The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-08-27
David Spares Saul

DaNha oPdASo odhA
Here is a succession of the most an
cient hero-tales of literature. They
are unsurpassed: natural, spirited,
fascinating. incidentally they give
helpful glimpses of the times and ways
of primitive age,-the customs, So
cial, political, and military. But the
narrative has higher claim for cOnsid-
Grafton than that. 1t faithfully ex-
hibits the ethical evolution of the first
man of that age. 1t shows the moral
ideas which dominated him and by
which he in turn dominated his own
and surrounding nations. What en-
hances the value of the narrative is
that it gives the real, not the idealiz-
ed, man.
1t is the fugitive and exile period of
David's life, covering seven years of
incessant and extreme personal hard
ship and peril. With all its pains
and privation, it is really the richest
epoch in his life. 1t is an apprentice
ship to throne. Here, too, he learn
ed in suffering what he after wards
taught in song psalms dear to my
rias were born in the caves and wild
derness OF this period. Some one
likens them to the grapevines of Ma
piles growing out of the burt lavo.
1t is spiritually significant that
David, in his fight, armed and refresh
ed himself in the sanctuary. He took
his own trophy, the sword of Goliath,
as weapon, and ate the hallowed
shewbread, no other being available,
thus giving an example of violation
of letter being conincident with keep
ing of spirit, circumstanc to which
Jesus referred. The incident of mad
ness feigned at Gath, the shrewd de-
vice by which the fugitive escaped af-
ter his indentitication by Achish,
comes next. Then the recruiting of
the army of malcontents as the cave
of Adr lam; the terrible slaughter by
Saul of the innocent priests at Mob,
the shameful and bitter fruit ofDavids
unnecessary deception; the le 1t inter
view between David and Jonathan;
David's sparing of Saul in the cave OF
En-gedi; Nabal, the chU"l, his vine
yard and his wife.
For second time the life of Saul
was in the hands of David. The en-
vious monarch was in pursuit of his
hated rival. He was epcamped at
En-gedi with a troop of three thous
and of the most valiant and eperienc-
ed men. David was his own scout
and approached the camp near en-
ough to see that the posting of senti
nels had been omitted Taking q
comrade as dauntless as himself he
passed the barricade encircling the
camp and extemporized out of the
baggage wagon as the custom was
At the center of the sleeping host
David found Saul as he expected. He
was easily identified by the spear
thrust into the ground at his head
the Oriental sign. of headquarters tC
this day Abishai whispered to his
commander the request that he might
pinion Sanl to the earth. There
would be no danger of arousing the
camp, for the skilled executionel
would see that his victim should bt
so thoroughly dispatched by a single
blow that not groan would be EN-
tilted.
The unuasial high moral leve
which David had already attained
was envinced by his conduct in thi
emergency. A dozen reasons would
justify the killing of Saul according
to the ethical standards then current
representation, Immediate access
sion to the throne, Saul's increasin.
incapacity to reign, the opportunit.
come to his hand a second time, con
sideration for his loyal followers AM
so on. These were the argument