The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 195
SECT. CXCV.
It ſeems Chileab, Davids ſecond Son, ſee Ch. 3.3. was now dead.IN length of time Davids grief for Amnon by degrees wore off, ſo that he began now to wiſh that he had his Son Abſalom at home with him again, and had it not been for ſhame he could have found in his heart to have gone himſelf and fetcht him. Joab perceiving that the Kings heart was much towards Abſalom, and that he earneſtly deſired to have him brought back again, (if it could be done handſomely, and without ſcandal) he therefore that he might gratifie the King, and ingratiate himſelf with Abſalom, (now heir apparent (b)The City where the Prophet Amos lived, Amos 1.1.to the Crown) ſets himſelf to contrive a way how it might be done. Accordingly he ſent to Tekoah (c) a City in Judah, and fetched thence a woman that was famous for her wiſdom, and acquainting her with his deſign, he put words into her mouth, and directed her what ſhe ſhould ſay to the King in order to the bringing about his end; ſhe undertakes the buſineſs, and being well inſtructed beforehand, in a mourning habit, and ſeeming very diſconſolate, ſhe comes to David, and falling down on her face before him, cries out, Help O King, and ſuccour thine afflicted handmaid. The King asks her what ailed her? ſhe anſwers, I am a widow, and thy handmaid had two Sons, who going into the field together, and falling out, they fought, and (none being by to part them) the one of them happened to kill the other; and now all my family and kindred are riſen up to proſecute my remaining Son that he may be put to death, and ſo the inheritance may come to them, for ſo they give out that they will deſtroy the heir alſo; and if they ſhould be ſuffered to kill this ſurviving Son (who is the only comfort that is left me in this world) they will wholly extinguiſh my husbands name, which by this Son, as by one poor coal that lyeth hid under an heap of aſhes, can only be blown up again, kept alive, and preſerved. The King tells her that he would give order that her caſe ſhould be heard and examined. She deſires him not to put her off, or ſcruple to grant her requeſt; for if there were any iniquity or ſin in ſparing her Son, ſhe would take the guilt of it *See Gen. 27.13. Mat. 27.25.wholly upon her ſelf, the King and his Throne ſhould be guiltleſs. But therein ſhe engag'd for more than ſhe could make good; for if it were unjuſt, God would puniſh her for deſiring and endeavouring it, and David alſo for granting it, ſee Numb. 35.17, 18, 21, 31, 33. However the King ſeeing her ſo importunate, he bad her go home, and if any perſons further troubled her, ſhe ſhould bring them to him, for as the Lord liveth, (ſaith he) not one hair of thy Son ſhall fall to the earth. Then the woman ſaid▪ let the King remember the word that he hath promiſed unto his handmaid in the preſence of the Lord, that he will not ſuffer the avengers of blood to deſtroy my Son. And now having obtained my requeſt, let thy handmaid ſpeak one word more to my Lord the King: How comes it to paſs that thou haſt paſſed ſo favourable a ſentence in reference to my Son, and yet entertaineſt thoughts in thy mind againſt thy own Son which are far different, and very prejudicial to the good and welfare of thy people? Give me leave to ſay that the King doth ſpeak this thing as one that is faulty; he hath given a juſt ſentence in the caſe of my Son, but fails in giving the ſame ſentence when it comes to the caſe of his own Son; the King would have no rigor us'd againſt my Son for killing his brother, becauſe it would tend to my great grief and damage, and yet can be content that rigor ſhall be us'd towards his own Son Abſalom, and will not fetch him home again from his baniſhment, though it redound exceedingly to the detriment and grief of the whole Commonwealth. Thou knoweſt, O King, that we muſt all die at one time or other, and when we are dead there is no recalling us to life again, no more than water that is ſpilt on the ground can be again gathered up. And thou maiſt die as well as any of us, and if thou ſhouldſt die while we are in this unſetled ſtate, we ſhall be miſerable. And as for Abſalom, ſeeing God hath not taken away his life in all theſe three years of his baniſhment, he ſeems by his Providence to have provided a way that he may be reſtored to thee again, namely by my mediation for him at this time. The King may ſomething wonder that I preſume to ſpeak thus boldly to him, but the truth is, the people are ſo full of jealouſies and diſcontent, fearing leſt Abſalom living ſo long among Idolaters ſhould be corrupted in his Religion, and ſo may corrupt the people if he come to reign over them, that I was really afraid and durſt hold my tongue no longer; and knowing the King to be ſo juſt that he will always hear the cauſe of the oppreſſed, and right their wrongs, I thought it beſt in a Parabolical way to propound this matter to thee, that thou mighteſt the better judg of it. And I doubted not but that I ſhould receive a gracious anſwer from thee; for I know that the King for wiſdom to judg and diſcern between right and wrong is as an Angel †Twas a Proverbial speech us'd to expreſs a mans excellency in any thing, ſee 1 Sam. 29.9. & 2 Sam. 19.27.of heaven, and therefore I doubt not but the Lord thy God will bleſs and proſper thee in thy Government. Then the King ſaid to the woman, tell me true, Is not the hand of Joab in all this? She anſwered (as thy ſoul liveth O King) none can evade what thou haſt ſaid by turning to the right hand or to the left, for thou haſt hit the very right and the truth; for thy ſervant Joab ſet me on work, and put words into my mouth to ſpeak unto thee. And however I have delivered my ſelf, I know my Lord the King is wiſe even as an Angel of God to know all things that are to be done by him upon the earth in the adminiſtration of his Government.
Then the King called for Joab and told him he had granted his requeſt made to him by the woman for the return of Abſalom: Therefore go (ſays he) and fetch him home. Joab fell to the ground on his face before the King, and profeſſed that he accepted it with much thankfulneſs, and as a teſtimony of the Kings great favour to him that he was pleaſed to grant his requeſt. Then Joab aroſe and went to Geſhur, and brought Abſalom back to Jeruſalem. When he was returned the King gave order he ſhould go to his own houſe, but ſaid he ſhould not ſee his face; which David did (as 'tis probable) to avoid the ſcandal of being too eaſily reconciled to him who had committed ſo foul a fault. But in all Iſrael there was no man ſo eminent for beauty and comelineſs of perſon as Abſalom was; for from the ſole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemiſh in him; this was one thing poſſibly that made him ſo proud and inſolent, and made him ſo popular and attracted the peoples affections ſo much to him. He uſed to poll his head and cut off his hair (it growing elſe too heavy for him) once a year, and when cut off, it weighed two hundred ſhekels after the Kings weight, viz. after the common ſhekel, which weighed a quarter of an ounce) and ſo weighed about four pound weight at ſixteen ounces the pound. And Abſalom had three Sons*Ch. 18.18. 'Tis ſaid he had no Son, it ſeems by that time they were all dead., and one fair Daughter named Tamar. So Abſalom dwelt two years after this in Jeruſalem, and was not all that time admitted into the Kings preſence. At laſt being impatient of this reſtraint, and growing diſcontented and ill-affected towards his Father, and entertaining thoughts of rebellion againſt him, and not ſeeing any means of compaſſing his deſign whilſt he was kept from the Court (where he might make friends by his popular carriage) he contrives how he might come thither, and in order thereunto he ſends to Joab to come to him that by his mediation he might be recovered into the Kings favour. But Joab like an old Polititian fearing to diſpleaſe the King would not come at him. He ſent to him a ſecond time but he would not come. He then bad his ſervants to go and ſet Joab's Barley field (which was near to his) on fire, deſigning by that means to bring him to him, as God brings people home to himſelf by afflictions. Joab then comes and asks him why he had fired his Corn? He tells him becauſe he had ſent for him once and again, and he would not come at him; he tells him he ſent for him to repreſent his condition to the King, and to know of him why he was pleaſed to ſend for him from Geſhur, and yet ſtill all this while withdrew his face and favour from him. He tells him it had been better for him to have ſtayed there ſtill than to be thus uſed. Help me (ſays he) to ſee the Kings face once again, and if he think me not worthy to live, let him put me upon a legal trial, and take away my life; I had rather die than live in this manner that I now do. Joab hereupon comes to the King and tells him how heavily Abſalom took it, that he was debar'd from his preſence. David hearing this, ſent for him, who coming, bowed himſelf to the ground before the King, and (as 'tis like) humbly beg'd his pardon; whereupon the King kiſſed him in token that he was fully reconciled to him.
2 Sam. Ch. 14. whole Chapter.