Davideis The life of David, King of Israel. A sacred poem. In five books. By Thomas Ellwood. The fifth edition |
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| I. |
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| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. | CHAP. VI. |
| VII. |
 | II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
 | CHAP. VI. Davideis |  |
CHAP. VI.
Now travels David in a mournful plight,
Beneath the covert of a darksome night,
And Gibeah left, himself he recommends
To God's protection, and to Ramah bends
His wand'ring course; at Ramah then did dwell,
His cordial friend, the prophet Samuel.
Arriv'd, he to the Prophet opens all
The wrongs which he sustained had from Saul,
How he his life had sought, he doth relate,
And much laments his own unhappy state.
Beneath the covert of a darksome night,
And Gibeah left, himself he recommends
To God's protection, and to Ramah bends
His wand'ring course; at Ramah then did dwell,
His cordial friend, the prophet Samuel.
30
The wrongs which he sustained had from Saul,
How he his life had sought, he doth relate,
And much laments his own unhappy state.
The good old man doth David's case bewail,
And that his spirit might not sink or fail,
Doth him encourage in the Lord to trust,
Whom he had found both merciful and just.
He wish'd him call to mind the oil was shed,
At Bethlehem upon his youthful head,
By God's command; that being so anointed,
He to the kingdom was by God appointed,
Who through his troubles would him still preserve
From hurt, if he from God did never swerve.
Advis'd him therefore not to let in fear,
How great soe'er his perils might appear;
But trust in God, who never will forsake
The wrong'd, who him for their Protector take.
David thus strength'ned; he and Samuel
To Najoth go, and there together dwell.
And that his spirit might not sink or fail,
Doth him encourage in the Lord to trust,
Whom he had found both merciful and just.
He wish'd him call to mind the oil was shed,
At Bethlehem upon his youthful head,
By God's command; that being so anointed,
He to the kingdom was by God appointed,
Who through his troubles would him still preserve
From hurt, if he from God did never swerve.
Advis'd him therefore not to let in fear,
How great soe'er his perils might appear;
But trust in God, who never will forsake
The wrong'd, who him for their Protector take.
David thus strength'ned; he and Samuel
To Najoth go, and there together dwell.
Mean-while, with eager eyes th'impatient king,
Look'd every moment when his guards would bring
The head of David; in at length they come;
And tell him, David's sick a bed at home;
For with that shift, when they the door drew nigh,
And ask'd for David, Michal put them by,
Having an image placed in his bed,
With goat's hair pillow laid, as 'twere his head.
Look'd every moment when his guards would bring
The head of David; in at length they come;
And tell him, David's sick a bed at home;
For with that shift, when they the door drew nigh,
And ask'd for David, Michal put them by,
Having an image placed in his bed,
With goat's hair pillow laid, as 'twere his head.
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With furrow'd brows, and countenance severe,
The disappointed King his guards did hear,
With sharp reproaches blam'd their negligence,
And sent them back, with speed to bring him thence.
Go, fetch him bed and all, without delay,
Said he, that I myself the wretch may slay.
The disappointed King his guards did hear,
With sharp reproaches blam'd their negligence,
And sent them back, with speed to bring him thence.
Go, fetch him bed and all, without delay,
Said he, that I myself the wretch may slay.
They go. But oh! the rage that in him burn'd,
And at his nostrils fum'd when they return'd,
And brought him word, that David being fled,
They found an image only in his bed;
How did he rage and storm! incens'd the more
At this escape than e'er he was before;
Inflam'd to think, that by a woman's wile,
His daughter Michal should him thus beguile;
His passion heighten'd, that his troops should let
His hated son have time away to get;
But that which most of all disturb'd his mind,
Was that he David knew not where to find;
And foul he would have fell, it might be fear'd,
Upon his guards, had he not timely heard,
That David, in the dark, to Najoth slid,
And there himself among the prophets hid.
And at his nostrils fum'd when they return'd,
And brought him word, that David being fled,
They found an image only in his bed;
How did he rage and storm! incens'd the more
At this escape than e'er he was before;
Inflam'd to think, that by a woman's wile,
His daughter Michal should him thus beguile;
His passion heighten'd, that his troops should let
His hated son have time away to get;
But that which most of all disturb'd his mind,
Was that he David knew not where to find;
And foul he would have fell, it might be fear'd,
Upon his guards, had he not timely heard,
That David, in the dark, to Najoth slid,
And there himself among the prophets hid.
Forthwith to Najoth messengers he sent,
To fetch him thence; away with speed they went:
But here the Lord himself doth interpose
To save his David from approaching foes;
For when they to the prophets school were come,
And saw the company of prophets; some
Then prophesying, all the rest attent,
And Sam'el standing o'er as president,
They could not David touch; but on them all,
Who were to apprehend him sent by Saul,
A spirit came from God, and they began
To prophesy in order man for man.
To fetch him thence; away with speed they went:
But here the Lord himself doth interpose
To save his David from approaching foes;
For when they to the prophets school were come,
And saw the company of prophets; some
Then prophesying, all the rest attent,
And Sam'el standing o'er as president,
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Who were to apprehend him sent by Saul,
A spirit came from God, and they began
To prophesy in order man for man.
Thrice did this stubborn king this course repeat,
And thrice did God his base intent defeat;
No sooner came his messengers among
The prophets, but prophetic notes they sung.
Gall'd with these disappointments, th'angry king,
Whom envy, fear, and jealousy did sting,
Resolves in person he'll to Najoth go,
And once more try what he himself can do;
Forward he sets, and subt'lly as he went,
Contriv'd how he might David circumvent;
But er'e he got to Najoth, on him fell
A spirit from the Lord; and he, as well
As they whom he before had sent, began
To prophesy, and prophesying ran
To Najoth, where, at sight of Samuel,
First stripping off his cloaths, he prostrate fell
Upon the ground, and in that rueful plight
Lay naked all that day, and all that night.
Whence a proverbial speech it grew to be,
When in religious company we see
An impious man affect a saintly shew,
“Is Saul among the pious prophets too.”
And thrice did God his base intent defeat;
No sooner came his messengers among
The prophets, but prophetic notes they sung.
Gall'd with these disappointments, th'angry king,
Whom envy, fear, and jealousy did sting,
Resolves in person he'll to Najoth go,
And once more try what he himself can do;
Forward he sets, and subt'lly as he went,
Contriv'd how he might David circumvent;
But er'e he got to Najoth, on him fell
A spirit from the Lord; and he, as well
As they whom he before had sent, began
To prophesy, and prophesying ran
To Najoth, where, at sight of Samuel,
First stripping off his cloaths, he prostrate fell
Upon the ground, and in that rueful plight
Lay naked all that day, and all that night.
Whence a proverbial speech it grew to be,
When in religious company we see
An impious man affect a saintly shew,
“Is Saul among the pious prophets too.”
How admirable are the ways of God,
Whether his staff he uses, or his rod!
The first of these his fainting ones doth stay,
The last doth them correct that run astray;
Who would not that resistless being fear,
Who eas'ly thus, can in a moment veer
Our fixt intent? Who would not to that hand
His will submit, that can all wills command?
Whether his staff he uses, or his rod!
The first of these his fainting ones doth stay,
The last doth them correct that run astray;
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Who eas'ly thus, can in a moment veer
Our fixt intent? Who would not to that hand
His will submit, that can all wills command?
How resolutely, in an headstrong will,
Did Saul determine he would David kill!
How eagerly did he his will pursue,
His trembling hands in David's blood t'imbrue!
What direful threatnings did he vent, what he
Would do, could he again but David see!
Yet, when he came where David was, we find
That awful pow'r his spirit strait did bind,
He could not David touch; no pow'r he had,
How bad soe'er his will was, to be bad;
But, over-power'd, though evil was his heart,
He was constrain'd to act the prophet's part,
He spake, and did as prophets us'd to do,
Who were inspired by the Lord thereto.
Did Saul determine he would David kill!
How eagerly did he his will pursue,
His trembling hands in David's blood t'imbrue!
What direful threatnings did he vent, what he
Would do, could he again but David see!
Yet, when he came where David was, we find
That awful pow'r his spirit strait did bind,
He could not David touch; no pow'r he had,
How bad soe'er his will was, to be bad;
But, over-power'd, though evil was his heart,
He was constrain'd to act the prophet's part,
He spake, and did as prophets us'd to do,
Who were inspired by the Lord thereto.
Small odds, perhaps, or none to outward sight,
Distinguish'd this wrong prophet from the right;
Each probably, alike might act and speak,
And be alike regarded by the weak,
The undiscerning crowd, who seldom try,
Beyond the outward ear, and outward eye;
Yet plain it is, that Saul was now no more
By God regarded than he was before
He prophesied when he was among
The prophets, but his spirit still was wrong.
Distinguish'd this wrong prophet from the right;
Each probably, alike might act and speak,
And be alike regarded by the weak,
The undiscerning crowd, who seldom try,
Beyond the outward ear, and outward eye;
Yet plain it is, that Saul was now no more
By God regarded than he was before
He prophesied when he was among
The prophets, but his spirit still was wrong.
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One long before, who Balak taught to lay,
A dang'rous stumbling-block in Israel's way,
A grand exemplar is, that wicked men,
Against their wills, may utter now and then,
Those sacred mysteries which God alone,
Doth by his spirit unto man make known.
A dang'rous stumbling-block in Israel's way,
A grand exemplar is, that wicked men,
Against their wills, may utter now and then,
Those sacred mysteries which God alone,
Doth by his spirit unto man make known.
What glorious things did Beor's son
declare,
Concerning Jacob's seed! how precious are
The prophesies, wherein he did foretel
The beauty, strength, and state of Israel!
What soul refreshing comforts do arise
In pious minds from those sweet prophesies!
And well they may, for God himself had put
Into the prophet's mouth a word, and shut
His divinations out; whereby we know
His speech did from the holy Spirit flow.
Concerning Jacob's seed! how precious are
The prophesies, wherein he did foretel
The beauty, strength, and state of Israel!
What soul refreshing comforts do arise
In pious minds from those sweet prophesies!
And well they may, for God himself had put
Into the prophet's mouth a word, and shut
His divinations out; whereby we know
His speech did from the holy Spirit flow.
Yet this perhaps, of prophets was the worst,
Who for advantage would have Isr'el curs'd,
For which, how well soe'er he spake, he stands
Condemn'd upon record with public brands;
Yet God, to shew his sov'reignty, doth chuse
Sometimes the tongues of such as these to use,
Who, tho' the truths they tell may be believ'd,
Yet are not they themselves to be receiv'd.
Though Balaam did of Jacob's star declare,
“The sword of Isr'el did not Balaam spare;”
Nor is it long er'e prophesying Saul,
Will be oblig'd upon his sword to fall.
Who for advantage would have Isr'el curs'd,
For which, how well soe'er he spake, he stands
Condemn'd upon record with public brands;
Yet God, to shew his sov'reignty, doth chuse
Sometimes the tongues of such as these to use,
Who, tho' the truths they tell may be believ'd,
Yet are not they themselves to be receiv'd.
Though Balaam did of Jacob's star declare,
“The sword of Isr'el did not Balaam spare;”
Nor is it long er'e prophesying Saul,
Will be oblig'd upon his sword to fall.
35
May these examples lead us to beware
How we receive such (preach they ne'er so fair)
For gospel ministers; but let us rather
Observe (as he of old). But who's their Father.
For men may glorious truths declare we see,
Yet they the children of the devil be.
How we receive such (preach they ne'er so fair)
For gospel ministers; but let us rather
Observe (as he of old). But who's their Father.
For men may glorious truths declare we see,
Yet they the children of the devil be.
| CHAP. VI. Davideis | |