The Throne of David, Treatise · Section 28
II. SAM. Chap. 12. from the 13. verſ. to the end.
FOllows now after Nathans Meſſage, and his accuſation of David, and denunciation againſt him. 1. Davids penitent confeſſion in few words but weighty, which at more length is amplified in all the circumſtances thereof in the 51. penitentiall Pſalme, which may … as a commentary upon this text. 2. Is ſubjoyned Nathans abſolution, or declaration that God had remitted his ſin, wherein (as Pſal. 32. 1. The bleſſedneſs of man conſiſts) and that he ſhould not dye, towit, that death which his ſin deſerved, and which the Apoſtle, Rom. 6. 23. declareth to be the wages of ſin. Howbeit the Child that was borne unto him of that adulterous procreation it ſhould dye the temporall death, becauſe by that deed he had given great occaſion to the Lords Enemies to blaſpheme, which by the Childes death in the ſcandall thereof would the ſooner be forget, nor by the life thereof, if it continued, whereupon enſueth the performance of what Nathan herein had foretold. 1. By the Lords ſtrinking of the Child with ſickneſſe, and thereafter, Vers 18. With death, during which time of the Childs ſickneſs. Davids behaviour is ſet down, towit his humiliation by prayer and faſting, and lying on the Earth (doubtles confeſſing his great guiltineſſe & provocation in the begetting of that Child,) and, as Vers 22. intreating the Lord, if it were his will, to be gracious to him that the Child might live, but when he heard by the ſervants of his houſe, Vers 19. That the Child was dead, then he changes his behaviour, ariſed from the Earth, waſhes, and annoints himſelf, changes his apparell; And 1. goes to the houſe of God and worſhips, and then comes to his own houſe, and refreſhes himſelf by meat, the reaſon of which, both his former carriage while the Child was ſick, and of his contrary carriage after the Childs death, he gives unto his ſervants, who asked him the reaſon thereof, and this he donh, Vers 22. and 23.
After which Vers 24. and 25. is ſet down Davids comforting of Bathſheba now his Wife, and his begetting upon here a Son whom ſhe boor to him, and he called his name Solomon, whom the Lord loved, and in teſtimony thereof he ſent by his Prophet Nathan, and he called his nam J…dediah, which is by interpretation, the beloved of the Lord.
After all which is ſet down a new document of the Lords favour to David, in giving him a notable victory over his Enemies the Ammonites, by the expugnation of there chief and royall City Rabbah, which ſo long had been beſeiged, and at laſt the chief part whereof (which was the City of Waters, or, where their Water was, without which the other could not long hold out) was taken in by Joab, who hereupon ſent to David to come in Perſon himſelf with his forces to take the honour of the Victory, and full in taking thereof, which David accordingly does, where he is crowned with there Kings Crown, weying a Talent of gold eſtimate to 7000. French Crowns, and rich in precious ſtones, he gets alſo a rich ſpoil of the City, and by ſeverall tortures after he had puniſhed the inhabitants of Rabhah, and all the other Cities of the Ammonites, he returned victorious and triumphant to Jeruſalem.
But before we proceed to the obſervatious, ſome queſtious, or doubts, are to be reſolved.
1. How was Davids ſin remitted, and yet the puniſhment thereof which was threatned, vers 10. and 11. retained. I anſwer, when God remits the ſin, he remits the vindict, which temporall chaſtiſements are not to the godly, becauſe. 1. they proceed from his love, Heb. 12. 6. as alſo are in their nature medicinall corraſives. And 3. their end, or ſcope is, their good, and profite who are corrected, Heb. 12. 10. That they may be made pertakers of his holineſſe, and conſequently of eternall happineſſe, vers 14. And ſeeing of God in glory.
2. How comes it to paſſe that David exerciſes ſuch cruelty after his Victory againſt the Ammonites in all their Cities? Which may be thought unbeſeeming to ſo pious a Prince as David. I anſwer, that this was not without the ſpeciall providence of God, avenging himſelf by David on ſuch wicked idolatres as thoſe were, 1 King. 11. 5. And who had ever been capitall Enemies to his people, riſing up againſt them in the wilderneſſe, and in their journey to Canaan▪ Deut. 2. 18. As alſo riſing up againſt them in the dayes of Jephtah, Judg. 11. 32. And thereafter coming againſt Jabeſh Gilead in the dayes of Saul, and who would not make peace with them, except all the Citizens would thruſt out their right eyes, 1 Sam. 11. 2. Thereafter doing ſuch a barbarous indignity to the meſſengers of David, and hyring the Syrians to joyn with them againſt oath and covenant, and making warre againſt David for all theſe their wi…kedneſſe and provocations, the Lord makes David now when their cup is full to recompence them according to their works, and to be exemplar to others in their ſharp puniſhment, as they had been in their groſſe ſinning.
OBSERVATIONS.
1. V. 13. UPon the Prophets reprehenſion and threatning, David humbly confeſſes his ſin. Where we ſee the fruit of reprehenſion, and the efficacy of Gods Spirit con…urring with the faitfull diſcharge of the Miniſtriall function towards ſinners for their converſion, as we ſee here in David, and Act. 2. 23. and 37. Let Paſtors then do their duty, and leave the event to God. Alſo, we ſee what long and dead ſleeps the holieſt ſoul may take in ſinne, till God awake them out of that lethargy, as David lay in, neer nine moneths.
2. We ſee the difference between the godly and the wicked… when they are admoniſhed, and rebuked for there ſinnes, the wicked either mock and deſpiſe rebuke & threatnings, as the firſt World did Noah, and the wicked impenitent Jewes did the Lords Prophe…s that he ſent unto them, 2 Chron. 36. 16. Or elſe they fret and are inraged againſt them and abuſe them, as Ahab was inraged againſt Eliah, and Herod againſt the Baptiſt, but the godly to whom God mindes mercy and not judgement, they receive the word of rebuke with meekneſſe, as David did here, and confeſſe their ſin, reſolving to mourn and mend, as we ſee Hoſ. 14. 2, 3. Gods people are exhorted to do.
3. We ſee here likewiſe in Davids confeſſion a good example to be followed, that he layes not his ſin on others, as Adam did, nor denyes it, as Cain, nor extenuates it as Saul, but freely acknowledges it, and layes the blame onelyonly upon himſelf, ſaying. I have ſinned againſt the Lord, and as he ſayes, Pſ…l. 51. 4. Againſt thee, thee onelyonly have I ſinned, and done this evil in thy ſ…ght.
4. In Nathans reply, ſaying, The Lord hath alſo put away thy ſinne, &c. We ſee here, as alſo in the parable of the prodigall Son, and as is ſaid, Pſal. 103. 8. Joel. 2. 13. Jonas 4. 2. And Micah. 7. 18. That he is ſlow to anger, but ready to forgive, and plentious in mercy, yea who delights therein, therefore no ſooner doth David confeſſe, but as ſoon by his Prophet doth he pronounce forgiveneſſe, & no ſooner did the theef on the croſſe pray for Chriſts remembrance of him, when he came to his Kingdome, but as readily did he anſwer, and promiſed it to him, which is a great comfort to all penitent ſinners, and that a bruiſed reed he will not breake, nor a ſmoaking flax he will not quench. Alſo that confeſſion is the way to get pardon from God, which is contrary before Earthly Judges, Prov. 28. 1. 1 Joh. 1. 9.(a)Note alſo, that Davids ſentence, verſ. 5. threatning death, is the voyce of the Law, but Nathans words, verſ. 13. Promiſing life to penitents, is the voyce of the Goſpel.
5. Vers 14. Yet Nathan ſhewes David that the Childe that was borne to him ſhould dye, becauſe he had given great occaſion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaſpheme, whereby we ſee, what advantage the ſcandalous ſinnes of Profeſſours give to the Enemies of the truth, and what wicked and evill uſe they make thereof, which ſhould make all Profeſſours of the truth to walke the the more circumſpectly and holily. Leaſt through their ſides the profeſſion it ſelf be wounded, as well as their own ſouls, and the Lords name blaſphemed.
6. In the death of the Childe which is threatned, we ſee that the ſinnes of parents are puniſhed oftimes in the Perſons of their Children, according to that threatning, Exod. 20. 6. They being as it were a part of their parents, fleſh of their fleſh, and bone of their bone, which ſhould make parents, who would wiſh their Childrens welfare to feare God the more, and to eſchew ſin: and when ſickneſſe death, or any diſaſter comes to their Children to examine themſelves, if their ſins have been the cauſe thereof.
7. Vers 15. It is ſaid, that according to Nathans prediction and threatning, the Lord ſtroke the Childe with ſickneſſe: where we ſee. 1. That Gods threatnings ſhall aſſuredly be accompliſhed, and therefore are not to be deſpiſed, as thoſe did of the firſt world, and others, 2 Chron. 36. 16. But made uſe of for our humiliation. 2. That ſickneſſe is the Lords rod wherewith he ſtriks either young, or old, and therefore when it comes, we ſhould look up to the hand that ſtriks therewith, & kiſſe the rod by patient ſubmiſſion and bearing the ſame, and by humble recourſe to him who laid on the rod to ſeek to ſanctify the ſame to us for our profite, that we may ſay with David, Pſal. 119. 71. It I was good for me that I was afflicted, and to take off the ſame in his own good time.
8. V. 16. David uſes prayer and humilliation for the Childs recovery, if it were the Lords will to be gracious unto him, as he ſpeaks, Vers 22. Which teaches us, that the onelyonly way to avert, and remove the Lords temporall judgements, or any corporall viſitation on our ſelves, or ours, is prayer, and faſting and the humbling our ſelves before the Lord, as we ſee we are exhorted, Joel. 2. Hoſ. 6. 14. And was practiſed by David, 2 Sam. 24. And here, as alſo by the King of Niniveh, Jonah. 3. And by others.
9. Vers 17. During which time alſo, the ſervants of David labours to comfort him, as he alſo comforted his Wife, vers 24. Which ſhewes unto us that it is a charitable and Chriſtian duty, to comfort ſuch who are any way afflicted, as we ſee practiſed by Jacobs Sonnes, Gen. 37. 35. and elſewhere.
10. Vers 18. The Childe dies the ſeventh day, before it could be circumciſed, (as likewiſe being ſicke before) and yet, as we ſee, vers 23. David doubts not of the ſalvation thereof, which ſhewes us that it is not the want of Babtiſme (anſwerable to circumciſion then) that is any way damnable to the infants, (Gods mercy not being tyed to the outward means,) but it is the contempt thereof that is damnable in the parents.
11. Vers 20. David having heard that the Child was dead, he prayes nor faſts no more, whereby he ſhewes the vanity of of thoſe who pray for the dead, as if prayers or ſolemaſſes for ſuch ould be any way profitable to them, as they are not but indeed it is true that they are profitable for the maſſe Prieſts who are living, and who get great gain thereby.
12. David repines not at the Lords doing, but patiently and humbly acquieſces to his good pleaſure therin, and firſt of all goes to the houſe of God and worſhips, and thereafter to his own houſe, and takes bodily refreſhment. Where we ſee how in likemanner in all eroſſe diſpenſations we ſhould do the like, by reverencing Gods providence, humbly ſubmitting to his will as our well, and in all things giving him thanks. And to preferre firſt our duty to him in worſhip, before we take that which may be for our own refreſhment, as alſo after we know the Lords determination in any thing, to reſt content theirwith.
13. Vers …3. In Davids ſpeech concerning the Child, that he was to go to him, but he not to return back to him. We ſee not only a laudable remembrance of mortality and death in David, but alſo a good reſolution to be imitated by the living towards the dead of neereſt relations, whether Wivers, Children, or friends, which ſerves greatly to ſetle immoderate mourning, and the mindes of ſuch who ſurvive the dead.
14. Vers 24. In place of the Childe that dyed, God gives to David another Sonne by Bathſheba, who was Solomon, which ſhewes us, what is the fruit of a humbly, patient and thankfull acquieſcing to Gods will, and that the Lord is ready if he take one benefit from us, if we depend upon his mercy, to give us another, and a better, as we ſee in his dealing with Job Chap. 42. 10.
15. It is ſaid here of Solomon newly born (as is ſaid of Jacob in like manner, Rom. 9. 11. Having done neither good or evill, that he was loved of God, which ſhewes, (as is ſaid Hoſ. 14. 4.) The freedome of Gods love, according to the election by grace, and that the ſame is onelyonly of his meer mercy and no merit of man.
18. Vers 27. In Jacobs meſſage to David to come himſelf in Perſon, now againſt Rabbah neer taken in fully, that he might have the honour of the buſineſſe. We ſee in Ioab theſe vertues, towit, modeſty, wiſdome and humility, requiſit in a generall, or any in high preferment, and which alſo ſhould teach us, much more in all our actions to be zealous of the honour of God our heavenly King and Maſter, and of his glory to make it the ſcope of all our enterpriſe. Seeing Ioab was ſo zealous of the honour of an earthly Maſter.
19. Vers 31. In the torturing ſeverall wayes of the inhabitants of Rabbah, and other Cities of the Ammonites, who ſtubbornly ſtood out againſt David, and would not make peace with him as the Syrians had done, Chap. 10. 19. And had done ſuch barbarous indignities againſt the Lords people and Davids meſſengers, as has been ſpoken of. We ſee the truth of that Exod. 20. 6. That the Lord will viſit the ſinnes of the Fathers upon the Children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him, and ſo, that albeit men forget their ſinnes, God doth not ſo, but keeps them before him in a book of remembrance, till their cup be full: as he ſaid of the Ammonites, as likewiſe what an ill treaſure, or portion, wicked men leave behinde them to their poſterity. And it may in like manner be conſidered, what torture and torments they may expect at laſt, who ſtubbornly ſtand out in impenitency againſt Chriſt Jeſus the Sonne of David, and who will not in time agree with their adverſary, and make peace with him, as other penitent believers do, who is the Prince of peace, and invites all thoſe; Who are weary and heavy laden to come unto him, and he will give them reſt, Matth. 11. 28.