dure of David's; which was, because he bore Adonijah a Grudge, that he was not invited to partake of the fumptuous Entertainment he gave, as well as Joab, Abiathar, and the reft that were there. This Reafon he afferts, with an Air of Infolence and feeming Impartiality. Let not the honeft Reader, fays he, accufe the Writer of putting a malicious Conftruction upon every Tranfaction he produces. He defires him to return to his Bible, and in the 10th Verse of the first Chap. of the first Book of Kings, he will find a Remark, that Nathan was not called to the Feaft; the very next Verse begins, wherefore Nathan pake unto BathTheba the Mother of Solomon, faying, Haft thou not heard, that Adonijah the Son of Haggith doth reign, and David our Lord knowet not of it. The whole Strefs of this, his weighty Argument, he lays upon the Word wherefore, which happens unluckily for him not to be in the Original, for the Hebrew fignifies no more than and. But fuppofing it had been fo there, from the Character of Nathan, every honeft Man, and one who has any Regard to the Authority of the facred Writings, will conclude, that the Treafon, they were guilty of, which really was the Reafon Nathan was not invited, was the Prophet's Motive for fpeaking to Bathsheba on this Occafion. Befides, can we imagine that the Divine Being would have N 4 per

permitted fo infamous a Juggle to have been carried on with Impunity, and that it should meet with the defired Success, if what they had been doing had been unlawful, and therefore repugnant to what he had determined. Any Man who can fuppofe this, does at once declare every Tranfaction recorded in the facred Writings to be no better than a Juggle, which if it were the Case, Revelation itself muft fall to the Ground. How muft the Profanenefs and Impiety of fuch an Affertion then make every fincere Believer fhudder and tremble barely to think of! And how little Credit and Deference ought to be paid to a Writer, whọ throughout his whole Work does endeavour to caft fuch a Slur. Leaving him therefore with this deferved Cenfure upon him, I proceed now to fhew, that the Treafon Adonijah was guilty of, juftified the Conduct of Nathan on this Occafion.

If Adonijah had had any Right to the Throne of Ifrael, after the Deccafe of his Father, he certainly could have none, whilst he was living. His attempting then to fet the Crown upon his own Head before the Death of his Father, was certainly Rebellion and Treafon in the highest Degree, by which he had justly forfeited all Right and Pretenfion in cafe he had any. The reft of the King's Children, except Solomon, joined in this treasonable Affair, by which they

like

1

likewife forfeited all their Rights and Pretenfions. Had Nathan then joined them on this treacherous Occafion, as did Abiathar the Priest, and Joab the Captain of the Hoft, he had acted highly unbecoming the Character of a Prophet of God. But this faithful Servant of the Almighty was not to be carried away with a Multitude to do Evil. As he was acquainted with his Royal Mafter's Intentions, and with what God had determined concerning Solomon, he was fenfible, that if there was not a Stop put to fuch illegal Proceedings, Solomon could not afcend the Throne according to Divine Appointment. He refolved therefore to inform his Sovereign of what had been doing without his Knowledge or Acquiefcence, to which Purpose he took the Method above related. No fooner than was David informed of what had been doing, than he teftified his difapprobation thereof, by immediately iffuing forth Orders to anoint Solomon King over Ifrael, thereby concurring with the Divine Will, and acting in Obedience to his Creator's Command. There can be nothing then in this whole Tranfaction, that can in the leaft call in Question the Sincerity of David's Repentance; but his Behaviour, and that of the Prophet's on this important Occafion, reflect Honour and Luftre on them both. These were the moft material Objections

which I imagined to be neceffary to speak to; the others, which have been started by those who delight in Cavilling, having been already fufficiently answered by them, who have favoured the World with Treatifes on this Subject.

T

The CONCLUSION.

HUS, gentle Reader, have I fet before you, in as concife a Manner as I could, the Character of David King of Ifrael, which I am apt to flatter myself I have confidered in a Light different from what other Writers, who have gone before me, have done. In this whole Treatife I have endeavoured to keep up to the Words and plain Meaning of Scripture, in which, I hope, I fhall not be detected in having put any forced Construction upon them. This Treatife, I am very fenfible, is very imperfect, the Author being rather unequal to the Tafk he had undertaken: But he hopes it may be a Means of fetting fome abler Pen to work, whofe Abilities and Learning fhall do more Juftice to the Subject. However, the honeft Intention, with which this is wrote, he begs, may plead in his Behalf; and if from the perufing of the following Pages, any fhall be brought not only to think, but fpeak with greater Refpect of the Royal Patriarch, and shall thro'

the

the Divine Affiftance endeavour to avoid the Rock on which he split, and to follow the Virtues he was eminent for, he shall think his Pains fufficiently answered. As to any other Praise or Commendation than what is due to a Champion for Truth, he neither expects nor defires; and hopes to be ranked only in the Number of those, who had the Truth of Revelation, the Honour and Glory of God, and the Welfare of Man-t kind at Heart. He therefore moft earneftly entreats of the Almighty, that he would be pleased to withdraw from the Hearts of all Men, that Veil of Ignorance and Superftition, Profaneness and Infidelity, that all may see the Things which belong to their Peace, before they be for ever hidden from their Eyes; and that having seen them, they may put in Practice thofe Virtues and Graces, which are the only Ornaments of our Lives here, and will be the fure Means of procuring us eternal Glory hereafter. Which God of his infinite Mercy grant for the Sake and Merits of his only Son Jefus Chrift, our most bleffed Redeemer and Saviour, To whom be glory and Honour, now and for ever. Amen.

FINI S.