thereby promote the Benefit of Mankind, by confidering the Character of the Royal Pa triarch in fuch a Light, as may make him be reckoned more worthy of the Title of being the Man after God's own Heart, than he has hitherto generally been. I hope this will plead in my Excuse, especially as it may be a Means of setting some abler Pen to work, who will do more Juftice to the Subject.

THE Connection that fubfifts between us, and the many particular Favours I have already received from You, were the Reasons which emboldened me to take this Freedom; by pardoning which, you will add another Obligation to thofe already conferred upon,

REVEREND SIR,

Your most obedient,

Obliged, bumble Servant,

TOPCROPT, Feb. 29, 1764.

JOHN FRANCIS.

THE

PREFACE.

ONTROVERSY in general feems to be the darling Topic of the prefent Age; but that which relates to Things of a religious Nature, more particularly engages the Attention of Mankind, under whatever Denomination you rank them. This has opened a large and Spacious Field, wherein Friends and Enemies have mutually pleafed and exercised each other. The Patrons of Infidelity in particular have not let Aip the Opportunity that has been given them by this Means, of publishing their poisonous Notions, by endeavouring to weaken the Princi ples of Natural Religion, and thereby fubvert ing and overturning thofe of Revealed. Thefe have produced Anfwers of various Kinds from its Friends and Defenders, which have again been anfwered by its Enemies, till at length Men bave been fo bewildered in their Notions and Opinions, that they have been utterly unable to afcertain which were in the right; and as Vice is generally an Attendant upon Error, have at length been brought to patronife that Opinion, which most favours Immorality. The Mifchief of which this is productive, is but too apparent not to be obferved by an attentive and difcerning Eye; it must therefore produce in every true Lover of Piety and Virtue, amongst whom A 3

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must be ranked every true Lover of his Country, a Concern proportionable to the Effects, and make every Man, who is actuated by fuch laudable Motives, endeavour to refrain and curb, all in his Power, this Torrent of Licentiouf nefs, to the accomplishing of which he fould implore the divine Bleffing upon fuch his honeft Intentions.

Among the many Authors that have of late written against Revealed Religion in general, and the Chriftian in particular, there has been none more bold and daring, or who has paid less Regard to the received Notions of the Country wherein he lives, which Modefty and good Man-. ner's commonly make Men pay fome Refpect to, than a late Writer in his Obfervations upon the Character of King DAVID; whom, though he has been justly esteemed by all wife, religious and good Men, as the Man after God's own Heart, having been honoured with that Title by the Almighty himself, who alone is acquainted with the deep Receffes of the Heart, and therefore is the best fudge, who is his faithful Servant, and who not; yet this Writer has been pleafed to reprefent him as the greatest of Tyrants, and most proAligate of Men; and to brand him with thofe opprobrious Titles of Traitor, Ruffian, Murderer, &c. thereby endeavouring to caft a Slur upon thofe facred Records of Truth, which represent the Royal Patriarch under a quite different Character; the Truth of which, if he could establish,

must

muft in the End affect the Doctrines of Chrif tianity, fince what tends to undermine the Validity of the one, must likewife weaken the Evidence of the other. Befides a worfe Endeavour, if any thing than this could be worse, an Attempt to make the Almighty, who in almost every page of the facred Writings declares himself, not only by bis Promifes and Precepts, but likewife by his Threatnings and Judgments, of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity, to be the Patron of Vice and the Encourager of Immorality. An Attempt fo blafphemous and profane, as must make every fincere Chriftian and true Worshipper of Him Shudder and tremble, but barely to think of. ・・

Two learned and very ingenious Writers have obliged the World with Answers to this bold and audacious Writers and have fhewn him and others, that Sophistry and a meer fargon of Words, though afferted with Impudence and a blafphe mous Affurance, will never be able to undermine the impregnable Fortress of Truth; and that thofe Doctrines, which have God for their Author, will always ftand against the weak Attempts of fallible Men, though in their own Opinions be they never fo powerful and prevailing. Any further Attempts after two fuch able Writers * may be thought needlefs, especially in one who cannot be thought able to publish any more convincing. Of that Nature indeed, the Au

*The Rev. Dr. Samuel Chandler, and the Rev. Mr. Bilby Porteus, Fellow of Christ College in Cambridge. A 4

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thor of the following Sheets does not pretend to: But if he can offer to the Public any Argument to enforce and corroborate thofe already publish ed, he hopes his Prefumption therein will be excufed, not only by the learned Writers abovementioned, (to whom he shall in this Work pay all proper Deference) but likewife by the World in general; fince if any Ambition be pardonable, it certainly is that of appearing in Defence of our most holy Religion. Ifhall therefore, without any further Apology, enter upon the Subject of the following Treatife, wherein I fhall endeavour, through the divine Affiftance, to shew that David is by the infpired Penman called, in a moral and religious Senfe, as well as a political one, the Man after God's own Heart, which, if it can be proved, will tend, I should hope, to make the Royal Patriarch's Character of more beneficial Ufe to Mankind; as thereby Morality and true Religion will be more forcibly inculeated, and the Truth of Revelation equally as firmly established. In order to which I shall beg leave to premife a few Obfervations concerning the Nature and State of the Jewish Government, which, before it commenced a regal one, we fhall find was a Theocracy, and in fome Degree continued till the regal one was eftablifhed in the Family of David.

A PRE