Wherefore, when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them, and behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was much set by; but Saul became David's enemy continually.

So David, the little shepherd boy, was chosen by God to be anointed by Samuel as the future King of Israel, in the place of Saul, who had displeased God. But we do not find that David grew vain and proud of this honour; he goes back again to keep his father's sheep. When David was king he wrote many sweet hymns, called Psalms; and in many of these he speaks of sheep and the shepherd's life. How wonderful is David's trust in God. The great and dreadful giant, Goliath, does not frighten him, because he knew that God, who had called him, was stronger still, and would help him in the hour of danger. Let us try and copy David, both in his humility and his holy confidence. So may we hope to please God as he did.

Who was David? and what relation to Ruth?
What was David's occupation?

Who was Goliath, and what did he do?

Was David frightened like the other Israelites?

Did David trust in his armour? or in what did he trust?

How did he kill Goliath ?

What musical instrument did David play upon ?

David and Jonathan.

EALOUS Saul sought David's life, Because the people loved him best; And all his days were days of strife, Of envy, hatred, and unrest.

When evil spirits filled his heart,

Young David played his harp in vain;
Saul, deaf to sacred music's art,
Would gladly David there have slain.

But Jonathan was David's friend,
And did all that a friend could do
From Saul to hide him, and defend;
Their love was wonderful and true.

One day Saul lay in David's power,
He might have killed him as he lay;
But not in that unguarded hour,

Would he "the Lord's Anointed" slay.

Revenge for David had no charm;

He only sought the will of God;

And safely sheltered in His arm,

From youth to manhood David trod.

And when his enemy lay dead,—

Saul and his sons by battle-pain—

He wept for them, and only said,
Alas! How are the mighty slain!

CHAPTER XXII.

Saul desires to kill David. The friendship of David and Jonathan. Saul is slain in battle.

ND Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.

But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David, and told him, saying, My father seeketh to kill thee; now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself. And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his words have been to theeward very good. For he did put his life in his hand and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel. Thou sawest it, and didst rejoice; wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan; and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain. And Jonathan called David, and told him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.

And there was war again, and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him. And the evil

N

spirit was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand, and David played with his hand. And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall, and David fled, and escaped. Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning. And Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let David down through a window, and he escaped. And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his

bolster.

And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. And it was told Saul, saying, Behold David is at Naioth in Ramah. And Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as ap

pointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. And after sending messengers three times, who all prophesied, Saul went himself to take David. And the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he prophesied before Samuel in like manner.

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? And Jonathan said, God forbid, thou shalt not die; behold my father will do nothing, either great or small, but he will show it to me, and why should he hide this thing from me? It is not so.

But David answered, Thy father saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved; but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. Then said Jonathan to David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. And David said to Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third day at even. If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. If he say thus, It is well, thy servant shall have peace; but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him. But who shall tell me, or what if thy father shall answer thee roughly? And Jonathan said unto David, Come and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.