generation to generation. The decree of vengeance was entrusted to Saul. It was a war of extermination. God would spare nothing which had been partaken of by Satan.

person

of

But what the conduct of Saul- the earthly nature? Why his soul leaned to and yearned after the very things which God had denounced as impure, and had devoted to destruction. Saul spared the best of all the spoil, and saved Agag the King of Amalek alive. He supported the existence of the Prince who held the dominion over those goods which had been accursed by God. He could not execute God's command; he was incapable of executing it; — in that he loved the things and the the proscribed. "He is of the earth, earthy;"and the people having minds framed in the same mould, yield their hearts into the same desire, and long for the lusts of the senses, and the wealth of the seed of Amalek. Saul, in spirit, was in alliance with Agag. How slight the veil which he threw over the selfishness of his evil nature! "the people spared the best of the spoil to sacrifice unto the Lord."-To sacrifice unto the Lord! What did God require of the spoil of Amalek? In the thought of David "all the beasts of the field are his; and so are the cattle upon a thousand hills." What was in the ancient sacrifices? - The victim was nothing; its value was in the Great Atonement, of which its oblation was the emblem. Obedience of soul was what He looked for! What were all the flocks and all the riches, and all the grandeur of sacrifices to Him when they proceeded from a ground and an intent which was contrary to His? Hence was it

that Samuel exclaimed; "Thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being King over Israel." But mark the exquisitely beautiful figure in which this resolve was signified to him. "And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the Kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou." Beautiful in this sense; but how, how vivid an illustration of the mode in which the earthly and the divine nature shall separate at the end. There will be a violent rending asunder of the two principles. God will not abide with unrighteousness. He will separate; He will be rent from the

evil soul; and as in the parable of the talents, the portion which once was his "shall be taken from him" and given to the soul which has improved the gift with usury;-to one "that is better than thou." The assured destiny of the man who is rebellious against God!

The decree of God, which had been confided to Saul, yet remained to be executed. Agag is commanded by the prophet to be brought forth. The representative of the Evil Principle, who had so long been suffered by God to oppress His heritage, and possess dominion in the earth is, as at the last judgment, commanded to be brought forth. He has reigned his destined cycle. His craft and cruelty have reached their limit; and Divine Justice at length exacts his one final and irretrievable destruction. "He came unto him delicately." He had hitherto been spared; and he came confidently.

He came accompanied with his wonted blandishments and luxury, "Surely," he exclaims, "the bitterness of death is past." He would fain beguile Samuel from his purpose, as he had previously lulled the will of Saul. His arts had prospered with the one; and the polished hypocrite would repeat them with the other. Saul had admired a demeanour and a feeling so much in harmony with his own. It was the same mind in a more enlarged and practised operation. Hostility was impossible. Bold therefore in his former success, Agag probably had recourse to the same expedient which had stood him in such stead with the King of Israel. He sounded the prophet's temper obliquely; and took for granted with much ready wisdom, the point which was to be decided. "Surely the bitterness of death is passed!"

The true prophet - was in opposition to

Samuel however felt nothing in common with Agag. He was the true follower of Moses and Joshua. He was in the mind of God. His soul was in unity with the Lord. "War with thee from generation to generation." Samuel the type of Christ every principle of Evil. It was war for ever with Sin; and with the Sustainer of sin. The subtlety of the tempter Agag is met at once with the cry of "Judgment!" and "Retribution !"-"As thy sword hath made women childless; so shall thy mother be childless among women." And he hewed him in pieces! Utterly destroyed him; - broke him, as it were, into fragments; so that a re-union was impossible; Annihilated him; — and, for ever. What a dreadful answer to Agag's subtleties and refine

ment. An image, in principle, of the last judgment passed upon Satan in the " Revelations," "from which, so complete his fall; - so utterly cut into pieces that throughout all eternity, he will be incapable of a revival.

The sword of Saul never could have destroyed him; even if of the right temper and quality, his arm was too nerveless to wield it with effect. The will was absent; and the hand would thence be powerless ;-but the blade of Samuel, wielded as it were in the strength of God, penetrated though all it struck. The enemy fell powerless before it; for it was the sword of the Spirit, which is so quick and piercing, that it divides the bones and marrow of the wicked :—the inmost thoughts and affections of his heart.

And this sword? It is the word of God! It is the sword spoken of in the Revelations † as issuing forth from the mouth of Him, that sat on the great white throne. It is the terrible sword, that on the blast of the last trumpet shall cleave through the evil and mixed principles of this world; and give to irremediable destruction, without mercy, the soul of the man who dares from a love of self, to be forgetful of his God! It is the self-same weapon which hereafter shall be waved over us, either for our ruin or our defence. Raised on high in the hand of Samuel -the righteous Judge-it will be our destruction if we stand in the will of Agag ;-our safety if in the mind of the victorious Israel. The sword of death to our Arch Enemy;-or the means of a like judgment with him into condemnation. Alas, for the + Rev. xix.

* Rev. xxii.

soul that speaks peace to itself,-in its lesser acts of disobedience, and less prominent selfishness-under the idea, that the actions of Saul cannot with truth be repeated in their own person. It is to obviate such a delusion, that God has caused the events of Scripture to be so recorded; and so oft, in their spirit, to be repeated, that the force of the assimilation shall be preserved throughout;-so that Truth on the one hand and Evil on the other may ever preserve their singleness, however varied in outward terms and action. Take away the names of Israel and of Amalek; and the opposing principles are still preserved. Set aside the persons of Saul and Samuel, and the conflicting motives are still in force. Nothing is extenuated by this mode to the individual while great strength is given to the Law of God, even were it only in its unity, by the manner in which it has now been transmitted to us.

Individually we traverse the wilderness with Israel. Individually we stand in the figure of Saul, under the commands of the Almighty. With the one we shall be "cut off," if we "faint" and show feebleness in the way. With the other, we shall be rejected, if disobedient to Jesus. Satan presses upon the soul-but Satan, in reliance and under the arm of God, may still be vanquished. The law is still to the individual: "War with Amalek from generation to generation."

We leave untouched the other acts in the reign of Saul. His persecution of the righteous David. His evil counsels; his continued ill fortune; and his unhappy end. To be fully comprehended they must be studied after the model given in his contest with