he knew him raised up in despite of his government; yet he mourns more for him, than he did for his sons, for himself. It grieved him to see the plant, which he had set in the garden of Israel, thus soon withered. It is an unnatural senselessness, not to be affected with the dangers, with the sins of our governors. God did not blame this sorrow, but moderated it; How long wilt thou mourn for Saul? It was not the affection he forbade, but the measure. In this is the difference betwixt good men and evil, that evil men mourn not for their own sins, good men do so mourn for the sins of others that they will hardly be taken off.

If Samuel mourn, because Saul hath cast away God by his sin, he must cease to mourn, because God hath cast away Saul from reigning over Israel, in his just punishment. A good heart hath learned to rest itself upon the justice of God's decree, and forgets all earthly respects when it looks up to heaven. So did God mean to shew his displeasure against the person of Saul, that he would shew favour to Israel; he will not therefore bereave them of a king, but change him for a better. Either Saul had slandered his people, or else they were partners with him in the disobedience; yet, because it was their ruler's fault that they were not over-ruled, we do not hear of their smarting, any otherwise than in the subjection to such a king as was not loyal to God. The loss of Saul is their gain. The government of their first king was abortive: no marvel if it held not. Now was the maturity of that state; and therefore God will bring them forth a kindly monarchy, settled where it should.

Kings are of God's providing: it is good reason he should make choice of his own deputies; but where goodness meets with sovereignty, both his right and his gift are doubled. If kings were merely from the earth, what needs a prophet to be seen in the choice or inauguration?

The hand of Samuel doth not now bear the sceptre to rule Israel, but it bears the horn for the anointing of him that must rule. Saul was sent to him, when the time was to be anointed; but now, he is sent to anoint David. Then, Israel sought a king for themselves; now, God seeks a king for Israel. The prophet is therefore directed to the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite, the grandchild of Ruth. Now is the faithful love of that good Moabitess crowned with the honour of a kingdom, in the succeeding generation. God fetched her out of Moab, to bring a king unto Israel. While Orpah wants bread in her own country, Ruth is grown a great lady in Bethlehem; and is advanced to be great-grandmother to the king of Israel. The retributions of God are bountiful: never any man forsook aught for his sake, and complained of a hard bargain.

Even the best of God's saints want not their infirmities. He, that never replied when he was sent to reprove the king, moveth

How

doubts when he is bidden to go and anoint his successor. can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me. Perhaps desire of full direction drew from him this question, but not without a mixture of diffidence; for the manner of doing it, doth not so much trouble him as the success. It is not to be expected, that the most faithful hearts should be always in an equal height of resolution.

God doth not chide Samuel, but instruct him. He which is wisdom itself, teacheth him to hide his counsels in an honest policy; Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to do sacrifice to the Lord. This was to say true; not to say all. Truth may not be crossed by denials or equivocations; it may be concealed in a discreet silence. Except in the case of an oath, no man is bound to speak all he knows. We are not only allowed, but commanded, to be innocently serpentine.

Jesse had

There were doubtless heifers enow in Bethlehem. both wealth and devotion enough, to have bestowed a sacrifice upon God and his prophet; but to give a more perfect colour to his intention, Samuel must take a heifer with him. The act itself was serious and necessary. There was no place, no time, wherein it was not fit for a Samuel to offer peace-offerings unto God; but when a king should be anointed, there was no less than necessity in this service. Those, which must represent God to the world, ought to be consecrated to that majesty whom they resemble, by public devotions. Every important action requires a sacrifice to bless it; much more that act, which imports the whole church or commonwealth.

It was great news to see Samuel at Bethlehem. He was no gadder abroad: none but necessary occasions could make him stir from Ramah. The elders of the city therefore welcome him with trembling; not for that they were afraid of him, but of themselves. They knew that guest would not come to them for familiarity: straight do they suspect it was the purpose of some judgment, that drew him thither; Comest thou peaceably? It is a good thing, to stand in awe of God's messengers, and to hold good terms with them upon all occasions. The Bethlehemites. are glad to hear of no other errand, but a sacrifice.; and now must they sanctify themselves for so sacred a business. We may not presume to sacrifice unto God unsanctified: this were to mar a holy act, and to make ourselves more profane, by profaning that which should be holy.

All the citizens sanctify themselves; but Jesse and his sons were in a special fashion sanctified by Samuel. This business. was most theirs, and all Israel in them. The more God hath to do with us, the more holy should we be,

With what desire did Samuel look upon the sons of Jesse, that he might see the face of the man whom God had chosen! And now, when Eliab the eldest son came forth, a man of a goodly

presence, whose person seemed fit to succeed Saul, he thinks with himself, "This choice is soon made. I have already espied the head, on which I must spend this holy oil. This is the man, which hath both the privilege of nature in his primogeniture, and of outward goodliness in proportion. Surely, the Lord's anointed is before him." Even the holiest prophet, when he goes without God, runs into error. The best judgment is subject to deceit. It is no trusting any mortal man, when he speaks of himself. Our eyes can be led by nothing but signs and appearances, and those have commonly in them, either a true falsehood or uncertain truth.

That, which should have forewarned Samuel, deceived him. He had seen the proof of a goodly stature unanswerable to their hopes, and yet his eye errs in the shape. He, that judgeth by the inside both of our hearts and actions, checks Samuel in this misconceit; Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for God seeth not as man seeth. The king, with whom God meant to satisfy the untimely desires of Israel, was chosen by his stature; but the king, with whom God meant to please himself, is chosen by the heart.

All the seven sons of Jesse are presented to the prophet: no one is omitted, whom their father thought capable of any respect. If either Samuel or Jesse should have chosen, David should never have been king. His father thought him fit to keep sheep: his brethren fit to rule men; yet even David, the youngest son, is fetched from the fold, and by the choice of God destined to the throne. Nature, which is commonly partial to her own, could not suggest aught to Jesse, to make him think David worthy to be remembered in any competition of honour; yet him hath God singled out to rule.

God will have his wisdom magnified, in the unlikelihoods of his election. David's countenance was ingenuous and beautiful, but if it had promised so much as Eliab's or Abinadab's, he had not been in the fields, while his brethren were at the sacrifice. If we do altogether follow our eye, and suffer ourselves to be guided by outward respects, in our choice for God or ourselves, we cannot but go amiss.

What do we think the brethren of David thought, when they saw the oil poured upon his head? Surely, as they were envious enough, they had too much repined, if they had either fully apprehended the purpose of the prophet, or else had not thought of some improbability in the success. Either they understood not, or believed not, what God would do with their brother. They saw him graced with God's Spirit above his wont, but perhaps foresaw not whither it tended. David, as no wit changed. in his condition, returns to his sheep again; and, with an humble admiration of God's gracious respect to him, casts himself upon the wise and holy decree of the Almighty, resigning himself to

the disposition of those hands which had chosen him; when suddenly a messenger is sent from Saul to call him in all haste, to that court whereof he shall once be master. The occasion is no less from God, than the event.

CONTEMPLATION III.-DAVID CALLED TO THE COURT.

1 SAMUEL XVI.

THAT the kingdom is, in the appointment of God, departed from Saul, it is his least loss: now the Spirit of God is also departed from him. One spirit is no sooner gone, but another is come; both are from God: even the worst spirits have not only permission, but commission from heaven, for the infliction of judgment. He, that at first could hide himself among the stuff, that he might not be king, is now so transported with this glory, that he grows passionate with the thought of foregoing it: Satan takes vantage of his melancholy dejection, and turns this passion into frenzy. God will have even evil spirits work by means: a distempered body and an unquiet mind are fit grounds for Satan's vexation.

Saul's courtiers, as men that were more witty than religious, advised him to music. They knew the strength of that skill, in allaying the fury of passions, in cheering up the dejected spirits of their master. This was done like some fond chirurgeon, that, when the bone is out of joint, lays some suppling poultices to the part, for the assuaging of the ache, in the mean time not caring to remedy the luxation.

If they had said, "Sir, you know this evil comes from that. God whom you have offended: there can be no help but in reconcilement: how easy is it for the God of Spirits to take off Satan! Labour your peace with him by a serious humiliation : make means to Samuel to further the atonement : they had been wise counsellors, divine physicians; whereas now they do but skin over the sore, and leave it rankled at the bottom. The cure must ever proceed in the same steps with the disease, else. in vain shall we seem to heal. There is no safety in the redress of evils, but to strike at the root.

Yet since it is no better with Saul and his courtiers, it is well it is no worse. I do not hear either the master or servants say, "This is an ill spirit; send for some magician, that may countermand him. There are forcible enchantments for these spiritual vexations; if Samuel will not, there are witches, that may give ease." But, as one that would rather be ill than do worse, he contents himself to do that, which was lawful, if insufficient. It is a shame to say, that he, whom God had rejected for his.

sin, was yet a saint to some that should be Christians, who care not how much they are beholden to the devil in their distresses, affecting to cast out devils by Beelzebub. In cases of loss or sickness, they make hell their refuge, and seek for patronage, but of an enemy. Here is a fearful agreement: Satan seeks to them in his temptations, they in their consultations seek to him; and, now they have mutually found each other, if they ever part, it is a miracle.

David had lived obscurely in his father's house; his only care and ambition was the welfare of the flock he tended; and now, while his father and his brothers neglected him as fit for nothing but the field, he is talked of at the court. Some of Saul's followers had been at Jesse's house, and taken notice of David's skill; and now, that harp, which he practised for his private recreation, shall make him of a shepherd a courtier. The music, that he meant only to himself and his sheep, brings him before kings. The wisdom of God thought fit to take this occasion, of acquainting David with that court, which he shall once govern. It is good, that our education should perfect our children in all those commendable qualities, whereto they are disposed. Little do we know, what use God means to make of those faculties, which we know not how to employ. Where the Almighty purposes an advancement, obscurity can be no prejudice. Small means shall set forward that, which God hath decreed.

Doubtless, old Jesse noted, not without admiration, the wonderful accordance of God's proceedings; that he, which was sent for out of the field to be anointed, should now be sent for out of the country into the court; and, now he perceived God was making way for the execution of that which he purposed, he attends the issue in silence, neither shall his hand fail to give furtherance to the project of God. He therefore sends his son laden with a present to Saul.

The same God, which called David to the court, welcomes him thither. His comeliness, valour, and skill have soon won him favour in the eyes of Saul. The giver of all graces hath so placed his favours, that the greatest enemies of goodness shall see somewhat in the holiest men, which they shall affect, and for which they shall honour the persons of them, whose virtues they dislike; as contrarily, the saints on earth see somewhat to love even in the worst creatures.

No doubt David sung to his harp: his harp was not more sweet, than his song was holy. Those psalms alone had been more powerful to chase the evil spirit, than the music was to calm passions; both together gave ease to Saul; and God gave this effect to both, because he would have Saul train up his successor. This sacred music did not more dispel Satan, than wanton music invites him; and more cheers him, than us: