The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 218
SECT. CCXVIII.
SOlomon being now come to Jeruſalem, a very difficult caſe was brought before him, in the deciding of which he gave a great evidence of that extraordinary wiſdom the Lord had furniſht him with. There came to him two women that were (as it ſeems) Victuallers by profeſſion, but ſecretly Harlots, and one of them ſaid to him, O my Lord the King, this woman and I dwell together in the ſame houſe, and I was delivered of a child, ſhe being preſent at my Labour, and three days after ſhe was delivered of a child alſo, and both our children were boys; and we were all alone in the houſe, there was no ſtranger with us: And thus (O King) it happened (as I verily believe and am confident) this woman over-laying her own child in the night, and awaking and finding it dead by her, and being afraid of the diſgrace that was like to fall upon her for her careleſneſs about her child, ſhe to avoid that came ſecretly (as I have reaſon to believe) in the dead of the night and took my Son from my boſom whilſt I was faſt aſleep, and laid her dead child in my boſom in the room of it; for ſhe had rather (I ſuppoſe) have a living child (though anothers) than her own dead, and had rather nurſe up my child inſtead of her own, than have it ſaid, that by her own careleſneſs and negligence ſhe had been the cauſe of the death of her own Son. And when I aroſe in the morning to give my child ſuck, behold I found it dead, but when I had better conſidered of the matter, and laid circumſtances together, I found it was not my Son that I did bear; and I hope I ſhall find ſo much juſtice from the King as to return my own child to me again. Then the other woman ſpake for her ſelf and ſaid, Nay but my Lord, O King, let this woman ſay what ſhe will I do peremptorily affirm that the living child is my Son, and the dead is hers. Thus they conteſted before the King, both the one and the other challenging the living child for hers; the caſe was very difficult, for firſt both the children were almoſt of an age: 2ly, Their features in their infancy might be ſomething alike: 3ly, No body was by when this fact was done, that might give evidence on either ſide: 4ly, The mother that challenged the living child confeſſed ſhe was aſleep, and ſo did not ſee when her child was ſtollen away: 5ly, The parties contending for the child were of a like reputation, the one deſerving no more credit than the other. All theſe things conſidered, the caſe ſeem'd ſo difficult that one would have thought the wit of man could not determine it. Solomon having heard what they ſaid on both ſides, according to the wiſdom that God had given him preſently call'd for a ſword, and bad one of his ſervants take the living child and divide him in twain, and give half to the one, and half to the other. But the woman whoſe the living child really was, found her bowels ſo yerning upon this, that ſhe cried out, O my Lord, give her I pray thee the child, let her take him whole, in no caſe divide him; I had rather ſhe ſhould have him whole than that he ſhould be ſlain. But the other woman being of an envious diſpoſition, and not willing that her neighbour ſhould enjoy what ſhe wanted, ſhe cried out, For my part ſeeing the King hath ſo determined the matter, let the Kings ſentence ſtand, let it be neither mine nor hers, but let it be divided. The King by the different affection that he diſcerned in theſe two women, quickly perceived which was the true mother, and accordingly gave the living child unto her. And all Iſrael heard of the judgment the King had given in this caſe, and all ſorts of perſons highly honoured him for it, for they ſaw that an extraordinary meaſure of the wiſdom of God was in him that enabled him to give righteous judgment.
1 King. Ch. 3. from v. 16, to the end.