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HOWEVER criminal this numbering was in David, yet there are three points of importance clear from it.

THE first is, the fignal completion of God's promise to Abraham, of multiplying his feed, as the fands of the sea; inasmuch as the multitudes of men, comprehended within the narrow limits of Judæa, even ať this time, appears from this numeration to be great beyond all comparison, although confeffedly less confiderable than under fome fucceeding reigns.

THE second is, that it appears from the accounts left us of this matter, that all the cities of the Canaanite coaft, and particularly Zidon, and the ftrong hold of Tyre, were under the dominion of David. But this I apprehend could only be the antient Tyre, or Palatyrus; inasmuch as Hyram, who lived in friendship both with David and Solomon, was king of the other Tyre: which from a letter of his to Solomon, quoted by Jofephus, appears to have been fituate in an island (Antiq. 1. viii. c. 2.). But this, however, no way infers the king of that Tyre not to have been tributary both to David and Solomon; as I apprehend he was, from his

calling

calling both David and Solomon his lord, and himself and people Solomon's fervants, 2 Chron. ii. 14, 15. Or if he were not, David's dominion over Zidon alone will go a great way towards accounting for those immense treasures, which he amaffed for building the temple; inasmuch as Zidon is allowed to have been, from the remotest antiquity, one of the greatest marts of the world, which engroffed a great share of its wealth; and into which, and into Tyre, the veins of all its richest mines, then in their vigour, were naturally drained. And that Zidon was early renowned for wealth and magnificence, fufficiently appears from its being ftyled, even as early as the days of Joshua, Zidon the great, Josh. xi. 8.

THE third is, that David was not the cruel conqueror, which fome men fo eagerly infer him, from fome parts of his history, ill confidered, and of confequence little understood; inafmuch as we learn from this tranfaction, that in the height of his refentment against the Jebufites, he spared Araunah, a king; in all probability, prince and proprietor of the place; and fuffered him to live in peace and plenty.

If it be asked, why the people were pu nished for this guilt of their prince, I anfwer, (befides the common obfervation Quicquid delirant reges, &c.) in the sentiments 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 reason 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-firft Pfalm feems evidently to have been written by David, in commemoration of his deliverance from this public calamity. That

fignal

fignal protection of Divine Providence, which he had now experienced, naturally prompted him to break out into thofe expreffions of hope and truft in GOD, of which it is hard to say whether the piety or the poetry be more exalted: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Moft High, fhall abide under the Shadow of the Almighty. Surely be 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 destruction that wafteth at noon-day.'

A thousand shall fall at thy fide, and ten thousand at thy right-hand; but it fhall 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 carrý on the Work.

WHEN David faw, that his facrifice

was miraculously accepted of Al

mighty 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 boufe 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 feafon, 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

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