when Joab's messenger brings him tidings of the disaster, taking due care, as he had been directed, to inform him that Uriah was among the slain, he replies coldly, "Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him "." And now, every thing having succeeded to his wishes, David thinks nothing remains but quietly to enjoy the wages of his sin; wherefore, after Bathsheba has mourned a few days, for decency's sake, he sends openly for her to his house, and she becomes his wife, and bears him a son 5.

4

Here is, indeed, a horrible complication of iniquities. The aggravations of David's guilt are so numerous, that I must only mention a few of the most conspicuous.

It

David was a king, whom God had entrusted with the sword of justice, and with the execution of the law upon other criminals, particularly upon adulterers, who were by law to be put to death. For him, therefore, to be guilty of such crimes, was to make himself a pattern, when he should have been a terror, to evil-doers. was to harden the hearts of all the sinners in Israel, as no doubt it did, particularly in the case of Joab. Uriah, whom he had wronged, was one of his own worthies, -a person of honour and virtue; one who was abroad in his service, hazarding his life in the field for the safety of him and his kingdom. Almost every thing that is recorded of him, gives us a high notion of his worth as a religious man and a valiant soldier; and, indeed, David himself could have no mean opinion of his integrity, otherwise (considering how suspicious wickedness always is) he would not have dared to trust him with the letter to Joab. But Bathsheba, after all, was the person most deeply injured. He took away the life of the husband; but, as far as in him lay, he robbed the wife of her salvation. Till drawn by him and his influence into this wickedness, she had

42 Sam. xi. 25.

5 Ver. 26.

6 2 Sam. xxiii. 39.

probably preserved her purity; and perhaps no other person in the world but David could have prevailed upon her to "forsake the guide of her youth, and forget the covenant of her God"." But dishonesty grows bold, when it is countenanced by greatness; and they seem to sin by authority, who are solicited by the mighty.

It appears to have been a great while after David had been guilty of adultery with Bathsheba, before he was brought to any serious repentance for it. Till Nathan was sent, which was not till after the thing became public by the birth of the child, he at least made no open avowal of his contrition. No doubt his heart must have smitten him in secret; but, like all other sinners, he endeavoured, as long as he was able, to forget God, and to console himself for the loss of his spiritual pleasures, in the enjoyment of his sin. God, however, had not forgotten him; for we read "the thing that David had done displeased the Lord 8."

But the Lord willeth not the death of a sinner, but that he turn from his evil way and live. Accordingly, having beheld David's fall, we are now to consider God's methods in his recovery.

"And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him." This passage cannot fail to suggest reflections well worthy of our serious attention.

7 Prov. ii. 17.

8 2 Sam. xi. 27.

From it we may observe what art and address is requisite in reproving sinners, particularly if they happen to be our superiors in age or station. Few people like to be told of their faults; much less can superiors bear it from those beneath them. It must, therefore, be managed with great discretion, otherwise we do more harm than good. Nathan, though a prophet, and commissioned by God, yet preserves the respect and decency due to a king. He does not begin by upbraiding him with his crimes, but insinuates his complaint in a welldevised parable, and thereby induces the king, before he is aware, to give sentence against himself. We should do well to imitate his conduct as occasion offers. If we accompany our admonitions with bitter invectives against the sinner, however wholesome our advice may be, we shall only exasperate, not reform him. Ill manners and ill language are always out of season. An angel would not bring "a railing accusation," against a devil 9. "Brethren," says St. Paul," if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted'." It behoves us to pray to God continually, that He would fill our hearts with a prudent zeal for his glory, with devout humility, and a sincere love for the souls of men; and then, if religion require it of us, we "shall have boldness to set our faces like a flint," and to show the haughtiest of sinners their transgression; but, at the same time, as the Apostle directs, we shall "count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother 2."

even

But to proceed with the history. "And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."

The behaviour of David, at the first hearing of

9 See Jude ver. 9.

1 Gal. vi. 1.

2 2 Thess. iii. 15.

Nathan's parable, (which he takes to be a narrative of real facts,) deserves to be particularly noted. It is a striking instance of that self-ignorance and self-deceit which is so common in the world; of our readiness to condemn with unpitying severity those very faults in others which we practise ourselves without remorse. For, with wonderful quick-sightedness do men behold "the mote" which is in their brother's eye, whilst scarcely any thing can bring them to consider "the beam" which is in their own eye. So it was with David: he had, indeed, committed adultery and murder; but, without doubt, he had framed some softening excuses to himself, and palliated the matter to his own conscience; for he seems (as I have already noticed) to have continued many months without any serious sense of the enormity of his guilt; and he might have hardened his heart much longer, if God had not sent Nathan to bring him to a sense of his sin. But when the prophet appears, and informs him of a flagrant act of oppression, committed, as he supposes, by another person, he is at no loss to perceive the iniquity of the deed his impartial judgment immediately decides upon it; and he exclaims, "As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die 1."

This was exactly what Nathan wanted, and he instantly retorts upon him, "Thou art the man.' Thou thyself art the person who hast been guilty of this heinous wickedness, and therefore by thine own sentence thou dost deserve to die. Self-deceived as he had been, David is now awakened. The prophet, therefore, assumes the tone of an ambassador from God, and proceeds, in language as plain as it is severe, to charge his crimes upon him, to aggravate them by a rehearsal of God's loving-kindness towards him, and to pronounce the sentence of Divine wrath against him: "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy

3 See Matt. vii. 3-5.

42 Sam. xii. 5.

master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun." These were dreadful threatenings; but David was now convinced that he had well deserved them. Instead, therefore, of attempting to justify himself, he instantly submits, and replies in the genuine spirit of repentance, “I have sinned against the Lord." His words are few (for true penitence is not talkative), but they have an extensive meaning. I do not intend, however, to enter now on the consideration of them, suffice it to say, at present, that David became in due season more exemplary for his humiliation, than he had been infamous for his sins. And the great Searcher of hearts, knowing, at the instant, that the good work was begun within him, put into the mouth of Nathan those gracious words, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit," the Prophet adds, "because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die."

There is this great evil in the scandalous sins of those who profess to be the servants of God, that they furnish the enemies of religion with matter for re

5 2 Sam. xii. 7-12.