The Throne of David, Treatise · Section 26
II. SAM. Chap. 11. from the 14. verſe to the end. OBSERVATIONS.
1. V. 14. DAvid now ſends a letter with Ʋriah to Joab to ſet him in the front of the battle, that he might be killed. Where we ſee (as has been ſaid) that from one ſin he falls in another, and in the laſt as the worſt of all, whereby we obſerve. 1. The nature of ſin that it never goes alone, but is like a chain one link whereof is tyed to another. 2. That Satan where he may once get in a foot will never reſt, till he get in his whole body. And 3. we ſee that oftimes God puniſhes ſin by ſin, and man by his own iniquity till there cup be full, and then followes judgment, as we ſee in Pharaoh and others.
2. Ʋriah carries with him the letter to Joab which was his own deſtruction, and ſo does the wicked carry in the boſome of their own breaſt, there dittay and accuſation, of their own guilty conſcience before God in the day of their account, which in likemanner is their owne deſtruction.
3. David began to cover his ſin by ſubtilty and fraud, and now he comes from fraud to force and cruelty. Thus doth Satan himſelf act, firſt as an inſinuating and ſubtile Serpent, and who can transforme himſelf into an Angel of light to deceive, and hereby if he cannot prevail he turnes a bloody Dragon, by open perſecution, as we ſee, Revel. 12. And thus to do he teaches others whom he miſleads, as he did Pharaoh, and in this place David.
4. Hereby likewiſe we ſee that in the beſt of men their are the ſeeds, and a naturall inclination to the groſſeſt ſins, all the imaginations of the heart being onelyonly evill continually, which ſhould ſerve to keep us humble, and watchfull, and to be earneſt with God by prayer for grace and ſtrength to reſiſt the temptations of the Divell, that we be not inſnared to commſit ſins, which otherwiſe we would ſeem to abhorre in others.
5. We ſee, as in this, ſo that adultery and unlawfull luſts is the chief argument of all tragicall Hiſtories almoſt, as we may ſee in the examples of the firſt World. Sodom, Sechem, Iſrael with the Moabitiſh Women in the deſart, the warres between Iſrael and Benjamin, Sampſon, and here in the example of David, omitting prophane Hiſtories, as the deſtruction of Troy, Thebes, Carthage and others, which teaches us that whoredome is not ſo light a ſin, as carnall men take it to be, who call it but a trick of yo…th, or the like, ſeeing we ſee it puniſhed with ſuch ſad judgements here, and excluding from the Kingdome of Heaven hereafter, 1 Cor. 6, 9. Revel. 22. 15.
6. Vers 16. As David directed Joab, ſo he obeyed this wicked direction of the King, and ſo becomes guilty likewiſe of the innocent blood of Ʋriah (which was avenged on him, 1 King. 2. 28.) Which ſhould teach us, not to obey the unjuſt commandments of ſuperiours, but as Peter ſaid Act. 5. 29. We ought to obey rather God than man, and to give unto God that which is Gods, and then to Ceſar, that which is Ceſars. Honour alſo is pretended to Ʋriah, but death is meant, ſo doth Satan in his temptations.
7. V. 17. Ʋriah an innocent man ſuffers and is killed, whereupon we obſerve, that it is not ever the will of God to give temporall deliverance, from the cruelty of Tyrants, or of Enemies, as we ſee in the examples of the Prophets, Apoſtles and Martyrs, the reaſon is, that thereby God will be glorified in their conſtant integrity, good example of the like may be left behind them, God may have juſt matter to puniſh Tyranny and cruelty, & the innocent ſufferers may be tranſlated to a better life in glory.
8. We ſee in this fact firſt of uncleaneſſes, next of Davids ſubtilty, and laſt of cruelty, whereunto he was inſtigated by Satan the properties of the Divell, that he is an unclean Spirit, full of ſubtilty and cruelty, and that he makes them who obey him, to take on his image, and to be like himſelf.
9. Vers 26. Batſheba mournes for her Husband when ſhe hears of his death, as for a Worldly loſſe, but we reade not that ſhe mourned for her ſinne that procured his death, which ſhews that many will be more grieved for any Worldly loſſe, or croſſe, then for that which ſhould grieve them moſt, the offence of God, the killing of their own ſouls, and the loſſe of a heavenly Kingdome, her ſinne then was more worthy of her ſorrow then her loſſe.
10. Vers 27. Where it is ſaid; that the thing which David had done diſpleaſed the Lord, which ſhould teach us the like diſpoſition to be ever diſpleaſed with ſinne in any perſon whatſoever, and to hate the ſame: it being Satans image, but not to hate the perſon who is created to the image of God, as the Lord hated not Davids perſon, but his ſinfull action. Therefore Paul affirmes That the end of excommunication (the laſt of diſcipline) ſhould be to the deſtruction of ſinne, but that the ſoule may be pre…erved in the day of the Lord. Laſt, conſider that God had neverſuffered ſo deare a Saint, ſo fouly to fall: if he had not meant to make him an example to all: neither to preſume that they may not ſinne groſly, nor to deſpaire if they ſinne, when they ſee David ſo to have fallen, and ſo to have riſen.