L 1 s.XlV. Abner and Joab. 1o&s i A their removal! : Efpecially,fince Sa11l did fo tyraopoufiy perfecute h1s moocence. If ~ I Omll ondy report the bet done by another, I {ball goe away but with the recompenceofa lucky Poft; whereas, i~ I take upon me_the aCtion, hm the man, eo whom Davrd ts beholden for theKmgdome: he conno: but honour and requite me as the Author of his deiiverance and happinelfe. Worldly mindes think no man ea~ beofany other, then their own dyer; and becaufe.they linde the refpe&s ofLelfelove,andprivateprofit, foftrongly prevailing withthemfdve~, they cannotconceive,how thefe lhould be capable ofa repulfe from others. • How much was this Amalekite mocked ofhis hopes: whiles he imagined, that David would nowtriumph. and feaft inthe alfured expectati~n of the King dome, and polfeflion ofthe Crown oflfrael,he lindes htm rcnnng hts clothes,and wringB ing his hands,and weeping,and mourning : as ifall his comfort had beendead with Sauland Ionarhan: and yet perhaps he thought, This forrow of Dav id is but fa. lhionable, fuch as great heires make lhewofin the fatall day they havtlonged for;· Thefe teares will be foone dry; thefight ofa Crown will foone breed a fuccet1ion ofother paflions : But this errour is foone corrected : Forwhen David had entertained thisBearer,wirh a fadfafl all the day, he cals him fo"h in the evening to execution. (H•wwa{lthou notaffraid(faith he) top•t forth thi11< h1111dto d<ftr'1 the An. 110i11t<dofthe Lord?) Doubtldfe, the Amalekite mademany fuire pleas for himfdf, out of the grounds ofhis ownreport : Alas, Saul was before falne uponhi~owne Speare ; It was but mercy to kill him, thatwas halfedcad, that be might dye the lliorter: Befides, hisintreary and importunate prayers, moved me to haflen him C throughthofe painful! gatesofdeath: had I ftrickenhim as an enemy, I had defer- ~ed the blow I hadgiven; now I lent him the hand ofa friend ' why am I punilhed for obeying the voyce ofa King~ andforperfitingwhat himfelf begun, and could not finifh: And ifneither his ownwound, nor mine,had difpatched him, the Phili-. fiims were at his heeles,ready to doe this fame aa with infultltion, which I did in favour : and if my hand had not prevented him, where had beenthe Crownofifrael,which I now have here prefen_red to thee~ I could have_ddivered that to King Achijh, and have been rewarded wtthhonour: let menot dte foran a&well meant to thee, however conflrued by thee : But no pretence can make his own talenot deadly: (ThJ blood bee upon thim own<h•ad,for thi.e ownt mouth Ewh teftijiedag•iN{I thee,foyiig,I haveJlain t/Jt Lords ANointed.) It is a !ufl fuppofition, that every manls D fogrcat a Favourer ofhimfelf, that he will J!()t mif.repon hisown altions, nor fay the worll ofhimfelfe : In matterofconfeRion,men maywtthout injury betaken at theirwords : Ifhedidit,his fachvascapitall; Ifhe diditnor,his lye: It is pitty any other recorppence lhould befall thofef.!lfe flatterers, that can be conrentto father a fin,to get thanks. Every drop of royal! bloud is facred : For a man to fay that hee bath lhed it, is mortal!. OfhowJ;rre diil<rent fpirits fromthis of D•vids,are thofe men,whicb fuborn the death ofPrinces,and celebrateand canonizetheMunhercrsl Into their fecret let not myfoule come; my glory, bee thou nor Joyned ro their Afi'embly. Abner and Joab. BlOwmercifnlland feafonab!e are theprovifions of God~Zik)ag wasnow nothing bu: ruines and afhes : D•vid might returne to thl!-foile where it llood, to the roofes and walls he could not : No fooner is he difap· pointed of that harbour, then God provides him Cities of Hebron: · Sao/lhall dierogivehimclbow-room:NowdothD•vid find thecomfort that his extremity fought inthe Lord his God : Now are his cloudsfor atime palfedover : and the Sun lire-ab glorioufiy torrh: D•villlhaUraigne after his fuffi:- rings. So lhall we,ifwe endure to the end, finde a Crownof~hteoufndfc, which the I.ord theRighteous Judge, lhall giveus at that day : But though DwiJ well knew that his headwaslong before anoinicd,andhadlteard S.t,Nl himfclfconfidentYyyy 3 ly
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