Works of Joseph Hall, Part 21
MEPHIBOSHETH and ZIBA.
SO ſoone as euer Dauid can but breathe himſelfe from the publike cares, hee caſts backe his thoughts to the deare remembrance of his Ionathan. Sauls ſeruant is likely to giuegive him the beſt intelligence of Sauls ſonnes; The queſtion is therefore moued to Ziba; Remaineth there yet none of the houſe of Saul? and leſt ſuſpition might conceale the remainders of an emulous liue in feare of reuenge intended, he addes: On whom I may ſhew the mercy of God for Ionathans ſake? O friendſhip worthy of the Monuments of Eternity; fit only to requite him, whoſe louelove was more than the louelove of women; Hee doth not ſay, Is there any of the houſe of Ionathan, but of Saul, that for his friends ſake hee may ſhew fauour to the Poſterity of his Perſecutor. Ionathans louelove could not bee greater than Sauls malice, which alſo ſuruiued long in his iſſue; from whom Dauid found a buſie and ſtubborne riualitie for the Crowne of Iſrael; yet as one that gladly buried all the hoſtilitie of Sauls houſe in Ionathans graue, hee askes, Is there any man left of Sauls houſe, that I may ſhew him merciemercy for Ionathans ſake? It is true louelove, that ouerliuing the perſon of a friend, will bee inherited of his ſeed; but to louelove the poſteritie of an enemie in a friend, it is the miracle of friendſhip: The formall amitie of the World is confined to a face; or to the poſſibility of recompence, languiſhing in the diſabilitie, and dying in the deceaſe of the party affected: That louelove was euer falſe, that is not euer conſtant, and then moſt operatiue, when it cannot be either knowne, or requited.
To cut off all vnquiet competition for the Kingdome of Iſrael, the prouidence of God had ſo ordered, that there is none left of the houſe of Saul (beſides the ſonnes of his Concubines) ſaue only young and lame Mephihoſheth; ſo young, that hee was but fiue yeeres of age, when Dauid entred vponupon the Gouernment of Iſrael; ſo lame, that if his age had fitted, his impotence had made him vnfit for the Throne. Mephiboſheth was not borne a Cripple, it was an heedleſſe Nurſe that made him ſo: She hearing of the death of Saul and Ionathan, made ſuch haſte to flee, that her young Maſter was lamed with the fall: Yw is there needed no ſuch ſpeed to runne away from Dauid; whoſe louelove purſues the hidden ſonne of his brother Ionathan: How often doth our ignorant miſtaking, cauſe vsus to runne from our beſtfriends, and to catch knockes and maimes of them that profeſſe our protection?
MEPHIBOSHETH could not come otherwiſe than fearefully, into the preſence of Dauid, whom hee knew ſo long, ſo ſpitefully oppoſed by the houſe of Saul: hee could not bee ignorant, that the faſhion of the World is to build their owne ſecurity vponupon the bloud of the oppoſite faction; neither to thinke themſelues ſafe, whiles any branch remaines ſpringing out of that root of their emulation: Seaſonably doth Dauid therefore firſt, expell all thoſe vniuſt doubts, ere hee adminiſter his further cordials; (Feare not; for I will ſurely ſhew thee kindneſſe, for Ionathan thy fathers ſake, and will reſtore thee all the fields of Saul thy father, and thou ſhalt eate bread at my table continually.)
Dauid can ſee neither Sauls bloud, nor lame legs in Mephiboſheth, whiles he ſees in him the features of his friend Ionathan; how much leſſe ſhall the God of mercies regard our infirmities, or the corrupt bloud of our ſinfull Progenitors, whiles he beholds vsus in the face of his Sonne, in whom he is well pleaſed.
Fauours are wont ſo much more to affect vsus, as they are leſſe expected by vsus; Mephiboſheth as ouer-ioyed with ſo comfortable a word, and confounded in himſelfe at the remembrance of the contrary-deſeruings of his Family, bowes himſelfe to the earth, and ſayes (What is thy ſeruant, that thou ſhouldst looke vponupon ſuch a dead Dog as I am?) I find no defect of wit, (though of limmes) in Mepihbeſheth, hee knew himſelfe the Grand-childe of the King of Iſrael, the ſonne of Ionathan, the lawfull heire of both, yet in regard of his owne impotencie, and the treſpaſſe and reiection of his houſe, hee thus abaſeth himſelfe vntounto Dauid; Humiliation is a right vſe of Gods affliction; What if hee were borne great? If the ſinne of his Grandfather hath loſt his eſtate, and the hand of his Nurſe hath deformed and diſabled his perſon, hee now forgets what hee was, and cals himſelfe worſe than hee is, A Dogge; Yet a liuing Dogge, is better than a dead Lion; there is dignity and comfort in life, Mephiboſheth is therefore a dead Dogge vntounto Dauid. It is not for vsus to nouriſh the ſame ſpirits in our aduerſe eſtate, that wee found in our higheſt proſperitie; What vſe hauehave wee made of Gods hand, if wee bee not the lower with ourfall? God intends wee ſhould carry our croſſe, not make a fire of it to warme vsus; It is no bearing vp our ſayles in a tempeſt; Good Dauid cannot diſ-eſteeme Mephiboſheth euer the more for diſparaging himſelfe; hee loues and honours this humilitie, in the Sonne of Ionathan; There is no more certaine way to glory and aduancement, than a lowly deiection of our ſelues: Hee that made himſelfe a Dogge, and therefore fit onelyonly to lye vnderunder the table, yea a dead Dogge, and therefore fit onelyonly for the ditch, is raiſed vp to the table of a King; his ſeat ſhall bee honourable, yea, royall, his fare delicious, his attendance noble. How much more will our gracious God lift vp our heads, vntounto true honour before men and Angels, if wee can bee ſincerely humbled in his ſight? If wee miſcall our ſelues in the meaneneſſe of our conceits to him, hee giues vsus a new name, and ſets vsus at the Table of his glorie; It is contrary with GOD and men; if they reckon of vsus as wee ſet our ſelues, hee values vsus according to our abaſements. Like a Prince truely munificent and faithfull, Dauid promiſes and performes at once; Ziba Sauls ſeruant hath the charge giuen him, of the execution of that royall word; Hee ſhall bee the Bayliffe of this great Husbandry of his Maſter MEPHIBOSHETH; The Land of Saul, how euer forfeited, ſhall know no other Maſter than Sauls Grand-child; As yet, Sauls ſeruant had ſped better than his ſonne: I reade of twentie ſeruants of Ziba, none of Mephiboſheth; Earthly poſſeſſions, doe not alwaies admit of equall diuiſions; The Wheele is now turned vp; Mephiboſheth is a Prince, Ziba is his Officer; I cannot but pittie the condition of this good ſonne of Ionathan; Into ill hands did honeſt Mephiboſheth fall, firſt, of a careleſſe Nurſe, then of a trecherous ſeruant; Shee maymed his body, hee would hauehave ouerthrowne his eſtate; After ſome yeeres of ey-ſeruice to Mephiboſheth, wicked Ziba intends to giuegive him a worſe fall than his Nurſe. Neuer any Court was free from Detractors, from Delators, who if they ſee a man to be a Creeple, that hee cannot goe to ſpeake for himſelfe, will bee telling Tales of him, in the eares of great; ſuch an one was this perfidious Ziba; who taking the opportunitie of Dauids flight from his ſonne Abſolom, followes him with a faire preſent, and a falſe Tale, accuſing his impotent Maſter of a ſoule and trayterous ingratitude; labouring to treade vponupon his lame Lord to rayſe himſelfe to honour: True-hearted Mephiboſheth had as good a will as the beſt; if hee could hauehave commanded legs, hee had not beene left behind Dauid: now that hee cannot goe with him; hee will not bee well without him, and therefore puts himſelfe to a wilfull and ſullen penance, for the abſence and danger of his King; hee will not ſo much as put on cleane clothes for the time, as hee that could not hauehave any ioy in himſelfe, for the want of his Lord Dauid; Vnconſcionable Miſcreants care not how they collogue, whom they ſlander for a priuate aduantage; Lewd Ziba comes with a Gift in his hand, and a ſmooth Tale in his mouth; Oh Sir, you thought you had a Ionathan at home; but you will finde a Saul; It were pittie but hee ſhould be ſet at your Table, that would ſit in your Throne; you thought Sauls Land would hauehave contented Mephiboſheth, but hee would hauehave all yours; though hee bee lame, yet hee would bee climbing; would you hauehave thought that this Creeple could be plotting for your Kingdome, now that you are but gone aſide? Iſhboſheth will neuer dye while Mephiboſheth liues: How did hee now forget his impotence, and rayſed vp his ſpirits in hope of a day; and durſt ſay, that now the time was come, wherein the Crowne ſhould reuert to Sauls true Heire. Oh Viper: if a Serpent bite in ſecret when hee is not charmed, no better is a Slanderer; Honeſt Mephiboſheth in good manners made a dead Dogge of himſelfe, when Dauid offered him the fauour of his board, but Ziba would make him a very Dogge indeed, an ill natur'd Curre, that when Dauid did thus kindly feede him at his owne Table, would not onelyonly bite his fingers, but flye at his throat.
But what ſhall wee ſay to this? Neither earthly Souereigntie, nor holineſſe can exempt men from humane infirmitie. Wiſe and good Dauid hath now but one eare; and that miſ-led with credulitie; His Charitie in beleeuing Ziba, makes him vncharitable in diſtruſt…ng, in cenſuring Mephiboſheth. The Detractor hath not only ſudden credit giuen him, but Sauls Land; Ionathans Sonne hath loſt (vnheard) that inheritance which was giuen him vnſought. Heare-ſay is no ſafe ground of any iudgement; Ziba ſlaunders, Dauid beleeues. Mephiboſheth ſuffers.
Lies ſhall not alwayes proſper, God will not abide the truth to bee euer oppreſſed; At laſt Ionathans lame Sonne ſhall bee found as ſound in heart, as lame in his body; Hee whoſe Soule was like his Father Ionathans Soule, whoſe bodie was like to his Grand-father Sauls Soule, meets Dauid (as it was high time) vponupon his returne; beſtirs his tongue, to diſcharge himſelfe of ſo foule a ſlander; The more horrible the crime had beene, the more villanous was the vnluſt ſuggeſtion of it, and the more neceſſary was a iuſt Apologie; Sweetly therefore, and yet paſſionately doth hee labour to greaten Dauids fauours to him; his owne obligations and vileneſſe; ſhewing himſelfe more affected with his wrong, than with his loſſe; wel-comming Dauid home with a thankfull neglect of himſelfe, as not caring that Ziba had his ſubſtance, now that hee had his King. Dauid is ſatisfied, Mephiboſheth reſtored to fauour and Landes; here are two kind hearts well met. Dauid is full of ſatisfaction from Mephiboſheth; Mephiboſheth runnes ouer with ioy in Dauid: Dauid, like a gracious King, giues Mephiboſheth (as before) Sauls Lands to halues with Ziba; Mephiboſheth, like a King, giues all to Ziba for ioy that God had giuen him Dauid; All had beene well, if Ziba had fared worſe; Pardon mee O holy and glorious Soule of a Prophet, of a King, after Gods owne heart, I muſt needs blame thee for merciemercy: A fault that the beſt and moſt generous natures are moſt ſubiect to: It is pittie, that ſo good a thing ſhould doe hurt, yet wee finde that the beſt, miſuſed is moſt dangerous: Who ſhould bee the patterne of Kings but the King of God? MercieMercy is the goodlieſt Flower in his Crowne, much more in theirs, but with a difference. Gods merciemercy is infinite, theirs limited; hee ſayes, I will hauehave mercy on whom I will: they muſt ſay, I will hauehave merciemercy on whom I ſhould. And yet hee, for all his infinite merciemercy, hath veſſels of wrath, ſo muſt they; of whom his Iuſtice hath ſaid; Thine eye ſhall not ſpare them: A good man is pitifull to his beaſt, ſhall bee therefore make much of Toades and Snakes? Oh that Ziba ſhould goe away with any Poſſeſſion, ſaue of ſhame and ſorrow; that hee ſhould bee coupled with a Mephiboſheth in a partnerſhip of Eſtates: Oh that Dauid had changed the word a little.
A diuiſion was due here indeed; but of Siba's eares from his head, or his head from his ſhoulders, for going about ſo maliciouſly, to deuide Dauid from the Sonne of Ionathan; An Eye for an Eye, was Gods Rule; If that had beene true, which Ziba, ſuggeſted againſt Mephiboſheth, hee had beene worthy to loſe his head with his Lands; being falſe, it had beene but reaſon, Ziba ſhould hauehave changed heads with Mephiboſheth; Had not holy Dauid himſelfe beene ſo ſtung with venemous tongues, that hee cryes out in the bitterneſſe of his ſoule; What reward ſhall bee giuen thee, O thou falſe tongue? euen ſharpe Arrowes with hotte burning coles. He that was ſo ſenſible of himſelfe in Doegs wrong, doth he feele ſo little of Mephiboſheth in Zibaes? Are theſe the Arrowes of Dauids Quiuer; are theſe his hot burning coles (Thou and ZIBA diuide?) He that had ſaid, their tongue is a ſharp ſword, now that the Sword of iuſt reuenge is in his hand, is this the blow he giues, Diuide the Poſſeſsion? I know not whether, exceſſe, or want of mercy may proue moſt dangerous in the great; the one diſcourage good intentions with feare; the other may encourage wicked practiſes through preſumption; Thoſe that are in eminent place muſt learne the mid-way betwixt both; ſo pardoning faults, that they may not prouoke them; ſo puniſhing them, that they may not diſhearten vertuous and wel-meant actions; they muſt learne to ſing that abſolute Dittie (whereof Dauid had here forgotten one part) of MercieMercy and Iudgement.