The executirm of Joab and Shimei. may thanke his burden that he lives; Had he not borne the Arke of the Lord before D•vid,h< bad not now caned h1s head upon h1s !boulders;Had he not been affiieted with D•vid,he had peri!hed with Adonij•h;nolvthough he were,in his owne morit man ofdeath,yet he fhall furvive his panners, Get thu to A1wh1th """thine'"'"; The Prieflhood of Abi•tb.,,as it aggravated his crime, fo it fhall preferve his :Such honor have good Princes given to ~he Miniflers of the SanCtuary, that ;heir verycoate bath been defence enough agamfl the fword ofjuflice, how much more 01ould ir be ofproofe againll the contempt ofbafe perfons? Befides his funCtion, refpeCl is had to his fufferings;The father and brethren of A· were llaine for Davids fake,thereforefor Davids fake Abiath.r(though wor. live;He had been now a dead man,ifhe had not been formerly af. ""'·"·.,.h... doth our good God deale with us;by the rod he prevents the fword,& will not condemne us for our fins,becaufe we have fuffered. If Abiathar do not forflit his life,yet his office he fhal,he mull change Jerufalem for Anatborh,and the Priellhood for a retired privacie.It was fourefcore yeares agoe fince thefentence ofjudgement was denounced againll the houfe of Eli;oow dorh it come to execurion;This jull quarrel againll Abiathar(thelall ofthat line)tblll make good the threarned judgement:The wickednelfe of Elies houfe was neither purged by facrilice, nor obliterated by time:IfGod pay llowly, yet he payes fure: Delay ofmoll cerraine punifhment is neither any hinderance ro his juflice, nor any comfort to our mifories. crhe execution if]oab, and Shimei. /Ji1thar Onlllive though he ferve not1 It is in the power ofPrinces to remit(at leaft) thofe punifhments which attend the breach of humane Lawes: good reafon they tbould have power to difpencc with the wrongs done to their own perfons.The newes of Adoni jahs death, and Abiathars removallcannot but affcighti01b; who now runs to Gib,.n,& takes fanlluary in the Tabernacle ofGod; all his hope of defence is in tbe hornes of the Altar. Food !Dab, hadft thou formerly fought for counfell from the Tabernacle, thou hadll not now neededto feek to 1t for refuge; ifthy devotions had not been wanting ro that Altar, thou hadft not needed it for a tbdter: It is thefatbion ofour foolilh prefumption to look for protedioo, \vhere we have not cared to yeeld'obedience. Even a Joab clings fall to Gods Altar in his extremity, which in his ruffe and welf"e he regarded nor;The worll menwould be glad to make ufe ofGods ordinances, for their advantage;Neceffity will drive the moll profane and lawleffe man to God1 But what doe rhefe Moody hands touching the holy Altar ofGod? Miferable I ~Ab, what helpcanfl thouexpetl from that facred pile~Thofe hornes that were fprinklcd with the blood ofbeafts,abborretobe couched by the blood ofmen1that Altar was for the expiationoffin by blood; nor for the prmeclion of the fin of blood. If Ado· nljah Aed thither and efcaped, it is murder that purfues thee more then confpiracie; Go I hath no fancruary for a wilfull Homicide. Yea fuch refpeet doth Benalah give to that holy place,that his fword is unwilling to touch l1im that couches the Altar: Thofe hornes !lull put offdeath for the time, and giveprotrallion ofrhe execution,rhough not prefervation oflife; How fweet is life even to thofe who have been prodigal ofthe blood ofothers,that IOAbfi,ifcs thus to hold it butfome few hourcs ~ Benaiah returnes with I•a&s anfwer, in !lead of his head;Nay,but JwiO dye here; as not daring to unfheath his fword againll a man tbeltered in Gods tabernacle, without a newcommiffion. Young Sa/Dmon is fo w.oll acquainted with the Lawof God,in fuch acafe,that be llicksnot at the fencence: hee knew that God had enaCted, Ifa,,.,, CAme pre(umptuouJIJ t~pon hiJ Neighb111r, 11 flay him 11>ith goile ,rho• fba/tlake himfr~m mine Alt.r,that he may dy: He knew ID4bs murders had not been more prefumpcuous,thenguilefull;and therefore he fends Benalab to take away the offender,both from God,and men,from the A,!tar,and the world. No
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