A Legacy to the Friends of Free Discussion

d to Samuel of their injustice, and demanded a King, like other nations. Now, considering the unsettled state of the Jews for hundreds of years, "when there was no Kin

it would have proved a change for the better, as it was by Jehovah's own appointment At the commencement of Saul's reign, he was ordered to go and fight against the Amalekites. The order was thus given:-"Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel; how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt" This offence was given some hundred years before, when th

his first campaign was to go and destroy the then inhabitants of Amalek, for an offence committed by their forefathers long since dead and gone. Saul was ordered by Jehovah not to save old or young, but to kill (murder) all, from the suckling to hoary old age. He fulfilled his orders as he thought, excepting that of taking their King prisoner, and the best of the cattle to sacr

epent in putting down David, though he had done so as it respected Saul. To father such inconsistency on the Author of Nature, is an outrage on justice and common sense. Again, to punish with fire and swor

ing of Amalek, offended Jehovah, and both himself and family suffered grievously for it; for Samuel told Saul, that' in consequence of his sparing Agag, the King, his roya

f men be that

umanity ince

o affirm, that he was one of the best Kings on recor

pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul"; but David could play so well on some kind of a musical instrument, that his performance drove the Devil out of the old King. From this account it seems, if the evil spirit means a Devil, that Jehovah kept Devils ready to start off f

tten in 1 Samuel xviii., 25, an account showing how well cultivated Kings and Princes were in those days, but too filthy for me to detail. Notwithstanding Saul was deposed, and David anointed King, still Saul kept possession of th

can believe that Infinite Wisdom had any part in so unsettled a form of government? it being like unto what England was at one time of her history, when two parties were contending for power. What a changeable, unsettled Being do the Scripture

and every one that was discontented, and he became a captain over them, and there were with him about four hundred men." David, in one of his flights from Saul, and being in want of bread, applied to Abimelech, the priest, for five loaves; and the priest answered David, and said, "There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bre

s David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be?" This answer so enraged David, that he exclaimed, "The time my army lay in the wilderness, near to the flock of Nabal, we took nothing from them, and also prevented others from stealing of the flock, an

in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted, and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light, any that pisseth against the wall." It is recorded after this, that in about ten days, "the Lord smote Nabal that he died." Christia

him, and flew to arms; and Solomon usurped the throne after the death of his father, and put to death his elder brother by a former wife, under a pretence the most frivolous, to secure himself a safe possession of his usurped power. Another son ravished his half-sister by another mother; and i

Jehovah gave him Saul's wives, besides"; but, not satisfied with all this, so contemptible was his conduct, he sneaked about to obtain a sight of an officer's wife while in the bath. Such low, cowardly curiosity would disgrace the driver of a dung-cart. A lady's bath not to be held sacred by

the army with news of importance to David, after the seduction of Bathsheba, the cunning debauchee said, come, Uriah, do not hurry b

him tarry another day, and that night got him drunk. In the meantime the King wrote a letter to Joab, the Captain of the host, and sent it by Uriah, to place him in the front of the battle, where he would be killed. The unsuspecting Uriah

and die." Such an act would disgrace the worst despot on earth, but it was done by "the man after God's own heart"! When Nathan was sent by Jehovah to David, to remind him of his wickedness, it was done, in the way of a parable. David did not at first discover its application: and it is recorded, that "Davi

ainst thee, out of thine house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun." To destroy the innocent child, who had no participation in the crime of the father, is too shocking to be admitted, when it is recorded as the sentence of the just and impartial God. I know Christians will reply, that the ways of God are not as

sun, refreshes

ars, and blosso

It is recorded in 2 Samuel, chapter xxiv., that David ordered the people to be numbered. One account says that Satan, and another account says that the Lord, moved David to number the people: no doubt it was done to get the number of the fighting men of Israel; for doing which, the Lord was angry with David; and three modes of punishment were submitted for the choice of the King:-"Seven years' famine, or to flee three months before his enemies,

rent towns, took many female captives, among whom was one who was the daughter of the Priest of Apollo, one of the Grecian gods. The venerable Priest came to the General, clothed in his robes, bearing the sublime and awe-i

reaths I hung t

ame with fat

lver bow, thy

rel, and the G

n Priest the cause of such mortality among the soldi

n, the reverend

ng's offence, t

w the soldiers because the Priest had been insulted. The number is exactly the same, each being seventy thousand men. The God of the Jews is said to have been the author of the destru

seems to have been his humanity in sparing Agag, whom he took prisoner. I cannot, therefore, believe, that the Universal Ruler of all

the old King warm. With her he was much pleased, but the account states, that "David the King knew her not." This is a strange tale, for if the sole object was, to get a young woman to sleep with him, then not the fairest, but the fattest, plumpest girl to be found throughout the land, would have been

l persons who had been the subjects of David, but to whom he (David) had sworn while living, that he would spare their lives. And accordingly, Solomon, af

the real heir, was set aside; and the better to secure the throne, Solomon had his half-brother put to death. The cause of this execution, as is recorded, was because Adonijah asked leave of Solomon, the King, to marry the damsel who kept David warm in his old

amed that he gave the following reply to the gracious permission:-"Give, therefore, thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad." This request is said to have pleased the Lord, who added to i

of the bad example under which he was brought tip in the family of his father; for if the Scripture history of the facts concerning Solomon is to be considered true, then the whole of his reign

ousand oxen, and one hundred and twenty-two thousand sheep. This, when we consider the smallness of David's domains, and the general poverty of his family, is incr

aited fowls." "And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen." Now, in so small, and in many parts barren land, where could they be raised? But Solomon had need of a plentiful table, for it is recorded that he had seven hun

eds all calculation, and is in strict accordance, in point of magnitude, with his feast at the dedication of the Temple, and with his daily allowance of food for his household, and also with his seven hundred wives, and three hundred concubines. But when we consider the poverty of the Israelites up to the time of his father's reign, and also David's poverty until the death of Saul, when at times, David had nei

th all his wisdom, could so play the fool and madman in the face of his God, some attention will be directed to the God of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob. It will be recollected that Saul, the predecessor of David, had offended Jehovah by sparing the life of Aga

ented, and I caused the brat to die out of the way, which made room for Solomon. Now, who could ever have thought that Solomon would have turned out so bad? Why, the fellow, in addition to wisdom, riches, and honor, has now seven hundred wives, and three hundred concubines! and not content with this number, he marries the daughters of heathens, prostrates himself before their idols, and builds new temples to their gods; but I promised not to repent again, yet Solomon must be punished. I will not, therefore, depose him, but in his son's reign I will divide the kingdom, and give the greater part of it to one of mean birth. I will not wholly take it away from the seed of David, because I promised him that he should not want a man to sit on his throne; but I will, for the wickedness of Solomon, cause discor

choice: in blundering, to rectify a former blunder, and falling into one much greater, to remedy the first: to be doing, and undoing: to have an end to accomplish, and to make use of means that fail in its

not so dishonor the Supreme Governor of Nature as for a moment to admit, that he dealt with either David or Solomon any otherwise th