Lu. XVII. Adonijah defeated_. ___ A now negkll her being his own;&: ifeither his age,or the remorfe ofhis old offence fhould have fer himoff,yet lbeknew hisoarh was Cure; My Lordthen {wartji 6y th< LITJtbJ G•a U#tlthine hantlrnaiJ, faying,AffimiiJ Sa/omon thy fon fha/1rdgn afur me & he foal fit MP"' m7 tNroTit;His word had been firmc,bur his oath was inviobbk·w; areengaged ifwe have promifcd,bur ifwe have fworne, we are bound. ' Neither heaven nor earth have any gieves for that man that can lhakeoff the fet. ters ofanoath; for he cares not for that God whom he dares invoke to a fallhood ; and he that cares not for God will nor care for man. Ere Bath/h<ba can be over t~e thrclhold,N atban( uponcompall)is knocking ar rhe doorc. Gods Prophet was never but welcome to the bed-chamber of f(ing Dav itl: In a feeming flrangeoe!fe he fals upon the fame fuir, upon the fame complaint with B Jlathfheba: Honefl policies doe nor mif-become rhe holidl Prophets l Shee mig!tt feeme to fpcake as awoman,as a mothcr,our ofpaf!ion;rhe wordofaProphct ·could nor be mil:doubted:He therefore that bad formerly brought to Davidrhar chiding and bloody me!fage concerning Bathjheba, comes now ro David ro fue for the life Gd honour of BaJhfoeba; and he thar was fcntfrom God (ro Da'llid ) ro bring the newcs of agracious promife offavour u!llo SakmcJO,comcs now tochallenge theex. ecurion ofir from rhe hands ofa father; and hcwhofe place freed him from fufpi· cion ofa fallion, cGmplaioes ofche infolent dcmeaoure and procbmation of Adoni. i••;what he beganwith an humble obcyfance,fiiUrting up in a lowly and loving ex. po!lulation, Is thu tNing Jont/Jr my L1rd1heKi•g,•nd tho" hajlnol foe.. td thy (ir'Tiant t1HJh••ld flllnlht Thro11tt[ my Lmltht King afttr kim ? As NaJhan was of Gods c Counfdl unto Davitl,fo was he of D•vJds COnnfoll both to God,aod the State;As God therefore upon all occalioos told N41han what liemcanr rodoewithDa'lliJ, fo had D•viJ wont to tell N•than what he meant to doe in his holy and moll important civil! affaires. There arc caf«s wherein it is not unfit for Golls Prophots to meddle with matters of State. It is no difjmagcmcnt to religious Princes to.impart their counfcls unto them, who can requite them with the counfcls ofGod. That wood which a fingle iron could not rive, is foone fplitted witha doub'e wedge ; The feafonablc imporrunity of Bathfoe6• and N athan,thus feconding e:.th other, h3th fo wrought upon David, that nowhis love to <A di!nijah gives placo to indignation,nature to an holyfidelity;& now he rcncwes his anc1ent oath w Bath. fhe6• with apaflionate folemnity : <.As the Lordliveth 111h1ha1h rtdeenud"'1 foaleou D of All adverPty, even -ul [rt~.rt """thee b, the L~rJ G•d •flfrael,f.1yiog, Af{urtdfJ sa. flmDR th7 f-n•e fha/1 reigneafier me,••J he fha/1 fit "P'"mJthr~nein m;jlc.d,(o wiH I ttrlllinly J,. thil day : In the decay of Davids body I finde nor his inrellcctivc powers any whit impaired: As one therefore that from his bed could wirh a perfect (if wcake) hand !lere the government oflfracl,he gives wifeand full direllions for the inauguration of Sal1m111: Zad~&k the Prie!l,and N•thAn the Prophet,and BenAi•hrhc Capraine receive his grave andPrincely charge for the cariage of that f<> weighty a bufincffc. They arc commanded to take wirh themrhe'royall guard, to fer Sa/o,.,,; upon his fathers Mule, to cary himdowne in flare to Gih1n, to anoint himwith the holy oylcoftheTaberoacle,to found the trumpets and proclaime himin the flrecrs, to bring him back with triumph and magnificence to the Court, anti to fi:t him in E theroyaiJ Throae wjch all the due ceremonies ofCoronation. Howpleafingwas thiscommand to them who in Sal1mans glory faw their owne fafety ~ Benaiabapp!auds ir,and nor fearing afathers envy,in D•vitls prc~nccwi!heth S•l•mtJns throne exalted above his : The people are ravilhed with the joyof fo hopeful!a fucccllion,aud breake the earrh,and fill the beaven with the noife o(their Mufick and lhouring. S•u•oiiJ guefls had now at Jail better cheare then AJowijaks,whofe fcafl(asal wic. ked mens)endedin horror;an fooncr are their bclliesful ofmcar,tbentheir cares are full of the found oftbofe trumpets, whichat once proclaim< S•k m1ns triumph,aod their confufion : Everafter the meale is ended comes the reclconing : God could as calilyha ye prevented this jollity asmarred it : Burhe willingly fuffers vaioe men to plcafe tbcmfclvesfora time in the conceited fuccdfeoftheir owneprojeas, that a f. tcrwards
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