who are as chariots and horsmen while they remaine. Thus was good 1 Sam. 31. 2. Ionathan taken away: who if he had lived, might have beene a meanes of preserving the house of Saul from utter ruine, though David had beene King. The death of righteous Ionathan much aggravated the sinne of Saul, and the judgement that followed thereupon.4. When the Lord to whom vengeance belongeth, will give the wicked an occasion to expect sure and sore venge∣ance; then he maketh his Saints a signe and an example un∣to them. Thus 1 King. 13. 24. he caused a Lion to slay the man of God, that was seduced by a lying Prophet to transgresse the word of God. In this case saith the Apostle, 1 Pet. 4. 17. Iudgement must be∣gin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shalbe the end of them that obey not the Gospell of God? §. 14. Of sundry wayes of exempting Saints from judgements. YET hath God his wayes and meanes to deliver the righteous in the forementioned cases, and all other cases whatsoever. As1. By visible preservations of them from externall judge∣ments: as Ier. 39. 17. Ebed melech was preserved.2. By Isa. 57. 1. taking them from the evill to come: This was before exemplified in good Iosiah.3. By ordering the judgement so, as it proves a meanes to them to honour God the more: and to do more good to such as are better prepared to accept the good which they doe. Thus was Ezek. 1. 1. Ezekiel caried away to Babel in the first captivity, that he might prophesie in Babylon to the Iewes there, Icr. 24. 5. who were counted good figs in comparison of the Iewes that were at Ierusalem, who were as evill figs.4. By making the judgement a meanes of their peace, ho∣nour, and externall prosperity in this world. Thus the cap∣tivity of Dan. 2. 48, 49 Daniel, and his three companions; and of Est. 2. 17.—6. 10. Esther Mordecai and was a meanes of higher honour and grea∣ter advancement, then they could in all probable conjectures 0