to Saul, and said that he would go and fight with the Philistine. Saul was astonished that he should think of such a thing; but David replied, that whenever* a lion or a bear had come to attack his father's sheep, he had always gone after the wild beast, and smitten it; and that when it rose against him, he had caught it by the beard, and had slain it. This made him feel sure that God, who had delivered him from the lions and the bears, would deliver him also from the Philistine. Saul therefore said to him, "Go; and the Lord be with thee."

Saul also gave him a helmet, and a coat of mail, and a sword; but David had never been accustomed to wear armour, and he felt that he could not fight while he had it on: so he laid it aside, and he took his staff in his hand, and

Le Clerc thinks that it is not one occasion only, but several, which are here referred to. See his note on 1 Sam. xvii. 34.

chose five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in his shepherd's bag, and his sling was in his hand.

Then he advanced towards the Philistine; and when Goliath saw how young a man was coming out to fight with him, and without sword or armour, he despised him, and said, "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?" And he cursed him, and told him that he would give his flesh to the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. But David feared him not, and replied, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." He told him also that he would smite him, and cut his head off, and that all those who saw it should perceive, that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, for "The battle," said he, "is the Lord's, and He will give thee into our hands."

Then the Philistine advanced nearer ; and when David saw him coming he ran forward; and putting his hand in his bag, he took out a stone and slang it; and he smote the Philistine in the forehead with such force, that the stone sunk into his forehead, and the Philistine fell on his face to the earth.

Now David had no sword of his own, so he ran up to Goliath, and stood upon him, and drew his sword out of its sheath, and slew him, and cut off his head. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled; and the men of Israel and of Judah shouted, and pursued after the Philistines and slaughtered them.

This story shews us that they, who think themselves the strongest, often prove the weakest. "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall," says Solomon. (Prov. xvi. 18.) This proud giant despised such a strip

ling as David was; but he soon found to his cost that, stripling as he was, David could overcome him. Let this teach us not to think ourselves better than other people, when perhaps we are worse. Let it teach us to think humbly of ourselves, and strive to be really good, and just, and holy, instead of only esteeming ourselves to be so.

This story shews us also in whom we should put our trust. David put his trust in God, and God gave him the victory. So too will our heavenly Father help us in the hour of need, if we firmly trust in Him, and pray to Him for his gracious assistance. "Like as a father pitieth his children, even so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are but dust; and no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly."

FRIENDSHIP OF DAVID AND JONATHAN.

(1 Sam. xviii.-xxxi. ; 2 Sam. i.)

WHEN David returned from slaying the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel singing and dancing; and what they sang was, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." This made Saul very wrath, for he saw that they paid more honour to David than to himself, and from that day forward he eyed David with jealousy, and was always seeking to do him harm.

David played well on the harp; and one day, when he was playing to amuse Saul, and to drive away his low spirits, Saul aimed at him with his javelin, and would have killed him, if he had not slipped out of the way; and after this, as we have already seen, he tried to occasion his death by the Philistines, for he promised to give him his daughter in