DAVID PLAYING BEFORE SAUL. (H. S hopin.)

STORIES OF THE BIBLE.

STORY OF SAUL AND DAVID.

He holds no parley with unmanly fears;
Where duty bids he confidently steers,
Faces a thousand dangers at her call,
And, trusting in his God, surmounts them all.

- Cowper.

King Saul began his reign nobly as King of the Israelites: for the inspiration of God was upon him. But, alas, he tired all too soon of doing right, and fell back into his own selfish ways.

Then the Philistines rose in great numbers against the Israelites. Saul himself was terrified; and he called the people together

and bade them come with him to Gilgal, for

Samuel had so directed them.

Samuel did not go to Gilgal with the

people; but he promised to

seventh day and offer sacrifices.

not appear.

come on the

The seventh day came, but Samuel did Messengers were sent out, but they could not see him upon the road. Then Saul grew impatient. "We will wait no longer!" he cried. "Give me the lamb, and I myself will offer the sacrifice!"

Now this was against the law; for no one but the priests and prophets could offer sacrifices.

And so, when Samuel came and saw the smoke rising from the altar, he groaned and

said, "What hast thou done, O Saul! Now

will thy kingdom be taken from thee; for God no longer approves thy ways."

But Saul called his army together, and they went out against the Philistines.

Now, Saul had a son whose name was Jonathan; and when he saw the Philistines waiting in their tents, he called to his armorbearer and said, “Let us go up to the Philistines and fight them. They are stonger than we, but we can conquer them if only we trust in the Lord."

So Jonathan and his armor bearer went towards the great army.

The enemy laughed when they saw these two youths coming towards them. But Jonathan pressed on up the steep, narrow path and over sharp, rough rocks.

When these two had reached the top of the hill, they began to fight these two alone, against the great army. Twenty men already had they slain, when a great rumbling was

heard in the ground beneath their feet. The earth shook; and the Philistines, terrified, turned and fled.

Louder and louder, nearer and nearer, the rumbling came; the Philistines ran in all directions; and so great was the confusion as they ran, that they fell upon each other; and so thousands were trampled to death. Thus were the Philistines defeated.

But Saul grew more and more a king, proud in his own strength, and forgetting the God of Israel.

Once God bade him go against a heathen people, who, in all these years, would not repent, and slay them every one, and all the cattle with them. Saul went against them and conquered them; but the king he brought to his own country, and many of the cattle he saved for his own use.