[to be] thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon; he repeats this, intimating that he had murdered him that he might take his wife, which was contrary to the law 10 against multiplying wives. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and Il hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give [them] unto thy neighbour, to one who is most near to thee, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For thou didst [it] secretly: but I will do this thing before all 13 Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I And Nathan said unto David, have sinned against the LORD.‡ The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die, neither eternally, nor by any sudden stroke or judgment, according to 14 thy own sentence, v. 5. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, and reproach religion, as if it countenanced such practices, the child also [that is] born unto thee, shall surely die. By this God vindicated his own justice, maintained the truth and purity of his religion, and let the world see how much he was displeased with David's crime.

15

And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very 16 sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David

fasted, and went in, to his closet, or some retired place, and lay all 17 night upon the earth. And the elders of his house, the principal officers about his court, arose, [and went] to him, to raise him up from the earth, and intreated him not to give way to excessive grief, but take care of his health: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them as usual, but fasted, wept, and prayed, in 18 hopes that the threatening was only conditional.* And it came to pass on the seventh day after it fell ill, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead : for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will

This sentence was fulfilled in the death of Absalom, Amnon, and Adonijah, who all fell by the sword, and so did many of his remote descendants, especially when the whole royal house, except one, was slain by Athaliah, and Zedekiah's son was slain before his eyes.

+ This was his own son Absalom, who spread his tent probably on the very house top from whence David saw Bath-sheba, and debauched his father's wives in the sight of all Israel. See chap, xvi. 22.

4 Perhaps David did not say much more than this upon the occasion; his heart was so full that he cried out in a truly penitent manner, with blushing and tears, I have sinned against the Lord. And God, seeing that his repentance was sincere, directed Nathan to assure him of pardon thereupon.

Long preceding repentance might qualify him for this display of mercy. The thirty sec. end, and other penitential psalms, seem to prove this. But as the sin was public, so the repentance must be; and he composed the fifty first psalm to be sung publicly in the tabernacle while he prostrated himself before the throne of mercy.

Perhaps he was the more earnest on this occsasion, partly because he considered the child's death as a punishment for his sin, and partly out of his great love to Bath-sheba. Be side, we are sometimes ready to value things according to the distress and trouble which they

cost us.

19 he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?" But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, 20 Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed [himself,] and changed his apparel with great resignation and resolution he put off his mourning habit, and came into the house of the LORD, in the tent which was provided for the ark, and worshipped, returned thanks for the pardon, expressed his submission to the divine will, and intreated God to moderate and sanctify the affliction; then he came to his own house; and when he required, 21 they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his ser

vants unto him, What thing [is] this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, [while it was] alive; but 22 when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept for I said, Who can tell [whether] God will be gracious to me, 23 that the child may live ?* But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? rather _let_me prepare to follow him, for I shall go to him, but he shall not return

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to me.

And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, who was greatly distressed for her sin, and the loss of her child, and he went in unto her, and lay with her and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon, that is, peaceable, because he was to enjoy a peace25 able reign, 1 Chron. xxii. 9. and the LORD loved him. And, as a

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token of reconciliation to father and mother, and love to the child, he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, that is, beloved of the Lord, because of the Lory.

And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city; made such a breach, that that part of the city wherein the royal palace stood, which was compassed with wa27 ters might easily be taken.↑ And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters, got possession of the lower parts of it, and the soldiers 28 have retired to the upper and stronger parts. Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name. Joab loved his prince, and endeavoured to raise his glory, and he knew the city must soon surrender if the waters were cut 29 off And David, according to Joab's advice, gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and 30 took it by storm. And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight, that is, the value, whereof [was] a talent of gold with the precious stones : and it was [set] on David's This was a truly heroic and religious reason; while the child was alive there was some hope that God would reverse the sentence, there was room for prayer.

Some think this was done before David's repentance, and the birth of Solomon; but I rather think the siege held out so long as the city, which the word signifies, was a large and strong place, and a royal city, where the palace was.

Polybius tells us that Antiochus did so by it some hundred years after this.

This crown was worth several thousand pounds, some say, at least five thousand.

head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abun 31 dance. And he brought forth the people that [were] therein,

1.

and put [them] under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick kiln :* and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

TH

REFLECTIONS.

HIS instance of God's forgiving goodness, is a great en couragement to true penitents. David's was a complicated and aggravated iniquity. But when the heart is truly humble and penitent, God forgives. This may give encouragement to the greatest sinners to hope in the divine mercy, if their hearts are contrite, if they abhor and have forsaken their sins. Let the wicked, therefore, forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and turn unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him.

·

2. The sins of God's people are peculiarly shameful in themselves, and displeasing to him, because they give his enemies occasion to blaspheme. We may suppose that the profane Israelites now triumphed. Is this your professor? This the sweet psalmist of Israel? Let those who profess religion, and a relation to God, walk circumspectly, and not give occasion to those who seek for it. Those especially, who make any particular profession, should be peculiarly cautious, and give no reason to the enemies of our worship to speak reproachfully. If, after iniquity, God should forgive, yet he may see it necessary to animadvert upon it in this world; he may bring upon us such heavy calamities, as may embitter our whole lives. This was the case with David. Let professors of religion, therefore, be very careful so to behave, that they may at once secure the favour and friendship of almighty God, and adorn his doctrine by a holy life and conversation.

3. The arguments by which David composed his own mind after the death of his child, are very proper for us, when mourning the death of desirable children. It was a very solid consideration, that all his grief could not recover his child. It is a very wise thought, though not a very comfortable one, that it is all in vain to weep and This shows the necessity of endeav sorrow; there is no help in us. ouring to compose our minds, and not to give a loose to our passions. He further reflected, that he should quickly go after it. Considering himself as a mortal creature, he saw the folly of excessive grief. When friends die, we should think of our own death; how quickly we shall go after them: therefore we have something else to do than spend our time in fruitless sorrow. The words inti

It has been the opinion of some persons, that this expression relates to the severity withwhich David treated them, and they vindicate his doing so, from various considerations. But it may signify only putting them under such labours, and making slaves of them to do hard and servile work. So we speak of laying men under tribute. It is a common mode of speech in several languages.

VOL. III.

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mate further, that, looking beyond the grave, he saw something to assuage his grief, some views of future happiness. The prospect of meeting our fellow creatures again, and being for ever with them, is a source of comfort and joy when they are taken away. Let us therefore be patient in tribulation, and be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live.

CHAP. XIII.'

Nathan had told David, that God would raise up evil in his house, and here the threatening began to be fulfilled. Amnon defileth his sister, and is murdered by Absalom's order.

'Α

ND it came to pass after this, that Absalom the soir

of David had a fair sister, whose name [was] Tamar; And Amnon the son of David loved her. Amnon was David's 2 eldest son, and heir to the crown. And Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, the violence of his passion injured his health; for she [was] a virgin and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her; the terror of indulging 3 it increased his disorder. But Amnon had a friend, a first cousin, who was very intimate with him, whose name [was] Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab [was] a very subtile man; very artful in finding out means to accomplish his ende, 4 and he pumped out the fatal secret. And he said unto him, Why [art] thou, [being] the king's son, lean, pale, wan, and dejected, from day to day? seeing thou art the king's son, thou mayest command what thou desirest, and not be under the restraint of ordinary men wilt thou not tell me, and open thy whole heart to thy friend? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar my 5 brother Absalom's sister. And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my 6 sight, that I may see [it,] and eat [it] at her hand.* So Amnon laid down, and made himself sick and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand; she is so dear to me, that I shall eat 7 any thing the better for being dressed by her. Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's 8 house, and dress him meat. So Tamar, like an obedient daughter, a kind sister, and a good housewife, went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and

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This wicked courtier, instead of reproving him and turning his thoughts some other way, furnished him with an expedient to gratify his passion. He must feign himself sick; and when his father came to see him, complain of his stomach, that he wanted something nice, which must be prepared in his presence, by a person for whom he had an high esteem This was a plausible pretence for seeing her at his own house.

kneaded [it,] and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. And she took a pan, and poured [them] out before him; but he refused to eat, pretending that he had no appetite, was grown worse, and could not bear company; he would therefore retire into an inner chamber, and there try to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him. 10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought [them] into the chamber to Amnon her brother; her own innocence and near relationship to 11 Amnon made her think herself secure. And when she had brought [them] unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister; he threw off the mask, and made an 12 infamous attempt on her virtue. And she reasoned with him, and answered him in the most pertinent manner, Nay, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; do 13 not thou this folly. And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will 14 not withhold me from thee.* Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her, determined to gratify his brutal passion, to the insuperable injury of his amiable and virtuous sister.

15

Then Amnon, in consequence of her reproaches, and, his own conscience recoiling, hated her exceedingly, when he should have hated himself; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her [was] greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon, instead of using any means to sooth her grief, said unto her, 16 Arise, be gone. And she said unto him, [There is] no cause : this evil in sending me away [is] greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her. 17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this [woman] out from me, and bolt the door after her: this was barbarous and cruel usage, as if she had been an impudent 18 intruder. And [she had] a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters [that were] virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

19

And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that [was] on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying, with all the expressions of the greatest grief

Tamar here pleaded, that she was a near relation; that she would not submit without violence; that such a thing ought not to be done in Israel, a nation devoted to God; that it would be an insuperable dishonour to her; that she could neither drive away her shame, nor hide it; that he would lose his reputation, and perhaps his crown, and be considered as a man void of all religion, honour, and humanity. But finding all this would not do, she intimated, that he was his father's darling, and he would deny him nothing, and would therefore give her to him for his wife. She urged any thing to divert him from his purpose, and deliver herself from the present danger; but all was in vain.

It was not a greater sin, but a greater mischief, because it would publish her shame, and be a public scandal on the whole family. The first injury might be concealed and repented of; the second was deliberate, and would bring reproach on himself, on her, and on the religion and people of God.