SERMON VIII.

Joab laying hold on the Horns of the Altar.

I. KINGS ii. 30.

And he said, Nay, but I will die here.

THIS is the refolution of Joab, who had fled to the altar, as his laft refuge, when he knew, that king Solomon had determined to take away his life.

This Joab was a man of great diftinction in the reign of David. The king made him the chief commander of his army, and principal counsellor in war; and the duties of his high ftation he executed with wisdom, fidelity and courage. By his long continuance and eminent fervices in his office, he had acquired fuch unbounded influ ence among the foldiery, that he affumed, in fome cafes, an imperious controul over the king himself.

On certain occafions he expreffed some fenfe of religion. David's order for numbering the people" was abominable to Joab," and he remonftrated againft it as what would be "a caufe of tref pafs to Ifrael." Before his famous battle with the combined forces of Syria and Ammon, he addreff. ed the officers of his army in a speech, which fa

"Be of

voured highly of patriotifm and piety; good courage, and let us play the men for our people and the cities of our God. And the Lord do that, which feemeth him good."

But though he occafionally expreffed fome pi ous fentiments, yet in his habitual temper he was haughty, deceitful and ferocious. In an infidious and treacherous manner, and from mere jealousy and envy he affaffinated two men, Amafa and Abner, who were more righteous than himself. After the fuppreffion of Abfalom's rebellion, Joab threatened the king with another and more dangerous infurrection, if he continued to indulge his immoderate grief for the death of an unnatural fon. When, in the decline of David's life, Adonijah ufurped the throne, Joab joined the party of the ufurper, though he must have known, that the king intended to make Solomon his fucceffor. This complication of crimes induced David to leave it in charge to Solomon, that he should not fuffer Joab to go down to the grave in peace.

Solomon, after his father's demife, being firmly feated on his throne, caused Adonijah to be put to death; and he depofed and banished Abiathar the priest, who had been deeply concerned in the late ufurpation. Joab, hearing what meafures the king was taking, and being confcious of his own crimes, and perhaps knowing David's charge to Solomon, expected, that his own fate muft foon follow. He therefore filed to the tabernacle and caught hold on the horns of the altar. Solomon, being informed of Joab's flight to the altar, fent an officer to fall upon him. The officer came to him and faid, "Thus faith the king, Come forth," that the altar be not ftained with thy blood. Joab replied, "Nay, but I will die here." On a fecond order from the king, he was executed in that place.

In the land of Ifrael cities of refuge were appointed for the fecurity of the man, who had flain his neighbour unawares; and the tabernacle, at the door of which stood the altar of burnt-offering, was in fome cases allowed to be a place of refuge for the manflayer. But neither the cities nor the tabernacle were to yield protection to a wilful murderer. When it appeared, on examination, that the man came prefumptuously on his neighbour to flay him with guile, the divine order was exprefs, "Thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die."

Joab must have been too well acquainted with the law of God, to suppose, that a wilful murderer and a rebel against the government, fuch as he was, could be faved from death by fleeing to the altar.

The preservation of life was not his object in this action; for he expected still to die. He said, "I will die here." It is probable he viewed this flight to the altar as an act of religion, which became a dying finner, and would procure him pardon and acceptance with an offended God. His crimes were fuch as no facrifice of beasts could expiate, for the law had provided no atonement for prefumptuous fins. If he muft die, he would die on the altar, and make himself the facrifice, and his blood the atonement. If this laft act was accompanied with repentance of his fins and faith in the mercy of God, he certainly was forgiven. Whether this was the ftate of mind in which he died, the story is filent, and we cannot judge.

There is, however, one very ferious and important truth here fuggefted; "that men, who have lived all their days without a regard to religion, may wish for the benefit and protection of it, when they die."

In the hiftory of Joab's life, there is nothing, which indicates a governing fenfe of moral obli gation and a future retribution. We find him guilty of the moft flagrant crimes; but we never hear from him any expreffions of remorfe; we never fee him at the tabernacle feeking the mercy of God by prayer, nor at the altar prefenting a facrifice for any of his fins. His life feems to have been spent in the purfuit of military glory. To this object he could facrifice the lives of better men than himself, when they flood in his way. And if he ever reforted to religion, it was in fome critical conjuncture, when danger nearly threatened him.

But now Joab has finished his military and poHitical career. He is no longer to command an ar my, or direct a cabinet. He is grown old. He has filled up the measure of his crimes. Juftice has drawn the fword, and the day of execution is come. He fees no escape; he flees to the tabernacle and lays hold on the altar. Here he remains fixed, and here he refolves to die. He wishes to be protected, in his death, by that religion, which he had neglected in his life.

This is no fingular cafe. Similar examples are recorded in fcripture, and fimilar examples occur to common obfervation.

Pharaoh, that impious contemner of God, and hardened oppreffor of the people of God, could relent under a judgment, which threatened deftruction to himself and his realm. He could then acknowledge his dependence on a fuperior invifible power. He could call for the fervants of Jehovah in hafte, and urge their interceffion in his own and his country's behalf. He could fay, "I have finned againft the Lord your God, and against you; now therefore forgive my fin, and intreat the Lord,

that he may take away from me this death only." But, "when he faw that there was refpite, he hardened his heart." Of Ahab king of Ifrael it is faid, "There was none like him, who fold himfelf to work wickedness in the fight of the Lord." But when he heard the awful fentence of deftruction, which God denounced against him and his house, "he rent his cloathes, put fackcloth on his flesh, fafted and went foftly." Yet after this he could threaten and imprison a prophet of God for honeftly warning him of his danger, and could treat a premonition from God with infolent contempt. When God wrought wonders in the wilderness to supply the wants of his people," they finned yet more against him and tempted him in their hearts: but when he flew them, then they fought him; they turned and enquired early after him; and they remembered, that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer; yet they flattered him with their lips, and they lied to him with their tongues, for their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfaft in his covenant.' The Pfalmift fpeaks of it as a common cafe, that, "when fools," the defpifers of religion, "are by their fins brought near to the gates of death, then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and he faveth them out of their diftreffes; he healeth them, and delivereth them from deftruction." Yet he intimates, that few "praise the Lord for his goodnefs, and for his wonderful works to the children of men." Solomon obferves, that they, who in their prosperity defpife the reproofs and fet at nought the counfels of wisdom, will call on God and seek him earnestly in times, when diftrefs and anguish come upon them. He defcribes a proffigate youth, as mourning at the laft, when his fleth and body were confumed, and lamenting,