Works of Joseph Hall, Part 26 – Title page 60
ABSALOMS Returne and Conſpiracie.
ONE Act of iniuſtice drawes on another; The iniuſtice of Dauid, in not puniſhing the rape of Amnon, procures the iniuſtice of Abſalom, in puniſhing Amnon with Murder: That which the Father ſhould hauehave iuſtly reuenged, and did not; the Sonne reuenges vniuſtly, The Rape of a Siſter was no leſſe worthy of death, than the Murder of a Brother; Yea, this latter ſinne was therefore the leſſe, becauſe that Brother was worthy of death, though by another hand; whereas that Siſter was guiltie of nothing but modeſt beautie: yet he that knew this Rape paſſed ouer (whole two yeares) with impunitie, dares not truſt the merciemercy of a Father, in the pardon of his Murder; but for three yeares hides his head in the Court of his Grand-father, the King of Geſhur. Doubtleſſe, that Heatheniſh Prince gaue him a kind welcome, for ſo meritorious a reuenge of the diſhonour done to his owne Loynes.
No man can tell, how Abſalom ſhould hauehave ſped from the hands of his otherwiſe ouer-indulgent Father, if he had beene apprehended in the heat of the fact. Euen the largeſt louelove may be ouer-ſtrayned, and may giuegive a fall in the breaking; Theſe fearefull effects of lenity, might perhaps hauehave whetted the ſeueritie of Dauid, to ſhut vp theſe outrages in bloud; Now this diſpleaſure was weakned with age: Time and thoughts hauehave digeſted this hard morſell; Dauids heart told him, that his hands had a ſhare in this offence; that Abſalom did but giuegive that ſtroke, which himſelfe had wrongfully forborne; that the vnrecouerable loſſe of one Sonne, would be but wofully relieued with the loſſe of another; Hee therefore, that in the newes of the deceaſed Infant could change his clothes, and waſh himſelfe, and cheere vp his ſpirits, with the reſolution of, I ſhall goe to him, hee ſhall not returne to me, comforts himſelfe concerning Amnon; and begins to long for Abſalom.
THOSE three yeares baniſhment ſeemed not ſo much a puniſhment to the Son, as to the Father; Now Dauid beginnes to forgiue himſelfe; yet out of his wiſedome, ſo inclines to fauour, that he conceales it; and yet ſo conceales it, that it may be deſcryed by a cunning eye; If he had caſt out no glances of affection, there had beene no hopes for his Abſalom: if he had made profeſſion of louelove after ſo foule an Act, there had beene no ſafetie for others; now he lets fall ſo much ſecret grace, as may both hold vp Abſalom in the life of his hopes, and not hearten the preſumption of others.
GOOD Eyes ſee light thorow the ſmalleſt chinke; The wit of Ioab hath ſooone diſcerned Dauids reſerued affection; and knowes how to ſerue him in that which hee would, and would not accompliſh: and now deuiſes how to bring into the light, that birth of Deſire, whereof hee knew Dauid was both bigge, and aſhamed. A woman of Tekoah, (that Sex hath beene euer held more apt for wiles) is ſuborned to perſonate a mourner, and to ſay that, by way of Parable, which in plaine termes would hauehave ſounded too harſhly; and now whiles ſhee lamentably layes forth the loſſe and danger of her Sonnes, ſhe ſhewes Dauid his owne; and whiles ſhee mooues compaſſion to her pretended Iſſue, ſhe winnes Dauid to a pittie of himſelfe, and a fauourable ſentence for Abſalom. We louelove our ſelues better than others, but we ſee others better than our ſelues; who ſo would perfectly know his owne caſe, let him view it in anothers perſon.
PARABLES ſped well with Dauid; One drew him to repent of his owne ſinne; another, to remit Abſaloms puniſhment; And now, as glad to heare this Plea, and willing to bee perſwaded vntounto that, which if hee durſt, hee would hauehave ſought for, he gratifies Ioab with the grant of that ſuite, which Ioab more gratified him in ſuing for; Goe, bring againe the young man ABSALOM.
How glad is Ioab, that hee hath light vponupon one Act, for which the Sun, both ſetting and riſing, ſhould ſhine vponupon him? and now he ſpeeds to Geſhur, to fetch backe Abſalom to Ieruſalem: hee may bring the long-baniſhed Prince to the Citie; but to the Court he may not bring him. (Let him turne to his owne houſe, and let him not ſee my face.)
THE good King hath ſo ſmarted with merciemercy; that now hee is reſolued vponupon auſteritie; and will relent but by degrees; It is enough for Abſalom that hee liues, and may now breathe his natiue ayre; Dauids face is no obiect for the eyes of a Murtherer: What a Deareling this Sonne was to his Father, appeares in that, after an vnnaturall and barbarous rebellion, paſſionate Dauid wiſhes to hauehave changed liues with him; yet now, whiles his bowels yearned, his brow frowned; The face may not bee ſeene, where the heart is ſet.
THE beſt of Gods Saints may bee blinded with affection; but when they ſhall once ſee their errors, they are carefull to correct them. Wherefore ſerues the power of Grace, but to ſubdue the inſolencies of nature? It is the wiſedome of Parents, as to hide their hearts from their beſt children, ſo to hide their countenances from the vngracious: Fleſhly reſpects may not abate their rigour to the ill deſeruing. For the Childe to ſee all his Fathers louelove, it is enough to make him wanton, and of wanton, wicked: For a wicked Child, to ſee any of his Fathers louelove, it emboldens him in euill, and drawes on others.
ABSALOMS houſe is made his Priſon; Iuſtly is hee confined to the place which he had ſtayned with bloud; Two yeares doth hee liue in Ieruſalem, without the happineſſe of his Fathers ſight; It was enough for Dauid and him, to ſee the ſmoke of each others Chimnies. In the meane time, how impatient is Abſalom of this abſence? Hee ſends for Ioab, the Soliciter of his returne; So hard an hand, doth wiſe and holy Dauid carry ouer his reduced Sonne, that his friendly Interceſſor, Ioab, dares not viſit him.
HE, that afterwards kindled that ſeditious fire ouer all Iſrael, ſets fire now on the field of Ioab; whom louelove cannot draw to him, feare and anger ſhall; Continued diſpleaſure hath made Abſalom deſperate; Fiue yeares are paſſed, ſince hee ſaw the face of his Father; and now is hee no leſſe weary of his life, than of this delay; (Wherefore am I come downe from Geſhur? It had beene better for mee, to hauehave beene there ſtill: Now therefore let mee ſee the Kings face, and if there bee any iniquitie in mee, let him kill mee.) Either baniſhment, or death, ſeemed as tolerable to him, as the debarring of his Fathers ſight.
WHAT a torment ſhall it be to the wicked, to be ſhut out for euer, from the preſence of a God, without all poſſible hopes of recouery? This was but a Father of the fleſh, by whom, if Abſalom liued at firſt, yet in him he liued not, yea, not without him onelyonly, but againſt him that Sonne found he could liue; God is the Father of Spirits, in whom wee ſo liue, that without him can bee no life, no being; to bee euer excluded from him, in whom wee liue and are, what can it bee but an eternall dying, an eternall periſhing? If in thy preſence, O God, be the fulneſſe of ioy, in thine abſence, muſt needs bee the fulneſſe of horror and torment; Hide not thy face from vsus, O Lord, but ſhew vsus the light of thy countenance, that we may liue, and praiſe thee.
EVEN the fire of Ioabs field, warmed the heart of Dauid, whiles it gaue him proofe of the heat of Abſaloms filiall affection. As a man therefore inwardly weary of ſo long diſpleaſure, at laſt hee receiues Abſalom to his ſight, to his fauour; and ſeales his pardon with a kiſſe: Naturall Parents, know not how to retayne an euerlaſting anger towards the fruit of their loynes; how much leſſe ſhall the GOD of mercies, bee vnreconcileably diſpleaſed with his owne; and ſuffer his wrath to burne like fire that cannot bee quenched? Hee will not alwayes chide, neither will hee keepe his anger for euer; His wrath endureth but a moment, in his fauour is life; weeping may endure for a Night, but ioy commeth in the Morning.
ABSALOM is now as great, as faire; Beautie and Greatneſſe make him proud; Pride workes his ruine; Great ſpirits will not reſt content with a moderate proſperitie: Ere two yeares bee runne out, Abſalom runnes out into a deſperate plot of rebellion; None but his owne Father was aboue him in Iſrael; None was ſo likely, in humane exſpectation, to ſucceede his Father; If his ambition could but hauehave contayned it ſelfe for a few yeares, (as Dauid was now neere his period) dutifull carriage might hauehave procured, that by ſucceſſion, which now …e ſought by force. An aſpiring minde is euer impatient, and holds Time it ſelfe an enemy, if it thruſt it ſelfe importunately betwixt the hopes and fruition: Ambition is neuer but in trauell, and can finde no intermiſſion of painfull throwes, till-ſhee hauehave brought forth her abortiue Deſires: How happie were we, if our affectation could be ſo eager of ſpirituall and heauenly promotions; Oh that my Soule could finde it ſelfe ſo reſtleſſe, till it feele the weight of that Crowne of Glorie.
OVTWARD Pompe, and vnwonted ſhewes of Magnificence, are wont much to affect the light mindes of the vulgar. Abſalom therefore to the incomparable comelineſſe of his perſon, addes the vnuſuall ſtate of a more than Princely Equipage. His Charets rattle, and his Horſes trample proudly in the Streets; Fiftie Foot-men runne before their glittering Maſter; Ieruſalem rings of their glorious Prince; and is readie to adore theſe continuall Triumps of Peace. Exceſſe and Noueltie, of exſpenſiue Brauery and Oſtentation in publike perſons, giues iuſt cauſe to ſuſpect either vanitie, or a plot; True-hearted Dauid can miſdoubt nothing in him, to whom hee had both giuen life, and forgiuen this. LoueLove conſtrued all this, as meant to the honour of a Fathers Court, to the expreſſion of ioy and thankfulneſſe for his reconcilement: The eyes and tongues of men are thus taken vp; now hath Abſalom laid ſnares for their hearts alſo; He riſes early, and ſtands beſide the way of the gate; Ambition is no niggard of her paynes; ſeldome euer is good meaning ſo induſtrious; The more he ſhined in Beautie and Royall Attendance, ſo much more glory it was to neglect himſelfe, and to preferre the care of Iuſtice to his owne eaſe; Neither is Abſalom more painfull then plauſible; his eare is open to all Plaintiues, all Petitioners: there is no cauſe which hee flatters not, See, thy matters are good and right; his hand flatters eueryevery commer with a ſalutation, his lips with a kiſſe. All men, all matters are ſoothed, ſauing the ſtate and gouernment; the cenſure of that is no leſſe deepe, than the applauſe of all others, (There is none deputed of the King to heare thee.) What inſinuations could bee more powerfull; No Muſicke can bee ſo ſweet to the eares of the vnſtable multitude, as to heare well of themſelues, ill of their Gouernours; Abſalom needs not to wiſh himſelfe vponupon the Bench; EueryEvery man ſayes, Oh, what a curteous Prince is Abſolom? What a iuſt and carefull Ruler would Abſalom be? How happy were we, if we might be iudg'd by Abſalom? Thoſe qualities which are wont ſingle to grace others, hauehave conſpired to meete in Abſalom; Goodlineſſe of Perſon, Magnificence of State, gracious Affabilitie, vnwearied Diligence, Humilitie in Greatneſſe, feeling Pittie, louelove of Iuſtice, care of the Common-wealth; The World hath not ſo complete a Prince as Abſalom; Thus the hearts of the people are not wonne, but ſtolne by a cloſe Traytor from their lawfully Annointed Souereigne. Ouer-faire ſhewes are a iuſt Argument of vnſoundneſſe; no naturall Face hath ſo cleere a White and Redde, as the painted: Nothing wants now but a clo…e of Religion, to perfect the Treachery of that vngracious Sonne, who carryed Peace in his Name, Warre, in his heart: and how eaſily is that put on? Abſalom hath an holy Vow to be payd in Hebron; The deuout man had made it long ſince, whiles hee was exiled in Syria, and now hee haſtes to performe it, (If the Lord ſhall bring me backe againe to Ieruſalem, then I will ſerue the Lord;) wicked Hypocrites, care not to play with God that they may mocke men. The more deformed any Act is, the fayrer Viſor it ſtill ſeeketh.
How glad is the good old King, that hee is bleſſed with ſo godly a Sonne; whom hee diſmiſſeth laden with his cauſleſſe bleſſings: What truſt is there in fleſh and bloud, when Dauid is not ſafe from his owne Loynes? The Conſpiracie is now fully forged, there lacked nothing but this guilt of Pietie to winne fauour and value in all eyes; and now it is a wonder, that but two hundred honeſt Citizens goe vp with Abſalom from Ieruſalem: The true-hearted lye moſt open to Credulitie; How eaſie it is to beguile harmeleſſe intentions? The name of Dauids Sonne carryes them againſt the Father of Abſalom, and now theſe ſimple Iſraelites, are vnwittingly made loyall Rebels. Their hearts are free from a plot, and they meane nothing, but fidelitie in the attendance of a Traytor. How many thouſands are thus ignorantly miſled into the traine of Errour; Their ſimplicity is as worthy of pitty, as their miſguidance of indignation. Thoſe that will ſuffer themſelues to be carryed with ſemblances of truth and faithfulneſſe, muſt needs bee as farre from ſafetie, as innocence.
Contemplations, VPONUPON THE HISTORIE OF THE NEVV TESTAMENT.
The fifth Volume.
By IOS. HALL.
SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS
Io 3.
ANCHORA FIDEI:
LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624.
Contemplations, VPONUPON THE HISTORIE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
The firſt Booke.
Containing
The Angell and ZACHARY.
The Annuntiation.
The Birth of CHRIST.
The Sages and the Starre.
The Purification.
HEROD and the Infants.