in his place but in the morning, on Eli's inquiring what the Lord had said to him, Samuel kept nothing back from him, but told him every thing which the Lord had said.

Ellen. Was not Eli very sorry, Mamma?

Mamma. He was so; but he allowed that the punishment of his sons was just: and he felt too that if he had properly punished them himself, when he saw their evil dispositions when children, they would not have grown up to their present wickedness.

Ellen. What became of Eli's sons, Mamma?

Mamma. Eli's sons came to an untimely end. They had the care of the ark of the Lord, which used to go about with the Israelites from place to place, but which God ordered should remain in one place when the people had taken possession of the land of Canaan. But the sons of Eli were wicked enough not to attend to this 'direction, but removed it into the camp, when the Israelites were fighting with the Philistines; some of the people of the land pretending that the presence of the ark would save them out of the hand of the Philistines. However, they had no business to act contrary to the orders of God on any pretext whatever, and the conse<

quence of their disobedience was, that the ark was taken by the Philistines, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain; and Eli himself was so affected on hearing the sad news of the loss of the ark, together with the death of his sons, that he fell from his seat backward, and brake his neck, and died.

Ellen. Poor Eli! Was not Samuel very sorry for him, Mamma?

Mamma. The Bible does not notice it, Ellen; but no doubt this good young man mourned over the fate of his early and kind instructor. Samuel was now appointed to be the judge of the people, and the prophet of the Lord; and in the honours thus conferred upon him we see the reward which God pleases to bestow upon those who are his obedient servants.

Ellen. Did the Israelites get the ark back again, Mamma?

Mamma. At first, the Philistines took the ark of the Lord into the temple of their idol, Dagon, whom they pretended was a god, and to whom they offered their prayers. But their idol was only a poor, senseless block of wood or stone; and to shew how entirely vain was the Philistine worship of it, God was pleased to interpose

his power, and make the great idol fall down before the presence of the ark.

Ellen. What did the Philistines do then, Mamma?

Mamma. They were so frightened, that after some time they resolved to send the ark back again to the Israelites; and they tied two milchcows to the ark, and left the animals to take the ark according to their own bent; and the cows, although they had calves at home, turned away from the Philistines, and conveyed the ark toward the Israelites.

Ellen. Why did they do this, Mamma?

Mamma. Because they wanted to know whether God had the power against them which he seemed to have. They said, if the cows took the ark towards the Israelites, they would believe that the hand of God had been upon them, on account of their having the ark in their possession. And God, therefore, because the Philistines had humbled themselves, granted them their wishes in this particular, and directed the cows which way to go.

Ellen. Then the Israelites got the ark again, Mamma?

Mamma. Yes: and when it was again in their possession, they had better success in their wars;

and the Philistines went back to their own country, and Samuel continued to judge Israel in peace. But enough for the present; another day I shall have a different sort of person to tell you of, as ruler of the people of Israel.

Ellen. Then I am afraid Samuel is going to die? Mamma. Samuel is now getting an old man; but the person I mean is spoken of before his death. For the present, however, we have heard enough.

H

DIALOGUE IX.

KINGS OF ISRAEL.

Ellen. You promised me, Mamma, to tell me who ruled Israel after Samuel.

Mamma. The Israelites were not satisfied with having a ruler set over them, as God had appointed; but they became discontented, and were desirous of having a king like the other nations of the earth. They were very wrong in having this wish, and showed that they disregarded their God. For God himself was their King, and to desire another king was to slight the government of the Almighty God.

Ellen. And did God give the Israelites a king, Mamma?

Mamma. God granted the petitions of the Israelites, but rather as a punishment for their wickedness in asking them, than as a token of his approbation. For their king did not procure them the happiness they expected through his

means.