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I THINK it plain, that when David is faid to have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of filver, &c. the whole of his treasure, whether in coin, or otherwife, is there recounted; and that there remained a furplufage of that provifion, to be depofited in the treasures of the temple, after the work was finished, is evident from the paffage last quoted.

CHA P. XX.

Adonijah fets up as Heir apparent to the Throne, and afferts his Claim to it. Upon hearing of which, DAVID caufes Solomon to be anointed King.

AVID was now far advanced in years,

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and the infirmities of age were fallen heavy upon him. The ftrength of nature was fo far abated in him, that cloaths could not keep him warm in his bed. His phyficians therefore advised, That a fair and youthful virgin should be fought for, who I 4 might

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might lie in his bofom, and cherish his vital heat the natural warmth of a young, healthful, human body, being (as phyficians observe) best fitted for that end, both in kind and degree.

IF it be asked, How the beauty of the person to be employed to this purpose, was concerned in David's health? I answer,That the beauty here required is, evidently, beauty of complexion: which, as it indicates the health and temperament of the body, might be of importance in this cafe. Poffibly too, as David was very beautiful himself, they fought for fome perfon of complexion and conftitution likeft to his own; and of consequence, best fuited, and most congenial to it. And therefore the cavillers at this part of David's conduct are as far from being able naturalists in this refpect, as they are cafuifts in many others. And I will be bound to fay, that if David had taken any other method of recovering, and keeping up, the vital flame; by wine, for inftance, high diets, and cordials, or any other imaginable way; they would have found all those methods at least as exceptionable, as this. Abifbag the Shunamite was found, and

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thought proper for this purpofe; and was, accordingly, admitted into the number of David's wives, but not known by him.

CONCUBINAGE was not then deemed criminal: and it will, I hope, be thought no very wild paradox, to venture to furmife, that a modeft man can, with lefs reluctance, fuffer his infirmities to be relieved by a wife, than by any other mortal. other mortal. And therefore I greatly fear, that thofe gentlemen who quarrel with David upon this score, are little refined, either in that virtue, or the more elegant decencies of life.

ADONIJAH, David's eldest fon, after Abfalom, (but by another wife) beautiful too, and popular like him, took advantage of his father's infirm ftate; affumed the airs, and fet up the equipage, of heir apparent to the throne: He prepared chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him ; and gave out openly, that he would be king: although he could not but know, that Salomon was defigned for that dignity, both by David, and GOD himself.

DAVID had nobody to blame but himfelf, for this mifconduct in his fon it was his own exceffive indulgence, which inspired

this extravagance: for the text tells us, that his father had not displeased him at any time, in faying, Why haft thou done fo? Strange weakness in parents, and cruelty to their children, to fuffer them to become incorrigible in error, or inveterate in vice, rather than reftrain and check them, whilst correction is kindness!

ADONIJAH had gained two very confiderable men to his party; Joab, the captain of the hoft, and Abiathar the priest: and when things were fufficiently prepared, fummoned his partizans to a great entertainment, (poffibly under the pretence of a sacrifice) near the ftone Zobeleth, by the famed fountain of En-rogel, not far from Jerufalem: where, in the midst of their festivity and mirth, they fcrupled not to treat him as their king. But Nathan the prophet was steady to the appointments of Providence, pronounced by his own mouth; and accordingly informed Bathsheba of the design carried on against her fon; advising her to lofe no time in acquainting the king of it, in order to prevent it; and letting her know, that he himself would quickly fecond and fupport her upon that head,

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Bathsheba obeyed the kind monition, waited upon the king in the inftant, and put him in mind of his promise to her, confirmed by a folemn oath, that Solomon, her fon, should reign after him: whereas in reality Adonijab then reigned, although his majesty knew nothing of it; and was, at that moment, openly entertaining his adherents at a great feaft, with foab and Abiathar at their head- adding, that the eyes of all Ifrael were then upon his majesty, to know whom he would appoint to fucceed him in his throne. Which if he should fail to do, It Shall come to pass, (fays fhe) when my lord the king fhall fleep with his fathers, that I, and my fon Solomon, shall be counted offenders. Whilst she spake, Nathan came in to the king; and doing obeifance, asked, If he had appointed Adonijah his fucceffor, without acquainting him with his purpofe? And then proceeded to inform him of the meafures taken by Adonijah, to faise himself to the throne.

WHEN Nathan came into the king's prefence, Bathsheba retired: as, Pliny tells us, Cæcilius Rufus's wife did, upon the admis fion of any intimate friend to her husband; although

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