THERE happened to be a large capacious cave on the fide of the high-way to these mountains, by the fheep-cotes, the publick place of refort to all that fed and milk'd the flocks, and of confequence the most unlikely place in the world for a fugitive to hide himfelf in, because the most publick and frequented into this cave, David, watching his opportunity, (probably in the dead and filence of the night) ftole, with all his followers.

If he escaped Saul's fearch here, which he had little reafon to fear, he then had his choice of two advantages from it; either, when Saul was paft by, to steal, in the dead of the night following, into fome other part of the country; or elfe, if he could subsist himself where he was for two or three days, he might, when Saul and his army were fufficiently harraffed in their wild-goat chafe and obliged to give it over, steal back to thofe very mountains they had quitted, and effectually elude their fearch.

How this conduct will be deemed of in a David, I cannot fay: but am perfuaded,

* The common expreffion of wild goofe chafe, I take to be a corruption: beafts only are chafed.

that in an Eumenes, or a Sertorius, it had been crowned with fufficient applaufe.

WHETHER Saul traverfed these wilder neffes, or what time he might have spent in fearch of David, is not fo much as hinted at in the text. We only learn, that as he paffed by the cave, where David and his men lay, whether oppreffed by the heat of the day, or urged by fome neceffary call of nature, he stept into the cave, as the text expreffes it, to cover his feet.

Ir was eafy to discern who he was by the light from without, and by the noise of his attendants; and it is natural to believe, that, upon the first fight of him, David and his men concluded themselves betrayed and undone.

We have a pfalm, exprefly penned by himself, in memory of this adventure; and it is aftonishing, that no commentator, or writer of facred history, hath ever applied or explained the adventure by it; especially confidering how clear it is with this comment, and how utterly unintelligible without it. All the motions of David's mind, on this occafion, his fears, his apprehenfions, his prayers to GOD for deliverance,

are

are very naturally set forth by himself in this pfalm.

UPON the first fight of Saul he lifts up his voice in fecret prayers and complaints to GOD; concluding, that he was betrayed, and given up: In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a fnare for me. And he was confirmed in that perfuafion, when turning about, and looking on his companions, he observed they did not regard him; their minds, as it was natural, were fo entirely taken up with their own danger, In all pro

that they little thought of him. In all bability, they looked (as well they might) pale and disconcerted! Fear hath sometimes all the appearance of guilt, and David might well mistake it for fuch :

I looked on my right hand, (faid he) and faw there was no man that would know me. What should he do? he had no refuge, and, as he thought, no man would ftand by him: I had no place, (faith he) and no man cared for my foul! In this extremity he had no refource but in GoD:

* In the original, it is all a prayer; and in that view much more beautiful. The fenfe of this verse stands thus: O Lord, Look on my right hand and fee, there is none that knows me.

I cried (faith he) unto thee, O Lord, and faid; Thou art my hope and my portion in the land of the living: confider my complaint, for I am brought very low. O deliver me from my perfecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring my foul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto thy name: which thing if thou wilt grant me, then fhall the righteous refort unto my company.

His prayers were quickly heard, and his terrors removed; for when he faw Saul compofing himself to reft, instead of attempting upon him, he foon concluded that all was fafe. It was then eafy for him to fee, that he was not betrayed; nay, more, that he and his men were well hid, by the advantage of their fituation, in the recefs and gloom of the cave; especially confidering, that they lay, as the text tells us, in the fides of it, where the natural fhadowings of the rocks might conceal them. His men also, recovering from their fright, and obferving Saul in this defenceless condition, foon took heart, and encouraged and urged him, as it was natural, to lay hold of this opportunity, which GOD had put into his hand, to rid himself of his mortal enemy.

NEVER, fure, was man in greater ftreights than David at this juncture. If he complied, it is true, he fhould get rid of his worst enemy; but at the fame time he must maffacre his father and his king! If he refused, he ran the hazard of provoking his own men to defperation; poffibly fo far, as to forfake him, and leave him to himself, who refused to serve both himself and them, when it was in his power; especially if there was such a prophecy, (which they feem plainly to refer to) That GoD would deliver David's enemies into his hands*: for, in that cafe, what was this conduct of David's, in effect, but oppofing himself to the divine determinations?

ADD to all this, the danger he ran another way; for if the least of these whispers or motions had reached Saul's ears, the inevitable confequence was death! And, indeed, it is not easy to say, at first sight, why he heard them not, until we come to confider, with fome commentators, that, it may be, he was afleep; or, with others, that the

*

Sam. xxiv.

4. And the men of David faid unto him, Behold, the day of which the Lord faid unto thee I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayft do to him as it fall feem good to thee.

N 3

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