brought for the youth, also a sword; but when the lad had tried their weight, he said he could not wear them, and that he would go unarmed against the Philistine. With nothing more than his staff in his hand, and five smooth stones out of the brook, in brook, in a shepherd's bag, with a sling, David went forth, and there was very great excitement in the camps as those who were to fight together drew near each other.

There, striding forth, fully armed, with a step that seemed to make the earth tremble, was the giant; here, a slight-made, freshcoloured lad, with no better weapon than a stick and a sling. When the giant saw with whom he had to fight, his passion was greatly excited, and he swore by his gods that he would give the boy's flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. David answered-"Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand."

Then David ran towards the Philistine, and as he ran he put his hand into his bag, and took a stone and slang it; the stone struck the giant in the forehead, and he fell flat on the earth. David sprang upon him; but he had no sword, so he drew forth the giant's own sword, and cut off his head.

When the Philistines saw what David had done, they fled, and the Israelites pursued them, and made great slaughter.

David was taken into the presence of King Saul, bearing with him the head of the giant; and the king was very gracious to him, and Jonathan, the king's son, gave him his own robe, sword, bow, and girdle, and he was promoted to be a great man, and the people rejoiced at what he had done.

But Saul grew jealous. He had looked for a long while with

suspicion on those who were about him, fearing that some one should take his crown, and now he saw this shepherd lad becoming the pride of the land. One day, as David was playing the harp before Saul, and perhaps singing one of his sweet psalms, Saul seized a spear and tried to kill him; but David slipped away and escaped.

From that time Saul became the cruel enemy of David, and drove him from one part of the country to another, so that he could find no rest day or night. Once he had to escape out of a window; at another time to pretend he was mad; and, for months together, to live in caves and dens, in hourly risk of his life. He knew well that God would make him king over the land, for Samuel the prophet, he who anointed Saul, had anointed him, and assured him that he was to be king in place of Saul. But David did nothing against Saul, and when he might have taken his life he refused to do so.

While Saul was hunting David and seeking to kill him, the Philistines were growing bold and oppressing the Israelites, and nothing that Saul could do prevailed against them. The end was coming, and he was to lose his crown, as Samuel had foretold. He had disobeyed God, and the kingdom was to be taken from him. A great battle was fought, and God punished the disobedient. When Saul saw this, he told his armour-bearer to kill him; but the man refused, so Saul took a sword and killed himself. When the Philistines came up the next day to strip the slain, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons, and they cut off his head, and fastened his body, and those of his sons, to the wall. But some of Saul's soldiers came by night, and took down their bodies, and burnt them, and buried their bones under a tree.

Thus died Saul, the first king of Israel.

Soon after the death of Saul, David became king of the land, and there were great rejoicings. David was a good man, and loved God with all his heart. When he sinned, as indeed he did, he came to God

confessing his sin, and not, as Saul did, striving to cloak and to hide it. It was the desire of David's heart to do what was right in the sight of God, and to lead the people over whom he was called to reign in the ways of truth and righteousness.

All the story of David's life cannot be written here-how careful he

was in God's service, how he beat the Philistines, and subdued all his foes; but we must not omit to notice David's two sons.

David had a son named Absalom-a very handsome youth, with hair that was wonderful both for beauty and quantity. David loved him with all his heart, and favoured him very highly; but he was a wicked and disobedient son, and because he thought it likely that the people would join with him, he rebelled against his father, and drove him from his throne. You remember the fifth commandment? Absalom wilfully broke it, and God punished him. As he rode through a wood, his head was caught in the branches of a tree, and the beast on which he rode went from under him, so that he was left there hanging; and one of David's servants saw him, and stabbed him through the heart. After this David was restored to his throne; but he mourned bitterly for Absalom, and cried, "O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee! O Absalom, my son, my son!

David had another son, and his name was Solomon. He was a good and wise youth. In early life God spoke to him, and asked him what he most desired to have; and he asked, not for riches, or power, or glory, or strength, but for wisdom, and God gave him his desire, and added all the rest. Solomon was taught by his father David that he should build a splendid temple at Jerusalem for the worship of God, and most of the materials for building it were collected during David's reign. When David died, full of honour, full of years, Solomon became king.

One of the first acts of King Solomon showed the wisdom which he possessed. Two women came into his presence, bringing with them a dead and a living child. Each woman declared the living child to be her own, and the dead child that of the other. Solomon heard all they had to say, and pronounced judgment " Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other." At this a soldier bared his sword, and was about to seize hold of the poor living child, when