The Doctor's Preface, alone, might be confidered as no fmall part of an Answer to the Hiftory: it confifts of 39 pages, and contains fmart Reflections on the fpirit and apparent tendency of that performance.

In his three firft chapters, he, as a neceffary and important preliminary to his defence of David, confiders and vindicates the character and conduct of Samuel, against whom the Hiftorian had pointed his ridicule, by a fly allufion to Sydrophel, in Butler's Hudibras. He also examines and replies to the Hiftorian's free and ludicrous Remarks on the Jewish Prophets and Priefts. This is a curious part of his work, and fhews the Doctor's learning and fagacity to great advantage. In regard to learning, indeed, the Hiftorian is by no means a match for his Anfwerer, whofe skill in the original languages in which the Scriptures were written, enables him to correct many of the mistakes which his opponent has fallen-into, from his inability to confult the facred writings, except through the medium of our common English tranfla

tion.

In the fourth chapter our Author confiders the Hiftorian's Remarks on the character and conduct of King Saul; whom the Doctor fpares as little as David was fpared by the anonymous Writer on the oppofite fide. And, in truth, we muft obferve, that if the Hiftorian was blame-worthy for pursuing the fon of Jeffe with fo much acrimony, his Anfwerer appears to have fallen very little fhort of him, in the bitterness of his Reflections on the unhappy fon of Kifh, who, with all his faults, feems to deferve fome degree of tenderness and compaffion, as a lunatic. However, his butchering the innocent priefts at Nob, is an inftance of tyrant-barbarity, which cannot be thought of without horror, and gives him a jufter claim to be called the Nero of the Hebrews, than David had, even from the worst action of his life. But we are aware that the disorder of his mind will be pleaded in extenuation of the acts of violence committed by Saul.

"

In chap. V. (which comprehends the greatest part of the book) our Author enters on his Vindication of David, and fets out with an explanation of what is meant by his Character, as the Man after God's own Heart. He fhews that the Hiftorian has mistaken the meaning of this character; which, he afferted, implied the heighth of purity by fuppofition. Thus, as the Doctor obferves, "by prefuming upon a meaning that doth by no means clearly belong to it, he hath taken for

granted,

granted, what he ought to have proved, and founded his invectives upon a character he did not understand, and hath therefore ignorantly mifreprefented."

"The immediate occafion (fays our learned Author) of these words of Samuel to Saul was, the difobedience of Saul in facrificing, contrary to the exprefs orders he had received from God by Samuel, not to offer facrifices till he should come, and give him the proper directions for his behaviour. The pretence was piety, but the real caufe was impatience, pride, and contempt of the prophet; who not coming juft at the time he expected, he thought it beneath him to wait any longer for him, and imagined, that as king, all the rites of religion were to be fubject to his direction and pleafure But when Samuel came, notwithstanding his plea of devotion, and the force he put upon himself, in offering before the prophet's arrival, Samuel plainly tells him*, Thou haft done foolishly: thou haft not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee; for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Ifrael for ever. But now thy kingdom fhall not continue. The Lord hath fought him 18 a man after his own heart. He shall be captain over his people, becaufe thou haft not kept that which the Lord commanded thee. It is evident here, that the man after God's own heart ftands in oppofition to Saul, defcribed as acting foolishly, by breaking the commandment of God by his prophet, and rejected by him on account of his difobedience and rebellion; and therefore means one, who should obey the commandments of God by his prophets, and whom therefore, God thus far would approve, and continue to favour. Thus the expreffion is actually

גבר עביד רעותיה,interpreted by the Chaldee paraphrafe

Vir faciens voluntatem meam, a man who doth my will; and by St. Paul to the Jews at Antioch, who fays t, that when God had removed Saul, he raised them up David to be their King; to whom he gave teftimony, and faid, I have found David, the fon of felle, a man after my own beart, which shall execute my will."

*

The Author cites a variety of other forms of expreffion, of like nature, in the original Hebrew, to confirm and illuftrate his fenfe of the character; after which he thus proceeds: "David is characterised as a man according to God's heart, not to denote the utmoft height of purity as to his moral character, † A&s xiii. 22.

1 Sam. xiii. 13, 14.

REV. March, 1762.

as our Hiftorian fuppofes; which by no means enters into the meaning of the expreffion, and which in no one fingle instance, is intended by it; but to fet him forth as a perfon, who was fit for the purposes for which God advanced him; who fhould faithfully execute the commands he gave him by his prophets, and who therefore, on this account, fhould be favoured and approved of God, and be established on the throne of Ifrael. He was, I doubt not, a really virtuous and religious man; and he was a wife, a juft, a munificent, and a profperous prince: but yet he had his faults, and those faults were not inconfiftent with his character of being a man according to God's heart; for if he was fuch a one as God intended him to be, by obeying his will, and bringing to pass thofe great events, which he was defigned to be the inftrument of accomplishing,; he thus far acted, according to the heart, i. e. the purpose and the will of God, and thereby, in this refpect, rendered himself well pleafing and acceptable to

him.

"The particular purposes, for which God raised him to the throne, were that by his fteady adherence to the one true God, and the religion that was effablished by Mofes, he might be an illuftrious example to all his pofterity that should reign after him; in which view he is often mentioned in the history of the Kings of Judah: and that as the temple was to be erected by his fon and fucceffor, he might settle all the ceremonies and forms of worfhip, that were to take place therein, and compofe folemn hymns and pfalms, that should be fung in honour of the true God; provide the expences, and many of the coftly materials, that were neceffary to build and adorn the houfe of God; and to regulate the order that' was to be obferved amongst all the various perfons, that were to be employed in the daily fervices of the temple: an account of which is tranfmitted to us in the Book of Chronicles. And it must not be omitted, that there was yet another end of Providence in his appointment to be King over Ifrael; and that is, that God by him might accomplish the antient promises made to Abraham, in their full extent that he would give to his feed the whole country, from the river of Egypt, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. This was made good under the reign of David, who cleared Judea of all the remains of the nations that had dwelt in it, or made

Gen. xv. 18.

*

;

them

them fubjects to his crown, or profelytes to his religion; who fubdued all the neighbouring nations, rendered them tributary, and put it out of their power to difturb his people for many years; leaving to his fon and fucceffor a forty years peace, and dominion over all the kingdoms, from the river Euphrates, unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt; who brought prefents, and ferved Solomon all the days of his life. See here, Reader, the man after God's own heart, who fulfilled all his pleasure! If, therefore, David's moral character was worse than it will ever be proved to be, he might be a man after Ged's own heart, in the proper original fenfe of the expreffion; and our Author's Treatife is an impertinent attempt, to prove David not to be, what the Sacred History never afferted him to be."

David's first introduction to the court of Saul, and the preferment he met with there, is the fubject of the next Section; in which the Author anfwers feveral objections brought by his antagonist against the confiftency of this part of David's▾ Hiftory; and in Section III. he clearly vindicates the hero's conduct, in regard to the dowry required of him for Saul's daughter. The Hiftorian had here taxed him with unneceffarily manifefting a delight in blood, by doubling the number of Philiftine forefkins required by the King; but the Doctor has fully obviated the charge of cruelty, as we apprehend, in a very fatisfactory manner.

Sections IV. and V. are employed on the friendship between David and Jonathan, and on the charge of rebellion brought against the former. The next Section, on David's generofity to Saul, at the cave of Engedi, furnishes matter for a learned criticism on the meaning of Saul's going into the cave to cover his feet; and alfo for an ample difplay of the generofity of David in fparing Saul's life, when he had him fo completely in his power: in reply to the Hiftorian's very different expofition of this matter.

In the next Section we come to the celebrated ftory of David and Abigail; a nice topic, requiring all our Author's> erudition and ingenuity to remove the plaufible objections to his hero's conduct in regard to this tranfaction: which he has, however, difcuffed with the utmoft candour, making due acknowlegement of David's rafhnefs, and at the fame. time clearing him of the charge of having committed adultery with Nabal's wife. This imputation is derived from the words I have accepted thy PERSON; which the Hiftorian has

P 2

printed

your

printed in capitals, fays the Doctor, that the Reader might not mistake the intended application. But "the words in the. "original are, TD NUT, I have received thy faces; and with what face can this Romancer apply it, as a proof of David's criminal converfation with her? The meaning is, I have accepted your interpofition for Nabal, and for fake will not revenge myself upon him. Thus the angel fays to Lot in the fame words, upon his pleading that he might be permitted to efcape to Zoar; See, I have accepted thy faces in this thing alfo. Gen. xix. 21. i. e. I have granted thy requeft. So, Job xlii. 9. The Lord accepted the faces of Fcb, i. e. was gracious and favourable to him; and to mention no more, not to accept the faces of any expiation, is not to esteem and accept it as a ranfom. Prov. vi. 35."

We come now to David's fecond inftance of generofity in fparing Saul's life, when he had him again in his power in the wilderness of Ziph. This ftory is confidered by Mr. Bayle, and, after him, by the Author of the Hiftory of the Man, &c. as only another detail of the adventure at Engedi. Dr. Chandler is of a different opinion; and has accordingly taken great pains to state the two facts in a diftinct manner, in order to evince the effential difference between the two narratives and we apprehend he has fucceeded.

In Section IX. which treats of David's conduct while he. abode with Achish, King of Gath, we doubt if our hero is fo fatisfactorily vindicated, as he is in moft other instances which fall under this critical Writer's confideration. In our Review of The History, &c. we expreffed fome concern at the ambiguous appearance of David's conduct, in going out with the Philiftines, under the command of Achish, to fight against the Hebrews; wifhing, at the fame time, that any of the learned might be able to clear up this point, to the honour of David's character. An abler Critic than our Author we could not have hoped for; but, nevertheless, we are forry to think, that the removal of this ftumbling-block feems to be reserved for fome future and (in the prefent inftance) more fortunate expofitor.

In the next Section, of David's conduct upon his return to Ziklag, the place allotted him by Achith for his refidence, the Doctor feems again victorious over his antagonist, who had drawn a very unfavourable comparison between the moderate behaviour of a band of Amalekites that had plundered Ziklag, during our hero's abfence with the Philiftine army, and David's fevere treatment of thofe fame Amalekites, whom he

pursued