young man of the tribe of Benjamin. But Samuel still governed Israel for a time, for the people acknowledged him as an upright ruler, and a prophet of Jehovah. This event terminates the fifth epocha of sacred history.

QUESTIONS.

To whom is the book of Judges attributed, and what events does it record? What was the conduct of the Israelites after the decease of Joshua, and the elders who lived with him? What evils did the children of Israel bring upon themselves by departing from the Lord their God, and what deliverers did God raise up for them? What judges successively ruled Israel? Who were the most illustrious among them? What was the fate of Samson? What occasioned the death of Eli? What was the character of Samuel? What request did the behaviour of Samuel's sons afford the Israelites occasion to make? Who was anointed to be king? Did Samuel immediately lay down the authority of Judge? What event terminates the fifth epocha of sacred history?

CHAP. XII.

It is very uncertain by whom were written the two books, entitled the first and second book of Samuel. Only twenty-four chapters of the first of them could have been the work of Samuel, since his life does not extend farther. They, as well as the other historical books of the old Testament, must be considered as annals of the Israelites, preserved by persons duly qualified, and regularly appointed for that purpose. They

stand upon the concurrent testimony of antiquity. The first book of Samuel contains a space of nearly eighty years, from the birth of Samuel, A.C. 1136, to the death of Saul, A.C. 1056. The second book of Samuel has been ascribed to the prophet Nathan, or to the prophet Gad, but upon very doubtful authority. It contains principally the reign of David, as the first does that of Saul.

After Saul had been anointed king, but before he had been publicly acknowledged, Nahash, king of the Ammonites, invaded the land of Israel. But Saul gathered together the men of Israel and of Judah, and defeated the army of the Ammonites. And upon this, all the people went to Gilgal, and there they established Saul as king. And they said, "Bring hither the men who rejected Saul, and put them to death." But Saul, with noble generosity, replied, "Let none' die on this day in which the Lord hath delivered Israel." And the children of Israel rejoiced with great joy. And Samuel spake unto the people,

Behold I have given you a king as you required, to march before you to battle. My head is hoary with age. From my youth, to this hour, have I been your judge; and now I appear with you before the Lord, and his anointed. Answer me then, whose ox, or whose ass have I taken ? Whom have I oppressed, or trodden under foot? Of whom have I received gifts, to pervert justice? Speak, and I will make restitution." And the people replied, "Thou hast not oppressed us, nor taken any thing from any one of us; neither hast thou received bribes.'

F

And Samuel said, "The Eternal is, this day, witness between you and me." And Samuel farther addressed the whole assembly, reminding them, shortly, of the favour which God had showed to their forefathers and to themselves; of their transgressions, and of God's forbearance. And to impress his admonitions more deeply upon their minds, he invoked the Lord God aloud, to send thunder and rain. And at his prayer came a storm of rain and thunder, though it was then the season of wheat harvest. And the people feared exceedingly, and confessed their transgression, and said unto Samuel, "Pray unto the Eternal, thy God, for thy servants, that we die not." And Samuel replied unto the people, "Fear not; only serve the Lord with all your heart; for remember what great things he hath done for you; but if ye persevere in doing ill, ye will all perish; ye and your king together." And Saul shewed himself a man of strength and valour; for he and Jonathan, his son, discomfited the armies of the Philistines; and, for a time, he ruled with wisdom and equity. But success rendered him proud, and he became despotic and cruel. He disobeyed the command of the Lord, and behaved deceitfully towards Samuel his prophet. And, behold, the Philistines came against Israel, and a gigantic champion, named Goliath, challenged the Israelites to single combat, and none durst meet him in fight, until a youth, named David, son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, an inhabitant of the town of Bethlehem, undertook the dangerous battle; and he met the Philistine in the name of the Lord, and

slew him by a stone from his sling. And because all the people praised David, Saul was jealous of him, and attempted to slay him; but his son, Jonathan, who loved David as his own life, saved him from the wrath of the king, his father. Samuel, the prophet, having anointed David as future king over Israel, David fled from before the face of Saul. And he came to Nob, one of

the cities of the Levites, and took refuge, for a time, with Ahimelech, the priest; and thence he departed, to sojourn in a cavern of the wood, near Hadullam; and there his relations and friends assembled around him. Saul put Ahimelech, the priest, and all the inhabitants of Nob, to the sword, because they had received David. And Saul pursued after David; and twice was Saul's life in the hand of David; yet David would not slay him, because he was the Lord's anointed, and the father of Jonathan, his friend. The Philistines came again against the children of Israel, and they joined in hattle together, and the Israelites fled; and many of the people were slain on mount Gilboa, and the Philistines surrounded Saul and his sons, and they killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki souah, sons of Saul. But the archers of the enemy pressed close upon Saul, and wounded him, and he threw himself upon his own sword, and died. And when David heard that Saul was dead, he mourned for him, because he was his father-inlaw, and his king. He mourned also for Jonathan, his friend and brother, with great lamentation; and all Israel bewailed Saul and Jonathan. But when the days of the mourning were past;

the tribe of Judah made David king, in Hebron; but Abner, general of the army of Saul, made Iphibosheth, a son of Saul, king over Israel. After seven years, the elders of Israel repaired to David at Hebron, and appointed him king over all Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign: he reigned seven years over Judah, in Hebron; and thirty-three years, at Jerusalem, over all the tribes of Israel. Samuel had died before the death of Saul: all Israel had mourned for him, and they buried him at Rama. The Lord was with David, because David went not after idols, and though he fell into great sin, yet he repented, and worshipped the Lord his God. And the Lord was with him, and prospered him in his deeds. He took the strong city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites, who had regained possession thereof, and transported the ark to Mount Sion in that city. He treated the son of Saul with kindness, and the son of Jonathan, his friend, with affection. He defeated in battle, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Philistines, and the Syrians. David fixed the seat of the kingdom, and of the worship of Jehovah, at Jerusalem. Sion was his dwellingplace; and around that hill and fortress he built a city, called the city of David; and Joab, his general, and the son of his sister, enlarged and strengthened Jerusalem. For the punishment of a grievous sin, the Lord suffered great quarrels and confusion to take place among the children of David, and some of them were slain.

Absalom, whom David loved more than his other children, rebelled against him, and drove