"There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few."--_1
Sam. 14:6._
SAUL was the first king of Israel. But just at first, when he was
appointed king, the people were in great distress; for their enemies
the Philistines had overrun the whole land, and held all the strong
places, and were very hard to the Israelites. They would not even let
a smith live among the Israelites, that they might not be able to have
swords or spears made to use in fighting, and the Israelites had to go
into the Philistines' country to get their axes and ploughshares made,
and to sharpen the goads, or long sticks tipped with iron that they
drove the oxen with.