44. And Saul answered, God do so, and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

45. And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? god forbid; as Adoni liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with god this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

46. Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.

Josephus, whose account is an epitome, or rather paraphrase of the preceding, after his own fashion, says, "So Saul, having slain about 60,000 of the enemy, returned home, and reigned happily." (Ant. VI. vii. 6).

SAUL ESTABLISHED IN THE KINGDOM.-Saul is described in 1 Sam. xiv. 47, as having by a succession of victories established himself as king of Israel, but there is nothing to indicate that he was recognised as sovereign beyond the northern spurs of Mount Ephraim. There was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. The maritime plain from Gaza to Carmel, and the almost continuous plain of Esdraelon, or Jezreel, were occupied by the Philistines and their allies, or confederates. The battle against them in which Saul was slain, was fought near the eastern end of Esdraelon. But Gilead was subject and grateful to the hero who had rushed to their rescue.

In the state of security and dignity and family comfort described in these verses, it may be supposed that the king and his little kingdom might have remained undisturbed, except by the often defeated Philistines; and that Samuel, as a patriot, would have rejoiced in the welfare of his country, and the glory of the hero, whom he had elevated to the throne; and that his wrath would have abated, if it had not been appeased. But it still repented him that he had set up Saul to be king. He could only attain his object by fomenting civil strife.

Story.-1 Samuel xiv. 47. So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the Bene Ammon, and against Edom, and against the emirs of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.

48. And he gathered a host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.

49. Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi

shua and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn, Merab; and the name of the younger Michal: and the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz.

50. And the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. And Kish was the father of Saul: and Ner, the father of Abner, was the son of Abiel.

52. And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any stray man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

Samuel, Saul, AND AGAG.—The Nazarite re-appears, and asserting his dignity as the vicar of god, commands Saul to undertake an expedition against the Amalekites, not on account of any inroad by them on the land of the Hebrews, but on account (according to the inexhaustible story) of what Amalek had done to Israel when he came out of Egypt, according to that story, 400 years before; and for that ancient offence of their forefathers, to smite Amalek and destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

This detestable character of pride and revenge, too horrible for an evil demon, is, when analysed and examined, the description given in the scriptures of the great, the almost divine, Samuel.

This is only one trait of the ferocious man. Agag had been spared; but Samuel hewed him to pieces before Adoni in Gilgal— a sacrifice to his god. Contrast this with the ordinances of Baalberith, the god of the covenant. Compare it with a Mexican

altar.

Again the superstitious monarch humbled himself in the dust before the despotic seer, again in vain, for he had not obeyed-“ to obey (the priest) is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Because thou hast rejected the word of Adoni, he hath also rejected thee from being king "-a denunciation becoming an infallible pontiff. "And Samuel went to Ramah, and came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul"-and occupied himself in treason against him; although rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft-but that is rebellion against the priest.

The Story.-1 Samuel xv. 1. Samuel also said unto Saul, Adoni sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel, now therefore hearken unto the voice of the words of Adoni.

2. Thus saith El-Sabaoth, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

4. And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

5. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

6. And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the Bene Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7. And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. (Josephus, Ant. VI. vii. 3, says from Pelusium in Egypt to the Red Sea.)

8. And he took Agag, the king of the Amalekites, alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

10. Then came the word of Adoni unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto Adoni all night.

12. And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel (in the southeast), and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and is gone down to Gilgal.

13. And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of Adoni, I have performed the commandment of Adoni.

14. And Samuel said, What meaneth this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen, which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto Adoni thy god; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

16. Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what Adoni hath said unto me this night. And he said unto him, Say

on. And Samuel said, When thou was little in thine own sight, wast not thou made the head of the tribes of Israel, and Adoni anointed thee king over Israel? And Adoni sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of Adoni, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of Adoni? And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of Adoni, and have gone the way which Adoni sent me, and have brought Agag the emir of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto Adoni thy god in Gilgal.

22. And Samuel said, Hath Adoni as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Adoni? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of Adoni, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

24. And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of Adoni and thy words; because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. Now, therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Adoni.

26. And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Adoni, and Adoni hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

27. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold of the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him, Adoni hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent. He is not a man, that he should repent.

30. Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour thou me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship Adoni thy god. So Samuel turned again after Saul: and Saul worshipped Adoni.

32. Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag, the emir of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

33. And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before Adoni in Gilgal.

34. Then Samuel went to Ramah and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

35. And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and Adoni repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

The anointment of David of Bethlehem-judah.-From this story it appears that Samuel had prievously fixed upon David, the youngest son of Jesse, another of the Hebrew franklins, as his substitute for the not sufficiently subservient Saul. He proceeds at once to

anoint him king.

He is, however, apprehensive of Saul's becoming aware of his perfidy, and proceeds to the town of Bethlehem under the pretence of a sacrifice. His appearance produces consternation; but he "comes in peace," and in a fashion exhibiting pre-contrivance, as did his performance in the appointment of Saul, he, as Adoni, anoints David king.

According to Josephus, David thereupon begins to prophesy. He seems to have been previously educated in that school, under the instructions of Samuel; for he immediately exhibits such extraordinary skill in playing upon the harp, as to be selected to appease the disconsolate king.

According to this story, David is already king appointed by Samuel to displace Saul, but the treason is concealed from Saul. David, however, is aware of his royalty by the grace of god, and prepared to perform his part under the directions of his preceptor and patron the arch-adonite.

The picture of this great personage leading or driving his heifer from Ramah to Bethlehem is graphic, and reminds us of an African medicine-maker driving his victim to the altar, and the alarm which his presence inspires.

Story.-1 Samuel xvi. 1. And Adoni said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite, for I have provided me a king among his And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.

sons.

2. And Adoni said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice unto Adoni; and call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will