FIRST KING OF ISRAEL. 159

straight way, lowing as they went, for they were leaving
their calves behind them. The people of Bethshemesh
were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley,—they
looked up and saw the ark coming along the highway.
It was a joyful sight to them. With thankful hearts they
offered burnt offerings and sacrifices to the Lord. Let
us follow the example of these men of Bethshemesh, and
prize highly the possession of the word of God, even the
gospel of truth. But the Bethshemites sinned in looking
into the ark, for which more than fifty thousand of them
were smitten with death. Let us be taught by their
fate to avoid their sin, and always to speak and think of
sacred things with reverence and humility.

It was twenty years before the Philistines and the
Israelites again met on the battle field. All that time
the children of Israel were subject to the Philistines.
They dreaded the thought of attempting to regain their
freedom. Samuel went about among the people, and
preached to them to put away their false gods, and to turn
to the Lord with all their heart, and that if they did so,
then would the Lord deliver them out of the hand of the
Philistines. The people, humbled by their sufferings, be-
nefited by the words of Samuel ; their false gods they de-
stroyed, their altars they demolished. Samuel then told
the people to assemble at Mizpeh, that he might pray for
them there. They went, and when the Philistines heard
of their gathering, they assembled an army, and marched
into the land of Israel. The sons of Jacob had no sooner
collected to pray than they were called to fight. They