"Who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in thine house? Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more."

It was a reasonable and touching appeal, but produced no other effect upon Saul than to rouse to a higher degree of fury the malevolent passions that had the mastery over him. "Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house." So saying, he ordered some of the footmen who were near him, immediately to put Ahimelech and the other priests of the Lord to death; "because," he added, "their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not show it to me."

Jealousy and revenge, when they take full possession of the soul, as in the case of Saul, are inexorable. They are deaf to the voice of reason. Neither justice nor humanity can arrest them in their furious career. They urge on to deeds of violence and blood. They complete the fiendlike character of the murderer and the assassin.

These passions have their beginnings, and acquire their growth in malignity by degrees. Reader, are they ever harbored in your breast?

If so, pause and consider their issue. They had their beginnings in the breast of Saul.

CHAPTER XII.

Doeg slays the priests, except Abiathar, who escapes. David succors Keilah. Jonathan and David renew their covenant. Saul leaves the pursuit of David, to resist the Philistines.

The command to kill the priests on the spot, and in cold blood, struck those to whom it was given with horror. They could not raise their hands, even in obedience to the orders of their sovereign, against those who ministered at the altars of Jehovah. Not one moved; and it would seem as if their refusal might have produced at least a momentary pause in the mind of Saul, and stayed a little his vengeance. But it only roused it to a more maddening impetuosity. His eye flashed terribly with an exulting decision of purpose, as it fell upon one near him, on whom he knew he could rely to carry that purpose into execution. It was Doeg, the Edomite; the ready. tool of the royal murderer. "Turn thou," said Saul, addressing him, "and fall upon the priests." There was no misgiving now. The command

found immediate obedience; and his unresisting victims, to the number of eighty-five, fell by the hand of Doeg. The vindictive spirit of Saul carried the work of destruction yet further; intending, probably, by such fearful examples, to strike terror into his subjects, and put a stop to their rendering any more aid to David. By his directions, Doeg proceeded with a party of men to Nob, the city of the priests, and put all its inhabitants to death, not sparing the aged, nor the children and tender infants, and destroying all the cattle. About this time David is supposed to have composed the 52d, 109th, 17th, 140th, 35th, and 64th Psalms.

In these events, brought about by the wickedness of Saul, and in which he and the instruments of his vengeance incurred tremendous guilt, we see, at the same time, a striking fulfilment of the Divine prediction against Eli and his descendants. He had grievously offended God, because his sons had made themselves vile, and he restrained them not, and had been told that the days would come when the Lord would cut off his arm, and the arm of his father's house, and that all the increase of his house should die in the flower of their age.

This prediction began to receive its accomplishment when the two sons of Eli were killed in battle, and himself died on the same day. It continued to be fulfilled in the massacre of the

priests; and we shall have occasion to notice its consummation in the deposition of Abiathar, the high priest, by Solomon, and the subsequent degradation of his family.

For Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, contrived to escape when the slaughter of his father and kindred took place, and fled immediately to David for protection. The latter, on being informed by him of that horrible event, exclaimed, "I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house." On every account, therefore, he found himself bound to defend Abiathar against the vengeance of Saul, and added; "Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard."

Abiathar brought with him the ephod, and probably the Urim and Thummim, which had hitherto been appropriated to the service of Saul; thus enabling David, as we shall soon see, to consult the oracle of God for direction in his affairs.

It happened, at this time, that the Philistines, taking advantage of the distracted affairs of the Israelites, invaded their country, and attacked Keilah, a town in the tribe of Judah, committing extensive depredations, and carrying off the grain which the inhabitants had gathered and were threshing in the adjoining fields.

Keilah was not far from the forest of Hareth, where David and his men, about six hundred in number, were concealed. He was told of what the Philistines were doing, and his patriotic spirit was immediately roused to go to the relief of his countrymen. But he would not do this without inquiring of the Lord for direction. This he probably did through Abiathar, the high-priest, who was with him, and received the reply, "Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah."

But his men dreaded the enterprise. They said they had already dangers enough to encounter, without making their case the more desperate by going out to attack the Philistines. To satisfy them, David inquired again of the Lord, and was told to arise, and go down to Keilah, for God would deliver the Philistines into his hands. There was no more hesitation. He and his party went resolutely forward. They rescued Keilah, obtaining a complete victory over the enemy, bringing away their cattle, and smiting them with a great slaughter.

Such a generous and heroic deed David had good reason to suppose would secure the gratitude of the inhabitants of Keilah, and afford him and his men at least a temporary shelter within their walls. But it proved far otherwise. Saul, having heard of what had happened, expressed his joy at the event. He exultingly exclaimed that God had now delivered David into his hands, (inasmuch