which were none of the best; yet he repented, and did his first works again, and so finished well. We have here. (1.) His sin, which was numbering the people in the pride of his heart, ver. 1-9. (2.) His conviction of the sin, and repentance for it, ver. 10. (3.) The judgment inflicted upon him for it, ver. 11-15. (4.) The staying of the judgment, ver. 15–17. (5.) The erecting of an altar in token of God's reconciliation to him and his people, ver. 18–25.

VER. 1. "And he moved David against them, to say, Go number Israel and Judah."]-Observe the sinfulness of this. What harm was there in it? Did not Moses twice number the people without any crime? Doth not political arithmetic come in among other the policies of the prince? Should not the shepherd know the number of his sheep? Doth not the son of David know all his own by name? Might not he make good use of this calculation? What evil has he done, if he do this? Answer. It is certain it was a sin, and a great sin; but where the evil of it lay is not so certain. Some think the fault was, that be numbered them that were under twenty years old, if they were but of stature and strength able to bear arms; and that was the reason why this account was not enrolled, because it was illegal, 1 Chron. xxvii. 23, 34. Others think the fault was, that he did not require the half-shekel, which was to be paid for the service of the sanctuary, whenever the people were numbered, as a ransom for their souls," Exod. xxx. 12. Others think he did it with a design to impose a tribute upon them for himself, and to be put into his treasury; which, when he knew their numbers, he could tell what it would amount to: but nothing of this appears, nor was David ever a raiser of taxes. Some think that it was an affront to the ancient promise which God made to Abraham, that his seed should be innumerable as the dust of the earth; it savoured of distrust of that promise, or a design to shew that it was not fulfilled in the letter of it; he would number those of whom God had said, that they could not be numbered. Those know not what they do that go about to disprove the word of God. That which was the worst thing, in numbering the people, was, that David did it in the pride of his heart; which was Hezekiah's sin in shewing his treasures to the ambassadors. It was a conceit of his own greatness, in having the command of so numerous a people, as if their increase had been owing to any conduct of his, which was to be ascribed purely to the blessing of God.

Observe the spring from which it is here said to arise: ver. 1. "The anger of the Lord was kindled against

Israel;" there was cause for it; they were unthankful for the blessings of David's government, and strangely drawn in to take part with Absalom first, and afterwards with Sheba. We have reason to think that their peace and plenty made them secure and sensual, and for this God was displeased with them; but that in this displeasure he should move David to number the people is very strange: which is to be understood in the same sense as when the Lord is said to harden Pharaoh; that is, left him to shew the hardness of his heart; and so he left David to shew his sin, in attempting to number a people which were to be as the sand of the sea-shore, without number: for we are sure that God is not the author of sin; he tempts no man: we are told 1 Chron. xxi. 1. that "Satan provoked David to number Israel."

Ver. 14. "Let us now fall into the hands of the Lord; for his mercies are great."]-The greatness of the Lord's mercies encourages us to flee to him for help in the greatest distress, and to leave all our concerns, whether of body or soul, to his tender mercy, to deal with us as seemeth good in his sight.

A

Spiritual Exposition

OF THE

FIRST BOOK

OF THE

KINGS;

COMMONLY CALLED,

THE THIRD BOOK OF THE KINGS.

SCRIPTURE KEY.

THIS book is called by the Hebrews, The first book of the Kings; and by the Greeks, The third book of the kingdoms; for they call the first and second books of Samuel, The first and second books of the kingdoms: and it is called by the Latins, The third book of the kings: but we commonly call it, The first book of the kings, and the two preceding, The first and second books of Samuel.

It is generally allowed that this book was not penned by one person, but that it was written by several persons, as Nathan, Abijah, and Iddo, 2 Chron. ix. 29. And some think that the history of the church was digested and collected into volumes by Ezra, or the chief priests and prophets in their respective days.

The first and second books of Kings contain the history of the church and commonwealth of the Jews from the end of David's reign to the Babylouish captivity, which was

the space of four hundred and thirty-eight years, whereof Solomon reigned forty over the twelve tribes. But after his death, as a judgment for his idolatry, 1 Kings xi. 11, 12. they were divided into two kingdoms, the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Judah continued under the government of David's posterity three hundred and seventy-two years, in which time nineteen kings of the same stock succeeded each other; of which some were very good, others idolaters and soundness of doctrine and purity of worship were better maintained in the kingdom of Judah than among the ten tribes; for religion was several times reformed by the godly kings of Judah, who were encouraged and assisted therein by some of the prophets.

The kingdom of Israel continued but two hundred and thirty-seven years, in which time there were twenty kings of ten several stocks; of all which there was not one good one, that kingdom being idolatrous from first to last: yet they were not utterly rejected by God from being his people, 2 Kings ix. 6. but he called them to repentance by several prophets he raised up among them, 2 Kings xvii. 3. and had many faithful servants among them, 1 Kings xix. 18. and shewed mercy to them, 2 Kings xiii. 23.

Solomon, by David's appointment, is anointed king; and afterwards we have an account of his wise government after David's death, and of his building the temple: also of his great wisdom and riches, and of his wives and concubines, and their drawing him to idolatry in his advanced age. After his death his son Rehoboam succeeds him. The ten tribes revolting, Jeroboam is made king over them. The prophet Elijah denounces judgments against Ahab and Jezebel; wicked Ahab repenting, God defers the judgment. We have in the last chapter an account of Jehoshaphat's good reign, and of Ahaziah's wicked reign.

Concerning these two kingdoms it is observable, that when they kept close to God, he blessed and prospered them when they turned aside, they smarted for it. By which instances we are taught this lesson, that "righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to, and the ruin of any people," Prov. xiv. 34.

CHAPTER I.

In this chapter we have, (1.) David declining in his health, ver. 1-4. (2.) Adouijah aspiring to the kingdom, and treating his party in order to it, ver. 5-10. (3.) Nathan and Bathsheba contriving to secure the succession to Solomon, and prevailing for an order from David for that purpose, ver. 11-31. 4. The anointing of Solomon accordingly, and the people's joy therein, ver. 32-40. (5.) The effectual stop this gave to Adonijah's usurpation, and the dispersion of his party, ver. 41-49. (6.) Solomon's dismission of Adonijah upon his good behaviour, ver. 50-53.

VER. 29. "As the Lord liveth, that bath redeemed my soul out of all distress."]-Hence we see that David bad a lively faith in the Lord as his living Redeemer, and that when he was old, his heart was not weak in faith, but strong and courageous in the Lord; he remembered the distresses of his soul in time past, and how the Lord had redeemed him out of them all. It seems that David had no distress upon his soul with regard to his interest in the Lord; for he speaks of redemption as knowing it, and as enjoying the blessings of it. How happy and joyful is it to have a strong faith in a living Redeemer, especially when death draws near.

CHAPTER II.

2.

In this chapter we have David setting, and Solomon at the same time rising. 1. The conclusion of David's reign with his life. (1.) The charge he gives to Solomon upon his death-bed, in general to serve God, ver. 1-4. in particular concerning Joab, Barzillai, and Shimei, ver. 5—9. (2.) His death and burial, and the years of his reign, ver. 10, 11. The beginning of Solomon's reign, ver. 12. Though he was to be a prince of peace, he began his reign with some remarkable acts of justice, (1.) Upon Adonijah, whom he put to death for his aspiring pretensions, ver. 13-25. (2) Upon Abiathar, whom he deposed from the high priesthood for siding with Adonijah, ver. 26, 27. (3.) Upon Joab, whom he put to death for his late treason, and former murders, ver. 28-35. (4.) Upon Shimei, whom for cursing David, he confined to Jerusalem, ver. 36-38. Aud three years after, for trausgressing the rules, put him to death, ver. 39–46.

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VER. 2. "I go the way of all the earth."]-" Dust we are, and unto dust we must return;" by sin came death," and through sin we return to our original; and this