only harboureth no resentment against those, whose persecution and banishment of him gave rise to the destruction of his habitation and the rapine of his Wives and Little Ones, but heapeth upon them blessings; and in a more marked degree imparting benefits to them who had, in the hour of his adversity, held out to him a helping hand, and afforded him shelter from the fury of the storm that threatened his destruction. The purity of his motives in so doing, as proceeding from sentiments of piety and gratitude, can scarcely be questioned, as there is nothing in the past character of David, that stigmatizes him with any over-eagerness to ascend the Promised Throne of Israel, or to stir up Others to throw off in his favour their betrothed allegiance to King Saul. To requite Others for kindnesses received, and to testify his ardent love for his Country, where the hallowed and heart-cheering voice of pure devotion had been heard and cherished by him with the first dawn of reason, were inducements that obviously and naturally influenced his conduct. And to such inducements should every heart yield, that would seek The LORD in the Way Wherein He may be Found.

"Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the Men of Israel fled from before the Philistines; and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his Sons: and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abinadab, and Melchi-shua, Saul's Sons; and the battle went sore against Saul; and the Archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the Archers. Then said Saul unto his Armour-Bearer, 'Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these Uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!' But his Armour-Bearer would not: for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. And when his Armour-Bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him. So Saul died, and his three Sons, and his Armour-Bearer, and all his Men, that same day together. And when the Men of Israel, that were on the other side of the Valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the Men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his Sons were dead, they forsook the Cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the Slain, that they found Saul and his three Sons fallen in Mount Gilboa; and they cut off his head and stripped off his armour, and sent into the Land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their Idols and among the People: and they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan. And when the Inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant Men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his Sons, from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there; and they took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh; and fasted seven days."-1 Sam. xxxi.

Thus fell the bitter Enemy of David, an Enemy indeed without a cause, and fell in a conflict with that same hostile Power, against whom David, and David only, under GOD, had before been able to deliver him; but the pride of Saul's heart was unsubdued up to the instant of his Death, which the awfully daring act of selfdestruction too incontrovertibly confirmed. By the surrender of himself to the Philistines he might have had his life spared, on condition of being, perhaps, like Samson, their Captive, to do homage to their god; but his high spirit could not brook becoming the gaze, and the laughing-stock, and mockery of Man; and yet, in the blindness of that passion, he rushed on instant death to be made the mock and sport of Devils, having thereby shut out all further season for repentance, and Standing, with all his sins at once laid open to him, in the conscious Presence of An Offended GOD, Whose Judgment, in the Immutable Counsels of Unerring Wisdom and Justice, must be without Mercy upon them, who have here set at nought His

Commands, and outraged His Laws, living without shewing mercy to Others, and dying without faith, without prayer, and without hope. The death of Jonathan, whose piety and integrity of heart made him deservedly the cherished Friend of the righteous David, may seem to have been a severe Visitation of DIVINE Vengeance for the sins of the Father upon the Child; but Life with All must have an end, and, though the good Man may have peace here, yet does that peace arise mostly from the hope of an Hereafter, even from the Promise and the Prospect of Heaven; and to be Advanced from that hope to its fullest Fruition, though even by the hand of Violence, whether in open war, or private assassination, can be no cause of regret in the departed Spirit.

And I

"Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; it came even to pass on the third day, that, behold a Man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head; and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. And David said unto him, From whence comest thou?' And he said unto him, 'Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.' And David said unto him, 'How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me?' And he answered, That the People are fled from the battle, and Many of the People also are fallen and dead; and Saul, and Jonathan, his Son, are dead also.' And David said unto the young Man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul, and Jonathan, his Son, be dead?' And the young Man, that told him, said, 'As I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and lo, the chariots and Horsemen followed hard after him and when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. answered, Here am I.' And he said unto me, Who art thou?' And I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.' He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me; for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.' So I stood upon him, and slew him; because I was sure that he could not live, after that he was fallen and I took the crown, that was upon his head, and the bracelet, that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my Lord.' Then David took hold on his clothes and rent them and likewise all the Men, that were with him and they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan, his Son, and for the People of The LORD, and for the House of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. And David said unto the young Man, that told him, 'Whence art thou?' And he answered, I am the Son of a Stranger, an Amalekite.' And David said unto him, 'How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy The LORD'S Anointed?' And David called One of the young Men, and said, 'Go near, and fall upon him!' And he smote him, that he died. And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head! for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain The LORD'S Anointed.'"-2 Sam. i. 1—16.

The Amalekite, with the expectation of winning the favour and patronage of David, resorted to a deception, which wrought the very opposite effect, ending even in his own destruction, though he expected it would have paved the way to worldly distinction and honour: thus instancing the impolicy as well as danger of dishonesty and double dealing. But the high reverence entertained by David on this occasion for the Name and Glory of GOD, is worthy of consideration, and marks a mind of the most devout character, as well as an humble submission to The DIVINE Appointments. Greater disinterestedness could not have been exemplified than is here manifested by David, when apprised of the Destruction of Saul-no reflections are cast upon his unjust persecution-no joy exhibited at the day of Saul's triumph over him having eternally closed-not a murmur escapes him, as having endured wrongfully the extremest ills that persevering malice could inflict; on the contrary, he

mourns the death of Saul, as the most faithful Subject would his King, as a Child his Parent, or as a Man his Brother or his Friend; and indeed piety will ever be found the surest test of loyalty and of honourable obedience even to a temporal Superior. But the judgment of David on the Amalekite seems to have been harsh and unjustifiable. If he had related facts, they were such as should have excused a Stranger to the laws of Israel from vindictive chastisement; it would have been enough to have disappointed his expectations of aggrandizement as the Destroyer of David's Enemy. If his narrative were unfounded, David did not know as much, and on the contrary acted on his admitted veracity. It was, therefore, in either view, a visitation of judgment, whether just or not, without mercy; and against the influence of such an example most cautiously should we guard ourselves, and so 'judge not, lest we be Judged.' Besides, the act was represented as solicited by Saul, and as only confirming his purpose of rescuing him from witnessing the further triumph of his bitter Foes, and saving him from the, to him, insufferable taunts of a cruel, and relentless, and exasperated Enemy; somewhat extenuating the Amalekite's offence, and which should have been weighed in the balance of Justice.

The zeal for the Name and Glory of GOD, as displayed by David on this occasion, was correspondent with the habits and propensities of the Jews, until The SPIRITUAL DAVID Came to Diffuse Sublimer Sentiments amongst Men. To him, who drew his sword in defence of his assailed MASTER, That MASTER, JESUS, The INCARNATE SON of GOD, Said, Put up thy sword! for they that take the sword, shall perish by the sword."

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*“And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan, his Son (also he bade them teach the Children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.) The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high Places: how are the Mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath! publish it not in the Streets of Askelon! lest the Daughters of the Philistines rejoice; lest the Daughters of the Uncircumcised triumph. Ye Mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! for there the shield of the Mighty is vilely cast away; the shield of Saul, as though he had not been Anointed with Oil. From the blood of the Slain, from the fat of the Mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their Lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. Ye Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights; who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. How are the Mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine 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. How are the Mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!" -2 Sam. i. 17, 27. With all the impressiveness and force of poetical imagery is the grief of David accompanied; not the slightest allusion is made to the bitterness of sorrow that Saul had occasioned him, but he seems even to have forgotten that he was otherwise than the mildest and most beneficent of Monarchs. His jealousy for the honour of his GOD, lest the Heathens should exult in the downfall of Saul, as an assumed proof that there was not A GOD in Israel Greater than their idol Ashtaroth, was the natural effect of the piety that he professed; and most beautifully has that feeling been portrayed in language. The sorrow, indeed, shown for Jonathan's fate, could not have been exceeded by the most ardent manifestation of the devoted affections of a Wife, mourning over the untimely fall of her Husband. Still is it observable that no murmur against The DIVINE Dispensations escapes him; his griefs, though they spoke thus eloquently, are unmixed with any utterance of complaint against That POWER, Who had Witnessed, in every stage, the

G

unfeigned attachment that subsisted between Jonathan and David, and Knew the consolation and joy which the latter experienced from its prevalence, and could not but equally Recognise the regret, to which its total termination, by the irrevocable fiat of Death, gave rise. All here is tacit submission to That Appointment, as far as the Hand of GOD was Visible in its Direction; but with the sublimer affections of the Saint, the feelings of the Man were delicately blended, and a finer study for imitation in these respects can scarcely be drawn than is here given. The death of Friends, however exalted may be our piety, must for a season afflict; but never should any occurrence of that, or any other terrestrial nature, induce us to repine at the Will of PROVIDENCE, or to withdraw our allegiance from Him, Who is The KING of Kings; and Who, in Friendship towards All, who cleave unto Him, Sticketh Closer to us than a Brother. The friendship of Jonathan was constant and progressive; and but too truly did David say that the Love of Jonathan for him surpassed that of Women; for the Woman, of all others, bound to David by the solemn bond of matrimony, though the Sister of Jonathan, had proved inconstant in her affections, though she had witnessed, in all its varieties, the true amiableness of character in David, which had so endeared him to Jonathan. Wonderful, indeed, was that love, that stood unshaken at the bidding of a Parent and a King (in all other respects reverenced and obeyed), that the impending hand of death could not remove, that absence, and exile, and poverty, and abandonment of the Individual towards whom it was extended, could not destroy or weaken.

"And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of The LORD, saying, 'Shall I go up into any of the Cities of Judah?' And The LORD Said unto him, Go up!' And David said, 'Whither shall I go up?' And He said, Unto Hebron.'"-2 Sam. ii. 1. Strong as was David's affection for his Country, and fair as to a worldly-minded Man would have seemed the opportunity of his returning to it, now that his Enemy was no more, and the Kingly Crown had been brought to him, yet was his reverence for The DIVINE Will stronger, and to this all other ties in him gave way. After mourning the loss of his dearest Earthly Friend, his thoughts are naturally turned to the Land, whence Both had derived their birth, and where the knowledge and worship of their GOD alone prevailed. But in the example of David we see the propriety of not suffering our seemingly best prejudices to influence our conduct, without the fullest assurance that they are Blessed and Sanctified by GOD'S Permission and Encouragement. The peculiar mode of DIVINE Communication to David, who was himself a Prophet and "the Man after GOD'S Own Heart," it may not be proper for us to wait for or calculate upon. Since David lived, The DIVINE Will has been more generally Revealed, and the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, and the Writings of His Divinely Inspired Apostles, Constitute the Great Oracle, Which All may safely consult; and The PRIEST for Ever of The Spiritual Temple, JESUS CHRIST, the SUN of Righteousness, by The HOLY SPIRIT, Expoundeth to every humble and faithful Heart, the Things That Belong unto its Peace; Proclaiming, with the holy Job, that "the fear of The LORD, that is Wisdom, and to depart from evil is Ünderstanding."-xxviii. 28.

"So David went up thither, and his two Wives also, Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, Nabal's Wife, the Carmelite and his Men, that were with him, did David bring up; every Man with his Household; and they dwelt in the Cities of Hebron."-2 Sam. ii. 2, 3. Of them, whom The LORD Gave him, was David unwilling to lose One; they had contributed to uphold him in the season of adversity, and it was not in him to desert them, when he had perhaps scarce any need of their services. Though coming to him with characters somewhat questionable, yet he, by the prudence and wisdom of his management of them, had worked such a reformation in them, as was calculated to render them possibly far from useless

Members to his Country's Commonwealth. The firmness and constancy of friend. ship are inseparable from a religiously regulated mind, and prosperity is primarily used by Such to feed the wants and promote the comforts of Those, whom adversity, that best test of profession, has proved to be vitally and heartily attached to us.

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And the Men of Judah came; and there they anointed David King over the House of Judah."-2 Sam. ii., first part of 4. The Justice of The DIVINE Admonition is thus at once confirmed, for no sooner is David restored to his favourite City, than the hearts of the People, already open to receive him with gladness, confer on him the surest mark of confidence, and the highest badge of honour that it was possible for them to bestow; and this even at the hazard of bringing down upon them the vengeance or hostility of the still surviving Enemies of David, of whom it was only reasonable to suppose that there were too many to be found, for him to expect a reign, or his people a government, of present and uninterrupted

peace.

"And they told David, saying, That the Men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul: and David sent Messengers unto the Men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, 'Blessed be ye of The LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your Lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him! And now The LORD Shew Kindness and Truth unto you! and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing: therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant! for your Master Saul is dead, and also the House of Judah have anointed me King over them!'"-2 Sam. ii., second part of 4-7. Saul had been the salvation, under GOD, of the Men of Jabesh-gilead against the power of the Ammonites, who would only give them peace on the harsh condition of their having every Man his right eye plucked out (1 Sam. xi.); the act of reverence, therefore, shewn by them for the Manes of Saul, was but a debt of gratitude; still, as it was paid at the hazard of the lives of the most valiant of their men, and paid to the memory only of One, who having sunk in death, could not thence arise to give thanks to them, such conduct was the more deserving of esteem; and David's was not the Soul that would shrink from the common impulse of humanity, and overlook such an instance of grateful veneration; but his unfeigned and unfailing love for his GOD led him peculiarly to mark it with his approbation, and to associate with that approbation his prayers for a Blessing from Above on the People that did it, since it was towards the Anointed of The LORD, that this Act of patriot dedication was done. Thus were two of the brightest virtues of Christianity prefigured in the conduct of David, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good!" and "Submit yourself to all Governors for The LORD'S Sake;" Maxims that, with reference to Saul, David most sacredly observed, for never was loyalty more tried by persecution, or found more true on the trial; and rarely has the hand of oppression met with a Spirit so unresisting.

"But Abner, the Son of Ner, Captain of Saul's Host, took Ish-bosheth, the Son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; and he made him King over Gilead, and over the Åshurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. Ish-bosheth, Saul's Son, was forty years old, when he began to reign over Israel; and reigned two years. But the House of Judah followed David. And the time that David was King in Hebron, over the House of Judah, was seven years and six months."-2 Sam. ii. 8-11. Saul had been called to the government by the peculiar designation of the Prophet of The LORD, which Same Prophet declared, that for Saul's disobedience to The DIVINE Injunction The LORD had Rent his Kingdom from him, and had Given It to Another. for this, therefore, It might seem in Its Creation to have been Intended as hereditary; and if Abner knew not What The ALMIGHTY had Revealed by His Prophet, his Advancement of One of Saul's Sons to his Father's vacant Throne was a

But