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cious -fru it of simple faith! A stone from th e brook, slung by a shepherd’s hand, settled th e whole m atter. It was th e victory of faith. But w hat were th e feelings w ith which Saul regarded th e work? He had no t learn t to forget him self and rejoice to see th e work done by another. It is the work of grace to be able to, do this. Saul could not brook the idea of being second. So we have oc casion to trace th e development of Saul’s hatred . David passes into very different scenes, where envious looks and heartless attem p ts upon his life were th e only retu rn s for th e soothing notes of his harp and th e v alian t ex ploits of his sling and sword. B u t the Lord in His mercy, kep t His d ear serv an t am id ¡all th e intricacies of his dif ficult position. “David behaved him self wisely in all his ways; and th e Lord was w ith him .” David, while anointed King of Israel, was called upon to endure th e hatred and reproach of the ruling power, though loved by all who were enabled to .trace his moral worth. David knew th a t he was the anointed King, but Saul occupied th e th rone and he was content to w ait on God and abide his time. He, like his Master and an ti type, was called to suffering first and glory afterw ards. It is blessed to be disciples of Christ and to yield our selves to His gracious discipline and training. The end will unfold to us - th e blessedness of such a place. At last Saul passes off th e stage of history, having met death a t the hand of an Amalekite— one of the very n a tion which he had disobediently spared. David had ever carried him self toward Saul w ith th e fullest sense of his being th e Lord’s anointed, nor did he manifest anything bordering up on a sp irit of exultation. When in formed of Saul’s death, he wept over him and called on others to do th e same. N either do we find anything like
servant, rea d y for every kind of work. Saul knew not th a t he had in his presence th e -fu tu re King of Israel. “He loved him g reatly; and he became his arm o r b earer.” “Now th e Philis istines g athered th e ir arm ies to b attle.“ H ere we come to something calcu lated to bring out the tru e worth of Saul and David. I t is tria l th a t brings out the rea lity of a m an’s resources. A man forsaken of God, plagued by an evil spirit, was bu t little adapted to lead an arm y to battle, still less to meet singlehanded th e gian t of Gath. The struggle was rendered peculiar by the challenge on the p a rt of Goliath to decide th e m a tte r by single combat. It is plain th a t God was about to make manifest again to Israel th at, as a peo ple they were u tterly powerless, and th a t th e ir only deliverance, as of old, was the arm of Jehovah. Nothing will teach men.sihowever, save b itter ex perience, and th e cu tting tau n ts of Goliath would teach Israel afresh the real n atu re of .their condition. But the Lord was secretly preparing an instrum ent. It is ever th u s th a t He acts. He train s in secret those whom He is about to use in public. Saul could avail nothing. A ll'seem ed to be lost when the strip ling David entered th e scene, clothed in th e streng th of H im who was about to lay in th e dust th e pomp of th e Philistine. W hat was the P hilistine to David? Nothing! F aith never looks a t circumstances, but straig h t to God. Let us only be as sured th a t we are on th e Lord’s side and th a t Ifis hand is acting w ith us, and nothing can drive us from the p ath of service and testimony. Saul would arm David w ith his arm or, but David pu t it off. Happy deliverance from the tramm els of hum an policy. Thus he left him self en tirely in th e Lord’s hands and we know w hat secur ity he found there. “David pre- vailed over th e Philistine w ith a sling and w ith a stone.” P re
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