THE next is in the fame book, V. 534,

&c.

As on fome mountain, thro' the lofty grove,
The crackling flames afcend, and blaze above;
The fires expanding, as the winds arise,
Shoot their long beams, and kindle half the skies:
So from the polish'd arms, and brazen shields,
Agleamy fplendor flash'd along the fields.
Not lefs their number, &c.

THE candid reader will obferve, that here the idea of an army's resembling a flaming fire, is common both to Homer and David: but the idea of that fire being quenched (when the army was conquered) is peculiar to David.

CHAP. X.

DAVID attempts to remove the Ark to Sion: and at last fucceeds.

HAT the confequences of these two

WH

total defeats of the Philiftine confederates were, is no-where explicitly related in fcripture; more than this, that the fame of David went out into all lands, and the

Lord

Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations. The great victories which GOD had given him, by fo signal an interpofition in his favour, naturally tended to strike a terror of him into all the nations, far and near: and it is reasonable to believe, that the first effect of it was, the flight of the Philistines from those Ifraelite cities, which they had feized, upon the death of Saul: and that the Ifraellites gained at least as much by these conquests, as they loft by the defeat of Gilboa. For we find foon after, that David was at reft from all his enemies round about; and it is not natural to believe, that he could be at reft, before he had recovered all those Ifraelite cities, which the Philistines had pofsessed themselves of, after that defeat.

WE learn from the xiiith chapter of the first book of Chronicles, that as foon as David was in quiet poffeffion of the fort of Sion, the first confultation he held with the reprefentatives of his people, was, about removing the ark from Kirjath-jearim to Sion. David well understood, of what infinite importance it was, to have an authentick symbol, and fure pledge, of the divine presence, depofited in his capital, to which to have folemn

and public recourfe, upon all emergencies, and great occafions.

SAUL was not bleffed with this right way of thinking, which the people well knew. However, David, in his exhortation to them on this occafion, guards against all cenfure of that prince; and only puts them in mind, that they had not, for fome time past, been fo folicitous as they ought, to secure to themselves this bleffing: For (fays he) we inquired not at it in the days of Saul, as if the guilt of that omiffion were rather to be placed to their own account.

THE affembly agreed to the proposal, with one confent; and when GOD, upon an humble application made to him by the high priest, concurred with them, a refolution was taken, to summon all the priests and Levites, and principal men of the whole nation, to attend the folemnity, at a time appointed. And the nature and reafon of the thing incline me to believe, with the` very learned primate Usher, that it was on the enfuing fabbatical year.

So much was David's heart fet upon this point, that it appears from the 132d Pfalm, that upon the taking of Sion, he had made a

fo

folemn vow to GOD, not to take so much as one night's reft, nay not fo much as to put his foot within his doors, 'till he had fixed upon a proper place, on which to depofit the tabernacle of God.

THE providence of GOD had no fooner fettled him in his kingdom, than he took a folemn refolution of fettling the fervice of GOD in it; well knowing, that purity and fincerity in his worship was the best and only fure ftay of his own power, and his people's profperity. A refolution truly wife! and worthy the father of that bleffed Redeemer (according to the flesh) who commanded in his gofpel; Seek ye first the kingdom of GOD, and his righteoufnefs, and all thefe (inferior, earthly) things fhall be added unto you: and accordingly, this, as I now obferved, was the principal and express purpose of the first convention of his people, to remove and fettle the ark at Sion; and with that the worship of GOD, in all its folemnity.

BUT before the time appointed for this purpose arrived, the Philistines, and neighbour nations, made the confederacy and incurfions related in the last chapter.

As foon as these were over, David, in pursuance of the refolution before agreed to with his people, again summoned all Ifrael, the princes and rulers of the people, with the priests and Levites, from Sihor of Egypt to Hemath, that is, from the Nile to the fountains of Jordan, to attend this great folemnity: And from this fummons, we may occafionally conclude, that all this tract of country was now in the poffeffion of Israel.

ACCORDINGLY the high-priest, chief priests, princes, rulers, and leaders of every tribe, in a word, the nobility, clergy, and magiftracy of the whole kingdom, affembled in one body, to the number of thirty thoufand men and David attended by the nobility of Judah, marched at their head, to bring up the ark from Kirjath-jearim; that ark, which was peculiarly diftinguished and dignified, by the name of the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hafts, that dwelleth between the cherubims.

THIS, I think, may fairly be confidered, as the nobleft affembly that was ever con

So the text fhould be rendered, 2 Sam. vi. 2. The vulgate fays, The men of Judak.