with which we have nothing to do; they are as little to our purpose as the name of an angel: but in every case of importance let our eyes be up to the Lord, and he will some way or other teach us his paths, Psalm xxv. 8.

3. Parents should be very solicitous to know how they should order their children, and what they should do unto them. The art of education is the most important and difficult art in the world, and therefore it should be carefully studied. Many excellent treatises have been written by LOCKE, DODDRIDGE, &c. on the subject. We have the word of God, which is the best guide: but we need direction in many particulars, where general rules will not answer. Therefore let us look up to God, that he would give us wisdom and grace to manage our children aright, train them up in the right way, and make them Nazarites to God, that is, consecrated to his service, and, like Samson, deliverers of Israel, public blessings to the community. This is the business of both parents, as Manoah's address to the angel intimates; and as they have a common right to the child, they ought to unite their endeavours to order it aright. And their united endeavours will be little enough to discharge this important trust well. We may observe,

4. That God's accepting the sacrifice of Christ, is a proof that he is reconcileable to guilty creatures. There is a great deal of good sense in the argument of Manoah's wife, v. 23. and it is applicable to this case. God appointed the sacrifice of Christ, and declared his acceptance of it by raising him from the dead by sending down his Spirit, and acknowledging and accepting his Son as our mediator and representative: therefore he will not be inexorable; we shall not die, but live, and be happy, if we apply to him in the gospel way. He hath showed us many glorious things to confirm our faith. She argued from a promise given; we, in the present case, from a promise fulfilled. Let this thought engage us to love God, and to devote ourselves to his service. I beseech you therefore in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God; for he hath made him to be sin, that is, a sacrifice for sin, for us, though he knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

CHAP. XIV.

The history of Samson is not equal to what might have been expected from him. We have here the foundation of his sorrows, laid in an unsuitable marriage; and the beginning of his exploits against the Philistines.

ND Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.*

'AN

And 2 he came up and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Phi3 listines now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, [Is there] never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. He did well to ask his parents' consent; but the thing was ill in itself, being contrary to the law 4 of God. But his father and his mother knew not that it [was] of the LORD that he sought an occasion against the Philistines; not that God put this into his heart, because it was wrong; but the meaning is, that God determined to bring good to Israel out of these irregular steps of Samson: in this mar→ riage Samson probably sought for an occasion of attacking the Philistines from some private and personal affront for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel, and therefore it was not safe for the whole body of the people to provoke them. Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath, probably to gather some grapes: and, behold, a young lion roared against him; a young lion of remarkable force came with open mouth 6 to devour him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, a spirit of extraordinary courage and resolution; and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and [he had] nothing in his hand but he told not his father or his mother what he had done, lest the Philistines knowing of it, 7 should be jealous of him and his great strength. And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well; they concluded upon the marriage, and the time of it.

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And after a time, probably a year, which was customary with the Jews, he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion and, behold, [there was] a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion: the 9 Seventy say, in the lion's mouth. And he took thereof in his

* Timnath was a city in his own tribe; but the Philistines possessed it. See Joshua xix. 43.

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hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

So his father went down unto the woman and Samson 11 made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him, to show their respect, and for the greater honour of the solemnity, called in the New Testament, 12 children of the bride chamber. And Samson, according to the common custom of the east, proposed a question to exercise their invention and wit, and said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, for so long the feast lasted, and find [it] out, then I will give you thirty sheets, or shirts, and thirty change of garments, upper garments, which were often 13 put on and off. But if ye cannot declare [it] me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may 14 hear it; thus they agree to the conditions. And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.* And they could not in three 15 days expound the riddle. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's. wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have, (in the Heb. to possess us, or to impoverish us?) [is it] not [so?] Before this they no doubt had used entreaties, but now they added a very barbarous threatening, and a severe reproach, What! have ye called us to make us pay dear for our 16 entertainment? And Samson's wife tried all her eloquence, and wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told [it] me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told [it] my father nor my mother, with whom I have had a long and intimate acquaintance, and canst thou desire me to tell it thee? It will show want of respect 17 to them, and shall I tell it thee? And she wept before him the seven days, or, the rest of the seven days, while their feast lasted and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him and she told the riddle to the children of her people; at last she prevailed, we may suppose upon promise of secrecy. But she told it her neigh bours, whom she loved and feared more than her husband,

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And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What [is] sweeter than honey?

The first part of the opposition is plain, but not the second; weakness is opposed to strength, but not to sweetness. This would exercise their skill, and when solved, would give him occasion to tell the story on which it was grounded.

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and [what] is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle; if ye had not made use of my wife's assistance, ye could not have found out my riddle: comparing his wife to a young heifer not yet subdued to the yoke of obedience.

And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, a city of the Philistines, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil; they were probably making merry at a feast, and had on their best apparel, which Samson took from them, and gave change of garments unto them, which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled against his wife for betraying him, as well as against his guests, and he 20 went up to his father's house without her. But Samson's wife was [given] to his companion, whom he had used as his friend. She resented his conduct; and looking upon herself as forsaken, she married one of the bride men, to whom Samson had been particularly kind and obliging, whom perhaps she loved too well, and was too willing to oblige,

1.

REFLECTIONS.

E see an instance, in Samson, of the sad consequences of being unequally yoked, and of marrying where there is neither mutual affection nor any sense of religion. Samson acted in a manner very unworthy a Nazarite, or a patriot, in marrying a Philistine, an enemy to God and Israel. He was attracted chiefly by a fair face, and sacrificed every important consideration to his foolish fancy. There are many such melancholy instances as this in scripture, which were recorded for our admonition; and innumerable ones before our eyes of the misery of such marriages: yet young people will not take warning. When they are only governed by the eye, or the fancy, no wonder they entail sorrow and calamity on themselves and their offspring. I wish,' says Bp. HALL, Manoah could speak so loud, that all our Israelites might hear him. Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to marry a stranger to God and religion? If religion be any thing, how dare we not regard it in our most important choice? Let those who are courting alliances with irreligious persons, or matching into families where there is neither the fear nor worship of God, learn from this example the folly of such a conduct; for there cannot be greater folly, or a surer way to misery, than to marry a fool, a sot, or a knave, though ever so rich or handsome.

Nothing can vindicate this conduct, but the treachery he had met with from his wife.

2. The way of spending their time at the feasts among the ancients, suggests to us a useful lesson, and reproves the corruptions of the present day. We find by this story, as well as by the custom of the Greeks and Romans, that at their feasts they were merry and wise, had something to exercise their minds? and did not spend it merely in indulging their appetites, in cards, and dancing, much less in drinking to excess, sending round the glass and the toast, till they were raging mad. This excess of riot was not known in ancient days; and it is a shame that it should be found among christians. Let us attend to that advice of the apostle, Ephes. v. 4. to avoid all filthiness, foolish talking, and jestings, double meanings; the frequent attendants on feasts, especially marriage solemnities; but by no means becoming or convenient: but rather giving thanks, or, as the word signifies, edifying, friendly, cheerful discourse, such as may administer wisdom and grace to the hearers. We are accountable to God for our time, and should therefore be concerned to improve it well, and never trifle it away.

3. Let us learn to cease from man, and not expect too much from those, whose friendship and affection we imagine may safely be depended upon. What a base trick did Samson's wife play him, like a true Philistine! His friends and companions also proved treacherous and brutish. Let us not put too much confidence in any man, but behave with prudence and caution. JosEPHUS tells us, 'that when his companions solved his riddle, and said, What is sweeter than honey? he replied, What is more perfidious than a woman? This was true of his own wife, and he could expect no better. While we are careful to guard against a jealous and suspicious temper, which is the very bane of friend ship, and the utter destruction of conjugal affection, let us never suffer our passions to outrun our judgment, or trust too much to any of our friends. There is a friend we may impart every secret to, and rely entirely upon, namely, the ever blessed and eternal God; and blessed is that man whose hope the Lord is.

CHAP. XV.

Samsan is still in his own person a great scourge to the enemies of Israel: of which we have in this chapter three instances.

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UT it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, at the feast of Pentecost, about the middle of April, a season of great joy in that country, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber; not knowing that his wife was given to another, he went with a design to be reconciled to her. But