by the eloquence of a beautiful and noble woman, but no less by the
Spirit of God speaking through her, as all who call themselves
gentlemen should know already, his right spirit returns to him. The
chivalrous instinct of forgiveness and duty is roused once more; and
he cries, '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 shedding blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.'

It is plain then, that David's notion of his duty to his enemies was
very different from that of the monks. But still they are
undeniably imprecations, the imprecations of a man smarting under
cruel injustice; who cannot, and in some cases must not avenge
himself, and who therefore calls on the just God to avenge him. Are
we therefore to say that these utterances of David are uninspired?
Not in the least: we are boldly to say that they are inspired, and
by the very Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of justice and of
judgment.

Doubtless there were, in after ages, far higher inspirations. The
Spirit of God was, and is gradually educating mankind, and
individuals among mankind, like David, upward from lower truths to
higher ones. That is the express assertion of our Lord and of his
Apostles. But the higher and later inspiration does not make the
lower and earlier false. It does not even always supersede it
altogether. Each is true; and, for the most part, each must remain,
and be respected, that they may complement each other.

Let us look at this question rationally and reverently, free from
all sentimental and immoral indulgence for sin and wrong.