Harmony Upon 2 Samuel, Book 2 · Chapter 16
CHAP. 16.
1. Quest. v. 3. Of Ziba his vnfaithfulnesse to his master Miphibosheth.
1. SAint Paul giueth a rule vntounto seruants, not to serue their masters with eye-seruice: but Ziba herein first sheweth his vnfaithfull seruice: for in his masters absence he accuseth him, howsoeuer beeing present, he might seeme to please his masters eye. 2. His disobedience also appeared, that beeing bidden to saddle his masters asse to meete the king, c. 19.26. hee went and made him readie for himselfe. 3. Hee goeth about to robbe his master, and seeketh to spoile him of all hee had. 4. Hee is discontented with his estate, lift vp in pride, and thinketh scorne any longer to serue Miphibosheth, thinking this a fit time to get his libertie: Mar. 5. And to bring this about he plaieth the flatterer, both presenting the King with gifts, and seemeth in words to extenuate his gifts, as not worthie to be offered to the King. Osiand. 7. And, which made vp the full measure of his treacherie; whereas a good seruant should hauehave spoken in defence of his master, he most vnfaithfully, and treacherously accuseth him vntounto Dauid, and would in all likelihood, hauehave beene contented to be his butcher, if so the King had pleased he should be slaine. Mart.
2. Quest. Of Dauids rashnesse in giuing vntounto Ziba Miphibosheths goods and lands.
1. Dauid is assaulted in this Chapter with two contrarie temptations, of flatterie by Ziba, of rayling by Shemei: hee ouercame the greater, and was ouercome of the lesse. So many times Gods children stand out in great temptations, and giuegive out in lesse; which sheweth their humane infirmitie, and what they are, being left vntounto themselues. 2. But there is great difference betweene the slippes of the righteous, and the fall of the wicked: for these are caught in the snare of temptation, and cannot wind themselues out, but though the righteous stumbleth, yet hee recouereth himselfe agine; as Dauid afterward made restitution vntounto Miphibosheth of that, which he had hastely taken from him.
2. Dauid sheweth himselfe verie rash in precipitating his sentence against Miphibosheth, his cause beeing vnheard. It was a likely tale, that hee told of Miphibosheth, who was the onelyonly heire left of Sauls house: but all things that are likely, are not true.
3. Beside Dauid here sheweth his vnmindfulnesse of Ionathans kindnesse in time past, and forgetteth the couenant which was made betweene them.
4. By this we see, how daungerous a thing it is for a Magistrate to receiue gifts, which blind euen the eyes of the wise. Osiand.
5. And this mutabilitie in Dauid, sheweth how vaine and vncertaine a thing it is, to put any confidence in Princes. Mart.
3. Quest. v. 7. Of Sheme… his cursing.
Hee vttereth many vile slanders against Dauid: 1. He most falsly chargeth him with the blood of Sauls house, whereas Dauid was therein most innocent: for Abner and Ishbosheth were slaine against his will; and the warres that were betweene the house of Dauid, and the house of Saul, were procured by Abner, who prouoked Ioab to fight, 2. Sam. 2. 2. He maketh Dauid an vsurper, as though he had inuaded and thrust himselfe to raigne in Sauls stead; whereas Dauid not once dreaming of a kingdome, was thereunto called by the Lord, and anointed by Samuel. 3. He iustifieth wicked Abshalom, saying, that God had deliuered Dauids kingdome into his hands, which was most vntrue; Absalom was a most vniust and ambitious man, and thought to depriue his father of his kingdome. 4. He saith that Dauid was punished for his wickednesse, which was true, but not for those things whereof Shemei before challenged Dauid.
4. Quest. v. 9. Of Abishai his inconsiderate zeale in Dauids cause.
1. Here we hauehave two men, one speaketh against Dauid, the other defendeth Dauid: both speake in the behalfe of their kinsmen: the one hath a bad cause, and yet handleth it cunningly, as Shemei: the other had a good cause, the defence of the king, but he handleth it not well: both of them are lead with a carnall minde to seek reuenge. 2. Abishai is here carried away with a preposterous zeale, as often the children of God are: So Ionas waighted still to see the destruction of Niniueh: Iames and Iohn, Luk. 9. would hauehave had fire come downe vponupon the Samaritans: This then proceeded not from any diuine or religious charitie, but from an humane affection. 3. He calleth Shemei dogge, in contempt: beeing compared with the king, he was no better then a dogges head, that is, a vile person: as 1. Sam. 24.15.
5. Quest. v. 11. Why Dauid chargeth his seruants not to meddle with Shemei.
1. Dauid looketh vntounto Gods prouidence, who had so disposed to trie Dauids patience by Shemei his rayling tongue. 2. He thus reasoneth by way of comparison: he had endured the troubles and trialls procured by his son, who sought his life: whereas Shemei was a stranger vntounto him, and did but raile vponupon him in words: much more was it fit he should beare this reproach. 3. He sheweth the fruit that might come of it, it may be that God would do him good for his cursing: not that this affliction was the cause of his reward: but it is an order and course, which the Lord obserueth to raise them vp, whom he had humbled; so he dealt with Ioseph and Iob. 4. And hee speaketh doubtfully, because we hauehave no certaintie of these temporall things: but of his spirituall state, his euerlasting saluation Dauid made no doubt at all.
6. Quest. v. 10. Whether Dauid did well in bearing Shemei his reproachfull words: and what a reproach is, and how to bee borne.
1. A reproach is offered either in word, as Shemei reuiled Dauid, or in deede, as Abshalom defiled his fathers concubines, not so much of lust, as to disgrace his father. 2. Reproaches, some are meere slaunders, as those were, which Shemei obiected to Dauid: some are true, as when one obiecteth such crimes as are true, but after a reproachfull manner. 3. Some reproachfull words are vttered by way of disgrace, and they are sinne: some onelyonly are by way of discipline to amend and correct, and make one ashamed of his sinne: as when Magistrates rebuke offenders, and ministers in their sermons sharpely reprooue sinne: as the Prophet Isay called the cheife of Israel, Princes of Sodome, c. 1.10. and S. Paul saith, O yee foolish Galatians: and such kind of reproaches are not sinne.
2. Reproachfull and reuiling words proceede either from anger and desire of reuenge, as here in Shemei; or from pride, as in Rabsake against Hezekiah; or from foolishnesse, as Nabal reuiled Dauid.
3. How we are to behaue our selues in bearing of reproaches, these considerations are necessarie: 1. that generally we must followe that rule of Christ; if one smite vsus on the one cheeke, wee should turne to him the other also, that is not alwayes to doe so in fact, for Christ beeing smitten vponupon one cheeke did not turne the other: but our heart must alwaies be prepared for Christs sake to suffer all wrongs in word, and in deed.
2. Yet there is a time when a foole must be answered in his foolishnesse, and a reuiler must not bee suffered to goe away without a rebuke; as if either his reproach tend to the hinderance of our good name or our brothers, and they which heare it, are by our silence apt to beleeue the slander; and if a discreet reproofe may be a means to make him see his sinne.
3. And there is a time, when a foole is not to be answeared in his foolishnesse, least we be like him;Prov. 16.4. if we thinke that we shall growe too hotte and cholerike, and exceede measure in reproouing, it is better for vsus to hold our peace: and when we see in respect of the slaunderer, that his word is of no credit, and our defence needeth not in respect of the standers by: or if the reuiler is like to be more prouoked by our admonition: in all these cases it is better to be silent.
4. And where defence is needefull, it is not onelyonly lawful for vsus priuately to rebuke the slaunderer, but to make complaint vntounto the Magistrate, to preserue our good name; as a theife of our goods may be brought before the Magistrate, so much more he that stealeth away our good name.
5. And as concerning Dauid, it was a worthie and commendable part in him to beare Shemeis slaunderous speach: for hee was innocent, he therein considered the Lords purpose to trie him; it was then no time for him to seeke reuenge: he had opportunitie offred afterward to meete with this reuiler. Mart.
7. Quest. v. 10. How the Lord is said to hauehave bidde Shemei curse Dauid, and how sinne standeth with the will of God, and whether he is any way the author thereof.
1. First, that God is no way the author of sinne, by these and such like reasons it is made plaine. 1. God is not the author of any thing, whereby a man is made worse: for if an artificer will not marre his owne worke, much lesse God; but by sinne man becommeth much worse.
2. God is the reuenger of sinne, therefore not the author.
3. God hateth nothing which he hath made, but he hateth sinne.
4. He that doth or procureth sinne is a sinner: but God cannot without horrible blasphemie be said to be a sinner.
5. If God should prouoke vntounto sinne, we should make him a dissembler & an hypocrite, who forbiddeth one thing, and yet doth an other.
6. The Lord saith by his Prophet Hosea, thy destruction is of thy selfe, then sinne also the cause of destruction is of our selues.
7. Our Sauiour saith, that when the deuill speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his owne, sinne then is peculiar vntounto the deuill, therefore nor to God.
8. Christ wept ouer Ierusalem, beeing grieued for the calamitie that should befall it: much more was he grieued for sinne, which was the cause thereof: then is he not the author of sinne.
9. Tyrants make seuere lawes, and then compell men to breake them, that they may punish them: So God should be a tyrant, if he procured or made men sinne and transgresse his lawes.
10. If God were the author of sinne, he could not be the Iudge of the world.
11. If God any wayes should stirre vp vntounto sinne, there must needs be two contrarie wills in God, one whereby he willeth sinne to be; the other, whereby he disliketh it, and is displeased at it.
12. The wicked should be in no fault, for they might turne all the blame vponupon God.
13. Men had no reason to be grieued for their sinne, but to reioyce, seeing they doe that which God is the author of: if he were the author or worker of sinne.
14. If God would hauehave men saued, then hee would hauehave them also vse the meanes vntounto saluation: then would he not hauehave them sinne, which doth hinder their saluation.
2. Secondly, the reasons on the contrarie, that God may be charged with sinne, are these.
1. The Apostle saith, Rom. 1.26. that God gaue vp the Gentiles to vile affections.
2. The Lord is saide to hauehave hardened Pharaohs heart: and Isa. 6.10. to make the eyes of the Israelites heauie, and to shut their eyes.
3. We say in the Lords prayer, Lead vsus not into temptation.
4. He that is the cause of the cause, is the cause of the effect, procured by that cause: But God is the cause and creator of mans will and affections, which are the cause of sinne: he may seeme then to be the cause of sinne.
5. The Lord said to the spirit, that offered to goe & be a false spirit in the mouthes of Ahabs Prophets, goe and prosper, 1. King. 22.
6. Sinne is an action: but all actions proceed from God, the first moouer and beginner: for in him we liue, mooue, and hauehave our beeing, Act. 17.
7. The Lord saith by his Prophet Ezechiel, c. 14.8. If the Prophet be deceiued when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord hauehave deceiued him, &c. so Ieremie saith, cap. 4.10. that the Lord had deceiued his people: so Isay saith, 63.17. O Lord, why hast thou made vsus erre from thy wayes?
8. Psal. 105.25. Hee turned the heart (of the Egyptians) to hate his people: Iosh. 11.20. It came of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battell: 2. Thess. 2.11. the Apostle saith, Hee shall send them strong delusions to beleeue lies.
9. As God willeth the end, so also hee willeth the meanes which tend vntounto that ende: but it was Gods will that Christ should be deliuered vp vntounto death, and that the members of Christ, as the holy Apostles and Martyrs should be tried: thereof it was Gods will also that Iudas should betray Christ, and that the tyrants should raise persecution against his Church, which were sinnefull acts.
10. If God can hinder a man from sinne, and will not, and take away from him the helpes, which should keepe him from sinne, he should seeme to be accessarie vntounto it: as if we see a man readie to fall into a pit, and forwarne him not of it; or take from one a staffe whereon he leaneth, so that he falleth: we should be guiltie of his hurt: so it should seeme to be betweene God and man; if he should withdraw from him his grace, whereby he might stand.
11. Seeing God doth bring forth substances by vnhonest action, as children begotten in adulterie; why may he not as well produce actions, per malam voluntatem, by the euill inclination and will of man?
12. The Apostles say in their prayer, that Herod and Pilate had assembled themselues together, to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and counsell had determined before to bee done: By these and such like places of Scripture, and reasons, some shew may be made that God hath some hand in the sinfull workes of men.
3. In the third place the diuerse opinions must be touched of this matter.
1. Some doe indeede most blasphemously make God the author and worker of euill, as the Libertines: which blasphemie is to be abhorred, and to be condemned to hell with the authors thereof.
2. There are that vnderstand these places of Scripture of Gods permission onelyonly.
3. Some doe thinke that God is an agent euen in euill actions, which as they proceede from man are euill, but as God concurreth it is iust, the reason whereof if we cannot comprehend, we must rest in the iudgement of the Scripture: this opinion shall afterward be more fully declared and confirmed.
4. Further, it must be considered what sinne is; it is not a substance, nor yet any subiect or habit in a subiect, but onelyonly a defect and priuation, as blindnes is of the sight: and malum esse non potest nisi in bono, euill cannot be but in that which is good, as blindnesse is in the sight: euill is of two sorts, it is either culpa, the fault, or poena, the punishment: the fault is the absence or priuation of some vertue or grace, and the punishment is the priuation of some benefit, as sickenesse is of health: and there is something that is both a sinne and punishment, as originall sinne.
5. Now more fully and distinctly to determine of this question, these conclusions following shall be set downe.
1. God properly is not the cause of euill, nor author of sinne: for the habite neuer of it selfe produceth the priuation, as light bringeth not forth darkenesse: but if the light be remooued, then the darkenesse followeth of it selfe. But like as the Sunne is not the cause of darkenesse; but the Sunne beeing remooued from our hemisphere, then darkenesse of it selfe succeedeth: so when God taketh away his grace (which he do…h to make man know and vnderstand, that he can do nothing without grace) then followeth darkenesse and ignorance in our hearts. So that God is not properly the cause of sinne, but onelyonly remouens, the remoouing cause: So that there neede no efficient or positiue cause to be made of sinne, as the Maniches made two Princes, the one of light, to whom they ascribed, why was good, and the others of darkenesse, whom they made the beginning of euill: for by the absence of light and grace, darknesse and euill doe succeede of themselues by the corruption of our nature.
2. Here we must consider of a threefold action of God. 1. One is generall in the works of his prouidence, whereby euerie thing is preserued and maintained in it kind and nature: for in him we mooue, we liue, and hauehave our beeing. 2. An other is speciall and particular, whereby he worketh all good things in his Saints. 3. The third is betweene both, whereby God carrieth an ouer-ruling hand in all actions, making all things good and bad, reasonable and vnreasonable creatures to serue vntounto his glorie, and to be instruments of his will. And thus God disposeth euen of the sinnefull acts of men, that thereby his will is effected and accomplished, and yet he is no way accessarie to their sinne: so that in the same act, God and mans will may concurre, but after a diuerse manner: God may iustly will that, and to a good end, which man willeth wickedly and vniustly; as God determined the death of Christ for the redemption of mankind, but Iudas betrayed him of a wicked mind, and Sathan prouoked Iudas as an enemie vntounto God and the truth. And Augustine further sheweth how in the same thing God willeth and man willeth,Euchirid. ad Laurent. c. 10. but diuersly, by this instance. A wicked sonnes father is sicke, Gods will is he shall die, and so the wicked sonne desireth hee should die also, but to an other ende, that he may enioy his inheritance. So likewise one may will that which God willeth not, and yet bee without sinne: As the good child of louelove toward his father desireth his life, whom Gods will and pleasure is shall die of that sickenesse.
3. God may minister an occasion which of it selfe is good, but the wicked abusing it, are thereby stirred vp to doe euill: as when Moses and Aaron brought a message vntounto Pharaoh to let his people goe: Pharaoh thereupon was incensed to oppresse the people more grieuously: so God might be said to harden Pharaohs heart, but occasionaliter, and accidentaliter, by ministring an occasion, and accidentally onelyonly.
4. The Lord also permissiue, by way of permission, may be said to hauehave on hand euen in euill actions, which he permitteth to be done; which his permission is in him a kind of will: for if he permitted or suffered any thing nolens, against his will, it would shew an impotencie and want of power; but euen in Gods permission his power appeareth: so permitting euill to be done in the world, as he knoweth how to make it serue for his glorie: and so he permitteth sinne, as that he so disposeth, that it shall not rage or raigne in all, nor in all times, nor further then he seeth it to be for his glorie: But good actions the Lord willeth after an other sort: not onelyonly permitting them to bee done, but effecting, working, finishing, and perfitting in vsus eueryevery good worke.
5. Further, there are three things to be considered in sinne: 1. The guilt of sinne, which is nothing else, but obligatio ad poenam, a binding and tying of him that sinneth vntounto punishment: and this is an act of Gods iustice, who after one hath sinned, holdeth him guiltie of punishment. 2. Then there is the act of sinne, which is the subiect; and this God is the cause of, who giueth power to mooue, to will to doe this or that vntounto his creatures, which power hee restraineth not, but suffereth euerie thing which he hath made, and enableth it also to exercise the naturall properties and faculties thereof: Thus God is the author of the action, but the euilnes of the action proceedeth from mans corrupt nature: like as the soule and life in the body, is the cause it mooueth, but the lamenesse of the legge or other part affected, is the cause of the halting thereof: So God as an vniuersall agent, giueth life and motion to his creatures, as the soule doth to the bodie, but the abusing and deprauing of these actions, ariseth from the corruption of mans nature. 3. There is in sinne the punishment to be considered: So God is said to punish sinne with sinne, as the Apostle sheweth how the Lord gaue ouer the Gentiles to a reprobate sense; and to vile affections as a punishment of their Idolatrie, Rom. 1.
In this manner, as hath been shewed, how the Lord may be said to hauehave to do with sinne: but he is no way the author thereof, or properly the cause: And that is no imperfection in God, that he cannot sinne, nor will sinne, but it is his perfection: who beeing perfect goodnesse it selfe, cannot abide any thing that is euill: for if he should will sinne to bee, he should turne men from himselfe, which were to denie himselfe, which as the Apostle saith, God cannot doe; God cannot denie himselfe, 2. Tim. 2.13. This th…n is the summe of all, that God is not properly the cause of euill, but 1. either by remouing and withholding his grace. 2. by disposing in his infinite wisedome and power, euen of euill actions to serue his glorie. 3. by ministring occasion, which the wicked may abuse and peruert to their further hardening. 4. in permitting things to be done, as farre as hee seeth expedient for the vniuersall good. 5. the guilt of sinne in iustice he procureth. 6. the generall action he causeth. 7. as it is a punishment, he inflicteth it, &c.
7. Now according to these conclusions set downe, the former reasons which seemed to make God accessarie vntounto euill, may thus be answered.
1. God is said to giuegive vp the Gentiles to vile affections, because hee left them to themselues, and iustly depriued them of his grace.
2. God hardened Pharaohs heart, and blinded the Israelites eyes, occasionaliter, by ministring the occasion, which they abused: Gods workes were an occasion of Pharaohs hardening, and his word of the others blinding, but not of themselues: the other through their peruersnesse tooke occasion to doe euill, where none was giuen, and turned that which was good, to be an occasion of euill.
3. The Lord is said to lead into temptation, because the deuill, who is the tempter, can doe no more then God permitteth: God tempteth not to euill, as hee is not tempted, Iam. 1. And we of our selues are tempted of our owne concupiscence: therefore our Sauiour saith to his Apostles, watch and pray, least yee enter into temptation, Matth. 26.41.
4. God is the creator of mans will, but not of his corrupt will, which is the cause of sinne, and not his will simply, as God created it.
5. When God saith to the euill spirit, goe and prosper, that is to be referred to the ende, which was the death and punishment of Ahab: but the meanes which was by beeing a lying spirit, God willed not nor commaunded to be done, but hindred not the doing of it, because the Lord knewe how to vse it to his glorie.
6. It is not denied, but that the subiect of sinne, which is the action in generall is from God, who is the moouer of all things: but it followeth not that the euilnesse of the action therefore is from God.
7. God is said to deceiue the Prophet and people, not in respect of the cause thereof, which proceeded from their owne corrupt heart: but in regard of the euent, because God vsed that seduction for their punishment.
8. God is said to turne their hearts to hatred, because the prosperitie of the Hebrewes, which God caused, gaue occasion of enuie and hatred to the Egyptians: the hearts of the Canaanites were hardened, non emolliendo, because God mollified them not. And so God gaue them which beleeued not the truth, strong delusions, as a iust iudge punishing their hardnes of heart and vnbeleefe, with blindnes & peruersnesse.
9. God willeth the meanes, but after an other manner: his will is, that persecutions should be, not simply, but as they tend to his glorie, and to the propagation of the truth.
10. It is crueltie in man, if he suffer one to fall and helpe him not, because a man is bound in charitie to doe it: but God is bound to none: many graces he giues vntounto the wicked, which they abuse: he is not bound to giuegive all, he may doe with his owne, as it pleaseth him.
11. God is the author of the action, which bringeth forth euill; but not of the euilnesse of the action.
12. Concerning the death and suffering of Christ, God willed it in respect of the ende, which was our redemption: the meane…, as the treacherie of Iudas, the malice of the Iewes, he ordained not, but disposed; he willed not, but vsed them.
8. Quest. How Gods prouidence and mans will may stand together.
Here are two errours to bee taken heed of in two extreames: Some doe so hold Gods prouidence, as that they exempt some thing… from it: some on the contrarie do ascribe all things to the diuine prouidence, as th…t they impose a necessitie vponupon the will of man, depriuing the same of the naturall libertie and freedome thereof.
1. Of the first opinion was Plato, affirming that there are many things in the world which God is no wayes the cause of,Lib. 2. de Republic. as of euill things; which is true, if he speake of the proper efficient cause of sinne: but yet euen in such things Gods prouidence sleepeth not, directing, ordering, and disposing euill things vntounto such ende, as seemeth best vntounto himselfe.
2. Damascene also in some sort impugneth Gods prouidence, when hee saith, that foreign, that onelyonly those things which are not within vsus, not the things within vsus,Lib. …. de fide. c. 29. are subiect to Gods prouidence: whereas the Prophet Dauid saith directly, Psal. 139. thou vnderstandest my thoughts long before. He hath an other assertion as dangerous, That the election of things to be done is in vsus, the perfection and consummation, of the concurring operation of God: whereas the Apostle saith, that God worketh in vsus both the will and deede, Philip. 2.13.of his good pleasure.
3. But that distinction of Damasus is not to bee misliked, whereby he diuideth Gods prouidence into foreign, his good pleasure, & foreign, permission and concession: for Gods prouidence is seene in willing and acting of good things, his permission in suffering euil things to be done, not by a bare permission in leauing men to themselues to doe altogether what they list, but in vsing them and ouerruling them. This concession he further maketh of two sorts, diuiding it into foreign, oecomicall or disciplinarie concession, in leauing his children sometime to themselues, for their further instruction: there is an other concession foreign, absolute and finall, whereby he suffreth the wicked and inccorrigible finally to fall without recouerie.
2. In the other extreame are they which so hold the diuin… prouidence, as that they bring in a fatall necessitie: But God constraineth no mans will: for if it be forced, it is not a will which willeth freely. But here there is a threefold libertie of the will to be considered: there is libertas à coactione, a libertie and freedome from coaction, in all men good and bad: libertas à peccato, a libertie from sinne, that is, from the dominion thereof, when the will is regenerate: and libertas à miseri…, a liber…ie and immunitie from misery, which shall be in the kingdome of God, when we are glorified. But a libertie à necessitate, from a kind of necessitie, man now hath not: he cannot choose but sinne. Adam before he fell had this libertie also: for it was in his power not to hauehave sinned, if he would: but now a necessitie of bondage and corruption is laid vponupon his posteritie: but yet the mind of naturall men worke freely in respect of any violence, constraint, or coaction.
9. Quest. v. 16. Of Cushai his salutation to Absalom, God saue the King: whether therein he did well.
1. Some to excuse this fact, thinke that Cushai, saying, let the King liue: that hee meant eternall life, wishing that Abshalom might take such a course, as might not hinder his saluation: but the meaning of this phrase, in saluting of their kings, was nothing else but to wish them prosperitie: as the Chalde interpreter readeth.
2. Some thinke that Cushai here lied euidently, m…ntitur impissimo tyranno, he lied vntounto this wicked tyrant: seeming as though God, and all the people of Israel, had chosen Abshalom: and he taketh that miscreant-companie for the Church of God: Martyr. so also Iosephus sheweth how he vseth two reasons for his dissimulation: one, because God had chosen Abshalom king, the other the kingdome was not devolued vntounto a straunger, but descended vntounto the sonne. But seeing that Chushai herein followed Dauids direction, and immediately vponupon his prayer, I cannot thinke, that Dauid would be the author of such palpable flatt…rie.
3. Osiander thinketh it was mendacium officiosum, an officious lie, which was no sinne: but euerie lie is sinne, as is shewed before, qu. 11. c. 15.
4. Therefore as I there resolued with Iunius, Chushai rather deludeth Abshalom with ambiguous speach: and vseth a kind of ironia: Borrh. speaking by the contrarie: and all this was thus disposed, diuina prouidentia, by the diuine prouidence: Chushai cannot be excused from some humane infirmitie in this his dissimulation, yet it is too much to charge him with lying and flatterie: for he sought not any aduantage to himselfe, as flatterers do, but only the safetie and preseruation of the Lords annointed. In respect whereof, excusandus est à tanto, si non à toto, he may be excused if not altogether, yet from so great a sinne: Pellican. as in the imputation of lying and flatterie: See more hereof before, qu. 11. c. 15.
10. Quest. v. 19. Of the truth of Chushai his speach, as I serued thy father, so will I be before thee.
1. True it is, that when good Magistrates are remooued, and worse come in their place, we must yeeld obedience vntounto them in all lawfull things, so long as they commaund not things contrarie to the word of God. As the Romans were obedient to Iulius Caesar, after he had spoiled them of their libertie, and to the Emperor Phocas hauing slaine Mauritius.
2. But the case is diuerse here, for neither was Dauid dead, and therefore Abshalom was an vsurper, his father yet liuing: and other Princes hauehave not the expresse word of God for their gouernment, as Dauid had who was anointed by Samuel; and therefore the people here were to obey none other but Dauid.
3. The like may be said, when good Ministers are expelled, & alij instituuntur non ita boni, and others not so good are set in their place: all good meanes must be vsed, by prayer and such like, that good Ministers be not cast out: sed si alij substituuntur, audiendi sunt, but if others be substituted in their place, they must be heard as long as they preach the truth. Mart.
11. Quest. v. 21. Of Achitophels peruerse counsell to Abshalom to goe in to his fathers concubines.
1. Achitophel giueth counsell contrarie to the word of God: he would hauehave Abshalom lie with his fathers concubines or wiues, which was forbidden by Gods law: but he respecteth his owne profit, more then the glorie of God. 2. For this was his pollicie, to make Abshalom odious to his father, that there might be no hope of reconciliation: for he feared, least if that Abshalom should be receiued to his fathers fauour, all they that tooke his part, should goe to wracke. 3. This was very probable, but not necessarie: for though Ruben had defiled his fathers bed, yet Iacob did not vtterly cast him off from beeing counted among his brethren, though he depriued him of his birthright. And Dauid notwithstanding this villanie, yet altogether withdrew not his affection from his sonne, as appeareth by his mourning for him. 4. The Hebrewes thinke that Achitophel herein did reuenge his own quarell, because Dauid had committed adulterie with Bathsheba, who was Achitophels neece by his sonne Eliam: who was the sonne of Achitophel, and is numbred among Dauids worthies, c. 23.14. 5. This Achitophel was such another craftie man, and wicked counseller to Abshalom, as Ionadab before was to Amnon. If Dauids house were not void of such flaterers and wicked counsellers, it is no maruell, if they abound in Princes Coures in these daies. 6. Abshalom here now bewraieth himselfe by this abominable act, that he was not reuenged of Amnon so much for his incest, as of malice and spight, seeing here he committeth more grieuous incest himselfe: Mart. 7. But this fell out by Gods prouidence, as the Prophet Nathan had told Dauid before, that he should be thus corrected for his sinne of adulterie. Borrh.
12. Quest. How this incest of Abshalom might stand with Gods will.
1. It is certaine, that all things which are foreseene of God, shall necessarily come to passe, & praevideri non quia futura sunt, and that they are foreseene, not because they shall come to passe, but therefore they shall come to passe, because they are foreseene. 2. It also followeth that nothing falleth out by chaunce, but according to the decree and foresight of God. 3. But further, there is great difference betweene the ineuitable necessitie of the counsells of God, and necessitie which is by compulsion and coaction: notwitstanding God foreseeth the sinnes of men, which therefore are ineuitable, yet they commit them freely and willingly, as Abshalom did this incest here. As God is by an ineuitable necessitie good, and Sathan euill: the one can not be otherwise then good, nor the other then euill: yet God is freely good without compulsion, and so is Sathan euill: Borrh.
13. Quest. v. 23. Why Achitophels counsell is likened to the Oracle of God.
1. Iunius referreth it to this present counsell of Achitophel, which though it were in it selfe most horrible and wicked, yet it was applauded by the vngodly, as most sound counsell: but the text speaketh not onelyonly of this time, but of his former counsells in the daies of Dauid. 2. So that Achitophels counsell is not so called onelyonly in respect of that authoritie which it had in the opinion of men: Osiand. 3. But because of the good successe, which his counsell vsed to hauehave. Genevens. And this counsell, which he giueth now, though it were wicked, yet it was for the present time verie perilous and pestilent. 4. His counsell was so esteemed of in Dauids time also: but with this difference; Dauid approoued of his counsell, as hee found it agreeable to Gods word: but Abshalom and his companie follow it howsoeuer, if it serued their turne: yet this is an hyperbolical speach, comparatio est non aequiparatio, it is a comparison onelyonly, not an equalizing of his counsell vntounto the oracle of God, vnlesse it were in the opinion of carnall and worldly wise men. Mar. 5. And such a wise man was Achitophel, carnally or worldly, not religiouslly wise: such wisedome as may be and is giuen many times to wicked men. Borrh.