city, from Gilob, whither Abfalom sent for him, seems to have given the finishing stroke to the rebellion. For then the facred hiftorian immediately adds -And the confpiracy was ftrong; for the people increased continually with Abfalom. Achitophel was too cunning to discover himself, till he faw all things favourable and profperous on the part of Abfalom: and they both very well judged, that his acceffion to the confpiracy, in those circumftances, was the likelieft means to enfure its fuccefs.

WE may well imagine, that things could not continue long in this condition, before David had a full account of all that paffed; the danger was inftant, and he took his meafures accordingly. The city was not in a condition to fuftain a fiege; and if it were, he did not care to expose a favourite city, built by himself, and the refidence of the tabernacle of GOD, to all the evils incident to fieges, and almoft infeparable from them. Nor, perhaps, did he care to trust the inhabitants of a place, fo long exposed to the taint of Abfalom's temptations * However,

in

*This, I think, appears from the fifty-fifth Pfalm, which I apprehend to have been meditated, and poured

out

in appearance, he placed his refolution of leaving the city, to the fcore of his tenderness and concern for it, and fecretly, I doubt not, to his unwillingness to see the flame of civil war lighted up in his country, which could no fooner be kindled, than it muft of neceffity devour fome of his brethren, and perhaps his beft fubjects. In this distress he immediately fummoned all his fervants, that were in the city; and faid unto them, Arife, let us flee; for we shall not else escape

out in prayer to GOD, upon the firft difcovery of AbfaLom's confpiracy. And from thence it plainly appears, that he had difcerned the feeds and workings of a confpiracy in the city, and that Achitophel was at the bottom of it; and not only fo, but that David forefaw his fudden and fad end.

Ver. 9. Deftroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have feen violence and ftrife in the city.

10. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mifchief alfo and forrow are in the midst of it. 11. Wickedness is in the midft thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

12. For it was not an enemy that reproached me, then I could have borne it; neither was it he that hated me, that did magnify himself against me, then I would have bid myfelf from him.

13. But it was thou, a man, mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

14. We took fweet counsel together, and walked unta the houfe of God in company.

15. Let death feize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell; for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

i.

from

from Abfalom: make speed to depart, left he overtake us fuddenly, and bring evil upon us; and fmite the city with the edge of the fword. He was well acquainted with the young man's impetuofity, and the madness of the people; and judged it better to give way to the fury of the flood, than attempt to ftem it in the fulness of its overflowing.

ACCORDINGLY, he inftantly quitted the city, with all his fervants, and all his houfhold (except ten concubines, whom he left to take care of the house); and dispatched them all before him, over the brook Kidron, directing their way to the wildernefs; the Cherethites and Pelethites, (of whom we have already spoken) and with them fix hundred Gittites, who very providentially came to him to Jerusalem (being banished from Gath) but the very day before, with the brave Ittai at their head (with all his family); whom David, knowing him fatigued with his journey, would, from a noble principle of generofity, (which preferred his friend's relief to his own safety) fain have perfuaded to turn back with his brethren; which he gallantly refused to do, vowing, that where-ever David was, in

death

death or life, there would he his servant be alfo. All these paffed on before, and David himself, with his body of brave worthies about him, brought up the rear.

AMONG the reft of those who attended the king, when he left the city, and refolved to follow his fate, were Zadok and Abiathar the priests: Zadok, attended by all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD; and they set down the ark of GOD before the king, as he ftood to see the people pass over the Kidron before him : And Abiathar, faith the text, went up, (probably to fome eminence, to review the people as they paffed) until all the people had done paffing out of the city. And the king faid unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city if I fhall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation. But if he thus fay, I have no delight in thee; behold, bere am I, let him do to me as feemeth good unto him. He fent back the high-priefts, as knowing their character was too facred to fuffer any violence from the ufurper, tho' he knew their fidelity to his father: and for the eft, he wholly fubmitted himself to the

I

divine

divine difpofal. He befought GOD, as, Alexander Severus told his foldiers, a generous and a wife man should; praying for the best things, and bearing whatever fhould befal.

DAVID faw plainly, that GOD had raised this war against him, in punishment of his guilt, That God had raised up this evil to him out of his own house; and I imagine I now hear him taking up the fame lamentation, which Alphonfus the Wise, king of Arragon, afterwards did, upon a like occafion : I wonder not fo much at my people's ingratitude to me, as at my own to GOD.

In this spirit of humiliation, David would not prefume to have the ark, the symbol of the Divine Presence, borne before him in that war: that was an honour of which he deemed himself utterly unworthy. And therefore, referring himself, and his affairs, with intire refignation, to the disposal of the Divine Providence, he remanded Zadok and Abiathar back to the city, with the ark.

WHEN David had given the reafons relating to himself, why he would not have the ark carried before him into the field; he

* Herodian.

then