David flies to the Cave of Adullam. Some Account of the Perfons who reforted to

him there.

DAVID's next refuge was the cave of Adullam, in the tribe of Judah, and to the caft of Eleutheropolis*; a place fortified by nature, and fo fitted for the fecurity of perfons in diftrefs, that we are told it hath frequently given a refuge from the Turks to Chriftians, who fled thither with their families, flocks, and herds.

HITHER his friends, those especially of his own family, who had reason to apprehend, that they should be involved in the imputation of his guilt, reforted to him. Hither alfo, as it is generally understood, came those valiant men, and great captains of the tribe of Gad, who were faid, in 1 Chron. ch. xii. to have separated themfelves unto David into the hold to the wilder nefs, men of might, men of war, fit for the battle, that could handle field and buckler, whofe faces were like the faces of lions, and they were fwift as the roes upon the mountains.

THESE men had all the natural and acquired advantages that could beft diftinguish foldiers:

Eufebius gives this fituation to a town of that name extant in his time. This was, probably, the country of Hirah, Judah's affociate, Gen. xxxviii.

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they were brave, ftrong, and fwift, with fuch a fierceness of afpect as terrified their enemies. Ariftotle obferves, that lions resemble men more in their countenances than any other animals; and, as lions are the fierceft and nobleft of the inferior animals, the antients thought it no mean commendation in men of war to resemble them.

THE chief of thefe Gadites were captains, (whether of Saul's army then, or of David's afterwards, is not clear) fome of thousands, and the least of hundreds.

THE facred text obferves of these, as a farther indication of their courage, that they ventured over Jordan in the most dangerous season, (probably swam over it) when the river was deepest, and moft rapid, which was in the first month, the season of the barley harveft: for now the fnows from the neighbouring mountains (Leba non especially) began to melt, and fwelled the

river above its banks.

WHEN they had conquered the river, they had yet had other enemies to encounter, who are called, in the English translation, men of the valleys; these alfo they conquered: They put the valleys to flight (lays the text) to the east, and to the west.

AFTER thefe came a mixed company of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in a confiderable body. David went out to meet them; and, feeing fo many of Saul's tribe, and, probably, fome of his kindred, he apprehended there might be fome treachery intended him. He was far from a fufpicious fpirit: yet it behoved him to

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be upon his guard; however, much must be ventured, if he meant to be fecured from Saul. At worst he could but die; and, to a brave man, death is far better than a mean distrust. He told them, in all the heroic fimplicity, and with all the frankness, of a generous spirit, that if they came with friendly intentions towards him, they fhould meet with faithful returns of affection and friendship from him; but if they came to betray an innocent man to his enemies, he referred the vengeance of such guilt to GoD: If (fays he) ye be come peacably unto me to help me, my heart fhall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me unto mine enemies, feeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look down thereon, and rebuke it *.

THEN Amafai, chief of thefe great leaders, ftruck with the openness and dignity of his conduct, and inspired with a noble zeal for the caufe of fo brave and fo injured a man, replied at once with a fpirit which nothing but the original can exprefs in its more than Laconic ftrength and brevity; Thine, David; and with thee, thou son of Jeffe†, peace. Peace to thee, and peace to thy helpers; for thy God helpeth thee.

THEN David received them, and made them. captains of the hoft.

*The concifenefs of the original hath, I think, great dignity; look, and rebuke.

The meaning of that expreffion I take to be this: notwithftanding they reproach thy birth, and taunt thee with the appellation ofthe fon of Jeffe, we are thine.

THE

THE candid and learned reader will beft judge for himself, whether he hath ever obferved, in all the accounts of antiquity, fo heroic an addrefs, and fo foldierly a reply.

THIS is the account left us of those great men, who reforted to David at Adullam; and with thefe, as it was natural, mixed themfelves all fuch as were discontented, in debt, and diftrefs, to the number of about four hundred men in all; and he became their captain.

PROBABLY that ufage now prevailed among the Jews, which, Cæfar tells us, antiently obtained among the Gauls, for thofe that were in debt, oppreffed by tributes, or the tyranny of the great, to betake themfelves to the fervice of fome eminent man for protection; by him they were maintained, and to him they devoted themfelves, under a folemn obligation to live and die with him. These were called, in the Gallic language, Soldurii; which must be owned to be a very honourable original of the word Soldier. It is evident, that fuch might be very honest and good men; and such in all probability, were David's companions.

HERE it is asked, How David could, in confcience, protect thofe men from their creditors? To that it is obvious to answer; That, to refcue unhappy men, who are not able to pay their debts, from the tyranny of cruel creditors, is one of the greatcft acts of humanity and mercy; and the distress these were in, (fufficiently feen in their recourse to David, then in the extre mity of diftrefs) fhews their inability to fatisfy VOL. I. theirs:

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theirs but tho' they were now unable to fatisfy their creditors, their circumstances were, in fome time, confiderably mended; and, very probably, when David was enabled, in fome measure, to pay his debts of gratitude, they were in a condition to clear off their debts of juftice; fo that both debtors and creditors were, in all probability, benefited by the refuge which David now afforded.

THAT good men have often had the misfortune to be in debt, and many ways oppreffed, the hiftories of all countries affure us.

WHETHER these were good men when they reforted to David, is not easy to say: but if they were not, that they became fo, by his dif cipline, influence, and example, is fufficiently evident from their fubfequent behaviour; and makes it credible, that it was chiefly for their ufe he composed the xxxivth pfalm, which contains the nobleft encouragements to piety and virtue, from an affurance, that all fuch as are fo devoted, are the immediate care of Almighty GOD; as all thofe of a contrary character are his abhorrence, and the fure marks of his vengeance. And furely this pfalm, confidered in this light, is one of the noblelt, the best-turned, and beft judged, and beft adapted compofitions that ever were penned *.

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He begins, by encouraging them to piety, and gratitude to God, from his own example: I will alway give thanks unto the Lord: his praife fhall ever be in my mouth. My foul shall make her booft in the Lord: the humble fhall bear thereof, and be glad. O