I\'. Tm,: DESIGNS OF THE WICKED DEFEAT THEMSELVES. The conflict wngcd by S:tnl was, as we have seen, rea_lly ag~inst the decree of God, but its ostensible object we.s e. plot o!1 the part ?f David agan~st the t!ll"one. "Whatever fears Saul mny hn,·o had concerning Samuels sympathy with David, there was no public gT01111d for them in any positive action taken by the prophet in concert with David. What he drcadoc\ most of all was the open espousal of David's cause by the spiritual power; for the prie~thood had immense influence with the people. It was to crush out by one terrible blow any supposed concert that he caused the slaughter e.t Nob; and it is instructiv~ _to observe how this ve_ry attei_npt_ to deprive David of the official support of the spmtual power really put 1t on !us side. The deeds of bad men arc never complete enough for insuring a final triumph ; some oversight, some weakness, some so-called accident gives occasion for the ultimate frustration of their purpose. By some chance, as men say, Abiathar escaped and went over to David. Saul fell i11lo the pit he had prepared for David (Ps. Iii. 6). There is now a Clwistian spiritual power, and the truth thus exemplified is especially seen in the great conflict of men- against it. The same interests in higher form are still in conflict with opposing forces. Every effort to subvert or crush out the kingdom of God, though it should be a gTeat "slaughter" either of bodies or of characters, develops more life, leads to closer union, throws the Church more on the power and guidance of God, and so prepares the way for ll new movement of a higher spiritual character before which the powers of evil must yield. Give time, and the spiritual will triumph. General lessons :-1. In matters of doubt, where evil consequences may possibly ensue from our conduct it is best to abstain from action; for it is a good rule to bar the way to evil by every possible contrivance. 2. Where the reputation of others is affected by our conduct we should either seek their consent or avoid a possible com- promise of their character. 3. Any false step in life is greatly embittered in review if it has been attended with untruthfulness. 4. We may confidently appeal to tho religious feelings of men in our defence of Christian truth even when by ha.re argu- !nent we cannot touch them. 5. In the frequent historical illustrations of the impos- sibility of men crushing out the spiritual power, whether in Jewish or Christian form, we see a prophecy of the time when Christ shall have "put down a.II rule and all authority and power" (1 Cor. xv. 24).
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1, 2. (THE CAVE OF ADTJLLAM.)-DavuJ:s refuge and following. David's escape from Gath to the cave of Adullam marks a freFh starting-point in his career. Henceforth he led the life of an independent outlaw at the head of a band of armed men. He was openly and continually persecuted by Saul, under the illusion that he was aiming at the crown, although he neither rebelled nor encouraged rebellion against his authority. He was thereby kept prominently before the minds of the people, and must have fixed the attention of the most observant and devou~ upon him, as, in contrast to Saul (whose government became more and mor~ arbitrary, inefficient, and ungodly), the man who alone was worthy to be "captam over the Lord's inheritance;" and the experience through which be passed served to prepare him for bis destination. " This very period of his deepest sufferings becomes the decisive turning-point of his whole history, at which it enters upon a true upward course, thence to rise ever higher and higher; while his real destiny, viz., to rule, is n,•w for the first time not only foreshadowed, but already begun, though only on the ~llla.llest scale; . and the clearest proof that this actually is his destiny is found in the fact that be begins to work it out without consciously exerting himself to do so'' (Ewald). He may be considered as representing, in some respects, the good man ttnder persecutwn, and as- I. PROTECTED FROM THE VIOLENCE OF PERSECUTORS, with which the servants of God have been threai.ened in every age. 1. Underneath the personal and ostensible grounds of such violence lie the opposition of "the kingdom of darkness" to the ki.ogdom of God, and the enmity of !he evil heart agains_t rigl)te~usness and _good- ness. David was "the representative of the tl1eocrat1c prmc1ple for winch he OH. XXII. 1-23.] THE FIRST BOOK OF ~AMUEL. 421