Nabal's Apology for Un. charitableness examined. 1 SA M. xxv. 10, II. And Nabal anfwer'd David's Servants HE Occafion of thefe words was ΤΗ this; David being reduc'd to the want of Neceffaries in the Wilderness, fends ten Servants to Nabal with this Meffage, V. 6, 7, 8. And thus shall ye Say to him that liveth in profperity, Peace be both to thee and peace be to thine House, and peace be unto all that thou haft: And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy Shepherds which were with us, we hurt 'em not, neither was there ought miffing unto them all the while they were in Carmel. Ask thy young men, and they will fhew thee: wherefore let the young men find favour in Q 3 thine 221 Serm. 6. Vol. I. thine eyes: (for we come in a good day) give, I pray thee, what foever cometh to thine hand, unto thy Servants, and to thy Son David. The Petition, you fee, is from one in freights to one in profperity. The Matter of it is modeft and reafonable: give, I pray thee, whatfoever cometh to thine hand, the plaineft of thy Provifion, what thou canft fpare from thy ftate and ftore: For I expect not thou fhouldft diminish the glory of thy Entertainment, or retrench any thing from the Mirth, the Joy, or Luxury of thy Guéfts to fupply our Wants. The grounds of the Request are clear and strong; For befides the general Obligation which Profperity lays upon all Men to fuccour the Diftrefs'd and Needy, David had a more particular and immediate Title to the Charity and Munificence of Nabal. For when his Servants, and his Flocks were in his power, he had not only abitain'd from the leaft wrong and violence towards either, bimfelf, which was no finall courtefie in Military Men; but had been a fecurity and guard to 'em against tliat of all others. So that Nabal was bound in Juftice as well as Generofity, in Gratitude as well as Charity, to have given David a gracious and obliging Aufwer. Efpecially when we add to all, that this Petition of David was made with all the decent cent Infinuation and Address imagina- Serm 8. ble. Thus fhall ye fay to the great Man, Peace be both to thee, &c. behold we come unto thee in a good day; let the young men find favour in thine eyes; give I pray thee unto thy Servants and unto thy Son David. To this Petition who cou'd have expected the Answer in my Text? An Anfwer wherein I cannot tell which to condemn moft; the Sordidness, or the Pride; the Infolence, or the Folly; the Ingratitude, or the Inhumanity, of it. And Nabal anfwer'd, &c. In these words I fhall confider two things, 1. The Perfons concern'd in 'em, The Supplicant and the Refufer. And Nabal anfwer'd David's Servants. 2. Nabal's Apology for his Uncharitableness, Who is David? And who is the Son of Jeffe? There be many Servants now adays, &c. 1. Of the Supplicant or Petitioner. This was David; David, whofe least Title was the Son of Jeffe. He was the Son-in-law of King Saul, and by God's appointment Heir of the Kingdom. But what was more than all this together, he was a good Man, and a Prophet; a Man after God's own Heart, I will not mention the Comeliness of his Q 4 Perfon, Vol. I. Perfon, the Greatness of his Mind, the Accomplishments of his Education, or the Brightness of his Natural Parts. I will not infift on his Love of his Country, or his celebrated Friendship for Jonathan: I'll not praise his Courage or Conduct in the Field; nor his Experience, or Sufficiency in Counfel, or Civil Affairs: nor will I take notice what his Merit towards the Publick was; or how far the Peace and Glory of his Country was owing to his fingle Vertue. I will only fay, That neither Prophane nor Sacred Hiftory ever afforded a nobler Subject for Panegyrick than David. But this is not my bufinefs; all that belongs to me to obferve here is, that David was fuch a one; that a Man who had the leaft Zeal for God, or for his Country; who had any Notion of Vertue or Honour; who had in a word, any Soul, or any Senfe, wou'd have thought it one of the moft fortunate Accidents of his Life; and the Crown and Perfection of his Profperity, to have feen David his Supplicant, and to have found himself in a Condition to oblige him. But Nabal, whofe Character I must give you next, was a ftranger to all good and honourable Qualities, and was not to be moved by any Confiderations; tho' fuch as wou'd have com manded manded the utmost Affiftance from any Serm. 6. but himself. If we look upon him in his Fortune, he is reprefented as a Rich and great Man, V. 2. Now there was a Max in Maon, whofe poffeffions were in Carmel; and the Man was very great, and he had 3000 Sheep and 1000 Goats. This, was a part of his Wealth, to which, no doubt, all the rest, his Lands, his Herds of Cattle, his Houses, his Servants, his Money, bare proportion. David, as confiderable as he was, either with respect to the glory of his paft actions, the juftice and greatnefs of his future hopes, or the strength which he then commanded, addrefs'd himself to him with great Humility, as to a great Man: Thus ball ye fay to him that liveth in profperity; peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine Houfe, &c. v. 6. and then v. 8. Let the young Men find favour in thy Eyes: give, I pray thee whatfoever cometh to thine Hand, unto thy Servants, and to thy Son David. Thus far the Man makes a very goodly figure, and commands fome fort of regard from the World for in that and this and every Age the World bows down to Wealth and Greatnefs, and ever will. But if we come a little nearer to him ; if we view him more clofely in his Nature and his Morals, we fhall find this |