swered him, “ Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken, than the fat of rams."

God, who searcheth men's hearts, must have seen that Saul had disobeyed him merely under the pretence of religion. It was bad enough to disobey him at all; but to do so under the pretence of serving him, this was far worse. What was it but base hypocrisy? that is to say, a show of religion without any of its good fruits ? Far better would it have been for Saul to have done straight forward what God told him to do, than to have turned aside to these vain pretences.

Let us learn from this portion of Sacred History, never to think that a show of religion will make up for breaking God's commandments. It is, for instance, our bounden duty to go to church, and to offer unto God the sacrifices of prayer and praise. It is our duty too, tu read his word, and to let our whole outward conduct be Christianlike; but it will be a sad and melancholy thing, if we are contented with merely seeming to be religious, and think that the performing a few outward duties will wipe off the sins of our hearts. We must remember that God looks at our hearts.

Men see our outward actions only, and may often think those very good who in reality are far from it; but we cannot deceive God: he knows whether we really love and serve him; he is not content with our kneeling down to pray to him in our own homes, nor yet with our going to worship him in his own house, unless he sees that we thus become better Christians, and that we really try to do his

holy will, and to live as our blessed Saviour has taught us to live.

By not obeying God, Sanl lost his kingdom : for Samuel said unto him, “ Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” Oh ! let us take care that we be not rejected or cast off from his favour in this world, and from his kingdom in heaven.

TENTH SUNDAY EVENING.

DAVID AND GOLIATH.

E. Who was the person, mamma, whom God chose to be king of Israel, when he took the kingdom away from Saul ?

M. His name, my love, was David ; that same David, who wrote those beautiful Psalms, which are the comfort and delight of every one who loves and studies the Word of God. I shall have much pleasure in telling you about this holy man, who has been so greatly honoured and distinguished in the church of God, as to be called “the man after God's own heart."

E. Yes, mamma; and in one of my hymns he is called “the shepherd king,” “the sweet singer of Israel.” I wish very much to hear about him: where did he live, mamma?

M. David was the son of a person called Jesse, who lived in the city of Bethlehem, which from him was afterwards called the city of David. I shall tell

you how God was pleased to take him from the rest of his family and from his father's sheepfolds, to set him on the throne of Israel.

The aged Samuel, as I told you before, was greatly grieved by the wickedness of Saul, and was still mourning for him, when God desired him to go to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse ; for that in that family he had provided himself with a king for Israel.

Now Jesse the Bethlehemite had many sons; and when the prophet came to his house in obedience to the word of the Lord, David, the youngest of his children, was absent keeping his father's sheep. And Samuel begged that Jesse and his sons would join him in sacrificing to the Lord, and he probably told Jesse of the honour which God was about to bring upon his family :--for Jesse caused all his sons in turn to stand before Samuel. When Samuel looked on Eliab, the eldest son, he thought within himself that this was to be the king, because he was a man of a noble countenance and stature, such as might well become a prince. But the Lord said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him : for the Lord seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

It is not comeliness of form, nor a beautiful countenance, nor strength of limbs, nor fine garments, nor great riches, nor high honours, that make a man pleasing unto God; but a heart that trusts in his mercy and loves to do his will. The Lord looketh on the heart. We must always remember this. Those whose evil hearts incline them in any way to be vain of themselves, should remember this and be humble: