Page images
PDF
EPUB

David. He is very angry with Hufhai for deceiving Abfalom; but much more with David, for advising him to it. A conduct which he loads with all the guilt of seducing his friend into a damnable fin, which he fhould rather have loft his crown, than have fuffered him to commit.

IF Mr. Bayle had been acquainted with the first principles and rudiments of the law of nature, he could not but know, that Abfalom, a traitor, a murderer, a rebel, (and, as far as in him lay, a parricide) had (as fuch) forfeited all the rights of society: but more especially as a rebel; for a rebel, who fets himself to overturn the established government, order, and peace of any com→ munity, does, by that hostile attempt, actually diveft himself of all focial rights in that community. And confequently Hufhai could no more be guilty of fin, in deceiving him, in order to defeat the purposes of his villainy, than he could be guilty of a fin, in deceiving a mad dog, and turning him away from murdering his best friends.

IT is fcarcely to be imagined, how any cafuift could be fo fillily fcrupulous, as to make the least doubt, whether any man in

his fenfes had a right to deceive a mad-man, (whose only demerit is a disturbed brain) and delude him from his evil purposes: how much more then, a deliberate, determined traitor, who had forfeited all the rights of humanity, as well as fociety! a black parricide, mad with pride, ambition, and cruelty! the worst exceffes and outrages of a corrupt heart! To defeat the horrid purposes of this monster's villainy, to rob him of the glory of maffacring the best friends of his family, of imbruing his hands in the blood of all his brethren, and crowning rebellion and murder with parricide! to take measures to restore this wretch, once more, to the mercy of a tender forgiving father; and, in confequence, to repentance, and a right sense of duty, to fave his foul alive! How crying a guilt was it in David, to form a defign of effecting all this; and how damnable a fin in Hufbai, to execute it !

CHA P.

CHA P. XII..

DAVID goes to Mahanaim, and gathers an Army. Abfalom passes the Jordan, and pitches in the Land of Gilead. DAVID fends out his Forces. against him, under the command of Joab, Abifhai, and Ittai.

WH

HEN David had paffed the fordan, he went directly to Mahanaim, lately the refidence of Ifbbofbeth, and antiently the refting-place of Jacob; where GoD had placed him, under the protection of two hofts of Angels. The king's diftress there, at this time, naturally led him to reflect upon the distress of his great ancestor, in the same place: where being encompaffed with a weak and helpless family of wives and children, as David now was, news was brought him, that his brother Efau was coming against him with a strong band of men, and, as he had too much reason to apprehend, with an hoftile difpofition to deftroy him. Could any thing be more natural, than for David to

cry

cry out, upon that occafion, as he doth in the thirty-fourth Pfalm, ver. 6, 7. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and Saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. That GOD, who delivered Jacob from his brother, could, with equal eafe, deliver David from his cruel fon. The meek and humble Jacob trufted in GoD, and was delivered; and why might not David hope for a like deliverance, under the same spirit of humiliation, and truft in the divine protection? It is fcarcely to be imagined, how David could avoid falling into this train of thinking, in this place, at this time; and if he did fall into it, it is lefs to be imagined, how he could refrain from expreffing it; at leaft, fo far, as to leave fome traces and memorials of it behind him! And fuch memorials, (befide that now cited) I apprehend, are plainly to be found in the twenty-fecond and twentyfifth Pfalms; both of which may very naturally be prefumed to have been written on this occafion. Thus Pfalm xxii. ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. My God, look upon me: Why haft thou forfaken me? And thou continueft

boly,

-

boly, O thou worship of Ifrael. Our fathers trufted in thee, and thou didst deliver them, &c. GOD had made good his promises to Jacob his promises made to him in this very place: The worship of Ifrael fill continued boly: Why then fhould not David hope to have his promises made good to him also, although he was now, in all appearance, upon the very brink of ruin? So also, Pfal. xxv. ver. 1, &c. My God, I have put my trust in thee; let me not be confounded, neither let mine enemies triumph over me : for all they that hope in thee shall not be ashamed; but fuch as caufe, fhall be put to

forth in thy truth

tranfgrefs without a confufion- -Lead me Call to remembrance,

O Lord, thy tender mercies, which have been ever of old He then proceeds to implore pardon for his fins, the true cause of all his calamities. And rightly recollecting, that he himself was Jacob's reprefentative,' and heir of the promises made to him, he concludes, with fupplicating, as in his perfon, Deliver Ifrael, O God, out of all his troubles. Such fincere penitence, fuch steady faith, such persevering piety, could not fail to prevail in the end. His prayers were heard;

VOL. III.

M

and

« PreviousContinue »