THE dignity of this faying is best esti mated by its influence; for we find it was able to fubdue even the rapaciousness of a degenerate foldier-fpirit; they accepted it instead of spoil: The whole army (fays the hiftorian) received it as if they had been enriched. WHEN Abigail returned home, she found her husband in the midft of his revels, and drinking to great excefs (turning the medicine into a diftempér, as Pliny calls drunkenness); and therefore she took no notice to him of her tranfaction with David, until fleep had restored him to his senses. She then told him of his danger, and, without doubt, painted it in the livelieft colours; at least, if we may judge by the effect, which is thus defcribed in the text : AND it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him thefe things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a Stone. And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord fmoté Nabal, that he died. The bafeness of his own heart made him believe David incapable of forgiving him, and therefore his terror became irremediable. THIS THIS extremity of terror, we commonly express by the term of thunder-struck ; which is finely and feelingly described by Ovid, (Trift. 1. 1. el. 3.) Non aliter ftupui, quam qui Jovis ignibus ictus So was I ftunn'd, as one that's thunder-ftruck! E We have many accounts of men dying through fear of death: but as nothing that we call accidents, or natural causes, excludes the interpofition of Providence, in any event; therefore the Scripture phrafe is highly to be juftified and admired, which imputes Nabal's death to a stroke from GOD. A way of thinking, which both Homer and Virgil have copied in two remarkable inftances. WHEN David heard that Nabal was dead, he again breaks out into bleffings and thanksgivings to God, that had diverted him from the intended evil: Blessed be the Lord that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his fervant from evil: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. How How fine a document is this to mankind to remit injuries, to refer themselves and their concerns to the providence of God, to quell the spirit of revenge in the haughty heart, and to recede from rash and wicked refolutions, though backed even by folemn oaths! WHEN a decent time had intervened, after the death of Nabal, David fent meffengers to Abigail with propofals of marriage; which the accepted with fingular humility, and undiffembled joy; ftranger alike to affected delay, and unvirtuous difguife. In all probability no fuch forms obtained in thofe fimpler ages: or, if any did, fhe had too much good fenfe to be enflaved to them. And fhe arofe, (faith the text) and bowed berfelf on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a fervant to wash the feet of the fervants of my Lord (Here, we fee, the bowed herself to the carth, even to the fervants of David, in honour of their mafter; as the houses of parliament uncover in honour of the king's meffage). And Abigail hafted and arofe, and rode upon an afs, with five damfels of bers hers that went after her; and she went after the mesengers of David, and became his wife. DAVID had, in all probability, at this time, (I grieve to tell it) another wife, Abiпоат, of Fefreel a city in the south of Judah, and neighbourhood of Carmel, to whom, it is believed, he was married before his affiance with Abigail *. POLYGAMY was a practice prevalent in those ages, from a corrupt interpretation of Lev. xviii. 18. and David, probably, hoped to strengthen his intereft in his own tribe by this double alliance; efpecially when he apprehended it must be confiderably weakened in that of Benjamin, by Michal's being taken away from him, and bestowed upon Phaltiel the fon of Laish a Benjamite, (which Saul did, to take all his pretenfions to the crown from that alliance). Doubtless, this injury which Saul did him would have been fome excufe, or, to speak more properly, a fufficient juftification for David's taking another, if he had ftopped there, inasmuch as his own wife lived in adultery, and there *Because, whenever they are mentioned, Ahinoam is always named first, 1 Sam. xxvii. 3. & xxx. 5. 2 Sam. xxii. 3. & ii. 3. Q fore fore might be divorced : but when once he married Abigail, he went on and married more; for error knows no end.. CHAP. XIX. David goes into Saul's Camp in the dead of the Night with one Companion. What ensued thereupon. IT ; T should seem, from the preceding. accounts of David's fojourning among the Arabs, and marrying two wives, fince his laft reconcilement with Saul, that there had now been a confiderable intermiffion of his perfecution. For he himself complains of his delay among the Arabs and the multiplying of wives, is a business of leisure at least, if not of idleness: and therefore it is feemingly matter of fome wonder, to fee: commentators and chronologers croud all these transactions,, and more, into the compafs of one year. But, for my own part, fince my late better acquaintance with these authors, I have learnt to be less surprised at any: |