although well fitted to fhare in all his fecrets.

As foon as Nathan had done fpeaking, David, without making him any answer, immediately ordered Bathsheba to be called in to him again. He was impatient to remove her difquiet, and give her intire fatiffaction in her complaint; and therefore, as foon as ever fhe appeared, inftantly renewed his oath to her, that as he had folemnly fworn, that Solomon fhould fit upon his throne, he would perform his promise to her that very day. Upon the hearing of which, Bathsheba (faith the facred writer) bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and faid, Let my lord king David live for ever.

NATHAN had now retired from the king's prefence, upon Bathsheba's approach, as fhe had done before, upon his; but was quickly called back again, with Zadok the priest, and Binaiah the son of Jehoiada, captain of the Cherethites and Pelethites, whom David commanded to take Solomon his fon, and set him upon his own mule, and attend him with his own life-guard, and conduct him to Gihon; where Zadok the

priest,

priest, and Nathan the prophet, should anoint him king over Ifrael, and then proclaim him king by found of trumpet: after which they were to return to Jerufalem, and place him upon the throne.

To this command Benaiah answered, Amen; and added a prayer, That GOD would ratify his choice, fupport Solomon as he did David, and exalt his throne above the throne of David.

ACCORDINGLY Solomon was immediately mounted upon David's mule, and attended by Zadok and Nathan, the Cherethites and Pelethites, and other officers of the king, to Gibon; and there anointed king, with the facred oil depofited in the tabernacle. And they blew the trumpet, and all the people fhouted out, God fave king Solomon! And all the people (fays the text) came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, fo that the earth rent with the found of them.

THE noife of this rejoicing reached Addnijah, and his guests, towards the clofe of their entertainment: and Joab, upon hearing the found of the trumpet, cried out, Wherefore is this noife of the city being in an uproar?

uproar? And as he asked the question, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came, in the inftant, with the unwelcome news of David's having made Solomon king, with the circumstances already related; and added, that he was then actually upon the throne, receiving the compliments and congratulations of Ifrael: moreover, that David's fervants had alfo congratulated him upon that occafion; befeeching GOD, that he would make the name of Solomon better than his name; and the throne of Solomon, greater than his throne. Upon the hearing of which, David bowed himself upon the bed, in prayer and thanksgiving to GOD, who had given him a fon, to fit upon his throne, under the fingular fatisfaction of being himself witness to the honour and bounty bestowed upon him.

UPON hearing this furprifing relation, Adonijab and his guefts, ftruck with terror, (for nothing is more cowardly or confused, than an anticipated rebel) quickly difperfed. Adonijah, conscious of his crime, fled to the altar, and the reft to their several houses.

NEWS was quickly brought to Solomon, That Adonijah had laid hold on the horns of

the

the altar, and would not stir thence, 'till Solomon fhould fwear to fpare his life: upon hearing of which, Solomon immediately declared, That if he behaved himself, for the future, as a worthy man, a hair of his head should not be touched; but if wickedness were found in him, he should die.

UPON this affurance, Adonijah waited upon the king, and fubmitted himself to him and Solomon fent him to his own house in peace.

CHAP. XXI.

A fhort Digreffion, being an Effay upon the Character of Bathsheba.

U fall, I found almoft

PON perufing the hiftory of David's

fall, I found almoft every commentator I met with, fevere upon the character of Bathsheba: fome treating her (at least in their infinuations) as a light and lewd wòman; others, as fwayed by ambition in her commerce with David; and all, as an hypocrite, in mourning for her husband.

ON

On the other hand, I found her, after this, the wife of a great and wise king; the mother of a great and wife king; and remotely the mother even of the MESSIAH. Upon further inquiry, I found her honoured by that great and wife king, her husband, with the fureft marks of true friendship and esteem, in the decline of life, when paffion could make no part of their commerce. I found her honoured, in a very diftinguished manner, by that great and wife king her fon *, when he was in full poffeffion of the fupreme power; and confequently when no fufpicion of intereft could abate the merit of his duty. I found that father commanding his fon to liften to the wife and falutary monitions of his mother: and I found precepts, said to be of that mother,

1 Kings ii. 19. And the king rofe up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caufed a feat to be fet for the king's mother; and she fat on his right-hand.

+ If it be urged that Solomon's fubfequent behaviour to his mother, in relation to her petition in favour of Adonijah, is not refpectful; I anfwer, by owning, that he there breaks out into a paffion, which neither became him as a king, or as a fon: but it must at the fame time be admitted, that this paffion was fubfequent to a treatment of his mother full of distinguished respect and esteem.

and