History of the Old Testament Volume 5, Part 9

History of the Old Testament Volume 5 · Part 9

p. 189Mephiboſheth and Ziba.

SO ſoone as euer Dauid can but breathe himſelfe from the publique cares, hee caſts backe his thoughts to the deare remembrance of his Ionathan. Sauls ſeruant is likely to giuegive him the beſt intelligence of Sauls ſons; The queſtion is therfore moued to Ziba; Remaineth there yet none of the houſe of Saul? and leſt ſuſpition might p. 190conceale the remainders of an emulous line in feare of reuenge intended, he addes: On whom I may ſhew the mercy of God for Ionathans ſake. O frendſhip worthy of the monuments of eternity; fit onelyonly to requite him, whoſe louelove was more then the louelove of women; Hee doth not ſay, Is there any of the houſe of Ionathan, but of Saul; that for his frends ſake hee may ſhew fauour to the poſterity of his Perſecutor. Ionathans louelove could not bee greater then Sauls malice, which alſo ſuruiued long in his iſſue; from whom Dauid found a buſie and ſtubborne riuality for the Crowne of Iſrael; yet as one that gladly buried all the p. 191hoſtility of Sauls houſe in Ionathans graue, he askes, Is there am man left of Sauls houſe, that I may ſhew him mercy for Ionathans ſake? It is true louelove that ouer-liues in the perſon of a frend, will be inherited of his ſeed▪ but to louelove the poſterity of an enemy in a frend, it is the miracle of frendſhip: The formall amity of the world is confined to a face; or to the poſſibility of recompence, languiſhing in the diſability, and dying in the deceaſe of the party affected: That louelove was euer falſe, that is not euer conſtant, and then moſt operatiue, when it cannot bee either knowne, or requited.

To cut of all vnquiet competition p. 192for the Kingdome of Iſrael, the prouidence of God had ſo ordered, that there is none left to the houſe of Saul (beſides the ſons of his Concubines) ſaue onelyonly young and lame Mephiboſheth; ſo young, that he was but fiue yeeres of age, when Dauid entred vponupon the gouernment of Iſrael; ſo lame, that if his age had fitted, his impotence had made him vnfit for the throne. Mephiboſheth was not borne a Cripple, it was an heedleſſe nurſe that made him ſo: Shee hearing of the death of Saul and Ionathan, made ſuch haſte to flee, that her young Maſter was lamed with the fall: Ywis there needed no ſuch ſpeed to run p. 193away from Dauid; whoſe louelove purſues the hidden ſon of his brother Ionathan: How often doth our ignorant miſtaking, cauſe vsus to run from our beſt frends, and to catch knocks and maymes of them that profeſſe our protection?

Mephiboſheth could not come otherwiſe then fearefully, into the preſence of Dauid, whom he knew ſo long; ſo ſpitefully oppoſed by the houſe of Saul: he could not be ignorant, that the faſhion of the world is, to build their owne ſecurity vponupon the bloud of the oppoſite faction; neither to thinke themſelues ſafe, whiles any branch remains ſpringing out of that root of p. 194their emulation: Seaſonably doth Dauid therfore firſt, expell all thoſe vniuſt doubts, ere hee adminiſter his further cordials; (Feare not; for I will ſurely ſhew thee kindneſſe, for Ionathan thy fathers ſake, and will reſtore thee all the fields of Saul thy father, and thou ſhalt eat bread at my table continually:)

Dauid can ſee neither Sauls bloud, nor lame legs in Mepiboſheth, whiles hee ſees in him the features of his frend Ionathan; how much leſſe ſhall the God of mercies regard our infirmities, or the corrupt bloud of our ſinfull progenitors, whiles hee beholds vsus in the face of his ſon, in whom he is well pleaſed.

Fauors are wont ſo much p. 195more to affect vsus, as they are leſſe expected by vsus; Mephiboſheth as ouer-ioyed with ſo comfortable a word, and confounded in himſelfe at the remembrance of the contrary deſeruings of his family, bowes himſelfe to the earth, and ſayes (What is thy ſeruant, that thou ſhouldſt looke vponupon ſuch a dead dog as I am?) I finde no defect of wit, (though of limmes) in Mephiboſheth, he knew himſelfe the grand-childe of the King of Iſrael, the Son of Ionathan, the lawfull heyre of both, yet in regard of his owne impotency, and the treſpaſſe and reiection of his houſe, hee thus abaſeth himſelfe vntounto Dauid; Humiliation p. 196is a right vſe of Gods afflictions; What if wee were borne great? If the ſinne of his grandfather hath loſt his eſtate, and the hand of his Nurſe hath deformed and diſabled his perſon, hee now forgets what hee was, and calls himſelfe worſe then hee is a, A dogge; Yet a liuing dogge, is better then a dead Lyon; there is dignity and comfort in life; Mephiboſheth is therefore a Dead Dog vntounto Dauid: It is not for vsus to nouriſh the ſame Spirits in our aduerſe eſtate, that wee found in our higheſt proſperity; What vſe hauehave we made of Gods hand, if wee bee not the lower with our fall? God intends p. 197wee ſhould carry our croſſe, not make a fire of it to warme vsus; It is no bearing vp our ſailes in a tempeſt; Good Dauid cannot diſ-eſteeme Mephiboſheth euer the more for diſparaging himſelfe; he loues and honors this humility, in the Son of Ionathan; There is no more certaine way to glory and aduancement, then a lowly deiection of our ſelues: Hee that made himſelfe a dog, and therefore fit only to lye vnderunder the table, Yea a dead dog, and therefore fit only for the ditch, is rayſed vp to the Table of a King; his ſeate ſhall bee honorable, yea, royall, his fare delicious, his attendance noble. How p. 198much more will our gracious God, lift vp our heads, vntounto true honor before men and Angels, if wee can bee ſyncerely humbled in his ſight? If wee miſcall our ſelues in the meaneneſſe of our conceits to him, he giues vsus a new name, and ſets vsus at the table of his glory; It is contrary with God and men; if they reckon of vsus as wee ſet out our ſelues, hee values vsus according to our abaſements. Like a Prince truly munificent and faithfull, Dauid promiſes and performes at once; Ziba Sauls ſeruant hath the charge giuen him, of the execution of that royall word; He ſhall be the Bayliffe of this great husbandry of p. 199his maſter Mephiboſheth; The land of Saul, how euer forfaited, ſhall know no other maſter then Sauls grand-childe; As yet, Sauls ſeruant had ſped better then his Son▪ I read of twenty ſeruants of Ziba, none of Mephiboſheth; Earthly poſſeſſions, doe not alwayes admit of equall diuiſions; The wheele is now turned vp; Mephiboſheth is a Prince, Ziba is his officer; I cannot but pitty the condition of this good Son of Ionathan; Into how ill hands did honeſt Mephiboſheth fall, firſt, of a careleſſe Nurſe, then of a trecherous ſeruant; She maymed his body, hee would hauehave ouerthrowne his eſtate; After ſome yeares of eye ſeruice to p. 200Mephiboſheth, wicked Ziba intends to giuegive him a worſe fall then his nurſe. Neuer any Court was free from detractors, from delators, who if they ſee a man to be a creeple, that hee cannot goe to ſpeake for himſelfe, will be telling tales of him, in the eares of the great; ſuch a one was this perfidious Ziba; who taking the oportunity of Dauids flight from his Son Abſalom, followes him with a faire preſent, and a falſe tale, accuſing his impotent maſter of a foule and trayterous ingratitude; labouring to tread vponupon his lame Lord to rayſe himſelfe to honor: True-harted Mephiboſheth had as good a will as the beſt; p. 201if he could hauehave commanded legges, he had not beene left behinde Dauid: now that he cannot goe with him; hee will not be well without him; and therfore puts himſelfe to a wilfull and ſullen penance, for the abſence and danger of his King; hee will not ſo much as put on cleane clothes for the time, as he that could not hauehave any ioy in himſelfe, for the want of his Lord Dauid; Vnconſcionable miſcreants care not how they collogue, whom they ſlander for a priuate aduantage; Lewd Ziba comes with a gifte in his hand, and a ſmooth tale in his mouth; Oh ſir, you thought you had a Ionathan at home; but p. 202you will finde a Saul, It were pitty but hee ſhould bee ſet at your table, that would ſit in your throne; you thought Sauls land would hauehave contented Mephiboſheth, but he would hauehave all yours; though hee bee lame yet hee would bee climbing; would you hauehave thought that this creple could be plotting for your kingdome, now that you are but gone aſide? Iſhboſheth will neuer die whiles Mephiboſheth liues: How did hee now forget his impotence, and rayſed vp his ſpirits in hope of a day; and durſt ſay, that now the time was comne, wherein the Crowne ſhould reuert to Sauls true heyre, Oh viper: If a p. 203Serpent bite in ſecret when hee is not charmed, no better is a ſlanderer; Honeſt Mephiboſheth in good manners made a dead dog of himſelfe, when Dauid offred him the fauour of his board; but Ziba would make him a very dog indeed, an illnatur'd curre, that when Dauid did thus kindely feed him at his owne table, would not only bite his fingers, but flye at his throat.

But what ſhall we ſay to this? Neither earthly ſoueraignty, nor holyneſſe can exempt men from humane infirmities. Wiſe and good Dauid hath now but one eare; and that miſled; with credulity; His charity in beleeuing p. 204Ziba, makes him vncharitable in diſtruſting, in cenſuring Mephiboſheth. The detractor hath not only ſudden credit giuen him, but Sauls land, Ionathans Son hath loſt (vnheard) that inheritance, which was giuen him vnſought. Heare-ſay is no ſafe ground of any iudgement; Ziba ſlaunders, Dauid beleeues, Mephiboſheth ſuffers.

Lyes ſhall not alwayes proſper, God will not abide the truth to be euer oppreſſed; At laſt Ionathans lame Son ſhall bee found as ſound in heart, as lame in his body; Hee whoſe Soule was like his father Ionathans Soule, whoſe body was like to his grand-father Sauls Soule, p. 205meets Dauid (as it was high time) vponupon his returne; beſtirs his tongue, to diſcharge himſelfe of ſo foule a ſlaunder; The more horrible the crime had beene, the more villanous was the vniuſt ſuggeſtion of it, and the more neceſſary was a iuſt Apologie; Sweetly therefore, and yet paſſionately doth hee labour to greaten Dauids fauours to him; his owne obligations and vileneſſe; ſhowing himſelfe more affected with his wrong, then with his loſſe; welcomming Dauid home with a thankfull neglect of himſelfe, as not caring that Ziba had his ſubſtance, now that he had his king. Dauid is ſatisfied, Mephibosheth reſtored p. 206to fauour and lands; here are two kinde harts well met. Dauid is full of ſatisfaction from Mephiboſheth; Mephiboſheth runs ouer with joy in Dauid: Dauid, like a gracious King, giues Mephiboſheth (as before) Sauls lands to halues with Ziba; Mephiboſheth, like a King, giues all to Ziba, for joy that God had giuen him Dauid; All had beene well, if Ziba had fared worſe; Pardon mee, ô holy and glorious ſoule of a Prophet, of a King, after Gods owne heart, I muſt needs blame thee for mercy: A fault that the beſt and moſt generous natures are moſt ſubiect to. It is pitty, that ſo good a thing ſhould doe hurt; p. 207yet wee finde, that the beſt, miſvſed is moſt dangerous: Who ſhould be the patterne of Kings, but the King of God? Mercy is the gentlieſt flower in his Crowne, much more in theirs, but with a difference. Gods mercy is infinite, theirs limited; he ſayes, I will hauehave mercy on whom I will: they muſt ſay, I will hauehave mercy on whom I ſhould: And yet he, for all his infinite mercy, hath veſſels of wrath, ſo muſt they; of whom his Iuſtice hath ſayd, Thine eye ſhall not ſpare them: A good man is pitifull to his beaſt, ſhall hee therefore make much of toads & ſnakes? Oh that Ziba ſhould goe away with any poſſeſſion, ſaue of p. 208ſhame and ſorrow; that hee ſhould bee coupled with a Mephiboſheth in a partnerſhip of eſtates: Oh that Dauid had changed the word a litle;

A diuiſion was due here indeed; but of Ziba's eares from his head, or his head from his ſhoulders, for going about ſo maliciouſly, to diuide Dauid from the ſon of Ionathan; An eye for an eye, was Gods rule; If that had beene true, which Ziba ſuggeſted againſt Mephiboſheth, he had been worthy to loſe his head with his lands, being falſe, it had beene but reaſon, Ziba ſhould hauehave changed heads with Mephiboſheth; Had not holy Dauid himſelfe beene ſo ſtung p. 209with venomous tongues, that he cryes out in the bitterneſſe of his ſoule; What reward ſhall be giuen to thee, ô thou falſe tongue? euen ſharp arrowes with hot burning coles. Hee that was ſo ſenſible of himſelfe in Doegs wrong, doth he feele ſo little of Mephiboſheth in Ziba's? Are theſe the arrowes of Dauids quiuer? are theſe his hot burning coles (Thou & Ziba diuide?) He that had ſayd, Their tongue isa ſharp ſword, now that hee had the ſword of juſt reuenge in his hand, is this the blow hee giues, Diuide the poſſeſsions? I know not whether, exceſſe, or want of mercy, may proue moſt dangerous in the great; the one may p. 210diſcourage good intentions with feare; the other may encourage wicked practices through preſumption; Thoſe that are in eminent place, muſt learne the mid-way betwixt both; ſo pardoning faults, that they may not prouoke them; ſo puniſhing them, that they may not diſhearten vertuous and wel-meant actions; they muſt learne to ſing that abſolute ditty (whereof Dauid had here forgotten one part) of Mercy & Iudgement.