ecall him in David's name, and tell him
that he had somewhat to say to him about his affairs, which he had not
remembered to speak of when he was with him. Now when Abner heard what
the messengers said, [for they overtook him in a certain place called
Besira, which was distant from Hebron twenty furlongs,] he suspected
none of the mischief which was befalling him, and came back. Hereupon
Joab met him in the gate, and received him in the kindest manner, as
if he were Abner's most benevolent acquaintance and friend; for such as
undertake the vilest actions, in order to prevent the suspicion of any
private mischief intended, do frequently make the greatest pretenses
to what really good men sincerely do. So he took him aside from his own
followers, as if he would speak with him in private, and brought him
into a void place of the gate, having himself nobody with him but his
brother Abishai; then he drew his sword, and smote him in the groin;
upon which Abner died by this treachery of Joab, which, as he said
himself, was in the way of punishment for his brother Asahel, whom Abner
smote and slew as he was pursuing after him in the battle of Hebron, but
as the truth was, out of his fear of losing his command of the army,
and his dignity with the king, and lest he should be deprived of those
advantages, and Abner should obtain the first rank in David's court.
By these examples any one may learn how many and how great instances
of wickedness men will venture upon for the sake of getting money and
authority, and that they may not fail of either of them; for as when
they are desirous of obtaining the same, they acquire them by ten
thousand evil practices; so when they are afraid of losing them, they
get them confirmed to them by practices much worse than the former, as
if no other calamity so terrible could befall them as the failure of
acquiring so exalted an authority; and when they have acquired it, and
by long custom found the sweetness of it, the losing it again: and since
this last would be the heaviest of all afflictions they all of them
contrive and venture upon the most difficult actions, out of the fear
of losing the same. But let it suffice that I have made these short
reflections upon that subject.

6. When David heard that Abner was slain, it grieved his soul; and he
called all men to witness, with stretching out his hands to God, and
crying out that he was not a partaker in the murder of Abner, and that
his death was