DA 
and Day - as well as every man in Ifrael, had a right to 
oppofe him, and Aaah his eftablifhment in the kingdom, 
The right of David to the crown was cea tate and the 
highelt by which aay man could cla Upo 
of “Saul, the throne was vacated, and the people were at full 
liberty, under the dire€&tion of God, to chufe whom they 
The tribe of Judah, as we hav- faid, unanimoufly 
they had not not aa eee by the influence o ners 
civil war was quence of thefe rival interefts, 
which lafted above eae ears under the sa foe fupport 
of Abne tr perceived 
The eafy method by 
which Abner effe&ted this revolution, and the cordial manner 
in which the whole nation fubmitted 
the tribes cam 
‘with a perfe&t heart, ‘ and all Ifrael, ‘with one heart to 
make him king ;?? and accordiugly anointed him king over 
Ifrael. In this whole affair David’s condu& appears to be 
-perfeily honourable. Joab, eae refented David’s 
acceptance of Abner’s fubmiffion, and having infulted his 
ee took leave of him, with a refolution of deltroying 
Abn 
In a urfuance of this re{clution, Joab, jealous of Abner, 
and dreading his bei cng as rfeded in mman 
army by the advancement of a 
of a friendly poniceene: eos to affaffinat 
this bafe and bloody aét David had no concern; fo. - from 
it, that he expreffed, in the ftrongeft terms, an deteftation 
of the bafe a&. (2 Sam. iti. 28, 29.) As foon as Ifhbo- 
fheth was informed of Abner’s death, he defpaired of his 
gave up all for loft. The conteft, however, foon 
in jot of it to be imme- 
diately executed; and as an expreffion of refpe& for the me- 
mory of Ithbotheth, he ordered his head to be buried in the 
fepulchre of Abner in the city of Hebron. Upon fhe death 
of Ithbofheth, all the elders of Ifrael came to are at He- 
word of the years be 
fettling the government upon a folid a doskdation, ad 
tually providing for the national fecurity and peace. 
this occafion, the hiftorian obferves (x Chron. xii. 40. oi 
s joy in Ifrael.”? 
& of his reign was the fiege and fubfequent 
capture of Jerufalem from the biel vali pe with the 
fortrefs of Sion, to which he gave the name of the city of 
David, 
tion of the eee in which he was affifted by the Tyrians, 
who were better fkilled in architeCture than the Hebrews, 
VID. 
he penned the ode which we have in the goth pfalm at the 
dedication of it. David, finding himfelf well eftablifhed on 
the throse, and fettled in his new-built palace, refolved to 
regulate his family and court. The fcheme he formed for 
this purpofe, and the regulations he adopted, are tranimi‘ted 
to us in an ode, ci er which will do hone to his me- 
mory, as a go ood m d an excellent king, throughout all 
generations. Belides €s palisading to his 
ence, he fet about enlarging and bene hine Jere and 
committed the care of this public work to Joab 
is increafing profperity excited the jealoufy of neigh- 
bouring nations, the ancient enemies frac]; fo that foon 
after his eflablifhment on the throne, he was obliged to con- 
cert meafures for refifting them. thefe enemies the Phi- 
liftines took the lead, and kept hi ployed in repeated 
nflicts, which panera on his part in rene v'&tori 
ained reft, by peace at home and freedom 
from all foreign ei he devoted himfelf to the bufinefs of 
making fome neceffary regulations in religion, and of pro- 
viding for the more {tated performance of the folemnities = 
divine worfhip. With this view he transferred the a 
mount’ Sion : Jerufalem. ‘The proceffion for this eee 
was accompanied with vocal as weil as inftramental mufic ; 
which has occafioned fome fevere cenfures by Mr. Bayle and 
others: this was his dancing before the ark. But thefe 
cenfure tray a total ignorance of vid’s manner of 
have b 
h 
behaviour in this proceffion, that either implies, or 
David was frequently, ene his 
in wars with the Philiftines, the 
Ammonites, in w 
ee ie and b ace is was raifed very high in the efti- 
on of the monarchs of the eaft. In one in{tance, that 
ee beak recorded by the facred writers without palliation, 
David’s condu& eannot be too feverely condemne e gave 
himfelf up to the fway of uncontrouled paffions ; he ruined 
an innocent woman, and to complete the wickednefs of the 
fider, ead there be not, 
ftances of alleviation in th 
erive ‘great fa fatisfaGtion from being able to extenuate guilt, 
airly dane, which, as far as it is real, ought 
pee or pt SMe David, at the come 
menceme i 
the dines of deliberation os fettled Me Bathfheba 
was unknown to him, nor w zed that fhe wasa 
married woman, when he frtt cafually ce her. uch aa 
he was to be blamed, his fin, in the firft inftance, fae 
that aggravation which it would have had, if there had a 
more time ard leifure for refleion, and if he had pyrfued 
his criminal inclination, after having ferioufly and oa 
cigte 
