king in the life of Saul. 2dly, That if he had been swayed by his own judgment, Eliab would have been the man. And, 3dly, That if fee's judgment had prevailed, his seven other fons had been preferred to David. From all which it is evident, that the election of David to the throne of Ifrael was an immediate act of providence, without the least intervention of human wisdom or contrivance.

How David came to be fo little accounted of in the eye of aparent, as not to be thought worthy fo much as to be called to the feast with his brethren, is not easy to say; unless it be, that as elder children take earlier and fuller poffeffion of their parents affections; fo, unless they forfeit them by fome course of ill conduct, they feldom fail to retain fome preference in them to the last,

HOWEVER, that David wanted no recommendation of personal advantages, is evident; for he was beautiful, and (what implies a a great deal more) amiable. The text tells us, he was ruddy, and fair of eyes, and goodly to look to. But very probably, these advantages gave him little distinction, in a family where beauty feems to have been familiar and hereditary.

CHAP.

CHAP. II.

A Digreffion concerning Samuel, the Prophets, and their Schools.

TH

HE unfcriptural reader may poffibly have fome curiofity to know who this extraordinary perfon might be, who was thus appointed to pull down, and to set up kings; and readers of another character will, I hope, indulge this fhort digreffion on that account.

SAMUEL was of the tribe of Levi, and of a very distinguished family among that tribe, that of the Koathites, defcended from Korab the Gainfayer, whofe defcendants were eminent for their mufical skill in the service of the temple; and are by fome commentators (probably for that reason) accounted prophets. His father Elkanah is believed by fome men of learning to have been a prophet, and the fon of a prophet; (and his mother is numbred among the propheteffes) perhaps for no better reason than his having been of the city of Ramathaim Zophim *; which is interpreted Ramah of

* Supposed to be the Arimathaa of the New Tefta

ment.

the

the Prophets; tho', in strictness, it is Ramalı of the Watchmen, prophets being fometimes fo styled in Scripture.

His father is believed to have been firft marry'd to Hannah the mother of Samuel, whom he tenderly loved; but finding her barren, he (through that eager defire of iffue which fwayed the Jews) took also another woman to wife, named Peninnah; who finding herself sufficiently prolifick, could not forbear upbraiding Hannah with her barrennefs and as Elkanah went up year by year to Shiloh, where the ark then refided, to offer facrifice, Peninnah took the opportunity of the feast which enfued, to vex her with more than ordinary reproaches upon that head, in the face of her family and friends; and this she did one day to fuch a degree, that Hannah, rifing from the feaft, in which the could not fhare, poured out her complaints to GOD, and prayed and wept before him. in extremity of anguish, befeeching him to bestow a fon upon her, and vowing to dedicate him in a very distinguished manner to his fervice during his whole life *.

*The Levites, in their ordinary courfe, were obliged only to attend the fervice of the temple in their turns from the age of twenty-five to fifty; after which they became judges, and preachers of righteousness.

GOD

GOD heard her petition, and fhe fulfilled her vow; for, waiting only 'till the child Samuel was weaned, (that is, 'till he was three years old) and furmounting all the ties of tenderness, and foregoing all her female fears and fondnefs, fhe immediately conveyed him to the temple, and dedicated him in a most folemn manner, and with a noble hymn of humiliation and thanksgiving, to the fervice of GOD.

ELI the high-priest received him as became his piety; and the little Samuel miniftred before him from that day forward, and was early and fignally distinguished by the divine favour and influence, to the great and full fatisfaction of all the people of Ifrael; infomuch that when Eli and his wicked fons perished, he fucceeded to the fupreme civil power over the whole nation, where he fuftained the character of a most equitable and righteous ruler, and juft judge; which laft character he ftill fuftained (even when GOD, for the fins of the Ifraelites, gave them a king) to his dying day.

THE particulars of Saul's election to the supreme power, and Samuel's divesting himfelf of it, are to be found at large in the first

book

book of Samuel, and are, I think, not unworthy the curious reader's regard.

to

SAMUEL now difpoffeffing himself of the fupreme power, was however no way diminished in dignity, or in the defire of doing good; but continued revered alike both by prince and people. Part of his time he gave the administration of publick justice; and the rest he dedicated to the more immediate service of GOD, in a learned and religious retirement in one of the prophetick schools at Ramah, over which he prefided. Of these men and their fchools take this fhort account :

THE Jewish nation had no fuch schools or feminaries for the education of their children, as are now in ufe among us; with them, parents were in the place of tutors: and as they had no regard, or, to speak more properly, as they had great contempt, for heathen literature, they contented themfelves with teaching their children their own language and laws; upon full affurance, that a proper proficiency and skill in these, would gain them all the credit and esteem they defired and as their law-giver had taken fufficient care to inculcate this duty, nothing

was