the third Shammah. And David was the youngest: and the evening, and presented himself three eldest followed Saul. 20 and these ten loaves, and run 18 This is an affecting instance of gratitude on a father's part, towards those who, doubtless, had evinced regard and care for his children. The narrative comes home to the heart of every one of us. and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered 20 David, though called to higher duties, takes care that the lesser be not neglected. The loftiest aspirations of the soul justify not a neglect of positive and ordinary duties*. * David thus was enabled triumphantly to answer the insidious and envious question of his eldest brother Eliab-in the 29th verse-" With whom hast thou left the few sheep in the wilderness?" So wisely had David "cut off occasion, from those who sought occasion." This is a useful lesson to us all. The work we have undertaken, let us accomplish. Is there not a cause? 32 Thus he, of whom David is the type, fighteth for us, as the great Captain of our salvation; and winneth for us the victory. Let us be thankful. him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou 29 A soft answer! how surely it mightest see the battle. 29 And turneth away wrath*! David said, What have I now done? And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner and the people answered him again after the former manner. And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of out of the hand of this Philistine. Go, and the LORD be with thee. 37 Think of past deliverances; and so strengthen your faith in God for future mercies. He is ever the same. the bear, he will deliver me And Saul said unto David, And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; 39 Earthly defences were vain, for God was to fight for David. Yet he was to use fitting means. 39 also he armed him with a And for I have not them off him. And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of * The sense of doing God's Will, elevates and fortifies the soul; arms it against the calumnies of inferior minds; and gives a high feeling which enables us either to overlook them, or bear them unharmed. the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, 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. This day will the LORD deliver thee unto mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent. And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. And the king said, Enquire And as David returned from Abner took him, and brought of the Philistine in his hand. 58 Modesty ever attends valour. David, in the mid flush of victory, forgets not that he is still only "the son of thy servant." A truly noble mind never presumes upon success, but rests satisfied with its own conscious excellence. The sixth Sunday after Trinity. MORNING. 2 SAMUEL xii. 5 5 Such is the force of truth, when it falls upon minds unprejudiced. David could judge just judgment in the case of another. Zeal and deci AND the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup; and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come unto him. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God. of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now Assion marked his reply to Nathan, when the case put before him appeared to affect others. 13 As soon as the truth flashed upon David-"Thou art the man"-what a deep and exemplary humiliation followed! His penitence was blessed. sins, God is faithful and just to forSo true is it, that if we confess our give us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. "Howbeit, because by this 14 That David might not forget deed thou hast given great either his sin or its pardon-either occasion to the enemies of God's anger or his mercy-this the LORD to blaspheme, the striking punishment was foretold*. child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David therefore besought 16 God for the child; and David 16 So should afflictions always drive us nearer to our God. fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house: and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and The evil so hanging over his head must have been a continual but a salutary weight of sorrowful apprehension to David. It filled his soul with sadness and remorse; but it kept alive a sense of humility, which brought him to repentance and to peace. |