means he was enabled to fubfift himself, and his forces, without being a burden to his country.

ONE would imagine that this extraordinary success, and deliverance of fo great a city, might secure David a fafe retreat among the men of Keilah: but it was not fo; fuch is the nature of man, present dangers quickly obliterate past obligation! Gratitude is, without queftion, a most lovely virtue, but feldom lives in the extremes either of adversity or fuccefs! it is like those fine colours which ftorms and funshine equally deface.

DAVID, who judged of other mens generofity by his own, hoped he should be protected in Keilah; and Saul, who judged in the fame manner of their baseness, believed he should not: and therefore, the Scripture affures us, that he rejoiced, upon receiving the news of David's being shut up there (1 Sam. xxiii. 7.): And it was told Saul, that David was come to Keilah: and Saul, faid, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

I KNOW no one thing more grating to a good ear, than strains of piety from a profane mouth; to hear a wretch, who had defpised the commands of GoD, murdered his priests, and desolated his fanctuary! in a word, lived in open defiance of the Divinity! to hear fuch a wretch talk of GOD, and divine determinations in his favour, is beyond enduring! Doubtless, his reasoning was right; and had he left out his hypocrify, nothing could be objected to it.

UPON the news of David's being shut up in Keilah, Saul immediately fet himself to raise a great army, and go against it; and at the fame time sent secret emiffaries to feduce the inhabitants, believing it impoffible that they could hold out against the united power of terror and treachery.

DAVID'S fecurity hitherto arose, in a great measure, from the swiftness and secrecy of his motions, and the obfcurity of his retreats: but now Saul rightly judged, that the fame walls and gates which protected him, shut him in; and neither they nor their keepers were impregnable.

DAVID was doubtful upon the point he had certain intelligence, that Saul was determined

termined to befiege him; and he alfo found out, that Saul was fecretly practising against him within the city, and he knew not what might be the iffue of his machinations, and therefore refolved wholly to rely upon the divine direction. He put up his earnest prayers to GOD, to be refolved what to do in this exigency; and he enquired of him (as it is generally understood) by Abiathar (who reached him about this time with the Ephod, and Urim and Thummim); and GOD, who never fails those that put their trust in him, and with humble and fervent faith implore his protection, relieved him in his diftrefs, and affured him, the men of Keilah would deliver him up. Upon which he arofe, he and his men, (being now about fix hundred) and departed from the city †, not knowing whither to turn himself.

*This appears evidently from his prayer: O Lord God of Ifrael, thy fervant bath certainly heard, that Saul feeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my fake.

† Now it is that his men were increased to fix hundred; which grounds a conjecture, that the reputation of his bravery and conduct in this laft expedition, added to that acceffion of wealth, which he had gained by the fpoil of the Philistines, now attached a confiderable number of men, all chofen warriors, to his interest.

AND

AND here, methinks, is an event, that will eafily folve that hard question in the fchools, about the confiftency of the divine prefcience with human free-will.

A GOOD politician, that was let into the course of Saul's fecret practices with the men of Keilah, and had fair opportunities of fifting their difpofitions upon the point, might fairly pronounce upon the event: How much more then that All-feeing GoD, who fearcheth the fecrets of the heart, and feeth the thoughts afar off! feeth them in all their fecret workings, tendencies, and temptations, and through all their mazes and masks.

WHEN Saul heard of David's efcape from Keilah, having no further intelligence of his measures, he forbore to pursue him.

THE treachery of the men of Keilah to David, hath given the criticks occafion to observe, how much more honourable the behaviour of the Athenians was to their guardians, their orators! whom no threats could oblige them to give up to the resentments of Alexander.

CHAP.

CHAP. XV.

David flies to the Wilderness of Ziph, where he hath an Interview with

Jonathan. The Ziphites inform Saul of his Haunts, who eagerly pursues him.

W

HEN David and his men departed

from Keilah, the text tells us, that they went whitherfoever thay could go. So that, had he been asked where he intended to shelter himself, he might have answered, as Luther did to the fame queftion, when profcribed by the emperor, and excommunicated hy the pope, Sub cælo, Somewhere under the cope of heaven.

BLESSED be GOD, his protection is not to be precluded by profcriptions, nor confined by excommunications! I mean, fuch as are wicked and únjuft. Let the finner, nevertheless, beware of the righteous fentence, that shuts him out from the divine ordinances. This I am fure of, that David often laments his exclufion from them, though altogether involuntary and unavoidable.