49 Q. How did God teftify his Displeasure against David for his Sin?

A. He ftruck the Child that was born with Sicknefs and Death, and threatened David that the Sword fhould never depart from his Houfe, and that his own Wives fhould be publicly abused, 2 Sam. xii. 9-14.

Note, David teftified his deepRepentance for this Sin in the fifty-first Pfalm, and perhaps also in fome others; yet God faw it proper to punish him feverely, because he had given the Enemies of God occafion to blafpheme, 2 Sam. xii. 14.

50 Q. What were fome of the chief Troubles that actually came on David's Family on this Account?

A. The Troubles that he met with from three ofhisSons, namely, Amnon, Abfalom,and Adonijah. 51 Q. What was the Trouble he met with from Amnon?

A. Amnon defiled his Sifter Tamar by Force, upon which Abfalom flew him, and then fled out. of the Land for fear of Juftice, 2 Sam. xiii. 14, 28, 37.

52 Q. Did Abfalom never return again?

A. Yes, Abfalom returned after two Years, when David was pacified, and by his fubtil Carriage he raised a Rebellion against the King his Father, and made himself King, 2 Sam, chap. xiv, and xv.

53Q What followed upon this wicked Practice of Abfalom?

A. David being forced to flee from Jerufalem, Abfalom entered the City, and defiled his Father's Concubines publicly, 2 Sam. xv. 14. and xvi. 21. 54 Q. Who was Abfalom's chief Counsellor in this Rebellion?

A. Achitophel, who when he faw that his laft

2

Counfel

Counsel was not followed, went home and hanged himself, 2 Sam. xvii. 23.

55 Q. What became of Abfalom at laft?

A. As he was riding under an Oak in the Day of Battle, he was caught by the Hair of the Head, and hung between Heaven and Earth, where Joab, David's General, found him, and ftabbed him to the Heart, 2 Sam. xviii. 9, 14. and thus put an End to his Rebellion and his Life.

56Q What was the other remarkable Crime of David befides his Abuse and Murder of Uriah?

A. The Pride of his Heart in numbering all the People of the Tribes of Ifrael, that he might know how great a King he was, 2 Sam. xxiv. 2.

57 Q. How was he punished for this Sin?

A. God gave him Leave to choose one of these three Punishments, either feven Years Famine, or three Months of War, or three Days Peftilence, 2 Sam. xxiv. 13.

58Q. Which did David choose ?

A. The Famine or the Peftilence, rather than War for he chofe rather to fall into the Hands of God than of Man, 2 Sam. xxiv. 14.

59 Q. Which of these two Judgments did God fend upon the Land?

A. A Peftilence, that deftroyed feventy thousand Men in three Days time, ver. 15.

60 Q. How was this Peftilence stopped?

A. When David faw the Angel of the Lord ftand between Heaven and Earth, having a drawn Sword in his Hand ftretched out over Jerufalem, he and the Elders of Ifrael fell upon their Faces, clothed in Sackcloth; and David confeffed his Crime, and prayed that the Anger of God might fall on himself, rather than on the People, i Chron. xxi. 15, 16. 61 Q. How

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61 Q How did God manifeft his Acceptance of him?

A. He bid the Prophet Gad order David to build an Altar, and offer Sacrifices on that very Spot of Ground on the Threshing-Floor of Ornan; and when David prayed, Fire came from Heaven and confumed the Sacrifices, 1 Chron. xxi. 21-26.

62 Q. What was the Trouble that David met with from his Son Adonijah?

A. When David was old, Adonijah set himself up for King, 1 Kings i. 1, 5.

63 Q. How came Adonijah to be fo infolent? A. His Father humoured him too much all his Life, and never difpleafed him, ver. 6.

64 Q. What did Dávid do under this Trouble? A. He proclaimed Solomon, the Son of Bathfheba,` King, in his own Life-time; and Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, anointed him King of Ifrael, ver. 34, 38, 39.

65 Q Why was Solomon preferred, when he was a younger Brother?

A. Becaufe God chofe him to the Kingdom, and gave David fome Notice of it, 1 Chron. xxii. 810. and xxviii. 5—7.

66 Q. What became of Adonijah?

A He fubmitted to Solomon, who fpared him for that Time, though for a new Fault he put him to Death afterwards, ver. 50, 53. and ii. 2, 24.

67 Q. How long did David reign in all?

A. Forty Years, and then he died in his Bed in Peace, i Kings ii. 10, 11.

68Q. What were David's remarkable Characters, befides that of a Mufician, a Warrior and a King?

A. He was a great Poet and a Prophet, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1, 2.

69 Q. Wherein did his Skill in Poefy appear?

A. Not only in his admirable Elegy on Saul and Jonathan, but on feveral Occafions; he wrote the moft Part of the Book of Pfalms, which are the fineft Pieces of ancient Poefy, and he was called, The Sweet Pfalmift of Ifrael, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1.

70 Q. Wherein doth it appear that he had the Gift of Prophecy?

A. Becaufe thefe Pfalms were written by divine Infpiration, for in fome of them there are many Things evidently foretold concerning Chrift, Luke xxiv. 44. Acts ii. 29, 30.

71Q. What further Evidences are there of his being a Prophet?

A. He had a particular Revelation made to him by the Spirit of God, of the Pattern of the Temple, which Solomon his Son was to build, and of the ON ders of the Priefts and Levites, and of feveral Things relating to the Worship of God, which he gave to his Son Solomon, 1 Chron. xxviii. 11—13, 19.

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72QWhat did David do towards the Building of this Temple before his Death ?

A. He made a vaft Preparation of Gold and Silver, and Jewels, and other Materials, and gave the Pattern of every Thing to his Son Solomon, as he received it of God, 1 Chron. xxii. 5, 14. and chap. xxviii. 11, 19. and xxix. 2.

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СНА Р. Х.

Of the Reign of SOLOMON and REHOBOAM over all ISRAEL, and the Divifion of the Nation into two Kingdoms.

1 Q. W

HAT was the general Character of
Solomon ?

F 3

A. That

A. That he was the wifeft of Men, 1 Kings iii. 12. and chap. iv. 31.

2 Q. Wherein did his Wifdom towards God appear?

A. In that he asked not long Life, nor Riches, nor Honours, but Understanding and Knowledge to govern fo great a People, 1 Kings iii. 7, &c.

3 Q. What was the firft Inftance of his Wifdom in the Government?

A. His deciding the Quarrel between two Women who contended about a Child, and in giving the Child to the true Mother, 1 Kings iii. 16-28. 4 Q. How did he find out the true Mother?

A. He commanded the Child to be divided in two, that each Woman might have half: Then the Tenderness and Love of the true Mother appeared, in yielding up her Pretenfions to it, rather than fee it divided, 1 Kings iii. 25.

5 Q. What fpecial Care did Solomon take for the Worship of God?

A. He built that Temple for which David had made fo large a Preparation. It was a moft glorious Palace, built of Cedar and Fir, and OliveWood, and hewn Stone, with most amazing Expence of Gold and Silver, and Brafs, and precious Stones, both for the adorning of the House itfelf, and for the holy Veffels thereof, 1 Kings, chap vi. and vii. He built alfo two diftinct Courts about it, one for the People of Ifrael, and one for the Priests, all which were called The Temple, 2 Kings xxiii. 12. and 2 Chron. iv. 9.

Note, In this Temple of Solomon there does not seem to be any Court of the Gentiles, but only the Court of the Priefts, in which the Houfe of God or Sanctuary flood, and the Court of the People, to which all Ifrael reforted, nor can I find the Gentiles forbidden by any express Word of God. See 2 Chron. vi. 32.