The men of the city, noticing the appearance of great strength that Samson manifested, and his general demeanor as a man of personal bravery and daring, brought thirty companions to be with him at his feast. They are called in the Scriptures, "the friends of the bridegroom ;" and, although it was done, in appearance, as a mark of respect to Samson, it was designed, undoubtedly, to have them about him, while he was in their town, to observe his motions, and to prove a security against any hostile intentions that he might desire to carry into effect.

At such entertainments it was customary, as a matter of amusement, to propose riddles for solution, to which, if correctly made, a reward was offered, while some forfeiture was incurred in case of failure. Samson had his riddle to propose to the guests. "If ye can certainly declare it me," said he, "within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets," (or rather, as it should be rendered, body dresses of fine linen,)" and thirty change of garments: but if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets," (or body dresses,)" and thirty change of garments." On being requested to put forth the riddle, he announced it thus: "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness."

Three days passed away, and no one was yet

able to furnish the solution. The means which were taken to discover it we shall soon see.

If such a difficulty arose with regard to so simple a matter, well may we expect to meet with "things hard to be understood" both in the works and the word of the Omniscient mind. How can we in the infancy of being, and with our limited capacities and range of observation and experience, presume to be able to fathom the doings, and to clear up from all obscurity the declarations of the infinite Creator, Preserver, and Governor of the countless worlds and existences which he has formed and controls to accomplish his own designs? We must see and understand the whole, and the relations of all its parts to each other, to do this; and just so far as we are below the Sovereign of the universe in our powers and capacities, must we expect to find ourselves surrounded with mysteries. Let us be humble-and believe, adore, and love.

CHAPTER XX.

Samson's wife betrays the meaning of the riddle. He kills thirty Philistines. He burns their fields of grain. He is taken prisoner by the Philistines.

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The guests of Sampson, finding no clue to the meaning of his riddle, resolved to accomplish by intrigue what they entirely failed to do by their sagacity. On the fourth day of the feast, they urged his wife to prevail upon her husband to give her the solution of the riddle, threatening that, if she did not yield to their demand, they would destroy her and her father's house by fire. "Have ye called us," they added, to this feast, to take what we have," the very garments which we wear, as a forfeiture for our ignorance? She yielded to their solicitations. She besought Samson with tears to comply with her request. Thou dost but hate me,' " she said, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me." His reply was, "Behold, I have not told it my father, and shall I tell it thee?" But his wife was not to be silenced by this refusal. She feigned great grief for his want of confidence in her, and continued to weep and lament, on account of it, till the seventh day of the feast arrived. On that

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day, she affected to give way to still more excessive sorrow, and pressed Samson, in the most importunate manner, to divulge the secret. He was overcome by her devices; and getting the explanation of the riddle, she soon made it known to the guests.

Before the close of the day, they said to Sam son, exulting in the success of their stratagem, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion?" His only answer was ; 'If ye had not ploughed with my heifer," (if ye had not obtained the aid of my wife,) "ye had not found out my riddle."

He now had the forfeiture to pay; and moved by a divine impulse, which both directed him what to do, and endowed him with preternatural strength, he immediately went down to Ashkelon, to procure as spoils from the oppressors of his countrymen what he needed for the purpose. This city was one of the five lordships of the Philistines, now in their possession, though once held, for some time, by the tribe of Judah. It was fifteen miles north of Gaza, and about forty west from Jerusalem. There Samson slew thirty of the inhabitants, and stripping the dead bodies of their garments, returned with them to Timnath, and distributed them among his guests. Having thus complied with his engagements to those who explained the riddle, he was so incensed at

the manner in which they had obtained the solution, and especially at the treachery of his wife, that he immediately returned to his father's house in Zorah. The parents of his wife, thinking, probably, that he had abandoned her in irreconcilable displeasure, gave her to the young man who had been the particular friend and attendant of Samson during the marriage-ceremonies, to live. with him as his wife.

Samson was ignorant of this, and his resentment having had time to abate, his affections towards his wife revived, and, during the wheatharvest, he went once more to Timnath. He carried with him a kid, as a present and pledge of reconciliation, and claimed of his father-in-law to be acknowledged, still, as the husband of his daughter. But he gave a prompt and decided refusal, assigning as the reason for this, that he supposed Samson had utterly cast off his wife in his great hatred towards her, and proposing that he should take a younger and more interesting sister of hers in her stead.

Samson was indignant at this treatment. He regarded it as proceeding not merely, or principally, from his father-in-law, but from his adversaries the Philistines. It was an insult, he thought, not to himself only, but to the nation to which he belonged, and that it was offered with this design. As an Israelite, he resolved to inflict what