went onward till they came to a rock in front of the camp of the Philistines, and a company of the Philistines was on the rock, to keep the way to the camp. And when the Philistines saw them, they said, "Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves." And they mocked them, and cried out to them, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing." Then Jonathan climbed up the rock upon his hands and his feet, and his armour-bearer after him. And when he had come to the top, he attacked the Philistines, and they fell before him. And Jonathan and his armour-bearer slew there twenty men.

Then the Lord filled the hearts of the Philistines who were in the camp below with fear. "And there was great trembling throughout all the host of the Philistines; the men of war who kept the camp, and the spoilers, trembled; and the earth quaked." And God set the men of war, who were in the Philistine camp, one against another; and they fought against one another in their fear.

And when the men of Saul's army who watched

in Gibeah, looked forth and saw there was a great tumult in the camp of the Philistines, and that the multitude was melting away, they told Saul. Then Saul gathered his men together, and went forth against the Philistines, and he overcame them; for the Lord had set every man's hand against his fellow. And when the men of Israel, who had hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, saw that the Philistines fled before Saul, they came forth and followed after them. And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon, and there was a very great slaughter. And those who escaped returned to their own land.

After Saul had driven back the Philistines from the land of Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom. And he overcame them all, and delivered Israel out of the hand of them that spoiled them.

1 Samuel xiii. xiv.

A garrison, is a company of soldiers whose duty it is to defend a place from being taken by an enemy.

Uncircumcised, is not circumcised. The Philistines, and other heathen nations, were uncircumcised. Jonathan, and other faithful men of Israel who trusted in the Lord, called them by this name, to remind themselves that the heathen were not, as they were, marked and signed by circumcision as God's own people, and having the promise of his protection; and that, therefore, they need not fear them.

A restraint, is any thing which restrains us from doing a thing. Men are restrained by want of power from doing many things; but there is no restraint to the Lord, for He can do all things.

Chapter CVEEE.

THE SECOND TRIAL OF SAUL, AND HIS FINAL REJECTION.

AFTER Saul had overcome the Philistines at Michmash, and had delivered the land of Israel from all their enemies that were round about, he continued to war against the Philistines. And Saul strengthened his army with all the strong and valiant men in Israel.

And after awhile the Lord again tried Saul, and roved him, to know whether he would yet fear the ord his God, and obey His voice. Samuel the

prophet of the Lord came to Saul, and said, "The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people; now, therefore, hearken to the voice of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass."

Saul was now chosen by God to be His instrument to punish the wicked people of Amalek. Four hundred years before this time, the Amalekites had sought to destroy the children of Israel in the wilderness. Therefore the Lord had said that He would destroy their nation, because they had set themselves against Him, and had fought against His people whom He was leading forth from the land of Egypt to the land which He had promised them.

Then Saul gathered together his men of war-two hundred thousand men, besides ten thousand men of Judah-and went forth against the Amalekites,

as the Lord had commanded. And he overcame them; and he utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But he spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and all that was good: these he would not utterly destroy; but every thing that was vile and worthless he and his men of war destroyed utterly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, "It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king, because he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments." And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.

And on the morrow Samuel arose early in the morning, and went forth to meet Saul. And when he had come to Gilgal, where Saul was, Saul said to him, "Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord." And Samuel said, "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: