ing among his reapers in the barley field, it goes on to
show us Boaz's great-grandson, David, a worthy man likewise, but of a
very different life, marked out by God from his youth for strange and
desperate deeds; killing, as a mere boy, a lion and a bear, overthrowing
the Philistine giant with a sling and a stone, captain of a band of
outlaws in the wilderness, fighting battles upon battles; and at last a
king, storming the mountain fortress of Jerusalem, and setting up upon
Mount Zion, which shall never be removed, the Throne of David. A strange
man, and born into a strange time. You all know the first part of
David's history--how Samuel secretly anoints David king over Israel, and
how the Spirit of the Lord comes from that day forward upon the young lad
(1 Samuel xvi. 12). How king Saul meanwhile fell into dark and bad
humours. How the Spirit of the Lord--of goodness and peace of mind--goes
from him, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubles him. Then how young
David is sent for to play to him on his harp (1 Samuel xvi.), and soothe
his distempered mind. Already we hear of David as a remarkable person;
we hear of his extraordinary beauty, his skill in music; we hear, too,
how he is already a man of war, and a mighty valiant man, and prudent in
matters, and the Lord is with him.

Then follows the famous story of his killing Goliath the Philistine (1
Samuel xvii.). Poor, distempered Saul, it seems, had forgotten him,
though David had cured his melancholy with his harp-playing, and had
actually been for a while his armour-bearer, for when he comes back with
the giant's head, Saul has to ask Abner who he is; but after that he will
let him go no more home to his father.

Then follows the beautiful story of Jonathan, Saul's gallant son (1
Samuel xviii.), and his love for David. Then of Saul's envy of David,
and how, in a sudden fit of hatred, he casts his javelin at him. Then
how he grows afraid of him, and makes him captain of a thousand men, and
gives him his daughter, on condition of David's killing him two hundred
Philistines. And how he goes on, capriciously, honouring David one day
and trying to kill him the next. While David rises always, and all
Israel and Judah love him, and he behaves himself more wisely than all
the servants of Saul. At last comes the open rupture. Saul, after
trying to murder David, sends assassins to his house, and David flees for
his life once and for all. He has served his mast