scensions, to cajole and inveigle the rude and giddy mobile; which, partly by declaiming against the mal-administrations of his father's government, partly by promising them a thorough reformation, if ever he arrived to be a judge in Israel, he at length accomplished. And now, having formed to himself a strong and numerous party, he gets his father's leave to make a progress to Hebron, (a factious town, without doubt, and it lay westward of Jerusalem,) under pretence of paying a vow there; for so religion is the usual sham of rebellion: where being arrived with two hundred men out of Jerusalem, who followed him blindfold, without either fear or wit, he sends for one Ahithophel, who had been a counsellor to his father; but at this time, as it seems probable, was discarded the court for some high misdemeanour. This cankered old wretch, glad of the opportunity to revenge himself upon his master, immediately joins interests with his undutiful son, and thereby increases his party into a strong and numerous army, with which he marches against his king and father, and is overthrown in a pitched battle; and notwithstanding his father's orders to the contrary, is slain by the hand of Joab, who wisely foresaw that David could never hope to reign in peace, so long as the rebel Absalom was alive. Hereupon Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, a valiant soldier, and swift and nimble footman, desires Joab, his general, that he may be the messenger of the good tidings to the king: but Joab having a kindness for the man, and wisely considering that the news of Absalom's death would be very unwelcome to David, and in all probability transport him into a high displeasure, and so prove fatal to the deliverer, at first refuses to let him go, and in

his room sends Cushi, who was either a common or a foreign soldier; but Ahimaaz, upon his importunate desire, at length obtains of Joab leave to follow him; and being much the nimbler, outruns Cushi; and being arrived into the king's presence, cries, All is well, being unable, either through excess of joy or want of breath, to express his message at large: after which, having recovered himself a little, he throws himself at the king's feet, and in a transport of joy and thanksgiving, thus expresses himself, Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath delivered men, that lift up their hand against my lord

the

up
the king.

In choosing which words for my text upon this joyful occasion, God knows, I have no design to insult and trample on the memory of that wofully misled and unfortunate gentleman, who was captain of that late black rebellion, the happy overthrow and conclusion of which we are now thankfully commemorating. For though it cannot be denied, but that his unnatural and undutiful behaviour to his late most gracious father and sovereign did but too justly entitle him to the name and character of Absalom; and that his rebellion against, infidelity to, and barbarous aspersions of his present majesty, who was always his generous patron and benefactor, do but too deservedly brand him the perfidious and ungrateful Absalom; yet, considering the relation he bore to our late dear sovereign of ever blessed memory, the promising blossom of his youth, before it was blasted with wild and boundless ambition, and the glorious sphere in which he once moved; where, had he not aspired to the seat of the sun, he might have shone among stars of the first magnitude, and shed forth a

benign influence upon his country and family: considering these things, I say, I am so far from triumphing on his ruin, that I heartily lament and bewail his being seduced into the crimes that were the cause of it, and detest those cursed Ahithophels that seduced him, only to make him the tool of their own dire revenge and restless ambition: and, if God so please, may that same justice that hath reached him lay hands on them, and by a yet more infamous punishment revenge his sin and ruin on their heads. And since his memory cannot live with honour, I heartily wish it might die in oblivion; that so, having paid that debt which law, and justice, and the necessary reasons of things exacted of him, it might never hereafter be remembered against him, how desperately he broke through all the ties of nature, honour, gratitude, and religion, to precipitate himself into a shameful and untimely fate. But this being only a hopeless wish, I shall, in pity to his memory, forbear running the odious parallel between Absalom and him, through all the black circumstances of their sin and punishment; having said enough already, and yet no more than what was necessary, to explain the suitableness of the text to the occasion, Blessed be the Lord thy God who hath delivered up the men that lift up their hand against my lord the king. In which words are two things observable.

First, The great concern and interest God hath in the overthrow of rebels; it is he that delivers them

up.

Secondly, The great cause we have to return thanks to God when he delivers them up.

I shall begin with the first of these, viz. the great concern and interest God hath in the overthrow of

rebels; it is he who delivers them up. It is true, the success of war, on which side soever it lights, depends upon the divine providence; which having the disposal of all events, whether they be adverse or prosperous, turns the scale of victory on which side it pleases for the second causes upon which success and victory ordinarily depend, is the good conduct of those who command, and the strength, and courage, and expertness of those who execute; all which are under the command and sovereign disposal of God; who, if he pleases, can infatuate the wisest and most skilful commanders, blindfold their judgments, confound their reason, and turn their wisdom into folly; so they shall run quite counter to their own designs, and blow up themselves with their own trains; who, if he doth not infatuate them, can yet frustrate their wisdom, and by a thousand accidents, which they can neither foresee nor prevent, baffle and defeat their most prudent and promising designs; who, if he pleases, can divide and break the strength of the most numerous, dissolve and confound the order of the most disciplined, melt and emasculate the courage of the most resolute armies; and having the sovereign disposal of all the second causes of success in his hands, it is he alone that can decide the battle, and determine the hovering victory to which side he pleases; so that whether it lights on the right or wrong side, on the usurping rebels or lawful prince's crest, it is by his all-disposing direction and appointment for though the horse is prepared for battle, and secondary causes concur as means and instruments, yet victory is of the Lord, Prov. xxi. 31. And though sometimes, for wise and righteous ends, he permits unjust arms to prosper and tri

umph over a righteous cause, of which we have a woful instance in our memory; yet ordinarily and regularly he declares on the righteous side, and awards success according to the justice of the cause. For battle is an appeal to God, in which the contending parties join issue to put their case in his hands, and refer the justice of their cause to his award and determination; and being hereby constituted the sole arbitrator between them, he ordinarily decides the victory according to the right of the case; and, unless there be some very great reason moving him to the contrary, awards it to the juster side. They therefore who make an unjust war, appeal to God in a wrong cause; and therefore have all the reason in the world to expect that he will decide against them, and finally award the victory to their enemies.

It is true, God is not obliged in justice always to determine the victory to the just cause for there may be just reasons, and many times there are, moving him to the quite contrary. Sometimes it may be more for the public good, of which he is the great conservator, that this particular righteous cause should miscarry, than that it should prosper and succeed; in which case, it is but reasonable that he should rather permit a particular mischief, than hinder a public convenience. Sometimes a good cause may be more effectually advanced by a present overthrow than by a victory; and when this happens, it is a good reason why God should at present pronounce the sentence of victory on the contrary side. Sometimes it may be necessary to deny success to those who have the righteous cause on their side, in order to the crowning it with some greater blessing;