(as the lad apprehended) to make all the dispatch he could; but, in reality, cautioning David to efcape, and make the beft of his way. However, finding the coast was clear, and eager to have one moment's enjoyment of his friend, he dispatched his attendant with all the fpeed he could to the city.

WHEN the lad was gone, David came forth from the oppofite fide of the rock *; and, oppreffed at once with tenderness to his friend, gratitude to his benefactor, and veneration for his prince, he fell on his face, and bowed himfelf three times to the earth before him: they then fell into one another's arms, embraced, and wept over each other with a diftrefs that is not to be defcribed, until David exceeded.

Ir is jufly obferved, that the noblest minds are, like the nobleft metals, eafily melted; and the antients, with good reafon, made this one mark of true generofity. From hence those poetic, became alfo proverbial expreffions, 'AyaGold' derdanpues ärd pest. Et faciles motus mens ἀριδάκρυες generoja capit**.

COMMENTATORS account for the excess of David's diftrefs on this occafion, from the lamentable prospect of his exile from his family, from his friends, and, it may be, from the people of GOD. But we fhould remember, that commentators are not always the best judges of true heroism. David, I am perfuaded, had a heart too brave to be funk by fuch felfish confiderations.

Jonathan difcharged his arrows on the north fide of the rock; and the text tells us, that David arofe out of the fouth: he avoided shooting on the fide David lay, for fear of a discovery. + The good are quickly melted into tears. ** The gen'rous mind is easy to be mov'd.

IF

IF the generous reader will allow himself to determine this point from the sentiments of his own breast, I dare believe he will not hefitate one moment to pronounce, that it was the fenfe, not of his own diftrefs, but of Jonathan's generofity, that overwhelmed David. He was now leaving, perhaps taking his laft leave of, that man, who, though he knew David food between him and a throne, yet had often faved his life, and was now just come from faving it again, at the imminent hazard of his own!

AND how was he leaving this unvaluable friend? he was leaving him to the rage of a furious incenfed father, who would not fail to deftroy him, for the very kindness he was then fhewing to David, if ever it fhould come to this knowledge.

WHERE is the heart that could be infenfible? Where is the heart that muft not fink under this diftrefs? Jonathan was too delicate, and too generous not to fee all the movements of David's heart on this distressful occafion; and, seeing them, he repreffed his own grief, for fear of finking his friend too much, by excess of tenderness! This made him conclude the conference in that religious and calm manner recorded in the text (1 Sam. xx. 42.): And Jonathan faid unto David, Go in peace, forafmuch as we have fworn both of us in the name of the Lord, faying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my feed and thy feed for ever. This faid, David arofe, broke away from his friend, and went into exile, and Jonathan returned to the city.

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THEN

THEN it was, in all probability, that this wandering exile brake out into this and the following complaints (Pfal. xvii.): Hear the right, O Lord, confider my complaint, and hearken unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Let my fentence come forth from thy prefence, and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal.O hold thou up my goings, that my footfleps flip

not, &c.

CHA P. XI.

David flies to Ahimelech at Nob: His Conduct there examined, and excufed. From Nob he flies to Achifh at Gath: His Conduct there examined, and accounted for.

BEFORE we follow David into exile, it

will not be amifs to inform my readers of lefs learning, that the Romans alfo had feafts not unlike the New Moon feafts of the Jews, (mentioned in the laft chapter) called Chariftia, or Feafts of Love, to which none but their kindred were invited; a feftivity which, in all probability, they borrowed from the Jews.

DAVID, in his first flight from Saul, had recourfe to the prophet of GoD; and now his

*Val. Max. 1. 11. c. I.

Ovid. Faft.-Proxima cognati dixere chariftia charis,

Et venit ad focios turba propinqua deos.

next

next is to his priest. He came to Nób, a city of Benjamin, not far from Jerufalem, to Ahimelech, otherwife called Abiathar, the high-brieft; and there, in all probability, he hoped to be sheltered for a feafon; there was the altar and tabernacle; and there alfo he probably faid to himself, Under the shadow of thy wings fhall be my refuge, until this tyranny be over paft. And, poffibly, fo it might have been, had he not been prevented by the fight of Doeg the Edomite, one of the fervants of Saul, and chief of his herdfmen; who, being detained there that day, either because it was the Sabbath, or by reason of some vow, or other religious regard, David well knew, would make a merit to Saul of difcovering his retreat And, in all probability, the high-priest himself sufpected as much; for the text tells us, that he was afraid at the meeting of David, which there had otherwife been no cause for. Then Abimelech inquired, Why he was alone, and not attended as became his dignity? To which he answered, That he was employed by the king upon an affair which required fecrecy and difpatch; and therefore he came away in that private manner, and appointed his fervants where to meet him.

HERE David is charged by most commentators with the guilt of adding one lye to another 3 a falfification which, in its confequence, coft the priests of God their lives. And it is thought, that, in compunction for this guilt, he utters that lamentable complaint, in the cxixth pfàlm, as the 28th and 29th verfes, My foul melteth away

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for

for very heaviness:-Take from me the way of lying.

ALL men, however, do not fee this matter in the fame light; there are some who cannot bring themselves to believe, that any reflection upon this part of his conduct lay heavy upon David, because they cannot charge him in this matter as others do. His intention was innocent: he induftriously concealed his condition from the high-prieft, to keep him clear of all fufpicion and charge of having combined with him against Saul.

I FIND many learned men, who honour truth, as much as any of its advocates, and yet will not load every uninjuring, undefigning, and much le's every well-defigning deceit, with the guilt of lying. They cannot, indeed, go in altogether with Euripides, who is of opinion, that when truth is likely to be attended with great evil, falfhood is pardonable; well knowing, that a good man fhould fpeak the truth from his heart in many inftances, even to his own greatest damage and difadvantage. All that they infift on is, that we are not obliged to speak the truth either to our own or other mens difadvantage, to fuch as have no right to know it from us; and, confequently are no way injured by not knowing it. He is a good man, (faith Cicero, 3 Offic.) who does all the good he can to others, and injures no one, unless grievoudly provoked. To diffemble or disguise the truth, from one who * Οτω δ' ολέθρον δεινὸν ἡ ἀλήθεια ἄγει, Συγγνωςὶν εἰπεῖν ἐπὶ καὶ τὸ μὴ καλόν.

hath