affliction to the son of Saul, and an entrance of glory to the friend of David.

The Philistine archers shot at random. God directs their arrows into the body of Saul. Lest the discomfiture of his people and the slaughter of his sons should not be grief enough to him, he feels himself wounded, and sees nothing before him but horror and death; and now, as a man forsaken of all hopes, he begs of his armor-bearer that death'sblow, which else he must, to the doubling of his indignation, receive from a Philistine. He begs this bloody favor of his servant, and is denied. Such an awfulness hath God placed in sovereignty, that no entreaty, no extremity, can move the hand against it. What metal are those men made of, that can suggest, or resolve, and attempt the violation of majesty?

Wicked men care more for the shame of the world, than the danger of their souls. Desperate Saul will now supply his armor-bearer; and as a man that bore arms against himself, he falls on his own sword. What if he had died by the weapon of a Philistine? so did his son Jonathan, and lost no glory. These conceits of disreputation prevail with carnal hearts, above all spiritual respects. There is no greater murderer, than vain-glory. Nothing more argues a heart void of grace, than to be transported by idle popularity into actions prejudicial to the soul.

Evil examples, especially of the great, never escaped imitation. The armor-bearer of Saul follows his master; and dares do that to himself, which to his king he durst not as if their own swords had been more familiar executioners, they yielded unto them what they grudged to their pursuers.

From the beginning was Saul ever his own enemy; neither did any hands hurt him, but his own: and now his death is suitable to his life: his own hand pays him the reward of all his wickedness.

The end of hypocrites and envious men is commonly fearful. Now is the blood of God's priests which Saul shed, and of David which he would have shed, required and requited.

The evil spirit had said, the evening before, 'To-morrow thou shalt be with me;' and now Saul hasteth to make

the devil no liar. own mittimus.

Rather than fail, he gives himself his

Oh the woful extremities of a despairing soul, plunging him ever into a greater mischief to avoid the less! He might have been a patient in another's violence, and faultless; now, while he will needs act the Philistines' part on himself, he lived and died a murderer. The case is deadly, when the prisoner breaks the jail, and will not stay for his delivery: and though we may not pass sentence on such a soul, yet on the fact we may the soul may possibly repent in the parting; the act is heinous, and such as, without repentance, kills the soul.

It was the next day, ere the Philistines knew how much they were victors; then finding the dead corpse of Saul and his sons, they begin their triumphs. The head of king Saul is cut off in lieu of Goliath's; and now all their idol temples ring of their success. Foolish Philistines ! if they had not been more beholden to Saul's sins than their gods, they had never carried away the honor of those trophies. Instead of magnifying the justice of the true God, who punished Saul with deserved death, they magnify the power of the false. Superstition is extremely injurious to God. It is no better than theft, to ascribe unto the second causes, that honor which is due unto the first; but to give God's glory to those things, which neither act nor are, it is the highest degree of spiritual robbery.

Saul was none of the best kings; yet, so impatient are his subjects of the indignity offered to his dead corpse, that they will rather leave their own bones amongst the Philistines, than the carcass of Saul. Such a close relation there is betwixt a prince and subject, that the dishonor of either is inseparable from both. How willing should we be to hazard our bodies or substance, for the vindication either of the person or name of a good king, while he lives to the benefit of our protection! It is an unjust ingratitude in those men, which can endure the disgrace of them, under whose shelter they live; but how unnatural is the villany of those miscreants, that can be content to be actors in the capital wrongs offered to sove reign authority!

It were a wonder, if, after the death of a prince, there

should want some pickthank, to insinuate himself into his successor. An Amalekite young man rides post to Ziklag, to find out David, whom even common rumor had notified for the anointed heir to the kingdom of Israel; to be the first messenger of that news, which he thought could be no other than acceptable, the death of Saul: and that the tidings might be so much more meritorious, he adds to the report, what he thinks might carry the greatest retribution. In hope of reward or honor, the man is content to belie himself to David. It was not the spear, but the, sword of Saul, that was the instrument of his death; neither could this stranger find Saul but dying, since the armor-bearer of Saul saw him dead, ere he offered that violence to himself. The hand of this Amalekite therefore was not guilty; his tongue was.

If

Had not this messenger measured David's foot by his own last, he had forborne this piece of the news; and not hoped to advantage himself by this falsehood. Now he thinks; The tidings of a kingdom cannot but please. None but Saul and Jonathan stood in David's way; he cannot choose, but like to hear of their removal; especially, since Saul did so tyrannously persecute his innocence. I shall only report the fact done by another, I shall go away but with the recompense of a lucky post; whereas, if I take on me the action, I am the man, to whom David is beholden for the kingdom: he cannot but honor and requite me, as the author of his deliverance and happiness.' Worldly minds think no man can be of any other than their own diet; and because they find the respects of self-love and private profit so strongly prevailing with themselves, they cannot conceive how these should be capable of a repulse from others.

How much was this Amalekite mocked of his hopes! While he imagined that David would now triumph and feast in the assured expectation of the kingdom, and pos session of the crown of Israel, he finds him rending his elothes, and wringing his hands, and weeping, and mourning; as if all his comfort had been dead with Saul and Jonathan and yet perhaps he thought, 'This sorrow of David is but fashionable; such as great heirs make show of in the fatal day they have longed for: these tears will

be soon dry; the sight of a crown will soon breed a succession of other passions :' but this error is soon corrected; for, when David had entertained this bearer with a sad fast all the day, he calls him forth in the evening to execution; How wast thou not afraid,' saith he, to put forth thine hand to destroy the anointed of the Lord ?'

Doubtless, the Amalekite made many fair pleas for himself, out of the grounds of his own report: 'Alas, Saul was before fallen on his own spear. It was but mercy to kill him, that was half dead, that he might die the shorter. Besides, his entreaty and importunate prayers moved me, to hasten him through those painful gates of death. Had I stricken him as an enemy, I had deserved the blow I had given; now I lent him the hand of a friend. Why am I punished for obeying the voice of a king? and for perfecting what himself begun, and could not finish? And if neither his own wound nor mine had dispatched him, the Philistines were at his heels, ready to do this same act with insultation, which I did in favor; and if my hand had not prevented him, where had been the crown of Israel, which I now have here presented to thee? I could have delivered that to king Achish, and have been rewarded with honor. Let me not die, for an act well meant to thee, however construed by thee.'

But no pretence can make his own tale not deadly; ‹ Thy blood be upon thine own head; for thine own mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed. It is a just supposition, that every man is so great a favorer of himself, that he will not mis-report his own actions, nor say the worst of himself. In matter of confession, men may without injury be taken at their words. If he did it, his fact was capital; if he did it not, his lie. It is pity any other recompense should befall those false flatterers, that can be content to father a sin to get thanks. Every drop of royal blood is sacred: for a man to say that he hath shed it, is mortal. Of how far different spirits from this of David's, are those men, which suborn the death of princes, and celebrate and canonize the murderers! Into their secret let not my soul come; my glory, be thou not joined to their assembly.'-1 Sam. xxxi. 1 Chron. x,

ABNER AND JOAB.

How merciful and seasonable are the provisions of God! Ziklag was now nothing but ruins and ashes. David might return to the soil where it stood; to the roofs and walls, he could not. No sooner is he disappointed of that harbor, than God provides him cities of Hebron. Saul shall die to give him elbow-room.

Now doth David find the comfort that his extremity sought, in the Lord his God. Now are his clouds for a time passed over, and the sun breaks gloriously forth. David shall reign after his sufferings. So shall we, if we endure to the end, find 'A crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give us at that day.'

But though David well knew that his head was long before anointed, and had heard Saul himself confidently avouching his succession; yet he will not stir from the heaps of Ziklag, till he have consulted with the Lord. It did not content him, that he had God's warrant for the kingdom; but he must have his instructions for the taking possession of it. How safe and happy is the man, that is resolved to do nothing without God! Neither will generalities of direction be sufficient: even particular circumstances must look for a word. Still is God a pillar of fire and cloud to the eye of every Israelite; neither may there be any motion or stay but from him. That action cannot but succeed, which proceeds on so sure a warrant. God sends him to Hebron, a city of Judah. Neither will David go up thither alone; but he takes with him all his men, with their whole households: they shall take such part as himself: as they had shared with him in his misery, so they shall now in his prosperity. Neither doth he take advantage of their late mutiny, which was yet fresh and green, to cashier those unthankful and ungracious followers; but, pardoning their secret rebellions, he makes them partakers of his good success. Thus doth our heavenly Leader, whom David prefigured, take us to reign with him who have suffered with him: passing by our manifold infirmities, as if they had not been, he removeth us from the land of our banishment, and the ashes of our forlorn Ziklag, to the Hebron of our peace and glory. The expectation of this day must, as it did with David's soldiers, digest all our sorrows.