do with you, ye fons of Zeruiah? So let him curfe, because the Lord hath faid unto him; Curfe David. Who then shall fay, Wherefore haft thou done fo? Here we have, in three words, a clear comment upon all the curses throughout David's Pfalms: they are all prophetic denunciations of divine vengeance. David curfed, because GOD commanded him; and how could he tell but Shimei had the fame commiffion to curfe him; although, perhaps, in his he exceeded it? He knew himself innocent of the blood of Saul, now charged upon him; but at the fame time, he knew himself guilty of the blood of Uriah: and who knew, whether this was not part of the vengeance due to it?

rage

THE king then turning to Abishai, and the rest of his fervants who were about him; afked them, How it could be furprising to see a Benjamite revile him, when they beheld his own fon in rebellion against him, and seeking his life? This however, ftrange as it was, was evidently the work of GOD; who had declared, he would raise up evil to him out of his own houfe (and did fo, by permitting the fon's guilt to chastise the father's);

father's); and therefore he concluded, the other was fo too: and, in that perfuafion, he peremptorily commanded his fervants; Let him alone, let him curfe; for the Lord hath bidden him. He then immediately added It may be, that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good, for his curfing, this day. Although this was a chastisement from GoD upon him, yet if he bore it as became him, it might become a means of mercy to him. His humble fubmiffion, and refignation, might call down the divine commiferation upon his patience and penitence. David's patience but more inflamed Shimei's infolence. And as David and his fervants marched along, Shimei kept pace with them upon the fide of an adjacent hill; and still continued curfing, reviling, and throwing duft and stones, unchastised. David endured it all when he was reviled, he reviled not again; When be fuffered, he threatened not; but committed his cause to Him who judgeth righteously. How far he was, in this inftance, an emblem of his suffering

* 1 Pet. ii. 23.

SON,

SON, is not, I hope, hard to difcern, or adventurous to affert. But as it is no part of my purpose to pursue this parallel, I forbear; and only beg leave to add, that this paffage is a ftrong inftance to fhew, how ftrict and exemplary a difcipline reigned throughout David's forces. I own I have fome doubt, whether a body of European officers, encompaffing their general, so treated, would wait his orders to dispatch the reviler.

How far David marched, before he, his family, and his forces, took any refreshment, is nowhere mentioned by the facred writer : but this defect is fupplied by Jofephus, who gives us to understand, that he fuffered his people to take no refreshment, till they reached the banks of Jordan. Here then let us leave him for a while, and return to Abfalom.

WHEN David quitted Jerufalem, it was upon a persuasion, that Abfalom would make all the hafte he could to poffefs himself of the capital, and, if poffible, to furprise his father in it. And as he judged, so it came to pass; for he, and all his people, immediately marched to Jerufalem, and Achitophel with him. And it should seem, from

the

the facred historian, that they arrived there a confiderable time before David reached the banks of the Jordan. For when Hufhai came to the city, he found Abfalom in quiet poffeffion, and juft going to call a council upon the prefent posture of affairs. Hubai, mindful of his inftructions, loft no time to pay his court, and profefs his allegiance: but immediately coming up to Abfalom, addressed him in the customary form of falutation to kings; or rather, with a seemingly peculiar zeal for his fervice, he redoubled the falutation; God fave the king! God Save the king! Abfalom, amazed at what he heard, upbraided him with his ingratitude, in deferting David and asked him? Is this thy kindness to thy friend? He did not dare to fay, To my father, (for that queftion would have carried a heavier reproach upon himself) and therefore he mentioned only the relation which Hufhai had to David; and, dwelling upon that, asked him, Why he went not with his friend? In anfwer to which, Husbai gave him to understand, that his allegiance was governed by other principles than those of private friendship; that the appointment of GOD, and the election

of

;

of his people, determined him in the object of his duty: and what should hinder him from ferving the fon with as much fidelity, as he had ferved the father? The attentive reader will, I am perfuaded, find this falutation, and whole apology, as evidently evasive, and calculated to delude, as art could contrive them; for he neither prays perfonally for Abfalom, nor profeffes allegiance to him yet the bait took, and Abfalom's self-sufficiency, grofs as the delufion was, fwallowed it whole. And Hufhai (who was confidered as a good courtier, that followed fortune) was immediately admitted of his council, though not of his cabinet. The confultation then began, What was to be done next? And Achitophel, the arch-counsellor, immediately advised Absalom to go in to his father's concubines, which he had left to keep the house, before the face of all Ifrael; an action which would demonftrate his enmity to his father irreconcilable; and confequently, fuch as would firmly attach all those to his interest, who were difaffected to David, when they once saw they were out of all danger of being facrificed to any future poffible reconciliation between the father and fon. An