awful despair: nor _love_, for his soul was filled with carnal entity against the love of God; nor access to God; nor a spirit of supplication; nor the grace of patience; nor humility; nor resignation to the will of God; and being destitute of those things, his end was according to his works. He was a slave to his sin, but God’s children are set at liberty from these things, that they should not serve sin; and can there be greater sin in the sight of God than envy, hatred, and malice in the heart against the children of God? impossible! This poor unhappy man was the son of Kish, a Benjamite. The children of Israel, to be like the nations around them, loudly called out for a King, which God gave in his anger and took away in his wrath. Samuel was appointed to anoint Saul; he then assembled the Hebrews to receive their new king; the people shouted, and wished him joy. A spirit of prophecy fell on him at times, which astonished many, but it does not appear to have been in a covenant way, so that no one appears to have reaped any benefit from his talent. Coming to the kingdom, God furnished him with natural abilities for the government of the people. Hence it is said, _God gave him another heart_—not the new heart and the right spirit he has promised his people, but a mind capable of managing the affairs of a kingdom. Soon after this advancement, Saul distinguished himself in some very great exploits, but fell an awful victim to his pride, which was manifested in his envying David, whose fame began to spread among his people. _Who can stand before envy_? After God had so particularly honoured David, Saul’s sun set at noon day, while light was rising on David, never to go dawn. The enmity of Saul was great indeed, which set him upon the awful act of murder; this infernal intention he prosecuted till the last stage of his life, and finding David had taken shelter among the Philistines, he gave over thoughts of getting him destroyed. About the year of the world three thousand and forty nine, the Philistines invaded his kingdom, and encamped in the very heart of it, perhaps at the very time he was troubling the afflicted David. Saul now fell into the deepest distress of mind; his measure was now, nearly filled up, and a righteous God was now about to take vengeance on him for his disobedience in the matter of the Amalekites; his horrid cruelty in the murder of the priests and their families; and his enmity to David, of course to David’s God. Despair seizing his soul and preying on his spirits, he first calls on God, but most probably not in the appointed way; nor did he wait God’s answer, but fled from him in the pride of his heart, and applied to the devil and his daughter, the Witch of Endor, for relief to his mind. Sad refuge, miserable comforters indeed! He wanted to see and speak with Samuel the Prophet, whom he had neglected and disobeyed in his life time, and therefore as God was departed from him,