he was restored again to savour being so passionately beloved of him that the heart of David longed to go out to him in his Exile 2 Sam. 13.39 And ch 14. v. 33. in token of perfect reconciliation his Father kissed him But Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft from which few or none are thorowly reclaimed no Merit Mercy nor Miracles can reduce them to a stedfast Loyalty for though Absolon was pardoned for some almost-unpardonable crimes yet even from hence he takes encouragement to conspire against his Father Scelera dum non resecantur crescunt in argumentum facinorum adhibetur quoties secura impunitate peccatur David's too great Indulgence to Absolon was the occasion of his and had like to have been so of his own ruine Because judgment is not speedily executed against an evil work therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil Eccles 8.11 For though by an Act of Oblivion and many Indulgences the Coals of Discontent and Sedition seemed to be raked up yet by a factious Party that Achitophel left behind him they were so blown up and scattered through the whose Kingdom of Israel that nothing but the wisdom and power of God could prevent a general Conflagration For the flame that seemed to be extinguished by Absolon's Reconciliation and Achitophel's Death was but confined and breaks forth with greater violence than ever Absolon constitutes a Council of Six persons who had been privy to Achitophel's Conspiracy such were Shimei and Sheba Doeg and Nabal and Ziba and Amasa his General These consult in secret and act severally according to their several capacities First Shimei comes forth as another Balaam to curse the King to his face 2 Sam. 16.5 He is noted to have been a man of the house of Saul who had long endeavoured to revive the Good Old Cause by the same scurvy old methods of belying and slandering the footsteps of Gods anointed He still came forth saith the Text in Person or by Proxies and Libels and cursed as he came He cast stones at David as a token that he had deserved to be stoned Sanctius and cast dirt on him and all his servants v. 6. And this he did maledictione forti according to the Polititians Rule fortiter calumniare aliquid adherebit And thus said Shimei when he cursed Come out come out thou bloudy man thou man of Belial as if he had been a dead Dog that could not be moved with those intolerable affronts and indignities the Lord hath returned on thee all the bloud of the house of Saul in whose stead thou hast reigned and the Lord hath delivered the Kingdom into the hands of Absolon thy Son and behold thou art taken in thy mischief because thou art a bloudy man The Rabbins on the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is observed by St. Hierome do conceive that Shimei under every letter in that word intended a notorious Calumny In Nun they intended Noeph an Adulterer in Mem Moabita as descended from Ruth in Resch Roseath a Murderer in Tzade Tsarvah Leprosus in Thau Tobea an abominable person What Piety and Innocency can secure a Prince when so good a King is thus blasphemed to his face or what aggravation can such Impiety admit more when the Name of God is blasphemed to give countenance to such impieties The Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absolon thy son What Cause so good as to be exempted from the reproach of men or what so bad as not to find some Abettors when David himself is represented as a bloudy man and the Crown that was fixed on his head by God's own hand with a Chain of Miracles is by no lower pretence than a Divine Right given to his rebellious Son and when such a one as Saul and those that perished with him are canonized for Saints after the modern fashion of the Church of Rome and all the bloud shed in that Irreligious War charged on the head of David It is noted by S. Peter 2 Pet. 2.10 that presumptuous sinners are not afraid to speak evil of dignities And S. Jude v. 9. notes that the Devil himself durst not do it But these men as natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed speak evil of things which they understand not they bend their tongues like a bow and shoot out their arrows even bitter words against heaven it self not considering that they would at length fall on their own heads as Shimei's did and as the Psalmist says their own tongues should make them fall v. 8. But this is the language which Shimei and his Complices had learnt from the Covenanters and Conventiclers at Hebron who doubtless if David had fallen in that Rebellion would have with one consent condemned his memory as a man of Belial a bloudy man as some of those who are yet alive O Divinam Clementiam did by our David's martyred Father and though they now onely shake their heads at the miscarriage would have lift up their tongues and proclaim'd him a Tyrant and Traytor Yet how doth this Wretch crouch and fawn on the King when God had delivered him 2 Sam. 19.19 Let not my Lord impute iniquity to me neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my Lord the King went out of Jerusalem that the King should take it to his heart for thy servant doth know that I have sinned Words smoother than oyl when war was in his heart This hath ever been the practice of rebellious persons to chalk out that way with their Tongues and Pens which they intend to cut out with their Swords But if indeed any such Offenders are sorry for what they have done let them do at least as Shimei did who came the first of all the house of Joseph v. 20. to congratulate the Kings safe return and acknowledged his fault Notorious Offenders ought to signalize their repentance by some publick acts of Loyalty that may bear proportion with those of their disobedience Let them therefore come and abhor themselves and ask forgiveness for abhorring the Abhorrors of that accursed Association let them for once shew so much of Ingenuity and serious Penitence as those Sorcerers did Acts 19.19 who of a long time had bewitched the people as Simon the Conjurer who was esteemed of as the great power of God who brought their books together and burned them before all men Acts 8.9 What though the price of them be twice 50000 pieces of Silver it would make a Boonfire that would in some measure satisfie for the Conflagration of our great City and perhaps prevent a second setting of the whole Kingdom in Flames Some of the wisest and best men in the Nation have given them an excellent Example and it would be their happiness to imitate them For I dare aver that there are more Arguments for resisting of lawful powers which they cannot but know is threatned with Damnation
Rom. 13.2 in the books of some who term themselves true Protestants than in all those which are written by such as they justly condemn for Idolatrous and Traiterous Papists Let any of them read over all Coleman's Letters as printed by Authority and extract the most dangerous Positions for Rebellion in them and I dare parallel all of them in one Book of a Leading Dissenter which he yet stiles his Holy Commonwealth With what face can these men pretend any longer that they cannot through Scruples of Conscience come up to the Church of England in the practice of an innocent Ceremony who have outgone the Church of Rome as well in the practices as in the principles of Rebellion and Bloudshed The second Conspirator was Sheba the Son of Bichri of whom David was the more afraid because he came Sobrius ad evertendam Rempub. 2 Sam. 20.6 Now shall Sheba do us more harm than did Absolon But notwithstanding his professed Sobriety the Text calls him a man of Belial and as it is said when one mad Dog bites another and that a third they all run mad so the Venom of Achitophel's tongue infected all that conversed with him with perfect madness for who but a mad man would kick at the Crown of David and think to make a Foot-ball of it to be tossed by every Clown Yet this the vertuous and noble Sheba attempted He blew the trumpet against the Succession 2 Sam. 20.1 We have no part in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse every man to his tents O Israel And mighty numbers of the men of Israel withdrew from David to follow Sheba except the men of Judah who clave unto their King So great a Party had he formed in the City Abel that it was like to have perished with him but by good advice his head was cut off and so that Mischief prevented 2 Sum. 20.22 Yet this great man thought to do as Sampson to pull down the Pillars of the State and to slay more at his death than he had done in his life-time and as if it had not been enough to draw others into the same Perdition with himself in his life-time heacted so as to make Israel to sin after his death For what man that pretends to be a true Protestant would think it more eligible and thank God that he died by the Ax being condemn'd as a Traytor than to go to Heaven in flames of fire for the true Religion if it had pleased God to call him to a fiery trial The next person among David's Enemies was that Churl Nabal who was of the house of Caleb that Caleb I suppose of whom it is written Numb 14.24 that he was a man of another spirit who obeyed God and served his servant Moses fully And by the blessing of God and the Kings bounty he became a very great man and had large possessions all which were preserved to him by David 1 Sam. 25.21 I have kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness so that nothing was missing of all that pertained to him Now David being in distress he sent ten young men to greet him in his name Peace be to thee and peace be to thy house and peace be to all that thou hast we come in a good day a day when Nabal kept a feast like the feast of a king and his request is very mean Give I pray thee to David and his servants whatever cometh to thy hand This was extremely modest where all was owing to intreat so small a pittance and there was extreme folly as well as ingratitude in denying a little portion to him that could have commanded all Yet hear the Answer of this Churl 1 Sam. 25.10 Who is David and who is the son of Jesse shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh and give it to men that I know not whence they be At which Answer David was greatly provoked being thus rewarded evil for good v. 21. and railed on v. 14. by him who had been a will unto him both by night and day that none did hurt him v. 16. for which he was sentenced to death But probably he might have obtained pardon from David if he could have pardoned himself but at the very hearing of the Sentence his heart died within him v. 37. and he became as a stone and within ten days after he was found dead The next Character of the Conspirators is that of Ziba who was a servant of the house of Saul as his Father had been in the first War against David a wealthy man he was too but a great part of his wealth was raked together by false Informations subtile Insinuations and Sequestrations As he never loved the King himself so he hated all those that did love him Mephiboseth the Son of Jonathan David's old and faithful friend gave order to Ziba to prepare his Asses that he might wait on the King in his distress but as he complains 2 Sam. 19.26 Ziba deceived him and yet he had the confidence to accuse his Master in a high degree ch 16.3 as if he tarried at Hierusalem with a purpose to make a Party for himself against David and had said To day shall the house of Israel restore me the Kingdom of my Father By such slanderous suggestions many of David's most loyal Subjects were rendred suspected of the People as Pensioners to a forraign power Promoters of an Arbitrary Government and evil Counsellors And so subtile and importune were the Informers in their Accusations that David was inclined to believe them rather than Mephiboseth who had been a great sufferer and hearty sorrower for him ch 19.24 He had neither dressed his feet being lame in them both nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace and ready he was to part with all that he had though to Ziba himself for the preservation of the publick peace yea let him take all for as much as my Lord the King is come to his house in peace This Ziba was a fellow-servant in the house of Saul with Doeg the Edomite that Doeg who at the command of Saul fell on Abimelech and the rest of the Priests of the Lord and slew in one day fourscore and five persons that wore the linen Ephod and their wives and their children and sucklings and all their cattle he slew with the edge of the sword 1 Sam. 22.18 And wherefore slew he them but onely for their fidelity to David because they gave him victuals and assisted him with a sword and prayed to God for him v. 10. when he was persecuted by Saul A cruelty which none of Saul's Footmen would execute v 17. but these children of Edom in the day of the distress of Hierusalem and Sion cryed out Raze it raze it even to the foundations thereof Psal 137.7 Ziba was a principal Persecutor of the Church of God next to Doeg he countenanced
another in their wickedness God confounded them and disappointed their Plots for when they thought to shoot suddenly at him God shot at them and wounded them As David acknowledged in his Psalm of Thanksgiving 1 Sam. 22.14,15 The Lord thundred from heaven the most High uttered his voice he sent out arrows and scattered them lightning and discomfited them And a more discomfortable fire never happened to Davids enemies than that which hapned at Newmarket which frighted the King out of those snares which were laid for him and like our ancient custom of firing our Beacons was a Signal of an approaching danger and a means to escape it Yea God hath made their own tongues to fall upon them v. 8. so that one of them discovered the rest and as many as were apprehended confessed enough for their own condemnation and with Haman suffered in the like manner as they had intended against others The rest are scattered in Jacob and divided in Israel and the portion of foxes Psal 63.10 is their reward to be hunted up and down through all Countries as Beasts of Prey When their Bows were bent and their Arrows made ready on the string and level taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Bows were broken and flew back in their own faces When the Knife was even at Isaac's throat God laid hold on it and discovered the Ram that was hid in the bush and made it the Sacrifice And thus the Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth the wicked are insnared in the work of their own hands Psal 9.16 God shot one arrow of Infatuation among them so that the Counsel of Achitophel which if it had been followed might probably have succeeded was rejected by Absolon and all his people 2 Sam. 17.14 An Arrow of dread and remorse of Conscience the villany of the Crime flew in their faces and one above the rest reflecting on the execution of Colledge had no rest till he discovered his Confederates An Arrow of Despair which wrought the same effect with one as with Judas who having betrayed his Master hanged himself An Arrow of Vengeance which seized another who with Sheba had his head out off And though Absolon escaped for a while yet God who employs every creature to preserve his Servants and saved our David in an Oak caused another Oak to take hold of Absolon and become both his Gibbet and Executioner And now Absolon hath built him a Pillar but such as may perpetuate his Infamy to the worlds end for every passenger that goes by his Grave in the Kings dale casts a stone on it saying Cursed be the Parricide Absolon and cursed be every unjust persecutor of his Father And doubtless the curses of the Fatherless and Widows of those who perished with him which were above 40000 sell on him who led them to their ruine wherein the greater part died as Absolon did more were devoured by the Wood than by the Sword So let all the Kings enemies perish and become as the dung of the earth Now as we see the judgement of God so we must declare it to be his work and say This hath God done In Davids deliverance there was some appearance of an Arm of flesh Hussai was got into their Consults and by a subtile and seasonable opposition overthrew Achitophel's design Zadock and Abiathar tarried at Jerusalem to send intelligence to David and David gathered a considerable Army who gave the Rebels battle and overthrew them the Victory was with confused noise and garments rouled in bloud But this defeat was made not by fraud nor force but by the Spirit of the Lord who brought to light the hidden things of darkness and by the light of his countenance blasted them in a moment It is he that is the preserver of Kings that keeps them as the Apple of his eye and saveth them in fortitudinibus dextrae suae with the saving strength of his right hand Dii non servassent nisi sibi servassent and because the King trusted not in his Sword or his Bow but in the protection of God therefore God delivered him and delighted to do him good And therefore we ought in the last place wisely to consider of his doing The Psalmist speaking of the wonderful providence of God Psal 107.43 saith Whoso is wise will observe those things and they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. Our first consideration therefore shall be of the special Care and Providence of God over Kings and Governours For if we grant that God hath any respect to the Welfare of Mankind we must acknowledge it especially in his protection and ordaining of Rulers and Governours without which no Society of men can subsist Now of all Governments that which comes nearest to the Soveraignty and Dominion of God hath most of his inspection and that is Monarchy which he owns for his Institution By me Kings reign and the Apostle calls it his Ordinance Rom. 13. and therefore he must be worse than a Heathen who denies a Special providence over Kings when it reacheth every man yea every sparrow that falls to the ground Hence God owns them as standing in a nearer relation to himself They are his Ministers his Shepherds to protect and feed his flock his Vicegerents to bear the Sword for the punishment of evil doers and protection of them that do well They have more of the Image of God in Authority and Power to dispense Favours and Rewards even to Life or Death God calls them by his own Name sets them in his Throne and over his Kingdom 2 Chron. 13.8 and they that resist resist the kingdom of God and fight against him God calls them to a difficult and invidious work such as Jethro said was too heavy for Moses himself Exod. 18.18 and Solomon starts at it with a Quis sufficit Who is able to judge this so great people 1 King 3.9 They have as many enemies as there are sins and vices in the Nation and the best Kings that are most diligent to restrain evil doers have the most adversaries If there be any national Judgements any Invasion from abroad any Tumults or Factions at home if Fire or Famine the Pestilence or the Sword afflict the Nation if there be any Injustice or Oppression in the inferiour Magistrates any Ambition or Emulation among the Nobles and Gentry any decay of Trade among the Commonalty the burthen of all lieth on the King and the people are ready to cry out against their Governours as the Heathen did against the Christians Imperatores ad Leones Of this burthen David complains Psal 75.3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved I bear up the pillars thereof By reason of these disorders God is said to have established the Kingdoms of the world on the flouds and waves which though they often roar horribly and lift up their voice yet he hath set bounds to them and stilleth the raging of the waters and the madness of the
Laude Fourthly Let us wisely consider that God saved us in the very instant of Danger pluckt us out of the very Jaws of Death and as fire-brands fit indeed to be consumed out of the fire when Horae momento Cita Mors when we were brought to the brink of a Sea of Bloud and Pharoah and his Host pursuing us and crying Victoria that then God should divide the waters and make a safe passage for us and overwhelm our Enemies and the Cita Mors was made a Victoria laeta this was Deo vindice Nodus the Lords doing and is marvellous in our eyes Fifthly When such strange and unexpected Deliverances are often repeated and God appears to us not once or twice as he did to Solomon but as often as he did to David saving him from the Lion and the Bear and the uncircumcised Philistins and from the Sword of Saul and the Counsel of Achitophel and the Rebellion of Absolon and from the hands of all his Enemies may not David conclude By this I know that thou favourest me because mine enemies do not triumph over me Psal 41.11 Raro futilibus micat ignibus aether And when God shall usher in a Prince into the World by the unusual appearance of a Star at Noon and lead him through a tedious Wilderness by a Pillar of a Cloud to hide him from his Enemies and guide him by a Pillar of Fire out of their Snares when he not onely keeps his heart upright amidst almost invincible temptations to Idolatry and Superstition but covers his head in the day of battel and at last with a non obstante sets him to reign as a king upon his holy hill of Sion to defend his true Religion and to execute Judgment and Justice to all his People They must be more obdurate than Pharoah and more perverse than his Magicians that will not confess digitus Dei hic the hand of the Lord is in all this that God hath magnified the king in the sight of all the people as he did Joshua Josh 3.7 and made his glory great in such Salvations Psal 21.5 Sixthly We may also wisely consider that David himself made no use of any other Weapon against Achitophel but a short Prayer and his constant trust and confidence in the power and goodness of God You have his Prayer ch 15.31 O Lord I beseech thee turn the counsel of Achitophel into foolishness and the Prayer of this righteous man was more effectual than Chariots and Horsemen for there is a certain Omnipotency in Prayer Concerning the works of my hands any thing that God can do command ye me saith God Isai 45.11 and whatever we ask according to the will of God we know that he heareth us Now this being Gods express Will and Command that first of all prayers supplications intercessions and giving of thanks be made for kings and all that are in authority c. it should endear the use of Liturgy unto us and cause us in full assurance of Faith to put up our Requests to God that he would abate the Pride asswage the Malice and confound the Devices of all the Kings Enemies That he would replenish him with the Grace of his Holy Spirit that he may alway incline to Gods Will and walk in his way that he would grant him in Health and Wealth long to live that he would strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his Enemies and finally after this life he may obtain everlasting Joy and Felicity That those Evils which the craft and subtilty of the Devil or man works against us may be brought to nought and by the providence of his goodness they may be dispersed that we may be hurt by no persecutions but being armed with his defence may be preserved evermore from all perils to glorifie him who is the giver of all victory through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. With such sacrifices God is well pleased this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour 1 Tim. 2.3 And blessed be God who hath not turned away his face from us nor our Prayers from him Lastly Let me perswade all those whose hearts the Counsel of Achitophel and subtile Insinuations of Absolon had stollen from their King wisely to consider what in all probability would have been the consequences of this Conspiracy if it had succeeded All wise men do propose some apparent advantages and prosperous ends to themselves I demand therefore if the fatal Blow had been given what prospect could they have but of Confusion and Misery in such ways what though David had been set on when weak and weary handed yet as Hussai said 2 Sam. 17.8 David's men were mighty men and would not have died as Cowards tamely yielding their throats to those Butchers but being chafed in their minds would have pursued the Murtherers as a Bear robbed of her Whelps and the Country was not yet secured to Absolon for which cause he rejected the Counsel of Achitophel as rash and dangerous But suppose they had massacred not onely David and his Guards but a thousand of the Loyal Nobility Gentry and Clergy some thousands also of the Rebel-Party might have perished in the Attempt and Achitophel and Absolon been cut off in the head of them then he among the Rabble that had the longest Sword would have set up for himself and they that had joyntly acted Treason against their King would have avenged his Bloud by turning their Swords one against another and executed the vengeance of God upon themselves when there was no Power or Authority of men to do it And if all things had fallen out to their expectation if they had killed and taken possession and divided the Spoil to every man a Damosel or two beside the Houses of God the Portion of the Priests and the Kings Lands they might have had as short an enjoyment of their Prey as Sisera's Captain which was but during the Dream of some silly women Judg. 5.30 or God himself would have driven a nail through their temples and bereaved them of the sense of their sin or misery that as Regicides generally have done they would have lived and died impenitently and so perished eternally And this probably had been their portion whether they were defeated or had succeeded which I wish they were so wise as seriously to consider and lay it to heart As also that having brought the Nation into so great Distraction and Confusion while they were violently contending to divide the Prey among themselves how easily they might be made a Prey to a forreign Enemy who need no other advantage to swallow us up than our being thus divided and cut in pieces by our selves Then Prince and Priest and People might have made their Enemies Swords drunk with Bloud or if they had escaped that might have wandered up and down begging their Bread in desolate places or if this had not happened a perpetual Civil War might have been intailed on the Nation