forget that shameful and fearful foil which they received from the rescuers of Jabesh-Gilead; and now still do they stomach at the name of Israel. Malice once conceived in worldly hearts, is not easily extinguished, but, upon all occasions, is ready to break forth into a flame of revengeful actions.

Nothing can be more dangerous, than for young princes to meet with ill counsel in the entrance of their government; for both then are they most prone to take it, and most difficultly recovered from it: if we be set out of our way in the beginning of our journey, we wander all the day. How happy is that state, where both the counsellors are faithful to give only good advice, and the king wise to discern good advice from evil! The young king of Ammon is easily drawn to believe his peers, and to mistrust the messengers; and having now, in his conceit, turned them into spies, entertains them with a scornful disgrace; he shaves off one half of their beards, and cuts off one half of their garments, exposing them to the derision of all the beholders. The Israelites were forbidden either a shaven beard, or a short garment; in despite, perhaps, of their law, these ambassadors are sent away with both; certainly in a despite of their master, and a scorn of their persons.

King David is not a little sensible of the abuse of his messengers, and of himself in them; first therefore he desires to hide their shame, then to revenge it. Man hath but a double ornament of body, the one of nature, the other of art; the natural ornament is the hair, the artificial is apparel; David's messengers are deformed in both: the one is easily supplied by a new suit, the other can only be supplied out of the wardrobe of time; "Tarry at Jericho till your beards be grown." How easily had this deformity been removed, if, as Hanun had shaven one side of their faces, so they had shaven the other! What had this been but to resemble their younger age, or that other sex, in neither of which do we use to place

any imagination of unbeseeming? Neither did there want some of their neighbour nations, whose faces age itself had not wont to cover with this shade of hair. But so respective is good David, and his wise senators, of their country's forms, that they shall, by appointment, rather tarry abroad, till time have wrought their conformity, than vary from the received fashions of their own people. Alas, into what a licentious variety of strange disguises are we fallen! The glory of attire is sought in novelty, in misshapenness, in monstrousness; there is much latitude, much liberty in the use of these indifferent things; but, because we are free, we may not run wild, and never think we have scope enough, unless we outrun modesty.

It is lawful for public persons to feel their own indignities, and to endeavour their revenge. Now David sends all the host of the mighty men to punish Ammon for so foul an abuse. Those that received the messengers of his love with scorn and insolency, shall now be severely saluted with the messengers of his wrath. It is just both with God and men, that they who know not how to take favours aright, should smart with judgments. Kindness repulsed breaks forth into indignation; how much more, when it is repaid with an injurious affront!

David cannot but feel his own cheeks shaven, and his own coat cut in his ambassadors'; they did but carry his person to Hanun; neither can he therefore but appropriate to himself the kindness or injury offered unto them. He that did so take to heart the cutting off but the lap of king Saul's garment, when it was laid aside from him, how must he needs be affected with this disdainful halving of his hair and robes in the person of his deputies! The name of ambassadors hath been ever sacred, and, by the universal law of nations hath carried in it sufficient protection from all public wrongs; neither hath it been violated without a revenge. O God, what shall we

say to those notorious contempts, which are daily cast upon thy spiritual messengers! Is it possible thou shouldst not feel them, thou shouldst not avenge them? We are made a gazing-stock to the world, to angels and to men; we are despised and trodden down in the dust! "Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?"

How obstinate are wicked men in their perverse resolutions! These foolish Ammonites had rather hire Syrians to maintain a war against Israel in so foul a quarrel, besides the hazard of their own lives, than confess the error of their jealous misconstruction.

It is one of the mad principles of wickedness, that it is a weakness to relent, and rather to die than yield. Even ill causes, once undertaken, must be upheld, although with blood; whereas the gracious heart finding his own mistaking, doth not only remit of an ungrounded displeasure, but studies to be revenged of itself, and to give satisfaction to the offended.

The mercenary Syrians are drawn to venture their lives for a fee; twenty thousand of them are hired. into the field against Israel. Fond pagans, that know not the value of a man; their blood cost them nothing, and they care not to sell it good-cheap! How can we think those men have souls, that esteem a little white earth above themselves? that never inquire into the justice of the quarrel, but the rate of the pay ? that can rifle for drachms of silver in the bowels of their own flesh, and either kill or die for a day's wages?

Joab, the wise general of Israel, soon finds where the strength of the battle lay, and so marshals his troops, that the choice of his men shall encounter the van-guard of the Syrians. His brother Abishai leads the rest against the children of Ammon, with this covenant of mutual assistance, "If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the

children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then will I come and help thee." It is a happy thing when the captains of God's people join together as brethren, and lend their hand to the aid of each other against the common adversary. Concord in defence, or assault, is the way to victory; as, contrarily, the division of the leaders is the overthrow of the army.

Set aside some particular actions, Joab was a worthy captain, both for wisdom and valour. Who could either exhort or resolve better than he? "Be of good courage, and let us play the men, for our people and for the cities of our God; and the Lord do that which seemeth him good!" It is not either private glory or profit that whets his fortitude, but the respect to the cause of God and his people. That soldier can never answer it to God, that strikes not more as a justiciar, than as an enemy; neither doth he content himself with his own courage, but he animates others. The tongue of a commander fights more than his hand. It is enough for private men to exercise what life and limbs they have: a good leader must out of his own abundance put life and spirits into all others: if a lion lead sheep into the field there is hope of victory. Lastly, when he hath done his best, he resolves to depend upon God for the issue, not trusting to his sword, or his bow, but to the providence of the Almighty for success, as a man religiously awful, and awfully confident while there should be no want in their own endeavours. He knew well that the race was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, therefore he looks up above the hills whence cometh his salvation. All valour is cowardice to that which is built upon religion.

I marvel not to see Joab victorious, while he is thus godly. The Syrians flee before him like flocks of sheep, the Ammonites follow them: the two sons of Zeruiah have nothing to do but to pursue and execute. The throats of the Ammonites are cut, for cutting the beards and coats of the Israelitish messengers;

neither doth this revenge end in the field: Rabbah, the royal city of Ammon, is strongly beleaguered by Joab; the city of Waters (after well near a year's siege) yieldeth, the rest can no longer hold out. Now Joab, as one that desireth more to approve himself a loyal and a careful subject, than a happy general, sends to his master David, that he should come personally, and encamp against the city and take it; "lest (saith he) I take it, and it be called after my name. O noble and imitable fidelity of a dutiful servant, that prefers his lord to himself, and is so far from stealing honour from his master's deserts, that he willingly remits of his own to add unto his! The war was not his, he was only employed by his sovereign the same person that was wronged in the ambassadors, revengeth by his soldiers. The praise of the act shall, like fountain water, return to the sea whence it originally came. To seek a man's own glory is not glory. Alas, how many are there, who being sent to sue for God, woo for themselves! O God, it is a fearful thing to rob thee of that which is dearest to thee, glory; which as thou wilt not give to any creature, so much less wilt thou endure that any creature should filch it from thee, and give it to himself! Have thou the honour of all our actions, who givest a being to our actions and us, and in both hast most justly regarded thine own praise.

CONTEMPLATION IV.

DAVID WITH BATHSHEBA AND URIAH.

WITH what unwillingness, with what fear, do I still look upon the miscarriage of the man after God's own heart! O holy prophet, who can promise himself always to stand, when he sees thee fallen, and maimed with the fall? Who can assure himself of an immunity from the foulest sins, when he sees thee offending so heinously, so bloodily? Let profane eyes