea roo mu'b height, or confpicuiry: The tall Cedars lte moll: fubjed to windes and !lghroings, whiles_rhe lhrubs of the Valley« ll:and. unml>ve<l; ¥uch g~earnelfe doth but makt: afauer mark for ev1ll: There IS true firmnelfe and fafety m mediocriry.t How rareljr is it feene,that aman loferh by his modell:y! The chan(lefell out well 11 to D.widofZ•klag,for Garh; Nowhe hath a Cityofh1s own; Allltrael,where he was anoinred,afforded him not fo much polfellion: Now the City which was anciently alligned toi•dah,returoes to thejufl Owner: and is by this meanes enr2iled to theCrown of David.s Succelfors.Bdides that, nowmight David live out ofthe light, and hearing ofthe Philiflim-Idolarries, and enjoy God no lelfe in the wals of a Philill:im-City,rhen in an Ifraelirifl> wildernelfe; wirhall, an happy opportunity was now openedto his friends of!frae!,to reforr unto his aid;the heads ofthe rhoufands.that were of Manaffeh, and many valiant Captaines of the other Tribes, fell daylyrbbim,and raifed his lix hundred followers to an army, like the hofiofGod. The defans ol'!fra~l coqld never have yee!ded :Da'llid fo great an advanr~e: That God wholhhe earth is,makesroom for his own every where ; 2nd oft-tlmes proC viderh them a forrain home,morelindly then the native: It is nornatter for chancre of our foyle,fo we changenot our God; Ifwe can every whereacknowledge hui'., he will eo wher"be waqring to us. Ir was not for Gods Champion to be idle;no fooner is he freo fromSauls fword then ~e bcogins an offi:nlive war~e againll:the Awalekites, Girzires,Gelhurires: H~ knew thefe Nations branded by God}o de!lrut\ion: neither could his encreafing Army bo maintained with a little: By one ate therefore, he both revenges for GocL and provides for his Hofl. Had it nor been for that Gld quarre)l, whiGh God had with this people,Davidc;ould not beexcufed fi·om a bloudycruelcy,iqkillingwhole Countrits,ondy for rho benefic ofthe fpoyle: now his Soldiers wereat one~, Gods Extcutioners, an_d their own Forragers. ·The intervention of a command from the Almighty,alters the flare ofany afr; andmak<S that worthy ofpraife, which elfe , · D were no better then damnable.It is nowJuflice,which were orherwifeMurder;The will ofGod is the rule ofgood ; whlt need we enquire into other reafons, ofany ad: or de:termination,when we heare it comes fromHeaven -: How many hundred yeares,had this brood ofCanaanites lived fecurely in their Country, lince God commanded them to be rooted out,and now promifed chemfelv"' rhecerrainefl peace! The Prutiflims we.re their friends ifnot their Lords; ,The Ifraelires had their hands full,oeirher did they know any grudge betwixt them and theirNeigl)bours,when fuddenly the SwordofDavid curs them off,and leaves none alive to relt the newts. There is no fafery in prorradion;wirhmen,delay caufeth forgerfulnelfe,or abates E the force ofanger; as all violent motions are weakell:atthe furthefl 1 burwith him, to whom all rimes are prefenr,what can be gained by prorogation ! Alas,what can it availe any ofthe curfed feed ofCanaan,thatthey h:tVe made a truce with Heaven and a leaguewith Hell~ Their day is comming,and is not the further off, becaufe rheyexped itnor. Miferablewerethe ll:r:o.its of David ; whilel>ewas driven,nor only to mainraine his Army by fpoile,bur to colour his fpoile by a linfull diflimulation;He eels Achifh that he had been roving againfl the South of}udah, and the South of the Jerahmelites,and the South of the Kenites,eirher falfly,or doubtfully ,!0 as he meant to deceive him, under whom he lived,and by whom hewasrru!led: If v!chijb were a Philiflinl,yer he was Davids friend, yea his Patron ; and ifhehad been neither, it had not become Davidto befulf~. The infirmities ofGodschildren neverappeare, but
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