CHnp.3.I. 554 t.Sam.r4.4Ç. How che peo- ple refilled Saul. a.sam.r8,s. How Ioabcrol fed Dauids will. a Sam.:4.r. ACommestarie vponthe landlords content: much leffemight he againfi` the expreffe will and co- uenant ofhis Lord. Againe,if it had been only a 1òík anddamrnage vn- tohimfeife alone,hewould doubtleffe haueyeelded:but no euill offtnne muff be chofcn at all., The third inftance, whether the peoplemight warrantablyrefit} Saul, when he wouldhaue put Ionathan to death : feeing Saul had fwornhis death, and the Lord teemed by lot to defigne him thereto. eflnfw. This was ameane wherby it pleafed the Lord todeliuer Ionathanat that time. The deliueringof an innocent was good, thequeflion is of the meanes. To which I adde, that if it were bymeanes ofinterceflìon,and due refped and reuerence to theKings perfon and place (as the text fee- meth to imply by their pleading for Ionathan) the meanes alfo were good: butifit were by mutinie,oroppoftion,or fedition,yet this man- ner ofthe fad null be condemned, but not the fad it (elfe. As for the lot, the Lord indeed noted thereby Ionathans fad ; but thereby conui- óìedhimnot ofa fault, for fonatban heard'sor when his father charged the people with ano4th;the whole fault therefore ref1ed in Saulsinconfiderace andrafh oath. The fourth inflance is in Ioab, both innot obeying one commande- ment ofDauid, and inobeying another. Firth, whether he did well in flaying Abfolon, having fuch an expreffe charge to fpare him, yea to vie him kindly. efinfoo. Abfolon iully deferued death by the law, Deut. ai. r 8. and iulily fell in his fanne : but Ioab finned in flaying him : for althoughhewas the generali of thewarre, and hadpower; yet be for- gat thathe was a fubied, and that in this onepoint his power was limi- ted by him that gane himhis whole command. Meere it was that Abfo- Ion fhould bee punifhed, but by Dauids confenc : and though Ioab thought it inpolicie the fafel.way toput himout ofthe way , yet his fa- ther conceiued how fearefull his deathwould be, if he fhould be cut off in his fnne; and nodoubt purpofedotherwife bybanifhment, or impri- fonment to haue repreffed him, if hecould no way haue reclaimed him. But Ioabhad no power over his life, wilfully toflay him , when Dauid had excepted it; andput cafe it was a fault to fparehim, it was 15auids, andnot his. Qeft. But whether didhewell toobeyDavid in numbring the peo- ple, beeing a thingwhich c viofes and lo/hnah did without fanne ; and wherein the King was foperemptorie. Anfw.He finfullyobeyedDaniel, men ashe did alto inbetraying VriahvponDAuidr letter:hewas a cour- tierthat conceiued himfelfe tobeateuery command , although againft his confcienee, as thiswas : he. knew that God had forbidden to num- ber thepeople, withouta fpeciall commandement, orneceffarie caufe, or
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