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CHAPTER XVII.

Of the Typical Character of David.

THE history of David is singularly interesting: the circumstances of his situation in early life, appeared to preclude the probability of his ever attaining any employment beyond that of an industrious and successful husbandman. The youngest of his family, and that one not distinguished among the thousands of Judah, and engaged in pursuits necessarily connected with habits of retirement, he seemed completely excluded from all temporal honours. Yet, in this humble station, he was peculiarly under the care of the Almighty, who was preparing him for the most exalted offices, and the exercise of the highest authority; who preferred him before all his brethren, and raised him from being a keeper of sheep, to be king over all Israel. "He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds, and from following the

ewes great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance."*

The only distinction which he is recorded to have possessed at that period, was the dangerous one of personal beauty and comeliness. "He was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to;" but when anointed king over Israel, the gift of the divine Spirit was bestowed upon him, and his external beauty was adorned and sanctified by the Spirit of holiness and wisdom. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren, and the Spirit of the Lord was upon David from that day forward."+

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The distinguished honour thus unexpectedly bestowed upon him, with all the important consequences presented to his view, produced no impression unfavourable to those feelings of humility so suitable to his character and employment, nor any inattention to his duties; patient and industrious, he continued "about his father's business." The expectation of future glories never detached his mind from the services of the present moment, or influenced him to anticipate the purposes of providence. He quietly waited till He, who had promised

* Ps. lxxviii. 70, 71.

I Sam. xvi. 13

+ 1 Sam. xvi. 12.

should perform all his counsels, in the exercise of his grace and wisdom. He returned to feed his flock in the wilderness, the sheep which his father had given into his hand; and when the wild beasts of the forest would have destroyed these, he ventured his life for their preservation, and saved them. "Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock; and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear."*

The secret counsels of God, revealed only in the development of his purposes, called him from his father's abode to the camp of Israel. He arrived at the moment when a champion of the Philistines had defied the armies of the living God, and Saul and his terrified host, equally fled from the danger of contending with this foe. David courageously offered himself for the combat, not confident in his own strength, but in the assistance of the Most High. His arms were as singular, and the event as marvellous, as the encounter was unequal. With a sling, the instrument of his boyish amusements, and five smooth stones

* 1 Sam. xvii. 34-36.

chosen from the brook, and placed in his shepherd's bag, the repository of his daily store of provisions, he went forth to meet the giant of Gath, of monstrous stature, clad in armour, bearing a shield and a spear, of enormous weight and of dreadful force when hurled by his powerful arm. Well might the Philistine disdain his adversary, and promise his flesh to the fowls of the air, and the wild beasts of the field; but he knew not in whose strength he fought, nor by whose aid he was about to conquer. "I come unto 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, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David."*

A long period intervened between this event and his being seated on the throne of Israel; during which he was pursued with inveterate malice by his enemies, those who having received from him the greatest kindness and assistance, and who only knew him by the services which he had effected for them, and therefore ought to have been his faithful and

1 Sam. xvii. 45, 46, and 50.

affectionate friends.

Of these, Saul endea

voured to deprive him of his promised reward, to make him fall by the hand of the Philistines, and to engage his own children and servants to become the assassins of that man, whose courage and self-devotion had saved the kingdom from the yoke of their inveterate adversaries.* Keilah was invested by the armies of the same hereditary enemy of Israel; David, with his little band attacked and defeated them: Keilah was saved, and the ungrateful inhabitants would have given up their deliverer, into the hands of him who sought his life, had he not prevented their treachery by a timely retreat. Twice the Zephites attempted to betray him into the power of his deadly foe: his destruction seemed inevitable; but he was preserved by the interposition of that Providence, of whose gracious designs towards Israel he was to be the future minister. †

The armed force which accompanied David was as singularly formed: the anointed monarch prepares to enter upon his kingdom by gathering together the outcasts of Israel, that these may afterwards stand about his throne, and partake of his glory. "And every one that was in distress, and every one that was

* 1 Sam. xviii. and xix.

+1 Sam. xxiii. 19-29; xxvi. 1-25.