[ontemplationJ. Lra.Xl V. with carnall hearts aboveall fpiriruall refpech; There is no greater murderer then A vain.glory: Nothing more argues a heart void ofgrace, then to be tranfporred by idlepopularity into aCtions prejudicial! to the Soule. Evil! examples,efpecially ofrhegrear,never efcaped imitation;the Armor-bearer of Saul followes his ma!ler : and dares do that to himfelfe, which tohis Kin<> hee durfl not: as iftheir own Swords had been more familiar executioners, theyyeel. ded unto them,whattheygrudged to theirpurfuers. From the beginning was s.iut ev<rhisowneenemy, neither did any hands hurt him but his owne : an<! now his death is furable to his life: his owne hand payes him the reward ofall his wicked· ndfe. The end of hypocrites, and envious men is commonly fearful! : Now "is the bloud ofGods Priefls, which Sa11/lhed,and ofD•'vid, which he would have lhed required,and requited. The evil! fpit·it had faid the evening before, T• m•mw th•; B ]halt he with me: and now Saul hafleth to make the Devil! no Lyer: rather then faile,he giveshimfdfhis own Mittimus : Oh the wofull extremities ofa defpairing foule,plunging himever into a great<rmifchiefe to avoid the leffe ! He might have beena patient in anothers violence,and faultleffe; now whiles he will needs atl the Philillims part upon himfelfe, he lived and dyed a Murderer; Thecafe is deadly, when thePcifoner breaks the Jaile, and will not tlay for his delivery: and though we m:iy nor paffe fenrence upon fuch a foul,yetupon the faei we may: the foul may pollibly repent in the patting, the aCt is haynous, and fuch as without reptnrance, kills the foule. It was the next day, ere the Philitlhnsknew how much they were viCtors ; then finding the dead corps of SMII and his fons,they begin their triumphs : the he3d of 0 King Saul is cmoffin lieuof G•liahs,and nowall"tbeir Idol templesringoftheir fucceffe:Foolifb Philillims,if they had not beenmorebeholdin& toSauls fins,then their gods,they had never caryed away the honouroftbofc Tropt1ees:lnllead ofmagnif)_ring the juflice ofthe true God,wh?.PU~ilhed Saut w!t~d~ferved d~ath,th'ey magntlie the power ofthe falfe: Superllmon ts extremely tn)unous to God:It is no beetertheti Theft,to afcribeunto the feeond caufesthat honourwhich is due unro the lirll:: burro give Gods glory to rhofe things which"neither aet,norare,it is the highell: degree offpirituall robbery. Sa•l was none ofthe bell Kings:yer fo impatient are his fubjecrs ofthe indignity offred to his dead corps, that they will ratberleave thrir owne bones amongll:the Philillims, then the carkaffeof Saut. Such a clofe relation there is betwixt a Prince D' and SubjeCt, that the dilhonour ofeither is infeparablc frem both: How willing fbollld wee bee eo·hazardour bodies orSubflance for the vindication eidler ofthe perfon, or nameof a good King, whiles helivesro the benefit of,..r proteCtion ~ It is an unjufr ingratitude in thofe men, which eao endure the difgrace of them, under whof~ lhelter they live;but how unnar.urall isthevillanyofthofeMU:creams, that can bee content to bee aCtors in th< capttall wrongsoffered to Soveratgne authority ~ . , . It werea ;vondcr ifafter the death of a Prmce, there lhould want fome Ptckthank to infinuate himfelfe into his Succelfor : An Amalddte youn~man rides poll: t~ Zikbg to finde our Davit!, wliom evencommon rumoar had nottfied forthe anointed Heire to the Kingdome oflfrael; to be the firll Mdfenger ofthat newes, E which he rhougl1t could be noorhertben a~ceprable, the dlath of Saul : and that the tidings mightbe fo much more mentonous, he addes D the report, what he thinksmighr carry rhegrearell: retrtbutton: In hope of reward, or honour, the man is content ro bely himfelfe t~ Davtd: It ~vas not the 5\Jeare,but theSword of Saut thatwas the inllrument ofhts death; ne.ther could rliis llranger finde Saul, butclying, fince the Armour-bearer of Saul fa\v him dead, ere heoffered dm vio. Ience to himfelfe ; The band ofthis Amalekite therefore If as not gmlty,lus tongue was. Had not this Meffenaer meafured Davids foot by his owne Lall, he had forb~rne this peece ofthe n~wes _;and not hoped to advantage himfdfe by tkis fallhood : Now he thinks; Tbettdmgsof • Kmgdomecannor but pleafe: None butSau/and unathanll:ood in Davids way; Hecannorchufe, but like to heareof . their
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