expected in fabulous imbellishments. Hence it is that the mythologist, not being tied to truth, thought himself bound, in point of poetic juftice, to deliver the virtue of Bellerophon from the evil intended him: and fo his history ends happily in this world; as, I doubt not, Uriah's does in the next.

CHA P. II.

DAVID takes Bathsheba to his house, and makes her his wife. GOD fends Nathan the prophet to rebuke him, and denounce the divine vengeance upon his guilt.

HEN Bathsheba heard, that Uriah

WHE

her husband was dead, the mourned for him, according to the cuftom of her country which is generally supposed to be, by the keeping of a fast for seven days fucceffively; eating nothing each day, till the fun was fet. And when her mourning was over, David fent and took her to his house; and fhe became his wife, and bare him a C 2 fon,

fon, the iffue of his criminal commerce with her.

IT cannot be denied, that there was a manifeft indecency in David's taking Bathfheba to be his wife, fo foon after her hufband's death. And fome think her compliance a proof of her indifference and difregard for her husband.

THIS Conduct will, however, bear this excufe, that they were anxious to hide the infamy of their commerce; and to effect that, no time was to be lost. miscarried, their guilt was

If Bathsheba concealed; at

leaft, could not be proved. And if she came to her full time, it was easy to pretend the came before it; at least fo far as to fcreen her from any criminal process which could not be done, had the marriage been delayed. And in this case, Bathsheba may be pardoned the facrificing not only decency, but even a real esteem and affection for her husband, to the neceffary care of her own fame and life. Presumptions indeed lay against them; and, in all appearance, this whole affair could now be no longer a real fecret. It paffed through too many hands ; and is but too probable, that

I

David's,

David's, Bathsheba's, and Joab's messengers, were in effect privy to it. And the birth of a child begotten in the time of Uriah's abfence, the notoriety of that absence, and his subsequent abstinence from Bathsheba's bed, ftrongly published both the guilt, and the infamy, to the thinking part of the world, however it might be disguised to others. David was too knowing, not to be fufficiently conscious of all this; and too honourable, and too confcientious, not to feel the inherent, and subsequent stings of guilt, and infamy, deep at his heart. But what should he do? Could he publish his own fhame? Could he proclaim his own infamy? Private penitence was all that was in his power; and that could make no reparation for the public fcandal, which he had brought upon the religion and people of God; which yet would be more public, and much more notorious, if he himself proclaimed it: and after all, poffibly the fecret was yet but in a few hands.

In this rack of confcience, and distraction of distress, the Providence of God seafonably and mercifully interposed: and the LORD fent Nathan the prophet to David, to admonish him of his guilt, and to bring

him to a public confeffion of it. And indeed a fitter perfon could not, in all human appearance, have been chosen for fuch a commiffion. He waited upon the king, with the air of a complainant, who brought a cafe of great commiferation before his majefty, and fubmitted it to his arbitration. He told him, in the words of the facred writer, for no other can do him justice, That there were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: but the poor man had nothing fave one little ewelamb, which he had bought, and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his own bofom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he fpared to take of his own flock, and of his own herd, to dress for the way-faring man, that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he faid to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this

thing, fhall furely die. And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

And Nathan faid to David, Thou art the

man.

Ir is eafy to imagine, how deep these words of Nathan, pronounced in all the dignity and authority of his character, funk into David's foul! efpecially, when the prophet proceeded to a farther explication of them, in the following manner, ver. 7. Thus faith the Lord God of Ifrael - I anointed thee king of Ifrael, and delivered thee out of the hand of Saul: and I gave thee thy mafter's wives into thy bofom, and gave thee the houfe of Ifrael, and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee fuch and fuch things. Wherefore haft thou defpifed the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his fight? Thou haft killed Uriah the Hittite with the fword, and haft taken his wife to be thy wife, and haft flain him with the fword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the fword shall never depart from thine boufe. Because thou haft despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah to be thy wife, C 4

thus