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this deliverance, appear with a grandeur very fuperior to that of either a Cæfar or an Alexander! The latter, in their height of glory, were but mere rulers of men; but the former, upontheir knees, the dependents, and the friends of GOD.

FROM this event, of Saul's being called off by the Philistine invafion, the mountain, which then parted him from David, was from thenceforward called Selahammalekoth, The Rock of Divifions; a name which Ofander thinks David gave it, in gratitude for this deliverance; as a memorial, that GOD had there, by little lefs than a miracle, divided his enemy from him *.

a remarkable effect of Divine Providence, that their enemies offered them battle on the very day appointed in England for the people to implore a bleffing on their arms: fo that at the time that they were fighting, the whole body of the English nation were lifting up their eyes and hands to heaven for their fuccefs and fafety. And when the battle was over, this truly great prince, fenfible of the divine goodness to him, directed the cxvth pfalm to be fung; and at that verfe, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name be the glory, he commanded his whole army at once to proftrate themselves to the ground, in token of humiliation and gratitude, and he himself fet them the example.

* Poffibly this was a rock of one of thofe mountains which Solomon calls the mountains of Bether (Cant. ii. 17.); which, in the margin of the Bible, is interpreted Divifion.

CHAP,

CHAP. XVI.

The Vineyards of Engedi, in all probability, planted by David. The Adventure of the Cave explained.

W

HEN David was delivered from Saul, as related in the last chapter, he departed, and took up his retreat in the ftrong-holds of Engedi, now called Anguedi * : here he refided during the whole time of Saul's pursuing and repelling the Philiftines.

WHAT time this took up, we cannot say: but from the expreffion here used, of David's dwelling at Engedi, it feems to have been no inconfiderable space.

THE Word En-gedi fignifies, in Hebrew, the Kid's-fountain; from whence the neighbouring region took its name, probably, because there they watered their flocks.

Eufebius places it on the confines of the Dead-fea to the Weft. With him, it is famous for excellent balm; and with Solomon in his Song, for vineyards.

* Thevenor's Travels, part 1. chap. 47.

SINCE then it appears from the cviith pfalm, that David had, in his exile, planted vineyards in the defart, (and vineyards are known to thrive among barren wilds) is it irrational to furmife, that the vineyards of Engedi were of his planting; and, for that reafon, peculiarly celebrated by his fon *?

THIS opinion is not ill fupported by other circumftances. Solomon compares his beloved to a clufter of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi (Cant. i. 14.). If by this he meant, as fome interpret it; the garden-cypress ; that is faid to delight in hot fandy ground, fuch as may naturally be expected in a defart, and therefore not ill fuited to Engedi. And if, as others interpret it, the noble balfam-tree peculiar to Judea be here meant ; Pliny tells us, that this anciently grew there only in two royal gardens.

Now Eufebius and St. Jerom tell us, it grew in the vineyards of Engedi; may we not then fairly conclude, that this was anciently a royal garden? And what reafon fo likely for its being fo diftinguished, a

*Poffibly too this may be alluded to, Cant. iv. 6. I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, to the bill of frankincenfe.

fcene

fcene fo rude, fo untempting, and of such difficult access, as its having been originally planted by David? Nay, there is a place ftill fhewn there, in the recefs of a low valley, faid to have been Solomon's garden, called Hortus Conclufus, because it is shut in by two high hills.

I AM perfuaded, that all readers of refinement take a pleasure in purfuing great men to their retirements; and their curiofity is agreeably gratified, in contemplating upon their amusements and employment in those receffes. For my own part, I must confefs, I behold David with more pleafure, retiring to a defart, after the conqueft of Goliah, the relief of Keilah, and the repeated defeats of the Philistines, there weeding his wilds, planting and pruning his vineyards, and tending his balfam, than I do Cincinnatus returning to his plough from his dictatorship, and his triumph! Indeed, the pleasure of attending him thither, is very much allayed, by the regret to see him so foon disturbed, and forced to fly once more for his life; for Saul was no fooner returned from repelling the Philistines, but he enquired eagerly after David. And being told, that he was

in the wilderness of Engedi, he pursued him thither with three thousand men chofen out of all Ifrael. His intelligence was, that David was in that wilderness, and he naturally expected to find him in the most unfrequented receffes and fastnesses of it. And that he went thither in quest of him, is plainly implied in the text, which tells us, that Saul went to fearch for him upon the faces of the rocks of the wild goats *; that is, upon the higheft and craggiest cliffs! doubtless, according to the information he had received of David's refiding there.

DAVID was a foldier, and a master in the trade; and, from his knowledge of Saul's fkill in the military art, could form a rational conjecture how he would reafon and conduct himself in this purfuit. Ho knew very well, that rocks could be furrounded, and fastnesses starved out by a long fiege; and therefore he had no way to escape, but by hiding himself in a place where Saul, according to the intelligence he had received, and according to all the rules of prudence, and military skill, could have no reason to expect him.

*

1 Sam. xxiv. 3. Hebr. Bible.

THERE

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