"'And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. "'And Samuel said unto him, the Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, _that is_ better than thou. "'And also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man that he should repent. "'Then he said, I have sinned; _yet_ honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God. "'So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. "'Then said Samuel, bring ye hither to me Agag, the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, surely the bitterness of death is past. "'And Samuel said, as thy sword has made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. "'Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. "'And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul; and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.'" Mr. Pierrepont then read from the eighteenth chapter of St. Matthew as follows:-- "'Woe unto the world because of offences, for it must needs be that offences come; but woe unto that man by whom the offence cometh.... It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.'