LIB. XVI. Shebaes 'R.!_bellion, A cdb Howmuchmorewonhyoffeparation atethey, who have fraynedtbemari· a•e bed with their wilfull fin~ 0 Am4[• was c:ne ofthe w\tneffe~,and abettors of ~hJ.Io•s filthi~cffe,yet is he (out ofpolicy) recelf<? to favour and ~mploymenc, wh1les the concubm~s fulfcr : Great men yeeld many umestothofe thmgs,outofreafons ofState,whlChlfthey were pri. vate perfons could not b~ eafilyput over: It is no_ [mall wifdome to ingz~e a new reconciled fdend, that hemay be confirmed by h1s owne aft : Thcrafore IS ·'"'•fl comm2nded to !cavythe forces of Iudah: r.. b after many great merits and atchievcmeots lies culling in neglell: he that was fo intire with D•'llid as to be ofhis wunfell for rri•hs blood;and fo firme to D•vid as to lead all his battrh againft the houle of s4ul the Ammonites,the Aramites,Ab(al•m;is now cafbicrd,& mull yeeld his place B ro a ftrangcr lore an enemy: Who knowes not that this fon of Ztrvi•fl had l11ed the blood of warin peace~ But ifthe blood of Abfllii had not been Iouderthen tbe blood of Ahser, I le are this change had not been; Now I1.b fmarteth for a loyal! dilobcdi. ence1Howllipperyare tbe !htionsofeanhlyhonors,and fubjed to continual! mutabiluy ! Happy are theywho arc ig favour with him, in whom there is no ll1ifdow of change. Where men are commonly moll ambitious to pleafcwith their firft imployments, An14fo l!Jckcns his pace; The !~aft delay in matters of rebellion is perilous, may be irrecoyerable 1 The fons of zer.,i•h are not fullen,A~ifh•l is fenc, r.. hgoes unf'Ot ro the purfuit of Shtha. v1m4;. was in their way;whom no quarrcll but thei'\envy had madoofa brmherancnctlly : Had the heart of vfmafil bcon privy to any caufeof C grudg,hehad fufpcllcd the Kiffc of 1.. ~ ; now his innocent eyes looktothe lips, not to the hand ofhis fccrct enemy: Th: lipswere fmooth,Art tb•• ;, he.lth my bmhtr? the hand was bloody,which fmote himunder the lift rib;That unh•ppy hand knew well this way unto dcath;whichwith onewoundhadrlct out the foules of tWo great Captaiocs, Abntr and vfrn•J•; bo~h th<)l were fmitten by /.. ~,both under the liFt ribbc, both under a prctcnc~ of fncndfh1p. Th~~e ls no comity fo dangerous· as that which comes masked With love; Open hoftll1ty cals us to our guard 1 but there is no fence againft a tru!led rrecherie : W cc need not bee bidden to avoid aA enemy, but who wo!'ld_runnc away from a friend~ Th~s ~pi ritually deales the.world wilh our foules ;u k1lfcs us, and ftabsus at once: If1t d1d not embrace us Withone hand,iccould nor murthcr us with the otlfcr;Onc!y,God,dclivcr us from the danger D orourtru!l,and WC !hall be fafc. . THAhis gone, and l"aves vfm•f• wallowing inblood ! That fpelhclc cannotbut llay all pa!fengcrs: The death ofgreat perfonsdrawcsever many eyes o Each man fayes,Is ""this my Li!rd v/mafo?Whereforcdowegoto figbt,whiles our General! !yes in the dull~ What a fad prcfageisthis of our owne mifcariage~The wit of I~abs followers hath therefore foon both removed vfmaf• our of the way, and covered him,not reg~rdin~ fo muchtheJ_otfc,as tli_ecye-fore oflfrael. _Thus wicked Politicks carenot fp much for the commdlionofvlllany,as for the nouce:Smothcredevils arc as not done; Ifoppreffions,ifmurder,iftreafons may be hid fromview,thcobdured heart ofthe offender complain~s.not ofrrmorfe. • Bloody !DAb, with what face, with what heart canll thou purfue a Trayror eo thy E ICing,whiles thou thy !elfart fo foul aTraytortothy friead,tothy cozengcrman,and (io ro unfeafonablea llaughter)to thy Soveraigne,whofe caufc thou protclftll to re. ""'S'e ~ If Ama(. were now, in an all of Ioyalty;jullly (on Gods pare) payd for the arrrages ofhis late rebellion, yet that it fhould bedone by thy hand, then and thus, it was Aagitiouffy cruell: Yet,bchold, I•lb ruosa\vay fccurely with the fad, hafting to plague thai in another, whcreofhimfclfc was no lelfcguilty; So vafi ar< the gorges offome confcicne<s, that they can fwal!ow the greatefi crimes, and finde no !lrainein the paffagc. · It is poflibk fora man to be faithful to fome oneperfon,&·perfidious to alothcrs1 I do not find ll•'" ther then firmc and Ioyall to D•vi11,io themidft ofall his private fallho(/ds,whofe ju!l qum el! he purfues againft She.i•,throughall the Tribes oflfra. el.Noneofall the llrong Fom ofrevolted lfrae! canhide the Rebdl fro~ the zealc Ccc cc 3 of ,,
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