On his return, he was welcomed by Saul and received into the most intimate friendship by Jonathan. Saul henceforth wished him constantly in his presence. "And the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." This was the beginning of that well-known and unchanging friendship. A covenant was formed between them. And Jonathan, as the highest visible token of his love, stripped himself of the robe and armour that was upon him and gave them to David. From this time the history of Saul merges into that of David. "Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people." As he came back from his expeditions, or as he marched from city to city with the trophy of that first great victory, he was met and welcomed by the women; and as they played upon their instruments of music, they said, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." "Saul was very wroth, and said, What can he have more but the kingdom?" From that day and forward, David was eyed by Saul only as an enemy. His jealousy took complete possession of him, and knew no bounds. In the moments of his phrenzy, and while David played as at other times, Saul threatens his life. "And Saul cast his javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul." He did not, however, yet publicly break with him; he could not, probably, dispense with his service. He accordingly retains him still, though simply as one of his captains. David was still gaining by his wisdom and courage in the popular favour. Afraid to attack him openly, Saul basely plots his destruction. He promises his daughter in marriage to David, on the condition that he should be valiant for him; with a concealed hope and design that he should fall by the hands of his foes. When the time came to fulfil his promise, he gave his daughter to another. Learning, however, that his younger daughter was attached to David, he renews the promise; when David modestly states his life and lineage, and his unfitness for such a station as the king's son-in-law, Saul obviates all objection, by demanding, as the sole condition to marriage, that he should slay an hundred Philistines to avenge the king of his enemies. In thus appealing to David's known chivalric and patriotic feelings, Saul craftily and meanly sought his ruin. David accepted the condition. "He arose with his men, and went and slew two hundred Philistines," and brought the proofs of the deed and laid them. before the king.And Saul gave him Michal, his daughter, to wife." With his wife, David won Saul's continual enmity. "Then the Philistines came forth again." In the progress of

the war David "behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul: so that his name was much set by."

Frustrated in all his previous attempts, the king now changes his policy, and gave positive orders to his son and his servants that David should be slain. But Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul, my father, seeketh to kill thee, now therefore take heed to thyself until the morning. And I will go out and stand beside my father, and commune with him of thee, and what I see I will tell thee." Jonathan pleads with his father for David, he recounts his great services, his self-denials, and his blameless life; and remonstrates against the sin of thus shedding innocent blood. "And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan; and Saul sware, as the Lord liveth he shall not be slain." And Jonathan brought David again into the presence of the king. In the war with the Philistines David was again victorious; but with every victory, Saul's anger increased. He attempts a third time to slay David with his own hand. There was no longer any safety for David at court, and he escaped by night to his own home. Saul's messengers were in rapid pursuit, and waited only for the morning to slay him. And Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain. So David fled and escaped,* and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt at Naioth." When Saul heard it, he sent messengers to take David. No sanctuary, however sacred, could now restrain the vindictive king. When the messengers saw the company of the prophets, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, "the Spirit of God came upon them, and they also prophesied." It happened the same with the second and third band. At last Saul also went to Ramah, and asked for Samuel and David. "And one said, they be at Naioth in Ramah. And he went thither, and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied, until he came to Naioth. A whole night and day he lay naked and prostrate before the prophet." His fierce wrath yielded for a time to the stronger influence and restraint of the Spirit of God.

David in the meantime escaped from Ramah and came to Jonathan, who was yet ignorant of Saul's purpose, and said to him, "What have I done? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?" Jonathan could not be persuaded that his fears were well grounded, and said, "God forbid! thou

* It was about this time that David composed the 11th and 59th Psalms. The former seems to be his earliest extant composition, and gives a beautiful view of his faith and trust in God, under all these adversities. In the latter, he prays for deliverance, and that the right may be vindicated, and the obstinately wicked punished.

shalt not die; behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so." David then solemnly calls God to witness, and said, "Thy father knoweth that I have found grace in thy eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death." The feast of the new-moon was now at hand, when it was customary for David, as a member of the royal family, to sit with the king at meat. David excuses himself to Jonathan, both from fear of Saul's anger, and that he might go to Bethlehem, and join his own family in their yearly sacrifice. It was agreed upon between these devoted friends, that if David's absence were noticed, Jonathan should make his excuse to the king. The answer of the king was to test his disposition towards his son-in-law. If he say thus, "It is well, thy servant shall have peace; but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him." Jonathan then covenants, in the most tender and solemn manner, to show David the purposes of his father, whether good or evil; and David, on his part, enters into an equally solemn covenant, "to show kindness to the house of Jonathan for ever, even when the Lord should have cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth."

When the feast-day came, David's seat was empty, and although Saul perceived it, he made no inquiries, for he thought some ceremonial uncleanness had kept him from being present. On the second day, the same vacant seat was noticed, and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, "Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday nor to-day? Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem, to sacrifice there with his family and brethren, therefore he cometh not unto the king's table. Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse, rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse, to thine own confusion and the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom: wherefore, now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?" But Saul was now beyond argument. The only reply was to cast a javelin at the empty seat of David. "So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame."

In the morning of the third day, Jonathan went out to the field, to the place agreed upon, where David had concealed

himself, after his return from Bethlehem, and in the appointed way told David of the evil designs of his father. And there, alone, was that most touching meeting and parting of these faithful friends. "And David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city."

SECTION III.

DAVID'S FLIGHT AND FIRST SOJOURN WITH THE PHILISTINES-HE COMES TO THE CAVE ADULLAM-SAUL KILLS THE PRIESTS DAVID DELIVERS KEILAH AND IS HUNTED BY SAUL-HE SPARES SAUL'S LIFE-DEATH OF SAMUEL-DAVID'S ADVENTURE WITH NABAL-HE SPARES SAUL'S LIFE A SECOND TIME-HIS SECOND FLIGHT TO THE PHILISTINES.

THERE was no longer any safety for David, while within the reach of Saul's power. With a few young men he flees hastily to Ahimelech the priest, at Nob, which lay most probably in his course toward the hill country of Judah. The appearance of David, and the small number of his followers, excited the fear of the priest, and he asks the reason of his coming. David feigns that he was sent in haste upon a secret mission by the king. This is the first stain we find upon David's character. In the severity of his trials, his trust in God and the justice of his cause seems to have failed him for a time; and he fell into prevarication and falsehood, which was attended with a most fatal result. Under the pretence of pressing haste to execute the royal commission, he obtains from the priest the shew-bread and the sword of Goliath. The conversation between David and the priest was overheard by a certain man of the servants of Saul, "who was detained before the Lord that day; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdsman of Saul."

The pursuit of Saul was so eager that David was compelled to take refuge with his most inveterate foes. "And he fled for fear of Saul, and went to Achish, the king of Gath." But there was no security here. The servants of Achish remind him that it was this David of whom they sang, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of the king of Gath." Perplexed and harassed, and driven from one thing to another, he had not yet recovered his faith in God's promises and providence; and to avoid the present danger, "changed his

behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad." Apparently convinced of his insanity, (though other reasons probably led . to the same result,) Achish sends him away.*

Returning from the Philistines, "David came to the cave Adullam," a large cavern not far from Bethlehem. And when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, or in debt, or discontented, flocked to him, and he became captain of four hundred men, a band which soon swelled into six hundred. Among these were some of the mighty men who appear so often in the history of David; especially the three mightiest of the thirty, of whom Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief. It was while David was in this cave, and Bethlehem was garrisoned by the Philistines, that an incident occurred which shows how strong an attachment had already sprung up between David and the chief of his followers. David longed for water from the well of Bethlehem. "And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well, and brought it to David." He was too generous and conscientious, however, to gratify his appetite at so great a risk. He would not drink thereof, "but poured it out unto the Lord, and said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this; is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it." It is from such casual events that we learn the peculiar disposition of David, which gave him such popularity and influence among the people.t The first care of David was for his parents. "He brought them to the king of Moab, and said to him, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth and be with you, till I know what God will do for me. And they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold."

He was not suffered to remain there long. The prophet Gad warned him to depart and flee into the land of Judah. "And he came into the forest of Hareth," somewhere in the south of Judah.

The narrative now returns to Saul and his deeds. He abode still at Gibeah. And when he heard that David was discovered, he makes a mournful appeal to the Benjamites, as his own tribe, for assistance and pity. "Then answered Doeg the Edomite, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and the sword of Goliath." Saul's

It was most probably at this time that David composed that beautiful 34th Psalm-so consoling to the afflicted, and so encouraging to the righteous. Soon after, or at the same time, we must place the 56th Psalm, expressive of his trust in God's promise.

+ We have David's spiritual experience, while in this cave, recorded for us in the 142d Psalm.