refolved into the influence of climate. That darkness of hue was no exception to Solomon's choice, whofe generous love overlooked the exterior diftinctions of colour and form. This ftranger-queen expreffes every where conjugal affection in its pureft ardours, and com placency in its fublimeft tranfports. The daughters of Jerufalem, though moved with jealoufy and envy, preferve the decorum fuitable to connubial folemnities, yet obliquely infinuate hints difrefpectful to the prince: "What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou faireft among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou doft fo charge us?"

THE fundamental idea of the poem feems to be, the contempt and enmity of the Jews towards the Gentiles when the latter were received into an equal participation of privileges with the former. Long before the days of Solomon had this event been foretold in the oracles of prophecy: "I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation *." This prediction is fully verified in the four gofpels, and in the acts of the apoftles. The jealoufy and anger of the Jews impelled them to all the wild extremes of perfecution; for they confidered Chrift, his apostles, and the difciples of both, as blafphemers against Mofes, against the temple, and against God; and all, as many of their own nation as had become profelytes to the Chriftian faith, they pronounced apoftates. Such feems to be primary senti

Deut, xxxii. 21.

ment,

ment, and ultimate truth, adumbrated in this beautiful

allegory.

To the establishment of this conclufion it is not neceffary with Mr. Harmer to fuppofe, that Solomon had efpoufed an Ifraelitefs before Pharaoh's daughter, a conje&ture which history does not authorise. The usage of polygamy is foreign to the plan of the poem. Its general fubject is not properly Solomon and Chrift in their diftinct perfonalities; but the existence of the Jewish church when the princess of Egypt became their queen, and also when Chrift came to extend mercy to mankind at large. The particular fubject is the refentment of the Jews on both thefe occafions; the one being an image of the other *.

«I would advise, that this production be treated according to the established rules in this kind of allegory, fully and exprefsly delivered in the facred writings, and that the author be permitted to be his own interpreter. In this refpect the errors of critics and divines have been as numerous as they have been pernicious. Not to mention other abfurdities, they Lave taken the allegory, not as denoting the universal state of the church, but the fpiritual ftate of individuals, than which nothing can be more inconfiftent with the very nature and ground-work of the allegory itfelf, as well as with the general practice of the Hebrew poets on thefe occafions." Bishop Lowth's Lectures on S, Poetry, vol. ii. p. 331.

CHAP.

CHAP. II.

Second Series of XIV. Generations continued.

3. Abijah.

HIS age, when he affumed the crown and fceptre în Judah, is not defined. It is therefore to be poftulated according to physical probability. His father died at the age of 44, as above stated. The only remaining circumstances on which computation muft proceed are, that he reigned three years, and died the father of 22 fons and 16 daughters *. For this reafon the earliest period of Rehoboam's life, confiftent with the age of procreation, is to be admitted as the probable date of the fon's birth. In a few inftances, it has been neceffary to allow but 16 years for the interval of family defcents, and this is one of the number. Thus Abijah's age at his acceffion was 28, and at his death, 31. The only foreseen objection to computation is the number of his children at fo early a term of life. It is however obviated by a very seasonable remark of the

2 Chron. xiii. 21.

facred

facred hiftorian. His 38 fons and daughters were by 14 mothers.

4. Afa.

NEITHER is his age, at the time of his inveftiture with royalty, expreffed. The former rule muft again be applied. At his father's decease he feems to have been a minor; for it is recorded, "that he removed Maacah his mother from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove *." From the circumstance of her making an idol in a grove, Selden conjectures that she was a priestess of Asheroth, the Aftarte of the Phenicians, who had a magnificent temple at Hierapolis in Syria, the fame with the Grecian Venus. That she might no longer patronise idolatry in Judah, Afa, as foon as he came of age, divested her of the regency, after she had held that dignity three years. By this computation he was born in the 18th of his father's life, fucceeded him as a minor when 13 years old, and at the legal age of 16 commenced his perfonal reign. Jofephus fays, that this prince, by God's bleffing, ob

a Chron. xv. 16. Concerning her name and natural relation to Afa, different accounts are given. Maacah is the name of Abijah's mother, 1 Kings, xv. 2. where the is likewife faid to have been a daughter of Abifhalom. Jofephus agrees in both thefe defignations, and adds, that he was a granddaughter of Abfalom by Tamar. She was therefore the granddaughter of Abfalom, and grandmother of Afa. According to the Hebrew phrafeology, even remote defcendants are very ufually called fons and daughters. See Dr. Wall on the text laft quoted; and Jofephus, Ant. viii, 10. 1,

K

tained a long and happy life, as the reward of his piety and righteousness *. The Bible extols his many and eminent virtues; but fays nothing of his long life. From the account above given of Abijah's short life and reign, it is certain that Afa's age could not exceed 54. Jofephus, when not directed by notations of time in the facred Annals, ufually amplifies numbers t.

5. Jehoshaphat.

Ar the age of 35 he began his reign of 25 years, and confequently was born in the 19th of his father Afa's life.

6. Fehoram.

"He was 32 years old when he began to reign, and reigned eight years in Jerufalem §." By this notation

* Ant. viii. 12. 6.

+ This author agrees in every variation concerning Maacah, with respect to the specifications already mentioned as the wife of Rehoboam, the mother of Abijah and Asa, the daugh. ter of Abfalom. In Jofephus, Ant. viii, 11. 4. Micaiah is the name of Afa's mother: and in 2 Chron. xiii. 2. Abijah's mother is fo expreffed, with this addition, " that she was a daughter of Uriel of Gibeah." Thefe variations infer no uncertainty, The difference of the name does not necessarily imply a diverfity of perfons. Much greater variations in orthography are confiftent with the ufage of diverse dialects. Uriel was most probably the hufband of Abfalom's daughter (Tamar), whose daughter Maacah, or Micaiah, was the mother of Abijah, and the grandmother of Asa, in whose minority she was queen regent, and depofed when he came of age.

↑ a Chron. xxx. 31.

§ a Chron. xxi. 5.