court-favourites, to be immediately alarmed, as one man? Could any of them hope to be the king's favourite, upon the fame foot with the son of Jonathan? Who would be so favourably and so partially liftened to? Was he to eat and to drink with the king every day of his life, to have every day an opportunity of infinuating himself into his good graces, to lie in his bofom, and to have his ear in his moft open and unguarded hours? What a load of envy and obloquy muft this draw upon poor Mephibofheth? And how naturally would calumny entail all Saul's vices upon him on this occafion? pride, inconftancy, treachery.

On the other hand, it may easily be imagined, what the partizans of the house of Saul, and enemies to David, would fay upon this occafion

that all these fair

pretences and promises in favour of Saul's family, were but a specious artifice to get the true heirs to the crown into his hands; and that when he once had them in his power, he would fcon find means to rid himself of them. Suppofe this to be the true state of the cafe, when the king published his refolution of taking Mephibofheth into favour, as I think, from the nature of the thing, it

muft

muft be; could any thing be more natural, than for David to publish such a declaration on that occafion, as fhould vindicate his own integrity, terrify treachery, and discountenance calumny?

Now suppose we found an authentick declaration of David to this purpose, prefaced with an appeal to GOD, for his love of mercy, justice, and integrity; and publishing to the whole world his abhorrence of villainy, treachery, calumny, and pride; and profeffing that he would, to the utmost of his power, discountenance and destroy all men of that character; as he would, on the contrary, favour and protect all those that were truly religious and faithful: I say, fuppose such a declaration as that were now extant; to what æra or event of David's life, could we fo naturally refer it, as to this of receiving Mephibofheth into favour ?

Now it is beyond all doubt, that such a declaration is ftill extant, and set forth at large in the cift Pfalm; as the reader will find from a short perufal of these feveral parts of it: My fong fhall be of mercy and judgment; unto thee, O Lord, will I fing.-I hate the fins of unfaithfulness; there fhall

look

no fuch cleave unto me.---Whofo privily flandereth his neighbour, him will 1 deftroy.. Whofo bath also a proud look, and high ftomach, I will not fuffer him. Mine eyes upon fuch as are faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me. Whofo leadeth a godly life, he fhall be my fervant. There fhall no deceitful person dwell in my house : be that telleth lyes fhall not tarry in my fight. I fhall foon destroy all the ungodly, that are in the land; that I may root out all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.

How noble a declaration was this in a great king! and how worthy the imitation of all the princes of the earth! and how noble a manner was this of publishing declarations to the people, in folemn and sublime hymns to Almighty God; fet to fuited musick, and fung with joy and transport through the land! at once vindicating innocence, and propagating piety! Let this again be numbered among the felicities peculiar to David!

VOL. II.

S

СНАР.

CHAP. XIX.

DAVID'S Embajadors abused by the Ammonites.--A War enfues.

Som

Ome time after the event laft related, a neighbour prince, Nahash king of the Ammonites, died, and Hanun his fon fucceeded him in the throne.

DAVID, it seems, had received fome favours from Nahafh; but when, or of what kind, is not known: fome imagine he had kindly entertained fome of David's family, when others of them were cruelly treated by the king of Moab, under whofe protection they were placed: and fome imagine, that he had kindly intreated David himself, when the first Achish had driven him away from his court.

As Nabafh was at mortal enmity with Saul, it is very probable, that he took any occafion of treating David as well as he could, out of refentment to Saul their common enemy. But, whatever the motives to this kindness might be, (which are not always to be too nicely scann’d) David thought him

felf

felf bound to make the best return he could to it; and accordingly fent embaffadors, to make his compliments of condolence to Hanun, and to congratulate him upon his acceffion to the crown.

WHEN they arrived, the princes of Ammon (from what motive is not mentioned) perfuaded the king, that these men, apparently sent to do him honour, were not fo properly embaffadors as spies, and that their business was to inquire and to fearch out the true state of his capital; that fo, when a proper occafion offered, they might more eafily and effectually affault and destroy it.

THE king, too easily yielding to this infinuation, resented this supposed design of David's, much more than he should have done, had he known it to be real: and accordingly refolved to do his embaffadors the greatest indignities he could devise. And what these were, we are thus informed: Hanun (faith the text) took David's fervants, and shaved off the one half of their beards,

and cut off their garments in the middle. And we are given to understand, that they did this in fuch a manner, as to expofe their nakedness.