The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 195
SECT. CXCV.
GOD now inflicts upon David many ſore and grievous chaſtiſements to puniſh him for his heinous ſins of adultery and murder: Firſt, Amnon his Eldeſt Son raviſhes his Siſter Tamar; David had two Children by Maacha the daughter of Talmai King of Geſhur, viz. Abſalom and Tamar, and he was ſorely puniſhed in them both, as we ſhall ſee in the ſequel of the ſtory. Tamar was a very beautiful young woman, and Amnon, David's Eldeſt Son by Ahinoam the Jezrelites was ſmitten with an unlawful love to her, but ſhe being a Virgin and carefully kept, (being David's only Daughter, for ought appears among ſo many Sons) he deſpaired of having an opportunity to ſatisfie his luſt with her, whereupon he droop'd(a)Medici morbis a…cenſent eum q…i ex amore contrahitur. Pallidus in Ly…lcen ſilvis errabat Orion. and pin'd away with vexation. Amnon had a friend who was his Couſin-german (with whom he was very intimate) Jonadab by name, who though a very ſubtil man and wiſe to do evil, was no true friend to him; for a true friend adviſes to nothing but that which is good. Jonadab perceiving by his carriage that he was rather ſick in mind than body, ſaid to him, Why art thou being the Kings Son lean from day to day? ſurely thou that art the Kings Son (yea his Eldeſt Son and heir to the Crown) maiſt have what thou wilt; therefore what is it that thou art troubled about? Amnon told him he was in love with Tamar, but knew not how to accompliſh his deſire upon her. Jonadab adviſes him to counterfeit himſelf ſick, and when his Father came to ſee him (as undoubtedly he would) he ſhould deſire him to permit his ſiſter Tamar to come and dreſs him ſome meat, which he ſhould like better from her hand than any bodies elſe. Amnon accordingly feigns himſelf ſick. Indeed it had been better for David and himſelf too that he had been really ſick, for a naughty child is better ſick than well; however it being given out that he was ſick, his Father came to ſee him, of whom he earneſtly deſired that his ſiſter Tamar might come to him and make a couple of Cakes for him, pretending they would do him more good if they were of her making, and given to him by her hand than if made or brought to him by any other. David out of his great indulgence to him ſends his daughter Tamar to him. 'Tis much that David being a wiſe man ſhould ſuſpect nothing, but when God intends to puniſh a man he hides wiſdom from him; and it could not but afterwards much add to Davids ſorrow that he himſelf was made an inſtrument to further ſuch an execrable fact, and that by his command he had caſt his poor daughter into ſuch a ſnare. Tamar accordingly coming to her Brother Amnons houſe, provided him Cakes, making them for him with her own hands in his ſight as he deſired. Amnon then commanding all about him to go out, and bidding his Siſter to bring the Cakes into an inner Chamber, he there inſtead of eating the Cakes took hold of her, and told her ſhe muſt lye with him. She poor Lady was ſtrangely ſurprized at this, and uſed all manner of arguments and intreaties ſhe could deviſe to diſſwade him from ſo unnatural a villany: Firſt, ſhe tells him he was her brother, and therefore ſhould be ſo far from diſhonouring her himſelf, that he ſhould be ready (even with the hazard of his life) to protect her againſt any that ſhould offer her ſo foul an indignity. 2ly, He being her brother he ſhould conſider it would be inceſt in him to defile her, (if ſhe ſhould be ſo wicked as to conſent) but to force her, and to inceſt to add rape, was ſuch a tranſcendent villany, that the very Heathens would abhor. 3ly, He knew very well that no ſuch thing ought to be done in Iſrael, Gen. 34.7. for they were Gods own peculiar people, and profeſſed holineſs above all Nations in the earth, therefore an example of ſo abominable a wickedneſs committed among them, (and eſpecially by one of ſuch eminency as he was) would bring a ſhameful ſcandal upon their whole Nation, and cauſe their Religion, and even the name of God to be blaſphemed. 4ly, He ſhould conſider that by the Law of God which they were under, both inceſt and rape were to be puniſhed with death, ſee Levit. 18 6, 9. Deut. 22.25. Levit. 20.17. 5ly, She deſires him to have ſome pity upon her, and ſome regard to her honour and reputation, for how ſhould ſhe ever cauſe her ſhame to paſs away if ſhe ſhould be ſo defiled? It would be a blot upon her for ever, and none fit for her would ever be induc'd to marry her. 6ly, She deſires him to have ſome ſenſe of his own honour, for how would he be eſteemed a very fool, who when he might have his choice of wives where he pleaſed with their love and liking, yet would not take that courſe which God himſelf had appointed, but would do ſuch a lothed and abominable act as this. He ſhould conſider that the greateſt ſins are the greateſt folly, and expoſe a man to the greateſt ſhame. And if ſuch a perſon as he was ſhould be guilty of ſuch a crime, he would be lookt upon among all wiſe and good men as a moſt notorious, infamous wretch, and a ſon of Belial, and one utterly unworthy to ſucceed his Father in the Kingdom, 7ly, When none of theſe arguments would prevail, ſhe (being in a great ſtraight) adviſeth him to deſire her of his Father for his wife, not thinking (as 'tis like) that this could ever be done, but only to gain time and allay the preſent rage of his luſt, and eſcape his preſent violence, not doubting but for the future ſhe ſhould be kept out of his hands. But his luſt was ſo impetuous, and his heart by the inſtigation of the Devil ſo bent on wickedneſs, that he was deaf to all her perſwaſions, and being ſtronger than ſhe, he brutiſhly forc'd her. Having committed this abominable wickedneſs, his eyes that were before blinded with luſt began to be opened, and he now ſaw what an indelible reproach and ſhame he had brought upon himſelf, and being fill'd with horrour, he now hated his fair ſiſter more than before he loved her; he could not now endure to ſee her, whoſe beauty had been the occaſion to draw him into ſo much ſhame and infamy; and there was an eſpecial hand of God in this, that his ſin and ſhame might hereby be diſcovered, and a way made for the bringing upon David thoſe judgments which God had threatned againſt his Family. But ſo it was Amnons rage of luſt was now turned into the fury of folly. And he was ſo infatuated, that he endeavoured not to keep her in his Chamber till her grief and paſſion was ſomewhat abated, nor ſeeks to perſwade her for her own and his credit to conceal the matter, but as if he had intended to proclaim both his and her ſhame to all the world, he bids her preſently be gone. She tells him there was no cauſe to thruſt her out of doors ſo haſtily being in ſuch a woful condition; this would be a greater injury to her (in ſome reſpects) than the very defiling of her; for though that was an irreparable injury to her, yet to thruſt her out of doors in ſuch a condition as ſhe was now in, was the way not only to diſcover that ſhe had been defiled, but probably would raiſe an opinion in ſome that ſhe had conſented thereunto, and ſo was caſt off as a ſtrumpet, which would be a greater inhumanity and barbarity than the other was. But ſay what ſhe would he was nothing moved therewith, but like a mad man commanded his ſervants to, turn her out of doors and bolt the door after her; ſhe being apparrel'd with a garment of divers colours, (ſuch as Kings daughters that were virgins us'd to wear) ſhe tore her garment, and put aſhes on her head, and laying her hands thereon went crying out as women in extremity of ſorrow us'd to do, [ſee Jer. 1.37.] In this ſad plight ſhe comes to her Brother Abſalom, who inſtantly underſtanding from her how ſhe had been abus'd, did what he could to comfort and quiet her, telling her it was a force practiſed upon her, and ſo her affliction and not her fault, and therefore adviſed her to be patient and to hold her peace, ſeeing Amnon was her brother, and his ſhame would be the ſhame of their whole family. But ſhe notwithſtanding continued very diſconſolate, none being able to comfort her. Abſalom though he ſaid little at preſent, yet was ſo highly enrag'd at this abominable injury done to his ſiſter, that he reſolv'd to revenge it, which he afterwards did to purpoſe; but for the preſent he diſſembled his anger, and ſeem'd to take no notice of it to his brother Amnon. But David when he heard of it was extreamly angry and offended at it, and 'tis like did expreſs his great diſpleaſure againſt Amnon for it; yet for all his anger (it ſeems) he let him go unpuniſhed (and was too indulgent to him like old Eli) whereas he ought to have executed the Law upon him (being ſo notorious an offender) though he were his own Son, that by ſuch an exemplary puniſhment others might be deterred from offending in the like kind. But though he did not puniſh him, yet his Son Abſalom did as we come now to ſhew. After two years were paſt, Abſalom had a ſheepſhearing feaſt (as the manner was in that Country) to entertain his friends, and encourage his ſervants. To this feaſt Abſalom invites David and all his Sons, with their retinue, to avoid all ſuſpition of any ill intention againſt Amnon. David tells him if they ſhould all come they ſhould be too chargeable to him, and therefore he himſelf would not come; however he bleſſed him, and wiſhed him much joy in his Feaſt. Then Abſalom erneſtly intreated him that his brother Amnon (being his Eldeſt Son) might come, and ſo repreſenting his perſon might grace and honour his Feaſt. This might (conſidering former carriages) have given both David and Amnon ſome ſuſpition and jealouſie that he intended ſome miſchief, but God intending to puniſh them both for their former ſins, hid this from their eyes. Therefore upon his great importunity David conſented that Amnon and all his Sons ſhould go with him. They being come, Abſalom gave command to ſome of his ſervants (as evil maſters are uſually attended with ſuch ſervants as will comply with them in any wickedneſs) that when they ſaw Amnon merry with wine, they ſhould fall upon him and kill him; he bids them be courageous and to do their work thoroughly, ſeeing he had commanded them, and would bear them out in it. And though the revenging of his ſiſter Tamars rape might be the chief thing he aimed at, yet poſſibly an ambitious deſire of the Crown might further this his reſolution of cutting off his Elder Brother. The ſervants did as Abſalom commanded them, and accordingly diſpatched Amnon. Upon this murder all the reſt of Davids Sons got every one upon his Mule (a)Though the Iſraelites were forbidden to ſuffer Cattel of divers kinds to engender together, Lev. 19.19. yet they might uſe the Cattel ſo engendred, and ſuch Mules were, ſee Gen. 36.24.and fled, not knowing how far Abſalom's bloody treachery might extend. This gave ſuch a warm alarm to the Country round about, that preſently tidings came to David that Abſalom had ſlain all his Sons. The King upon this ſurprizing news tore his garments, and fell upon the earth, and his ſervants ſtood about him with their clothes rent. Jonadab ſtanding by, deſired the King not to believe that all his Sons were ſlain, but only Amnon, and he did ſuppoſe that he indeed was ſlain becauſe Abſalom had threatned to be reveng'd on him ever ſince he forced his ſiſter Tamar. Preſently the Kings Sons that fled came to him, and with many tears told him what Abſalom had done to their brother Amnon, and the King and all his ſervants wept very ſore. And David mourned for the death of his Son Amnon (ſo treacherouſly ſlain) very many days. Then Abſalom that he might eſcape the hand of juſtice fled to Talmai King of Geſhur, his Grandfather by the mothers ſide, and there he remained three years.
2 Sam. Ch. 13. from v. 1. to 39.