Cruel Joab and

shall be established in righteousness." malicious Shimei must be therefore upon the first opportunity removed; the one lay open to present justice, for abetting the conspiracy of Adonijah, neither needs the help of time for a new advantage; the other went under the protection of an oath from David, and therefore must be fetched in upon a new challenge. The hoary head of both must be brought to the grave with blood, else David's head could not be brought to his grave in peace. Due punishment of malefactors is the debt of authority; if that holy king has run into arrearages, yet, as one that hates and fears to break the bank, he gives order to his paymaster, it shall be defrayed, if not by him, yet for him.

Generous natures cannot be unthankful. Barzillai had shewed David some kindness in his extremity; and now the good man will have posterity to inherit the thanks. How much more bountiful is the Father of mercies, in the remuneration of our poor unworthy services! Even successions of generations shall fare the better for one good parent.

The dying words and thoughts of the man after God's own heart did not confine themselves to the straits of these particular charges, but enlarged themselves to the care of God's public service. As good men are best at last, David did never so busily and carefully marshal the affairs of God, as when he was fixed to the bed of his age and death. Then did he load his son Solomon with the charge of building the house of God; then did he lay before the eyes of his son the model and pattern of that whole sacred work, whereof if Solomon bear the name, yet David no less merits it. He now gives the platform of the courts and buildings: he gives the gold and silver for that holy use, an hundred thousand talents of gold, a thousand thousand talents of silver, besides brass and iron passing weight: he weighs out those precious metals for their several designments; every future vessel is laid out already in his poise, if not in his form. He excites the princes of Israel to their assistance, in so high a work he takes notice of their bountiful offerings: he numbers up the Levites for the public service, and sets them their tasks. He appoints the singers, and other musicians to their stations; the porters to the gates that should be; and now, when he hath set all things in a desired order and forwardness, he shuts up with a zealous blessing of his Solomon, and his people, and sleeps with his

fathers. O blessed soul, how quiet a possess on hast thou now taken, after so many tumults, of a better crown! Thou that hast prepared all things for the house of thy God, how. happily art thou now welcomed to that house of his, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens! Who now shall envy unto good princes the honour of overseeing the businesses of God and his church, when David was thus punctual in these divine provisions? What fear can be of usurpation, where they have so glorious a precedent?

Now is Solomon the second time crowned king of Israel, and now in his own right, as formerly in his father's, sits peaceably upon the throne of the Lord: his awe and power come on faster than his years. Envy and ambition, where it is once kindled, may sooner be hid in the ashes than quite put out. Adonijah yet hangs after his old hopes, he remembers how sweet he found the name of a king; and now hath laid a new plot for the setting up of his cracked title: he would make the bed a step to the throne; his old complices are sure enough; his part would gather much strength, if he might enjoy Abishag, the relict of his father, to wife. If it were not the Jewish fashion, as is pretended, that a king's widow should marry none but a king; yet certainly the power both of the alliance and friendship of a queen, must needs not a little advance his purpose. The crafty rival dare not either: move the suit to Solomon, or effect the marriage without him; but would cunningly undermine the son by the suit of that mother, whose suit had undermined him. The weaker vessels are commonly used in the most dangerous suggestions of evil.

Bathsheba was so wise a woman, that some of her counsels are canonized for divine; yet she saw not the depth of this drift of Adonijah; therefore she both entertains the suit, and moves it. But whatever were the intent of the suitor, could. she choose but see the unlawfulness of so incestuous a match? It is not long since she saw her late husband David abominating the bed of those his concubines that had been touched by his son Absalom; and can she hold it lawful, that his son Adonijah should climb up to the bed of his father's wife? Sometimes even the best eyes are dim, and discern not those things which are obvious to weaker sights: or whether did not Bathsheba well see the foulness of the suit; and yet in compassion of Adonijah's late repulse, wherein she was the chief agent, and, in a desire to make him amends for the loss

of the kingdom, she yields even thus to gratify him. It is an injurious weakness to be drawn, upon any by respects, to the furtherance of faulty suits of unlawful actions.

No sooner doth Bathsheba come in place, than Solomon her son rises from his chair of state, and meets her, and bows to her, and sets her on his right hand, as not so remembering himself to be a king, that he should forget he was a son. No outward dignity can take away the rights and obligations of nature. Had Bathsheba been as mean as Solomon was mighty, she had carried away this honour from a gracious son: yet, for all these due compliments, Bathsheba goes away with a denial: reverence she shall have, she shall not have a condescent.

In the acts of magistracy, all regards of natural relations must give way. That which she propounded as a small request, is now, after a general and confused engagement, rejected as unreasonable. It were pity we should be heard in all our suits. Bathsheba makes a petition against herself, and knows it not: her safety and life depends upon Solomon's reign, yet she unwittingly moves for the advancement of Adonijah.

Solomon was too dutiful to check his mother, and too wise to yield to her. In unfit supplications, we are most heard when we are repelled. Thus doth our God many times answer our prayers with merciful denials; and most blesseth us in crossing our desires.

Wise Solomon doth not find himself perplexed with the scruple of his promise; he that had said, "Ask on, for I will not say thee nay," can now swear, "God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah hath not spoken this word against his own life." His promise was according to his supposition; his supposition was of no other than of a suit, honest, reasonable, expedient; now he holds himself free from that grant, wherein there was at once both sin and danger. No man can be intangled with general words, against his own just and honest intentions.

The policies of wicked men befool them at last this intercession hath undone Adonijah, and, instead of the throne, hastens his grave. The sword of Benaiah puts an end to that dangerous rivalry. Joab and Abiathar still held champerty with Adonijah; their hand was both in the claim of his kingdom, and in the suit of Abishag. There are crimes wherein

there are no accessories; such is this of treason. Abiathar may thank his burden that he lives: had he not borne the ark of the Lord before David, he had not now carried his head upon his shoulders; had he not been afflicted with David, he had perished with Adonijah: now though he were, in his own merit, a man of death, yet he shall survive his partners,"Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields." The priesthood of Abiathar, as it aggravated his crime, so it shall preserve his life. Such honour have good princes given to the ministers of the sanctuary, that their very coat hath been defence enough against the sword of justice; how much more should it be of proof against the contempt of base persons!

Besides his function, respect is had to his sufferings: the father and brethren of Abiathar were slain for David's sake, therefore for David's sake Abiathar, though worthy of death, shall live: he had been now a dead man, if he had not been formerly afflicted. Thus doth our good God deal with us; by the rod he prevents the sword, and therefore will not condemn us for our sins, because we have suffered. If Abiathar do not forfeit his life, yet his office he shall; he must change Jerusalem for Anathoth, and the priesthood for a retired privacy. It was fourscore years ago since the sentence of judgment was denounced against the house of Eli; now doth it come to execution. This just quarrel against Abiathar, the last of that line, shall make good the threatened judgment. The wickedness of Eli's house was neither purged by sacrifice, nor obliterated by time. If God pay slowly, yet he pays sure. Delay of most certain punishment, is neither any hinderance to his justice, nor any comfort to our miseries.

CONTEMPLATION III.

The Execution of Joab and Shimei.

ABIATHAR shall live, though he serve not. It is in the power of princes to remit, at least, those punishments which attend the breach of human laws: good reason they should have power to dispense with the wrongs done to their own persons. The news of Adonijah's death, and Abiathar's removal, cannot but affright Joab, who now runs to Gibeon, and takes sanctuary in the tabernacle of God; all his hope of defence is in the horns of the altar. Fond Joab, hadst thou formerly sought

for counsel from the tabernacle, thou hadst not now needed to seek to it for refuge; if thy devotions had not been wanting to that altar, thou hadst not needed it for a shelter. It is the fashion of our foolish presumption to look for protection where we have not cared to yield obedience.

Even a Joab clings fast to God's altar in his extremity, which in his prosperity he regarded not. The worst men would be glad to make use of God's ordinances for their advantage. Necessity will drive the most profane and lawless man to God: but what do these bloody hands touching the holy altar of God? Miserable Joab, what help canst thou expect from that sacred pile? Those horns, that were besprinkled with the blood of beasts, abhor to be touched by the blood of men; that altar was for the expiation of sin by blood, not for the protection of the sin of blood, If Adonijah fled thither and escaped, it is murder that pursues thee more than conspiracy. God hath no sanctuary for a wilful homicide.

Yet such respect doth Benaiah give to that holy place, that his sword is unwilling to touch him that touches the altar. Those horns shall put off death for the time, and give protraction of the execution, though not preservation of life. How sweet is life, even to those who have been prodigal of the blood of others, that Joab shifts thus to hold it but some few hours! Benaiah returns with Joab's answer, instead of his bead, "Nay, but I will die here;" as not daring to unsheath his sword against a man sheltered in God's tabernacle, without a new commission. Young Solomon is so well acquainted with the law of God, in such a case, that he sticks not at the sentence: he knew that God had enacted, "If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die. He knew Joab's murders had not been more presumptuous than guileful; and therefore he sends Benaiah to take away the offender both from God and men, from the altar and the world.

No subject had merited more than Joab. When proclamation was made in Israel, that whoever should smite the Jebusites first, he should be the chief and captain, Joab was the man when David built some part of Jerusalem, Joab built the rest; so that Jerusalem owes itself to Joab, both for recovery and reparation. No man held so close to David; no man was more intent to the weal of Israel; none so