his country; and there is no doubt that the manner in which he met with his death was approved of by God, seeing it is recorded that strength to perform his last act was given him in answer to prayer.

Johnnie. How did anybody know what Samson said in his prayer?-nobody heard it.

Grandfather. God heard it, and he revealed it to the inspired writer of Samson's history.

Marianne. Was Samson's prayer a good prayer, grandfather? He prayed for vengeance on his enemies.

Grandfather. They were the obstinate enemies of God and of his people. Had they not been so, it would have been wrong to pray that they might be punished. Then Samson prayed as a prophet,—the Lord put it into his heart so to pray; that by putting honour upon the last scene of His servant's life, He might shew that He had forgiven him. Samson was buried by his brethren in his father's burying place. He had judged Israel twenty years.

Jephthah besought direction from God before he entered upon his duties as leader of the Israelites,—What do we learn from this?

Jephthah's daughter unhesitatingly yielded to the performance of her father's vow,-What does this teach?

What may we learn from the fate of the proud tribe of Ephraim ?

Samson killed a young lion, but did not tell his father

or his mother of it,-What may we learn from his example?

What are we taught by the fate of Samson's wife? Samson, in losing his hair, lost his great strength,— What may we learn from this?

The Philistines ascribed the honour of their success to their false god,—What does this teach us?

What may the sudden destruction of the tormentors of Samson warn us to avoid?

THE FIRST KING OF ISRAEL.

"Short be your sleep, and coarse your fare,

In vain, till God has blest;

But if his smiles attend your care,
You shall have food and rest.

"Nor children, relatives, nor friends
Shall real blessings prove,

Nor all the earthly joys he sends,

If sent without his love."

WATTS.

Grandfather. The year after the death of Samson, the Israelites, being weary of the yoke imposed on them by the Philistines, resolved to make an attempt to free themselves from it. They marched out to fight against them. The Philistines met them in battle, and were victorious. Four thousand of the Israelites fell; those who remained retired to their camp.

Marianne. Why were they defeated, grandfather? It was right to try to free themselves from the Philistines.

Grandfather. It was; but they ought first to have

repented of those sins which had brought the Philistines' yoke upon them. They ought to have turned to the Lord with all their heart; when they did not do so they did not deserve to win. After they had been defeated they ought to have humbled themselves, and confessed the evil they had done. Instead of which, they brought the ark into the camp, expecting that it would save them from being again overcome by their enemies. Marianne. But was it not good in them to do that? Grandfather. No; for they were forbidden to remove the ark after it was placed at Shiloh ; and even had that not been the case, they would have been wrong, for to expect that they would be victorious because they had taken the ark into the camp, was trusting in an action of their own, and not in the blessing of God. All who trust in outward forms, without seeking that their hearts be pure before God, are like these Israelites.

must be in the heart, if it exist at all.

George. Were the Israelites beaten again?

Religion

Grandfather. When the ark came into the camp all the men of Israel shouted for joy; but the Philistines feared, and said one to another, "God is come into the camp. Woe unto us, for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness." They shewed their ignorance in thinking it a strange thing that God had come into the camp, He who fills all space at all times. Little better could

have been expected from the worshippers of Dagon, but better might have been expected from the chosen people than to look upon the ark as their god. The Philistines did not suffer themselves to be overcome by terror; they resolved to exert themselves and fight the more bravely, the more danger there was of their being overcome. A second time Israel was smitten by the Philistines, smitten with a very great slaughter, for of the children of Israel thirty thousand footmen fell, and the remnant, quite dispirited, gave up all thoughts of opposing again their victorious enemy. The ark was taken by the Philistines, and the two sons of the high priest were slain. This was sad news for all Israel to hear, but it was particularly sad for Shiloh, the town where the ark had been kept, and where the high priest lived. Thither ran a fugitive from the army, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head. Eli the high priest, an old man of ninety-eight, sat by the road side at the entrance of the city, anxious, very anxious, for the ark of God. The fugitive soldier dreaded to tell him the terrible tidings. He passed him-he could easily pass him, for the old man's eyes were dim-ran into the city, and proclaimed it there. One cry of anguish, a cry that came from many voices, told the city's grief. The high priest asked the meaning of the loud lamentations that he heard, and he must be told. Still the messenger shrunk from telling him the tale. "I am he that came out of the army," said the soldier of Israel, "and I fled to-day out of the army." " What is there done, my son?" said Eli. The simple question must be simply replied