manner and in the sight only of a few who did it hastily to prevent Adonijah from making himself King and therefore this second anointing was done more publickly and more solemnly in the sight of the Princes and Rulers and in a great Assembly of the people And they anointed him unto the Lord that is devoted him solemnly unto the Lord and to be the Ruler of his people under him Then they anointed Zadok to be High-Priest instead of Abiathar who had joined with Adonijah and this was the rather done as we may suppose because the High-Priesthood was now translated into another Family For Abiathar was of the race of Eli and descended from Ithamar second Son of Aaron and Zadok was descended from Phineas who was descended from Eleazar his eldest Son and so the High-Priesthood reverted from the family of Ithamar to that of Eleazar as was foretold by God it should come to pass 1 Sam. 2.33 35. After this Solomon sat on the Throne of the Lord viz. on that Throne to which God had by his especial Providence advanced him and the disposal of which the Lord in a more peculiar manner challenged to himself See Deut. 17.15 And Solomon after this was very prosperous and all Israel obeyed him and all the Princes and mighty men and all the rest of David's Sons submitted themselves unto him And the Lord magnified him exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him such royal majesty and greatness as no King of Israel either before him or after him ever had 1 Chron. Ch. 28. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 29. from v. 1 to 26. SECT CCXII. NOW the days of David's departure out of this life drew nigh therefore calling for his Son Solomon he said to him I am going the way that all men living upon the earth must go Be thou therefore couragious and though thou be young in years yet shew thy self a man in understanding and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to wit the commandments which he hath given in charge to be kept and walk in his ways and keep his statutes his judgments and testimonies whereby he testifies what he would have done and observed according as they are written and prescribed in the Laws given by Moses that so thou maist prosper in all that thou dost and in all businesses thou settest thy self unto And so the Lord may be pleased to confirm his word which he spake unto me saying If thy children take heed to their way to walk before me in truth and sincerity with all their heart and all their soul there shall not fail thee a man on the Throne of Israel that is there shall not fail a man of thy posterity to sit upon thy Throne (a) Notandum duo fuisse Davidi promissa Primum absolutè nempe Messiam ex ipso oriturum licet filii ejus mali fuerint Secundum conditionale scil regnum in ejus familia conservandum si posteri se sancte gerant P. Martyr I have now only three things more to give thee in charge before I die The first is concerning Joab thou knowest how insolently he carried himself towards me and how treacherously he slew those two great Capteins Abner and Amasa after I had engaged my faith to them both that they should be safe which wicked practice of his was enough to make the people think that I had secretly an hand in it though I can truly say my soul abhorred it Nay he shed the blood of war in peace that is when there was peace made with these two great men he slew them as if they had been in open hostility against me And he put the blood of war upon his girdle that is He put up his sword all bloody into its scabbard that hung at his girdle and the very shoos on his feet were stained with their blood so impudently he carried out those base murders therefore I charge thee wisely to observe him He is of a turbulent spirit and in all likelihood thou wilt have at one time or other just occasion against him And though he hath been General of my Army almost all my reign yet let not his hoary head go down to the grave in peace but when thou findest just occasion against him cut him off by the sword of justice and so let the blood of Abner and Amasa be revenged upon him 2ly I would have thee to shew kindness to the Sons of Barzillai the Gileadite for they came and brought provisions for me and my followers when I was forced to fly from thy brother Absalom and therefore let them be of the number of those that eat at thy Table 2 Sam. 17.28 29. 3ly Thou hast with thee Shimei the Benjamite who reviled me and cursed me with a bitter curse when I was in great distress flying towards Mahanaim and called me a bloody man and did in effect say I had been the cause of the death of Saul and all his Sons and charged me with crimes I never was guilty of yet afterwards he met me at Jordan and humbled himself and acknowledged his fault and I sware to him by the Lord that I would not put him to death But though I for my time pardoned him yet if he shall attempt any thing against thee after my decease hold him not guiltless Thou art a wise man and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him and if he trespass again and thou findest any other just occasion against him bring down his hoary head to the grave with blood and cut him off by the sword of justice * See 2 Sam. 19.23 David having thus instructed his Son in a short time after departed this life and slept with his fathers that is died as his fathers and predecessors had done before him having reigned in Hebron seven years and six months and thirty three years in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years in all and having made his Son Solomon King in his stead about half a year before his death He died in a good old age full of days riches and honour he died in the seventieth year of his age no King in Israel or Judah after him attaining to his age †Only Uzziah and Manasseh came very nigh it He was buried in his own City of Zion viz. in that part of Jerusalem where he had built a Palace for himself 2 Sam. 1.2 and kept his Court and which he had taken out of the hands of the Jebusites and had built and enlarged and from thence was called after his name the city of David His Sepulcher it seems was made of such durable materials and so well kept and repair'd time after time by his posterity that it was strangely preserved notwithstanding Jerusalem was so often sackt and burnt for it continued unto the Apostles times as the Apostle Peter tells us Act. 2.24 Men and Brethren let me freely speak to you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his
first three good years in his two next evil years and in his other years following them they are written by Shemaiah the Prophet and Iddo the Seer in their Book of Genealogies or Pedegrees or Histories of Kings and other great persons who were famous among the Israelites in those times Thus Rehoboam having reigned seventeen years and for the most part wickedly Abijah his Son reigned in his stead 1 King 12. from 1 to 25. 1 King 14. from 21 to the end 2 Chron. 10. whole Chapter 2 Chron. 11. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 12. wh Ch. The second King of Judah Abijah called also Abijam ABijah began to reign in the 18th year of Jeroboam and that was the first year of his reign the 19th of Jeroboam was the second year of his reign and the twentieth was his third and though in that year he died and Asa his Son succeeded him yet having reigned two years compleat and some part of the third year he is said to have reigned three years His mothers name was Maachah the daughter of Abishalom * 2 Chron. 13.2 she is called Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah Some think she was the daughter of Tamar the only daughter of Absalom whose husband this Uriel of Gibeah was and so she was the daughter of Uriel and withal the daughter that is the Grandchild of Absalom And this seems the more probable because the mother of Absalom was call'd Maachah 2 Sam. 3.3 and he walked in all the sins of his Father For though Rehoboam and his Princes humbled themselves before the Lord upon the Preaching of Shemaiah when the King of Egypt made such a dangerous incursion into their land 2 Chron. 12.6 yet when that danger was over he soon returned to his former evil ways and this his Son likewise trod in his steps and his heart was not upright with the Lord as was the heart of David Nevertheless the Lord for his promise made to David 2 Sam. 7.16 did give him a lamp in Jerusalem that is continued his posterity to sit one after another upon his Throne and to reign in Kingly splendor and established Jerusalem in its former Political and Ecclesiastical state and preserved therein the true Religion because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not from any thing he commanded him all the days of his life save only in the matter of Vriah that is he did not fall into any heinous and enormous crimes whereby his profession was notoriously blemished all the days of his life save only in the matter of Vriah and the sins appendant thereunto There had been during the life of Rehoboam many bickerings between the two Kingdoms but now in the first year of Abijah's reign Jeroboam raised a vast army intending to fall upon Abijah in the infancy of his reign Abijah accordingly prepares as strong an Army as he could to resist him and defend his Kingdom The two Armies met in the field Abijah's army consisted of four hundred thousand valiant men which was a very great Army but Jeroboam's consisted of as many more viz. eight hundred thousand Both the Armies being drawn forth and set in battel-array the one against the other Abijah by his Herolds or messengers desired a Parley before the fight began or at least liberty to say somewhat to Jeroboam and his chief Commanders which being granted he betook himself to mount Zemaraim which is part of mount Ephraim as the fittest place from whence he might be heard and there spake to Jeroboam and his Commanders after this manner Hear me thou Jeroboam and all Israel Ought you not to know that the Lord gave the Kingdom over all Israel to David and his Sons for ever by a Covenant of Salt * As that which is salted does not use to perish or corrupt See Numb 18.19 that is by a lasting and never-failing Covenant †Hoc ex parte falsum erat Non enim Deus promisit se totam Israelem conservaturum in familia Davidis si ipsa descisseret Osiand by a perpetual Covenant not to be abrogated or annull'd yet Jeroboam the Son of Nebat the servant of Solomon is risen up and hath rebelled against his Lord and there are gathered to him a company of vain men children of Belial who by mutual agreement combined and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam when he first entred upon the Government being then unexperienced in matters of State (a) Yet Rehoboam was 41 years of age when he began to reign 1 King 14.21 and much more in warlike affairs having been bred up delicately in the peaceful reign of Solomon and being tender-hearted and soon daunted and wanting stoutness of spirit he could not withstand them and so like rebellious subjects they fell off from him And this is now your case But do you think to go on in this course and to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hands of the Sons of David and with all your might and power to oppose it Indeed you are a great multitude and I perceive you have brought into your Camp the Golden Calves which Jeroboam hath made for you for Gods But do you think that these are able to help you you have cast off the Priests of the Lord the Sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made to your selves Priests after the manner of other Nations that have no stock or family among them to which the Priesthood is tyed and you in like manner choose whom you will to be Priests Whosoever cometh to consecrate himself for a Priest and bringeth a young bullock as was enjoined under the Law Exod. 29.1 and seven rams whereas the Law required but two at the most (b) Hypocrites can observe some rites prescribed by God but in external rites they often exceed Gods prescriptions See Numb 23. Exod. 29.15 19. he may be a Priest of your Idols that are no Gods But as for us the Lord is our God (a) This must be understood by their outward profession for Abijah's heart was not upright before the Lord 1 K. 15.3 and we have not forsaken him For the true Religion is openly professed among us and the true worship of the true God is incorruptibly maintained in the Temple And the Priests which minister unto the Lord for us are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business and do the services which in special belong to them And they burn unto the Lord every morning and evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense they also set the shew-bread upon the Golden Table (b) There were in the Temple ten Tables of Shew-bread and ten Golden Candlesticks by a Synecdoche the singular number may be here us'd for the Plural and they cause the lamps in the Golden Candlesticks to burn every evening For we observe those Ordinances the Lord hath given us in charge but you have forsaken him And behold God himself is with us for our Captain
Moses and proclaimed before him now hid in the hollow Cleft of the Rock The Lord The Lord merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin upon mans hearty repentance and that will by no means clear the Guilty visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children and upon the Childrens Children unto the third and fourth Generation if they continue in their Fathers transgressions Moses hearing these things instantly bowed his head towards the Earth and worshipped Exod. 34. from 1. to 9. SECT XXV MOses now staying again 40 days and 40 nights in the Mount without Meat or Drink vers 28. He humbly and earnestly besought the Lord with many pressing arguments see Deut. 9.18 19. and from 25. to the end to pardon the people and to own them still for his Inheritance * See Ps 33.12 Zach. 2.12 and to go along with them and to manifest his gracious Presence among them for they were He ackowledges a stiff-necked people and had need both of his Mercy and Conduct The Lord being now appeased renews his Covenant with them upon certain Conditions and promises that his Presence with them should work more powerfully then ever and shew it self in more stupendious Miracles then ever it had done before and that He would do terrible things by them his Almighty Power and Providence accompanying of them and would give them possession of the Land of Canaan and would drive out the Inhabitants thereof before them The Conditions he requires of them to perform were these 1. Not to make a League or Covenant with the Inhabitants of the Land * See Chap. 23.32 whom He had determined to destroy for their sins nor to make Marriages with them lest it should ensnare them and draw them to be Partakers in their Idolatries and so in their Punishments but should destroy their Altars Images and Groves and should not eat of their Sacrifices and should especially be careful not to make to themselves any molten Gods such as the golden Calf was For the Lord was a jealous God and would not endure that any false God should share with Him in the Worship that was peculiar to himself 2 That they should observe the Feast of unleavened Bread * See Ch. 23.15 the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost and the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles At which three Feasts All their Males should appear before him with an Offering to be given to the Priest which He would account as given to Himself and He would take care that none should desire their Land in their absence 3 That the first-born Males both of Men and Beasts should be consecrated unto Him see Ch. 22.29 30. but the firstlings of an Ass should be redeemed with a Lamb see Exod. 13.13 4 That they should carefully observe the weekly Sabbath * See Ch. 23.12 and not violate it either in Seed-time or Harvest 5 That they should not offer the blood (l) Certe removebis fermentatum cum immolas Pascha Vatab. of the Paschal Lamb with Leaven and that nothing thereof should be left till the morning 6 That the first of their Frist-fruits should be brought to the House of the Lord. 7. That they should not seeth a Kid in its Mothers milk Which Laws were all enjoyned Ch. 23. and were now repeated These were the Laws that Moses was to write down in a Book and to injoyn the people to observe Then the Lord wrote the Ten Commandments on the Tables Moses had brought up and gave them unto him who brought them and the other Laws which himself had written unto the people and having seen Gods Glory in so great a measure and degree there was a dazeling brightness imprinted by God on his face while he talked with him so that the skin of his Face (m) The glory of Moses face signified the glory of the Law which he brought 2 Cor. 3.7 8. His Ministration was Death and Condemnation because the Law giveth the knowledge of Sin but no pardon for it shone which he himself was not sensible of * Sic Humilitas propriam jubet ignorare excellentiam by the reflective rays and beams (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to shine from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Horn is derived which gave occasion to the Papists to paint Mose's face with two Horns like an Ox. The Vulgar Latine says Mose's Face was horned of the divine Splendor which might assure the Israelites he had been with God who taught and instructed him and that thereupon they might the more reverence him might fear breaking this Law again Aaron and the people were not able to bear the splendor of his Face but being afraid fled from him as if he had been some Angel But Moses called them back and put a Vail on his Face (o) Ut ipsum Mosaicae facici splendorem Israelitae non viderunt ob impositum velamen sic Carnales Judaei spiritualem Mosis splendorem hoc est Scriptorum ejus summum finem atque scopum qui est Jesus Christus non intelligebant ob sponte attractam mentis Caecitatem quae instar Velaminis est inter corda eorum verum legis intellectum quasi obducti neque hoc tolli potest nisi per praedicationem Evangelij per veram conversionem ad Dominum c. Vide 2 Cor. 13.14 15 16. whilst he spake with them and then delivered to them all that the Lord had given him in Charge But Moses when he went to the Lord for the people took the Vail off And 't is like that this brightness on his Face continued not all his life after but only during the time of his going to and fro between God and the people Exod. 34. from 9. to the end SECT XXVI MOses now injoyns them again a strict Observation of the weekly Sabbath and that they should not kindle a fire (p) But 't is probable to kindle a fire to warm themselves by in the extream cold of Winter or when any other exigencies of necessity or mercy required it was allowed them thereon to dress meat or to do any work by though for the framing of the Tabernacle threatning death to them that disobey Then He injoyns the people to bring their free-will Offerings towards the framing of the Tabernacle which was now forthwith to be gone in hand with according to the Directions given him by God Ch. 25. The people very readily agree hereunto And to the end that this good Work might the more effectually be promoted all the Males were numbred from twenty years old and upwards who were found to be 603550 who every one according to the Law prescribed Exod. 30.12 13. contributing half a Shekel the total Sum of the Poll-money amounted to an hundred Talents (q) A Talent among the Jews amounted to 3000 Shekels or 50 l. sterling every pound containing 60 Shekels See Bishop Usher's
sheath and slew him and cut off his head therewith Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone God using such contemptible means the more to manifest his own power and glory The Philistines seeing their Champion thus conquered and being stricken with a secret terrour from the Lord they immediately fled and the army of the Israelites with a great shout pursued after them and did great execution upon them insomuch that the wounded of the Philistines fell and were scattered all along in the way of Shaaraim a City in the Tribe of Judah even unto Gath and Ekron V. 54. David some years after when he was constituted King and had taken Zion from the Jebusites 2 Sam. 5.7 brought the head of this Giant to Jerusalem and put his armour in the Tent which he there provided for the Ark of God 1 Chron. 15.1 But Goliath's Sword was laid up in the Tabernacle of the Lord at Nob 1 Sam. 21.9 The Philistines being thus discomfited the Israelites returned and spoiled their Tents Abner now brought David before Saul with the Head of the Giant in his hands Saul asked him whose Son he was he told him he was the Son of Jesse the Bethlemite Saul had now much discourse with him and so many excellent endowments of wisdom courage zeal for the glory of God and faith and confidence in his protection and assistance appearing in him all which shewed him a person precious in the eyes of God Jonathan's heart and affections were in an extraordinary manner drawn forth towards him so that his soul was knit with the soul of David and hereby God provided David a friend in Saul's Court to plead for him and to reveal Saul's plots and evil intendments against him and to be by his true and real love a comfort and support to him in all his approaching troubles and distresses And Jonathan and he made a Covenant of entire friendship and brotherly love Saul also now resolv'd to keep him in his Court and that he should go no more home to his Father and made him a Captain over some of his Troops and David behaved himself so wisely that he was highly valued by all the people and even by Saul's servants themselves Jonathan also to testifie his true and great love to David stript himself of his own robe and gave it to him and gave him also his Sword and his Bow and his Military Girdle so that he put him both into a Courtiers and Souldiers Garb. These things being done they now march from the Camp to Gibeah where Saul dwelt As they passed along the women came forth out of all the Towns by the way as the custom * It seems it was the custom in those times that when God had given them any great victory over their enemies the women were wont with dances and songs of triumph to celebrate the praises of God See Exod. 15.20 Judg. 11.32 As women have usually the heaviest share in the calamities of a Land that is over-run by an enemy and that because they are least able to resist and are frequently taken for slaves or ravisht and abus'd in a savage manner so likewise they have the greatest cause to rejoice when the enemy is vanquished and hence it may be arose this custom of the womens triumphing at every great victory was with Instruments of Musick singing in Triumphing Songs Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands they ascribe so much to David because by his killing Goliath he was under God the cause of routing the whole army of the Philistines And so solemn and glorious was this Triumph of the Israelites that this passage in the womens song came to be repoted and known among the Philistines as we may see Ch. 21.11 and Ch. 29.5 But this thing greatly offended Saul and he said they have ascribed to David ten thousands and to me but thousands what can he have more but the Kingdom From thenceforth therefore he began to have an evil eye against David and to suspect that he was the man of whom Samuel had told him that he should be King in his room Ch. 13. v. 14. 1 Sam. Ch. 17. wh Ch. and Ch. 18. from 1 to 10. SECT CLXX SAVL's jealousie of David and his hatred against him doth now every day more and more appear and it manifested it self in these Particulars following 1. The evil spirit coming upon him he prophesied (a) Extra se rapitbatur spiritu malo incitus ita sermones actusque suos componebat ut boni Prophetae solent acti a spiritu bono in the midst of the house not as he had done before Chap. 10.10 when Samuel had newly anointed him for then being inspired with Gods Spirit and endued with common graces he prophesied and praised God together with the rest of the Prophets but now that Spirit being departed from him and an evil spirit being permitted by God to possess him he fell into strange extasies and raptures and had such kind of motions and actions as the Prophets when ravished out of themselves used to have see 2 King 9.11 and while David played on his harp to compose his spirit and allay his raging passions as he had formerly done Saul having a Javelin in his hand cast it at him intending to kill him and this he attempted two several times but David nimbly avoided the stroke Ch. 18.10 11. 2ly Saul seeing how the Lord was with David and preserved him from great dangers he feared he was the man whom God had chosen to be King in his room and therefore having failed in these violent attempts against him he resolves to try other ways to destroy him therefore he made him one of his Colonels hoping he would at one time or other meet with his death in the Battel And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways and the Lord was with him and he led forth his Souldiers bravely to Battel and as bravely brought them off again and acted all his Military affairs with such prudence and wise conduct and was so prosperous in them that the people generally loved him ver 12 13 14 15 16. 3ly Saul under pretence of performing that promise made to him of giving him his daughter if he killed Goliath he now offers him his eldest daughter Merab in marriage but with design to expose him thereby to the Sword of the Philistines (b) Incidit Saul in soveam quam Davidi fecerat nam ipse a Philistae is postea occisus est He tells him he shall have her but then he expects he shall be valiant for him and not stick to expose himself to any dangers and ready upon all occasions to fight the Lords battels Thus he hypocritically pretended zeal for Gods glory when he maliciously intended David's ruin David humbly answers What is my parentage education or condition of life * Ver. 18. est Enallage numeri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I should think
him not a man among them would open his mouth for him or do any thing to prevent the danger he was in however Jonathan that truly loved him resolv'd to speak for him and therefore he said to his Father Let not the King sin against his servant against David for he hath not sinned against thee but his works and deeds have been very good towards thee for he put his life in his hand and slew the Philistine and the Lord wrought a great Salvation for all Israel thereby thou sawest it and didst rejoice therein Wherefore then wilt thou sin against God and shed innocent blood and slay David without a cause How high a degree of ingratitude and injustice will it be so ill to requite so noble an exploit which did at that time so exceedingly affect thee Saul was so melted with these words of Jonathan that he solemnly sware to him at that time that David should not die but great and frequent swearers do often forget what they have sworn and do not stick to forswear themselves and break their Oaths as we shall see Saul soon did However Jonathan not knowing what was in his heart calls David and acquaints him with what his Father had said and promised and so he brought him again to the Court and he was in the presence of Saul as in time past During his continuing there the Philistines again made an inroad into the Land and David went out and fought against them with great courage and slew them with a great slaughter and the rest of them fled to their own Country Ch. 19. from 1 to 9. 6ly The evil spirit being again upon Saul and he having a Javelin in his hand as David played upon his harp before him in a frantick fit he ran his Javelin so violently at him as if he intended to have pinned him to the wall but David nimbly avoiding the stroke the Javelin ran into the wall And this was the third time that Saul had sought to kill him with his own hand David therefore thought it now high time to shift for himself and so he left the Court and went to his own house From v. 9 to 11. 7ly Saul then sent messengers to David's house to lye in wait about the house in the night and to slay him in the morning when he came out Michal either casually discovering Saul's servants watching about the house and guessing at their errand or else having some secret intelligence from Court of Saul's design against her husband she acquaints David with it that he might look to himself and then to prevent his present danger she let him down thorough a window * See Act. 9.25 and so he fled and escaped And further to delude the watchmen if by violence they should break into the house and to gain longer time for David to escape she laid an Image (b) Humanam quidem non Idololatricam qualis illa Gen. 31.19 in a bed and put a pillow of Goats-hair under the head of it and covered it with a cloth thereby intending to make them believe that David was sick in bed and therefore in all humanity at present not to be disturb'd When the messengers whom Saul had sent to watch about the house had waited till morning and saw he came not forth as they expected they went and told Saul of it who sent them back again with a new commission to enter his house and take him Michal thinking sickness a fair pretence to keep them from too eager pressing upon him that she might gain the more time for his escape told them he was sick in bed they thinking it had been so returned and acquainted Saul therewith Saul suspecting it was but a pretence of Michal's to preserve her husband sends them back again to see whither it was so or no however if he were sick he charges them to bring him with them though they brought him in his bed They coming again to the house and going up to lay hold on him behold there was no David but only an Image in the bed They then carry Michal before Saul who angerly asks her why she had deceived him and sent away his enemy she answers He threatned to kill her if she would not let him go Here by the way we may observe that though her intire love to her husband be highly to be commended yet her telling lyes to preserve him cannot be excused and further we may take notice that if people once allow themselves in lying it will encrease upon them and one lye will draw on another and a lesser will draw on a greater and. louder as we see here in this example of Michal who first told an officious lye as they call it to save her husband and now tells a pernicious lye to save her self she should rather have imitated her brave brother Jonathans example who spake boldly to his father in defence of her husbands innocence From 11 to 18. David was so affected with this deliverance that he composed the 59 Psalm upon this occasion of Saul's sending to his house to kill him as may appear by the Title 8ly David thus escaping fled to Ramah to acquaint Samuel with all that had passed and with what Saul had done unto him and to crave his advice and counsel in these dangers and difficulties Hereupon he and Samuel went down to Naioth near Ramah where was a Colledg of Prophets but some body or other quickly informed Saul that David was come thither and he presently sent messengers to take him there when the messengers came thither and found the Prophets prophecying that is praising God with Psalms and Hymns and speaking of Divine matters and Samuel among them sitting as President over them and governing this holy assembly the Spirit of the Lord fell upon them and they instead of apprehending David which was the business they were sent about prophesied also Saul hearing of this sent other messengers upon the same errand a second and a third time and they prophesied * The like example we have in the High-Priests Officers who were sent to apprehend Christ Joh. 7.45 46. also that is praised God with Psalms and Hymns and magnified his name as the other before had done Saul might by this miracle have been convinc'd of his sin and folly in pursuing after David when he saw him thus miraculously preserved and protected by God but being thus disappointed by his messengers and his heart being hardened he resolves to go thither himself and to fetch David thence even out of his Sanctuary but it fell out quite contrary to his expectation for whereas his messengers did not prophesie till they came into the company of the Prophets at Naioth the Spirit of the Lord now falling upon him he prophesied †Donum Prophetandi aliquando Impiis concedit Deus ut Balaamo vide Mat. 7.22 before he came thither even in the way and was chang'd from a Persecutor into a Prophet which plainly
shews that the hearts of Kings are in the hand of the Lord Prov. 21.1 He comes at last to Naioth where he Samuel and David being all met together he prophesied for a while before them praising God with Psalms and Hymns and then throwing aside his Princely robe or military habit and falling down on the ground he lay in a trance or extasie all that day and the night following see Numb 24.4 And thus was Saul in the midst of all his fury cast down * See a like case in one of his name and Tribe Act. 9. and as it were bound by the Almighty power of God and expos'd to shame and contempt among all that saw him thus disrobed thus manacled and restrain'd insomuch that some of them said What is Saul that hath shewed himself so great an enemy to David now among the Prophets and come hither to act as one of them This was mercifully ordered for David who hereby had liberty to escape for his life 1 Sam. Ch. 19. whole Chapter SECT CLXXI. DAvid taking the opportunity of Saul's extasie wherein he continued a day and a night he fled from Naioth to Gibeah where Jonathan was and heavily complaining to him that his father should still persecute him he said What have I done what is mine iniquity what is my sin against thy father that he so earnestly seeketh my life Jonathan replies Chap. 19.6 God forbid it should be so my father hath sworn to me that thou shalt not die and moreover he doth not use to do any thing of moment without acquainting me with it and I know nothing of any such purpose he hath and therefore I believe thou art more afraid than thou needest to be It seems Jonathan had not heard of Saul's sending his messengers to take David at his own house nor of his pursuing him to Naioth David seeing him so difficult to believe that he was in such danger he solemnly protested and swore to him as true as the Lord liveth it was so and as sure as he himself was alive there was but a step between him and death And as for his Father 's not acquainting him with it that was no argument against it for 't is like he would not let him know of it that it might not grieve him and that he might not use means to prevent it Jonathan then said seeing the case is so I will do any thing for thee thou canst reasonably desire of me David therefore propounds a way to him how he might discover his fathers affection towards him It seems the Feast of the New-Moon was to be celebrated on the morrow in which they offered Peace-offerings and Gratulatory Sacrifices sounding Trumpets over their Offerings see Numb 10.10 28.11 Psal 81.3 and on the remainder of these Oblations they feasted together And though the Feast lasted only one day viz. the first day of the month yet there being provisions in an ample and plentiful manner provided they were allowed to eat what remained the next day if the Sacrifice which was offered was a vow or voluntary offering see Levit. 7.16 This Feast was to be kept at Saul's Court the next day the chief men of his Court being to sit with him at Table and every one having his known seat which was so peculiar to him that if it were empty no other sat in it Now David being a great Commander in the Army and the Kings Son-in-law had among others his seat and did use at this Festival to sit with the King at Table David therefore tells Jonathan that he intended to absent himself from this feast and not to be at it either the first or second day but on the third day he would come and hide himself in the fields that he might be inform'd how things went He desires Jonathan diligently to observe how the King took his absence If he missed him and took notice of his absence he desires Jonathan to tell him that he asked leave of him that he might go and keep this New-Moon-Feast with his kindred at Bethlem for their family for some signal mercy received from God did annually set apart that day to commemorate it And says he if thy father accept my excuse and be not displeased at my absence then we may conclude all is well but if he be angry at it then it it a manifest sign that he hath determined evil agaiâ—â—t me and is vex'd at my absence because it did cross his purpose of doing me a mischief I pray thee therefore deal kindly with thy servant for thou hast brought me into a Covenant of friendship with thee which we made in the presence of the Lord and with invocation of him to be a witness and judge between us to reward the faithful and to punish the transgressour And as for me if thou hast hitherto found any iniquity in me slay me thy self for why shouldest thou expose me to thy fathers fury Jonathan replied Far be it from thee that thou shouldest die either by my hand or my fathers If I knew of any evil determin'd against thee by my father assure thy self I would not conceal it from thee Then David said seeing thou canst hardly come to me thy self without suspition nor canst safely intrust any servant with such a secret how shall I know whither thy Father were enraged at my absence or no Jonathan desires him to go out with him into the field that they might discourse of these things more privately there he tells him that when he had sounded his Father and discovered his mind and purpose concerning him he would faithfully reveal it to him whether it were good or bad if I do not says he then let the Lord God of Israel inflict deserved punishments on me as a false and faithless friend And as for my part being well assured that the Lord hath made choice of thee to succeed my Father I do heartily pray that the Lord would advance thee to the Kingdom as he did my Father and would make thee victorious over thine enemies as my Father hath been And when God shall have made thee King after my Father thou shalt not cut me off as a jealous King would do being the next heir but shalt manifest that great kindness towards me which by Covenant made in the Lords presence thou hast bound thy self to shew me And because this Covenant made between us extendeth not only to our own persons but to our posterity also thou shalt not take off thy loving-kindness from my house for ever see 2 Sam. 21.7 no not then when the Lord hath cut off all the enemies of David from the face of the earth So Jonathan renewed and ratified the Covenant that was before made between them and he said let the Lord require it at the hands of Davids enemies and consequently of me if I keep not Covenant with David but prove his enemy And as Jonathan renewed and confirmed his Covenant by a solemn oath with David
Israelites home with them While David and his forces were here about Keilah Abiathar the Son of Ahimelech who only escaped of the Priests at Nob being now High-Priest in his Fathers room came to David and brought the Ephod with him which was a visible pledge that God had forsaken Saul and would be with David to direct him in all his ways So that David hath now the High-Priest and a Prophet in his army Abiathar relates to him the sad story of Saul's destroying Nob and the Priests that were there David replies I fear'd when I was at Nob that Doeg would acquaint Saul therewith Alas I must needs say to my great grief and sorrow that I have been the occasion though not intentionally of the death of thy Fathers family seeing they suffered these calamities not only for my sake but partly through my fault However abide thou under my protection and I shall take care of thee that I may as much as lyes in me make thee some amends Thou maist assure thy self that I will be as careful of thy safety as of my own for I know that he that seeks my life seeks thine also 1 Sam. Ch. 23. from 1 to 7. Ch. 22. from v. 20 to the end 7ly Saul now understanding that David with his forces had got into the City of Keilah which he had lately rescued from the Philistines he said God * Hypocritae semper praedicare solent Deum a se stare sibi esse propitium hath delivered him into my hands for he is shut in being entred into a Town that hath gates and bars He thought it seems he had him in such a trap that he could not escape Saul immediately therefore gathers a great army together to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men David by secret intelligence understood that Saul was contriving mischief against him therefore he call'd to Abiathar the High-Priest to bring the Ephod and to put it on and to inquire of the Lord for him by Vrim and Thummim and David joyning his request to the Lord said O Lord God of Israel thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul intendeth to come to Keilah to destroy the City for my sake I pray thee inform me by thine holy Oracle whither he will come or no and in case he do come whither the men of Keilah will be treacherous to me and endeavour to deliver me into his hands The Lord who by his Prescience * Deus â—erto praescit non solum quae re ipsa absoluâ—e futura sunt sâ—d etiam quae quavis conditione posita futura essent A Lap. knoweth future contingents which will come to pass in a course of natural causes if not prevented or crossed by other contingents he telleth him that Saul would come thither that is if he viz. David staid there and the men of Keilah would deliver him into Saul's hands that is if their intention and purpose were not prevented and crossed by his speedy departure from them David having received this answer he with his men which were now about six hundred †Semper in cruce crescit numerus pionum quod ex omnibus sacris Historiis facile possumus intelligere P. Martyr arose and departed out of Keilah and went whither soever they could go and sought up and down for some place to shelter themselves in and Saul hearing they were gone from Keilah forbear to go with his army thither 1 Sam. Ch. 23. from v. 7 to 14. 8ly David intending only to stand on his own defence and not to raise an offensive war betakes himself with his forces to the strong holds in the Wilderness of Ziph in the Tribe of Judah and particularly to Hachilah-Hill South of Jessimon And Saul continually sought his life but the Lord delivered him not into his hands Jonathan having as it 's probable secret intelligence from David where he was he went privately to him and strengthened his hands in God by putting him in mind of the promises of God and assuring him of his protection and favour and thereby strengthening his faith he filled his heart with comfort and courage He bad him be of good courage for the hand of Saul his Father should not find him to do him any hurt Thou shalt says he be King over Israel and that my Father knows very well from the words of Samuel Ch. 15.28 see also Ch. 20.30 31. and I shall be next unto thee Of this it seems he conceived some hope grounded on David's great love to him and possibly on some particular promise he had made to him and the firm Covenant that was between them though he had no assurance of it God having made no such promise to him but intending otherwise to dispose of him and to take him to a better Kingdom so that he lived not to see David sit on Israel's Throne Jonathan having spoken after this manner to David they renewed and confirmed their Covenant in the presence of the Lord which they had formerly made and Jonathan went to his own house David abiding still in the Wood. The Ziphites being terrified possibly with that severity Saul had used against Nob and the Priests of the Lord there Ch. 22.18 19. they come now and acquaint him that David did hide himself in the Wood near them and if he would please to come down with his forces thither they would do their utmost to deliver him into his hands Saul took their message very kindly Blessed be ye says he of the Lord for ye have compassion on me Go therefore and prepare or order the matter with care and diligence before hand and observe all his haunts and lurking places that we may not misse of him For I understand he is very cùnning and subtile in his proceedings when you have found out these things come to me again with certain intelligence of them and I will go along with you and will find him out if he be above ground though he lurks in the most secret corner of the land So these Ziphites went before to do as Saul had injoin'd them But David understanding that they had discovered him to Saul * Upon this occasion he composed the 54 Psalm as the Title doth shew and that Saul was coming with an army to take him he removed with his forces from that place which was near Hachilah-Hill to a Plain in the Wilderness of Maon which lay Southward from Jeshimon Saul pursues after him thither and at last there was only a hill between them and that not likely to keep them long asunder seeing Saul's men being many in number began to compass David and his men round about David was here in great fear of being surprized and therefore made all the hast he could to get further out of Saul's reach Just in this nick of time God so ordering it by his Providence news came to Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land which caused him speedily to draw off his
forces to resist the common enemy Hereupon David called the place Sela-Hammahlekoth that is the Rock of Divisions 1 Sam. Ch. 23. from 14 to 29. 9ly Hence David flies to the strong holds in the Wilderness * Here 't is thought he penned the 57 Psalm adjoyning to Engedi (b) A place exceeding fruitful with Vines and other fruit-trees Cant. 1.14 a City of Judah Saul returning with his forces from pursuing the Philistines it was told him whither David was fled and he took 3000 chosen men out of Israel and went to pursue David and his men upon those high steep and cragy rocks upon which wild beasts used to live and he came to the sheep-coats where was a Cave and Saul (c) Nisi somnum Saul captasset motus in spelunca sensisset militares Some Caves in that and other Countries are of that vast wideness that they are sufficient to contain great numbers of men being weary went into the entrance of it which was narrow to cover his feet that is to sleep See note in Judg. 3.24 But though the entrance of the Cave was narrow yet it seems it was roomâ—by within for David and several of his men had hid themselves in the sides and innermost parts of it David's men perceiving that Saul was come into the entrance or mouth of the Cave and that there he had laid himself down to sleep they tell him that God had now put such an opportunity into his hands of cutting off his enemy that thirsted after his blood as if he had from heaven called unto him and commanded (d) V. 4. dicit h.e. dicere videtur quia praebet ansam him to do it But David arising went softly to Saul and only cut off the skirt of his Robe that he might thereby make it evident to him that he could as well have killed him if he had had a mind to it and yet David's heart smote him for this little that he had done because it had an appearance of an injury offered to the King But it seems his men were almost ready to mutiny that he would not kill Saul at this time and so put an end to his and their tedious troubles Whereupon David mildly spake unto them saying God forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against my Master the Lords Anointed I cannot I dare not do it And with these words he stayed his Souldiers from offering violence unto Saul Saul awaking rose up and went on his way David immediately gets out of the Cave and following him cried after him My Lord the King When Saul looked back David bowed himself to the earth before him and then humbly addressing himself to him said Wherefore hearknest thou to mens words that tell thee that David seeketh thy hurt Thou seest that this day the Lord delivered thee into my hands when thou wast in the Cave some bad me kill thee but mine eye spared thee and I told them I would not put forth my hand against my Lord seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. Moreover my father see yea see the the skirt of thy robe in my hand for in that I cut off only the skirt of thy robe and killed thee not when I might so easily have done it thou maist assure thy self that there is no evil intention in my heart against thee neither have I transgressed against thee as those base Sycophants that are about thee do suggest And yet thou huntest my life to take it The Lord judge between me and thee and in this my innocent cause wherein I so unjustly suffer do me right against thee But however though it should not please him to do it yet I am resolved not to avenge my self on thee neither shall my hand be upon thee The Proverb of the Ancients tells us That wickedness proceedeth from the wicked that is wicked men will not stick to do any wicked thing But thou needest not fear any such thing from me seeing thou hast found the contrary by thine own experience I am resolved to refer my cause to God and not to avenge my self in my own quarrel Besides consider I pray thee who it is that thou pursuest with so much eagerness and violence even a weak and contemptible man and in comparison of thee no more to be esteemed than a flea (e) Valde Pathetica oratio Index summa Davidis modestiae vid. Psal 131. or a dead dog (f) Canâ—m mortuum pulicem persequi dicitur de iis qui tenuissimos homines magno conatu insectantur Having therefore neither power nor will to do thee hurt the Lord judge between me and thee and plead my cause and deliver me out of thy hands David having ended Saul was so affected with what he had said that he lift up his voice and wept and said Is this thy voice my Son David Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast done me good and I have rewarded thee with evil I am convinced that thou hast dealt exceeding kindly with me For when the Lord had delivered me into thy hands thou didst not take away my life If a man find his enemy and have him at an advantage will he let him go away without doing him any hurt This is not the common course of the world The Lord therefore reward thee for the great kindness thou hast shewed me this day And now I know assuredly that thou shalt be King see Ch. 15.28 23.17 seeing God hath endued thee with such heroick and Kingly virtues and does so eminently prosper thee in all thy undertakings I know that the Kingdom of Israel shall remain firm and established to thee and thy posterity after thee Swear now therefore to me that thou wilt not cut off my seed after I am gone as other jealous Princes use to do nor blot out my name by destroying my posterity And David sware unto him accordingly having in effect bound himself by Covenant and Oath before unto Jonathan to do the same that Saul here required But how can David be said to have observed this Oath when as afterwards he delivered the five Sons of Merab Saul's daughter and the two Sons of Rizpah his Concubine to the Gibeonites to be hanged see 2 Sam. 21. I answer David had a full intention to observe this Oath as far as lay in him as appears by his putting to death those that murdered Ishbosheth though he had risen against him 2 Sam. 4. and by his preserving and cherishing Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 9. But in the case before mentioned he was not left to his own choice but necessitated by a special command from God to deliver them into the hands of the Gibeonites for their satisfaction that Gods wrath being appeased the heavy judgment of famine under which they lay might be removed from the land see 2 Sam. 21.6 9. and therefore in this he brake not his Oath * Omnia pacta promissa vota jurejuranda ad hoc caput referenda
Son David David answers It is my voice my Lord O King And I pray thee wherefore doth my Lord thus pursue after his servant What have I done or what evil is in my hand Now therefore let my Lord the King vouchsafe to hear the words of his servant If the Lord hath stirred thee up against me let him receive an offering * Placato iram ejus Sacrificio munere Chald. Paraph. suspiciat oblationem meam cum voluntate that is let him be appeased with a sacrifice and oblation which I will offer for the sin whereby I have provoked him But if they be Court-Sycophants and malicious persons that by their lyes and slanders have incensed thee against me I leave them as cursed creatures to Gods just vengeance who will plead my cause against them For they have endeavoured to drive me out from abiding in the Inheritance of the Lord and from enjoying his Ordinances and by forcing me as an exile to flee into Idolatrous Countries They have in effect said to me Go and serve other Gods And now seeing thou knowest my innocency let not my blood I pray thee be shed without cause for the Lord will see it and will not let it go unpunished Besides it is not honourable for the King of Israel to pursue me with so many men who have so little power to hurt him For I am but as a flea forced to skip hither and thither to save my self or a partridge on the mountains forced to flee from place to place to escape thy hands Then said Saul I have sinned Return my Son David to thy former condition for I will no more do thee harm seeing my life was precious in thine eyes this day and thou hast spared me when it was in thy power to kill me Behold I have played the fool and erred exceedingly I do acknowledg my fault and folly and openly take shame to my self for it in the hearing of all that are about me David desires him to send one of his young men to fetch his Spear having taken it from him only to evidence his innocence and that he had no evil intention in his heart against him And therefore says he let the Lord recompence every man according to his righteousness and faithfulness Thy life was indeed in my power this day but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed And as thy life was precious in mine eyes so let my life be precious in the eyes of the Lord my God and let it please him to preserve it though thou shouldst fail of thy promises made to me and shouldst seek again to take it away Then Saul said unto David Blessed be thou my Son David thou shalt do great things and shalt at last prevail maugre all the malice of thine enemies Then David retired and betook himself to some place of safety not trusting Saul for all his goodly words and promises having formerly found him so false and malicious And Saul returned to Gibeah where he kept his Court. 1 Sam. Ch. 26. whole Chapter 12ly David now seriously considering the condition of his affairs began through the weakness of his faith to think that he should at one time or other notwithstanding all his former deliverances perish by the hand of Saul if he did not speedily get himself out of his reach therefore he thought there was nothing more adviseable in his present circumstances than that he should send to the King of the Philistines and try if he could be received with his forces into his protection This indeed was no warrantable course that he now pitched upon for his preservation For first God had once before commanded him by the Prophet Gad to abide in the land of Judah see Chap. 22.5 2ly He having before been such a formidable enemy to the Philistines and having so hardly escaped with his life once before when he sought privately to shelter himself among them there was no likelihood he should be entertained by them on any other terms than that he and his Souldiers should turn to the Philistines and declare themselves enemies to Saul and the people of Israel 3ly This must needs tend to the great grief of those that were righteous in the land and would give his enemies occasion exceedingly to triumph and to say that now he discovered what he was seeing he had deserted his own people and religion and had joined himself to their uncircumcised enemies But thus it is when mens hearts sink through distrust of God as it seems Davids now did they seek to help themselves by any means they can David therefore having as 't is probable sent his Agents before hand to the King of the Philistines and having obtained assurance from him under the publick faith that he and his Souldiers should live safely in his land which 't is like out of meer policy he consented unto knowing the hatred that Saul bear him and believing that David and his forces would be ready to join with him and his subjects against Saul he passed over with six hundred men that followed him to Achish King of Gath. He carried also his two wives along with him Ahinoam and Abigail and his followers likewise carried their wives and families not thinking it safe to leave them behind them in the land of Israel and for some time by Achish's permission they dwelt in Gath or about it When it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath he gave over any further thoughts of seeking after him he being in the land of his enemies and so out of his reach David being desirous to dwell apart by himself with those that followed him that he might have the more freedom for the exercise of his Religion and might keep his Souldiers from being corrupted with the Vices and Idolatries of the Philistines and that he might from thence go out and prey the more secretly upon the enemies of Gods people without having any notice taken of it he humbly desired Achish that his Officers might assign him and his followers some place in the Country to live in it not being fit for him a stranger to live with the King in the Royal City especially having so many people with him who must needs be burdensome and might sometimes prove offensive to him and the inhabitants of his City Achish consents thereunto and accordingly gave him Ziklag which being allotted to the Tribe of Judah Josh 15.31 was afterwards given to Simeon Josh 19.5 but the Philistines having gotten possession of it had kept it to this day and now Achish giveth it unto David and so it was not only joined to Judah's portion * Hac donatione justos ad Heredes rediit Achish dedit Davidi non solum ad inhabitandum sed ut in illius dominium cederet but was also upon this occasion designed to be ever after a part of the Crown-land of the Kings of Judah Here David dwelt a full year and four months
Dei dispositus hoc factum qui neque Davidi quicquam perire voluit neque aliis propter Davidem and Davids men took all the flocks and herds which the Amalekites had taken from other places besides Ziklag and drove them before those Cattel which they had taken from Ziklag which belonged to David and his followers extolling David and proclaiming this is Davids spoil that is which belongeth to him by the Souldiers free consent and gift and accordingly afterwards he bestowed it on whom he pleased David with his men now returning with the captives and spoils they had taken he came at last to the place where he left the two hundred weary men who came forth with great joy to meet David and the people that were with him When they came near him he spoke kindly and courteously to them that they might not be discouraged at the thoughts of their absence from the fight seeing it was occasion'd by their weariness They desiring to have a part in the spoils some of the four hundred who had with David vanquished the Amalekites being wicked men and sons of Belial exprest an unwillingness that they should have any share therein but only their wives and children again though it was not cowardize but meer faintness that made them stay behind and their staying behind with the carriages to defend the stuff and being in readiness to aid and assist their fellows if they had been forc'd to retire might be lookt upon as a good service David mildly speaks to these murmurers saying to them Ye shall not do so my Brethren with the spoil the Lord hath given us and which we have gotten not by our own valour and strength but by Gods gracious favour who hath preserved us and given our enemies into our hands the thing you propose is unreasonable and unjust therefore I shall decide the matter thus As his part is that goeth down to the battel so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff that is the men that tarried behind and abode with the baggage shall have their share of the prey as well as those that marched out with me unto the battel And so from that day he revived and ratified a statute formerly made by God Numb 31.27 Josh 22.8 that the spoil should be divided betwixt those that fought with the enemy and those that stayed with the stuff And when David was return'd to Ziklag he sent some of the spoils he had taken to the Elders of Judah his friends partly by way of restitution because the Amalekites had taken much of this prey from the South parts of Judah and partly by way of thankfulness for the many kindnesses he had received from them when Saul hunted him from place to place and partly in a way of prudence to make them hereby the more firm to him and more ready to give him their assistance when he should stand in need of it Thus as it is always darkest just before day dawneth so God useth to visit his servants with greatest afflictions when he intends their speedy advancement 1 Sam. Ch. 20. whole Chapter 16. We return now to the Philistines and Israelites whom we left nigh to each other Ch. 29. who joining battel at the very time as Josephus says when David was victorious over the Amalekites the Israelites were smitten and Saul's three Sons Jonathan (a) By Jonathan's death the Lord cleared the way for Davids advancement to the Kingdom For if Ishbosheth a worthless man found so many of the people ready to side with him against David what would they have done for Jonathan so brave and worthy a Prince if he had out-liv'd his Father And Jonathan was no loser by it for instead of an earthly God gave him an Heavenly Kingdom Aminadab and Melchishua slain And the battel went sore against Saul himself for the Archâ—rs hit him and sore wounded him he saw his Army routed his friends and followers slain his dear Sons killed before his face he found himself sore wounded and inviron'd with enemies and apprehending no possibility of escaping he bad his Armour-hearer take his sword and run him thorough lest the uncircumcised Philistines should take him and put him to some ignominious death but his Armour-bearer utterly refusing to do it he fell upon his own sword And thus Saul with the sword he had drawn against David slew himself and so concluded a wicked life with a desperate death the Lord in a just judgment giving him up to act this horrid murder on himself as a punishment of his former wickedness therefore 't is said 1 Chron. 10.14 that the Lord slew him His Armour-bearer seeing what he had done followed his wicked example and fell likewise upon his own sword and killed himself Thus died Saul and his three Sons and his Armour-bearer and most of his family and kindred most of his Courtiers and Commanders with a great part of his army see 1 Chron. 10.6 And when the Israelites who dwelt on each side of this valley of Jezreel where the battel was fought and they that dwelt in it 1 Ch. 10.7 saw that their army was routed and that Saul and his Sons were slain they forsook their Cities and Towns and fled for their lives and the Philistines entred into them and possessed them On the morrow after the battel was fought the Philistines coming to strip the bodies of the slain they found Saul and his three Sons fallen in mount Gilboa and they cut off Sauls head and stript off his armour His head they carried about as a Trophy and shewed it in all parts of their Country publishing their victory and the death of Saul and his Sons in a way of joy and triumph in the houses of their Idols (b) Heb. Terrors so called because they possess the minds and hearts of their superstitious worshippers with terrors and fears and do neither teach nor comfort them Hinc superstitio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur i. e. Daemonium pavor and afterwards set it up in the house of Dagon their God thereby ascribing to him the glory of their victory as appeareth 1 Chron. 10.10 so David had before served the head of Goliath which he carried to Jerusalem Ch. 17.54 They plac'd his Armour in the house of Ashtaroth see the Note on Judg. 2.13 his body and the bodies of his Sons they fastened to the wall of Bethshan (c) A Town that belonged to the lot of Manasseh but not recovered from the Philistines in the first conquest Judg. 1.27 nor to this day as was said before of Ziklag Ch. 27.6 viz. in a street that was by the City-wall see 2 Sam. 21.12 And when the Inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to the bodies of Saul and his three Sons in gratitude to Saul who had rescued them from Nahash King of the Ammonites when he had straitly besieged their City Ch. 11.11 all the valiant men of that City arose and march'd all night and
in his mind a (d) So we read of Adonijah affecting the Kingdom of David by the like practise 1 King 2.22 Abner was exceedingly provoked and enrag'd at this and angerly reply'd What am I a dogs-head am I so mean and vile a person in thine eyes that I should be school'd and reprehended for such a matter as this I that have shewed such kindness unto the house of thy Father and to his brethren and friends and have so strenuously stood up against the Tribe of Judah who made David King and have made thee King over the rest of Israel and hitherto supported thee in thy Kingdom and have not delivered thee into the hands of David as I might have done What! am I so mean and contemptible a person that thou shouldst think it a disgrace to thy family that I should lye with one of thy Fathers Concubines God do so to me and more also if I do not translate the Kingdom from the house of Saul to the house of David and make him King over all Israel even from Dan to Beersheba as the Lord hath sworn he should be So that it is plain that Abner knew very well that God had chosen and appointed David to be King and yet all this while he had opposed him against his own knowledg and conscience for his own worldly and wicked ends But though he behaved himself thus insolently yet Ishbosheth being a low and poor-spirited man durst not answer him a word he stood in such fear of him Abner pursuant to what he had threatned sent messengers to David by whom he made his acknowledgment that the whole land did indeed belong to him whom God by Samuel had anointed to be King over Israel and therefore he resolved his hand should be with him to bring all Israel to be subject unto him provided he would make a League and Covenant with him to pardon all that was past and to receive him into his favour David returned him an answer that all that he desired was granted only he must not expect to see his face except he brought Michal Saul's daughter along with him That David insisted upon this condition needs not seem strange if we consider first that she had beeen his first wife and had been faithful to him in preserving his life 1 Sam. 19.11 12. and had been forced by her father to marry another man when he was fled 1 Sam. 25.44 And 2ly David could no way better express his love to her than by rescuing her from the sin and misery of living in adultery 3ly He saw in policy it imported him to ingratiate himself with and gain the love of Sauls kindred and allies which he could no way better do than by this means 4ly He thought he should hereby try the fidelity of Abner Abner it seems hereupon advised David to send to Ishbosheth for his wife and then he would second the motion and procure it to be done David accordingly sent Messengers to Ishbosheth desiring to have his wife Michal delivered to him which he had espoused to him for an hundred (e) David was enjoined only to bring an 100 but he brought 200 1 Sam. 18.25 27. foreskins of the Philistines Ishbosheth being perswaded by Abner to gratifie David therein immediately sent and took her away from Phaltiel her husband who went along with her as far as Bahurim a Town in the Tribe of Benjamin weeping and lamenting that a wise so noble and beautiful should be taken away from him But Abner bad him return and comfort himself for 't was in vain to weep for that which could not be helped Then Abner in pursuance of his design to come in to David had communication with the Elders of Israel and said to them Many of you long ago sought to have David to be King over you now then I pray let us all agree to it for the Lord (f) We do not read in the Sacred story where this is expresly spoken but Josephus saith it was spoken by Samuel and commonly known among the people hath spoken of David saying by the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hands of the Philistines and out of the hands of all their enemies He having thus spoken received a satisfactory answer from them viz. that they would receive David for their King Then he addresseth himself to the Tribe of Benjamin speaking to them to the same purpose and he thought it needful to address himself in an especial manner to them because Saul had been of their Tribe and so was chiefly in their favour and therefore if they gave way to Davids Title and submitted to his government little doubt was to be made but that the rest of the Tribes would submit also Having therefore received such an answer from the Elders of Israel and Benjamin as satisfied him he to shew his great diligence and faithfulness in managing Davids business went himself to carry the news of his good success to David at Hebron reporting to him all that Israel and especially Benjamin had said being attended with twenty men and as 't is probable carried Michal along with him David received him very graciously and made a great feast for him and his company when that was over Abner told him he would go and endeavour to get all Israel to accept him for their King and to make a league with him to be subject to him that he might reign over them all even according to his own hearts desire so David dismissed him in peace Joab with a Brigade of his Souldiers now returning home from pursuing a Troop of the Philistines or some other enemies that had invaded the land and bringing a great spoil along with them he was told that Abner had been newly with the King and had been graciously received by him and honourably dismist Joab was enraged at this and therefore in a bold and insolent manner he came to the King and asked him what he had done He wondered at his imprudence in sending away so dangerous an enemy as Abner was when he had him in his hands Thou mightest well have known says he if thou hadst considered it that Abner is a subtile and politick man and came not for any good end but to deceive thee and as a spy to discover thy counsels and the course of thy actions and proceedings Thus he pretends only David's good but 't is like he feared lest Abner by this important service of coming in to him himself and bringing in the other Israelites should insinuate himself into David's favour and so prove a corrival to him in his honours and preferments and besides the death of his brother Asahel killed by Abner stuck in his stomack David it seems was not much moved by what he said wherefore Joab flinging away in a discontent when he was come out from the King he sent Messengers after Abner and possibly in the Kings name who knew nothing of it who brought him
to revenge Ishbosheth's death Accordingly these Conspirators came to Ishbosheth's house who was then reposing himself on his bed and they came it seems in the disguise or habit of Country men or Merchants that came to buy wheat (h) Non mirum Tirticum in Regia domo repositum esse Nimis delicati sunt antiquae simplicitatis ignavi qui ad hodiernam Aularum elegantiam pristinas Regum Aulas exigunt whereof Ishbosheth's lands yielded great store or of Porters that came to carry some away that had been bought and by this colour having free access into his house and finding him asleep upon his bed they desperately murder'd him and cutting off his head took it away with them and travelling all night from Mahanaim through the Plain of Jericho to Hebron they brought it to David and presented it to him saying Behold the head of Ishbosheth thine enemy who sought thy life and the Lord hath avenged my Lord the King this day on Saul and on his seed David being enraged at this their desperate wickedness and treachery against their Lord and Master said As sure as the Lord liveth who hath hitherto deliverd me out of all my troubles I will inflict upon you the punishment that your heinous crime deserves when the Amalekite came to me and told me that Saul was dead thinking to have brought me acceptable tidings and said moreover that upon Saul's request he had helped to kill him and rid him out of his pain See 2 Sam. 1.10 I took hold of him and slew him in Ziklag though he thought I would have given him a reward for his tidings how much greater reason then have I to execute severe justice on such bloody and wicked Assasinates as you are who have murder'd one that was just and innocent as to you having done you no wrong but contrary deserved well of you and that so basely and treacherously in his own house and upon his bed where he lay secure suspecting no such danger Have not I reason therefore to require his blood at your hands and to take you away from the earth for committing such an abominable villany Having thus spoken he commanded the young men about him to fall upon them and slay them which they immediately did and cut off their hands and their feet and hanged them up over the Pool in Hebron that all men might see how much David abhorred this fact of theirs and how far he was from knowing any thing of it or giving the least encouragement to them that did it As for the Head of Ishbosheth they took and buried it in the Sepulcher of Abner in Hebron 2 Sam. Ch. 4. whole Chapter SECT CLXXXIII IShbosheth being dead the Elders and Heads of the several Tribes of Israel and the Captains and many thousands of the people that bare armes came unto David to Hebron to settle the Kingdom of Saul upon him as God had appointed and some of them addressing themselves to him in the name of the rest spake after this manner We are thy bone and thy flesh that is Israelites as thou art and therefore doubt not but we shall find favour with thee And when Saul was King over us thou wast our Captain and didst lead forth our Armies against our enemies and broughtest them back again crowned with victory and laden with spoil And therefore the experience we have had of thy wisdom and prowess moves us to desire thee for our King And further God did by Samuel appoint thee to rule over us and said unto thee Thou shalt feed my people Israel and be a Captain over them And we are bound to accept him for our King whom God shall chuse for us Deut. 17.15 upon all these accounts we are willing to accept of thee and submit to thee as our King David graciously received them and their address and declar'd himself ready to forget all that was past and to receive them as his subjects into his protection And so he made a league with them promising to govern them according to the rule prescribed in Gods Law and they promised to obey him as his loyal and liege people And this being done with invocation of God as a witness of their league it is said to be done before the Lord and so they anointed * David now a third time anointed David King over all Israel He was thirty years old at this time he had reigned seven years and six months over Judah in Hebron before and after this he reigned over all Israel thirty three years so that his whole reign was almost forty years In the 1 Chron. 12.23 we have the number of those who out of the several Tribes came to Hebron upon this solemn occasion Of the Children of Judah six thousand and eight hundred ready armed they had before anointed David King over them therefore it was not necessary they should appear in greater numbers at this time Of Simeon seven thousand one hundred mighty men of valour Of Levi four thousand and six hundred though this Tribe was set apart peculiarly for the service of God yet many of them being men of valour did it seems go out into the wars and David being now to be inaugurated and anointed King the Levites were willing to shew their forwardness also to establish him in his Kingdom Of the Aaronites or Priests three thousand and seven hundred with Jehojada their leader And Zadok (a) This Zadok seems to be the man who in Davids reign was joined with Abiathar 2 Sam. 8.17 and by Solomon was put into Abiathars room and made High-Priest 1 King 2.35 a young man of great valour was another leader among the Sons of Aaron and with him came twenty two Captains that were Priests and of his Fathers house Of the Chilren of Benjamin three thousand no more of them it seems appeared because they being of the same Tribe with Saul a multitude of them endeavoured to continue the Kingdom in Sauls race (b) V. 29. Observabant observationem domus Saulis i. e. adhaerebant domui Saulis capessentes mandata Ishboshethi Pisc and were unwilling the Royal dignity should go from them Of the Children of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred mighty men of valour and famous in their Tribe Of the half Tribe of Manasseh that was seated within Jordan eighteen thousand which were chosen by name to be imployed in this service Of the Children of Issachar that were singularly prudent and able to give advice for the doing of any thing that was to be done in the fittest time * Vide Esth 1.13 and season (c) They had much given themselves to observe seasons wherein matters of moment were meetest to be done and whose brethren were at their command out of the high esteem they had of their prudence and wisdom of these the Heads or Captains were two hundred and therefore undoubtedly had divers thousands under their command who came along with them Of Zebulon no less than
1 Chron. 14.1 2. SECT CLXXXV THE Philistines who during the Civil Wars between David and Ishbosheth were content to look on when they saw that Ishbosheth was dead and the people had generally received David for their King who was a great warrior and that he had driven the Jebusites out of the strong Fort of Sion and that the King of Tyre had made a league with him they thought it was time for them to bestir themselves and to oppose his growing power And herein the Providence of God was remarkable that they began with him and not he with them to whom he had been formerly obliged and so might have seemed ungrateful if it had been otherwise They therefore having raised a great Army invaded the land of Israel and came to seek David to fight with him When David heard of it he went to a Fort or strong-hold near the Cave of Adullam see 2 Sam. 23.13 there to muster and arm his Soldiers and the Philistines spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim which was in the way to Bethlem and they had their Head-quarters in Bethlem it self The Israelites being as it seems at this time something distressed through want of water it being hot weather and harvest-time David wished he had a draught of the well of Bethlem but not with any intent as 't is probable to stir up any of his Souldiers to adventure to fetch it for him however three of his valiant Commanders who are supposed to be Adino Eleazar and Shammah see 1 Chron. 11.19 2 Sam. 23.13 who were the chief over the thirty Colonels or Commanders having heard him express his desire of that water they ventured to break through the host of the Philistines and came to Bethlem and drew of the water which was by the Gate and brought it unto him but David when he understood the extreme danger they had gone thorough to procure it was very sorry he had given occasion to such a rash enterprize and had thereby so dangerously exposed the lives of his great Captains therefore he would not drink of it but took it and poured it on the ground as an offering of Thanksgiving unto God for delivering them from that great danger saying Far be it from me O Lord to drink that water which was procured with the extreme hazard of these mens blood (a) 2 Sam. 23.17 Is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives and lives (b) Aquam tam pretiosam dignam judicavit quae Domino libaretur Then David enquired of the Lord by Abiathar the High-Priest whither he should go up against the Philistines or no For though he had a great Army yet he relyed not upon it but seeks to God for direction and without that would not stir He receives answer from God that he should go up and be victorious Then David came to Baalperazim whether the Philistines were now come from the valley of Rephaim 1 Chron 14.11 and David smote them there with a great slaughter whereupon he said the Lord hath broken in upon mine enemies by my hand like the breaking forth of waters signifying thereby the sense he had of Gods hand and power in driving away his enemies as waters when they break through the bank do sweep away all before them Thence this place was called afterwards Baal-perazim * The name is taken from the Idol Baal who with his Idolatrous worshippers was there destroyed see Is 28.21 And there the Philistines left their Images and Idols which they had brought with them and trusted in as their Titular Gods which were neither able to defend their vain worshippers nor themselves and David commanded his men to burn them see Deut. 7.25 1 Chron. 14.12 The Philistines shortly after recruiting their scattered Army came again to provoke the Israelites to fight with them in the very same place where they had received their former defeat though they had no provocation from David to do so he having not hotly pursued his former victory but though David had gotten a great victory over them before yet he was not so puffed up with it as to relye on his own strength therefore he would not engage with them again without first inquiring of the Lord. The Lord bids him not go up openly and directly against them as formerly but to fetch a compass and so to come upon them behind over against the Mulberry Trees where they look'd not for him and when he heard the sound of a going on the tops of the Mulberry Trees viz. of an Army of Horsemen and Chariots marching over the tops of the Trees like that 2 King 7.6 which should be a sign to him that the Lord is gone forth with his holy Angels to destroy the Philistines before him then he should bestir himself and fet upon them for says the Lord I will give thee victory over them And David did accordingly and smote the Philistines from Geba or Gibeah in Benjamin where the fight began unto Gazer situate in the west of Ephraim which was then possessed by the Philistines So that the fame of David went into all lands and God brought the fear of him upon all Nations round about him 2 Sam. Ch. 5. from v. 17. to the end 2 Sam. Ch. 23. from v. 13 to the 18. 1 Chron. Ch. 11. from v. 15 to the 20. 1 Chron. Ch. 14. from v. 8 to the end SECT CLXXXVI DAvid now enjoying peace and quietness began to take into his pious thoughts the bringing up the Ark from Kirjath-jearim and placing it in the Fort of Sion which he had lately taken from the Jebusites The Tabernacle was now at Gibeon 2 Chron. 1.3 whither it had been removed from Nob after that bloody slaughter of the Priests by Saul 1 Sam. 22. And there was the great Altar for Burnt-offerings to which the people frequently went contenting themselves therewith and not regarding the Ark the principal evidence of Gods presence among them and whereat Divine Oracles and directions were given it being now lodged in a private house Upon what occasion the Ark was removed to the house of Abinadab in Kirjath-jearim we may see Sect. 153. and 1 Sam. 7. where it continued about fourtysix years saving only when upon extraordinary occasions it was brought into the Camp see 1 Sam. 14.8 viz. thirtynine in the days of Samuel and Saul and seven in the days of David David therefore judged it more for the honour of God and of the Ark that it should not lye hid in a private family which possibly had occasion'd the people so much to neglect it but be setled in the chief City of the Kingdom in a place purposely appointed for it that the people might more conveniently resort unto it wherefore calling his great Commanders and the Elders and Heads of the people together he imparted his design unto them and desired their advice upon it He told them that if it seem'd good to them and they apprehended
business successfully Achitophel advises him to defile his Fathers Concubines whom he had in his Palace and that publickly and in the sight of the people that so the breach between him and his Father might be made desperate and so says he the people that follow thee will go on couragiously and confidently when they see that by this fact thou hast made thy self so odious to thy Father that there is no possibility of reconciliation between you whereas if there be but the least hope left that thou shouldst ever make thy peace with him then all thy followers and abettors will be in extream danger to be ruin'd by him Besides the people will be shy and fearful to join with thee till they see that thou and David can never be reconciled Absalom likes and follows this damnable advice and so they spread a Tent for him upon the roof of the Palace from which place as 't is probable David first espied Bathsheba washing her self and lusted after her and there not hurried thereunto violently by the strength of lust but advisedly and upon Politick considerations in the sight of the people and to the blushing of the Sun he lay with his Fathers Concubines And thus what God had threatned against David Ch. 12.11 was accomplished I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them to thy neighbour and he shall lye with them in the sight of the Sun This was the villainous counsel that Achitophel gave him who was counted so great a Politician both while he was with David and after with Absalom that his counsel was looked upon for the successfulness of it as if it had come from the very Oracle of God 2 Sam. Ch. 16. from v. 20 to the end 11ly Achitophel seeing that Absalom had so readily followed his former counsel he now gives him a new advice and most dangerous and pernicious to David had it been followed He advises him to let him chose out twelve thousand men out of his Army and with them he would go in person and pursue David that very night and says he I will surprize him while he and his followers are weary and faint and I know that his Army will be so terrified with the suddenness of my coming upon them that they will flee and scatter leaving him to shift for himself and his army being defeated he may easily be taken and killed and accordingly I my self may kill him and when the King is slain I will proclaim pardon to the people that followed him and so reduce them all under thy obedience for thou maist easily apprehend that the doing of this one thing viz. the taking off the King is in effect the reducing of all the people who will be quiet and embrace thee for their King when David is gone This counsel hugely pleased Absalom and those that were about him though it was so highly villainous and tended to cut off the life of his Father by a sudden surprize But yet God so over-ruled his heart that he would needs send for Hushai who was also reputed a very wise man to hear what he would say to it When he came Absalom tells what Achitophel had advised and asks his opinion of it Hushai tells him that Achitophel was indeed a very wise and able man but the counsel which he had given was not in his opinion good at this time for says he thou knowest that thy Father and his men are mighty men of valour and they are now chaffed in their minds and their spirits are so enraged at their being forc'd to leave their wives and children and their habitations that they are like a Bear robbed of her whelps and so will redouble their strength and resolution to recover what they have lost Thou maist easily understand that it is a dangerous thing to fight with desperate men alas it will not be so easie a matter to terrifie them and to make them flee as Achitophel supposes Besides thy Father is an old experienced Commander wise and cautious and thou maist assure thy self that he will not at this time lodg in the Camp among the common Souldiers for fear there should be any concealed Traytors among them but will secure himself in some secret pit or cave or some unknown place as he used to do in the days of Saul so that it will not be so easie a matter to seize upon him and so put an end to the war as Achitophel apprehends Furthermore we are to consider how dangerous and perillous to any side the first overthrow is which is usually lookt upon as a presage of future success Those twelve thousand whom Achitophel would lead forth are but a few to go out against thy Fathers army and if some of them should be overthrown at the first a report will presently fly abroad that Absaloms forces are beaten and then the hearts of thy most valiant Souldiers whose hearts are now like the heart of a lion will soon melt and be dissolved and thorough fear they will scatter and flee away Therefore my counsel to thee is to assemble all the people from Dan to Beersheba and to gather an army like the sand that is on the sea-shore for multitude and this is the way to make sure work in a matter of such great consequence as this is and when thou hast got such a vast army together then I advise thee to go out thy self in person and command them as General and so thou thy self wilt have the honour of the victory and thy valour and conduct will be renown'd in the world And when thou hast gotten such a vast army under thy command fear not we shall find thy Father out where ever he is for as dew when it falls overspreads the face of the whole earth so we shall overspread the face of the whole Country and if he be any where in the fields we shall light upon him and neither he nor any that are with him shall escape us and if he be fled into any City we will bring ropes to that City and will draw it into the river and will pull it down until there be not left one stone upon another Thus Hushai concluded his speech and with such big and swelling words he sought to blow up the spirit of this proud young Prince and to humour his vain glory and ambition but his main end was to gain time knowing that in a little time such a vast army could not be gathered together that so David in the mean while might gather strength and increase his forces Hushai having delivered himself thus eloquently Absalom and those about him were much taken with him and said the counsel of Hushai is better than the counsel of Achitophel Thus the Providence of God over-ruled their hearts that the Politick counsel of Achitophel which had been good for the accomplishing Absalom's ends had it been followed might be defeated Hushai presently acquaints Zadock and Abiathar with what had passed that they might
give David speedy notice thereof and advise him not to lodge that night in the plain of the Wilderness but speedily to pass over Jordan lest he should be surprized For though he had at present as he thought diverted them from following Achitophels dangerous counsel yet he knew not how soon their minds might change Jonathan and Ahimaaz of whom before stayed at Enrogel not far from Jerusalem expecting to hear from their Fathers for they durst not come into the City being suspected to be of Davids party Therefore Zadock and Abiathar sent their message to them by a young maid who was not like to be suspected that they might conveigh it speedily to David But it seems a lad accidently saw them at Enrogel and went and gave intelligence of them to Absalom who speedily sent some to surprize them But they understanding some way or other that they were discovered hasted away presently to Bahurim and betaking themselves to a friends house they hid themselves in the well which was in the Court of the house and to conceal them the more the mans wife spread a covering over the wells mouth and spread ground-corn thereon Absalom's servants pursue them thither and inquire diligently after them the woman of the house tells them they were gone over the water telling therein as they call it an officious lye to preserve them and so when they had sought them in vain and could not find them they returned to Jerusalem They being gone Ahimaaz and Jonathan came out of the well and went speedily to David to acquaint him with what Achitophel had counselled against him and shew him that he must speedily arise and pass over Jordan if he intended to preserve himself This therefore David and his followers immediately did that night and by the morning the whole army was past over And the special Providence of God appeared herein that they were all preserved in such a dangerous passage and that in the night When Achitophel saw that his counsel was not followed but Hushai's prefer'd before his and foreseeing that this counsel of Hushai would certainly be their ruin and that David by gaining this time would so strengthen himself that he would be too hard for Absalom when they came to fight it out in the field and concluding that if David prevail'd as 't was most likely he would there was no mercy for him to be expected at his hands who had been so false and treacherous to him he being greatly discontented went to his own City Giloh and there putting his house in order making his will and disposing of his estate and taking care of all things but his soul he hanged himself * Herein he was a Type of Judas and was buried in the Sepulchre of his Father 2 Sam. 17. from v. 1 to 24. David upon occasion of Achitophel's counsel against him compos'd the 55 Psalm 12ly David by this time having gathered a good Army together marched with it to Mahanaim a City in the Tribe of Gad beyond Jordan and was there furnished with provisions by three eminent persons the first was Shobi the Son of Nahash of Rabbah brother of Hanun King of Ammon whom David had deposed for abusing his Messengers and set this Shobi up in his stead in thankful remembrance whereof he now brought provisions to David The second was Machir of Lodebar who was Guardian to Mephibosheth when David came to the Crown see Ch. 9.4 who observing how much David favoured him and what kindness he shewed to him did highly esteem him ever after for it and was the readier as 't is probable to commiserate him in this time of his troubles The third was Barzillai the Gileadite of whom we shall say more when we come to the 19th Chapter These all came to comfort David †Sic solet Deus cum usitata auxilia absunt suis de improviso suecurrere in his great distress when his own unnatural Son sought his life and they brought beds and cups and earthen vessels and wheat barley meal parched corn beans lintils and parched pulse and honey butter and sheep and cheese to refresh David and the people that were with him who they thought must needs be weary and hungry and thirsty having had so long a march thorough the Wilderness where they could not but be in great want From v. 27 to the end 13ly Absalom having now gathered together a mighty Army of the Israelites as Hushai had advised he marches out with them against his Father Amasa (a) 'T is said here that Ithra an Israelite was his father and Abigail sister to Zerviah his mother In 1 Chron. 2.17 this Ithra is call'd Jether the Ishmaelite It seems therefore that he was an Ishmaelite by birth but an Israelite by profession and habitation being become a proselyte or else he was call'd an Ishmaelite because he had lived among the Ishmaelites as upon the same account some were called Hittites and Gittites 'T is said of this I hra that he went in to Abigail and begat this Amasa on her which intimates he was not then married to her 'T is also said of this Abigail that she was daughter to Nahash sister to Zerviah 1 Chron. 2.16 17. 't is evident that both this Abigail and Zerviah were daughâ—ers of Jesse and Sisters to David Either therefore Jesse had also the name of Nahash or his wifes name was Nahash who was the mother of Abigail who was Nephew to David and Cousin-german to Joab being made his General and with them he passed over Jordan and pitched in the land of Gilead 2 Sam. 17. v. 24 25 26. 14ly The Armies of David and Absalom being now near one another David drew out his Army which was at this time much increased by the resort of many out of the two Tribes and half on the other side Jordan unto him and mustering them he set Captains over hundreds and Colonels over thousands and divided his Army into three Battalions appointing three Generals over them viz. Joab Abishai and Ittai Then he told them He would go forth with them in person to encourage them and possibly he inclined the more to it that being present in the Army he might use his best endeavour for the saving of Absalom his great Commanders and Souldiers would by no means consent that he should venture his person in the battel telling him that he was worth ten thousand of them the Commonwealth should receive more damage and the enemy more advantage if he should be kill'd than if ten thousand of them should be slain alas say they if we should flee or half of us be slain the enemy will not much regard it if thou remainest alive who art the mark at which they principally aim and who they know as long as thou livest wilt be able to raise forces and make head against them and therefore we think it much better that thou remain in the City and from thence that thou send us forth succours and
Is the young man Absalom safe Ahimaaz answers that when Joab sent away Cushi the Kings servant and him to bring tidings he saw a great tumult but knew not what the matter was He knew undoubtedly of Absalom's death but through humane frailty fearing to displease the King he here miserably faulters Then came Cushi who cried out Good tidings my Lord the King for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all those that rose up against thee Then said the King is the young man Absalom safe Cushi replied let the enemies of my Lord the King and all that rise up against him be as that young man is David was smitten with a wonderful consternation at this news and his grief and passion brake out so violently that it almost overwhelmed him he now retires into the Chamber over the Gate there in secret to pour out his sorrow and as he went up he cried out O my Son Absalom my Son Absalom would God I had died for thee my Son Absalom if my temporal death would have saved thee from eternal misery 2 Sam. Ch. 18. whole Chapter 15. The King taking on so immoderately for the death of Absalom his excessive grief came to be known in the Army and caused great trouble of spirit among them also so that the victory was turned into mourning neither came they up like a victorious army with joy and triumph to the City but dispersing themselves secretly stole into it not as if they had been Conquerours but rather as if they had been beaten and fled away from their enemies The King still took on excessively and covered his head in token of extream sorrow and cried out O my Son Absalom O Absalom my Son my Son Joab understanding this and seeing in what a discontent the Souldiers were hereupon and how their hearts began to be alienated from the King so that they were even ready to fall quite off from him he comes in a great rage to him and highly expostulates with him and tells him He had shamed the faces of all his faithful servants that day who had saved his life and the lives of his wives and children with the extreme hazard of their own and had frustrated them of their deserved praise and reward this strange carriage of thine saith he sheweth as if thou lovedst thy enemies in that thou mournest so excessively for this Traytor Absalom and hatedst thy friends seeing thou dost thus discountenance their faithful service Thou seemest not to regard thy faithful subjects let them be of what degree or quality they will I perceive that if that Arch-Rebel Absalom had lived thou hadst not much cared if all we had died I solemnly protest to thee if thou wilt not give over thy whining for that Rebel and go forth presently and speak comfortably to thy people and congratulate their victory and give them thanks for their venturing their lives for thee I believe they will all forsake thee as a person unfit to govern them who canst not govern thine own passions and possibly they will think of chusing another * Prospicient sibi de alio rege site aequum habere non possint and that will be worse to thee than all the afflictions thou hast hitherto met with in all thy life David being startled at this bold speech of Joab's which though harsh and tart yet was needful at this time he took his counsel and went and sat in the Gate and there shaking off sorrow manifested his kindness and grace to his Souldiers to win their hearts again to him As for those that had followed Absalom and escaped in the battel they were fled to their own houses 2 Sam. Ch. 19. from v. 1 to 9. 16. The people now through all the Ten Tribes of Israel began to blame one another for siding with Absalom against his Father and to call upon one another and upon their Elders and Officers to submit themselves unto David and to go and fetch him back again to the City of Jerusalem with honour they began to recount the great and manifold benefits they had enjoyed under his Government and how he had saved them out of the hands of their enemies especially the Philistines And they saw that God was against them in that attempt of making Absalom King and therefore there was great reason they should go and seek reconciliation with David whom they had so highly injured and offended This resolution of the Israelites to fetch their King home with honour coming to his ears and he perceiving that the men of Judah who had been first and chief in siding with Absalom and had delivered up to him the City of Jerusalem and the strong fort of Sion being conscious to themselves of their great ingratitude against him were now afraid to address themselves to him or to go to fetch him home therefore he sent to Zadock and Abiathar who had stayed all this while at Jerusalem that they should acquaint the Elders of Judah how ready he was to pardon them and to forget all that was past They were also to assure them of his singular affection to them they being his brethren and of the same Tribe therefore he would not have them to be the last in fetching home their King who ought to be the first He sends also unto Amasa whom Absalom had made General of his Army and who if he should despair of pardon might draw a great party of the Israelites after him to assure him that he was ready to receive him into his favour and to regard him as his nephew nay he intended to prefer him and to make him General of his Army as long as he lived in the place of Joab Indeed Joab had incurred his displeasure by killing Abner and several other unjustifiable acts yet he had also done him great services and had been always faithful to him whereas Amasa had been faithless and rebellious Besides the place of General belonged to Joab both by Davids promise and his own purchase he having hazarded his life in that dangerous service of assaulting and taking the strong fort of Sion However David being now offended with him for killing Absalom he resolv'd to prefer Amasa before him thinking by that policy to reduce all Absaloms party that stood out against him under his obedience By this kind message to the men of Judah and to Amasa David bowed the hearts of the men of Judah even as the heart of one man so that they sent this word unto the King Return thou and all thy servants we are most willing to receive thee and submit unto thee David considered that it might cost a great deal of blood to subdue them by force therefore he thought it best by these tenders of grace to bow their hearts to him and it happened according to his desire for the men of Judah now agreed to meet together at Gilgal and from thence they passed over the river Jordan to meet the King and to bring him
the plea of an Elder Brother and has Abiathar and Joab on his side if he can strengthen himself by this marriage he will not then fear to shew himself and endeavour to get the Kingdom for himself and then Abiathar and Joab will King it under him Then falling into a passion he said God do so to me and more also and bring upon me greater misery than I dare now mention see Ruth 1.17 if I do not make it appear to all the world that Adonijah hath spoken this word against his own life For as the Lord liveth who hath set me on the Throne of my Father and made me a family and Court according to the dignity of a King as he promised 2 Sam. 7.12 13. Adonijah shall surely this day be put to death So he immediately gave order to Benaiah Captain of his Guard to fall upon him and kill him which accordingly he did * Thus what Nathan threatned against David 2 Sam. 12.10 viz. that the sword should not depart from his house was fully verified Then sending for Abiathar he told him He was worthy to be put to death also for thus joining with Adonijah in this conspiracy but says he I will not at this time put thee to death because thou didst bear the Ark of God before my Father David and hast been a great sharer with him in all his afflictions and sufferings therefore get thee to Anathoth a City in the Tribe of Benjamin which with the fields about it belongs to the Priests and there live a private life and meddle no more with the Priesthood or Civil affairs And thus Solomon by thrusting out Abiathar from his office and placing Zadok in his room fulfilled the word of the Lord which he spake concerning Eli 1 Sam. 2.31 when the Tabernacle was at Shiloh and concerning Phineas Numb 25.13 These things being thus transacted tidings came presently to Joab that Adonijah was slain and Abiathar confin'd to Anathoth whereupon being conscious of his own guilt in joining with Adonijah in his aspiring to the Crown though he would not join with Absalom in the like case he fled to the Tabernacle at Gibeon and there laid hold on the horns of the Altar thinking possibly by that means the rather to escape because Adonijah had there not long before found favour 1 King 1.52 Solomon hearing where he was presently sends Benaiah and commands him to kill him there Benaiah coming to the Tabernacle would have perswaded Joab to come forth thence but he utterly refused it saying if he must die he would die there which possibly he spake hoping that by hanging on the horns of the Altar he should save his life and not imagining that they would put him to death there And thus it seems he forgot what God himself had said Exod. 21.14 That he that hath slain a man wilfully shall be taken from the Altar Benaiah being loth of his own head to shed blood at the Altar went back to the King and told him what Joab said The King replied Do unto him as he hath said that is seeing he resolves to die there let him die there and there fall upon him and kill him and then bury him decently for the honour of his place and his former services and so thou wilt take away from me and my fathers house the guilt of that innocent blood which he so barbarously shed and so the Lord will return blood upon his head who fell upon two men more righteous and better than himself for in that cause for which he killed them they were innocent He slew Abner for fear lest David should prefer him above himself And he slew Amasa because my Father had preferred him to the place of General in his room So that they were both innocent and not worthy of death upon that account he shall die therefore that their innocent blood may return upon his head and that the blot and stain of it may remain upon his posterity and accordingly they shall feel the sad effects of it for many generations And I doubt not but that upon the house of David and upon his Throne and upon his family there will be peace and prosperity for a long time from the Lord. For by executing judgment on murderers guilt is taken away from the Magistrate and from the Land Numb 35.33 So Benaiah went up to the Altar at Gibeon and as 't is like dragging Joab from thence he slew him and buried him in his own house in the wilderness and the King made Benaiah General of the Army in his room Then the King called for Shimei and said to him Build thee an house in Jerusalem and dwell there and go not forth thence any whither for it shall be that the day thou goest out and passest over the Brook Kidron (a) Solomon would not permit him to go over Kidron which was the way to Bakurim his own city lest he should raise some sedition there where was his own inheritance 2 Sam. 16.5 Kidron was about a mile from Jerusalem so that Shimei had room enough thou shalt surely die and thy blood shall be upon thine own head thou thy self wilt be the only cause thereof Shimei said unto the King The saying is good thy command is just and equal As my Lord the King hath said so will I do and I do bind my self by a solemn Oath which I now make unto thee in the presence of the Lord That I will not go out of the limits thou hast set me v. 42. But how he performed his Oath and promise we shall see afterwards Sect. 221. 1 King Ch. 2. from v. 12 to 39. SECT CCXV HAdad the Edomite who in the days of David had fled into Egypt and had been there for a great while kindly entertained when he heard that both David and Joab were dead he returned into his own Country and proved afterwards a great enemy to Solomon as we shall see hereafter 1 King Ch. 11. v. 21 22. SECT CCXVI SOlomon now contracts affinity with Pharaoh King of Egypt by marrying his Daughter and he brought her into Sion into the Palace of David intending afterwards to build a stately house for her when he had finished the Temple the wall of Jerusalem and his own Palace And he preferred her before the rest of his wives they being of Nations that were his subjects but she the daughter of a potent King And by this match and affinity with such a great neighbour Prince he designed to secure himself the better against foreign enemies 'T is not said whether she had embraced the Religion of the Israelites when he took her to wife yet considering that he is no where blamed for this marriage 't is most like she forsook her Idolatry and that either before or after her marriage she became a Proselyte and worshipped the true God because Solomon in this marriage is made a type of Christ wooing the Gentiles to make them his Spouse and calling them
from their Idolatries to serve the true and living God And hereunto the Psalmist seems to allude Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and consider incline thine ear Forget thine own people and thy fathers-house 1 King Ch. 3. v. 1. SECT CCXVII SOlomon was now quietly setled and strengthened in his Kingdom and the Lord was with him and magnified him exceedingly and he loved the Lord and walked in the ways and statutes wherein David his Father walked It seems the people after the Ark and Tabernacle were separated did not think themselves bound to bring their Sacrifices to the Altar at the Tabernacle but did offer them in such places as they thought meetest for such services to wit upon high hills and mountains Indeed the high places of the heathen-Idolaters were always abominable to the Lord and those God commanded the Israelites to destroy and pull down Numb 33.52 But there other high places it seems were thought at this time lawful (a) See 1 Sam. 9.12 c. and Ch. 10.5 13. and accordingly resorted unto but when the Temple was built then all other high places for Gods solemn and prescribed worship and service were counted abominable (b) And in this sin the Ten Tribes lived they made Priests of high places in the mountains and in all the Cities of Samaria and their Altars were as heaps in the furrows of the fields 1 King 13.32 Hos 12.11 Yea Solomon himself in his latter days fearfully offended in permitting this kind of Idolatry 1 King 11.7 8. And Judah it self fell into this sin in Rehoboams reign 1 King 14.23 and in aftertimes they built high-places to Baal and to the Idols of the neighbouring Nations 2 Chron. 25.14 And especially in the reigns of Ahaz Joram and Manasseh It seems Solomon and the people did offer sacrifice and burn incense on such high places as these before mentioned that were devoted to the service of the true God and Gibeon it self where the Tabernacle and Altar now were was accounted the great high place the most famous and most resorted unto Solomon therefore now gathering together the Princes and Rulers and Judges of the land and the chief Captains and Commanders of the people with them he went up to Gibeon there in solemn manner to praise the Lord for his great mercy to him in thus peaceably setling him in the Throne And there on the Brasen Altar made by Moses which he and the great Congregation now with him chose to worship God at rather than any other Altar he offered a thousand burnt-offerings to the Lord in the time he stayed there And in that night after they had made an end of offering those burnt-offerings God appeared to him in a dream Among the manifold ways whereby God of old made known his mind to his people dreams was one And in dreams sometimes men heard a voice and apprehending the sense thereof returned an answer thereunto and the things God so made known unto them were true and certain and his servants to whom he made them known were assured thereof God therefore in such a dream appearing to Solomon and asking him what he should give him He answered O Lord thou hast shewed to David my Father great mercy according as he walked before thee in truth and righteousness (c) All these must be understood of Davids inward disposition outward conversation as to the general course of his life his frailties and failings still excepted and uprightness of heart and hast reserved for him this great kindness to set his Son upon his Throne after him as it is this day which is a favour thou didst not vouchsafe to Saul And now O Lord thou having graciously made me King instead of my Father I am sensible that I am as it were but a little child and unfit to sway so great a scepter as this is how shall I be able to go out or come in before this great people How shall I be able to lead them or govern them without thine especial direction and assistance I am indeed set up as supream Governour under thee of this vast multitude which thou hast chosen for thy peculiar people and hast so increased them that they are almost innumerable according to thy gracious promise Gen. 15.5 Give therefore thy servant I pray thee an understanding heart that I may rightly discern between good and evil for who is able rightly to judg and govern this great people without wisdom given him from thy self Solomon having thus prayed the Lord was well pleased with the request he had made and said to him Because thou hast not asked for thy self long life nor riches nor victory over thine enemies but hast asked an understanding heart that thou maist rightly govern this people and in hearing causes maist know what judgment to give behold thy request is granted I will give thee a wise and an understanding heart and such a measure of wisdom and knowledg as no King before thee ever attained unto neither shall any after thee be like (a) Some Heathen Monarchs that possibly exceeded Solomon in riches came far short of him in wisdom unto thee see Chap. 4.29 30 31. Moreover I will give thee that which thou didst not ask viz riches and honour so that there shall not be any of the Kings of Israel like unto thee either for riches or glory see 2 Chron. 1.12 And if thou wilt walk in my ways and keep my statutes as thy Father David did I will lengthen out thy days also Then Solomon awoke and perceived that God had indeed appeared to him in this wonderful dream and he returned to Jerusalem with his Nobles and there before the Ark of the Covenant offered up many Burnt-offerings Peace-offerings in way of thankfulness to the Lord for this great and extraordinary kindness manifested to him and he made a great Feast for his Nobles and Officers and the Rulers of the people that were there gathered together 1 King Ch. 3. from v. 2 to 16. 2 Chron. Ch. 1. from v. 1 to 13. SECT CCXVIII SOlomon being now come to Jerusalem a very difficult case was brought before him in the deciding of which he gave a great evidence of that extraordinary wisdom the Lord had furnisht him with There came to him two women that were as it seems Victuallers by profession but secretly Harlots and one of them said to him O my Lord the King this woman and I dwell together in the same house and I was delivered of a child she being present at my Labour and three days after she was delivered of a child also and both our children were boys and we were all alone in the house there was no stranger with us And thus O King it happened as I verily believe and am confident this woman over-laying her own child in the night and awaking and finding it dead by her and being afraid of the disgrace that was like to fall upon her for her carelesness about her child
and Ministers of Justice The number and order of them is here recorded to set forth his great wisdom 1. Azariah the Son of Zadok was his principal Minister of State * Cohan signifies sometimes a secular Prince as well as a Priest and 't is probable he was the Son of another Zadok and not of Zadok the High-Priest 2. Eliphoreph and Ahiah the Sons of Shisha his Secretaries We read but of one Secretary of State that David had 2 Sam. 20.25 whose name was Sheva and possibly this is the same man with Shisha and that he trained up his two Sons in his own way and made them so expert therein that Solomon took them both for his Secretaries and living in greater splendour than his Father he had two Secretaries whereas his Father had but one 3. Jehoshaphat the Son of Ahitub the Recorder or Master of Requests whose office was to put the King in mind of Petitions and possibly to record the memorable Acts of State he had this place in David's time and it seems held it still under Solomon See 2 Sam. 20.24 and so must needs be very ancient 4. Benaiah was Captain-General of the host in Joab's place 5. Zadok and Abiathar were the chief Priests for though Abiathar was removed from the place of High Priest Ch. 2.27 yet it seems he retained the Title though he executed not the Office 6. Azariah the Son of Nathan the Prophet was over the twelve Officers or Purveyers which are named v. 7 to 19. 7. Zabud his brother was a principal Officer and possibly President of the Kings Council he was the Kings friend and favourite as Hushai was to David 2 Sam. 15.27 and had on all occasions free access to him from hence it appears that Solomon had Nathan in very high esteem in that he put two of his Sons in the highest Offices of the Kingdom and made one of them his especial favourite Nathan had indeed been a faithful Prophet and servant to David and discovered to him Adonijah's conspiracy and gave advice for the setling Solomon on the Throne Ch. 1.11 And 't is probable that Nathan's Sons were trained up with Solomon under their Fathers Tuition 8. Abishai who was either Governour of the Kings Houshold or Treasurer of it 9. Adoniram who was over the Tribute and chief receiver of the Kings revenues Ch. 4. from 1 to 7. 2. Solomon appointed twelve Officers over all Israel to take care to furnish his House with a set quantity of provisions of meat and drink for all the twelve months of the year Had these great stores that were needful for the Kings houshold been to be gathered out of one place only near the Court the people thereabouts might have been overburdened therefore these store-gatherers were scattered all over the land and had Treasure-houses to store up their provisions in which in their several months they brought forth and furnished the Kings house therewith These Officers were it seems the sons of men of note and therefore their names and their fathers names are here set down Their divisions were not exactly made according to the Tribes for so there might have been some inequality but according to the Commodities of the soil The son of Abinadab was over the Region of Dor in Manassehs portion and it seems he was a man of great worth for he married Taphath one of the daughters of Solomon Ahimaaz's Province was in Naphtali he also seems to be some great man for he married Basmath the other daughter of Solomon Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flower and threescore measures of meal The word translated measure is in the Hebrew Cor now one Cor contained about ten Ephas and one Epha about three pecks of our measure so that by this account Solomon had for every day a very great quantity both of flower and meal Also ten oxen fatted in the stalls and twenty out of the pastures also an hundred sheep besides Harts Robucks fallow Deer and fatted fowls This store shews that Solomon's houshold was very great but possibly under it are to be comprized his wives housholds and such Companies of Soldiers as attended about the Court yea and such foreign Princes and Ambassadours as came from other Countries to his Court and their retinues Thus those Officers provided victuals for King Solomon and for all that came to his Table every man in his mouth and by this means sufficient provision was made for them all 1 King Ch. 4. from 1 to 26. 3. That wherein Solomon more especially discovered his wisdom was in the Proverbs or wise and acute sentences he spake which were three thousand and in the Divine Songs or Odes he composed which were a thousand and five He spake also of trees from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hysop that springs out of the wall and of beasts and of fowl and of creeping things and of fishes So that he read Lectures of natural and moral Philosophy yea and of Divinity too to those that were about him or came to hear his wisdom He was also an excellent Poet as appears by those many Songs and Odes (b) Liber odarum quam ediderat complectebatur mille quinque odas Non Theologus tantum Philosophus sed insignis Poëta Sunt qui dicunt ex Canticis Proverblis Solomonis solum utiliora Spiritus Sancti instinctu reservata esse in libellos illos coacta qui hodie extant Munsterus he composed 'T is like he did dictate his Proverbs and Philosophical instructions in familiar discourse which those about him wrote down and some of them are lost But let us be thankeful to God for those that remain and labour to make a good use of them 1 King 4.32 33. As for the Book of Proverbs it contains the chief of those three thousand wise sentences which he spake The first nine Chapters contain instructions of piety and praises of wisdom with exhortations to get it all which may serve as a large Preface to the whole Book Then follow his Proverbs or choice sentences or wise Apothegmes There is sometimes a repetition of the same things which might easily happen by reason of the several collections of these Proverbs The verity of some of them consists in such a generality of truth as stands good and is for the most part so and yet admits of alteration by the change of circumstances Throughout this Book Solomon speaks one while in his own name another while in his Fathers then in Wisdom's elsewhere in his Mothers and sometimes in Gods name 1. He seems to speak in his own name in Ch. 1st 2d 3d. 2. He sets down the summ of his Father David's instructions Ch. 4.5 6 7. 3. He brings in wisdom speaking Ch. 8.9 4. He sets down those Proverbs of his own which he had set in order in his life time from Ch. 10. to Ch. 25. 5. Then others are added which were gathered by the servants of King Hezekiah
the house of Ahab and compelled the people of Judah thereunto by force persecuting such as refused A Letter whilst he was going on in these abominable ways comes to him from Elijah who before his translation saw by the spirit of Prophesie what great wickedness this Jehoram would commit and what punishments the Lord would inflict upon him for it This Letter was written by Elijah * Probabile est Eliam hoc Scriptum commisisse Elisaeo quia certo aliud ei commisit post mortem peragendum nempe ut Hazaeli indicaret ipsum futurum Regem Syriae whilst he lived upon the earth neither need that seem strange seeing Isaiah wrote before hand concerning Cyrus Isa 45.1 and the Prophet that was sent to Jeroboam prophesied of Josiah many years before he was born 1 King 13.2 Elijah having written it committed it either to Elisha or some other of the Prophets and by them it was now sent to Jehoram whose insolent cruelty was such that he would hardly endure the reproof of a living Prophet In that Letter Elijah speaks thus to him Thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat †To degenerate from the example of pious Ancestors is a great provocation thy Father nor the ways of Asa thy Grandfather but hast walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring and commit spiritual fornication like the house of Ahab and hast also slain thy brethren of thy Fathers house which were better than thy self behold with a great plague will the Lord smite thee and will punish thee in thy people and thy children and thy wives and all thy goods and thou shalt have great sickness by a disease of thy bowels who hast had no bowels towards thy own brethren and thou shalt day by day without intermission be tormented with it till thy bowels fall out This was the threatning of Elijah the Prophet against him and we shall now see how it was fulfilled 1. The Edomites who from Davids time had ever been in subjection to the Kingdom of Judah see 2 Sam. 8.14 and had been Tributaries thereunto and had been governed by a Viceroy set over them by them 1 King 22.47 now fell off and revolted from him and made a King over themselves Jehoram to reduce them went over to Zair a City in Idumea and took with him all the Chariots and Horsemen and Souldiers he could provide and he arose by night that he might come upon them suddenly and unexpectedly but the Edomites were so numerous and so well prepared that they compassed his army round about However his Souldiers so manfully stood to it that they put the Edomites to flight and slew many of them and thereupon the Captains of the Edomites Chariots and many of their Souldiers fled to their own houses But though Joram overthrew them at this time yet they retiring into places of advantage persisted resolutely in their revolt and so he was forced to return again into his own land without conquering of them And thus according to the Prophesie of Isaac Gen. 27.40 By thy sword thou shalt live and serve thy Brother and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck They for ever after shook off his yoke 2. Whilst he was endeavouring to reduce the Edomites Libnah a great City within Judah one of the Royal Cities of Canaan Josh 10.29 30. and given to the Priests Josh 21.13 now rebelled against him possibly because he had made such innovations in Religion and forced the people to Idolatry and had forsaken the Lord God of his Fathers The revolt of this City was a matter of great moment it being a Frontier City and one of those which the King of Assyria set upon when he came with his huge host to have taken Jerusalem 2 Chron. 32.9 It is much indeed that one City alone should venture upon such an attempt but perhaps the Kings absence whilst he was in Edom and the discontent of the people yea perhaps some correspondence they might have with the Philistines who soon after invaded the land gave them hope of some abettors and how they sped in the conclusion the Scripture no where expresses 3ly God stirred up against him the spirit of the Philistines and Arabians who bordered upon the Ethiopians and had been Tributaries to the Kings of Judah and they ran through the land so far as to come up to Jerusalem and plundered and carried away all the substance they found in the Kings house and carried away all his sons * Here we ought to take notice of the righteous judgment of God against him He slew all his Brethren and all his Sons were slain by the Philistines and Arabians excepting his youngest Ahaziah and he was slain afterwards by Jehu 2 Chron. 22.9 And all the Sons of Ahaziah were slain by their Grandmother Athaliah excepting Joash who was hid from her and afterwards Crowned King And Joash himself was at last slain by his own servants but the youngest call'd Ahaziah †And herein appeared the Divine Providence for the accomplishment of the promise to David whom it seems they could not find and all his wives they could lay their hands on but it seems they unhappily mist Athaliah who remained to usurp the Crown and to be a scourge to the Nation afterwards 4ly After all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease his malady was very tormenting and after two years continuance a long time for a man to lye under such a sharp disease his torment was so great that at last it forced out his very guts and bowels from him and so he died under the heavy hand of God The great sins he had committed against God the great wrongs he had done to his subjects and the great judgments he had brought upon the land turned the hearts of his people from him so that they shewed him little respect when he was dead making no burning for him like the burning made for his Father See 2 Chron. 16.14 And so he departed without being desired or lamented Howbeit they buried him in the City of David but obscurely not in the Sepulchers of his Ancestors the Kings of Judah and without the lamentations and solemnities that had been used at the Funerals of other Kings He reigned eight years four in his Fathers life time and four after which though a short reign in its self yet seem'd undoubtedly long to the poor people that were so ill treated by him All the time of this Kings reign another King of the same name reigned in Israel to wit Joram the Son of Ahab his wives brother 2 King 8. v. from 16 to 25. 2 Chron. 21. wh Ch. The sixth that reign'd in Judah was AHAZIAH AHAZIAH call'd Jehoahaz 2 Chron. 21.17 and Azariah 2 Chron.
in the enterprize But Amaziah was nothing mov'd with what he said for whom God intendeth to destroy he usually first hardens and God intended to punish him for his abominable Idolatry into which he had lately fallen Joash understanding this would not stay till Amaziah came to him but he enters Judah with a strong Army wisely resolving to make his Enemies Country the stage of the war So they met in a pitcht field at Bethshemesh which belongs to Judah and Judah was worsted before Israel and Amaziah himself taken prisoner and brought in Triumph * Thus in this Amaziah the Son of Joash King of Judah God did yet further revenge the death of Zachariah the Son of Jehniada who was most inhumanely and ungratefully murdered in his fathers days according to what he said at his death the Lord will look upon it and require it and withall Amaziah himself was severely punished for his Apostacy to Idolatry to Jerusalem by Joash which City as it seems standing out against him he battered down that part of the wall by the North-gate which was towards Ephraim even four hundred cubits in length and so took the City by force then he seized upon all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord with the posterity of Obed-Edom who were porters and keepers of the treasures in the Temple 1 Chron. 26.15 as also the treasures of the Kings house And having made what spoil he thought fit in Jerusalem he set Amaziah free upon certain conditions imposed upon him and his subjects and for the surer performance of the Covenants on Judah's part he took hostages of him viz. some noble mens children whom he carried along with him to Samaria And he chose rather to go away with his present spoil than to hazard all by endeavouring to conquer the Kingdom of Judah which he was not like to hold if he did obtain the subjects thereof being so greatly addicted to the house of David Amaziah lived after this fifteen years but a very miserable life for his subjects were so disaffected to him for the Idolatry he had brought in that from that time they began to conspire against him though it broke not forth openly till by his rash unadvised and unprosperous war with Joash he had brought so many miseries upon his Kingdom The conspiracy now breaking forth he fled to Lachish and possibly there hid himself and lived in obscurity so those that had conspired against him as it seems governed the affairs of the Kingdom in his absence About twelve years after these conspirators being men of power in the Kingdom upon some new occasion were so enraged against him that they sent some to Lachish to slay him Amaziah being dead they brought him from Lachish in a Chariot drawn with horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his fathers 2 King 14. from v. 1. to 21. 2 Chron. 25. wh Ch. Tenth King of Judah UZZIAH VZZIAH or Azariah as he is called 2 King 15.1 Son of Amaziah was the next that reigned in Judah In Mat. 1.8 't is said that Vzziah succeeded Joram And Joram begat Ozias whereas there were four that reigned in Judah between Joram and Vzziah viz. Ahaziah Athaliah Joash and Amaziah Some think that these were omitted because of their evil Government and unnatural deaths each of them being slain one after another or because by the mother-side they descended from the stock of wicked Ahab whose house the Lord doomed to be rooted up Vzziah when his Father was slain was about four or five years old and there seems to have been a kind of Interregnum or vacancy in the Throne of Judah for about twelve years viz from the 15th to the 27th year of Jeroboam the second King of Israel at which time Vzziah being sixteen years of age was setled in the Throne by the general consent of the people and not till then And this possibly may be intimated to us by that unusual phrase And all the people of Judah took Vzziah being sixteen years old and made him King instead of his Father 2 King 14.21 And this might happen partly by reason of his minority and partly through the prevalency of some powerful men who perchance had had a hand in putting his Father to death or possibly the Government of the Kingdom might be carried on in his name all that time though he came not to the full exercise of his Regal power till the 27th year of Jeroboam So that the twelve years from his Fathers death which happened in the 15th year of Jeroboam see 2 King 14.23 unto the 27th of Jeroboam when he was put into full possession of the Crown are to be accounted into the number of the fifty two years he is said to have reigned and according to this account in the 26th year of his reign Jeroboam died After which it seems there was an Interregnum or vacancy in the Kingdom of Israel also for about eleven or twelve years viz. to the 38th year of Vzziah's reign After which Zachariah reigned in Israel six months Shallum one month Menahem ten years Pekahiah two years and Pekah had reigned a year or something more before he died which was in the fifty second year of his reign 2 King 15.27 so that he lived in the times of six Kings that sat on the Throne of Israel In the beginning of his reign he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and maintained the worship of God uncorrupt as his Father had done save that the high places were not removed but the people still offered sacrifice and burnt incense on them And during the life of Zachariah Son of that Zachariah that was stoned in the Temple who was an eminent Prophet and had understanding in the visions of God that is was accustomed to see visions and had a singular understanding in ancient Prophesies and so was able to counsel and instruct Vzziah in matters that concerned the knowledg of God and his Laws and possibly was skilful to interpret the dreams and night-visions of others as Joseph and Daniel were I say during the life of this Prophet Vzziah sought the Lord and so long the Lord made him to prosper He recovered Elath a City near the Red-Sea which had been taken from the Crown of Judah by the enemies bordering upon it and repair'd and fortified it In Ahaz's time it was lost again being taken by the Syrians see 2 King 14.22 He was a great warrior he had under his command three hundred seven thousand five hundred fighting men under two thousand and six hundred Captains all which were dispos'd into Regiments and companies and registred that they might be in readiness against any urgent occasion And he furnished all these with Shields and Spears Helmets and Habergeons * Armour for Back and Brest and Bows and Slings to cast stones He was very victorious against the Philistines of whose Towns he brake down the
power I striking fear into their hearts and were dismayed and confounded nay they were as the grass of the field and as the grass on the house-tops which soon withereth away and as the corn that is blasted before it be grown up And as for thee I know thine abode and where thou dwellest and what thou dost meditate against me at home and abroad when thou goest out and when thou comest in I know all thy counsels and actions both publick and private I know thy rage against me and how thou reproachest my power and threatnest me as if I were an Idol See Isa 36.20 And because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come into my ears that is because I have heard thy outragious and ruffling words I will put my hook into thy nose and my bridle into thy lips and will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest that is thou shalt go as thou camest without effecting what thou designest against Jerusalem Thus the Prophet delivered to Hezekiah the mind of God concerning the King of Assyria Then he tells the King and the people that this shall be a sign to them by which they may assuredly know that they are loved of God with a Fatherly love viz. that though they had been hindred from sowing and planting this year by reason of the Assyrians invading their land and though they could not sow nor plant the next year because it was the Sabbatical year yet they should have plenty of corn notwithstanding that should grow and spring of it self without any tillage from the scattered seeds that fell on the earth the former years And herein says he the Providence of God will eminently appear for you that the ground shall yield of it self sufficient food for three years together for though in the third year ye may sow and reap and plant vineyards and eat the fruit thereof yet ye cannot reap what ye shall sow in that year until the end of it therefore it will be no less than miraculous that two years together so much corn shall grow of it self as shall serve you for three years The Prophet further encourages them and bids them not fear because their Nation was reduc'd to a small number nor think that therefore they should not be able long to subsist for he tells them that that small remnant of them which shall escape the sword of the Assyrians shall be like a thriving flourishing tree that shoots its roots downwards and its branches upward on which it bringeth forth much fruit So they shall be well setled in their Nation and shall be fruitful in it He further tells them that that remnant which is now shut up in Jerusalem and mount Zion shall go out of it when the siege is raised into all parts of the land of Judah and shall inhabit it and replenish it shall sow the ground and reap the fruit thereof For the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this that is the zeal he hath for his own glory and the love he bears to his people and the indignâ—tion he hath against â—is enemies will move him to do it And further says he let the King and all his faithful people encourage themselves for thus saith the Lord Sennacherib shall not come into this City nor force the Gates of it nor shoot an arrow at those that stand upon the wall neither shall he assault it with men armed with shields nor cast a bank or trench * This is to be understood of Sennacherib himself and the Army that he personally commanded for though he did not closely besioge Jerusalem himself nor make a Trench about it yet it seems part of his Army did as we may gather from Isaiah 29.3 against it but he shall go back the way that he came for I will defend this City and save it for mine own sake and for my servant Davids sake because of the promise I made to him that I would establish the Throne of his Kingdom †2 Chron 7.18 2 King 19. from 8 to 35. 2 Chron. 32. from 10 to 21. Isa 37. from 8 to 36. Hezekiah about this time viz. in the fourteenth year of his reign when the Assyrian Army lay about Jerusalem fell extreme sick and his sickness seemed such as threatned to put an end to his life The Prophet Isaiah coming to him from the Lord bad him set his house in order for he should die This sentence though very sad in it self yet seemed not absolute but conditional and so Hezekiah understood it and accordingly turning his face to the wall as he lay in his bed he earnestly prayed to the Lord to spare his life saying Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight He mentions not his good deeds as if he thought them meritorious but only that he might incline the Lord the rather to shew him mercy for the Lord is more ready to shew mercy to those that walk according to his laws and commandments than to those that disobey them And Hezekiah wept sore He had many reasons to desire to be spared at this time For first if he should now die he should leave Judah and Jerusalem under the pressure of Sennacherib and should not see the delivery of it 2ly He had no Son as yet to succeed him in the Throne and it could not but be a matter of great sorrow and grief to him to think that the promise made to David and Solomon 1 King 8.25 should not appertain to him He knew also that the Mâ—ssiah was to spring from the seed of David and he being lineally descended from David if he lived to have issue he might hope that the Messiah might spring from him from which hope he should be cut off if he died at this time 3ly He had reason to think that they who were so ready to ascribe the calamities of his time unto him because he had broken down the Idolatrous Altars and Images and made a reformation would be more ready to ascribe them to him if he now died and would say though unjustly that for this cause God had cut him off in displeasure And therefore for this reason he pleads his integrity and that what he had done in the reformation of Religion he had done it with an upright heart knowing it to be well-pleasing unto God And accordingly he found that the Lord was well pleased with it for before the Prophet was gone out of the middle Court of the Kings house he was sent back again to the King with this comfortable message Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy Father intimating to him thereby that he was mindful of his promise made to David 1 King 2.4 I have seen thy tears and am moved to compassion by them and I will spare thy life and add unto thy days fifteen years and on the third day from hence
for the correction only and not destruction of his people v. 12. Then after an humble expostulation with the Lord that he should use such wicked instruments as executioners of his judgments upon his own people that were more righteous than they He expresses his resolution to wait with patience for the Lords answer from v. 13. to the end and Ch. 2. v. 1. 4ly We have Gods answer to the Prophets replication which he commands him to publish expound and make plain to his Auditors telling him that the accomplishment of the vision should not be presently but in Gods due time and therefore it would be a sign of a proud and impatient heart in them not to wait for it whereas 't is the duty of the godly to live by faith in the worst of times Then the Lord shews that he will punish the Chaldeans for their intemperance pride and insatiableness for their covetousness haughtiness and bloody cruelty for their drunkenness and notorious gross Idolatry The Prophet acquiesces in this answer from the Lord and testifies his submission in an holy prayer which he thereupon makes wherein having shew'd how much he was affected at the hearing of Gods decree to punish the Jews by the Chaldeans he prays notwithstanding that the Lord would please to revive his Church in their troubles and make known his love and favour to them in the midst of their punishment and in wrath remember mercy He urges his petition with arguments taken from Gods bringing Israel out of Egypt from the glorious manifestation of himself at Sinai at the giving of the Law from his active power and strength metaphorically set forth by his having horns coming out of his hands from the effects of his power having variety of plagues at his command and from his ruling over all Nations and setting them their bounds and giving Canaan to Israel making a path for them thorough the Red-sea and the river Jordan giving his people water out of the rock and destroying the Canaanites to give them possession of their land giving mighty victories to his people when their enemies were strong and confident Hereupon he expresses that Gods judgments now threatned against his people being so different from his former dealings with them were matter of great astonishment to him yet he must rest satisfied that the day of their trouble would come and could not be prevented In the conclusion of his prayer for a pattern to the faithful he elegantly sets forth the triumph of his own faith in and over all those sad calamities Though the fig-tree should not blossom neither should fruit be in the vine though the labour of the olive should fail and the fields should yield no meat though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there should be no herd in the stall yet he would rejoice in the Lord in the God of his salvation Ch. 3. Manasseh dying was buried in the Garden of his own house called the Garden of Vzzah 't is like this was done by his own appointment after his repentance as judging himself unworthy to be buried in the sepulchres of the Kings of Judah because of the abominations of his younger years 2 King 21.17 18. 2 Chron. 33.20 The 15th King that reigned in Judah was AMON AMON was one and twenty years old when he began to reign and reigned two years He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the evil ways his Father had walked in and served the Idols his Father had served and worshipped them and forsook the Lord God of his Fathers and walked not in his ways He renewed such Idolatrous carved images as his Father had made and sacrificed to them He did evil as his Father had done but he repented not nor humbled himself before the Lord as his Father had done but trespassed more and more 2 King 21 from 19 to 23. 2 Chron. 33. from 21 to 24. This impious King was at last slain by his own servants in his own house and his death was revenged on those servants by the people of the land who made his Son Josiah King in his stead He was buried in the same Garden his Father Manasseh was buried in 2 King 21. from v. 19. to the end 2 Chron. 33 from v. 24 to the end IOSIAH The 16th King that reigned in Judah was JOSIAH was eight years old when he began to reign the youngest King that ever sat upon the Throne of Judah and reigned thirty one years in Jerusalem He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the ways of David his Father In the eighth year of his reign and sixteenth of his life he began to seek after the God of David his Father and to inquire how he might serve the Lord aright and did openly declare and manifest his Religious care to set up and further the true worship of God and in the twelfth year of his reign and twentieth of his life he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the groves and the carved and molten images and from all that filth of Idolatry wherein they had so long lain which he did with a great deal of zeal and fervency of spirit 2 Chron. 34.1 2 3. 2 King 22.1 2. In the thirteenth year of his reign the Prophet Jeremy began to Prophesie Jer. 1.2 by whom doubtless Josiah was much encouraged in the ways of Piety The Collector of his Prophesies did not set down all things in the order of time as they were done but possibly as they came to his hands Jeremy Prophesied eighteen years in Josiah's time eleven in Iehoiakim's and eleven in Zedekiah's so that he bore the iniquity of the house of Iudah forty years see Ezek. 4.6 In the eighteenth year of his reign and twenty sixth of his life he began to set upon repairing of the Temple and sent Shaphat the Scribe and Maaseiah and Ioah great officers of State 2 Chron. 34.8 to Hilkiah the High Priest that the money that had been collected for that use might be delivered into the hands of the overseers of the work who were faithful men therewith to buy materials to repair the Temple (a) We do not read of any solemn repairing of it since the days of Joash 2 King 12.2 5. and now above two hundred years had passed between Joash and Josiah So that the Temple might well stand in need of repair at this time See 2 King 12.15 and the Chambers of the Priests and Levites which some of the Idolatrous Kings of Iudah had suffered to run to decay and to pay the workmen that so the work might go on Hilkiah doing accordingly and going in hand with the work as he was searching into those parts of the Temple that needed repair he found the original copy of the Law written by Moses which was at first laid up in the side of the Ark of the Covenant Deut. 31.24 25 26. which