been, had they left you to yourselves, surely you would think they deserved all the love and obedience of your hearts, and you would find a rich reward for your filial love in the peace and satisfaction of your consciences.

Ruth doubtless enjoyed the thought that she had done her duty, and in addition to the happiness she must have felt from this idea, she was enabled to provide for, and cheer the latter days of her for whom she had given up the friends of her youth; for, after a short time, Boaz, the rich man, in whose field she had gleaned, took her for his wife.

OF THE PROPHET SAMUEL.

THERE are few of you who have not heard of the prophet Samuel, and of his early obedience to his God. When he was a little boy, he was taken by his mother to the high priest, to serve in the temple; where he was not forgotten by his parents, for his mother made him a little coat and brought it to him, from year to year.

How glad she must have been to see this child she so much loved, growing in favor with God and man! We may suppose that his actions were pleasing in the Divine sight, for we find that, while he was yet a child, one night, when he was laid down to rest, the Lord made himself known

unto him, and talked with him, giving him a message to Eli, the high priest. And as he grew to be a man, the Almighty was pleased to make known his will to all his people Israel by means of Samuel, who was made judge in the land, and all Israel knew that he was a prophet of the Lord.

About this time, the Israelites went to battle against the Philistines; but they were defeated, and fled. When they found this was the case, they sent for the ark which was kept in the temple, and contained the law given to Moses; for they thought, when it came, it should save them out of the hands of their enemies. But this was a vain hope, while they were living in neglect of that law, and worshipping strange gods.

Many of them were slain, and the ark, in which they trusted, was taken by their enemies: but it did not prosper with them, for, wherever they took it, God caused the people to be smitten. Once, when they placed it by one of their false gods, when they arose next morning, Dagon, their idol or god, was fallen down before the ark of the Lord, and his head and hands were cut off.

The Philistines kept the ark about seven months, and then they began to think what was best to be done, for, wherever it went, many of the people lost their lives. They

agreed to build a new cart, to be drawn by two cows, which were often used instead of horses.

They then shut up their calves at home, and, without any guiding, the cows took the road to Bethshemesh, leaving their calves behind them; which proved that it was the I will of the God of Israel that his ark should return to his own people.

The men of Bethshemesh were reaping in their fields, when they heard the lowing of the cattle, and, looking up, beheld the ark, which greatly rejoiced them. The cart went into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there. Then the people took the wood of which it was made, kindled a fire, and offered the cattle a burnt offering to the Lord.

While it remained here, the Lord punished them very severely for looking into the ark; upon which they sent word to the men of Kirjath-jearim, saying, 'The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.' We read that they did so, and 'brought it into the house of Aminadab on the hill, and set apart Eleazar his son to keep it.'

After this, the Israelites began to repent that they had put away the only true God, and served Baalim and other strange gods, and they begged the prophet Samuel to plead for them.

This good man said, that if they would return to the Lord, He would be with them, and deliver them from the Philistines. He told them to meet him at a place called Mizpeh, where he would pray unto God for them.

Their enemies heard of this meeting, and, when they were all assembled here, fell upon them, hoping again to defeat them; but the God of Israel thundered with a great thunder that day upon the Philistines, and they fled.

After Samuel had been many years judge in Israel, and was growing old, the people wished him to choose a king to reign over them. The prophet heard all they had to say, and then went and laid it before the Lord, who told him to

listen to their request. Finding that it was their earnest wish, he chose Saul, who became the first king of Israel.

After Samuel had fixed him on the throne, he called the people together, and besought them to say whether he had wronged any one; promising that, if he had taken any thing from them, he would give it back again.

The new king and his people very much feared Samuel, to whom they still looked up as before, and who assisted Saul to govern the kingdom, reproving him when he did wrong. Samuel was grieved that the people should have wished for a king, because he saw that it did not please the Lord, who would, if they had trusted him have been their king and leader.