of Jesse successively brought before him. It is not said that he informed them of the precise object of the selection he was appointed to make; but as it was to be followed by anointing, it must have been sufficiently apparent that the designation was to some exalted, sacred, or royal dignity, for to these alone was the act of anointing limited. When Eliab, the eldest son of Jesse, was introduced, the prophet, struck with his lofty stature and noble bearing, thought, "Surely this is the Lord's anointed." This judgment, however, was reproved, and he was taught that God looked not at the outward appearance, but at the state of the heart. With the same result the other six sons of Jesse were presented to the prophet, and the fiat of the Divine Mind to the seer was, "The Lord hath not chosen these." Then Samuel asked Jesse, if these were all his children. It was then, and not till then, that David was thought of, and the father said, “There is the youngest, who is keeping the sheep."

It appears that prior to this, the sacrificial ceremony had been completed, and the sacred feast which followed, prepared; but Samuel felt that he must accomplish his mission before he partook of this; so he said to Jesse, "Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither." At length David appeared, a ruddy youth, of a beautiful countenance; and immediately the Divine intimation was given to the prophet, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he." Samuel obeyed the Divine injunction, and anointed David in the midst of his brethren.

It is not possible for us to form an accurate judgment of the effect which this action had on the family of Jesse. Some authors have supposed that the anointing, notwithstanding the explicit statement of the text, was strictly private. Others, that nothing

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was known of its object or importance. But it is certain from the express terms of Scripture, that Jesse and all his sons must have known that an authoritative selection had been made, in which David was preferred to all his brethren; and, as to the object and importance of this selection, if no mention was made of regal dignity, the character of Samuel, and the position he occupied, afforded abundant evidence that he was sent on no trivial or unimportant mission; but, above all, it was apparent to the whole family, that this appointment was made by the direct authority of Jehovah. The prophet made this prominent throughout his communication; and this was quite sufficient to stamp the entire transaction with a character of the highest importance.

It has been urged in support of the opposite views mentioned above, that no allusion is afterward made to this anointing by any of David's family. This, however, is not so evident as may be at first sight supposed. It seems not at all unlikely, that the sharp rebuke of Eliab to David on the field of battle, when he was inquiring about Goliath, arose from some remembrance of this anointing.

But this act of the prophet was not an empty ceremonial. The sacred writer gives the significant statement, "The Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." God, who had called David to an exalted dignity, gave him the aid of His holy Spirit to prepare him for an adequate discharge of its duties. This was the Divine plan of training a young man to be a king. Not by a wide range of instrumentalities, but by the direct influence of the Holy Ghost, David was raised from the position of a shepherd to all the endowments and qualifications necessary to uphold and adorn a throne.

CHAPTER III.

DAVID'S EARLY PUBLIC LIFE.

THE solemn act of anointing performed by the venerable prophet, followed as it was by the abiding baptism of the Holy Spirit, must have exercised a mighty influence on the mind of David.

Young, vigorous, and energetic, full of lofty hopes and daring aspirations, David now felt called to a course of action which demanded the exercise of all his powers in all their maturity and perfection. The strivings of the Divine influence on his mind not only drew out his heart after God, but also led him to live in humble resignation to the Divine will; and to devote himself, without reserve, to the service of his country, and the honour of his God. Besides these, there were other influences which operated on the mind of the youthful David. He was thoroughly versed in the law of God. This had been made his chief study. He was familiar with its great truths, and their spiritual import. He was conversant with the miracles by which the Lord delivered Israel from Egypt, guided and fed them in the wilderness, and ultimately established them in Canaan. We do not indulge in speculation, or make any rash statements, in saying this: the Psalms of David are full of allusions to these events. He repeatedly refers to the early history of his people, and always recognises,

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reveres, and declares his intense love for the laws of his God.

It is scarcely possible for us to realize the power which this study would exercise, when prosecuted under the circumstances in which David stood, and on such a mind as his. "The Bible which David had When he read of the destruc

was a pictorial Bible. tion of Sodom, he could see the vapour rising up against the mountain wall of Moab from the sulphureous waters where the guilty cities were entombed. When he paused to ponder the solemn transactions of Machpelah, he could see in the distance the very spot where so much sacred dust was gathered; close by his daily haunts a pillar marked the spot where poor Rachel died; in the dark range of the mountain wall, yon peak was the spot from which Moses had taken his view, and Balaam delivered his vision. We have ample proof that scarcely any part of the then existing Scriptures, and scarcely any of the holy characters delineated in them, was without a permanent influence on his character....... By what instrumentality did the Spirit of God achieve this result? Mainly, we believe, through that intense affection for God's word, which would lead him to pore and pray over each narrative, and each life, with the deep conviction that there was a great practical lesson there for him; and with the earnest entreaty that God would give him grace to extract and apply it."*

Nor would the traditions of the Hebrew heroic age which lived in the memories of the people of his day, be without their influence on the young anointed shepherd. He would think of the heroism of Barak, Gideon, and Jephtha, and feel his soul stirred. with a recollection of their patriotism and prowess.

* BLACKIE'S "David, King of Israel," p. 21.

But there was one hero who lived nearer to his day, and to the place of his dwelling. In the boyhood of David, there were men living who had conversed with Samson, witnessed his heroic deeds, and mourned over his tragic death. From the heights near Bethlehem, he could see the rock Elam, where the Hebrew Hercules bade defiance to the Philistine hosts, and from whence he allowed himself to be led bound into the presence of his enemies, prior to his inflicting on them the defeat of En-hakkore.

Under such influences as these, the mind of David rose to maturity and power. The stirring events of the day would give to all these recollections intense force and effect; for the warlike people who had kept Israel under their oppressive rule in the days of Samson, were, at that time, exerting their utmost power to re-assert their supremacy, and again reduce the Hebrews to that state of bondage from which they had scarcely escaped. The Philistine army had again invaded Israel, and was encamped within the limits of the tribe of Judah. From the heights just to the west of Bethlehem, the camp where the heathen invaders had assembled must have been distinctly visible. The king rallied his forces to repel this aggression, and the three elder sons of Jesse joined his army. Who can doubt but that the youngest son burned with ardent desire to be with them? He was, however, so far gratified as to have occasionally to visit the army for the purpose of inquiring after his brethren, and conveying to them necessary supplies of provisions.*

* Every one who has carefully read the narrative in the Scriptures, will find a very serious difficulty in reconciling its apparent contradictions, and giving to the account, as found there, a clear and connected sense. To effect this, two modes have been suggested. Mr. Pilking