ernment will be a blessing to us, if we are obedient to God; otherwise, our destruction will be inevitable. Thus Samuel exhorted the Israelites, and it will be our duty and interest, to cultivate prac-~ tical religion and serious godliness, as the only way to secure the continuance of national blessings and the salvation of our own souls. The Lord will be with you, while you are with him ; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever.

CHAP. XIII.

In this chapter we have the beginning of a war between the Israelites and Philistines; Saul's trespass, and Samuel's reproof of him; the insolence of the Philistines; and the weakness of Israel.

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AUL reigned one year; it was one year since he was chosen king by the Lord in Mizpeh he was the son of a year, as in the Hebrew; the day of his inauguration being considered as his birth day: and when he had reigned two years 2-over Israel, Saul chose him three thousand [men] of Israel; [whereof] two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent these were sufficient for his guard, and to keep the country in peace,

And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that [was] in Geba, and the Philistines heard [of it.] And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. This is the first time we read of Jonathan, whose character was very amiable, both as a warrior and a friend. Though the Philistines were subdued by Samuel, yet they still kept some garrisons. The first step to rid the country was to get possession of these. Jonathan began. The Philistines declared war; and Saul sent messengers through Israel to inform them of this victory, for their encouragement, and to summon them to Gilgal, where Samuel had ▲ appointed a rendezvous. And all Israel heard say, [that] Saul had smittén a garrison of the Philistines, and [that] Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

5. And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which [is] on the sea shore in multitude and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.

6: When the men of Israel, who had no chariots or horses, saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were greatly terri

Both the Syriac and Arabic copies say three thousand chariots; and this seems more ikely than thirty thousand, Nor were these three thousand all fighting chariots, but pro ably carriages for the baggage and to take away the plunder they expected.

fied and distressed) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits; this was very cowardly, considering their late success against the 7 Ammonites. And [some of] the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead, eastward, the Philistines were in the west. As for Saul he [was] yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling at the sight of such a prodigious army before them.

And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Sam uel [had appointed,] (ch. x. 8.) but Samuel came not to Gilgal till toward the latter end of the seventh day; and the people were scattered from him, when they saw Samuel did not come to a vise on this dangerous situation. He delayed his coming till the 9. last day, to try Saul's faith and patience. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he 10 offered the burnt offering. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, and before he began to offer the peace offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, and that he might salute him. 11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? An expression of concern and resentment for his disobedience to God's orders. And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and [that] thou camest not within the days appointed, and [that] the Philistines gathered themselves together at Mich12 mash; Therefore said I, the Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. Saul here makes a very poor excuse. He saw his soldiers deserting, and apprehended that Samuel might be prevented from coming; he therefore ventured to offer a sacrifice, though much against his own inclination, lest the enemy should come and attack them before he had made supplication to God. The burnt offerings were attended with prayer, they were a kind of humble supplication. 13 And Samuel said to Saul, by his prophetical authority, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee; it was not my command, but the command of Jehovah, that thou shouldst wait for me: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom úpon Israel for ever, that is, for a long time, as the word often signifies, 14 so long as thou and thy posterity shall continue. But now thy kingdom shall not continue in thy family: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him [to be] captain over his people, because thou hast not kept [that] which the LORD commanded thee.*

15

And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin and Saul numbered the people [that were] pres

• This was only a conditional threatening; God would do so, if he was not more obedi ent for the future; and this appears by Samuel's going along with him to his place of abode. Te had charged Siul with acting foolishly; this might have been forgiven; but in ch xv. 33 --26. we find he was absolutely rej. sted für disobedience; and is there charged, nor only with folly, but presumptuous rebellion

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ent with him, about six hundred men; these had neither swords nor spears with them, only bows, or slings, or clubs; the rest of 16 his company had fled for fear, v. 6, 7. And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people [that were] present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Mich17 mash. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philis

tines in three companies; one company turned unto the way 18 [that leadeth to] Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: And another company turned the way [to] Bethhoron and another company turned [to] the way of the border that looketh to the val-' ley of Zeboim toward the wilderness; the Philistines sent out 19 three parties to ravage the country. Now the reason why they` made these inroads so easily was, that there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest 20 the Hebrews make [them] swords or spears: But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his 21 share, and his coulter, and his ax, and his mattock.

Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads, when they were grown blunt, that they might be fit for agriculture, There was plenty of brass and iron in Canaan, but they were forced to 22 work at the Philistines' forges. So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that [were] with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. To introduce 23 the story in the next chapter, it is here added, And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash, that they might hinder them from attacking the garrison; here they lay in a convenient pass, and were ready to attack the Israelites if they ventured out.

1.

WE

REFLECTIONS.

E see how ill men sometimes judge for themselves, and to what straits they are brought when they will have their own way, and not follow the leadings of Providence. The Israelites would not have God and Samuel to govern them; they thought a king would do wonders; that nothing could stand before him. But here we see them in a wretched situation, flying and trembling, under great dread and slavery. Samuel had no need of such weapons as swords or spears; thunder and lightning had been his; from which even their king could not save them. Now they saw, or might have seen, their vain confidence. They needed God's help as much as before. May we learn to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and not lean to our own understandings.

2. We learn, that all breaches of the divine commands are folly, and such as nothing will excuse for. Saul would be thought very

This was during their oppression in the times of the judges, (2 Kings xxiv. 34. Fudges v.3.) Porsena obliged the Romans by covenant, to ase no iron but for tillage.

prudent, in securing his soldiers from desertion, and very pious, in sacrificing before he went out to battle; but his conduct was wicked, for he disobeyed God's commandment. Men sometimes think themselves wise and politic, while they act contrary to the law of God; but it is the height of folly; especially in those who think to substitute prayer, or any external performances, or ceremonial observances, instead of obedience to the weightier matters of the law. Nothing is more foolish than to imagine that God will be pleased with services which are directly contrary to his orders, and in disobedience to his commands. A good understanding have all they, and they only, who fear the Lord, who, do bis commandments, hearkening to the voice of his word, UT (1 Start as f

5 toow zuti We have in this chapter an account of Jonathan's success against body of the Philistine army; with Stul's rash adjuration, and the bad consequences which attended it to Jonathan and the people."3

the Philistine garrison; the successful attack on success against

No

TOW it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his, armour, Come and let us go over to the Philistine's garrison, that [is] on the other side the valley. But he told not his father, lest he should hinder the project. He was justified in doing this, as he had a general commission to fight the enemy. And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which [is] in Migron, where he had pitched his tent and the people 3 that [were] with him [were] about six hundred men; And Ahiah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod, and the ark also was there. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone, as he went away in the night. And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philis tines garrison, [there was] a sharp rock on the one side, and sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one [was] Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh: here the garrison was so defended that there was no way of coming at them but by climbing one 5 of these, The forefront of the one [was] situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against 6 Gibeah. And Jonathan said to the young man that bare lis armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised, who are strangers to the covenant of God: it may be that the LORD will work for us for [there is] no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few; it is equally easy to his 7 almighty power. And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that [is] in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I [am] with thee according to thy heart, I am resolved not to forsake thee, be the expedition ever sa hazardous. Then said Jonathan, Behold, we

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will pass over unto [these] men, and we will discover ourselves unto them at the break of day. If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will 10 not go up unto them. But if they challenge us to advance, and isay thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up; for the LORD bhath delivered them into our hand and this [shall be] a sign unto us. Probably he had desired of the Lord that this might be the sign, and God inspired him with so much resolution and faith 11 as to depend upon it. And both of them discovered themselves oaunto the garrison of the Philistines and the Philistines said, -19 Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had

hid themselves, through fear, or want of food, in the bottom of the 12 rocks. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his brarmourbearer with mockery and contempt, and said, Come up to

us, and we will show you a thing; come, if you dare, we will admake you pay dear for your attempt. And Jonathan said unto of his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath de13.livered them into the band of Israel, And Jonathan climbed

up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him, by some difficult way out of the Philistines view, and coming Iusupon them behind, surprised them and they fell before Jonathan ; and his armourbearer slew after him; they made great slaughter among them, The Philistines were terrified when they saw it was 14 Jonathan, who had smitten one of their garrisons before. And

that first, slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer Ile made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of Hland, which] a yoke [of oxen might plough.] And there was trembling in the host in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth 16 quaked so it was a very great trembling. And the watch Tot men of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the aid multitude melted away, were flying and scattered all around; and they went on beating down [one another,] destroying one ni another, not distinguishing friends from foes.

17 Then said Saul unto the people that [were] with him, Number bsnow, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer [were] not [there.] Jonathan was soon missed, but Saul thought he would -oonot go without a body of men to support him; and supposing there e was a skirmish between the armies, he wanted to know where they aid suere engaged, and what was to be done in the case; he therefore 18-consulted the high priest. And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring

hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time 19 with the children of Israel. And it came to pass, while Saul snitalked unto the priest, that the noise that [was] in the host of zid the Philistines went on and increased; and Saul said unto the

Some of the garrison Aving to the army, which lay encamped on the side of the hill threw them into great confusion, thinking that an army was coming against them. The cir cumstances were aggravated beyond the truth, as is usual in such cases; and they suspected eachery among themselves. The earth quaked. It is uncertain whether this was real, or only a figurative expression for a tumult: but certain it is they were all struck with a panic.