and there he was told by an Apparition of fomething in the Shape of Samuel, that he and his Sons should die on the Morrow, 1 Sam. xxviii. 8, 19.

30 Q. Did this come to pass? A. Yes, the Philiftines flew feveral of his Sons, and wounded him forely in the Battle, and then he fell upon his own Sword, and flew himself, 1 Sam. xxxi. 3, 4.

31 Q. Where was David all this while? A. He was fled the second time to Achish King of Gath, and he had been juft then employed in deftroying the Amalekites, who had plundered the City Ziklag, where he dwelt, and had carried away his Wives, 1 Sam. xxx.

32 Q. Did not David offer his Service to the Philiftines? A. Yes, but he always avoided fighting against the Ifraelites; and befides, the Lords of the Philistines at this time would not fuffer him to continue in their Army, which was done by the kind Providence of God, that David might not fight againft Ifrael, 1 Sam. xxvii. 8, &c. and xxix. 4. and 2 Sam. i. I.

33Q What did David do upon the Death of Saul? A. He made a very fine Elegy upon him and Jonathan his Son, and went up to Hebron, a City of Judah, by God's Direction, where the Men of Judah made him their King, 2 Sam. ii. 14.

34 Q Who reigned then over the rest of the Tribes of Ifrael? A. Ifhbofheth, another of the Sons of Saul, 2 Sam. ii. 8, 9..

35 Q. How came Ifhbofheth to life the Kingdom? A. He quarrelled with Abner, the General of his Army, whereupon Abner joined with David: and after this, two of Ifhbofheth's own

Servants

Servants flew him in his Bed, 2 Sam. ii. 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18. and iv. 5, 7.

36 Q. How long did David reign in Hebron? A. Seven Years and an half: and then all Ifrael came to him and chofe him for their King, and brought him up to Jerufalem, 2 Sam. v. 1-6.

37 Q. What was the first thing David did when be came to Jerufalem? A. He took the ftrong Hold of Zion from the Jebufites, who had held it to that Day, and called it the City of David, 2 Sam. v. 6-9.

38 Q. Where was the Ark of God all this while? A. At Kirjathjearim, whence David now fetched it up by God's Direction to Jerufalem in Triumph, and placed it in Zion, 2 Sam. vi. 1. 1 Chron. xiii, 5, 6.

39 Q. What was David's pious Defign toward the Ark of God? A. He had a Mind to build a Houfe for the Ark of God, which had hitherto dwelt in Curtains, 2 Sam. vii. 2, &c.

40 Q Did God encourage him to proceed in it? 4. No, God did not encourage him, because he had fhed much Blood; but he promised that he fhould have a Son, who fhould build him an Houfe, 2 Sam. vii. 12, 13.

41 Q. Had David no Wars after this? A. Yes, he had many Battles, and was victorious over his Enemies round about him, (viz.) the Philiftines and Moabites, the Syrians, and Edomites, &c. 2 Sam. viii.

42 Q. How did David govern Ifrael? A. He executed Judgment and Juftice among all the People, 2 Sam. viii. 15.

43Q. What were the chief Blemishes of David's Life? A. His Adultery with Bathsheba, the Wife

of

of Uriah, and his Pride in numbering the People of Ifrael.

44 Q. How came David to fall in Love with Bathfheba? A. David from the Top of his Houfe happened to see her washing herfelf, and fent for her and defiled her, 2 Sam. xi.

45 Q. What Aggravation attended this Sin? A. Befides the heinous Crime of Adultery in the Sight of God, here was vile Ingratitude and bafe Carriage towards Uriah, who at that time was abroad fighting for him against the Ammonites, 2 Sam.

XI.

46Q. How did he try to hide it from Uriah and from the World? A. When he could not perfuade Uriah to go to his own Houfe, he fent an Order to Joab his General, that he should fet Uriah in the hottest Place of the Battle, and retire from him, and leave him to be flain, 2 Sam. xi. 15.

47. What followed upon the Death of Uriah which David had thus contrived? A. David added Bathsheba to the rest of his Wives, and the bare him a Son, 2 Sam. xi. 27.

48 Q. How was David convinced of his Sin? A. By an ingenious Parable of Nathan the Prophet, concerning a rich Man who robbed his Neighbour of an Ewe-Lamb, though he had large Flocks of his own, 2 Sam. xii.

49 2. How did God teftify his Difpleafure against David for this Sin? A. He ftruck the Child that was born with Sicknefs and Death, and threatened David, that the Sword fhould never depart from his Houfe, and that his own Wives fhould be publickly abufed, 2 Sam. xii. 9-14

Note,

Note, David teftified his deep Repentance for this Sin in the 51 Pfalm, and perhaps also in some others: yet God faw it proper to punish him feverely, because he had given the Enemies of God occafion to blafpheme, 2 Sam. xii. 14.

50 Q. What were fome of the chief Troubles that actually came on David's Family on this account? A The Troubles that he met with from three of his Sons, (viz.) Amnon, Abfalom, and Adonijah.

51 Q. What was the Trouble he met with from Amnon? A. Amnon defiled his Sifter Tamar by Force, upon which Abfalom flew him, and then fled out of the Land for Fear of Juftice, 2 Sam; хін. 13.

52 Q. Did Abfalom never return again? A. Yes, Abfalom returned after two Years, when David was pacified, and by his fubtil Carriage he raised a Rebellion against the King his Father, and made himself King, 2 Sam. xiv. and xv.

53Q. What followed upon this wicked Practice of Abfalom? A. David being forced to flee from Ferufalem, Abfalom entered the City, and defiled his Father's Concubines publickly, 2 Sam. xv. 14: and xvi. 21.

54Q. Who was Abfalom's chief Counsellor in this Rebellion? A. Achitophel, who when he faw that his laft Counfel was not followed, went home and hanged himself, 2 Sam. xvii. 23.

55Q. What became of Abfalom at laft? A. As he was riding under an Oak in the Day of Battle, he was caught by the Hair of the Head, and hung between Heaven and Earth, where Joab, David's General, found him, and stabbed him to the Heart, 2 Sam. xviii. 9, 14. and thus put an End to his Rebellion and his Life.

56 Q. What was the other remarkable Crime of David befides his Abuse and Murther of Uriah? A. The Pride of his Heart in numbering all the People of the Tribes of Ifrael, that he might know how great a King he was, 2 Sam. xxiv. 2.

57 Q. How was he punished for this Sin? A. God gave him Leave to chufe one of these three Punishments, either feven Years Famine, or three Months of War, or three Days Pestilence, 2 Sam. xxiv. 13.

58Q. Which did David chufe? A. The Famine or the Peftilence rather than War, for he chofe rather to fall into the Hands of God than of Man, 2 Sam. xxiv. 14.

59 Q. Which of these two Judgments did God fend upon the Land? A. A Peftilence that deftroyed feventy thoufand Men in three Days time, ver. 15.

60 Q. How was this Peftilence Stopped? A. When David faw the Angel of the Lord ftand between Heaven and Earth, having a drawn Sword in his Hand ftretched out over Jerufalem, he and the Elders of Ifrael fell upon their Faces clothed in Sackcloth; and David confeffed his Crime, and prayed that the Anger of God might fall on himfelf, rather than on the People, 1 Chron. xxi. 15, 16.

61 Q. How did God manifeft his Acceptance of him? A. He bid Gad the Prophet order David to build an Altar, and offer Sacrifices on that very Spot of Ground on the Threfhing-Floor of Ornan, and when David prayed, Fire came from Heaven and confumed the Sacrifices, 1 Chron. xxi. 26.

62 Q. What was the Trouble that David met with from his Son Adonijah? 4. When David

was