and yet through his tedious Marches, and the tormenting Cares, Fears, and Griefs ofhis Soul fer 4:jalow might be ſo ſtrangely and ſuddenly impaired, as in the end of the ſame Year to be very fee- ble and bed-rid, it beinga very common accideot,eſpecially in old Men,and upon extraordinary occaſions, to languith and decline ex-. cecedingly, and to fall from ſome competent degree of health and vigour, to be very infirm and bed-rid,and that in the ſpace of a few months. And to tic ſecond Objettion, That thoſe Hiſtories related chap. 21, &c. though they be placed after this Rebellion,yer indeed were done before it; the proof of which ſee on chap. 2 '« 1. For it is ſo confeſſed and evident,that things are not always placed in the ſame order in which they were done, that it isa Rule of the He- brews, and approved by other learned men, Non datur prius & prſte- rius in Sacris literis ; that is, There is no firſt and laft in the order of Scripture-relatims. And here is a plain reaſon for this tranſplacing of this Hiſtory,which is allowed in other like cafes, That when once the Hiſtory of Tamar's Rapz had been mentioned, it was very fit to ſubjoin the Relation of all the Miſchiefs which followed upon that occaſion. Ifany Infidel will yet cavil with this Text and num- ber of years, let him know, . that inſtead of forty, the Swiack, and Arabick, and Joſephus the Few, read four years ; and that it is much more rational to acknowledge an Error of the Scribe, who copied out the Sacred Text, than upon ſo frivolous a g:ound to queition
ſucceſs. 5 Which I ſhall take care to have ſounded in ſeveral parts by other perſons ; and when that is done, you ſhall inform them of the reaſon of it. Or, as ſoon a: you underitand that the Trum- pet was ſounded at Hebron; partly, to call the People together for my aſſiſtance ; and partly to celebrate my Inauguration to the King- dom,which you ſhal ſpeedily know by Meſlengers whom 7 ſhal ſend to you to that end.
11 And with Abſalom went two hundred men out of Jeruſalem, that were called u, and they went in their
Implicity, and they knew not any thing x.
« Such as Abſalom had pick'd out as fit for his purpoſe ; ſuch as were of ſome quality and reputation with the Ki..g and People, which would give a great countenance to his undertaking,and give occaſion to p:ople at firſt to think thar this was done by his Father's content or connivance, as being now aged, and infirm,and willing to reſign the Kingdom to him.as his eldeſt Son,and the Nobleſt too, as being deſcended ſrom a King vy both Parents ; and ſuch as by their Wiſdom and Intereſt in the people, might have done David much ſervice in this needful time ; yet ſuch as were not very marti- al Men, nor likely with violence to oppoſe his proceedings. xCon- cerning Mbſalom's deſign,
| 12 And Abſajum ſent for Ahichophel the Gilo- aite, y Davids Counſelior, from his city,even from Gi- loh, while he offered ſacrifices z, and the conſpiracy was ſtrang, for the people increaſed continually with
Abſalom. J
» Whois thought to have been the Author,or,at leaſt, the fomen- ter of rhis Rebellion ; either, becauſe he was diſcontented with Da- via, tor which there might be many reaſons; or, becauſe he ſaw the Father was old and nigh his end,and he thoughtir beſt policy to worthip the riſing Sun, and to follow the young Princ:,whom he obſerved to have fo great an intereft in the Hearts of the People, and whom he ſuppoſed he could «afily manage as be pleaſed, which he could not do with David. z Which he did not in Devotion to God,for he neither feared God, nor reverenced Man; nor to im« plore God's favour an# aſſiſtance againſt his Father, which he knew was a vainthing to expe&; but meerly that upon this pretence he might call great numbers of the People together, whereof many would come to join with him in the worſhip of God, and moſt ta partake of che Feaſts which were made of the remainders of the Sacrifices, according to the manner«
13 4 And there came a meſſenger to David, ſaying,
The hearts of themen of Iſrael are afcer Abſalom 4.
2 The generality of the peopleare for him. Which is nor ſtrange, conſidering, either, firſt, David, whoſe many miſcarriages had greatly lolt him in the hearts of his people. Or. Secondly, The People, whoſe Temper is generally unſtable,weary of old rthings,and defirous of changes, and apt to expett great benefits thereby, Or, Thirdly, 44ſalom, whoſe noble Birth,and ſingular Beauty, and moſt otliging Carriage-and ample Promiſes, had won the peoples hearts, conlidering alſo that he was David's firſt-born, to whom the King- dom of right belonged, and yer that David intended to give away his right ro $9/om0n, which the People thought might prove the oc- caſfion of a civil»nd dreadful War, which hereby they deſigned to prevent. Or, Fourthly, The Juſt and holy God, who ordered and over-ruled all theſe things for David's chaſtiſement, and the in- trution and terror of Sinners in all future Ages.
14 And David faid unto all his ſervants, that were with him at Feruſalem, Ariſe, and ler us flee 6b: for we (hall not elſe eſcape from Abſalom: make ſpeed to , yq,s, depart,leſt he overtake us ſuddenly, and Þ bring evii u- :hruf. pon us, and ſmite the city with the edge of the ſword.
b For though the Fort of Zion was ſtrong and impregnable, and he might have defended himſelfthere; yet he had not laid in Pro- viſions for a long Siege; and, if he had been once beſieged there ; Abſalom would have got ſpeedy and quiet poſſeſſion of his whole Kingdom ; whereas if he marched abroad, he might raiſe a conſi-
the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures. And that ſome Men chuſe the latter way rather than the former, is an evidence that | they are Infidels by the choice of the'r wills, more than by the | ſtrength of their reaſons. o He pretends Piety,which he knew would
tioned as the place, not where the Vow was made, for that was at Geſbur, vv. 8: but where he intended to perform ir. The pretence for which was, That he was born in this place, 2 Sam;3;:3: and that here was a famous high-place ; and,till the temple was built, it was permitted to ſacrifice uponthe high-places. |
8 For thy ſervant vowed a vow while I abode at Geſhur in Syria, ſaying, If the LOR D ſhall bring me again indeed to Jeruſalem, then I will ſerve the LORD 9.