L1B.XVI. S H l M E I curjing. A anorhers,rheldfer by the greater;If Ab(al'm be a traytor,Shimti may not curfe and rebeU: But the pnffion conceived from the indignity of a firanger may be abated by rhe harder mcafure ofour own;lfwe can there tore tulfer becaufe we have luffered, we have profited by ouraflli~ion. A weake heart faints withevery addition offucceeding trouble;the firong recolletts it felfe,and is growne fo skilful!, that it beares offone mifchiefe with another. · It is nordtherrhe unnatural! infurretlion of Ab(al•m,oor the unjuficurfes of Shimtithat can pur David quite outofheart; It"'''~' 1ha1 tht LordwiU t.. keonmint af j/illi••,& ,.;a requittgoodfir hi< curfing,thil day.So well was D•vid acquainted with the proceedings ofGod, that he knew cherilbing was ever wont eo follow firipes, aftervehement evacuation, cordials; aftera datkc night,the cleare light ofrhe morB ning; Hope therefore dorh nor onely uphold,but chearc up his heart,in the midll of his forrow1 Ifwe canlooke beyond the cloud ofour atllidion,lnd fee rhe Sun-lhine ofcomfort on the other lideofir, we cannot be fo difcouraged with the prefence of evil,as heartned witbthe i!fue;As on the conrrary,l<t a man be never fo merry within, and fee paine and miferie waiting for hilll at the doore, his expetlation of evill lhalleafily daunt all the fenfe ofhis pleafure; the retributions of temporal! favours go but by peradvenrures;(/1 may he the Lordwi/1160/t '"mint •ffli<1i•n;)of eternal,are certain and infallible: Ifwe fuffer, welhall raigne; why lhould not the affwrance of raigning make us triumph in fuffering! D<viJs patience drawes onthe infolcnce ofSh/mti.Evill naturesgrow prefhmptu. ous upon forbearance: In good difpo!icions, injury unanfwered growes weary of it C fclfc,and dyes ina voluntaty rcmorfe;but in rhofe dogged fiomachs,which are onelycapable ofthe retlraintsoffeare,thclilenr digellion of a former wrong provokes a fecond;Mercy had need to beguided withwifdome,lellirprove cruel! toit felfe. Oh the bafeminds ofinconfianrTime-fcrvers!Stay but a while, rill the wheel be a little turncd,you lhall fee bamble Shimei fall downeon his face before David,in his return over Jordan;now his fubmiffioolhallequall his former rudene!fe,his prayers lhall requite hiscurfes;histeares make amends for his fiones, Let n1t my LorJ impote l~iiJultJ Mnto me1 neither dottbou remember thAt which shyfervanl didpervtrjly, the d•J thAI my L~rd the Xlng went lut •f Jerufalem,tbattht KingJbou!J tAkelt 11 htArt;forthy {n"uAnt d11h ltn11•lhat I h•-rtt jinutd;Falf·hearred shimti,had Abfolom profpercd,thou hadfi not finned, thou badll not repented; then hadfi rhml bragged ofthine iafultaD tion overhis miferies, whofepardon thou nowbeggell with t<ares. The changes of worldly miRds arc thankle!fe, lince they are neither wrought ouc of confcience nor love, but onely by fiavilh feare ofjufi pusilhmenr. DaviJ could fay no more to tefiilie his farrow(for his bainous fins againll God) roNAihan,rhen Shlmtl faiesofbimfelfe ro Dauid;wheretomay be added the advan. tagc ofa voluntary conf<ilion in this oll<nder, which in David was extorted by the reproofeofa Prophct:yet is DAo>!ds confeaionferioutly penitent, Shimels craftily hypocritical!: Thofealrerations are juftly fufpetled, which arelhaped according to the times and outward occalions: the true penitent looks onelyat God and his lin, and is changed when all other things arc rhemfelves. Greatoffences bad needofan[wcrable fatisfatlion ; As s himti was theonelyman E ofrhe houfe of Btni•mi,. that came forth and co'bfed David in his flight, fo is he the firft man(even beforethofe ofthe Houfe oflifeph, though nearer in lituation) that comes to rrket D •vid in his rerurnewith prayers and gratulations:Nororious offen· dersm•y not think to lit downe with the taskc of ordinary fervices; The retributi. ons oftheirobediencemull be proportionable to their crimes. . . A c H I T 0 p H E L. BO foone as David heard of Achit•phtls hand in chat confpiracie,he fals to his prayers,o Lmi,IP'AJ thtt torn the counfiO •f Achit•phtl in11[111lijbntj{<; The koownewifdome of his revolted counldlor made him a dangerous and dread· 1125
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