hath most opposition, and will not see it: reason looks ever to the means, faith to the end; and instead of consulting how to effect, resolves what shall be effected. The way to heaven is more steep, more painful. O God! how perilous a passage hast thou appointed for thy labouring pilgrims! If difficulties will discourage us, we shall but climb to fall. When we are lifting up our foot to the last step, there are the Philistines of death, of temptations, to grapple with give us but faith, and turn us loose to the spite either of earth or hell.

Jonathan is now on the top of the hill; and now, as if he had an army at his heels, he flies upon the host of the Philistines. His hands, that might have been weary with climbing, are immediately commanded to fight; and deal as many deaths as blows to the amazed enemy. He needs not walk far for this execution: himself and his armour-bearer, in one half acre's space, have slain twenty Philistines.

It is not long since Jonathan smote their garrison in the hill of Geba: perhaps, from that time, his name and presence carried terror in it; but sure, if the Philistines had not seen and felt more than a man in the face and hands of Jonathan, they had not so easily grovelled in death.

The blows and shrieks cannot but affect the next, who with a ghastly noise ran away from death, and affright their fellows no less than themselves are affrighted. The clamour and fear runs on, like fire in a train, to the very foremost ranks. Every man would fly; and thinks there is so much more cause of flight, for that his ears apprehend all, his eyes nothing. Each man thinks his fellow stands in his way, and therefore instead of turning upon him which was the cause of their flight, they bend their swords upon those whom they imagine to be the hinderers of their flight; and now a miraculous astonishment hath made the Philistines Jonathan's champions and executioners. He follows, and kills those which helped to kill others; and the more he killed, the more they feared and fled, and the more they killed each other in the flight: and that fear itself might prevent Jonathan in killing them, the earth itself trembles under them. Thus doth God at once strike them with his own hand, with Jonathan's, with theirs; and makes them run away from life, while they would fly from an enemy. Where the Almighty purposes destruction to any people, he needs not call in foreign powers; he needs not any hands or weapons, but their own he can make vast bodies die no other death, than their own weight. We cannot be sure to be friends among ourselves, while God is our enemy.

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The Philistines fly fast, but the news of their flight over-runs them even unto Saul's pomegranate tree. The watchmen discern, afar off, a flight and execution. Search is made; Jonathan is found missing. Saul will consult with the ark: hypocrites, while they have leisure, will perhaps be holy for some fits of devotion they cannot be bettered. But when the tumult increased, Saul's piety decreases it is now no season to talk with a priest; " Withdraw

thine hand, Ahiah; the ephod must give place to arms: it is more time to fight than to pray." What needs he God's guidance, when he sees his way before him? He, that before would needs sacrifice ere he fought, will now in the other extreme fight in a wilful indevotion. Worldly minds regard holy duties no further, than may stand with their own carnal purposes. Very easy occasions shall interrupt them in their religious intentions; like unto children, which, if a bird do but fly in their way, cast their eye from their book.

But if Saul serve not God in one kind, he will serve him in another if he honour him not by attending on the ark, he will honour him by a vow. His negligence in the one, is recompensed with his zeal in the other. All Israel is adjured not to eat any food until the evening. Hypocrisy is ever masked with a blind and thankless zeal. To wait upon the ark and consult with God's priest in all cases of importance, was a direct commandment of God: to eat no food in the pursuit of their enemies, was not com manded. Saul leaves that which he was bidden, and does that which he was not required. To eat no food all day was more difficult, than to attend an hour upon the ark: the voluntary services of hypocrites are many times more painful, than the duties enjoined by God.

In what awe did all Israel stand of the oath even of Saul! It was not their own vow, but Saul's for them; yet coming into the wood, where they saw the honey dropping, and found the meat as ready as their appetite, they dare not touch that sustenance, and will rather endure famine and fainting, than an indiscreet curse. Doubtless, God had brought those bees thither on purpose to try the constancy of Israel. Israel could not but think (that which Jonathan said) that the vow was unadvised and injurious; yet they will rather die than violate it. How sacred should we hold the obligation of our own vows in things just and expedient, when the bond of another's rash vow is thus indissoluble!

There was a double mischief followed upon Saul's oath, an abatement of the victory, and eating with the blood; for, on the one side, the people were so faint, that they were more likely to die than kill; they could neither run nor strike in this emptiness; neither hands nor feet can do their office, when the stomach is neg. lected on the other, an unmeet forbearance causes a ravenous repast; hunger knows neither choice, nor order, nor measure, The one of these was a wrong to Israel, the other was a wrong done by Israel to God; Saul's zeal was guilty of both. A rash yow is seldom ever free from inconvenience: the heart, that hath unnecessarily entangled itself, draws mischief either upon itself or others.

Jonathan was ignorant of his father's adjuration. He knew no reason, why he should not refresh himself in so profitable a service, with a little taste of honey upon his spear. Full well had he deserved this unsought dainty; and now, behold his honey is turned into gall; if it were sweet in the mouth, it was bitter in the soul;

if the eyes of his body were enlightened, the light of God's countenance was clouded by this act. After he heard of the oath, he pleads justly against it, the loss of so fair an opportunity of revenge, and the trouble of Israel; yet neither his reasons against the oath, nor his ignorance of the oath, can excuse him from a sin of ignorance in violating that, which first he knew not, and then knew unreasonable.

Now Saul's leisure would serve him to ask counsel of God. As before Saul would not inquire, so now God will not answer. Well might Saul have found sins enough of his own, whereto to impute this silence. He hath grace enough to know that God was offended, and to guess at the cause of his offence: sooner will a hypocrite find out another man's sin than his own.

And now he swears more rashly to punish with death, the breach of that which he had sworn rashly. The lots were cast, and Saul prays for the decision; Jonathan is taken: even the prayers of wicked men are sometimes heard, although in justice, not in mercy. Saul himself was punished not a little, in the fall of this lot upon Jonathan. Surely Saul sinned more in making this vow, than Jonathan in breaking it unwittingly; and now the father smarts for the rashness of his double vow, by the unjust sentence of death upon so worthy a son.

God had never singled out Jonathan by his lot, if he had not been displeased with his act. Vows rashly made may not be rashly broken. If the thing we have vowed be not evil in itself, or in the effect, we cannot violate it without evil. Ignorance cannot acquit, if it can abate our sin. It is like, if Jonathan had heard his father's adjuration, he had not transgressed: his absence at the time of that oath cannot excuse him from displeasure. What shall become of those, which may know the charge of their heavenly Father, and will not? which do know his charge, and will not keep it? Affectation of ignorance, and willing disobedience, is desperate.

Death was too hard a censure for such an unknown offence. The cruel piety of Saul will revenge the breach of his own charge, so as he would be loth God should avenge on himself the breach of his divine command. If Jonathan had not found better friends than his father, so noble a victory had been recompensed with death. He, that saved Israel from the Philistines, is saved by Israel from the hand of his father. Saul hath sworn Jonathan's death; the people contrarily swear his preservation. His kingdom was not yet so absolute, that he could run away with so unmerciful a justice. Their oath that savoured of disobedience, prevailed against his oath that savoured too strong of cruelty. Neither doubt Ï, but Saul was secretly not displeased with this loving resistance. So long as his heart was not false to his oath, he could not be sorry that Jonathan should live. 1 Sam. xiv.

CONTEMPLATIONS.

BOOK XIII.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

SIR THOMAS EDMONDS, KNIGHT,

TREASURER OF HIS MAJESTY'S HOUSEHOLD,

AND OF HIS MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL.

RIGHT HONOURABLE:

AFTER your long and happy acquaintance with other courts and kingdoms, may it please you to compare with them the estate of old Israel. You shall find the same hand swaying all sceptres; and you shall meet with such a proportion of dispositions and occurrences, that you will say, "Men are still the same, if their names and faces differ." You shall find envy and mutability ancient courtiers; and shall confess the vices of men still alive, if themselves die. You shall see God still honouring those that honour him, and both rescuing innocence and crowning it. It is not for me to anticipate your deeper and more judicious observations. I am bold to dedicate this piece of my labour to your Honour, in a thankful acknowledgment of those noble respects, I have found from you, both in France and at Home. In lieu of all which, I can but pray for your happiness, and vow myself

Your Honour's, in all humble observance,
JOSEPH HALL.

SAUL AND AGAG.

GOD holds it no derogation from his mercy, to bear a quarrel long, where he hates. He, whose anger to the vessels of wrath is everlasting, even in temporal judgment revengeth late. The sins of his own children are no sooner done, and repented of, than forgotten; but the malicious sins of his enemies stick fast in an infinite displeasure: I remember what Amalek did to Israel; how they laid wait for them by the way, as they came up from Egypt. Alas, Lord," might Amalek say, they were our forefathers: we never knew their faces, no not their names; the fact was so far from our consent, that it is almost past the inemory of our histo

ries." It is not in the power of time, to rase out any of the arrearages of God. We may lay up wrath for our posterity. Happy is that child, whose progenitors are in heaven: he is left an inheritor of blessing, together with estate; whereas wicked ancestors lose the thank of a rich patrimony, by the curse that attends it. He, that thinks because punishment is deferred, that God hath forgiven or forgot his offence, is unacquainted with justice, and knows not, that time makes no difference in eternity.

The Amalekites were wicked idolaters, and therefore could not want many present sins, which deserved their extirpation. That God, which had taken notice of all their offences, picks out this one noted sin of their forefathers, for revenge. Among all their indignities, this shall bear the name of their judgment: as in legal proceedings with malefactors, one indictment found gives the style of their condemnation. In the lives of those which are notoriously wicked, God cannot look beside a sin; yet when he draws to an execution, he fastens his sentence upon one evil as principal, others as accessaries; so as at the last, one sin, which perhaps we make no account of, shall pay for all.

The paganish idolatrics of the Amalekites could not but be greater sins to God, than their hard measure to Israel; yet God sets this upon the file, while the rest are not recorded. Their superstitions might be of ignorance, this sin was of malice. Malicious wickednesses, of all others, as they are in greatest opposition to the goodness and mercy of God, shall be sure of the payment of greatest vengeance.

The detestation of God may be measured by his revenge; Slay both man and woman, both infant and suckling, both ox and sheep, camel and ass; not themselves only, but every thing that drew life, either from them or for their use, must die. When the God of mercy speaks such bloody words, the provocation must needs be vehement. Sins of infirmity do but mutter; spiteful sins cry loud for judgment in the ears of God. Prepensed malice, in courts of human justice, aggravates the murder, and sharpens the sentence of death.

What then was this sin of Amalek, that is called unto this late reckoning? What? but their envious and unprovoked onsets upon the back of Israel: this was it, that God took so to heart, as that he not only remembers it now by Samuel, but he bids Israel ever to remember it by Moses; Remember how Amalek met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of you, all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary. Besides this, did Amalek meet Israel in a pitched battle openly, in Rephidim; for that, God paid them in the present: the hand of Moses lifted up on the hill slew them in the valley: he therefore repeats not that quarrel; but the cowardly and cruel attempts upon an impotent enemy, stick still in the stomach of the Almighty. Oppression and wrong upon even terms are not so heinous unto God, as those that are upon manifest disadvantage: in the one, there is a hazard of return; in the other, there is ever a tyrannous insultation. God