tion to have ever been made in the numeral words, denoting these quantities. ANOTHER plain point is, that the accounts left us of the earlier ages of the world, fufficiently evince them to have abounded with gold. And hence, as fome learned men think, was derived the fable of the golden age. Hence the accounts left us of Midas, and Crafus *, whofe treasures of gold (to fay nothing of filyer) were infinite of Saluces and Efubofes†, kings of Colchis, who had intire chambers of gold, beams, and posts, and pillars of filver. Hence the antient Arabs, thofe of Arabia Felix particularly, whose gold was pureft, and in the greatest quantities, (as Diodorus Siculus informs us, lib. 3.) bartered gold for iron. And the Macrobii, a people of Ethiopia, bound their flaves in chains of gold, Herodotus, lib. 3. And, above all, hence thofe treafures of Sardanapalus ‡, which, from Ctefias's account of them, are almost incre * Of whom Pliny fays, That they poffeffed an infinite quantity of it; in infinitum poffederunt, lib. xxiii. cap. 3. + Pliny, ibid. Who is fuppofed by fome learned men, to have been king of Nineveh, at the time of Jonah's preaching... dible. The mines of the earth were then virgin, (as Pliny obferves) and many rivers gloried in golden fands, whofe wealth hath long fince been exhausted; and therefore we are not to judge of the wealth of those ages by our own prefent poverty. ANOTHER point, which must be confeffed, is this: that after David had finished his palace, and other buildings in Jerusalem, which was early in his reign, he made no confiderable expence, that we know of, to the end of it; for as to the maintenance of armies, which makes the great expence of other princes, I think it seems agreed among the learned, that his coft him, in the ordinary course of things, nothing each of the tribes fupplying and fupporting their own monthly courses; and in all cafes of extraordinary levies, each man's portion of the great spoils taken from the enemy, did more than compensate for their pay. So that if David had any fure fources or funds of wealth, he had great opportunities of amaffing, and treasuring it up. THE next point, then, to be inquired into, is, What those sources were, from whence it was poffible for David to drain so much wealth? wealth? And these are confeffedly four : husbandry, war, trade, and tribute. Ir is well known, that the wealth of the earlier ages originally confifted in the plenty and goodness of the creatures, and fruits of the earth; from the fale of which arose, in after-ages, their artificial wealth. Nor can it be denied, that David might have abounded in this natural wealth, from the advantage of a country remarkably fruitful, and bleffed beyond all others, in a rich foil, and happy climate; and that he neglected no means to improve these advantages, may fairly, I think, be collected from the account left us, (1 Chron. xxvii. 25, &c.) of the proper and distinct officers appointed by him, over his treasures and store-houses, of all forts; in cities, fields, villages and castles ; over the tillage of the earth, over the culture of the vineyards, and over their increase for the wine-cellars; over the olive-trees, and fycamore-trees, in the low plains; and over the cellars of oil; over the herds that fed in Sharon, and over the herds in the * Or, as the Vulgate interprets the original word, ficeta, fig-yards. valleys; valleys; over the camels, over the affes, and over the flocks. FROM hence it is natural and obvious to infer, that David had a proper attention to all the parts and branches of husbandry. And it is easy to imagine, what an immense flow of wealth might be derived from this fingle fource, in the course of thirty or forty years; in a rich country, part bordering, and part extended, upon a fea coaft, where the trade and wealth of the whole world then centred. war; THE next fource of David's wealth, was which fome learned men have imagined to be fo rich a one, as were fingly fufficient to account for all the wealth David left behind him. As the eastern nations abounded in gold, it is fufficiently evident, from the earliest accounts left us of thofe nations, that they abounded in ornaments at least of that metal, when they went to battle. This is apparent from the eighth chapter of Judges; from whence we learn, that the Midianites not only wore ear-rings of gold themselves, but likewife adorned, with chains of gold, the necks of their camels. We learn alfo, from Numbers xxxi. But xxxi. that when Ifrael first conquered the Midianites, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, brought an oblation to GOD, of the spoil taken from the enemy, and fuch as every man amongst them had gotten, (ver. 50. and 53.) jewels of gold, chains and bracelets, rings, ear-rings, and tablets; making in the whole fixteen thoufand feven hundred and fifty fhekels. It is true, that as they took the spoil of the whole country, cities, caftles, men and women, but a finall part of this treasure can be placed to the score of the men flain in battle. it is as true, that if the Ifraelite men of war, who then went to battle, offered only the five hundredth part of their share of the gold taken from Midian, as they offered only the five hundredth part of the beeves, affes, and sheep; the treasure of gold then taken in that country amounted, in the whole, to a very great fum; for but half of the whole fell to their share. And if this one victory brought in fo great a treasure, we may easily imagine, what immenfe wealth must be raifed from David's many victories over nations much richer. BUT |