Harmony Upon 2 Samuel, Book 2 · Chapter 13
CHAP. 13.
1. Quest. Of the chasticements which were laied vponupon Dauid for his former offences.
1. AS Nathan had before told Dauid of two grieuous crosses, that the sword should not depart from his house, and that his owne concubines should be defiled by another, as he had committed two grieuous sinnes of murther, and adulterie, so Gods iustice which sleepeth not beginneth now to shew it selfe: three great calamities follow one in the necke of another; the deflouring of Thamar by Amnon, and his slaughter by Absalom, the defiling of Dauids concubines by Absalom, and his vnnaturall rebellion against his father. Borrh. 2. And in this first punishment, Dauid is paied home by the law of retalion: as he killed Vriah, hauing first committed adulterie with his wife, and betraied Vriah into his enemies hand: so here his daughter is rauished, his sonne Amnon slaine, and that also in the same manner by the treacherie of his brother. 3. Thus in Dauids familie, who was a worshipper of God, those foule enormities breake forth, which sheweth, that the Church of God is not perfect here in earth, but many offences may be raised euen among the people of God: whereby appeareth the errour of the old Novatians, and Donatists, and of the new Brownists (so called) which doe seperate themselues from the Church of God, because of the imperfections thereof. Mart.
2. Quest. v. 2. Of Amnons vnlawfull louelove of his sister Thamar.
Among other vncleane acts none are more odious, then incestuous copulations, when within the degrees forbidden any dishonest act is attempted: which incestuous coniunctions either by marriage or otherwise, are restrained for diuerse reasons.
1. One is for the reuerence which is to be yeelded vntounto our kinred, not to come neare them to vncouer their shame: as Valerius Maximus writeth, that it was vnlawfull, for the father and his daughter to wash themselues one in the sight of another.
2. Againe, by this restraint and prohibition, the families are kept chast: whereas if such commixtions betweene kindered were permitted, eueryevery house would be defiled.
3. By this meanes louelove is encreased by marriage with straunge families: whereas, if mariage were lawfull in the same kinred, many loues would bee swallowed vp together, both the naturall and matrimoniall louelove.
4. Yea we see that such coniunctions are against the law of nature: for euen the more ciuill nations among the heathen, abhorred to come neare their owne kinred.
5. But aboue all, the law of God ought to take place, which most straightly forbiddeth such incestuous mariages, Leuit. 28.20. and though the lawes of men should be silent herein, the iudgement of God will ouertake such: as is manifest here in the example of Amnon. So in the Romane Histories, Claudius that defiled his sister, was slaine of Milo: and Domitiane the Emperour guiltie of the like fault, was also slaine.
6. Thus Dauid is chastened in the deflouring of his daughter, and in the slaughter of his sonne: wherein the Lord doth iudge him not onelyonly for the adulterie and murther, which he had committed, but for his rash marriage, which hee made with Maacah the mother of Absalom, the daughter of an idolatrous king. c. 3.3. Mart.
3. Quest. v. 2. Of Amnons impotent affections, and of his louelove-sickenesse.
1. There were two reasons of Amnons pining away, because two waies was his desire hindered: Thamar was his sister, and therefore he could not marrie her; and she was a virgin, and most surely kept: Osiand.
2. His affection thus languishing, his bodie was distempered: for the affections are in the grossest and basest part of the mind, which hath greatest affinitie with the bodie; and thereof it is, that the vehemencie of the affections bringeth the bodie into weakenesses, and diseases.
3. It is written that Seleucus, when his sonne Antiochus was in louelove with his stepmother his fathers wife, & pined away for louelove, by the perswasion of the Phisitian Erasistratus, his father was content to part with his wife, and giuegive her vntounto his sonne, rather then he should languish vntounto death: But Amnon could not expect for the like at his fathers hand, beeing a man that feared God.
4. The Heathen say, there are three remedies against inordinate louelove: foreign: hunger and abstinence; time, that men should not hastily giuegive way vntounto their affections, but doe all with mature deliberation: and the third is an halter: such was their doctrine, that ended with despaire: but Amnon here neglected indeed the right meanes, namely these, first in time to hauehave resisted his affections, and not to hauehave giuen way vntounto them: Pellican. secondly, to hauehave giuen himselfe to abstinence and some honest exercises, which might hauehave occupied his mind: then by some lawfull matrimoniall louelove, to hauehave ouercome his vnlawfull lust, and to hauehave praied vntounto God for grace. Mar.
4. Quest. v. 5. Of Ionadabs wicked counsell.
1. Ionadab is called here Amnons freind: but indeed he was his foe: for a true friend will neither giuegive dishonest counsell, nor yet do any dishonest thing for his freind. Bor. 2. He is also called cacham, a wise and prudent man: but it was carnall, not spirituall wisedome: such a wise man, as the Prophet speaketh of, they are wise to doe euill, but to doe well, they hauehave no knowledge: Ierem. 4.22. 3. For in wise counsell two things must be considered, that both the end of a mans counsell be good, and that the meanes thereunto tending are also honest and lawfull: but Ionadabs counsell failed in both. Mart. 4. Such flattering counsellers abound in Princes courts, who are readie for their owne aduancement to serue the humors of great men, and by their craftie heads doe deuise how to compasse their desire: Pellican.
5. Quest. v. 12. Of Thamars reasons and perswasions to Amnon.
1. First shee alleadgeth, that it was and vnusuall crime in Israel, which he offered, either to corrupt a virgin, or to commit fornication out of mariage, much more for one to corrupt his sister. Pellican. 2. Thou she sheweth the inconuenience in respect of himselfe▪ hee should be counted as one of the fooles of Israel, as a lewd and wicked person: Genevens. and a… a man vnmeete to succeed his father in the kingdome beeing his eldest sonne; Mart. 3. In respect of her selfe, it would be a perpetuall shame vntounto her: she could not hide or conceale that lewdnesse, if she should be with child by him. Osiander. 4. Then from entreating, she falleth to aduise and counsell him; that he would speake vntounto her father, to giuegive her vntounto him, But all these reasons would not content or satisfie his wicked mind: he still proceeded in his vile purpose to hauehave his will of her. 5. Now whereas the law was, that the virgin which was forced in the towne should crie out, Deut. 22.24. it is like that Thamar cried out, but none would come to deliuer her; or that Amnon kept her from crying. Some thinke that she held her peace, because she would not bring her brother to shame, or vponupon hope of marriage: but hope of marriage she could hauehave none, because it was against the Law, and shee was more to respect her owne fame, and honest name, then her brothers.
6. Quest. v. 23. Why Thamar saith, hee will not denie me vntounto thee, seeing it was against the Law.
1. Lyranus with some others is of opinion, that Thamar was not Dauids daughter by Maacah, but that she was with child by another, when Dauid tooke her captiue in battell, and so Thamar beeing neither Amnons sister by father or mother, might be Amnons wife. But this is not like, for Amnon called her his sister, v. 6. and it seemeth that Thamar was borne after Absalom; as the phrase giueth, when Absalom had a sister: or, when to Absalom was a sister, v. 1. Iun. D. Chimhi thinketh also, that Thamar was Dauids daughter: but conceiued by him before she was conuerted to the faith of Israel.
2. Pellican giueth this exposition: that Thamar secretly vnderstood this condition, si fieri posset, if it might be, Dauid would not denie her to him: if it could not be done by marriage, much more vnlawfull was it out of mariage.
3. But it is more like, that by this meanes, she did dilationem quaerere, seeke delaies onelyonly, and to gaine time: Iun. vt conatum adolescentis eluderet, to put off the young mans purpose. Osiand. Mart. For if she might hauehave beene Amnons wife, hee needed not to hauehave languished after her, and hauehave vsed such indirect meanes: and he should hauehave married her after, or paied her dowrie: neither of which was done. Mar.
7. Quest. Whether this degree of consanguinitie, or any oth…r might hauehave beene dispensed with.
By occasion of these words of Thamar to Amnon, which sound as though Dauid might hauehave giuen Thamar to Amnon to wife, occasion i… ministred briefly to consider, whether any of the forbidden degrees may be dispensed with.
1. The Popes Canonists, and Canonicall Diuines doe hold,Contr. The degrees forbidden Leuit 19.20. can not be dispensed with. that the prohibition onelyonly is naturall and morall betweene the father and the daughter, the mother and the sonne, that their marriage cannot be dispensed with, because they are one flesh: but all the other degrees may be dispensed with: for Adams sonnes tooke their sisters to wiues, Iacob married two sisters, Sarah was Abrahams neece: Iacobed Moses mother was Amram his fathers aunt. So it is their opinion, that the Pope may dispense with all degrees, sauing betweene the father and daughter, mother and sonne: as Caietan. And the practise of the Papall Church hath been accordingly,In Thom. 2.2. qu. 154. art. 9. Emmanuel king of Portugall, married two sisters: Catharine Queene of England two brothers: Ferdinandus King of Naples by licence from Pope Al…xand…r the 6. married his owne Aunt. And Martin… the …. did dispense with the marriage of the germane and naturall sister.
2. But this is a most grosse opinion: 1. All these prohibitions are morall and natuturall: for the Cananites were cast out for such abominations, who were not bound to Moses Iudicialls. 2. The necessitie of those times dispensed with those first marriages, when there were no other to marrie with: and God in respect of that necessitie gaue a relaxation, saying, increase and multiplie. 3. The facts of the fathers cannot be excused from all imperfection: yet it was Iaacobs intent to marri… but one, Laban by his subtiltie imposed the other vponupon him. 4. These were the sinnes of the Heathen. Among the Persians the sonnes married with their mothers, the daughters with their fathers: it was lawfull among the Athenians for one to marrie his sister. Berosus writeth that the Gyants of the old world refrained not such marriages. Caracalla said to his mother in law, O that it were lawfull: the impudent woman answered; si libet, licet, imperator dat leges, non accipit: if you li…t, it is lawfull: for an Emperor giueth laws to others, he taketh none himselfe: ex Martyr.
8. Quest. v. 15. Of Amnons hatred of his sister.
1. Aristotle in his Problemes giueth this reason why inordinate louelove is many times turned to hatred: as Potiphars wife, when she could not hauehave her desire hated Ioseph, as much as she loued him: and Nero after hee had abused his owne mother, so hated her that he killed her. The reason hereof Philosophers yeeld to be this: because the bodie is much altered in such acts of raging and burning lust, and the affection is chaunged withall. But if the reason hereof were naturall, it would alwaies hauehave the same effect: yet it hath not: for after that Shechem had rauished Dinah Iacobs daughter, he loued her ardently still, and affected her mariage.
2. R. Kimhi, and R. Solomon, thinke …hat this was the cause; Thamar had hurt Amnon in striuing with him, and she had railed vponupon him, calling him foole, and giuing him such other opprobrious termes. But it appeareth by Thamars answer, that there was no cause at all giuen on her part of so great hatred, v. 16.
3. P. Martyr thinketh the reason thereof proceeded from the trouble and perplexitie of his conscience, beeing ashamed of that which hee had done: as the Apostle saith, What fruit had yee in those things, whereof yee are now ashamed? Rom. 6.22. But if Amnon had had any remorse, or feare of any shame before God, or men, he would neuer for his owne credite sake hauehave thrust her out in such disgrace.
4. But one reason hereof is the difference betweene inordinate and vnlawfull lust, which endeth with hatred, and lawfull louelove, which still more increaseth: and such are the baites and allurements of sinne, which hauehave a pleasant tast at the first, but in the end bite like a serpent: therefore one well-saith, voluptates non venientes sed abeuntes contemplandas: that pleasures must be considered not as they come, but as they go. Borrh.
5. But the greatest cause of all is, Dominum sic instituisse, that the Lord had so appointed, that this sinne should not be kept secret, that it might redound to the chastisment and correction of Dauid. Pellic. Mar.
9. Quest. v. 19. Of Thamars lamentation.
1. She sheweth her griefe by these three signes: she put ashes on her head, rent her garments, and laid her hands on her head: which was a signe of mourning. Ier. 2.37.
2. Some read, she rent talarem tunicam, her side garments: so Ioseph. Lat. Pellic. but beside that the word pass…n signifieth rather, variam, Vatab. versicolarem, Iun. polymitam: Mart. a garment of diuerse peeces or colours: it is noted v. 18. to hauehave bin a peculiar garment to Kings daughters: so was not a long and side garment: but particoloured garments were had in great estimation, Iud. 5.30. therefore Iacob made Ioseph such an one, because he loued him: Gen. 37.3. Genevens.
3. She cried out as she went, not forbearing to crie out of her brother, and to shew what he had done, as some thinke, Mart. Pellic. but it seemeth rather, that she did not expresse the cause of her griefe: Osiand. for then Absalom needed not to hauehave said vntounto her afterwards, hath Amnon thy brother beene with thee? and his counsell had come too late, that she should be quiet, because hee was her brother: that is, his shame would be the shame of them all; and as she was the Kings daughter, so he was his son, and that the Eldest: and therefore hee would hauehave respect to the one and the other: Iun. if she had blazed his name alreadie, this perswasion of her brother had come out of time.
10. Quest. v. 21. Of these words, Dauid, when hee heard these things was verie wrath: whether Dauid sinned not in sparing his sonne.
1. Some doe thinke that Dauid did purpose to punish his sonne for this follie, or villanie rather: but like a wise man he deferred it, watching his best opportunitie, as he dealt with Ioab and Shemei. Osiander. But it seemeth otherwise, that Dauid had no such intendment, for it was two yeares after before Absalon was reuenged of Amnon.
2. An other opinion is, that Amnon might repent him of his sinne, and therefore Dauid pardoned it: but though repentance doe make reconciliation betweene God, and the offender; yet they which publikely transgresse should not be freed from the punishment, which is afflicted for the good example of others: Mart.
3. Some thinke, that it was not death to force a maid not betroathed: for that law Deut. 22.25. is concerning such as are espoused. But it must further be considered, that she was his sister, and so he committed incest, which was worthie of death. And beside, it was death for a virgin to play the whoare in her fathers house, Deut. 22.21. the like penaltie also lay vponupon the sonne.
4. Others excuse Dauid, because this matter was not proceeded iudicially before him. Thamar accused not her brother vponupon Absaloms aduise, and therefore Dauid, the fact beeing not prooued iudicially before him, could doe nothing. Borrh. In this case Dauid should hauehave sifted out the matter himselfe: otherwise Heli might hauehave bin by the same reason excused for his lenitie toward his sonnes.
5. Pellican addeth further, that Dauid beeing guiltie of the like sinne himselfe, vsed conniuence toward his sonne.
6. But Dauid can not be herein excused: he was too remisse and indulgent toward his children. As he was vnwilling that Absalon should be slaine after he was entered into that vnnaturall and rebellious action: neither did he punish Adoniahs aspiring mind, that while his father yet liued, would hauehave taken vponupon him to be King. And herein most of all Gods worke is to be considered, quod Dauid corrigere noluit Deus punivit, God punished that, which Dauid would not correct. God so in his secret wisedome disposed, that Dauid should let Amnon goe vnpunished, that the other iudgement of the sword threatned against Dauids house might take place. Mart.
11. Quest. v. 28. VponUpon those words of Absalon, smite Amnon, kill him. Why the Lord suffered a sword to be drawne out against Dauids familie, hauing forgiuen his sinne.
True it is, that the Lord had said to Dauid by his Prophet Nathan, that the Lord had put away his sinne, hee should not die: yet some chastisement remained still, quae non poenae vim, sed medicinae obtinet, which was not as a punishment, but as a medicine. And for these causes doth the Lord lay afflictions vponupon his children, euen after the remission of their sinne.
1. Vt sit, quod nos admoneat nostrae miseriae, &c. that we may hauehave somewhat alwaies to admonish vsus of our miserie. 2. Vt sit materia inuo…andi Deum, that we may still hauehave occasion to call vponupon God, and flie vntounto him in our afflictions, and necessities. 3. That the members of Christ may be conformable vntounto the head: For if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him: Rom. 8.17. So the Apostle saith, I fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his bodies sake, which is the Church: Coloss. 1.24. Not that any thing is wanting to the personall sufferings of Christ: but because Christ suffereth together in his members, they are called the afflictions of Christ. 4. But here we must take heed of the errour of the Romanists, who thinke that the seruants of God doe satisfie for their sinnes by their afflictions: Borrh. But seeing no affliction happeneth vntounto Gods children, which is not deseruedly imposed vponupon them for their sinne, thereby they cannot satisfie: but they must leaue that worke for him, who was without sinne, and therfore vndeseruedly suffred in himselfe whatsoeuer was laid vponupon him, for our sinnes.
12. Quest. v. 29. Whence Dauids sonnes had their mules which came of the mixture of diuerse kinds.
Whereas they are forbidden Leuit. 19.19. to suffer the cattell of diuerse kinds to engender together; and the mules come of coupling of the horse and asse, so that this should seeme to be against the law. 1. Some answer, that in some countries the mules doe engender themselues:De natur. anim. lib. 8. cap. 24. lib. 6. cap. 26. as Aristotle writeth, which he affirmeth to be very swift, whereas ours are slow. But if there be any such mules, they are of another kind: for those which are now in vse, beeing of a mixed kind cannot engender: they were first found out by Anah in the wildernesse,Gen. 36.24. when he kept his father Sibeons asses. 2. It is like therefore that these mules were engendered in some other countrie, and brought thence into Palestina: although they were forbidden to put together diuerse kinds, yet they might vse the things so engendred: Mart. 3. Borrhaius findeth fault with the vulgar Latine for reading here mulas, she mules, for mulos, hee mules: which do differ much, the hee, which commeth of the hee asse and the mare, are very swift, the shee mules of the horse and shee asse, are verie slow and dull. But though there be an errour in the translation; for in the originall the word is peredeh, an he mule, not pirdah, a shee mule: yet it seemeth there is no such difference in the vse: for 1. King. 1.33. the Kings owne beast was pirdah, a shee mule; it is like he would vse the best kind of them.
13. Quest. v. 31. Of Dauids mourning, when he heard of the death of his sonnes.
1. Dauid here was paied home in the same kind: for as hee tooke delight when newes was brought him of Vriahs death; so now he is frighted with heauie newes, and the report is worse then the thing, that all the Kings sonnes were dead. Borrh. Martyr. 2. And as his seruants also, when they heard of Vriahs death their faithfull fellow seruant, sorrowed not, so now also vponupon this report, they stand likewise with their clothes rent. Pellican. 3. Dauid had great cause of greife, for he was a tender man ouer his children: and where he hoped to find comfort, they are an occasion to him of greife. 4. Many who doe prosper in their affaires abroad, hauehave cause of greife at home, as Dauid here hath. Augustus Caesar was a happie Emperour, yet he had domesticall crosses by his children, in so much that hee desired, that he had died without children. 5. Likewise the verie manner, how it was reported, his children were killed, might much trouble him, that they were slaine by treacherie, which brought to his remembrance his owne sinne, how he had caused faithfull Vriah to be betraied in battell. 6. Yet notwithstanding these crosses, Dauid was in the fauour of God; which sheweth that Gods fauour, or disfauour is not to be measured by prosperitie or aduersitie in this life: Mart. 7. And by this example we see, that children, whom their parents spare to correct, will in the end be a griefe vntounto them.
14. Quest. v. 32. Of Ionadabs speach to Dauid.
1. This wicked man, whose counsell to Amnon brought Dauid and his sonnes into this daunger, now taketh vponupon him to comfort Dauid: Pellican. But he is a miserable comforter, in saying that Amnon onelyonly was dead: for it was griefe enough to the King, to hauehave his eldest sonne slaine in that manner; and Ionadab sheweth himselfe no changeling: for he bewraieth his carnall securitie, that was not touched with the remembrance of his sinne, beeing himselfe the author of this mischiefe: Osiand. It is also maruell, that he gessing so right at the matter, and giuing a reason, why Amnon onelyonly was slaine, as if he were acquainted with his counsell, that the king was so forgetfull, as not to examine and sift him further.
2. Now Ionadab knew this by coniecture, for he was priuie vntounto this whole matter from the beginning: some thinke that Absalon had this thing in his mouth, as the Hebrew words are, and that he might tell Ionadab so much. Mar. But it is more like that Absalon kept his purpose secret, as Iosephus saith, grave odium eius in pectore celabat, he concealed in his breast great hatred toward him: therefore it is no good reading, Absalon had so reported. Genev. nor, hee had determined so in his heart. B. C. or, hee was set in Absalons hatred: L. or, in Absalons rage. S. for the words are, ehi ghal pi, because it was in his mouth: which Vatablus thus expoundeth, at the commandement of Absalom it was so appointed, from the day when Amnon forced Thamar. But Absalom had not giuen that charge and commandement to his seruants so long before, but vponupon the present. Therefore Iunius reading is better; at the appointment of Absalôm, that was done, which he purposed from the day, &c. so that the word shimah, purpose, hath relation to the words following, from the day, &c. for so long before he had purposed it, though not appointed it. And that phrase, according to the mouth, is taken in thi… sense, for appointment in other places; as Numb. 3.16.
15. Quest. v. 36. Of these words, The King wept exceeding sore: how that the children of God are not without their passions.
But here this question may be mooued: how it commeth to passe, that many among the heathen in the like calamitie, when they heard of the death of their children, were not mooued, and yet Dauid here sheweth himselfe full of passion: as Horatius Pulvillus, as he was dedicating a temple, heard of the death of his sonne, yet proceeded in the dedication: Anaxagoras hearing the like of his sonne, made onelyonly this answer, scio me genuisse mortalem, I knew I begot a sonne to die: Paulus Aemilius when his sonnes were slaine, and the publike businesse went well forward, gaue thankes to the gods that he had his prayer, that the calamitie imminent might fall vponupon his familie, so that the commonwealth were deliuered.
The reasons of this difference may be these. 1. The heathen did thinke that these calamities fell out by necessitie of nature, or by chance, and they looked not vntounto Gods prouidence, neither beleeued any thing of the state of the soule after this life: and therefore as naturall men, only considering the time present, and not well waighing the cause of all these calamities, which is our sinns, they seemed not to be mooued. But it is otherwise with the seruants of God: they knowe that all things fall out by Gods prouidence, and that calamities are sent by him as punishments of sinne, and this is the cause of their mourning. And to this purpose may be applyed that saying of Aristippus, who beeing in danger of shipwracke in the sea, and much afraid, wheras an other rude man, yet hardie, feared nothing, and being asked why he was so fearfull beeing a Philosopher, made answer; non debuisti sollicitus esse tu de anima nebulonis, ego videbam Aristippum philosophum periclitari, thou hadst no reason to take care for the soule of a knaue, but I knew that Aristippus the philosopher was in danger, &c. So the heathen had no such cause to be mooued: for they knew not what should become of their soules, neither were they of such price with God, as the soules of his seruants, whom he reserueth for a better life.
2. An other reason of this vacuitie of passion among the Heathen, was that receiued opinion of the Stoicks, who held that there should be in a wise man, foreign, an absence of all passion. The Peripatetikes held, that passions and affections were to be moderated: the other, would hauehave them to bee quite rooted out: But this were to blame the God of nature, who created man with passions and affections, and whatsoeuer God made, was good: and the affections of anger, zeale, desire, sorrow, with the rest, are many times the instruments of vertue beeing well vsed. Indeede the holy Martyrs of Christ in the midds of their torments, seemed to be without sense of griefe, not as though they were without any feelling or passion: but the exceeding great ioy which they had in the contemplation of a better life, did swallow vp all their other affections: and this strength in them was extraordinarie and supernaturall: but the question is here, of the ordinarie state and condition of the faithfull. This then is the doctrine of Christian religion, be angrie, but sinne not, Eph. 4.26. that men should vse their affections, but yet moderate them and keepe them within their bounds.
3. And concerning the patience of the Gentiles, with other their vertues of iustice, fortitude, temperance; they were but speciosa peccata, goodly sinnes, because they were without faith: and without faith it is not possible to please God, Heb. 11.6. So that we doubt not, but that Dauid with his passionate teares, which proceeded of faith, was more accepted of God, then the vnpassionate heathen, which had no faith. Mart.
16. Quest. Of the passions and affections, that were in our blessed Sauiour.
1. Our blessed Sauiour as he was perfect God, and so without passion: so was he perfect man, and so tooke vponupon him true humane affections, as of ioy, sorrow, anger: for that all these were in him, the Gospel doth abundantly testifie: otherwise he had not beene a perfect man: as Augustine saith, neque cum verum corpus hominis & animam habuit, habuit falsum affectum humanum, neither when he had the true bodie and soule of a man, had he false affections.
2. Therefore those sayings of Hilarie are warily to be read, and considered; Christum ad patiendum, Lib. 10. de Trinit.non ad dolendum corpus habuisse, that Christ had a bodie to suffer, not to grieue: and the crosse of Christ the speares and nailes he saith, impetum passionis fecisse in Christo, at non dolorem, did force passion in Christ, but no sense or griefe; as when a man smiteth the water, there is a passion and suffering in it, but no sense or feeling, &c. These assertions are dangerous, and against the Scripture: the bodie of Christ is not to be imagined to hauehave such stupiditie, as things without life and sense: He had a perfect humane soule, and therefore affection also and sense.
3. But there is great difference between the affections which Christ had, and ours. 1. in respect of the obiect: our affections doe turne into sinne, but Christs were neuer occupied in any sinfull or imperfect act. 2. All Christs affections were in him voluntarie, they did rise in him when he pleased to shew them, and they appeared not, when he pleased to suppresse them; but in vsus, they are often involuntarie, and they rise whether we will or no. 3. Our affections are so precipitate, that may times they ouerrule reason: but so were not our blessed Sauiours. ex Mart.
17. Quest. Why holy men and wom…n vnderunder the olde Testament shewed more passion then now.
In the newe Testament also the seruants of God did shew their passions and affections, as the woman that washed Christs feete with her teares, and Peter wept bitterly: but these examples indeede are not so many in the new Testament, nor in such manner: 1. One reason hereof may be the alteration of times, that may seeme commendable in one age, which is not so allowed of in an other: then their lamentations were solemne and publike, and with many ceremonies, and much preparation, which vsages doe not beseeme these times. 2. But it may better be answered: that they did more attend the terrene promises of the land of Canaan, and the good successe and encrease of their posteritie, though they had also a sight of the true spirituall rest, but not so cleare as we hauehave: therefore they sorrowed more for the losse of externall things. But now because wee by faith are nourished into a more lively hope of the things to come, we ought lesse to be mooued with temporall losses and crosses. Mart.
18. Quest. v. 39. Of Dauids desire to Absalom.
1. Some read, Dauid ceased to goe forth after Absolom, Vat. Lat. Pellic. Montan. as though Dauid had sought him or pursued him by strong hand: Osiand. for both Absalom was gone out of the land, beeing fledde to Talmai, king of Geshur his wiues father: and Dauids affection was not so bent against him, who afterward when he had rebelled against him, lamented for his death. It is therefore better read, he desired to goe forth vntounto him, that is, to see him. Pag. Iun. B. G.
2. The reason is adioyned, he was comforted concerning Amnon, 1. both for that he was dead, and could not be restored to life againe: Iun. 2. and he considered that Amnon died iustly for his sinne: Borrh. 3. time also had mitigated and allayed his griefe: Pelli…. 4. And he therein considered Gods prouidence, by the which all things are disposed, and nothing falleth out by chance. Mart.