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Achish after his return from his incurfions, to give him an account of them, and present him with the spoil. Does not this plainly imply his permiffion and authority to make incurfions? The spoil he brought to Gath ; but the people he did not because, if he had, it would foon have been known that they were not Jews (1 Sam. xxvii. 11.); And David faved neither man nor woman alive, to bring to Gath, faying, Left they fhould tell on us, &c. a text which hath been strangely misunderstood, by the interpofition of the word tidings *, which entirely perverts the sense of it. For if he had fpared them, it was not easy for them to carry any intelligence of what was done to Gath; fince the whole tribe of Judah lạy between the Philistines and those regions which he wasted.

THE fpoil of oxen, affes, and camels David (as I now observed) conftantly brought to Achish; and, it is to be prefumed, fubmitted them to his difpofal; and therefore, fuppofing the people fo deftroyed in no alli

In the English translation it is, to bring tidings to Gath: whereas in the original it is, be faved neither man or woman alive to bring to Gath.

ance

ance with Achi, David was thus far rather beneficent, than injurious to his protector. And it is certain, that there is no fort of reason to believe them in alliance with him, but quite the contrary.

BUT it is urged and aggravated, that David deceived his benefactor, and made him believe, that the perfons fo ravaged and destroyed were Ifraelites.

I own he did but let the reasons why he did fo be calmly and candidly confidered.

ACHISH wanted to be affured of David's inviolable attachment to him: and nothing could give him fo effectual an afsurance of that, as the enmity of his own countrymen.

Now David, who knew his own integrity, and knew himself to be faithful to his benefactor, knew that this proof of it was not neceffary, nor would any way advance the king's intereft; and therefore thought he might make use of an innocent deception, to infpire Achifh with all the affurance and confidence in him that he desired, and David deferved.

I WILL not ftand up in a strict defence of this conduct. It was indeed a deception:

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but if it injured nobody, (as I apprehend it did not) I must own I am utterly at a lofs what degree of guilt to charge upon it.

THIS must be allowed, that all habits of deception have a natural tendency to biafs the mind, and warp it from truth ; and therefore ought carefully to be avoided, even where the deception is innocent.

AND there is this further prefumption against them, that we often find them attended with evil confequences, as in the prefent cafe for we find, that this deception inspired Achifh with fuch a confidence of David's inviolable attachment to him, as determined him to make him captain of his life-guard.

CHAP. XXII.

The Philistines engage in a new War against Saul. David invited to it. Saul's Adventure with the Pythonefs at Endor.

ΤΗ

HE Philistines, recruited about this time, as Sir Ifaac Newton judges, by vaft numbers of men driven out of Egypt by

Amofis,

Amofis, refolve upon a new war with Ifrael. Nor were Samuel's death and David's dif grace (as we may well judge) inconfiderable motives to it.

ACHISH knew David's merit, and had a thorough confidence in his fidelity, and therefore refolved to take him with him to the war. Accordingly he moved the matter to David; and David, as commentators think, made him a doubtful answer. The most probable opinion is, that he would not refolve upon fo extraordinary a step without confulting GOD, either by his priest or his prophet. And therefore, when Achish told him, He must go with him to battle; he only answered, Surely thou shalt know what thy fervant can do. Upon which Achish replied, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever; that is, in the prefent military ftyle, he promised to make him captain of his life-guard: and we find, by the sequel, that he did accordingly.

SINCE then we find David proceed fo far, as to attend Achifh to Apheck, the place appointed for the affembling of the Philistine forces; I think there is no reason to doubt, that he went thither with honest intentions towards

towards his protector; and that he did this by the divine permiffion.

Now, forafmuch as the event of this war turned upon a remarkable piece of mifconduct in Saul, as a captain; and a grievous and deliberate violation of his known duty to GOD, as his Creator and his King; the facred historian here interrupts the course of his relation, to acquaint us with that event; and, in order to it, acquaints us with the fituation of both armies. At that time Saul encamped upon mount Gilboa ; and the Philiftines, in full prospect under him, upon the plains of Sunem.

WHEN Saul faw their numbers, their orders, and their appointments, he judged himself greatly overpowered, and fell into great terror upon the profpect. What thould he do! Samuel was dead, and Abiathar with David. He had, for some years paft, fhewn no regard, or, to speak more justly, shewn all imaginable disregard to religion. His pride had lifted him up above his duty; he had faid in his heart, There is no God but now his fears had got the better of his infidelity. He then, too late, had recourse to GOD for aid. He had

maffacred

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