ing it and thereby preventing the net. The latter alone tmly teats and reveals the. character. And of this nature was the restraint put upon Davi,! when he was on his way to inflict vengeance on Nabal and his household for the affront which he had received. 2. His terrible purpose seems surprising after his forbearance toward :Saul (eh. xxiv. 7, 22). But the conquest of temptation is not unfrequently the -occasion of subsequently succumbing to it. This hnppens wher. any one supposes that he is no longer in danger from it, and cea~es to watch against it, and depend on ·God for his safe-keeping. "David was not se1~ure against the temptation to personal vengeance and to self-help, although he had previously resisted it. The lesson ~£ his own weakness in that respect was all the more needed that this was one of tl,e most obvious dangers to an ordinary Oriental ruler ( eh. xxiv. 21 ). But Davie] was ·not to he such, and when God in his good providence restrained him as he had almost fallen, he showed him the need of inward as well as of outward deliverance, ancl the sufficiency of his grace to preserve him from spiritual as from temporal ,dangers" (Edersheim). Consider special moral restraints as- I. MucH NEEDED EVEN BY A GOOD MAN, because of-I. External incentives to sin. The language of Nabal was adapted to excite anger and revenge, as his servant plainly perceived (ver. 17). 2. Sudden impulses of passion, under which one of ardent temperament especially is in danger of taking a rash oath (ver. 22), and rushing towards its accomplishment without fully considering what he does, or "in- -quiring of the Lord" whether it is right. 3. Natural deficiency of strength to resist temptation, and natural liability to self-deception. Reason and conscience shoulcl always hold the rein, but how often is it torn from their grasp by fiery passions I David probably also thought for the moment that it was right to avenge the wrong which had been done ; but even if Nabal's offence were the greatest conceivable, he wa8 not yet constituted king and judge of the people, much less ought he to inflict cSO fearful a vengeance for a private offence. "Lord, what is man? What need have we to pray, Lord, lead us not into temptation I " II. VARIOUSLY VOUCHSAFED ACCORDING TO HIS NEED. 'What is most needed is tl1e restoration of reason and conscience to their proper place and power, end this is -0ften brought about by-1. Promdential cirC'llmstances, leading to reflection and the recognition of the will of God. 2. Wise and faithful counsel ( vers. 26-31 ), indicating that will, addressed to conscience, and persuading to the adoption of a worthier course. 3. Inward influence, exerted by the Spirit of God, giving the in- -elination and strength to walk in "the good and right way." "Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man," &c. (Job xxx.iii. 29). .And with him whose heart is not " fully set to do evil " he worketh not in vain. III. GRATEFULLY ASCRIBED BY HIM TO Goo. " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel," &c. He is grateful to the messenger of God, but first and chiefly to God himself; and his gratitude is sincere and fervent on account of-1. The evil which has been prevented. 2. The good which has been conferred. 3. The abounding mercy which lms been experienced. "Do you think that any one will praise God in heaven with so loud a voice as I shall?" said one (who had been speaking of the course of fla- grant transgression from which by Divine mercy he had been reclaimed). "Yes," was the reply, "I hope to do so, because by Divine mercy I have been kept from it." "It is not a converting, but a crowning grace; such an one as irradiates and puts a circle of glory about the head of him upon whom it descends; it is the Holy Ghost .corning down upon him in the 'form of a dove,' and setting him triumphant above the necessity of tears and sorrow, mourning and repentance, the sad after-games of a lost innocence" (South, 'Prevention of Sin an Invaluable Mercy ').-D.
Ver. 29.-The bundle of life and the sling. The appeal of Abignil had all the more persuasivenes_s that she avowed her sympathy with David's cause, and her faith in the Divine purpose to make him king. Such a conviction was by this time widely diffused in the land among those who feared Jehov"h and honouretl the prophet Samuel. \Ve have seen that it was confessed by Saul himself, and by .Tonathan it was cherished with generous plensure. But Nabal would not have it mentioned in his presence. In his eyes David was a mere runaway servant of the king who had turned freebooter. His wife showed the vigour of h~r mind, the 496 THE FIRST BOOK OF SAlllUEL. [cH. XXV. 1-4.4-..