[in the Eo.et the captain of the king's body-. found in him" he should die (1 Kings i. 52.) guard bas always been the II chief of the Hie first tree.son, consequently, wa.a not to executioners," the title given to Potiphar, be lost eight of, in case he were guilty of e. Gen. uxvii. 86, Heb. ; in 2 Kings uv. 8 to fresh offence. And now that he is found Nebuzar-Adan ; and in Dan. ii. 14 to conspiring a.gain; now that he abuses the Arioch II the co.pte.in of the king's guard, royal clemency, and seeks by chice.nery and which was gone forth to slay the wise men, intrigue to SDatch hie brother's crown, the &c.] and he fell upon. him so tbat he died. sentence of death takes effect. This [Solomon has been accused of II o. cold- renewed attempt, e.fter failure and forgive- blooded vengeance" and of II that jealous ness, must have convinced the king that cruelty so co=on in Oriental despots," in Adonije.h's pretensions would be a standing ordering the execution of his brother. But menace to the peace and prosperity of his unjustly. It is to be remembered that on empire, e.nd therefore he owed it to himself, the occasion of Adonijah's first rebellion the to his snbjects, and above all to God, who young monarch had displayed the greatest had entrusted him with the crown, to put me.gna.nimity towards him. He might then this restless and dangerous plotter ont of he.ve justly decreed against him the death the way. To pe.ss over a second offence which no doubt the conspirators had de- would be a virtual encouragement of sedition, signed age.inst him (1 Kings i.12.) Adonije.h, for it would show that the king was weak by fleeing to the altar, showed that he had and might be trifled with. Adonije.h there- good grounds for fearing the avenging fore must die, not only in expiation of his sword. He was clearly conscious that he treason, but as an example to the subjects bad merited the death of the traitor. But of Solomon, that the disaffected, including Solomon spared him, during good behaviour. all Adonijah's partize.ns, might be awed in~ He warned him tho.t " if wickedness were obedience.
HOMILETICS.
Vers. 22-25.-Tke Brothers. It mn,y be instructive if, after the ma.nner of ancient writers, we draw out a comparison between the two brothers whose history is recorded in part in this section, and who here o.ppee.r as rive.le. Their careers were very different. The one reigned with almost unpe.ra.lleled magnificence for forty years; the other fell in the very Me.y-mom of his life by the sword of the 8li:ecu- tioner. What were the causes which produced such different resnlts? Let us consider some few of them. I. ADONIJAB WAS ENDUED WITH BEAUTY, SoLOlllON WITH WISDOlll. The first had goodliness ; the second goodness. Men .admired Adonijah; the Lord loved Solomon (2 Sam. xii. 24). To the elder brother the Allwise Providence allotted tbe gifts of face o.nd form-exterior advantages-to the latter He gave "wisdom o.nd under- standing exceeding much, and largeness of heart "-the quiet, unobtrusive o.dom- ment of the spirit. • Wisdom is better than rubies; yes, and better tho.n beo.uties. II. ADoNIJAB WAS AlllBITIOUS; SOLOMON WAS PIOUS. The first loved self, o.nd sought his own advancement. The second "loved the LORD" (1 Kings iii. 3). The first, by his own showing, resisted and defied the will of Heaven (1 Kings ii. 15); the lo.tter "walked in the statutes of Da.vid his father." Adonija.h desired riches, honow-s, the life of his enemies; Solomon o.sked for none of these thingE, but for an understanding hea.rt (chap. iii. 9, 11). Their lives consequently were regulated on totally different principles. The firat acted as if he were master (chap. i. 6); the second remembered he was but a servant (ver. 9). And Adonije.h lost everything, even his life, while Solomon gained everything-the wisdom for which he asked; the "richest honour" for which he did not ask. Verily "godliness is profito.ble unto all things (1 Tim. iv. 8). JII. AllONIJAH SOUGHT TO FORCE EVENTS; SOLOMON WAITED PATIENTLY FOR THE LoRD. Adonije.h would not wo.it till his father was dead; he would snatch the sceptre from the old mo.n's feeble grasp; he would be king at any cost, and at once. It is worth noticing that Solomon on the other hand took no pa.rt in the measures which placed him on the throne. " He that believeth shall not make ho.ste.'' The one sought to frustra.te the designs of Providence, the other " committed himself to him tho.t jmlgeth righteously." And he was crowned o.nd Adonijah was executed. 40 '.rliE PIRST BOOK 01<' ltINGS. [cH. n. 2G-M,
IV. ADONIJAH REBELLED AGAINST HIS FATHER j SOLOMON REVEREN0ED HIS MOTHER. Treatment of parents is a test of chamcter. To honour father and mother is "the first commandment with promise." Adonijah repaid his father's indulgence with treason against his throne; Solomon, when seated on his throne had 11 throne set for his mother. If he were king, his mother should be queen. H; received her with the profoundest respect, though she wo.s his subject; for he" counted her uncrowned womanhood to be the royal thing.'' The fortunes of these two brothe~-s were not more d_ive1:5e tl~an their char9:cters, 9:s re~ea~ed by their treatment of therr elders. And then· h1stones accorded with then: pnnc1ples • their lives and deaths illustrated the commandment. ' V. GoD CHOSE SOLOMON AND REFUSED ADoNIJAH. As in the case of Esau and Ja.cob, as in the case of Manasseh and Ephraim, the younger is preferred to the elder. And yet the elder was apparently the popular favourite. "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." It is the case of D!l'vid and_ his bretliren_o,er ~?ain. In all thes_e cases "the Lo1·d hath set apart him that is godly for lumself. The meek, pacific Solomon, the rejected of Joab and Abiathar, is the accepted of Jehovah. And the brilliant and beautiful Adoni- jah, his ndvantages, his influence, his efforts, all these avail him nothing, for" ttie proud ''-and we may add, the selfish, the disobedient-" the LoRD knoweth afar oC" (Psa. cxxxviii 6), while "the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth " (Psa. xi. 5).
EXPOSITION.