{320} Hope.  Well, but they ran, you see, when they did but suppose that one Great-grace was in the way.

Chr.  True, they have often fled, both they and their master, when Great-grace hath but appeared; and no marvel; for he is the King’s champion.  But, I trow, you will put some difference betwixt Little-faith and the King’s champion.  All the King’s subjects are not his champions, nor can they, when tried, do such feats of war as he.  Is it meet to think that a little child should handle Goliath as David did?  Or that there should be the strength of an ox in a wren?  Some are strong, some are weak; some have great faith, some have little.  This man was one of the weak, and therefore he went to the wall.

{321} Hope.  I would it had been Great-grace for their sakes.

Chr.  If it had been, he might have had his hands full; for I must tell you, that though Great-grace is excellent good at his weapons, and has, and can, so long as he keeps them at sword’s point, do well enough with them; yet, if they get within him, even Faint-heart, Mistrust, or the other, it shall go hard but they will throw up his heels.  And when a man is down, you know, what can he do?

{322} Whoso looks well upon Great-grace’s face, shall see those scars and cuts there, that shall easily give demonstration of what I say.  Yea, once I heard that he should say, (and that when he was in the combat), “We despaired even of life.”  How did these sturdy rogues and their fellows make David groan, mourn, and roar?  Yea, Heman, and Hezekiah, too, though champions in their day, were forced to bestir them, when by these assaulted; and yet, notwithstanding, they had their coats soundly brushed by them.  Peter, upon a time, would go try what he could do; but though some do say of him that he is the prince of the apostles, they handled him so, that they made him at last afraid of a sorry girl.

{323} Leviathan’s sturdiness

Besides, their king is at their whistle.  He is never out of hearing; and if at any time they be put to the worst, he, if possible, comes in to help them; and of him it is said, The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon; he esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.  The arrow cannot make him flee; sling stones are turned with him into stubble.  Darts are counted as stubble:  he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. [Job 41:26-29] What can a man do in this case?  It is true, if a man could, at every turn, have Job’s horse, and had skill and courage to ride him, he might do notable things; for his neck is clothed with thunder, he will not be afraid of the grasshopper; the glory of his nostrils is terrible:  he paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength, he goeth on to meet the armed men.  He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth he back from the sword.  The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear, and the shield.  He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.  He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. [Job 39:19-25]