And Samson called unto the Lord and said, O Lord God remember me I pray thee and strengthen me, only this once that I may be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle Pillars upon which the House stood, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines;--and he bowed himself with all his might, and the House fell upon the Lords, and upon all the People that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life. And Samson judged Israel twenty years.

Of what avail is great strength? Samson disobeyed the commandments of God, and the voice of his Father and his Mother, in taking a wife not of his own nation. His strength, left to the government of his wilful passions, at the same time that he was an instrument in the hands of God for the deliverance of his country, brought upon himself, only misery and death.

CHAPTER 51.

THE BOOK OF RUTH.

Now it came to pass in the days when the Judges ruled, there was a Famine in the Land of Judah; and Elimelech of Bethlehem, with his Wife Naomi, fled into the Country of Moab. And Elimelech died, and Naomi was left a widow with her two Sons. And they took them wives of the Women of Moab, Orpah, and Ruth; and they dwelled there about ten years, and both the Sons died. Then Naomi arose with her Daughters-in-law, that she might return into the Lund of Judah, and Naomi said, Go return each to her Mother's house; the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye

have dealt with the dead, and with me. The Lord grant that ye may find rest, each in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice and wept. And they said, Surely we will return with thee unto thy People. And Orpah kissed her Mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her; and said, Intreat me not to leave thee, for whether thou goest I will go, thy People shall be my People, and thy God my God. Where thou diest I will die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

So they two went until they came to Bethlehem,bereft of her Husband and her Sons, destitute of the prop and support of her house, she returns desolate to her native land; comforted indeed by the attachment and affection of her Daughter-in-law, and relying on the mercies of her God. And it was the beginning of barley harvest.

And Boaz a Kinsman of Elimelech, was a mighty man of wealth; and Ruth went out to glean the Ears of Corn in the Barley field, and she lighted on a part of the field that belonged to Boaz; and. Boaz took notice of her, because he had heard how she had behaved to her Mother-in-law, and he let her glean in his field with his own Maid Servants. And Boaz was kind to her, and at meal time gave her of the parched Corn and of the Bread, and the Vinegar, and when she arose up to glean, he said, Let her glean even among the Sheaves, reproach her not.

And Ruth brought home to Naomi every evening what she had gleaned; and she kept fast by the Maidens of Boaz to glean, unto the end of Barley harvest, and Wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her Mother-in-law.

And Boaz saw Ruth and loved her, and took her for his Wife, and her Mother Naomi was happy;-and they had a Son called Obed, and Naomi took the Child and laid in her bosom and became a Nurse to it; Obed was the Father of Jesse, the Father of David.

AFTER the Judges we now come to the History of the KINGS of Israel, which History is related in the two Books of Samuel, the two Books of Kings, and the two Books of Chronicles.

The two Books of Samuel, contain the History of Saul and David, the first two Kings.

CHAPTER 52.

THE PROPHET SAMUEL.

THERE was a certain Man called Elkanah who hail two Wives, Hannah and Peninnah ;—and Peninnah had Children, but Hannah had no Children.-And Hannah wept, and prayed unto the Lord; and she had a Son, and called his name Samuel, and gave him up to the Service of God, to serve with Eli the Priest in the Temple of God, from a Child. And Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a Child, girded with a linen ephod. Moreover his Mother made him a little Coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, they knew not the Lord. And Eli was very old and heard what his sons did, but he only said, Nay my sons, it is no good report that I hear, but he did not restrain or punish them. And there came a Man of God to Eli, and said, I will cut off thine house, and thy two sons Hophni and

H

Phinehas shall die both in one day. And the child Samuel grew and was in favor, both with the Lord and also with Men.

Now the Child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no open vision. And Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see. And ere the lamp of God went out in the Temple of the Lord, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; the Lord called, Samuel, and he answered, Here am I. And he ran to Eli and said, Here am I. But Eli said, I called not my son, lie down again. And the Lord called Samuel again the second and the third time, and he went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the Child, and he said, Go, lie down, and if he call, thou shalt say, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place, and the Lord called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel; and Samuel answered, Speak for thy servant heareth.

And the Lord spake unto Samuel and said, Behold I will judge the House of Eli, for the iniquity which he knoweth. And Samuel told it all to Eli, and Eli said, It is the Lord, let him do what he seemeth him good.

And Samuel grew and the Lord was with him; and all Israel knew that Samuel was established to be a Prophet of the Lord.

Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and carried with them to the field, the Ark of the Covenant of God, and Hophni and Phinehas went with it. And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and the Ark of God was taken, and Hophni and Phinehas slain. And there ran a Man and told Eli;

and when he heard the Ark was taken, he fell from off his seat backward and died.

And the Ark of the Lord was in the Country of the Philistines seven months; and was then restored to Israel, and was placed in the house of Abinadab, where it remained twenty years.

And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life, and made them to forsake strange Gods, and to worship the Lord God alone. And when the Philistines would have attacked Israel, Samuel prayed unto the Lord, and the Philistines were smitten with a great Thunder.

And when Samuel was old he made his Sons Judges over Israel, and his Sons took Bribes and perverted judgment. Then Israel asked Samuel to make them a King, like other Nations; and Samuel prayed unto the Lord to direct them. And the Lord rebuked them for asking a King, forewarning them of the power a King would have; yet the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, make them a King.

For although God continually watched and specially directed, all the actions of this chosen Nation, so as to accomplish his end,-yet were they left perfectly free either to obey the Commandments of God which Moses had set before them, or to follow their own imaginations.

CHAPTER 53.

SAMUEL ANOINTS SAUL TO BE KING.

AND there was a Man of Benjamin, called Kish,—and his Asses being lost, he sent his Son Saul, and one of Servants, in search of them. And when they had gone a great way without finding the Asses, they came to the City where Samuel was, and searched him out, to enquire if he could tell them where the Asses were.