Works of Joseph Hall, Part 15
DAVID and ACHISH.
GOod motions that fall into wicked hearts, are like ſome ſparkes that fall from the flint and ſteele, into wet tinder; light ſome for the time, but ſoone out. After Sauls teares and proteſtations, yet he is now againe, in the wilderneſſe with three thouſand men to hunt after innocent Dauid: How inuincible is the charity and loialty of an honeſt heart? The ſame hand that ſpared Saul in the caue, ſpares him ſleeping in the field; The ſame hand that cut away the lap of his Maſters garment; carried away his Speare; that Speare, which might as well hauehave carried away, the life of the owner; is onelyonly borne 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 flieth, from him whom hee hath ouercome. A man that ſees, how farre Saul was tranſported with his rancorous enuy, cannot but ſay, that he was neuer more mad than when he was ſober; For euen after he had ſaid (Bleſſed art thou my ſonne Dauid, thou ſhalt doe great things and alſo preuaile; yet ſtill he purſues him, whom he grants aſſured to preuaile; what is this but to reſolue to loſe 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 wel doing, and yet doe it not; whiles wicked men caſt away their indeuours 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 beginnes to bend vnderunder this triall; and reſolues ſo to flie from Saul, as he runnes from the Church of God; and whiles he will auoid 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 afraid of ten thouſands, now ſayes, I ſhall periſh one day by the hand of Saul) Hee had woont to conſult with God, now he ſayes thus in his owne heart. How many euident experiments had Dauid of Gods deliuerances; how certaine and cleere predictions of his future Kingdome; how infallible earneſt was the holy Oyle, wherewith he was annointed, 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 darkeneſſe, and infidelity; We doe vtterly miſreckon 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 hee gone from the inheritance of God, into the Land of the Philiſtims; That Saul might ſeeke him no more, he 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 doores, and let his ſpittle fall 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 hee was in danger to hauehave loſt in Iſrael. Goliah the Champion of the Philiſtims, whom Dauid ſlew, was of Gath; yet Dauid dwels with Achiſh King of the Philiſtims in Gath; euen amongſt them whoſe fore-skins hee had preſented to Saul, by two hundreds at once, doth Dauid chooſe to reſide for ſafety: Howſoeuer it was a weakneſſe 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!
COVLD Saul hauehave rightly conſidered it, hee had found it no ſmall loſſe and impayring to his Kingdome, that ſo valiant a Captaine, attended with ſixe hundred able Souldiers, and their Families, ſhould forſake his Land, and ioyne with his enemies; yet hee is not quiet till hee hauehave abandoned his owne ſtrength: The world hath none ſo great enemy to a wicked man, as himſelfe, his hands cannot bee 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 be fidelitie without the Church, and falſhood within: It need not bee any newes to finde ſome Turkes 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; Hee therefore, whom Enuie droue from the Court of Iſrael, voluntarily declines the Philiſtim Court; and ſues 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 ſonnes, or brothers, or fathers, or allies, hee had ſlaughtered, without ſome perillous machination of his ruine; therefore hee makes ſuit for an early remoue: (For why ſhould thy ſeruant dwell in the chiefe Citie of the Kingdome with thee?) Thoſe that would ſtand ſure, muſt not affect too much height, or conſpicuitie; The tall Cedars are moſt ſubiect to windes 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 ſafetie in mediocritie.
How rarely is it ſeene, that a man loſeth by his modeſtie? The change fell out well to Dauid of Ziklag, for Gath; Now hee hath a Citie of his owne; All Iſrael, where he was annointed, afforded him not ſo much poſſeſſion: Now the Citie, 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 fight, and hearing of the Philiſtim Idolatries, and enioy God no leſſe in the wals of a Philiſtim-Citie, than in an Iſraelitiſh wilderneſſe; withal, an happy oportunitie was now opened to his friends of Irael, to reſort vntounto his aide; the heads of the thouſands that were of Menaſſeh, and many valiant Captaines of the other Tribes, fell daily to him, and raiſed his ſix hundred followers to an army, like the hoſt of God. The deſerts of Iſrael could neuer hauehave yeelded Dauid ſo great an aduantage: That God, whoſe the earth is, makes roome for his owne eueryevery where; and oft-times prouideth them a forraine home, more kindly than the natiue: It is no matter for change of our ſoyle, ſo we change not our God; If we can eueryevery-where acknowledge him, he will no where bee wanting to vsus.
IT was not for Gods Champion to be idle; no ſooner is he free from Sauls ſword, than he beginnes …n offenſiue warre againſt the Amalekites, Girzites, Geſhurites; Hee knew theſe Nations branded by God to deſtruction; neither could his increaſing Army bee maintained with a little; By one act therefore, hee both reuenges for God, and prouides for his Hoſt. Had it not beene for that olde 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 elſe were no better than damnable. It is now Iuſtice, which were otherwiſe Murder; The will of God is the rule of good; what need we enquire into other reaſons, of any act or determination, when we heare it comes from Heauen?
How many hundred yeares, had this brood of Cananites liued ſecurely in their Countrey; 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 ſafetie 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 bee 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 hee was driuen, not onelyonly to maintaine his Armie by ſpoyle, but to colour his ſpoyle by a ſinfull diſſimulation; Hee tels Achiſh, that hee had beene rouing againſt the South of Iudah, and the South of the Ierahmelites, and the South of the Kenites; either falſly, or doubtfully, ſo as hee meant to deceiue him, vnderunder whom he liued, and by whom hee was truſted: If Achiſh were a Philiſtim, yet hee was Dauids friend, yea his Patron; and if hee had bin 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 hee will bee tempted. If a man will put himſelfe among Philiſtims, hee cannot promiſe to come forth innocent.
How eaſily doe wee beleeue that which we wiſh? The more credit Achiſh giues vntounto Dauid, the more ſinne 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 doe any leſſe than promiſe his aid 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 hee doe now? To fight with Achiſh, hee 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 bee vnnaturall; Oh what an inward battle muſt Dauid needs hauehave in his breſt, when hee thinkes of this battle of Iſrael, and the Philiſtims! How doth he wiſh now, that hee had rather ſtood to the hazard of Sauls perſecution, than to hauehave put himſelfe vponupon the fauour of Achiſh; Hee muſt fight on one ſide, and on whether ſide ſoeuer he ſhould fight, hee could not auoyd to bee treacherous; a condition worſe than death, to an honeſt heart; which way he would hauehave reſolued, if it had comne to the execution, who can know, ſince himſelfe was doubtfull? either courſe had bin no better than 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 friend, for his enemy; againſt Achiſh for Saul; hee was now inuironed with iealous Philiſtims; and might rather looke for the puniſhment of his Treaſon, than the glory of a Victorie.
HIS heart had led him into theſe ſtraits; the Lord finds a way to leade him out: The ſuggeſtions of his enemies doe herein befriend him; The Princes of the Philiſtims (whether of enuie, or ſuſpition) pleade for Dauids diſmiſſion, (Send this fellow backe, that hee may goe againe to his place, which thou haſt appointed him: and let him not goe downe to the battle, leſt hee bee an Aduerſary to vsus.) No Aduocate could hauehave ſaid more, himſelfe durſt not hauehave ſaid ſo much. Oh the wiſdome and goodneſſe of our God, that can raiſe vp an Aduerſary to deliuer out of thoſe euils, which our friends cannot; That by the ſword of an enemie can let out that Apoſtume, which no Phyſician could tell how to cure: It would be wide with us ſometimes, if it were not for others malice.
There could not bee a more iuſt queſtion, than this of the Philiſtim Princes, What doe theſe Hebrewes here? An Iſraelite is out of his element, when hee is in an Armie of Philiſtims. The true ſeruants of God are in their due places, when they are in oppoſition to his enemies. Profeſſion of hoſtilitie becomes them better than leagues of amity.
Yet Achiſh likes Dauids conuerſation and preſence ſo well, that hee profeſſeth himſelfe pleaſed with him, as with an Angell of God; How ſtrange is it to heare, that a Philiſtim ſhould delight in that holy man, whom an Iſraelite abhorres, and ſhould bee loth to be quit of Dauid, whom Saul, hath expelled? Termes of ciuilitie 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, Wiſedome, Diſcourſe, Wit, it is their praiſe, not ours; But if for diuine Grace and Religion, it is our prayſe with theirs.
Such now was Dauids condition, that he muſt pleade for that hee feared, and argue againſt that which he deſired: (What hauehave I done? & 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 be more cordiall to him than 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 neceſſitie, either of offending, or miſcarriage.