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HERE We fee, that David's confidence of fuccefs is founded on Goliah's blafphemy, which had debased him to a brute; and therefore he now carried no more terror with him, than a lion or a bear.

THERE is nothing more offenfive and shocking to the human ear, than felf-praise; inasmuch as it is ordinarily the effect of two very offenfive and unlovely paffions, felf-love, and intemperate vanity and yet, when it is extorted, as it was here, I know nothing more becoming, or more noble. It is then adorned with all the dignity of selfdefence, under the falsest imputation of the heaviest guilt. And yet David's temperance and modesty are remarkable even here: he defcribes his combat with the lion, in the shortest and fimpleft narration that ever was made of fuch a combat ; --- I caught him by his beard, and fmote him, and flew him :

and, to avoid the tedium of dwelling upon his own exploits, fays no more of his combat with the bear, but barely, that he flew him.

AND, as if even this were too much, he concludes all in the style of a man who had rather escaped than conquered; The Lord, who delivered me out of the paw of

the

the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philiftine. Upon which, Saul, ftruck with the fteadiness of his refolution, grounded upon so just and noble a confidence, immediately cried out; Go; and the Lord be with thee.

AND now his care was, to fee his champion properly provided with arms offenfive and defenfive; and accordingly he put his own armour upon him, an helmet of brass, and coat of mail. And when David had

girded his fword upon his armour, armour, and affayed to go, he found himself encumbered and embaraffed by a warlike apparatus to which he was unaccustomed; and therefore, defiring to be excused from making use of them, he put them off; and taking his staff in his hand, he chofe five smooth stones out of the brook which divided the hoftile armies, and put them in his fhepherd's fcrip; and fo, taking his fling in one hand, and his staff in the other, he advanced towards his adverfary. Nor was Goliah lefs forward; for he alfo advanced to the combat with his armourbearer before him. But when, upon a nearer approach to David, he difcerned his youth and beauty, he difdained the effeminacy of

his aspect; and, filled with indignation, to find himself fo contemptuously paired, and affaulted like a dog, with ftones and a staff, he vented his rage in reproaches and execrations, devoting his adverfary to the wrath and vengeance of his gods; and then, calling aloud to him, bid him advance, that he might give his flesh to the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field. To these taunts and threats David only made this answer; Thou comeft to me with a fword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hofts, the God of the armies of Ifrael, whom thou haft defied. And then, inspired with a clear forefight of that just vengeance which this blafphemy would draw down both upon him, and upon those that abetted him, he adds; This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand * ; and I will fmite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will: give the carcafes of the host of the Philiftines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the

*The difference between these threats is remarkable. Goliah, in full confidence of his own ftrength, bids David come up, and I will give thy flesh, &c. David, confiding only in the protection of Providence, retorts; This day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand; and then tells him what he is to expect.

wild

wild beasts of the earth: that all the earth may know that there is a God in Ifrael. And all this affembly fhall know, that the Lord faveth not with fword and Spear : for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.

So faying, he fprung forward with a noble alacrity to meet his antagonist; and, putting his hand into his bag, took thence a Stone, and flang it, and fmote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone funk into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.

This done, he ran up to his proftrate enemy, and standing upon him, drew out his own fword, (for David had none) and cut off his head.

CHAP. V.

The Friendship of David and Jonathan. Some Difficulties in the facred Text, cleared. David's combat compared with that of Dioxippus the Athenian Athlete.

TH

HE Philistines, ftruck with a fudden confternation upon the defeat and death of their champion, fled; and the Ifraelites,

Ifraelites, giving a great shout of joy, purfued them with a dreadful flaughter, to the gates of Gath and Ekron*, their fenced cities; and then returning, took the spoil of their camp.

WHEN David returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, Abner the king's general prefented him to Saul with Goliah's head in his hand. What reception Saul gave him, or what converfation David had with him on that occafion, we know not but we have reason to believe, that his fpeech was agreeable to his preceding conduct, fhort and humble, giving GOD the glory. All that we are told, is, that Saul enquired whose fon he was: and that when their conversation was ended, Jonathan, the king's eldest fon, conceived the tendereft and ftrongest affection for him from that mo

ment.

THERE is an inexpreffible dignity in the filence of the scriptures on this and fuch-like occafions. Minute defcription would bring them too near the level of common history; and, on occafions fo very extraordinary,

The refidences of two of the five Philiftine lords.

would,

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