Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul.-1 SAM. xv. 35. -Keeping away from him, but grieving. Then came the Lord's keen question : How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? -This continued mourning was taking on a tinge of disloyalty: it was getting to be a question of friends with Saul or friends with God. And as the best cure for his grief over the Lord's decision, God set him to work it out. Fill thine horn with oil, and go; I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.-1 SAM. xvi. 1. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake.-1 SAM. xvi. 4. -But whether the boy David-although he was' ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to'ever filled the place left vacant in Samuel's heart when Saul, that choice young man, and a goodly,' turned back from following the Lord,-of that we are not told. There are first loves, even among men. XXIV. In the Field. And they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.-1 SAM. xx. 41. WE long for a new word, sometimes when the old one has constantly drifted away to regions where it never belonged; a new superscription, instead of that which has often been written upon a false deed. What is a friend?' how will you distinguish the real from the make-believe? And there is a certain comfort in finding the same confusion away back in Bible times; so that, in this respect at least, the world has not grown worse. The rich hath many friends,-said the wise man.-PROV. xiv. 20. Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.-PROV. xix. 6. -While on the other hand it is written: All her friends have dealt treacherously with her.—LAM. i. 2. . . friends.-LUKE xxi. 16. -But over against these hard things are set others; and like bells that 'Ring out the false, ring in the true,' -the glad peal comes: A friend loveth at all times; and a brother is born for adversity.— PROV. xvii. 17. -The friendship of David and Jonathan was of this type. Even among friendships that are true it stands pre-eminent, having passed into a proverb. It had sprung up at first sight; one of those sudden, full-grown, inevitable things; not to be stayed, or measured, or reasoned about. When David was yet a stripling,' brought in by Captain Abner before Saul; standing there-that shepherd boy-with the head of the great giant in his hands; even then the friendship began. To Saul's questions David did not even tell his name, answering humbly: I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.-1 SAM. xvii. 58. -But what have names to do? It came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.-1 SAM. xviii. 1. -Saul's kingly memory seems to have been short, or else his royal eyesight took small notice of the young musician who so little while ago had 'refreshed' him, and driven away his besetting evil spirit. Perhaps he did not choose to remember. But after due inquiry, he liked him now so well, that he kept him, 'and would let him go no more home to his father's house.' Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul,-1 Sam. xviii. 3. -'A friend is another self,' says some old Greek,—should then the son of Saul be better dressed than his friend? Р And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.-1 SAM. xviii. 4. -Jonathan must have been a very lovable person himself; large-hearted, generous-minded. His young armour-bearer was ready to fight the world with him, single-handed (1 Sam. xiv. 1-14)—and see, too, the eager appreciation of the people (1 Sam. xiv. 45). And in all that concerns David there is not the least trace of envy or jealousy, or any mean thing. To be sure, young David 'behaved himself wisely,' and took no airs; but still there were sparks enough, if Jonathan had had any loose tinder in his heart. Royal favour was, as usual, reckless of consequences; and the much lauded voz populi was just as injudicious as it always is. Jonathan had 'wrought great salvation in Israel,' doing exploits; but now when David came, Saul set him over the men of war.-1 SAM. xviii. 5. Then the women took it up: And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.-1 SAM. xviii. 7. -Saul caught fire at once, and never forgot nor forgave it. Then All Israel and Judah loved David.-1 SAM. xviii. 16. -And love is the hardest jewel in the world to spare to anybody else. It is so really precious a thing to be loved, that one of the greatest triumphs, both of grace and of affection, is to be willing to stand second best. Further still, His name was much set by.-1 SAM. xviii. 30. -Not only love, but fame: not only fame, but love,-so it went, back and forth. And through it all: Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David.-1 SAM. xix. 2. -Now came another test, right out of the opposite quarter of temptation: the royal favourite had lost the royal favour. 'Saul eyed him;' 'Saul was afraid of him; 'Saul removed him from him;' 'Saul became David's enemy continually.' And then? Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father.-1 SAM. xix. 2. -Jonathan warned David; Jonathan tried to pacify his father. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.-1 SAM. xix. 7. -For a time. But when again there came war, and again David carried all before him, once more the evil spirit came upon Saul, and would not be cast out; because Saul began to do his bidding. Then So David fled and escaped to Samuel at Ramah; and then both of them left Ramah and went to Naioth; and when Saul followed, David left him, and fled from Naioth back to Ramah, and there once more met his friend. the two had a deep consultation. For even in the face of facts, Jonathan was not ready to believe so much evil of his father, while David knew it but too well. cach other they had no doubt,-happy friends! But about Jonathan |