may cry out, What ailest thou, O Jordan, to runne back∣ward?
Thirdly, The nature of the sin was a very gross one, against the light of an Heathens conscience, to deflour his neighbours wife.
Fourthly, It was a trespass against his faithful servant Ʋriah, who was venturing his life to preserve David: This was horrible ingratitude.
Fifthly, This aggravation God addeth, That he had many other wives; and for him, as Nathan wisely reproved him, to go and take the poor mans lamb, who had only that, this was to become very guilty.
Sixthly, Here was great deliberation, and consultation, how to cover the matter, and to make Ʋriah the father of it. O where is Davids heart that it doth not smite him all this while?
Seventhly, To bring this wretched plot about, h•• sends Ʋriah with letters to Joab for his own destruction; Doth not David here, that which he condemned and prayed against so much in others, lie in wait like a Lion to devour the poor in∣nocent?
Eighthly, His sin becomes more hainous, in that to colour this, he will have Ʋriah, and many other innocent persons set in the fore-front, on purpose to be killed, and afterwards with most transcendent hypocrisie, excuseth it with this, The battel fals alike to all. So that here is a sinne with many sins complicated in it.
Ninthly, When all this is done, David takes Bathsheba to wife, delights in her, and rejoyceth with her.
Tenthly, To make his sinne out of measure sinful, after these horrid sins committed thus against natural light, as well as spiritual, we finde no remorse of conscience, no trouble of heart, till Nathan the Prophet come and arouse him. But pre∣sently upon his Reproof, How doth this Mountain melt like wax before the fire? And therefore let no man encourage him∣self with Davids sin, unless he finde in himself also Davids Re∣pentance.
And therefore in the second place take notice, what way