Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1840, by T. H. GALLAUDET, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New-York.

Right of publishing transferred to the American Tract Society.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. 1.-Samuel's parentage. His mother's vow.

CHAP. 2.-Samuel's birth. His dedication to the ser-
vice of the Sanctuary.

CHAP. 3.-The wickedness of Eli's sons. The Divine

denunciation against him.

CHAP. 4.-Samuel is called by the Lord, and delivers

a divine message to Eli. He is established to be a

prophet. The Israelites are defeated by the Philis-

tines.

CHAP. 5.-The ark is brought to the camp of the Is-

raelites. They are again defeated. Hophni and

Phineas are slain. Death of Eli. The ark is taken

by the Philistines.

CHAP. 6.-Judgments come upon the Philistines.

They send back the ark.

CHAP. 7.-The fate of those who too curiously look-

ed into the ark. It is stationed at Kirjath-jearim.

Samuel reproves the people. Their reformation,

and assembling at Mizpah.

CHAP. 8.-The Philistines are defeated.

Samuel

erects a memorial of this. He acts as judge. The

wickedness of his sons.

101

CHAP. 9.-The people complain to Samuel, and de-

sire a king. The Lord directs him to comply with

their request.

108

CHAP. 10.-Saul's parentage. He is sent to seek the

lost asses of his father. He goes to inquire of

Samuel, and meets him.

115

Page.

CHAP. 11.-Samuel anoints Saul, and tells him what he must do.

122

CHAP. 12.-Saul among the prophets. The Israelites assemble at Mizpeh. Saul is chosen king by the lot. He goes to Gibeah.

129

CHAP. 13.-Saul defeats the Ammonites.

136

CHAP. 14. The people assemble at Gilgal. Samuel's address to them.

142

CHAP. 15.-The Philistines prepare to attack the
Israelites. Samuel's reproof to Saul.

150

CHAP. 16.-Bravery of Jonathan. Saul defeats the

Philistines.

156

CHAP. 17.-Jonathan eats food contrary to Saul's command. Saul would have him put to death. But the people rescue him.

163

CHAP. 18.-Samuel, by the divine direction, sends
Saul to destroy the Amalekites.

170

CHAP. 19.-Saul destroys the Amalekites, but takes their king prisoner, and saves some of the spoil.

Samuel reproves him.

176

CHAP. 20.-Saul rejected from being king. Samuel slays Agag, and is sent to anoint David.

183

CHAP. 21.-David's parentage. He is anointed by

Samuel.

189

CHAP. 22.-Character of Samuel.

195

AMUEL.

CHAPTER I.

Samuel's parentage. His mother's vow.

While Eli, the high priest, was judge over Israel, about twelve hundred years before the birth of Christ, a distinguished individual appeared, whose history now comes before us. His father was Elkanah, a Levite; living in Ramah, a city of Benjamin between Gaba and Bethel, towards the mountains of Ephraim, and six miles north of Jerusalem. It was also called Ramathaim-zophim,”—the two high places of the watchmen; probably indicating that the city stood on two adjacent hills, remarkable for a tower on each, in which a guard was kept for the safety of the country.

१९

The custom, at that time, still existed, though in a limited degree, of a man's having more than one wife. It was tolerated, indeed, by the Mosaic law, but was not in accordance with the original