Satan, commiffion'd, David's Heart affails,
To Pride he tempts the Monarch and prevails.
For Joab ftrait he fends, and bids him go
And number all the Tribes, refolv'd his Strength to
His word unwillingly the Chief obey'd,
From Dan he to Beersheba's Coafts furvey'd,
Th' appointed Ranfom for their Souls unpay'd:
Thungrateful Sacrilege did Heav'n refent,
And to the King with heavy Tidings fent;
My Three dread Scourges, Famine, Plague and War
Are all propos'd, thou muft for one prepare:
How hard a Choice! The Monarch how diftrefs'd!
Yet with repenting Tears he chose the Best :
Into the Hands of God, fince one he muft,
He chose to fall, as Merciful as Fuft.
See the deftroying Angel speed away,
While greedy Death attends to seize her Prey!
His Sword of pois nous Exhalations made,
Red, as a fatal Comet's flaming Blade,
High in mid-Heav'n he brandish'd, not in vain,
In three fhort Days were Seventy thousand flain.
And now o're fair Jerufalem he stood
And shakes his Sword, which thirfted yet for Bloods Fefides faw the Minifter of Fate,
In Act to ftrike, and but for Orders wait:
From Olivet he to Moriah ftrode,
And in his Hand the dreadful Sword of God:
Low on the Ground he falls with Sackcloth spread,
His Crown laid by, and Afbes on his Head:A28
On me, on me, Orighteous Heav'n! let all
The threaten'd Death, and heavy Vengeance fall;
But fpare these Innocents, nor let thy Rage
Wax hot against thy Sheep, thy Heritage !
Twas I that number'd, I that finn'd-- 'tis I
Alone deferve, alone defire to die.
Mild Pity heard, and proftrate at the Throne
Prefents his Pray'rs, and added of her own:
The Father fmiles and grants; the fhoots away
And pass'd the Confines of eternal Day,
On her own peaceful Rain-bow (werving down,
She flood confefs'd above the facred Town,
Seiz'd the Deftroying-Angel's flaming Brand,
Seal'd in its Sheath, and stopp'd his lifted Hand ;
Then did to raife th' afflicted Monarch fend gad
The Reverend Gad, his Prophet and his Friend:
In Ornan's Floor an Altar bids himn rear,
To him who ftopp'd the bov'ring Vengeance there, d
'Tis done, the grateful Odor mounts the Skies,
And beav'nly Fire confumes th' accepted Sacrifice.
¿Eng7q) dtologan2 dırw allar eil basozð afs no wolk 2 SAMUEL, Chap. XXIV. I CHRON, Ils us! Chap. XXI.000 20 50 et
Chap. XXIV. Ver. 21. Araunah faid, there fore is my lord the king come to his fervante And David faid, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
24. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen, for fifty Shekels of filvern de sand Loa 25. And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings fo the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Ifrael,
I KINGS, Chap. 1, '41. .........ɔ
Adonijah affects the Kingdom. Solon anointed King. Adonijah, Joab, Shimei flain, &c.
Kings as well as Empires have their D
And all muft yield to Time and Age and Fa
Broken with Cares, the Monarch now appears,
And finks beneath the Weight of Seventy Years
Languid and Cold, almost a Carcass grown,
He lives by Warmth and Vigour not his own:
This Adonijah heard, fair Haggith's Son,
In Beauty only next to Abfalon :·
Enfigns of Royalty like him prepar'd,
High on his Chariot rais'd, and circled with a Guan
Abiathar the Pontiff with him joyas, bestem
And Joab aids in his unjuft Designs:gar
By Rogel's-Well he at Zobeleth ftaid,
His Brethren call'd, a Kingly Feast he made
ངམ་མས་
But Solomon he left with confcious Fear,
Nor Zadok, Nathan, or Benaiah there:
To David, Bathsheba and Nathan bring
The Tidings first, that he affum'd the King
The Monarch rous'd, by Ifrael's God he wears,
And Solomon his Succeffor declares :
On his own Royal Mule he rides in State,
The Guards and Council him to Gihon wait:
The facred Oyl with Joy they thither bring,
Anoint him there, and fhout--- God save the King!
The bollow Vales reftor'd the diftant Sound,
Shook lofty Olivet, and shook the Ground:
This to Zobeleth's Stone the Traitors hear,
Vanish'd their Mirth, their Hearts diffolv'd with
Fear:
Their King Himself, and they their King difown,
He quits his fhort-liv'd Reign, and quits his Throne
For Refuge he to God's High-Altar flies,'
And fues for Life, when Solomon, replies,
If Loyal he's fecure, if falfe he dies:
In Peace he thence did to his House retreat;
But foon the curs'd Ambition to be Great,
The Royal Mercy did, and his Refolves defeat:
For David now to his Fore-fathers gon,
Agen he feeks by Wiles to mount the Thrones
To ftrengthen thus his Title, feeks to wed,
The beauteous Reli&t of the Royal Bed :
Nor this young Solomon, whose piercing Eyes
The Treafon faw, tho' veil'd in Loves difguife,
And by Benaiah's Hand his Rival dies :-
Next Joab, vainly to God's Altar fled,
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