THEY that make a question whether it be true or no that God speakes any more to men, or indeed that men have any more intelli­gence from God; let them be­leeve it for a certaine that hee speakes, but they are too deafe to heare the language; let them beleeve it for certaine that hee writes, but they are too blinde to perceive the Character: Hee that will understand his voyce, [Page 2] hee that will read his letter, let him betake himselfe to the Ho­ly writ, that is a Vocabulary, which the Spirit of God hath left us to explaine his profound discourses by, that is a key to disclose all those obscure letters that are directed to us from heaven.

Will you, O Princes, will you, O people, conceive what it is that God speakes when hee sends a pestilence, when hee sends a famine, when hee sends warre, when hee brings estates to destruction, or in hazard to be destroyed? Goe runne over these names in the Vocabulary of the Almighty.

But the weake and weary eyes of our mind eschew the light of the truth, they precipitate them­selves into an abysse of miseries, [Page 3] and among the obscurities of the night grope for the splen­dour of the sunne: Thus wee renounce the prerogatives of the new law.

It is not the way to get forth of the Clouds in which the Is­raelites walked, for men, but to change them. Those divine mysteries which they beheld only clouded up in darknesse, are now most transparently ob­served in a cleare skie; yet the causes of the Revolutions of States, of the increase of one, of the diminution of another, of the fall of Princes, of Famine, of Pestilence, of Warre, were openly displayed to them, and wee on the contrary envelop them in the obscuritie of a thousand ambiguities, as if that were not true which the grea­test [Page 4] Divines have told us, that the Chastisements which came upon the Israelites befell them for our example.

God speaketh but once (saith Iob) and speaketh not againe: the holy writ is that booke in which hee hath spoken: there then ought to be searched the causes of good or bad events, where clearly and for our sakes they are written.

To frame Politicke apho­rismes, to set downe rules for it taken from prophane authors, is in a manner to pretend that mans will is necessarie and con­ducing.

Nay I could find in my heart to say that it is an undeifying of God, and a deifying of the second causes: He makes them serve his turne, but them hee [Page 5] serves not. Hee that in discus­sing upon naturall events brings in God only for a reason, is but a poore Philosopher; and hee that brings him not in, in Inquiries of Politick occur­rences, is but a poore Christian; when it is his pleasure that the fire which at one time scorched should at another coole, Vid. Da [...] hee must have recourse to his al­mighty power in working mi­racles, but hee may very well without miracles give way, that the same action which at one time hath reared up a Prince, should at another sink him.

Our too leaden wings can­not eagle us up from this base earth, wee walke in a gloomy aire, without lifting up our eyes to that most glorious [Page 6] Sunne of the Empireum.

The Politick treatises of the Gentiles which are but earthly, bring us back to earth, in that they have in them but earthly causes, but the holy instructi­ons which are sent us from hea­ven producing heavenly causes, bring us home to heaven. O most benigne Lord, may it please thee to give to drink of thy most cleare and living water, this thirsty wretch who for­sakes the stinking and muddy Cisternes of the Gentiles, ra­ther loathing them than satisfi­ed with them.

If I knew not my selfe un­worthy to bee taken out of the darknesse of my grosse igno­rance, I would most humbly and upon my knees intreat thee for one ray which like the daw­ning [Page 7] leading mee on to the most cleare Noone, might at this present in some part draw mee out of the obscuritie of this dimme night, that I might discover those deepe and pro­found mysteries which are concealed from the feeblenesse of our understandings.

The Prophet Samuel re­proves Saul, because that contrarie to Gods commandement, hee had left Agag King of the Amalekites alive, and had not slaine all his cattell.

THe disobedience of Saul gives the last turne to the wheele of his greatnesse: It is [Page 8] a fire which consumeth crowns, for they are soldred with obe­dience. He knoweth not what belongs to matter of state that loseth this towards God: hee teacheth others to forgoe it to­ward their superiours, and as much as in him lyes, destroyes the compacture of the universe.

Disobedience is the of­spring either of the arrogance of the braine, or of the weak­nesse of the senses; either that men thinke to doe better than they are commanded, or that they are inclined to doe worse; In one of these the frailtie sometimes meets with com­passion, in the other the con­tempt alwaies provokes to ven­geance: This can never bee in regard of God, because it is not possible to bee wiser than God, [Page 9] and when it is practised among men, although it may often seeme to produce good fruit, yet is it alwayes naught, as that which proceeds from an evill plant. Well ordered Com­mon-wealths have not forborne to punish it, though prospe­rous victories ill disciplined bringing with them more dam­mage than defeatments doe.

Saul excuses himselfe in that the people had preserved the best of the spoile to sa­crifice them to God: Obedience is better than Sacrifice (answers Sa­muel.)

GOd had already ordained the Sacrifice when he had [Page 10] commanded that all the men, and all the Cattell of the Ama­lekites should be slaine; so ma­ny Priests they were, that were appointed to kill them, so many sacrifices as to bee killed.

There want not this day such Sauls, that sacrifice to God the sacrifices of disobedi­ence. These golden moun­taines heaped up with impiety that seemes sometimes to a­dorne them, defile the altars of God, they onely garnish the ambition of man: Hee that thinks with these to pacifie his divine Majestie, incenseth it: as much as in him lyes, with execrable blasphemie pro­claimes that Majestie to bee most wicked, and makes him partaker of his misdeeds, as if hee were bound to bee appea­sed [Page 11] with him, so hee may but have a share in the purchases of his villanies.

The Prophet replies, Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord bath rejected thee from being King. Saul sayes to him, I have sinned, return with mee that I may wor­ship the Lord.

SEe the power of ambition, which hath oftentimes more force upon the hearts of men than the Commande­ments of God have: He makes as if he repented, because hee feares to lose the Kingdome: Hee repents not because hee [Page 12] cares not for losing Heaven But (Oh the deceivable judgements of men) because hee re­pents not, hee loseth the king­dome of Heaven; when hap­pily had hee repented, hee had lost neither the kingdome nor heaven.

Hee that will learne the best art for preserving of states, let him read the decalogue, he shall find there in ten lines dictated by the holy Ghost, those di­rections that are the most as­sured for the achieving of hea­ven, and the least deceitfull for soveraigntie upon earth: Poli­cie is a Sea so inconstant, so tur­bulent, that there is no place to bee found in it where wee have not seene one Prince or other cast away, it is a peece of Architecture so decayed, that it [Page 13] alwayes threatneth to fall downe, that to keepe the frame of the world upon its basis, God, that heaven and earth may not be confounded, permits it still to bee tottering, yet sometimes under those that observe his owne precepts.

Samuel offers to depart; Saul takes him by the skirt of his garment and teares it: Even so shall the king­dome of Israel bee rent from thee, addeth the Prophet.

DOe not (Oh yee Princes) spoile your subjects; Let the vestments of the Priests be sacred in your eyes: Hee that [Page 14] spoileth the subject is not a Prince; hee is a Tyrant: hee loseth the name if hee lose not the estate.

God hath many times made garments expresse his inten­tions, peradventure because they are in some sort a part of our selves while they are uni­ted to us. The spirits which continually exhale out of our bodies, are those that cause this union.

The Coats of beasts are very certaine signes of their nature, as the Garments of men are of their conceit, for as that appa­rells the one kind, so the other doth the other. Every Coun­trie hath its difference of Gar­ment because each hath its dif­ference of conceit, which hath not a cloathing of her owne, [Page 15] hath not a Prince of her owne: Against such a one peradven­ture one of the Prophets ex­claimed in threatning tearmes when hee said, Woe be to you which goe clad in strange gar­ments: It may goe for a kind of a sure token, that if they have not a stranger to theri Sove­raigne, they would have one. A horses coat shewes his constitu­tion, and a mans his inclination.

Saul answereth that he hath sinned, yet prayes the Prophet againe to returne with him to the sacrifice, and to honour him before the Elders of the people.

TO leape from Religion to Hypocrisie, to offend [Page 16] and therewith to defend him­selfe, is not to serve God, but to make God serve his turne, and when one cannot deceive him, to deceive others by him. The cause of so great an impietie is that execrable proposition ne­ver enough deplored, That tis all one, to bee good, and to seeme good. This may bee true in regard of men whose know­ledge is but opinion.

No sooner was Saul made acquainted with the will of God, but hee seeks how to hin­der it; no sooner leaves hee to bee religious, but hee becomes a Politician; as if the cunning of state which is not sufficient to defend us against men, were able to defend us against God.

The certaine knowledge that a Prince is to lose his estate, [Page 17] raises up many to looke after it. There is no fearing of him whose fortunes the heavens oppose, and men are very glad­ly instruments of Gods anger. If men were among us as zea­lous to remunerate the good as they are to chastise the bad, and rewards were equall to pu­nishments, peradventure the world would bee better than it is: but because punishment many times is accompanied with profit, and Reward with some losse, men are more incli­ned to punish than to reward: And it is very convenient that in this world the Chastise­ments should be greater than the Rewards, to make us know that in the other the Rewards shall be greater than the Cha­stisements.

Samuel had said that hee would not returne, yet hee returneth afterward, though not to sacrifice with Saul, yet to sacrifice A­gag, not as Minister of Hypocrisie, or of Policie, but of Religion: Hee cau­ses Agag to bee brought before him, that he might slay him. Hee considers in him the Image of a Ty­rant waxen fat with the blood and substance of his subjects, and trembling at the anger of God. The Prophet saith unto him; As thy sword hath [Page 19]made many women childlesse, so shall thy mother be made child­lesse among women, and so hee killeth him.

KNow you why the Lord said, Hee that striketh with the sword, shall perish with the sword? To adde force to the law of nature, that saith, Doe not that to another which thou wouldst not have done to thee: but little would this, if God had not added; for that which thou dost to another shall be done to thee: the one doth instruct, and the other terrifie us. If God should not sometimes punish sins in this world, they would not beleeve that there is a God; if he should alwaies punish sins [Page 20] in this world, men would think there were no other world for them but this.

Samuel departeth to Ramah, and there mourneth for Saul, because God repen­teth that hee had made him King.

PRinces may well thinke it is no shame to remove those from their charge, that carry themselves shamefully therein: yet need they not re­gard that false rule of policy, that to change their Ministers before their time is to submit themselves to their subjects, to accustome them to dislike of their Governours, and a preju­diciall thing to their dominion [Page 21] in permitting them not to have the election, yet at least the ap­probation of his Ministers, who may thereby bee more apt to prefer the appetite of the peo­ple, before the service of the Prince. The malignitie of men hath mistaken the termes, this is not to give way to the peo­ple, 'tis but to give them eare. It is no losse of authoritie, but a purchase, and it shall never ac­custome the subjects to com­plain of such officers which de­serve well, to take away those who deserve ill.

Man who is moulded of base matter attributeth to himselfe more oftentimes than to God; who though hee can never re­pent, yet having chosen a Mi­nister who turneth to evill, doth speake and worke as if hee re­pented. [Page 22] And man who on ma­ny occasions to repent, either repenteth not at all, or else pro­ceeds, as if he had not repented.

The lamentations of Samuel appease not God, and why should his weepings ap­pease him for Saul, when Saul himselfe weepes not?

HOw oft doth the righte­ous offer sacrifice for the sinner, whiles the sinner him­selfe is sacrificing to the Devill? whiles the one labours to ap­pease God, the other provoketh him farther. It might seeme unto God that the righteous in­tercessor were a liar in craving pardon for him that refuseth it, if God did not know that the [Page 23] sinner is like to a mad man, who oft hath need of one of under­standing to speake to the Phy­sician for him.

God in some sort complaines against Samuel, when he saith, How long wilt thou mourne for Saul? God could not (if one may say so) endure his lamen­ting, and not hearken to his suit. These are those waters which in a manner offer vio­lence to Heaven; The Spirit of God moveth upon such waters, and they make a river of oblivi­on in Paradise. The tears which are shed, the prayers which are said, and the supplications which are sent up to God for others, are as acceptable to God, and more peradventure than if they were made for them­selves: They are esteemed of [Page 24] more merit, at least in regard of the moralitie of the action. Why th [...] doe some Princes perswade themselves, that they satisfie the obligatios wherein they are obliged to some one, when they yeeld him his suit which hee hath made for ano­ther? Or to say more truly, why doe some favourites be­leeve that there is such an im­piety in their Princes? Let them call to minde that the of­fice of a favourite is the office of an Angell, and ought there­fore to present the suits and supplications of the subjects to their Lord, and to bring backe the gracious grants of the Lord unto the subjects; he that doth the contrary is a Divell, and no Angell.

Fill thy horne with oyle (saith God to the Pro­phet) and goe to Ishai the Bethleemite, for a­mongst his sonnes I have provided mee a King: Hee answers, How can I goe, for if Saul heare of it, he will kill me.

THus he answereth, not be­cause he feareth death, but because hee is desirous to doe service unto God; he much pri­zes his life in that case wherein to die is not to obey: Hence let those that are imployed by their Princes learne that the death of the servant is seldome the service of the Lord. It [Page 26] ought indeed to bee received couragiously, but never to bee encountred but when it is very usefull, and when the dying is an obeying. A man of worth is a high prized instrument of the greatnesse of his Prince, if hee cares not to preserve him­selfe for his owne sake, yet hee ought to be careful of preserva­tion for his Lord and Masters sake. Every man that is fitted to die is not fit to doe service. It is true also what I have said even in the common Souldier, (whose life rather than his brain is dedicated to the Princes ser­vice) that he ought also to en­devour to obey, and not to die. Hee that runnes headlong on death, doth not spend his life to the advantage, but casts it away to the losse of his Lord; his ser­vice [Page 27] is to overcome, and not to die, and indeed they lose that are slaine. To expose needles­ly to death that body which can doe service to its Prince, but whiles it lives, is a most pernici­ous desire of vaine glory, con­trary to good policy, against good military discipline, and an affection full of deceit and flattery; into which even the Generals whose life is most pre­tious, doe often precipitate themselves, as if it were a grea­ter bravery to fight than to command. But that Army is but in a bad taking (pardon me this digression) whose safety consisteth in the arme, not in the braine of the Generall. To know how to command well in warre, is a part of the imagina­tive faculty. The imagination [Page 28] to worke well requireth a good measure of heat, whose con­trary is feare, which how little so ever it bee, the other abates, and how little so ever that a­bates, the imagination is distur­bed; whence it comes to passe that to bee afraid and to com­mand well cannot stand toge­ther: But how many are there that incited more by Honour than by Courage, do both fight and feare? these may handle the sword well, but yet not apt for command. The heating of the braine is not in our owne power, as is the managing of the hands: wee have no com­mand over that, howsoever [...] dominion we have over [...] for otherwise [...] not blame [...] nature necessa­rily [Page 29] in us. Thence it followes that there is no greater or surer signe of a brave courage than to command well in a battell; where both Reputation and life, yea, and many times the State it selfe comes upon the stage.

The Lord willeth Samuel to take him a calfe out of the flock, and to say that hee is come to doe sacri­fice.

BEcause God could succour him by ordinarie meanes, hee would not have recourse to extraordinary. If hee should alwayes bee doing of miracles, men would not thinke his Pro­vidence so great in creating [Page 30] the second causes; and if hee never used miracles, hee should not perhaps be knowne to bee Almightie. Where God wor­keth many miracles, there is commonly great need of them; and where there is such need, there is but little faith. When hee is not knowne by his Im­pression, stamp, or Image, which hee hath imprinted in the things by him created, then he findeth it requisite to make himselfe seene in the workes of his Omnipotencie.

Samuel obeyeth the Lord, goeth and calleth Ishai and his sonnes to the sacri­fice, and looking on Eliab supposeth him to bee the [Page 31]man whom hee should an­noynt, because hee is the tallest and the goodliest of person.

Had the Prophet beene of the opinion of those Philoso­phers, who have censured men of great stature to bee void of wisdome, hee would not at the first sight so much have respected the talnesse of stature. I for my part am not of that opinion, but doe hold it to bee most false.

IF those Philosophers belee­ved the neerenesse of the braine to the stomack, doth trouble the operations of the understanding, and if they have also imagined to themselves, [Page 32] that the vitall spirits which ascend from the heart, may bee made animall spirits, for the service and operation of the Braine are unapt for such effect, unlesse they bee first somewhat cooled (because of the incom­patibilitie of wisedome with heat) wherefore have they not also affirmed the taller sort of men to be wiser than the little, as having their Braine farther distant from the perturbations of the stomack, and their spirits not so hot by reason of their long way, and larger distance from their Originall? Perad­venture they are deceived, in that they beleeve that men are alwayes great by the forming Power, through the superabun­dance of matter, not observing that many times there concur­reth [Page 33] with it as a principall In­strument the Quantitie of heat, as it is commonly verified in those whose talnesse is accom­panied with slendernesse. It hath therefore been noted as a true observation, that the tall men that have little heads, and the little men which have great, have more Braine than the rest, which commeth to passe not as many have thought, because the little head in the great bo­dy, and the great in the little maketh a mediocrity in the or­dinarie stature of men; which is false if wee measure the me­diocritie of the part in respect of the whole of which it is a part: But because the little head in a great man, is a signe that the extension did proceed of heat, and by consequence that [Page 34] the littlenesse of that member commeth through defect of matter in the bony and fleshy parts, which being but small, produceth the thinner and more delicate Organs which do not obstruct, or hinder the ope­rations of the braine. The lit­tle man having a great head, is an argument that it is full of braine, especially if he bee but slender, for it cannot be ascri­bed to the thicknesse of the skull, because that Nature would rather have imployed that mat­ter to have made the man tal­ler or greater. I am excusable if I seeke by reason to overthrow this doctrine, because I am wil­ling to verifie it by the exam­ple of mine owne stature.

The Lord willeth Samuel not to regard the counte­nance of Eliab, nor the talnesse of his stature, but hee had refused him, judging not as men doe by the outward appearance, but beholding the Heart.

LOe here the vanitie of Metoposcopie and Physi­ognomie is pointed at. Beauty or Comlinesse is a most perfect consonancie arising out of the symmetrie and proportion of the first Qualities: It gets in the eye because it is faire; It at­tracts the will because it is good, it moves the vnderstan­ding because it is true. The Po­ets in the vanity of their fables [Page 36] have haply come neere vnto the truth calling beautie by the name of the Sun, of the Stars, & of Heaven: It is certainly a peece of that Harmony which the mo­tions and aspects of the Hea­vens, of the Sun, and of the starres doe incite, and hath such a radiant light in it selfe, that (though wee know not why) it doth if not inforce our minds, yet certainly incline them strongly. The Provi­dence of God hath seldome in­formed the fairest body with the fairest mind, that men might not beleeve, that from the same Harmony of tempera­ment of the starres, from which proceeds the Beautie of the one, that of the other did proceed likewise.

Ishai having finally brought forth his sonnes before Sa­muel to the number of seven, hee refusing them all, asketh whether he hath no more: Ishai answe­ring, there is yet one which is feeding of the sheepe, the Prophet causeth him to be sent for, and annoin­teth him in the midst of his Brethren, being the same whom the Lord had appointed in the stead of Saul.

GOd having at first chosen for King, the tallest that was in Israel, chuseth the se­cond [Page 38] time the least that was in the house of Ishai: The first shall be last, and the last shall bee first, (saith the Lord) who then chose the last to bee the first. There is no difference of time with God, in whose eternitie there is neither first nor second. The eldest may be stoutest, but are not usually the wisest. That tendernesse that commonly enfeebleth the Children of our old Age, maketh the organs of their understanding more ten­der and delicate. The cold of him that engendreth, gives them the more wisedome, and his organs the better discourse: whence it comes, that if the last begotten be commonly the weakest, yet they are oft and many times the wisest. He that bringeth David from the sheep­hooke [Page 39] to the scepter, and exal­teth him from the stable to the Kingdome, it is hee that humbled himselfe from his Kingdome to the stable: Hee that is both a sheepheard and a King, maketh him a King who was but a sheepheard. There is a kind of Analogie in all sorts of Commands. He that said that to know well how to order a ta­ble, was a signe that hee knew also how to marshall an Armie, might as well say, that hee that could well keepe a flock of sheep, had the skill how to go­verne a people well.

God from the fold hath ta­ken Kings, from husbandry and hunting Tyrants. The hus­bandman will have the earth to produce that which naturally it doth not, and that it should [Page 40] produce hee wounds it. The hunts-man by shedding the blood of poore innocent beasts, groweth to bee delighted in Crueltie: But the sheepheard conducts his flock to pasture, brings it back to the fold, pre­serveth it from maladies, and defends it from wolves: his ta­king their milk, & their wooll, is a disburthening of them, not a wounding. Let Kings learne to take their Ministers some­times even of the sheepfold. The best men are not alwayes in the greatest Palaces: a lowly Cottage oftentimes incloses a high spirit, and a ragged rock a very cleere diamond.

The good spirit departeth from Saul, and the evill one entreth into him.

GOds refusals are the devils purchases: where the one departs, if the other enters not, hee at least drawes very neere, either to perturb or to possesse.

Let us seeke out one that can play well (say the servants of Saul) that the King may bee eased, when hee is molested by the evill spirit.

THey beleeved peradven­ture that the Melancho­lick humour being stirred up, [Page 42] they that are oppressed by it might bee eased by melodie.

There have beene some of opinion that Melancholie is produced of the devill. The wiser sort if they did not be­leeve that it is of his producti­on, yet judged that it may easi­ly prove to be of his introducti­on, and therefore termed it the Bath of the devill, because it is the Lees, because it is black, because it hath an Analogie with the darknesse of sinne: The occasion of their beleefe was the seeing sometimes how by the fixation thereof men were lifted up or elevated in an extasie: Yea, and sometimes how the sharpnesse thereof irri­tating the braine, and stirring the Images therein, hath made some to speake things whereof [Page 43] before they were not held ca­pable; whence I thinke it came to passe, that many oppressed with the greatnesse of the effects produced by this humour, have often judged the animall spirits to be infernall spirits.

I deny not, there are found some melancholicke persons possessed with devills, or that melancholy is an apt bath for the devill; but I affirme it not only of the grosse, thick and dark melancholie, but even of that also which produceth the subtilest and lightest spirits. He hath need of active bodily in­struments for his operations in the body. Hee joynes him­selfe therefore gladly with the subtilest and finest spirits, be­cause they being in some sort of a middle nature, being cor­poreall [Page 44] and incorporeall, are a more proportionate receptacle for a spirit to unite himselfe to a thing that is meerely corpo­reall. An ancient Sage beleeved that our soule which hee ima­gined to bee at first clothed with aire, had need of the like organs to joyne it to the body, whereunto hee thought it not united but assistant; neither are there wanting among the Di­vines those that have conceived the Angles to be clothed in like manner.

They tell Saul of David, that he is strong, a valiant man of war, can play well, is a wise and a comely person, and that God is with him.

[Page 45] HOw should the devill con­tinue his possession, being to bee assailed with so many prerogatives, but that finding in them some rayes of the glori­ous Archangell Michael, hee must needs slie and hide him­selfe in the bottomlesse pit of hell?

Saul sendeth to Ishai for his sonne that keepeth the sheepe, whom Ishai doth send unto him with some presents.

MEn ought not to come before Princes without presents, nor to depart from them without thanksgivings.

Saul maketh him his Armour­bearer, and writes vnto his father that hee doth not send him his sonne a­gaine, because hee hath found favour in his sight.

ANd who is hee that is so gracious in the eyes of Saul? It is even hee that is to take his Kingdome from him: It is an extraordinarie thing amongst men, that their loves become their overthrowes: the affections of a corrupt mind, like those of adiseased body, are al­wayes pernicious; nor are they motions of Nature, but the motions of that which hath destroyed Nature, shee inclines not to that which corrupts her, [Page 47] if shee be not already corrup­ted; and if shee bee corrupted, shee is dead, shee is gone.

David sung and played when Saul was vexed with the Devill, and then the De­vill left him, not because of Davids musick, but his Goodnesse.

HAd the devill a bodie, Mu­sick might haply bee able to chace him out, being unable to endure the power of Melo­die: hee who is a friend to it, is an enemie to sinne. One that writ hereof, tooke the deligh­ting in Harmonie, to be a mo­rall signe of Praedestination: Sinne discomposeth all the con­sonancies in man, making a dis­cord [Page 48] between the inferiour and superiour parts, which is the cause of all evill, and finally of the last of all dissonancies, which is Death.

If Health bee but a Harmony of the Temperament, and sick­nesse a dissonancie, why are hu­mours molested? why farther distempered with divers me­dicaments, and not rather re­duced to a true temper with consonancies? Musick would be the truest medicine for all Ma­ladies, if wee knew the right and true proportion, and how to apply to each that kind of Consonancie that would cor­rect it: If any acromatick mu­sick hath beene able to stir up the melancholik humour and to inrage it, why should not the contrary bee effectuall to quali­fie and restraine it?

[Page 49] If Nature in our maladies did happily feele that due consonan­cie that were requisite, shee would peradventure rouze up her selfe as well as the string of an Instrument; which though it be without life, yet stirs and moveth it selfe, as soone as it feeleth a perfect union. Shee discovers the truth hereof, in those that are stung or bitten by the Tarantula, when wee see that Nature strives not to deli­ver her selfe from that poyson, untill shee bee first stirred wtih that Consonancie, whose pro­portion doth correct her. This is not proper to that malady a­lone, but all other I beleeve would in the like manner bee cured, if the Consonancies of all were as well knowne: But the ignorance of men, and the [Page 50] discomposed nature of Sinne, makes us runne to the Physici­an, when wee should have re­course to the Musician.

The Philistims come to as­sault the Israelites, Saul with his Armie goeth to encounter them, each of them planteth his Armie on the edge of a hill, and leave the valley betweene them: There was in the Philistims Army a man called Goliah.

HEe was a Giant, and hee was a bastard; The Giant hath for his Correlative the rash and foole-hardy: hee being [Page 51] greater than men, thinks him­selfe equall with God, as if where Humanitie doth end, there must needs Divinitie be­gin, and that there were not rather an infinite distance be­tweene. This is that Generati­on that opened the Cataracts of Heaven, which made the sea overflow the Land; Anti­quitie could no way describe them so well as to describe their fighting against God. The greatest individuals of one Species, are for the most part Lucifers.

Hee was a Bastard, and Bastards are commonly valo­rous, because they come of Pa­rents that were a norous. The Birth and Parentage, which or­dinarily makes men hide their Talents, with the glories of [Page 52] their forepassed Ancestors, which bringeth them that are present and living asleep, hath no place in these who being oftentimes poore and despised, yet finding in themselves the spirit of those that begot them, in a desperate manner, get up to the steepest of the mount of Glory, alwayes egged on by the bitter touches of their spotted beginning; the continuall re­proach and perpetuall spurre of generous spirits. But if on the contrarie their minds bee de­jected with their miseries into a dead sleep, and will not be ex­cited and awakened with the sharp stings of Honour, they are not worthy to be reckoned amongst men; whence it ariseth that Bastards most commonly light upon the extremes either [Page 53] of valour or of basenesse.

This Goliah desieth the Is­raelites to a single combat, hee requires that the for­tune of the whole warre may hee restrained to the fortune of one petty duell.

TO hazard their whole for­tune, without hazarding at the same time all their forces, hath beene taken to be no well advised course: which yet per­adventure might doe well e­nough, if men could be content to lose all their fortune, before they had lost all their forces. The present victories then might facilitate the future. But such Conditions if ever they be [Page 54] promised, are very seldome ob­served. Such single Combats are but Preludiums to set bat­tailes, and the happie successe therein is rather a signe that men may conquer, than that they have done it. The Con­stellation of that party whose Champion hath beene Victor, is then taken to be stronger, when it shall appeare that hee is governed by that which ap­pertaines to the King, and not by his owne peculiar.

There was none amongst the Israelites, but was afraid of this man. The King promiseth to give him his daughter in Marriage, that shall overcome him.

[Page 55] REwards make valour ap­peare, which lay hid be­fore: they produce it, they doe not create it. It is great pru­dence in men to moderate their promises when they are in great dangers: To make too large ones, is a token of feareful­nesse, and oftentimes doth not prevent the danger, but chan­geth it: To deliver from great dangers, yeelds great reputati­on; Rewards increase strength and reputation, and strength endangers the State: From hence it comes that Promises are not kept, not because they are made with purpose not to keep them, but because men are changed with their change of fortune, and hee that should performe, is no longer the same that promised.

David, who was returned home, comes now into the Armie, to bring certaine presents to the Officers, under whom his Brethren did serve: Hee enquires concerning the businesse in hand: Hee askes what shall be the reward. His elder brother rebukes him of pride and overweening.

THis man discernes not Pride from Fortitude, be­cause hee looked on his brother with an envious eye, not with an eye of love. There are ma­ny vertues which have their o­perations common with vice, being distinguished only by the [Page 57] Intent: which because it can­not be seene, is judged of by o­thers, and mens judgements are not alwayes without passi­on, it seldome happens that they judge without errour. He would not have any adventure on that which hee dares not ad­venture on: Those defects that are common, seeme rather the defects of mankind, than of any particular persons: hee layes the blame on us, that by being free from such defects himselfe, acquites nature of them too.

David is brought before Saul, who seeing him so young, telleth him that he is not able to fight with the Giant, who was expe­rienced in warre from his youth.

PRinces ought not to put any upon a great enter­prize, who hath not first beene brought up and tried in things of the like nature. Danger hath not the same looke with it when wee are neere it, as when wee are at a distance; when tis far off from us, our understanding represents only the Honour and the Profit; but when wee approach face to face, wee see nothing oftentimes, but the horrour of Death.

[Page 59] It is true that Courage is a reall thing in a man, yet never­thelesse hee knowes not that he hath it, till experience hath made him know that hee hath had it. There are many that prove better upon triall than they thought they should have done; and many come short of the opinion they had of them­selves. Wise men are very fearfull of danger, because they have considered well of it: but when they come to try it, and are no longer to consider of it, they stand no longer in feare of it. On the contrary, they which are of little judgement, ima­gining all things alike, when they find it otherwise than they imagined, they grow also ma­ny times to be other manner of men, than before they held themselves for.

David to encounter this doubt of Saul, declareth how hee had smitten Beares, and how hee had slaine Lions.

TO recount our owne doughty Acts is often­times vanitie, here it is of ne­cessitie: hee did not rehearse it to shew that hee had overgone great dangers, but to undergoe greater; not to be commended, but to bee commanded.

Saul resolves to let David goe to fight; Hee puts on him his owne Armour, which David being not able to manage, puts it off.

EVen as little men cannot fight well with great Ar­mour, [Page 61] so neither can the lesser Princes with those greater. He that hath not fitted himselfe with armour of his owne, is not to fight in anothers. Patroclus came not to his Death till hee put on that of Achilles. This is the common Doctrine of the Politicians, yet I take it some­times to faile in regard that there are often found men of that worth, that like Ostriges, they convert others Armes in­to their owne substance. This may come to passe, when one receiving an Armie without a Head, makes himselfe to bee o­beyed, and managing them by his valour, brings himselfe into great estimation; If Generals that were no Princes, have sometimes drawne by such meanes the Armies to be at [Page 62] their Devotion, and have got­ten Kingdomes by such Ar­mies as were not their owne, why should not a valorous Prince be able to doe it by the Armes of his Friends?

David goeth with his staffe and his sling, with five smooth stones against the Giant.

HEe had no need of other Armour, hee was armed with his confidence in God. Hee which hath this Armour, can never perish: If we hap­pen to be deceived, tis because wee deceive our selves, having our confidence in those things in which wee ought not, or not having so much as wee ought; [Page 63] to bring forth a true act of Con­fidence, is a very difficult thing: There is requisite a great assistance of God to make one truly and only relie on the helpe of God. If such acts were more frequent amongst us, we should not haply account so many Events to bee miracles. They that teach us how not­withstanding our Confidence in God, wee ought to doe as much as wee can, or otherwise in stead of trusting in God wee should presume upon him, their meaning may haply bee, that it were but a rash presumption to perswade our selves that wee have produced any true act of Confidence; but not if wee firmly beleeve that God for his part would assuredly helpe us, when wee for our part [Page 64] should produce such an Act.

The Giant derides David, curseth & disdaines him, but hee putting a stone in his sling, throwes it at him, hitteth him in the forehead, makes him fall groveling on his face to the ground, and running upon him cutteth off his head with his sword.

IT hath beene an ordinarie thing in single combats, be­tweene a giant-like man and one of a meaner stature, that the little man hath had alwayes the better: The Philosophers would attribute the cause to [Page 65] the Courage which is counted to be greater in the lesser heart; a small fire will heat a little roome, when a larger will scarce bee warmed with a great one. I have no assurance in this opi­nion, but would rather adven­ture (if I should not be thought too bold) to affirme that Cou­rage consisteth not in the Heart, as is commonly held both by the ignorant vulgar, and many of the learned: Who knoweth that it is not rather produced by the same imaginative facultie out of which feare also procee­deth? how many that in their health were exceeding faint hearted, in raging fits have be­come rash and desperate, which was occasioned only by the heat of the Braine? for if it proceeded from that of the [Page 66] Heart, they that are distempe­red with fevers should be al­wayes the most couragious: and what is it that makes hope­lesse men so resolute? Is it their Heart forsooth growne lesse or more heated than it was before? or their understanding rather which suggesteth unto them that there is no other way to escape death but by encoun­tring it? To what purpose doe men speake to cowards to ani­mate them? Reasons may in­deed worke upon the Braine, but are not able to heat the Heart: Who knoweth not, that the not knowing of the danger makes men adventurous? Whence it comes that the wi­sest are not alwayes the most couragious. Hardinesse (and herein I refer my selfe to the [Page 67] better learned) is a certaine kind of madnesse, consisting haply in a hot distemper of the Braine, which permitteth no consideration or discourse of the danger of Death. Hee that in fighting thinkes hee shall be slaine, cannot fight couragiously. And albeit the Philosophers define the valiant man to be such a one as know­ing the perils goes to encoun­ter them, because it is just aud honest. I beleeve it ought to be understood before hee entreth into those dangers, because after he is once engaged, if he knew them hee would faint. A wise man was of the minde, that fen­cers were more fearfull than others, because they knew the danger more than others: It is not therefore the Heart, but the [Page 68] Braine, and if it come from the Heart, it must be in regard that the same is the originall of all the operations of the Minde. The Divines going a surer way, would resolve this pro­bleme by saying, that it hath beene the pleasure of God by humilitie to overthrow Pride, and by the least things to abase the greatest: If it were not so not only in men, but also in States and Empires, there would be no tides and ebbes in the world, but hee that was once the greatest should al­wayes so continue, seeing hee could not be overcome by a lesser.

The Politicians would al­leage Disdaine to be the cause: hee that despiseth his enemie, doth not strive with all his [Page 69] might, but employing some part only, and that with no great heed, is often overcome by one who being weaker than hee, op­poseth him with the utmost of his strength and cunning: One of the greatest errours that I have observed in great Potentates, hath beene to see how applying their forces on an enterprise, they have rather taken measure of the enemie than themselves, opposing against him only so much of their strength, as they conjectured to bee answerable to the present affaires; and whereas with a greater power they might have beene sure of victory, with an equall one they have either lost it, or at least prolonged the warres with more expence of men and mo­ney. It is very difficult to mea­sure [Page 70] the proportion of things by their Beginnings. Childrens garments must be allowed to be somewhat larger than them­selves, lest they growing grea­ter, the garments become too lit­tle. It is enough for a meaner man if at the beginning hee bee enabled to resist a greater, that so he may but get him reputa­tion, and by the meanes there­of hee can procure himselfe ad­herents and protectors.

The Giant was no sooner slaine, but the Army of the Philistims being discom­fited, betakes it selfe to flight; and the Israelites pursue and slay them.

[Page 71] THat Armie whose trust is in the straightnesse of some passage, in the height of any si­tuation, in the strength of their Trenches, in the valour of a man, or in any one speciall thing of good defence, is easily overcome by him who shall be assuredly perswaded, that if he can but overthrow such a part, or slay such a man, or passe through the difficulties of such a hill, or such fortifications, he shall find no other resistance, and therefore shall hee set for­ward very stoutly and couragi­ously: Because men having once lost that by which they were confident they should o­vercome, being dejected, thinke there is nothing left that can de­fend them against the valour of their enemies. But that Armie [Page 72] which relies upon it intire selfe equally throughout is in a man­ner invincible; It may perad­venture bee routed, utterly dis­comfited it cannot: Every one will fight to the Death, because every one trusting in himselfe, will not distrust of the victory, untill he hath lost his life.

The slaughter being ended, David returnes with the Giants head. Saul en­quires of Abner who he is: Abner not knowing him, goes to meet him, and brings him unto Saul: He askes him whose sonne hee is: hee answers, he is the Sonne of Ishai.

[Page 73] SEe how fading or how dis­pleasing the memory of be­nefits is in Princes; either Saul did not remember David, or else hee was not willing to re­member him: Hee that but a little before had found so much favour in his sight, hath now lost it both in his sight and me­morie: The memory of a bene­fit lasts well, if it lasts as long as the benefit, and the respect that is begotten thereby often dies before its Father. If Reasons may bee rendered for the affection of a Prince towards a Courtier, bee they drawne of Profit or out of Pleasure, or whether accompanied with Honestie, yet is it a thing but of small continuance: If it fol­low Reason, it formes a habit of which commeth satietie, and [Page 74] if it be not grounded on Rea­son, the ground of such affecti­on faileth. It is a vanity to thinke our selves able to yeeld a reason of the affectionate fa­vours of Princes: Those are great, and slowly will they end, for which there can no reason be given how they came to be­gin. There are starres which incline them thereunto by their influences, neither are those loves alwayes happie, for neither are the aspects of these alwayes favourable: In this manner haply that great scholler meant it, though hee was not so understood, when hee seemed to doubt, whether any reason could be given of the Inclinations of Princes, or whether they depended on the Course of their Nativitie. And [Page 75] whereas in all other occurrents hee had shewed himselfe a friend unto reason, hee never spake of this Argument or mat­ter, but made a present recourse unto Destinie, which having once coupled and conjoyned with the course of the Nativity, there is no doubt but he meant it by the operation of the starres. Politicians may cease to teach the waies to obtaine the favour of Princes; men must be borne to it, not taught it. A man may by his valour and wise­dome make himselfe well estee­med, but yet not beloved.

When hee had made an end of speaking, the soule of Io­nathan was knit with [Page 76] the soule of David, in a knot of Amitie.

WOnderfull things are Friendship and Love, whence they proceed (with all respect, and far from all pre­sumption be it spoken) men have not yet well declared for all their Philosophie. Some have thought them to bee the daughters of Abundance, and of Want; but this were a taxing of Love and Amitie with im­perfection, and to deny the prime and chiefe love which wee call the holy spirit: for in the three divine Persons there can bee no defect. The rest of the Philosophers, have deduced the originall from the simili­tude of the parties loving, some [Page 77] from the Heaven, some from the starres, some from the tem­per, some from the Manners, & some finally from the features, yet peradventure they have all mistaken: for if love came from the resemblance, a man should rather love the male than the female; and whereas Love is but seldome reciprocall, it should be alwayes answered with like affection; seeing one thing cannot be said to bee like another, but that the other must also be like to it. I beleeve that there are some Constellations conducing to Friendship, and others to Love, which produce in their subject, a kind of lovely Character which commeth not of the Temper, but rather of some (I know not what) ce­lestiall impressions which the [Page 78] Heavens and starres with their operations have left imprinted in that tender body, and that hee is most beloved that hath most thereof, and that hee who hath lesse cannot be the object of Love, but onely of good will or respect. The reason whereof is because Beautie is the object of Love: Yet not Beauty which is like unto ours, but that which is greater, other­wise there would not (no not in Patria) be any love towards God: And if sometimes here we love our equall, it is either be­cause then wee see none more worthy, or because wee doe not reflect thereon. But onely that excellence which is in God is the adequate object of Love, be­cause that onely which is in God is the adequated object of [Page 79] our will: and if wee could see him as hee is, hee should infal­libly make us love with him. But because wee are here as but in Via, he is not so represented to us: we turne our eyes to ad­mire that celestiall Beautie where we finde it best imprin­ted among us, and is often ter­med Gratia divisata, which con­sisteth neither in the symmetrie of the Humours, nor the Pro­portion of the Lineaments, al­beit it oftentimes accordeth and agreeth well with them both when it is not hindered by any defect in the matter, and so sometimes, but not alwaies the fairest bee the best beloved. Hence we may learne the rea­son of the little correspondence, and the much mutability in Love: It is not alwayes coun­terchanged, [Page 80] for if the greater Beauty be beloved, that which is beloved will not love that which loveth it. It is changed as oft as there is represented to us greater beauty than which wee love. Yet it is not suffici­ent that it be represented unto us, if wee doe not reflect upon with a desire, and therefore many leave not their first love, because they permit not any new object of love to enter in­to their mind.

Saul suffereth not David to returne home, but setteth him over his Armie: hee is very gracious in the eyes of the people, and par­ticularly [Page 81] of the servants of the King.

THe subject that is growne great, diminisheth the glo­ry of his Master: [...] shall a Prince take then [...] but of slender worth? If hee take not worthy men to [...], how will he governe his King­dome? If hee take such, how will hee be a King? Hee is not King over others that hath in his Palace a greater man than himselfe. If his stare be unset­tled, he loseth his state; if the state be safe, his reputation: With great reason men might complaine of Nature, if they were not for the most part com­manded by the better. He that holds the Scepter, is not the [Page 82] King, hee is but the servant of his Minister who obeyeth him. Crownes come by Inheritance, tis true; but not the faculties of ruling: If fortune give those to whom shee pleaseth, Nature disposeth the other to him that deserves. That Proposition of the Philosophers is most true, that some are bound to Com­mand and others to obey: This is confirmed by him that di­vided the signes of the Zodiack into commanding and obey­ing signes. This truth is not overthrowne by seeing him to hold a Scepter that was borne fitter for the mattock; though hee play the King, he is not a King.

David commeth to Ierusa­lem, with the Head of the Giant, the women meet him, rejoycing, and ascribe more to him in their sing­ing than to Saul, who is displeased thereat.

SHort and unhappie are the favours of the People; short, for like the floating of the sea it is tost with every winde; a Sea that in the same haven wherein one time it hath secured ships, another sinkes them. Unhap­pie are they, because it is as a vi­olent starre, whose radiall beames may be good, but not lucky; it never raiseth any but to make their down-falls the grea­ter: unhappie love because it [Page 84] hath for a Correlative the Prin­ces hatred: The Prince is not Lord of that people that loveth another better than him: If he be Master of their bodies and meanes, the other is Master over their Hearts and minds: But good God! how shall a man be­have himselfe? must a mans va­lour needs become his infelici­tie? A wise man may indeed not desire applause, but hee can­not hinder it, except he leave those qualities for which he is applauded, or depart from them that applaud him. Ought hee then to forgoe the Talents which God hath bestowed on him? or employ them only a­mong wild beasts in the horrid wildernesses, or in solitary pla­ces? The eminent vertue of men, if it be not the cause of [Page 85] their Death, is so of their Ba­nishment: At the first they are sought to out of necessitie, and then againe they are expelled under colour of necessitie. The Tree that was esteemed for its shadow, to shelter us from the heat of the summer, is after­wards cut downe to defend us from the cold of the winter. The same man whom Princes embraced in the heat of their necessity, is he whom they cut downe in the cold of their je­lousie.

Saul since that never looked aright on David.

NAture teacheth when wee looke on our enemie to give a violent Metum to our [Page 86] aspect, whether by staring fiercely, or looking askew upon him, to strike him with our ve­ry spirits, and with the greatest quantity and worst quality that may be. He that thinks them not to issue out of the eyes, and that they proceed not to touch the object, when it is neere them, is deceived, and hee that beleeves it, will not deny that they have their operation on that subject. If the only diversitie of the a­spect make the selfe same radia­tion of the starre, to be some­times gratious, and sometimes deadly, why should not the eyes, being the starres of this little world, have power to di­versifie their effects, according to the diversitie of their aspects.

It was not long ere the Devill assaulted Saul againe; and when David plaied and sung, to deliver him from the oppression of the spirits, hee with a speare in his hand would have slaine him, but David a­voided the blow and de­parted.

THat Tyrant is put to a shrewd pinch, that is growne jelous of a subject of worth and reputation: If hee kill him, hee feares the rising of the people: If he suffer him, hee doubts his raysing of them. Now hee accounts himselfe happy if in his oppressing him, [Page 88] hee could make the faults of his will to be laid upon the igno­rance of his understanding, and with the imputation of a mad­man smother that of an un­gratefull. A most wicked peece of Policie, to make our greatest defects the best instruments of our Government: There hath beene one that made use of drunkennesse, to secure himselfe of the most valorous man of his Armie; and Saul doth the like by his vexation with spirits to make David away: Such co­lourable carriages doe move the ignorant rout to compassion, rather than to rebellion, whiles they give place to Princes to bewaile the death of those, whom themselves have slaine, and to make them beleeve that their teares of joy are teares of lamentation.

Saul perceived that God was with David, when hee could not slay him with the casting of his speare, from which his valour could not defend him because hee did not expect it, neither his wisedome because hee did not foresee it.

HEe that will know when God is with his enemie (and this is a morall and not a naturall knowledge) let him not consider the conquests made by his valour, and by that which wee call Prudence, but the helpes he receiveth from natu­rall inanimate things, as Clouds, winds, fires, snow, ice, raine [Page 90] and tempests; for they, as it is written, fulfill the will of God. What availeth our valour if God be not with us? and what is our Prudence if God doe not governe it? It is nothing (I speake of politick Prudence,) for it is a good connexion of present, things with the future and those that are past: but of that which is past, and which is present, we know but little, and of what is to come wee know nothing: For my part (in regard of future things) I esteeme that as wee give unto God an unproper attribute of that which hee hath not, so we suppose also a vertue in man which is not in him. God hath not properly any prescience, because there is nothing future in respect of him, neither is [Page 91] there any Prudence in man, be­cause hee knoweth not what is to come. That which is in God is more properly to be termed knowledge, because it is intui­tive, and the other in man may be called Chance, because it works on a subject which may be or not be.

Then Saul began to bee afraid of David.

THat the Prince should be afraid of his subject, and the subject stand in feare of his Prince, hath beene accounted a Harmonie to hold the State happily together. This opini­on howsoever it may seeme a witty conceit, while such feare keeps in the meane, & groweth [Page 92] not excessive, notwithstanding is most false: It is true that hot and dry may be corrected by degrees, even as heavy and light may be their Counter­poises, because the degrees of the one are knowne, and the weight also of the other; but the affections of the minde can hardly be coūterpoised, because they have no firmenesse nor measure. Feare hath too sharpe a prick for those that produce it, and is too troublesome a passion to them that owne it; the one with the qualities that make them to bee feared, are spurred on forward after the Government: The other can­not willingly hold themselves, in, because feare is a motion that is not naturall but violent. There is no man that desireth [Page 93] not to free himselfe of it: The greater part attempt it, and in attempting it the State is trou­bled. If the Prince be hee that feareth, he turneth to be a Ty­rant; and if any subject make himselfe feared, t'will breed a Conspiracie; if the whole Com­munalty, a Rebellion. The subject ought to feare the Justice of his Prince, and the Prince that of God; if a subject make himselfe feared, he is no longer a subject, or intends not to be so; if the Prince be afraid, he is no longer Prince, or not like long to bee. To thinke to make a Prince good by Art, may chance prove but fopperie; they are rather borne to it than brought to it: The goodnesse of a Prince consisteth in I know not what in expressible mystery, [Page 94] that cannot be knowne, nor can be taught: It wanteth nothing of the last Individuation which gives it the being, and that same being and no other. This con­ceit of mine resolves the Probleme that demandeth how it comes to passe, that many who in the managing of great affaires, were held to be capa­ble of the highest dignity and Dominion, having after attai­ned to it, beene found to be un­fit for it.

Saul made David a Colonel over a thousand Souldi­ers, and said after that hee would give him his daugh­ter Merob to be his wife, supposing that to obtaine [Page 95]her, hee would so far ad­venture against the Phi­listims, that hee would be slaine.

SAul would that David should be slaine, but God permitted not that hee should be past the shame of being wicked, till it could no more hurt David, that Saul was past it. This errour of advancing men that are rising, and not to know afterward how to take them downe, hath often hap­pened even to those that justly and without any offence of God ought to have done it. A starre though but a Comet, because it is a light that is newly up, draweth all mens eyes to it, even theirs whose dammage it [Page 96] threatneth. A man of worth can no sooner begin to appeare, but Princes begin to embrace him, thinking to raise them­selves by his Friendship, when indeed hee raiseth himselfe by theirs, not heeding that in stead of growing they decrease. It is a difficult thing for one to ad­vance himselfe, if he be not pro­tected or impugned by a great one: Many times when one hath begun to advance another by protecting him, hee raiseth him higher by crossing of him, not because it is likely he would then second him, but because he knoweth not how to extin­guish him. Men are ashamed, yea, and sometimes afraid to shew themselves open enemies of one that is thought to bee their friend who hath deserved [Page 97] well of them, and is accounted valorous. They seeke then by subtile sleights to overthrow him, and therewith advance him the more. They are not resolved to use force untill their subtilities faile them, and when there is no securitie in using of force. Neither yet doe I com­mend it if they then goe about to second them, for the things that are forward in growing should never be seconded. Ca­tiline by being opposed was o­verthrowne, and though in Cae­sar it had not the like effect, it happened so, because he was first seconded, and afterwards opposed: Yet was it better once to resist than alway to se­cond him, because where the victory was doubtfull, the losse had beene certaine. I am firme­ly [Page 98] perswaded that if Catiline had prevailed to be Emperour, and Caesar had beene slaine, the writers would have blamed the impugning of Catiline, and com­mended the opposing of Caesar; because there are many Politi­cians that make use of examples not to confirme their reasons, but to frame them. The errours of men consist in watering the Plant that groweth, placing it in their owne garden, delighting in the Beauty of it, and not knowing that it is a kind of Wolfes-bane, untill they strain at it and pull it up, and then it killeth them. If the great ones knew what hurt they receive by shewing themselves enemies to a little one, they would not permit any sparkes to fly forth, if they were not such sparkes [Page 99] as forthwith give fire to the gunne, whose bullet should destroy them.

Saul marries his daughter Merob to Adriel, whom hee had promised to Da­vid, and causeth it to bee told unto him, that hee in­tendeth to give him his other daughter Michol that loved him: David answereth, that hee is not worthy to be the Kings sonne in law, because hee is poore and of as meant pedigrees.

MArriages are of power to further thing, former­ly [Page 100] began, whether tending to enmity or to amitie. Saul seeth not how in deceiving David he deceives himselfe; and thinking to lay an impediment in his way to the Kingdome, hee o­pens him the way thereunto. Some one hath made use of such meanes with better suc­cesse, but with more cunning. Hee was a private person, and not yet a Prince, when he mar­ried his Sister to his equall, not unto his inferiour, to lull him a­sleep without advancing him; and because hee to whom hee married her was not so wise as David, hee hoped by such a marriage to have help to strengthen his side, and to find a just occasion to oppresse his Kinsman. But Saul had no need of Davids help to attaine to that [Page 101] Kingdome which hee possessed already: Hee was without comparison greater than hee, and might rather feare to in­crease the reputation of David, than to bring his prudent watchfulnesse asleep, which was not like to give him any just occasion to oppresse him. It is no safe advice to advance men to the end to abuse them: The advancement is alwayes suc­cessefull, but there is difficultie often found in abasing them. This is written for one of the neatest peeces of policie, but I set it downe amongst the most confused.

Saul sendeth word to David, that hee doth not disdaine his poverty, and that hee [Page 102] demands no other Dowry than a hundred fore-skins of the Philistims.

HEre comes now on the Stage one of the Engines which were hidden under the Honour of Marriage; to bring David in danger to be slaine by the Philistims. If Nature had not often accompanied the most certaine perils with the most conspicuous glories, it were a commendable course to expose them to such dangers whose reputation terrifies us; but because neere the greatest downefals are the highest hils, it is not safe to let men clime up the tops of those mountaines, where they may as well raise up as ruine themselves. Occa­sion [Page 103] is it which makes men wise, or which brings them to bee knowne. Hee that at first sight could see into men of ability by a hidden token, should under pretence of Ho­nour make them spend their dayes in delicacie and idlenesse, and not suffer men to have a sight of that light, which untill it be stricken out doth never appeare. The seeds of Plants that are kept in vessels of Gold, or of Pearle, or of pretious stone, are honoured thereby, but being as buried and become barren, they bring forth no buds unlesse they be first cast into the Soile of the earth. Without motion there is no Augmentation. Resting is im­perfection in things that may increase: In God only it is per­fection, [Page 104] because in him there is no Augmentation. It is not in our power to make our selves great. The utmost limit of our Actions is in the hand of men, or of Fortune. How many that have beene very able in Potentiâ, have come to their grave without having any op­portunitie to performe an Act worthy their sufficiencie?

Saul speaketh to Ionathan, and to all his servants, that they should kill David: Io­nathan advertiseth Da­vid, and putteth Saul in mind how much hee is obli­ged to him, and what in­justice it were to slay him.

[Page 105] BUt of what effect bee such Remonstrances of Obliga­tions? The chiefe Obligation which a Tyrant pretends to have, is the conservation of his Dominion, and his greatest Justice is to put to death the best. To oblige were a thing very desiderable if it were only to oblige, and not to bind him­selfe for a farther obliging. That Obligation which seemed com­pleat to him that produced it, comes to be accepted but as a beginning by him for whom it was wrought. Hee that will bind another by benefits, must joyne them one to another: The report of the one must not cease before hee hath added a­nother. The linkes that are not chained one to another doe not make up a Chaine. The [Page 106] resemblance hath a great force to move and receive in the Imagination even the Phan­tasmes that were dead.

Time is a destroyer of all things; where it destroyeth not the greatnesse of mens Actions, it will destroy the marvel­ling at it: for it frames them into a habit, and that being once attained, makes the operations come on without difficultie, and without any re­flecting. That which is passed already doth cancell the obliga­tion of private men; and with Tyrants that also which is to come, whether they be grate­full or ungratefull, they are al­wayes afraid, that they will ob­lige them either by their owne rewards, or through discontent of not being rewarded, will make insurrection.

The words of Ionathan see­med to have appeased Saul, who giveth order that David returne to Court.

THe Truth which passeth through our understan­ding doth not use to flie away so fast, but that our will taketh hold and embraceth it, unlesse the malice of our senses defile it. It is not so hard to with­draw a wicked man from his evill purposes, as it is difficult afterward to keepe him in a good mind, thereto is requisite in a manner a perpetuall as­sistance, for as soone as you leave him hee returneth to that from which you withdrew him.

David returneth to the Court as informer times.

THey must not all bee put to death of whose valour wee stand in feare, that thereby wee may be secured. To use a like proceeding is inconveni­ent, when the persons are of a different disposition. The be­nefits that serve to aid and pro­voke the wickedly minded a­gainst their Prince, are but as Chaines, whereby generous mindes are drawne to their de­votions. So that to oblige them is to bind them: But the ruine of the good proceeds from the multitude of the Evill: which are not only evill, but doe coun­terfeit as if they were good; so that because it is a difficult [Page 109] thing to discerne Truth and Falshood, men will rather de­ceive themselves in hindering a thousand that ought to bee cherished, than in cherishing one alone that ought to be hin­dered; and because it is easier to be ingratefull than to main­taine their gratitude, though they beleeve not alwayes that it is necessarie to put deserving men to death, yet they feigne sometimes that they beleeve it, that they may cover the basenesse of their minds with the forcible jelousies of their Soveraigntie.

The evill spirit returning a­gaine to molest Saul, when David played, Saul at­tempteth againe to smite [Page 110]him to the wall with a speare, but hee turneth a­side and escapeth.

WHen the subject once finds his Prince to bee afraid of him, hee stands al­wayes in feare of the Prince; such jelousies have no other fire to consume them but impossibi­lity; for he that stands in feare, beleeves that whatsoever may happen unto him, will. The first perill wee incurre in any thing may be ascribed to for­tune, the second if it bee the same is commonly attributed to our indiscretion. But the good­nesse of David makes him to be excusable in regard his excee­ding good conscience made him so adventurous: David [Page 111] trusteth Saul, because Saul might safely have trusted Da­vid. As we naturally imagine other men to looke like our selves, so wee suppose them of our owne conditions. That which shall happen to a man, is not alwayes the same that should. The consequences of the future are fallible, because the Antecedents presupposed by us are false. Hee that knew well the customes and manners of all men as they are, and upon occasion should make use of them in conjecturing what is to come, should not need to have recourse to the vanity of Astrologers.

Saul causeth Davids house to be compassed with Soul­diers [Page 112]that should kill him, yet gives them not order to enter into the house, perad­venture because in those times it was reputed too great a wickednesse to kill one in his bed. Having given over himselfe a prey to wickednesse, hee had not haply as yet lost all respect unto goodnesse.

THat men are not altogether wicked, nor yet perfectly good, is not peradventure be­cause they know not how to be so, but because they cannot possibly be so: It consisteth rather in the strength of nature than of will: For if Nature [Page 113] have left no power to our fee­blenesse to reach to the height of goodnesse, why shall wee beleeve that shee hath left any to our corruption to come to the extremity of evill? He that blamed a Tyrant in that behalf, and thereupon did pretend that their ruine was for the most preordained, declared his be­leefe to be, that the mischiefes which are destructions were conservations: He discovered his not knowing, that the evill which is not a being, cannot subsist without the supporting of that good which is a being; and finally he made it manifest, that he had not read the Master of those Doctrines, with which hee had honoured his writings, because his saying was, that the Tyrant, when hee goeth not in [Page 114] the way of goodnesse, must not suffer it to bee quite out of his sight, and that if he will not be good throughout, yet that hee must at least have a Moity of goodnesse.

Michol tels David what perill hee is in; shee lets him downe through a window, and layes an I­mage in his place in the Bed.

GOd makes use of the Acts of human wittinesse, as In­struments of his Providence; those footsteps that flie it, are the selfe same that lead to it: Saul makes David his sonne in Law, to bring him to his end; [Page 115] and because he is his sonne in Law, he escapes it: That sen­tence, That the Destinies lead those that follow them, and draw those that are unwilling, is an unadvised saying. They that wrote it were deceived either in denying the Providence of God, or in the manner of ex­pressing it: Hee disposeth all things sweetly: He conducteth them that goe with a good will, and those that are unwilling to goe, are conducted (if I may so say) by themselves.

Saul sendeth some againe to take David, they bring word that hee is sick in his bed: Finally, he loseth all respect of bed, and will [Page 116]have him slaine how ever; but instead of David they find an Image: Saul re­proveth his daughter Mi­chol, who excuseth her selfe by her Husbands threats.

MEn in their desires invest themselves so far in their owne interest, that they make themselves beleeve that every one that knowes them should cooperate with them: but if they also invested themselves in the interest of others, and did not consider every one in reference to themselves, but rather each one in reference to himselfe, and whereas they thinke but of theirs alone, they [Page 117] formed as many interests as there are men, they would not find themselves so oft deceived. Saul considereth Michol as his daughter, and by consequence in reference to himselfe; if he had considered her as Davids wife, then he had considered her in reference to her selfe, and had not found it strange that she should save her husband out of her fathers hands: When wo­men depart from their friends houses, they oftentimes leave nothing behinde them but Love.

Saul sends some after David, they find him in the Com­pany of the Prophets pro­phesying with them; hee [Page 118]sends others after him, and they find him in like man­ner: In the end full of anger and fury, he goes himselfe, and he also re­maines with them, and prophesieth in like man­ner.

THere are some so supersti­tious, that they account all things miraculous, because they are ignorant of their second causes: some againe are so head-strong, as to deny all mira­cles because they know not the first cause; and in conclusion there want not those that are so sacrilegious, that they will ra­ther acknowledge the Devill to be the doer of such miracu­lous [Page 119] effects than God, because they themselves are more of the Devill than God. I know not whether Saul might be rec­koned among these, or whether knowing the miracle, hee suffe­red himselfe neverthelesse to be transported by his anger and fury to contend with the Almightie. All sinners in re­gard of themselves doe undeifie him, yet there are found very few that doe desire to undeifie him, yet are there not wanting some, who in their choler would willingly they could re­duce him to nothing, that hath brought them out of nothing. Hee that is in choler, I would say hath even lost his under­standing, yea, I would thinke him starke mad, save that there remaineth only so much reason [Page 102] in him, as sufficeth to make his workes worthy of chastise­ment: Choler (and perhaps I am not deceived) is a short fever; which if it were in the humours as it is in the spirits, would prove to bee a frenzie, whereunto it is so neere of kin, that if by the little while it con­tinues it were not knowne from the other, there would scarce be any such piercing eye that could discerne betwixt them: That little reason that remaines in the cholerick man makes him to differ from the mad man; yet makes him worse than hee, because it makes him not only to erre, but to sinne.

David flies, and going to meet Ionathan, he asketh him [Page 121]what evill hee hath com­mitted that should procure Saul to persecute him.

HEe knew not peradventure that an eminent Vertue is no lesse persecuted than an ex­orbitant Vice. I am of opini­on that even Tyrants them­selves doe like well, that their Ministers be men of valour and worth, but they would measure them as they doe cloth, by their arme, allowing them as much as will fit the person they represent, and no more: Good Ministers are sometimes better than the best, because the best are sometimes as dangerous as the worst are dishonourable. It is a happinesse in Princes how good soever they be, to be ser­ved [Page 122] by good subjects equall to their affaires, for if they be of abilities above their employ­ments, they neglect them, if be­neath them, their employ­ments ruine them. It is a for­tunate thing therefore to hap­pen on such as are fit for the purpose; seeing wee have no Instrument by which the de­grees of worth may be measu­red, neither any one that know­eth justly how much every of­fice requireth.

Ionathan answereth David that hee should not need to feare, because his fa­ther would not resolve on any enterprise without communicating the same [Page 123] to him, and that he would advertize him thereof: But David doth not be­leeve that Saul would ac­quaint him with his pur­pose.

TO what end should a Ty­rant communicate his Ma­chinations? they are so shame­full, that hee cannot expect commendations: Hee is so distrustfull, that he will not seeke any counsell, and so farre from trusting others, that hee scarcely trusteth himselfe. One must needs beleeve this Truth, when wee see that distrusting the better part of himselfe, which is Reason, his trust is wholly in his sense: when he [Page 124] communicates his thoughts, he doth not impart them to have conference about them, but to command, not to be counsel­led concerning them, but to have them put in execution. He hath no regard of sonnes, or brethren, or wife, or friend. The interest of State is all in all with him, and besides it hee makes no account of any thing. A Tyrant is ordinarily so close by nature, and so enured by Art to conceale his intent, that when hee would willingly bee understood, hee cannot some­times make them understand them. For not only men know not what hee thinkes, but many times they understand not what he sayes.

They agree that David should hide himselfe, and Ionathan should observe what the King saith when on the first day of the moneth he should note Da­vids absence from the ta­ble, and that by a signe be­tweene them hee should make knowne his fathers intent. Then they depart as under renewing their oathes and covenants of friendship.

THe first day of the moneth being come, Saul seeing that David appeared not, flat­tering his desire hee would not [Page 126] beleeve that David absented himselfe for feare, but rather for some uncleannesse: when he sees him not appeare on the se­cond day, hee asketh Ionathan what is become of David, who answereth that hee is gone to celebrate the solemnity; then Saul reproachfully reproveth his sonne for preferring his friendship with David before matter of State, by reason that while David lived hee could not be established in the King­dome.

To chastise an offence com­mitted is proper to the Law: that which would be commit­ted is reserved to God; that which may be committed is pe­culiar to a Tyrant: when it is not justice, but a point of State that seekes the life of a subject, [Page 127] there is scarce any remedie: if David had offended, he might have hoped for pardon, and haply have obtained it: But where there i [...] no offence there can be no recourse to clemen­cie, nor expectation of it. Those merits that would have counter­vailed his faults, doe condemne his innocencies. A great occa­sion it mu [...] hee to put an inno­cent to death, and because it is great, it is insuperable. When justice hath had her course in condemning, shee leaves Cle­mencie her place to absolve; but where it is injustice to con­demne, the putting to death proceeds of selfe interest. It is good for him that dyes, if hee dye innocent; but in regard of the world it is better being guilty when he is condemned. [Page 128] Hee that hath done an offence, and demands pardon, speakes not a word but to the Princes praise, hee confesseth his fault, declareth the vertue of Justice in the Prince, and in deman­ding his pardon he shewes that hee doth also beleeve the ver­tue of clemencie to be in him. But all the words of the inno­cent sound to the blame of the Prince; hee shewes him to bee unjust, hee declares him to be a Tyrant, hee seekes not to pa­cifie him; he incenses him, and cannot hope for mercy because hee cannot aske it: if hee pray the Prince to spare him his life, hee must needs discover the cause that moves him to take it away, and because hee disco­vers it, hee is made worthie of Death.

Ionathan demands of Saul, for what offence hee doth persecute David: but the King in a rage casts a speare at him, and he flies.

THere is nothing more of­fensive to a Prince than to require him to declare what he desires to conceale. The word (why) or (when) imports an Interrogation, ought never to bee found in their mouthes that treat with Princes: The in­terrogating hath I know not what superiority, because it ob­ligeth one to answer, and Prin­ces are not to be obliged, but ra­ther to be obeyed.

Ionathan riseth from the Table in a great anger, he goes the next morning where David was, and gives the signe according to their agreement. David comes out of the place where hee was hid: Iona­than informes him of his successe, and reiterating the oathes of their Confe­deracie, and the tokens of their Amity, not without tender teares they depart asunder.

WHat thing is Friend­ship? It is a union as one may say of two soules in one [Page 131] bodie, which in a sort doe in­forme it, if not truly yet vertu­ally; and if a soule be so much grieved when it is to depart out of an earthly body which it in­formed; why should it not also bee grievous to depart from a­nother soule which she loved? Such a departure should be but as a death, were it not that the distance of place doth not breake off the union of those things that doe not possesse any place. But as in the parting of friēds the souls are not so much afflicted, the bodies are grieved in forgoing the fomentation of those spirits that were a conso­lation to them. It is not credi­ble that Nature having permit­ted us spirits to offend us with, hath not also granted that the spirits of a friend should bee [Page 132] comfortable unto us. Other­wise the spirits of Hatred and of Love should be the selfe­same.

David flieth and commeth to Nob to Achimelech the Priest, who marvelling to see him alone, demands the occasion thereof. David answers that hee goes a­bout the Kings service, who hath so commanded.

HEe saith truth, that hee goes about the Kings ser­vice, for in flying hee doth the King good service by bereaving him of occasion to doe a great outrage. His flight is not to escape chastisement for his of­fences, [Page 133] but to avoyd the mis­chievous requ [...]tall of his bene­fits.

O the lamentable condition of men of high desert, they have two most potent enemies, Envy and Feare, the one very hardly to be overcome, the o­ther impossible, nay rather the victorie over the first makes the other the greater. Envy like a mountaine, it the waters of va­lour increase, is sometimes over­whelmed: but feare like a ship, the more they increase, the higher doth it rise. What must they doe then, that are so beset with impossibilities? Let them couragiously make head against the obstacles of their good for­tune, if where it is; and where not, let them give place to the evill. It is necessarie sometimes [Page 134] even in a storme to strive against the winde, if wee see the haven neere at hand, but if it be far off, it is better to strike saile and runne adrift than to make shipwrack. The most worthy when they are not the greatest, become the most in­fortunate: Valour can never clearely be discerned but only in a Prince: There, because it is profitable to the subjects, they reverence and feare it not, and because it is an honour to them, they commend and en­vie it not. It is so faire a thing, that if those two mon­sters Feare and Envie, did not deforme it, men would e­ven adore it, but haply God permitteth them to deforme it, lest it should be adored, because it is adored over much when it [Page 135] is not so deformed. If it be true that it is agreeable to nature, that the best should cōmand, it cannot bee contrary to Nature, that the better should be feared by him that doth command. If the eminency of vertue could bee laid aside, perhaps there would not some bee wanting, that to lead a quiet life would willingly reduce themselves to that mediocritie that might keepe them from contempt, and defend them from envie: But as that eminencie is faire, and not easie to be acquired, so it is sometimes hurtfull, because it cannot be laid aside.

David receives the sword of the Giant Goliah from the Priest, and eats of the Shew-bread, because hee [Page 136]found no other sword for his defence, nor any other bread for his sustenance.

NEcessity enforceth him, she sometimes makes that lawfull which at all times is not so: It is a shield, which being ill used, workes the ruine of the world. All misdeeds, how hai­nous soever, doe withdraw themselves out of the danger of the Law, and in stead of being condemned to be borne withal, are invested with the cloake of necessity: there is no absolute necessity in man, because he is a free agent; if he suffer no out­ward violence, hee hath none within him; those which wee call necessities, and which wee pretend that they free from the Law, are made to be such by the [Page 137] Law. They are necessary conse­quences by supposition, having a conditionall antecedent for their foundation: But the sup­positions that are not authori­zed by the Law, have no con­sistence; for otherwise, all the actions of men should bee law­full, seeing all might be necessa­ry by supposing a conditionall antecedent before them, out of which a necessary conse­quence should arise by supposi­tion. Therefore it is not true that necessity hath no Law, but it is very true that the necessity which hath no Law is onely that which is an enemy to the Law.

David flies to King Achish, but seeing himselfe and his vertues knowne, being much afraid of his envie, he faineth himselfe to bee mad, and changeth his countenance before him.

HE that is borne into this great Theatre of the world, ought to know how to suit himselfe into sundry habits, that hee may bee en­abled in this Comedy to repre­sent many persons. When a man sees himselfe persecuted by en­vy, hee must like the shelfish fructified by the dew of Hea­ven, cast away his pearle rather than bee a prey to those that have him in chase. David puts on a forme of madnesse, and by [Page 139] it brings Achish to put off his envie. The countenance of the former is transformed before the eyes of the latter, not that the effigies of the one is alte­red, but the intellect of the o­ther: If it had pleased the Lord by his mercy and benignity to root up envy out of the world, how many Davids would change their countenances in the pre­sence of Achish? But they that hate valor and vertue, let them (I beseech them) tell me what thing it is they thinke they hate, they hate even them­selves. Vertue cannot bee odi­ous; if it bee good, it is faire al­so; if it be faire, it is the object of love, and not of hatred. The envious is an ignorant Painter, or a malicious one; who in drawing the vertue of others [Page 140] deformes it; either he takes the perfections from it, or addes imperfections to it, and blames in another that which himselfe hath added of his owne to it, or what he hath taken from it. Yet this were not much, if he did not also expose that picture to publike view, that they who cannot see the originall, might hate it.

Take away David out of my presence, saith Achish; Have I any need of mad­men?

THis King is one of those that when the time comes shall call themselves fooles, for having beleeved wisemen to be fooles: I know not which error [Page 141] to bee the greater, either to thinke wise men to be fooles, or to account fooles to bee wise men: of this ignorance as out of a root arise all precipitated courses. The most dangerous person that is represented, and the greatest foole that can bee found, is he that takes upon him to be wise.

David departs thence, and saves himselfe in the cave of Adullam, where his brethren and all his fa­thers house come unto him.

AS a foraigne warre is the onely remedy to unite the disordinate minds in Com­mon wealths, so are enmities and persecutions to make an at­tonement [Page 142] in families. This is a true rule when the discords are not bloody, and when procee­ding no farther than to some high tearmes, they are not growne to hatred.

Those brethren that in a sort would have hindered the for­tune of David, are they which now are willing to helpe him in his misery. Base mindes ap­plaud our felicities, and aban­don us in our disasters; but they that are onely corrupted by en­vy, retaining yet a kinde of ge­nerosity, when their envy ra­ther springs from desire of ho­nour, than malignity, they run readily to assist their allies in their dangers: and if they goe not to applaud them in their glory, it is not for that they de­sire not to see them great, but [Page 143] because they themselves would gladly be great.

The malecontented also ga­thered together to David, and made him their Cap­taine.

IT is impossible but there should bee some such kinde of people in a State. If the Prince be good, then the evill are malecontent; if he be evill, the good are: and some that are not displeased with the Princes government, are so with their owne, by which being ruinated and wasted, when they have no hope in quiet courses, they af­fect nothing but turbulencies. The state ought to beware of 2. most potent enemies, Hope and [Page 144] Despaire, for these two ex­tremes are they that molest it, the greatest and the least of quality; the one supposing that their good fortune calleth them to a better estate: the other by their evill one are stirred to a­void the worst: for this cause I suppose was that City prefer­red by a profest politike Writer which is inhabited by the mid­dle sort of men.

The Prophet Gad adviseth David to depart, & to goe into the land of Iudah, and Saul hearing that Da­vid was seene there, com­plaineth greatly amongst his servants, that David being not able to give [Page 145]them vineyards nor hou­ses, nor make them Com­manders, nor otherwise reward them, should finde followers and he be aban­doned.

PRinces do erre when they thinke their Rebels should not be followed in hope of re­ward. I speake not of David who was a King and no Rebell, one that was raised up, and not risen against his Prince; one that was flying from him, and not contending against him. The rewards expected of trea­chery are farre greater than those that are yeelded to fideli­tie. And what doe not they promise, which promise that [Page 146] which is none of their owne? what doe they not give before they bee well advised that it is their owne? Disordinate minds are not content with ordinate rewards: their troublesome heads account quietnesse their enemy, and even those of a qui­et disposition doe sometimes surfet of rest, because the natu­rall desire of change makes feli­city it selfe to be tedious.

The Subjects serving their Prince, if they wil be rewarded, oftentimes are driven to shew some excessive merit, because there are few that thinke them­selves bound to those whose ser­vice is bound to them: but hee that followes a rebell, hath al­ready merited of him in that he followeth him. That false pro­position, that to worke where [Page 147] one is obliged diminisheth his merit, is both pernicious to Princes, and prejudiciall to Sub­jects. The obligation rather increaseth the merit, seeing re­ward is due to the Subject, not onely for that which hee pre­sently performeth, but for his future actions which hee hath obliged himselfe unto. The stranger that doth somewhat for the Princes service, gives him onely some fruit of his owne tree, whereas the Subject hath given him the tree it selfe with all the fruit.

Doeg the Idumean answe­reth Saul, that hee saw David when hee came to Achimelech the Priest, who gave him besides vi­ctuals, the sword of Goli­ah; the King sends to call him, and questions him thereabout. Hee who the truth being knowne, expe­cted reward rather than punishment, doth not ex­cuse himselfe as not guil­ty, but speakes with that confidence which rather proceeds of innocency than temerity, saying, And who is among all thy Ser­vants [Page 149] more faithfull than David the Kings sonne in law, and readier to doe all thy Commandements? nei­ther is this the first time that I have prayed the Lord for him. Farre bee the name of a rebell from me. I thought I had done service to thee, in doing service to thy chiefe Fa­vorite.

THe subjects of the Tyrant that hath an inward Favo­rite, are intang [...]ed in streights inextricable. Let them looke for ruine at all hands, if they hate him when he is exalted, or if they love him when he fal­leth; [Page 150] yet what errour doe they commit in loving him, but that their Lord doth the same? He cannot finde fault with others, unlesse he first condemne him­selfe; and he deserves the grea­ter chastisement, because hee ought to have greater adver­tisement, in considering who he is whom hee exalts above o­thers. It is not the part of sub­jects to examine the actions of their Soveraigne: It is their glory to second them; and yet it is not sufficient to obey the commands of a Tyrant, if wee diue not also into his secret thoughts. Hee that seekes to search into them, makes him­selfe (as it were) guilty of death; he that doth not, easily becomes liable. He embraces sometimes such a one as he could be contēt [Page 151] were made away by his subjects, hee dissembleth for his proper interest, yet permits not others to doe so for theirs. If his thoughts were alwayes bent to­ward the prosperity of his peo­ple, hee were a wicked subject that did not bend himselfe wholly to his service.

Saul commands Achimelech and all the Priests of Nob, to be slaine.

I Who have found elsewhere that the same proceeding which provoked Saul, had pa­cified a Tyrant, should wonder at the diversity of the effect, had it not beene produced by the innocency of David, who left Achimelech no place to de­fend [Page 152] himselfe without condem­ning the King, not onely of an oversight as it was in the other, but even of ingratitude, perfi­diousnesse, and cruelty.

Saul saith, kill Achimelech and all the Priests, but no man stirreth; hee bids Doeg kill them, and hee presently obeyeth.

THe voice that comman­deth in generall, procee­deth not with so much sharp­nesse, as that which is directed to some particular. The divi­ding of it into so many eares, makes so many divisions, that it becomes diminished in every of them. The rewards as also the punishments which are in [Page 153] common, come but slowly, but the private are as soon obtain'd, as they are deserved: Hee that would chastise generall errors, or would reward the merits of all, as those of some particulars are; on the one side hee would destroy the world, and the empty treasuries on the other: And therefore as in the great errors of a multitude, the pro­portio decupla is observed, so likewise in such great benefits, the like decimation is used, if not some greater proportion. Whence it comes that particu­lars are more easily wrought on to doe well, and with greater difficulty to doe evill the mul­titude, because their feare and hope of chastisement and re­ward is greater.

Saul goeth afterward to Nob, where he killeth small and great, as well of the one sex as of the other, as well men as beasts.

IF that City had beene culpa­ble, and David a rebell, Saul perhaps had taken no ill course, that being the first and onely place. That Prince is sometimes the most pious, which upon oc­casion is most severe: his cruel­ty is deepe, but not large, be­cause if it be intensive, it is not extensive. It is true that where many Cities have rebelled, the using of greater in the first that is taken, doth not dishearten the rest, but makes them despe­rate and obstinate in their de­fence to their last breath. It is [Page 155] such an antidote as is not to be ministered to all that are dis­eased.

Abiathar a son of Achime­lech escapeth out of Nob, and commeth to David, who afflicts him greatly, saying that he is the cause of the death of so many persons.

THis is an intolerable pas­sion, because three most potent affections are the procu­rers of this griefe, and inforce the revenge: The character of friendship melting the heart, the pricke of honour which en­kindles it, and finally the inte­rest which excites it. To defend [Page 156] our friends is so profitable for the maintaining and increasing of Monarchies, that they which have beene held to bee most prudent have endevoured it, even in places far remote from them, not to receive aid or ser­vice, but onely to helpe and suc­cour them: hee that knoweth not how to make use of this rule, knoweth not how to rule. The greatest Rulers and Poten­tates of the world have made themselves great by this Art; yea this colour is so pleasing, that it dazleth the eyes of the people, and maketh them often applaud such a one, as under the colour of defending his friends, brings himselfe into the estates of others: but if hee finde great resistance there, see­ing himselfe unable to offend [Page 157] those whom he would have op­posed, hee oppresseth them whom hee should have defen­ded.

Word is brought unto David that the Philistims had invaded Keilah, and spoi­led it: He askes counsell of the Lord, whether hee shall goe against them; who answers him, that he shall goe, overcome, and defeat them.

HE that will learne the way into matter of State, let him but observe David, let him not enterprise with fraud, but with valour: Let him not de­file his hands with civill blood, [Page 158] but with that of the stranger; nor offend those whom hee would have to bee his subjects, but defend them. It is true in­deede that most men grow great by fraud; not because it is more safe than valour, but because it is more easie; whence it comes that there are many fraudulent, but few that are valorous: notwithstanding the greater part even of those that by fraud have made them­selves Masters, in seizing on the Country in which they were borne, have first manifested their valour either in enlarging or defending it. To defend the subjects of others, is to touch the finest string of State and Dominion; if the Lord grieve at it, he seemes ungratefull; if he suffer it and say nothing, he [Page 159] is in little safety. The Subjects are not to be defended by any, but their owne Prince: It is his proper office. He that arro­gates it to himselfe, if hee bee not already, hee will be in the Princes roome. The wisest Common weales have not been ignorant how much this point importeth, declaring that they knew it for a matter of much consequence, and of maine im­portance, when they would not permit the Subjects themselves to bee the defenders of them­selves.

Saul understanding that Da­vid is in Keilah, prepares to goe and besiege him; which he foreseeing, cau­seth Abiathar to enquire of the Lord whether Saul will come or no, who an­swers he will. Then whe­ther they of Keilah will deliver him into the hands of the King, and hee an­swers they will.

THe destruction of Nob had made the men of Keilah so ungratefull, as that they would have delivered him into the hands of his enemie, who had but at that instant delivered them out of the hands of their [Page 161] enemies. Gratitude workes ex­ceeding great effects in gene­rous mindes, and the greater when it hath brought forth: It is then surely prevailing over private interest, yet must it of force give place unto feare, to which all the passions give way, I meane in State affaires, be­cause none of them can be used when wee thinke our selves to bee thereby endangered, with­out which they cannot be exer­cised: It hath beene disputed whether the Prince or the peo­ple are more ungratefull. I am of opinion that there is ingra­titude everywhere to be found, if our being gratefull cannot be without losse of our lives; yet rather in the people than in the Prince, because it is easier to finde one man than many, to [Page 162] sacrifice his life to his reputati­on. But if the question bee of augmenting or diminishing the State, I hold Princes to bee the more ingratefull, because their interest is very great; and that of the people howsoever it bee in their entire body as great, is but small notwithstanding in every particular: whence it comes that men more easily part with a little, though in ma­ny it be much, than one man alone with much, which in ma­ny would be but little.

David departs into the desart of Ziph, to hide himselfe in the wood. Saul heares of it, and followes him in vain: But Ionathan goeth to him, comforts him, and saith, he is assured that he shall reigne over Israel.

SEe here the force of friend­ship, which makes Ionathan reioyce that David is to take the kingdome from him. Al­beit that friendship seemeth to be without interest, yet is it not altogether without interest. The affection that we beare to our selves, is the rule of all our affections. They who have sup­posed that a friend loveth ano­ther more than himselfe, have [Page 164] haply beene deceived, for if sometimes a man loseth his life, his goods and estate for his friend, it is not in regard that he wishes more good to ano­ther, than to himselfe, but be­cause he acknowledgeth no o­ther goods but vertues, which he gaineth, when gloriously for his friend hee forgot those of fortune. But they that love ri­ches, their estate and their life above vertue, when they saw some forgoe their goods (which they so much esteemed) for their friend, were easily induced to thinke that they loved not themselves so much as their friend.

I was never of opinion that it was any imperfection, to love himselfe above others, but have rather esteemed it an imperfe­ction [Page 165] not to love himselfe more than others. He that erreth not in this, shall never offend; be­cause he that sinneth, destroy­ing God as much as he can, de­stroyeth himselfe, or as much as he may: seeing that all his good is depending on the goodnesse of God.

The Ziphines give notice to Saul that David had hid himselfe in their woods, and they conduct him where he is: David finds himselfe out of hope, seeing himselfe encom­passed round about. But Saul is advertised by a messenger, that the army [Page 166]of the Philistims was en­tred into the land.

SInners many times have no recourse unto God, but in their utmost extremity, and many times God delayeth the deliverance of the faithfull to prove them, and then hee hea­reth them: but those other are seldome delivered out of their dangers, but they returne eft­soones to their misdoings. He suffers them to returne thither whence their feare had with­drawne them, which departs as soon as he hath delivered them. To reserve himselfe from ai­ding his friends till they bee in extremity, is a thing well befit­ting in God, who can helpe whensoever hee will, and then [Page 167] willeth when it is best; but in men that have no power accor­ding to their will, it is perilous. When it moves not to distāce, yet it diminisheth the obligati­on, and most commonly pro­duceth ingratitude. There is a kinde of proceeding put in ure (yet not alwayes with good successe) by Potentates when they have received some disgust for the satisfying of two affecti­ons, their anger and their inte­rest; to suffer those that have given them distaste, to be mor­tified, but not to bee opposed. This course is rather to be pra­ctised with enemies, and may prove well when the enmity proceeds not of emulation, if at least that act doe not lift him up to a higher spheare. It is a difficult thing for a corrivall not [Page 168] to be alwayes an enemy, when such emulation hath one dege­nerated into hatred: and when he ceaseth to be an enemy, hee will cease also to be a corrivall, either having passed into a fur­ther degree, or being so over­passed himselfe. Though Saul were more enraged against Da­vid, yet he leaves pursuing him to goe against the Philistims, with whom he hath more inte­rest. Physitians doe sometimes not onely not asswage a griefe, but suffer it also to grow; whiles they cure, a putrid fever hap­neth. Hee is very unwise, that for the healing of a part is care­lesse of the whole, which when it dieth, the part dies with it.

David being retired into the holds of Engaddi, Saul returnes to pursue him e­ven in rockie places, ha­ving vanquished the Phi­listims, and entering into a Cave for his necessary businesse, hee hapned into the same, in which David and his men were hid; where they perswade Da­vid to kill him, but hee is contented onely to cut off a lap of his garment.

TO kill the chiefe Com­mander of an army, if hee be gracious with it, when hee that killeth him hath not ano­ther army, is the revenge of a [Page 170] private person to discharge his passion of hatred, but not of a Prince that desireth dominion. The army is thereby incensed, maketh presently another chief, thinkes to revenge the losse of their Prince, hateth the mur­therer, and is more ready to die against him, than serve under him. David, who was in the way to the Kingdome by man­ [...]uetude and fortitude, accom­panied with the feare of God, and by consequence a reverence toward his King, [...]nd humility withall, could forgoe those ver­tues, and take to him revenge with irreverence and cruelty, without losse of reputation. He that is come forward with one vertue, ought rather to die than to change it: there are some who having gotten reputation [Page 171] by one manner of proceeding, cannot alter it, because it is na­turall to them; others will not, because they have prospered with it▪ and those ought never to change, whose demeanour hath ever beene vertuous. That power which is rising, because it riseth cōmonly by the meanes of reputation, must beware of losing it, and preferre it even before life, for therewith all its good is lost. Politicians have esteemed this rule to be so true, that they have made it an uni­versall one, and will have a Prince rather to hazard his e­state and life, than to lose by meanes of Peace, Truce, or tribute his reputation. I sub­scribe not to their opinion, yet doe I agree, that if the great­nesse of a Prince consist in his [Page 172] reputation, hee ought rather to die than to lose it; but if it be founded on store of money and people which are his subjects, let him yeeld to the time, make peace and truce ever, though it bee with disadvantage of re­putation; let him become tri­butary, though it be to an in­ferior nation, and leave not any thing undone how meane so­ever, (so it be not against Gods Law) rather than to adventure his estate; for any thing is bet­ter than to put that in jeopardy. If that be not lost, it is never out of season to recover whatsoever is lost: Its prudence in Princes and no infamy; they ought not to abhorre any thing that may augment or maintaine their do­minion. Private men write such weake rules, because they mea­sure [Page 173] them by their owne com­passe: Every degree of men hath his proper and peculiar kinde of reputation differing each from other, so farre forth that many things accounted in­famous in one degree, are well reputed in another. A Prince that hath a great estate never loseth his reputation, if he lose not his estate, for his estate is his reputation. The world is in a confusion in such sort, that men of one degree leaping into that of others by confounding the divers degrees, have con­founded all the world. The Merchant will take upon him the Gentleman, and the Gen­tleman the part of the Prince; the religious, that of the soul­dier; and where the reputation of the one consists in suffering [Page 174] and forgiving of injuries, hee leapes into that of the other, whiles he seekes to require and revenge. I am to be excused if I am long in this matter, which is the cause of great errours in the world; for if every one would follow his owne profes­sion, it would soone be knowne that reputation consists in knowing well how to performe his owne profession.

David being on one side of a mountaine, seeing Saul on the other, calleth unto him and sheweth him his gar­ment, assuring him of his good will, complaineth that he is persecuted, but blameth the Kings Mi­nisters, [Page 175]and not the King himselfe. Saul hearing that malice is imputed to his servants, doth not ex­cuse himselfe by them, but layeth the fault on him­selfe.

IT is an ordinary thing of male-contented men to com­plain, though not of the Prince himselfe, yet of his Ministers. That when David doth here out of modesty, is done often by others out of subtilty. To rise against the government, makes the name of a rebellion the lesse odious, deceives the people, yea, many times, the Princes themselves for a while, who sometimes discerne not at [Page 176] the first the ambition that com­meth masked under discontent­ment. Princes ought therefore to have their Ministers about them of singular goodnesse, and of tried prudence, that upon the first rumor they may be wel assured of the falsehood of such complaints, and breake the heads of such horrible Serpents at their first appearing. The re­verence that the people beare toward the Prince is so great, that it would be a difficult thing to stirre them up against him, but by first beguiling them; and though it bee all one to rise a­gainst the government, and to rebell against the Prince, (be­cause either the Prince is hee that governeth, or hee that go­vernes is the Princes Minister) yet it appeares not at first with [Page 177] so foule a face. It is true indeed that an insurrection of the peo­ple is occasioned by a bad Mi­nister, in which case the Prince doth alwayes amisse to chastise him. In the people there is not alwayes one desire covered un­der another, but if the great ones arise against the governe­ment, it is not because they are not well governed, but because they would be governors them­selves; to satisfie their demands were to consent to lose the So­veraignty, seeing such will not bee satisfied, till they obtaine it.

Samuel dieth, hee is buried with honour, and is by the people most tenderly bewailed.

I Know not whether mour­ning for the dead procee­deth of piety, or of meere inte­rest: It may favour peradven­ture of piety to bewaile when hee dieth, but not after hee is dead: who would not have compassion of his friend, while he sees him, or imagines tor­mented with the grievous ago­nies of death. Men are certain­ly in very great paine, for they are in the paine due to a very great fault: And who would not after rejoyce to see him depar­ted victorious over humane frailty, and to triumph over [Page 179] death it selfe, without having left any other spoyle in that conflict than his body, and that for a very short time?

To lament the dead (if one may say) is then most impious, when it seemes most pious: and then ought most to bee done, when it seemes not due at all. The death of the righteous, at which wee ought to rejoyce, makes us to mourne; and that of the wicked, which we ought most to lament, doth rejoyce us. It is no friendly but an en­vious part to be grieved at the death of that friend, whose life may make us beleeve that he in­joyes his deserved glory. But it is a part of piety to be sory at their death, whose wickednesse doth make us doubt that they are cast headlong into hell. [Page 180] The world is so full of snares that the good should not desire to bee in it, because there they may be corrupted; and so great is the mercy of the Lord our God, that the wicked should desire to bee therein, that they may be amended. But if we are grieved in regard of our owne interest, is it not more available that our friends pray to God for us, than to men? He that thinkes he hath lost his friend when he dieth, if he beleeve the immor­tality of the soule, and doth not thinke him damned, must then beleeve that the Characters of his vertues are lost with God. O how true it is that all our er­rours doe spring and grow from our muddy senses! They ac­knowledge no interest but ear­thy, no happinesse but worldly; [Page 181] and albeit man is elevated by his better part unto a more ex­cellent knowledge, yet he can­not desire it as hee ought, be­cause he cannot know it as it is.

David went unto the wilder­nes of Rachan, and under­standing that there dwelt neere thereabout a man exceeding rich in flockes and other possessions, whose name was Nabal; he sent unto him on the day of sheep-shearing, to demand some reliefe of provision and victuals: But Nabal not onely denieth him, but with ill words provoking [Page 182]him, declaring his ava­rice, to bee accompanied with malice.

IT is an ordinary thing in de­nying of benefits to accom­pany the deniall with injuries; I know not whether it bee to cloake their avarice with hate, or because such men loving their goods as deerely as their lives, when one demāds to have any of them, are incensed with anger, as if he sought so much of their blood; or els that it comes to passe, because men in deny­ing what is demanded, thinke they have made him their ene­my that demanded it, and fra­ming him such in their imagi­nations, speake of him not as one that is become such, but as [Page 183] of one that is so already. Perad­venture also Nabal denies with arrogancy to accomplish Da­vids desire, doubting his guilti­nesse might seeme to bee some signe that hee stood in feare of violence, and to shew that hee doth not feare it, himselfe in termes begins to use it.

David is incensed by the an­swer of Nabal, and sets forward to destroy him and all his house. But Abi­gail, Nabals wife, being a prudent and a beautifull woman, hearing of Da­vids request, and her hus­bands deniall, goes with many beasts laden with [Page 184]victuals to meet David, and beginneth with excuse of her husbands ignorance, and foolishnesse. Shee en­treats him to accept of the present shee brought, and pardon her husband: And so David is appeased.

WOmen are of so great force in perswading, that it hath beene held all one to hearken to them, and to grant their requests. He that forbade them to bee brought up in lear­ning, had an eye perhaps not onely to their difficulty of un­derstanding, but also to their facility in perswading. He that was judged by the Lord God to be the wisest, made use of such [Page 185] an instrument; and that tyrant who was written among the most circumspect, was afraid of this force. Women have al­wayes delight joined with their words, and where delight is, there is also perswasion. If the understanding doth not agree to it, the will consents: so that when that which they say can­not be believed, yet they which have said it must not be displea­sed. Their teares are their En­thymems, their beauty is their sword: where they doe not procure love, there they move compassion; yea, and sometimes they perswade the better, be­cause they have no skill in per­swading: There is no cunning suspected where there is no sci­ence, yet there is more thereof in their countenance than in all [Page 186] Rhetoricke. It is lawfull to for­goe all fiercenesse in favour of a sex that is so amorous: The weaknesse of it makes us not a­shamed to lay downe all our wrath to it, yea, rather makes him ashamed that doth not lay it downe,

David doth blesse God and Abigail, for having by her prudence diverted him from revenging himselfe of Nabal.

IT is a great good hap to bee taken off from a necessity of revenging himselfe. Hee that can divert it and doth not, de­serveth great blame; hee that hindreth it, great commenda­tion; and hee meriteth more [Page 187] that desireth to be so diverted. But there are many now a dayes desirous of such necessities, which if they be but small, they seeke to augment them, and faine some when they finde none. They account it a glory to revenge, and the name of re­vengefull, glorious. This is a proper art for those who ha­ving no talents by which they make themselves knowne to be men, will make themselves knowne to be beasts; they know not how to make themselves honoured, therefore they will make themselves feared, as if reputation and feare were all one. The vulgar rout breede such kinde of people by applau­ding them, but such applauses turne to their ruines, seeing the quarrels which beginne among [Page 188] the greater sort are for the most part quenched with the blood of the meaner. Cities will ne­ver be rid of these blood-thir­sty companions, till they cease from commending their bloo­dy proceedings, neither will the way to such false praise e­ver bee stopped up, till the way to the true, shall be laid open; which then onely will be ef­fected, when Princes and States give place and occasion to their Subjects to make knowne their true valour, and reward them according to their due deser­vings.

Abigail returnes to Nabal, and because she findes him drunken, she forbeares till the morning to speake unto him, and then tells him what had passed; which when hee had heard, his heart was dead within him as a stone, and within few dayes he dies.

WHy should Nabals heart become dead, seeing his offence was pardoned? or rather why should not his heart be dead, seeing hee had offen­ded? David doth not cast him downe, it is only his owne con­science. Hee that offends his neighbour unjustly offends his [Page 190] owne reason, and although his neighbour hath pardoned him, she never pardons him: the re­venge taken of him, is the re­memberance of his offences. Nabal cannot beleeve that re­venge to be abolished, whose characters being blotted out the memory of men, are written in heaven; for then are they written there, when they are strucke out here. He doth not perfectly pardon, who doth not pray God to pardon, which if he doe, he doth not thereby dimi­nish the offēces, but in some sort increaseth them. If the Judges, whom the Holy Ghost calleth gods, did resemble God in pu­nishing of sinnes, as they desire to bee like God in superiority above others, there would not be so much offending, and there [Page 191] would be more pardoning. A man hath no sooner forgiven an offence, but the Judge also pardons it; yea, sometimes also the Judge hath absolved before the party hath pardoned. That savage fiercenesse of never par­doning an enemy would soone be abolished, if their pardoning did augment the offences in the judiciary seats of men, as it doth in a sort before the Tribunall or high Justice of God. But when the offended pardoneth, the offences are written above, though here being remitted they are cancelled.

David taketh Abigail being a woman of singular beau­ty and prudence to wife, and Saul gives his daugh­ter, who was first the wife of David, unto Phalti.

WHo desires to marry to Beauty, may happe to meete with a Devill: for the Devill also hath some beauty. But he that desires to be joyned with Prudence, if he marry not an Angell, yet he is surely mar­ried to an angelicall vertue. Prudence is a fire which con­verts all Antimony into medi­cine, makes her pleasing that's deform'd, makes her tolerated that is poore, and her quietly enjoyed that is faire: for it is a [Page 193] Bezar that corrects the venome of beauty; It makes it maje­sticall, and not lascivious, and being majestical it is the daugh­ter of the radiant beames of Iu­piter, not of Venus; rather en­forcing reverence, than enfla­ming desire. He that sees her, conceits her a thing impossible to obtaine, and the will never fixeth upon impossibilities; if it be not fixed it reflects on the object, if it doe not reflect, it loves not for the often reflecti­ons are the producers of love.

The Ziphims go to Saul, and advertise him that David is in their desarts, and hee goes to seeke him with 3000. chosen souldiers.

SEe how the pride of Saul is not mitigated with the hu­mility of David, perhaps be­cause the pride was joyned with interest, and the humility with reputation. The proud man be­comes meeke, not when his e­nemy hath humbled himselfe, but when hee himselfe hath humbled him. That humility that is begotten by feare, doth ever mitigate the pride that is not brutish: hee that beleeved otherwise might haply have beene deceiued, by confoun­ding the one with interest, and [Page 195] the other with greatnesse of minde. The proud man will have his enemy bow unto him; but if then when hee boweth downe, his deeds lift him up, he doth not mitigate, but rather exasperate him, because insteed of magnifying him, he doth af­flict and confound him. All the wise, yea, and wily men doe humble themselves to him that persecutes them; when their humility encreaseth their repu­tation, which it alwayes doth, when seperated from dobilitie. The greatest pride that may be found, goes clad in the habit of humility▪ and oftentimes is not discerned by others, but him onely against whom it is im­ployed: and because by the rest it is not discovered, they cannot oppose against it without being blamed.

David being enformed of Sauls arrivall, and having gotten some knowledge of his strength, calls unto him Achimelech and A­bishai; askes them who will goe with mee into the army of Saul, and Abi­shai answers, I will goe.

WHen Princes conferre a degree of honour on a subject, they will make choice themselves; but in a matter of danger, they use to leave him to his owne choice: and where­as the subject thinkes to make his merit the greater, by how much it is the more voluntary; the Prince on the cōtrary some­times holds himselfe lesse obli­ged [Page 197] to him whom he hath least obliged. I blame not this pro­ceeding, so it bee not of pur­pose to avoid to bee beholding, but to bee assured of the suffici­ency and love of the subject. To expose him to danger and to love him, doe not very well agree. To make one to offer himselfe in a voluntary man­ner, is not sufficient argument of such affection, if without much entreatie his offer bee ac­cepted.

David and Abishai goe to the campe of Saul, where they finde the Guard, the King himselfe, and all his souldiers asleepe.

THe Lord God ordinarily in the effects of the world suf­fers his hand to bee seene of them only that are very sharpe sighted, because hee workes by naturall instruments; yet some­times also he will be seene even of those that are blinde, because he workes by the supernaturall a [...]me of his Omnipotency. When there are operations perceived to be contrary to the ordinary course, that the watch­full are found sleeping, that the prudent are overseene, that the valiant are faint hearted; there [Page 199] they that are well sighted may discerne the hidden finger of God, who when hee intendeth the ruine of some house or kingdome, or any other place, takes from it those that might save it; or otherwise alters them in such sort, that they oppose not his designes: sometimes al­so taking away the marke of na­turall things, hee sends an An­gell to burne Cities, to destroy Armies, and raiseth up Cap­taines, that with the light of a torch or a lampe make Cities fall downe; and then there is no eye so blinde, but seeth therein the Almighty hand of God.

Abishai would have slaine Saul, David would not permit him, but takes a­way his speare and his pot of water.

WHo will wonder at Da­vid, that having beene as a Lion when hee slew the Gi­ant Goliah, he now shewes him­selfe a lambe in suffering Saul to live, if he were a figure of that God, who to the sinner was a Lambe, and a Lion to the De­vill. He that aimeth at a digni­ty, in shewing himselfe faint-hearted in obtaining it, will not prove couragious when he hath obtained it. David did not for­beare to slay Saul for any rea­son of State, but abstained from it for the reverence and feare [Page 201] of God. Where hath that man beene found, that knew this peece of policy at any time? It is too finely wrought to be dis­discerned by the eyes of those that are blinded with the passi­ons of desire to rule or revenge, untill having obtained the do­minion or the revenge they de­sired, their eyes happily are cleered; then they begin to con­sider that which they should have considered before, they are afraid of the example which themselves have begotten; whence it came to passe that many have revenged the death of those Princes, of which themselves have beene the pro­curers. They are terrified in their seat of State, they hate their Scepter, as if it threatned violent death to him that treads [Page 202] on it or hold it: They stand in feare of the stars that rule over that kingdome, as if the vanity of those were true, as it is most false; who have beleeved that the violent constellations of kingdomes, with a very little helpe of the Kings Horoscope had the power to kill them.

David calleth out to Abner, and reprooves him for not having kept the King du­ly.

I Know not whether this were good policy to provoke the Generall of the army, but I know that Abner after the death of Saul, was he that made all the warre against David.

He complaines againe to Saul of his being persecuted, saying, if God hath stir­red thee up against me, let him bee appeased with sa­crifice; if men have done it, accursed bee they of God.

HE speakes not of appea­sing men, he knowes that malignity may be extinguished, but never appealed, and that no other sacrifice doth extinguish it, but the suffering of himselfe to be extinct. He that practiseth malignity is base, he that gives eare to it is weake, 'tis not the part of a prudent or a wary man. It is a sword that is sharpe on every side, one cannot strike [Page 204] with it, but is wounded him­selfe: hee is irkesome to those that heare him, among whom while he seekes to endamage another, hee loseth his owne reputation, but yet he is heark­ned to; and why they hearken to him, and how this is wrought I know not, neither will I teach nor learne it: For I hold the profession so infamous, that if I did contemplate the means of the practice thereof, I should accuse my selfe to bee guilty in the tribunall of detraction. To teach others how to bee malici­ous, is a great malignity, and would bee a great madnesse in me: I should sharpen that sword that hath wounded mee so oft, and should make my selfe ma­ster of a profession which I ne­ver practised but passively.

Saul confesseth againe that he hath sinned, and prayeth David to returne, who an­swers; Let one come to fetch the Kings speare; but speakes not of his re­turning.

THe great favorites of Prin­ces if they once fall, they fall headlong, they are gone, they cānot up againe. The cause that shall separate them from their Lord must needs be great, there is no returning. The or­dinary middle siz'd Courtiers, may sometimes fall and some­times rise. The Angell fell, and so did man, but the man retur­ned into grace, and not the An­gell; because the nature of man [Page 206] was not so great a favorit, as was that of the angell. If a prince be but simply angry with his favo­rite▪ so that his anger doth not end in discharging and turning him away, it is a signe of love. We are very angry with them, whom we love entirely. It is a security of being a favorite, be­cause the anger which may bee vented when it is not kept in by feare, is entertained by love, and is finally a confirmation of the inward affection; being (as one may say) a certaine ven­ting of matters, which being kept in the Princes breast would ruine the Courtier, and uttered with choler, they call backe the love to his beginning, which according to the property of all humane things receiveth satiety and corruption in time.

David saith in his heart, I shall one day fall into the hands of Saul: It is bet­ter for mee to goe into the land of the Philistims.

HE that hath need of for­tune for his preservation, let him be well assured that she is not alwayes helpfull, let him withdraw himselfe out of dan­ger: because he had her on his side, let him looke to have her against him▪ and conclude that the longer she hath lasted, the soner his end will come. This is a precept which one shall ra­ther finde written than obser­ved; perhaps because the nature of men which is in their dis­asters to complaine of fortune, in their good successe to boast of [Page 208] their owne worth doth not per­mit them to bee afraid of being abādoned of those helps, which they know not how or whence they obtained: so that the vowes which are hanged up in the Temple of Fortune, are more to pacifie her, than to bee thankfull to her. He therefore that of necessity to maintaine himselfe in state, is driven ei­ther to the helpe of Fortune, or his best skill and cunning; let him live alwaies in feare, for in the end the instability of the one, and the deceitfulnes of the other, will let him fall into the hands of Saul. That Monarchy or Common weale is not stable which is not founded on forces, lawes, and ordinances of their owne. That clocke which hath no Gnomon, and which recei­veth [Page 209] its motion either from springs or counterpoises can­not long endure without er­ring.

David with his men goe to Achish, the King of Seth, which when Saul under­stood, he left off pursuing him.

IT seemes lawfull to flie a­mong the pagans when there is no other way to save himselfe, so that he live not like a Pagan; and hee is not alwayes to bee blamed, that hath recourse to their helpe for the recovery or defence of his owne estate. It hath beene sometimes also per­mitted to helpe them against o­ther pagans, so the helpe wee [Page 210] yeeld them be in favour of rea­son and right. But it shall bee alwayes recorded for a great fault to succour, to encourage, to move or to counsell the ido­laters to an invasion of the states of true beleevers, for that were not to goe against men, but against God, to lessen his kingdome, and to enlarge the confines of the Devill.

David saith unto Achish, I am not worthy to dwell in the head City with thee. Appoint me, I beseech thee some other place: then A­chish assigned him Zik­lag.

[Page 211] DAvid withdrawes him­selfe from the Court of King Achish; not because Courts are to be forsaken, but hee re­tires himselfe, because his diffe­rent religion and great valour, would have made him suspe­cted and feared. I am not of their mind that blame and con­demne the Court, it is the true Paragon of vertuous men: there is no place where vice is soner discovered, and vertue more re­warded. It is a light by which mens hearts are seene and dis­cerned, yea, it is a most cleare test to distinguish naturall gold from that of Alchimie. He that hath great talents let him hasten thither, for there they are glo­riously spent and employed. Let him not regard the com­plaints of those whose talents, [Page 212] how great soever they have beene, have not adv [...]nced them. It may perhaps be found, if they were examined, that they were not printed with the stampe of prudence, and so of no value, because he that had them could not utter them, or because hee would have them goe for more than they were worth. He that excels in any art or science, if hee have not withall some emi­nent place in Court, hee com­plaines that vertues are not re­garded. Princes for the most part both esteeme and reward all men according to the great­nesse of their quality, not of their ambition: and [...]f any one complaine, it is thought he hath more of that than of the other. A great part of the errors in the world ariseth hence, not because [Page 213] every one doth not give place to his better, but because every one doth not know his better; and indeed, it is a difficult thing to know him, because hee goes not alwayes clad in the same cloth. Men deceive themselves in equivocating from a great­nesse, with an addition to an ab­solute greatnesse; beleeving of­tentimes, because they are estee­med the best in some one thing, that therefore they should bee the best esteemed. He onely in regard hee is the greatest in his profession, shall be in great re­pute above others, whose pro­fession shall be in estimation a­bove others.

David with his men goes forth of the Citie to spoyle and destroy certaine ido­latrous countries, and re­turning to Achish, makes him beleeve that hee hath beene to endamage the Isra [...]lites; and the King thereupon is perswaded that he might assure him­selfe of David, beleeved that he had so farre pro­voked the Israelites, that he could no more be recon­ciled.

MAny Princes when they were growne jealous of the fidelity of a subiect, have [Page 215] used the like meanes to be secu­red of him, and the chiefest a­mong rebels doe commonly ground their hopes in putting those that follow them in de­spaire. Yet all such rampiers are very weake, and easily over­throwne, as soone as assaulted with the engine of reason and state. It facilitateth pardons, makes offences to bee forgot­ten, and overcomes all desires, because the desire of domini­on, is the first begotten and el­dest of all the affections. The Princes that are wary and cir­cumspect, doe thinke them­selves onely assured of that faith which is either enforced, or interessed.

The Philistimes prepare a great army to goe against Saul. Achish inviteth David to goe with him, and he accepts of his invi­tation.

I Would not that this place should serve for any exam­ple to any Christian Princes, to accompany any Infidels in op­pressing the faithfull: Hee had no thought of bringing the Phi­listims into the Land of Israel, but he was brought into the po­session of that kingdome by Achish, unto which God had ele­cted him. The Philistims went not to fight against the king­dome, but against the King; as was cleerely seene, when after [Page 217] the overthrow given to Saul, they returned to their owne houses, leaving Mephibosheth to rule and reigne in Israel.

The Philistimes pitch their tents in Shunem, and Saul with his army in Gilboa, Saul had all the Magici­ans and South-sayers that had spirits in their belly to be slaine: perhaps they had given out that the kingdome should come into the hands of David. But he staid not long from see­king out the reliques of those whom he had so per­secuted: for being afraid [Page 218]when he had seene the host of the Philistims, he as­ked counsell thereupon of the Lord, and when hee could have no answer, makes recourse to the De­vill.

IT was said by a Politician, that Diviners are a sort of men deceiving those that have hope in them, unfaithfull to those that command; which should alwayes be prohibited, and ever retained in his Citty. But how should they be forbid­den, and yet retained? only be­cause that they that did so pro­hibit them, were the same that also retained them There were two sorts of professors in time [Page 219] past running the same fortune among Princes. The cunning poysoners, and the fortune tel­lers: they kept still th'one sort that they might poyson others, and sometimes did banish them that they might not bee poyso­ned by them themselves. To th'other, they ran to know the nativities of great persons: the Princes belike thinking by vio­lence to enforce the senses, if at any time they should raise up a subject to reigne; yet they droue them away againe, lest others in the Princes nativity should seeke out the time of his death, or should seeke the ra­ther to procure it, supposing heaven and the starres to be fa­vourable to it.

Saul therefore disguised with two in his company, goeth to a woman having a fa­miliar spirit; shee refu­seth and excuseth her art, for feare of the king; but Saul swearing that no harme should come unto her, shee by her skill rai­seth up Samuel, as Saul had requested; who (were it either an illusion or a vision) cleere it is, that being questioned by Saul, tels him what was to come.

TO seeke to know things to come by meanes of the devill, is a great error: to seeke it [Page 221] by the stars, is sure a greater ar­rogancy; by this men pretend a sciēce, by th'other a revelation. The one wee may yet know by the permissive will of God, but the other passeth our understan­ding; and hee that thinkes by this meanes to know what is to come, pretends also to be God, for God onely knoweth the fu­ture without any revelatiō: But perhaps there is no other diffe­rence betwixt these professions, (setting aside the odiousnesse of the name) saving that in the one, men run voluntarily to the devill; in the other, ignorantly. Who knowes that those Astro­logicall figures, are not as the circles of Negromacers, & that those same signes, and those starres have not a proportion correspondent with their cha­racters, [Page 222] by meanes of which, they bring the devill sometimes to foretell what is to come, but ever to deceive them? And if perchance the devill is he that doth by such arts reveale it, why doe they seeke unto him? If to get evill, it is a meere madnes; if to get some good, it is to much simplicity to beleeve that the devill will bee a minister of any good.

Samuel saith unto Saul, that he, and his sons, and a part of the people shall die in battell, because he fulfil­led not the will of God in the victory against the Amalekites.

[Page 223] THe Prince is often the oc­casion of the sinnes of the people and the people of those of the Prince; the one in per­mitting, the other in applau­ding them. Sometimes also God chasteneth the people for the Princes sinnes, not because it hath demerited with them, but because it hath so deser­ved. It is true indeed that when his Divine Majesty sends the sithe of chastisement, it cuts downe the good as well as the bad; because that which hee sends into the world, is not the same which doth sever the wheat from the darnell.

Saul fainteth at the hearing of such bitter newes, and afterward by the intreaty of the woman, with the perswasion of his ser­vants, having eaten some­what, returneth to his ar­mie.

HEre are seene two contra­ry effects in one selfe sub­ject, faintnesse, and fortitude; Saul seemeth to faint, when his heart failed at the hearing of his dea [...]h foretold: Againe, hee seemes valiant when he returns to his Army, in which hee knowes that the next day hee shall die. But haply feares may be like unto loves: as the secu­rity of enjoying a thing that is [Page 225] desired, doth diminish the de­sire, so the assurance of falling into a thing that we feared, di­minisheth the feare of it. Sauls blood within him made some sudden motion at that unexpe­cted blow; but hee afterward reflecting on it with his under­standing, and imagining death as already present, hee dischar­ged his feare, but hath nothing to doe with any other time, but with the future.

The armies gather together, that of the Philistimes in Aphek, the other of the Israelites in Israel; but the Princes of the Phili­stimes seeing David with Achish, advised him to send him away, because he could no way better than with their heads regaine the favour of his king.

INterest is of such force with men in their operations, that it is accounted weaknesse to trust him, whose interest may move him to betray us. Sincere and plaine dealing hath nothing to doe in this case in matters of policy: whoso presupposeth it in [Page 227] any, is sometimes deceived▪ and because he is sometimes de­ceivd, he doth never presuppose it. It cannot be beleeved with­out making some errour in po­licy, or without some errour al­ready made. Hee that makes use of it after long experience doth not erre, yet erred then when he made experience of it.

Achish although David had not beene with him above six moneths, saith that he had beene with him some yeers, to make it beleeved that if he had beene evill, hee should have knowne him.

IT is not altogether impossi­ble to refraine nature a long [Page 228] time, but it is so in the utmost confines of possibility. There is requisite thereunto a perpetuall assistance of judgement; nature is alwayes ready to move accor­ding to her inclination, if shee bee not alwayes with-held: and if through headlesnesse or wearinesse she bee left unto her selfe, she fals like a stone to her owne center. Here hence comes that little truth which is found in Astrologicall predictions, or rather which wee make them have; because our inclination is a mover that continually wor­keth in us, and doth not alwaies finde a continuall resistance. That which is violent is said to bee of little continuance, not onely for the necessity in him that useth the violence to bee alwayes working; but also be­because [Page 229] he is therewith so wea­ried, that either wearinesse or satiety makes him to cease.

David seemes to bee grieved that Achish will not take him with him, not know­ing that hee hath given him any occasion to the contrary: Achish answers that in his eies he is an An­gell of God, but the Prin­ces of the army are not pleased in him.

LOe here a means how one may lose his inward fami­liarity with a Prince, and get not his favour. The conspiracy of great ones where they beare great sway, undoubtedly either [Page 230] doth ruine the favorite, or trou­ble the state, whensoever hee that is greatest with the Prince, is not the greatest among them. In such a case men would not bee ashamed to bow unto him, to whom though hee were not the favorite, he ought to bow: and there would be opened un­to them a cleere way without any dirty flattery, or thorny danger, to run a happy course betweene obsequiousnesse, and odious liberty; but this seldome or never happens: whether by the cunning of Princes, or by nature, I know not. This Art teacheth them that the grea­test in the state may not be cal­led into inward favour without danger of dominion, from which hee is but one pace di­stant. Nature teacheth to lift [Page 231] up the lowly, and to beat down the mighty: and this nature is dictated of God, who raiseth the poore from the dunghill to place him among Princes, even with the Princes of his people: It is signified by the starres, whose radiation is thē thought to be great, powerfull, and glo­rious; which lifting men from low estate, doth seat them with Princes. It is finally manifested in the earth, whiles it favoura­bly cherisheth and raiseth up those plants that are not wrapt in gold, that is resplendent, but buried in the basenesse of the soile that is uncleane. What in­struction may then be givē to fa­vorites for eschewing the hatred of great ones? The wittiest po­litician seems to commend such a subject, as contenting him­selfe [Page 232] to bee the greatest of the great ones in authority about the Princes, cared not to exceed the meaner ones in dignity: I take this to bee want of know­ledge, how to make ones best benefit of the fortunes that be­fall one, or rather an abusing of them: and that it is no way suf­ficient to extirpate envy, which is rooted in favour, and not in honour. How many have beene seene to lose their favours with the Prince, retaining still their dignity; and of objects of envy to become the objects of com­passion. He that thinkes riches and honours are envied, is de­ceived: It is the command, the applause, and obsequiousnesse, that they bring with them: if these were separated from the King, it were no desirable thing [Page 233] to be a King. A very small reve­rence, and a very little place, is sufficient to satisfie what our bodies require: but the whole world is not enough to quench the thirst of the minde; which stands also with reason, because the body may easily finde his object in a bodily world. But the minde which is a spirit, ne­ver findes it where there is no spirit. It deceives it selfe some­times in running with the body after some bodily thing, as to­ward a proper object; but no sooner is the same obtained, but the errour is discovered. Those pleasing tastes which some al­together sensuall doe account but as smoake, which are the obsequiousnes, the reverences, the applauses, these are the grea­test food to the minde, because [Page 234] these are the least corporeall.

There are a thousand other precepts written for favourites, both to defend them from the hatred of the great, and from e­very other occasion that might worke their overthrow. Some also I could adde which are not mentioned by others, but be­cause they are all vaine and fri­volous, I will not fill up the page with such vanities and weaknesses: I will say one only thing, being the truest and se­curest course to maintaine him­selfe in the Princes favour, which may well be performed, and may well be spoken of; yet can it not be learnd nor taught, which is, to preserve alwaies the love of the Prince, and the manner how to preserve it. It is true, that the favourite never [Page 235] falls without some cause, but the same causes have not alway the same effects: for sometimes they are surmounted by an affection greater than their owne; if this stands firme and sure, there can bee no dan­ger; if this shrinkes, then the ruine is at hand: not because he falls without cause, but because 'tis impossible not to give some cause, and then the lesser have more force than at another time the greater would. A constel­lation which would scarce have caused a simple ter [...]ian in youth (by consent of those that write these vanities in Astrology) is sufficient to kill one in his de­crepit age. He that would not have his love decline, let him hold both his eyes alwayes fix­ed upon the Prince, never de­part [Page 236] from him, never seeke any other but him; for as soone as he turnes his eyes to himselfe or others, he is undone. His great­nesse, his affections, his plea­sures, and delights, must be in his Prince. Neither let him thinke that by this meanes hee may misse of preferments, but rather that hee shall bee sure of them, and peradventure with lesse envy. Hee that possesseth things that are subject to envy, and takes no delight in them, is rather to be pittied, than envi­ed. But who is he that will doe so, saving the man that is full of affection, and most tenderly enamoured of his Lord. It is a thing that cannot bee reduccd into Art, though it bee easily knowne. Affectation differs much from affection, which if [Page 237] hee hath not, let him not imi­tate; for such imitations are o­dious in the schoole of love: they that will maintaine them­selves in the Princes favour with Art, their Art failes them, and they then faile with their Art.

David departs from the ar­my, and returnes with his men to Ziklag, whereby they finde that the Ama­lekites have burnt the City, and carried away all the inhabitants priso­ners, with Davids wives also; and the people there­with enraged, would have stoned him.

[Page 238] IT is no marvell that this mul­titude would have stoned in­nocent David: men being an­gry, seeke some subject on which they may discharge their passion; yet if they finde not those that offend them, they suppose whomsoever they meet to be the same; yea, and some­times when there appeares be­fore them no other, on which they may revenge themselves, they beat the pavement with their feet, and the walls with their fists. And this is no such folly as many doe imagine, but an instinct of nature; which feeling the heart suffocated by so great a quantity of fiery spi­rits, seekes to ease her selfe by diverting some part of them in the exercising of some action.

The passions of the people [Page 239] are too distemperate going al­wayes to extremes, which is not proper to the people, as they are a people, but as they are a multitude; in which every one hath his particular passion, and participateth also with that of the others, and with that par­ticipation increaseth his owne. I have sometimes doubted, (but I say it is not a thing undoubt­ed) that in this increasing the contracting at least of the spi­rits hath some part: conside­ring that a multitude of people gathered together, findes no­thing to stay it from going whi­ther it may goe without sepa­rating, and whither they would not goe with lesse danger if they were separated: from whence may bee taken an in­struction for them that wil for­tifie [Page 240] themselves in a place that they have regard to accommo­date in such manner, that the fortification it selfe may be able to withstand the incursion of a multitude; or otherwise, not thinke their strength sufficient to maintaine it with neither fire nor shot.

David askes counsell of the Lord thereupon what shall bee done, and suddenly turnes to follow the steps of the Amalekites.

THis is the best way to with­draw himselfe out of dan­ger, to divert an angry multi­tude to the true object of their anger, that thereby they may forsake the false.

They finally finde out the A­malekites, fight with them, and overcome them; recovering the prey with the prisoners: and the spoile which they had taken, Da­vid will have divided with those that kept the baggage, and were not at the fight.

THe Captaine of a male-con­tented company, had need bee both valorous, and circum­spect: That heat that stirres up a multitude, whether for love to their leader, or anger against their Prince, groweth soone cold, and then gives place to a comparison, to which succee­deth repentance; the conse­quence [Page 242] whereof, is either the killing of their Captaine, or the abandoning of him: Neither is it sufficient for the eschewing of such a danger, to have once gotten a great reputation: time consumeth it, and how great soever it be, reduceth it to no­thing. It is necessary to linke it into a chaine, not suffering the report of a great action to cease, without renewing it with ano­ther as great or greater. David because his flying from Saul might take from him the repu­tation hee had gotten in subdu­ing the Giant, no sooner begins to flie, but hee fights and over­comes the Philistimes, that had sacked [...]eilah; and because that flight is an argument of feare, and that feare brings a losse of reputation, he makes it knowne [Page 243] that he could twice have killed the King, to give his flight the title of reverence, and to take away the imputation of feare. Afterward being retur­ned to Ziklag, that the malecon­tented might not have leisure to make any reflections on him to his harme; and desirous to maintaine his reputation, hee oftentimes with honour and profit to himselfe assaulteth the infidels; and finally vanquisheth the Amalekites, and recovereth that reputation, the diminuti­on whereof, had brought him into the perill of being stoned.

The Philistimes fight with the Israelites, and have broken the body of their army, and slaine three of the Kings sonnes; the strength of the whole char­ged Saul, when he turning to his Armour-bearer, prayes him to kill him, that he might not be a de­rision to the uncircumci­sed; which when he refu­sed, Saul sets his owne sword against his breast, and falling on it, kills himselfe.

I Know not how the descrip­tion of death to bee the ut­most [Page 245] of all terrible things, should bee understood: If in this life the utmost of all dele­ctable things be not to be had, why should the utmost of the terrible? One of the contraries cannot bee admitted, but the other must also bee granted. Now to live, not being the ut­most of delectable things, teacheth that to dye is not the utmost of the terrible. The not finding in this our world any object that is the last of delecta­ble and of terrible things (if we will not suppose the powers without an object) makes us beleeve that it is in the other world, and in that other world is God seene and not seene. But he that described death the last of all terrible things, meant it of things in this world; which [Page 246] would be true, if spoken of the last in number, and not in weight: for otherwise, if it be such in it selfe, it must then be alway such unto all: And yet we read of many men that have imbraced it, to eschew some o­ther thing, which wee must needs beleeve was more terri­ble to them. He that wonders at a resolution so extravagant as makes a man kill himselfe, may marvell at nature also, which being sometimes terrifi­ed at death doth prevent it.

The Armour-bearer of Saul, seeing what his Lord had done, drawes out likewise his sword, and kils him­selfe. Some Writers are of opinion that this was Do­eg the Edomite, Sauls favourite; who lest hee should bee punished by his successor, killed himselfe.

THe favorites of a Prince that hath a successour, if they die not before Saul, yet they die often with Saul. I know not how to steere them from this rocke: there hath beene one, that seeing no other remedy, made at the soveraignty it selfe, and was just there de­stroyed. [Page 248] There hath beene also that turned his backe to the West, and sate his eyes to­ward the East, and towards those rayes that would have beene deadly to him, had not that Sun beene then under the line of the Horizon. As the sons of Princes cannot endure any companion in domination, no more will Princes in their love. He that thinkes there is no en­vie betwixt the father and the son, is deceived. The honours done to the sonne, if they in­crease that of the father, doe re­joyce him; but if they diminish his, they make him sorrowfull; which because it falls out but seldome, men suppose there is no such thing. When the favo­rite hath hope that by course of nature hee shall survive [Page 249] the Prince, it is a hard matter for him not to have an eye to the future; toward which if he cast a look, he loseth that which is present: but hee deserves no favour, that desires or thinkes to out-live his Lord. The grea­test felicity that may befall the former, (it being not lawfull for any violently to charge upon death) would be to end his life just when the latter dieth. It is hard to die before him, because it is no easie thing to leave one that is his Patron, and his Love. He that blames Princes for ha­ving favorites, would have them inhumane and vile: What thing is a man that hath no love? or wherein may a Prince shew gracious unto others, or see himselfe his owne greatnes, but in advancing of others? and [Page 250] how or why should he advance them, if he doth not love them? Would they have him alwayes masked? would they not allow him any, to whom he may un­strip himselfe, and discover the secrets of his heart? He that will give to Princes (that which sure­ly they ought to have) leave to descend sometimes from their throne of Majestie, and to con­ferre their inward cogitations with any one, hee must allow a favorite▪ If the Prince lay aside his Majestie, withall he would grow contemptible; if his se­crets should bee imparted unto many, they could not bee se­crets; but if he be familiar but to one, open but to one, hee is then the favorite. It is wished by them that are not beloved above the rest, that the Prince [Page 251] would love all alike: but why should he love all alike, since he is not beloved himselfe of all a­like? A well devoted subject ought to bee grieved that any one loveth his Lord more than he, and not that his Lord loves another more than himselfe. This would bee a desire to ty­rannize over the affections of Princes, which men ought to reverence. He that could make his love more fervent, than that of the favorite, might perad­venture make himselfe the greater favorite: but common­ly men strive to unhorse him by malice, and not by vertue, be­cause it is more easie to envy, than to love. Give me leave al­so further to affirme (if with­out offence I may) that it can­not be any blame to have a fa­vorite, [Page 252] unlesse men will say that Christ our Lord was to be bla­med, whose favorite was Saint Iohn.

One passing by chance neere unto Saul, who longed to die, and asked him whence he was; and the other an­swering that hee was an Amalekite: Saul prayeth him to kill him, which hee excuseth.

O The unspeakable provi­dence of God! he perad­venture permitted not Saul to kill himselfe, he consented that his sin should kill him. One of the Amalekites, whom against the will of God hee had saved [Page 253] alive, God will have to put him to death. That sinner spoke for al sinners, & spake divinely, that said, My sin is alwayes against me. We have no enemies, but we make some: nor is Saul alone slaine by his sinne, for there be but few men that are not also killed by theirs. And it is very particular, that one particular should kill them; seeing it was the same that brought death into all the world: O how plea­sant, and how profitable are the precepts of God! He is a Phy­sitian (under favour be it spo­ken) not onely for the soule, but for the body also. He hath left us better rules in a few leaves to preserve our health, than are contained in the great volumes of the bookes of the Gentiles.

King Saul dieth after he had reigned many yeeres, and with the King, dieth a great part of the people, which had demanded a King.

FAvours are not therefore demanded of God that he may doe them, but because he will doe them; hee doth them by meanes of our prayers: they are obtained with the Optative, not with the Imperative mood. Hee that will command them, deserves then only to bee heard when it is to his harme; to have beene heard to teach him that is God, neither to bee taught, nor to be commanded. Where­fore then it was that Saul did lose his life, and wherefore [Page 255] the Kingdome of Israel went out of his Progeny, is easily re­solved by them, who omitting the manifold other causes, have recourse to that alone, which is the first, and chiefe, and prime cause: from whose well, all the rest proceed. But why God willeth the destruction of Kings and Kingdomes, would bee easie also to shew, were it not the will of God, is not al­wayes effective, but sometimes also permissive: Hee wills that such as forsake him, lose their kingdomes; and that they that follow him, obtaine them. Moreover, how and when it comes to passe that hee permit­teth sometimes those that fol­low him to be abased, and those that abandon him to bee exal­ted, I doe not know, and o­thers [Page 256] peradventure know as lit­tle. Those Princes then that are not in Gods favour, let them alwayes feare, how pros­perous soever they are: Being not able to alledge any cause of their happinesse, they must needs be afraid; if they be great, they know not why they are so: and it is to be doubted that such greatnesse cannot long endure; whereof no cause can bee gi­ven for which it began. He who hapning to come into the house of a fortunate man, did sudden­ly depart thence, certainly hee meant it not of them that God maketh happy and successefull, but of those whom God per­mitteth so to be. The ruine of Saul came peradventure of his owne great prosperity, his be­ing from a base estate exalted [Page 257] to a kingdome, confirmed and setled therein with happy suc­cesse, in stead of making him the more devout, made him more confident, yea, more rash and unadvised. Let us not make it lawfull to serve him the lesse, who hath prospered us to the end; wee should serve him the more, as if the gifts or graces which God vouchsafeth us were but for our pleasure, and not for his glory. A great sort of men offend their God in their prosperity, and pray unto him in their adversity; yet is hee still the same God, when he de­livereth us out of misery and distresse, and when he overtur­neth our fortunate courses and proceedings. It may seeme per­adventure, that to deliver out of disasters doth more manifest [Page 258] the Divinity, than to abase pro­sperous fortunes; whence it is that men are more confident in his mercies, than fearfull of his vengeance. There is no man how wicked soever, but doth some good thing whereunto he afterward ascribes the cause of his good successe, and equivo­cating betweene the reward, and the grace given him, hath no feare of losing what he pre­tends to have deserved. On the contrary, there is no man so good, but he committeth some evill whereunto for the most part he attributeth the cause of his misfortune, and equivoca­ting betweene Gods chastising and his exercising of him, sends up sometimes his supplications to God, when he should rather have sent thanksgivings; as if [Page 259] the world which is the place of meriting and demeriting, were the place also of rewarding and punishing.

To conclude, let us pray his divine Majestie, that he will be alwayes pleased to end the per­secutions of the Davids, with the death of the Sauls: And all to the glory and honour of his great Name; in which I end this Booke, as I desire also to end my life.