approve their Choice he being the best King and the best Man that we read of in the whole Catalogue of the Kings of Judah he performing his Duty both to God and his People so very well it would have been a shame to his Subjects if they had not requited him by paying him all that Observance and Duty to which he could have any Pretence But altho he may be an Example to the best of Kings the Scripture giving him this Eulogie And like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to the Law of Moses Neither after him arose there any like him Yet from him we may best learn what an intolerable Mischief a Wicked King is for tho Josiah was so very good yet there was an old Arrere of his Grandfather Manasseh that all his Vertue and Goodness could not clear For Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal And the Lord said I will remove Judah out of my sight as I have removed Israel and will cast off this City Jerusalem which I have chosen and the House of which I said My Name shall be there 2 Kings 23.26 27. Therefore what Reasons have both Church and State to deprecate such a King as will infallibly intail Ruine on both For you see that God's House even that House that he had chose to set his Name there shall be involved in the common Destruction Therefore were I to add a new Clause to the Litany it should be From such a King as Manasseh Good Lord deliver us But above all we ought to be fearful of and pray against an Idolatrous and Bloody King for those are the two Crimes with which Manasseh is particularly charged and which hastned the Captivity of Judah and consequently shortned the Life and Reign of the good and beloved Josiah to whom it was particularly promised as a Blessing that he should not live to see the Ruine and Desolation that was to be brought on the Nation after his Death After which the people of the land took Jehoabas the son of Josiah and made him King in his fathers stead in Jerusalem 2 Chron. 36.1 and 2 Kings 23.30 But altho he inherited his Father's Kingdom it seems he did not his Vertues for it follows in ver 32. That he did evil in the sight of the Lord and so his Reign was very short for Pharaoh Necho makes him a Prisoner and carries him into Egypt and makes his elder Brother Jehoiakim King in his stead in whose days the King of Babylon first came up against Judah and after his death Jehoiachin succeeds whom Nebuchadnezzar carries to Babylon and makes Zedekiah King in whom the Succession was quite inverted for he was Uncle and not in the Direct Line and the Monarchy also ending with him I should here have concuded this Part of my Discourse but that I cannot omit one Observation and that is That there were several Kings of Judah alive at the same time It is certain Two Jeconiah and Zedekiah but for any thing I know there might be Three for we do not read of the Death of Jehoahas who was carried Prisoner into Egypt and by his Age I 'm sure he might survive Zedekiah's carrying to Babylon for he was but Twenty three Years old when he began to reign and his own Reign with all the Three Kings that succeeded him do not make Twenty three Years more before the Captivity But now I would fain know what the Royalists of our Age would do in such a Case and which of the Three they would own For there was great Variety One set up by the People the second as Heir to him whom the King of Egypt had set up and the third set up by the King of Babylon But I do not find that the Jews had any such Scruples at that time but always obey'd them which were in possession as long as they were so let them be set up by whom they would and the Scripture gives them the same Epithete they are all called Kings without ever disputing their Titles Nor are the People reproved for obeying Zedekiah altho they knew that Jehoiachin who had certainly the better Title and had also reign'd as King was alive But altho the People are not rebuked for submitting to Zedekiah whom Nebuchanezzar had set over them yet Zedekiah is for not obeying the King of Babylon to whom he had past his Word that he would So that we may see that Kings are obliged by their Oaths and Promises as well as other Men. Which brings me to my third Particular I was to prove which is That at the first setting up of Kings among the Jews their Power was not Absolute but that they were obliged to certain Covenants and Conditions And altho I will not pretend to prove it of every individual King yet if I can do it of the first and second and also the solemn repeating of it after an Interregnum I shall hope I have done all that can be expected from me For whoever succeeds to a Crown is supposed to take it on the same Conditions his Predecessors had it which it would be superfluous for the Story to repeat every time And therefore I shall not make a long Preface to a Point that I hope so easily to dispatch for I suppose that a few plain Scripture-proofs will for I 'm sure they ought to go farther than a long Rhetorical Discourse And how few Instances soever I can bring yet I shall begin at the Spring-head and make the first Kings Saul and David Witnesses to the Truth of what I now assert and prove that such a Compact and Agreement between the Prince and People is the very Corner-stone of Monarchy it self And that I may do this the more fully and clearly I must beg my Reader 's Pardon tho I carry him so far back as the Inauguration of Saul the first King of Israel But I shall not tire his Patience so much as to repeat all that I have already said of Samuel's displeasure at the People for rejecting God and defiring a Man to be set over them for their King 1 Sam. 10.19 And tho Samuel to terrifie them had represented the King they desired rather in the shape of a Tyrant that would destroy and ruine than of a Prince that was to defend and save them 1 Sam. 8. from the 11 th to the 19 th yet seeing they would not be discouraged but still persisted in their Resolution Nay but we will have a King over us God was so merciful to them as to give Rules to this unruly King that Samuel had described As I think we may safely collect from 1 Sam. 10.25 Then Samuel told the People the manner of the Kingdom and wrote it in a Book
takes them while they are in good Humour and says Come let us go up to Gilgal and there renew the Kingdom And the people went up to Gilgal and there they made Saul King before the Lord 1 Sam. 11.14 15. Which methinks seems to infer that Samuel thought the Peoples Approbation necessary for the Confirmation of the Kingdom to Saul for after that they all owned and obeyed him which they did not before And although this is a pretty clear Proof as to Saul yet those that I shall produce about David are I think more strong and pregnant for although David was by God Almighty design'd and declar'd King during Saul's Life-time and at Saul's Death was in a very good posture to have possest himself of that Kingdom to which he seem'd to have so good a Title for he had a Victorious Army with him with which he might certainly very easily have vanquish'd the small remainder of Saul's baffled Forces yet he does nothing like that but comes and settles himself and Family quietly at Hebron where the Text says he dwelt 2 Sam. 2.3 But how long he was there before the men of Judah came to make him their King the Story does not express but thither they came of their own accord it is to be supposed and there they make him King over the House of Judah 2 Sam. 2.4 But for all he had the same Title to the Crown of Israel God having promised him both yet he does not pretend to any Dominion over them till they themselves come and make him their King as you will find it 2 Sam. 5.3 and 1 Chron. 11.3 but that was not till Seven Years and an half after he was King of Judah So that it seems Israel took a fair time to consider of it for Ishbosheth reigning but Two Years it must be Five Years and an half after his Death and what Government was in that Interregnum is hard to say because the Scripture says nothing of it but what they did so many years after is yet call'd the fulfilling of Samuel's Prophecy to David for the Text tells you They anointed David King over Israel according to the Word of the Lord by Samuel 1 Chron. 11.3 From whence we infer That when God Almighty does the most directly and immediately raise a single Person or Family the People are his Instruments to do it and bring it about as is I think very apparent in this Case of David as also in that of Jeroboam for although the Prophet Ahijah had given him Ten Pieces to signifie the Ten Tribes he should reign over and had also told him 1 Kings 11.37 I will take thee and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth and shalt be King over Israel Yet for all these great Promises he was glad to run for it and play least in sight all Solomon's days so that he had no advantage by it but only great hopes till the People fulfill'd that which was but Prophecy before 1 Kings 12.20 And it came to pass that when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again that they sent and call'd him to the Congregation and made him King over all Israel So true is sometimes that saying Vox Populi est Vox Dei. But this last Instance does afford us another Observation which I think ought not to be past over in silence and that is That God does not tye himself to a Family or Line For if Jeroboam will serve God as David did he will build him as sure a house as he built for David 1 Kings 11.38 By which we may see that God is no Respecter of Persons and that Kings have no surer Tenor in Gods Favour than other People for his Promises are as conditional to them as to the meanest man and if they fail of their Duty God may and oftentimes does take the Forfeiture as we see here both in the Case of David and Jeroboam But when and how far those Forfeitures are to be taken ought to be left to that Almighty Wisdom and Providence that turns every thing to good But to return to the Story from which I think I have not much digrest as to the Matter though I may have a little Inverted the Order for according to that I should not have treated of Jeroboam before Solomon But the truth is I cannot say there is such Proofs of the Peoples setting up Solomon as for the Two preceding Kings and yet there are some Circumstances in the Story from whence one may infer something of that kind However it may prove something which may be of some use in our present Dispute and that is That a King may have a Successor even while he lives for David you see commanded Zadock the Priest and Nathan the Prophet to anoint Solomon King c. that as David says in the following Verse he may come and sit upon my throne for he shall be King in my stead 1 Kings 1.34 35. Now the occasion of this unusual way of proceeding I suppose was this David had a mind that Solomon should succeed him and finding that Adonijah had got a strong Party thought the best way to secure the Throne to Solomon was to put him in present Possession of it Although by the way it must be remarked that Adonijah was the Elder Brother and so according to our Rules of Succession had the better Title from whence it may be inferr'd That that Rule may sometimes be inverted without sin and 't is the more remarkable because that God had taken such particular care of the Right of the First born in private Families so that a Father had not power to make a Favourite-Child the Eldest nor to put by the Son of a hated Mother from that double Portion to which his Birth-right intitled him And yet the very first time that Succession to the Crown of Israel can be pretended that Order you see is inverted and Solomon the Youngest Son set up But to go on with our Story David on the former account finding it necessary to turn over the Crown to Solomon during his own Life yet thinks it fit to give the People an Account of his Proceedings and the Reasons of them for he tells them that God had chosen Judah to be the Ruler and of the house of Judah the house of my father and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me King over Israel And of all my sons for the Lord hath given me many sons he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel 1 Chron. 28.4 5. And after that David had given Instructions to Solomon about building the Temple and both the King and People had made their Oblations of what they had which was fit for the Work the Congregation of the People continuing yet together 't is said Chap. 29. ver 22. And they made Solomon the son of David King the second time and anointed him unto the Lord
and laid it up before the Lord. For had God designed that the King's Will should have been his only Law it had I 'm sure been a very superfluous if not an impossible Task for Samuel to have writ that down And besides the laying it up before the Lord does infer somethign of extraordinary weight and sacredness in that Book that was to be placed in that holy Repository with the Records of that Covenant which God himself had vouchsafed to make with his People Now upon these Considerations I think I may safely call this the Original Contract that was between the Kings and People of Israel But we may guess it was not an Absolute Arbitrary Power such as our Neighbour-Prince pretends to over his Subjects that was by this made over to Saul for altho he saw many of his new Subjects did despise him yet he was glad to hold his peace or as the Margin says He was as tho he had been deaf 1 Sam. 10.27 So that it seems Samuel thought it necessary the People should be farther obliged than at present they thought themselves and therefore proposes their going up to Gilgal there to renew the Kingdom 1 Sam. 11.15 And all the people went to Gilgal and there they that is certainly the People made Saul King before the Lord in Gilgal and there they sacrificed Sacrifices of Peace-Offerings before the Lord. And that the joining in a Sacrifice and both Parties eating and partaking of the same Sacrifice or at least eating together at what they called a Feast was both the most usual and solemn way of making Covenants in those days both among Jews and Gentiles is a thing so well known that I need not insist on it else both Sacred and Profane Story would furnish us with Proofs enough were it necessary But the Agreement which I suppose was then made between King and People begot such a mutual Kindness and Confidence in one another that the Text adds There Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly and from that time we never find any Dispute between them And so I shall proceed to his next Successor David and the Proofs of his making such a Covenant with the People of Israel are as clear and full as can be desired Upon what Terms the Men of Judah first admitted him is not so plainly set down but it being their own voluntary Act to make him King we may suppose that they would take care to see their own Interest secured But 't is very apparent that after Abner designed to revolt to David he will make his Conditions with him first And Abner sent Messengers to David saying Make thy League with me and behold my hand shall be with thee to bring about all Israel to thee And he said Well I will make a League with thee c. So Abner came to David to Hebron and twenty Men with him And David made Abner and the Men which were with him a Feast 2 Sam. 3.12 13 20. at which I suppose the Bargain was made of both sides for as I before observ'd few Contracts were concluded without the Ceremony of Eating and Drinking together And after that Abner says I will arise and go and gather all Israel to my Lord the King for now he owns him to be so altho he would not call him so before that they may make a League with thee and that thou maist reign over all that thy Heart desireth as it follows in Verse 21. So that it seems the King's making a Covenant with the People was to precede his Reigning over them altho David had been both chosen by God and Anointed by Samuel so many years before And when upon Abner's death that first Treaty with the Men of Israel was broken off we do not find that David pretended to any Authority over Israel till of their own accords about five years and a half after All the Elders of Israel came to the King to Hebron and King David made a Covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord and they Anointed David King over Israel 2 Sam. 5.3 And yet as I said before if ever any King could pretend to be Jure Divino it must be David but for all that he is content to come to the Crown like other Men and does not assume it to himself till given him by the People There is another thing also that I desire may be observed which is That the Phrase before the Lord both in this place and 1 Sam. 11.15 is indifferently apply'd both to King and People For here 't is said the King made a Covenant with the People before the Lord and there that the people made Saul King before the Lord. From whence I think we may collect that being mutual the Promise was as obliging as it was solemn of both sides for both are exprest in the same words And we may also conclude that when we meet with that Phrase of eating and drinking before the Lord and making King unto or before the Lord as 't is 1 Chron. 29.22 it is designed to signifie the mutual stipulation between King and People So that we may infer that Solomon did take the Crown upon the same Terms his Father David did altho the word League or Covenant is not exprest And if the three first Kings did thus receive the Crown from and oblige themselves to the People we may safely suppose that their Successors did the same thing although it is not particularly affirm'd of every one Nor do we find any more mention of it till King Joash's coming to the Crown And when the Kingdom was restored after the Usurpation or Interregnum shall I call it of Athaliah all the old Rights and Customs are both mentioned and repeated as you may find it 2 Kings 11.4 17. How Jehoiada brought Joash into the House of the Lord to the People and made a Covenant with them and took an Oath of them in the House of the Lord and in the 17. Verse And Jehoiada made a Covenant between the Lord and the King and the People that they should be the Lords people between the King also and the People all which you will find repeated 2 Chron. 23.3 16. And if this is not a pregnant Proof of the Truth of what I have said that the Kings of Israel and Judah were not Absolute but were under Obligations and Conditions to their People as well as subjected to the Laws of God if this Instance I say with the rest before mentioned may not be allow'd for Proofs I shall dispair of bringing a Proof either for this or any thing else out of the Bible but if these will pass I suppose they may be sufficient to convince any impartial Reader therefore shall presume it would be superfluous to multiply Quotations in so plain a Case And now I have gone through the three things I proposed to clear out of Scripture How well I have perform'd my undertaking I shall leave to better Judgments and that