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Micah, and his family, the male descendants of Saul and Jonathan, who alone could have any pretence to dispute the crown with him, and surrendered only Saul's bastard children, and those of his daughter by Adriel, who had no right or possible claim to the throne, and could never give him any uneasiness in the possession of it; and thus shewed his inviolable regard for his oaths, his tenderness to Saul, and the warmth of his gratitude and friendship to Jonathan. -In the close of his life, and in the near prospect of death, to demonstrate his love of justice, he charges Solomon to punish Joab, for the base murder of two great men, whom he assassinated under the pretence of peace and friendship; and to manifest his care of his successors's safety, and prevent any disturbances in the beginning of his government, he charges him to have an eye on the conduct of an old turbulent rebel, and, except cutting him off, to deal with him according to his prudence, and not to spare him if he found any thing in him worthy of death. And as if one thing more was wanting to complete the catalogue of his noble actions, he professed the greatest regard for every appearance of virtue and holiness, and gave the most shining and indisputable proofs of an undissembled reverence for, and sincere piety to God; ever obeying the direction of his prophets, worshipping him alone throughout the whole of his life, and making the wisest settlement to perpetuate the worship of the same God, throughout all succeeding generations.

With respect to his psalms, they breathe the genuine disposition of piety; they are written with a true spirit of poetry; the sentiments to be found in them are often the most grand and sublime, and which, had they been wrote on any other subjects but those of religion, would have been regarded as proofs of a most excellent genius; and his admirers would have wondered at the calmness and sedateness of a man, who, amidst the multiplicity of his affairs, the variety of the persecutions he suffered, the imminent dangers that surrounded him, and the numerous wars he was engaged in, could find any leisure hours, or tranquil dispositions, for the polite and delicate entertainments of poetry and music.

Such are the outlines of a Jewish prince, whom Christians justly extol as a man after God's own heart; whom

VOL. ii.

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God himself called to be king over Israel; who faithfully answered the purposes for which God raised him; in whose family he established the throne; with whom he made an everlasting covenant; and who was the great progenitor of the Messiah himself, who now reigns over all, and shall reign, till all his enemies are put under his feet.

CHAP. XIV.

Solomon succeeds his father David on the throne of Israel. Adonijah, his elder brother, concerts a scheme for possessing himself of the sovereignty, in which he is assisted by Joab, Shimei and Abiathar the priest. The scheme is detected by Solomon, who puts to death Joab and Shimei, and removes Abiathar from the priestly office. Solomon marries the daughter of Pharaoh king of Egypt. He asks for wisdom of God, who not only grants his request, but moreover promises him riches and honor. Gives evident tokens of his superior knowledge and power in various instances. Receives a congratulatory address from Hiram king of Tyre, who furnishes him with timber for building the temple, in return for which he sends Hiram wheat and oil. Builds the temple. Account of the ancient state of Jerusalem, with a particular description of the temple built by Solomon.

ON the death of David, his son Solomon who had been declared by him king of Israel, with the Divine approbation, acceded to the throne, to the universal satisfaction of the people. He was complimented on the occasion by the princes and great men of all the tribes, who, in congratulatory addresses, wished him success in all his undertakings, and that he might eujoy a long and happy reign.

Solomon was no sooner seated on the throne than a circumstance occurred that compelled him, for his own security, to put in execution the commands of his dying father. Adonijah, his elder brother, had, in his father's life-time, made bold pretensions to the throne, but his schemes were disconcerted, and he was pardoned by Solomon, on condition of his becoming a good subject, and that

he would never more make any attempt to obtain the soyereignty. But, by the persuasion of Joab and Abiathar, he was now put upon another bold project, which was, to desire Abishag (the late king's concubine in his old age) in marriage, hoping thereby to strengthen his interest, and that he might he enabled, at some future opportunity, to disturb the peace of Solomon. To effect this, he went to Bathsheba, the queen-mother, whom he intreated to ask the king to permit him to marry Abishag. Bathsheba did as she was desired, but the king was so far from granting her request, that he was shocked at the boldness of it, and said, Why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.* Convinced, by this request, that Adonijah had some treasonable design at the bottom, Solomon determined to prevent the execution of it by immediately cutting him off. Now, therefore, said he, as the Lord liveth, which hath establised me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. In consequence of this resolution he dispatched Benaiah the captain of his guards, to Adonijah, with orders to put him instantly to death; which orders being strictly obeyed, Solomon thus got rid of one of his most implacable enemies.

Having thus removed Adonijah, the king called for Abiathar the priest, whom he rebuked, in very severe terms for his disaffection. He told him, that though he deserved death for having been false to him in joining with Adonijah, yet, for the services he had done his father, and the assistance he gave in removing the Ark to Jerusalem, he would spare his life: "But, says he, as a punishment "for your iniquities, you shall no longer enjoy the priestly "office; neither shall you ever again come into my sight.

* Had Solomon complied with this request of his mother in favor of his elder brother, it must have been productive of the most fatal consequences. It is no wonder the king should be irritated at the demand, though he reproved Bathsheba in the gentlest terms his indignation would admit; for Adonijah, by asking Abishag, David's wife, did, in fact, ask the kingdom also, since the wives of the deceased monarch could only belong to the person who succeeded to the throne,

"Go, therefore, immediately, to Anathoth, and there, on "pain of death, wear out the remainder of your days."

When Joab heard the fate of Adonijah and Abiathar, (being conscious of his guilt, and expecting no less punishment than death) he fled for protection to the tabernacle, not doubting but the veneration the king had for so sacred a place would secure his safety. But no sooner did Solomon understand where he had taken shelter, than he commanded Benaiah immediately to go to the place, and put him to death. Benaiah went agreeable to the king's command, and, finding Joab at the altar, bade him come forth; but Joab would not quit his situation, saying, if he must perish, he had rather die there than in any other place. In consequence of this, Benaiah returned to the king, and told him what Joab had said; upon which Solomon ordered him to go immediately back, and dispatch him.* "Do (said he) as he hath said, and fall upon him, "and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent "blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house "of my father. And the Lord shall return his blood upon ❝ his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous "and better than he, and slew them with the sword, "my father David not knowing thereof; to wit, Abner, "the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and "Amasa, the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. "Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of "Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon "David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and

It was formerly very customary among princes, to employ their officers, or greatest confidants, in such like executions. Among the Romans, the soldiers were always the persons, who carried to prison, to torture, or to execution, such as were found guilty of any offence; and this Tertullian makes an argument to dissuade Christians from engaging in the wars, lest thereby they should be obliged to imprison, punish, or execute malefactors. In Dan. ii. 24. we read, that Nebu chadnezzar sent Arioch, who was chief commander of his troops, to destroy the wise men of Babylon, because they could not interpret his dream; and therefore we need less wonder, that we find Solomon employing Benaiah, the captain of his guard, on the like office: but whether he did not first drag Joab from the altar, before he slew him, for fear of polluting the holy place with blood, or whether Solomon did not rather think fit to have him killed even at the altar, and let all men see, that no place, though ever so sacred, should secure any man from the hand of justice, commentators have not agreed.

"upon his throne shall there be peace for ever from the "Lord." Benaiah, agreeable to the king's orders, went a second time to the tabernacle, where, finding Joab in the same situation he had left him, he immediately put him to death, after which Solomon made Benaiah general of his army instead of Joab, and appointed Zadok to the priesthood instead of Abiathar.

The next person that engaged the king's attention was Shimei, who had so grossly treated David in his flight from Jerusalem. Being brought before Solomon, he or dered him to be confined in the city, as a prisoner at large; but with a strict injunction not to move out of it on pain of death.* Build thee, said he, an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passeth over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that

* The reader is here desired to recur to the defence of David's charge relating to Joab and Shimei at the close of the preceding chapter. It is there asserted that the charge was different, as it respected each of them. This difference is farther evident from the dif ferent manner in which Solomon treated them. If the charge had been the same with respect to Shimei, as it was to Joab, what should have prevented Solomon from immediately executing Shimei, as well as Joab? But this Solomon, in his wisdom, knew he could not do; for David told him that he had pardoned Shimei to prevent his exeention; because his offence was personal, and David had a right to forgive it. But he had never pardoned Joab, nor in justice could do it, because he was guilty of death for repeated murders, by the laws of God and man. Solomon therefore acted wisely and justly in reference to Shimei by sparing him, but honorably confining him, that he might have the proper security for his future good behaviour. Shimei, sensible of the king's kindness, tells him, (1 Kings ii. 38. The saying is good, &c. And when, upon breaking his word, he was sent for by Solomon, the king reproached him for his perjury, for acting contrary to the condition of life which he himself had owned to be just and equitable, and for the wickedness that his heart was privy to, in his conduct to his father David; the mercy that had been shewed him in the pardon of that offence, aggravating his fresh crime in disobeying the king's command; a crime, that shewed he was of a restless spirit, and incapable of being restrained within due bounds by the most solemn oaths, or any sense of interest, gratitude or duty whatsoever, Solomon adds, (ver. 44, 45.) The Lord shall return thy wickedness. &c. plainly intimating that Solomon now cut him off, as an act of prudence and justice to a restless implacable enemy to his person and government, and that he saw it necessary so to do for establishing the throne of David before the Lord.

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