the ground before the holy ark, and was broken in pieces: and great plagues befell the Philistines, until they restored the ark to the Hebrews.

Samuel was an eminent prophet of the Lord, and an upright judge of Israel. And when he became old, he made his sons judges in his stead: but they "walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment." Then "all the elders of Israel" came unto Samuel, and besought him to make them a king to judge them—“like all the nations." Thus they rejected Jehovah, that He should not reign over them-1 Sam. viii. 7. The Lord, however, permitted Samuel to grant their request; and he, by divine direction, anointed Saul, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, to be King over Israel. The commencement of his reign appeared auspicious; but Saul did not act uprightly and faithfully before the Lord, and the kingdom was taken from him and given to David, the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah-the shepherd king, and sweet Psalmist of Israel.

Saul, who had not obeyed the command of God to execute his righteous judgments against the Amalekites, who had so long defied the power of the Most High, was forsaken by the Lord, and became the prey of the evil one. In this state of mind he envied and persecuted David, but was at length slain by the Philistines.

His history, with that of his excellent son, Jonathan the faithful friend of David, presents very striking and interesting traits of character; particularly the contrast of the father's suspicious, selfish, and cruel propensities,

with the generous, confiding, and disinterested spirit of the son.

Whilst David was a lad he was guided and strengthened by Almighty power; and, as he "kept his father's sheep, "there came a lion and a bear and took a lamb out of the flock," and David "slew both the lion and the bear;" and when the Philistines were gathered together to battle against Israel, there came out of their camp a champion named Goliath of Gath, a giant of amazing size and strength, who defied the army of Israel. David, influenced by the Spirit of God, encountered this mighty foe; not with a sword, or a spear, or a shield, but "in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel;" and, with only a sling and a smooth stone out of the brook, he smote the Philistine; the stone guided by an invisible Hand, sank into the giant's forehead, and he died. After enduring many vicissitudes, and escaping many dangers, David became, at length, king over Israel. Although, on various occasions, he evidenced the exceeding frailty of man's nature, yet submitting, in deep humiliation and repentance, to the just judgment of his God, he experienced forgiveness, and could say, "Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord! and teachest him out of thy law."-"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." David was sincere and fervent in his love to God: he abhorred idolatry; and inspired by the spirit of prophecy, he wrote of that Redeemer who was to reign over the true Israel,-over all those who should believe in Him as the "King of Glory;" and, in strains of

sublimest eloquence, the son of Jesse calls upon every creature to extol and praise Him, and to unite in his own reverent ascription, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting."

CHAP. LVIII.-During the reign of David the warriors of Israel were remarkable for their conquests :the captains of the hosts were "mighty men of valour," and their exploits in battle and in slaying the giants among the Philistines were evidences of a courage, which, as we cannot doubt, arose from a conviction that God was their shield, that He taught their hands to war and their fingers to fight, and caused them to triumph over their enemies. Under this glorious gospel dispensation the reign of Christ proclaims, "Peace on earth, and good will towards men:" but His followers have a warfare to wage, not with carnal weapons, nor against their fellow-men, but, with the sword of the Spirit, they fight against the prince and the power of darkness, and, through the invincible might of their heavenly King, they obtain "the victory that overcometh the world," by that living faith which shields them from their spiritual foes; and, although they are of themselves infirm and powerless, yet humbly relying on divine aid, they experience its all-sufficiency, for "the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them."

David's kingdom was great and prosperous;-yet we read that, when he was old, "Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." We

may perceive that in thus taking "the sum of the number of the people," David was actuated by motives offensive to God-doubtless by a spirit of ambition, or of self-exaltation: and we may infer that his subjects were not sufficiently impressed with the sense of their entire dependence upon Him, who is "King of kings, and Lord of lords;" for "God was displeased with this thing, therefore He smote Israel;" and the prophet Gad was commissioned to offer to David the choice of three different modes of correction: either to suffer from three years of famine, or to be, for three months, destroyed before his enemies, or to be visited, during three days, by pestilence in his land. The mind of

the aged monarch was deeply abased before the Most High; and he said unto Gad, "I am in a great strait. Let me now fall into the hand of the Lord, for very great are His mercies; but let me not fall into the hand of man. So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it." And David "saw the angel of the Lord stand between the heaven and the earth, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem." And the angel "stood by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite," and the Lord said to the angel that destroyed, "It is enough-stay now thine hand." Thus was the pestilence removed from the land: and, at the divine command, David offered sacrifices to God in the threshingfloor of Ornan (elsewhere called Araunah) the Jebusite; and "David said, This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt-offering for Israel.”

On this memorable spot was the magnificent temple afterwards erected; for which David prepared materials in abundance; and Solomon, his son and successor, was ordained to build it, for the honour of the God of Israel. "David gave to Solomon, his son, the pattern" of the house of the Lord, which "he had by the Spirit."

"The Lord (said David) made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern. And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it; fear not, nor be dismayed; for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee: He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord."

CHAP. LIX.-David attained an honourable age: but the time was now come when he experimentally realized the truth of his own declaration, "Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding." Having assembled the Princes of Israel, be exhorted them to keep the commandments of God, and to assist his successor in building the sacred temple. To him, the dying king gave this solemn charge, worthy to be deeply impressed on every youthful heart: "And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy Father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts; if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee, but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever."

Our sketch of the lives and characters of the most