could not in any sort be assured of Amnon, he thought his affair greatly advanced by his destruction. So the one brother having ravished his own sister, and then despised her; the other, after a long dissembled malice, first made his own brother drunken, and then slaughtered him; which done, he fled away, and lived under the safeguard of ƒ Talmai, king of Geshur, near Damascus, who was his grandfather by the mother, but a heathen king. Thirdly, When Absalom, by the invention of Joab, (but chiefly because of the great affection of David towards his son,) was brought again, first to the king's favour, and then to his presence; he began instantly to practise against & David his father, seeking by the pretence of common justice, and by lowly and familiar manner to all men, and by detracting from his 'father's equity, to win unto himself a popular reputation. Here began the great affliction threatened by the Lord as a punishment of David's sin.

The company which hAbsalom gathered at the first were but 200 men, which he carried with him from Jerusalem to Hebron; pretending, though impiously, the performance of a vow to God. There when Achitophel repaired unto him, and many troops of people from all places, he proclaimed himself king, and was by the people (whose hearts God had turned from their lawful prince) accepted so readily, that David doubting to be set upon on the sudden, durst not trust himself in his own city of Jerusalem, nor in any other walled town for fear of surprise, but encamped in the fields and deserts, with some 600 of his guards, and few else. The priests he left in Jerusalem with the ark of God, from whom he desired to be advertised of those things that chanced, to whom he directed i Hushai, his trusty friend and servant, praying him to make himself in all his outward actions and counsels of Absalom's party and confederacy, thereby the better to discover unto him the purposes of Achitophel, a revolted counsellor, whose practices he greatly doubted. And now when treason was in fashion, Ziba also sought to betray his master Mephibosheth, the son of Jonaf 2 Sam. xiii. 8 2 Sam. xiv.

h 2 Sam. xv.

i Ibid.

than; and Shimei, of the house of Saul, (the fire of whose hatred David's prosperity had smothered, but his adversity illightened,) holding himself upon the advantage of a mountain side, k cast stones at David, and most despitefully cursed him to his face; but David attending no private revenges, forbade Abishai to pursue him for the present, yet left him among others, in the roll of his revenge, to his son Salomon. Absalom being now possessed of Jerusalem, was advised by Achitophel to use his father's concubines in some such public place, as all Israel might assure themselves that he was irreconcileable to his father; whereof being persuaded they would then resolvedly adhere to Absalom and his cause, without fear of being given up upon a reconciliation between them. This savage and impious (though crafty) counsel Achitophel indeed urged for his own respect, as fearing that this rebellion might take end to his destruction; who most of all other inflamed Absalom against his father. And now was it fulfilled that Nathan had directly foretold David; I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of the sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun, 2 Sam. xii. 11, 12. He also gave advice to Absalom, that himself, with an army of 12,000 men, might be employed at the instant for the surprising of David, which had willingly been embraced by Absalom, had not m Hushai, David's faithful servant, given counter advice, and swayed it; persuading Absalom, that it was fitter and more safe for him, with all the strength of Israel, to pursue his father; than by such a troop, which David's valour, and those of his attendants, might either endanger or resist. This delay in Absalom, and advantage of time gained by David, was indeed, after God, the loss of the one and delivery of the other. Whereupon "Achitophel rightly fearing (by the occasion foreshewed) the success which followed, disposed of his own k 2 Sam. xvi. 1 Ibid. m 2 Sam. xvii. 14. n 2 Sam. xvii. 23.

estate, and then forsook both the party and the care of Absalom, and of his own life.

David being advertised of this enterprise against him, marched away all night, and passed Jordan, possessing himself of Mahanaim in the tribe of Gad; the same wherein Ishbosheth himself, in the war against David after Saul's death, seated himself. To which place there repaired unto him Shobi, the son of Nahash the Ammonite, whom David loved, the same which Josephus calleth Shiphar. And though it be greatly disputed what this Shobi was, yet the most general and probable opinion makes him a second brother to Hanum, whom David for his father's sake established in the kingdom after Hanum's overthrow. In thankfulness whereof he relieved David in this his extremity. There came also to David's assistance Machir of Lodabar, guardian in former times to Mephibosheth, and among others Barzillai the Gileadite, who willingly fed David and all his company.

In the mean time both the king and Absalom prepared to fight; Absalom made Amasa commander of the army of Israel, the same place which Joab held with David; an office next the king himself, like unto that of the mayors of the palace anciently in France. David, persuaded by his company, stayed in Mahanaim, and disposed the forces he had to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, giving them charge in the hearing of all that issued out at the port of Mahanaim, that they should spare the life of Absalom. But Joab, besides that he was very cruel by nature, remembered that Absalom had lately disposed of his government to Amasa, and therefore the victory being obtained, and news brought him that Absalom hung by the hair of his head on a tree, when he could not persuade the messenger to return and kill him, he himself with his own servants despatched him. It appeared also by the sequel, that Joab affected Adonijah, whom he afterward acknowledged, David yet living;

2 Sam. xviii.

and fearing the disposition of Absalom, he embraced the present advantage offered.

Hereof, together with news of the victory, when knowledge was brought to David, he mourned and sorrowed, not only as a man that had lost a son, but as one that had outlived all his worldly joys, and seen every delight of life interred. For he so hid himself from his people, as those, which hoped for honour and reward after so great a victory, covered themselves also in the city, as if they had committed the greatest offences, and had rather deserved death than recompense. Whereupon Joab presenting himself before David, persuaded him to dissemble his sorrow for the present, and to shew himself to the army. For first he told him that he had discountenanced his faithful servants, who had that day preserved his life; inferring that nothing could be more dangerous to a king, than not only not to acknowledge so great a love and constancy in his people, who, being but few in number, did yet resolvedly expose themselves to great perils for his sake; but on the contrary, grieve and lament at their good success: for no doubt they might all have bought their peace of Absalom at an easy rate. Secondly, he urged, that it was generally believed that he loved his enemies and hated his friends, and that he witnessed by this his mourning, that he had not any respect of his princes, and others his faithful servants, but would more have joyed if they had all perished, and Absalom lived, than in the victory by their faithfulness and approved valour gotten.

Lastly, he used this prevalent argument, that if the king came not out, and shewed himself publicly to his men of war, that they would all that very night abandon him, and return; concluding with this fearful threatening, P And that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that fell on thee from thy youth hitherto. By these overbold and arrogant speeches (though perchance uttered with a good intent) Joab raised David from his bed of sorrow, and brought him to the gates of the city among the people, whom he assured

p 2 Sam. xix. 7.

of his love and affection, especially Amasa, who commanded the army of Absalom, to whom he promised the office of lieutenantship; the same which Absalom had given him, and which Joab now enjoyed. For David doubted, that if Amasa were not satisfied, he might draw from him a great part of the strength of Israel, now under his command

ment.

q

This done, the king marched towards Jordan homeward, where in his passage he pardoned Shimei, who had lately reviled him to his face; but this remission was but external, as appeared afterward. He also accepted of Mephibosheth's excuse, whom Ziba had formerly falsely accused and betrayed.

He also entreated Barzillai the Gileadite, his late liberal host, to follow him to Jerusalem, that he might reward his service done him; who excusing himself by his age, appointed his son Chimham to attend the king.

At Gilgal, on this side Jordan, all the tribes assembled, and after some contention which of them ought to have most interest in David, the army brake, and David returned to Jerusalem. But Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite, of the faction of the house of Saul, finding some discontentment among the Israelites, withdrew them from David, as from a stranger in whom they had no interest; and it seemeth that many of the people of the out-tribes, and in effect of all but Juda, bare still a good affection to the issues of their first king. David employed his reconciled captain Amasa to give him contentment, and to witness his trust, as also because he conceived that Amasa had interest in those revolts of Israel more than Joab had. He received commandment from David to assemble the army within three days, which he foreslowed; but being onward on his way, Abishai, Joab's brother, was sent after him, with David's guard and best soldiers, whom also Joab accompanied; and overtaking Amasa near Gibeon, pretending to embrace him, s gave him a wound, whereof he fell dead, being no less jealous of Amasa than he was of Abner, whom he mur12 Sam. xix. 23. 2 Sam. xix. 38.

8 2 Sam. xx. 10.