LIB. XV. Abfaloms returne andconj}iracie. A No man can rdl, how ..tbfAI•m lhould hav~ fptd from rh~ hands ofhis orhcrwif< ov~r.indulgenr Father,if he had been apprehended in the hear ofthe fJC!. Even rhe largclllove may beover-llrained,and may giv~ a fall in the breakin~; Thefe fear full clfetll ofkniry, might perhaps hav~ wbetr<d the f~verity ofDAvidt0lhut "P tllcfc our-rages in blood1Now this difpl~a[u(o was weakncd with ag~:Time and thoughts hav~ digdlcd this hard morfell; DAvids heart told him,that his hands had a /hare in this offence, that ..tb{•l•rn did bur give that llroke, which himfelf~ had wrongfully forborn;rhat the unrecov~rable loffe of one Sonne, would be bur wofully relieved wirh the loffeofanorh<r; Hcetherefore, that in the newes of rbe d~ceafed Infant couldchange his clothes,aod walh himfelfc, and cheere up his fpirirs,wirh the refolution of, I fo•Ug~t 11 him, htfo•Unltrtlurllttffllt, comforts himfdfeconcorning B ..tmnm; and b<gins to loll!< for v1 bfAi•m. Thofe three y.ares baoilhmcnr fcemed not fo much a punilhmenr to rhe Son, as rotho Father; NowD•vidbcgins to forgive himf~lle; yec our ofhis wifcdome,fo inclines to favour,that he conceales ir11ncfyet fo concealcs ir,that it may be defcryed by acunning eie;lfhe had call out noglances ofaffe~oo,rhece had bin no hop<s for his .Abf•l•m: lfhe had made profeffiooof love afcor fo foul< an aC!,rhere had bin nof.1fery t0r others; now helm fall fo much frcrergrace, as may both hold up dhfol•m in rhelife ofhis liop<s; and not hrarrenthe prefumption ofothers. Good eyes f« light rhorow the fmallcll chinke; The wit ofl.,b harh foone difcerned Davids rcferved affection; aid koowes how to ferve him in that which he would,•nd would not accomplilh::iad nowdevifes how to bring into the li&ht, rhJt C birrh ofDefire,whereof he knew D•vld 1vas both bijl, and alhamed. A womanof Ttkoa, (that Sex hatb b<en ever held more apt for wiles) is fuborned to pet1onate amouracr, and tofay that, by war. ofParable, which ia plaiae rermes would hJve founded too hadhly;and nqwwhiles lhelamentabty !ayes forth the loffe and danger ofher Sonnes,lhe lhewes D4vitl his owne;and whiles /he moves compaffion to her pretended Iffue, lhe winces D•vid to a pity ofhiinfclfc , and a favourable lentencr for ..tbfJ1m. We love our felvrs better than others,but welee others better rhan our felves;who fo would perfectlyknowhisowncafe,let him viewit in aoorhers perfon. Parablrs fptd w<lt with DAvid; One drewhim to repentof his owoe fin~: another,ro remit A~{AI•"'s puoilhmcnt; And now,as glad to hearethi.$ Pka,and willing to be perfwaded unto that, which ifhe durll,hewould have fought for ; he grarifies D Tu6 with the grant ofthat fuir,which 11.b more gratified him in fuing for; Glt 6ri~g •g•ine tht young''"" ..Ab(al•m• How glad is /6Ab,rhat he hath light upon one Act, for which the Sunne, bothfrtting andrifing,lhould lhine upon him~ and now he fpceds ro Gelhur, ro frrch backe A~fol•mto Jerufakm: be may bring the long banilhed PrincetotheCirie; but ro the Court he may not bring him. (Ltl him'"'"'" hiuwnt houfi, •nd /er him nil {tt "'JfAct.) The good King harh lo [marred withmercy, chat now he is refolved upon aulleriry ; and will relent bur by drgrees; It is enough for Ab{A/4711 that helivrs, and may no1v breathe in his native ayre; D411ids face is no objctt forrhe eyes ofMorrherers: What a D<arling thisSon was to his Father,appeares in thar,afrcr an unnaruralland E barbarous rebellion, paffionate D•vid 1vilhes to have chan~d lives wi<hhim 1 yet now, whilos his bowds yearned, his brow frowned; The f"e may not be fcen<, where theheart is fer. The bell of Gods S1inrs 111ay be blinded with alfedion;hut wh<n they !hall once fee their errors, they are carefull to correct them. Wher<fore ferves the power of Grace,but to fubdue the infolencies of nature~ le is rhe wifedome of Parents, as to bide their hearts from their bell childreo,fo to hide their countenances from the ungracious : Flelhly refpects may nor abate their rigour to rile ill deferving. For the Child to feeall his FJthers love, iris enough ro make him wanton, and of wanton wicked: For a wicked Child, to fee any of his Farhers love, it emboldens him in evill, and drawes on others• ..t6fo!111Jt houfe is madehis Prifon 1 Juftly is be confined to the place which hee had
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