Yet, at the close of thirty-four years from this time, where is Saul, what is the condition of his family? He has forsaken the Lord, who had so signally befriended him in his early manhood; and now, tortured and maddened by an evil spirit, he has become a curse to his people, and a bitter foe to all who cross his selfish path; his heart is corroded with envy; his conscience is so burdened with guilt, and his mind is so oppressed with the gathering evils of a wasted life, that it seems to him better to die than to live; and so he cuts the thread of his own life, and goes unbidden and unprepared to the bar of God.

Where is his family, about which so lately were gathered all the luxuries and the pride of life? They were scattered at first here and there, till at length only one individual of the royal race of Saul is found, and he is a pauper and a cripple!

"Be not high minded," is the lesson which this fact reads to us; "Be not high minded, but fear." Worldly greatness is mutable, and destined to a speedy downfall, when it arrays itself against the government of God. The prosperity, which refuses to bow to the supremacy of Heaven; the elevation, which fills the heart with pride and the love of self-indulgence, soon make men top heavy, and unable to stand; and then cometh to pass the saying, that is written, "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Let the short race of Saul, in the high places of power, and its sad catastrophe teach us, that human greatness, when it comes into conflict with the plans of infinite wisdom, has no power to save itself from tumbling headlong into infamy.

But, while these sad changes are going on in respect to Saul, we have another individual presented in this chapter, whose history illustrates

2. The efficiency of the favor and blessing of God in the way of well doing.

This individual was David, living at first in Bethlehem, the youngest of seven sons, and, for that reason, perhaps, chosen to keep his father's sheep; and, though his occupation was humble, affording but few, if any facilities as one would think for rising in the world, yet he seemed determined to do with his might what his hands found to do. There was hope in his eye, and good courage in his heart, because he had somehow learned, with the affectionate trust of a child, to lean on the paternal care of God; for, it was about this time that he wrote the Psalm, suggested doubtless by his occupation, and beginning with, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he maketh me to lie down in green pastures-he leadeth me beside the still watershe restoreth my soul." It was thus that he started in life, "seeking first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness," and then making it his commanding object to take lessons in the line of self improvement, and to reach the highest excellence in the lit

tle sphere he was called to fill. Little did he think, while practising with the sling and the stone, and waking to ecstasy the living lyre, and settling his mind in the great principles of truth and righteousness, what an influence these exercises would have on the success of his after life. The touching notes of his harp often arrested the attention of multitudes, while passing the field, where he was watching his father's flock-notes which told that his heart was in the right place; and, when at length it was known, that a skillful player on that instrument was needed to drive away the spirit of melancholy that was now troubling the mind of the king, all eyes were at once turned to "the sweet singer of Israel;" and so he came to court, where not more for his skill on the harp, than for the nobleness of his character, he won for himself universal favor, insomuch that Saul made him his armor bearer. And, when afterward he heard the impious challenge of Goliath, and saw the strong men of Israel tremble at the very sight of the giant, he thought of the lion and the bear, that he had brought down, perhaps by a stone thrown from his sling, and felt, that He who had thus delivered him from the paw of the lion and the bear, would save him likewise, by the same means, from the power of the uncircumcised Philistine. You all know the result. Thus he went onward and upward, sustained by Divine favor, receiving constant help from above, because, in a right way, he sought to help himself, till at length he reached the high places of power as the anointed king of Israel. Such an upward tendency in his life, we are sure, would not have appeared, if he had not placed himself early in the line of selfimprovement and the fear of the Lord. He could not thus have risen from the sheep-fold to a throne, if God had not been with him. His "favor is life, and his loving kindness is better than life." Now as the law of prosperity in this world is the same in every age, we gather from this portion of David's history a cogent reason, why all young men should go and do likewise. The starting point of success is being faithful in that which is least. A young man, connected with an obscure family, and living in some unfrequented part of the town, may think it of little consequence what he does, or what feelings he cherishes. Supposing it to be impossible for him to rise above his present condition, he may let his mind run to waste, and permit the passion of envy to nestle in his heart. But, let him think of David giving his mind to the work of self-improvement in the sheep pasture of Bethlehem, and remember, that more eyes are upon him than he is aware of. Let him from respect to the account he must render to God for the improvement of the one talent, with which he is entrusted, make the most of his time and opportunities; let him, like David, be faithful in that which is least, and he cannot long be hid. If he is that wise son that maketh a glad father; if he aims at the highest excellence in whatever department of

labor he may be employed; if he seeks to store his mind with useful knowledge, and to show himself a man in all the relations of this and the coming life, the fact will soon begin to be whispered about, first here and then there, till, in due time, these whispers will break on his ear in the clear and impressive call of the whole community, backed by the voice of Providence, saying, "Friend, go up higher; cultivate this larger field; for to him that hath, and uses well what he hath, shall more be given." If however, he hopes to feel the efficiency of the favor and blessing of God, he must, to the acquisitions just named, add these other two, (to wit,) long patience and a well balanced mind. Some men, after doing well for a season, become fretful and impatient, and so destroy what little capital they had acquired for the cultivation of a larger field. Others, when by patient continuance in well doing, they began to reap the appropriate reward, became intoxicated by success for the want of a well regulated mind, and thus soon fell to rise no more. What every young man should specially seek for, who is desirous to make his mark in the world, is to have his mind well settled in the truth and love of God, and in the conviction of his personal accountability. Thus armed and equipped, we do not doubt that his bark will, in due time, if he faint not, feel the prosperous breath of Heaven, as it passes over the great ocean of life, bearing him not indeed to a throne, but to the nobler position of usefulness, according to the measure of his ability. We are confident, that here lay the secret of David's prosperity, and that this secret of the Lord is with all them that fear him.

Let our young men, therefore, be of good courage, and trust in the Lord, and do good, and he will surely bring it to pass.

3. We have also, in this chapter, an instance of a truly magnanimous spirit, exhibited by David towards the house of Saul, his bitterest enemy.

An example which we shall do well to gaze at till it finds its counterpart in our own conduct.

All along before this, he had returned only good for evil, refusing on one occasion to take the life of Saul, when it was in his power, and when multitudes would have applauded him for the deed. But his magnanimity in the case before us rose far above any former precedent. For when firmly seated on the throne, and his enemies on every side subdued, he bethought himself of the house of Saul. We do not wonder that he should have been ignorant of their precise condition on account of the full occupation of his thoughts and time in other directions. For more than seven years he had been constantly and bitterly opposed by Ishbosheth, and his engagements afterwards were numerous. But now during his first freedom from these pressing cares, we hear him asking, "Is there yet any that is left of he house of Saul?" Why does he ask? Is it that he may put

them out of the way? That they may not disturb the succession of his own family to the throne? O no; but it is that he may "show the kindness of God to them." Now it is refreshing to see such a spirit; it is an example of magnanimity, which it will do us good to look at and ponder, till "we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Any one, even a man of the smallest capacity, can be mean, cruel, unmerciful, and revengeful; for this is natural; but it requires a large heart, triumphing over all selfish considerations, not only to forgive a powerless enemy, but to bring him in his necessities into our own houses, and to permit him to sit, as we would a friend, at our own table.

It has been well said, that to do good to those who love us, is natural-to do evil to those who do us good, is devilish; but to do good to those who do us evil, is godlike. It is imitating Him, who "causeth the sun to shine on the evil and the good, and sendeth the rain on the just and the unjust."

Now however hard we may find it to make this magnanimity our own, yet we all admire it. We acknowledge that a disposition to forgive injuries is more noble, and indicates a nobler character than to give full effect to the spirit of resentment. We love to look on the face of that fellow man, which, by its open and bland expression, reveals a purpose to live in charity with all the world, and to make all around him feel comfortable, and unapprehensive of any meditated evil on his part against them. We love David, therefore, the more for his forgetfulness of the wrongs he had received from Saul; and for his noble purpose to show only the kindness of God instead of the retaliation, which is so natural to our fallen humanity. Let the same mind be in us, and we shall not only rise higher in the scale of moral worth ourselves, but shall add our weight to the lever, which is destined to pry up this fallen world into the sunlight and amidst the ennobling influences of christianity.

4. We have also in this chapter an example of genuine and disinterested friendship.

We mean by friendship the attachment of kindred hearts and minds; an attachment steady and abiding through all the changes that occur in our mortal life. Such a friendship never existed in greater purity and ardor than between David and Jonathan. Who can read the ode, which the former composed upon the death of the latter, without being affected by the strength and tenderness of his feelings. "How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle. Oh! Jonathan! thou wast slain in thy high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been unto me; thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."

Now that such a gush of emotion should have followed the hearing of his friend's death, while his heart was tender, and the

event was so recent, does not surprise us, although the emotion was extraordinary, both for the depth and pathos of its expression. But it does excite our wonder, and shows the depths of David's friendship, that after a considerable time had elapsed, during which he had become firmly seated on the throne of Israel, and of course greatly absorbed in his own concerns and those of his kingdom, he should have been thinking of the house of Saul, not with a view to work its extermination for his own greater safety, but that he might show the kindness of God to any surviving member of it." Here is proof of a friendship, far from common, that neither the lapse of time, nor great personal prosperity had been able to cool.

It often happens, from a variety of causes, that the friends of our youth are forgotten; that the attachments then formed which promised to be permanent, have now nevertheless come to be regarded as a pleasant dream, rather than as a reality, disposing us to make present inquiries and sacrifices for its continuance. New scenes have opened before us, and new connexions have been formed, bringing with them new and pressing cares, and taking the place in our thoughts and regards, which had been occupied by the friends of our younger days. Those friends too have changed. Other objects have appealed successfully to their hearts, engrossing their time and thoughts, and we seem to them like stars, which have changed their place in the horizon, or that have perhaps gone down forever!

Yet these early friendships, as we calmly and thoroughly recur to them in our thoughts, have power to move the soul in its lowest depths. We thus perhaps come to know that the man who is now an outcast from society on account of his profligacy and vice, was once our favorite playmate, jocund and generous, attracting us to him by many a noble trait of character, whose memory cannot now be recalled without touching the secret place of tears.

By some means too, the name of a suffering woman is mentioned, who has seen affliction as the wife perhaps of a spendthrift or a drunkard; and the name brings her before us, as she was in her girlhood, amiable, true, and confiding; the joy of her father, and her mother's pride, and holding a high place in our regards. What a lesson does the reminiscence of such an one read to us now! Well would it be if the thought of her should excite in our minds the purpose to find her out, that we might show the kindness of God to her stricken heart and desolate household!

But it is not often that our remembrances of the past move us in this direction. "Every man for himself," is the doctrine of selfishness-a doctrine that gains strength, as life goes on, unless we take care to cultivate tenderness of feeling. We become so absorbed in our own concerns, as to find little room and less dis