The Throne of David, Treatise · Section 14
II SAM. Chap. 4. from the 8. Verſe to the end.
THe ſecond part of this Chapter, which beginneth at the 8. Verſ. hath the honeſt part of David in condigne revenge of Iſhboſeths Murther, wherein are three things. 1. The oration of the Murtherers. 2. Davids reply. And 3. the puniſhment of thoſe, and the honour exhibited unto the head of Iſhboſeth in burying the ſame.
As for the Murtherers, they carry with them the Kings head, and in great haſt they flie from Mahanaim beyond Iordan, in the Territory of Galaad, and paſſing the River, through all the Territory of Benjamin journing by night, they come unto David in Hebron, and their diligence, as an argument of their good will to David, thus travelling by night to be the firſt reporters.
Being come they have a ſhort accurate ſpeech, the end whereof is to perſwade David of their well doing, and good intention in that fact to his advancement, and the butt whereat they aime, is, hereby to acquire ſome high place, and authority, with the new King, or elſe to get a rich reward from him.
The perſwaſions are from three places of Rhetorick à Jucundo, honeſto & utili. 1. The fact (ſay they) is pleaſant, becauſe hereby we have brought unto thee the head of thine Enemy, who ſought they life: and there is nothing more pleaſant to naturall man, than the deſtruction of his capitall Enemy. 2. God hath wrought this by our hands, and there is no purpoſe more honeſt, then that which he hath ordained, and is an actor in the ſame. 3. By this work thou art fully avenged on the houſe of Saul, ſo that there is none left of his ſeed (ſave an impotent boy) to quarrell with thee now in the Kingdome, or ſeek after either thy life, or honour, which is to thy great profit and commodity.
David anſwereth and refuteth their ſpeech by two arguments, the former he taketh from the true cauſe of his preſervation, and replyeth in this manner. It is not by your deed that my life is preſerved, or by the taking away of Iſhboſeth, that ſo I am freed from trouble, or adverſity, and henceforth may live ſecure. But it is by Jehova, who lives by whoſe favour I have been raiſed, directed, and protected in all my wayes hitherto, upon whoſe promiſe I depend, and not upon any indirect means to have my advancement, or eſtabliſhment wrought thereby, and this argument is couched in words ſet down in form of an oath, or ſolemne proteſtation.
The ſecond argument is taken from an example, or preparative, by way of compariſon of the leſſe with the greater, in this manner; Ye ſuppoſe (ſaith David) to abuſe my lenity, becauſe I ſpared Ioab in the Murther of Abner, but I referre you to remember the execution, which I uſed upon the Amalekite, who ſlew Saul, and brought me the firſt news with the royall ornaments, hoping thereby to get a reward, but I took and ſlew him: how much more then are you worthy of death, and of a greater puniſhment, in reſpect your fact is much more odious, conſidering all the circumſtances thereof. That man was an Amalekite, but you are Iſraelites, yea and of the ſame tribe with Iſhboſeth, he ſlew Saul at his own deſire, but you by a deviſed treaſon have ſlain your Maſter unwittingly; he helped him being wounded, and to accelerate his death, which was a benefit; but you murdered your Lord ſleeping on his bed being in his health, he did the one in the field, and perſuit of battle; but you the other in your Maſters bed-chamber, and in time of no other perill. Saul alſo was an Enemy to the Amalekites, but Iſhboſeth a juſt man, and a loving Maſter to you; therefore in all reſpects your fact being more odious, your puniſhment muſt be proportionable, and the greater. Therefore accordingly he commandeth his ſervants to make the execution, (ſeeing the office of a publicke executioner was not then in uſe.) And in greater deteſtation of the fact, and ſtriking terrour in the hearts of others to do the like, he addeth a form of ſeverity in cutting off their hands, and feet, inſtruments of that cruelty, and as a publicke ſpectacle for example to others he hangeth the ſame up in a open place.
In the mean while, David honoureth the head of Iſhboſeth, and burieth the ſame, wherein he confirmeth three notable leſſons marked before. 1. That a Prince, or noble man ſhould not take pleaſure, or allow any vice. 2. That nothing can be profitable which is not godly and honeſt. And 3. that no man ſhould inſult, or rejoyce in the miſery, or deſtruction of his very Enemy.
OBSERVATIONS.
1. V. 8. THe nature of the wicked is, ever to meaſure others by themſelves, and therefore becauſe to fleſh, and blood it is a pleaſant thing to be avenged on their Enemies, therefore theſe two Murtherers think that even ſo here it will be unto David, and that they both actours, and firſt reporters thereof cannot miſſe both thanks and reward: but they meaſure David by the wrong line, and find him contrarywiſe diſpoſed, for as the naturall man knoweth not the things which are of God; ſo neither the work of regeneration wrought in the Godly; whereby they think, they ſpeak, they do and deſire farre otherwiſe then the Child of Adam, and maſs of blind corruption. Witneſs the contrary diſpoſitions of Jacob and Eſau (though Brethren) and in this place of theſe Beerothites and Davids.
2. The audacious impiety of theſe wicked Murtherers may be ſeen, in that they will in this their vile practiſe make God to be a worker, and chiefe actour of the deed: like Simeon and Levi colouring their bloody fact, with the vaile of Religion, and imbarking divine mercy it ſelfe, in participation with Diveliſh cruelty. The moſt odious ſin of any is to cover the Divell with Gods garment, and taint the ſacred Majeſty of holineſs it ſelfe, with the menſtruous pollution of monſtrous crimes. And too commonly uſed now adaies, when rebellion againſt Lawfull authority, odious treaſon, mercileſs maſſacres, and ſuch like are now obtruded for conſcience ſake, and go currant under pretext of Religion, Jeſuiticall Doctrine teaching their emiſſaries and paricides that they do merite thereby.
3. Verſ. 9. In Davids words of proteſtation, We ſee that it is the godlies lot to be in adverſity, and under the croſs, as his whole life hitherto could have taught: (omitting other examples) but there is their comfort, which with a thankfull acknowledgment with this godly Prince here, the godly ought ever to record, as Job ſaid of his redeemer, ſo, the Lord liveth, who delivereth their ſouls out of all adverſity, and though their troubles be many, yet he upholdeth them in them,Gen. 49. 23. and from them in his good time giveth them freedome, with Victory: like Joſeph, who though the archers grieved him, and ſhot at him, and hated him, yet his bow abode ſtrong, and the hands of his armes were ſtrengthned, by the hand of the mighty God of Jacob.
4. Vers 12. In Davids adjudging them to puniſhment farre contrary to their expectation; we ſee how being blinded by Satan, they are greatly diſappointed of that they looked for: even as our firſt parents being deceived by that crafty Serpent thinking to be like God, became to be like the Divell, let none therefore look for happy fruit of the forbidden Tree, nor think by doing evill that good ſhall come of it, which ſerveth greatly to correct thoſe, who by malefices and wickedneſſe pretend to attain to the favour of Princes and great men. Let Balams blood, Doegs infamy, Achitophels deſpare, Hamans hanging, and theſe mens execution, bear witneſſe of the iſſue.
5. We have likewiſe here in David the patterne of a good Magiſtrate, and upright juſtitiar, who hath an eye, not to his own commodity in this ungodly fact, but to juſt judgement, and to that which ought to be done according to the Law: ſhall I not therefore (ſaith he) require his blood at your hand, and take you from the Earth, not as uſually now it is, quo volunt reges, vadunt leges, & plus valet favor in judice, quam lex in codice. Farre contrary to good Jehoſaphaths admonition to the Judges of Iſrael, 2 Chron. 19. Take heed what yee do, and let the feare of the Lord be upon you, for yee execute not the judgements of man, but of the Lord, and he will be with you in the cauſe and judgement.
6. In practices we may perceive what is to be followed. There are two here in this matter of blood: the one is of David ſparing of Ioab: the other is of his juſtice towards the Amalekite. Theſe criminals though they preſume on pardon by the one, yet David followeth the other; hid reaſon is, the one agreed with God, and a good Law, the other diſagreed. Whereupon we obſerve in uſe of practices what ſhould be followed, and what ſhould be eſchewed by Magiſtrates, decrees given according to equity, good Law, and conſcience ſhould onelyonly, & ever be followed, and the contrary rejected. Let Judges then beware, what decrees they give out, that they prejudge not the courſe of upright juſtice: but if they do, let them not be aſhamed to retrait the ſame, and follow the beſt practice.
7. David joyneth that form of ſeverity, by cutting of their hands and feet, and hanging of them up, for the terrour of others: where we ſee what ſhould be the end of puniſhment aimed at by the Magiſtrate, even to prevent offences amongſt the people: and like a skillfull Phiſitian making the Phlebotomy of one member, a preſervative to the whole body, as they do in fevers, plewriſies, and the like.
8. We ſee how the Lord maketh a requitall to be given to the wicked, theſe men cruelly had deformed the dead body of their Maſter by cutting off his head; and now juſtly are their bodies deformed by the cutting off their hands and feet. This we ſee in Pharaoh, as he killed the Iſraelites firſt borne males, ſo are the firſt borne of all his land: as he drowned their infants, ſo is he and his Army. And this retribution, lege talionis, did Adonibezek acknowledge juſtly to have been inflicted upon him, when the thumbs of his hands, and his feet were cut off, Judg. 1. 7. Let men beware then how they ſinne, or cruelly behave themſelves, and think that there is a juſt God who will both require and requite, this Job wiſheth of himſelfe, Job. 31. 9, 10. And this Chriſt Jeſus confirmeth, For with what meaſure yee meete, it ſhall be meaſured to you againe, Math. 7. 2. and this alſo we ſee Revel. 16. 6.