But it happened that Abigail, Nabal’s wife, heard of her husband’s refusal to David’s demands, and she loaded several asses with all kinds of the best provisions, and met David as he was advancing to take vengeance on Nabal. And when David saw her, he said, “_Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me. For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted, and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light, any that pisseth against the wall_.” It is recorded after this, that in about ten days, “_the Lord smote Nabal that he died._” Christians, perhaps, will say, it served him right; because he would not give away his dinner to the Lord’s anointed. But to complete this account of David, it is written that he married Nabal’s widow, and then he had sheep, goats, and all, although he had many wives before; but, being “_a man after Gods own heart_” we Infidels must be silent. After the death of Saul, David being in favor with the people, and strictly adhering to the worship of Jehovah, his reign bid fair to be happy to himself, and to the nation at large: but he had too many wives, and consequently his family troubles came on thick and fast. One son rebelled against him, and flew to arms; and Solomon usurped the throne after the death of his father, and put to death his elder brother by a former wife, under a pretence the most frivolous, to secure himself a safe possession of his usurped power. Another son ravished his half-sister by another mother; and in return, the ravisher was murdered by the brother of the violated virgin. In truth, if it is true as recorded, David’s whole life was one continued scene of blood and slaughter; and on his death-bed he recommended Solomon to murder others—as his oath prevented him from doing it in his lifetime. However strictly David obeyed Jehovah, and “turned not aside to worship other gods,” in a moral point of view he was a wicked man. His conduct for licentiousness was notorious. In addition to the number of wives he had before the death of Saul, his royal master, Nathan the prophet says that “Jehovah gave him Saul’s wives, besides”; but, not satisfied with all this, so contemptible was his conduct, he sneaked about to obtain a sight of an officer’s wife while in the bath. Such low, cowardly curiosity would disgrace the driver of a dung-cart. A lady’s bath not to be held sacred by this filthy, dirty animal, and yet to be called “the man after God’s own heart”! His actions would disgrace the Devil, for Satan offered no insult to Eve: his worst crime was no more than saying—“Madam, the fruit is good, do taste, it will do you no harm, and you will be the wiser; after all.”