A Meditation Upon The…Chronicles of the Kings; The Method

By His Majesty King James One of England; Six of Scotland

A Meditation Upon The 25th, through the 29th verses of the fifteenth Chapter of the first Book of the Chronicles of the Kings:

Written by the most Christian King, and sincere Professor of the truth, JAMES by the grace of God, King of England, France, Scotland, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith.

____________________________________________________________________________

THE TEXT.

25) So David and the Elders of Israel and the Captains of thousands went to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, from the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

26) And because God helped Levites that bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, they offered seven Bulls and seven Rams.

27) And David had on him a linen garment, as all the Levites that bore the Ark, and the singers and Chenaniah that had the chief charge of the singers: and upon David was a linen Ephod.

28) Thus all Israel brought Up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant with shouting and sound of Coronet, and with Trumpets, and with Cymbals, making a sound with Violas and with harps.

29) And when the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out a window, and saw King David dancing and playing and she despised him in her heart.

____________________________________________________________________________

THE MEDITATION.

As of late when greatest appearance of peril was by that foreign and godless fleet, I took occasion by a Text selected for the purpose, to exhort you to remain constant, resting assured of a happy deliverance: So now by the great mercies of God, my speeches having taken an evident effect, I could do no less of my careful duty, then out of this place cited, teach you what rests on your part to be done; not of any opinion I have of my ability to instruct you, but that these meditations of mine, may after my death remains to the posterity, as a certain testimony of my upright and honest meaning in this so great and weighty a cause. Now I come to the matter. David that godly King, you see, hath no sooner obtained victory over God’s, and his enemies the Philistines, but his first action on which follows, is with concurrence of his whole estates, to translate the Ark of the Lord’s covenant to his house in great triumph and gladness, accompanied with the sound of musical instruments: And being so brought to the King’s house, he himself dances and rejoices before it: which thing Michal the daughter-in-law of Saul and his wife perceiving, she contemned and laughter at her husband in her mind. This is the sum.

____________________________________________________________________________

THE METHOD

For better understanding whereof, these heads are to be opened up in order, and allied. And first what causes moved David to do this work? Secondly, what persons concurred with David in doing of this work? Thirdly, what was the action is self, and form of doing used in the same? Fourthly, the person of Michal? And fiftly, her action.


NOTE: This is the first of six posts transcribing this work of King James. The King creates an occasion for this work saying that he is in great peril and oppressed by a foreign and godless fleet. Maybe someone understands the historical incident referred to. I do not. This work is suppressed from public view and your internet searches won’t find anything about this work, or any of the works I’ve transcribed.