CHAP. XXVII.

Objections anfwered; and Reafons urged, to fhew, that the Battle of Mount Gilboa was fought on the next Day after Saul's confulting the Pythonefs.

UT we have ftill one objection more

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to struggle with; and that is, That the prediction relating to the event of this battle, is not so precife as we pretend; or if it be, it was not true.

It is not fo precife: For the word Mahar, which we interpret, To-morrow, fometimes fignifies an indefinite diftant Time; and if it be strictly understood of To-morrow, it was not true; for the battle with the Philiftines was not fought on the next day: for Endor (fay they) probably was one day's journey from Gilboa. Saul had eaten no meat all that day, and all that night: It is probable, he eat something before he left the camp; and therefore he was a whole day, and part of the night, in travelling thither

from Gilboa It must take him as much time to go back; confequently the battle could not be next day : And befides all this, the camp was moved twice after this, before the day of battle.

To these objections I answer thus, in their order:

FIRST; It must be owned, that the word Mabar does fometimes fignify a future indefinite time; and I know no word that may not fometimes be taken figuratively: I am fure the word To-morrow is often taken fo in English. But the primary, ordinary, obvious sense of it is ftrictly the next day after the time in which the fpeaker ufes it; and it is evident from Saul's terror, that he fo understood it here. For, had he thought these evils threatened only in fome future, indefinitely distant time, they would not have made that impreffion upon him: And therefore, if the perfon who faid this, did not mean what Saul understood, he meant to deceive him; and I cannot believe it was Samuel that faid it.

Now I am clearly of opinion, that the battle with the Philistines was ftrictly and literally fought on the next day; and I think

there

there is nothing in the narration to contradict this fuppofition. And to evince this, I shall first shew the many great errors and glaring mistakes advanced on the other fide, to fupport an idle hypothefis.

IN the first place, they fuppofe Endor to be a day's journey from Gilboa; and left Saul fhould not be long enough in travelling it, they suppose, that in that advanced age, and in those dangerous ways, he travelled on foot. Now, by all the best accounts, Endor is not at the diftance of three hours from Gilboa. Gilboa is in Ifachar, on the confines of Manaffeh, and Endor in Manaffeb. The greatest part of Manasseh was now in the hands of the Philistines, and the rest was very narrow and little. Salianus fays, that Endor was near Shunem : And Dr. Patrick tells us, that part of Gilboa was over-against Endor, and part over-against Shunem. And if fo, we cannot well fupppose it five miles diftant. Eufebius fixes the right fituation of it near Scythopolis, or Bethshan, to the west of the river Jordan; but tells us, that in his time there was a great village of that name near mount Tabor. Which fome commentators not attending to, imagine it Z. 2

was

was this village which Saul resorted to, and ground all their idle reasonings upon that mistake.

IN the next place: Is it likely that Saul fhould leave his camp in the morning, and travel all the day, with only two fervants, through a country environed by his enemies? for Endor was near Shunem, and not far from Bethshan; and the Philistines were then at Shunem, and in poffeffion of Bethfhan.

BUT he was fafting all that day; and it is probable he took food before he left the camp.

WITH great fubmiffion, the probability is altogether on the other fide. Men in great trouble feldom think of eating, nor indeed can they eat.

Now, what these men make the business of two days, might very easily be effected in one night. For if we fuppofe Endor twice as far off as Dr. Patrick places it, a man, under a neceffity of ufing expedition, might travel fo far, and farther, stay three hours there, and return again in the compass of ten or twelve hours. So that, fuppofing Saul to have left his camp a little before or after fun-fet, he might be back again early

the

the next morning; and the battle might be fought that day, as I am well fatisfied it was.

BUT it feems there were two encampments after this adventure at Endor.

So, indeed, it is afferted; but why, I cannot conceive. For my own part, I never could find the leaft foundation for fuch an opinion; befides a very careless perufal of the history.

THE cafe is this: When two things are tranfacted about the fame time, both thefe, and the circumstances of both, cannot be related at the fame time; and therefore one of them must be told by way of anticipation.

IT is faid, that Saul's battle with the Philiftines was on the fame day with David's flaughter of the Amalekites. This is a great mistake however, let it, for the prefent, be supposed.

THERE was an incident of great importance previous to that battle, with which the reader fhould be acquainted. The author interrupts his relation of David's adventure, to acquaint us with this incident; and, in

* For, at that rate, the Amalekite must have been fix days in bringing the news of it: which is a very abfurd fuppofition.

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