L1n.XVI. The death of .t\b[alom. A nous father in law, muft now buckle them on againft an unnatural! fon:Now therefore he mullers his men, and ordaines his Commanders, and mlflhals his troupes and fince their loyal! importunity wiJl nor allow the hazard ofhis perfon, hec at one~ incouragc:s them ~Y his c:v~, and rc:firaines themwith his tongue, Draft gtnllJ with thtyoung111an v!hjalom,for my (akt: How uoreafonably favourable are the wars ofa father?O holy David, what meanes this il.plae<d love,this unjuft mercy:Deale gently with a Trayror!but ofall traytors with a fon! of all Sons with an ...Ahfolom, the graccleffc darling of fo good a father; and all this for my fake,whofe Crowne, whofe blood he hunts after! Forwhofe fake lhould Ah(alom be purfued,ifhe muft be forborne for thine?Hewas ftillcourteousro thy followers,affable to furors,plaufible to all Ifrad, onelyro thee he is cruel!:Wherefore arerhofe armes ifrhe caufe of the quarrell muft be a motive ofmercy: yet thou fayeft, Dealtgently wilh tktyoMngman Abfolom,for "'1 fake: Even in rhe holieft Parems,nature may beguilry ofan injurious tenderndfe, ofa bloody indulgence. Or, whether lball we not rather thinlee rhis was done in type of that unmeaf"ra· ble mercy of the true King, and redeemer of Ifrael, who prayed for his perfecu. cors,for his murderers1and, even whiles they were at once fcorning and killing him, could fay, Fat her f~rgivethtm,for they knorv not what they do? If we be fonncs, we arc ungracious, we arc rebellious, ycc ll:ill is our heavenly Farherthus compaflio. nardy regardfull of us: Davidwas norfure of his fucceffe 1 there was great inequality in the number; A~/•l•ms forces weremore then doubleeo his; It might have come to the contrary iffue,that Da'!'id lhould have been for~ed to fay, _Dealt !tntly C with tht Father of Ahfal•m; but 10 afuppofit1on of char v1tlory, wh•cb oncly the goodneffe of his caufe bid him hope for, hee faith, De.le gently with tbe yot~ng man Abfolom.As for us,we are neverbur under mercy;our God needs no advantages to fwccpe us from the earth, any moment; ycr he continues th3t life, and thofe powers to ws, whereby we provoke him, and bids his Angels deale kindly wirh us, and beare us in their armes, whiles we lift up our hands, _and b_e~d our tongues againft Heaven. 0 mercy, paft thecomprehenfion of all finite fpmts, and onely to be conceived by him whofe it is: nevermore refembled byany earthly atletlioo rhen bythisofhisDeputy andType, Dealt gently wlththt y•••gman Ahfolom,for myfokt. The bartlc is joyned;DAvlds followers are but an handful! to Ah[.l•ms.How eafiD Iy may the fickle mulrirudc be cranfported to the wrong fide ! What they wanted in abettors,is fupplied iri the caufe.Unnatural! ambitiondrawes the fword of ...Ahfo· I•111;Davids ,a neccffary and a juft defence.They that in fimpliciry ofhearr followed Abfdlom, cannot in malice ofhearr,perfecure the father of .Abfoum: wirh whar courage could any lfraelite draw his fword againft a David! or on the orher fide, who can want courage to fight for a righteous Soveraigne, and father, againft the confpi· racy ofa wicked fon~ The GodofHolls,with whom it is all one tofavewirh many or.with few,takes parr with jullice, and lees llracl teele what it is to beare armcs for a rrairerous Ufurper.The fword devours rweoty thoufand ofthem,&rhc wood devours more rhcn the fword; It muft needs be avery univerfall rebellion,wherein fo· many peri01ed. Whatverrue or merits can alfure the hems ofrhe vul~ar, when fo E gracious a Prince finds fo many revolters~ Lee no man looke to profperby rebellion; the very thickers,and ftakcs,& pirs,and wild beailsof the woods !hall confpire ro rhe puni!hment ofcrayrors;Amongft the reft, fee how a fatal! Oke hath finglcd out the tingleader ofthis harefull infimetlion;and will at once ferve for his hangman,&gal. lowes;byoneofthofe fpreading armcs fnatching him away tofpeadyexecution. Ah- [.l•m wascomely,and he knew it well enough; His haire was no fmall peeceofhis beauty,nor matrer of his pride: It was his wont ro cut it once a yeare; not for that it was too Iong,bur coo heavy;his heart would have borne it Ionger,ifhisneck had not compl•ined1 And now the ju(\iceofGod hath platte.dan halter ofthofe Iocks:Thofe cre!fes had formerly hang·d loofely di!heveld on his lhoulders,now he hangs by rhe; He had wont to weigh his hair<,&was proud to find it fo heavy,now his haire poi· fcrh the weight of his body,and makes his burden his torment: It is no marvel! ifhis Ccccc owne 1129
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