TH

CHAP. VI.

DAVID takes Jerufalem.

HAT this pfalm is preparatory to fome great and martial purposes, cannot be doubted by any man that reads these words in it: Wilt not thou, O God, go out with our hofts? Through God will we do great acts; for it is He that hall tread down our enemies. And with what martial purpose could David so properly, and fo prudently, begin his reign, as with an expedition against that people which GoD had commanded the Ifraelites to extirpate for their abominable pollutions, in order to dif poffefs them of a ftrong-hold, which they yet retained in the heart of his kingdom?

ALL the martial men of the nation were now affembled together, their spirits raised with a magnificent and princely entertainment, and their hearts elated with joy; united in a firm league, under a martial and magnanimous prince, and an eminent leader. Such an union naturally infpired confidence in their own power and prowess; and, in confequence of this, a readiness, and an ardour, to undertake fome great atchievement. David was too wife and too brave a captain, to let this ardour cool. There was nothing wanting to keep it up, but a firm confidence in GOD; and nothing could inflame it, but an affurance of difcharging duty towards

him.

THE

THE ftrong-hold of Zion was still in the poffeffion of the Jebusites, their chief, if not their only fortrefs; and confequently the refort not only of the remains, but the refufe, of that abandoned people; like that city of Thrace, which Philip of Macedon peopled with all the mifcreants of his country, that other places might not be infefted with them. To take this fortrefs, would be to fignalize the beginning of his reign to great advantage; and to extirpate that abandoned race, would be at once to bless mankind, and to obey God.

WHOEVER Confiders the genius of David, will find him thoroughly difpofed to apply himfelf to GOD upon every occafion. This was not only the strong bent, but is the diftinguifhing characteristic, of his fpirit. The foul of piety breathes fervent and predominant in him. Is it to be imagined then, that he would enter upon this great enterprize, this initiating adventure of his reign, without prayers and hymns to the great Guide and Governor of his life? That many of the pfalms are martial hymns to GOD, is out of all doubt. Let God arife, and let his enemies be scattered-† is evidently the beginning of fuch an hymn, alluding to that prayer of Mofes (Numb. x. 35.) and in general all thofe pfalms that recount the mercies of GOD to the people of Ifrael from the beginning and nothing fure could better infpire a well-grounded confidence into that people, than a recapitulaCalling it Poneropolis, or the city of miscreants. + Pfalm lxviii.

tion of the many, the mighty, the miraculous deliverances from time to time wrought for them, interfperfed with ejaculations of thankfgiving, and concluded with an affurance, that GOD would ftill continue his mercy and loving kindness towards them.

TAKING it for granted, then, that David omitted not this nobleft of all incitements to fortitude on this occafion, I fhall not however take upon me to pronounce upon the particular hymn then made ufe of; but barely offer that conjecture which seems to me the most rational upon the point; that the cxxvth pfalm was compofed and fung upon this occafion.

IT was evidently made, when fome of thofe nations, which were to be extirpated, were yet in poffeffion of fome part of the land, which GOD had allotted to his people; as Jerufalem now was in the poffeffion of the Jebusites: and contains a prediction agreeable to God's own declaration, that it fhould not remain in their poffeflion. Let us fuppofe, what will not, I be lieve, be difputed with me, that a council of war was held before this attempt was made upon Sion; and that the bulk of the people were for it, but fome against it. The reasons for oppofing it muft principally be two: the danger and the iniquity of the attempt. The danger and difficulty were confeffedly great; the place being fo ftrong, impregnable, and inacceffible. And befides, it might be thought unreasonable to invade a people with whom many of the Ifraelites were now in alliance, as, in fact, many of thefe exe

crable

crable nations ftill lived in the fame cities with the Ifraelites; and, we cannot doubt, had alliances and intermarriages with them. Confider this pfalm then as an answer to these objections, and nothing can be clearer than the fenfe and pertinency of it to this occafion.

Was the fort of Sion ftrong and impregnable? They that truft in GoD are more fo: they are as the very rock on which that fort ftood. Was Jerufalem difficult to be affaulted on account of those inacceffible mountains, which furrounded it, and on which it stood *? GOD was a much furer defence to his people, than the most inacceffible mountains could be to that city. Was Ferufalem the original and rightful possession of the Jebusites? Original we cannot fay it was, rightful it was, but not now; for GOD, the fole rightful Proprietor, and fovereign Arbiter, had commanded them to be difpoffeffed and extirpated. And it was perfectly agreeable to his own declarations, that the rod (that is, the fceptre, the dominion) of the wicked should not reft upon the lot of the righteous, left they also be infected by their abominable pollutions. Then follows a prayer, and a prediction; as for those who faithfully difcharged the duty they owed to GOD, and to their country on this occafion, God would assuredly bless them: but as

* Urbem arduam fitu opera molefq; firmaverant, quis vel plana fatis munirentur. Nam duos colles immenfum editos claudebant muri per artem obliqui-extrema rupis abrupta, et turris ubi mons fuiffet, &c.

TACIT. Hift. 1. 5. for

for those that swerved from it, (those that decline in their doublings, fays the text) GoD would furely caft them out, together with those wicked wretches, whose interests they abetted; but his peace fhould be upon Ifrael his people.

I SHALL only add, that when David had fufficiently roufed the fpirits, and supported the confidence, of his people, he led them, (as we are well warranted by the text to conclude) in this height of their ardour and confidence, to Jerufalem; and fummoned the Jebusites to furrender, according to the order exprefly injoined by the law of GOD*, Deut. xx. 10, 11, &c. They returned a contemptuous and infolent anfwer; that, unless he could take away the lame and the blind, he should not come in thither. David, enraged at this anfwer, immediately commanded an affault; ftrictly injoining all those that reached the fummit of the tower, to throw the lame and the blind into the ditch; and proclaiming at the fame time, that whofoever should firft gain that advantage, and should fmite the Jebufites, and the lame and the blind, fhould be made captain-general of his army. This prize had its defired effect; a general emulation was infpired; the city was quickly taken; and Joab had the felicity to be foremost, and was accordingly declared chief.

COMMENTATORS are mightily at a loss to know what can be meant by the lame and the blind, in the text; nor are their doubts ill

* An order fo well known, that the facred penman thought it not neceffary to recount it on this occafion.

grounded;