buried in oblivion. Have not the most costly monuments been raised to warriors? le not the world's idea of "glory" that of conquering by force of arms, or the enjoy• ment of wee.Ith and splendour? The judgment of God is not thus. Be looks on the bee.rt of things. True greatness lies in saving, healing, curing, elevating, purify- ing, binding in bonds of peace and good-will. Imagine Jesus Christ raising an Arc de Triomphe I Imagine him conferring highest honours on men of great and bloody victories I Imagine him pointing to wealth as the goal of a youth's ambition I The ', noblest men are those who beet reproduce the ~pirit and deeds of the Son of God. 1 3. Human character. Man's judgment of character is necessarily imperfect; for words are not always a revelation of the inner man, but the reverse, and the seat of motive is not pierced by the human eye. There is often a worse heart than appears on the surface of a man's conduct, and, also, a better heart than a man sometimes gets credit for. We are too apt to be influenced by prejudice, social considerations, personal interests, e.nd to estimate the principles of others by the narrow standard of our own. Some men are suspicious, or self-righteous, or limited in their area of observation, and therefore they can never be sure of their judgment of other men. Others are easily caught by what is fair and conformable to custom, and, lib~ Samuel, they spring to hasty conclusions. It is better often to fall into the hands of God than of man. On the other hand, God:s judgment of us is perfect. TiiP- most secret avenue of thought and feeling is naked and open to his eye. He reads us entirely. His knowledge is not inferential from words and actions, but is that of the disposition and hidden motive (Ps. cx.x.xix. ). 4. Fitness for position. Samuel was in error in supposing that the qualities which might be inferred from his out- ward appearance to exist in Eliab would enable him to perform the part required of a true king in Israel. God alone knew the high spiritual work to be done by the coming king, and he alone could see the latent qualities in David by which it could be performed. At best our judgment is guess-work. We especially feel this in seeking to fill up secular offices, and more so when making appointments to spiritual duties (Acts i. 24; 1 Tim. v. 22). General lessons :-1. There is abundant scope in life for caution, patience, churity in our estimate of others. 2. The best qualities of life are not always those which come to th& surface on first acquaintance. 3. It should be e.n effort to be inwardly such as God will approve, and then all else will follow in due course. 4. Reticence in reference to the character of others is the sign of a proper estimate of our powers. 5. It should be a spring of comfort to the sincere that God knows them and approves when man errs in judgment.
Vera. 12, 13.-The coming king. The facts are-1. The personal appearance of David is pleasing. 2. Samuel is instructed to anoint him as the chosen of God. 3. Subsequent to the anointing the Spirit of God rests on David. 4. Samuel, having performed this important duty, retires to Re.mah. Samuel, like many a servant of God in public affairs, carried in his heart e. great secret. He sought the coming king, but not a word was said to indicate to the family of Jesse the specific object of his mission. For anything they knew, the selection of one of the family might be designed for some purpose connected with Samuel's work not yet made plain. The command to anoint was based, not on any discovery of qualities from mere outward appearance, though these were not unfavourable, but on God's knowledge of the inner life. Man's king had been chosen because of his being an average representative of the age, and an embodiment of the physical and mental qualities agreeable to the people. The coming king was chosen because God knew him to be the best representative of the spiritual vocation of Israel in the world. The coming king me.y be regarded as- I. A TYPE. Ennts under the Old Testament dispensation were so ordered of God as to shadow forth the Christ, and both Old and New Testaments especially speak of David as the type of the true King in Zion. This is seen in several respects. I. In qualities. 0£ course no man, no words, no institutions can adequately set forth the qualities of the " express image" of the Father's person. But, in compari- son with others, David certainly shadowed forth more than any one some of the features of character so prominent in Christ. Negatively, there was an absence of :,02 THE FIRST BOOK OF SAm.:EL. [CR. XVI. 1-33.