first inftance almost inconfiftent with the fecond. I fhall not endeavour to reconcile them; but confine the difcourfe fimply to Shimei; and make fuch reflections upon his character as may be of use to fociety.

Upon the news of his fon Abfalom's confpiracy, David had fled from Jerufalem, and from his own houfe for fafety: the reprefentation given of the manner of it, is truly affecnever was a fcene of forrow fo full of

ting:diftrefs!

The king fled with all his houfhold to fave himself from the fword of the man he loved: he fled with all the marks of humble forrow"with his head covered, and barefoot ;" and as he went by the afcent of mount Olivet, the facred hiftorian fays he wept-fome glad fome fcenes, perhaps, which there had paffedfome hours of festivity he had fhared with Abfalom in better days, preffed tenderly upon nahe wept at this fad viciffitude of things and all the people that were with him, fmitten with his affliction, covered each man his head-weeping as he went up.

ture,

:

It was on this occafion, when David had got

to Bahurim, that Shimei the fon of Gera, as we read in the 5th verfe, came out :—was it with the choiceft oils he could gather from mount Olivet, to pour into his wounds?— Times and troubles had not done enough; and thou cameft out, Shimei, to add thy portion

"And as he came, he curfed David, and threw ftones and caft duft at him; and thus said Shimei, when he curfed: Go to, thou man of Beliel-thou haft fought blood,—and behold thou art caught in thy own mischief; for now hath the Lord returned upon thee all the blood of Saul and his house.

There is no small degree of malicious craft in fixing upon a season to give a mark of enmity and ill will: a word,-a look, which at one time would make no impreffion-at another time wounds the heart; and like a fhaft flying with the wind, pierces deep, which, with its own natural force, would fcarce have reached the object aimed at.

This seemed to have been Shimei's hopes: but excels of malice makes men too quickfighted even for their own purpose. Could Shimei poffibly have waited for the ebb of David's paf

fions, and till the first great conflict within him had been over-then the reproach of being guilty of Saul's blood must have hurt him-his heart was poffeffed with other feelings-it bled for the deadly fting which Abfalom had given him he felt not the indignity of a strangerBehold, my fon Abfalom, who came out of my bowels, feeketh my life—how much more may Shimei do it?—let him alone; it may be the Lord may look upon my affliction, and requite me good for this evil."

An injury unanswered in course grows weary of itself, and dies away in a voluntary remorse. In bad difpofitions capable of no restraint but it has a different effect

fear

-the filent

digeftion of one wrong provokes a fecond.--He purfues him with the fame invective; and as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's fide over against him; and curfed as he went, and caft duft at him.

The infolence of bafe minds in fuccefs is boundless; and would fcarce admit of a comparifon, did not they themselves furnish us with one in the degrees of their abjection when evil returns upon them-the fame poor heart which

excites ungenerous tempers to triumph over a fallen adversary; in fome inftances feems to exalt them above the point of courage, finks them in others even below cowardice.

Not un

like fome little particles of matter struck off from the surface of the dirt by fun-fhinedance and sport there whilst it lafts—but the moment it is withdrawn-they fall down-for duft they are--and unto dust they will return

whilst firmer and larger bodies preserve the stations which nature has affigned them, subjected to laws which no change of weather can alter.

This laft, did not feem to be Shimei's cafe; in all David's profperity, there is no mention made of him-he thruft himself forward into the circle, and poffibly was numbered amongst friends and well-wishers.

When the scene changes, and David's troubles force him to leave his houfe in defpairShimei is the first man we hear of, who comes out against him.

The wheel turns round once more; Abfalom is caft down and David returns in peace-Shi. mei fuits his behaviour to the occafion, and is

the first man also who haftes to greet himand had the wheel turned round a hundred times, Shimei, I dare fay, in every period of its rotation, would have been uppermost.

O Shimei! would to heaven when thou wast flain, that all thy family had been flain with thee; and not one of thy resemblance left! but ye have multiplied exceedingly and replenished the earth; and if I prophefy rightly--Ye will in the end fubdue it.

There is not a character in the world which has fo bad an influence upon the affairs of it, as this of Shimei: whilft power meets with honeft checks, and the evils of life with honest refuge, the world will never be undone; but thou, Shimei, haft fapp'd it at both extremes; for thou corrupteft profperity-and it is thou who haft broken the heart of poverty: and so long as worthless spirits can be ambitious ones, it is a character we fhall never want. O! it infefts the court- the camp-the cabinet it infests the church go where you willin every quarter, in every profeffion, you fee a Shimei following the wheels of the fortunate through thick mire and clay.-