the antiquities of the jews-1-第88章

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answer：　…　〃Seemeth　it　to　you　a　light　thing　to　be　made　the　king's
son…in…law？　It　does　not　seem　so　to　me；　especially　when　I　am　one
of　a　family　that　is　low；　and　without　any　glory　or　honor。〃　Now
when　Saul　was　informed　by　his　servants　what　answer　David　had
made；　he　said；　…　〃Tell　him　that　I　do　not　want　any　money　nor　dowry
from　him；　which　would　be　rather　to　set　my　daughter　to　sale　than
to　give　her　in　marriage；　but　I　desire　only　such　a　son…in…law　as
hath　in　him　fortitude；　and　all　other　kinds　of　virtue；〃　of　which
he　saw　David　was　possessed；　and　that　his　desire　was　to　receive　of
him；　on　account　of　his　marrying　his　daughter；　neither　gold　nor
silver；　nor　that　he　should　bring　such　wealth　out　of　his　father's
house；　but　only　some　revenge　on　the　Philistines；　and　indeed　six
hundred　of　their　heads；　than　which　a　more　desirable　or　a　more
glorious　present　could　not　be　brought　him；　and　that　he　had　much
rather　obtain　this；　than　any　of　the　accustomed　dowries　for　his
daughter；　viz。　that　she　should　be　married　to　a　man　of　that
character；　and　to　one　who　had　a　testimony　as　having　conquered　his
enemies。

3。　When　these　words　of　Saul　were　brought　to　David；　he　was　pleased
with　them；　and　supposed　that　Saul　was　really　desirous　of　this
affinity　with　him；　so　that　without　bearing　to　deliberate　any
longer；　or　casting　about　in　his　mind　whether　what　was　proposed
was　possible；　or　was　difficult　or　not；　he　and　his　companions
immediately　set　upon　the　enemy；　and　went　about　doing　what　was
proposed　as　the　condition　of　the　marriage。　Accordingly；　because
it　was　God　who　made　all　things　easy　and　possible　to　David；　he
slew　many　＇of　the　Philistines＇；　and　cut　off　the　heads　of　six
hundred　of　them；　and　came　to　the　king；　and　by　showing　him　these
heads　of　the　Philistines；　required　that　he　might　have　his
daughter　in　marriage。　Accordingly；　Saul　having　no　way　of　getting
off　his　engagements；　as　thinking　it　a　base　thing　either　to　seem　a
liar　when　he　promised　him　this　marriage；　or　to　appear　to　have
acted　treacherously　by　him；　in　putting　him　upon　what　was　in　a
manner　impossible；　in　order　to　have　him　slain；　he　gave　him　his
daughter　in　marriage：　her　name　was　Michal。

CHAPTER　11。

How　David；　Upon　Saul's　Laying　Snares　For　Him；　Did　Yet　Escape　The
Dangers　He　Was　In　By　The　Affection　And　Care　Of　Jonathan　And　The
Contrivances　Of　His　Wife　Michal：　And　How　He　Came　To　Samuel　The
Prophet。

1。　However；　Saul　was　not　disposed　to　persevere　long　in　the　state
wherein　he　was；　for　when　he　saw　that　David　was　in　great　esteem；
both　with　God　and　with　the　multitude；　he　was　afraid；　and　being
not　able　to　conceal　his　fear　as　concerning　great　things；　his
kingdom　and　his　life；　to　be　deprived　of　either　of　which　was　a
very　great　calamity；　he　resolved　to　have　David　slain；　and
commanded　his　son　Jonathan　and　his　most　faithful　servants　to　kill
him：　but　Jonathan　wondered　at　his　father's　change　with　relation
to　David；　that　it　should　be　made　to　so　great　a　degree；　from
showing　him　no　small　good…will；　to　contrive　how　to　have　him
killed。　Now；　because　he　loved　the　young　man；　and　reverenced　him
for　his　virtue；　he　informed　him　of　the　secret　charge　his　father
had　given；　and　what　his　intentions　were　concerning　him。　However；
he　advised　him　to　take　care　and　be　absent　the　next　day；　for　that
he　would　salute　his　father；　and；　if　he　met　with　a　favorable
opportunity；　he　would　discourse　with　him　about　him；　and　learn　the
cause　of　his　disgust；　and　show　how　little　ground　there　was　for
it；　and　that　for　it　he　ought　not　to　kill　a　man　that　had　done　so
many　good　things　to　the　multitude；　and　had　been　a　benefactor　to
himself；　on　account　of　which　he　ought　in　reason　to　obtain　pardon；
had　he　been　guilty　of　the　greatest　crimes；　and　〃I　will　then
inform　thee　of　my　father's　resolution。〃　Accordingly　David
complied　with　such　an　advantageous　advice；　and　kept　himself　then
out　of　the　king's　sight。

2。　On　the　next　day　Jonathan　came　to　Saul；　as　soon　as　he　saw　him
in　a　cheerful　and　joyful　disposition；　and　began　to　introduce　a
discourse　about　David：　〃What　unjust　action；　O　father；　either
little　or　great；　hast　thou　found　so　exceptionable　in　David；　as　to
induce　thee　to　order　us　to　slay　a　man　who　hath　been　of　great
advantage　to　thy　own　preservation；　and　of　still　greater　to　the
punishment　of　the　Philistines？　A　man　who　hath　delivered　the
people　of　the　Hebrews　from　reproach　and　derision；　which　they
underwent　for　forty　days　together；　when　he　alone　had　courage
enough　to　sustain　the　challenge　of　the　adversary；　and　after　that
brought　as　many　heads　of　our　enemies　as　he　was　appointed　to
bring；　and　had；　as　a　reward　for　the　same；　my　sister　in　marriage；
insomuch　that　his　death　would　be　very　sorrowful　to　us；　not　only
on　account　of　his　virtue；　but　on　account　of　the　nearness　of　our
relation；　for　thy　daughter　must　be　injured　at　the　same　time　that
he　is　slain；　and　must　be　obliged　to　experience　widowhood；　before
she　can　come　to　enjoy　any　advantage　from　their　mutual
conversation。　Consider　these　things；　and　change　your　mind　to　a
more　merciful　temper；　and　do　no　mischief　to　a　man；　who；　in　the
first　place；　hath　done　us　the　greatest　kindness　of　preserving
thee；　for　when　an　evil　spirit　and　demons　had　seized　upon　thee；　he
cast　them　out；　and　procured　rest　to　thy　soul　from　their
incursions：　and；　in　the　second　place；　hath　avenged　us　of　our
enemies；　for　it　is　a　base　thing　to　forget　such　benefits。〃　So　Saul
was　pacified　with　these　words；　and　sware　to　his　son　that　he　would
do　David　no　harm；　for　a　righteous　discourse　proved　too　hard　for
the　king's　anger　and　fear。　So　Jonathan　sent　for　David；　and
brought　him　good　news　from　his　father；　that　he　was　to　be
preserved。　He　also　brought　him　to　his　father；　and　David　continued
with　the　king　as　formerly。

3。　About　this　time　it　was　that；　upon　the　Philistines　making　a　new
expedition　against　the　Hebrews；　Saul　sent　David　with　an　army　to
fight　with　them；　and　joining　battle　with　them　he　slew　many　of
them；　and　after　his　victory　he　returned　to　the　king。　But　his
reception　by　Saul　was　not　as　he　expected　upon　such　success；　for
he　was　grieved　at　his　prosperity；　because　he　thought　he　would　be
more　dangerous　to　him　by　having　acted　so　gloriously：　but　when　the
demoniacal　spirit　came　upon　him；　and　put　him　into　disorder；　and
disturbed　him；　he　called　for　David　into　his　bed…chamber　wherein
he　lay；　and　having　a　spear　in　his　hand；　he　ordered　him　to　charm
him　with　playing　on　his　harp；　and　with　singing　hymns；　which　when
David　did　at　his　command；　he　with　great　force　threw　the　spear　at
him；　but　David　was　aware　of　it　before　it　came；　and　avoided　it；
and　fled　to　his　own　house；　and　abode　there　all　that　day。

4。　But　at　night　the　king　sent　officers；　and　commanded　that　he
should　be　watched　till　the　morning；　lest　he　should　get　quite
away；　that　he　might　come　into　the　judgment…hall；　and　so　might　be
delivered　up；　and　condemned　and　slain。　But　when　Michal；　David's
wife；　the　king's　daughter；　understood　what　her　father　designed；
she　came　to　her　husband；　as　having　small　hopes　of　his
deliverance；　and　as　greatly　concerned　about　her　own　life　also；
for　she　could　not　bear　to　live　in　case　she　were　deprived　of　him；
and　she　said；　〃Let　not　the　sun　find　thee　here　when　it　rises；　for
if　it　do；　that　will　be　the　last　time　it　will　see　thee：　fly　away
then　while　the　night　may　afford　thee　opportunity；　and　may　God
lengthen　it　for　thy　sake；　for　know　this；　that　if　my　father　find
thee；　thou　art　a　dead　man。〃　So　she　let　him　down　by　a　cord　out　of
the　window；　and　saved　him：　and　after　she　had　done　so；　she　fitted
up　a　bed　for　him　as　if　he　were　sick；　and　put　under　the
bed…clothes　a　goat's　liver　（18）　and　when　her　father；　as　soon　as
it　was　day；　sent　to　seize　David；　she　said　to　those　that　were
there；　That　he　had　not　been　well　that　night；　and　showed　them　the
bed　covered；　and　made　them　believe；　by　the　leaping　of　the　liver；
which　caused　the　bed…clothes　to　move　also；　that　David　breathed
like　one　that　was　asthmatic。　So　when　those　that　were　sent　told
Saul　that　David　had　not　been　well　in　the　night　he　ordered　him　to
be　brought　in　that　condition；　for　he　intended　to　kill　him。　Now
when　they　came　and　uncovered　the　bed；　and　found　out　the　woman's
contrivance；　they　told　it　to　the　king；　and　when　her　father
complained　of　her　that　she