horrible pit, namely, the grave. He it is who, because no sacrifice could avail to atone for sin, took upon Him the form of a servant, and, according as was written from the foundation of the world, perfectly fulfilled His Father's will, and preached His righteousness throughout the congregation. Satan and all his company were utterly confounded by His resurrection from the dead, and ever since the cry of the faithful has been "The Lord be praised."

Therefore, because this Psalm of David is the voice of our Lord in His sacrifice, does the Church sing it on Good Friday, as, indeed, St. Paul has guided us to the application (Heb. x.) :—

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt-offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.

Here St. Paul has followed the Greek translation, which reads, instead of "opened mine ear," "prepared me a body." It is one of the cases that here and there occur in the Bible, where, though the first meaning of the original has become uncertain, yet two equally deep and heavenly meanings have become attached to it. Either way, David, when offering his own imperfect obedience, was taught by God the Holy Ghost to foretel the Christ's perfect obedience and all-sufficient sacrifice.

LESSON LXXXVI.*

THE WITCH OF ENDOR.

B.C. 1055.-1 SAM. xxviii. 3-25.

Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched

*Not for the younger ones.

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in Shunem and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.

And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.

And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to

him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor.

And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.

And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

And the king said unto her, Be not afraid for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

And the LORD hath done to him as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:

Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.

Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have

put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength when thou goest on thy way.

But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof: And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.

At the moment

COMMENT.—Very remarkable was the contrast. when David was encouraging himself in the Lord, obtaining guidance from the Urim, and singing under the full flood of inspiration, Saul was despairing in the desolation he had made for himself. Not only was the great prophet of his youth dead, but he had driven away David and his inspired songs. He was at enmity with the colleges of prophets; he had slain the priests, and had no communion left him with God and with good spirits. Here were the Philistines trooping in through Israel, encamping round Mount Tabor in such a host as had never come since Samuel's restoration. What was to be done? The unhappy man must needs lean on some guidance from the unseen world; and having cut himself off from God, he turned towards those who professed to have the power of dealing with the evil spirits of hell. Whether they truly had such dealings, or whether all were imposture, we cannot tell for certain; but before our Lord came the devils had more power; and it often seems as if they did at times reply and use their angel-powers to deceive and delude men. At any rate, the professing to deal with them was strongly forbidden by the law of Moses-"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Ex. xxxii. 18);—and Saul in his earlier days had obeyed the command, and put to death all such persons; but now, as from his camp on the mountains of Gilboa he looked down on the mighty armies of Philistia, his heart sank; and obtaining no reply from heaven, he asked where to find means of gaining one from hell. He was told of a woman at Endor-Endor, beyond Mount Tabor, where Gideon had slain Zeba and Zalmunna, "who perished at Endor, and became as the dung of the earth." It was far away, seven or eight miles off, out on the other side of the

enemy's camp; but the despairing King disguised himself, and set forth with two attendants, by night, to the village built on a rock, full of gloomy caverns. There, the woman thought, when first the tall warrior prayed her to use her art, that he meant to inform against her to the King, and he was forced to swear to her that such was not his intention. Then he bade her summon the spirit of Samuel. It seems as though the woman had no power or expectation of really calling the holy prophet from his rest, though she might pretend to do so; but in this case God permitted that he should verily appear, for, when he did so, she was overwhelmed and confounded with alarm and surprise, and perceived that her inquirer could only be the King. Gods, she said—namely, the most majestic and awful presence she could describe-were ascending out of the earth, even an old man covered with a mantle. Saul bowed himself, and the spirit spake-"Why hast thou disquieted me?" Then Saul made his lament-how piteous in contrast with the glorious hope of his youth. His enemies upon him—God departed from him! And not ore word of hope was spoken by the stern holy spirit. The Lord had become his enemy. It was the work of his own wilfulness; and the next day should be a day of defeat. By night, not Saul alone, but his sons, should be with the dead! No wonder the miserable man lay straight like one dead upon the earth! Even the witch pitied him. He had eaten no food for the whole day in his distress, and lay faint and exhausted; but she forced food on him, and in her dark abode he ate his last meal, and gathered strength at least to fight his last battle like a king, though in utter despair. It is said by those who have been saved from drowning that the whole of their past lives rushed over their memory in one moment. Do not these words of Samuel, in like manner, bring back the turning-point of Saul's life? Oh! let us have no turning-point for the worse!

LESSON LXXXVII.

THE BATTLE OF MOUNT GILBOA.

B.C. 1055.-1 Sam. xxxi. 1—12; 2 SAM. iv. 4; I CHRON. X. 10, II.

Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.

And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

Then said Saul unto his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together.

And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled ; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.

And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan, and his head in the temple of Dagon. And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.

And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

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So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD,
From the Book of Chronicles.
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VOL. II.