stroyed many of the inhabitants, and smote the rest with sore diseases, 1 Sam. v. 6–12.

76 Q. What became of the ark then?

.. A. The Philistines put it into a new cart drawn by two milch-kine, whose calves were shut up at home, and yet they carried it directly into the land of Israel to Bethshemesh, 1 Sam. vi. 12.

77 Q. What did the men of Bethshemesh do?

A. They looked into the ark, which was utterly forbidden, and God smote many of them with a great slaughter, and they sent the ark away to Kirjathjearim, 1 Sam. vi. 19. 21.

78 Q. How did Samuel deliver Israel from the Philistines when they made a new war upon them?

4. He offered a burnt-offering, and prayed to the Lord, and God fought against the Philistines with thunder from heaven, and scattered and destroyed them, 1 Sam. vii. 9, 10. 13.

79 Q. How did Samuel govern the people?

A. He travelled through the land every year, he judged Israel with great honour and justice for many years; but in his old age he made his sons judges and they oppressed and abused the people, 1 Sam. vi. 15-17. vii. 1-4, and xii. 1-5.

80 Q. What was the request of the people on this occasion?

A. That they might have a king, like the rest of the nations, 1 Sam. vii. 5.

81 Q. What did Samuel do in this case?

A. He would have advised them against it, be cause God was their king, but they still persisted in desiring a man for a king, 1 Sam. viii. 6, 7. 19, 20.

82 Q. Did Samuel gratify them in this desire? A. Being admonished of God, he complied with their desire, and appointed a king over them, 1 Sam. viii. 22.

CHAPTER IX.

Of the Government of Israel under their Kings; and first of Saul and David.

1Q. WHO was the first king of Israel?

A. Saul, a very tall young man, the son of Kish a Benjamite, 1 Sam. ix. 1, 2.

2 Q. How did Samuel first meet with him?

A. Saul was sent by his father to seek some asses that he had lost, and asking Samuel about them, Samuel took him aside privately, and anointed him king of Israel, 1 Sam. ix. 15–27. and x. 1-8.

3 Q. But how was he made king publicly ?

A. God chose and determined Saul to be king by casting lots among the tribes and families of Israel, 1 Sam. x. 19-25.

4 Q. How did Saul behave himself in his kingdom?

A. He governed well at first for a little time, but afterwards he disobeyed the word of God in several instances, and God rejected him, 1 Sam. xiii. 13. and xv. 28.

5 Q. Whom did God choose in his room?

A. David of the tribe of Judah, who is called the man after God's own heart, 1 Sam. xvi. 1. and xiii. 14. Acts xiii. 22.

6 Q. Who were the forefathers of David?

A. He was the youngest son of Jesse, who was the son of Obed, who was the son of Boaz by Ruth his wife, Ruth iv. 17–22.

7 Q. What was this Ruth?

A. She was a woman of Moab, and she married Mahlen, a Jew, the son of Naomi, when they came to sojourn in Moab, because of a famine in Israel, Ruth i. 1-4.

8 Q. Did Ruth leave the country of Moab?

A. Yes, after her husband died in the land of Moab, she followed her mother-in-law, Naomi, into the land of Israel, and took the God of Israel for her God, Ruth i. 16, 17.

9 Q. What kind of providence attended her in the land of Israel?

A. Boaz, a rich man, who was near of kin to her former husband, married her, and so she became the great grandmother of David, Ruth iv. 16, 17.

10 Q. What was David's employment?

A. Being the youngest son of a large family, he was bred up to keep his father's sheep, 1 Sam. xvi. 11.

11 Q. What considerable actions did he do while he was a shepherd?

A. He killed a lion and a bear who came to rob his father's flock, 1 Sam. xvii. 34.

12 Q. How did God anoint him to be king?

A. He sent Samuel secretly to anoint him with oil at Bethlehem, in the midst of his brethren, 1 Sam. xvi. 13.

13 Q. How did David make his first appearance at court?

A. David understood music, and when the evil spirit of melancholy came upon Saul, hearing of David's skill in music, he sent for him to play on the harp to refresh him, 1 Sam. xvi. 16-23.

14 Q. What remarkable action made him more publicly known?

A. When Goliath the giant challenged the men of Israel, David undertook the combat, and slew him with a sling and a stone, 1 Sam. xvii. 19-54.

15 Q. How did Saul employ him afterwards? A. He sent him out against the Phislistines, and he slew many thousands of them, 1 Sam. xix. 8. 16 Q. How came Saul then to bear him an ill will?

A. From mere envy, because the women of Israel sung to their instruments of music, Saul had slain

his thousands, and David his ten thousands, 1 Sam. xviii. 5-7.

17 Q. Wherein did Saul discover his ill-will to him?

A. He threw a javelin at him, and often attempted to kill him, 1 Sam. xviii. 21.

18 Q. Did not Saul marry his second daughter Michal to him?

A. Yes, but he required of him the slaughter of a hundred Philistines instead of her dowry, hoping that David himself would be slain in the attempt, 1. Sam. xviii. 17-30.

19 Q. Who then were the friends of David when the king was his enemy?

A. All the people of Israel loved him, and so did Jonathan the son of Saul, who screened him often from his father's malice, 1 Sam. xviii. 5. and xix. 2.

20 Q. But how could David escape so long when Saul ordered his servants to kill him?

A. He fled from place to place in the land of Israel, and was hunted like a partridge on the mountains, till at last he was forced to hide himself twice among the Philistines, 1 Sam. xxi. 10. and xxvi. 20. and xxvii. 1.

21 Q. What did he do then?

A. When he was at Gath the first time he feigned himself mad, lest Achish the king of Gath should kill him, 1 Sam. xxi. 12, 13.

22 Q. How did David save his father's house from Saul's rage?

A. He desired the king of Moab to let his father and his mother dwell there, but he himself went into the land of Judah, 1 Sam. xxii. 1-5.

23 Q. How did Saul further manifest his rage against David?

A. He slew fourscore and five persons of the priests of the Lord, because he supposed they had concealed David, and did not tell the king where he was, 1 Sam. xxii. 17, 18.

5

24 Q. Had David any army under his command at that time?

A. Yes, he had gathered together about four hundred men, which grew in a little time to six hundred, 1 Sam. xxii. 2. and xxiii. 13.

25 Q. Did David fight with Saul all this time? A. No, he avoided him, and fled from him continually, by shifting his place whensoever Saul pursued him and at last was forced to go into the land of the Philistines again, 1 Sam. xxiii. xxiv. and xxvii.

26 Q. Did David never attempt to kill Saul?

A. No, but he spared his life twice when he had it in his power to kill him, 1 Sam. xxiv. 7, 8. 10. 14. and xxvi. 11, 12, &c.

27 Q. Had this kindness of David no influence to soften the heart of Saul toward him?

A. Yes, it did for the present; but Saul's envy and malice were so rooted in his heart, that they prevailed above all the principles of kindness and gratitude, 1 Sam. xxiv. 16-21. xxvi. 1-3. and xxvii. 1.

28 Q. What became of Saul at last?

A. The Philistines invaded Israel, and Saul was in great distress, because God gave him no directions nor answered him by dreams, nor by the priests nor prophets, 1 Sam. xxviii. 4-6.

29 Q. What did Saul do then?

A. He inquired of a woman who had a familiar spirit, and there he was told by an apparition of something in the shape of Samuel, that he and his sons should die on the morrow, 1 Sam. xxviii. 8. 19, 30 Q. Did this come to pass?

A. Yes, the Philistines slew several of his sons, and wounded him sorely in the battle, and then he fell upon his own sword, and slew himself, 1 Sam. xxxi. 3, 4.

31 Q. Where was David all this while?

A. He was fled a second time to Achish king of