Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

for as truly as the lord liveth, (except the lord smite him, or except his day come, or that he go down to war, & in battle perish) the Lord be merciful unto me, that I lay not my hand upon the lords anointed. And that David might have killed his enemy king Saul, it is evidently proved, in the first book of the kings,¹ both by the cutting of the lap of Sauls garment, ⟨image 68⟩& also by the plain confession of king Saul. Also another time (as it is mentioned in the same book) when the most unmerciful, & most unkind king Saul did persecute poor David, God did again give king Saul into Davids hands, by casting of king Saul & his whole army, into a dead sleep: so that David and one Abisai with him, came in the night into Sauls host, where Saul lay sleeping, and his spear stack in the ground at his head. Then said Abisai unto David: God hath delivered thine enemy into thy hands, at this time, now therefore let me smite him once with my spear to the earth, and I will not smite him again the second time: meaning thereby to have killed him with one stroke, & to have made him sure for ever. And David answered, & said to Abisai, destroy him not: for who can lay his hands on the lords anointed & be guiltless? And David said furthermore: as sure as the lord liveth, the lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to dye, or he shall descend into battle, & there perish. The lord keep me from laying my hands upon the lords anointed. But take thou now the spear that is at his head, & the cruse of water, & let us go: and so he did.

for as truly as the lorde liueth, (except the lorde smyte him, or except his day come, or that he go doune to warre, & in battaill perishe) the Lorde be mercifull vnto me, that I lay not my hand vpon the lordes anoynted. And yt Dauid mighte haue killed his enemye kyng Saule, it is euidētly proued, in the first boke of the kynges,¹ both by ye cuttyng of ye lap of Saules garment, ⟨image 68⟩& also by the playn cōfession of kyng Saule. Also another time (as it is mēcioned in the same boke) whē the most vnmercifull, & most vnkynd kyng Saule did persecute poore Dauid, God did agayn geue kyng Saule into Dauides hādes, by castyng of kyng Saul & his whole army, into a dead slepe: so that Dauid and one Abisai with him, came in the night into Saules hoste, wher Saule lay slepyng, and his speare stacke in the groūd at his hed. Then said Abisai vnto Dauid: God hath deliuered thyne enemy into thy hādes, at this tyme, now therfore let me smyte him once with my spear to the yearth, and I will not smyte him agayn the seconde tyme: meanyng thereby to haue kylled hym with one stroke, & to haue made him sure for euer. And Dauid answered, & sayd to Abisai, destroy him not: for who cā lay his hādes on the lordes anoynted & be giltles? And Dauid said furthermore: as sure as the lord liueth, the lord shal smite him, or his day shall come to dye, or he shall descend into battaill, & there perish. The lord kepe me frō laiyng my handes vpon the lordes anoynted. But take thou now the speare yt is at his head, & the cruse of water, & let vs go: and so he did.