But to return :

It is hardly poffible to dwell upon any relation like this of Abner, without being drawn into grave and ferious reflections in confequence of it.

A great man fallen, and fallen by fo unexpected and so surprising a treachery! and in the very article of returning to his duty; and in the eve of a great revolution, seemingly depending upon his fate!

TRUE but then this great man fported with the lives of his brethren; and perhaps deliberately opposed himself to the dictates of his known duty to God, for a series of years. He spilled the first blood shed in this civil war; and, it may be, all that was shed: at least, we hear of none, after the battle of Gibeon. This is evident, David declined all occafion of combat with his adverfaries; we hear of him no-where out of Hebron, during the whole course of this long civil war. This furely may be numbered among his felicities, never to have drawn his fword upon a fubject, in a conteft of feven (and a war of five) years continuance.

IT is true, Abner was now returned to his duty; but it is as true, that he returned to it now, as he departed from it before, upon a pique; and from motives of ambition, intereft and revenge. He well knew the purposes and declarations of God in relation to David, and yet he deliberately oppofed himself to them. And it is but just in the appointments of providence, (and nothing is more confpicuous in his government of the world) not to permit the wicked to effect that good, from wrong motives, which they once obftructed upon the fame principles. The occafions of duty once notoriously neglected, feldom return, at least to equal advantage. Let no man decline the good that is in his power; if he once does fo, he is no more worthy to be the happy inftrument of effecting it, in the hand of God. — To conclude;

A GREAT revolution apparently depended upon Abner's fate; but it did so only in the eye of human providence; as was plainly manifefted from the event.

CHAP.

CHA P. IV.

ISHBOSHETH'S Murder-AMilitia of a moft excellent Model inftituted by DAVID. Mr. BAYLE'S Cenfures upon DAVID's Intrigues with ABNER, confidered.

WH

us,

HEN Ibofbeth heard of Abner's death at Hebron, the text tells that his hands were feeble, and all the Ifraelites were troubled. He was greatly dismay'd, as well he might; for he was in effect difarmed: he had loft both his sword and his fhield in Abner. The people too were greatly concerned; for they loft their great and powerful agent with David; the man, in whom both he and they confided; the man (from his authority and credit both with the army and people) best able to conduct and confirm the league, then agreed to on both fides. But this perplexity did not last long.

ISHBOSHETH had two men, who were captains under him; captains of bands, the text ftyles them: but whether of regular forces, or fome flying party, whose business was spoil and prey, is not certain: we are only told, that their names were Rechab and Baanah, the fons of Rimmon, a Beerothite, of the tribe of Benjamin. These men came to Ifbbofheth's houfe at noon-day, upon pretence, whether of bringing in or taking out wheat, is not clear from the text; and finding him in his bedchamber, retired (as it is customary in hot climates) from the heat of the day, and faft afleep, they smote him, and cut off his head; and made the best of their way, travelling with it all night, until they came to David to Hebron.

WHY the circumftance of their fetching wheat is mentioned, is not fo much as conjectured by any of the commentators; and yet, I think, to an attentive reader, it is obvious enough. For, as their purpose was to cut off Ifhbofbeth's head, the pretext of carrying corn, gave them a fair opportunity of conveying away the head, in one of their facks.

As

As foon as they reached David, they produced their horrid prefent; and faid to the king, Behold the head of Ifbbofheth, the fon of Saul, thine enemy, which fought thy life: and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king, this day, of Saul, and of his feed.

DAVID, ftruck with abhorrence and detestation of the villainy, cry'd out to them, in a folemn appeal to Gop, As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my foul out of all adverfity, when one told me, faying, Behold, Saul is dead, I took hold of him, and flew him in Ziklag, who thought I would have given him a reward for his tidings; how much more, when wicked men have flain a righteous perfon in his own house, in his bed? Shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hands, and take you away from the earth? He then immediately commanded them to be flain, and their hands and feet, the inftruments and meffengers of murder, to be cut off, and hanged up over the pool at Hebron, as monuments of terror to treachery; and ordered Ibbofheth's head to be buried in the tomb, which he erected for Abner.