Works of Joseph Hall, Part 13
SAVL IN DAVIDS CAVE.
IT was the ſtrange lot of Dauid, that thoſe whom he purſued, preſerued him from thoſe whom he had preſerued; The Philiſtims, whom Dauid had newly ſmitten in Keilah, call off Saul from ſmiting Dauid in the wilderneſſe, when there was but an hillocke betwixt him and death: Wicked purpoſes are eaſily checked, not eaſily broken off. Sauls Sword is ſcarce dry from the bloud of the Philiſtims, when it thirſts anew for the bloud of Dauid; and now in a renewed chaſe, hunts him dry-foot thorow eueryevery wilderneſſe: The very Deſart is too faire a refuge for innocence; The hils and rockes are ſearched in an angry iealouſie; the very wilde Goats of the mountaines were not allowed to be companions for him, which had no fault but his vertue. Oh the ſeemingly-vnequall diſtribution of theſe earthly things! Cruelty and oppreſſion reignes in a Palace, whiles goodneſſe lurkes among the Rockes and Caues, and thinkes it happineſſe enough to ſteale a life.
Like a dead man, Dauid is faine to be hid vnderunder the earth, and ſeekes the comfort of protection in darkneſſe: and now the wiſe prouidence of God leades Saul to his enemy without bloud; He, which before brought them within an hils d…ſtance without interuiew, brings them now both within one roofe; ſo as that whiles Saul ſeekes Dauid and finds him not, he is found of Dauid vnſought. If Saul had known his own opportunities, how Dauid and his men had interred themſelues, he had ſaued a treble labour, of chaſe, of execution, and buriall; for had he but ſtopt the mouth of that Caue, his enemies had laid themſelues downe in their owne Graues: The Wiſdome of God thinkes fit to hide from euill men, and ſpirits, thoſe meanes and ſeaſons, which might be (if they had beene taken) moſt preiudiciall to his owne: we had beene oft foiled, if Satan could but hauehave knowne our hearts: ſometimes we lie open to euils, and happy it is for vsus that he only knowes it, which pit…ies in ſtead of tempting vsus.
It is not long ſince Saul ſaid of Dauid (lodged then in Keilah) God hath deliuered 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 deliuers Saul (ere he was aware) into the hands of Dauid, and without the helpe of gates and barres, hath incloſed him within the Valley of death: How iuſt is it with God, that thoſe who ſeeke miſchiefe to others; finde it to themſelues; and euen whiles they are ſpreading nets are inſnared; Their deliberate plotting of euill, is ſurprized with a ſudden iudgement.
How amazedly muſt Dauid needs looke, when hee ſaw Saul enter into the Caue, where himſelfe was? what is this (thinkes he) which God hath done? Is this preſence purpoſed, or caſuall; is Saul here to purſue, or to tempt me? Where ſuddenly the action bewrayes the intent, and tels Dauid that Saul ſought ſecrecy and not him. The ſuperfluity of his maliciouſneſſe brought him into the Wilderneſſe, the neceſſity of nature led him into the Caue: Euen thoſe actions wherein wee place ſhame, are not exempted from a prouidence. The fingers of Dauids followers itched to ſeaſe on their Maſters enemy; and that they might not ſeeme led ſo much by faction, as by faith, they vrge Dauid with a promiſe from God; The day is come whereof the Lord ſaid vntounto thee, Behold, I will deliuer thine enemy into thine hand, and thou ſhalt do to him, as it ſhall ſeeme good to thee. This argument ſeemed to carry ſuch command with it, as that Dauid not onelyonly may, but muſt embrew his hands in bloud, vnleſſe hee will bee found wanting to God and himſelfe; Thoſe temptations are moſt powerfull, which fetch their force from the pretence of a religious obedience: Whereas thoſe which are raiſed from arbitrary and priuate reſpects, admit of an eaſie diſpenſation.
If there were ſuch a prediction, one clauſe of it was ambiguous; and they take it at the worſt: Thou ſhalt doe to him as ſhall ſeeme good to thee: that might not ſeeme good to him, which ſeemed euill vntounto God. There is nothing more dangerous than to make conſtruction of Gods purpoſes out of euentuall appearances. If carnall probabilities might be the rule of our iudgement, what could God ſeeme to intend other than Sauls death in offering him naked into the hands of thoſe whom he vniuſtly perſecuted? how could Dauids ſouldiers thinke that God had ſent Saul thither on any other errand, than to fetch his bane? and if Saul could hauehave ſeene his owne danger, he had giuen himſelfe for dead; for his heart guilty to his owne bloudy deſires, could not but hauehave expected the ſame meaſure which it meant: But wiſe and holy Dauid not tranſported either with miſ-conceit of the euent, or fury of paſſion, or ſollicitation of his followers, dares make no other vſe of this accident than the triall of his loyalty, and the inducement of his peace; It had beene as eaſie for him to cut the throat of Saul as his garment; but now his coat onelyonly ſhall be the worſe, not his perſon; neither doth he in the maiming of a cloake ſeeke his owne reuenge, but a monument of his innocence. Before Saul rent Samuels garment, now Dauid cutteth Sauls; both were ſignificant; The rending of the one, ſignified the Kingdome torne out of thoſe vnworthy hands; the cutting of the other, that the life of Saul might hauehave beene as eaſily cut off.
Saul needes no other Monitor of his owne danger, than what he weares. The vpper garment of Saul was laid aſide, whiles he went to couer his feet; ſo as the cut of the garment, did not threaten any touch of the body; yet euen the violence offered to a remote garment ſtrikes the heart of Dauid, which findes a preſent remorſe for harmefully touching, that which did once touch the perſon of his Maſter: Tender conſciences are moued to regret at thoſe actions, which ſtrong hearts paſſe ouer with a careles eaſe. It troubled not Saul to ſeeke after the bloud of a righteous ſeruant; there is no leſſe difference of conſciences than ſtomacks; ſome ſtomachs will digeſt the hardeſt meates and turne ouer ſubſtances, not in their nature edible, whiles others ſurfet of the lighteſt food, and complaine euen of dainties: EueryEvery gracious heart is in ſome meaſure ſcrupulous, and findes more ſafety in feare, than in preſumption: And if it be ſo ſtrait as to curbe it ſelfe in from the liberty which it might take in things which are not vnlawfull, how much leſſe will it dare to take ſcope vntounto euill? By how much that ſtate is better, where nothing is allowed, than where all things, by ſo much is the ſtrict and …nnorous conſcience better than the lawleſſe. There is good likelihood of that man which is any way ſcrupulous of his wayes; but he which makes no bones of his actions, is apparently hopeleſſe.
Since Dauids followers pleaded Gods teſtimony to him as a motiue to bloud, Dauid appeales the ſame God for his preſeruation from bloud: The Lord keepe me from doing that thing to my Maſter the Lords Annointed; and now the good man hath worke enough to defend both himſelfe and his perſecuter; himſelfe, from the importunate neceſſitie of doing violence, and his Maſter from ſuffering it. It was not more eaſie to rule his owne hands, than difficult to rule a multitude; Dauids troupe conſiſted of Male-contents, all that were in diſtreſſe, in debt, in bitterneſſe of ſoule, were gathered to him: Many if neuer ſo well ordered are hard to command; a few if diſorderly, more hard; many and diſorderly, muſt needs bee ſo much the hardeſt of all, that Dauid neuer atchieued any victory like vntounto this, wherein hee firſt ouercame himſelfe, then his Souldiers.
And what was the charme, wherewith Dauid allayed thoſe raging ſpirits of his followers? No other but this; Hee is the Annointed of the Lord. That holy Oyle was the Antidote for his bloud; Saul did not lend Dauid ſo impearceable an Armour, when hee ſhould encounter Goliah, as Dauid now lent him in this plea of his vnction. Which of all the diſcontented Out-lawes that lurked in that Caue, durſt put forth his hand againſt Saul, when they once heard, Hee is the Lords Annointed, Such an impreſſion of awe hath the diuine Prouidence cauſed his Image to make in the hearts of men, as that it makes Traytors cowards; So as in ſteede of ſtriking they tremble; How much more lawleſſe than the Out-lawes of Iſrael, are thoſe profeſſed Ring-leaders of Chriſtianitie; which teach and practiſe, and incourage, and reward, and canonize the violation of Maieſtie? It is not enough for thoſe who are commanders of others to refraine their owne hands from doing euil, but they muſt carefully preuent the iniquitie of their heeles, elſe they ſhall bee iuſtly reputed to doe that by others, which in their owne perſons they auoyded; the Lawes both of God and man, preſuppoſe vsus in ſome ſort anſwerable for our charge: as taking it for granted, that wee ſhould not vndertake thoſe raynes, which wee cannot mannage.
There was no reaſon Dauid ſhould loſe the thankes of ſo noble a demonſtration of his loyalty; Whereto hee truſts ſo much, that hee dares call backe the man by whom hee was purſued; and make him iudge, whether that fact had not deſerued a life. As his act, ſo his word and geſture imported nothing but humble obedience. neither was there more meekneſſe than force in that ſeaſonable perſwaſion; Wherein hee lets Saul ſee the error of his credulity, the vniuſt ſlanders of maliciouſneſſe, the oportunity of his reuenge, the proofe of his forbearance, the vndeniable euidence of his innocence; and after a lowly diſparagement of himſelfe, appeales to God for iudgement, for protection.
So liuely and feeling Oratory did Saul find in the lap of his garment, and the lips of Dauid, that it is not in the power of his enuie, or ill nature to hold out any longer: Is this thy voice my ſonne Dauid, and Saul lift vp his voice and wept, and ſaid: Thou art more righteous than I. Hee, whoſe harpe had wont to quiet the frenzy of Saul, hath now by his words calmed his fury; ſo that now he ſheds teares in ſteed of bloud: and confeſſes his owne wrong, and Dauids integrity; And (as if hee were new againe entred into the bounds of Naioth in Ramath) hee prayes, and propheſies good to him, whom hee maliced for good; The Lord render thee good for that thou haſt done to mee this day; for now behold, I know that thou ſhalt bee King.
There is no heart made of fleſh, that ſometime or other relents not, euen …lint and marble, will in ſome weather ſtand on droppes. I cannot thinke theſe teares and proteſtations fained. Doubtleſſe Saul meant as hee ſaid, and paſſed through ſenſible fittes of good and euill: Let no man thinke himſelfe the better for good motions; the praiſe and benefite of thoſe Gueſts is not in the receit, but the retention.
Who, that had ſeene this meeting, could but hauehave thought all had beene ſure on Dauids ſide? What can ſecure vsus if not Teares, and Praiers and Oathes? Doubleſſe Dauids men which knew themſelues obnoxious to Lawes and Creditors, beganne to thinke of ſome new refuge, as making account this new peeced league would bee euerlaſting; they looked when Saul would take Dauid home to the Court, and diſſolue his Armie, and recompence that vniuſt perſecution with iuſt honour; when behold in the looſe, Saul goes home, but Dauid and his men goe vp vntounto the hold. Wiſe Dauid knowes Saul not to be more kinde, than vntruſty; and therefore had rather ſeeke ſafety in his hold, than in the hold of an hollow and vnſteedie friendſhip. Heere are good words, but no ſecuritie, which therefore an experienced man giues the hearing; but ſtands the while vponupon his owne gard. No Charitie bindes vsus to a truſt of thoſe, whom wee hauehave found faithleſſe; Crudelitie vponupon weake grounds after palpable diſappointments, is the Daughter of Folly: A man that is Weather-wiſe, though hee finde an abatement of the ſtorme, yet will not ſtirre from vnderunder his ſhelter whiles hee ſees it thicke in the winde. Diſtruſt is the iuſt gaine of vnfaithfulneſſe.