between the Saviour's human nature and his godhead. "And the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out as out of the middle of a sling," as the Saviour will one day cast away the enemies of his cross.

Thus she came to David with spiritual language; and " every man that hath learned of the Father cometh unto me," says Christ. "Rabbi, thou art the son of God, thou art the king of Israel," saith Nathaniel. "Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God," says Peter. "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee," says the Saviour, "but my Father which is in heaven." Abigail now concludes with a persuasion of the king's exaltation, and a petition in her own favour: "And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;" as Christ was to be afterwards upon the throne of David, to order it and establish it with justice and judgment for ever, Isaiah ix. 7; "but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine hand-maid:" as the poor thief upon the cross said unto the Saviour, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." The answer that Abigail got contains a blessing on the Lord for his goodness, a blessing on Abigail whom the Lord had sent, and a cordial acceptance of her person: "And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet

me; and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person," 1 Sam. xxv. 32-35. These blessings may typify the blessings the Lord gave on the mount. David's not avenging himself, shews how the Saviour left his Father to take away Judas, and every other branch in him that beareth not fruit; and thirdly, it shews the prevalent intercession which believing souls make for the wicked; as Abraham's intercession for Lot and the inhabitants of Sodom was a staying of the Lord's hand, for a time, from the four cities of the plain; and as Abigail's intercession kept the sword of David from Nabal and all his house.

Ahimaaz. It is said of Abigail, that "she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings." I wonder that a gracious woman should submit to be so unequally yoked together with an unbeliever; and especially with such an evil churl as he was.

Cushi. We are all as closely wedded to the law, as a covenant of works, as she was to Nabal; and the law is as churlish as ever Nabal was; for it not only threatens us with the anger of God, but with hell also; hence it is said to be an adversary, Luke xii. 58; and against us, Col. ii. 14.

And as Abigail was barren to Nabal, so is the sinner to God under the law; but when Nabal was dead, then she married David. So when we see the law to be a killing letter, and that it cannot give life or fruitfulness, Gal. iii. 21; then we may go and be espoused to the spiritual David, who is to be a prince for ever, Ezek. xxxvii. 25; as Abigail was to typical David. Paul is very plain upon this: "Know ye not, brethren, for I speak to them that know the law, how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then, if while her husband liveth she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband be dead she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God," Rom. vii. 1-4.

Ahimaaz. David certainly was a most eminent type of the Messiah; and blessed be God I can see a deal of choice gospel matter and experience where I never expected to find any; and I find that the humble approach of Abigail to David, her intercession for her household, her humble petition for herself, her free-will offering to feed his fol

lowers, and her earnest desire of being remembered in future by him, tallies with my own experience; for I could have put my mouth in the dust, if so be there might be hope for me in the dear Redeemer. And I wrestled hard with the Lord for my friends also, as she did for hers; and as for the followers of Christ, I took pleasure in relieving them when I could; and, like unto her, I then begged, and still beg to be remembered in future by the Lord; and I am sure I have often obtained as sweet an answer from David's Lord, as she did from David; and some of the same words in it, Go in peace, I have accepted thee, have often been

a sensible answer to my prayers.

If David was so sweet a type of the Messiah, then his ambassadors, that he sent to greet Nabal in his name, must be typical of the ambassadors of Christ; for they said to Nabal, "Peace be unto all that thou hast." And this agrees with the Saviour's message sent by his ambassadors: "Into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house; and if the Son of Peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; and in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as are set before you," Luke x. 5-7. What do you think of this? do not you think it is right? for they were to carry peace from David, and receive victuals from Nabal, but he

gave them none.

Cushi. I think you are very right; and they fared just as many of the Lord's ambassadors do in our days; they neither receive their message, nor

afford them relief, but impiously rail on them as Nabal did, asking, Who is David? shall I give my victuals unto men whom I know not whence they be? Thus he sent the ambassadors away, both empty and ashamed. But what was the consequence? why you see that the message of peace was received by a daughter of peace, namely Abigail; and the sword was drawn against every male in all the house. And though, by the intercession of the daughter of peace the sword was sheathed for a time, yet the Lord God of recompences will surely requite, Jer. li. 56. And that many of our legal self-righteous worldlings will find, one day or other, as Nabal and Israel of old did, when there will be no son or daughter of peace left to stand in the gap. Abigail's intercession prolonged Nabal's life but a few days; and Israel of old, at one time, found no intercessor, and consequently no respite. "And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes and sending, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling-place; but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy," 2 Chron. xxxvi, 15, 16. Even so the Saviour will one day punish the covetous worldlings as God punished Nabal. "I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat;" this was the crime of Nabal, who refused to relieve the Lord's anointed; and as David's wrath was kindled for the contempt of his