II06 [ontemplationl. Lrs.XV. high Tower, yet maybe perfwaded to defcend by !layres tothebottome. Hee A knowes not where ht !hall fiay, that hath willingly !lipt into a knowne wickednefl'e, Howmany doth an eminent offender draw with him into evil!~ It could not be but that divers ofthe Attendantsbothof David and B.ehfheha mu[\ be confcious t~ that adultery: Great mens fins arefeldome fecret; Andnow Ioah muflbe fetcht in as accefl'ary ro the murder : Howmull this example nee.Mharden T01b againft rh; confc1ence of <.Ahntrs bloud ~ whdes h~ cannot butthmk, D•vid cannot avenge thatin me, which he actethhimfelfe. Honouris pretended to poore rriah, death is meant. This man was one of the Worthies of Davii;their courage fought glory in rhedifficulteft exploits. That re. purationhad never beene purchafed without attempts of eqmll danger ; Had not B the Leader and Followers of rri•h been more treacherous then his Enemies were firo~g,h_e had come offwith Victory; Now ~e was not the'firft or !aft that ptrithed by h1s fnends .. DAvtdhath forgotteN, that h!mfelfc was in like fort betrayed in his Maftersmtenuon,upon the dowry ofthe Ph1hfi1ms fore-skins. I feare to aske Who ever noted fo foylc aplot in Davids rejetted Predecefl'or;Yri•hmufi betheMefl'en: ger ofhis owne death, Io.rb mull bee a Traytor to his friend, the hofi ofGod mull fhamefully rurne their backs upon the Ammonites; all that Ifraelitilh bloud Rluft be lhed, thatmurder myft be feconded with diJlimulation, and all this to hide one adultery. 0 God,thou hadftnever fuffered fo deare a Favourite of thine to fall fo fearfully, ifthou hadft notmeant to make himan univerfall example ro Mankinde ofnor prefuming,ofnor defpairing:How can we prefumeofnor finning,ordefpaire c for finning,when we finde fogreat aSaint thus fallen,thusrifen ~ · Nathan"ndDavid. .-=;~!!!"'"'"!!Et B•thjluh•mourned for the death of that Husband,whom the had been drawne to dithonour : How could 01e bellow teltes enough upon that Funerall, whereofher fin was thecaufe ~ Ifthe had bur a fufpition ofthe plot ofhis death,the Founraines ofher eyes could .not yeeld water enoughto wath off her Husbands bloud; Her fin was more worthy offorrow,then her tofl'e. Ifrhis griefe had been D' right placed, the hope ofhiding her lhame and the ambition to be a Q~een hadnot fo foone mitigated it ; neither had the upon any termes been drawn into rhe Bedof her husbands muttherer. Everygleame Of earthly comfort can dry up the teares of worldly forrow ,oAthjheb• bath foon loft hergricfe at the Court;The remembrance ofan Husbandis buryed in the jollity and ftate of a Princefl'e. D•vill fecurely enjoyes his ill-purchafed love, and is content toexchange the confcience ofhis finne, for the fenfe of his pleafure. But the juft and holy God will not put it up fo: he that hates finne fo much the more,as the offender is more deare to him, will let. DAvid feele the bruifeofhis fall . If Gods bell children havebeen fometimes fuffered to fleepio a fin,at !aft he bath awakened them inafright. . DAvidwasaProphetofc;:;od,and yet he hath notonly fteptintothofefoule!ins, B bur fojournes with tbem; If any profdlion or !lateof life could have priviledged from finne; the Angels had not finned inHeaven,nor man in Paradife. N athan the Prophet is fent to the Prophet D•vid,for reproofe,forconviClion; Had ir been any other mans cafe, none could have been more quick-lighted then the Princely Prophet ; in his owne he is fo blinde, that God is faine to lend l11m others eyes. Eve_n the Phyfitianhimfelfe whenheisfick,fends for the counfell of thofe whom l11s health did mutually ayd with advice.Lerno man think himfelftoo good to learne: Teachers themfdves may be taught that_in their ow~e particular, which in agene-_ rality they have often taught others ; It Js not ondy1gnornnce that 1s to be removed,but mif.alfedion. Whocanprefcribeajuftperiodtothe bell mans repentance~ Auout ~~m<:> nerhs
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