It was the same Nahash, that offered the cruel condition to the men of Jabesh-Gilead, of thrusting out their right eyes for the admission into his covenant. He, that was thus bloody in his design against Israel, yet was kind to David; perhaps for no cause, so much as Saul's opposition: and yet even this favour is held worthy both of memory and retribution. Where we have the acts of courtesy, it is not necessary we should enter into a strict examination of the grounds of it: while the benefit is ours, let the intention be their own. Whatever the hearts of men are, we must look at their hands; and repay, not what they meant, but what they did.

Nahash is dead. David sends ambassadors to condole his loss, and to comfort his son Hanun. No Ammonite but is sadly affected with the death of a father, though it gain him a kingdom. Even Esau could say, The days of mourning for my father will come. No earthly advantage can fill up the gap of nature. Those children are worse than Ammonites, that can think either gain, or liberty, worthy to countervail a parent's loss.

Carnal men are wont to measure another's foot by their own last their own falsehood makes them unjustly suspicious of others. The princes of Ammon, because they are guilty to their own hollowness and doubleness of heart, are ready so to judge of David and his messengers; Thinkest thou, that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Hath not David rather sent his own servants to thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, to overthrow it? It is hard for a wicked heart to think well of any other; because it can think none better than itself, and knows itself evil. The freer a man is from vice himself, the more charitable he uses to be unto others.

Whatsoever David was particularly in his own person, it was ground enough of prejudice, that he was an Israelite. It was an hereditary and deep settled hatred, that the Ammonites had conceived against their brethren of Israel: neither can they forget that shameful and fearful foil, which they received from the rescuers of Jabesh-Gilead; and now still do they stomach at the name of Israel. Malice, once conceived in worldly hearts, is not easily extinguished; but, upon all occasions, is ready to break forth into a flame of revengeful actions.

Nothing can be more dangerous, than for young princes to meet with ill counsel, in the entrance of their government; for both then are they most prone to take it, and most difficultly recovered from it. If we be set out of our way in the beginning of our journey, we wander all the day. How happy is that state, where, both the counsellors are faithful to give only good advice, and the king wise to discern good advice from evil.

The young king of Ammon is easily drawn, to believe his peers, and to mistrust the messengers; and, having now in his conceit turned them into spies, entertains them with a scornful

disgrace he shaves off one half of their beards, and cuts off one half of their garments; exposing them to the derision of all the beholders. The Israelites were forbidden either a shaven beard, or a short garment: in despite, perhaps, of their law, these ambassadors are sent away with both; certainly in a despite of their master, and a scorn of their persons.

King David is not a little sensible of the abuse of his messengers, and of himself in them; first, therefore, he desires to hide their shame; then, to revenge it.

Man hath but a double ornament of body, the one of nature, the other of art: the natural ornament is the hair, the artificial is apparel: David's messengers are deformed in both; the one is easily supplied by a new suit, the other can only be supplied out of the wardrobe of time. Tarry at Jericho, till your beards be grown. How easily had this deformity been removed, if, as Hanun had shaven one side of their faces, so they had shaven the other? What had this been, but to resemble their younger age, or that other sex, in neither of which do we use to place any imagination of unbeseeming? Neither did there want some of their neighbour nations, whose faces age itself had not wont to cover with this shade of hair. But so respective is good David and his wise senators of their country-forms, that they shall by appointment rather tarry abroad, till time have wrought their conformity, than vary from the received fashions of their own people. Alas, into what a licentious variety of strange disguises are we fallen! The glory of attire is sought in novelty, in misshapeness, in monstrousness. There is much latitude, much liberty, in the use of these indifferent things; but because we are free, we may not run wild: and never think we have scope enough, unless we outrun modesty.

It is lawful for public persons to feel their own indignities, and to endeavour their revenge. Now David sends all the host of the mighty men, to punish Ammon, for so foul an abuse. Those, that received the messengers of his love with scorn and insolency, shall now be severely saluted with the messengers of his wrath. It is just, both with God and men, that they, who know not how to take favours aright, should smart with judgments. Kindness repulsed breaks forth into indignation; how much more, when it is repaid with an injurious affront!

David cannot but feel his own cheeks shaven, and his own coat cut, in his ambassadors; they did but carry his person to Hanun; neither can he therefore but appropriate to himself the kindness or injury offered unto them. He, that did so take to heart the cutting off but the lap of king Saul's garment, when it was laid aside from him, how must he needs be affected with this disdainful halving of his hair and robes, in the person of his deputies!

The name of ambassadors hath been ever sacred; and by the

universal law of nations, hath carried in it sufficient protection from all public wrongs; neither hath it been ever violated, without a revenge. O God, what shall we say to those notorious contempts, which are daily cast upon thy spiritual messengers? Is it possible thou shouldest not feel them, thou shouldest not avenge them? We are made a gazing-stock to the world, to angels, and to men; we are despised and trodden down in the dust; who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

How obstinate are wicked men, in their perverse resolutions! These foolish Ammonites would rather hire Syrians to maintain a war against Israel in so foul a quarrel, besides the hazard of their own lives, than confess the error of their jealous misconstruction.

It is one of the mad principles of wickedness, that it is a weakness to relent, and rather to die than yield: even ill causes, once undertaken, must be upheld although with blood; whereas the gracious heart, finding his own mistaking, doth not only remit of an ungrounded displeasure, but studies to be revenged of itself, and to give satisfaction to the offended.

The mercenary Syrians are drawn to venture their lives for a fee. Twenty thousand of them are hired into the field against Israel. Fond Pagans, that know not the value of a man! Their blood cost them nothing, and they care not to sell it good cheap. How can we think those men have souls, that esteem a little white earth above themselves; that never inquire into the justice of the quarrel, but the rate of the pay; that can rifle for drams of silver, in the bowels of their own flesh, and either kill or die for a day's wages?

Joab, the wise general of Israel, soon finds where the strength of the battle lay; and so marshals his troops, that the choice of his men should encounter the vanguard of the Syrians. His brother Abishai leads the rest against the children of Ammon; with this covenant of mutual assistance, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then will I come and help thee. It is a happy thing, when the captains of God's people join together as brethren, and lend their hand to the aid of each other, against the common adversary. Concord in defence or assault is the way to victory; as, contrarily, the division of the leaders is the overthrow of the army.

Set aside some particular actions, Joab was a worthy captain, both for wisdom and valour. Who could either exhort or resolve better than he? Be of good courage, and let us play the men, for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the Lord do that which seemeth him good. It is not either private glory or profit, that whets his fortitude, but the respect to the cause of God and his people. That soldier can never answer it to God,

Neither

that strikes not more as a justicer, than as an enemy. doth he content himself with his own courage, but he animates others. The tongue of a commander fights more than his hand. It is enough for private men, to exercise what life and limbs they have; a good leader must, out of his own abundance, put life and spirits into all others. If a lion lead sheep into the field, there is hope of victory. Lastly, when he hath done his best, he resolves to depend upon God for the issue: not trusting to his sword, or his bow, but to the providence of the Almighty for success; as a man religiously awful, and awfully confident, while there should be no want in their own endeavours. He knew well, that the race was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; therefore he looks up above the hills, whence cometh his salvation. All valour is cowardice to that which is built upon religion.

I marvel not to see Joab victorious, while he is thus godly. The Syrians flee before him, like flocks of sheep; the Ammonites follow them; the two sons of Zeruiah have nothing to do, but to pursue and execute. The throats of the Ammonites are cut, for cutting the beards and coats of the Israelitish mes→ sengers.

Neither doth this revenge end in the field; Rabbah, the royal city of Ammon, is strongly beleaguered by Joab. The city of waters, after well near a year's siege, yieldeth: the rest can no longer hold.

Now Joab, as one that desireth more to approve himself a loyal and a careful subject than a happy general, sends to his master David, that he should come personally, and encamp against the city, and take it, Lest, saith he, I take it, and it be called after my name. O noble and imitable fidelity of a dutiful servant, that prefers his lord to himself, and is so far from stealing honour from his master's deserts, that he willingly remits of his own to add unto his. The war was not his, he was only employed by his sovereign. The same person, that was wronged in the ambassadors, revengeth by his soldiers. The praise of the act shall, like fountain-water, return to the sea, whence it originally came. To seek a man's own glory is not glory. Alas, how many are there, who, being sent to sue for God, woo for themselves! O God, it is a fearful thing to rob thee of that which is dearest to thee, glory; which, as thou wilt not give to any creature, so much less wilt thou endure that any creature should filch it from thee, and give it to himself. Have thou the honour of all our actions, who givest a being to our actions and us, and in both hast most justly regarded thine own praise.

410

CONTEMPLATION IV.-DAVID WITH BATHSHEBA AND URIAH.

2 SAMUEL XI.

WITH What unwillingness, with what fear, do I still look upon the miscarriage of the man after God's own heart! O holy prophet, who can promise himself always to stand, when he sees thee fallen, and maimed with the fall? Who can assure himself of an immunity from the foulest sins, when he sees thee offending so heinously, so bloodily? Let profane eyes behold thee contentedly, as a pattern, as an excuse of sinning; I shall never look upon thee but through tears, as a woful spectacle of human infirmity.

While Joab and all Israel were busy in the war against Ammon, in the siege of Rabbah, Satan finds time to lay siege to the secure heart of David.

Who ever found David thus tempted, thus foiled, in the days of his busy wars? Now only do I see the king of Israel, rising from his bed in the evening. The time was, when he rose up in the morning to his early devotion; when he brake his nightly rest, with public cares, with the business of the state. All that while he was innocent, he was holy; but now that he wallows in the bed of idleness, he is fit to invite temptation. The industrious man hath no leisure to sin: the idle hath neither leisure nor power to avoid sin. Exercise is not more wholesome for the body, than for the soul; the remission whereof breeds matter of disease in both. The water, that hath been heated, soonest freezeth; the most active spirit soonest tireth with slacking. The earth stands still, and is all dregs; the heavens ever move, and are pure. We have no reason to complain of the assiduity of work; the toil of action is answered by the benefit; if we did less, we should suffer more. Satan, like an idle companion, if he find us busy, flies back, and sees it no time to entertain vain purposes with us. We cannot please him better, than by casting away our work, to hold chat with him. We cannot yield so far, and be guiltless.

sleep rubbed out of He walks upon his inquires after her,

Even David's eyes have no sooner the them, than they rove to wanton prospects. roof, and sees Bathsheba washing herself; sends for her, solicits her to uncleanness. The same spirit, that shut up his eyes in an unseasonable sleep, opens them upon an enticing object: while sin hath such a solicitor, it cannot want either means or opportunity.

I cannot think Bathsheba could be so immodest, as to wash herself openly; especially from her natural uncleanness. Lust is quick-sighted: David hath espied her, where she could espy no