to them by his messengers rifing up betimes and fending, because he bad compaffion on his people and on his dwelling-place; but they mocked the messengers of God, and defpifed his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arofe against his people, till there was no remedy, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 15, 16. Even fo the Saviour will one day punish the covetous worldlings as God punished Nabal. I was an bungered and you gave me no meat; this was the crime of Nabal, who refused to relieve the Lord's anointed; and as David's wrath was kindled for the contempt of his meffage, and the indignity done to his fervants, fo will the Lord fay, As ye did it not unto thefe my brethren ye did it not unto me; and thefe fhall go away into everlasting punishment. Matt. xxv. 46.

is

Abimaaz. I fee that every part of God's word

pregnant with divine instruction, and affords the child of God fweet entertainment; but David's meffengers met with better treatment when they went to espouse Abigail to David: fhe treated them with the greateft civility; they did not go home ashamed as before.

Cufbi. And fo will all the Lord's fervants be treated by the elect, who, as Paul fays, they are fent to espouse to the one bufband, that they may Trefent them as chafte virgins to Chrift. 2 Cor. ii. 2.

Thus I have fhewed thee, my brother, by what way I was led at firft, namely, by obferving the good hand of the Lord upon another, even David,

as

as many others have done fince. From these obfervations I was brought to an acquaintance with David, and to enjoy an union with him; and in time I became one of his messengers after he was established on the throne of Ifrael, and continued with him all the time that Abfalom's confpiracy was carried on against him, and even to his death.

I was with the army of David when the rebels were defeated in the wood of Ephraim. 2 Sam. xviii. 6. And I was fent by Joab, the king's commander, to bear tidings to the citizens of Mahanaim of the death of the confpirator, and of the defeat of the rebels. 2 Sam. xviii. 21. But, alas it happened to me, as it has done to many more; I began to be lifted up in my office; I thought it so great a thing to be a meffenger of the Lord's anointed; and indeed fo it was, for God evidently bleffed and profpered every faithful friend that David had : but, to my fhame, I forgot myself, and my bountiful Benefactor alfo, who had brought me not only to be a loyal fubject of David, but a fubject of a fpiritual and an everlafting kingdom; nor did I daily acknowledge, as I ought to have done (and as I ufed to do), the good hand of God with me, which had fixed my ftation fo nigh the king's perfon. My first backsliding step was ingratitude; and the next fin which always attends it is remiffness in duty, and this leads to carnal fecurity, and thefe procured my wretched fall, which foon followed; F 4

for,

for, as Solomon fays, a haughty Spirit goes before a fall.

Abimaaz. The dealings of God, both in providence and grace, have been wonderful with you indeed; and one would think that a foul fo deeply impreffed with a sense of divine goodness, and daily compaffed about with fuch vifible difplays of the tender care and rich mercy of God, could never become fo infenfible and ungrateful; but, alas, I know by fad experience, that the heart is deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked, who can know it? Jer. xvii. 9.

But pray, what was your fall, my brother? for I long to compare notes with you, for I have been down myself, as fhall be related before we part, if God permit and you approve, for I am neither tired nor hungry, nor do I believe I fhall if I fit here all the week.

Cufbi. Why, as I grew proud and self-sufficient, I grew independent of God, and neglected prayer; this gradually brought deadnefs and barrennefs on my foul, and confequently I became dry and unfavory in my converfation; fome of the king's devotional friends began to flight me on this account, and when I perceived this I began to fhun the moft fpiritual part of the royal household, and to cleave to them who were but half-hearted to David; and this led me to affociate with fome who fecretly favoured the boufe of Saul. This alienation

of

of affection from David alienated my affections from David's God alfo; the man that hates the faints of God in his heart can find no communion with God himself; he that hateth his brother abideth in darknefs, and if he does, he cannot find his way to God. From this time I felt an hatred rife in my heart against the Lord's anointed, and against his most loyal friends; and when I have heard the king exult and triumph in the difcriminating favour of God towards him, I was inwardly galled at it, and efpecially on recollecting that speech which he made to his wife Michal, It was before the Lord, which chofe me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Ifrael; therefore I will play before the Lord. 2 Sam. I fhall not relate the wretched construction that my wicked mind put upon the words, but I found an enmity rife in my heart against him; nor could I rejoice in his rapturous speeches, and heavenly acclamations, as I formerly had done. I found the words of pious Job to be true-Envy flays the filly one. Job v. 2. But the circumstance that wound my jealoufy and envy up to the height was David's giving up the five fons of Saul to the Gibeonites, to be banged on the mountain of Gilboa. 2 Sam. xxi.

vi. 21.

Thus my love waxed cold to David, and I confequently loft my fweet fellowship with his God; and all by a falfe fpirit. I also justified in my heart the conduct of Rizpah, the daughter of Ajah, when he took fackcloth and Spread it for her upon

the

the rock from the beginning of harveft until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and fuffered neither the birds of heaven to reft on their bodies by day, nor the beafts of the field by night. 2 Sam. xxi. 10. All my rebellion was levelled at God himself, who had left Saul, but fwore to David that he would never leave him. Wo be to that man that knowingly efpoufes an intereft that God has blafted; this was my fin, and I paid dear for it; I acted contrary to the visible teftimony of God, which juftified the king! For David's Jervants performed all that the king commanded, and the Lord was intreated for the land. 2 Sam. xxi. 14.

Who could ever think that there could be fuch deception as this in a veffel of mercy? That an heart once in union with the faints, and enflamed with love to God, could ever be fo damped in affection, both to God and his family, as to feel a fenfible enmity against both, and be prejudiced in favour of apoftates? But, as my royal mafter fays, What is man?

Abimaaz. And pray how did the Lord deliver thee, my brother?

Cushi. The death of David fhocked my very foul, and awfully alarmed my confcience; and the report of his laft dying words, Although my boufe be not fo with God, yet he hath made with me an everlafting covenant, ordered in all things and fure; for this is all my falvation, and all my defire, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5, extorted Balaam's confeffion from my heart,