distinguished above the judges by the appendages of royalty, which they never assumed, and by the transmission of his authority to his children.

The person of the new king was remarkably tall, and his countenance noble. His princely appearance presaged the future glory of the nation, and acclamations of "God save the king," resounded through the air when Samuel presented him to the people.

CATHERINE. So it is, then, from this early example, that the invocation on a reigning monarch is handed down to the present day?

MRS. M. This is the first example upon record, and probably the first occasion on which it had been used. It would be well for us to retain every good lesson derived from the scriptures, with equal tenacity. But, notwithstanding the delight of the people on the gratification of their inconsiderate desire to be assimilated "to the nations," there were among them some turbulent spirits, who beheld with envy the elevation of an equal to the unprecedented honour of a crown. These men refused to do him homage in the customary manner of bringing presents, and scornfully exclaimed, "how shall this man save us?" Saul prudently took no notice of the affront, but rather strove to allay their angry feelings, by modestly retiring for the present, to his residence at Gibeah. An occasion, however, soon offered to unite all hearts in his favour. Their old enemies, the Ammonites, came up and encamped against Jabesh-gilead. The inhabitants, weak and defenceless, offered to make terms, and thereby en couraged their assailants to demand the liberty of putting out the right eye of every man in the city! This unex

pected insolence convinced them that a war was not to be avoided. They obtained, however, a respite of seven days, and instantly despatched messengers to all the tribes on the other side of Jordan, entreating them to come to their assistance.

The news had just arrived at Gibeah, and had thrown the city into a tumult, as Saul entered from his customary occupations in the field. "The Spirit of the Lord" came suddenly upon him, and he entered promptly and zealously on the public duties of his station.

FANNY. What is implied in these words, "The Spirit of the Lord" came upon him?

MRS. M. They are used as they are in the cases of Gideon and Samson, and others, to signify that the courage and wisdom displayed in their subsequent actions, were inspired by the Lord, from whom every excellent quality must emanate, because he is the source of all, Thus Saul, when his people required his protection, was animated to the exercise of his authority without diffidence.

Justly indignant at the disgraceful condition exacted of the men of Jabesh, he took a yoke of oxen, hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all Israel, with this message:-"Whoever refuses to follow Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen;" in the mean time he assured the anxious Gileadites that they should have help. Three hundred and thirty thousand men were speedily marched to their relief, and the Ammonites driven back with a great slaughter.

The people now, exulting in the prowess of their king, called aloud for the men who had refused to acknowledge

Saul, that they might be put to death! but Saul forbade the bloody expiation on a day when their arms had been so signally prospered.

Pleased with this instance of meekness and piety, Samuel proposed to the army to repair to Gilgal, and again proclaim their king. No murmurs interrupted their harmony, but joyfully proceeding to Gilgal, peace-offerings were sacrificed, and Saul again solemnly recognized as the King of all Israel.

FANNY. Why did an amiable Prince choose so revolting a manner of assembling his subjects as sending mangled flesh amongst them?

MRS. M. You are not to consider the act as an evidence of his disposition, but of the customs which prevailed. Emblems were used in the infancy of language to express ideas. When that became more copious, they were still retained in the East, where manners are almost unchangeable-and most of all, in the Hebrew nation, whose constitution was not susceptible of change, for manners and laws are always reciprocal in their effects.

Although the desire of the Israelites to be governed by a king, had been sanctioned by the divine nomination of the person, and although that person had already evinced the possession of talents suited to his station, yet Samuel would not neglect the opportunity offered him by their immoderate exultations at Gilgal, to remind them, that the introduction of a royal government was an act of rebellion against their rightful Sovereign, and an evidence of the same guilty disposition to apostacy which had often involved their forefathers in trouble. And that they might not impute his reproof to envy, or any other interested motives, he called upon them to witness before God, and their

king-whether he had not administered the government with uniform uprightness. With one accord, they attested his integrity; he then showed them that an immediate judgment should convince them, that they had displeased the Almighty-not him, in asking for a king. Thunder, and unseasonable rain upon their fields, now in the time of harvest, reduced the inconsiderate people to a sense of their sin, and they earnestly besought their prophet to pray for them!"' "God forbid," he replied," that I should sin against him by ceasing to pray for and instruct you, nor will He abandon you ;--if ye serve him in sincerity and truth, he will preserve both you and your king."

The flattering anticipations indulged by the nation from the indications of excellence in their royal ruler, were in a short time reversed: he continued indeed active and successful in expelling the invaders of his country on every side, but in the prosecution of his wars he was guilty of disobedience to the Divine law-and in his private character he became jealous, arbitrary, and cruel. Amongst the heathens by whom Israel was encompassed, the Amalekites, a powerful people, had manifested their enmity so early as in the beginning of the passage through the wilderness, when the feeble emigrants were without confidence either in themselves, or in their Divine Leader, and had continued their hostility to the present time. For their opposition in the first instance, judgments had been denounced, and now that their cup of iniquity was running over with the most abominable idolatry, complete extermination, both of themselves and of every living creature in their possession, was commanded. In the prosecution of this awful decree, the Hebrew monarch was prompt and successful-yet, although he was expressly the minister

of God's wrath, he spared Agag, the king, of whose ruthless warfare we may form some idea from the reproach of Samuel when he afterwards inflicted the death the tyrant had well merited-" Thy sword hath made women childless." Nor was this all: Saul reserved the best of the captured cattle for sacrifice, and then presumptuously invaded the priest's office, by offering them with his own hands!

This last palpable act of disobedience, aggravated by the pretext of religious zeal, received a reproof not less instructive to us, than to him to whom it was addressedfor we are all prone to excuse our transgressions, by some plausible apology, whilst an honest conscience would de tect the deceit, and remind us with Saul, that, "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

But this gentle reproof was not the chief punishment of the rebellious king. In daring to substitute his own will in place of the divine law, he had shown that he was unfit to be the vicegerent of Jehovah, the bitter sentence was added-" Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath rejected thee from being king”—and " hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better than thou."

CHARLES.

crown?

Was Saul then immediately deprived of the

MRS. M. No. The rejection of Saul, was the exclusion of his house from the succession: the pitying prophet, therefore, when he professed himself sensible of his sin, yielded to his entreaty "not to dishonour him before the elders and the people," and continued near him for a time, but at length he retired to his own house at Ramah, and left the fallen king to his own counsels. At Ramah