The history of the world

§. III. Of SAMVEL, and of his Gouernment.

THese Tragedies ouerpast and ended, Samuel, to whom God appeared while 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was yet a childe, became now Iudge and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Isra∣el. Hee was descended of the familie of b 1.1 Chore or 〈◊〉〈◊〉. For Leui [unspec 30] had three sonnes; Gerson, Cheath, and Merari: Cheath had Amram, and Izaar; of Amram came Moses and Aaron; of Izaar, Chore: and of the familie of Chore, Samnel. His father Eleana a Leuite, was called an 〈◊〉〈◊〉, not that the Leuites had any proper inheritance, but because hee was of c 1.2 Mount Ephra∣im, like as Iesse, Dauids father was called an 〈◊〉〈◊〉, because borne at 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or Bethelem. Hannah his mother being long fruitlesse, obtained him of God by prayers and teares: it being an exceeding shame to the Iewish women, to be called barren in respect of the blessing of God both to Abraham that his seede should multiply, as the Starres of Heauen, and the sands of the Sea, as in the beginning to Adam, In∣crease and multiply, &c, and in Deuteronomie the seuenth; There shall bee neither male* 1.3 [unspec 40] nor female barren among you.

Samuel was no sooner borne, but that his mother, according to her former vow, dedicated him to God, and his seruice, to which shee deliuered him euen from the 〈◊〉〈◊〉. For as the first borne of all that were called Nazarites, might be redeemed till they were fiue yeeres old for fiue sheckles, and betweene fiue yeeres and twentie for twentie sheckles: so was it not required by the Law that any of the race of the Leuites should be called to serue about the Tabernacle, till they were fiue and twen∣tie yeeres old.

Saint Peter reckons in the Actes the Prophets from Samuel, who was the first of the writers of holy Scriptures, to whom vsually this name of a Prophet was giuen, [unspec 50] and yet did Moses account himselfe such a one, as in the 18. of Deuteronomie. The Lord thy God will raise vp vnto thee a Prophel like vnto mee, &c. But he is distinguished from those that preceded him, who were called Seers; as, Beforetime in Israel, when a* 1.4 man went to seeke an answere of God, thus hee spake; Come and let vs goe to the Seer:* 1.5

for hee that is now called a Prophet, was in old time called a Seer. And although it pleased God to appeare by his Angels to Moses, as before to Abraham, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and Ia∣cob; yet in the time of Eli, there was no manifest vision; not that God had altoge∣ther* 1.6 with-drawne his grace from Israel: but as the Chaldaean Paraphrast hath it, those 〈◊〉〈◊〉 before Samuels time, were more clouded and obscure. The places where∣in* 1.7 Samuel iudged were Maspha or Mitspa, seated on a hill in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉: also Gilgal, and Bethel, of which we haue spoken elsewhere.

The Philistims taking knowledge of the assembly and preparation for Warre at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the beginning of Samuels gouernment, gathered their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and marched [unspec 10] towards the Citie: at whose approch the Israelites strucken with feare, and with the memorie of their former slaughters and seruitude, besought Samuel to pray to God for them; who was * 1.8 then performing his sacrifice when the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were in view. But God being moued with Samuels prayers (as he was by those of Moses, when 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fought against the Amalekites at their first entrance into Arabia) It pleased him with thunder and tempest to disperse and beate downe the Armie of the Philistims, according to the prophecie of Hanna, Samuels Mother. The Lords aduersaries shall be destroyed, and out of heauen shall be thunder vpon them &c. Iosephus affirmes, that a part of the Philistims were swallowed with an earth-quake: and that Samuel himselfe led the Israelites in the prosequution of their victory. After which Samuel erected a [unspec 20] Monument in memorie of this happie successe, obtained by the miraculous hand of God, which Iosephus called, Lapidem fortem: Samuel, Ebenezer, or the stone of assi∣stance:* 1.9 and then following the opportunitie and aduantage of the victory, the Israe∣lites recouered diuers Cities of their owne formerly lost, and held long in possession of the Philistims, who for a long time after did not offer any inuasion or reuenge. And the better to attend ther purposes, and to withstand any of their attempts: the Isra∣elites made peace with the Amorites, or Cananites, which lay on their backes, and to the North of them, that they might not be assaulted from diuers parts at once; ha∣uing the Philistims towards the West and Sea∣coast, the Canaanite toward the North and East, and the Idumite on the South. The estate beeing thus settled, Samuel [unspec 30] for the ease of the people gaue audience and iudgement in diuers places by 〈◊〉〈◊〉, as hath been elsewhere said.

Notes

• b 1.1

  1. Chro. 6. 22.
• c 1.2

  Which regi∣on was called 〈◊〉〈◊〉, as ap∣peareth, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 12 〈◊〉〈◊〉. whence for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 we reade 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1. 2.
• * 1.3

  〈◊◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊◊〉, the towne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in Iuda, Gen. 35. 19. from the region of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which is in Mount 〈◊〉〈◊〉, whence Psal. 132. v. 6. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is put for Silo, which was in the tribe of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.4

  Vers. 15.
• * 1.5

  1. Sam. 9.
• * 1.6

  Sam. 13.
• * 1.7

  See in this book, c. 12. §. 1.
• * 1.8

  Plutarch re∣ports of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 King of Rome, 〈◊◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊◊〉 was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it was told him that the ene∣mies approch∣ed, he nothing dismaied, an∣swered, Ego au∣tem sacrifico.
• * 1.9

  1. Sam. 2. 10.