DEATH OF DAVID. 225 ficed in burnt offerings, and king Solomon was gladly accepted by all the people of Israel. Amongst the latest advice which David gave to his successor, we find him gratefully remembering the worthy Barzillai, and enjoining on Solomon to cherish and honour the sons of his father's benefactor: whilst he warned him that Shimei was a dangerous man-but inasmuch as his life had been guarantied by the promise of David—that promise must yet be respected; but as Joab, who had slain Absalom, contrary to the command of the king, and most treacherously put to death two princes of Israel, “who were better than himself," had obtained no such exemption, he ought to suffer the punishment due to his aggravated crimes. Soon after these regulations were finished, David, the great king of Israel, “died in a good old age, full of days, riches and honour," says his historian-having obtained the high designation of "a man after God's own heart," and leaving, in a life of seventy years-forty of which he had reigned-a volume of instructions to posterity, both in his writings and his actions.* (B. C. 1015.) Catherine. The whole life of David is indeed interesting, but I am at a loss to know how he who was far from being perfect, could be called a "man after God's own heart." Mother. These words have abundantly provoked the derision of infidels, who choose to apply to them a meaning which some of their number at least, are aware, they were never intended to convey. They are analogous to those which I lately explained to you. "The Spirit of the Lord came upon him"—that is, enabled him to perform the duty required at the time. In like manner, it was the Heart or the Will of God, that a man should be invested *The history of David, to the death of Samuel, is believed to have been written by that eminent eye-witness of his actions. From that period it was probably continued by Gad or Nathan, both contemporary. The prophets, in the several ages of the Jewish church, certainly wrote some annals of their own times :-from these, the canon of scripture was finally settled by Ezra and the Sanhedrim, or grand Jewish council. 226 CHARACTER OF DAVID. with royal authority, from whom, in a lineal descent, the Messiah should come-that in his reign, the whole country, "from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates," which had been promised to the posterity of Abraham, should be subdued; and the civil and ecclesiastical government of the Israelites reduced to a regular and permanent form. Now, for all these purposes, David was qualified by his wisdom, his valour, and his eminent piety. His character is not without blemishes, and these are not extenuated by his annalist; but his integrity, his meekness, his benevolence, and, above all, his activity in the cause of religion, and his faithful adherence to one God, in the midst of the most debasing idolatry, into which the chiefs of his nation, both before and after him, unhappily fell, render him worthy of the sublime destiny to which he was called. His deep penitence and self-abasement for his sins-his disinterested loyalty to Saul, whose family he knew to be set aside in his favour; and his moderation in prosperity-devoting the great riches he had acquired in his wars, to the service of the divine Giver-are the indubitable evidences of a noble disposition. His inimitable compositions are the transcript of a genius, deep, fervid and comprehensive-they are the genuine effusions of a pious soul, sometimes bowed down by the heavy stroke of affliction-sometimes transported with joyful gratitude for some communication of divine favour, some unexpected deliverance, or unmerited success. They are still applicable to the ever-varying cir cumstances of our mutable state, and will ever remain the enjoyment and consolation of every saint whilst the world endures. Catherine. Yet the curses which he invokes on his enemies, are not like the breathings of a saint-how do you reconcile such expressions with the character of a pious man? Mother. As the whole life of David exhibits a mild and forgiving disposition, we are warranted in saying, that the expressions to which you allude are not imprecations on his enemies: But as he was a prophet-" the Spirit of the Lord," says he, "spake by me, and his word was in my tongue"-they may be understood as denunciations of God's wrath upon such men as he describes. Charles. I am glad to hear it. Your exposition is a relief to me-for I have often thought with pain of this vindictive trait in David's character-so very inconsistent with his general piety. Was he the author of all the Psalms? Mother. Let your sister recite to us a versification she has attempted of the hundred and thirty-seventh psalm, and you will find your question answered. Catherine. PSALM 137. 1. Far from the land that gave us birth, 2. Sing us a song-our masters say, 3. No-rather let our harps, unstrung, 4. O CANAAN! land of high behest! 5. If I forget thy olive bowers, Thy vine-girt hills-thy daughters slain- 6. O Babylon! who raz'd our walls,, Mother. Here you see the bard is a captive in Baby. lon, while his native land was in ruins-and that land was Canaan. David never saw Babylon, nor was his country laid waste by a conqueror until ages after his death-con sequently this ode is not his. The book of Psalms is the work of many hands, and was composed in different times and circumstances of the Jewish church, even ages apart. They illustrate the Jewish history. Some of these beautiful hymns are of a date as early as the days of Moses, of Deborah, and of Hannah, the mother of Samuel; and some are as late as the Babylonian captivity. Some are the composition of Asaph, a distinguished Levite, and chief of the choir which David appointed, and organised for the public worship of the Temple; and many are anonymous. Something more than one-third are inscribed with the name of the royal prophet. These are evidently connected with the various events of his life, both adverse and prosperous. But the whole collection has received the title of the psalms of David, most probably because he set them to music, and directed their use in the temple service. In some ancient manuscripts, it is called the Psalter, from the Psaltery, one of the instruments which accompanied the singers. "The book of psalms presents every possible variety of Hebrew poetry. They may all indeed be termed poems of the lyric kind, that is, adapted to music, but with great variety in the style of composition. Thus some are simply odes. An ode is a dignified sort of song, narrative of the facts, either of public history, or of private life, in a highly adorned and figurative style. But the figure in the psalms is that which is peculiar to the Hebrew language, in which the figure gives its meaning with as much perspicuity as the plainest speech. Others, again, are ethic, or didactic, delivering grave maxims of life, or the precepts of religion, in solemn, but for the most part, simple strains. To this class we may refer the hundred and nineteenth, and the other alphabetical psalms, which are so called because the initial letters of each line or stanza followed the order of the alphabet. Nearly one-seventh part of the psalms are elegiac, or pathetic compositions on mournful subjects. Some are enigmatic, delivering the doctrines of religion in enigmatic sentences contrived to strike `the imagination forcibly, and yet easily to be understood; while a few may be referred to the class of Idyls, or short CONSPIRACY AGAINST SOLOMON. 229 pastoral poems. But the greater part, according to bish. op Horsley, is a sort of dramatic ode, consisting of dia logue between certain persons, sustaining certain charac ters."* "Not only do they breathe through every part a divine spirit of eloquence, but they contain numberless illustrious prophecies, that were remarkably accomplished, and that are frequently appealed to by the evangelical writers." "David, in the spirit of inspiration, uttered his oracles with the most lively and exact description. He expressed the whole scheme of man's redemption, the incarnation, the passion, the resurrection and ascension of the Son of God, rather as a witness than a prophet." In the earlier ages, we are told, the book of psalms was much more the familiar companion of religious persons and families, than it is now; they committed them to memory; they sung them at their meals; "they enlivened their social hours, and softened the fatigues of business." But the example of our Saviour and his apostles is the conclusive sanction for the singing of psalms in divine worship. Hence the Christian church has adopted the practice as a part of its worship, and "these sacred hymns are indeed admirably calculated for every purpose of devotion." Let us now return to our story, from which I have thought it proper to digress for a few moments, to give you some notion of the importance of the book of psalms-for an ample exposition, you will read the works of those eminent writers, who have thought them worthy of a sepa rate commentary.‡ Scarcely had the good king David descended to the grave of his fathers, when the factious movements of Adonijah forfeited the conditional protection which Solomon had engaged, and made it expedient to sacrifice his life to the tranquillity of the kingdom; as well as to depose Abiathar, "Introduction to the critical study and knowledge of the holy Scriptures;" a very extensive and excellent work, by Thomas Hart. well Horne, London. + Gray's Key to the Old Testament, &c. Horsley, Gray, Horne, and others. |