-L1o.XV. Mephibolheth and Ziba. A 1 Is thrro apy ofthehoufe oflonathan, but, of Saol; rim for hisfriends fake he may lbew favour to the- Poftenry ofius Prr.fecutor• .Jonathans love could not be groa~io thenSaNis malic<', which alfo fun•ivedlong in his i!fue ; from wh·om Da"idfound abulioand1\ubbornrivalty for the Crown oflfrad: yet as ono that gladly buryoc{; all the hollility of S•uls lioufe inionathans grave, he askos, Is thtre any m•fllt}t•J Sauls houfi, that Jmayj7uw him mtrcy for Jonathans fakr! It is true love, that overliving the perfonp~ a frie~d, will ~inherit~d ?fhis feed, but to lovethe_Pollericy ofan enemy 1na fhond, lt 1s the mtradeoffrtendfhop: The formall amocy ofth~ World is confined to a fact: or to ihepo11ibilir.y ofitcco)npeilce; lang·uifhing in the difa~ility, •nddying in the doe<afc <>fthe par~yafli:~tdl Th~t love~as everfalfe,. that IS not over conllant, and the mofr opera:tve, when trcannot beeuhor knowne B orr~quiced. . 1, • J·; · 1 . ·. To cut offall unquiet competition fortlie'Kingdome oflfr~d;tho providon~of God had foordered,that th<re is none lcfi oftho!"lloufeof Saul (helidos the fons o his Concubines) fav< only young and lame Mtphibojlmh,fo young,th>t hewas but five yoaresofage,when David cnrr<d upon thc.gotmnnontoflfrael; fo lame,that ifhis age had fitted,his impotence hadmade him unfit forrho Tbrone.Mtphibojhtth was not born a Creeplo; it was an h.edldfo Nurfethat m•do himfo: She hearing oftht d.athofS••land Ionathan,made.fucb hall.toli<e,chat her youngMaller was lamedwichthefall: lwis, there neededno fuch•fpeed to runaway from Davit/; whofc love purfues the hidden fonne ofhis brother Ion.shan: Hew oftendothour ignofant millaking, caufe us eo run from our bcl\;frieJlds, ond to catch knocks and C maimcs ofthorn that profdfoour protetlion ! • c.Mephib.foah could nor come~toownc then fearfully, into the prefence of D•viJ,wbom he knowfo long,fo fpttl:fully oppofe<hby thehoufe ofSaul: he could nor be ignorant, thatthe fafhion oftheWorld is to buildtheir ownt fecurity upon thebloudofthe oppoftte fa<!tion1ocirho~tothinkthc!nfdves fafo,whiles any bt:lnch. remaines fpringing out of that roore of their emulatici>n i Seafonablydoth DA'IIitl thorofordirll,oxpell~ll thofeunjuft doubts, ere he adminifter his funher cordials l- (Ftare not,for I rri/1 furtly Jhtrnhtt kindnelfo, for Jon:nhan 'thJ. Fathm J4kt; •nl.wiB rtft•re thtt ..a tht jitlds if Saul thy Fathff, and rh•JTfoaawe Sre•d •tmy t~Mt conr/# noaUy.) • David can fee neither S••ls bloud,nor lame legs in c.Mtphib.Jhtth,whiles he ft~:l i:l inhim the features ofhis friend Jonathan 1 how much ldfo fh•ll the Godofmerticis regard ou~in6rmiries, or the corruptbloodofoudinlull Progenitors, whiles heb~• holds us in thtfaccofhisSon,inwhomhc is well pleafed. . · Favours arewont fo much moreto affi,<!t us, as they are ldfe expelled by u5 f c.Mtphih•Jhtth as over-joyed with fo comfortable a·word, and confoundc.d in himfdfo ac the remombunce of the comraty defeniings of his Family, bowos himfelfo to the eanh, ond fayes(WhAt is thy f;r'vAnt ,that thoufoo•ldcflloolt upon ft«h 4tlt4d Do~t.ul am!) I findc no defod ofwtt (thoughofhmbs) m r.Mephibojhfth, he lnow 1\imfdfethoGrand-child oftheKing of Ifrad, theSonne of lonathan, the lawfull beire ofboth, yet in regard ofhis owne impotency, and the rrcfpaJfe attd ll rejodionofbis houfc, he thus abafcth himfelfe u~to DAvit!; Humiliation is a right ufoafGodsaffiillion; Whatifhewcreborne grcau lftholinncofhis Grandfather bath loll his ellate, and the hand of his Nurfc bath deformed and difabled his perfon, he now forgets what he w3s, and cals himfdfe worfe then'hoe is, ..A doggt: YctalivingDoggo is betterthenadead Lyon; there is dif$nity and corn. fore in life, <Mtphibofotrh is therefore adoad dogge unto D•-uid. It ts not fpr us to nourilhtho fame fpiritsin our Jdverfcellato, that we found inour highell profperi• ty; Whatufo have wee made ofGods hand, if we benot the lower with our fall! God intendswelhould carryourcrotfe, noc make a fire of it to warme us 1 It is no bearingup our faiks in a tompoft. Good D•vid cannot dif.elloemo <Mtphihdjhtth ever the more for difparaging himfelfe : hdovcs and honours this humility in the Sonno of lonathan; There is n·o more certaine way to ~lory and advancemenc,thcn a lowly deje<!tion ofour fdves: He th3t made hiortfelte aDogge, and therefore fie Zzzz on!
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