[David was informed, that, notwithstanding his heinous sin was forgiven, it should yet be visited in this world with evils in his own family, which should embitter all his remaining days. In the conduct of Amnon and of Absalom, we see how God marked David's sin in its punishment. These sons only followed the dictates of their own corrupt hearts : but God wrought by them, and made them his instruments to punish their parent's crimes1*. So, by the instrumentality of Jehu, he destroyed the whole house of Ahab, when Jehu himself desired nothing but to advance his own glory q.]
3. By the most trivial, and, as we call them, acci- dental, occurrences —
[Who can read the Book of Esther, and not stand amazed at the trifling circumstances by which the destruction of Haman, and the consequent deliverance of all the Jewish people, were brought to pass ? The Persian king cannot sleep — he calls for the records of the nation to be brought, in order to amuse him — a record of a conspiracy, that had long since been de- feated, was read to him — he inquires whether the person who had discovered the conspiracy had been suitably rewarded — this, with a multitude of other unlooked-for circumstances, brought Haman to the gallows which he had erected for Mordecai, and were the means of delivering the whole Jewish people from the ruin that had been prepared for them1. No one can con- ceive how minute are the links in the chain of Providence, the failure of any one of which would have defeated the counsels of the Most High. But " his counsel shall stand ; and he will do all his wills:" and it will be found, at last, that "no one thing has ever failed, of all that he, in his eternal counsels, has ordained'."]
4. In direct opposition to all the means that are used to obstruct his will —
[He will confound all the Jews by the resurrection of his dear Son. They, on the contrary, are determined to prove Jesus a deceiver. For this end, having put him to death, they roll a stone to the door of his sepulchre, and seal it with Pilate's signet, and set a watch to guard the place ; that so it may be impossible, as they think, for Jesus to be taken away, or for the expectations of his followers to be realized. Had they succeeded in this effort, they had proved to demonstration, that Jesus was an impostor. But Jehovah " laughed them to scorn ;" and, at the predicted time, restored the Lord Jesus to
P 2 Sam. xii. 10 — 14. and xiii. 14. and xvi. 22. i 1 Kings xxi. 19—24. with 2 Kings x. 10, 11. r Esth. vi. 1 — 3. and vii. 10. s Isai. xlvi. 10.
1 Joiih. xxi. 45.