DAVID. 
of Advilam has been bees by aie who have been 
difpofed to cenfure David’s condu 
for his followers, and ‘a Was been chatwed wit 
But thofe who ile ee _ it freely, 
and without folicitation on his part; nor it appear 
that David took the advantage ot te circum fae for de- 
pniving Saul, either of his life cr crown. In this refpedct, 
Mr. Bayle himfelf has been conftrained to ‘i him juftice. 
On this occafion, David ated folely upon the principle of 
3 he never oppofed or dikturbed 
; he never folicited the tribes 
and rebellion, or popular commotions againft‘him ; he never 
entered into any confpiracy to dethrone him; never at- 
tacked his army 5 
his fubjects to fupport him ; never he the enemies of 
his country to invade it; never difpu any of his reafon- 
able commands, but ferved him faithfully whillt he employ- 
ed him; never deferred him, or provided himfelf with ae 
ull nila to Vit mee the pacar caloufy and rage 
unhappy per ne advantage that oc- 
a for xing bis sal n, or ein him ; but in his 
whole cond ved ein all the fubmiffion that became 
him as a dutiful fone -in-law 
ey are confirmed and juitified b 
Jonathan, and that of Saul himlelf, after his life was {pared 
ia the cave of Engedi. (1 S ee alfo 
he was aes that the Philiftines were 
befieging eee acity in the tribe of Judah; and having 
inquired of the Lord, whether he fhould go and {mite them, 
and eee an anfwer in the affirmative, he went thither 
with his men, fought with the Philiftines, brought away 
their cattle, {mote them with a a great flaughter, and thus 
This brave and gallant 
action merits the highett commendati tion. ‘“* It was,’? as 
Grotius (in loc.) juitly obferves, ‘ an infance of his great 
love to Lis country, who, though profcribed as a rebel by 
the king, was fo far from als his ek as ee ne 
ferved it at the colt of his en 2" So 
from making any attempt to a oe -ffion of Keilah, ¢ that 
when Saul was com ity on his account, an 
Philiftines. Whilft 
was in the wildernefs with his guards, he lay near the eftate 
of Nabal, who had fheep and goats in mae Taftead 
of fuffering his men to pilfer or forcibly to take away any 
pat of Nabai’s property, he refpe&tfully peer fuch a 
fupply as his circumftances r require ec. returned a 
churlifh and abufive meflage (1 Sam. xxiv.); fuch as was 
likely to excite the juft refentment of David. Abigail, 
however, the wife of Nabal, interpofed, and by her temper 
and prudence, difarmed David of his anger, and prevented 
never by force levied contributions upon” 
the retaliation which he was meditating. In ten days after 
this event Nabal fickened and died, and-Acbipai! fometime af- 
David’s wif bei ; 
the moft open and 
David’s men and Avigail’s 
t; and it was begun and 
concluded without interruption, or any private conference 
between them, as appears by the whole feries of the hittory, 
that could give them the leaft opportunity for any criminal 
intercourfe. If we duly confider the feveral circumftances 
recited in this hiftory, although David’s paffion and oath 
to deftroy Nabal and his family are by no means to be vin- 
dicated; though the refolution was cruel, and the cath a 
rath and wicked one 3 yet it mult be allowed that the pro- 
vocation given him was the higheft nature, aggravated 
with the moft ontrageous circumftances, and fuch as no mi- 
ree man could help grievoufly refenting. What man of 
ur and pee what foldier at the heal of his troo ops, 
of the rafhnefs and cruelty of his purpofe, and not by any 
methods of wickediefs and villainy ; and nothing can be 
more unreafonable than the fufpicion of Abigail’s proflitut. 
ing herfelf to David; fince the two expreflions, that may 
ave given rife to it, are not poflibly capable of any fuch in- 
terpretation. The firlt, “ Upon me let this iniquity be,’”’ 
of fpeech frequently ufed in deprecating a punifh- 
faid, “« Rather let me fuffer than him.” 
to the other eosin. ‘¢ J have sere tee thy perfon,” (fee 
Gen. xxix. 21, Job xl. g. If, iii. 3. Prov. xviii. 5.) its 
meaning is; ‘* I have accepted thy pees for Nabal 
— for thy fake will not execute my intended revenge upon 
5 
Tie David had honourably difmiffed Nabal’s wife and 
fervants, he concealed himfelf in the hill Hachilah, before 
Jefhimon, whither he was purfued by Saul with 30co chofen. 
men. David, Fase aac by Abifhai, vifited the camp 
of Saul in the dead of the night, and found him with ret 
and ail the people round about im, faft afleep. Abifhai 
eager to difpatch his enemy, but David reprefled his ee 
mortal ene | his, fea 
and mou tei And yet this hypocrite, 
this diffembler, this rebel, ae ar; bloody ambitious parricide, 
s with which he hath been deco~ 
rated, immediately ftarts back at the ope of it, 
and the prof{pect a crown will not tempt him to a 
bafe, d:floyal, and impious aétion to obtain it. Davi 
of Saul, and the cruife of water that ftood by him, and to 
carry them off, as the proofs of Saul’s danger, and of his own 
fidelity to him. The whole paflage recording this part of the 
hiftory of David and Saul, if it had been found any where 
but in the Bible, would have been read with pleafure, and 
pointed out as worthy of admiration, for the many excellencies 
that — 
