The Throne of David, Treatise · Section 35
II. SAM. Chap. 15. from the 30. verſ. to the end.
HAving hitherto ſpoken of Davids patience and yeilding for the time to Abſoloms fury and his followers, as alſo of his prudence in part in ſending back Zadok and Abiathar the Prieſts with the Arke, and their two Sonnes to be intelligencers from Ieruſalem unto him, followes now to ſpeak further, both of his piety, Verſ. 30. and 31. As alſo of his prudence in ſending back Huſhai the Archite a wiſe Counſellour of Davids, to be an intelligencer in like manner, and to inſinuate himſelf to this end into the favour of Abſolom, and to defeat the Counſell of Achitophel. From the 31. verſe to the end.
Firſt then Davids piety appears in theſe two actions. 1. In his ſorrowfull weeping for his ſinnes, that had procured this ſharp correction, which we ſee alſo expreſt in the ſixt Pſalme and the other penitentialls. The manner of which his humiliation is not onelyonly ſet down by his weeping. But by the other circumſtances. 1. of the place, towit, while he is going by the aſcent of mount Olivet. 2. By the manner of his going barefoot. 3. With his head covered. Which was the Jewiſh cuſtome of mourners, as we ſee, Verſ. 32. and chap. 13. 12. 4. It is deſcribed from the univerſality of this weeping by the whole people that were with him, ſo that it might have been called, as Gen. 50. 11. A great mourning to the Iſraelites. 2. His piety appears in his prayer which he made to God. Verſ. 31, Upon the hearing that Achitophel was joyned with the conſpirators, that the Lord would turne his wicked counſell into fooliſhnes.
Next, Davids prudence herein appears that with prayer he uſes the means whereby Achitophels counſell may be diſappointed, and therefore when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worſhipped God (being ſtill exerciſed in piety and prayer) and that Huſhai the Archite, Davids faithfull friend and Counſellour, came to him in a ſorrowfull and lamenting manner, he ſends him back to Jeruſalem, for three reaſons. 1. If he ſhould paſſe on with him, he ſhould be no benefit, but on the contrary a burden, Verſ. 33. 2. By his returning and offering his ſervice to Abſolom, he might do him better ſervice by defeating and countermining the crafty Counſell of Achitophel. 3. He might be a good Intelligencer unto him, by revealing whatſoever he heard in Abſoloms houſe to the Prieſts Zadok, & Abiathar, who would ſend the ſame to David by their Sonnes that were with them Ahimaaz Zadoks Sonne, and Jonathan Abiathars Sonne, Verſ. 34, 35. and 36. Which adviſe of Davids Huſhai obeyes and returnes to Jeruſalem, Verſ. 37.
OBSERVATIONS.
1. V. 30. & 31. DAvid in his great difficulties and diſtreſſe, humbles himſelf greatly, and has his recourſe to God by prayer, who onelyonly could deliver him, and overthrow the courſes and counſells of his adverſaries, their plots though crafty, and their cruell practiſes. Which teaches us in all our diſtreſſes in like manner to have our recourſe to God, as he has commanded, Pſal. 50. 15. And as we ſee was the practiſe of Jacob, Gen. 32. Of Gods people in Egypt, Exod. 3. 7. Of Moſes at the red Sea, of Gods people under the oppreſſion of their Enemies, Judg. 3. 9. and 15. and 4. 3. &c. Of good Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32. 20. And of David here, and frequently in the time of Saul. As his Pſalmes teſtifie, and which was the armour that the Church under the Goſpel in time of perſecution uſed, prayers and teares.
2. In particular he prayes, that the Lord would turn the counſell of Achitophel to fooliſhnes. Where we ſee the great overruling power of God in all humane affaires, that he not onelyonly knowes the ſecreteſt counſells of men, as we ſee, 2 King. 6. 9. But alſo that he can diſappoint them, and turne their wiſeſt counſells into fooliſhnes. As he did Pharaohs working wiſely, Hamans plot againſt his people, and all Satans and his inſtruments their machinations againſt Chriſt and his Goſpel, as we ſee, Pſal. 2. 4. For their is no wiſdome nor counſell againſt the Lord.
3. Verſ. 34. David ſends back Huſhai the Archite, by his wiſdome to outwit and defeat the counſell of Achitophel, as he did, ſo that as he prayes to God, to turne his counſell into fooliſhneſſe, ſo he uſes alſo the ordinary means to have it ſo done. Whereby we learn, that with prayer to God for any good, corporall, or ſpirituall, or avoyding any evill in either we ſhould not neglect but uſe the ordinary means, otherwiſe we but preſume and tempt God, againſt both that precept and practiſe of Chriſt, Matth. 4. 7. And of the godly from time to time as we ſee Jacobs, Gen. 33. 8. And Pauls, Act. 27. 31.
4. Verſ. 35. David alſo ſends back Huſhai to Ieruſalem to give him intelligence ſecretly, what Abſolom was doing, or intending againſt him, that he might prevent the ſame. Whereby we ſee that intelligence is a neceſſary and laudable ſtate policy, being oftimes the very life of affaires, and wherein for the good of his the godly, and of his own people, he has made his Prophets miraculouſly inſtrumentall, as we ſee, 2 King. 6. 9.
5. Verſ. 37. At laſt Abſoloms rebellion under colour of ſimulate piety comes to that hight, that at laſt he enters into Ieruſalem, and poſſeſſes the holy City, being herein a type of Antichriſt, who under the like colour of ſimulate piety, and religious holineſſe raiſed his rebellion againſt Chriſt, to that hight by all deceivableneſſe of unrighteouſneſſe in them that periſh, that he ſitteth in the Temple of God, as God, 2 Theſſ. 2. 4. Pretending to be Chriſts vicar, or vicegerent in the Church, and he uſurps the power of God, in depoſing of Princes and diſpoſing of their Kingdomes, as alſo in diſpenſing with the Law of God, againſt inceſtuous marriages, and the like, and many other wayes as I have ſhewn in my treatiſe of Antichriſt, Chap. 11. and 12. And who is ſaid to ſit in the Temple of God, ſayes Theodoret on 2 Theſſ. 2. 4. Becauſe he ſhall uſurp the firſt and chief place in the Church, (towit, are univerſall Biſhop thereof) and thus alſo ſayes their own Aquinas, and Canoniſed ſaint, Antichriſt is ſaid to ſit in the Church, becauſe many of the Church ſhall receive him, or according to Auguſtine, he ſhall pretend to be Prince, or Monarch thereof, and ſhall rule therein, as if he onelyonly and his followers were the Church, or Temple of God, which Chriſt onelyonly and his, are truly, (ſayes Auguſtine, cited by Aquinas) and thus he was prefigured by Abſolom ſitting in Ieruſalem, by which ordinarily in Scripture, the Church of God is ſignified. David and his followers being forced to flie to the Wilderneſs, as the Church is ſaid to do under Antichriſts prevailing, Rev. 12. 14.