Long Livers:

the Divine Grace , that he became the Man after the Heart of the Devil , and was guilty of Crimes the most horrid and enormous , Adultery and Murder ; for after having shamefully debauched the Wife , he basely sacrificed the Husband . He had killed two hundred Philistines hi cold

Blood before , to possess himself of their Fore-skins , which he delivered in full Tale ( a wonderful Groupe ) to his sacred Majesty King Saul , 100 more than he need to have done , hut it was a Dowry for his Mistress the Princess MiehaL it savoured well in

those Days , and the doubling the Sum was probably looked upon as a piece of heroic Gallantly , which , had he lived now , the Ladies , I suppose , would not have thanked for . To secure himself the Kingdom he

afterwards caused the seven Sons of Saul to he hanged , so that there was none left him to contend with but Mephibosheth , a lame , feeble Prince ( well for him that he was so ) the Son of his Friend Jonathan , at whose Death he made such a loud Lamentation . Well might he tlien have been called the Man of Blood , of which he himself was but too sensible , when he began to reflect

and confess , that the curse of Shimei was very just upon him on that account , and came from God . Libera me sanguineus ( for lie had shed Rivers of Blood ) was his penitential Song ; for the Mercy of God did not forsake him for ever , and his

Penitence was as remarkable as his Crimes . Hence one may learn that the greatest sinners should never despair on a sincere turning to God , whose Grace is not limited , and his holy Spirit breaths as it listeth : This should learn us also not to pass

Sentence on the States of Men ; for that may be a Vessel of Grace and Election , which ire may fancy to he a Vessel of Wrath and Reprohation . However , tho' God pardoned his Guilt , yet he would not remit his Punishmentso

, that he hardly ever could be said to possess the Kingdom of Israel in Peace ; for while he was living his Favourite Son Absalom invaded his Kingdom in Hebron , after whose death Sheba the son of Bochri rose up against him ; and some time before he

died , his son Adonijah : Tho' indeed this Action of that Prince seems rather to have been to make his Succession secure against Solomon , the Son of an Adulterous Woman ,

and his youngest Brother , whom notwithstanding David appointed his Heir , so little regard had he to Primogeniture , or indefeasible Hereditary Right ; and on his Death-bed commanded him to bring down Shimei ' s hoary Head to the Grave with Bloodaltho' he had pardoned him before .

, Thus Solomon obtained the Hebrew Monarchy , which he established by the Blood of his eldest Brother Adonijah on the most trivial Pretence in the World : However

this King , wise as be was , fell away from God into the grossest Idolatry , for which ten Tribes revolted in Rehobcam his Son ' s Time , and set over them Jeroboam for their King , a very wicked Man of the Tribe of Dan , who poisoned all Israel with Idolatry ; and so wicked afterwards were

the succeeding Kings of Israel and Judah , that scarce four of them were really good , so that God delivered them into the hands of the King of Babylon , where they remained a long while in a cruel Servitude ; afterwards God taking pity on themthese

, wretched people returned to Jerusalem , where they lived some time very happy in a kind of Commonwealth , which was governed by the Priests , the Nobility , and popular Magistrates , till Aristdbulus the Son of Hircanus made himself King , and

established himself in the Kingdom of the Jews by the Blurder of his Mother and Brother ; at last , after a great many Kings , it ended under Archelaus , that insolent and debauched Prince , when all Judea became a Province to the Romans .

But during this general Corruption , it must not be imagined but there were some few who were not carried away with the Stream ; the Brotherhood continued unshaken and kept their Integrity ; amongst whom some of the holy Prophets were inspired to denounce the heavy Judgments of

God against these notorious Monsters of Impiety ; but they were soon silenc'd for their unseasonable Babbling , by some little harmless Corrections , as having their Brains knocked out , or being sawed asunder , and the like wholesome Severities .

But as the Laity continued in their wickedness , the Princes were not one jot the better , but rather much worse ; so that the High Priest ' s Office was bought and sold , and sought for , and at last two Persons executed that high Charge by turns . Thus stood the affairs of the Jewish Na-