but also that the ark was taken away, he fell backward from his seat and died.

The Philistines carried the holy ark to the Before city Ashdod, and set it in the house of Dagon Christ their god: but the vain image fell upon his 1116. face before the ark, as it were in obeisance; and God sent a severe affliction and plague among the people, so that they gladly sent it back to the Israelites, who placed it in the house of Abinadab in Gibeah.

Samuel, who had been dedicated to the Lord in a remarkable manner, and bred up under Eli from his infancy, succeeded to the government, and acted both as prophet and judge. He was favoured by the Almighty with frequent revelations of his will: he preached to the people with great affection and zeal, and prevailed on them to put away their strange gods, to confess their sins, and to serve the Lord alone. He was also a wise and vigilant magistrate; he administered justice with great impartiality, and took a circuit yearly through the kingdom for that purpose. But when he grew old and incapable of discharging his public office, he made his sons judges over Israel, who degenerated from their father's virtue, perverted justice for the sake of bribes, and oppressed the people: upon which the elders of Israel made a general complaint to Samuel, and earnestly requested him to alter their form of government, and to appoint a king to judge them like other nations.

Samuel, by the particular direction of the Lord, set before them the many inconveniences and grievances which would attend such a change; and also informed them, that, by thus insisting upon it, they rejected the Lord from being their king: yet when, notwithstanding the remonstrance of the prophet, they persisted obstinately in their demand, God ordered him to hearken to their voice, and was pleased to nominate Saul to the regal dignity.

We know not what temporal advantages

are most conducive to our real interest; and frequently, with equal eagerness and ignorance, solicit those things which would be pernicious to us. God alone knows what will help us, and what will hurt us; and all our prayers should be offered, as with entire dependence on his goodness, so with entire submission to his wisdom. Give us, O Lord, the things which are most convenient for us, whether we desire them or not; and keep from us, we beseech thee, all evil things, even though we should wish and earnestly pray for them.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE BOOK OF RUTH.

WHILE the Israelites were governed by judges, the land was afflicted with a grievous famine; during which, Elimelech, a man of Bethlehem, retired for safety, with his wife Naomi, and his two sons, into the land of Moab; where his sons married Orphah and Ruth. But, after some time, he and his sons died, upon which Naomi resolved to return into her own country, and desired her daughtersin-law to remain in Moab, under the care and protection of their own relations.-Orphah, with great reluctance and many tears, took leave of her mother, and remained; but Ruth clave unto her, saying, Whither thou goest, I will go; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

Upon their arrival at Bethlehem, Ruth went into the fields of Boaz to glean corn for their food. Boaz, though abounding in riches, was diligent, condescending, and charitable. Observe the behaviour of the master and the servants: as he went into the field, he said to the reapers, the Lord be with you; and they answered him, The Lord bless thee. Having inquired into the family and circumstances of Ruth, whom he saw gleaning, he commanded the men to let fall some handfuls in her way; con

triving at the same time to give her a plentiful provision without the appearance of giving, and to save her that shame and confusion which modest people feel upon receiving.

Boaz was so charmed with the honest industry of Ruth, and her dutiful affection to Naomi, that after a fruitless application to her kinsmen for a husband, he himself married her, and they had a son called Obed, who was the father of Jesse, and grandfather of Darid; from whom in a direct line. the Saviour of the world descended, and is therefore called the Son of David.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE REIGN OF SAUL.

He

Saul, a young man, as he was looking for Before his father's asses, which had strayed from Christ their pasture, was directed by the Lord to 1095. Samuel, and anointed to be king over Israel. was no sooner seated upon his throne, than the men of Jabesh-gilead, being closely besieged by the Ammonites, implored his assistance; upon which he immediately collected some forces, marched all night, attacked and defeated the enemy, and put them to flight with a very considerable loss.

After this, Jonathan, the son of Saul, took a garrison from the Philistines; who were so much enraged at it, that they marched against the Israelites with a very numerous army. The people were filled with consternation and despair; and Saul, though he had been commanded by Samuel to wait for his coming, yet hoping to raise the drooping spirits of his subjects, offered the burnt-offering himself; for which act of presumption the prophet sharply rebuked him, and told him that his kingdom would not continue. The Lord was pleased, however, in compassion to the people, to favour the arms of Jonathan, and grant a remarkable victory over the enemy.

Saul was afterwards sent to execute judgment upon the Amalekites, with an express command not to leave any creature alive. But he obeyed the command only in part; for he saved Agag their king, and the best of the cattle; and when Samuel, upon hearing the bleating of the sheep, and the lowing of the oxen, charged him with the failure, he pretended that he had saved the cattle for a sacrifice unto the Lord. There can be no good excuse for the wilful violation of our duty. Can we be said to do the will of God, while we do it only in some particular instances, and knowingly neglect it in others? Can a partial obedience be justified in the sight of God, or to our own hearts ?-Could those spoils, which the Almighty had commanded to be destroyed, be a pleasing sacrifice to him;-or an external ceremony make amends for the breach of an express law?-Certainly not. The prophet, therefore, rejected the hypocritical defence, and said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.-Thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

True religion consists in doing the will of God with sincerity of heart. We must renounce, not only this or that sin, but all sin; and must obey not only this or that command, but all the commands of God, without exception or reserve. Then shall I not be ashamed, then shall I have confidence in thy favour and loving kindness, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. Saul was deeply affected with the denunciation of Samuel. The loss of the Divine favour was attended with great perplexity and horror; there is no peace to the wicked, saith the Scripture. In this unhappy situation, he was advised to try the power of music, in order to divert his thoughts, and lull his mind to rest. For this purpose, David, a shepherd, the son of Jesse, who was famous for playing skilfully upon

the harp, and singing hymns, was recommended to him; and his music was so excellent that it charmed the passions of the king, and in a great measure removed his disorder.

The Philistines returned with recruited forces against Israel; and when both armies were encamped near each other, Goliath, a giant, day after day, challenged any of the Israelites to decide the war by a single combat: but he was of such a prodigious stature, that the soldiers of Saul were terrified at the sight of him, and shrank back from the encounter. Young David, however, who came in the mean time to visit his brothers in the camp, as soon as he heard his insulting language, was moved with indignation, and resolved to fight the gigantic champion. For he trusted in the Almighty, (by whose assistance he had formerly slain both a lion and a bear, which had assaulted his flocks,) that he would also deliver into his hand this proud Philistine, who had reproached and defied the armies of the living God.

The Israelites stood in amazement, and trembled for the adventurous stripling, who went forward with only a sling in his hand, and a few pebble stones in his shepherd's bag. Goliath, on the other hand, treated him with insolent disdain, and threatened to give his flesh to the fouls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. But David, guided and supported by an invisible power, slang a stone, which penetrated the head of his adversary, so that he fell upon his face to the earth. At the sight of which the Israelites, exulting with joy, attacked the army of the dismayed Philistines, and obtained a complete victory over them.

The admiration and applause expressed by all the people in honour of David excited sentiments of envy and jealousy in the breast of Saul. What a wretched temper it is, to be miserable upon those occasions which ought to give pleasure and delight; and to hate others for those excellences which