1- Thar it is fit and reaſonable, that God ſhould make ſome Perſons Examples of his juſt and high Diſpleaſure againſt Sins, ſeemingly ſmall ; partly, for the demonſtration of his own exaQ and impartial Holineis ; partly, for the eſtabliſhment of Diſcipline, (for which very reaſon, even earthly Princes have oft-times Inflifted great Puniſhments for ſmall Offences ; )) and for the greater Terror and Caution of Mankind, who are very prone to have flight thoughts of Sin, and to give way to ſmall Sins, and thereby to be led on to greater ; all which is, or may be prevented by fuch inſtances of Severity : and conſequently, there 15 more of God's Mercy, than of his Juſtice, in ſuch A@ions, becauſe the Juſtice is confined ro one particular Perſon, but the Mercy and Benefit of it publick and common to Mankind of that, and all future Ages. 2. That God is juſtly moſt ſevere in thoſe things which immediatly cons
cern his Worſhip and Service; and againſt thoſe perſons who have
the neareſt Relation to him, and rhe greateſt opportunities of Knowing, aad the higheſt obligations ot careful Prattiſing thoſe Duties which they negie& : See L:wvir; 10: g,, 3- That this Punith-
ment poſlibly was nor 16 great as it maſggfeem to be ; for as. for
his Body, the Diſeaſe, though dangerous, might not be exceedirffy-
ly paintul ; and for his Soul, the 1troke probably was.not-ſo fud-
den, as not to give him ſpace of Repeatance.
8 And David was difplealed p, becauſe the LORD had + made a breach upon Uzzah : And he called the name of the place || Perez Uzzah to this day.
p Or, grieved, both for the fin, which he acknowledgeth,1 Chron: 15 2, 13. and for God's heavy Judgment ; whereby their hopes were dathed, and their joys inrerrupted,and a good Subjett ſtruck dead for the circumſtanrial error ot a P1ous Mind,which he might poſſi>!y think harſh and very ſevere, and therefore be diſpleated or offended at this ſharp Providence.
9 And David was afraid of the LORD q that day, and 1faid, How ſhall the ark of the LORD come unco me 7: | :
9 Either, that God was diſpleaſed with him for removing the Ark, and bringeth it to his City : or leſt-God ſhould proceed further in the way of his Judgments upon him and his People: or, leſt the Ark being brought to his Houſe, might be the occaſion of Inconveniences and great Calamities, for ſome Negle&s or Errors which they might eafily and frequently commit. +» How may LI preſume, or how ſhall I dare do it, when God hath ſhewed his diſpleaſure for my attempting it? I will therefore wait further upon God for his dire&tion in the caſe, and at preſent forbear. Burt why did not David conſult God preſently by the Urim, as he ulcd to do ? This therefore ſeems to have been his infirmiry and neglect.
10 So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David : but Da- vid carricd it alide into the houſe of Obed-Edom / the * Gitrite f, & |
/ Which doubtleſs was done by the conſent and defire of rhe owner of it, who tor the enjoyment of to great a Priviledge, was wiliing to expoſe himle}F to lome hazard ; and witely contidered, that the Jate Judgment was not to be imputed to the Ark, bur ro Uzz44's Careicinets in managing it. #5 He was certainly a Levite, 1: Chron, 15. 18, 21, 24. and 16, 5. and 26. 4. and here called a G:ttire, either, Firſt, From G2:h of the Philif#ines, where he or his Farther might be born or have Sojourned, which might be upon divers oCccaitons : Or, Sccondly, From Gath-rimmon, which was a Lev:tical City, Joſe 21. 24, 25.
11 And the ark of the LOR D continued in the . houſe of Obed-Edom the Gittite three moneths : and the LORD bleſſed Gbed-Edom, and all his houſhold . h, © # With happy Succeſs in all their affairs and Actions.
2B2 i2 T And
+ Heb.
had broken. || That is, the breach of Uzzah.
* Joſh:21: -
24 1Chr:
13:13.
i 11
A
Chap. VI. I. 12 © And it was told king David, ſaying, The L OR D hath bleſſed the houſe of Obed-Edom, and W. all that pertaineth unto him, becauſe of the Ark of God. | +, Chron. * So David went and brought up the ark of God x | 154255 from the houſe of Obed-Edom y, into the city of Da- | vid, with gladnels. |
x Underſtanding that the Ark was entertained without danger or inconvenience, and with great advantage, he apprehended his former miſtake, and brought ir to himſelf. y which is thought to have been either in Jerujalem, or very near it.
13 And it was ſo, that when they that bare the a1k of the LORD, had gone fix paces z, he facriticed I *See r1Chre * oxen and fatlings 4.
35+. 26. z With ſefety and comfort. # Upon an Altar ſuddenly crefed, | as was uſual in ſuch caſes. See Exod: 20: 24. This he did,cither, þ roappeaſe God for the former miſcarriage: or, to praiſe him for his LS preient Mercy, that he had not made another breach upon them: or, to implore his favour and gracious prelence with them in this
reat Affeair.
: 14 And David danced before the LORD 6 with all his might, and David »«: girded with a linen ephod c.
b Toexpreſs his inward joy and thankfulneſs to God by his out- ward carriage, according to the manner of thoſe Times. See Exed. 15: 20. Judg: 11: 34. and 21. 21. 1 Sam. 18» 6. Pſal. 149. 3. and 150: 4. © The uſual Habir of the Prieſts and Levites, in their Sacred minifſtrations, yet ſometimes worn by others, as it was by the young Child Samuel, 1 Sam. 2. 18. before he was come to thoſe years in which the Levites were allowed to Miniſter ; and fo hereby David, who laid by his Royal Robes, and put on this Robe to ſty- nifie and declare, that although he was King of J/rael, yer he wil- ingly owned himſclf to be the Lord's Miniiter and Servant.
15 So David and all the houſe of Ifrae] brought up the ark of the LORD with ſhouting, and with the ſound of the trumpet.
16 And as the ark of the LORD came into tke city of David, Michal Sauls daughter looked through a window, and ſaw king David leaping and dancing be- fore the LORD,and the diſpiſed him in her hearc 4.
d As one of a baſe and mean fpirit,that knew not how to carry himſelf with that Majeſty which became his place, but behaved himſelf like one of the Fools or vain Perſons in 1/-2el.
17 T And *® they brought in the ark of the LORD. and ſet it in his place, in the midſt of the tabernacle that David had + pitched for it e: and David offerec burnt-offerings,and peace-offerings before the LORD.