CONTEMPLATIONS.

BOOK XIV.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, AND MY SINGULAR Good lord,

PHILIP, EARL OF MONTGOMERY,

ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN OF HIS MAJESTY'S BED-CHAMBER, AND KNIGHT OF THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE GARTER.

RIGHT HONOURABLE:

AFTER some unpleasing intermissions, I return to that task of

Contemplation, wherein only my soul findeth rest. If in other employments I have endeavoured to serve God and his Church, yet in none, I must confess, with equal contentment. Methinks controversy is not right in my way to heaven; however the importunity of an adversary may force me to fetch it in. If truth oppressed by an erroneous teacher cry, like a ravished virgin, for my aid, I betray it, if I relieve it not; when I have done, I return gladly to these paths of peace. The favour, which my late polemical labour hath found (beyond merit) from the learned, cannot divert my love to those wrangling studies. How earnestly doth my heart rather wish an universal cessation of these arms; that all the professors of the dear name of Christ might be taken up with nothing but holy and peaceable thoughts of devotion; the sweetness whereof hath so far affected me, that, if I might do it without danger of misconstruction, I could beg even of an enemy this leave to be happy. I have already given account to the world, of some expences of my hours this way, and here I bring more; which, if some reader may censure as poor, none can censure as unprofitable. I am bold to write them under your honourable name, whereto I am deeply obliged; that I may leave behind me this mean but faithful testimony, of my humble thankfulness to your Lordship, and your most honoured and virtuous Lady. The noble respects I have had from you both, deserve my prayers and best services, which shall never be wanting to you and yours,

From your Honour's sincerely

Devoted in all true duty,

JOSEPH HALL,

SAUL IN DAVID'S CAVE.

Ir was the strange lot of David, that those whom he pursued preserved him from those whom he had preserved. The Philistines, whom David had newly smitten in Keilah, call off Saul from smiting David in the wilderness, when there was but a hillock betwixt him and death.

Wicked purposes are easily checked, not easily broken off. Saul's sword is scarce dry from the blood of the Philistines, when it thirsts anew for the blood of David; and now, in a renewed chase, hunts him dry-foot through every wilderness. The very desert is too fair a refuge for innocence. The hills and rocks are searched in an angry jealousy. The very wild goats of the mountains were not allowed to be companions for him, which had no fault but his virtue. Oh the seemingly-unequal distribution of these earthly things! Cruelty and oppression reign in a palace, while goodness lurks among the rocks and caves, and thinks it hap piness enough to steal a life.

Like a dead man, David is fain to be hid under the earth; and seeks the comfort of protection in darkness: and now the wise providence of God leads Saul to his enemy, without blood. He, which before brought them within a hill's distance without interview, brings them now both within one roof; so as that while Saul seeks David and finds him not, he is found of David unsought. If Saul had known his own opportunities, how David and his men had interred themselves, he had saved a treble labour, of chase, of execution, and burial; for had he but stopped the mouth of that cave, his enemies had laid themselves down in their own graves. The wisdom of God thinks fit to hide from evil men and spirits, those means and seasons, which might be, if they had been taken, most prejudicial to his own. We had been oft foiled, if Satan could but have known our hearts. Sometimes we lie open to evils, and happy it is for us that he only knows it, which pities instead of tempting us.

It is not long since Saul said of David, lodged then in Keilah, God hath delivered him into mine hands; for he is shut in, seeing he is come into a city that hath gates and bars; but now, contrarily, God delivers Saul, ere he was aware, into the hands of David; and, without the help of gates and bars, hath inclosed him within the valley of death. How just is it with God, that those who seek mischief to others find it to themselves; and, even while they are spreading nets, are ensnared. Their deliberate plotting of evil is surprised with a sudden judgment.

How amazedly must David needs look, when he saw Saul enter into the cave, where himself was ! "What is this," thinks he, "which God hath done? Is this presence purposed, or casual? Is Saul here to pursue, or to tempt me?" Where, suddenly, the action bewrays the intent; and tells David, that Saul sought secrecy, and not him. The superfluity of his maliciousness brought

him into the wilderness; the necessity of nature led him into the cave: even those actions wherein we place shame, are not exempted from a providence.

The fingers of David's followers itched to seize upon their master's enemy; and, that they might not seem led so much by faction as by faith, they urge David with a promise from God; The day is come, whereof the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, and thou shalt do to him, as it shall seem good to thee. This argument seemed to carry such command with it, as that David not only may but must imbrue his hands in blood, unless he will be found wanting to God and himself. Those temptations are most powerful, which fetch their force from the pretence of a religious obedience; whereas those, which are raised from arbitrary and private respects, admit of an easy dispensation.

If there were such a prediction, one clause of it was ambiguous; and they take it at the worst. Thou shalt do to him, as shall seem good to thee: that might not seem good to him, which seemed evil to God. There is nothing more dangerous, than to make construction of God's purposes out of eventual appearances. If carnal probabilities might be the rule of our judgment, what could God seem to intend other than Saul's death, in offering him naked into the hands of those whom he unjustly persecuted? How could David's soldiers think, that God had sent Saul thither on any other errand, than to fetch his bane? And if Saul could have seen his own danger, he had given himself for dead; for his heart, guilty to his own bloody desires, could not but have expected the same measure which it meant. But wise and holy David, not transported either with misconceit of the event, or fury of passion, or solicitation of his followers, dares make no other use of this accident, than the trial of his loyalty and the inducement of his peace. It had been as easy for him, to cut the throat of Saul as his garment; but now his coat only shall be the worse, not his person: neither doth he in this maiming of a cloke seek his own revenge, but a monument of his innocence. Before, Saul rent Samuel's garment; now, David cutteth Saul's: both were significant: the rending of the one, signified the kingdom torn out of those unworthy hands; the cutting of the other, that the life of Saul might have been as easily cut off.

Saul needs no other monitor of his own danger, than what he wears. The garment of Saul was laid aside, while he went to cover his feet; so as the cut of the garment did not threaten any touch of the body: yet even the violence offered to a remote garment strikes the heart of David, which finds a present remorse, for harmfully touching that which did once touch the person of his master. Tender consciences are moved to regret at those actions, which strong hearts pass over with a careless ease. It troubled not Saul to seek after the blood of a righteous servant. There is no less difference of consciences than stomachs: some stomachs will digest the hardest meats, and turn over substances not in their

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nature edible, while others surfeit of the lightest food, and complain even of dainties. Every gracious heart is in some measure scrupulous, and finds more safety in fear, than in presumption; and if it be so strait, as to curb itself in from the liberty which it might take in things which are not unlawful, how much less will it dare to take scope unto evil! By how much that state is better, where nothing is allowed, than where all things; by so much is the strict and timorous conscience better than the lawless. There is good likelihood of that man, which is any way scrupulous of his ways; but he, which makes no bones of his actions, is apparently hopeless.

Since David's followers pleaded God's testimony to him as a motive to blood, David appeals to the same God for his preservation from blood; The Lord keep me from doing that thing to my master, the Lord's Anointed. And now the good man hath work enough, to defend both himself and his persecutor; himself, from the importunate necessity of doing violence, and his master, from suffering it. It was not more easy to rule his own hands, than difficult to rule a multitude. David's troop consisted of malecontents; all that were in distress, in debt, in bitterness of soul, were gathered to him. Many, if never so well ordered, are hard to command; a few, if disorderly, more hard; many and disorderly, must needs be so much the hardest of all, that David never achieved any victory like unto this, wherein he first overcame himself, then his soldiers.

And what was the charm, wherewith David allayed those raging spirits of his followers? No other but this; He is the Anointed of the Lord. That holy oil was the antidote for his blood. Saul did not lend David so unpierceable an armour, when he should encounter Goliath, as David now lent him in this plea of his unction. Which of all the discontented outlaws that lurked in that cave, durst put forth his hand against Saul, when they once heard, He is the Lord's Anointed? Such an impression of awe hath the Divine Providence caused his image to make in the hearts of men, as that it makes traitors cowards; so as, instead of striking, they tremble. How much more lawless than the outlaws of Israel, are those professed ringleaders of Christianity, which teach, and practise, and encourage, and reward, and canonize, the violation of majesty! It is not enough for those who are commanders of others, to refrain their own hands from doing evil, but they must carefully prevent the iniquity of their heels; else they shall be justly reputed to do that by others, which in their own persons they avoided. The laws both of God and man presuppose us in some sort answerable for our charge; as taking it for granted, that we should not undertake those reins which we cannot manage.

There was no reason David should lose the thanks of so noble a demonstration of his loyalty: whereto he trusts so much, that he dares call back the man by whom he was pursued; and make him judge, whether that fact had not deserved a life. As his act, so his word and gesture, imported nothing but humble obedience:

neither was there more meekness than force in that seasonable per suasion; wherein he lets Saul see the error of his credulity, the unjust slanders of maliciousness, the opportunity of his revenge, the proof of his forbearance, the undeniable evidence of his innocence; and, after a lowly disparagement of himself, appeals to God for judgment, for protection.

So lively and feeling oratory did Saul find in the lap of his garment and the lips of David, that it is not in the power of his envy or ill-nature to hold out any longer; Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lift up his voice and wept, and said; Thou art more righteous than I. He, whose harp was wont to quiet the phrensy of Saul, hath now by his words calmed his fury; so that now he sheds tears, instead of blood; and confesses his own wrong, and David's integrity; and, as if he were now again entered into the bounds of Naioth in Ramah, he prays, and prophesies good to him, whom he maliced for good; The Lord render thee good, for that thou hast done to me this day; for now behold, I know that thou shalt be king.

There is no heart made of flesh, that some time or other relents not. Even flint and marble will, in some weather, stand on drops. I cannot think these tears and protestations feigned. Doubtless Saul meant as he said; and passed through sensible fits of good and evil. Let no man think himself the better for good motions: the praise and benefit of those gusts is not in the receipt, but the retention.

Who, that had seen this meeting, could but have thought that all had been sure on David's side? What can secure us if not tears, and prayers, and oaths? Doubtless David's men, which knew themselves obnoxious to laws and creditors, began to think of some new refuge, as making account this new-pieced league would be everlasting. They looked when Saul would take David home to the court, and dissolve his army, and recompense that unjust persecution with just honour; when behold, in the loose, Saul goes home, but David and his men go up unto the hold. Wise David knows Saul not to be more kind than untrusty; and therefore would rather seek safety in his hold, than in the hold of a hollow and unsteady friendship. Here are good words, but no security; which therefore an experienced man gives the hearing, but stands the while upon his own guard. No charity binds us to a trust of those, whom we have found faithless. Credulity upon weak grounds, after palpable disappointments, is the daughter of folly. A man that is weather-wise, though he find an abatement of the storm, yet will not stir from under his shelter while he sees it thick in the wind. Distrust is the just gain of unfaithfulness.

NABAL AND ABIGAIL.

1 Sam. xxiv.

If innocency could have secured from Saul's malice, David had not been persecuted; and yet under that wicked king, aged Samuel dies in his bed. That there might be no place for

envy,

the