THE FIRST KING OF ISRAEL. 167

the two Israelites shewed themselves at the foot of the
rocks where their enemies’ garrison was stationed, the
Philistines looked down upon them and said one to an-
other, “ Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the
holes where they had hid themselves.” To the Hebrews,
whom they so despised, they called out, “ Come up to
us, and we will shew you a thing ;”—as if these two He-
brews were idle wanderers with nothing to do but gaze
about them. The Philistines little knew the sort of men
to whom they spoke. When Jonathan heard them
speak thus, he said to his armour-bearer, “ Come up
after me, for the Lord hath delivered them into the
hand of Israel.” It was a very steep rock on which
the Philistines were posted,—so steep that Jonathan
and his armour-bearer had to climb it on their hands
and knees. One might think it would have been easy
for their numerous enemies to have driven them down
the rock before they got to their feet upon the top of
it; but these two Hebrews were preserved by God.
They gained the summit, and in a very short space of
time they had slain twenty of their enemies. General
consternation spread through the camp of the Philistines.
That great army, numerous as the sand on the sea
shore, trembled, though the warriors who opposed them
only numbered two. They trembled because the Lord
sent fear into their hearts. The success which attended
Jonathan in this enterprise teaches us, that if we ac-
knowledge God in all our ways He will direct our steps.

George. But what did the Philistines do, grandfather ¢