History of the Old Testament Volume 5, Part 3
Dauid and Achiſh.
GOOD motions that fall into wicked harts, are like ſome ſparks that fall from the flint and ſteele, into wet tinder; lightſome for the time, but ſoone out. After Sauls teares and proteſtations, yet is he now againe, in the wildernes with three thouſand men to hunt after inocent Dauid: How inuincible is the charity and loyalty of an honeſt hart? The ſame hand that ſpared Saul in the caue, ſpares him ſleeping in the field; The ſame hand that cut away the lappe of his maiſters garment; caryed away his ſpeare; that ſpeare, which might as well hauehave caryed away, the life of the owner; is only born away for a proofe of the fidelity of the bearer. Still Saul is ſtrong, but Dauid victorious, and triumphs ouer the malice of his perſecutor; Yet ſtill the victor flyeth, from him whom he hath ouercome; A man that ſees; how farre Saul was tranſported, with his rancorous enuy, cannot but ſay, that hee was neuer more mad then when he was ſober; For euen after he had ſaid (Bleſſed art thou my ſonne Dauid, thou ſhalt do great things and alſo preuaile;) yet ſtill hee purſues him; whom hee grants aſſured to preuaile; what is this but to reſolue to looſe his labour in ſinning? and in ſpight of himſelfe to offend? How ſhamefull is our inequality of diſpoſition to good? We know we cannot miſſe of the reward of well-doing, and yet doe it not; whiles wicked men caſt away their endeauours vponupon thoſe euill proiects, whereof they are ſure to faile; ſinne blindes the eyes and hardens the heart, and thruſts men into wilfull miſchiefes, how euer dangerous, how euer impoſſible; and neuer leaues them till it hauehave brought them to vtter confuſion.
THE ouer-long continuance of a tentation, may eaſily weary the beſt patience: and may attaine that by protraction, which it could neuer doe by violence; Dauid himſelfe at laſt begins to bend vncler this triall; and reſolues ſo to flee from Saul, as that hee runnes from the Church of God; and whiles he will auoyde the malice of his maſter, ioynes himſelfe with Gods enemies. The greateſt Saints vponupon earth, are not alwayes vponupon the ſame pitch of ſpirituall ſtrength; He that ſometimes ſaid (I will not be affraid for ten thouſand, now ſaies, I ſhall periſh one day by the hand of Saul) He had wont to conſult with God, now hee ſaies thus in his owne hart; How many euident experiments had Dauid of Gods deliuerances; how certaine and cleare predictions of his future Kingdome; how infallible earneſt was the holy oyle, wherewith hee was anoynted, of the crowne of Iſrael? And yet (Dauid ſaid in his heart, I ſhall now periſh one day by the hand of Saul:) The beſt faith, is but like the twy-light, mixed with ſome degrees of darkneſſ, & infidelity; We doe vtterly miſreakon the greateſt earthly holineſſe, if we exempt it from infirmities, It is not long ſince Dauid told Saul, that thoſe wicked enemies of his, which caſt him out from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, did as good as bid him; Goe ſerue other Gods, yet now is he gone from the inheritance of God, into the land of the Philiſtims; That Saul might ſeeke him no more, hee hides himſelfe out of the liſts of the Church, where a good man would not looke for him: Once before had Dauid fled to this Achiſh, when hee was glad to ſcrabble on the doozes, and let his ſpittle fal vponupon his beard, in a ſemblance of madneſſe, that he might eſcape, yet now in a ſemblance of friendſhip, is hee returned to ſaue that life, which he was in danger to hauehave loſt in Iſrael; Goliah the Champion of the Philiſtims, whom Dauid ſlew, was of Gath; yet Dauid dwells with Achiſh King of the Philiſtims in Gath; Euen amongſt them whoſe fore-skins he had preſented to Saul, by two hundreds at once, doth Dauid chooſe to reſide for ſafety: Howſoeuer it was a weakeneſſe in Dauid, thus by his league of amity to ſtrengthen the enemies of God, yet doth not God take aduantage of it for his ouerthrow, but giues him protection, euen where his preſence offended; and giues him fauour where himſelfe bore iuſt hatred; Oh the infinite patience and mercy of our God, who doth good to vsus for our euill, and in the very act of our prouocation vpholdeth, yea, bleſſeth vsus with preſeruation.
Could Saul hauehave rightly conſidered it, hee had found it no ſmall loſſe and impairing to his kingdome, that ſo valiant a Captaine, attended with ſixe hundred able ſoldiers, and their families ſhould forſake his land, and ioyne with his enemies; yet he is not quiet till he hauehave abandoned his owne ſtrength: The world hath none ſo great enemy to a wicked man, as himſelfe; his hands cannot be held from his owne miſchiefe; hee will needs make his friends, enemies; his enemies, victors, himſelfe, miſerable.
DAVID was too wiſe, to caſt himſelfe into the hands of a Philiſtim King, without aſſurance; What aſſurance could hee hauehave but promiſes? Thoſe, Dauid had from Saul abundantly, and truſted them not; Hee dares truſt the fidelity of a Pagan, hee dares not truſt the vowes of a King of Iſrael; There may bee fidelity without the Church, and falſhood within: It need not bee any newes to finde ſome Turks true, and ſome Chriſtians faithleſſe.
EVEN vnwiſe men are taught by experience, how much more they, who hauehave wit to learne without it? Dauid had well found, what it was to liue in a Court; He therfore, whom enuy droue from the Court of Iſrael, voluntarily declines the Philiſtim Court; and ſies for a country-habitation; It had not beene poſſible for ſo noted a ſtranger, after ſo much Philiſtim-bloud ſhed, to liue long in ſuch eminency, amongſt the preaſe of thoſe, whoſe ſons, or brothers, or fathers, or allies, he had ſlaughtered, without ſome perilous machination of his ruine; therfore he makes ſuit for an earely remoue: (For why ſhould thy ſeruant dwell in the cheefe City of the Kingdome with thee?) Thoſe that would ſtand ſure, muſt not affect too much height, or conſpicuity; The tall Cedars are moſt ſubiect to winds and lightnings, whiles the ſhrubs of the valleyes ſtand vnmooued; Much greatneſſe doth but make a fairer marke for euill; There is true firmneſſe and ſafety in mediocrity.
How rarely is it ſeene, that a man loſeth by his modeſty? The change fell out well to Dauid of Ziklag, for Gath; Now he hath a City of his owne; All Iſrael, where he was anoynted, afforded him not ſo much poſſeſſion: Now the City, which was anciently aſſigned to Iudah, returnes to the iuſt Owner; and is by this meanes entayled to the Crowne of Dauids Succeſſours. Beſides, that now might Dauid liue out of the ſight, and hearing of the Philiſtim Idolatries, and enioy God no leſſe in the wals of a Philiſtim-City, then in an Iſraelitiſh wilderneſſe; withall, an happy opportunity was now opened to his friends of Iſrael, to reſort vntounto his ayd; the heads of the thouſands that were of Manaſſeh, and many valiant Captaines of the other Tribes, fell dayly to him, and raiſed his ſix hundred followers to an army, like the Hoſt of God. The deſerts oſ Iſrael could neuer hauehave yeelded Dauid ſo great an aduantage: That God, whoſe the earth is makes room for his own eueryevery-where; and oft times prouideth them a forraine home, more kindely then the natiue; It is no matter for change of our ſoyle, ſo wee change not our God; If we can eueryevery where acknowledge him, hee will no where bee wanting to vsus.
It was not for Gods Champion to be idle; no ſooner is he free from Sauls ſword, then hee begins an offenſiue war againſt the Amalekites, Girzites, Geſhurites: Hee knew theſe Nations branded by God to deſtruction; neither could his increaſing army be maintained with a little▪ By one act therefore, he both reuenges for God, and prouides for his Hoſt. Had it not beene for that old quarrell, which God had with this people, Dauid could not be excuſed from a bloudy cruelty, in killing whole Countries, onelyonly for the benefit of the ſpoyle: Now his Souldiers were at once, Gods Executioners, and their owne Forragers. The interuention of a command from the Almighty, alters the ſtate of any act; and makes that worthy of praiſe, which els were no better then damnable. It is now Iuſtice, which were otherwiſe murder; The will of God is the rule of good; what neede we enquire into other reaſons, of any act or determination, when wee heare it comes from Heauen?
How many hundred yeeres had this brood of Cananites liued ſecurely in their Country; ſince God commanded them to bee rooted out, and now promiſed themſelues the certaineſt peace? The Philiſtims were their friends, if not their Lords; The Iſraelites had their hands full, neither did they know any grudge betwixt them and their neighbours, when ſuddenly the ſword of Dauid cuts them off, and leaues none aliue to tell the newes.
THERE is no ſafety in protraction; with men, delay cauſeth forgetfulneſſe, or abates the force of anger; as all violent motions are weakeſt at the furtheſt; but with him, to whom all times are preſent, what can be gained by prorogation? Alas, what can it preuaile any of the curſed ſeed of Canaan, that they hauehave made a truce with Heauen, and a league with Hell? Their day is comming, and is not the further off, becauſe they expect it not.
MISERABLE were the ſtraits of Dauid; while he was driuen, not onelyonly to maintaine his army by ſpoyle, but to colour his ſpoyle by a ſinfull diſſimulation; He tels Achiſh, that he had beene rouing againſt the South or Iudah, and the South of the Ierahmelites, and the South of the Kenites; either falſely, or doubtfully, ſo as hee meant to deceiue him, vnderunder whom hee liued, and by whom hee was truſted: If Achiſh were a Philiſtim, yet hee was Dauids frend, yea his Patron; and if hee had beene neither, it had not becomne Dauid to bee falſe. The infirmities of Gods children neuer appeare, but in their extremities. It is hard for the beſt man, to ſay, how far he will bee tempted. If a man wil put himſelfe among Philiſtims, hee cannot promiſe to come forth innocent.
How eaſily doe we beleeue that which we wiſh; The more credit Achiſh giues vntounto Dauid, the more ſin it was to deceiue him. And now the conceit of this ingagement, procures him a further ſeruice. The Philiſtims are aſſembled to fight with Iſrael; Achiſh dares truſt Dauid on his ſide; yea, to keepe his head for euer; neither can Dauid: do any leſſe then promiſe his ayd againſt his owne fleſh: Neuer was Dauid, in all his life, driuen to ſo hard an exigent: neuer was hee ſo extremely perplexed; For what ſhould he do now▪ To fight with Achiſh, he was tyed by promiſe, by merit▪ Not to fight againſt Iſrael, hee was tyed by his calling, by his vnction; Not to fight for Achiſh, were to bee vnthankfull; To fight againſt Iſrael, were to be vnnaturall; Oh what an inward battle muſt Dauid needes hauehave in his breſt, when he thinks of this battle of Iſrael, and the Philiſtims; How doth he wiſh now, that hee had rather ſtood to the hazard of Sauls perfecution, then to hauehave put himſelfe vponupon the fauour of Achiſh; He muſt fight on one ſide, and on whether ſide ſoeuer hee ſhould fight, he could not auoyd to be treacherous; a condition worſe then death, to an honeſt heart; which way hee would hauehave reſolued, if it had comne to the execution, who can know, ſince himſelfe was doubtfull? either courſe had beene no better then deſperate. How could the Iſraelites euer hauehave receiued him for their King, who in the open field, had fought againſt them? And contrarily, if hee would hauehave fought againſt his frend, for his enemy; againſt Achiſh for Saul, he was now inuironed with jealous Philiſtims; and might rather looke for the puniſhment of his treaſon, then the glory of a victory.
HIS heart had led him into theſe ſtraits; the Lord findes a way to lead him out: The ſuggeſtions of his enemies do herein befrend him; The Princes of the Philiſtims (whether of enuy, or ſuſpition) plead for Dauids diſmiſſion, (Send this fellow back, that he may goe againe to his place, which thou haſt appoynted him, and let him not goe downe to the battle, leſt he be an aduerſary to vsus.) No aduocate could hauehave ſaid more, himſelfe durſt not hauehave ſayd ſo much. Oh the wiſdome, and goodneſſe of our God, that can raiſe vp an aduerſary to deliuer out of thoſe euils, which our frends cannot; That by the ſword of an enemy, can let out that apoſtume, which no Phyſician could tell how to cure: It would be wide with vsus ſomtimes, if it were not for others malice.
There could not bee a more juſt queſtion, then this of the Philiſtim Princes, What doe theſe Hebrewes here? An Iſraelite is out of his element, when he is in an army of Philiſtims: The true ſeruants of God are in their due places, when they are in oppoſition to his enemies. Profeſſion of hoſtility becomes them better then leagues of amity.
YET Achiſh likes Dauids conuerſation and preſence ſo well, that he profeſſeth himſelfe pleaſed with him, as with an Angell of God; How ſtrange it is to heare, that a Philiſtim ſhould delight in that holy man, whom an Iſraelite abhors, and ſhould be loth to be quit of Dauid, whom Saul hath expelled. Termes of ciuility be equally open to all religions, to all profeſſions: The common graces of Gods children, are able to attract louelove from the moſt obſtinate enemies of goodneſſe; If we affect them for by-reſpects of valour, wiſdome, diſcourſe, wit, it is their praiſe, not ours, But if for diuine grace and religion, it is our praiſe with theirs.
SVCH now was Dauids condition, that hee muſt plead for that he feared, and argue againſt that which hee deſired: (What hauehave I done? and what hast thou found in thy ſeruant, that I may not goe, and fight againſt the enemies of my Lord the King?) Neuer any newes could bee more cordiall to him then this, of his diſmiſſion; yet muſt he ſeeme to ſtriue againſt it, with an importunate profeſſion of his forwardneſſe to that act, which hee moſt deteſted.
One degree of diſſimulation drawes on another; thoſe which hauehave once giuen way to a faulty courſe, cannot eaſily, either ſtop or turne backe; but are in a ſort forced to ſecond their ill beginnings, with worſe proceedings. It is a dangerous and miſerable thing, to caſt our ſelues into thoſe actions, which draw with them a neceſſity, either of offending, or miſcarriage.