appearance would be altogether as unheroic as that of David's. David's killing the Philistines to obtain a wife, led me to consider what the promised Messiah had done when he gave Egypt for our ransom; and what he would do in future in behalf of this spouse, when "the wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright," Prov. xxi. 18.

Ahimaaz. But you know that Saul's daughter was not a gracious woman; she was taken away from David, and given to another, and how could she be a type of the spouse of Christ? besides, it is said that she despised him, and was smitten with barrenness for it.

Cushi. All this is true; yet Michal was bone of David's bone, and flesh of his flesh, by marriage; but she never knew David's Lord, nor was she a partaker of David's sure mercies; yet she was, in my opinion, a type.

By virtue of the union between the godhead and manhood of Christ, which took place at his incarnation, the bond-woman, I mean the whole body of professors who are under the law, may say, that Christ is flesh of their flesh, and bone of their bone, for he was born of a woman, and born under the law. And indeed on this account the bond-woman is called a divorced wife, Jer. iii. 8; and judged of God as one that has broken wedlock, Ezek. xvi. 38; and therefore put away, according to their legal covenant that allows a divorce, which Israel never rightly considered;

and therefore, being espoused only by the covenant of works, their marriage covenant was conditional, they broke wedlock, were divorced and put away: and, as the bond-woman was not included in the covenant of grace, the legal covenant, for want of their obedience, afforded them no more claim on the Lord as an husband. But the elect are not betrothed to the Saviour by the law of works, but they are betrothed to him in lovingkindness, in mercies, and that for ever, Hosea ii. 19. Thus the real church is not only bone of his bone, by virtue of his incarnation, but is made of one spirit with him by regeneration; "for two, saith he, [God] shall be one flesh, but he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit," 1 Cor. vi. 16, 17. Thus Saul's daughter was a type of a false church, though not of a true one; and her being joined to another man shews the apostasy of false professors; and as she was taken from David, so God takes away every fruitless professor; "every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away," and if they continue until the last day in their professions it matters not. The foolish virgins were shut out of the marriage chamber; none will enter with the bridegroom into the wedding but those that have oil in their vessel, or the Spirit of Christ in their hearts.

I considered the poor distressed troop that went to the cave of Adullam, as prefiguring the poor sensible distressed sinners who become the followers of Jesus Christ. Those that are discon

tented with the world and sin, are glad to find contentment in a Saviour; and those that are in distress on account of fear and bondage, are glad to find relief in their God; and all that are sensible of their debts are thankful for a surety. And, to be plain, I found myself in a spiritual sense one of this number, and was by an invisible power led to follow David's antitype as such.

Ahimaaz. I beg pardon, my brother, for breaking into your discourse, but I find my heart warmed, and my mind much enlightened by what you say, therefore I hope you will excuse me. Pray what do you think of David's covenant with Abigail when she met him; and of his marriage with her? She seemed to be one after his own heart, both as a sensible woman and as a saint of God. She prophesied to David, and spiritualized her husband's name, and applies it to his nature. "Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him," 1 Sam. xxv. 25. Do offer me your thoughts upon that circumstance; for I evidently see that there is a spiritual vein of choice gospel that runs through the whole body of divine revelation.

Cushi. There certainly is; but in running of parallels between the types and the antitypes, the types always come short, and are but faint representations of what is represented by them. Whạt was Esau's birth-right when compared to that which it signified; and what is David when com

pared to the fruit of his body, and his Lord who was to sit upon his throne?

Ahimaaz. True, my brother; yet we may entertain ourselves, and open our own thoughts to each other on the word of God, without offending the Almighty Saviour, for he bids us search the scriptures; and says, they testify of him. I believe the Bible to be like its Author; God is a spirit, and his word is spiritual; for it is given by inspiration of God; and to handle it spiritually proves a spiritual discernment, and makes it a spiritual entertainment for the souls of believers, whom Paul calls spiritual. "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man," 1 Cor. ii. 15; Hosea ix. 7.

Cushi. To legalize the word of God to a heaven-born soul, is the way to obscure his evidences, and bring him into bondage whom the Lord hath made free, John viii. 36. The man that does this is a minister of the letter, not of the Spirit, 2 Cor. iii. 6. Such a preacher is disobedient to the divine command. God says, "Do the work of an evangelist;" and the believer who is deprived of his freedom by him is disobedient also; for the Spirit says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage," Gal. v. 1.

I considered Abigail's coming to David as prefiguring every elected soul that God brings to his dear Son. "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him," John vi. 44.

Christ, in the character of a bridegroom, receives such into spiritual union with himself, and holds them fast in the bond of everlasting love for ever; "I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you," John xiv. 20. Thus the Lord receives the souls that his father draws to him as is own beloved bride; "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom.” Abigail came to David with spiritual language and prophecy in her mouth, and expressed a spiritual union with him, a love to him, and predicts his safety on earth, and his eternal existence in the favour of God; and I believe she foresaw that herself was to be his wife.

Observe, first, she comes to David, as all sinners do to Christ, with a prayer in her mouth; "I pray thee forgive the trespass of thine handmaid.". Secondly, she comes with a full persuasion of the establishment and safety of David's house; "For the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house." So comes the sinner by faith to Christ; being persuaded there is security in his house, and no where else; and the Saviour is called David, Ezek. xxxvii. 25; and his church is called the house of David to this day, Zech. xii. 10. Thirdly, she assigns a reason for this, "because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord," even as Christ overcame the world: "Yet a man is risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul," as Judas and the Pharisees did the Saviour's. "But the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God," as representing the union