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When Saul saw David going to
fight with the giant, he called Abner, the captain of the army, and asked,
"Who is that young man?" Saul had known David before; for,
when the evil spirit made him unhappy, David had often played to him on
the harp. But Saul had forgotten David now. When the fight was
over, Abner called David, and led him to Saul, with the giant's head in
his hand. Then Saul asked, "Who art thou, young
man?" And David said, "I am the son of Jesse of
Bethlehem." Jonathan, Saul's son, was standing by; and when he
saw David, and heard him speak, he began to love him. David did not
go home again to Bethlehem. Saul took him to live with him at court,
and David was captain over the soldiers. It was a great honor to
David to live at court with the king; but he was not proud of his
honor. He was humble, and respectful, and obedient. He always
remembered his duty to Saul, and tried to please him in everything.
This was very wise and right in David. Saul's
servants loved David, because he was so kind, and gentle, and humble, and
wise; and Saul, too, loved him at first. Jonathan and David were
very dear friends: they loved one another like brothers, and
Jonathan was kind and generous to David, and gave him his own robe, and
his bow, and his sword, and his girdle. Jonathan served God; and
when he saw that David served Him too, Jonathan made him his friend.
How pleasant it is when young people begin to love and serve God
together! We ought always to choose friends who love God, not
friends who love the world. Worldly friendships soon end; they
cannot comfort us when we are in sorrow, nor when we die; and we cannot
meet worldly friends in Heaven. But holy friendships never end; we
may part from our dear friends for a little time, but soon we shall meet
them in heaven, and never lose them again. While
David and Jonathan were living so happily together, Saul was very
miserable. Why were David and Jonathan happy? Because God was
their friend, and His blessing was upon them. And why was Saul
miserable? Because god was his enemy, and he had none to comfort
him. His riches, and kingdom, and power, and servants, could not
make him happy. "There is no peace to the wicked." Isaiah
57:21.
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