Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

208 INFLUENCE OF SCRIPTURE1092. The following is the account given of this favourite of Jehovah" And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand ofSaul : there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escapeinto the land of the Philistines ; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek meany more in any coast of Israel ; so shall I. escape out of his hand. AndDavid arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were withhim unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt withAchish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even Davidwith his two wives, Ahinoam the Jczreclitcss, and Abigail the Carmclitess,Nabal's wife. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath : and hesouo-ht no more again for him. And David said unto Achish, If I havenow found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town inthe country, that; I may dwell there :for why should thy servant dwell inthe royal city with thee ? Then Achish gave him Ziglag that day : whereforeZiglag pcrtaincth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. And thetime that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full yearand four months. And David and his men went up, and invaded theGeshuritcs, and the Gezritcs, and the Amalckites : for those nations wereof old the inhabitants of the land, as thou gocst to Shur, even unto theland of Egypt. And David smote the land, and left neither man norwoman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, andthe camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. AndAchish said, Whither have ye made a road to-day? And David said.Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites,And David saved neither man norand against the south of the Kenites.woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us,saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the w^hile he dwellethin the country of the Philistines. And Achish believed David, saying, liehath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him ; therefore he shall bemy servant forever."1093. Here is massacre, spoliation, base lying to Achish, his trulynoble-hearted friend, whom he deceives into a belief that he had made thepeople of Israel abhor him, when it was his intention to become king ofJudea, and of course the enemy of his too-confiding protector, wheneveran opportunity offered.1094. Praise be to God that he has sent us a new way to religious light,not associated with this detestable immorality !1095. Jehovah is made to arrest the sun, in order that Joshua mayslaughter his flying foes. He is described as authorizing the Jews to extirpatetheir neighbours and seize their territory.I do most conscientiouslydeclare that the portrait of Jehovah by the Bible appears to me morebutchering, robbery, and treachery : just the part which would belong to Satan, were suchan evil being to exist. lie is called to account for the murder of Uriah, but the paganswhom he robbed and massacred were only vermin in the estimation of tbe Jewish Jehovah.