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found this fecond adventure fufficiently distinguished by it from the first.

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I CANNOT quit this head without obferving once more upon the fingular politenefs and refinement of this expoftulation; which David carefully avoids all appearance of reproach or cenfure upon his prince, and charges the whole odium of his perfecution upon the influence of his evil advisers.

I WILL only add, that the battles of Iffus and Arbela, or of Creffi and Agencourt, have not more or clearer marks of distinction, than these two adventures. And if, after all, they are one and the fame; what criterion is there, or can there be, of any one hiftorical truth from the foundation of the world?

CALUMNIATE boldly, (fays the proverb) and fomething will flick. Modern infidels, not contented with adopting this maxim, have added another to it: Contradiet boldly, and fomebody will believe it.

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David flies to Achish King of Gath; from thence he removes to Ziklag. Mr. Bayle's Cenfure of his Conduct there.

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ND now David, weary of wandering, weary of struggling with Saul's implacable spirit, weary of the unequal conflict between too dangerous generofity, and too relentless malice; weary of fubfifting by the spoils of his enemies, or bounty of his friends; and, probably, fince the affair of Nabal, in terror of too much refenting their neglects, refolves at laft to quit his country, and throw himself, once more, under the protection of its enemies.

THIS, I think, hath always been the resource of great fubjects in diftress. This drove Themistocles to Perfia, and Alcibiades to Sparta. And though I will not take upon me to justify a criminal subject in this conduct; yet an innocent man, fuch as David, I think I well may; efpecially when he hath tried all means of reconciliation and justifi

cation,

cation, and all other methods of fubfiftence, and finds no fecurity but in this. It would otherwife follow, that every good man was tamely to give up his life to every caprice of a merci. less tyrant: a principle which, I believe, no wife and good man will venture to advance.

HOWEVER, this refolution of David's is, I think, univerfally cenfured by the commentators, on account of his neglecting to confult GOD, either by his priest, or by his prophet, before he fixed upon it. GOD had commanded him before to go into the land of Judah (1 Sam. xxii. 5.). And, furely, he should not have left that, to go into a heathen country, without a like divine command, or, at least, permiffion. And therefore moft writers ascribe this refolution to want of grace, and a proper confidence in the protection of that GoD, who had fo often and fo fignally delivered him in the greatest exigencies. And I own, I cannot help concurring with them. And, indeed, it must be allowed to be the refolution of a mere man, governed by motives merely human: He said in his heart, I shall now perifh one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me, than that I should Speedily

Speedily efcape into the land of the Philistines ; and Saul fall defpair of me, to feekme any more in any coaft of Ifrael: fo fhall I efcape out of his hand. This is a natural painting of what paffes in the anxious heart, oppressed with difficulties, cafting about and confidering every way to escape, and at last resolving upon what appears the propereft.

THE truth is, he was now in a distressful dilemma; either to stay at home in perpetual dread and hazard of his life, or take refuge among idolaters, where they could not bear the free exercise of his religion, nor he the abominations of theirs.

BESIDES all this, his only prospect of human protection was from the enemies of his country. To owe his fafety to the enemies of his country! perhaps be forced to join them against his country! to be confederate with heathens against Ifrael! how grievous must this be to his godly and patriot spirit! This, furely, was a difficulty that called for the divine aid.

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JOSEPHUS tells us, what is very natural to believe, that he advised with his friends upon the matter. And, doubtless, it was not until he had their confent, that be arofe

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(as the text tells us he did) and passed over, with the fix hundred men that were with him, unto Achish the Son of Maoch king of Gath.

JOSEPHUS tells us, that he advised with his friends on this occafion: but no writer informs us, that he advised with GOD. And I am afraid this is too often the cafe of the best men, (I beg the unferious reader's pardon for the reflection) to advise with their friends, and with their own hearts, and leave GOD out of their confultations, by neglecting to implore his aid and direction.

As to David, one would imagin that the danger he ran before in the fame place, from the fame fundamental error, fhould have taught him better: but, in all probability, he contented himself with ftipulating for protection, maintenance, &c. at this time, which he had before neglected.

MOST writers agree, that this Achish, to whom David now fled, was not the Achish by whom he was fo unhofpitably received, and from whom he so narrowly escaped when he was before at Gath. And, indeed, I think his being here called Achish the son of Maoch, fufficiently implies him to have been another perfon; for those words can, in the nature

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