verities! Saul, the man after man's heart, is set aside, to make room for the man after God's heart. The children of Israel had abundant opportunity of testing the character of the man whom they had chosen to lead them forth, and fight their battles.[9] The reed on which they had so earnestly desired to lean had broken, and was about to pierce their hand. Man's king, alas, what was he? Set him in an emergency, and how does he carry himself? Bustling self-importance marks all his actings. No dignity, no holy confidence in God, no acting on the broad principles of truth. Self, self, and that, too, in the most solemn scenes, and while apparently acting for God and His people. Such was man's king. [8] My reader should accurately distinguish between the Holy Ghost coming _upon_ people and the Holy Ghost dwelling and acting _in_ them. The statement in 1 Sam. x. 6 may present a difficulty to some minds. "The Spirit of the Lord will come _upon_ thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man." This is not the Spirit producing the new birth, but merely fitting Saul to be an office-bearer. Were it regeneration, it would not merely be the Spirit coming _upon_, but acting _in_, a man. Saul the _office-hearer_ and Saul the _man_ are quite distinct, and this distinction must be maintained in reference to many of the characters both in the Old and New Testament Scriptures. [9] It is to be noted that Saul, though appointed by God's order to Samuel, is nevertheless the _people's_ choice and acclaimed by them as such (1 Sam. x. 24)--God thus selecting for them the man after _their_ heart.--[Ed.]