and interest. They want to be honoured before the people, while they seek not peace with God. What wretched folly, hypocrisy, and selfdeceit when God is the judge, the master of every one, by whose sentence all must stand or fall. Let all labour then to be approved of God, and to secure that honour which cometh from him only. 4. The hearts of good men are greatly pained and grieved at the wickedness of others, and especially of persons distinguished for rank and dignity. How earnestly did Samuel pray for Saul all night, when he heard of his wickedness! how affectionately did he mourn for him, when he was rejected! Undoubtedly he was very much concerned at his losing the kingdom; more especially on account of his losing the favour of God, and exposing himself to future misery. Every good man's heart is pained when sinners destroy themselves, especially those who have received signal favours from God, and have been advanced to distinguished honour. They are grieved when men forsake God, and are forsaken of him. Let us labour to affect our hearts with the misery of the wicked; and though, like Samuel, we may refrain from their company, when we see it is in vain to give them any advice, and though they never mourn for themselves, let us pity and pray for them, if peradventure God may give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth, that their souls may be saved in the day of the Lord. CHAP. XVI. We are now entering on the history of David, who was an eminent saint, a valiant hero, an inspired prophet, and the sweet Psalmist of Israel; he to whom we are indebted for the most excellent part of our public devotions. We have in this chapter an account of his being anointed king, and the manner in which he was introduced to court. 1 AN ND the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Samuel had retired from Saul, and was employed in training up prophets in the school under his care. He knew it was in vain to mourn; but he appeared to be much concerned lest Saul should die suddenly, and there should be no one to succeed him; therefore God said to him, Fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons; one very different from Saul, who 2 shall fulfil all my will. And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear [it,] he will kill me, he will be greatly enraged at his rejection. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. This Samuel was used to do from place to place, to keep up the worship of God, and to 3 prevent the increasing wickedness of Israel. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, to feast upon the peace offering, as friends and neigh bours used to do, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me [him] whom I name unto thee; so shalt thou be preserved from danger. And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, lest he was come to denounce some judgment against them; or to shun Saul's displeasure, and so it might be dangerous for them to entertain him, as ch. xxi. 31. and they said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, by washing and other legal purifications, also by meditation and prayer, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanc#ified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. After the sacrifice he went home with Jesse, while the feast on the peace offering was getting ready, and acquainted him with his business; then Jesse called his sons to pase before him one by one. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD's anointed [is] before him. But the LORD said unto Satnuel, by secret suggestion, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD 9 chosen this. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he 10 said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. This proves that he And Samuel said 11 had made Jesse acquainted with the business. unto Jesse, Are here all [thy] children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. Jesse thought it was not likely the youngest should be chosen, therefore he did not send for him till Samuel ordered him. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him for we will not sit 12 down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he [was] ruddy, or red haired, which was counted a great beauty among them, [and] withal of a beautiful countenance, or of fine eyes, and goodly to look to, something very amiable and sweet in his countenance; and these natural charms were probably heightened by a modest blush when he appeared before Samuel. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this [is] he. choice of David was evidently the immediate act of God, for Samuel 13 and Jesse had both judged wrong. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren, rather, from the midst of his brethren, in private; because he was desirous to keep it a secret, lest his elder brethren should envy him: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day for ward, a spirit of prudence and courage, a public spirit; qualifications fit for a prince. Probably Samuel explained the meaning of this ceremony to be a designation to the kingdom after Saul's VOL. III. I This 14 death, but not till then, 2 Sam. v. 2. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. He grew melancholy, had violent fits of phrenzy, and strange agitations of body and mind: his disorder might be chiefly natural, arising from vexation and pride, and an evil spirit might take the advantage of it to make him 15 more melancholy, and sometimes more furious. And Saul's servants, or courtiers perceived it, and said unto him, Behold now, 16 an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants [which are] before thee, to seek out a man, [who is] a cunning player on an harp : and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play 17 with his hand, and thou shalt be well.* And Saul said unto his 18 servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring [him] to me. Then answered one of the servants, who wished to introduce David to the court, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, [that is] cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, (Saul would like him the better for this,) and prudent in matters, fit to stand before Saul, who in his fits might say and do many extravagant things that were proper to be concealed, and a comely person, proper to be about the king's person, and the LORD [is] with him, he is re19 markably favoured by Providence. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which 20 [is] with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass [laden] with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent [them] by David his son unto Saul, as a token of homage, respect, and allegiance. 21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him; Saul finding him to be such a one as was represented, promoted him to a place of considerable honour, and he loved him greatly; and he became 22 his armourbearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. He desires Jesse's consent that he might continue with him: It was a token of great kindness, that he would not keep him with23 out his father's consent. And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand :† so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him; he had some lucid intervals, the tumult of his thoughts were composed, and he was fit for the business of his station. Music is known to have a natural tendency to assuage the passions and compose the mind. It was celebrated for this among the ancients; and it is observed, that those who love music, are generally good tempered, calm, and gentle. ↑ Josephus tells us that he added psalms and hymns, which had a good effect upon Saul, 1. REFLECTIONS. WE paration in E learn, (what cannot be too often inculcated) the ne ligious exercises: and though we are not required to use ceremonial observances, yet we must prepare our hearts by meditation, prayer and serious consideration; and get rid of other cares, that we may wait upon the Lord without distraction. This is necessary, to render our services comfortable to ourselves, or acceptable to God through the Redeemer. 2. We must reverence and fear that God who looketh into the heart, and discerns the temper and principle, the affections and thoughts. Samuel, though a wise and good man, was deceived in Jesse's elder sons. If we trust to outward appearances, we shall often be deceived. But let us always remember, that God searches the heart; he knows who will best fill up particular stations, and often fixes on those persons who to us seem most unfit; and rejects others, who appear more likely; but at length it will appear that we were mistaken. Let this be a caution to us to guard our hearts; to see that we act upon right principles, and for good ends, for God cannot be deceived. We learn also, to judge of others by their tempers and souls, and not by outward appearances; to value those most, whose minds are most holy, whose tempers are kind and obliging; not those who are only eminent for a comely countenance or height of stature; and who, like him whom Samuel thought the Lord would choose, are proud, surly, and passionate. 3. How miserable is that person from whom the Lord is departed, and his Spirit withdrawn! When the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul he was in a sad condition, grew fretful and revenge. ful; sometimes melancholy, sometimes mad and outrageous. There is not a more pitiable creature on this side hell, than the man who is forsaken of God, and given up a prey to his own heart's lusts. No one needs a worse punishment, than to have his own passions let loose upon him, and the restraints of divine grace taken away. May we learn therefore highly to value, and diligently to seek and cherish, the influences of the good Spirit of God; to guard against every iniquity, especially wilful rebellion and disobedience; for this will provoke God to take away his holy Spirit ; and no dignity or power can secure the possession of it. May we learn to consider the displeasure of God, and the absence of his good Spirit, as the greatest of all evils; for thus saith the Lord, Hos. ix. 12. Woe also to them when I depart from them! CHAP. XVII. In the former chapter we had an account of David being at court; here we find him in the camp, Goliath challenges the armies of Israel; David accepts the challenge, and gains the victory; upon which Saul inquires particularly about him. 1 WOW the Philistines took advantage of Saul's lunacy and incapacity for business, and gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which [belongeth] to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, 2 in Ephesdammim, or, the coast of Dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, And Israel stood on a mountain on the other side and [there was] a valley between them. 4 : And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Phil istines, named Goliath, of Gath, one of the Anakims who fled from Joshua, (see ch. xi. 22.) whose height [was] six cubits 5 and a span, more than three yards. And [he had] an helmet of brass upon his head, and he [was] armed, or clothed, with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat [was] five thousand shekels 6 of brass, or about a hundred and a half. And [he had] greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoul7 ders. And the staff of his spear [was] like a weaver's beam ; and his spear's head [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron, about twenty five pounds; and one bearing a shield went before 8 him. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set [your] battle in array? [am] not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose 9 you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants : but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our 10 servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight to11 gether, and by single combat decide the day. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid; there was not a man that durst look him in the face; even Jonathan was dismayed, and found no impulse to attack him; this work was reserved for David. 12 Now David [was] the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name [was] Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men [for] an old man in the days of 13 Saul, and was therefore excused from going to war. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went [and] followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle [were] Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Sham14 mah. And David [was] the youngest and the three eldest |