L1a.XVI. A c H IT 0 p H E L. A ticiao Iae~b was a Prophet; ifthe one fpake from carnal! fonfe, the other from di. vine :evdarion. Certainely to fin is not the way to profper ; what ever vaine fooles promifeto themfelves,there is no wifdome,nor nodcrllanding,nor counfd l agaio!l thtLord. After the rebellion is fecured for continuance, the next care is that it may end in villory;thisalfo bath the working head of Achit~phel projelled.Wit and experience told him, that in thefe cafes of affault, celerity ufes to bring forth the happiell dif. patch: whtreasprotratlion is no fmall advantage to the defendant.Ltt me(faith he) , · chiD{t '"'no,. '"elve thou{imJmen,anJ I wiUu,,awdfollow •fttr DAvidthis night;andI ,;Ne"'" up•n him whik lie is "'"'J andweake-handed.No advice could be more pernitious:For,bdides the wearineffe and unreadineffeof DAvid,and his army, the fpirits B ofthat worthy Leader were daunted, and dejected with forrow, and offered way to tht violence ofa fudden affault.The field had been halfe won ereany blow!lricken. Achitophel could not have been reputedfowi!e,ifhe had notlearn'd the due propor. tion betwixt actions and times: He that obferveth every wind 1h1ll never Cow; but hcthatobferves no wind at all, fhall never reape. The likdiell devices donotalwaics fucceed;The God that had appointed toellablifh Davlds throne,and determined SaiDmDII to his fuccdlion,finds meanes to croffe the plot of vtrhit•t~el by a leffe probable advice: Hofoalwasnotfent back for no. thing; where God hath in his fecret will decreed any event, he inclines the wills of men to approve that which may promote his owne purpofes;Neither had Hofo•i fo deep an head, neitherwas his couofell fo fure, as that of vlthitophtl,yet his tongue C thall refell vt<hilophel ,and divert vtbfalsm:The pretences were fairer,though the grounds were unfound: Firll, to fweeten his oppofirion, he yedds the praife ofwif. dome to his adverfary in all other counfels,that he may have leave to deny it in this: His very c6tradidi6 in the prefent infinuates a general allowance. Then, he fuggefts certaine apparent truthes conceroingDavids valour,and skill,to give countenance to the inferences ofhis improbabilities.Laftly,he cunningly feeds the proud humor of Abfol•m,in magnifying the power and extent ofhis commands, and ends in the glo. rious boafts of his fore•promifed victory;as it is with faces, fo with counfell, that is faire that plcafeth. He that gives the utterance to words, gives aHe their fpeed : Favour both offpeech and men is not ever according rodeferr, but according to foreordination : Therongueof Hujbai,and the heart of vthfol•m is guided by a power D above their owne; Hojbai flllll therefore prevaile with v!hjalorn,that thetreafon of A&fal•m may not prevail<; He that workethall in all things, fo difpofeth ofwicked men and fpirits, that whiles they doe moll oppofe his revealed will, they execute his fecret1and whiles they thinke moll to pleafe, they overthrow themfelves . When Ab[i.lom firll met Hujbal returned to Hierufalem ; he upbraided himplcafantly withthe_fcoffc ofhis profeffed fri~ndfhipto David ;_Is this thJ kinineJ!t to th, fritnd? Someumes there" more truth Jn the mouth then mthe heart, more in jell then in earnefl ; Hofoai was a friend, his llay washis kindnes; and now he hathdone that for which hewas left at Hierufalem,difappointed 4<hit1pl:tl, preferved David; Neit:herdid his kindneffe to his friend reil here,but(as one that was ju!lly jealous of himwithwhom he was allowedto temporize)he mi!lrulls the approbationof Abfo. E lom;and not daring to put the life ofhis Ma!ler upon fuch anhazard,he gives charge to zadok and Ahiatlrar,of this intelligence unto David: we cannot be too fufpicious whenwe have ro doe with thofe that are faithleffe:We cannot be too curious ofthe fafery of good Princes. H•Jbai fearts nor to defcry the fecrets of Ab(.toms counfell; to betray a traytor is no orher then a commendable worke:Zad•k and Abiathar are fall within thegates of ]erufalem; their Sons lay pupofelyabroad in the fields; this meffage that cone<r· oed no leffc then the life of David,and the whole kingdomeoflfrael,mu!l betrulled with aMaid : Sometimes it pleafeththe wifdome ofGod, who hath the variety of heavenand earth beforehim, to fingle out weak in!lrumems for great Cervices :and they fhall fervehis turn,as weil as the bell:NocounfellorofState could have made this diparch moreef!ectuall : Ionathan and Abimaa"' are fent, defcried, purfued, preferved: II2J
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