Works of Joseph Hall, Part 24
NATHAN and DAVID.
YEt Bathſheba mourned for the death of that Husband, whom ſhe had beene drawne to diſhonour: How could ſhee beſtow teares enow vponupon that Funerall, whereof her ſinne was the cauſe? If ſhee had but a ſuſpicion of the plot of his death, the Fountaines of her eyes could not yeeld water enough to waſh off her Husbands bloud; Her ſin was more worthy of ſorrow, than her loſſe. If this griefe had beene right placed, the hope of hiding her ſhame and the ambition to bee a Queene had not ſo ſoone mittigated it; neyther had ſhee vponupon any termes beene drawne into the Bed of her huſbands murtherer. EueryEvery gleame of earthly comfort can dry vp the teares of worldly ſorrow. Bathſheba hath ſoone loſt her griefe at the Court; The remembrance of an Husband is buried in the ioyliltie and ſtate of a Princeſſe. Dauid ſecurely enioyes his ill-purchaſed louelove, and is content to exchange the conſcience of his ſinne, for the ſenſe of his pleaſure. But the iuſt and holy God will not put it vp ſo; hee that hates ſinne ſo much the more, as the offender is more deare to him, will let Dauid feele the bruiſe of his fall. If Gods beſt Children hauehave beene ſometimes ſuffered to ſleepe in a ſinne, at laſt he hath awakened them in a fright.
Dauid was a Prophet of God, yet hee hath not only ſtept into theſe foule ſinnes, but ſoiournes with them; If any profeſſion or ſtate of life could hauehave priuiledged from ſinne; the Angels had not ſinned in Heauen, nor man in Paradiſe. Nathan the Prophet is ſent to the Prophet Dauid, for reproofe, for conuiction; Had it beene any other mans caſe, none could hauehave beene more quick ſighted than the Princely Prophet, in his owne hee is ſo blinde, that God is faine to lend him others eyes Euen the Phiſician himſelf when hee is ſick, ſends for the counſell of thoſe whom his health did mutually aid with aduice. Let no man thinke himſelfe too good to learne; Teachers themſelues may bee taught that in their owne particular, which in a generalitie they hauehave often taught others; It is not only ignorance that is to be remoued, but miſ-affection.
Who can preſcribe a iuſt period to the beſt mans repentance? About tenne moneths are paſſed ſince Dauids ſinne; in all which time I finde no newes of any ſerious compunction; It could not bee but ſome glances of remorſe muſt needs hauehave paſſed thorough his Soule long ere this; but a due and ſolemne contrition was not heard of till Nathans meſſage, and perhaps had beene further adiourned, if that Monitor had beene longer deferred; Alas, what long and dead ſleepes may the holyeſt Soule take in fearefull ſinnes; Were it not for thy merciemercy, O God, the beſt of vsus ſhould end our ſpirituall Lethargie in ſleepe of death.
It might hauehave pleaſed God as eaſily to hauehave ſent Nathan to checke Dauid in his firſt purpoſe of ſinning; So had his eyes beene reſtrayned, Bathſheba honeſt, Vriah aliue with honour; now the wiſdome of the Almightie knew how to winne more glorie by the permiſſion of ſo foule an euill, than by the preuention; yea, he knew how by the permiſſion of one ſinne, to preuent millions; how many thouſand had ſinned in a vaine preſumption on their owne ſtrength, if Dauid had not thus offended; how many thouſand had deſpiared in the conſcience of their owne weakneſſes, if theſe horrible ſinnes had not receiued forgiueneſſe? It is happy for all times, that we hauehave ſo holy a Sinner, ſo ſinfull a penitent; It matters not how bitter the Pill is, but how well wrapped; ſo cunningly hath Nathan conueyed this doſe, that it begins to worke ere it be taſted: there is no one thing wherein is more vſe of wiſdome, than the due contriuing of a reprehenſion, which in a diſcreet deliuerie helps the diſ…ſe, in an vnwiſe, deſtroyes Nature.
Had not Nathan beene vſed to the poſſeſſion of Dauids care, this complaint had beene ſuſpected. It well beſeemes a King to take information by a Prophet. Whiles wiſe Nathan was querulouſly diſcourſing, of the cruell rich man that had forceably taken away the only Lambe of his poore Neighbour, how willingly doth Dauid liſten to the Storie, and how ſharply (euen aboue Law) doth he cenſure the fact? As the Lord liueth, the man that hath done this thing ſhall ſurely dye.) Full little did he thinke that he had pronounced ſentence againſt himſelfe; It had not beene ſo heauie if he had not knowne on whom it ſhould hauehave light; Wee hauehave open eares and quick tongues to the vices of others; How ſeuere Iuſticers wee can bee to our very owne crimes in others perſons? How flattering Paraſites to anothers crime in our ſelues? The life of doctrine is in application; Nathan might hauehave bin long enough in his narration, in his inuectiue, ere Dauid would hauehave bin touched with his owne guiltineſſe; but now that the Prophet brings the Word home to his boſome, hee cannot but be affected. Wee may take pleaſure, to heare men ſpeake in the Cloudes, we neuer take profit till wee finde a proprietie in the exhortation, or reproofe; There was not more cunning in the Parable than courage in the application (Thou art the man.) If Dauid be a King, he may not looke, not to heare of his faults; Gods meſſages, may be no other than vnpartiall. It is a trecherous flattery in diuine errands to regard greatneſſe: If Prophets muſt bee mannerly in the forme, yet in the matter of reproofe, reſolute: The words are not their owne; They are but the Heralds of the King of Heauen, Thus ſaith the Lord God of Iſrael.
How thunder-ſtricken doe we thinke Dauid did now ſtand? How did the change of his colour bewray the confuſion in his Soule; whiles his conſcience ſaid the ſame within, which the Prophet ſounded in his eare? And now leaſt ought ſhould be wanting to his humiliation, all Gods former fauours ſhall be laid before his eyes, by way of exprobration: He is worthy to be vpbrayded with mercies, that hath abuſed mercies vntounto wantonneſſe; whiles we doe well, God giues and ſayes nothing, when we doe ill, hee layes his benefits in our diſh, and caſts them in our teeth, that our ſhame may be ſo much the more; by how much our obligations hauehave bin greater. The bleſſings of God in our vnworthy carriage proue but the aggrauations of ſinne, and additions to iudgement.
I ſee all Gods Children falling into ſinne, ſome of them lying in ſinne; none of them maintayning their ſinne; Dauid cannot hauehave the heart, or the face to ſtand out againſt the meſſage of God, but now as a man confounded, and condemned in himſelfe, he cryes out in the bitterneſſe of a wounded Soule; (I hauehave ſinned againſt the Lord.) It was a ſhort word, but paſſionate; and ſuch as came from the bottome of a contrite heart; The greateſt griefes are not moſt verball: Saul confeſſed his ſinne more largely, leſſe effectually; God cares not for phraſes, but for affections. The firſt piece of our amends to God for ſinning, is the acknowledgement of ſinne; He can doe little that in a iuſt offence cannot accuſe himſelfe. If wee cannot bee ſo good as we would, it is reaſon wee ſhould doe God ſo much right, as to ſay, how euill we are. And why was not this done ſooner? It is ſtrange to ſee how eaſily ſin gets into the heart, how hardly it gets out of the mouth; Is it becauſe ſinne, like vntounto Satan, where it hath got poſſeſſion is deſirous to hold it; and knowes that it is fully eiected by a free confeſſion? or, becauſe in a guiltineſſe of deformitie, it hides it ſelfe in the breſt where it is once entertayned, and hates the light? or becauſe the tongue is ſo fee'd with ſelfe-louelove, that it is loath to be drawne vntounto any verdict againſt the heart, or hands? or, is it out of an idle miſpriſion of ſhame, which whiles it ſhould be placed in offending is miſplaced in diſcloſing of our offence?
Howeuer, ſure I am, that God hath need euen of rackes to draw out confeſſions, and ſcarce in death it ſelfe, are we wrought to a diſcouery of our errors.
There is no one thing, wherein our folly ſhewes it ſelfe more than in theſe hurtfull concealements: Contrary to the proceedings of humane Iuſtice, it is with God, Confeſſe and liue; no ſooner can Dauid ſay, I hauehave ſinned, than Nathan inferres; The Lord alſo hath put away thy ſinne. He that hides his ſins ſhall not proſper, but hee that confeſſeth and forſaketh them, ſhall finde merciemercy. Who would not accuſe himſelfe, to bee aquittted of God; O God who would not tell his wickedneſſe to thee, that knoweſt it better than his owne heart, that his heart may be eaſed of that wicedneſſe, which being not told, killeth? Since we hauehave ſinned, why ſhould wee bee niggardly of that action, wherein we may at once giuegive glory to thee, and reliefe to our ſoules?
Dauid had ſworne in a zeale of Iuſtice, that the rich Oppreſſor, for but taking his poore Neighbours Lambe, ſhould dye the death; God, by Nathan, is more fauourable to Dauid, than to take him at his word; Thou ſhalt not dye: O the maruellous power of repentance; Beſides adultery, Dauid had ſhed the bloud of innocent Vriah; The ſtrict Law was Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth, Hee that ſmiteth with the Sword, ſhall periſh with the Sword; Yet as if a penitent confeſſion had diſpenſed with the rigour of Iuſtice, now God ſayes, Thou ſhalt not dye. Dauid was the voyce of the Law, awarding death vntounto ſinne; Nathan was the voyce of the Goſpell, awarding life vntounto the repentance for ſinne. Whatſoeuer the ſore be, neuer any ſoule applyed this remedie, and dyed, neuer any ſoule eſcaped death, that applyed it not.
Dauid himſelfe ſhall not dye for this fact; but his miſ-begotten childe ſhall dye for him; Hee that ſaid, The Lord hath put away thy ſinne, yet ſaid alſo, The Sword ſhall not depart from thine houſe.
The ſame mouth, with one breath, pronounces the ſentence both of abſolution, and death, Abſolution to the Perſon, Death to the Iſſue. Pardon may well ſtand with temporall afflictions. Where God hath forgiuen, though hee doth not puniſh, yet he may chaſtize, and that vntounto bloud; neither doth hee alwayes forbeare correction, where hee remits reuenge. So long as hee ſmites vsus not as an angry Iudge, wee may indure to ſmart from him, as a louing Father.
Yet euen this Rod did Dauid deprecate with teares: How faine would hee ſhake off ſo eaſie a lode? The Childe is ſtriken; the Father faſts and prayes, and weepes, and lyes all night vponupon the Earth, and abhorres the noyſe of comfort; That Childe, which was the fruit and monument of his odious adultery, whom hee could neuer hauehave looked vponupon, without recognition of his ſinne; in whoſe face hee could not but hauehave ſtill read the records of his owne ſhame, is thus mourned for, thus ſued for; It is eaſie to obſerue that good man ouer-paſſionately affected to his Children. Who would not hauehave thought, that Dauid might hauehave held himſelfe well appayd, that his ſoule eſcaped an eternall death, his bodie a violent: though God ſhould puniſh his ſinne, in that Childe, in whome hee ſinned: Yet euen againſt this croſſe, he bends his Prayers, as if nothing had beene forgiuen him: There is no Childe that would be ſcourged, if hee might eſcape for crying; No affliction is for for the time other than grieuous; neither is therefore yeelded vntounto, without ſome kinde of reluctation. Farre yet was it from the heart of Dauid, to make any oppoſition to the will of God; hee ſued, he ſtruggled not; There is no impatience in entreaties; Hee well knew, that the threats of temporall euils, ranne commonly with a ſecret condition, and therefore might perhaps bee auoyded by humble importunitie: if any meanes vnderunder Heauen can auert iudgments, it is our Prayers.
God could not chuſe, but like well the boldneſſe of Dauids ſaith, who after the apprehenſion of ſo heauie a diſpleaſure, is ſo far from doubting of the forgiueneſſe of his ſinne, that hee dares become a Sutor vntounto God for his ſicke child. Sinne doth not make vsus more ſtrange, than Faith confident.
But, it is not in the power of the ſtrongeſt Faith, to preſerue vsus from all afflictions; After all Dauids prayers and teares, the Childe muſt dye. The carefull ſeruants dare but whiſper this ſad newes: They who had found their Maſter ſo auerſe from the motion of comfort, in the ſickneſſe of the Childe, feared him vncapable of comfort in his death.
Suſpition is quick-witted; EueryEvery occaſion makes vsus miſdoubt that euent, which wee feare; This ſecrecie proclaymes, that which they were ſo loath to vtter; Dauid perceiues his Childe dead, and now hee riſes vp from the Earth whereon hee lay, and waſhes himſelfe, and changeth his apparell, and goes firſt into Gods Houſe to worſhip, and into his owne to eate; now hee refuſes no comfort, who before would take none; The iſſue of things doth more fully ſhew the will of God, than the prediction; God neuer did any thing, but what hee would; hee hath ſometimes foretold that for tryall, which his ſecret will intended not; hee would foretell it, hee would not effect it, becauſe hee would therefore fore-tell it, that hee might not effect it; His predictions of outward euils are not alwayes abſolute, his actions are; Dauid well ſees by the euent, what the Decree of God was, concerning his Childe; which now hee could not ſtriue againſt, without a vaine impatience; Till wee know the determinations of the Almightie, it is free for vsus to ſtriue in our prayers, to ſtriue with him, not againſt him; when once wee know them, it is our dutie to ſit downe in a ſilent contentation.
(Whiles the Childe was yet aliue, I faſted and wept, for I ſaid, who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the Childe may liue; but now he is dead, Wherfore ſhould I faſt? Can-I bring him backe againe?)
The griefe that goes before an euill for remedie, can hardly bee too much, but that which followes an euill, paſt remedie, cannot bee too little: Euen in the ſaddeſt accident, Death, wee may yeeld ſomething to nature, nothing to impatience: immoderation of ſorrow, for loſſes paſt hope of recouery, is more fullen, than vſe-full; our ſtomacke may be bewrayed by it, not our wiſdome.