bofketh's murder, to fhew the encouragement Rechab and Baanah might have to commit it, from the youth and infirmity of Mephibofheth, who was the avenger of blood. I have no controverfy with them upon that point: I only beg leave to add, that his hiftory is equally pertinent to my purpose, to fhew in what fenfe, and in what sense only, David could call Ishbosheth a righteous man for it is highly probable, that he was not fo with regard to David; and most certain, that he was not so with regard to Mephibofbeth. CHAP. V. DAVID is crowned by all Ifrael. UPO PON the death of Iskbosbeth, David's right to the throne was recognized by all the tribes. Then (fays the text) came all the tribes of Ifrael to David unto Hebron, and Spake, faying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh: Also in time paft, when Saul was king over us, thou waft he that leddeft out and broughteft in Ifrael: And the Lord Said faid to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Ifrael, and thou shalt be a captain over Ifrael. DAVID's right and merit now triumphed over all oppofition that could be made against him. When Abner and Ifhbofheth were dead, whofe authority fwayed the Ifraelites against their duty, they then acknowledged David's divine right to the crown; they then remembered, that he had every qualification requifite to a rightful king of Ifrael, according to God's own limitations, in the xviith chapter of Deuteronomy; that he was one of their brethren, and that he was chofen of GOD. They then remembered his valour, and various merits to his people; and the many deliverances he had wrought for them. In one word, they then remembered not only the election, but also the express declaration of GOD himself in his favour; that he would make him the shepherd and captain of his favourite people and when they had thus recollected his undoubted title and merits, and their own duty, they immediately convened to crown him. AND here the learned Dr. Patrick very justly obferves, that this is the first time we meet with any ruler or or governor of a a people, characterized under the idea of a shepherd; and I cannot but think it remarkable, that the first man fo characterized, was at firft in fact a fhepherd; and when we find him after his advancement to the throne, ftill characterized by GOD himself under the fame idea, what can be a clearer inference, than that GOD's raising him to be a king, was but exalting him to a nobler office, of the fame nature with his firft? How fine a document is this to princes, that they are not, in the intention of Providence, the tyrants, but the guardians of their people! that their bufinefs is the preservation and well-being of the flock, from the duty they owe to the great LORD and owner of both! And how fully is this document confirmed to us, when we find bad princes fet forth, in the prophetic ftyle, under the characters of roaring lions, hungry bears, and devouring wolves! HAD Caligula rightly confidered this, it would have mortified his idle vanity, in imagining himself to be (as an emperor) a being of a better nature than those he ruled, as as fhepherds are of a species fuperior to fheep*. He would indeed have found himfelf, in the character of a good emperor, and fhepherd of his people, fuperior, and more dignified; but of a different fpecies from them only in his character of a tyrant; not so much raised to a god, by his right to rule, as debafed to a brute, by his abufe of it; whether to one of Ezekiel's bears, Zephaniah's wolves, Jeremiah's leopards, or the Pfalmift's crocodiles, or all thefe, or more than all in one, his own brutality should best determine. How much more had he ennobled his nature, and raised at once his own character, and his people's felicity, had he adopted that truly noble and princely maxim of Cyrus, that every man that aspired to the government of others, should take care to be a better man than thofe he ruled! BUT to return. AMONG the thousands of Ifraelites which crouded to David on this occafion, there is particular mention made of two hundred of the children of Ifachar, who had underftanding of the times, to know what Ifrael *Philonis legatio ad Caium. I Chron. xii. 32. E 3 ought ought to do. These were the heads of that tribe, and all their brethren were at their commandment. Thefe were men well skilled in all the parts of political prudence; who understood the true intereft of their country, and what to advise in every exigency, as the occafion and circumstances of the times required. Their fuperior wisdom was acknowledged by their brethren, who committed themselves to their direction: and their declaration in David's favour, was in effect the decifion of the whole tribe. And who knows but those last prophetic words of Mofes concerning Ifachar in the xxxiiid chapter of Deuteronomy, might have a special reference to this great occafion? They fhall call the people unto the mountain: there they fhall offer facrifices of righteousness. IF this be understood of the mountain of GOD's houfe, it is certain it was not their business either to call the people thither, or to offer facrifices; nor is there any known inftance where they ever did fo: But, on the other hand, it is as certain, that they now called the people to the mountain of Hebron, to make David king; where facrifices were offered by all the people, previous to his coro |