Vera. 38-40.-Naturalness. The facts are-I. Saul clothes David with his armour-. 2. David, distrusting its value, puts it aside. 3. He goes forth to the conflict armed only with a sling and a stone. There is a curious blending of cowardice, prudence, and folly in Saul's conduct. Not daring to fight the foe, he hesitates not to accept a youth; and while providing ordinary armour for his defence, he fails to see that an armed youth would really be at a disadvantage with an armed giant. Apart from higher considerations, David's good sense shows him that free nimble- ness would be of more value than limbs stifl'ened under a coat of mail. The gentle negation, "I have not proved them," covered a positive faith in other armour often proved. He would be David in the conflict, and no one else. The issue was staked on his perfect naturalness. He knew "in who!Il he believed," and was true to his own individuality. The teaching is wide and important in relation to- I. EDUCATION. To be natural is one of the ends of education, and there is a naturalness in the means and process by which alone that anJ ;ill the ends of educa- tion will be secured. While psychologically the sum of faculties is the same in all, the relative power of them may vary. Constitutional tendencies and tastes also greatly differ. The inherent capacity of certain faculties seems likewise to be affected by inheritance. Discrimination is therefore requisite in education, otherwise we may place a Saul's armour on a David, and encumber his mental movements. No doubt a weak faculty is benefited by being stimulated to work, and a deficient taste may be improved by exercise ; but the apportionment of work to faculties and tastes should be regulated, not by some general average of minds, but by what will make the most of the idiosyncrasies of the individual. That educational training and equipment is natural which leaves the mind most free and effective. What is gainel on one aide by painful drudgery may be lost on another by embitterment and crippled tahmts. Especially in religious educ11,tion is tllis important. Let us not clothe the mental nature of children with the forms suited to men. Probably much of the distaste for religious instruction springs from the perfect unsuitability of the form to the receptivity of the mind. II. OCCUPATION. Success in any calling depends largely on the naturalness of it to the abilities, tastes, and aspirations of the employed. The Goliath of poverty and disappointment too frequently overpowers really good am! able men, because their occupation, though good and useful in itself, is unnatural to them. In the pressure of life it is hard, no doubt, to find the proper place for each one ; but more fore- thought on the part of parents and guardians would obviate some of the evils. The over-crowding- and eager race of men, trampling one another down in poverty, raises the thought whether these troubles are not the voice of Providence calling on men lo spread abroad and cultivate the rich distant lands waiting for occupants. N atiiral'- mss of occupation and of manner is also desirable in works of charily and religioo. Let not men he armed with powers and prerogatives out of accord with their mental and moral stature. Let not the youth of the Church, in their enthusiasm for Chrint, be fettered by impositions that will nullify their zeal N,;r let the immature assume THE FinST BOOK OF SAMUEL. [cu. xv11. 20-58.
funr!icns for which ripe expc-rience alone can qualify. The wise Church is that wl,ich takes c_og:nisanr~ ~f all its members, a~d finds out and encourages some ~ph_c-1:c of Chn~t~an. ac!Jnt_y !1atm:al to the attamments and social position of each rnd1ndual. M1mstnes may differ m style and be most natural-e. g. Paul and John . . III. SP!IlITUAL CONF~,I?T· In one respect David's was a sp;ritual conflict. He discerned the great religious issues at s~ake, and the fitness of the mean_s by which the battl~ was to be fought. F01: sweepmg off from the earth a great foe of God's purpose m lsrQ•.:l, and, therefore, m Clmst, he had not proved the armour of Saul the unspiritnal king; b1Jt he had proved other means of warfare suited to his indi- nduality as a youth full of faith in God and enthusiasm for the golden ao-e of the world. The man after God's own heart will not fight in the attire of the ~an who had lost faith in God. He must have freedom for such powers as are natural to him• self, and that would give scope for his trust in God. 1. Is there not here a fore- llha<lowing of a greater than David ? Christ, in seeking to rid the earth of the giant foe of God's righteous government, si,n, knows that men have been accustomed to co~ten? with the ~vii by ~-arious appliances:-p~ilosophy, art, social o.nd political orgamsat10n, repressive ordmances, commercial mtercourse, and other agencies ·created for the preserva~ion of so?iety. There ~ere men who hoped that he would adopt some of the ordinary appliances (John v1. 15). But Christ worked out his mission on the line of his own individuality. Recognising organisations, and social laws, and ordinary knowledge as useful, he nevertheless struck at the root, not at the ramifications, of sin. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." "Make the tree good and his fruit good." And this he effects by the power of his holy life, of his self-sacrifice, and pure truth, brought to bear on the deepest springs of thought and volition by the mighty working of the Holy Spirit (Matt. xi. "29; John iii. 7; x. 16-18; xiii. 15; xvii. 17; 2 Cor. v. 21; Phil. ii. 5; 1 Pet. ii. 21-25; iii. 18). 2. We may also see kere a parallel to our personal conflicts with evil. There are "carnal" weapons sometimes used for subjugation of evil, bnt the spiritual man knows of an "armour of God" (Ephes. vii. 11-17), often proved and never known to fail. Both in our own hearts and in the world sin will be most surely overcome if we distrust mere accommodations to its nature and conformities to its methods, and use with all our free energy the spiritual power which comes of God. Christian naturalness lies in using Ch1istian means-faith, prayer, truth, love, hope, and patience.