occafion of fafting, and weeping, and mourning! when that voice, half ftifled with tears, calls him to account for murder, instead of acknowleging his merits! Doubtless the stranger pleaded for himfelf with fair and plaufible arguments. "Alas, Saul was already fallen upon "his own fpear-it was mercy to fhorten his fufferings his importunate prayers moved me to haften his ap"proach to the gates of death. Had I ftricken him as an enemy, I had perhaps deserved thy cenfure-but the "blow was that of a friend. Why am I

regarded with horrour for obeying the "voice of a king? for perfecting what "himself had begun, but could not fi"nish? If neither his own wound, nor "mine, had dispatched him, the Phi"listines were at hand, ready to do that "with infult, which I did in favour. "Had not my arm anticipated theirs, "where had been the crown of Ifrael,

" which

"which I have presented to thee? I "could have delivered it to Achifh,

king of the Philiftines, and have "been rewarded with honour. Let me "not die for an act well meant to thee,

verance.

however unkindly misinterpreted!" But all these excufes avail not to his deli"Thy blood be upon thine own head-for thy mouth hath tefti"fied against thee, faying, I have flain "the LORD's anointed. Every drop of royal blood is facred, and he who sheds it is accurfed of GOD and man. Of how different a spirit from this of David, are thofe men, who fuborn the death of princes, and juftify the atrocious act, and celebrate and canonize their murderers! "O my foul, come not thou into their fecret-into their affembly, mine honour, be not thou united !"

XXX.

XXX.

NATHAN AND DAVID.

WITH what terrour and amazement, O GOD, do we contemplate the tranfgreffion of thine anointed fervant? What an univerfal example doth his fin, and his repentance afford to mankind? What an awful, inftructive leffon, that we fhould never be led aftray by prefumption, or despair? Both are excluded, by the crime, and by the contrition of David. When we fee fo great a faint thus fallen, thus rifen, we cannot but be fenfible of our own infirmities, and the tranfcendent mercy of our God.

Now the king of Ifrael is in undif turbed poffeffion of his dear-bought fpoufe.

The brave and faithful Uriah lives no longer. The fplendour of royalty has foon dried up the tears of his perfidious widow. But the juft and holy God will not fuffer His name to be thus profaned among his people-he will not have occafion given to his enemies to blafpheme, without feverely punishing the offender. As that offender is more dear to him, the fin becomes more heinous, more aggravated. David, who has been loft in a lethargy of guilt, fhall be fuddenly awakened by the terrours of the LORD.

Ir any fuperiority of condition could have afforded a privilege from fin, the angels had not tranfgreffed in heaven, nor Adam in Paradife, nor David on the throne of Ifrael. Yet, alas, what language can palliate crimes of so deep a dye, or plead in excufe for the infenfibility which followed? Though some tranfient remorfe might have affected his foul, we hear of no effectual reVOL. II. D pentance,

pentance, till a faithful monitor is fent, by divine appointment, to call the deluded monarch from the errour of his ways. Perhaps, had the precious balm been longer withholden, David's wretched impenitence would have been protracted. But bleffed be the wifdom and mercy of GOD, who out of evil can produce good, who can bring light itself out of darknefs! This one fin fhall be the means of preventing millions. How many would have fallen, in a vain reliance on their own strength, if David had not offended? How many would have been defperate in the confcioufnefs of their own weakness, if David had not received affurances of pardon?

WHILE Nathan complains of the cruel rich man, who had forcibly taken away the only lamb of his poor neighbour, David eagerly liftens to the ftory. With a rigour, which no laws could juftify, he pronounces fentence against the of

fender.