The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 209 – Section 210
SECT. CCIX.
A Donijah David's Eldeſt Son now living ſeeing his Father decline ſo faſt, began to have aſpiring thoughts after the Crown, and underſtanding that Solomon was deſigned to ſucceed his Father, he reſolved to prevent it if he could by making himſelf King before his Fathers death. In order hereunto he provides himſelf chariots and horſes, and fifty men for a guard as his brother Abſalom had done before him. And 'tis like his Fathers former over great indulgence to him did the more embolden him, though it alſo aggravated his fault that he durſt do a thing ſo contrary to his Fathers mind who had been ſo kind to him. He was alſo a goodly man of perſon, and as that might be one cauſe that made David ſo much to dote on him and Abſalom, ſo it made him the more acceptable to the people. In order therefore to the carrying on of his deſign he conſulted with Joab the General of the Army, and with Abiathar the High-Prieſt about it, who it ſeems encouraged him in it, and promiſed him their beſt aſſiſtance. But Zadok and Nathan, and Benaiah Captain of the Kings guard with the mighty men that were under his command, joined not with him. Adonijah having the General of the Army and the High-Prieſt on his ſide, he now thus contrives his matters: He makes a great Feaſt near Enrogel on the Eaſt-ſide of Jeruſalem, to which he invites all his Brothers the Kings Sons except Solomon, and all the Officers and people of the Court that he thought would join with him, intending there to be Inſtalled King. Nathan hearing of this, went immediately to Bathſheba and asked her if ſhe did not hear that Adonijah reigned, and took upon him to be King? She was ſtrangely ſurpriz'd at this, having heard nothing of it. He adviſes her if ſhe intended to ſave her own and her Sons life to go preſently to the King and to ask him whither he did not ſwear ſolemnly to her that Solomon ſhould reign after him? And if he did, how was it that Adonijah took upon him to be King? ſurely it is without the Kings privity and conſent. And (ſays Nathan) while thou art ſpeaking to him I will come in and confirm thy words, and further add what I conceive requiſite to be added. Bathſheba accordingly went to the King, and making a very low reverence to him ſhe told him that he had ſolemnly ſworn to her that Solomon her Son ſhould reign after him, but behold (ſays ſhe) Adonijah has at this very time made a great Feaſt, to which he has invited the Kings Sons, and Joab and Abiathar in order to be by them Inſtalled King. And my Lord, O King, the eyes of all Iſrael are upon thee to obſerve whom thou wilt declare for thy Succeſſor in the Kingdom, and the people are generally inclined to yield to that which thou ſhalt determine therein; and if thou doſt not confirm what thou didſt formerly ſwear concerning Solomon, when thou dieſt, I and my Son ſhall be counted Traytors, and accus'd for endeavouring to get the Kingdom from Adonijah. While ſhe was ſpeaking Nathan came in, who bowing himſelf before the King with his face to the ground, in a reſpectful manner askt the King whither he had appointed that Adonijah ſhould ſucceed him in the Throne? I do aſſure thee (ſays he) he hath made a great Feaſt this day, and to it hath invited the Kings Sons, and Joab and Abiathar, and many Captains of the hoſt, and behold they eat and drink before him, and ſay, God ſave King Adonijah. Surely this is not done with thy allowance, for matters of ſo great moment thou didſt not uſe to tranſact without conſulting me firſt about them. Then the King called for Bathſheba and ſaid to her, As the Lord liveth who hath redeemed me out of all former diſtreſſes, as I ſware to thee that Solomon ſhould ſit on my Throne after me, ſo it ſhall be. Then Bathſheba bowed her face to the earth, and ſaid, Let my Lord King David live for ever. As if ſhe ſhould have ſaid, Long may the King live, and I wiſh if it were the will of God, we might never loſe him. Then the King call'd for Zadok, Nathan and Benaiah, and commanded them to take with them his Life-guard, viz. the Cherethites and Pelethites, and to ſet Solomon on his own Mule, and to carry him to Gihon (a)A Mount with a rivulet cloſe by it on the Weſt-ſide of Jeruſalem., and that Zadok the Prieſt and Nathan the Prophet ſhould there anoint him King over all Iſrael, and when that was done they ſhould blow with the Trumpet, and ſay, God ſave King Solomon; and then (ſays he) ye ſhall attend him back in ſtate to Jeruſalem that he may come and ſit on my Throne, and be thereby declared King in my ſtead. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Iſrael and over Judah *It ſeems there was emulation between Judah and the other Tribes, before the diviſion of the Kingdom. See 2 Sam. 19.41.. Benaiah the Son of Jehoiada hearing the King ſpeak thus, anſwered in his own and the name of the reſt, Amen, The Lord God confirm what the King hath ſaid. As the Lord hath been with my Lord the King, ſo may he be with Solomon alſo, and make his Throne greater than the Throne of his Father. Then Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and the Kings Life-guard carried Solomon to Gihon, and there Zadok the Prieſt anointed him with oyl taken out of the Tabernacle, viz. the Tabernacle which David had ſet up for the Ark, 2 Sam. 6.17. for oyl being kept there for ſeveral holy uſes, Zadok took an horn full of it and therewith anointed the King. Which done they blew the Trumpet, and all the people there preſent ſhouted, God ſave King Solomon. Then they carried him in ſtate towards Jeruſalem, and the people followed after piping with Pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, and they ſhouted ſo loud that the earth even rent (a)An Hyperbolical expreſſion ſet…ing forth the greatneſs of their acclamations.with the ſound of their acclamations. Adonijah and the company that were with him juſt as they were concluding their great Feaſt heard this extraordinary noiſe and acclamation, and Joab heard the ſound of the Trumpet, and wondred what the matter was, and thought there might be ſome uproar in the City; but immediately Jonathan the Son of Abiathar came to them, Adonijah ſeeing him, O come in (ſays he) for thou art a good (b)Hebr. a man of vertue.man and bringeſt good tidings. The tidings (ſays Jonathan) that I bring are that David hath made Solomon King, and Zadok; Nathan and Benaiah have anointed him in Gihon, and they came up with him from thence rejoicing and ſhouting ſo loud that the City rang again, and this is the noiſe ye heard; and Solomon ſits now on the Throne, and is in actual poſſeſſion of the Kingdom; and the Kings ſervants came and bleſt our Lord King David, and rendred him humble thanks for ſetting Solomon on the Throne, and pray'd that the Lord would make the name of Solomon more famous than he had made Davids, and his Kingdom greater; and the King bowed himſelf upon his bed and worſhipped, and praiſed God, ſaying, Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael who hath ſetled my Son Solomon this day on my Throne, my own eyes ſeeing it. The Gueſts that were with Adonijah hearing this, had enough of their Feaſt, and began to be ſore afraid, and got themſelves away as faſt as they could to their own houſes, leaving Adonijah to ſhift for himſelf. Adonijah then not well knowing what to do, and being ſorely afraid that Solomon would take away his life, he fled to Gibeon where the Tabernacle of Moſes now was, 1 Chron. 21.29. and there took hold on the horns of the Altar. For though we read of no expreſs Law that God ever gave to his people that thoſe that fled to the Altar ſhould be there ſecured, yet that it was a cuſtom for malefactors to fly to the Altar as to an Aſylum or place of refuge, may be gathered from Exod. 21.14. and the Altar being the place where God did ſhew forth the riches of his grace in accepting a ſacrifice for ſin, this hanging upon the horns of it was a kind of pleading that mercy ſhould be ſhewed them for Gods ſake. And accordingly Adonijah fled to the Altar, and being there he deſireth that King Solomon (ſo he acknowledgeth him) would ſwear to him that he would not put him to death. Solomon ſent him word that if he would ſhew himſelf a worthy man, and a loyal ſubject for the future, not an hair of his head ſhould fall to the ground; but if he appeared to be wicked and diſloyal after this, he ſhould ſurely die. Upon this promiſe they brought Adonijah from the Altar to Solomon, to whom he bowed himſelf, and Solomon bad him go to his own houſe, and there live peaceably and quietly.
1 King. Ch. 1. from v. 5, to the end.
SECT. CCX.
DAvid having now cauſed Solomon to be anointed King, he giveth him in charge the building of the Temple, ſpeaking to him after this manner: My Son, it was in my heart to build an houſe for the Lord, but the Lord would not permit me to do it, becauſe I had been engaged in many wars, and had ſhed much blood(c)God does not upbraid David for ſhedding blood in his own cauſe. Saul and Ahab for ſparing blood loſt their Kingdoms, 1 Sam. 15.23. 1 King. 20.22, 42. The Levites for their fact in ſhedding blood, Exod. 32. and Phineas for his, Numb. 25. have the Prieſthood ſetled on them., and ſo was not ſo fit to build a Temple to him, which was to be a figure of the Meſſias the Prince of Peace. But he ſaid to me, a Son ſhall be born to thee who ſhall be a man of reſt, and I will give him reſt from all his enemies round about; his name ſhall be call'd Solomon, that is, peaceable, for I will give peace and quietneſs to Iſrael in his days, he ſhall build an houſe for my name, he ſhall be my Son, and I will be his Father, and I will eſtabliſh the Throne of his Kingdom over Iſrael for ever; that is, for a long time, and as long as the Kingdom of Judah ſhall continue, one of Solomon's poſterity ſhall ſit in the Throne of David (a)Poſſibly none of Solomons poſterity did ever ſit in the Throne of David after Zedekiah was carried captive into Babylon, nor ever had the ſupream power of Government after that.. Now (my Son) the Lord be with thee and proſper thee, that thou maiſt build the houſe of the Lord thy God, as he hath ſaid thou ſhalt do. And the Lord give thee wiſdom and underſtanding, and give thee charge concerning Iſrael, that is, give thee Divine direction and counſel, to inſtruct and direct all thy people, that thou maiſt keep the Law of the Lord thy ſelf, and teach others to keep it, viz. the ſtatutes and judgments which the Lord firſt revealed to Moſes with a charge that he ſhould reveal them to the people. Be ſtrong therefore and of good courage, dread not nor be diſmayed at the difficulties thou maiſt meet with. I have my ſelf met with many troubles and great moleſtations in my government from enemies abroad, and inſurrections at home, and yet I have ſo ſet my heart on building this houſe for the ſervice of God, that I have even in my troubles gathered a great treaſure together for this work, viz. an hundred thouſand talents of Gold, and a thouſand thouſand talents of ſilver, and braſs and iron without weight, and abundance of timber and ſtone, to all which thou thy ſelf maiſt add if there be occaſion. Moreover I have provided for thee all manner of workmen and cunning artificers for every manner of work appertaining thereunto. Ariſe therefore and be doing and the Lord be with thee.
1 Chron. 22. from v. 6, to 17.