~X IV. Zt~lagj}oyled.and re"Penged. ------~~~~~~ A are miferable with him. Oh the many and grievous perplexities ot' the nian afrct Gods own heart! Ifall his train had joyned their bdl helps fo: the mitization qf his griefe, tbeir Cordials had been too weak,bu~ now the vexatJon rhar •rifes from rheir fury and malice,drowneth the fenfe ofthetr loffe,and were enough to dtO:ract the moft refolure heart; Why fl1ould Jt be !lrange ro us, that wemeet With hard iri1 als when we fee thedeare Anointed ofGod rhus plunged in evils : 1 What fhould rhe di!lreffcd fonne of Ijhai no•V doe~ Whither lhould he think to rurnhim~to goe back ro Jfrad he durft not; ro goe to Achifh he might not; to abide amono{\ thofewafteheapes hee could not; or ifthere might have been harbour in thofe burntwalls, yet there could be no fafety to remaine with thofe rnutinous_fpi, rits.(But David comforted himfelfin the Lord his ""d;)oh happy and fure rd~ge B of a faithful! foule ! The earth yeelded him nothing, but matter ofdifconfolati09 and heavineffe; lie lifts his eyes above the hils,whencecommeth his falvation;It is no marvell that God r<membrethD•vitlin all his troubles, lince DAvidin all his troubles did thus remember hisGod;he knew that though nomortall eyeofreafon, or fenfe could difcerne any evalion from thefe intricateevils, yet that the eyeofdivine Providence had defcryed it long before; and that though no humane power could make way for his fafety, yet that the over-ruling hand ofhis God, could doe it with eafe; His experience had affured himof rhe fid~lity ofhis Guardian in Heaven; and therefore he comforted himfelfe in the Lord his God.. In vainis comfort expetled from God, ifwe confult notWith him : AhidiHdT the Prieft iscalled for; D•vidwas not in the Comt of Achijh, withourrhe Prieft by his C ftde; nor the Prieftwithout the Ephod: Had thefe been left behinde in Ziklag, they had been mifcarried with the reil, and Davidhad now beenhopeleffe. How well it fucceeds to the Great,when they take God with them in his Minillers, in his Ordinances~ As conrrarily,when thefeare laid by,as fuperfluous, there can be nothing but uncert•inryoffucceffe,or certaintyof ~ttifchiefe. The prefenceofthe Prie!l and Ephod,would have littleavailed him without their ufe; by them he askes counfdl oftheLotd in thefe ftraits.The motithandeares qfGod,which were lhutunro Sat~!, are openunto Dtfvjd; no fooner can he a.ske, then he receives anfwer ; and the anfwer rha: he receives is full ofcourage and comfort: (Follow for thoufhalt fmly overtake thm, andrmverall.) That God of tmth never difappoimed ony mans tru!l. DAvid IOW findes;that theeyewhich waited uponGodwasnot fcm away weeping. 1 D D•vdrherefore,and hismen,are now upon their march after the Amakkites:k i~ no lin@"ingwhen God bids usgoe : They which had promifed reil to their weary limbs,tfter their return fromAc/njh,in their hatbot ofZiklag,are glad to forget their hopesand to put their ftiffe joynts umo anew task of motion:lt is no marvel,ifrwG hundrd ofthem were fo over-tired with their former toile,that they were not able to paCe overrhe riverBefor.David was atrue type ofChril\.We follow him in thefe holyWars,a~ain!l the fpirituall Amalekites;All ofus are not ofan equallllrcngtrr. Som: ar< caned bythe vigor of their fairh,thorow all difficulties;Others,after long pre(ure,are ready to languifh in the way:Our Leader is not more il:rong rhen pirrifuljneither doth he fcornfully cafl1iere thofe,whofe ddires are hearty,whiles their ablities are unanfwerable:How much more !hould our charity pm·do,n the infirmiE ti.s ofour brethren,&allow them to lit bythe ftufte,who cannotendure the march~ fhe fame Providence,yhich appointed Davidto followrhe Amalekites,had alfo adered an Egyptianto be caft behind them.This ca!l Servant,whom his cruellMaler had left to fainmdfe and famine, fl1all be ufed as the meanes of the recovery of he Jfraelites loffe,and ofthe revenge ofthe Amalekites.Had not his Mafter negletled him,all thefe Rovers of Amalek had gone away with their life and booty : It is not fafe to defpife the meaneft vaffall upon earth. There is' mercy3nd care due to themalt defpicable peeceof311 humanity ; wherein we cannot be wanting without the offence, without the punilhmenr ofGod. CJ:miry dillinguifheth an Ifraelite from an Amalekite. David, followers are ftrangersto thi,Egyprian;an Amalekirewas hisMafter;His Mafter leaveshim to die (in thefidd)offickneffe and hunger,thefe ftrangers relieved him:and erethey know Y y y_y whether
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