Contemplations. Lr B. XVII. late an creltion) had not yer knowne the right of fucceflioo: God himfelfe rhat had A ord&ncd the government, was as yet the immediate Elcdor,He fetcht S•ul from among the lluffc, and D•"'id from the Shecpfeld; and had now appoimed s.Jom, from the ferule, to the Sccprer. And if <.A d•nij•h(which is uolikc)had not knowne this,yet it bad been his pm to have taken his farhcrwhith himin this claimeofhis fuccdlion, & not foro preventa brotber,that he tbould thoulder out a father;and not fo violently to preoccupate rhc throne, that he tbould rather be a rebel!, then anheire. As A6fil•m,fo Ad•nij•h wants not furtherers in r_his ufurpatioo,whcthcr fpiritual, orcemporali;I11b theGenerall,and A6wb., the Pndlgtvc botk counfdl,and aid to fo unfcafonable a challenge; Thcfe twohad been firmc to D•vid in all his troubles inallinfurrcdions; yet now finding him fallcned to tbcbcd of~e, and death, they B thew themfclves thus llipperyin the loofe: Outward happineue and friendfitip arc notknowne till our !all ad; in the impotencyofeither our revenge or rccompcnce it will eafilyappeare who loved us forourfclves, who forrhcirowneends. ' Had not _,fdonij•h knowne that S•l•mon was dcligncd ro the Kingdomc hoth by God, and D•vid, he had ncyer invited al~-the reil ofthe Kings fonncs, his ljtcthrto, and left out SAl"'""; who'Was dtbcrwift the moll unlikely to have been his riv5ll in his honour; all the rcllwerc'~lder thch he ; and mightthcreforc havehad more pretencefor their competition; Doubtlelfe the Court oflfracl could nor but know, thatimmcdiar<ly upon the birth of S•l•m•n, God fent him by NAth•n the Prophet,a aame and melfage oflovc ; neither was it for nothing that God called him Itditii•h; and forc-promifcd him the hooor ofbuilding an houfe to his Name; and (inrerurnc C offo glorious a fcrvicc) the ellablitbmenroftbe throne of his Kingdome over lfra. el for ever: Norwithllanding all which, Aa1sij•h backed by the llrength ofa ru;, and the gravity~fan <.AbiAthAr, will underworkt SAilnm•, and ju!He iaro the notyet.vacant feat of his father D•vltl. Vaioe men, whiles like proud and yet brittle clay, theywill be knocking their fides agaio'll the folid, and ctcrllllll deqee of God, brcake thcmfelves in peeces. I doe not finde that <.A d•nij•h feot any mclfage of threats or uokindoelfe to Z•- dltlt thcPtiell,or N•th•n the Prophct1or Ben•i•htbc fonnc of IthDi•d•,and the other Worthies;only he inviteq them not to his fcall with the Kings fonnes,aod fcrvants1 Sometimes avery omi11ion is an affront, and a menace. They well knew that fince they werenotcalledas guclls, they werecoumed as enemies; Ceremoniesofcour- D tclie, though they be in thcmfclvcs flighr,atid arbitrary, yet the oeglecr of them in fomc cafes may uodergoc a dangerous confirudion. NAJh•• was the man bywhomGod bad fenr that errand ofgrace to D•viJ,conccmingS•I.>•••,alfuring him both to reignc, and ptofper; yernow when Adllfij•hs plotwas rhus on foor,he doth nor litllill and depend upon thei!fuc-ofGods decree, but he bcllirrcs himin the bufioelfc,and coofults with B•thfheb• how atonce to fave their lives, and to advance S•l•m,.,and defcat<.Ath•lj•b; Gods pre-determination includes the meanes as well as the end ; the fame providence that had ordained a Crowne to S•l•mon,arcpulfetoAJonijAh,prcfcrvationto B4tltjl>e~Aand NAtWAII, had fore-appointed ihc wife and indullrio11s indeavours of the Prophet to bring ab011t his jull,aod holy purpofcs;Jfwewould not have God wanting to us,we mull not be E wanting to our fclvcs: Even when we know' what God lr.tth meant to us, wo may aotbenegligent. The Prophtts of God did not look f~r revelation in all thei~ ~ffaircs, in fomc things they were left to thccounfell oftbetr owne hcarrs;the poltcit of N•th•n was · ofufcaswellashisprophecie: that alone hathrurned the fireame into thcright ' channcll: Nothing could bemore wifely contrived then the !ending in of :IAth.foei• to Dwld, with fo feafonable and forcible aa cxpollufarioo, and the fccooding of hers with his owac. Though lull were dead ia Dnitl,yet the refpcdsof his oldmatrimonial love liycd lli!l1tbc very prt!eoccof BAtbfhe~• pleaded llroogly; but her fpccch more; the ttme waswhen his affe&io ollonded inexcc!fctowards herbeingthenaootbcrs,he cannot now
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=