Samuel said, "What is this bleating of sheep, and lowing of oxen that I hear?

Now Saul saw that Samuel knew what he had done. He saw it would be of no use to say, that he had not saved the sheep and oxen, so he began to make excuses for himself.

Saul said, "It was the people, who would not kill the fat sheep and oxen."

Was it the people who had saved the sheep and oxen? Had not Saul saved them too? and why did Saul let the people do wickedly? Was he not the king? Should he not have made them do what was right?

Would God like those sheep and oxen to be offered in sacrifice to him? No; God would rather that Saul should obey him, than that he should offer sacrifices.

Then Samuel told Saul, that God was very angry with him, and did not mean to let him be king much longer.

Saul was very much frightened when he heard that God would punish him, and he said to Samuel, "Do stay and pray to God with me." But Saul was not really sorry: he was only afraid of being punished. Samuel

knew that he was not sorry for having offended God, who had been so good to him, and Samuel would not stay with Saul. Then Saul took hold of Samuel's cloak, to hinder him from going away, and he tore the cloak.

Samuel stopped, and said to Saul, “God has torn the land of Canaan from you, and he has given it to a man that is better than you are. God has done it already, and he will not change his mind.

Saul begged Samuel very much to stay with him, and to pray to God with him that the people might not know that God was angry with him. You see that Saul cared more about what people thought of him, than about God's being pleased with him.

At last Samuel said that he would worship God with him.

Then Samuel desired to see the king of the Amalekites, whom Saul had saved alive.

This king was a very wicked, cruel man, and God chose that he should be killed. He had hoped that as Saul had not killed him, he should not die: but Samuel took a sword and killed him.

Then Samuel left Saul, and he never came to see him any more; but he still was very sorry to think that he was so wicked.

I hope, my dear children, that when you offend God, that you will feel sorry. If you love God, you will not like to displease him. Saul did not love God: he only cared about being punished.

Do you know whom God intended to be king instead of Saul? I will soon tell you his name. He will be a better man than

Saul.

Why was it so wicked of Saul not to kill the king of the Amalekites, and the fat cattle? Because God had told him to kill them.

We

ought to do what God tells us to do. Has he told you to kill wicked people? No; but he has told you to pray to him, and to be kind, and to speak truth, and a great many things besides.

"O turn once more, and pray with me,"
King Saul exclaim'd most earnestly.
O why does he this sorrow show?
Why fear to see the prophet go?

Alas! he has such evil done,

That God will chase him from his throne,

Nor will the Lord in mercy spare,

Nor listen to the prophet's prayer.

Saul does not of his sin repent,
But merely dreads the punishment;
And could he still retain his throne,
He would not heed God's holy frown.

CHILD.

O Lord, when I have broke thy laws,
Is my heart only griev'd, because

I fear lest thou should'st plunge my soul
Where fiery waves for ever roll?

Or is it griev'd because I've sinned
Against a God so good and kind?
Do I feel thus? Then by this sign
I know that I'm a child of thine.

CHAPTER XLVI.

DAVID, OR THE YOUNG SHEPHERD.

1 Samuel xvi. 1-14.

SAMUEL did not know whom God meant to be

king instead of Saul. At last God said to him, "Fill a horn with oil, and go to Jesse who lives in Bethlehem, for I have chosen one of his sons as the king."

Jesse was an old man, and he had a great many sons, who were grown up to be men. Samuel found Jesse and his sons in Bethlehem. Then Samuel looked at the eldest of Jesse's sons, to see whether he was the man that God had chosen to be king.

Now this son was a very tall, fine-looking man, who seemed fit to be a king, and Samuel thought to himself, "Surely this is the one that God will choose me to anoint.'

But God told Samuel that he had not chosen him. God does not care how a person looks, but God cares for the heart. Now the heart of Jesse's eldest son did not please God, and this time God was going to choose a king who loved him in his heart.

Then Samuel looked at Jesse's second son: but when he saw him, he said that God had not chosen him. Then Samuel looked at the third son; but God had not chosen him. Then he looked at the fourth: neither had God