Works of Joseph Hall, Part 34
The Death of ABSALOM.
THE ſame God that raiſed enmity to Dauid from his owne loynes, procured him fauour from forainers; Strangers ſhall releiue him, whom his owne ſonne perſecutes; Here is not a loſſe, but an exchange of louelove: Had Abſalom beene a ſonne of Ammon, and Shobi a ſonne of Dauid, Dauid had found no cauſe of complaint: If God take with one hand, he giues with another: whiles that diuine bounty ſerues vsus in, good meat, though not in our owne diſhes, we hauehave good reaſon to be thankfull. No ſooner is Dauid come to Mahanaim, then Barzillai, Machir, and Shobi refreſh him with prouiſions. Who euer ſaw any child of God left vtterly deſtitute? Whoſoeuer be the meſſenger of our aide, we know whence he comes; Heauen ſhall want power, and earth meanes, before any of the houſhold of faith ſhall want maintenance.
He that formerly was forced to imploy his armes for his defence againſt a tyrannous father in law, muſt now buckle them on againſt an vnnaturall ſonne: Now therefore he muſters his men, and ordaines his Commanders, and marſhalls his troupes; and, ſince their loyall importunity will not allow the hazard of his perſon, he at once incourages them by his eye, and reſtraines them with his tongue, Deale gently with the yong man Abſalom, for my ſake: How vnreaſonably fauourable are the warres of a father? O holy Dauid, what meanes this ill placed louelove, this vniuſt mercy? Deale gently with a Traitor? but of all traitors with a Sonne? of all ſonnes with an Abſalom, the graceleſſe dareling of ſo good a father; and all this for thy ſake, whoſe Crowne, whoſe blood he hunts after? For whoſe ſake ſhould Abſalom be purſued, if he muſt be forborne for thine? He was ſtill courteous to thy followers, affable to ſutors, plauſible to all Iſrael, onelyonly to thee he is cruell: Wherefore are thoſe armes if the cauſe of the quarrell muſt be a motiue of mercy? Yet thou ſaiſt, Deale gently with the yong man Abſalom, for my ſake: Euen in the holieſt Parents nature may bee guilty of an iniurious tenderneſſe, of a bloody indulgence.
Or, whether ſhall we not rather thinke this was done in type of that vnmeaſurable mercy of the true King, and redeemer of Iſrael, who prayed for his perſecutors, for his murderers; and euen whiles they were at once ſcorning and killing him, could ſay, Father forgiue them, for they know not what they doe? If wee bee ſonnes, we are vngracious, wee are rebellious, yet ſtill is our heauenly Father thus compaſſionately regardfull of vsus: Dauid was not ſure of the ſucceſſe; there was great inequality in the number; Abſaloms forces were more then double to his; It might hauehave come to the contrary iſſue, that Dauid ſhould hauehave beene forced to ſay, Deale gently with the Father of Abſalom; but, in a ſuppoſition of that victory, which only the goodneſſe of his cauſe bade him hope for, hee ſaith, Deale gently with the yong man Abſalom. As for vsus, we are neuer but vnderunder mercy; our God needes no aduantages to ſweepes vsus from the earth, any moment, yet hee continues that life, and thoſe powers to vsus, whereby wee prouoke him, and bids his Angels deale kindly with vsus, and beare vsus in their armes, whiles wee lift vp our hands, and bend our tongues againſt heauen. O merciemercy paſt the comprehenſion of all finite ſpirits, and onelyonly to be conceiued by him whoſe it is: Neuer more reſembled by any earthly affection then by this of his Deputy and Type, Deale gently with the young man Abſalom, for my ſake.
The battell is ioyned; Dauids followers are but an handfull to Abſaloms. How eaſily may the fickle multitude bee tranſported to the wrong ſide? What they wanted in abettors, is ſupplied in the cauſe. Vnnaturall ambition drawes the ſword of Abſalom, Dauids, a neceſſary and iuſt defence. They that in ſimplicity of heart followed Abſalom, cannot in malice of heart, perſecute the father of Abſalom: with what courage could any Iſraelite draw his ſword againſt a Dauid? or on the other ſide, who can want courage to fight for a righteous Soueraigne, and father, againſt the conſpiracie of a wicked ſon? The God of Hoſts, with whom it is all one to ſaue with many or with few, takes part with iuſtice, and lets Iſrael feele what it is to beare armes for a traiterous vſurper. The ſword deuours twenty thouſand of them, and the wood deuoures more then the ſword; It muſt needs be a very vniuerſall rebellion, wherein ſo many periſhed; What vertue or merits can aſſure the hearts of the vulgar, when ſo gracious a Prince finds ſo many reuolters? Let no man looke to proſper by rebellion, the very thickets, and ſtakes, and pits, and wild beaſts of the wood ſhall conſpire to the puniſhment of traitors; Amongſt the reſt, ſee how a fatall Oke hath ſingled out the ringleader of this hatefull inſurrection; and will at once ſerue for his hangman and gallowes; by one of thoſe ſpreading armes ſnatching him away to ſpeedy execution. Abſalom was comely, and hee knew it well enough; His haire was no ſmall peece of his beauty, nor matter of his pride: It was his wont to cut it once a yeere; not for that it was too long, but too heauy; his heart could hauehave borne it longer, if his necke had not complained; And now, the iuſtice of God hath platted an halter of thoſe locks; Thoſe treſſes had formerly hanged looſely diſheueld on his ſhoulders, now he hangs by thē; He had wont to weigh his haire, and was proud to find it ſo heauy; now his haire poyſeth the weight of his body, and makes his burden his torment: It is no maruell if his owne haire turn'd traitor to him, who durſt riſe vp againſt his father. That part which is miſuſed by man to ſinne, is commonly imployed by God to reuenge; The reuenge that it worketh for God, makes amends for the offence, whereto it is drawne againſt God; The very beaſt whereon Abſalom ſat, as weary to beare ſo vnnaturall a burden, reſignes ouer his lode to the tree of Iuſtice; There hangs Abſalom betweene heauen and earth, as one that was hated, and abandoned both of earth and heauen: As if God meant to preſcribe this puniſhment for Traytors, Abſalom, Achitophel, and Iudas dye all one death: So let them periſh that dare lift vp their hand againſt Gods anointed.
The honeſt ſouldier ſees Abſalom hanging in the Oke, and dares not touch him; his hands were held with the charge of Dauid, Beware that none touch the yong man Abſalom; Ioab, vponupon that intelligence… ſees him, and ſmites him, with no leſſe then three darts; What the ſouldier forbore in obedience, the Captaine doth in zeale: not fearing to preferre his Soueraignes ſafety, to his command; and more tendering the life of a King, and peace of his Countrey, then the weake affection of a father; I dare not ſit Iudge betwixt this zeale and that obedience; betwixt the Captaine and the Souldier; the one was a good ſubiect, the other a good Patriot: the one loued the King, the other loued Dauid; and out of louelove diſobeyed; the one meant as well, as the other ſped: As if God meant to fulfill the charge of his Anointed, without any blame of his ſubiects, it pleaſed him to execute that immediate reuenge vponupon the rebell, which would hauehave diſpatcht him without hand, or dart: only the Mule and the Oke conſpired to this execution; but that death would hauehave required more leaſure, then it was ſafe for Iſrael to giuegive; and ſtill life would giuegive hope of reſcue; to cut off all feares, Ioab lends the Oke three darts to helpe forward ſo needfull a worke of iuſtice: All Iſrael did not afford ſo firme a friend to Abſalom, as Ioab had beene; who but Ioab had ſuborned the witty widow of Tekoah, to ſue for the recalling of Abſalom, from his three yeeres exile? Who but he went to fetch him from Geſhur to Ieruſalem? Who but he fetcht him from his houſe at Ieruſalem (whereto he had beene two yeeres confined) to the face, to the lips of Dauid? Yet now he that was his ſollicitor for the Kings fauor, is his executioner againſt the Kings charge: With honeſt hearts all reſpects either of blood or friendſhip ceaſe in the caſe of Treaſon▪ well hath Ioab forgotten himſelfe to be friend to him who had forgotten himſelfe to bee a ſonne. Euen ciuilly, the King is our common father, our Country our common mother; Nature hath no priuate relations which ſhould not gladly giuegive place to theſe; He is neither father, nor ſonne, nor brother, nor friend, that conſpires againſt the common parent: Well doth he who ſpake parables for his maſters ſonne, now ſpeake darts to his Kings enemy; and pierces that heart which was falſe to ſo good a father: Thoſe darts are ſeconded by Ioabs followers; each man tries his weapon vponupon ſo faire a marke. One death is not enough for Abſalom; he is at once hanged, ſhot, mangled, ſtoned: Iuſtly was he lift vp to the Oke, who had lift vp himſelfe againſt his father, and ſoueraigne; Iuſtly is hee pierced with darts, who had pierced his fathers heart with ſo many ſorrowes; Iuſtly is he mangled, who hath diſmembred and diuided all Iſrael; Iuſtly is he ſtoned, who had not only curſed, but purſued his owne parent.
Now Ioab ſounds the retrait; and cals off his eager troupes from execution; howeuer he knew what his rebellious Countrymen had deſerued in following an Abſalom; Wiſe Commanders know how to put a difference betwixt the heads of a faction, and the miſguided multitude; and can pity the one; whiles they take reuenge on the other.
So did Abſalom eſteeme himſelfe, that hee thought it would bee a wrong to the world, to want the memoriall of ſo goodly a perſon. God had denied him ſons; How iuſt it was that he ſhould want a ſonne, who had robd his father of a ſonne, who would hauehave robd himſelfe of a father, his father of a Kingdome? It had beene pity ſo poyſonous a plant ſhould hauehave beene fruitfull; His pride ſhall ſupply nature, hee reares vp a ſtately pillar in the Kings dale, and cals it by his owne name, that hee might liue in dead ſtones, who could not ſuruiue in liuing iſſue; and now, behold this curious pile ends in a rude heape, which ſpeakes no language, but the ſhame of that carkaſſe which it couers: Heare this ye glorious fooles, that care not to perpetuate any memory of your ſelues to the world, but of ill-deſeruing greatneſſe; the beſt of this affectation is vanity; the worſt, infamy and diſhonour; whereas the memoriall of the iuſt ſhall be bleſſed: and if his humility ſh…ll refuſe an Epitaph, and choſe to hide himſelfe vnderunder the bare earth, God himſelfe ſhall ingraue his name vponupon the pillar of eternity.
There now lies Abſalom in the pit, vnderunder a thouſand graue-ſtones, in eueryevery of which is written his euerl…ſting reproach: well might this heape ouer-liue that pillar, for when that ceaſed to be a pillar, it began to bee an heape, neither will it ceaſe to bee a monument of Abſaloms ſhame, whiles there are ſtones to bee found vponupon earth, Euen at this day very Pagans and Pilgrimes that paſſe that way, caſt each man a ſtone vntounto that heape, and are wont to ſay in a ſolemne execration, Curſed bee the paricide Abſalom, and curſed bee all vniuſt perſecutors of their parents, for euer: Faſten your eyes vponupon this wofull ſpectacle, O all yee rebellious and vngracious children, which riſe vp againſt the loynes and thighes from which yee fell: and know that it is the leaſt part of your puniſhment, that your carkaſſes rot in the earth, and your name in ignominie; theſe doe but ſhadow out thoſe eternall ſufferings, of your ſoules, for your foule and vnnaturall diſobedience.
Abſalom is ſped; who ſhall report it to his father? Surely Ioab was not ſo much afraid of the fact, as of the meſſage; There are buſie ſpirits that louelove to cary newes, though thankleſſe, though purpoſeleſſe; ſuch was AhimaaZ, the ſon of Zadock; who importunately thruſt himſelfe into this ſeruice; wiſe Ioab, who well ſaw, how vnwelcome tydings muſt be the burthen of the firſt poſt, diſſwades him in vaine; hee knew Dauid too well to imploy a friēd in that errand. An Ethiopian ſeruant was a fitter bearer of ſuch a meſſage, then the ſon of the Prieſt. The entertainment of the perſon doth ſo follow the quality of the newes, that Dauid could argue a far off, He is a good man, he commeth with good tidings. Oh how welcome deſerue thoſe meſſengers to bee that bring vsus the glad tidings of ſaluation, that aſſure vsus of the foile of all ſpirituall enemies, and tell vsus of nothing but victories, and Crownes, and Kingdomes; If we thinke not their feet beautifull, our hearts are foule with infidelity, and ſecure worldlineſſe.
So wiſe is Ahimaaz growne by Ioabs intimation, that though hee out-went Cuſhi in his pace, he ſuffers Cuſhi to out-goe him in his tale, cunningly ſuppreſſing that part, which he knew muſt be both neceſſarily deliuered, and vnpleaſingly receiued.
As our care is wont to be where our louelove is; Dauids firſt word is not, how fares the hoſt, but how far… the yong man Abſalom: Like a wiſe, and faithfull meſſenger, Cuſhi anſwers by honeſt inſinuation, The enemies of my Lord the King, and all that riſe againſt thee to doe thee hurt, be as that yong man is; implying both what was done, and, why Dauid ſhould approue it being done; How is the good King thunder ſtrooke with that word of his Black-more? who, as if he were at once bereaued of all comfort, and cared not to liue, but in the name of Abſalom, goes and weepes, and cryes out, O my ſon Abſalom, my ſon, my ſon Abſalom, Would God I had dyed for thee, O Abſalom, my ſon, my ſon. What is this wee heare? that hee whoſe life Iſrael valued at ten thouſand of theirs, ſhould be exchanged with a traitors? that a good King, whoſe life was ſought, ſhould wiſh to lay it down for the preſeruation of his murtherer? The beſt men hauehave not wont to be the leaſt paſſionate; But what ſhall we ſay to that louelove of thine, O Sauiour, who haſt ſaid of vsus wretched traitors, not, Would God I had died for you; But I will dye, I doe dye, I hauehave died for you; Oh louelove, like thy ſelfe, infinite, incomprehenſible, whereat the Angels of Heauen ſtand yet amazed; wherewith thy Saints are rauiſhed, Turne away thine eyes from me, for they ouercome mee, Oh thou that dwelleſt in the Gardens, the companions hearken to thy voyce; cauſe vsus to heare it; that we may in our meaſure anſwer thy louelove, and enioy it for euer.