of the living God, arm him for the battle of life. Far will he be from thrusting others into positions of imminent spiritual danger and of peculiar liability to temptation. He will arm him, not against the cause of truth and righteousness, but against "principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." He will take therefore to himself the whole armour of God. He will strive, not to thrust others into error, but to win them over to the faith, bethinking him of the blessed assurance, that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins."

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II. THAT IT IS AS FUTILE AS IT IS SINFUL TO ATTEMPT TO OPPOSE THE WILL OF GOD.

The shield of the shield-bearer would not stop the stone sent from the sling of David. It is, assuredly, a presumption beyond description for the finite to imagine that he can understand, much less oppose, the Infinite. There are some daring mortals in the present day who actually or tacitly assert, that if they had had the making of the universe, they would not have turned out such an imperfect concern as the Almighty has done. Impressed with the idea of their own superior intelligence, they set themselves to deride or to impede the operations of Divine grace in the souls of men; as they cannot, unfortunately as they think, interrupt the operations of Divine power in the physical world. Not having an opportunity of improving, as they would wish, the optical arrangements of the human eye, they can at least ameliorate the religious beliefs of the human soul. These efforts are, however, as idle as they are presumptuous and wicked. As well might the fly upon the wheel attempt to

correct or to oppose the action of the machinery. If a counsel or a work be of God, "ye cannot overthrow it, lest haply ye be found even to fight against God."

III. THAT WORLDLY FRIENDSHIP, BASED ON A COMPANIONSHIP IN SIN, IS WEAK IN THE HOUR OF TRIAL.

When Goliath comes forth to tread vaingloriously before the armies of Israel, we read that this man bearing a shield went before him. When Goliath comes forth to meet David, in the expectation of gaining an easy victory over the inexperienced youth, and of "giving his flesh to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field," we again read that this man bearing a shield went before him; but when Goliath falls, overthrown by the unerring stone sent from David's sling, what becomes of the shield-bearer? He had attended the gigantic champion in the hour of triumph, does he remain faithful to him in the hour of misfortune? Does he attempt to strike a blow on behalf of his fallen master? Does he strive to prevent David from dishonouring that master's body, by cutting off the giant's head with the giant's own sword? We read of nothing of the kind; no effort to aid or to protect his master is recorded of him. He passes at once into obscurity, as a man could only have done who had manifested a coward spirit. Nothing in the world more is mentioned about him. Doubtless he fled, as the other Philistines fled, when the great champion fell, leaving the unburied and decapitated body of Goliath to be a prey to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field.

So, the friendship of the world is not only enmity against God, but is not lasting or to be relied on. It is a mistake to state that there is honour amongst thieves; it is a delusion to think that there is loyalty

to each other amongst sinners. The pursuit of unlawful pleasures is essentially a selfish pursuit; and the so-called friendships that are formed in it are evanescent and ephemeral. When such intimacies are found by any of the contracting parties to be no longer pleasant or profitable, the bond of self-interest that was their only connecting link is speedily broken, and the so-called friendship dissolved or ignored. Well is it, indeed, if it can be ended without bitterness and tears and blood.

False friendship is like the gaudy but scentless sunflower, that will bloom only in the sunshine of prosperity. True friendship, planted in mutual esteem and nourished by Christian principles, is like the sweet but modest violet, that will flourish even in the cold shade of adversity, and will yield only fresh odours when trampled on by unkindly tread. It was not his licentious daughters, Regan and Goneril,-ready as they were, for the sake of accomplishing their own selfish ends, to encourage and to flatter him in the days of his prosperity and of his selfishness,-who were found by the dishonoured king to be most attached to him in the hour of trial. It was the pure and unequivocating Cordelia that soothed and cherished him in his deep afflictions. "The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel;" but "a friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

The encounter of David and Goliath is symbolical of the conflict between Christ and Satan. Dr. Burgon, Dean of Chichester, brings this point out most luminously. Christ is the "greater than David." Satan is the Goliath of Gath, the champion of the Philistines, the enemy of the true Israel, "the strong man armed" of whom our Saviour spake. Goliath

came forward for forty days, as Satan tempted our Lord after forty days in the wilderness. The result that in both cases it was proposed to draw from the encounter was the same. "If he be able to fight with me and to kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall ye be our servants and serve us." As David too was taunted by his brother Eliab, so Christ was mocked by His brethren the Jews, whom He, like David, was sent to visit and to relieve. As there was no sword in the hand of David, so the weapons of Christ's warfare were not carnal. Five smooth stones from the brook, chosen doubtless with a thought to the five lords of the Philistines, were David's instruments; and the five books of Moses were the storehouse from which Christ selected His weapon; and the five wounds of Christ were the means by which the enemy of man was vanquished. Then David used Goliath's own weapon to decapitate him; and so Christ took death, the weapon of Satan, that, as St. Paul declares, He might "through death destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil." David too carried off the head of Goliath, and bare it in triumph to Jerusalem; so Christ" bruised the serpent's head," and then ascended to the heavenly Sion. David was a shepherd who, in defence of his flock, slew a lion; and is not Christ the Good Shepherd who careth for His flock? Goliath's sword was placed in God's house," wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod;" and so the spoils taken from sin and Satan, from the camp of the Philistines, and from Goliath, are consecrated to the glory of God. David received for his reward the daughter of Saul; and shall not the true David receive as His recompense His spouse the Church? who, as the Psalmist tells us,

is "the King's daughter, all glorious within." Surely an exegesis so ingenious and so beautiful is worthy of our best attention, and should receive our most thoughtful and thankful consideration.

No. VII.

6th Sunday after Trinity. The Man who Professed to have Slain Saul.

FIRST LESSON AT MORNING SERVICE.

"BEHOLD, A MAN CAME OUT OF THE CAMP FROM SAUL WITH HIS CLOTHES RENT, AND EARTH UPON HIS HEAD AND SO IT WAS, WHEN HE CAME TO DAVID, THAT HE FELL TO THE EARTH, AND DID OBEISANCE."-2 Sam. i. 2.

INTRODUCTORY.

SAUL, having become jealous of the popularity of David amongst the people, and falling moreover daily more and more into a state of gloom and madness, compels the son of Jesse to fly from his court, and to seek safety in the court of the Philistine king Achish. Achish receives bir kindly, and bestows on him the city of Ziklag, and encourages him to make predatory excursions into the land of Judah. David, however, deceives him, and confines his attacks to the Geshurites and Gezrites and Amalekites. Upon the Amalekites he especially inflicts chastisement, and sends of the spoil taken from their camp as presents to all those who had befriended him.

Meanwhile Saul, deserted by the harper who heretofore had soothed his dark and angry passions, falls into great despondency, and at last, in madness and despair