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OR, THE HISTORY OF THE TIMES OF SAMUEL, IN CONTINUATION OF THE JUDGES; AND OF THE FIRST KINGS OF ISRAEL, IN COMMENCEMENT OF THE BOOKS OF KINGS.

Young Samuel, a Servant of God-Eli's wicked Sons.

I SAMUEL I., II., III.

HERE was a man of a place in Mount Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. And, as we have before seen, it was common in that country to have more wives than one, and so Elkanah had two wives, called Hannah and Peninnah. But Hannah was not a mother, and her heart was therefore grieved. Peninnah, too, was unkind to her; and instead of pitying, she vexed her and provoked her, perhaps telling her that she would never see the Messiah, or Saviour, springing from her blood.

So she prayed silently to the Lord, and vowed, that if she should ever have a son, he should be given up for the entire service of God. And while she was praying, Eli the priest, who "sat by a post of the temple of the Lord," saw her moving her lips and looking much grieved, and he thought that she was not sober. But he did not know her heart; he therefore reproved her; but when she told him she was praying in her sorrow,pouring out her soul before the Lord, then Eli pitied her too, and prayed God to hear her prayer. And so she went away no more sad."

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After a time, she saw a son to bless her family, and she called his name Samuel, which means, "asked of God."

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And when she had weaned Samuel, she took him up with her to Shiloh, to serve God always in his house.

Hannah then prayed and sang a song of thanksgiving to God; and Samuel was left to "minister unto the Lord before Eli, the priest."

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This priest had sons, but they were sons of Belial;" that is, wicked men, sons of the wicked one. As their father was high-priest and judge in Israel, they were priests by birth; but they were bad priests.

And now Samuel, though young, "ministered before the Lord." Some little services, perhaps, he was employed in about the altar, though much under the age appointed by the law for the Levite's ministration. He could light a candle, or hold a dish, or run on an errand, or shut a door; and, because he did this with a pious disposition of mind, it is called, ministering to the Lord, and great notice is taken of it. After a while he did his work so well, that Eli appointed he should minister with a linen ephod, as the priests did, though he was no priest,-because he saw that God was with him.

And Samuel's kind "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."

And now we learn something more about Eli's wicked sons; there was hardly a wicked deed which they did not commit. And Eli, their father, talked with them, and tried to persuade them to turn from their wicked ways, but they did not mind what he said to them. So while "the child Samuel grew up and was in favour, both with the Lord and also with men," these sons were quite the contrary, neither beloved by the one nor the other.

God told Samuel what he would do to Eli's wicked family. You may read, in the third chapter, how God called to Samuel when he had "laid down to sleep," and that Samuel supposed it was Eli speaking to him, and ran to the old man to know what he wanted, and that he did so three times, till at last Eli saw that God must have said something to him in an extraordinary way, and desired him to say, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth," and to listen to all that the voice should speak. Also, that in the morning Eli asked Samuel to tell him all that he had heard; and when he found that it was a message of judgment on his wicked children, he could plead nothing in their behalf, for God was just in all he meant to do, and he only said, "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good." So Samuel was

known and acknowledged to be a prophet of the Lord, and his fame reached from Dan to Beersheba, the two parts of Judea the most distant from each other.

The History of the Ark when taken by the Philistines, and of its Restoration to Israel.

I SAMUEL IV.-VII.

The Israelites were at this time greatly vexed by the Philistines, who had a sort of rule over them, and they resolved to set themselves free. So they went out to meet the Philistines, and were beaten with the loss of four thousand men.

The elders of Israel then advised them to send to Shiloh, and get the ark of the covenant in the camp-as in the days of Moses and Joshua, when its presence gave success, it being then a sign of God's own presence amongst the people. And when the ark had arrived, the Israelites were so rejoiced, and felt so sure that they should beat the enemy, that they shouted till the earth seemed to ring like a bell with the sound of their voices. But God had not told them to fetch the ark, nor had he said he would be with them.

However, when the Philistines knew the ark was there, they were sadly afraid, but instead of answering the purpose which the Israelites intended,— to frighten the Philistines away, they were only provoked to fight the more desperately. "And Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen;" or, as we should now say, infantry, or foot soldiers. "And," what was worst of all, "the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinchas," who had brought the ark, "were slain;" so, as God had said, they died "both in one day."

As soon as the defeat had happened, a man of the tribe of Benjamin ran off to Shiloh, where Eli was anxiously waiting to hear the news, and especially if the ark of God was safe. And he told the news as he went along, and the people made a great lamentation, and Eli began to fear all was not right. Then the messenger told him that the troops were beaten— and great numbers were slain-and that his two sons were killed-and last of all, that the ark of God was taken. He heard all with silent grief, but when he heard that the ark was taken, his heart sunk within him, and he fell

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