CHA P. X.

Ziba's treachery to Mephibofheth, and DAVID's too hafty grant of his fuppofed forfeiture. Shimei curfes DAVID, who will not fuffer him to be chaftifed. The Curfes in the Pfalms accounted for, from this Paffage. Hushai infinuates himself into Abfalom's Favour, and by defeating Achitophel's Advice, faves DAVID.

WHEN

HEN David knew with certainty, that Achitophel was among the confpirators, he faw his danger in all its strength. A hot-headed young man, high in vanity, extravagant in hope, and eafily overfet with fuccefs, was not an object of much terror, to a man of David's great experience, and confummate wisdom; but the prowess, popularity, and numbers of such a man, conducted by the calm fkill and prudence of an Achitophel, was fufficient matter of just fear. David, however, funk not under it; but

had

had recourse, as ufual, to the protection of that GOD, who only could deliver him, and who had never failed him in diftrefs; befeeching him to confound and infatuate the counsel of Achitophel. Achitophel was one of those prime politicians, (as they are deemed) who are often accounted wifer than others, merely because they are more wicked; for, having no restraint of confcience, or fear of GOD, they can often advise, and fometimes effect, what others cannot, that is, dare not; and are therefore, by fuch as judge only of things by their present advantage or expediency, admired as fage and fagacious; but are, in the account of all-feeing and unerring Wisdom, numbered among those whose wisdom is foolishness, and the end thereof are the ways of death.

DAVID Well knew, that the evil courfe in which Achitophel was embarked, could only be conducted by wicked measures; and therefore it was a duty of true religion, to befeech Go D to confound his counfels. And the most probable human means of effecting this, was, as he judged, by opposing the counfels of Hufbai to them: and he proceeded accordingly.

WHEN David had given his instructions to Hushai and the priests, he pursued his march towards the wilderness, and resolved to get out of the reach of the impending ftorm as faft as he could, and shun its first fury at any rate, well knowing, that to gain time, was to gain a thousand means of difperfing it. He had paffed but a little way beyond the fummit of Mount Olivet, before Ziba came up with him with two affes faddled, and heavy laden with bread, and fruits, and wine*. Among the reft are mentioned, an hundred bunches of fummer fruits, which are very reasonably supposed to be the early fig confequently, this flight of David was about the beginning of summer: at which time a prefent of fruits must have been very seasonable and refreshing. The king asked Ziba, What he meant by these things? probably, imagining that they were a prefent from Mephibofheth. For when Ziba answered, That the affes were for the fervice of his majesty's houfhold; and the wine and fruits, for the refreshment of fuch

* 2 Sam. xvi. 1. Two hundred loaves of bread, an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summerfruits, and a bottle of wine.

of

of them as might be weary and faint in the wilderness; the king immediately replied, And where is thy master's fon? To which, that artful, falfe villain, immediately anfwered, That he ftaid in the city, in hopes that this commotion might calm after some time, and end in a revolution in his favour. David, too rafhly credulous, although of an unfuspected fervant, against the son of a tried friend, and too haftily refenting his imagined ingratitude, imrnediately concluded Mephibofheth a traitor, who had forfeited his whole fortune, and accordingly bestowed the forfeiture upon his informer Thine, fays he to Ziba, are all that pertained to Mephibofheth verifying that fine obfervation of Seneca, That kings give many things with covered eyes, especially in time of war. that fudden and great grant, the gluttonous flatterer made no other return than an humble and earnest fupplication for the continuance of his majesty's favour to him; I humbly beseech thee, that I may find grace in thy fight, my lord, O king As if he fcarcely felt that he was rewarded for his calumny, a

Το

calumny for which he well deferved to have

been racked.

K 4

WHEN

WHEN the king reached Bahurim, the next village in his way to the wilderness, Shimei, the Son of Gera, of the family of Saul, came out, and cursed him to his face, with repeated curfes: and, not contented with curfing, he caft ftones at him, and at all his fervants that attended him; treating him with as much indignity as he would a dog; bidding him get out, bloody man as he was, and a man of Belial: adding, That GOD had now brought vengeance upon him for all the blood of the houfe of Saul, and had now delivered the throne, which he had ufurped, into the hand of his fon Abfalom: That he was caught in his own wiles, because he was a bloody man. This, furely, was one of the feverest trials of patience, that ever human magnanimity endured. The accufation was notoriously falfe, and the king could, for that reafon, bear it the better; but his fervants faw it not, in the light of their master's equanimity, but his enemy's infolence. Abishai, David's nephew, could not bear it; but begged the king's permiffion to take off the traitor's head that uttered it: which David abfolutely refused, and added a rebuke to his refufal What have I to

do