Works of Joseph Hall, Dedication 47 – Part 32
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND TRVLY NOBLE LORD, FRANCIS, Lord RVSSEL, Baron of Thornbaugh, all increaſe of Honour and Happineſſe.
Right Honourable:
YOu ſhall not need to impute it to any other reaſon beſides your vertues, that I hauehave preſumed to ſhroud this peece of my Labours vnderunder your Noble Patronage. The world hath taken iuſt notice how much the Goſpell is graced by your reall profeſsion; whom neither honour hath made ouerlie, nor wealth lauiſh, nor charge miſerable, nor greatneſſe; licentious. Goe on happily in theſe ſafe and gainfull ſteps of goodneſſe; and ſtill honour the God that hath honoured you; Jn the meane time, accept from my vnworthy hands theſe poore Meditations, more hie for their ſubiect, then meane for their author; Wherein Shimeies curſes ſhall teach you how vnable either greatneſſe, or innocence is to beare off the blowes of ill tongues; and how baſeneſs euer molds it ſelfe according to the aduantage of times. Achitophels depth compared with his end ſhall ſhew how witleſſe and inſenſate craft is, when it ſtriues againſt honeſty; and how iuſtly are they forſaken of their reaſon, that hauehave abandoned God; The blood of Abſalom and Sheba proclaime the ineuitable reuenge of rebellion, which neither in woods nor wals can find ſafety. The late famine of Jſrael for the forgotten violence offered to the Gibeonites, ſhewes what note God takes of our oathes, and what ſure vengeance of their violation. Dauids muſter ſeconded with the plague of Iſrael teache… how highly God may bee offended with ſinnes of the leaſt appearance, how ſeuere to his owne, how mercifull in that ſeuerity. If theſe my thoughts ſhall be approued beneficiall to any ſoule, I am rich. I ſhall vow my prayers to their ſucceſſe; and to the happineſſe of your honourable Family, both in the root and branches; Whereto J am in all
Humble duty deuoted, IOS: HALL.
Contemplations.
SHIMEI curſing.
WIth an heauy heart, and a couered head, and a weeping eye, and bare feet, is Dauid gone away from Hieruſalem; neuer did hee with more ioy come vp to his City, then now hee left it with ſorrow: how could he doe otherwiſe, whom the inſurrection of his owne Sonne droue out from his houſe, from his throne, from the Arke of God? and now, when the depth of this griefe deſerued nothing but compaſſion, the foule mouth of Shimei entertaines Dauid with curſes: There is no ſmall cruelty in the picking out of a time for miſchiefe; That word would ſcarce gall at one ſeaſon, which at another killeth. The ſame ſhaft flying with the wind pierces deepe, which againſt it, can hardly find ſtrength to ſticke vpright. The valour, and iuſtice of children condemnes it for iniuriouſly cowardly to ſtrike their aduerſary when he is once downe. It is the murder of the tongue to inſult vponupon thoſe, whom God hath humbled, and to draw blood of that backe, which is yet blew from the hand of the Almighty. If Shimei had not preſumed vponupon Dauids deiection, he durſt not hauehave beene thus bold; now he that perhaps durſt not hauehave lookt at one of thoſe Worthies ſingle, defies them all at once, and doth both caſt, and ſpeak ſtones againſt Dauid, and all his army. The malice of baſe ſpirits ſometimes caries them further then the courage of the valiant.
In all the time of Dauids proſperity, we heard no newes of Shimei; his ſilence and colourable obedience made him paſſe for a good ſubiect; yet all that while was his heart vnſound and trayterous. Peace and good ſucceſſe hides many a falſe heart; (like as a Snow-drift couers an heap of dung) which once melting away deſcries the rottenneſſe that lay within: Honour and welfare are but flattering glaſſes of mens affections: aduerſity will not deceiue vsus, but will make a true report as of our owne powers, ſo of the diſpoſition of others.
He that ſmiled on Dauid in his throne, curſeth him in his flight: if there be any quarrels, any exceptions to be taken againſt a man, let him look to hauehave them laid in his diſh when he fares the hardeſt. This practice hauehave wicked men learnt of their maſter, to take the vtmoſt aduantages of our afflictions; Hee that ſuffers had need to bee double armed, both againſt paine, and cenſure.
EueryEvery word of Shimei was a ſlaunder; He that tooke Sauls ſpeare from his head, and repented to hauehave but cut the lap of his garment, is reproched as a man of blood: The man after Gods owne heart is branded for a man of Belial. Hee that was ſent for out of the fields to be anointed, is taxed for an vſurper: If Dauids hands were ſtained with blood, yet not of Sauls Houſe; It was his ſeruant, not his maſter that bled by him; yet is the blood of the Lords anointed caſt in Dauids teeth, by the ſpight of a falſe tongue. Did we not ſee Dauid (after all the proofes of his humble loyalty) ſhedding the blood of that Amalakite who did but ſay he ſhed Sauls? Did wee not heare him lament paſſionately for the death of ſo ill a maſter, chiding the mountaines of Gilboa on which he fell; and angerly wiſhing that no dew might fall where that blood was poured out; and charged the daughters of Iſrael to weepe ouer Saul, who had clothed them in ſcarlet? Did we not heare and ſee him inquiring for any remainder of the Houſe of Saul, that he might ſhew him the kindneſſe of God? Did wee not ſee him honouring lame Mephiboſheth with a princely ſeat at his owne table? Did we not ſee him reuenging the blood of his riuall Iſhboſheth, vponupon the heads of Rechab and Baanah? What could any liuing man hauehave done more to wipe off theſe bloody aſperſions? Yet is not a Shimei aſhamed to charge innocent Dauid with all the blood of the Houſe of Saul.
How is it likely this clamorous wretch had ſecretly traduced the name of Dauid, all the time of his gouernment, that dares thus accuſe him to his face, before all the mighty men of Iſrael, who were witneſſes of the contrary? The greater the perſon is, the more open doe his actions lie to miſ-interpretation, and cenſure. EueryEvery tongue ſpeakes partially according to the intereſt he hath in the cauſe, or the patient. It is not poſſible that eminent perſons ſhould be free from imputations; Innocence can no more protect them, then power.
If the patience of Dauid can digeſt this indignity, his traine cannot; their fingers could not but itch to returne iron for ſtones. If Shimei raile on Dauid, Abiſhai ralies on Shimei; Shimei is of Sauls Family, Abiſhai of Dauids; each ſpeakes for his owne: Abiſhai moſt iuſtly bends his tongue againſt Shimei, as Shimei againſt Dauid, moſt vniuſtly: Had Shimei beene any other then a dog, he had neuer ſo rudely barked at an harmleſſe paſſenger; neither could he deſerue leſſe then the loſſe of that head which had vttered ſuch blaſphemies againſt Gods anointed: The zeale of Abiſhai doth but plead for iuſtice, and is checked; What hauehave I to doe with you ye ſonnes of Zeruiah? Dauid ſaid not ſo much to his reuiler, as to his abettor: Hee well ſaw that a reuenge was iuſt, but not ſeaſonable; he found the preſent a fit time to ſuffer wrongs, not to right them: he therefore giues way rather meekly to his owne humiliation, then to the puniſhment of another: There are ſeaſons wherein lawfull motions are not fit to bee cheriſhed; Anger doth not become a mourner; One paſſion at once is enough for the ſoule. Vnaduiſed zeale may be more preiudiciall, then a cold remiſneſſe.
What if the Lord for the correction of his ſeruant hauehave ſaid vntounto Shimei, Curſe Dauid; yet is Shimeies curſe no leſſe worthy of Abiſhaies ſword; the ſinne of Shimeies curſe was his owne, the ſmart of the curſe was Gods; God wils that as Dauids chaſtiſement, which hee hates as Shimeies wickedneſſe; That lewd tongue moued from God, it moued lewdly from Satan. Wicked men are neuer the freer from guilt, or puniſhment, for that hand which the holy God hath in their offenſiue actions; Yet Dauid can ſay, Let him alone, and let him curſe, for the Lord hath bidden him; as meaning to giuegive a reaſon of his owne patience, rather then Shimeies impunity: the iſſue ſhewed how well Dauid could diſtinguiſh betwixt the act of God, and of a traytor; how hee could both kiſſe the rod, and burne it: There can be none ſo ſtrong motiue of our meek ſubmiſſion to euils, as the acknowledgement of their originall; Hee that can ſee the hand of God ſtriking him by the hand or tongue of an enemy, ſhall more awe the firſt mouer of his harm, then maligne the inſtrument. Euen whiles Dauid laments the rebellion of his ſonne, he gaines by it; and makes that the argument of his patience, which was the exerciſe of it. Behold, my ſon which came forth of my bowels ſeeketh my life; how much more now may this Beniamite doe it? The wickedneſſe of an Abſalom may rob his father of comfort, but ſhall helpe to adde to his fathers goodneſs: It is the aduantage of great croſſes, that they ſwallow vp the leſſe; One mans ſin cannot be excuſed by anothers, the leſſer by the greater; If Abſalom be a traytor, Shimei may not curſe and rebell: But the paſſion conceiued from the indignitie of a ſtranger may be abated by the harder meaſure of our owne; If we can therefore ſuffer becauſe we hauehave ſuffered, we hauehave profited by our affliction. A weake heart faints with eueryevery addition of ſucceeding trouble; the ſtrong recollects it ſelfe, and is growne ſo skilfull that it beares off one miſchiefe with another.
It is not either the vnnaturall inſurrection of Abſalom, nor the vniuſt curſes of Shimei, that can put Dauid quite out of heart. It may be that the Lord will looke on mine affliction, and will requite good for his curſing, this day. So well was Dauid acquainted with the proceedings of God, that hee knew cheriſhing was euer went to follow ſtripes; after vehement euacuation, cordials; after a darke night, the cleare light of the morning: Hope therfore doth not only vphold, but cheare vp his heart, in the midſt of his ſorrow; If we can looke beyond the cloud of our affliction, and ſee the Sun-ſhine of comfort on the other ſide of it, we cannot bee ſo diſcouraged with the preſence of euill, as heartned with the iſſue; As on the contrary, let a man be neuer ſo mery within, and ſee paine and miſerie waiting for him at the doore, his expectation of euill ſhall eaſily daunt all the ſenſe of his pleaſure; the retributions of temporall fauours goe but by peraduentures; It may be the Lord will looke on mine affliction; of eternall, are certaine and infallible; If we ſuffer, we ſhall reigne; why ſhould not the aſſurance of raigning make vsus triumph in ſuffering?
Dauids patience drawes on the inſolence of Shimei. Euill natures grow preſumptuous vponupon forbearance: In good diſpoſitions, iniury vnanſwered growes weary of it ſelfe, and dies in a voluntary remorſe; but in thoſe dogged ſtomackes, which are onelyonly capable of the reſtraints of feare, the ſilent digeſtion of a former wrong prouokes a ſecond; Mercy had need to be guided with wiſedome, left it proue cruell to it ſelfe.
Oh the baſe minds of inconſtant Time-ſeruers! Stay but a while, till the wheele be a little turned, you ſhall ſee humble Shimei fall downe on his face before Dauid, in his returne ouer Iordan; now his ſubmiſſion ſhall equall his former rudeneſſe; his praiers ſhall requite his curfes, his teares make amends for his ſtones, Let not my Lord impute iniquitie vntounto me; neither doe thou remember that which thy ſeruant did peruerſly, the day that my Lord the King went out of Ieruſalem, that the King ſhould take it to heart; for thy ſeruant doth know that I hauehave ſinned; Falſe-hearted Shimei, had Abſalom proſpered, thou hadſt not ſinned, thou hadſt not repented; then hadſt thou bragged of thine inſultation ouer his miſeries, whoſe pardon thou now beggeſt with teares. The changes of worldly minds are thankleſſe; ſince they are neither wrought out of conſcience nor louelove, but onelyonly by a ſlauiſh feare of a iuſt puniſhment.
Dauid could ſay no more to teſtifie his ſorrow (for his hainous ſinnes againſt God) to Nathan, then Shimei ſayes of himſelfe to Dauid; whereto may be added the aduantage of a voluntary confeſſion in this offender, which in Dauid was extorted by the reproofe of a Prophet; yet is Dauids confeſſion ſeriouſly penitent, Shemies craftily hypocriticall; Thoſe alterations are iuſtly ſuſpected, which are ſhaped according to the times and outward occaſions: the true penitent lookes onelyonly at God, and his ſinne, and is changed when all other things are themſelues.
Great offences had need of anſwerable ſatisfactions; As Shimei was the onelyonly man of the Houſe of Beniamin that came forth and curſed Dauid in his flight, ſo is hee the firſt man (euen before thoſe of the Houſe of Ioſeph, though nearer in ſituation) that comes to meet Dauid in his returne with prayers and gratulation: Notorious offenders may not thinke to ſit downe with the taske of ordinary ſeruices; The retributions of their obedience muſt be proportiable to their crimes.