THE KING'S MIRROR 321 



were Ishbosheth's own men; you have committed a vile 

 and treacherous crime in laying hands upon your lord, 

 and you have not acted as if you were my men and did 

 this out of loyalty to me. Now it will be necessary for 

 you to suffer a swift revenge and a prompt punishment, 

 lest this deed draw you into everlasting torment. "/Then 

 David ordered his men to cut off their hands and feet 

 and afterwards to hang them beside a pool in a city 

 called Hebron.* 



LXIII 



THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD ILLUSTRATED BY THE STORY 

 OF DAVID AND SAUL 



Son. I will venture to ask one more question about 

 those cases in which it seems to me that God has passed 

 rather strange sentences. I am asking chiefly because I 

 find it hard to understand what reason or circumstance 

 can have caused the difference in these decrees which 

 I now intend to bring up. You stated earlier in your 

 speech tha^God deprived Saul of his kingdom because 

 he was too lenient in cases of homicideTlthough a man 

 will think that this was no great offence, as it is easy 

 enough to slay multitudes if that be regarded a better 

 deed than to let them live. Still, this leniency proved 

 such a grievous fault that God said He regretted having 

 chosen Saul king over his people, and immediately 

 threatened what He later carried out that the 

 kingship should never be transmitted to his descend- 

 ants; and immediately, though Saul was still living, He 



* II Samuel, iv. 



