SAMUEL ANOINTING SAUL.

SAMUEL was the judge and ruler of Israel; and when he grew old, he made his two sons judges in his place. But they were unjust and covetous; and the people murmured, and said to Samuel, "Give us a king to govern us." The prophet was angry; for the people, until then, had had no king but God; but he yielded to their wish, and the Lord directed him who should be chosen to govern them.

There was a man of Benjamin who had some asses strayed away from his land, and he sent his son Saul in search of them. Saul was a young man of great strength and beauty, and a head and shoulders taller than all ordinary men. He and his servant travelled as far as the land of Zuph, but they did not find the animals that were lost. Then Saul said, "Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses and get uneasy about us.' The servant replied, "There is in this city a man of God, wise and honourable, and all that he saith cometh surely to pass; let us go to him, no doubt he can shew us the best and shortest way to return."

Saul accordingly went to Samuel, who entertained him with great hospitality, and revealed to him that he should be chosen to rule the Israelites as their king. And he poured a phial of oil upon the head of Saul, and kissed him, and said, "The Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance." And the spirit of prophecy came upon Saul, and he was chosen to be the first king of the Hebrews; and he led an army against the Ammonites, who oppressed his people, and defeated them with much slaughter, and all Israel rejoiced greatly.

DAVID PLAYING ON THE HARP BEFORE SAUL.

SAUL was not a good man: he disobeyed God's commands; and the Lord therefore determined that his children should not be kings over Israel; and beside this, God sent an evil spirit to trouble him, and he fell into a deep melancholy, and sometimes cried out bitterly, in consequence of the mental anguish he suffered.

And Samuel, in obedience to God's command, anointed David, a noble-looking and handsome youth, and declared that he should be the future king of Israel; but Saul was ignorant of this act of Samuel.

Saul's servants advised him to procure a clever player upon the harp, who should sooth him with music when the spirit tormented him. And one of them said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him."

Then Saul sent for David, and he was greatly pleased with the youth, and made him his armour-bearer; and when the king's malady came upon him, David played upon his harp, and sang many plaintive and touching airs; and Saul was melted by the music into tears, and the evil spirit left him, and he became tranquil and well. The demon could not resist the overpowering influence of music, when uttered by the voice of youth and innocence, and employed in sounding the praises of God. Great is the power of this exquisite art over the feelings; and in modern times, many evil thoughts and dark temptations have been scared from the minds of those who listened devoutly to the solemn strains of sacred music.