Works of Joseph Hall, Part 19 – Dedication 44
ABNER and IOAB.
HOw mercifull and ſeaſonable are the prouiſions of God? Zildag was now nothing but ruines and aſhes: Dauid might returne to the ſoile where it ſtood, to the roofes and wals he could not: No ſooner is he diſappointed of that harbour, than God prouides him Cities of Hebron: Saul ſhall die to giuegive him elbow-roome: Now doth Dauid finde the comfort that his extremity ſought in the Lord his God: Now are his clouds for a time paſſed ouer: and the Sunne breakes gloriouſly forth: Dauid ſhall reigne after his ſufferings. So ſhall we, if we endure to the end, finde a Crowne of Righteouſneſſe, which the Lord the righteous Iudge, ſhall giuegive vsus at that day: But though Dauid well knew that his head was long before anointed, and had heard Saul himſelfe confidently auouching his Succeſſion: yet he will not ſtirre from the heapes of Ziklag, till he hauehave conſulted with the Lord: It did not content him, that he had Gods warrant for the Kingdome, but he muſt hauehave his inſtructions for the taking poſſeſſion of it: How ſafe and happy is the man that is reſolued to do nothing without God? Neither will generalities of direction be ſufficient; euen particular circumſtances muſt looke for a word: ſtill is God a Pillar of fire, and cloude to the eye of eueryevery Iſraelite: neither may there be any motion or ſtay but from him; That action cannot but ſucceed, which proceeds vponupon ſo ſure a warrant.
God ſends him to Hebron a City of Iudah: Neither will Dauid goe vp thither alone, but he takes with him all his men with their whole houſholds: they ſhall take ſuch part as himſelfe: As they had ſhared with him in his miſery, ſo they ſhall now in his proſperity: Neither doth he take aduantage of their late mutinie (which was yet freſh and greene) to caſhire thoſe vnthankfull, and vngracious followers; but pardoning their ſecret rebellions, he makes them partakers of his good ſucceſſe. Thus doth our heauenly Leader (whom Dauid prefigured) take vsus to reigne with him who hath ſuffered with him: paſſing by our manifold infirmities, as if they had not beene, he remoueth vsus from the Land of our baniſhment, and the aſhes of our forlorne Ziklag, to the Hebron of our Peace and glory: The expectation of this day muſt (as it did with Dauids Souldiers) digeſt all our ſorrowes.
Neuer any calling of God was ſo conſpicuous, as not to finde ſome Oppoſites: What Iſraelite did not know Dauid, appointed by God to the ſucceſſion of the Kingdome? Euen the Amalekite, could carry the Crowne to him as the true Owner: yet there want not an Abner to reſiſt him, and the Title of an Iſhboſheth to colour his reſiſtance: If any of Sauls houſe could hauehave made challenge to the Crowne, it ſhould hauehave beene Mephiboſheth the ſonne of Ionathan: Who, it ſeemes, had too much of his Fathers bloud to be a Competitor with Dauid: the queſtion is not, who may claime the moſt right, but who may beſt ſerue the faction; Neither was Iſhboſheth any other than Abners Stale: Saul could not hauehave a fitter Courtier: whether in the imitation of his Maſters enuy, or the ambition of ruling vnderunder a borrowed name, he ſtrongly oppoſed Dauid: there are thoſe who ſtriue againſt their owne hearts, to make a ſide, with whom conſcience is oppreſſed by affection: An ill quarrell once vndertaken ſhall be maintained, although with bloud: Now, not ſo much the bloud of Saul, as the ingagement of Abner makes the Warre. The ſonnes of Zerniah ſtand faſt to Dauid: It is much, how a man placeth his firſt intereſt: If Abner had beene in Ioabs roome, when Sauls diſpleaſure droue Dauid from the Court, or Ioab in Abners, theſe actions, theſe euents had beene changed with the perſons: It was the only happineſſe of Ioab that he fell on the better ſide.
Both the Commanders vnderunder Dauid and Iſhboſheth were equally cruell: both are ſo iniured to bloud, that they make but a ſport of killing. Cuſtome makes ſinne ſo …miliar, that the horror of it, is to ſome turned into pleaſure. (Come let the young m…n play before vsus.) ABNER is the Challenger, and ſpeeds thereafter: for though in the matches of Duell both ſides miſcarryed, yet in the following conflict, Abner and his men are beaten: By the ſucceſſe of thoſe ſingle Combates no man knowes the better of the cauſe: Both ſides periſh, to ſhew, how little God liked either the offer, or the acceptation of ſuch a tryall; but when both did their beſt, God puniſheth the wrong part with diſcomfiture.
Oh, the miſery of ciuill diſſention! Iſrael and Iudah were brethren? Our carried the name of the Father, the other of the Sonne: Iudah was but a branch of Iſrael, Iſrael was the roote of Iudah: yet Iudah and Iſrael muſt fight, and kill each other; onelyonly vponupon the quarrell of an ill Leaders ambition. The ſpeed of Aſahel was not greater than his courage: It was a mind fit for one of Dauids Worthies, to ſtrike at the head, to match himſelfe with the beſt: He was both ſwift and ſtrong: but the race is not to the ſwift, nor the battle to the ſtrong: If hee had gon neuer ſo ſlowly, he might hauehave ouer-taken death: now hee runnes to fetch it. So little luſt had Abner to ſhed the bloud of a ſonne of Zerniah. that hee twice aduiſes him to retreate from purſuing his owne perill: Aſahels cauſe was ſo much better as Abners ſucceſſe: Many a one miſcarries in the raſh proſecution of a good quarrell, when the Abettors of the worſt part goe away with victory. Heate of zeale, ſometimes in the vndiſcreet purſuit of a iuſt Aduerſary, prooues mortall to the agent, preiudiciall to the ſeruice.
ABNER, whiles hee kils, yet hee flyes, and runnes away from his owne death, whiles he inflicts it vponupon another: Dauids followers had the better of the field and day; The Sunne, as vnwilling to ſee any more Iſraelitiſh bloud ſhed by brethren, hath withdrawne himſelfe: and now both parts hauing got the auantage of an hill vnderunder them, hauehave ſafe conuenience of parley: Abner beginnes, and perſwades Ioab to ſurceaſe the fight (Shall the ſword deuoure for euer? Knoweſt thou not, that it will bee bitterneſſe in the end? How long ſhall it bee, ere thou bid the people returne from following their Brethren?) It was his fault, that the ſword deuoured at all: and why was not the beginning of a ciuill Warre bitterneſſe? Why did hee call forth the people to skirmiſh, and inuite them to death? Had Abner beene on the winning hand, this motion had beene thanke-worthy: It is a noble diſpoſition in a Victor, to call for a ceſſation of Armes: whereas neceſſitie wrings this ſuite from the ouer-maſtered. There cannot be a greater prayſe, to a valiant and wiſe Commander, than a propenſion to all iuſt termes of peace: For warre as it is ſometimes neceſſary, ſo it is alwayes euill; and if fighting hauehave any other end propoſed beſides peace, it proues murder. Abner ſhall finde himſelfe no leſſe ouercome, by Ioab in clemencie, than power; Hee ſayes not, I will not ſo eaſily leaue the aduantage of my victory: ſince the Dice of warre runne on my ſide, I will follow the chace of my good ſucceſſe: Thou ſhouldeſt hauehave conſidered of this before thy prouocation: It is now too late, to moue vntounto forbearance: But, as a man that meant to approue himſelfe equally free from cowardiſe, in the beginning of the conflict, and from crueltie in the end; hee profeſſeth his forwardneſſe, to entertaine any pretence of ſheathing vp the ſwords of Iſrael; and ſweares to Abner, that if it had not beene for his proud irritation, the people had in the morning before ceaſed from that bloudy purſuit of their brethren. As it becomes publike perſons to bee louers of peace, ſo they muſt ſhew it vponupon all good occaſions: letting paſſe no opportunitie of making ſpare of bloud.
Iſhboſheth was (it ſeemes) a man of no great ſpirits, for being no leſſe than fortie yeares old, when his father went into his laſt field againſt the Philiſtims, hee was content to ſtay at home; Abner hath put ambition into him; and hath eaſily raiſed him to the head of a faction, againſt the annoynted Prince of Gods people. If this vſurped Crowne of Sauls Sonne, had any worth or glory in it, hee cannot but acknowledge, to owe it all vntounto Abner; yet how forward is vnthankfull Iſhboſheth to receiue a falſe ſuggeſtion againſt his chiefe Abettor: (Wherefore hast thou gone in, to my fathers Concubine?) Hee that made no conſcience of an vniuſt claime to the Crowne, and a maintenance of it with bloud, yet ſeemes ſcrupulous of a leſſe ſinne that carried in it the colour of a diſgrace; The touch of her, who had beene honoured by his fathers bed, ſeemed an intolerable preſumption, and ſuch as could not bee ſeuered from his owne diſhonour: Selfe-louelove ſometimes borrowes the face of honeſt zeale. Thoſe, who out of true grounds, diſlike ſinnes, doe hate them all indifferently, according to their hainouſneſſe; Hypocrites are partiall in their deteſtation, bewraying euer moſt bitterneſſe, againſt thoſe offences, which may moſt preiudice their perſons and reputations.
It is as dangerous as vniuſt for Princes, to giuegive both their eares and their heart to miſ-grounded rumors of their innocent followers: This wrong hath ſtript Iſhboſheth of the Kingdome; Abner in the meane time cannot be excuſed from a treacherous inconſtancy; If Sauls ſonne had no true Title to the Crowne, why did hee maintaine it; If hee had, why did he forſake the cauſe and perſon? Had Abner out of remorſe, for furthering a falſe claime taken off his hand, I know not wherein he could be blamed, except for not doing it ſooner; But now to withdraw his profeſſed allegeance, vponupon a priuate reuenge, was to take a lewd leaue of an ill action: If Iſhboſheth were his lawfull Prince, no iniury could warrant a reuolt; Euen betwixt priuate perſons, a returne of wrongs is both vncharitable, and vniuſt, how euer this goe currant for the common iuſtice of the World; how much more ſhould we learne from a ſupreme hand, to take hard meaſures with thankes? It had beene Abners duty, to hauehave giuen his King a peaceable and humble ſatisfaction, and not to flie out in a ſnuffe. If the ſpirit of the Ruler riſe vp againſt thee, leaue not thy place, for yeelding pacifieth great offences; now, his impatient falling, although to the right ſide, makes him no better than traiterouſly honeſt.
So ſoone as Abner hath entertained a reſolution of his rebellion, hee perſwades the Elders of Iſrael to accompany him in the change: and whence doth he fetch his maine motiue, but from the Oracle of God? (The Lord hath ſpoken of Dauid, ſaying, By the hand of my ſeruant Dauid, will I ſaue my people Iſrael, out of the hand of the Philiſtims, and out of the hand of all their enemies;) Abner knew this ful well before, yet then was well content to ſmother a knowne truth for his owne turne, and now the publication of it may ſerue for his aduantage, hee wins the heart of Iſrael, by ſhewing Gods Charter for him, whom he had ſo long oppoſed: Hypocrites make vſe of God for their owne purpoſes; and care onelyonly to make diuine authority a colour for their owne deſignes; No man euer heard Abner godly till now; neither had he beene ſo at this time, if he had not intended a reuengefull departure from Iſhboſheth: Nothing is more odious, than to make Religion a ſtalking horſe to Policy.
WHO can but glorifie God in his iuſtice, when he ſees the bitter end of this treacherous diſſimulation? Dauid may vponupon conſiderations of State, entertaine his new Gueſt with a Feaſt; and well might hee ſeeme to deſerue a welcome, that vndertakes to bring all Iſrael to the league and homage of Dauid: but God neuer meant to vſe ſo vnworthy meanes, for ſo good a worke. Ioab returnes from purſuing a troupe, and finding Abner diſmiſſed in peace and expectation of a beneficiall returne, followes him, and whether out of enuy, at a new riuall of honour, or out of the reuenge of Aſahel, hee repaies him both diſſimulation and death. God doth moſt iuſtly by Ioab, that which Ioab did for himſelfe moſt vniuſtly; I know not (ſetting the quarrell aſide) whether wee can worthily blame Abner for the death of Aſahel, who would needs after faire warnings, runne himſelfe vponupon Abners Speare: yet this fact ſhall procure his paiment for worſe. Now is Iſhboſheths wrong reuenged by an enemy; wee may not alwayes meaſure the Iuſtice of Gods proceedings, by preſent occaſions; Hee needs not make vsus acquainted, or aske vsus leaue when hee will call for the arrerages of forgotten ſinnes.
Contemplations.
THE FIFTEENTH BOOKE Contayning
VzZAH and the Arke,
DAVID with MEPHIBOSHETH and ZIBA.
HANVN and DAVIDS Ambaſſadors.
DAVID with BATHSHEBA and VRIAH.
NATHAN and DAVID.
AMON and THAMAR.
ABSALOMS returne and conſpiracie.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY VERY GOOD LORD, William LORD BVRLEIGH, ALL GRACE AND Happineſſe.
RIGHT HONOVRABLE,
THere are but two Bookes wherin we can reade God; The one is his Word, his Workes the other; This is the bigger Volume, that the more exquiſite. The Characters of this are more large, but dim; of that ſmaller, but clearer. Philoſophers hauehave turned ouer this, and erred; That, Diuines and ſtudious Chriſtians, not without full and certaine information. Jn the Workes of God we ſee the ſhadow, or footſteps of the Creator, in his Word we ſee the face of God in a glaſſe. Happineſſe conſiſts in the Viſion of that infinite Maieſty: and if wee be perfectly happy aboue in ſeeing him face to face, our happineſſe is well forward below, in ſeeing the liuely repreſentation of his face in the glaſſe of Scriptures. Wee cannot ſpend our eyes too much vponupon this Obiect; For mee, the more J ſee, the more J am amazed, the more I am rauiſhed with this glorious beautie. With the honeſt Lepers, I cannot bee content to enioy this happy ſight alone; there is but one way to eueryevery mans Felicity. May it pleaſe your Lordſhip to take part with many your Peeres in theſe my weak, but not vnprofitable Contemplations; which ſhall hold themſelues not a little graced with your Honourable Name; Whereto, together with your right Noble and moſt Worthy Lady, I hauehave gladly deuoted my ſelfe, to bee
Your Lordſhips in all dutifull obſeruance, IOS: HALL.