PART THE THIR D.

SECTION THE NINTH,

N the View I have hitherto taken of Da

IN

vid's Character, which I extracted from the Account given us of him by the facred Hiftorian, he muft, I should think, be defervedly acknowledged as an illuftrious Pattern of Piety, Humanity, Patience, Generofity, and every other Virtue that adorns the human Breaft; and on that Account was justly the Object of the Divine Love and Favour, has a Right to our Regard and Esteem, and is an Example worthy of our Imitation. We now proceed to treat of that Part of his Character, wherein he forfeits his Title to thefe Virtues, ceases to be the Man after God's own Heart, and confequently stands exposed to the Cenfure, which Crimes of that heinous Nature, that David was now guilty of, most justly deferve. To endeavour to extenuate these, because committed by a Man, who was be

fore

fore a Hero in Virtue, is to render that lefs odious in the Sight of Man, of which God has expreffed the utmoft Hatred and Deteftation, the Folly and Impiety of which, I hope, we all very clearly difcern. Nor is it by any Means juftifiable to endeavour to exculpate David on this Account, because that in the End will naturally have the fame Tendency as the former. However, we are not needlessly to expose the Character of the unfortunate Monarch, and wantonly to lay open his Nakedness; but the Ufe we should make of his Failings, if we would turn this Part of his Character to our own Profit and Advantage, is to endeavour to avoid the Rock on which he fplit, to the accomplishing which, fhould pray for the Divine Aid and Affistance: For we may naturally conclude from this melancholy Fall of the Royal Patriarch's, that the Almighty intended thereby to shew, and if it were poffible convince us, of the Frailty and Weakness of our Nature, that we might not be confident of our own Strength, nor yet boast of our own Perfections; fince from this Example of David's, who fell from the Height of Virtue, to the lowest Abyfs of Vice, and became guilty of Crimes of the most atrocious Nature, we are taught, that whilst we think we are standing, to take Heed left we fall. In proceeding upon this Part of the Cha H 2

we

racter

racter of David, I propofe laying before you the whole of this melancholy Tranfaction, as tranfmitted down to us by the facred Hiftorian, because from thence we may better judge of the Nature of his Crime, and the Guilt he thereby incurred; his Conduct afterwards, 'till the Prophet Nathan was fent by God to reprove him for the fame, and his Behaviour on that Occafion, wherein he gave the greatest Proof of the fincerest Repentance that was almost ever recorded, as his future Conduct made evidently appear, and the Sorrow likewise that he expreffed for them, which is handed down to us in the many Pfalms he composed on that Occafion, in which are contained the most affecting Strokes of the deepest Contrition that are to be met with in any Writings. From hence he refumed the Luftre of his former Character; and as the Sun, when emerging from a Cloud, which has for fome Time obfcured its Splendor, darts forth with the greater Brightness; fo David's Piety and Goodness from this Fall received Strength as it were, and became more illuftrious and exemplary than before; he became then again deferving of that diftinguished Title of being the Man after God's own Heart, and was an exemplary Type of that gracious Covenant God was afterwards pleased to enter into with us, when he fent his only-begotten Son

to

to expiate for Sin by his Death upon the Crofs, for the Sake of which he declared, that he would not for the future be extreme to mark what we had done amifs; but if the Concern we expreft for our Sins was after a godly Sort, with Sincerity, and as they were odious in the Sight of God, it should work for us a Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of.

Now the facred Hiftorian informs us, that while Joab was befieging of Rabbah, that David, who did not go down to the Battle, but tarried at Jerufalem, one Night retiring from his Bed, went and walked upon the Roof of his Houfe, in order to enjoy the fresh Air, the Tops of their Houses being broad and flat. From thence he faw a Woman washing herself, as was the ufual Custom in those Countries, who was very beautiful to look upon The Sight of fo much Beauty, of fuch a delicate Shape, and fo pleafing a Countenance and Complexion, raised in the Breast of the unguarded Monarch fo ardent a Paffion, that he immediately, without the least Reflection upon what he was about, fent and en

*

Here I beg Leave to make an Observation, that from this Account the Divine Hiftorian has given us of this Tranfaction of David, it is not improbable the Heathen Story of Jupiter's Rape with Proferpine took its Rife, which, I think, tends very much to prove the Antiquity of the facred Writings.

quired after her. The Meffenger soon returned with an Anfwer, informing him, that he was Bathsheba, the Daughter of Eliam, and the Wife of Uriah the Hittite. I think, we may conclude from this Account of the Behaviour of David, that upon his firft Inquiry, he was in Hopes, as fhe appeared to be very young, that the might be a Virgin, in which Cafe he might demand her for his Wife, which was a Practice, though not approved of, yet tolerated under the Law of Mofes, without intending then to commit thofe Crimes he afterwards involved himself in. But David was not fenfible how great Lengths the giving free Indulgence to fo ftrong and impetuous a Paffion as he was then under would lead him; which ought to be a Caution to us how we at first give Scope to our Appetites, which, if not reftrained by a very ftrict Curb, will foon mafter us, and run us headlong down the Precipice of Vice. Thus it happened to this unfortunate Prince; for the Paffion he had then conceived for Bathsheba, foon proved too violent to admit of any Check or Restraint from Reafon or Religion, and though we fee his Servant had informed him, that she was the Wife of another Man, with whom to have any Commerce, he could not but upon the least Reflection be very fenfible was a Crime not only ftrictly forbidden by

the