the battle, and recoil back from him, that he may be smitten and die. What is become of thee, O thou good spirit, that hadst wont to guide thy chosen servant in his former ways? Is not this the man, whom we lately saw so heart-smitten, for but cutting off the lap of the garment of a wicked master, that is now thus lavish of the blood of a gracious and well-deserving servant? Could it be likely, that so worthy a captain could fall alone? Could David have expiated this sin with his own blood, it had been but well spent; but to cover his sin with the innocent blood of others, was a crime above astonishment.

Oh the deep deceitfulness of sin! If the devil should have come to David in the most lovely form of Bathsheba herself, and at the first should have directly and in plain terms solicited him to murder his best servant, I doubt not but he would have spit scorn in that face, on which he should otherwise have doted; now, by many cunning windings, Satan rises up to that temptation, and prevails: that shall be done for a colour of guiltiness, whereof the soul would have hated to be immediately guilty. Even those, that find a just horror, in leaping down from some high tower, yet may be persuaded to descend by stairs to the bottom. He knows not where he shall stay, that hath willingly slipped into a known wickedness.

How many doth an eminent offender draw with him into evil! It could not be, but that divers of the attendants, both of David and Bathsheba, must be conscious to that adultery. Great men's sins are seldom secret. And now Joab must be fetched in, as accessary to the murder. How must this example needs hardén Joab, against the conscience of Abner's blood; while he cannot but think, David cannot avenge that in me, which he acteth himself!

Honour is pretended to poor Uriah; death is meant. This man was one of the worthies of David. Their courage sought glory, in the difficultest exploits. That reputation had never been purchased, without attempts of equal danger.

Had not the leader and followers of Uriah been more treacherous, than his enemies were strong, he had come off with victory; now, he was not the first or last that perished by his friends. David hath forgotten, that himself was in like sort betrayed in his master's intention, upon the dowry of the Philistines' foreskins.

I fear to ask, Who ever noted so foul a plot in David's rejected predecessor? Uriah must be the messenger of his own death; Joab must be a traitor to his friend; the host of God must shamefully turn their backs upon the Ammonites; all that Israelitish blood must be shed; that murder must be seconded with dissimulation; and all this to hide one adultery! O God, thou hadst never suffered so dear a favourite of thine to fall so fearfully, if thou hadst not meant to make him a universal example to mankind, of not presuming, of not despairing. How can we presume of not sinning, or despair for sinning, when we find so great a saint thus fallen, thus risen! 2 Sam. xi.

NATHAN AND DAVID.

YET Bathsheba mourned for the death of that husband, whom she had been drawn to dishonour. How could she bestow tears enough upon that funeral, whereof her sin was the cause! If she had but a suspicion of the plot of his death, the fountains of her eyes could not yield water enough to wash off her husband's blood. Her sin was more worthy of sorrow, than her loss. If this grief had been right placed, the hope of hiding her shame and the ambition to be a queen had not so soon mitigated it; neither had she, upon any terins, been drawn into the bed of her husband's murderer. Every gleam of earthly comfort can dry up the tears of worldly sorrow. Bathsheba hath soon lost her grief at the court. The remembrance of a husband is buried in the jollity and state of a princess.

David securely enjoys his ill-purchased love; and is content to exchange the conscience of his sin, for the sense of his pleasure. But the just and holy God will not put it up so. He, that hates şin so much the more as the offender is more dear to him, will let David feel the bruise of his fall. If God's best children have been sometimes suffered to sleep in a sin, at last he hath awakened them in a fright.

David was a prophet of God; and yet he hath not only stepped into those foul sins, but sojourns with them. If any profession or state of life could have privileged from sin, the angels had not sinned in heaven, nor man in paradise.

Nathan the prophet is sent to the prophet David, for reproof, for conviction. Had it been any other man's case, none could have been more quick-sighted than the princely prophet; in his own, he is so blind, that God is fain to lend him others' eyes. Even the physician himself, when he is sick, sends for the counsel of those, whom his health did mutually aid with advice. Let no man think himself too good to learn. Teachers themselves may be taught that, in their own particular, which, in a generality, they have often taught others. It is not only ignorance that is to be removed, but misaffection.

Who can prescribe a just period to the best man's repentance? About ten months are passed, since David's sin; in all which time, I find no news of any serious compunction. It could not be, but some glances of remorse must needs have passed through his soul, long ere this; but a due and solemn contrition was not heard of, till Nathan's message; and perhaps had been further adjourned, if that monitor had been longer deferred. Alas! what long and dead sleeps may the holiest soul take in fearful sins! Were it not for thy mercy, O God, the best of us should end our spiritual lethargy in sleep of death.

It might have pleased God as easily to have sent Nathan to check David in his first purpose of sinning; so had his eyes been restrained, Bathsheba honest, Uriah alive with honour: now, the wisdom of the Almighty knew how to win more glory, by the permission of so foul an evil, than by the prevention; yea, he knew how, by

the permission of one sin, to prevent millions. How many thousands had sinned, in a vain presumption on their own strength, if David had not thus offended! How many thousands had despaired, in the conscience of their own weaknesses, if these horrible sins had not received forgiveness! It is happy for all times, that we have so holy a sinner, so sinful a penitent.

It matters not how bitter the pill is, but how well wrapped. So cunningly hath Nathan conveyed this dose, that it begins to work ere it be tasted. There is no one thing, wherein is more use of wisdom, than the due contriving of reprehension; which, in a discreet delivery helps the disease, in an unwise destroys nature.

Had not Nathan been used to the possession of David's ear, this complaint had been suspected. It well beseems a king, to take information by a prophet.

While wise Nathan was querulously discoursing of the cruel rich man, that had forcibly taken away the only lamb of his poor neighbour, how willingly doth David listen to the story; and how sharply, even above law, doth he censure the fact; As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die! Full little did he think, that he had pronounced sentence against himself. It had not been so heavy, if he had known on whom it should have lit. We have open ears and quick tongues to the vices of others. How severe justicers we can be, to our very own crimes in others persons! How flattering parasites, to another's crime in ourselves!

The life of doctrine is in application. Nathan might have been long enough in his narration, in his invective, ere David would have been touched with his own guiltiness; but now that the prophet brings the word home to his bosom, he cannot but be affected. We may take pleasure, to hear men speak in the clouds; we never take profit, till we find a propriety in the exhortation or reproof.

There was not more cunning in the parable, than courage in the application, Thou art the man. If David be a king, he may not look, not to hear of his faults. God's messages may be no other than impartial. It is a treacherous flattery, in divine errands to regard greatness. If prophets must be mannerly in the form, yet in the matter of reproof resolute. The words are not their own: they are but the heralds of the King of Heaven; Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.

How thunder-stricken do we think David did now stand! How did the change of his colour bewray the confusion in his soul; while his conscience said the same within, which the prophet sounded in his ear! And now, lest ought should be wanting to his humiliation, all God's former favours shall be laid before his eyes, by way of exprobration. He is worthy to be upbraided with mercies, that hath abused mercies unto wantonness. While we do well, God gives, and says nothing; when we do ill, he lays his benefits in our dish, and casts them in our teeth, that our shame may be so much the more, by how much our obligations have been greater. The blessings of God, in our unworthy carriage, prove but the aggravations of sin, and additions to judgment.

I see all God's children falling into sin; some of them lying in sin; none of them maintaining their sin. David cannot have the heart or the face, to stand out against the message of God; but now, as a man confounded, and condemned in himself, he cries out, in the bitterness of a wounded soul, I have sinned against the Lord. It was a short word, but passionate; and such as came from the bottom of a contrite heart. The greatest griefs are not most verbal. Saul confessed his sin more largely, less effectually. God cares not for phrases, but for affections.

The first piece of our amends to God for sinning, is the acknowledgment of sin. He can do little, that in a just offence cannot accuse himself. If we cannot be so good as we would, it is reason we should do God so much right, as to say, how evil we are. And why was not this done sooner? It is strange to see how easily sin gets into the heart; how hardly it gets out of the mouth. Is it because sin, like unto Satan, where it hath got possession is desirous to hold it; and knows that it is fully ejected by a free confession? or, because in a guiltiness of deformity, it hides itself in the breast where it is once entertained, and hates the light? or, because the tongue is so feed with self-love, that it is loth to be drawn unto any verdict against the heart or hands? or, is it out of an idle misprision of shame, which, while it should be placed in offending, is misplaced in disclosing of our offence? However, sure I am, that God hath need even of racks to draw out confessions; and scarce in death itself, are we wrought to a discovery of our errors.

There is no one thing, wherein our folly shews itself more, than in these hurtful concealments. Contrary to the proceedings of human justice, it is with God, Confess, and live. No sooner can David say, I have sinned, than Nathan infers, The Lord also hath put away thy sin. He, that hides his sins, shall not prosper; but he, that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall find mercy. Who would not accuse himself, to be acquitted of God? O God, who would not tell his wickedness to thee, that knowest it better than his own heart, that his heart may be eased of that wickedness, which being not told killeth? Since we have sinned, why should we be niggardly of that action, wherein we may at once give glory to thee, and relief to our souls?

David had sworn, in a zeal of justice, that the rich oppressor, for but taking his poor neighbour's lamb, should die the death: God, by Nathan, is more favourable to David, than to take him at his word; Thou shalt not die. Oh the marvellous power of repentance! Besides adultery, David had shed the blood of innocent Uriah. The strict law was, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth; he, that smiteth with the sword, shall perish with the sword. Yet, as if a penitent confession had dispensed with the rigour of justice, now God says, Thou shalt not die. David was the voice of the Law, awarding death unto sin; Nathan was the voice of the Gospel, awarding life unto the repentance for sin. Whatsoever the sore be, never any soul applied this remedy, and died; never any soul escaped death, that applied it not.

David himself shall not die for this fact; but his misbegotten child shall die for him. He, that said, The Lord hath put away thy sin, yet said also, The sword shall not depart from thine house. The same mouth, with one breath, pronounces the sentence both of absolution and death; absolution to the person, death to the issue. Pardon may well stand with temporal afflictions. Where God hath forgiven, though he doth not punish, yet he may chastise, and that unto blood; neither doth he always forbear correction, where he remits revenge. So long as he smites us not as an angry judge, we may endure to smart from him as a loving father. Yet even this rod did David deprecate with tears. How fain would he shake off so easy a load! The child is stricken: the father fasts, and prays, and weeps, and lies all night upon the earth, and abhors the noise of comfort. That child, which was the fruit and monument of his odious adultery, whom he could never have looked upon without recognition of his sin, in whose face he could not but have still read the records of his own shame, is thus mourned for, thus sued for. It is easy to observe that good man over-passionately affected to his children. Who would not have thought, that David might have held himself well appayed, that his soul escaped an eternal death, his body a violent, though God should punish his sin, in that child, in whom he sinned? yet even against this cross he bends his prayers, as if nothing had been forgiven him. There is no child that would be scourged, if he might escape for crying. No affliction is for the time other than grievous; neither is therefore yielded unto, without some kind of reluctance. Far yet was it from the heart of David, to make any opposition to the will of God: he sued; he struggled not. There is no impatience in entreaties. He well knew, that the threats of temporal evils ran commonly with a secret condition, and therefore might perhaps be avoided by humble importunity. If any means under heaven can avert judgments, it is our prayers.

God could not choose but like well the boldness of David's faith; who, after the apprehension of so heavy a displeasure, is so far from doubting of the forgiveness of his sin, that he dares become a suitor unto God for his sick child. Sin doth not make us more strange, than faith confident.

But it is not in the power of the strongest faith, to preserve us from all afflictions. After all David's prayers and tears, the child must die. The careful servants dare but whisper this sad news. They, who had found their master so averse from the motion of comfort in the sickness of the child, feared him incapable of comfort in his death.

Suspicion is quick-witted. Every occasion makes us misdoubt that event, which we fear. This secrecy proclaims that, which they were so loth to utter. David perceives his child dead; and now he rises up from the earth whereon he lay, and washes himself, and changeth his apparel, and goes first into God's house to worship, and into his own to eat; now he refuses no comfort, who before would take none. The issue of things doth more fully