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and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule.

And Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come upfrom thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again: this is the noise that ye have heard.

And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

And moreover, the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, GOD make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne: and the king bowed himself upon the bed.

And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD GOD of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.

And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

And it was told Solomon; saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day, that he will not slay his servant with the sword.

And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.

So king Solomon sent, and they brought Adonijah down from the altar: and he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS. Solomon was a much younger man than Adonijah, who after Absalom's death was the eldest, and therefore,

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according to the usual custom of other nations, he was heir to the crown; but as God himself had been the only king of the Israelites till Samuel's days, so when at the people's desire the form of government was changed, the LORD still reserved to himself the right of nominating the successor when the throne became vacant, as we read in the law of Moses: When* thou art come into the land, which the LORD thy GOD giveth thee, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, thou shalt by all means make him king whom the LORD shall chuse; so that when GOD had declared his appointment of Solomon (as he did by the prophet Nathan) David was not at liberty to make choice of any other; but we may suppose that all his other sons were jealous of this preference given to a younger brother, which made them so ready to join with Adonijah.

At what time David sware to Bath-sheba that Solomon should sit on his throne is uncertain; but most likely, on Nathan's being sent to give Solomon a name, which denoted his being beloved of the LORD, David gave his mother a solemn promise, that since God had so manifestly declared in favour of this child, he would for his part do the utmost in his power to facilitate his succession.

All Adonijah's ambitious views were in an instant frus trated, and he found that it was in vain to oppose the will of the LORD, though he had prevailed on Joab the general of the forces, and Abiathar the high-priest, to espouse his cause. How it came to pass that they proceeded in such an important affair without the knowledge of David, is not related; but from the circumstance of David's giving Zadok the preference on a former occasion, we have reason to suppose, that Abiather had been irregular in the administration of

Deut. xvii. 14, 15.

his office. As for Joab, he frequently treated his sovereign with the utmost disrespect, therefore his conduct is the less to be wondered at.

Nathan, Zadok, and Benaiah, were known to Adonijah as true and faithful subjects to king David, and for that reason they were excluded from the general invitation; and we may be sure, if they had been invited, they would have refused to go; we must not then suppose that Nathan's displeasure towards Adonijah arose from this circumstance of neglect, but that he mentioned it as a proof to the king, that his fidelity, as well as that of Zadok and Benaiah, were too publicly known for

any one to attempt perverting them; and to convince their good old monarch, that there were still some persons of consequence ready to maintain the right of him whom GOD had chosen.

Adonijah fled to the altar, supposing that veneration for that sacred place would prevent his being put to death; his scheme succeeded, and finding there was no other way of saving his life, he paid obeisance to his lawful sovereign, and withdrew his claim to the crown. It must doubtless have given great affliction to David in his latter days, to meet with such unkindness and ingratitude from a son, whom he had ever treated with the utmost degree of tenderness and indulgence; but he uttered no murmurs or complaints, for he saw the hand of the LORD still chastising him, in order that his penitence might continue to the last; and that the world might know from his example, what evils the LORD suffers to fall upon those who commit such crimes as David was guilty of, and the behaviour which GOD requires from offenders against his holy laws.

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SECTION XXX.

DAVID MAKETH PREPARATIONS FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE-COMMANDETH SOLOMON TO BUILD IT

AND CHARGETH THE PRINCES TO ASSIST HIS SON.

From 1 Chron. Chap. xxviii, xxix.

AND David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.

Then David the king stood upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people, As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the foot-stool of our Gon, and had made ready for the building; But GOD said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

Howbeit the LORD GOD of Israel chose me before all the house of my father, to be king over Israel for ever. For he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, he liked me to make me king over all Israel: And of all my sons, (for the LOR hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.

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And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

Moreover, I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day.

Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our GOD, keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your GoD: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. For the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

Take heed now: for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

Then David gave to Solomon his son, the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit of the LORD. And he gave of gold by weight, and of silver also by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service.

All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.

And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed, for the LORD GOD, even my God, will be with thee: he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

And behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the

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