He then hastened to his beloved friend Jonathan, who had exposed himself to the indignation of the king upon his account, and had concerted a plan by which David might receive intelligence. of all that passed at court. But as his death was soon resolved on by Saul, the prince hastened to the appointed place of meeting, and terminated the correspondence with the most affectionate vows of eternal regard and amity.

It was now indispensably requisite that David should seek his safety in immediate flight. He therefore hastened to the land of Nob, and, on the pretence of urgent business, prevailed on Ahimelech, the high priest, to give him the sword of Goliah, and such refreshment as could be immediately procured for himself and the young men who accompanied him. Having obtained this supply he fled to the king of Gath, but soon found it necessary to change his design of imploring protection to the artifice of counterfeiting the actions of a lunatic.

While David, by this well-timed expedient, disappointed the malice of the Philistine courtiers, Saul was informed of all that had passed at Nob, by one Doeg, an Edomite, who asserted that Ahimelech had furnished the fugitive with weapons and provision, and had inquired of God respecting his fate. This intelligence exasperated the king so violently that he immediately ordered the high priest and all his kindred to be brought into his presence, where he loaded them with the most cruel invectives, and caused them all to be murdered without discrimination by his informer. He then sent a de-, tachment to execute his vengeance on the city of Nob, who executed their orders with such inhuman severity that none but Abiathar, one of

Ahimelech's sons, had the good fortune to escape the general massacre.

Hence

David was followed in his exile by his nearest relatives and the prophet Gad, who were soon joined by other distressed and discontented persons to the number of four hundred; but in consequence of the prophet's advice he left his parents under the protection of the king of Moab, and repaired with his companions to the forest of Hareth in the land of Judah. he removed to the wilderness of Ziph, where he was privately visited by Jonathan, who repeated his former vows of unalterable friendship, and obtained a solemn assurance that, if ever David ascended the throne of Israel, his good offices should be rewarded with the possession of the second dignity in the government.

The Ziphites, by sending intelligence to Saul, compelled David again to change his station, and he accordingly removed, first to the wilderness of Maon, and afterward to Engedi. At the latter place he was overtaken by his adversary, at the head of three thousand men; but Providence having directed the king to the cave where David lay concealed, an opportunity offered of terminating the unjust pursuit. David, however, abhorring the crime of killing the Lord's anointed, stole softly near Saul, and having cut off the skirt of his robe, permitted him to retire without molestation. As soon, therefore, at his enemy had quitted the cave, he discovered himself, and begged that he would no longer harbour such ill-grounded suspicions of a man who had now given a convincing proof of his innocence and loyalty.

This affecting address, strengthened by the infallible testimony of the piece of his robe,

melted

melted the jealous king into tears, and induced him to acknowledge, that David's superior virtue rendered him truly worthy of that dignity, which he was now convinced the Almighty would bestow on him. He then requested him to swear that he would never revenge the injuries he had received upon any branch of the royal family, and having embraced him with many expressions of affection, returned to Gibeah. About this time Samuel died, and was

1095.

B. C. buried at Ramah. He had judged Israel twenty years from the decease of Eli, and had lived about thirty-six after the elevation of Saul to the royal dignity.

David, having probably received some intelligence of Saul's relapse, removed from Engedi towards the wilderness of Paran. Thence he sent messengers to a wealthy Carmelite, called Nabal, who was making a feast to his sheepshearers, requesting that he would send some provision for himself and his followers; but Na bal, being of a covetous disposition, returned an answer which would certainly have caused the extermination of his family, had not his wife Abigail prudently eluded the mischief, by carrying in person the desired supply. Her husband being afterward acquainted with the extreme danger he had incurred by his churlishness, was immediately taken ill, and in a few days expired: a circumstance which induced David to take Abigail to wife, his former consort having been given by her father to another

man.

Soon after this transaction David had a fresh opportunity of evincing his innocence at Maon, in the desert of Ziph, where Saul took the field against him with three thousand chosen men.

The

The son of Jesse, accompanied by Abishai, entered Saul's camp in the dead of night, and finding all the soldiers asleep, proceeded in search of the king, whom they at length discovered reposing in his tent with his spear stuck in the ground by his bolster, and Abner his general, and many other officers, sleeping around him. Abishai urged his master to transfix the king to the ground with his own spear, observing that Providence had delivered him into his hands for that purpose; but David refused to hearken to such counsel, and contented himself with carrying off the spear and the cruise of water that he found in the tent. Saul being apprised of this adventure, acknowledged himself indebted a second time for the preservation of his life to his generous son-in-law, and having expressed his sorrow for his former injustice, promised that he would no more seek his destruction, and parted from him with many tokens of apparent friendship. David was however justly alarmed for his future safety, and therefore retired to Achish, king of Gath, who received him in the most hospitable manner, and allotted Ziglag for his residence, as appears in a preceding chapter.

Saul, finding himself deserted by a great number of his forces, and being unable to consult his Creator respecting the event of his approaching engagement with the Philistines, went in disguise to Endor, and prevailed on a woman who had a familiar spirit to raise up the prophet Samuel. When the vision appeared, Saul bowed himself to the ground, and apologized for his adopting so unlawful an expedient, by adverting to the desperate situation of his affairs. Samuel replied it was in vain that he had applied to him for counsel after alienating the love

of

of the Almighty by his disobience; and solemnly assured him that he should on the morrow lose both his life and kingdom. A prediction which was soon verified, as the Israelites were utterly defeated in the ensuing bat

B.C.

tle, and Saul fell upon his own sword, to 1055. avoid the cruelty of his inveterate foes. His sons also perished in the dreadful slaughter, and their mangled bodies were exposed, with that of their unfortunate parent, upon the walls of Beth-Shan. But the inhabitants of Jabesh, remembering, with gratitude, their former deliverance by Saul, sent out a detachment of their bravest men, who carried off the bodies, and interred them with due solemnity.

David, having lamented the death of Saul, and of his beloved friend Jonathan, removed to Hebron, where he was again anointed king of the tribe of Judah, whilst Abner, the late monarch's general, proclaimed Ishbosheth at Mahanaim. Thus was the kingdom divided between two sovereigns, who enjoyed their respective shares quietly for the space of two years.

The first popular step which David took was to send a message of thanks to the Jabeshites for the respect they had paid to the bodies of the deceased king and his sons; and he then strengthened his alliances by marrying Maacah, princess of Geshur, by whom he had Absalom and Tamar.

At the expiration of two years a battle was fought between the armies of David and Ishbosheth, in which the latter was totally routed, and Abner himself compelled to fly for his life.. The pursuit continued till sun-set, when the Benjamites rallied under Abner, and resolved to make a vigorous defence; but the trumpets

of