189-4.J ^11 [Morris. 



bj' the riiilislines, thej'- became the slaves of the latter, until, under the 

 guidance of Samuel, Saul raised the standard of revolt, blew the trumpet 

 in Gibeah with the shout, " Let the Hebrews hear." Successful in driving 

 off the oppressing bands of the Ammonites, he was soon surrounded by 

 large numbers of his couutrj'men now roused to strike for their liberty ; 

 he organized them and led them to victory. But the crowning achieve- 

 ment of the war with the Pliilistines which ensued was not his, but 

 that of "a youth, ruddy and of fair countenance," who with sling and 

 stone slew in mortal combat the challenging giant of the Philistine army, 

 and thus became, in accordance with Saul's offer, his son-in-law. The 

 kingdom of the Hebrews was then successfully established, and by the 

 prowess of its warriors gained respectful consideration among its neighbors. 

 The subsequent madness of Saul, his jealousy and banishment of David, 

 and his death in his last great battle with the Philistines, we need not 

 stop to consider, except to note the indignation which Nabal's sneer, 

 "There be many slaves nowadays who have run away from their mas- 

 ters," aroused in David, as an index of how the movement of the Hebrews 

 was regarded by the wealthy sheep-master of Carmel. The death of Saul 

 was in a few years followed by David's public recognition as king of the 

 united nation — by the capture of Jerusalem from the Jebusites and its es- 

 tablishment as his capital, whence he waged war after w^ar against the 

 surrounding Moabites, Edomitesand Ammonites, extending his territories, 

 carrjMug ofl' immense booty, and levj-ing heavy imposts on his subjugated 

 enemies. Of all this we read only incidental and fragmentary allusions, 

 j'et sufficient to enable us to trace the rise of the nation to power and 

 wealth ; so that we are not surprised at the alliance of Pharaoh's daughter 

 with his son Solomon. If David's character as that not only of the sweet 

 singer of Israel, but a large-hearted, earnest man and devoted servant of 

 God, should interest us, not the less should that of his son and successor. 

 Born and reared amid all these commotions and developments, and doubt- 

 less trained carefully bj^ Nathan and the other counsellors of his father, 

 and impressed with the duty laid upon him to consolidate and strengthen 

 the new kingdom, he evinces a spirit of wisdom and discretion, an earnest 

 study of the conditions of his life work that may well win our admira- 

 tion. The building of the temple and the palace for which preparations 

 had been made during his boyhood would naturally draw to Jerusalem 

 the best skill and thought of the time ; for it was well known that neither 

 means nor desire were wanting to make them what indeed they were, 

 worthy of rank among the wonders of the world. Then also the overland 

 commerce between Egypt and Assj'ria traversing such an extent of Solo- 

 mon's dominions, and fostered by him by building fortresses and outposts 

 to protect the caravans as they came from Damascus to the shores of the 

 ^Mediterranean, would bring such an amount of business to Jerusalem 

 that we can readily understand how he made silver and gold as common 

 as iron and stone in his rapidly growing capital. Judicious alliances and 

 treaties, his reputation for justice and fairness, and the prosperity of the 



