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SAUL'S EVIL CONDUCT.

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pose that pecuniary offerings to the cause of God, will be accepted instead of personal obedience. Money will not supply the place of heart-work.

The prophet commanded that Agag should be put to death immediately, expressly declaring that it was to punish the cruelties he had committed. Samuel then left Saul, and returning home lamented the unhappy state of affairs. Before he went, Saul made an outward profession of repentance, but it was merely an outward profession, as too plainly appears. He applied to Samuel, and seems to have been more anxious to regain the prophet's favour than to secure that of the Lord. He excused his fault even when confessing it mark this; for no true penitent wishes to make light of sin, or to extenuate his fault. How different the conduct of David, and the feelings expressed in Psalm li.! All the care of Saul was to prevent the outward appearance of his being rejected of God, and disowned by the prophet; with this view he laid hold upon the mantle of Samuel, but it rent, and was made a sign that the kingdom was rent from him; the Divine purpose that it should be given to another was expressly declared. If we desire to do the whole will of God, we shall be found turning to him in sincerity, not in form and appearance only. Every circumstance in Saul's conduct throughout this affair, shows how unfit he was to rule the people of God, and how just was the Divine decision against him; while having such a ruler was a deserved punishment for a people, who had refused that the Lord should continue to be their King.

DAVID HE IS POINTED OUT AS THE SUCCESSOR OF SAUL-HIS EARLY LIFE-HIS ATTENDANCE ON SAUL -HIS COMBAT WITH GOLIATH.

ABOUT the time of Saul's second offence appears to have been the period of David's birth, and fifteen years passed from the expedition against Amalek till the youthful shepherd was anointed. Of this interval we have no particular account. Saul probably had some repose from warfare, but the arbitrary and proud spirit he had already shown, became more fixed and influential. Samuel long mourned for Saul, till he was directed to lay aside his unavailing sorrow, and to anoint the chosen successor. Though advanced in life, Samuel continued to act as judge of Israel; his

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SAMUEL SENT TO BETHLEHEM.

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presence therefore excited alarm, when, by the Divine direction, he proceeded to Bethlehem. The elders of the town trembled lest some offence should have been committed, which the prophet was come to denounce, and order to be punished. But his errand was to offer sacrifice: this was stated that Saul's jealousy should not be excited; also it was an ordinance in unison with the errand he came to perform, namely, to ascertain whom the Lord had chosen for the successor of Saul, and to consecrate him by the holy unction. Samuel called Jesse, a religious Bethlehemite, to assist in the sacrifice, as directed; his sons were also to be present. Let us remember, that it is not enough for the heads of a family to attend public services, all are to be present who have no sufficient reason for absence. The sons of Jesse were handsome, good-looking young men. Samuel was ready to decide upon each in succession, that he saw in him the future king of Israel: but an important declaration was given, to be attended to by all, "The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." Had the choice been left to Samuel, or to Jesse, how different it would have been! Very many aged parents, looking back upon past years, and the progress of events in their families, will find abundant reason to admit that the Lord has done well in checking and counteracting their fond, and often foolish partialities.

All the sons of Jesse who were present had passed before Samuel, but no one was pointed out as the chosen youth. The prophet knew that the Lord had not given him directions which were not to be fulfilled. He found that the youngest was absent, David had been overlooked as a mere shepherd lad, but Samuel immediately concluded this was the chosen of the Lord, and delayed the feast till he came.

When

David arrived, the prophet received the intimation he waited for: " Arise, anoint him; for this is he." The original would imply that the prophet took David aside

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DAVID ANOINTED.

B. C.

when he anointed him. This anointing was a sign of his designation to the royal office, and of the Divine gifts to be bestowed upon him. We are to observe, that the Spirit of the Lord was communicated to David in a full measure from that day forward; and also, that he contentedly returned to keep his father's little flock in the wilderness. It is not always that outward gifts accompany inward graces, but it was so in David's case. A more than ordinary spirit of courage, boldness, and strength was imparted to him. Unaided, even unarmed, he slew a lion and a bear, that had stolen a lamb from his flock. More than common, may we not say more than mortal skill in poetry and

music was imparted to him. It is thought that at this period he composed the eighth psalm; we may picture

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EARLY DAYS OF DAVID.

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to ourselves the youthful shepherd, sitting on a verdant bank, watching his flock at night in the mild and genial climate of Judea, looking up at the azure vault of heaven, studded with innumerable stars, shining with glory, which clearly declared the hand that made them was Divine. From this view of the Creator in the most magnificent prospect of his works, the psalmist turns to the creature-man, a wretched sinful being. With his soul drawn out in the contemplation of Divine love which remembered this being in his lost estate, he praises the Lord for the glories of his grace, which are "above the heavens," and then descending to his glories as Creator, exclaims," When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" How shall we rightly praise our adorable Saviour, who, thus Almighty and All-glorious, yet humbled himself to take our nature and die upon the cross, a sacrifice for our sins?

Though the youthful shepherd afterwards became the mighty and victorious king of Israel, yet we may be well assured that the days just noticed formed the happiest period of his life. Moses and David, both kings in Jeshurun, would freely confess, that though they rejoiced in being the instruments for good to the people of God, yet their own union and communion with the Lord-and these constitute the chief happiness of the believer-were best maintained in the peaceful hours of their lowly occupations in the desert and the wilderness. Let not the humblest labourer, while in the path of duty, for a moment suppose that the most active and exalted Christian has any real advantage over him, in respect to his intercourse with his Master and Redeemer. One of the most beautiful of the inspired poems composed by David, Psa. xxiii. has direct reference to the pastoral scenes in which his early days were spent, connected with views of the end of life which would strike his mind at a later period,

I