after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.* The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand."

"And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me; for as much as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? Wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.

"And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men gat them up unto the hold."

* After a dead dog, &c., i. e. Doth a king come in arms against so low and humble a person as myself? The strength of the comparison is increased if we recollect the contempt and even abhorrence felt in the East towards dogs, where they are seldom domesticated, and rarely objects of care, and even affection, as with us.

CHAPTER XIII.

SAMUEL DIES.

NABAL AND ABIGAIL.

DAVID SPARES

SAUL'S LIFE IN THE CAMP. SAUL CONSULTS THE WITCH OF ENDOR. DEATH OF SAUL AND

JONATHAN.

"AND Samuel died: and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah."

Samuel was the first of a long succession of prophets, who continued to the time of the return of the Jews from the Captivity in Babylon, of whom Malachi was the last. The prophet Samuel introduced many wise regulations in the management of the internal affairs of the people, and established a more regular government than there had been under the Judges; going through the country at stated times to hear and adjudge causes, and forming schools for the Levites, to prepare them for their office of instructors and Priests. Besides these labors, he revised the Sacred Books, and continued the history of his people from the time of Moses: the early part of the First Book of Samuel is believed to have been his writing; and the whole of the account of David contained in both the Books of Samuel, was probably called after his name, from respect to his memory, and from the influence which

he had in the beginning of that great king's

career.

After the mourning for the death of this great prophet was over, David departed into the wilderness of Paran. Whilst here, he protected the shepherds who tended the flocks of a rich man, named Nabal; and when the time for shearing came, he sent some of his followers to ask for a gift or present, such as it was usual in that age to give to those who rendered so essential a service. Nabal, however, being of a morose and avaricious temper, refused angrily to comply with David's demand, and added insult to his denial, saying, "Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now-adays that break away from their master." When this answer was brought to David, he hastily commanded four hundred of his men to arm themselves, and prepared to attack Nabal, and punish him for his churlishness. Terrible would have been the consequences, had not the servants of Nabal, on hearing of David's approach, and knowing well both his power and the justice of his demand, addressed themselves to Abigail, Nabal's gentle wife, and informed her of all that had occurred. She instantly commanded a present to be prepared; two hundred loaves, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched corn, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred figs; these she laid on asses, and went to meet David. When she saw him coming, she alighted off her ass,

and, after acknowledging the churlish conduct of her husband, she prayed David to accept of the gift she had brought, adding with forcible truth, “And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causelessly, or that my lord hath avenged himself:” David's anger was at once subdued by this appeal to his better feelings: he received her presents, and bade her go in peace, for he had hearkened to her voice. "And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.”

A very short time after Nabal died, on which David took Abigail to be his wife.

Saul's jealousy of David returned, notwithstanding the proof which the latter had given in the cave of Engedi, of his innocence of any design against his sovereign's life. Having heard where David abode with his followers, he assembled an army and came against him, as against a formidable enemy. In the night, as Saul lay encamped on the hill of Hachilah, David, accompanied by Abishai, the brother of Joab, entered the king's camp unobserved, and advanced into the centre of it, where Saul lay asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground, at

Abner, Saul's general, was lying

his bolster.*
near, asleep also.

"Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him a second time. And David said to Abishai, destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless? David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle, and perish. The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the LORD's anointed: but I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster, and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them."

"Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them. And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered, and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?"

The spear was in this age, an emblem of authority and command.