Contemplation!. Lr11.XV. had !hincd with blood. ·1 wo ycares d,oth he live in }cru[alcm, without the happ1- A ndfc ofhis fathers fight; l ewas enough for DAvid and him to fee the fmokc ofeath others Chimnies. In the meane time, how impatient is Ab(alom of this ab fence~ He fends for Ioa~,the Solicitcr ofhis returne; So hard an hand, doth wife and holy David carry over his reduced Sonne, that his friendly Intcrcelfor ,I.-b, dares not vifie him. He, that afterwards kindled that feditious fire over all Ifrael, fets lire now on the fidd of ID4b;whom love cannotdraw to him, fcare and anger 0Jall ; Continued difpleafure hath made Abfolom dcfperate;Five yeares arc paired fince he faw the fate of his Fathcr;and now is he no lclfe weary ofhis lifc,than ofthis dclay1 (Whmfire am I come Joome from GtjhNr? It hadbu•e betterfir me,ll l:ave bmuthm .fli/1: ~"' thm. fireltt mefee the Ki~<gs foct,Aifd iftherebt •ny iniq•ity in me, ltt hi111 kill me.)Either B banifbmcnt, or death, fcemed as tolerable to him, as the debarring ofhis fathers fight. Whatatormcntfballirbetothewickcd, robefbut our forever, from the profence ofa God,withoutall poflible hopes of recovery~ This w:r; but a Father of rhe !\efi1, bywhom, if Ah(al•m lived at lirft, yet in him he lived not, yea, not without himQoely, but againft him that Son found he could live; God is the FarherofSpirits,in whom wcfo live,that withouthim can be no lifc,no being ; to bcevcr excluded from him,in whom we live and are,what canirbe butan erernall dyiog,an crernall pcrifbing!Ifin thy pr<fence,OGod,be the fulnclfe of joy,in thine abfencc,mult needs be the folnclfe ofhorror and torment; Hide not thy face from us, 0 L01·d, but fbew us the light of thy counrenaoce,rhat wemay !ive,and praife thee. C Even the fire ofll4bs field,warmed the heart ofD•.,id,whilesirgave him proof< oftlie heat of At.jAIDms liliall affeCtion. As a man therefore inwardly weary of fo long difpleafure~at !aft he receives AbfaiDm to his fight, to his favour; and f<ales his pardon witha kilfe: N atu~all parents know not how to reraine an everlalting anger cowards the frmt of rheu loynes; How much lelfelhaUthe God ofmercies, bee unreconciliably difpleafed with his owne; and fuffer his wrath to burne like fire thatcannot be quenched~ He will not alwayes chide,ncithcr will he keepe his anger forever; His wrath cnduretb but amoment, in his favour is life!; weeping may endure for aNight, but Joy commeth in theMorning. - Abfo/Dm isnow as great as faire; Beauty and Grearnelfe make him proud ; Pride workes his mine; Great fpirirs will not reft content with a moderate profperity: D Ere two yeares be run out, v1 b(aiDm runnes out into a defperate plot of rebellion 1 None but his owne Father was above him in Ifrael; None was fo likdy,in humane expetlarion,to [ucceed his Father 1 If his ambition could but have contained it fdfe for a few yeares, (as D4vid was now ncere his period) durifull cariage might have procured that by fucceflion, which now he fought by force. An afpiring miode is everimpatienr, and holds Time it fdfe an enemy, ifit thruft it fdfe importunately betwixt the hopes and fruition: Ambition is never bur in travel!, and can finde no intttmiilion ofpainful! throwes, till fbe have broughtforth her abortive Ddires: How happy were wc,ifour affetlation could be fo eager of fpirituall and heavenly promotions;Oh that my Soule could linde it fdfe fo reltleffe,till it feelethe weight ofchar CrowneofGlory. E Outward pompe, and unwonted fbewes ofMagnificence, are wont much to af. fctl the light mindes ofthe vulgar. t.Abf•lm• therefore to the incomparable comelinelfe ofhis perfon,addes the unufuall ftateofamore than Princely Equipage. His Charets rattle, and his Horfestrample proudly in theStreets; Fifty Foot-men run before theirglittering Malter:Jerufalem rings oftheirglorious Prince; and is ready to adore rhefe continual!Triumphs ofPeace. Exceffe & Novelty ofexpcnliveBravery and Oltentarion in publike perfons,gives jult caufe to fufpetl either vaniry,or a plot;True-hearted David can mifdoubtnothing in him,to whom he had both given life,and forgiven this. Love conftrued all this, asmeant to the honour ofaFathers Courr,to theexprdlionofjoy and rhankfulncffe for his reconcilement: The eyes & tongues ofmen,are rhus taken up:Now bath Abfal•m lai~ fnares for their hearts alfo: .. ffl
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