whistling of wind, or rustling of leaves, in the mouth of the cave, might have prevented him; or, laftly, the great depth of the recefs, or noife of his forces from without, AND yet, notwithstanding all these dangers, and this remonftrance, David could be prevailed upon no further, than to rise, and (going up foftly to Saul) cut off one of the skirts of his garment; and no fooner had he done even that, but he repented of it: His heart fmote him, (fays the text) because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he faid unto his men, The Lord forbid that I fhould do this thing unto my mafter, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, feeing he is the anointed of the Lord. So David ftayed his fervants, or (as the Hebrew expreffes it) broke them with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. St. CHRYSOSTOм exerts his ufual eloquence on this occafion, in praise of David's magnanimity; nor would any eloquence less than his be endured on the occafion. The truth is, encomiums add nothing to it; nor will the generous reader bear to be embaraffed with them, THE THE account of David's going into this cave, and Saul's not expecting him there, seems to me the most natural account of the matter but the Rabbins, who are never contented with nature, and, indeed, seldom even with the letter of Scripture, have added another circumftance from tradition, and, poffibly, a true one. THEY tell us, that when Saul went up to the cave, he went with an intention to fearch if David were in it (than which nothing can be more improbable): but observing the mouth of the cave overspread with a fpider's web, he concluded, that nothing had lately gone into it; and fo, declining all thoughts of fearch, he only stept in on another occafion. I SHALL not detain the reader with any difquifition upon the probability of this circumstance; but only obferve to him, that there is a much more recent relation of a like efcape, from a like caufe, in the accounts left us in Felix the martyr, whose perfecutors pursuing him to a cave, were ftopt fhort by the interpofition of a spider's web: which occafion to that pretty reflection of Paulinus; gave Et aërio ceffit vis ferrea filo: WHEN David returned from cutting off Saul's fkirt, and restrained his men from doing him violence, Saul rofe up out of the cave, and went on his way. David followed foon after; and when he faw Saul at a proper distance, called out, and addreffed himself to him in this manner, My Lord the KING! And when Saul looked back, upon hearing himself called, David bowed himself down to the earth to do him obeysance, and then proceeded to expostulate with him, in the softest and most fubmiffive terms, why he should liften to the idle reports of fuch malignant men as would make him believe that David meant him harm; whereas now he might judge, by his own experience, of the truth of fuch reports; inasmuch as, a few moments ago, he had him abfolutely in his power, and yet would do him no mischief, though carneftly urged to it! Then, holding up the skirt of the robe; My father! (faid he) The Arabs have adopted this relation, and applied it [to Makomet. (1 Sam. (1 Sam. xxiv.) See, yea, fee the skirt of thy robe in my band! For in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and fee, that there is neither evil nor tranfgreffion in mine hand: and I have not finned against thee; yet thou hunteft my foul to take it. Then, changing his tone, he calls upon GOD, in a most folemn manner, to judge between them: The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee: as faith the proverb of the antients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand fhall not be upon thee; that is, Guilt is the confequence and fruit of guilt if I had been guilty of conspiring against thee, I should have crowned that guilt, by killing thee, when it was in my : power. WHEN he had thus cleared himself to the king, and struck him with a thorough conviction of his innocence, perhaps too with terror of the divine vengeance, for the oppreffion and perfecution of innocence; he then returns to the gentleness and submission of his first expostulation; urging, that the king debased himself; that it was beneath the dignity of fo fo great a prince to purfue fo infignificant a creature as he was: After whom is the king of Ifrael come out? after a dead dog, after a flea? And then concludes all with a repeated appeal to Almighty God, and an earnest prayer for protection and deli verance. AND it came to pass, fays the text, (1 Sam. xxiv. 16, &c.) when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul faid, Is this thy voice, my fon David? And Saul lift up his voice, and wept. And he faid to David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou haft rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou haft fhewed this day, how that thou haft dealt well with me: forafmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedft 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 haft done unto me this day. And now, behold, I know well, that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Ifrael shall be established in thine hand *. Swear now therefore unto me by * This he knew, fays St. Chryfoftom, from David's manners, from his kingly virtues, as well as his uncommon fuccefs. Saul (fays Dr. Trapp) being melted "by |