Sermon 92: 1 Samuel 25:36-43

36. Then Abigail came to Nabal: and behold he had a feast in his house like the feast of a king, and Nabal's heart was merry: for he was very drunk: and she did not tell him a word small or great until morning. 37. But at daybreak, when the wine had departed from Nabal, his wife told him these words, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38. And when ten days had passed, the Lord struck Nabal, and he died. 39. Which when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said: Blessed be the Lord who has judged the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept his servant from evil, and the Lord has returned the malice of Nabal upon his head. So David sent and spoke to Abigail to take her to himself as wife. 40. And David's young men came to Abigail at Carmel, and they spoke to her, saying: David has sent us to you, that he may take you to himself as wife. 41. Who rising up bowed prone to the earth, and said: Behold, let your handmaid be a maidservant, to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. 42. And Abigail hastened, and arose, and mounted upon an ass, and five maidens went with her, her attendants, and she followed the messengers of David: and she became his wife. 43. Saul however gave Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Lais, who was of Gallim.

To those considering the history we treated yesterday it would seem that God wished to spare Nabal: since he was next to death, had not God moved David from his enterprise by the counsel of Abigail. But the outcome shows that the punishment was deferred by the Lord, not removed; since when he seemed to have escaped divine vengeance having obtained mercy, for he had escaped David's hand, God restrained him by another means. And this now stands before us to be ex-

plained, namely that ten days having passed, Nabal was struck by the Lord and died. From which we learn that God does not punish our enemies in time, but even bears with them as if he winked at their crimes, having appointed an opportune time for punishing them. It is therefore for us to restrain our impatience, and since we so hasten to vengeance that, if God does not at once stretch out his avenging hand, we speak against him and impatiently bear that delay, the more attentively let us consider the examples set before us, in which God makes plain that he knows the opportunity for punishing those whom by his judgment he reserves, deferring their punishment. But in the first place let us pay attention to what the sacred page teaches, which everywhere attributes the authority of exercising vengeance to God alone. For by the words by which God describes vengeance as belonging to himself alone, all our senses are bridled, that we may learn to attribute to God what is proper to him: and our hands are held back as if by chains, lest each one wish to be judge in his own cause, and rage at his pleasure against enemies. Furthermore, since we have such fervid affections that they can scarcely be restrained by reason, God goes so far as to make us learn to moderate ourselves, and so to restrain our passions, that when enemies will seem unpunished, and God will be thought to have forgotten their crimes, we may nonetheless persuade ourselves that God has reasons why for a time he defers punishments, and the outcome will at last show that God has not forgotten his office, which is to be judge of the world: and accordingly there will be a time when they will stand before his judgment, and be made guilty, and render an account of their deeds, and pay the punishments owed for their crimes, although for a time the punishments are deferred. And indeed in the present time meditation on this doctrine is necessary, in which we see the conspiring enemies of truth insulting the wretched, threatening, and rising up with such audacity against the wretched faithful, that it seems to be over with them, and accordingly to sing victory and triumph. Therefore if we weigh their words and deeds, they will be found to have sinned in every way against God, and to have been guilty of injuries, and we shall wonder how the divine vengeance bears them so long unwilling, and call into doubt whether God is blind to their crimes, or has indeed forgotten to punish them according to their deserts. But while God defers his judgments, let us learn to restrain the too fervid heats of our passions, and to turn our mind and eyes both to the doctrine of the sacred page and to the examples set forth in it, and especially in this history. For when David had been provoked by the contumelies and injuries of Nabal, and was ready to take vengeance, he was hindered by the Lord from taking penalties from his enemy: meanwhile Nabal at home quiet was thought to have escaped punishment and just chastisement: but with men ceasing, God found that means of chastising according to deserts. Hence therefore let us learn to detract nothing from the divine right, but patiently bearing injuries, let us commit the whole matter to God, and await the opportuneness of his judgments; in no way doubting that at last ample occasion will be given us of glorifying him.

Meanwhile let us observe the circumstances which the Holy Spirit willed to be described here. Nabal therefore is said, when Abigail returned, to have been drunk, and accordingly his wife could not then declare to him the danger into which his folly had run, lest he turn to madness and fury. For wine has horns, as it were, by which, immoderately taken, it carries men away and makes them savage. Thus Nabal, being made drunk, if he had then understood from Abigail what had been done, would have burst into fury, and carried away by violent affections, would either have rushed upon her, or made an attack on David, in short would have caused great disturbances. Therefore at that time Abigail dissimulated the matter done, awaiting the opportunity, when he should have exhaled his crapulence, of declaring the whole matter to him. Therefore the next day she narrated the matter done to him, by which news he is said to have been vehemently astonished, and a little after to have died. Hence first let us notice what kind and how great is men's intemperance, that they gorge themselves with wine beyond measure. Nabal's feast indeed was not of itself to be blamed: for it is permitted by divine law to invite friends to a feast and to treat them more liberally: but it appears that Nabal sinned in excess, when it is said to have been a royal feast, that he is noted as having transgressed the limits of his condition. Hence let each learn to keep himself within the limits of temperance, and not to sin in feasts by luxury and intemperance, since for the most part luxury is accompanied by poverty or many such inconveniences. A measure therefore must be kept, that without avarice and tenacity sobriety nevertheless has its place. But especially to be blamed is that drunkenness of Nabal, who though at first said to have had a merry heart, is yet shown afterwards to have been so overwhelmed with wine that he left no further place for reason, and was changed into a beast, so much so that without occasion he raged and went mad. But not without reason is this phrase used in this passage: that Nabal had a merry heart: for it is a customary proverb among drunkards, to either lessen or cover up their vice. And if anyone is asked about another's drunkenness, he most often answers that he was merry. Drunkenness always has many advocates to cover up the foulness which is in it: just as experience more than enough gives proof, that men by drunkenness are transformed into swine, and as far as is in them, the image of God, to which they were created and formed, is deleted by them. Since therefore men commonly so excuse drunkenness, the Holy Spirit, accommodating himself to common speech, uses the same phrase, when he says: Nabal had a merry and joyful heart. But afterwards he shows that that merriment was detestable, ...forget their condition, and wallow like swine in the mire of pleasures, and come to such a stupor that, if they had fallen into the power of their enemies, they could not be afflicted by them with greater shame and disgrace than what they bring upon themselves. So much the more therefore must we cultivate sobriety; and although God created wine to gladden the heart of man, as the prophet says in the Psalms. For so great is his liberality toward the human race that he supplies us not only with what is sufficient to nourish the body, but also with what makes for abundance and pleasantness; just as wine was given not only to sustain the human heart, but also to gladden it. Let us therefore learn to use moderation in drink, that we may always be able to render thanks to God, and not be so overwhelmed by food and drink that we become unfit to perform our duty -- namely, to invoke God purely, to serve our neighbor, and to fulfill the parts of our calling. Finally, let not the cheerfulness and pleasure we take from wine disturb the worship of God; but rather let us with all our strength be intent on God's commandments. For if we so gorge ourselves with food and drink that we are rendered incapable of worshiping God as our duty requires, certain it is that the gifts of God which he had granted us for our use are profaned by us. Therefore God put into wine this power, that it should gladden the heart of man; but the intemperance and abuse of it is intolerable, and the earth itself demands vengeance from the Lord, as if his blood were rashly shed. Let us therefore use wine and the other created things soberly and temperately, that being satisfied with them we may receive new strength to fulfill the parts of our calling, and more and more to proclaim the praises of God, and to receive new strength to sustain the parts of our calling, in whatever place and in whatever manner God has commanded, and shall wish to test our obedience. And therefore the holy exhortations and admonitions by which we are commanded to abstain from luxury and intemperance must often be meditated upon -- because by these we are driven into many vices and crimes. Therefore, although God sometimes grants the power of living more freely, nevertheless let us know that gluttony is not to be indulged, but that immoderate and intemperate appetites must be bridled, knowing that God is the judge of men, and accordingly will not leave so great a vice unpunished. Therefore Paul exhorts us to keep temperance in food and drink, lest through luxury and immoderation we do anything by which by these steps we may be led to any evil whatever, until we have fully satisfied our depraved desires. Therefore although God sometimes grants us, with thanksgiving, the power of living more liberally and lavishly, yet at the same time he teaches us that we are insatiable, and that, where we have given the reins to our desires, we are prone to every wickedness, and devoid of all reason. Therefore we must attend to what God permits, lest we leap over the bounds set before us; but let us fight against carnal desires and pleasures, lest our mind, deprived of reason, be driven from the pure and sincere worship of God.

Moreover, this also is to be observed -- that although God permits these intemperate ones somewhat looser reins, nevertheless when they have slept off their drunkenness, he sells intemperance dearly, and sends them into such a stupor that they seem to be beside themselves and utterly dull. Indeed, if Nabal had always been sober, even on hearing from his wife of the danger into which his folly had brought him, he would have been disturbed indeed, but not mortally affected. But although he had slept off his drunkenness, yet he still retained his mind oppressed -- as many are accustomed to be dulled from yesterday's drunkenness, and although they stagger neither in tongue nor in feet, yet they have a disturbed mind, so that no place at all remains for reason, and they themselves invent terrors and admit no counsel for their evils. So Nabal, terrified at hearing the message from his wife, was utterly stunned and stood like the Marpesian rock. Therefore, he who before grew insolent, and overcome with wine arrogantly puffed himself up, is cast down by the hand of God and overwhelmed with disgrace and shame. Hence therefore let us observe that those who live soberly and temperately, though indeed terrified at impending evils, yet are not deprived of reason and counsel -- because that fear has regard to God, on whom relying they do not cast away hope. But on the contrary the gluttons and those leading their life intemperately, who for a time have seemed to have put off all humanity as far as in them lay, will be shaken by such great terror when God's hand shall hasten to their punishment, that no place will remain for reason; and since by their drunkenness they wished to be transformed into beasts, and have departed from the duties of faithful men, they will utterly degenerate even into beasts as God's vengeance pursues them.

And of these things thus far. Let us proceed to what follows, in which God is said to have struck Nabal so that after ten days he died. It could be doubted whether God had wished to punish Nabal or not, unless the Holy Spirit had expressly met this doubt, and indicated that that sudden and unexpected death had proceeded from God as a just punishment, by which he took penalties from Nabal both for his pride and arrogance and for his drunkenness. For to those insults by which he had provoked David, he had also added drunkenness, by which he seemed to wish to harden himself even against God. Indeed, in the judgment of men Nabal's sin did not seem so very grave; but let us know that this is our condition -- to leave their judgments to God, and quietly to subscribe to them. For if we measured sins by our own rule, the gravest crimes we should call the slightest sins and, as they say, venial; but on the contrary the light ones we should make the greatest. For such is the levity and inconstancy of the human mind, such its rashness, that it judges rashly and inconsiderately, according as ...the disposition of the affections is varied, by which it inclines to this side or that. Then there is also such ignorance, that it notices only what appears outwardly, not what lies hidden in the inner recesses of the heart. Therefore men notice certain light vices, but not those which lie hidden in the heart, the greatest and gravest. Therefore, if we are to bring a right judgment about vices, if we wish sincerely to judge of right and wrong, we must measure them not by our own rule -- that is, by human judgment, or rather opinion -- but by God's judgment and standard. Nor indeed is it to be expected that God should descend from the heavens to disclose his judgment to us in visible form; for we have the sacred Scriptures, from which we can clearly understand which vices are an abomination to God. We therefore can judge and condemn the outward deeds of men by God's word; but yet to pass sentence upon their thoughts is not within human power. Rather, we must wait patiently until God himself reveals what is hidden, as Daniel teaches. Therefore, recognizing the slowness and dullness of our understanding, let us not dare anything beyond our capacity. But whatever men may think of Nabal, we see him held convicted of a great crime before God; and that those insults which someone might judge him to have inconsiderately spewed forth against David were not of small moment. For such a judgment about Nabal might seem capable of being passed by them: 'Granted, Nabal afflicted David with insults, called him a wanderer, fugitive, robber, brigand, and was even ungrateful toward him -- was he therefore to be punished with death, who was not sufficiently in his right mind?' But indeed God judged otherwise, whose judgments are right and never sin in excess. Therefore when God avenged with death those insults by which David had been wounded by Nabal, let us know that he reckoned them as done to himself in David's person. For indeed they redounded to God himself, since David had not of his own motion seized the royal crown, nor undertaken anything of himself, but had been called by God and confirmed by external anointing. Therefore Nabal, attacking David with insults and trampling his honor under foot, was injurious and blasphemous against God himself. But we, although we have not been raised to the same degree of dignity as David, yet know what sacred Scripture proclaims about us -- namely, that we are dear to God as the apple of his eye, and that he will avenge all the insults and injuries with which we shall be afflicted. Therefore let us cast ourselves and our affairs upon God; and although enemies promise themselves impunity when they have raged most cruelly against us, let us patiently wait until the time of vengeance shall arrive, in which God by his judgment shall envelop them and crush them unawares; and shall make manifest in fact how much he esteems those whom they regarded as worthless and abject little men. Therefore from this passage let us learn, first of all, never to murmur against God, or to contend against him when he passes sentence not according to the opinion of our judgment; but let us peacefully accept whatever he shall do, and judge it good and right. Then, that God exercises such great care for his faithful, and holds their life so dear, that he reckons injuries inflicted on them as done to himself, and avenges with such bitter punishments those who have made sport of us, that they may feel that they have offended divine majesty, and that they have to deal not with little men but with that majesty itself. For God professes himself to be the shield and defense of wretched and abject men.

For this reason David gives thanks to God that he has avenged the injury and unjust disgrace done to him, in these words: Blessed be Jehovah, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from Nabal, and has kept his servant from evil. David gives thanks to God in these words for two things: first, that he has shown in fact how dear he was to him, since he undertook his cause against Nabal; second, that he had not permitted him to avenge his own injuries and to shed blood in Nabal's family, lest he should have failed to keep moderation, since in his anger he could have raged more cruelly. As to the first, someone may ask whether it was lawful for David to demand vengeance from God against Nabal. For, as we said before, we are not only forbidden to avenge private injuries, but we are also commanded to keep the mind and the affection free from all desire of vengeance. If anyone therefore does not indeed take vengeance on his enemy by his own hand and strength, but in the meantime curses him with imprecations, and longs for him to be struck by God's thunderbolt, he does not seem to have done his duty, but rather to have cast off charity. Therefore whoever shall outwardly abstain from evil but inwardly burn with hatred and enmities, and shall long for the destruction of his enemy and that even from the Lord, will rightly be held a homicide before God, although he has not so much as moved a finger toward evil. David therefore seems not to have been able to demand vengeance from the Lord upon Nabal without grievously sinning against the law of God. If he could not do this, surely it seems that neither could he give thanks to God for the dead Nabal. For our prayers and thanksgivings ought to be conformed to God's will, just as the conclusion of the prayer which our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us shows that all our affections must be referred to that. When therefore we hear David giving thanks because God had struck Nabal with a plague and he was dead, it appears that he had previously had in his prayers that for which he gives thanks -- namely, vengeance. Hence let us learn that it is dangerous rashly to wish to imitate the examples of the most holy and most perfect men, unless we follow the rule prescribed in the Sacred Writings, namely that their deeds and sayings should be measured by that divine standard. For, by way of example, if anyone proposes to himself David's deed as a rule to be imitated, he concludes that it is lawful for him, while abstaining from vengeance, nevertheless... ...to demand the same from the Lord, and to take delight in the death of his enemies. By such reasoning the outward worship will be rendered to God, but there will be no inward worship, and accordingly the chief part of duty will be lacking. Therefore, when Scripture narrates certain peculiar deeds of the saints, let us learn not simply to draw them into example, nor to wish to imitate altogether what they did, but rather let us measure all our actions by the divine rule prescribed in the Sacred Writings. For if we look to Scripture, it will appear that we cannot indeed in every way demand vengeance from the Lord against our enemies, nor in every way rejoice over their punishments, but yet in some way we can. I do not say this without reason. For the rule of our duty bids us to pray simply for the conversion of our enemies, and to implore God's mercy toward them, and for the evils which they inflict on us, and the destruction which they devise for us, to be zealous for their good and welfare. Finally, our prayers must rest upon charity, and our affections must be bent to mercy, so that, since we see our enemies to be wretched creatures and wandering from the Lord, we may pray to God to lead the wretched back into the right way of salvation, and when we are able, do them good. For if we are commanded to do good even to the laboring ass of an enemy, what, I ask, do we owe to themselves? And Moses by name commands that the ox or ass or some similar beast of an enemy fallen into a pit be lifted up and led out. And this is what charity commands. Yet meanwhile it is permitted, if enemies have remained inexorable and incorrigible in their malice, to pray to God that he may put forth his hand and fulfill the parts of judge as it shall seem just; but yet with so moderate an affection that we may truly testify that we do not nourish a depraved spirit against our enemies. But since this rarely happens, the more must we be suspicious of ourselves, and restrain our appetites with tighter reins. For not without cause does Peter admonish us to commit injuries inflicted on us to God, who calls himself the God of vengeances. Therefore he exhorts the faithful to patience by setting forth the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the pattern of all perfection; and accordingly he says that, not rendering evil for evil, we can commit our cause to God, whom we know will be the judge of it. To this then God himself recalls us when he says: Vengeance is mine. Not otherwise does Paul show what the parts of our duty are, in these words: Give place to wrath. For by this precept he teaches that we must abstain from all insult and violence against enemies and adversaries, and rather give all diligence that by frequent admonitions they may be brought back into the right way; but if nevertheless they more and more rise up maliciously and obstinately against us, that we may implore God's avenging hand against their stubbornness. Therefore I said above that we can in some way implore God's vengeance; and when we have performed the offices of charity, we may invoke God's justice, that he may render to each according to merits -- yet so that we do not shut the door of mercy. Therefore we must wait patiently to see whether God will convert them and call them back to true repentance; and we must intercede for them also in these or similar words: Lord, cast the eye of your clemency and fatherly goodness upon those wretches who walk the way of perdition; whom however if you willest to leave obstinately clinging to perversity and to reprobate, send upon them so great and so horrible a confusion that they may be an example to all of your judgments. Moreover, I said also that it is in some way lawful to rejoice in their punishments. For not without reason did the prophet say: The faithful man shall rejoice when he sees vengeance, and shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. For indeed when God exercises his judgments against the wicked, a great occasion of joy is offered to the upright -- because he has had mercy on them, and so they are the more incited to invoke him; and his singular love toward them appears, to whose prayers he has shown himself so ready; and a greater material for glorifying him, because he has shown himself kind toward his wretched faithful, and has taken vengeance on enemies. So then we can compose our prayers against the wicked in such a way that on the other hand we shudder when God puts forth the severity of his judgments against the wicked. Why so? Because the affection of humanity teaches us to groan when we behold a creature formed in the image of God perishing by his own fault under divine judgment; and charity bids us to be so moved by their evils that we strive to recall them to a better way. Then we must be terrified by fear of the divine judgments, considering that God, if he should deal with us by the strict rigor of right, and unless he had pity on us, would find sufficient material in us for destroying us, and thrusting us with them into the abyss of hell. Therefore it becomes us to be humbled before him, because, although they are creatures of God just as we are, yet they are punished, while we are protected by his benevolence. But let there be no doubt that God sets forth their example to us, that we may learn wisdom and humble ourselves before him. On the other hand, let us rejoice when we see God's vengeance against conspiring enemies, provided however that we keep moderation, and can sincerely testify before God that we are led by no depraved affections. Therefore, to return to David, it appears that he was able to pray that God would avenge him, and even to rejoice in Nabal's destruction -- especially since in his destruction the divine judgment manifestly appeared, and Nabal had been reprobated by the Lord -- and nevertheless to retain a human affection. For there is no doubt that he had wished Nabal to return to a sound mind and to repent; but since it had seemed otherwise to God, he acquiesces in the justice of his judgments, and gives thanks.

As for the other part of that prayer or thanksgiving, in which David gives thanks to God that he had not allowed his servant to avenge his private injury, but had withdrawn him from evil — this is not to be lightly passed over. As for what he says about evil, it is not to be understood as if David were striving to justify himself in such a way as to be pure from all evil; but David rejoices that he was hindered by the Lord through the intervention of that woman, lest he should perpetrate the evil he had thought of; and he acknowledges that he would have been guilty of a grave crime before God, had he not been restrained. He testifies therefore that he acknowledges God's twofold goodness toward him: first, that he forbade him to commit so grave a crime when he was ready to do so; then, that he took penalties from the wicked man. By David's example let us learn to restrain our affections with such tight reins that we may truly be able to rejoice when God exercises his judgments against the wicked, because we are conscious of no depraved will and no hidden desire of vengeance in ourselves; but with a pure heart let us behold his judgments and rest in them. And besides, let us also give thanks to God when he has drawn us back from evil. For although we are already guilty before his judgment when we have conceived in our mind some wicked deed, even though it has not gone forth into act, yet we ought to give him thanks that he has not permitted to break out into act what we had wished in our soul. Indeed we ought also to pray that he would restrain even our depraved thoughts. For such is the nature of men, that at every moment we are driven by depraved thoughts and affections, unless God hinders. Therefore, since we are so prone to all vices, when we are held back by divine power, let us count it as a supreme benefit, and give thanks to God, acknowledging ourselves on this account most greatly indebted to him; and by David's example let us learn, when forbidden to pursue private injuries, to be grateful — because if we have once given loose reins to anger, we can scarcely afterwards lead them back, and we leave no place for God's goodness. But if we have been patient, and have urged our enemies to repentance, but they have obstinately persisted in malice, let us be persuaded that God will put forth his hand and undertake the defense of our cause.

There follows next that David sent messengers to Abigail, that they might bring her to him as a wife, although he had previously also taken Ahinoam. As for Abigail, it was lawful for David to take her in marriage, because Michal the daughter of Saul had been snatched from him, and given to another — although later he received her back, as we shall see hereafter. Therefore since his wife had been taken away from him, and had cohabited with another, so that her husband could not lawfully be his, David could take Abigail as wife; and since he had known her to be a prudent woman and remarkable for virtue, it is no wonder if he sought her for himself in marriage. And indeed the manner he followed was praiseworthy: that he did not himself approach her and take her as wife, but treated of marriage through messengers — otherwise he would have seemed to lead her away unwilling, either by authority or by force. Therefore, that the marriage might be free, he sent messengers to her, that she might acquiesce in David's requests not unwilling but willing. As for the other one, Ahinoam, we cannot excuse and free David from blame. We ought not however to think that he so indulged his pleasures as to add a second wife to the first; but rather we should judge that he was forced by necessity, and so studied to provide for his affairs — as those placed in the greatest straits are wont to seek means by which to protect themselves, and to support themselves by alliances and the bonds of kinship and affinity. Nevertheless this was a vicious and unlawful manner of providing for his affairs, since it was contrary to the first institution of marriage — although not so vicious as if marriage had been sought by him for the sake of pleasures. But in sum David's deed is to be condemned, because he took two wives at once — which is sufficiently apparent from the first creation of man, where the Lord says: It is not good for man to be alone; therefore let us make him a help meet for him. He brought forth therefore from his unchangeable counsel a decree, that man ought to be content with one wife. For he did not say, 'Let us make for him two helps,' but 'a help meet for him.' By this sufficient testimony David is in this place condemned: for it is the unchangeable and irrevocable decree of God, and what God appointed at the beginning is to be held in place of an unchangeable law. Then also in another place Scripture commands that each man have his own wife, and on the contrary that each woman have her own husband. Therefore if any man wishes to have several wives, he does injury to his wife and violates the law of God. For the same rule is prescribed to both, that the woman should have her own husband, and the man his own wife. Therefore if anyone today should presume to himself the license of having several wives, he must tear himself in parts. Therefore David is rightly condemned for taking two wives. And indeed, I confess, the same happened to Abraham and Isaac; but, as I said before, the examples of the ancient faithful are not rashly to be drawn into a law: but rather we must have recourse to God's law and institution, and acquiesce in that alone without contradiction. And accordingly, if any deeds of holy men are in agreement with the word of God, they are to be admitted as good and set forth as an example; if not, they are to be condemned and rejected. And since we see both David and others falling in this matter, let us know that we must walk in the fear of God with so much greater care and zeal, and not give license to our affections to follow such great confusion, lest we come into an immense labyrinth of evils. Of which thing let David himself be the example, who from this lapse fell into many more, taking many wives — which we shall pursue more fully in due course in the series of the history. Therefore the examples of such servants of God are not rashly to be imitated, but evil is to be discerned from good; and therefore Paul elsewhere admonishes us to follow and imitate him as... ...we see him to be an imitator of the Lord Jesus Christ. And elsewhere he bids us imitate his faith — lest men go astray and rashly imitate the examples of this man or that. Moreover, when we behold the most excellent and most holy servants of God so easily falling in many things, let us acknowledge that we, who are far more frail, ought to strive with greater zeal, lest we be hurried headlong into such vices; and let us pray to God with more ardent vows, that he would govern us by his Holy Spirit, and engrave in our hearts so great a fear of his majesty, that we may render him true obedience in all things, and not be carried off into a vain piety, bearing before us the mask of the Christian name, and abuse so venerable a title to our destruction; but rather, in fear and simplicity, let each one walk in his own calling, until we are fully clothed with his righteousness, toward which we strive.

Now then, come, etc.

## HOMILIA XCIII.

36. Then Abigail came to Nabal: and behold he had a feast in his house like the feast of a king, and Nabal's heart was merry; for he was very drunk. She did not tell him a word, small or great, until morning. 37. But at daybreak, when the wine had left Nabal, his wife told him these words, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38. And when ten days had passed, the Lord struck Nabal, and he died. 39. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said: Blessed be the Lord, who has judged the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil. The Lord has returned the malice of Nabal upon his own head. So David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her to himself as wife. 40. And David's young men came to Abigail at Carmel and spoke to her, saying: David has sent us to you, that he may take you to himself as wife. 41. She rose and bowed face down to the earth, and said: Behold, let your servant be a maidservant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. 42. And Abigail hurried and arose and mounted a donkey, and five maidens went with her as her attendants. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife. 43. Saul, however, gave Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Lais, who was of Gallim.

Looking back at yesterday's account, it might seem as though God intended to spare Nabal — since Nabal was near death, and God had moved David from his plan through Abigail's counsel. But the outcome shows that God only deferred the punishment, not removed it. Though Nabal seemed to have escaped God's vengeance by escaping David's hand, God restrained him by another means. And this is what we must now ex-

plain: after ten days had passed, the Lord struck Nabal and he died. From this we learn that God does not always punish our enemies immediately. He may seem to overlook their crimes for a time — but He has appointed the right moment for punishing them. We must therefore restrain our impatience. We are so eager for vengeance that if God does not immediately stretch out His hand in judgment, we grumble against Him and bear the delay poorly. The examples God sets before us deserve our careful attention — He shows through them that He knows the right time to punish those He reserves for judgment, and that He defers punishment deliberately. First of all, let us pay attention to what Scripture teaches throughout: it attributes the authority to carry out vengeance to God alone. In the words by which God claims vengeance as belonging to Himself alone, all our impulses are bridled. We learn to give to God what is His. Our hands are held back as if in chains, so that no one acts as judge in his own case or rages against enemies as he pleases. Since our passions are so intense that reason can barely restrain them, God goes further: He trains us to moderate ourselves and hold our passions in check. When enemies seem unpunished and God seems to have forgotten their crimes, we must still persuade ourselves that God has reasons for deferring punishment for a time. The outcome will eventually show that God has not forgotten His office as judge of the world — there will come a time when they will stand before His judgment, be found guilty, give account of their deeds, and pay what is owed for their crimes, even if the punishment was delayed. This teaching is especially necessary in our time, when we see the enemies of truth insulting the faithful, threatening them, and rising up against them with such boldness that their defeat seems certain — as if victory and triumph already belonged to those enemies. If we weigh their words and deeds, we find they have sinned against God in every way and are guilty of countless injuries. We wonder how God's vengeance can bear with them so long, and we begin to doubt whether God sees their crimes or has forgotten to punish them as they deserve. But while God defers His judgments, let us learn to hold back the too-hot fire of our passions and turn our minds and eyes to the teaching of Scripture and the examples set forth in it — especially in this account. David had been provoked by Nabal's insults and injuries and was ready to take revenge. The Lord prevented him from exacting punishment from his enemy. Meanwhile Nabal at home sat quietly, thinking he had escaped punishment and just consequences. But when human instruments had stopped, God found His own way to chastise him as he deserved. Let us therefore take nothing away from God's authority. Let us bear injuries patiently, commit the whole matter to God, and wait for the right time of His judgments — in no way doubting that at last ample occasion will come for us to give Him glory.

Notice the details the Holy Spirit chose to record here. When Abigail returned, Nabal was drunk — so drunk that his wife could not then tell him the danger his own folly had brought on him, for fear it would drive him to rage and fury. Wine, taken beyond measure, acts like horns on a man — it carries him away and makes him savage. If Nabal had learned from Abigail at that moment what had happened, he would have exploded in fury, been swept off by violent emotions, and either turned on her or launched an attack on David — in short, he would have caused terrible disorder. So Abigail kept the matter to herself and waited for the right moment — until he had slept off his drunkenness — before telling him the whole story. The next morning she told him everything, and the news is said to have struck him with a violent shock. Shortly afterward, he died. First, notice how great and extreme a thing is men's intemperance when they gorge themselves with wine beyond measure. Nabal's feast was not itself blameworthy — God's law permits inviting friends to a feast and entertaining them well. But Nabal clearly went too far when the feast is described as worthy of a king; this shows he had exceeded the limits appropriate to his position. Let everyone therefore learn to keep within the bounds of temperance and not sin through excess and luxury at feasts, since luxury most often brings poverty or many other painful consequences. Moderation must be kept: sobriety should have its place without being pushed to the extreme of stinginess. Especially to be condemned is Nabal's drunkenness. First he is said to have had a merry heart — but then we see he was so overwhelmed by wine that reason had no place left in him, and he became like a beast, raging and acting mad without any cause. The phrase 'merry heart' is not used without significance here. It is a common saying among drunkards — a way of diminishing or covering up their vice. If you ask someone about another person's drunkenness, the answer most often is that he was 'merry.' Drunkenness always finds many defenders to hide the ugliness in it. But experience more than proves that drunkenness transforms people into swine, and as far as it is in their power, they erase in themselves the image of God in which they were created. Since people commonly excuse drunkenness this way, the Holy Spirit accommodates Himself to common speech when He says that Nabal had a merry and joyful heart — then shows immediately that this merriment was detestable. People forget who they are and wallow like swine in the mud of pleasure, reaching such a stupor that, even if they fell into the hands of their enemies, no enemy could bring upon them greater shame and disgrace than what they bring upon themselves. All the more, then, must we cultivate sobriety. God created wine to gladden the heart of man, as the psalmist says — such is His generosity toward the human race that He supplies not only what is necessary to sustain the body but also what makes for abundance and delight. Wine was given not only to maintain life but to bring joy. Let us therefore learn to drink in moderation, so that we can always give thanks to God and not be so overwhelmed by food and drink that we become unfit for our duty — which is to call on God with a pure heart, serve our neighbor, and fulfill the responsibilities of our calling. Let the pleasure we take from wine never disturb the worship of God. Instead, let us with all our strength be fixed on God's commands. If we gorge ourselves with food and drink until we are unable to worship God as we ought, we have profaned the very gifts He granted us for our use. God gave wine the power to gladden the heart of man — but the abuse and excess of it is intolerable, and the earth itself seems to cry out to God for vengeance when His gift is used so recklessly. Let us therefore use wine and all created things soberly and temperately — so that, refreshed by them, we may find new strength to fulfill the duties of our calling, to proclaim God's praises, and to offer obedience wherever and however God commands and wishes to test us. The holy warnings in Scripture calling us to abstain from luxury and excess must be often meditated upon, because these sins drive us into many other vices and crimes. Even when God sometimes grants us the freedom to live more freely, we must not indulge gluttony. Immoderate and intemperate appetites must be bridled, knowing that God is the judge of all people and will not leave so great a vice unpunished. Paul therefore urges us to keep temperance in food and drink, so that through luxury and excess we do not take steps that lead us, one after another, into every kind of evil until our corrupt desires are fully satisfied. Even when God sometimes allows us, with thanksgiving, to live more freely and generously, He is at the same time showing us that we are insatiable — and that once we give our desires free rein, we slide easily into every form of wickedness and lose all reason. We must attend carefully to what God permits and not leap over the limits He has set. Let us fight against fleshly desires and pleasures, lest our minds, stripped of reason, be driven away from the pure and sincere worship of God.

Notice also this: although God may give those who are intemperate somewhat loose rein for a time, once they have slept off their drunkenness He makes them pay a steep price — sending such a stupor upon them that they seem completely beside themselves, utterly dull. Had Nabal always been sober, hearing from his wife about the danger his folly had brought on him would certainly have disturbed him — but probably not fatally. But even after sleeping off the drunkenness, his mind remained clouded. Many people are dulled in exactly this way by the previous night's drinking — they neither stagger in speech nor stumble on their feet, yet their minds are disturbed and disordered, leaving no room for reason. They imagine terrors and cannot take any counsel for the trouble before them. So Nabal, hearing his wife's account, was completely stunned — he stood like a rock. The man who had been insolent before, who had puffed himself up with arrogant pride while soaked in wine, was now cast down by God's hand and overwhelmed with shame and disgrace. Let us notice this contrast: those who live soberly and temperately, though they may be frightened by approaching trouble, are not stripped of reason and sound judgment — because their fear looks to God, on whom they rely and in whom they do not abandon hope. But those who live in gluttony and excess, who for a time seem to have shed all humanity as far as it was in their power, will be shaken by overwhelming terror when God's hand moves to punish them. Left with no room for reason, they will utterly degenerate — because they wished to be transformed into beasts through their drunkenness and abandoned the duties of faithful people, so God's judgment fulfills exactly what they chose.

So much for that. Let us proceed to what follows, where God is said to have struck Nabal so that he died after ten days. We might have wondered whether God intended to punish Nabal or not — but the Holy Spirit directly answers this doubt, making clear that this sudden and unexpected death came from God as a just punishment for both Nabal's arrogance and his drunkenness. To the insults by which he had provoked David, he had added drunkenness — by which he seemed to want to harden himself even against God. In human eyes, Nabal's sin may not have seemed especially serious. But let us understand our place: we are to leave judgments to God and quietly accept them. If we measured sins by our own standard, we would call the gravest crimes light and excusable — while making light things out to be enormous. Such is the fickleness and instability of the human mind: it judges rashly and carelessly, swayed by whatever the emotions of the moment favor. On top of this, there is such ignorance in us that we notice only what appears outwardly — not what lies hidden in the inner recesses of the heart. People notice certain visible vices, but not the greatest and most serious ones that lie concealed within. Therefore, if we want to judge rightly about vice and distinguish right from wrong, we must not measure it by our own rule — that is, by human judgment or merely human opinion — but by God's judgment and standard. We need not expect God to come down from heaven and reveal His judgment to us in visible form — we have the Holy Scriptures, from which we can clearly understand which vices are an abomination to God. We can judge and condemn people's outward deeds by God's Word; but to pass sentence on their inner thoughts is beyond human power. We must wait patiently until God Himself reveals what is hidden, as Daniel teaches. Recognizing how slow and dull our understanding is, let us not venture beyond what we are capable of. Whatever people might think of Nabal, God held him convicted of a serious crime. Those insults someone might dismiss as thoughtless words spewed out against David were not small in God's sight. A human verdict might go like this: 'Granted, Nabal insulted David, called him a wanderer, a fugitive, a robber — and was ungrateful toward him. But does that deserve death, for a man who wasn't quite in his right mind?' But God judged otherwise — and God's judgments are right and never err in excess. When God avenged with death the insults Nabal had heaped on David, let us understand that God reckoned those insults as done to Himself in David's person. They did indeed reach up to God Himself — for David had not seized the royal crown on his own, nor undertaken anything of himself. He had been called by God and confirmed by outward anointing. So when Nabal attacked David with insults and trampled his honor underfoot, he was being contemptuous and blasphemous against God Himself. We have not been raised to the same degree of dignity as David — yet we know what Scripture declares about us: that we are precious to God as the apple of His eye, and that He will avenge all the insults and injuries done to us. Let us therefore cast ourselves and our affairs on God. Though enemies promise themselves impunity when they rage most cruelly against us, let us wait patiently until the time of vengeance comes — when God will by His judgment overtake and crush them before they are aware, and show in plain fact how highly He values those they regarded as worthless and insignificant. From this passage, then, let us learn first never to murmur against God or contend with Him when His sentence does not match our expectations. Let us calmly accept whatever He does and judge it good and right. And second, let us learn that God exercises such great care for His faithful and holds their lives so dear that He reckons injuries done to them as done to Himself — avenging those who have made sport of us with such severe punishment that they feel they have offended divine majesty and are dealing not with insignificant people but with that majesty itself. For God declares Himself to be the shield and defender of the weak and lowly.

This is why David gives thanks to God for avenging the unjust injury and disgrace done to him, saying: 'Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil.' David gives thanks for two things: first, that God showed in action how dear David was to Him by taking up his cause against Nabal; second, that God did not permit David to avenge his own injuries and shed blood in Nabal's household — keeping him from going too far, since in his anger he could have raged far more cruelly. On the first point, someone might ask: was it lawful for David to call on God to avenge him against Nabal? As we said before, we are not only forbidden to take personal revenge — we are also commanded to keep our minds and affections free from all desire for vengeance. If someone refrains from taking vengeance with his own hand but secretly curses his enemy and longs for God to strike him down, he has not done his duty — he has thrown off charity. Whoever outwardly abstains from violence but inwardly burns with hatred, longing for his enemy's destruction even at God's hand, is rightly counted a murderer before God — though he has not moved a finger toward harm. David, then, might seem unable to call on God for vengeance against Nabal without gravely sinning against God's law. And if he could not do that, it seems he could hardly give thanks to God for Nabal's death — since our prayers and thanksgivings must conform to God's will, as the conclusion of the prayer our Lord Jesus Christ taught us shows. When we hear David giving thanks because God struck Nabal dead, it appears he had previously been praying for exactly what he is now thanking God for — that is, vengeance. Let us therefore learn that it is dangerous to imitate the examples of even the holiest and most perfect saints rashly — unless we follow the rule given in Scripture, which means measuring their deeds and words by the divine standard. For example, if someone takes David's deed as a rule to follow, he might conclude it is lawful for him to refrain from personal revenge while still calling on God for the same outcome and taking delight in an enemy's death. By that kind of reasoning, outward worship is rendered to God while inner worship is absent — and the chief part of our duty is missing. When Scripture narrates particular deeds of the saints, we must not simply pull them out as examples to copy. We must not try to imitate everything they did. Instead, let us measure all our actions by the divine rule given in Scripture. If we look carefully to Scripture, it becomes clear that we cannot in every way call on God for vengeance against our enemies, nor in every way rejoice over their punishment — yet in some sense we can. I do not say this without reason. The rule of our duty tells us to pray simply for our enemies' conversion, to implore God's mercy toward them, and to seek their good and wellbeing even when they are inflicting evil and plotting ruin against us. Our prayers must rest on charity, and our affections must bend toward mercy — seeing our enemies as miserable people wandering from the Lord, praying that God would lead them back to the path of salvation, and doing them good when we are able. If we are commanded to help even an enemy's overloaded donkey, what do we owe to the people themselves? Moses expressly commands that if an enemy's ox or donkey has fallen into a pit, it must be lifted out. That is what charity requires. Yet at the same time, if enemies remain completely hardened and unchanged in their malice, it is permitted to pray that God will put forth His hand and carry out the role of judge as He sees fit — provided our affection is moderate enough that we can honestly testify we harbor no corrupt spirit against them. Since this distinction is rarely easy to maintain, we must be all the more suspicious of ourselves and hold our impulses with tighter reins. Not without reason does Peter urge us to commit injuries done to us to God, who calls Himself the God of vengeance. He encourages the faithful to patience by holding up the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, the pattern of all perfection — showing that by not returning evil for evil, we can commit our cause to God, trusting Him to judge it. God Himself calls us back to this when He says: 'Vengeance is Mine.' Paul likewise states our duty plainly when he says: 'Give place to wrath.' By this he teaches us to abstain from all insult and violence toward enemies and adversaries, and instead to diligently try through repeated warnings to bring them back to the right path. But if they continue to rise up against us with malice and obstinacy, we may call on God's avenging hand against their stubbornness. So I said we can in some sense call on God for vengeance — and once we have done the work of charity, we may invoke God's justice to render to each person what they deserve — yet without shutting the door of mercy. We must wait patiently to see whether God will convert them and bring them to true repentance, and we must intercede for them in words like these: 'Lord, cast the eye of Your grace and fatherly goodness on these wretched people who are walking the road to ruin. But if You choose to leave them hardened in their perversity and to reprobate them, send upon them such a terrible and overwhelming confusion that they become an example of Your judgments to all.' I also said it is in some sense lawful to rejoice in their punishment. The prophet had reason to say: 'The righteous man will rejoice when he sees vengeance, and will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.' When God carries out His judgments against the wicked, the upright have great cause for joy — because He has shown mercy to them, and they are moved all the more to call on Him. His singular love for them becomes clear, since He showed Himself so ready to hear their prayers. And there is fresh material for glorifying Him, because He was kind to His suffering faithful and took vengeance on their enemies. Yet we can pray against the wicked in this way while at the same time feeling a shudder when God puts forth the severity of His judgments. Why? Because our humanity moves us to grieve when we see a creature made in God's image perishing by his own fault under divine judgment. Charity urges us to be moved by their ruin and to strive to call them back to a better path. We must also be sobered by fear of God's judgments, considering that if God dealt with us by the strict rigor of justice — without showing us mercy — He would find more than enough reason to destroy us and thrust us with them into the abyss of hell. It is fitting, then, for us to be humbled before Him: though they are God's creatures just as we are, they are punished while we are protected by His goodness. No doubt God sets their example before us so that we may grow wise and humble ourselves before Him. On the other hand, let us rejoice when we see God's vengeance against conspiring enemies — provided we keep moderation and can honestly testify before God that we are moved by no corrupt passion. To return to David: it is clear he was able to pray for God's vengeance and even to rejoice in Nabal's destruction — especially since God's judgment appeared so plainly in it, and Nabal had been reprobated by the Lord — while still retaining a genuine human compassion. There is no doubt David had wished Nabal would come to his senses and repent. But since God had decreed otherwise, David submitted to the justice of His judgment and gave thanks.

The other part of David's prayer and thanksgiving — where he thanks God for not allowing him to avenge his own injury but withdrawing him from evil — must not be passed over lightly. When he speaks of evil here, he does not mean to claim he was pure from all evil — as if he were trying to justify himself entirely. Rather, David rejoices that the Lord intervened through the woman and stopped him from carrying out the evil he had intended. He openly acknowledges that he would have been guilty of a serious crime before God had he not been restrained. He testifies to two aspects of God's goodness toward him: first, that God forbade him to commit a grave crime when he was ready to do it; second, that God took penalties from the wicked man. By David's example let us learn to keep our affections under such tight control that we can truly rejoice when God exercises His judgments against the wicked — because we are conscious of no corrupt desire and no hidden longing for revenge in ourselves. Let us behold His judgments with a pure heart and rest in them. And let us also give thanks to God when He has pulled us back from evil. Even when we have conceived a wicked deed in our minds without carrying it out, we are already guilty before His judgment — and yet we ought to thank Him that He did not permit what we intended inwardly to break out into action. Indeed, we ought also to pray that He would restrain our corrupt thoughts. This is the nature we carry: at every moment we are driven by wrong thoughts and passions unless God intervenes. Since we are so prone to every vice, when we are held back by God's power, let us count it a supreme gift and give Him thanks — acknowledging ourselves deeply in His debt for this. By David's example let us learn to be grateful when we are prevented from pursuing personal injuries — because once we have given anger free rein, we can barely pull it back, and we leave no room for God's goodness to work. But if we have been patient and urged our enemies toward repentance, and they have obstinately persisted in their malice, let us be confident that God will put forth His hand and take up the defense of our cause.

Next we read that David sent messengers to Abigail to bring her to him as a wife — even though he had already taken Ahinoam. It was lawful for David to marry Abigail because Michal, Saul's daughter, had been taken from him and given to another man — though he would later get her back, as we will see. Since his wife had been taken away and had been living with another man, making that marriage no longer binding on David, he was free to take Abigail as his wife. And since he had come to know her as a wise woman of exceptional virtue, it is no surprise he wanted her as his wife. His manner of proceeding deserves praise: he did not go to her himself and take her by force of authority or circumstance, but arranged the marriage through messengers — so that she came willingly, not against her wishes. As for Ahinoam, we cannot excuse David from blame there. We should not think he simply indulged his desires by adding a second wife to the first. More likely, he was driven by necessity and sought to secure his situation through alliances and family ties, as people in desperate circumstances often do. Nevertheless, this was a wrong and unlawful way to handle his affairs — it was contrary to the original institution of marriage, even if it was less wicked than if he had sought marriage purely for pleasure. In sum, David's deed must be condemned: he took two wives at once. This is made plain enough by the original creation of man, where the Lord says: 'It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable for him.' This was God's unalterable decree — that a man should be content with one wife. He did not say 'Let us make two helpers for him,' but 'a helper.' That single word is sufficient to condemn what David did here — for what God established at the beginning stands as an unchangeable law. Scripture also commands in another place that each man have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. If any man takes several wives, he wrongs his wife and breaks God's law — the same rule is prescribed for both: the woman is to have her own husband, and the man his own wife. If anyone today presumes to take several wives, he is tearing himself apart. David is rightly condemned for taking two wives. The same happened with Abraham and Isaac — I acknowledge that. But as I said before, the examples of the ancient faithful are not to be carelessly made into a law. We must go back to God's law and institution and rest in that alone without argument. If any deeds of holy men agree with God's Word, they are to be received as good and set forward as examples. If not, they are to be condemned and rejected. Since we see David and others fall in this matter, let us know that we must walk in the fear of God with all the more care and zeal — not giving our desires license to follow such disorder, lest we enter an immense maze of troubles. Let David himself be the example: this one lapse led him into many more, taking many wives — which we will trace more fully as the history continues. The examples of God's servants are therefore not to be carelessly copied. Good must be distinguished from evil. Paul elsewhere tells us to imitate him only insofar as he imitated the Lord Jesus Christ. And elsewhere he urges us to follow people's faith — not so that people go astray and mindlessly copy this man or that. When we see even the most excellent and holy servants of God falling so easily in many things, let us acknowledge that we — being far more fragile — must strive with greater zeal not to be swept headlong into such vices. Let us pray to God with more urgent earnestness that He would govern us by His Holy Spirit, and engrave in our hearts so great a fear of His majesty that we may render Him true obedience in everything. Let us not be carried away into a hollow religion that wears the mask of the Christian name while abusing that honored title to our own ruin — but rather let each one walk in their calling with fear and simplicity, until we are fully clothed with His righteousness, toward which we are striving.

Now then, come, etc.

## HOMILIA XCIII.