It happened as the LORD had threatened; all those who came out of Egypt died in the wilderness, excepting Caleb and Joshua; but those who died, left a great number of their posterity behind them.

When Aaron was an old man, the LORD commanded him to go up to Mount Hor; and Aaron died on Mount Hor; and Eleazar, his son was made High Priest in his stead.

Moses brought the people to the borders of the promised land: and God gave him a view of it from Mount Pisgah, but he did not enter it. After Moses had written all the laws which the LORD GOD had given on Mount Sinai, for the people of Israel, he died in the land of Moab,

The History of Joshua.

BEFORE the death of Moses, the LORD God appointed Joshua to succeed him as the governor of the people of Israel. Joshua was a very good man, and in great favour with GOD.

After the death of Moses, the LORD spake unto Joshua, and said, that he would put the people of Israel in possession of the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for the nation that was to proceed from them, if they would be faithful and obedient,

Joshua informed the people of the LORD'S command and promise, and they all declared that they would serve the LORD all the days of their lives.

Then the LORD commanded Joshua to go against the city of Jericho, which lay on the other side of the river Jordan; and when the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant dipped their feet in the river, as the LORD had commanded them, the waters of Jordan divided and stood on a heap on the right hand and on the left, as the Red Sea had done before, when the people of Israel were delivered out of Egypt.

The priests then carried the Ark into the midst of the river, and stood still, till the people had all passed over and then they set up, in the midst of the river, twelve stones, as memorials of the miracle of dividing the waters. As soon as the Ark was carried to the opposite shore, the waters of Jordan returned to their course,

The History of Joshua-continued.

WHEN the priests set forward with the Ark, the people, led on by Joshua, followed it; and they went to the city of Jericho, as the LORD commanded. The city gates were close shut up; for the king and people of Jericho were

afraid of the Israelites. The LORD commanded Joshua to do nothing more for six days than to follow after the Ark, which the priests were to carry round the city in silence; but the LORD commanded, that on the seventh day the priests should blow their trumpets and the people shout. All this was done as the LORD commanded; and, as soon as the people shouted, the walls of the city fell flat to the ground; and the army of Israel destroyed the wicked people of Jericho, as the LORD commanded, because they set themselves against the only living GoD, and worshipped idols.

The people of Israel gained many other victories, and got possession of many parts of Canaan; and the whole land was divided amongst them by lot, in the days of Joshua; and the people served the LORD as long as Joshua lived, and promised this faithful leader that they would always do so. At length in a good old age Joshua died, and the people mourned greatly for the loss of him.

The History of Samson.

AFTER the death of Joshua, the next generation of the people of Israel, instead of keeping faithful to the LORD GOD, often joined with the

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nations of Canaan in the worship of idols, and those who came after did the same; and instead of destroying the nations which were left in the land, they let them remain. To punish the Israelites for their idolatry, the LORD suffered some of these nations to oppress them; but whenever they turned to the LORD, he raised them up a deliverer, and gave them the victory over their enemies.

Amongst the most powerful of their enemies were the Philistines; and when the people expected to be cut off by the Philistines, the LORD raised up a mighty man, whose name was Samson, to begin to deliver them.

To Samson the LORD gave such surprising strength, that he could kill a lion as easily as if it were a lamb, and could fight with hundreds of men at once. At one time Samson let the Philistines take him prisoner, and bind him fast with strong cords, which he broke as if they had been burnt with fire; another time he took the gates of the city of Gaza, in which he was shut up, and carried them on his shoulder, though they were secured with bars of iron. But Samson was not a good man; he did things he ought not to have done, and forgot for what purpose his strength was given him. So the LORD, for a short time,

took his strength from him, and delivered him into the hands of the Philistines, who put out his eyes, and shut him up in prison.

Samson was then very sorry, and prayed to GOD to give him his strength again, that he might be revenged of his enemies; and because the Philistines were so wicked, GoD granted Samson's prayer.

The Philistines did not know that Samson's strength was come again, and they knew he could not see to fight against them: so one day they sent for Samson to the temple of their idol Dagon, to make sport with him, and insult the God of Israel; but, whilst they were doing this, Samson laid hold of the two pillars which supported the roof of the building, and pulled it down upon the heads of all who were in it. Because he had not himself been faithful, the LORD suffered Samson to perish with his enemies.

The History of the Prophet Samuel.

In the days of Eli, who was High Priest and also Judge of Israel, there was in the land of Israel a very good woman, named Hannah, who had no children, which made her unhappy; for ́she wished for some, that she might teach them

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