If it be asked, why the people were punished for this guilt of their prince, I an fwer, (befides the common observation Quicquid delirant reges, &c.) in the fentiments of Mr. Whifton's comment on this part of Jofephus's hiftory: That neither David's nor the Sanhedrim's neglect of exacting this tribute could excufe the people from paying it, when an exprefs law of GOD injoined it.

To speak freely upon the point, I can conceive but one reafon why David now neglected to injoin the payment of this tribute: he was the great patron of religion, and protector of the church of GOD; and (if fuch a spirit then reigned in his nation, as now reigneth in ours) fuch a fum of money, as this tax would have brought into the fanctuary, could not fail to have raised an high out-cry of bigotry and priestcraft against him: and fo he suffered the people to be plagued, rather than let the priesthood be enriched.

I SHALL only add, that the ninety-first Pfalm feems evidently to have been written by David, in commemoration of his deliverance from this public calamity. That

fignal protection of Divine Providence, which he had now experienced, naturally prompted him to break out into thofe expreffions of hope and trust in GoD, of which it is hard to fay whether the piety or the poetry be more exalted: He that dwelleth in the fecret place of the Moft High, fhall abide under the Shadow of the Almighty. Surely he shall deliver thee from the fnare of the fowler ; and from the noisome peftilence.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the peftilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the deftruction that wasteth at noon-day.

A thousand fhall fall at thy fide, and ten thousand at thy right-hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

CHA P.

CHA P. XVIII.

DAVID'S Preparations to build the Temple: his private Exhortations to Solomon, and the Princes, to carry on the Work.

W

HEN David faw, that his facrifice was miraculously accepted of Almighty GoD, by the defcent of fire from heaven, which confumed it upon the altar, he immediately concluded, that this was the place which GOD had chofen, to establish his worship there; and therefore he continued to offer up facrifices upon this altar, and accordingly told his people, that this was the house of the Lord God, and this the altar of the burnt-offering for Ifrael.

IT is true, the tabernacle of the LORD, which Mofes made in the wilderness, and the altar for the burnt-offering, were, at that season, in the high place of Gibeon ; and thither he should ordinarily have reforted, to facrifice his burnt-offerings: but inafmuch as the angel of the LORD had exprefly commanded him to erect an altar in

the

the threshing-floor of Araunah, and on that very spot, over which, the avenging angel was arrested, and GoD appeafed, he naturally concluded, that this was the appointed place of atonement, fo folemnly fet apart for facrifice and therefore he feared to refort to Gibeon any more, for any purpose of religion *. And there is no doubt but he was confirmed in his reafoning upon this point, by reflecting, that this was the place appointed by GOD himself for the facri ficing of Ifaac; and where the faith of his father Abraham was so amazingly tried, so gloriously accepted, and fo nobly rewarded.

ALL these concurring circumftances, and confiderations, fufficiently pointed out this, as the place of that temple, which was to be the glory of the whole earth. And accordingly David fet himself, from that moment, to prepare materials of all forts for it, with all imaginable application and zeal; as indeed he had done for many years before.

*But David could not go before it (that is, the altar at Gibeon); for he was afraid because of the fword of the angel of the Lord, 1 Chron. xxi. 30.

AND indeed there was no doubt but it was at this time, that God inspired him with the plan of the whole work; with all its parts, dimenfions and utenfils: all which he himself exprefly affures us*, the Lord made him understand in writing by his hand upon him.

THAT the architecture of this temple was of divine original, I, for my part, am fully fatisfied, from this paffage; and I am confirmed in this perfuafion by finding from Vilalpandus, that the Roman, at least the Greek architecture, is derived from this, as from its fountain: and in my humble opinion, even an infidel may eafily believe these to be of divine original; inafmuch as they are (at least the latter is) found perfect in the earliest models. Nor hath the utmost reach of human wifdom, invention, and industry, been ever able (although often endeavouring it) to improve or alter it, but to difadvantage,, throughout the course of fo many ages.

THAT David understood what he was about, is evident from the nature of the thing; for if he had not been complete

* 1 Chron. xxviii. 19.

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