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I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way; O when wilt thou come unto me: I will walk within with a perfect heart.

my

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside, it shall not cleave to me.

A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.

Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I out off: him that hath a high look, and a proud heart, will not I suffer.

Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.

He that worketh deceit, shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies, shall not tarry in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land: that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.

SECTION V.

DAVID SMITETH THE PHILISTINES AT BAAL

PERAZIM.

2 Sam. Chap. v. 1 Chron. Chap. xii.

But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.

The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

And

And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said, The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.

And there they left their images, and David and his men burnt them.

Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines garrison was then at Beth-lehem.

And David longed, and said, Oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem that is at the gate; and three of his captains brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of Beth-lehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David; but David would not drink of it but poured it out to the LORD.

And said, My Gon forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

Whilst the Israelites were divided amongst themselves, they were disregarded by the neighbouring nations: but when David was seated on the throne of Israel, and had built and fortified the royal city, after destroying the Jebusites, it is reasonable to suppose, that they all took the alarm, and confederated together with the Philistines, in order to crush his growing power: so that David might well say, all nations compassed him about.

The

The valley of Rephaim was to the west of Jerusalem, large and fruitful, capable of containing the numerous hosts, which collected together, must have made a very formidable appearance. David retired to the cave of Adullam, because he was acquainted with its strength, and did not choose to make Jerusalem a scene of blood, if he could by any means prevent its invasion.

Though David had a very powerful army, commanded by heroes of renowned valour, he knew that no human means were sufficient to secure him success against his enemies; therefore, according to his usual piety, and consistent with his character as God's Vicegerent, and CAPTAIN of the LORD's inheritance, he would not presume to attack the Philistines, till he had enquired the will of Gov. When he was going in consequence of the Divine command to encounter the enemy, he is supposed to have animated his troops by repeating the following Psalm *, which, perhaps, was accompanied with warlike music t.

Keep not Thou silence, O GOD: hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O Gov.

For lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate Thee, have lift up the head.

They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people, and consulted against Thy hidden ones.

They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more

in remembrance.

For they have consulted together with one consent; they are conf derate against Thee.

The tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites: of Moab and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

* Delauy's Life of David,

t Psalm lxxxiii.

Assur

Assur is also joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot.

Do unto them as unto the Midianites, as to Sisera, as to Jabin at the brook of Kison;

Which perished at En-dor: they became as dung for the earth.

Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zeba and Zalmunna :

Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of GOD in possession.

O my God, make them like a wheel: as the stubble before the wind.

As the fire burneth the wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire, so persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.

Fill their faces with shame: that they may seek thy name, O LORD.

Let them be confounded and troubled for ever: yea, let them be put to shame and perish.

That men may know, that Thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most High over all the carth.

David gained a great victory; but he considered himself only as an humble instrument in the hand of GoD, for he describes the enemy as an over-whelming flood ready to swallow him up; and the armies of his enemies, divided by the power of GoD, as the mighty waters of the ocean are broken and divided by a storm. On this happy occasion, he is supposed to have uttered the following Psalm *.

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If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us ;

* Psalm cxxiv.

Then

Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.

Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul.

Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

H

Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made hed. ven and earth.

What an instance of affectionate respect did those officers give, who fetched the water from Beth-lehem! How truly great were David's piety and self-denial! He looked upon the waters, fetched at the hazard of their lives, as sacred to GoD, and poured it on the earth as an offering of thanksgiving, though he was suffering the pain of excessive thirst.

SECTION VI.

DAVID SMITETH THE PHILISTINES AGAIN AT THE

MULBERRY-TREES.

From 2 Samuel, Chap. v.

AND the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up: but fetch a compass behind them and come upon them over against the mulberry

trees.

And let it be when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt

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