Works of Joseph Hall, Part 37 – Dedication 48
The numbring of the people.
ISrael was growne wanton and mutinous; God puls them downe firſt by the ſword, then by famine, now by peſtilence; Oh the wondrous, & yet iuſt wayes of the Almightie! Becauſe Iſrael hath ſinned, therefore Dauid ſhall ſinne, that Iſrael may be puniſhed; Becauſe God is angry with Iſrael, therefore Dauid ſhall anger him more, and ſtrike himſelfe in Iſrael, and Iſrael through himſelfe.
The ſpirit of God elſewhere aſcribes this motion to Satan, which here it attributes to God; Both had their hand in the worke; God by permiſſion, Satan by ſuggeſtion; God as a Iudge, Satan as an enemy: God as in a iuſt puniſhment for ſinne, Satan as in an act of ſinne; God in a wiſe ordination of it to good; Satan in a malicious intent of confuſion. Thus at once God moued, and Satan moued; Neither is it any excuſe to Satan or Dauid, that God moued; neither is it any blemiſh to God, that Satan moued; The rulers ſinne is a puniſhment to a wicked people: though they had many ſinnes of their owne, whereon God might hauehave grounded a iudgement, yet as before he had puniſht them with dearth for Sauls ſinne, ſo now hee will not puniſh them with plague, but for Dauids ſinne; If God were not angry with a people, hee would not giuegive vp their gouernors to ſuch euils as whereby he is prouoked to vengeance; and if their gouernours be thus giuen vp, the people cannot be ſafe; The body drownes not whiles the head is aboue the water; when that once ſinkes, death is neere; Iuſtly therefore are we charged to make prayers and ſupplications, as for all, ſo eſpecially for thoſe that are in eminent authoritie; when we pray for our ſelues, we pray not alwayes for them, but we cannot pray for them, and not pray for our ſelues; the publique weale is not compriſed in the priuate, but the priuate in the publique.
What then was Dauids ſinne? He will needs hauehave Iſrael and Iudah numbred: Surely there is no malignity in numbers; Neither is it vnfit for a Prince to know his owne ſtrength; this is not the firſt time that Iſrael hath gone vnderunder a reckoning: The act offends not, but the miſ-affection; The ſame thing had bin commendably done out of a Princely prouidence, which now through the curioſitie, pride, miſ-confidence of the doer, proues hainouſly vicious; Thoſe actions which are in themſelues indifferent, receiue either their life, or their bane from the intentions of the agent. Moſes numbreth the people with thankes, Dauid with diſpleaſure: Thoſe ſinnes which carie the ſmootheſt foreheads, and hauehave the moſt honeſt appearances, may more prouoke the wrath of God, then thoſe which beare the moſt abomination in their faces. How many thouſand wickedneſſes paſſed through the hands of Iſrael, which wee men would rather hauehave branded out for a iudgement, then this of Dauids? The righteous Iudge of the world cenſures ſinnes, not by their ill lookes, but by their foule hearts.
Who can but wonder to ſee Ioab the Saint, and Dauid the treſpaſſer? No Prophet could ſpeake better then that man of blood; The Lord thy God increaſe the people an hundredfold more then they be, and that the eyes of my Lord the King may ſee it; but why doth my Lord the King deſire this thing? There is no man ſo lewd as not to be ſomtimes in good moods, as not to diſlike ſome euill: contrarily no man on earth can be ſo holy, as not ſometimes to ouerlaſh: It were pitie that either Ioab or Dauid ſhould be tryed by eueryevery act; How commonly hauehave we ſeene thoſe men ready to giuegive good aduice to others for the auoiding of ſome ſins, who in more groſſe outrages hauehave not had grace to counſell their owne hearts? The ſame man that had deſerued death from Dauid for his treacherous cruelty, diſſwade Dauid from an act that caried but a ſuſpition of euill; It is not ſo much to be regarded who it is that admoniſheth vsus, as what hee brings; Good counſell is neuer the worſe for the foule cariage; There are ſome diſhes that wee may eate euen from ſluttiſh hands.
The purpoſe of ſinne in a faithfull man is odious, much more the reſolution: Notwithſtanding Ioabs diſcreet admonition Dauid will hold on his courſe; and will know the number of the people, onelyonly that he may know it; Ioab and the Captaines addreſſe themſelues to the worke: In things which are not in themſelues euill, it is not for ſubiects to diſpute but to obey; That which authoritie may ſinne in commanding, is done of the inferiour, not with ſafety onelyonly, but with praiſe. Nine moneths and twenty dayes is this generall muſter in hand; at laſt the number is brought in; Iſrael is found eight hundred thouſand ſtrong, Iudah fiue hundred thouſand; the ordinary companies which ſerued by courſe for the royall guard (foure and twenty thouſand each monethmonth) needed not be reckoned; the addition of them with their ſeuerall Captaines raiſes the ſumme of Iſrael to the rate of eleuen hundred thouſand. A power able to puffe vp a carnall heart; but how can an heart that is more then fleſh truſt to an arme of fleſh? Oh holy Dauid, whither hath a glorious vanity tranſported thee? Thou which once didſt ſing ſo ſweetly, Put not your truſt in Princes, nor in the ſonne of man▪ for that is no helpe in him. His breath departeth, and hee returneth to his earth, then his thought periſh. Bleſſed is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe, whoſe hope is in the Lord his God; How canſt thou now ſtoope to ſo vnſafe and vnworthy a confidence?
As ſome ſtomackfull horſe that will not be ſtopt in his career with the ſharpeſt …it, but runnes on hea…ily till he come to ſome wall, or ditch, and their ſtands ſtill and trembles; ſo did Dauid; All the diſſwaſions of Ioab could not reſtraine him from his intended courſe; almoſt ten moneths doth hee runne on impetuouſly, in a way of his owne rough and dangerous, at laſt his heart ſmites him; the conſcience of his offence, and the feare of iudgement hauehave fetcht him vponupon his knees, O Lord I hauehave ſinned exceedingly in that I hauehave done; therefore now, Lord, I beſeech thee take away the treſpaſſe of thy ſeruant for I hauehave done very fooliſhly. It is poſſible for a ſinne not to bait onelyonly, but to ſoiourne in the holieſt ſoule: but though it ſoiourne there as a ſtranger, it ſhall not dwell there as an owner. The renued heart after ſome rouings of errour will once (ere ouer-long) returne home to it ſelfe, and fall out with that ill guide, wherewith it was miſled, and with it ſelfe for being miſled; and now it is reſolued into teares, and breathes forth nothing but ſighs, and confeſſions, and deprecations.
Here needed no Nathan by a parabolicall circumlocution to fetch in Dauid to a ſight, and acknowledgement of his ſinne; the heart of the penitent ſupplyed the Prophet▪ no others tongue could ſmite him ſo deepe as his owne thoughts, But though his reines chaſtiſed him in the night yet his Seer ſcourges him in the morning, Thus ſaith the Lord, I offer thee three things▪ chooſe thee which of them I ſhall doe vntounto thee. But what ſhall we ſay to this? When vponupon the Prophets reproofe for an adultery cloke… with murder, Dauid did but ſay, I hauehave ſinned, it was preſently returned, God hath put away thy ſinne; neither did any ſmart follow, but the death of a miſ-begotten infant; and now when he voluntarily reproued himſelfe for but a needleſſe muſter, and ſought for pardon vnbidden with great humiliation, God ſends him three terrible ſcourges▪ Famine, Sword, or Peſtilence; that he may chooſe with which of them he had rather to bleed, he ſhall hauehave the fauour of an election, not of a remiſſion, God is more angred with a ſpirituall, and immediate affront offered to his Majeſtie, in our pride, and falſe confidence in earthly things, then with a fleſhly cri… though hainouſly ſeconded.
It was an hard and wofull choiſe; of three yeares famine added to three fore-paſt; or of three moneths flight from the ſword of an enemie, or three dayes peſtilence; The Almighty that had fore-determined his iudgement, referres it to Dauids will as fully, as if it were vtterly vndetermined; God hath reſolued, yet Dauid may chooſe; That infinite wiſdome hath foreſeene the very will of his creature; which whiles it freely inclines it ſelfe to what it had rather, vnwittingly wils that which was fore appointed in heauen.
We doe well beleeue thee, O Dauid, that thou wert in a wonderfull ſtrait; this very liberty is no other then fetters; Thou needſt not hauehave famine, thou needſt not hauehave the ſword, thou needſt not hauehave peſtilence; one of them thou muſt hauehave; There is miſery in all, there is miſery in any; thou and thy people can die but once; and once they muſt dye, either by famine, warre, or peſtilence. Oh God, how vainely doe we hope to paſſe ouer our ſinnes with impunitie, when all the fauour that Dauid and Iſrael can receiue is to chooſe their bane?
Yet behold, neither ſinnes, nor threats, nor feares can bereaue a true penitent of his faith, Let vsus fall now into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great. There can bee no euill of puniſhment wherein God hauehave not an hand; there could be no famine, no ſword without him, but ſome euils are more immediate from a diuine ſtroke; ſuch was that plague into which Dauid is vnwillingly willing to fall: He had his choyce of dayes, moneths, yeares in the ſame number; and though the ſhortneſſe of time prefixed to the threatned peſtilence might ſeeme to offer ſome aduantage for the leading of his election, yet God meant (and Dauid knew it) herein to proportion the difference of time to the violence of the plague; neither ſhould any fewer periſh by ſo few dayes peſtilence, then by ſo many yeares famine: The wealthieſt might auoid the dearth, the ſwifteſt might runne away from the ſword; no man could promiſe himſelfe ſafety from that peſtilence▪ In likelihood Gods Angell would rather ſtrike the moſt guilty; Howeuer therefore Dauid might well looke to be inwrapped in the common deſtruction, yet he rather chooſeth to fall into that mercy which hee had abuſed, and to ſuffer from that iuſtice which he had prouoked; Let vsus now fall into the hands of the Lord.
Humble confeſſions, and deuout penance cannot alwayes auert temporall iudgements; Gods Angell is abroad, and within that ſhort compaſſe of time ſweepes away ſeuenty thouſand Iſraelites; Dauid was proud of the number of his ſubiects, now they are abated; that he may ſee cauſe of humiliation in the matter of his glory; In what we hauehave offended, we commonly ſmart; Theſe thouſands of Iſrael were not ſo innocent; that they ſhould onelyonly periſh for Dauids ſinne; Their ſinnes were the motiues both of this ſinne, and puniſhment; beſides the reſpect of Dauids offence, they die for themſelues.
It was no ordinarie peſtilence that was thus ſuddenly and vniuerſally mortall; Common eyes ſaw the botch, and the markes, ſaw not the Angell, Dauids clearer ſight hath eſpyed him (after that killing peragration through the Tribes of Iſrael) ſhaking his ſword ouer Ieruſalem, and houering ouer Mount Sion; and now hee who doubtleſſe had ſpent thoſe three diſmall dayes in the ſaddeſt contrition, humbly caſts himſelfe downe at the feet of the auenger, and layes himſelfe ready for the fatall ſtroke of iuſtice; It was more terrour that God intended in the viſible ſhape of his Angell, and deepe… humiliation; and what he meant, he wrought; Neuer ſoule could be more deiected, more anguiſhed with the ſenſe of a iudgement; in the bitterneſſe whereof hee cryes out, Behold I hauehave ſinned, yea I hauehave done wickedly; But theſe Sheepe what hauehave they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee be againſt me, and againſt my fathers houſe. The better any man is the more ſenſible he is of his owne wretchedneſſe▪ Many of thoſe Sheepe were Wolues to Dauid; What had they done? They had done that which was the occaſion of Dauids ſinne, and the cauſe of their owne puniſhment; But that gracious penitent knew his owne ſinne, he knew not theirs; and therefore can ſay, I hauehave ſinned, What hauehave they done? It is ſafe accuſing, where wee may be boldeſt, and are beſt acquainted our ſelues.
Oh the admirable charitie of Dauid, that would hauehave ingroſſed the plague to himſelfe, and his houſe, from the reſt of Iſrael; and ſues to interpoſe himſelfe betwixt his people and the vengeance; He that had put himſelfe vponupon the pawes of the Beare, and Lyon, for the reſcue of his Sheepe, will now caſt himſelfe vponupon the ſword of the Angell, for the preſeruation of Iſrael; There was hope in thoſe conflicts; in this yeeldance there could be nothing but death; Thus didſt thou, O ſonne of Dauid, the true and great Shepheard of thy Church, offer thy ſelfe to death for them who had their hands in thy blood; who both procured thy death, and deſerued their owne. Here he offered himſelfe that had ſinned for thoſe whom he profeſſed to hauehave not done euill, thou that didſt no ſinne, vouchſaueſt to offer thy ſelfe for vsus that were all ſinne; Hee offered and eſcaped, thou offeredſt, and diedſt; and by thy death we liue, and are freed from euerlaſting deſtruction.
But O Father of all mercies, how little pleaſure doeſt thou take in the blood of ſinners? it was thine owne pitie that inhibited the Deſtroyer; Ere Dauid could ſee the Angell, thou hadſt reſtrained him; It is ſufficient, hold now thy hand; If thy compaſſion did not both with-hold and abridge thy iudgements, what place were there for vsus out of hell?
How eaſie and iuſt had it beene for God to hauehave made the ſhutting vp of that third euening red with blood? his goodnes repents of the ſlaughter; and cals for that Sacrifice wherewith he will be appeaſed; An Altar muſt be built in the threſhing floore of Araunah the Iebuſite; Lo, in that very Hill where the Angell held the ſword of Abraham from killing his Sonne, doth God now hold the Sword of the Angel from killing his people; VponUpon this very ground ſhall the Temple after, ſtand; heere ſhall be the holy Altar, which ſhall ſend vp the acceptable oblations of Gods people in ſucceeding generations.
O God, what was the threſhing-floore of a Iebuſite to thee aboue all other ſoyles? What vertue, what merit was in this earth? As in places, ſo in perſons, it is not to bee heeded what they are, but what thou wilt; That is worthieſt which thou pleaſeſt to accept.
Rich and bountifull Araunah is ready to meet Dauid in ſo holy a motion; and munificently offers his Sion for the place, his Oxen for the Sacrifice, his Carts & Ploughs, and other Vtenſils of his Husbandry for the wood; Two franke hearts are well met; Dauid would buy, Araunah would giuegive; The Iebuſite would not ſell, Dauid will not take: Since it was for God, and to Dauid, Araunah is loth to bargaine: Since it was for God, Dauid wiſheth to pay deare, I will not offer burnt-offering to the Lord my God, of that which doth coſt me nothing: Heroicall ſpirits doe well become eminent perſons; He that knew it was better to giuegive then receiue, would not receiue but giuegive; There can be no deuotion in a niggardly heart; As vntounto dainty palates, ſo to the godly ſoule, that taſts ſweeteſt, that coſts moſt; Nothing is deare enough for the Creator of all things. It is an heartleſſe piety of thoſe baſe-minded Chriſtians, that care onelyonly to ſerue God good cheape.
Contemplations.
THE SEVENTEENTH BOOKE.
Adonijah defeated.
Dauids end and Salomons beginning.
The execution of Ioab and Shimei.
Salomons choice, with his Iudgement vponupon the two Harlots.
The Temple.
Salomon with the Queene of Sheba.
Salomons defection.
BY IOS. HALL, D. of Diuinitie, and Deane of WORCESTER.
TO MY WORTHILY MVCH HONOVRED FRIEND, SIR HENRY MILDMAY KNIGHT, MASTER OF THE IEWELL-HOVSE; ALL GRACE AND PEACE.
SIR,
Beſides all priuate obligations, your very name challengeth from mee all due ſeruices of louelove, and honour; Jf I hauehave receiued mercy to beare any fruit, next vnderunder heauen, J may thanke the ſtocke wherein J was ymped; which was ſet by no other then the happy hand of your Right Honorable Grandfather; How hauehave J ſo long forborne the publike Testimonie of my iuſt gratulations, and thankfull reſpects to ſo true an heire of his noble Vertues. Pardon me that I pay this debt ſo late; and accept of this parcell of my well-meant labours; Wherein you ſhall ſee Salomon both in his riſing and ſetting; his riſing hopefull and glorious, his declination fearfull; You ſhall ſee the proofes of his early graces; of mercy, in ſparing Adonijah, and Abiathar; of iustice, in puniſhing that riuall of his, with Ioab, and Shimei: of wiſedome, in his award betwixt the two Harlots, and the administration of his Court, and State: of pietie, in building and hallowing the Temple; all daſhed in his fall, repaired in his repentance. J hauehave no cauſe to miſdoubt either the acceptation, or vſe of theſe mine high pitched thoughts; which, together with your ſelfe, and your worthy and vertuous Lady, J humbly commend to the care and bleſsing of the higheſt; who am bound by your worth and merits to be euer
Your ſyncerely, and thankfully deuoted in all obſeruance, IOS. HALL.