,libraries7 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,italic words have been enclosed in underscores4 ,as the oe ligature cannot be included in this format1 it has been replaced with the separate letters in coelo and ,syrophoenician4 ,a few minor typographical errors have been silently corrected4 ,the ,table of ,contents refers to original page numbers4 ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible4 ,,edited ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,w4 ,,robertson ,,nicoll1 ,m4,a41 ,editor of ,the ,expositor4 ,,the ,,first ,,book ,,of ,,samuel4 ,,by ,w4 ,g4 ,,blaikie1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,,toronto3 ,,willard ,,tract ,,depository ,,and ,,bible ,,depot1 ,,corner ,,of ,,yonge ,,and ,,temperance ,,streets4 #ahhh4 ,,the ,,first ,,book ,,of ,,samuel4 ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,professor ,w4 ,g4 ,,blaikie1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d41 ,,new ,,college1 ,,edinburgh4 ,,toronto3 ,,willard ,,tract ,,depository ,,and ,,bible ,,depot1 ,,corner ,,of ,,yonge ,,and ,,temperance ,,streets4 #ahhh4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,chapter ,i4 ,,hannah',s ,,trial ,,and ,,trust #a ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,hannah',s ,,faith ,,rewarded #ad ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,hannah',s ,,song ,,of ,,thanksgiving #be ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,eli',s ,,house #cg ,,chapter ,v4 ,,samuel',s ,,vision #di ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,ark ,,of ,,god ,,taken ,,by ,,the ,,philistines #fa ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,ark ,,among ,,the ,,philistines #gc ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,repentance ,,and ,,revival #he ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,national ,,deliverance--,,the ,,philistines ,,subdued #ig ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,people ,,demand ,a ,,king #aji ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,saul ,,brought ,,to ,,samuel #aba ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,first ,,meeting ,,of ,,samuel ,,and ,,saul #acc ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,saul ,,anointed ,,by ,,samuel #ade ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,saul ,,chosen ,,king #aeg ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,the ,,relief ,,of ,,jabesh-,,gilead #afi ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,samuel',s ,,vindication ,,of ,,himself #aha ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,samuel',s ,,dealings ,,with ,,the ,,people #aic ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,saul ,,and ,,samuel ,,at ,,gilgal #bje ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,jonathan',s ,,exploit ,,at ,,michmash #bag ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,saul',s ,,wilfulness #bbi ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,final ,,rejection ,,of ,,saul #bda ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,david ,,anointed ,,by ,,samuel #bec ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,david',s ,,early ,,life #bfe ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,david',s ,,conflict ,,with ,,goliath #bgh ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,saul',s ,,jealousy--,,david',s ,,marriage #bib ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,saul',s ,,further ,,efforts ,,against ,,david #cje ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,david ,,and ,,jonathan #cag ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,david ,,at ,,nob ,,and ,,at ,,gath #cbi ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,david ,,at ,,adullam1 ,,mizpeh1 ,,and ,,hareth #cda ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,david ,,at ,,keilah1 ,,ziph1 ,,and ,,maon #ced ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,david ,,twice ,,spares ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,saul #cff ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,,david ,,and ,,nabal #cgh ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,david',s ,,second ,,flight ,,to ,,gath #cia ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,,saul ,,at ,,endor #djd ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,,david ,,at ,,ziklag #daf ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,saul #dbi ,,chapter ,i4 ,,hannah',s ,,trial ,,and ,,trust4 #a ,,samuel i #a-ah4 ,the prophet ,samuel1 like the book which bears his name1 comes in as a connecting link between the ,judges and the ,kings of ,israel4 ,he belonged to a transition period4 ,it was appointed to him to pilot the nation between two stages of its history3 from a republic to a monarchy2 from a condition of somewhat casual and indefinite arrangements to one of more systematic and orderly government4 ,the great object of his life was to secure that this change should be made in the way most beneficial for the nation1 and especially most beneficial for its spiritual interests4 ,care must be taken that while becoming like the nations in having a king1 ,israel shall not become like them in religion1 but shall continue to stand out in hearty and unswerving allegiance to the law and covenant of their fathers' ,god4 ,samuel was the last of the judges1 and in a sense the first of the prophets4 ,the last of the judges1 but not a military judge2 not ruling like ,samson by physical strength1 but by high spiritual qualities and prayer2 not so much wrestling against flesh and blood1 as against principalities and powers1 and the rulers of the darkness of this world1 and spiritual wickedness in high places4 ,in this respect his function as judge blended with his work as prophet4 ,before him1 the prophetic office was but a casual illumination2 under him it becomes a more steady and systematic light4 ,he was the first of a succession of prophets whom ,god placed side by side with the kings and priests of ,israel to supply that fresh moral and spiritual force which the prevailing worldliness of the one and formalism of the other rendered so necessary for the great ends for which ,israel was chosen4 ,with some fine exceptions1 the kings and priests would have allowed the seed of ,abraham to drift away from the noble purpose for which ,god had called them2 conformity to the world in spirit if not in form was the prevailing tendency2 the prophets were raised up to hold the nation firmly to the covenant1 to vindicate the claims of its heavenly ,king1 to thunder judgments against idolatry and all rebellion1 and pour words of comfort into the hearts of all who were faithful to their ,god1 and who looked for redemption in ,israel4 ,of this order of ,god's servants ,samuel was the first4 ,and called as he was to this office at a transition period1 the importance of it was all the greater4 ,it was a work for which no ordinary man was needed1 and for which no ordinary man was found4 ,very often the finger of ,god is seen very clearly in connection with the birth and early training of those who are to become ,his greatest agents4 ,the instances of ,moses1 ,samson1 and ,john the ,baptist1 to say nothing of our blessed ,lord1 are familiar to us all4 ,very often the family from which the great man is raised up is among the obscurest and least distinguished of the country4 ,the certain man who lived in some quiet cottage at ,ramathaim-,zophim would never probably have emerged from his native obscurity but for ,god's purpose to make a chosen vessel of his son4 ,in the case of this family1 and in the circumstances of ,samuel's birth1 we see a remarkable overruling of human infirmity to the purposes of the ,divine will4 ,if ,peninnah had been kind to ,hannah1 ,samuel might never have been born4 ,it was the unbearable harshness of ,peninnah that drove ,hannah to the throne of grace1 and brought to her wrestling faith the blessing she so eagerly pled for4 ,what must have seemed to ,hannah at the time a most painful dispensation became the occasion of a glorious rejoicing4 ,the very element that aggravated her trial was that which led to her triumph4 ,like many another1 ,hannah found the beginning of her life intensely painful1 and as a godly woman she no doubt wondered why ,god seemed to care for her so little4 ,but at evening time there was light2 like ,job1 she saw the end of the ,lord2 the mystery cleared away1 and to her as to the patriarch it appeared very clearly that the ,lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy4 ,the home in which ,samuel is born has some points of quiet interest about it2 but these are marred by serious defects4 ,it is a religious household1 at least in the sense that the outward duties of religion are carefully attended to2 but the moral tone is defective4 ,first1 there is that radical blemish--want of unity4 ,no doubt it was tacitly permitted to a man in those days to have two wives4 ,but where there were two wives there were two centres of interest and feeling1 and discord must ensue4 ,elkanah does not seem to have felt that in having two wives he could do justice to neither4 ,and he had but little sympathy for the particular disappointment of ,hannah4 ,he calculated that a woman's heart-hunger in one direction ought to be satisfied by copious gifts in another4 ,and as to ,peninnah1 so little idea had she of the connection of true religion and high moral tone1 that the occasion of the most solemn religious service of the nation was her time for pouring out her bitterest passion4 ,hannah is the only one of the three of whom nothing but what is favourable is recorded4 ,with regard to the origin of the family1 it seems to have been of the tribe of ,levi4 ,if so1 ,elkanah would occasionally have to serve the sanctuary2 but no mention is made of such service4 ,for anything that appears1 ,elkanah may have spent his life in the same occupations as the great bulk of the people4 ,the place of his residence was not many miles from ,shiloh1 which was at that time the national sanctuary4 ,but the moral influence from that quarter was by no means beneficial2 a decrepit high priest1 unable to restrain the profligacy of his sons1 whose vile character brought religion into contempt1 and led men to associate gross wickedness with ,divine service1--of such a state of things the influence seemed fitted rather to aggravate than to lessen the defects of ,elkanah's household4 ,inside ,elkanah's house we see two strange arrangements of ,providence1 of a kind that often moves our astonishment elsewhere4 ,first1 we see a woman eminently fitted to bring up children1 but having none to bring up4 ,on the other hand1 we see another woman1 whose temper and ways are fitted to ruin children1 entrusted with the rearing of a family4 ,in the one case a ,god-fearing woman does not receive the gifts of ,providence2 in the other case a woman of a selfish and cruel nature seems loaded with ,his benefits4 ,in looking round us1 we often see a similar arrangement of other gifts2 we see riches1 for example1 in the very worst of hands2 while those who from their principles and character are fitted to make the best use of them have often difficulty in securing the bare necessaries of life4 ,how is this8 ,does ,god really govern1 or do time and chance regulate all8 ,if it were ,god's purpose to distribute ,his gifts exactly as men are able to estimate and use them aright1 we should doubtless see a very different distribution2 but ,god's aim in this world is much more to try and to train than to reward and fulfil4 ,all these anomalies of ,providence point to a future state4 ,what ,god does we know not now1 but we shall know hereafter4 ,the misuse of ,god's gifts brings its punishment both here and in the life to come4 ,to whom much is given1 of them much shall be required4 ,for those who have shown the capacity to use ,god's gifts aright1 there will be splendid opportunities in another life4 ,to those who have received much1 but abused much1 there comes a fearful reckoning1 and a dismal experience of the the unprofitable servant's doom4 ,the trial which ,hannah had to bear was peculiarly heavy1 as is well known1 to a ,hebrew woman4 ,to have no child was not only a disappointment1 but seemed to mark one out as dishonoured by ,god1--as unworthy of any part or lot in the means that were to bring about the fulfilment of the promise1 ,in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed4 ,in the case of ,hannah1 the trial was aggravated by the very presence of ,peninnah and her children in the same household4 ,had she been alone1 her mind might not have brooded over her want1 and she and her husband might have so ordered their life as almost to forget the blank4 ,but with ,peninnah and her children constantly before her eyes1 such a course was impossible4 ,she could never forget the contrast between the two wives4 ,like an aching tooth or an aching head1 it bred a perpetual pain4 ,in many cases home affords a refuge from our trials1 but in this case home was the very scene of the trial4 ,there is another refuge from trial1 which is very grateful to devout hearts--the house of ,god and the exercises of public worship4 ,a member of ,hannah's race1 who was afterwards to pass through many a trial1 was able even when far away1 to find great comfort in the very thought of the house of ,god1 with its songs of joy and praise1 and its multitude of happy worshippers1 and to rally his desponding feelings into cheerfulness and hope4 ,why art thou cast down1 ,o my soul1 and why art thou disquieted within me8 ,hope in ,god1 for ,i shall yet praise ,him for the health of ,his countenance4 ,but from ,hannah this resource likewise was cut off4 ,the days of high festival were her days of bitter prostration4 ,it was the custom in religious households for the head of the house to give presents at the public festivals4 ,elkanah1 a kind-hearted but not very discriminating man1 kept up the custom1 and as we suppose1 to compensate ,hannah for the want of children1 he gave her at these times a worthy or double portion4 ,but his kindness was inconsiderate4 ,it only raised the jealousy of ,peninnah4 ,for her and her children to get less than the childless ,hannah was intolerable4 ,no sense of courtesy restrained her from uttering her feeling4 ,no sisterly compassion urged her to spare the feelings of her rival4 ,no regard for ,god or ,his worship kept back the storm of bitterness4 ,with the reckless impetuosity of a bitter heart she took these opportunities to reproach ,hannah with her childless condition4 ,she knew the tender spot of her heart1 and1 instead of sparing it1 she selected it as the very spot on which to plant her blows4 ,her very object was to give ,hannah pain1 to give her the greatest pain she could4 ,and so the very place that should have been a rebuke to every bitter feeling1 the very time which was sacred to joyous festivity1 and the very sorrow that should have been kept furthest from ,hannah's thoughts1 were selected by her bitter rival to poison all her happiness1 and overwhelm her with lamentation and woe4 ,after all1 was ,hannah or ,peninnah the more wretched of the two8 ,to suffer in the tenderest part of one's nature is no doubt a heavy affliction4 ,but to have a heart eager to inflict such suffering on another is far more awful4 ,young people that sting a comrade when out of temper1 that call him names1 that reproach him with his infirmities1 are far more wretched and pitiable creatures than those whom they try to irritate4 ,it has always been regarded as a natural proof of the holiness of ,god that ,he has made man so that there is a pleasure in the exercise of his amiable feelings1 while his evil passions1 in the very play of them1 produce pain and misery4 ,lady ,macbeth is miserable over the murdered king1 even while exulting in the triumph of her ambition4 ,torn by her heartless and reckless passions1 her bosom is like a hell4 ,the tumult in her raging soul is like the writhing of an evil spirit4 ,yes1 my friends1 if you accept the offices of sin1 if you make passion the instrument of your purposes1 if you make it your business to sting and to stab those who in some way cross your path1 you may succeed for the moment1 and you may experience whatever of satisfaction can be found in gloated revenge4 ,but know this1 that you have been cherishing a viper in your bosom that will not content itself with fulfilling your desire4 ,it will make itself a habitual resident in your heart1 and distil its poison over it4 ,it will make it impossible for you to know anything of the sweetness of love1 the serenity of a well-ordered heart1 the joy of trust1 the peace of heaven4 ,you will be like the troubled sea1 whose waters cast up mire and dirt4 ,you will find the truth of that solemn word1 ,there is no peace1 saith my ,god1 to the wicked4 ,if the heart of ,peninnah was actuated by this infernal desire to make her neighbour fret1 it need not surprise us that she chose the most solemn season of religious worship to gratify her desire4 ,what could religion be to such a one but a form8 ,what communion could she have1 or care to have1 with ,god8 ,how could she realize what she did in disturbing the communion of another heart8 ,if we could suppose her realizing the presence of ,god1 and holding soul-to-soul communion with ,him1 she would have received such a withering rebuke to her bitter feelings as would have filled her with shame and contrition4 ,but when religious services are a mere form1 there is absolutely nothing in them to prevent1 at such times1 the outbreak of the heart's worst passions4 ,there are men and women whose visits to the house of ,god are often the occasions of rousing their worst1 or at least very unworthy1 passions4 ,pride1 scorn1 malice1 vanity--how often are they moved by the very sight of others in the house of ,god6 ,what strange and unworthy conceptions of ,divine service such persons must have6 ,what a dishonouring idea of ,god1 if they imagine that the service of their bodies or of their lips is anything to ,him4 ,surely in the house of ,god1 and in the presence of ,god1 men ought to feel that among the things most offensive in ,his eyes are a foul heart1 a fierce temper1 and the spirit that hateth a brother4 ,while1 on the other hand1 if we would serve ,him acceptably1 we must lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies1 envies and all evil speakings4 ,instead of trying to make others fret1 we should try1 young and old alike1 to make the crooked places of men's hearts straight1 and the rough places of their lives plain2 try to give the soft answer that turneth away wrath2 try to extinguish the flame of passion1 to lessen the sum-total of sin1 and stimulate all that is lovely and of good report in the world around us4 ,but to return to ,hannah and her trial4 ,year by year it went on1 and her sensitive spirit1 instead of feeling it less1 seemed to feel it more4 ,it would appear that1 on one occasion1 her distress reached a climax4 ,she was so overcome that even the sacred feast remained by her untasted4 ,her husband's attention was now thoroughly roused4 ,hannah1 why weepest thou8 and why eatest thou not8 and why is thy heart grieved8 am not ,i better to thee than ten sons8 ,there was not much comfort in these questions4 ,he did not understand the poor woman's feeling4 ,possibly his attempts to show her how little cause she had to complain only aggravated her distress4 ,perhaps she thought1 ,when my very husband does not understand me1 it is time for me to cease from man4 ,with the double feeling--my distress is beyond endurance1 and there is no sympathy for me in any fellow-creature--the thought may have come into her mind1 ,i will arise and go to my ,father4 ,however it came about1 her trials had the happy effect of sending her to ,god4 ,blessed fruit of affliction6 ,is not this the reason why afflictions are often so severe8 ,if they were of ordinary intensity1 then1 in the world's phrase1 we might grin and bear them4 ,it is when they become intolerable that men think of ,god4 ,as ,archbishop ,leighton has said1 ,god closes up the way to every broken cistern1 one after another1 that ,he may induce you1 baffled everywhere else1 to take the way to the fountain of living waters4 ,i looked on my right hand and beheld1 but there was no man that would know me2 refuge failed me1 no man cared for my soul4 ,i cried unto thee1 ,o ,lord2 ,i said1 ,thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living4 ,behold ,hannah1 then1 overwhelmed with distress1 in the temple of the ,lord 7as ,his house at ,shiloh was called71 transacting solemnly with ,god4 ,she vowed a vow4 ,she entered into a transaction with ,god1 as really and as directly as one man transacts with another4 ,it is this directness and distinctness of dealing with ,god that is so striking a feature in the piety of those early times4 ,she asked ,god for a man child4 ,but she did not ask this gift merely to gratify her personal wish4 ,in the very act of dealing with ,god she felt that it was ,his glory and not her personal feelings that she was called chiefly to respect4 ,no doubt she wished the child1 and she asked the child in fulfilment of her own vehement desire4 ,but beyond and above that desire there arose in her soul the sense of ,god's claim and ,god's glory1 and to these high considerations she desired to subordinate every feeling of her own4 ,if ,god should give her the man child1 he would not be hers1 but ,god's4 ,he would be specially dedicated as a ,nazarite to ,god's service4 ,no razor should come on his head2 no drop of strong drink should pass his lips4 ,and this would not be a mere temporary dedication1 it would last all the days of his life4 ,eagerly though ,hannah desired a son1 she did not wish him merely for personal gratification4 ,she was not to make herself the end of her child's existence1 but would sacrifice even her reasonable and natural claims upon him in order that he might be more thoroughly the servant of ,god4 ,hannah1 as she continued praying1 must have felt something of that peace of soul which ever comes from conscious communion with a prayer-hearing ,god4 ,but probably her faith needed the element of strengthening which a kindly and favourable word from one high in ,god's service would have imparted4 ,it must have been terrible for her to find1 when the high priest spoke to her1 that it was to insult her1 and accuse her of an offence against decency itself from which her very soul would have recoiled4 ,well meaning1 but weak and blundering1 ,eli never made a more outrageous mistake4 ,with firmness and dignity1 and yet in perfect courtesy1 ,hannah repudiated the charge4 ,others might try to drown their sorrows with strong drink1 but she had poured out her soul before ,god4 ,the high priest must have felt ashamed of his rude and unworthy charge1 as well as rebuked by the dignity and self-possession of this much-tried but upright1 godly woman4 ,he sent her away with a hearty benediction1 which seemed to convey to her an assurance that her prayer would be fulfilled4 ,as yet it is all a matter of faith2 but her faith is the substance of things hoped for1 the evidence of things not seen4 ,her burden is completely removed2 her soul has returned to its quiet rest4 ,this chapter of the history has a happy ending--,the woman went her way and did eat1 and her countenance was no more sad4 ,is not this whole history just like one of the ,psalms1 expressed not in words but in deeds8 ,first the wail of distress2 then the wrestling of the troubled heart with ,god2 then the repose and triumph of faith4 ,what a blessing1 amid the multitude of this world's sorrows2 that such a process should be practicable6 ,what a blessed thing is faith1 faith in ,god's word1 and faith in ,god's heart1 that faith which becomes a bridge to the distressed from the region of desolation and misery to the region of peace and joy8 ,is there any fact more abundantly verified than this experience is--this passage out of the depths1 this way of shaking one's self from the dust1 and putting on the garments of praise8 ,are any of you tired1 worried1 wearied in the battle of life1 and yet ignorant of this blessed process8 ,do any receive your fresh troubles with nothing better than a growl of irritation--,i will not say an angry curse8 ,alas for your thorny experience6 an experience which knows no way of blunting the point of the thorns4 ,know1 my friends1 that in ,gilead there is a balm for soothing these bitter irritations4 ,there is a peace of ,god that passeth all understanding1 and that keeps the hearts and minds of ,his people through ,christ ,jesus4 ,thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on ,thee1 because he trusteth in ,thee4 ,but let those who profess to be ,christ's see that they are consistent here4 ,a fretful1 complaining ,christian is a contradiction in terms4 ,how unlike to ,christ6 ,how forgetful such a one is of the grand argument1 ,he that spared not ,his own ,son1 but delivered ,him up for us all1 how shall ,he not with ,him also freely give us all things8 ,be patient1 brethren1 for the coming of the ,lord draweth near4 ,amid the agitations of life often steal away to the green pastures and the still waters1 and they will calm your soul4 ,and while the trial of your faith is much more precious than of gold that perisheth1 although it be tried with fire1 it shall be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of ,jesus ,christ4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,hannah',s ,,faith ,,rewarded4 #a ,,samuel i4 #ai-bh4 ,in all the transactions recorded in these verses1 we see in ,hannah the directing and regulating power of the family2 while ,elkanah appears acquiescing cordially in all that she proposes1 and devoutly seconding her great act of consecration1--the surrender of ,samuel to the perpetual service of ,god4 ,for a moment it might be thought that ,hannah assumed a place that hardly belonged to her2 that she became the leader and director in the house1 while her proper position was that of a helpmeet to her husband4 ,we are constrained1 however1 to dismiss this thought1 for it does not fit in to the character of ,hannah1 and it is not in keeping with the general tone of the passage4 ,there are two reasons that account sufficiently for the part she took4 ,in the first place1 it was she that had dealt with ,god in the matter1 and it was with her too that ,god had dealt4 ,she had been ,god-directed in the earlier part of the transaction1 and therefore was specially able to see what was right and proper to be done in following up ,god's remarkable acknowledgment and answer of her prayer4 ,the course to be taken came to her as an intuition1--an intuition not to be reasoned about1 not to be exposed to the criticism of another1 to be simply accepted and obeyed4 ,as she gave no heed to those impulses of her own heart that might have desired a different destination for her child1 so she was disposed to give none to the impulses of any other4 ,the name1 and the training1 and the life-work of a child given so remarkably were all clear as sunbeams to her godly heart2 and in such a matter it would have been nothing but weakness to confer with flesh and blood4 ,and in the second place1 ,elkanah could be in no humour to resist his wife1 even if he had had any reason to do so4 ,for he was in a manner reproved of ,god for not being more concerned about her sadness of spirit4 ,god had treated her sorrow more seriously than he had4 ,god had not said to her that her husband was better to her than ten sons4 ,god had recognised the hunger of her heart for a son as a legitimate craving1 and when she brought her wish to ,him1 and meekly and humbly asked ,him to fulfil it1 ,he had heard her prayer1 and granted her request4 ,in a sense ,hannah1 in the depth of her sorrow1 had appealed from her husband to a higher court1 and the appeal had been decided in her favour4 ,elkanah could not but feel that in faith1 in lofty principle1 in nearness of fellowship with ,god1 he had been surpassed by his wife4 ,it was no wonder he surrendered to her the future direction of a life given thus in answer to her prayers4 ,yet in thus surrendering his right he showed no sullenness of temper1 but acted in harmony with her1 not only in naming and dedicating the child1 but in taking a vow on himself1 and at the proper moment fulfilling that vow4 ,the three bullocks1 with the ephah of flour and the bottle of wine brought to ,shiloh when the child was presented to the ,lord1 were probably the fulfilment of ,elkanah's vow4 ,but to come more particularly to what is recorded in the text4 #a4 ,we notice1 first1 the fact of the answer to prayer4 ,the answer was prompt1 clear1 explicit4 ,it is an important question1 ,why are some prayers answered and not others8 ,many a good man and woman feel it to be the greatest trial that their prayers for definite objects are not answered4 ,many a mother will say1 ,why did ,god not answer me when ,i prayed ,him to spare my infant's life8 ,i am sure ,i prayed with my whole heart and soul1 but it seemed to make no difference1 the child sank and died just as if no one had been praying for him4 ,many a wife will say1 ,why does ,god not convert my husband8 ,i have agonized1 ,i have wept and made supplication on his behalf1 and in particular1 with reference to his besetting infirmity1 ,i have implored ,god to break his chain and set him free2 but there he is1 the same as ever4 ,many a young person under serious impressions will say1 ,why does ,god not hear my prayer8 ,i have prayed with heart and soul for faith and love1 for peace in believing1 for consciousness of my interest in ,christ2 but my prayers seem directed against a wall of brass1 they seem never to reach the ears of the ,lord of hosts4 ,in spite of all such objections and difficulties1 we maintain that ,god is the hearer of prayer4 ,every sincere prayer offered in the name of ,christ is heard1 and dealt with by ,god in such way as seems good to ,him4 ,there are good reasons why some prayers are not answered at all1 and there are also good reasons why the visible answer to some prayers is delayed4 ,some prayers are not answered because the spirit of them is bad4 ,ye ask but receive not because ye ask amiss1 that ye may consume it upon your lusts4 ,what is asked merely to gratify a selfish feeling is asked amiss4 ,it is not holy prayer2 it does not fit in with the sacred purposes of life2 it is not asked to make us better1 or enable us to serve ,god better1 or make our life more useful to our fellows2 but simply to increase our pleasure1 to make our surroundings more agreeable4 ,some prayers are not answered because what is asked would be hurtful2 the prayer is answered in spirit though denied in form4 ,a ,christian lady1 over the sick bed of an only son1 once prayed with intense fervour that he might be restored1 and positively refused to say1 ,thy will be done4 ,falling asleep1 she seemed to see a panorama of her son's life had he survived2 it was a succession of sorrows1 rising into terrible agonies1--so pitiful a sight that she could no longer desire his life to be prolonged1 and gave up the battle against the will of ,god4 ,some prayers are not answered at the time1 because a discipline of patience is needed for those who offer them2 they have to be taught the grace of waiting patiently for the ,lord2 they have to learn more fully than hitherto to walk by faith1 not by sight2 they have to learn to take the promise of ,god against all appearances1 and to remember that heaven and earth shall pass away1 but ,god's word shall not pass away4 ,but whatever be the reasons for the apparent silence of ,god1 we may rest assured that hearing prayer is the law of ,his kingdom4 ,old ,testament and ,new alike bear witness to this4 ,every verse of the ,psalms proclaims it4 ,alike by precept and example our ,lord constantly enforced it4 ,every ,apostle takes up the theme1 and urges the duty and the privilege4 ,we may say of prayer as ,st4 ,paul said of the resurrection--if prayer be not heard our preaching is vain1 and your faith is vain4 ,and what true ,christian is there who cannot add testimonies from his own history to the same effect8 ,if the answer to some of your prayers be delayed1 has it not come to many of them8 ,come1 too1 very conspicuously1 so that you were amazed1 and almost awed8 ,and if there be prayers that have not yet been answered1 or in reference to which you have no knowledge of an answer1 can you not afford to wait till ,god gives the explanation8 ,and when the explanation comes1 have you not much cause to believe that it will redound to the praise of ,god1 and that many things1 in reference to which you could at the time see nothing but what was dark and terrible1 may turn out when fully explained to furnish new and overwhelming testimony that ,god is love8 #b4 ,the next point is the name given by ,hannah to her son4 ,the name ,samuel1 in its literal import1 does not mean asked of the ,lord1 but heard of the ,lord4 ,the reason assigned by ,hannah for giving this name to her son is not an explanation of the word1 but a reference to the circumstances4 ,in point of fact1 heard of the ,lord is more expressive than even asked of the ,lord1 because it was ,god's hearing 7in a favourable sense71 more than ,hannah's asking1 that was the decisive point in the transaction4 ,still1 as far as ,hannah was concerned1 he was asked of the ,lord4 ,the name was designed to be a perpetual memorial of the circumstances of his birth4 ,for the good of the child himself1 and for the instruction of all that might come in contact with him1 it was designed to perpetuate the fact that before his birth a solemn transaction in prayer took place between his mother and the ,almighty4 ,the very existence of this child was a perpetual witness1 first of all of the truth that ,god exists1 and then of the truth that ,he is a prayer-hearing ,god4 ,the very name of this child is a rebuke to those parents who never think of ,god in connection with their children1 who never thank ,god for giving them1 nor think of what ,he would like in their education and training4 ,even where no such special transaction by prayer has taken place as in the case of ,samuel's mother1 children are to be regarded as sacred gifts of ,god4 ,lo1 children are the heritage of the ,lord1 and the fruit of the womb is ,his reward4 ,many a child has had the name ,samuel given him since these distant days in ,judaea under the influence of this feeling4 ,many a parent has felt what a solemn thing it is to receive from ,god's hands an immortal creature1 that may become either an angel or a devil1 and to be entrusted with the first stage of a life that may spread desolation and misery on the one hand1 or joy and blessing wherever its influence reaches4 ,do not treat lightly1 ,o parents1 the connection between ,god and your children6 ,cherish the thought that they are ,god's gifts1 ,god's heritage to you1 committed by ,him to you to bring up1 but not apart from ,him1 not in separation from those holy influences which ,he alone can impart1 and which ,he is willing to impart4 ,what a cruel thing it is to cut this early connection between them and ,god1 and send them drifting through the world like a ship with a forsaken rudder1 that flaps hither and thither with every current of the sea6 ,what a blessed thing when1 above all things1 the grace and blessing of ,god are sought by parents for their children1 when all the earnest lessons of childhood are directed to this end1 and before childhood has passed into youth the grace of ,god rules the young heart1 and the holy purpose is formed to live in ,his fear through ,jesus ,christ1 and to honour ,him for evermore6 #c4 ,hannah's arrangements for the child4 ,from the very first she had decided that at the earliest possible period he should be placed under the high priest at ,shiloh4 ,hannah's fulfilment of her vow was to be an ample1 prompt1 honourable fulfilment4 ,many a one who makes vows or resolutions under the pressure and pinch of distress immediately begins to pare them down when the pinch is removed1 like the merchant in the storm who vowed a hecatomb to ,jupiter1 then reduced the hecatomb to a single bullock1 the bullock to a sheep1 the sheep to a few dates2 but even these he ate on the way to the altar1 laying on it only the stones4 ,not one jot would ,hannah abate of the full sweep and compass of her vow4 ,she would keep the child by her only till he was weaned1 and then he should be presented at ,shiloh4 ,it is said that ,jewish mothers sometimes suckled their children to the age of three years1 and this was probably little ,samuel's age when he was taken to ,shiloh4 ,meanwhile1 she resolved that till that time was reached she would not go up to the feast4 ,had she gone before her son was weaned she must have taken him with her1 and brought him away with her1 and that would have broken the solemnity of the transaction when at last she should take him for good and all4 ,no4 ,the very first visit that she and her son should pay to ,shiloh would be the decisive visit4 ,the very first time that she should present herself at that holy place where ,god had heard her prayer and her vow would be the time when she should fulfil her vow4 ,the first time that she should remind the high priest of their old interview would be when she came to offer to ,god's perpetual service the answer to her prayer and the fruit of her vow4 ,to miss the feast would be a privation1 it might even be a spiritual loss1 but she had in her son that which itself was a means of grace to her1 and a blessed link to ,god and heaven2 while she remained with him ,god would still remain with her2 and in prayer for him1 and the people whom he might one day influence1 her heart might be as much enlarged and warmed as if she were mingling with the thousands of ,israel1 amid the holy excitement of the great national feast4 #d4 ,elkanah's offering at ,shiloh4 ,when ,elkanah heard his wife's plan with reference to ,samuel1 he simply acquiesced1 bade her remain at ,shiloh1 only the ,lord establish ,his word4 ,what word8 ,literally1 the ,lord had spoken no word about ,samuel1 unless the word of ,eli to ,hannah ,the ,god of ,israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of ,him could be regarded as a word from ,god4 ,that word1 however1 had already been fulfilled2 and ,elkanah's prayer meant1 ,the ,lord bring to pass those further blessings of which the birth of ,samuel was the promise and the prelude2 the ,lord accept1 in due time1 the offering of this child to ,his service1 and grant that out of that offering there may come to ,israel all the good that it is capable of yielding4 ,the cordiality with which ,elkanah accepted his wife's view of the case is seen further in the ample offering which he took to ,shiloh--three bullocks1 an ephah of flour1 and a bottle of wine4 ,one bullock would have sufficed as a burnt-offering for the child now given for the service of ,god1 and in ver4 #be special mention is made of one being slain4 ,the other two were added to mark the speciality of the occasion1 to make the offering1 so to speak1 round and complete1 to testify the ungrudging cordiality with which the whole transaction was entered into4 ,one might perhaps have thought that in connection with such a service there was hardly any need of a bloody sacrifice1 ,a little child of two or three years old--the very type and picture of innocence--surely needed little in the way of expiation4 ,not so1 however1 the view of the law of ,moses4 ,even a newborn infant could not be presented to the ,lord without some symbol of expiation4 ,there is such a virus of corruption in every human soul that not even infants can be brought to ,god for acceptance and blessing without a token of atonement4 ,sin has so separated the whole race from ,god1 that not one member of it can be brought near1 can be brought into the region of benediction1 without shedding of blood4 ,and if no member of it can be even accepted without atonement1 much less can any be taken to be ,god's servant1 taken to stand before ,him1 to represent ,him1 to be ,his organ to others1 to speak in ,his name4 ,what a solemn truth for all who desire to be employed in the public service of ,jesus ,christ6 ,remember how unworthy you are to stand before him4 ,remember how stained your garments are with sin and worldliness1 how distracted your heart is with other thoughts and feelings1 how poor the service is you are capable of rendering4 ,remember how gloriously ,jesus is served by the angels that excel in strength1 that do ,his commandments1 hearkening to the voice of ,his word4 ,and when you give yourselves to ,him1 or ask to be allowed to take your place among ,his servants1 seek as you do so to be sprinkled with the blood of cleansing1 own your personal unworthiness1 and pray to be accepted through the merit of ,his sacrifice6 #e4 ,and now1 the bullock being slain1 they bring the child to ,eli4 ,hannah is the speaker1 and her words are few and well chosen4 ,she reminds ,eli of what she had done the last time she was there4 ,generous and courteous1 she makes no allusion to anything unpleasant that had passed between them4 ,small matters of that sort are absorbed in the solemnity and importance of the transaction4 ,in her words to ,eli she touches briefly on the past1 the present1 and the future4 ,what occurred in the past was1 that she stood there a few years ago praying unto the ,lord4 ,what was true of the present was1 that the ,lord had granted her petition1 and given her this child for whom she had prayed4 ,and what was going to happen in the future was 7as the ,revised ,version has it71 ,i have granted him to the ,lord2 as long as he liveth he is granted to the ,lord4 ,it is interesting to remark that no word of ,eli's is introduced4 ,this ,nazarite child is accepted for the perpetual service of ,god at once and without remark4 ,no remonstrance is made on the score of his tender years4 ,no doubt is insinuated as to how he may turn out4 ,if ,samuel's family was a ,levitical one1 he would have been entitled to take part in the service of ,god1 but only occasionally1 and at the ,levitical age4 ,but his mother brings him to the ,lord long before the ,levitical age1 and leaves him at ,shiloh1 bound over to a lifelong service4 ,how was she able to do it8 ,for three years that child had been her constant companion1 had lain in her bosom1 had warmed her heart with his smiles1 had amused her with his prattle1 had charmed her with all his engaging little ways4 ,how was she able to part with him8 ,would he not miss her too as much as she would miss him8 ,shiloh was not a very attractive place1 ,eli was old and feeble1 ,hophni and ,phinehas were beasts1 the atmosphere was offensive and pernicious4 ,nevertheless1 it was ,god's house1 and if a little child should be brought to it1 capable of rendering to ,god real service1 ,god would take care of the child4 ,already he was ,god's child4 ,asked of ,god1 and heard of ,god1 he bore already the mark of his ,master4 ,god would be with him1 as ,he had been with ,joseph1 as ,he had been with ,moses--,he shall call on ,me1 and ,i will answer him2 ,i will be with him in trouble1 ,i will be with him and honour him4 ,noble in her spirit of endurance in the time of trial1 ,hannah is still more noble in the spirit of self-denial in the time of prosperity4 ,it was no common grace that could so completely sacrifice all her personal feelings1 and so thoroughly honour ,god4 ,what a rebuke to those parents that keep back their children from ,god's service1 that will not part with their sons to be missionaries1 that look on the ministry of the ,gospel as but a poor occupation6 ,what a rebuke1 too1 to many ,christian men and women who are so unwilling to commit themselves openly to any form of ,christian service1--unwilling to be identified with religious work6 ,yet1 on the other hand1 let us rejoice that in this our age1 more perhaps than in any other1 so many are willing1 nay eager1 for ,christian service4 ,let us rejoice that both among young men and young women recruits for the mission-field are offering themselves in such numbers4 ,after all1 it is true wisdom1 and true policy1 although not done as a matter of policy4 ,it will yield far the greatest satisfaction in the end4 ,god is not unrighteous to forget the work and labour of love of ,his children4 ,and every one that hath forsaken houses1 or brethren1 or sisters1 or father1 or mother1 or wife1 or children1 or lands for ,my name's sake1 shall receive an hundredfold1 and shall inherit everlasting life4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,hannah',s ,,song ,,of ,,thanksgiving4 #a ,,samuel ii4 #a-aj4 ,the emotion that filled ,hannah's breast after she had granted ,samuel to the ,lord1 and left him settled at ,shiloh1 was one of triumphant joy4 ,in her song we see no trace of depression1 like that of a bereaved and desolate mother4 ,some may be disposed to think less of ,hannah on this account2 they may think she would have been more of a true mother if something of human regret had been apparent in her song4 ,but surely we ought not to blame her if the ,divine emotion that so completely filled her soul excluded for the time every ordinary feeling4 ,in the very first words of her song we see how closely ,god was connected with the emotions that swelled in her breast4 ,my heart rejoiceth in the ,lord1 mine horn is exalted in the ,lord4 ,the feeling that was so rapturous was the sense of ,god's gracious owning of her2 ,his taking her into partnership1 so to speak1 with ,himself2 ,his accepting of her son as an instrument for carrying out ,his gracious purposes to ,israel and the world4 ,only those who have experienced it can understand the overwhelming blessedness of this feeling4 ,that the infinite ,god should draw near to ,his sinful creature1 and not only accept him1 but identify ,himself with him1 as it were1 taking him and those dearest to him into ,his confidence1 and using them to carry out ,his plans1 is something almost too wonderful for the human spirit to bear4 ,this was ,hannah's feeling1 as it afterwards was that of ,elizabeth1 and still more of the ,virgin ,mary1 and it is no wonder that their songs1 which bear a close resemblance to each other1 should have been used by the ,christian ,church to express the very highest degree of thankfulness4 ,the emotion of ,hannah was intensified by another consideration4 ,what had taken place in her experience was not the only thing of this kind that had ever happened or that ever was to happen4 ,on the contrary1 it was the outcome of a great law of ,god's kingdom1 which law regulated the ordinary procedure of ,his providence4 ,hannah's heart was enlarged as she thought how many others had shared or would share what had befallen her2 as she thought how such pride and arrogance as that which had tormented her was doomed to be rebuked and brought low under ,god's government2 how many lowly souls that brought their burden to ,him were to be relieved2 and how many empty and hungry hearts1 pining for food and rest1 were to find how ,he satisfieth the longing soul1 and filleth the hungry soul with goodness4 ,but it would seem that her thoughts took a still wider sweep4 ,looking on herself as representing the nation of ,israel1 she seems to have felt that what had happened to her on a small scale was to happen to the nation on a large2 for ,god would draw nigh to ,israel as ,he had to her1 make him ,his friend and confidential servant1 humble the proud and malignant nations around him1 and exalt him1 if only he endeavoured humbly and thankfully to comply with the ,divine will4 ,is it possible that her thoughts took a more definite form8 ,may not the ,holy ,spirit have given her a glimpse of the great truth--,unto us a child is born1 unto us a son is given8 ,may she not have surmised that it was to be through one born in the same land that the great redemption was to be achieved8 ,may she not have seen in her little ,samuel the type and symbol of another ,child1 to be more wonderfully born than hers1 to be dedicated to ,god's service in a higher sense1 to fulfil all righteousness far beyond anything in ,samuel's power8 ,and may not this high theme1 carrying her far into future times1 carrying her on to the end of the world's history1 bearing her up even to eternity and infinity1 have been the cause of that utter absence of human regret1 that apparent want of motherly heart-sinking1 which we mark in the song8 ,when we examine the substance of the song more carefully1 we find that ,hannah derives her joy from four things about ,god3--#a4 ,his nature 7vv4 #b-c72 #b4 ,his providential government 7vv4 #d-h72 #c4 ,his most gracious treatment of ,his saints 7v4 #i72 #d4 ,the glorious destiny of the kingdom of ,his anointed4 #a4 ,in the second and third verses we find comfort derived from 7#a7 ,god's holiness1 7#b7 ,his unity1 7#c7 ,his strength1 7#d7 ,his knowledge1 and 7#e7 ,his justice4 7#a7 ,the holiness1 the spotlessness of ,god is a source of comfort1--,there is none holy as the ,lord4 ,to the wicked this attribute is no comfort1 but only a terror4 ,left to themselves1 men take away this attribute1 and1 like the ,greeks and ,romans and other pagans1 ascribe to their gods the lusts and passions of poor human creatures4 ,yet to those who can appreciate it1 how blessed a thing is the holiness of ,god6 ,no darkness in ,him1 no corruption1 no infirmity2 absolutely pure1 ,he governs all on the principles of absolute purity2 ,he keeps all up1 even in a sinful1 crumbling world1 to that high standard2 and when ,his schemes are completed1 the blessed outcome will be the new heavens and the new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness4 7#b7 ,his unity gives comfort1--,there is none besides ,thee4 ,none to thwart ,his righteous and gracious plans1 or make those to tremble whose trust is placed in ,him4 ,he doeth according to ,his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth2 and none can stay ,his hand1 or say unto ,him1 ,what doest ,thou8 7#c7 ,his strength gives comfort1--,neither is there any rock like our ,god4 ,if ,god be for us1 who can be against us8 ,hast thou not known1 hast thou not heard1 that the everlasting ,god1 the ,lord1 the ,creator of the ends of the earth1 fainteth not1 nor is weary8 ,there is no searching of ,his understanding8 ,he giveth power to the faint1 and to them that have no might ,he increaseth strength4 ,even the youths shall faint and be weary1 and the young men shall utterly fall2 but they that wait on the ,lord shall renew their strength2 they shall mount up with wings as eagles2 they shall run and not be weary1 and they shall walk and not faint4 7#d7 ,his knowledge gives comfort1--,the ,lord is a ,god of knowledge4 ,he sees all secret wickedness1 and knows how to deal with it4 ,his eye is on every plot hatched in the darkness4 ,he knows ,his faithful servants1 what they aim at1 what they suffer1 what a strain is often put on their fidelity4 ,and ,he never can forget them1 and never can desert them1 for the angel of the ,lord encampeth about them that fear ,him1 and delivereth them4 7#e7 ,his justice gives comfort4 ,by ,him actions are weighed4 ,their true quality is ascertained2 what is done for mean1 selfish ends stands out before ,him in all its native ugliness1 and draws down the retribution that is meet4 ,men may perform the outward services of religion with great regularity and apparent zeal1 while their hearts are full of all uncleanness and wickedness4 ,the hypocrite may rise to honour1 the thief may become rich1 men that prey upon the infirmities or the simplicity of their fellows may prosper2 but there is a ,god in heaven by ,whom all evil devices are weighed1 and ,who in ,his own time will effectually checkmate all that either deny ,his existence or fancy they can elude ,his righteous judgment4 #b4 ,these views of ,god's holy government are more fully enlarged on in the second part of the song 7vv4 #c-h74 ,the main feature of ,god's providence dwelt on here is the changes that occur in the lot of certain classes4 ,the class against whom ,god's providence bears chiefly is the haughty1 the self-sufficient1 the men of physical might who are ready to use that might to the injury of others4 ,those again who lie in the path of ,god's mercies are the weak1 the hungry1 the childless1 the beggar4 ,hannah uses a variety of figures4 ,now it is from the profession of soldiers--the bows of the mighty are broken2 and on the other hand they that for very weakness were stumbling and staggering are girded with strength4 ,now it is from the appetite for food--they that were full have had to hire out themselves for bread1 and they that were hungry are hungry no more4 ,now it is from family life1 and from a feature of family life that came home to ,hannah--the barren hath borne seven1 and she that had many children is waxed feeble4 ,and these changes are the doing of ,god1 ,the ,lord killeth and maketh alive2 ,he bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up4 ,the ,lord maketh poor and maketh rich1 ,he bringeth low and lifteth up4 ,he raiseth up the poor out of the dust1 and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill1 to set them among princes1 and to make them inherit the throne of glory2 for the pillars of the earth are the ,lord's1 and ,he hath set the world upon them4 ,if nothing were taught here but that there are great vicissitudes of fortune among men1 then a lesson would come from it alike to high and low--let the high beware lest they glory in their fortune1 let the low not sink into dejection and despair4 ,if it be further borne in mind that these changes of fortune are all in the hands of ,god1 a further lesson arises1 to beware how we offend ,god1 and to live in the earnest desire to enjoy ,his favour4 ,but there is a further lesson4 ,the class of qualities that are here marked as offensive to ,god are pride1 self-seeking1 self-sufficiency both in ordinary matters and in their spiritual development4 ,your tyrannical and haughty ,pharaohs1 your high-vaunting ,sennacheribs1 your pride-intoxicated ,nebuchadnezzars1 are objects of special dislike to ,god4 ,so is your proud ,pharisee1 who goes up to the temple thanking ,god that he is not as other men1 no1 nor like that poor publican1 who is smiting on his breast1 as well such a sinner may4 ,it is the lowly in heart that ,god takes pleasure in4 ,thus saith the high and lofty ,one1 that inhabiteth eternity1 and whose name is ,holy3 ,i dwell in the high and in the holy place1 but with him also that is of a humble and contrite heart2 to revive the spirit of the humble1 and to revive the heart of the contrite one4 ,when we turn to the song of the ,virgin we find the same strain--,he hath showed strength with ,his arm1 ,he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts4 ,he hath put down the mighty from their seats1 and exalted them of low degree4 ,he hath filled the hungry with good things1 and the rich ,he hath sent empty away4 ,undoubtedly these words have primary reference to the social conditions of men4 ,thanks are given that the highest privilege that ,god could bestow on a creature had been conferred not on any one rolling in luxury1 but on a maiden of the lowest class4 ,this meaning does not exhaust the scope of the thanksgiving1 which doubtless embraces that law of the spiritual kingdom to which ,christ gave expression in the opening words of the ,sermon on the ,mount1 ,blessed are the poor in spirit1 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven4 ,yet it is plain that both the song of ,hannah and the song of ,mary dwell with complacency on that feature of providence by which men of low degree are sometimes exalted1 by which the beggar is sometimes lifted from the dunghill1 and set among princes to inherit the throne of glory4 ,why is this8 ,can ,god have any sympathy with the spirit which often prevails in the bosom of the poor towards the rich1 which rejoices in their downfall just because they are rich1 and in the elevation of others simply because they belong to the same class with themselves8 ,the thought is not to be entertained for a moment4 ,in ,god's government there is nothing partial or capricious4 ,but the principle is this4 ,riches1 fulness1 luxury are apt to breed pride and contempt of the poor2 and it pleases ,god at times1 when such evil fruits appear1 to bring down these worthless rich men to the dust1 in order to give a conspicuous rebuke to the vanity1 the ambition1 the remorseless selfishness which were so conspicuous in their character4 ,what but this was the lesson from the sudden fall of ,cardinal ,wolsey8 ,men1 and even the best of men1 thanked ,god for that fall4 ,not that it gave them pleasure to see a poor wretch who had been clothed in purple and fine linen1 and fared sumptuously every day1 reduced to so pitiful a plight2 but because they felt it a righteous thing and a wholesome thing that so proud and so wicked a career should be terminated by a conspicuous manifestation of the displeasure of ,god4 ,the best instincts of men's nature longed for a check to the monstrous pride and wicked avarice of that man2 and when that check was given1 and given with such tremendous emphasis1 there was not an honest man or woman in all ,england who did not utter a hearty ,praise ,god6 when they heard the terrible news4 ,so also it pleases ,god to give conspicuous proofs from time to time that qualities that in poor men are often associated with a hard-working1 humble career are well-pleasing in ,his sight4 ,for what qualities on the part of the poor are so valuable1 in a social point of view1 as industry1 self-denying diligence1 systematic1 unwearying devotion even to work which brings them such scanty remuneration8 ,by far the greater part of such men and women are called to work on1 unnoticed and unrewarded1 and when their day is over to sink into an undistinguished grave4 ,but from time to time some such persons rise to distinction4 ,the class to which they belong is ennobled by their achievements4 ,when ,god wished in the sixteenth century to achieve the great object of punishing the ,church which had fallen into such miserable inefficiency and immorality1 and wrenching half of ,europe from its grasp1 he found his principal agent in a poor miner's cottage in ,saxony4 ,when he desired to summon a sleeping ,church to the great work of evangelising ,india1 the man he called to the front was ,carey1 a poor cobbler of ,northampton4 ,when it was his purpose to present ,his ,church with an unrivalled picture of the ,christian pilgrimage1 its dangers and trials1 its joys1 its sorrows1 and its triumphs1 the artist appointed to the task was ,john ,bunyan1 the tinker of ,elstow4 ,when the object was to provide a man that would open the great continent of ,africa to civilisation and ,christianity1 and who needed1 in order to do this1 to face dangers and trials before which all ordinary men had shrunk1 he found his agent in a poor spinner-boy1 who was working twelve hours a day in a cotton mill on the banks of the ,clyde4 ,in all such matters1 in humbling the rich and exalting the poor1 ,god's object is not to punish the one because they are rich1 or to exalt the other because they are poor4 ,in the one case it is to punish vices bred from an improper use of wealth1 and in the other to reward virtues that have sprung from the soil of poverty4 ,poor and pious parents1 wrote ,david ,livingstone on the tombstone of his parents at ,hamilton1 when he wished to record the grounds of his thankfulness for the position in life which they held4 ,i would not exchange my peasant father for any king1 said ,thomas ,carlyle1 when he thought of the gems of ,christian worth that had shone out all the brighter amid the hard conditions of his father's life4 ,riches are no reproach1 and poverty is no merit2 but the pride so apt to be bred of riches1 the idleness1 the injustice1 the selfishness so often associated with them1 is what ,god likes to reprove2 and the graces that may be found in the poor man's home1 the unwearied devotion to duty1 the neighbourliness and brotherly love1 and above all the faith1 the hope1 and the charity are what ,he delights to honour4 ,in the spiritual sense there is no more important ingredient of character in ,god's sight than the sense of emptiness1 and the conviction that all goodness1 all strength1 all blessing must come from ,god4 ,the heart1 thus emptied1 is prepared to welcome the grace that is offered to supply its needs4 ,air rushes into an exhausted receiver4 ,where the idea prevails either that we are possessed of considerable native goodness1 or that we have only to take pains with ourselves to get it1 there is no welcome for the truth that by grace are ye saved4 ,whoever says1 ,i am rich and increased in goods1 and have need of nothing1 knows not that he is wretched1 and miserable1 and poor1 and blind1 and naked4 ,miserable they who live and die in this delusion6 ,happy they who have been taught1 ,in me dwelleth no good thing4 ,all my springs are in ,thee4 ,jesus ,christ is made to us of ,god wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption4 ,out of ,his fulness have we all received1 and grace for grace4 #c4 ,the third topic in ,hannah's song is ,god's very gracious treatment of ,his saints4 ,he will keep the feet of ,his saints4 ,the term feet shows the reference to be to their earthly life1 their steps1 their course through the world4 ,it is a promise which others would care for but little1 but which is very precious to all believers4 ,to know the way in which ,god would have one to go is of prime importance to every godly heart4 ,to be kept from wandering into unblest ways1 kept from trifling with temptation1 and dallying with sin is an infinite blessing4 ,oh that my ways were directed to keep ,thy statutes6 ,then shall ,i not be ashamed when ,i have respect unto all ,thy commandments4 ,he will keep the feet of ,his saints4 #d4 ,and lastly1 ,hannah rejoices in that dispensation of mercy that was coming in connection with ,god's king1 ,his anointed 7v4 #aj74 ,guided by the ,spirit1 she sees that a king is coming1 that a kingdom is to be set up1 and ruled over by the ,lord's anointed4 ,she sees that ,god's blessing is to come down on the king1 the anointed1 and that under him the kingdom is to prosper and to spread4 ,did she catch a glimpse of what was to happen under such kings as ,david1 ,jehoshaphat1 ,hezekiah1 and ,josiah8 ,did she see in prophetic vision the loving care of such kings for the welfare of the people1 their holy zeal for ,god1 their activity and earnestness in doing good8 ,and did the glimpse of these coming benefits suggest to her the thought of what was to be achieved by ,him who was to be the anointed one1 the ,messiah in a higher sense8 ,we can hardly avoid giving this scope to her song4 ,it was but a small measure of these blessings that her son personally could bring about4 ,her son seems to give place to a higher ,son1 through whom the land would be blessed as no one else could have blessed it1 and all hungry and thirsty souls would be guided to that living bread and living water of which whosoever ate and drank should never hunger or thirst again4 ,what is the great lesson of this song8 ,that for the answer to prayer1 for deliverance from trial1 for the fulfilment of hopes1 for the glorious things yet spoken of the city of our ,god1 our most cordial thanksgivings are due to ,god4 ,every ,christian life presents numberless occasions that very specially call for such thanksgiving4 ,but there is one thanksgiving that must take precedence of all--,thanks be unto ,god for ,his unspeakable gift4 ,blessed be the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who according to ,his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope1 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled1 and that fadeth not away1 reserved in heaven for you1 who are kept by the power of ,god through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last day4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,eli',s ,,house4 #a ,,samuel ii4 #aa-cf4 ,the notices of little ,samuel1 that alternate in this passage with the sad accounts of ,eli and his house1 are like the green spots that vary the dull stretches of sand in a desert2 or like the little bits of blue sky that charm your eye when the firmament is darkened by a storm4 ,first we are told how1 after ,elkanah and ,hannah departed1 the child ,samuel ministered unto the ,lord before ,eli the priest 7v4 #aa72 then comes an ugly picture of the wickedness practised at ,shiloh by ,eli's sons 7vv4 #ab-ag72 another episode brings ,samuel again before us1 with some details of his own history and that of his family 7vv4 #ah-ba72 this is followed by an account of ,eli's feeble endeavours to restrain the wickedness of his sons 7vv4 #bb-be74 ,once more we have a bright glimpse of ,samuel1 and of his progress in life and character1 very similar in terms to ,st4 ,luke's account of the growth of the child ,jesus 7v4 #bf72 and finally the series closes with a painful narrative--the visit of a man of ,god to ,eli1 reproving his guilty laxity in connection with his sons1 and announcing the downfall of his house 7vv4 #bg-cf74 ,in the wickedness of ,eli's sons we see the enemy coming in like a flood2 in the progress of little ,samuel we see the ,spirit of the ,lord lifting up a standard against him4 ,we see evil powerful and most destructive2 we see the instrument of healing very feeble--a mere infant4 ,yet the power of ,god is with the infant1 and in due time the force which he represents will prevail4 ,it is just a picture of the grand conflict of sin and grace in the world4 ,it was verified emphatically when ,jesus was a child4 ,how slender the force seemed that was to scatter the world's darkness1 roll back its wickedness1 and take away its guilt6 ,how striking the lesson for us not to be afraid though the apparent force of truth and goodness in the world be infinitesimally small4 ,the worm ,jacob shall yet thresh the mountains2 the little flock shall yet possess the kingdom2 there shall be a handful of corn on the top of the mountains1 the fruit thereof shall shake like ,lebanon1 and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth4 ,it is mainly the picture of ,eli's house and the behaviour of his family that fills our eye in this chapter4 ,it is to be noticed that ,eli was a descendant1 not of ,eleazar1 the elder son of ,aaron1 but of ,ithamar1 the younger4 ,why the high priesthood was transferred from the one family to the other1 in the person of ,eli1 we do not know4 ,evidently ,eli's claim to the priesthood was a valid one1 for in the reproof addressed to him it is fully assumed that he was the proper occupant of the office4 ,one is led to think that either from youth or natural feebleness the proper heir in ,eleazar's line had been unfit for the office1 and that ,eli had been appointed to it as possessing the personal qualifications which the other wanted4 ,probably therefore he was a man of vigour in his earlier days1 one capable of being at the head of affairs2 and if so his loose government of his family was all the more worthy of blame4 ,it could not have been that the male line in ,eleazar's family had failed2 for in the time of ,david ,zadok of the family of ,eleazar was priest1 along with ,abiathar1 of the family of ,ithamar and ,eli4 ,from ,eli's administration great things would seem to have been expected2 all the more lamentable and shameful was the state of things that ensued4 #a4 ,first our attention is turned to the gross wickedness and scandalous behaviour of ,eli's sons4 ,there are many dark pictures in the history of ,israel in the time of the ,judges1--pictures of idolatry1 pictures of lust1 pictures of treachery1 pictures of bloodshed2 but there is none more awful than the picture of the high priest's family at ,shiloh4 ,in the other cases members of the nation had become grossly wicked2 but in this case it is the salt that has lost its savour--it is those who should have led the people in the ways of ,god that have become the ringleaders of the devil's army4 ,hophni and ,phinehas take their places in that unhonoured band where the names of ,alexander ,borgia1 and many a high ecclesiastic of the ,middle ,ages send forth their stinking savour4 ,they are marked by the two prevailing vices of the lowest natures--greed and lechery4 ,their greed preys upon the worthy men who brought their offerings to ,god's sanctuary in obedience to ,his law2 their lechery seduces the very women who1 employed in the service of the place 7see ,revised ,version71 might have reasonably thought of it as the gate to heaven rather than the avenue of hell4 ,so shameless were they in both kinds of vice that they were at no pains to conceal either the one or the other4 ,it mattered nothing what regulations ,god had made as to the parts of the offering the priest was to have2 down went their fork into the sacrificial caldron1 and whatever it drew up became theirs4 ,it mattered not that the fat of certain sacrifices was due to ,god1 and that it ought to have been given off before any other use was made of the flesh2 the priests claimed the flesh in its integrity1 and if the offerer would not willingly surrender it their servant fell upon him and wrenched it away4 ,it is difficult to say whether the greater hurt was inflicted by such conduct on the cause of religion or on the cause of ordinary morality4 ,as for the cause of religion1 it suffered that terrible blow which it always suffers whenever it is dissociated from morality4 ,the very heart and soul is torn out of religion when men are led to believe that their duty consists in merely believing certain dogmas1 attending to outward observances1 paying dues1 and performing worship4 ,what kind of conception of ,god can men have who are encouraged to believe that justice1 mercy1 and truth have nothing to do with ,his service8 ,how can they ever think of ,him as a ,spirit1 who requires of them that worship ,him that they worship ,him in spirit and in truth8 ,how can such religion give men a real veneration for ,god1 or inspire them with that spirit of obedience1 trust1 and delight of which he ought ever to be the object8 ,under such religion all belief in ,god's existence tends to vanish4 ,though ,his existence may continue to be acknowledged1 it is not a power1 it has no influence2 it neither stimulates to good nor restrains from evil4 ,religion becomes a miserable form1 without life1 without vigour1 without beauty--a mere carcase deserving only to be buried out of sight4 ,and if such a condition of things is fatal to religion1 it is fatal to morality too4 ,men are but too ready by nature to play loose with conscience4 ,but when the religious heads of the nation are seen at once robbing man and robbing ,god1 and when this is done apparently with impunity1 it seems foolish to ordinary men to mind moral restraints4 ,why should we mind the barriers of conscience 7the young men of ,israel might argue7 when these young priests disregard them8 ,if we do as the priest does we shall do very well4 ,men of corrupt lives at the head of religion1 who are shameless in their profligacy1 have a lowering effect on the moral life of the whole community4 ,down and down goes the standard of living4 ,class after class gets infected4 ,the mischief spreads like dry rot in a building2 ere long the whole fabric of society is infected with the poison4 #b4 ,and how did the high priest deal with this state of things8 ,in the worst possible way4 ,he spoke against it but he did not act against it4 ,he showed that he knew of it1 he owned it to be very wicked2 but he contented himself with words of remonstrance1 which in the case of such hardened transgression were of no more avail than a child's breath against a brazen wall4 ,at the end of the day1 it is true that ,eli was a decrepit old man1 from whom much vigour of action could not have been expected4 ,but the evil began before he was so old and decrepit1 and his fault was that he did not restrain his sons at the time when he ought and might have restrained them4 ,yes1 but even if ,eli was old and decrepit when the actual state of things first burst on his view1 there was enough of the awful in the conduct of his sons to have roused him to unwonted activity4 ,david was old and decrepit1 lying feebly at the edge of death1 when word was brought to him that ,adonijah had been proclaimed king in place of ,solomon1 for whom he had destined the throne4 ,but there was enough of the startling in this intelligence to bring back a portion of its youthful fire to ,david's heart1 and set him to devise the most vigorous measures to prevent the mischief that was so ready to be perpetrated4 ,fancy ,king ,david sending a meek message to ,adonijah--,nay1 my son1 it is not on your head but on ,solomon's that my crown is to rest2 go home1 my son1 and do nothing more in a course hurtful to yourself and hurtful to your people4 ,but2 it was this foolish and most inefficient course that ,eli took with his sons4 ,had he acted as he should have acted at the beginning1 matters would never have come to such a flagrant pass4 ,but when the state of things became so terrible1 there was but one course that should have been thought of4 ,when the wickedness of the acting priests was so outrageous that men abhorred the offering of the ,lord1 the father ought to have been sunk in the high priest2 the men who had so dishonoured their office should have been driven from the place1 and the very remembrance of the crime they had committed should have been obliterated by the holy lives and holy service of better men4 ,it was inexcusable in ,eli to allow them to remain4 ,if he had had a right sense of his office he would never for one moment have allowed the interest of his family to outweigh the claims of ,god4 ,what6 ,had ,god in the wilderness1 by a solemn and deadly judgment1 removed from office and from life the two elder sons of ,aaron simply because they had offered strange fire in their censers8 ,and what was the crime of offering strange fire compared to the crime of robbing ,god1 of violating the ,decalogue1 of openly practising gross and daring wickedness1 under the very shadow of the tabernacle8 ,if ,eli did not take steps for stopping these atrocious proceedings1 he might rely on it that steps would be taken in another quarter--,god ,himself would mark ,his sense of the sin4 ,for what were the interests of his sons compared with the credit of the national worship8 ,what mattered it that the sudden stroke would fall on them with startling violence8 ,if it did not lead to their repentance and salvation it would at least save the national religion from degradation1 and it would thus bring benefit to tens of thousands in the land4 ,all this ,eli did not regard4 ,he could not bring himself to be harsh to his own sons4 ,he could not bear that they should be disgraced and degraded4 ,he would satisfy himself with a mild remonstrance1 notwithstanding that every day new disgrace was heaped on the sanctuary1 and new encouragement given to others to practise wickedness1 by the very men who should have been foremost in honouring ,god1 and sensitive to every breath that would tarnish ,his name4 ,how differently ,god's servants acted in other days6 ,how differently ,moses acted when he came down from the mount and found the people worshipping the golden calf6 ,it came to pass1 as soon as he came nigh unto the camp1 that he saw the calf and the dancing3 and ,moses' anger waxed hot1 and he cast the tables out of his hands and brake them beneath the mount4 ,and he took the calf which they had made1 and burnt it in the fire1 and ground it to powder1 and strawed it upon the water1 and made the children of ,israel drink of it4444 ,and ,moses stood in the gate of the camp and said1 ,who is on the ,lord's side8 let him come unto me4 ,and all the sons of ,levi gathered themselves together unto him4 ,and he said unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god of ,israel1 ,put every man his sword by his side1 and go in and out from gate to gate through the camp1 and slay every man his brother1 and every man his companion1 and every man his neighbour4 ,do we think this too sharp and severe a retribution8 ,at all events it marked in a suitable way the enormity of the offence of ,aaron and the people1 and the awful provocation of ,divine judgments which the affair of the golden calf implied4 ,it denoted that in presence of such a sin the claims of kindred were never for a moment to be thought of2 and in the blessing of ,moses it was a special commendation of the zeal of ,levi1 that he said unto his father1 and to his mother1 ,i have not seen him2 neither did he acknowledge his brethren1 nor knew his own children4 ,it was the outrageous character of the offence in the matter of the golden calf that justified the severe and abrupt procedure2 but it was ,eli's condemnation that though the sin of his sons was equally outrageous1 he was moved to no indignation1 and took no step to rid the tabernacle of men so utterly unworthy4 ,it is often very difficult to explain how it comes to pass that godly men have had ungodly children4 ,there is little difficulty in accounting for this on the present occasion4 ,there was a fatal defect in the method of ,eli4 ,his remonstrance with his sons is not made at the proper time4 ,it is not made in the fitting tone4 ,when disregarded1 it is not followed up by the proper consequences4 ,we can easily think of ,eli letting the boys have their own will and their own way when they were young2 threatening them for disobedience1 but not executing the threat2 angry at them when they did wrong1 but not punishing the offence2 vacillating perhaps between occasional severity and habitual indulgence1 till by-and-bye all fear of sinning had left them1 and they coolly calculated that the grossest wickedness would meet with nothing worse than a reproof4 ,how sad the career of the young men themselves6 ,we must not forget that1 however inexcusable their father was1 the great guilt of the proceeding was theirs4 ,how must they have hardened their hearts against the example of ,eli1 against the solemn claims of ,god1 against the holy traditions of the service1 against the interests and claims of those whom they ruined1 against the welfare of ,god's chosen people6 ,how terribly did their familiarity with sacred things react on their character1 making them treat even the holy priesthood as a mere trade1 a trade in which the most sacred interests that could be conceived were only as counters1 to be turned by them into gain and sensual pleasure6 ,could anything come nearer to the sin against the ,holy ,ghost8 ,no wonder though their doom was that of persons judicially blinded and hardened4 ,they were given up to a reprobate mind1 to do those things that were not convenient4 ,they hearkened not to the voice of their father1 because the ,lord would slay them4 ,they experienced the fate of men who deliberately sin against the light1 who love their lusts so well that nothing will induce them to fight against them2 they were so hardened that repentance became impossible1 and it was necessary for them to undergo the full retribution of their wickedness4 #c4 ,but it is time we should look at the message brought to ,eli by the man of ,god4 ,in that message ,eli was first reminded of the gracious kindness shown to the house of ,aaron in their being entrusted with the priesthood1 and in their having an honourable provision secured for them4 ,next he is asked why he trampled on ,god's sacrifice and offering 7marg4 ,revised ,version71 and considered the interests of his sons above the honour of ,god8 ,then he is told that any previous promise of the perpetuity of his house is now qualified by the necessity ,god is under to have regard to the character of his priests1 and honour or degrade them accordingly4 ,in accordance with this rule the house of ,eli would suffer a terrible degradation4 ,he 7this includes his successors in office7 would be stript of his arm1 that is1 his strength4 ,no member of his house would reach a good old age4 ,the establishment at ,shiloh would fall more and more into decay1 as if there was an enemy in ,god's habitation4 ,any who might remain of the family would be a grief and distress to those whom ,eli represented4 ,the young men themselves1 ,hophni and ,phinehas1 would die the same day4 ,those who shared their spirit would come crouching to the high priest of the day and implore him to put them into one of the priest's offices1 not to give them the opportunity of serving ,god1 but that they might eat a piece of bread4 ,terrible catalogue of curses and calamities6 ,oh1 sin1 what a brood of sorrows dost thou bring forth6 ,oh1 young man1 who walkest in the ways of thine heart1 and in the sight of thine eyes1 what a myriad of distresses dost thou prepare for those whom thou art most bound to care for and to bless6 ,oh1 minister of the gospel1 who allowest thyself to tamper with the cravings of the flesh till thou hast brought ruin on thyself1 disgrace on thy family1 and confusion on thy ,church1 what infatuation was it to admit thy worst foe to the sanctuary of thy bosom1 and allow him to establish himself in the citadel till thou couldst not get quit of him1 so that thou art now helpless in his hands1 with nothing but sadness for thy present inheritance1 and for the future a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation6 ,one word1 in conclusion1 respecting that great principle of the kingdom of ,god announced by the prophet as that on which ,jehovah would act in reference to ,his priests--,them that honour ,me ,i will honour1 but they that despise ,me shall be lightly esteemed4 ,it is one of the grandest sayings in ,scripture4 ,it is the eternal rule of the kingdom of ,god1 not limited to the days of ,hophni and ,phinehas1 but1 like the laws of the ,medes and ,persians1 eternal as the ordinances of heaven4 ,it is a law confirmed by all history2 every man's life confirms it1 for though this life is but the beginning of our career1 and the final clearing up of ,divine providence is to be left to the judgment-day1 yet when we look back on the world's history we find that those that have honoured ,god1 ,god has honoured them1 while they that have despised ,him have indeed been lightly esteemed4 ,however men may try to get their destiny into their own hands2 however they may secure themselves from this trouble and from that2 however1 like the first ,napoleon1 they may seem to become omnipotent1 and to wield an irresistible power1 yet the day of retribution comes at last2 having sown to the flesh1 of the flesh also they reap corruption4 ,while the men that have honoured ,god1 the men that have made their own interests of no account1 but have set themselves resolutely to obey ,god's will and do ,god's work2 the men that have believed in ,god as the holy ,ruler and ,judge of the world1 and have laboured in private life and in public service to carry out the great rules of ,his kingdom1--justice1 mercy1 the love of ,god and the love of man1--these are the men that ,god has honoured2 these are the men whose work abides2 these are the men whose names shine with undying honour1 and from whose example and achievements young hearts in every following age draw their inspiration and encouragement4 ,what a grand rule of life it is1 for old and young6 ,do you wish a maxim that shall be of high service to you in the voyage of life1 that shall enable you to steer your barque safely both amid the open assaults of evil1 and its secret currents1 so that1 however tossed you may be1 you may have the assurance that the ship's head is in the right direction1 and that you are moving steadily towards the desired haven2 where can you find anything more clear1 more fitting1 more sure and certain than just these words of the ,almighty1 ,them that honour ,me ,i will honour2 but they that despise ,me shall be lightly esteemed8 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,samuel',s ,,vision4 #a ,,samuel iii4 ,it is evident that ,samuel must have taken very kindly to the duties of the sanctuary4 ,he was manifestly one of those who are sanctified from infancy1 and whose hearts go from the first with sacred duties4 ,there were no wayward impulses to subdue1 no hankerings after worldly freedom and worldly enjoyment2 there was no necessity for coercive measures1 either to restrain him from outbursts of frivolity or to compel him to diligence and regularity in his calling4 ,from the first he looked with solemn awe and holy interest on all that related to the worship of ,god2 that1 to him1 was the duty above all other duties1 the privilege above all other privileges4 ,god to him was not a mere idea1 an abstraction1 representing merely the dogmas and services of religion4 ,god was a reality1 a personality1 a ,being who dealt very closely with men1 and with whom they were called to deal very closely too4 ,we can easily conceive how desirous little ,samuel would be to know something of the meaning of the services at ,shiloh2 how scrupulous to perform every duty1 how regular and real in his prayers1 and how full of reverence and affection for ,god4 ,he would go about all his duties with a grave1 sweet1 earnest face1 conscious of their importance and solemnity2 always thinking more of them than of anything else1--thinking perhaps of the service of the angels in heaven1 and trying to serve ,god as they served ,him1 to do ,god's will on earth as it was done in heaven4 ,at the opening of this chapter he seems to be the confidential servant of the high priest1 sleeping near to him1 and in the habit of receiving directions from him4 ,he must be more than a child now1 otherwise he would not be entrusted1 as he was1 with the opening of the doors of the house of the ,lord4 ,the evil example of ,hophni and ,phinehas1 so far from corrupting him1 seems to have made him more resolute the other way4 ,it was horrid and disgusting2 and as gross drunkenness on the part of a father sometimes sets the children the more against it1 so the profligacy of the young priests would make ,samuel more vigilant in every matter of duty4 ,that ,eli bore as he did with the conduct of his sons must have been a great perplexity to him1 and a great sorrow2 but it did not become one at his time of life to argue the question with the aged high priest4 ,this conduct of ,eli's did not in any respect diminish the respectful bearing of ,samuel towards him1 or his readiness to comply with his every wish4 ,for ,eli was ,god's high priest2 and in engaging to be ,god's servant in the tabernacle ,samuel knew well that he took the high priest as his earthly master4 #a4 ,the first thing that engages our special attention in this chapter is the singular way in which ,samuel was called to receive ,god's message in the temple4 ,the word of ,god was rare in those days2 there was no open vision1 or rather no vision that came abroad1 that was promulgated to the nation as the expression of ,god's will4 ,from the tone in which this is referred to1 it was evidently looked on as a want1 as placing the nation in a less desirable position than in days when ,god was constantly communicating ,his will4 ,now1 however1 ,god is to come into closer contact with the people1 and for this purpose ,he is to employ a new instrument as the medium of ,his messages4 ,for ,god is never at a loss for suitable instruments--they are always ready when peculiar work has to be done4 ,in the selection of the boy ,samuel as his prophet there is something painful1 but likewise something very interesting4 ,it is painful to find the old high priest passed over2 his venerable years and venerable office would naturally have pointed to him2 but in spite of many good qualities1 in one point he is grossly unfaithful1 and the very purpose of the vision now to be made is to declare the outcome of his faithlessness4 ,but it is interesting to find that already the child of ,hannah is marked out for this distinguished service4 ,even in his case there is opportunity for verifying the rule1 ,them that honour ,me ,i will honour4 ,his entire devotion to ,god's service1 so beautiful in one of such tender years1 is the sign of a character well adapted to become the medium of ,god's habitual communications with ,his people4 ,young though he is1 his very youth in one sense will prove an advantage4 ,it will show that what he speaks is not the mere fruit of his own thinking1 but is the message of ,god4 ,it will show that the spiritual power that goes forth with his words is not his own native force1 but the force of the ,holy ,spirit dwelling in him4 ,it will thus be made apparent to all that ,god has not forsaken ,his people1 corrupt and lamentably wicked though the young priests are4 ,both ,eli and ,samuel sleep within the precincts of the tabernacle4 ,not1 however1 in the sanctuary itself1 but in one of those buildings that opened into its courts1 which were erected for the accommodation of the priests and ,levites4 ,eli's sight was failing him1 and perhaps the care of the lamp as well as the door was entrusted to ,samuel4 ,the lamp was to burn always 7,exod4 xxvii4 #bj71 that is1 it was to be trimmed and lighted every morning and evening 7,exod4 xxx4 #g1 #h72 and to attend to this was primarily the high priest's duty4 ,the lamp had doubtless been duly trimmed1 and it would probably continue burning through a good part of the night4 ,it was not yet out when a voice fell on the ears of ,samuel1 loud enough to rouse him from the profound slumber into which he had probably fallen4 ,thinking it was ,eli's1 he ran to his side2 but ,eli had not called him4 ,again the voice sounded1 again ,samuel springs to his feet and hastens to the high priest2 again he is sent back with the same assurance4 ,a third time the voice calls2 a third time the willing and dutiful ,samuel flies to ,eli's side1 but this time he is sent back with a different answer4 ,hitherto ,samuel had not known the ,lord--that is1 he had not been cognisant of ,his way of communicating with men in a supernatural form--and it had never occurred to him that such a thing could happen in his case4 ,but ,eli knew that such communications were made at times by ,god1 and1 remembering the visit of the man of ,god to himself1 he may have surmised that this was another such occasion4 ,the voice evidently was no natural voice2 so ,samuel is told to lie down once more1 to take the attitude of simple receptiveness1 and humbly invite ,god to utter ,his message4 ,there are some lesser traits of ,samuel's character in this part of the transaction which ought not to be passed over without remark4 ,the readiness with which he springs from his bed time after time1 and the meekness and patience with which he asks ,eli for his orders1 without a word of complaint on his apparently unreasonable conduct1 make it very clear that ,samuel had learned to subdue two things--to subdue his body and to subdue his temper4 ,it is not an easy thing for a young person in the midst of a deep sleep to spring to his feet time after time4 ,in such circumstances the body is very apt to overcome the mind4 ,but ,samuel's mind overcame the body4 ,the body was the servant1 not the master4 ,what an admirable lesson ,samuel had already learned6 ,few parts of early education are so important as to learn to keep the body in subjection4 ,to resist bodily cravings1 whether greater or smaller1 which unfit one for duty2 temptations to drink1 or smoke1 or dawdle1 or lie in bed1 or waste time when one ought to be up and doing2 to be always ready for one's work1 punctual1 methodical1 purpose-like1 save only when sickness intervenes1--denotes a very admirable discipline for a young person1 and is a sure token of success in life4 ,not less admirable is that control over the temper which ,samuel had evidently acquired4 ,to be treated by ,eli as he supposed that he had been1 was highly provoking4 ,why drag him out of bed at that time of night at all8 ,why drag him over the cold stones in the chill darkness1 and why tantalise him first by denying that he called him and then by calling him again8 ,as far as appears1 ,samuel's temper was in no degree ruffled by the treatment he appeared to be receiving from ,eli2 he felt that he was a servant1 and ,eli was his master1 and it was his part to obey his master1 however unreasonable his treatment might be4 #b4 ,we proceed now to the message itself1 and ,samuel's reception of it4 ,it is substantially a repetition of what ,god had already communicated to ,eli by the man of ,god a few years before2 only it is more peremptory1 and the bearing of it is more fixed and rigid4 ,when ,god denounced ,his judgment on ,eli's house by the prophet1 he seems to have intended to give them an opportunity to repent4 ,if ,eli had bestirred himself then1 and banished the young men from ,shiloh1 and if his sons in their affliction and humiliation had repented of their wickedness1 the threatened doom might have been averted4 ,so at least we are led to believe by this second message having been superadded to the first4 ,now the opportunity of repentance has passed away4 ,god's words are very explicit--,i have sworn unto the house of ,eli that the iniquity of ,eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever4 ,after the previous warning1 ,eli seems to have gone on lamenting but not chastising4 ,hophni and ,phinehas seem to have gone on sinning as before1 and heedless of the scandal they were causing4 ,in announcing to ,samuel the coming catastrophe1 ,god shows ,himself thoroughly alive to the magnitude of the punishment ,he is to inflict1 and the calamity that is to happen4 ,it is such that the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle4 ,god shows also that1 painful though it is1 it has been deliberately determined1 and no relenting will occur when once the terrible retribution begins4 ,in that day will ,i perform against ,eli all that ,i have spoken concerning his house2 when ,i begin ,i will also make an end4 ,but terrible though the punishment will be1 there is only too good cause for it4 ,for ,i have told him that ,i will judge his house for ever1 for the iniquity which he knoweth2 because his sons made themselves vile1 and he restrained them not4 ,there are some good parents whose sons have made themselves vile1 and they would fain have restrained them but their efforts to restrain have been in vain4 ,the fault of ,eli was1 that he might have restrained them and he did not restrain them4 ,in those times fathers had more authority over their families than is given them now4 ,the head of the house was counted responsible for the house1 because it was only by his neglecting the power he had that his family could become openly wicked4 ,it was only by ,eli neglecting the power he had that his sons could have become so vile4 ,where his sons were heirs to such sacred functions there was a double call to restrain them1 and that call he neglected4 ,he neglected it at the time when he might have done it1 and that time could never be recalled4 ,so1 there is an age when children may be restrained1 and if that age is allowed to pass the power of restraining them goes along with it4 ,there are faults in this matter on the part of many parents1 on the right hand and on the left4 ,many err by not restraining at all4 ,mothers begin while their children are yet infants to humour their every whim1 and cannot bear to hold back from them anything they may wish4 ,it is this habit that is liable to have such a terrible reaction4 ,there are other parents that while they restrain do not restrain wisely4 ,they punish1 but they do not punish in love4 ,they are angry because their children have broken their rules2 they punish in anger1 and the punishment falls merely as the blow of a stronger person on a weaker4 ,it does not humble1 it does not soften4 ,what awful consequences it often brings6 ,what skeletons it lodges in many a house6 ,god has designed the family to be the nurse of what is best and purest in human life1 and when this design is crossed then the family institution1 which was designed to bring the purest joy1 breeds the darkest misery4 ,and this is one of the forms of retribution on wickedness which we see carried out in their fulness in the present life6 ,how strange1 that men should be in any doubt as to ,god carrying out the retribution of wickedness to the bitter end6 ,how singular they should disbelieve in a hell6 ,the end of many a career is written in these words3--,thine own wickedness shall correct thee1 and thy backslidings shall reprove thee2 know therefore1 and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the ,lord thy ,god1 and that ,my fear is not in thee1 saith the ,lord ,god of hosts4 #c4 ,and now we go on to the meeting of ,eli and ,samuel4 ,samuel is in no haste to communicate to ,eli the painful message he has received4 ,he has not been required to do it1 and he lies till the morning1 awake we may believe1 but staggered and dismayed4 ,as usual he goes to open the doors of ,god's house4 ,and then it is that ,eli calls him4 ,what is the thing that ,he hath said unto thee8 he asks4 ,he adjures ,samuel to tell him all4 ,and ,samuel does tell him all4 ,and ,eli listens in silence1 and when it is over he says1 with meek resignation1 ,it is the ,lord2 let ,him do what seemeth ,him good4 ,we are touched by this behaviour of ,eli4 ,first we are touched by his bearing toward ,samuel4 ,he knows that ,god has conferred an honour on ,samuel which ,he has not bestowed on him1 but young though ,samuel is he feels no jealousy1 he betrays no sign of wounded pride4 ,it is not easy for ,god's servants to bear being passed over in favour of others1 in favour of younger men4 ,a feeling of mortification is apt to steal on them1 accompanied with some bitterness toward the object of ,god's preference4 ,this venerable old man shows nothing of that feeling4 ,he is not too proud to ask ,samuel for a full account of ,god's message4 ,he will not have him leave anything out1 out of regard to his feelings4 ,he must know the whole1 however painful it may be4 ,he has learned to reverence ,god's truth1 and he cannot bear the idea of not knowing all4 ,and ,samuel1 who did not wish to tell him anything1 is now constrained to tell him the whole4 ,he told him every whit1 and hid nothing from him4 ,he did not shun to declare to him the whole counsel of ,god4 ,admirable example for all ,god's servants6 ,how averse some men are to hear the truth6 ,and how prone are we to try to soften what is disagreeable in our message to sinners--to take off the sharp edge1 and sheathe it in generalities and possibilities4 ,it is no real kindness4 ,the kindest thing we can do is to declare ,god's doom on sin1 and to assure men that any hopes they may cherish of ,his relenting to do as ,he has said are vain hopes--,when ,i begin1 says ,god1 ,i will also make an end4 ,and we are touched further by ,eli's resignation to ,god's will4 ,the words of ,samuel must have raised a deep agony in his spirit when he thought of the doom of his sons4 ,feeble though he was1 there might have arisen in his heart a gust of fierce rebellion against that doom4 ,but nothing of the kind took place4 ,eli was memorable for the passive virtues4 ,he could bear much1 though he could dare little4 ,he could submit1 but he could not fight4 ,we find him here meekly recognizing the ,divine will4 ,god has a right to do what ,he will with ,his own2 and who am ,i that ,i should cry out against ,him8 ,he is the ,supreme ,disposer of all events2 why should a worm like me stand in ,his way8 ,he submits implicitly to ,god4 ,the thing formed must not say to ,him that formed him1 ,why hast ,thou formed me thus8 ,what ,god ordains must be right4 ,it is a terrible blow to ,eli1 but he may understand the bearings of it better in another state4 ,he bows to that ,supreme ,will which he has learned to trust and to honour above every force in the universe4 ,yes1 we are touched by ,eli's meekness and submission4 ,and yet1 though ,eli had in him the stuff that martyrs are often made of1 his character was essentially feeble1 and his influence was not wholesome4 ,he wanted that resolute purpose which men like ,daniel possessed4 ,his will was too feeble to control his life4 ,he was too apprehensive of immediate trouble1 of present inconvenience and unpleasantness1 to carry out firm principles of action against wickedness1 even in his own family4 ,he was a memorable instance of the soundness of the principle afterwards laid down by ,st4 ,paul3 ,if a man know not how to rule his own house1 how shall he take care of the ,church of ,god8 ,he greatly needed the exhortation which ,god gave to ,joshua--,be strong and of a good courage4 ,it is true his infirmity was one of natural temperament4 ,men might say he could not help it4 ,neither can one overcome temperament altogether4 ,but men of feeble temperament1 especially when set over others1 have great need to watch it1 and ask ,god to strengthen them where they are weak4 ,divine grace has a wonderful power to make up the defects of nature4 ,timid1 irresolute ,peter was a different man after his fall4 ,divine grace turned him into a rock after all4 ,the coward who had shrunk from before a maiden got courage to defy a whole ,sanhedrim4 ,in the ministers of ,god's house the timid1 crouching spirit is specially unseemly4 ,they1 at least1 would need to rest on firm convictions1 and to be governed by a resolute will4 ,finally1 brethren1 be strong in the ,lord and in the power of ,his might4 ,put on the whole armour of ,god1 that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day1 and having done all1 to stand4 #d4 ,samuel is now openly known to be the prophet of the ,lord4 ,samuel grew1 and the ,lord was with him1 and did let none of his words fall to the ground4 ,little didst thou think1 ,hannah1 some twenty years ago1 that the child thou didst then ask of the ,lord would ere long supersede the high priest who showed so little tact and judgment in interpreting the agitation of thy spirit6 ,no1 thou hast no feeling against the venerable old man2 but thou canst not but wonder at the ups and downs of ,providence2 thou canst not but recall the words of thine own song1 ,he bringeth low1 and lifteth up4 ,and ,samuel has not to fight his way to public recognition1 or wait long till it come4 ,all ,israel1 from ,dan even to ,beersheba1 knew that ,samuel was established to be a prophet of the ,lord4 ,and by-and-bye other oracles came to him1 by which all men might have known that he was the recognized channel of communication between ,god and the people4 ,we shall see in our next chapter into what trouble the nation was brought by disregarding his prophetic office1 and recklessly determining to drag the ark of ,god into the battlefield4 ,meanwhile we cannot but remark what a dangerous position1 in a mere human point of view1 ,samuel now occupied4 ,the danger was that which a young man encounters when suddenly or early raised to the possession of high spiritual power4 ,samuel1 though little more than a boy1 was now virtually the chief man in ,israel4 ,set so high1 his natural danger was great4 ,but ,god1 who placed him there1 sustained in him the spirit of humble dependence4 ,after all he was but ,god's servant4 ,humble obedience was still his duty4 ,and in this higher sphere his career was but a continuation of what had been described when it was said1 ,the child ,samuel ministered to the ,lord in ,shiloh4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,ark ,,of ,,god ,,taken ,,by ,,the ,,philistines4 #a ,,samuel iv4 ,we are liable to form an erroneous impression of the connection of ,samuel with the transactions of this chapter1 in consequence of a clause which ought to belong to the last chapter1 being placed1 in the ,authorized ,version1 at the beginning of this4 ,the clause ,and the word of ,samuel came to all ,israel belongs really to the preceding chapter4 ,it denotes that ,samuel was now over all ,israel the recognized channel of communication between the people and ,god4 ,but it does not denote that the war with the ,philistines1 of which mention is immediately made1 was undertaken at ,samuel's instance4 ,in fact1 the whole chapter is remarkable for the absence of ,samuel's name4 ,what is thus denoted seems to be that ,samuel was not consulted either about the war or about the taking of the ark into the battle4 ,whatever he may have thought of the war1 he would undoubtedly have been horrified at the proposal about the ark4 ,that whole transaction must have seemed to him a piece of infatuation4 ,probably it was carried into effect in a kind of tumultuous frenzy4 ,but there can be no reasonable doubt that whatever ,samuel could have done to oppose it would have been done with the greatest eagerness4 ,the history is silent about the ,philistines from the days of ,samson4 ,the last we have heard of them was the fearful tragedy at the death of that great ,judge of ,israel1 when the house fell upon the lords and the people1 and such a prodigious slaughter of their great men took place4 ,from that calamity they seem now to have revived4 ,they would naturally be desirous to revenge that unexampled catastrophe1 and as ,ebenezer and ,aphek are situated in the land of ,israel1 it would seem that the ,philistines were the aggressors4 ,they had come up from the ,philistine plain to the mountainous country of ,israel1 and no doubt had already sent many of the people to flight through whose farms they came4 ,as the ,israelites had no standing army1 the troops that opposed the ,philistines could be little better than an untrained horde4 ,when they joined battle1 ,israel was smitten before the ,philistines1 and they slew of the army about four thousand men4 ,in a moral point of view the defeat was strange2 the ,philistines had made the attack1 and the ,israelites were fighting for their homes and hearths2 yet victory was given to the invaders1 and in four thousand homes of ,israel there was lamentation and woe4 ,but this was not really strange4 ,israel needed chastening1 and the ,philistines were ,god's instruments for that purpose4 ,in particular1 judgment was due to the sons of ,eli2 and the defeat inflicted by the ,philistines1 and the mistaken and superstitious notion which seized on the people that they would do well to take ,god's ark into the battle1 were the means by which their punishment came4 ,how often ,providence seems to follow a retrograde course6 ,and yet it is a forward course all the time1 although from our point of view it seems backward2 just as those planets which are nearer the sun than the earth sometimes seem to us to reverse the direction of their movement2 although if we were placed in the centre of the system we should see very plainly that they are moving steadily forward all the time4 ,three things call for special notice in the main narrative of this chapter--#a4 ,the preparation for the battle2 #b4 ,the battle itself2 and #c4 ,the result when the news was carried to ,shiloh4 #a4 ,the preparation for the battle was the sending for the ark of the ,lord to ,shiloh1 so that ,israel might fight under the immediate presence and protection of their ,god4 ,it seemed a brilliant idea4 ,whichever of the elders first suggested it1 it caught at once1 and was promptly acted on4 ,there were two great objections to it1 but if they were so much as entertained they certainly had no effect given them4 ,the first was1 that the elders had no legitimate control over the ark4 ,the custody of it belonged to the priests and the ,levites1 and ,eli was the high priest4 ,if the rulers of the nation at any time desired to remove the ark 7as ,david afterwards did when he placed it on ,mount ,zion71 that could only be done after clear indications that the step was in accordance with the will of ,god1 and with the full consent of the priests4 ,there is no reason to suppose that any means were taken to find out whether its removal to the camp was in accordance with the will of ,god2 and as to the mind of the priests1 ,eli was probably passed over as too old and too blind to be consulted1 and ,hophni and ,phinehas would be restrained by no scruples from an act which every one seemed to approve4 ,the second great objection to the step was that it was a superstitious and irreverent use of the symbol of ,god's presence4 ,evidently the people ascribed to the symbol the glorious properties that belonged only to the reality4 ,they expected that the symbol of ,god's presence would do for them all that might be done by ,his presence itself4 ,and doubtless there had been occasions when the symbol and the reality went together4 ,in the wilderness1 in the days of ,moses1 ,it came to pass1 when the ark set forward1 that ,moses said1 ,rise up1 ,lord1 and let ,thine enemies be scattered1 and let them that hate ,thee flee before ,thee 7,num4 x4 #ce74 ,but these were occasions determined by the cloud rising and going before the host1 an unmistakable indication of the will of ,god 7,num4 ix4 #ae-bb74 ,god's real presence accompanied the ark on these occasions1 and all that was expressed in the symbol was actually enjoyed by the people4 ,there was no essential or inherent connection between the two2 the actual connection was determined merely by the good pleasure of ,god4 ,it pleased ,him to connect them1 and connected they were4 ,but the ignorant and superstitious elders forgot that the connection between the symbol and the reality was of this nature2 they believed it to be inherent and essential4 ,in their unthinking and unreasoning minds the symbol might be relied on to produce all the effect of the reality4 ,if only the ark of ,god were carried into the battle1 the same effect would take place as when ,moses said in the wilderness1 ,rise up1 ,lord1 and let ,thine enemies be scattered4 ,could anything show more clearly the unspiritual tendencies of the human mind in its conceptions of ,god1 and of the kind of worship ,he should receive8 ,the idea of ,god as the living ,god is strangely foreign to the human heart4 ,to think of ,god as one who has a will and purpose of ,his own1 and who will never give ,his countenance to any undertaking that does not agree with that will and purpose1 is very hard for the unspiritual man4 ,to make the will of ,god the first consideration in any enterprise1 so that it is not to be thought of if ,he do not approve1 and is never to be despaired of if ,he be favourable1 is a bondage and a trouble beyond his ability4 ,yet even superstitious men believe in a supernatural power4 ,and they believe in the possibility of enlisting that power on their side4 ,and the method they take is to ascribe the virtue of a charm to certain external objects with which that power is associated4 ,the elders of ,israel ascribed this virtue to the ark4 ,they never inquired whether the enterprise was agreeable to the mind and will of ,god4 ,they never asked whether in this case there was any ground for believing that the symbol and the reality would go together4 ,they simply ascribed to the symbol the power of a talisman1 and felt secure of victory under its shadow4 ,would that we could think of this spirit as extinct even in ,christian communities6 ,what is the ,romish and the very ,high ,church doctrine of the sacraments but an ascription to them1 when rightly used1 of the power of a charm8 ,the sacraments1 as ,scripture teaches1 are symbols of very glorious realities1 and wherever the symbols are used in accordance with ,god's will the realities are sure to be enjoyed4 ,but it has long been the doctrine of the ,church of ,rome1 and it is the doctrine of ,churches1 with similar views1 that the sacraments are reservoirs of grace1 and that to those who place no fatal obstacle in their way1 grace comes from them ex opere operato1 from the very act of receiving them4 ,it is the ,protestant and scriptural doctrine that by stimulating faith1 by encouraging us to look to the living ,saviour1 and draw from ,him in whom all fulness dwells1 the sacraments bring to us copious supplies of grace1 but that without the presence of that living ,saviour they would be merely as empty wells4 ,the ,high ,church view regards them as charms1 that have a magic virtue to bless the soul4 ,the superstitious mother thinks if only her child is baptised it will be saved1 the act of baptism will do it1 and she never thinks of the living ,saviour and ,his glorious grace4 ,the dying sinner thinks1 if only he had the last sacraments1 he would be borne peacefully and well through the dark scenes of death and judgment1 and forgets that the commandment of ,scripture is not1 ,look unto the last sacraments1 but1 ,look unto ,me and be ye saved4 ,alas6 what will men not substitute for personal dealings with the living ,god8 ,the first book and the last book of the ,bible present sad proof of his recoil from such contact4 ,in ,genesis1 as man hears ,god's voice1 he runs to hide himself among the trees of the garden4 ,in ,revelation1 when the ,judge appears1 men call on the mountains to fall on them and hide them from ,him that sitteth on the throne4 ,only when we see ,god's face1 beautiful and loving1 in ,christ1 can this aversion be overcome4 ,if the presence of the ark in the field of battle did much to excite the hopes of the ,israelites1 it did not less to raise the fears of their opponents4 ,the shout with which its arrival was hailed by the one struck something of consternation into the breasts of the other4 ,but now1 an effect took place on which the ,israelites had not reckoned4 ,the ,philistines were too wise a people to yield to panic4 ,if the ,hebrew ,god1 that did such wonders in the wilderness1 was present with their opponents1 there was all the more need for their bestirring themselves and quitting them like men4 ,the elders of ,israel had not reckoned on this wise plan4 ,it teaches us1 even from a heathen point of view1 never to yield to panic4 ,even when everything looks desperate1 there may be some untried resource to fall back on4 ,and if this be a lesson to be learnt from pagans1 much more surely may it be thought of by believers1 who know that man's extremity is often ,god's opportunity1 and that no peril is too imminent for ,god not to be able to deliver4 #b4 ,and now the battle rages4 ,the hope of misguided ,israel turns out an illusion4 ,they find1 to their consternation1 that the symbol does not carry the reality4 ,it pleases ,god to allow the ark with which ,his name is so intimately associated to be seized by the enemy4 ,the ,philistines carry everything before them4 ,the ark is taken1 ,hophni and ,phinehas are slain1 and there fall of ,israel thirty thousand footmen4 ,can we fancy the feelings of the two priests who attended the ark as the defeat of the army of ,israel became inevitable8 ,the ark would probably be carried near the van of the army1 preceded by some of the most valiant troops of ,israel4 ,no doubt it had been reckoned on that as soon as its sacred form was recognized by the ,philistines1 fear would seize on them1 and they would fly before it4 ,it must have made the two priests look grave when nothing of the kind took place1 but the host of the ,philistines advanced in firm and intrepid phalanx to the fight4 ,but surely the first onset of the advanced guard will show with whose army the victory is to lie4 ,the advanced guards are at close quarters1 and the men of ,israel give way4 ,was there conscience enough left in these two men to flash into their minds that ,god1 whose ,holy ,spirit they had vexed1 was turned to be their enemy1 and was now fighting against them8 ,did they1 in that supreme moment1 get one of those momentary glimpses1 in which the whole iniquities of a lifetime seem marshalled before the soul1 and the enormity of its guilt overwhelms it8 ,did they feel the anguish of men caught in their own iniquities1 every hope perished1 death inevitable1 and after death the judgment8 ,there is not one word1 either in this chapter or in what precedes it1 from which the slightest inference in their favour can be drawn4 ,they died apparently as they had lived1 in the very act of dishonouring ,god4 ,with the weapons of rebellion in their hands1 and the stains of guilt on their hearts1 they were hurried into the presence of the ,judge4 ,now comes the right estimate of their reckless1 guilty life4 ,all the arts of sophistry1 all the refuges of lies1 all their daring contempt of the very idea of a retribution on sin1 are swept away in a moment4 ,they are confronted with the awful reality of their doom4 ,they see more vividly than even ,eli or ,samuel the truth of one part1 certainly1 of the ,divine rule--,them that honour ,me ,i will honour2 but they that despise ,me shall be lightly esteemed4 ,the time of guilty pleasure has passed for ever away2 the time of endless retribution has begun4 ,oh1 how short1 how miserable1 how abominable appears to them now the revelry of their evil life6 what infatuation it was to forswear all the principles in which they had been reared1 to laugh at the puritanic strictness of their father1 to sit in the seat of the scorner1 and pour contempt on the law of ,god's house6 ,how they must have cursed the folly that led them into such awful ways of sin1 how sighed in vain that they had not in their youth chosen the better part1 how wished they had never been born6 #c4 ,but we must leave the field of battle and hasten back to ,shiloh4 ,since the ark was carried off ,eli must have had a miserable time of it1 reproaching himself for his weakness if he gave even a reluctant assent to the plan1 and feeling that uncertainty of conscience which keeps one even from prayer1 because it makes one doubtful if ,god will listen4 ,poor old man of ninety-eight years1 he could but tremble for the ark6 ,his official seat had been placed somewhere on the wayside1 where he would be near to get tidings from the field of any one who might come with them1 and quite probably a retinue of attendants was around him4 ,at last a great shout of horror is heard1 for a man of ,benjamin has come in sight with his clothes rent and earth upon his head4 ,it is but too certain a sign of calamity4 ,but who could have thought of the extent of the calamity which with such awful precision he crowded into his answer8 ,israel is fled before the ,philistines--calamity the first2 there hath been a great slaughter among the people--calamity the second2 thy two sons1 ,hophni and ,phinehas1 are slain--calamity the third2 and last1 and most terrible of all1 the ark of ,god is taken6 ,the ark of ,god is taken6 ,the ,divine symbol1 with its overshadowing cherubim and its sacred light1 into which year by year ,eli had gone alone to sprinkle the blood of atonement on the mercy-seat1 and where he had solemnly transacted with ,god on behalf of the people1 was in an enemy's hands6 ,the ark1 that no ,canaanite or ,amalekite had ever touched1 on which no ,midianite or ,ammonite had ever laid his polluted finger1 which had remained safe and sure in ,israel's custody through all the perils of their journeys and all the storms of battle1 was now torn from their grasp6 ,and there perishes with it all the hope of ,israel1 and all the sacred service which was associated with it2 and ,israel is a widowed1 desolate1 godless people1 without hope and without ,god in the world2 and all this has come because they dragged it away from its place1 and these two sons of mine1 now gone to their account1 encouraged the profanation6 ,and it came to pass1 when he made mention of the ark of ,god1 that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate1 and his neck brake1 and he died2 for he was an old man and heavy4 ,and he had judged ,israel forty years4 ,this was calamity the fifth2 but even yet the list was not exhausted4 ,his daughter-in-law1 ,phinehas' wife1 was with child1 near to be delivered2 and when she heard the tidings that the ark of ,god was taken1 and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead1 she bowed herself and travailed1 for her pains came upon her4 ,and about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her1 ,fear not1 for thou hast born a son4 ,but she answered not1 neither did she regard it4 ,and she named the child ,ichabod1 saying1 ,the glory is departed from ,israel2 because the ark of ,god was taken1 and because of her father-in-law and her husband4 ,and she said1 ,the glory is departed from ,israel2 for the ark of ,god is taken4 ,poor1 good woman6 with such a husband she had no doubt had a troubled life4 ,the spring of her spirit had probably been broken long ago2 and what little of elasticity yet remained was all too little to bear up under such an overwhelming load4 ,but it may have been her comfort to live so near to the house of ,god as she did1 and to be thus reminded of ,him who had commanded the sons of ,aaron to bless the people saying1 ,the ,lord bless thee and keep thee2 the ,lord make ,his face shine upon thee and be gracious to thee2 the ,lord lift up ,his countenance upon thee and give thee peace4 ,but now the ark of ,god is taken1 its services are at an end1 and the blessing is gone4 ,the tribes may come up to the feasts as before1 but not with the bright eye or the merry shouts of former days2 the bullock may smoke on the altar1 but where is the sanctuary in which ,jehovah dwelt1 and where the mercy-seat for the priest to sprinkle the blood1 and where the door by which he can come out to bless the people8 ,oh1 my hapless child1 what shall ,i call thee1 who hast been ushered on this day of midnight gloom into a ,god-forsaken and dishonoured place8 ,i will call thee ,ichabod1 for the glory is departed4 ,the glory is departed from ,israel1 for the ark of ,god is taken4 ,what an awful impression these scenes convey to us of the overpowering desolation that comes to believing souls with the feeling that ,god has taken ,his departure4 ,tell us that the sun is no longer to shine2 tell us that neither dew nor rain shall ever fall again to refresh the earth2 tell us that a cruel and savage nation is to reign unchecked and unchallenged over all the families of a people once free and happy2 you convey no such image of desolation as when you tell to pious hearts that ,god has departed from their community4 ,let us learn the obvious lesson1 to do nothing to provoke such a calamity4 ,it is only when resisted and dishonoured that the ,spirit of ,god departs--only when ,he is driven away4 ,oh1 beware of everything that grieves ,him--everything that interferes with ,his gracious action on your souls4 ,beware of all that would lead ,god to say1 ,i will go and return to ,my place1 till they acknowledge their offence and seek ,my face4 ,let our prayer be the cry of ,david3--,cast me not away from ,thy presence1 and take not ,thy ,holy ,spirit from me4 ,restore unto me the joy of ,thy salvation1 and uphold me with ,thy free ,spirit4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,ark ,,among ,,the ,,philistines4 #a ,,samuel v41 vi4 ,although the history in ,samuel is silent as to the doings of the ,philistines immediately after their great victory over ,israel1 yet we learn from other parts of the ,bible 7,psalm lxxviii4 #fj-fd2 ,jeremiah vii4 #ab1 xxvi4 #i7 that they proceeded to ,shiloh1 massacred the priests1 wrecked the city1 and left it a monument of desolation1 as it continued to be ever after4 ,probably this was considered an appropriate sequel to the capture of the ark--a fitting mode of completing and commemorating their victory over the national ,god of the ,hebrews4 ,for we may well believe that it was this unprecedented feature of their success that was uppermost in the ,philistines' mind4 ,the prevalent idea among the surrounding nations regarding the ,god of the ,hebrews was that ,he was a ,god of exceeding power4 ,the wonders done by ,him in ,egypt still filled the popular imagination 7ch4 vi4 #f72 the strong hand and the outstretched arm with which ,he had driven out the seven nations of ,canaan and prepared the way for ,his people were not forgotten4 ,neither in more recent conflicts had any of the surrounding nations obtained the slightest advantage over ,him4 ,it was in ,his name that ,barak and ,deborah had defeated the ,canaanites2 it was the sword of the ,lord and of ,gideon that had thrown such consternation into the hearts of the ,midianites4 ,but now the tide was completely turned2 not only had the ,hebrew ,god failed to protect ,his people1 but ruin had come on both ,him and them1 and ,his very sanctuary was in ,philistine hands4 ,no wonder the ,philistines were marvellously elated4 ,let us sweep from the face of the earth every trace and memorial of ,his worship1 was their cry4 ,let us inflict such humiliation on the spot sacred to ,his name that never again shall ,his worshippers be able to regain their courage and lift up their heads1 and neither we nor our children shall tremble any more at the mention of ,his terrible deeds4 ,we have not one word about ,samuel in connection with all this4 ,the news from the battlefield1 followed by the death of ,eli and of the wife of ,phinehas1 must have been a terrible blow to him4 ,but besides being calm of nature 7as his bearing showed after he got the message about ,eli's house71 he was habitually in fellowship with ,god1 and in this habit enjoyed a great help towards self-possession and promptitude of action in sudden emergencies and perplexities4 ,that the ill-advised scheme for carrying the ark into battle implied any real humiliation of the ,god of ,israel1 or would have any evil effect on the covenant sworn to ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 he could not for a moment suppose4 ,but the confusion and trouble that would arise1 especially if the ,philistines advanced upon ,shiloh1 was a very serious consideration4 ,there was much left at ,shiloh which needed to be cared for4 ,there were sacred vessels1 and possibly national records1 which must not be allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy4 ,by what means ,samuel was able to secure the safety of these2 by what means he secured his own personal safety when the priests fell by the sword 7,psalm lxxviii4 #fd71 we cannot say4 ,but the ,lord was with ,samuel1 and even in this hour of national horror ,he directed his proceedings1 and established upon him the work of his hands4 ,the fact to which we have drawn attention1 that it was over the ,god of ,israel that the ,philistines had triumphed1 is the key to the transactions recorded so minutely in the fifth and sixth chapters4 ,the great object of these chapters is to show how ,god undeceived the ,philistines on this all-important point4 ,he undeceived them in a very quiet1 undemonstrative manner4 ,on certain occasions ,god impresses men by ,his great agencies1--by fire and earthquake and tempest1 by stormy wind fulfilling ,his word4 ,but these are not needed on this occasion4 ,agencies much less striking will do the work4 ,god will recover ,his name and fame among the nations by much humbler forces4 ,by the most trifling exertion of ,his power1 these ,philistines will be brought to their wit's end1 and all the wisdom of their wisest men and all the craft of their most cunning priests will be needed to devise some propitiation for ,one who is infinitely too strong for them1 and to prevent their country from being brought to ruin by the silent working of ,his resistless power4 #a4 ,first of all1 the ark is carried to ,ashdod1 where stood the great temple of their ,god1 ,dagon4 ,it is placed within the precincts of the temple1 in some place of subordination1 doubtless1 to the place of the idol4 ,perhaps the expectation of the ,philistines was that in the exercise of his supernatural might their god would bring about the mutilation or destruction of the ,hebrew symbol4 ,the morning showed another sight4 ,it was ,dagon that was humiliated before the ark--fallen to the ground upon his face4 ,next day a worse humiliation had befallen him4 ,besides having fallen1 his head and hands were severed from the image1 and only the stump remained4 ,and besides this1 the people were suffering extensively from a painful disease1 emerods or hemorrhoids1 and this too was ascribed to the influence of the ,god of the ,hebrews4 ,the people of ,ashdod had no desire to prolong the contest4 ,they gathered the lords of the ,philistines and asked what was to be done4 ,the lords probably concluded that it was a case of mere local ill-luck4 ,but what had happened at ,ashdod would not happen elsewhere4 ,let the ark be carried to ,gath4 #b4 ,to ,gath1 accordingly1 the ark is brought4 ,but no sooner is it there than the disease that had broken out at ,ashdod falls upon the ,gittites1 and the mortality is terrible4 ,the people of ,gath are in too great haste to call again on the lords of the ,philistines to say what is to be done4 ,they simply carry the ark to ,ekron4 #c4 ,and little welcome it gets from the ,ekronites4 ,it is now recognised as the symbol of an angry ,god1 whose power to punish and to destroy is unlimited4 ,the ,ekronites are indignant at the people of ,gath4 ,they have brought about the ark of the ,god of ,israel to us1 to slay us and our people4 ,the destruction at ,ekron seems to have been more awful than at the other places--,the cry of the city went up to heaven4 ,the lords of the ,philistines are again convened1 to deliberate over the failure of their last advice4 ,there is no use trying any other place in the country4 ,the idea of local ill-luck is preposterous4 ,let it go again to its own place6 is the cry4 ,alas that we have destroyed ,shiloh1 for where can we send it now8 ,we can risk no further mistakes4 ,let us convene the priests and the diviners to determine how it is to be got quit of1 and with what gifts or offerings it is to be accompanied4 ,would only we had never touched it6 ,the priests and the diviners give a full answer on all the points submitted to them4 ,first1 the ark when sent away must contain an offering1 in order to propitiate the ,hebrew ,god for the insults heaped on ,him4 ,the offering was to be in the form of golden emerods and golden mice4 ,it would appear that in addition to the disease that had broken out on the bodies of the people they had had in their fields the plague of mice4 ,these field-mice bred with amazing rapidity1 and sometimes consumed the whole produce of the field4 ,there is a slight difficulty about numbers here4 ,there are to be five golden emerods and five golden mice1 according to the number of the lords of the ,philistines 7vi4 #c72 but it is said after 7ver4 #ah7 that the number of the golden mice was according to the number of all the cities of the ,philistines belonging to the five lords1 both of fenced cities and country villages4 ,it is surmised1 however1 that 7as in the ,septuagint7 the number five should not be repeated in the middle of the first passage 7vi4 #d1 #e71 but that it should run1 five golden emerods1 according to the number of the lords of the ,philistines1 and golden mice1 images of the mice that destroy the land4 ,the idea of presenting offerings to the gods corresponding with the object in connection with which they were presented was often given effect to by heathen nations4 ,those saved from shipwreck offered pictures of the shipwreck1 or of the clothes which they had on at the time1 in the ,temple of ,isis2 slaves and captives1 in gratitude for the recovery of their liberty1 offered chains to the ,lares2 retired gladiators1 their arms to ,hercules2 and in the fifth century a custom prevailed among ,christians of offering in their churches gold or silver hands1 feet1 eyes1 etc41 in return for cures effected in those members respectively in answer to prayer4 ,this was probably a heathen custom transferred into the ,christian ,church2 for a similar usage is still found among the heathen in ,india 7,speaker's ,commentary74 #d4 ,next1 as to the manner in which the ark was to be sent away4 ,a new cart was to be made1 and two milch cows which had never been in harness before were to be fastened to the cart4 ,this was to be out of respect to the ,god of ,israel2 new things were counted more honourable1 as our ,lord rode on a colt whereon never man had yet sat1 and ,his body was laid in a new sepulchre4 ,the cows were to be left without guidance to determine their path2 if they took the road to ,judea1 the road up the valley to ,bethshemesh1 that would be a token that all their trouble had come from the ,god of the ,hebrews2 but if they took any other road1 the road to any place in the ,philistine country1 that would prove that there had only been a coincidence1 and no relation of cause and effect between the capture of the ark and the evils that had befallen them4 ,it was the principle of the lot applied to determine a grave moral question4 ,it was a method which1 in the absence of better light1 men were ready enough to resort to in those times1 and which on one memorable occasion was resorted to in the early ,christian ,church 7,acts i474 ,the much fuller light which ,god has given men on moral and religious questions greatly restricts1 if it does not indeed abolish1 the lawful occasions of resorting to such a method4 ,if it be ever lawful1 it can only be so in the exercise of a devout and solemn spirit1 for the apostles did not make use of it by itself1 but only after earnest prayer that ,god would make the lot the instrument of making known ,his will4 ,at last the ark leaves the land of the ,philistines4 ,for seven terrible months it had spread among them anxiety1 terror1 and death4 ,nothing but utter ruin seemed likely to spring from a longer residence of the ark in their territories4 ,glad were they to get rid of it1 golden emerods1 golden mice1 new cart1 milch kine1 and all4 ,we are reminded of a scene in ,gospel history1 that took place at ,gadara after the devils drove the herd of swine over the cliff into the lake4 ,the people of the place besought ,jesus to depart out of their coasts4 ,it is a solemn truth that there are aspects of ,god's character1 aspects of the ,saviour's character1 in which ,he is only a terror and a trouble4 ,these are the aspects in which ,god is seen opposed to what men love and prize1 tearing their treasures away from them1 or tearing them away from their treasures4 ,it is an awful thing to know ,god in these aspects alone4 ,yet it is the aspect in which ,god usually appears to the sinner4 ,it is the aspect in which our consciences present ,him when we are conscious of having incurred ,his displeasure4 ,and while man remains a sinner and in love with his sin1 he may try to disguise the solemn fact to his own mind1 but it is nevertheless true that his secret desire is to get rid of ,god4 ,as the apostle puts it1 he does not like to retain ,god in his knowledge 7,rom4 i4 #bh74 ,he says to ,god1 ,depart from us1 for we desire not the knowledge of ,thy ways 7,job xxi4 #ad74 ,nay1 he goes a step further--,the fool hath said in his heart1 ,there is no ,god 7,ps4 xiv4 #a74 ,where he still makes some acknowledgment of ,him1 he may try to propitiate ,him by offerings1 and to make up for the transgressions he commits in some things by acts of will-worship1 or voluntary humiliation in other things4 ,but alas6 of how large a portion even of men in ,christian lands is it true that they do not love ,god4 ,their hearts have no yearning for ,him4 ,the thought of ,him is a disturbing1 uncomfortable element4 ,heart communion with ,him is a difficulty not to be overcome4 ,forms of worship that leave the heart unexercised are a great relief4 ,worship performed by choirs and instruments and aesthetic rules comes welcome as a substitute for the intercourse and homage of the soul4 ,could anything demonstrate more clearly the need of a great spiritual change8 ,what but the vision of ,god in ,christ reconciling the world to ,himself can effect it8 ,and even the glorious truths of redemption are not in themselves efficacious4 ,the seed needs to fall on good soil4 ,he that commanded the light to shine out of darkness must shine in our minds to give the light of the glory of ,god in the face of ,his ,anointed4 ,but surely it is a great step towards this change to feel the need of it4 ,the heart that is honest with ,god1 and that says1 ,o ,god ,almighty1 ,i do not love ,thee1 ,i am not happy in ,thy presence1 ,i like life better without ,thee2 but ,i am convinced that this is a most wretched condition1 and most sinful4 ,wilt ,thou1 in infinite mercy1 have compassion on me8 ,wilt ,thou so change me that ,i may come to love ,thee1 to love ,thy company1 to welcome the thought of ,thee1 and to worship ,thee in spirit and in truth8--such a heart1 expressing itself thus1 will surely not be forsaken4 ,how long it may be ere its quest is granted we cannot tell2 but surely the day wall come when the new song shall be put in its mouth--,bless the ,lord1 ,o my soul1 and forget not all ,his benefits4 ,who forgiveth all thine iniquities1 who healeth all thy diseases2 who redeemeth thy life from destruction1 who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies2 who satisfieth thy mouth with good things1 so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's4 #e4 ,and now the ark has reached ,bethshemesh1 in the tribe of ,judah4 ,the lords of the ,philistines have followed it1 watching it1 as ,miriam watched her infant brother on the ,nile1 to see what would become of it4 ,nor do they turn back till they have seen the men of ,bethshemesh welcome it1 till they have seen the ,levites take it down from the cart1 till they have seen the cart cleft1 and the cows offered as a trespass offering1 and till they have seen their own golden jewels1 along with the burnt-offerings and sacrifices of the people of ,bethshemesh1 presented in due form to the ,lord4 ,thus far all goes well at ,bethshemesh4 ,the ark is on ,hebrew soil4 ,the people there have no fear either of the emerods or of the mice that so terribly distressed their ,philistine neighbours4 ,after a time of great depression the sun is beginning to smile on ,israel again4 ,the men of ,bethshemesh are reaping their barley-harvest--that is one mercy from ,god4 ,and here most unexpectedly appears the sight that of all possible sights was the most welcome to their eyes2 here1 unhurt and unrifled1 is the ark of the covenant that had been given up for lost1 despaired of probably1 even by its most ardent friends4 ,how could ,israel hope to gain possession of that apparently insignificant box except by an invasion of the ,philistines in overwhelming force--in such force as a nation that had but lately lost thirty thousand men was not able to command8 ,and even if such an overwhelming expedition were to be arranged1 how easy would it not be for the ,philistines to burn the ark1 and thus annihilate the very thing to recover which the war was undertaken8 ,yet here is the ark back without the intervention of a single soldier4 ,no ransom has been given for it1 no blow struck1 nothing promised1 nothing threatened4 ,here it comes1 as if unseen angels had fetched it1 with its precious treasures and still more precious memories just as before6 ,it was like a foreshadow of the return from the captivity--an experience that might have found expression in the words1 ,when the ,lord turned again the captivity of ,zion1 we were like them that dream4 ,happy men of ,bethshemesh1 for whom ,god prepared so delightful a surprise4 ,truly ,he is able to do in us exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think4 ,how unsearchable are ,his judgments1 and ,his ways past finding out6 ,never let us despair of ,god1 or of any cause with which ,he is identified4 ,rest in the ,lord and wait patiently for ,him2 ,the ,lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought2 ,he maketh the devices of the people of none effect4 ,the counsel of the ,lord standeth for ever1 and the thoughts of ,his heart to all generations4 ,but alas6 the men of ,bethshemesh did not act according to the benefit received4 ,their curiosity prevailed above their reverence3 they looked into the ark of the ,lord4 ,as if the sacred vessel had not had enough of indignity in the din of battle1 in the temples of the uncircumcised ,philistines1 and in the cart drawn by the kine1 they must expose it to a yet further profanation6 ,alas for them6 their curiosity prevailed over their reverence4 ,and for this they had to pay a terrible penalty4 ,the ,lord smote of the men of ,bethshemesh fifty thousand and three score and ten men4 ,it is the general opinion1 however1 that an error has slipped into the text that makes the deaths amount to fifty thousand threescore and ten4 ,bethshemesh was never more than a village or little town1 and could not have had anything like so great a population4 ,probably the threescore and ten1 without the fifty thousand1 is all that was originally in the text4 ,even that would be a great slaughter in the population of a little town4 ,it was a very sad thing that an event so joyous should be clouded by such a judgment4 ,but how often are times and scenes which ,god has made very bright marred by the folly and recklessness of men6 ,the prying men of ,bethshemesh have had their counterparts many a time in more recent days4 ,many men1 with strong theological proclivities1 have evinced a strong desire to pry into the secret things which belong to the ,lord our ,god4 ,foreknowledge1 election1 free will1 sin's punishment--men have often forgot that there is much in such subjects that exceeds the capacity of the human mind1 and that as ,god has shown reserve in what ,he has revealed about them1 so men ought to show a holy modesty in their manner of treating them4 ,and even in the handling of sacred things generally1 in the way of theological discussion1 a want of reverence has very often been shown4 ,it becomes us all most carefully to beware of abusing the gracious condescension which ,god has shown in ,his revelation1 and in the use which ,he designs us to make of it4 ,it was an excellent rule a foreign theologian laid down for himself1 to keep up the spirit of reverence--never to speak of ,god without speaking to ,god4 ,god has drawn very near to us in ,christ1 and given to all that accept of ,him the place and privileges of children4 ,he allows us to come very near to ,him in prayer4 ,in everything1 ,he says1 by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known unto ,god4 ,but while we gratefully accept these privileges1 and while in the enjoyment of them we become very intimate with ,god1 never let us forget the infinite distance between us1 and the infinite condescension manifested in ,his allowing us to enter into the holiest of all4 ,never let us forget that in ,his sight we are as dust and ashes1 unworthy to lift up our eyes to the place where ,his honour dwelleth4 ,to combine reverence and intimacy in our dealings with ,god1--the profoundest reverence with the closest intimacy1 is to realise the highest ideal of worship4 ,god ,himself would have us remember1 in our approaches to ,him1 that ,he is in heaven and we on the earth4 ,thus saith the ,high and ,lofty ,one that inhabiteth ,eternity and whose name is holy1 ,i dwell in the high and holy place1 but with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit1 to revive the spirit of the humble1 and to revive the hearts of the contrite ones4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,repentance ,,and ,,revival4 #a ,,samuel vii4 #a-i4 ,with the men of ,bethshemesh the presence of the ark had become the same terror as it had been successively at ,ashdod1 ,gath1 and ,ekron4 ,instead of the savour of life to life1 it had proved a savour of death to death4 ,instead of a chief cornerstone1 elect1 precious1 it had become a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence4 ,they sent therefore to their neighbours at ,kirjath-jearim1 and begged them to come down and remove the ark4 ,this they readily did4 ,more timid men might have said1 ,the ark has brought nothing but disaster in its train2 we will have nothing to do with it4 ,there was faith and loyalty to ,god shown in their readiness to give accommodation to it within their bounds4 ,deeming a high place to be the kind of situation where it should rest1 they selected the house of ,abinadab in the hill1 he being probably a ,levite4 ,to keep the ark they set apart his son ,eleazar1 whose name seems to indicate that he was of the house of ,aaron4 ,they seem to have done all they could1 and with due regard to the requirements of the law1 for the custody of the sacred symbol4 ,but ,kirjath-jearim was not turned into the seat of the national worship4 ,there is no word of sacrificial or other services being performed there4 ,there is nothing to indicate that the annual feasts were held at this place4 ,the ark had a resting-place there--nothing more4 ,and this lasted for twenty years4 ,it was a long and dreary time4 ,a rude shock had been given to the sacred customs of the people1 and the comely order of the ,divine service among them4 ,the ark and the other sacred vessels were separated from each other4 ,if1 as seems likely 7#a ,sam4 xxi471 the daily offerings and other sacred services ordained by ,moses were offered at this time at ,nob1 a sense of imperfection could not but belong to them1 for the ark of the covenant was not there4 ,incompleteness would attach to any public rites that might now be celebrated4 ,the service of ,baal and ,ashtaroth would have a less powerful rival than when the service of ,jehovah was conducted in all due form and regularity at ,shiloh4 ,during these years the nation seems to have been somewhat listless on the subject1 and to have made no effort to remove the ark to a more suitable place4 ,kirjath-jearim was not in the centre1 but on the very edge of the country1 looking down into the territory of the ,philistines1 not far from the very cities where the ark had been in captivity1 a constant reminder to the ,israelites of its degradation4 ,that ,samuel was profoundly concerned about all this we cannot doubt4 ,but he seems to have made no effort to remedy it1 most probably because he knew it to be ,god's order first to make the people sensible of their wickedness1 and only thereafter to restore to them free access to ,himself4 ,what then was ,samuel doing during the twenty years that the ark was at ,kirjath-jearim8 ,we can answer that question only conjecturally1 only from what we know of his general character4 ,it cannot be doubted that in some way or other he was trying to make the nation sensible of their sins against ,god2 to show them that it was to these sins that their subjection to the ,philistines was due2 and to urge them to abandon their idolatrous practices if they desired a return to independence and peace4 ,perhaps he began at this period to move about from place to place1 urging those views1 as he moved about afterwards when he held the office of ,judge 7vii4 #af74 ,and perhaps he was laying the foundations of those schools of the prophets that afterwards were associated with his name4 ,whenever he found young men disposed to his views he would doubtless cultivate their acquaintance1 and urge them to steadfastness and progress in the way of the ,lord4 ,there is nothing said to indicate that ,samuel was connected with the priestly establishment at ,nob4 ,there are two great services for ,god and for ,israel in which we find ,samuel engaged in the first nine verses of this chapter3 #a4 ,in exhorting and directing them with a view to bring them into a right state before ,god4 #b4 ,this being accomplished1 in praying for them in their time of trouble1 and obtaining ,divine help when the ,philistines drew near in battle4 #a4 ,in the course of time the people appear to have come to feel how sad and desolate their national life was without any tokens of ,god's presence and grace4 ,all the house of ,israel lamented after the ,lord4 ,the expression is a peculiar one1 and some critics1 not understanding its spiritual import1 have proposed to give it a different meaning4 ,but for this there is no cause4 ,it seems to denote that the people1 missing ,god1 under the severe oppression of the ,philistines1 had begun to grieve over the sins that had driven ,him away1 and to long after ,him1 to long for ,his return4 ,these symptoms of repentance1 however1 had not shown themselves in a very definite or practical form4 ,samuel was not satisfied with the amount of earnestness evinced as yet4 ,he must have more decided evidence of sincerity and repentance4 ,he insisted on it that they must put away the strange gods and ,ashtaroth from among them1 and prepare their hearts unto the ,lord and serve ,him only4 ,now the putting away of the strange gods and ,ashtaroth was a harder condition than we at first should suppose4 ,some are inclined to fancy that it was a mere senseless and ridiculous obstinacy that drew the ,israelites so much to the worship of the idolatrous gods of their neighbours4 ,in reality the temptation was of a much more subtle kind4 ,their religious worship as prescribed by ,moses had little to attract the natural feelings of the human heart4 ,it was simple1 it was severe1 it was self-denying4 ,the worship of the pagan nations was more lively and attractive4 ,fashionable entertainments and free-and-easy revelries were superadded to please the carnal mind4 ,between ,hebrew and heathen worship1 there was something of the contrast that you find between the severe simplicity of a ,puritan meeting and the gorgeous and fashionable splendour of a great ,romish ceremonial4 ,to put away ,baalim and ,ashtaroth was to abjure what was fashionable and agreeable1 and fall back on what was unattractive and sombre4 ,was it not1 too1 an illiberal demand8 ,was it not a sign of narrowness to be so exclusively devoted to their own religion that they could view that of their neighbours with no sort of pleasure8 ,why not acknowledge that in other religions there was an element of good1 that the services in them were the expression of a profound religious sentiment1 and were therefore entitled to a measure of praise and approval8 ,it is very certain that with this favourite view of modern liberalism neither ,samuel nor any of the prophets had the slightest sympathy4 ,no4 ,if the people were in earnest now1 they must show it by putting away every image and every object and ornament that was connected with the worship of other gods4 ,jehovah would have their homage on no other terms4 ,if they chose to divide it between ,him and other gods1 they might call on them for help and blessing2 for it was most certain that the ,god of ,israel would receive no worship that was not rendered to ,him alone4 ,but the people were in earnest2 and this first demand of ,samuel was complied with4 ,we are to remember that the people of ,israel1 in their typical significance1 stand for those who are by grace in covenant with ,god1 and that their times of degeneracy represent1 in the case of ,christians1 seasons of spiritual backsliding1 when the things of this world are too keenly sought1 when the fellowship of the world is habitually resorted to1 when the soul loses its spiritual appetite1 and religious services become formal and cold4 ,does there begin to dawn on such a soul a sense of spiritual poverty and loneliness8 ,does the spirit of the hymn begin to breathe from it-- ,return1 ,o holy ,dove1 return1 ,sweet ,messenger of rest6 ,i hate the sins that made ,thee mourn ,and drove ,thee from my breast4 ,then the first steps towards revival and communion must be the forsaking of these sins1 and of ways of life that prepare the way for them4 ,the sorrow for sin that is working in the conscience is the work of the ,holy ,ghost2 and if the ,holy ,ghost be resisted in this ,his first operation--if the sins1 or ways toward sin1 against which ,he has given ,his warning be persisted in1 the ,spirit is grieved and ,his work is stopped4 ,the ,spirit calls us to set our hearts against these sins1 and prepare them unto the ,lord4 ,let us mark carefully this last expression4 ,it is not enough that in church1 or at some meeting1 or in our closet1 we experience a painful conviction how much we have offended ,god1 and a desire not to offend ,him in like manner any more4 ,we must prepare our hearts for this end4 ,we must remember that in the world with which we mingle we are exposed to many influences that remove ,god from our thoughts1 that stimulate our infirmities1 that give force to temptation1 that lessen our power of resistance1 that tend to draw us back into our old sins4 ,one who has a tendency to intemperance may have a sincere conviction that his acts of drunkenness have displeased ,god1 and a sincere wish never to be drunk again4 ,but besides this he must prepare his heart against his sin4 ,he must resolve to turn away from everything that leads to drinking1 that gives strength to the temptation1 that weakens his power of resistance1 that draws him1 as it were1 within the vortex4 ,he must fortify himself1 by joining a society or otherwise1 against the insidious approaches of the vice4 ,and in regard to all that displeases ,god he must order his life so that it shall be abandoned1 it shall be parted with for ever4 ,you may say this is asking him to do more than he can do4 ,no doubt it is4 ,but is not the ,holy ,spirit working in him8 ,is it not the ,holy ,spirit that is urging him to do these things8 ,whoever is urged by the ,holy ,spirit may surely rely on the power of the ,spirit when he endeavours to comply with ,his suggestions4 ,when ,god works in us to will and to do of ,his good pleasure1 we may surely work out our own salvation with fear and trembling4 ,having found the people so far obedient to his requirements1 ,samuel's next step was to call an assembly of all ,israel to ,mizpeh4 ,he desired to unite all who were like-minded in a purpose of repentance and reformation1 and to rouse them to a higher pitch of intensity by contact with a great multitude animated by the same spirit4 ,when the assembly met1 it was in a most proper spirit4 ,they began the proceedings by drawing water and pouring it out before the ,lord1 and by fasting4 ,these two acts being joined in the narrative1 it is probable they were acts of the same character4 ,now as fasting was evidently an expression of contrition1 so the pouring out of the water must have been so too4 ,it is necessary to remark this1 because an expression not unlike to our text1 in ,isa4 xii41 denotes an act of a joyful character1 ,with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation4 ,but what was done on this occasion was to draw water and pour it out before the ,lord4 ,and this seems to have been done as a symbol of pouring out before ,god confessions of sin drawn from the depths of the heart4 ,what they said in connection with these acts was1 ,we have sinned against the ,lord4 ,they were no longer in the mood in which the ,psalmist was when he kept silence1 and his bones waxed old through his roaring all the day4 ,they were in the mood into which he came when he said1 ,i will confess my transgressions to the ,lord4 ,they humbled themselves before ,god in deep convictions of their unworthiness1 and being thus emptied of self they were in a better state to receive the gracious visitation of love and mercy4 ,it is important to mark the stress which is laid here on the public assembly of the people4 ,some might say would it not have answered the same end if the people had humbled themselves apart--the family of the house of ,levi apart1 and their wives apart1 every family apart1 and their wives apart1 as in the great mourning of ,zechariah 7,zech4 xii4 #ab-ad78 ,we answer1 the one way did not exclude the other2 we do not need to ask which is best1 for both are best4 ,but when ,samuel convened the people to a public assembly1 he evidently did it on the principle on which in the ,new ,testament we are required not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together4 ,it is in order that the presence of people like-minded1 and with the same earnest feelings and purposes1 may have a rousing and warming influence upon us4 ,no doubt there are other purposes connected with public worship4 ,we need constant instruction and constant reminding of the will of ,god4 ,but the public assembly and the social prayer-meeting are intended to have another effect4 ,they are intended to increase our spiritual earnestness by the sight and presence of so many persons in earnest4 ,alas6 what a difference there often is between the ideal and the real4 ,those cold and passionless meetings that our churches and halls often present--how little are they fitted1 by the earnestness and warmth of their tone1 to give those who attend them a great impulse heavenward6 ,never let us be satisfied with our public religious services until they are manifestly adapted to this great end4 ,thus did ,samuel seek to promote repentance and revival among his people1 and to prepare the way for a return of ,god's favour4 ,and it is in this very way that if we would have a revival of earnest religion1 we must set about obtaining it4 #b4 ,the next scene in the panorama of the text is--the ,philistines invading ,israel4 ,here ,samuel's service is that of an intercessor1 praying for his people1 and obtaining ,god's blessing4 ,it is to be observed that the alleged occasion for this event is said to have been the meeting held at ,mizpeh4 ,when the ,philistines heard that the children of ,israel were gathered together to ,mizpeh1 the lords of the ,philistines went up against ,israel4 ,was not this most strange and distressing8 ,the blessed assembly which ,samuel had convened only gives occasion for a new ,philistine invasion6 ,trying to do his people good1 ,samuel would appear only to have done them harm4 ,with the assembly at ,mizpeh1 called as it was for spiritual ends1 the ,philistines could have no real cause for complaint4 ,either they mistook its purpose and thought it a meeting to devise measures to throw off their yoke1 or they had an instinctive apprehension that the spirit which the people of ,israel were now showing would be accompanied by some remarkable interposition on their behalf4 ,it is not rare for steps taken with the best of intentions to become for a time the occasion of a great increase of evil1--just as the remonstrances of ,moses with ,pharaoh led at first to the increase of the people's burdens2 or just as the coming of ,christ into the world caused the massacre of the babes of ,bethlehem4 ,so here1 the first public step taken by ,samuel for the people's welfare was the occasion of an alarming invasion by their cruel enemies4 ,but ,god's word on such occasions is1 ,be still and know that ,i am ,god4 ,such events are suffered only to stimulate faith and patience4 ,they are not so very overwhelming events to those who know that ,god is with them1 and that none of them that trust in ,him shall be desolate4 ,though the ,israelites at this time were not far advanced in spiritual life1 they betrayed no consternation when they heard of the invasion of the ,philistines4 ,they knew where their help was to be found1 and recognizing ,samuel as their mediator1 they said to him1 ,cease not to cry unto the ,lord our ,god for us1 that ,he will save us out of the hand of the ,philistines4 ,with this request ,samuel most readily complies4 ,but first he offers a sucking lamb as a whole burnt-offering to the ,lord1 and only after this are we told that ,samuel cried unto the ,lord1 and the ,lord heard him4 ,the lesson is supremely important4 ,when sinners approach ,god to entreat ,his favour1 it must be by the new and living way1 sprinkled with atoning blood4 ,all other ways of access will fail4 ,how often has this been exemplified in the history of the ,church6 ,how many anxious sinners have sought unto ,god by other ways1 but have been driven back1 sometimes farther from ,him than before4 ,luther humbles himself in the dust and implores ,god's favour1 and struggles with might and main to reform his heart2 but ,luther cannot find peace until he sees how it is in the righteousness of another he is to draw nigh and find the blessing1--in the righteousness of the ,lamb of ,god1 that taketh away the sin of the world4 ,dr4 ,chalmers1 profoundly impressed with the sinfulness of his past life1 strives1 with the energy of a giant1 to attain conformity to the will of ,god2 but he too is only tossed about in weary disappointment until he finds rest in the atoning mercy of ,god in ,christ4 ,we may be well assured that no sense of peace can come into the guilty soul till it accepts ,jesus ,christ as its ,saviour in all the fulness of ,his saving power4 ,another lesson comes to us from ,samuel's intercession4 ,it is well to try to get ,god's servants to pray for us4 ,but little real progress can be made till we can pray for ourselves4 ,whoever really desires to enjoy ,god's favour1 be it for the first time after he has come to the sense of his sins2 or be it at other times1 after ,god's face has been hid from him for a time through his backsliding1 can never come as he ought to come without earnest prayer4 ,for prayer is the great medium that ,god has appointed to us for communion with ,himself4 ,ask and ye shall receive1 seek and ye shall find1 knock and it shall be opened to you4 ,if there be any lesson written with a sunbeam alike in the ,old ,testament and in the ,new1 it is that ,god is the ,hearer of prayer4 ,only let us take heed to the quality and tone of our prayer4 ,before ,god can listen to it1 it must be from the heart4 ,to gabble over a form of prayer is not to pray4 ,saul of ,tarsus had said many a prayer before his conversion2 but after that for the first time it was said of him1 ,behold1 he prayeth4 ,to pray is to ask an interview with ,god1 and when we are alone with ,him1 to unburden our souls to ,him4 ,those only who have learned to pray thus in secret can pray to any purpose in the public assembly4 ,it is in this spirit1 surely1 that the highest gifts of ,divine grace are to be sought4 ,emphatically it is in this way that we are to pray for our nation or for our ,church4 ,let us come with large and glowing hearts when we come to pray for a whole community4 ,let us plead with ,god for ,church and for nation in the very spirit of the prophet3 ,for ,zion's sake ,i will not hold my peace1 and for ,jerusalem's sake ,i will not rest1 until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness1 and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,national ,,deliverance--,,the ,,philistines ,,subdued4 #a ,,samuel vii4 #aj-ag4 ,it must have been with feelings very different from those of their last encounter1 when the ark of ,god was carried into the battle1 that the host of ,israel now faced the ,philistine army near ,mizpeh4 ,then they had only the symbol of ,god's gracious presence1 now they had the reality4 ,then their spiritual guides were the wicked ,hophni and ,phinehas2 now their guide was holy ,samuel4 ,then they had rushed into the fight in thoughtless unconcern about their sins2 now they had confessed them1 and through the blood of sprinkling they had obtained a sense of forgiveness4 ,then they were puffed up by a vain presumption2 now they were animated by a calm but confident hope4 ,then their advance was hallowed by no prayer2 now the cry of needy children had gone up from ,god's faithful servant4 ,in fact1 the battle with the ,philistines had already been fought by ,samuel on his knees4 ,there can be no more sure token of success than this4 ,are we engaged in conflict with our own besetting sins8 ,or are we contending against scandalous transgression in the world around us8 ,let us first fight the battle on our knees4 ,if we are victorious there we need have little fear of victory in the other battle4 ,it was as ,samuel was offering up the burnt-offering that the ,philistines drew near to battle against ,israel4 ,there was an unseen ladder that day between earth and heaven1 on which the angels of ,god ascended and descended as in ,jacob's vision at ,bethel4 ,the smoke of the burnt-offering carried up to ,god the confession and contrition of the people1 their reliance on ,god's method of atonement1 and their prayer for ,his pardon and ,his blessing4 ,the great thunder with which ,god thundered on the ,philistines carried down from ,god the answer and the needed help4 ,there is no need for supposing that the thunder was supernatural4 ,it was an instance of what is so common1 a natural force adapted to the purpose of an answer to prayer4 ,what seems to have occurred is this3 a vehement thunderstorm had gathered a little to the east1 and now broke1 probably with violent wind1 in the faces of the ,philistines1 who were advancing up the heights against ,mizpeh4 ,unable to face such a terrific war of the elements1 the ,philistines would turn round1 placing their backs to the storm4 ,the men of ,israel1 but little embarrassed by it1 since it came from behind them1 and gave the greater momentum to their force1 rushed on the embarrassed enemy1 and drove them before them like smoke before the wind4 ,it was just as in former days--,god arose1 and ,his enemies were scattered1 and they also that hated ,him fled before ,him4 ,the storm before which the ,philistines cowered was like the pillar of fire which had guided ,israel through the desert4 ,jehovah was still the ,god of ,israel2 the ,god of ,jacob was once more his refuge4 ,we have said that this thunderstorm may have been quite a natural phenomenon4 ,natural1 but not casual4 ,though natural1 it was ,god's answer to ,samuel's prayer4 ,but how could this have been8 ,if it was a natural storm1 if it was the result of natural law1 of atmospheric conditions the operation of which was fixed and certain1 it must have taken place whether ,samuel prayed or not4 ,undoubtedly4 ,but the very fact that the laws of nature are fixed and certain1 that their operation is definite and regular1 enables the great ,lord of ,providence to make use of them in the natural course of things1 for the purpose of answering prayer4 ,for this fact1 the uniformity of natural law1 enables the ,almighty1 who sees and plans the end from the beginning1 to frame a comprehensive scheme of ,providence1 that shall not only work out the final result in ,his time and way1 but that shall also work out every intermediate result precisely as ,he designs and desires4 ,known unto ,god are all ,his works from the beginning of the world4 ,now if ,god has so adjusted the scheme of ,providence that the final result of the whole shall wonderfully accomplish ,his grand design1 may ,he not1 must ,he not1 have so adjusted it that every intermediate part shall work out some intermediate design8 ,it is only those who have an unworthy conception of omniscience and omnipotence that can doubt this4 ,surely if there is a general ,providence1 there must be a special ,providence4 ,if ,god guides the whole1 ,he must also guide the parts4 ,every part of the scheme must fall out according to ,his plan1 and may thus be the means of fulfilling some of ,his promises4 ,let us apply this view to the matter of prayer4 ,all true prayer is the fruit of the ,holy ,spirit working in the human soul4 ,all the prayer that ,god answers is prayer that ,god has inspired4 ,the prayer of ,samuel was prayer which ,god had inspired4 ,what more reasonable than that in the great plan of providence there should have been included a provision for the fulfilment of ,samuel's prayer at the appropriate moment8 ,the thunderstorm1 we may be sure1 was a natural phenomenon4 ,but its occurrence at the time was part of that great scheme of ,providence which ,god planned at the beginning1 and it was planned to fall out then in order that it might serve as an answer to ,samuel's prayer4 ,it was thus an answer to prayer brought about by natural causes4 ,the only thing miraculous about it was its forming a part of that most marvellous scheme--the scheme of ,divine providence--a part of the scheme that was to be carried into effect after ,samuel had prayed4 ,if the term supernatural may be fitly applied to that scheme which is the sum and substance of all the laws of nature1 of all the providence of ,god1 and of all the works and thoughts of man1 then it was a miracle2 but if not1 it was a natural effect4 ,it is important to bear these truths in mind1 because many have the impression that prayer for outward results cannot be answered without a miracle1 and that it is unreasonable to suppose that such a multitude of miracles as prayer involves would be wrought every day4 ,if a sick man prays for health1 is the answer necessarily a miracle8 ,no2 for the answer may come about by purely natural causes4 ,he has been directed to a skilful physician2 he has used the right medicine2 he has been treated in the way to give full scope to the recuperative power of nature4 ,god1 who led him to pray1 foresaw the prayer1 and in the original scheme of ,providence planned that by natural causes the answer should come4 ,we do not deny that prayer may be answered in a supernatural way4 ,we would not affirm that such a thing as supernatural healing is unknown4 ,but it is most useful that the idea should be entertained that such prayer is usually answered by natural means4 ,by not attending to this men often fail to perceive that prayer has been answered4 ,you pray1 before you set out on a journey1 for protection and safe arrival at the end4 ,you get what you asked--you perform the journey in safety4 ,but perhaps you say1 ,it would have been all the same whether ,i had prayed for it or not4 ,i have gone on journeys that ,i forgot to pray about1 and no evil befell me4 ,some of my fellow-passengers1 ,i am sure1 did not pray for safety1 yet they were taken care of as much as ,i was4 ,but these are sophistical arguments4 ,you should feel that your safety in the journey about which you prayed was as much due to ,god1 though only through the operation of natural causes1 as if you had had a hairbreadth escape4 ,you should be thankful that in cases where you did not pray for safety ,god had regard to the habitual set of your mind1 your habitual trust in ,him1 though you did not specially exercise it at these times4 ,let the means be as natural as they may--to those who have eyes to see the finger of ,god is in them all the same4 ,but to return to the ,israelites and the ,philistines4 ,the defeat of the ,philistines was a very thorough one4 ,not only did they make no attempt to rally after the storm had passed and ,israel had fallen on them1 but they came no more into the coast of ,israel1 and the hand of the ,lord was against them all the days of ,samuel4 ,and besides this1 all the cities and tracts of land belonging to ,israel which the ,philistines had taken were now restored4 ,another mercy that came to ,israel was that there was peace between ,israel and the ,amorites--the ,amorites being put here1 most likely1 for the remains of all the original inhabitants living among or around ,israel4 ,those promises were now fulfilled in which ,god had said to ,moses1 ,this day will ,i begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven1 who shall hear report of thee1 and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee 7,deut4 ii4 #be74 ,there shall no man be able to stand before you2 for the ,lord your ,god shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land ye shall tread upon1 as ,he hath said to thee4 ,it was so apparent that ,god was among them1 and that the power of ,god was irresistible and overwhelming1 that their enemies were frightened to assail them4 ,the impression thus made on the enemies of ,israel corresponds in some degree to the moral influence which ,god-fearing men sometimes have on an otherwise godless community4 ,the picture in the ,song of ,solomon--,who is she that looketh forth as the morning1 fair as the moon1 clear as the sun1 and terrible as an army with banners8--ascribes even to the fair young bride a terrifying power1 a power not appropriate to such a picture in the literal sense1 but quite suitable in the figurative4 ,wherever the life and character of a godly man is such as to recall ,god1 wherever ,god's image is plainly visible1 wherever the results of ,god's presence are plainly seen1 there the idea of a supernatural ,power is conveyed1 and a certain overawing influence is felt4 ,in the great awakening at ,northampton in ,jonathan ,edwards' days1 there was a complete arrest laid on open forms of vice4 ,and whensoever in a community ,god's presence has been powerfully realized1 the taverns have been emptied1 the gambling-table deserted1 under the sense of ,his august majesty4 ,would only that the character and life of all ,god's servants were so truly godlike that their very presence in a community would have a subduing and restraining influence on the wicked6 ,two points yet remain to be noticed3 the step taken by ,samuel to commemorate this wonderful ,divine interposition2 and the account given of the prophet and his occupations in his capacity of ,judge of ,israel4 ,samuel took a stone1 and set it between ,mizpeh and ,shen1 and called the name of it ,ebenezer1 saying1 ,hitherto hath the ,lord helped us4 ,the position of ,shen is not known4 ,but it must have been very near the scene of the defeat of the ,philistines--perhaps it was the very spot where that defeat occurred4 ,in that case1 ,samuel's stone would stand midway between the two scenes of battle3 the battle gained by him on his knees at ,mizpeh1 and the battle gained by the ,israelites when they fell on the ,philistines demoralised by the thunderstorm4 ,hitherto hath the ,lord helped us4 ,the characteristic feature of the inscription lies in the word hitherto4 ,it was no doubt a testimony to special help obtained in that time of trouble2 it was a grateful recognition of that help2 and it was an enduring monument to perpetuate the memory of it4 ,but it was more1 much more4 ,the word hitherto denotes a series1 a chain of similar mercies1 an unbroken succession of ,divine interpositions and ,divine deliverances4 ,the special purpose of this inscription was to link on the present deliverance to all the past1 and to form a testimony to the enduring faithfulness and mercy of a covenant-keeping ,god4 ,but was there not something strange in this inscription1 considering the circumstances8 ,could ,samuel have forgot that tragic day at ,shiloh--the bewildered1 terrified look of the messenger that came from the army to bring the news1 the consternation caused by his message1 the ghastly horror of ,eli and his tragic death1 the touching death of the wife of ,phinehas1 and the sad name which she had with such seeming propriety given to her babe8 ,was that like ,god remembering them8 or had ,samuel forgot how the victorious ,philistines soon after dashed upon ,shiloh like beasts of prey1 plundering1 destroying1 massacreing1 till nothing more remained to be done to justify the name of ,ichabod8 ,how can ,samuel blot that chapter out of the history8 or how can he say1 with that chapter fresh in his recollection1 ,hitherto hath the ,lord helped us8 ,all that ,samuel has considered well4 ,even amid the desolations of ,shiloh the ,lord was helping them4 ,he was helping them to know themselves1 helping them to know their sins1 and helping them to know the bitter fruit and woful punishment of sin4 ,he was helping them to achieve the great end for which he had called them--to keep alive the knowledge of the true ,god and the practice of ,his worship1 onward to the time when the great promise should be realised1--when ,,he should come in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed4 ,samuel's idea of what constituted the nation's glory was large and spiritual4 ,the true glory of the nation was to fulfil the function for which ,god had taken it into covenant with ,himself4 ,whatever helped them to do this was a blessing1 was a token of the ,lord's remembrance of them4 ,the links of the long chain denoted by ,samuel's hitherto were not all of one kind4 ,some were in the form of mercies1 many were in the form of chastenings4 ,for the higher the function for which ,israel was called1 the more need was there of chastening4 ,the higher the destination of a silver vessel1 the greater is the need that the silver be pure1 and therefore that it be frequently passed through the furnace4 ,the destination of ,israel was the highest that could have been4 ,so ,samuel does not merely give thanks for seasons of prosperity1 but for checks and chastenings too4 ,happy they who1 full of faith in the faithfulness and love of ,god1 can take a similar view of ,his dealings6 ,happy they who1 when special mercies come1 deem the occasion worthy to be commemorated by some special memorial1 but who can embrace their whole life in the grateful commemoration1 and bracket joys and sorrows alike under their hitherto6 ,it is not that sorrows are less sorrows to them than to others2 it is not that losses of substance entail less inconvenience1 or bereavements penetrate less deeply2 but that all are seen to be embraced in that gracious plan of which the final consummation is1 as the apostle puts it1 to present her to ,himself a glorious ,church1 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing4 ,and well is it for us1 both in individual life and in ,church and national life1 to think of that plan of ,god in which mercies and chastenings are united1 but all with a gracious purpose6 ,it is remarkable how often in ,scripture tears are wiped away with this thought4 ,zion saying1 ,the ,lord hath forsaken me1 and my ,god hath forgotten me1 is assured1 ,behold1 ,i have graven thee upon the palms of ,my hands1 thy walls are continually before ,me4 ,rachel weeping for her children1 and refusing to be comforted1 is thus addressed1 ,refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from tears2 for thy work shall be rewarded1 saith the ,lord1 and thy children shall come again from the land of the enemy4 ,weep not1 said our ,lord to the woman of ,nain2 and ,his first words after ,his resurrection were1 ,woman1 why weepest thou8 ,vale of tears though this world is1 there comes from above a gracious influence to wipe them away2 and the march ,zionward has in it something of the tread and air of a triumphant procession1 for the ransomed of the ,lord shall return and come to ,zion with songs and everlasting joy on their heads2 they shall obtain joy and gladness1 and sorrow and sighing shall flee away4 ,we have yet to notice the concluding verses of the chapter 7#ae-ag71 which give a little picture of the public life of ,samuel4 ,he judged ,israel all the days of his life4 ,the office of judge had a twofold sphere1 external and internal4 ,externally1 it bore on the oppression of the people by foreign enemies1 and the judge became the deliverer of the people4 ,but in this sense there was now nothing for ,samuel to do1 especially after the accession of ,saul to the kingdom4 ,the judge seems to have likewise had to do with the administration of justice1 and the preservation of the peace and general welfare of the nation4 ,it is very natural to suppose that ,samuel would be profoundly concerned to imbue the people with just views of the purpose for which ,god had called them1 and of the law and covenant which ,he had given them4 ,the three places among which he is said to have made his circuit1 ,bethel1 ,gilgal and ,mizpeh1 were not far from each other1 all being situated in the tribes of ,benjamin and ,judah1--in that part of the land which afterwards constituted the kingdom of the two tribes4 ,to these three places falls to be added ,ramah1 also in the same neighbourhood1 where was his house4 ,in this place he built an altar to the ,lord4 ,whether this was in connection with the tabernacle or not1 we cannot say4 ,we know that in the time of ,david's wanderings the house of ,god was at ,nob 7,compare #a ,sam4 xxi4 #a and ,matt4 xii4 #d71 but we have nothing to show us when it was carried thither4 ,all we can say is1 that ,samuel's altar must have been a visible memorial of the worship of ,god1 and a solemn protest against any idolatrous rites to which any of the people might at any time be attracted4 ,in this way ,samuel spent his life like ,him whose type he was1 always about his ,father's business4 ,an unselfish man1 having no interests of his own1 full of zeal for the service of ,god and the public welfare2 possibly too little at home1 taking too little charge of his children1 and thus at last in the painful position of one1 whose sons walked not in his ways1 but turned aside after lucre1 and took bribes1 and perverted judgment 7ch4 viii4 #a74 ,that ,samuel attained the highest reputation for sanctity1 intercourse with ,god and holy influence1 is plain from various passages of ,scripture4 ,in ,psalm xcix4 #f1 he is coupled with ,moses and ,aaron1 as having influence with ,god1--they called upon the ,lord and ,he answered them4 ,in ,jeremiah xv4 #a1 his name is coupled with that of ,moses alone as a powerful intercessor1 ,though ,moses and ,samuel stood before ,me1 yet ,my mind could not be toward this people4 ,his mother's act of consecration was wonderfully fulfilled4 ,samuel stands out as one of the best and purest of the ,hebrew worthies4 ,his name became a perpetual symbol of all that was upright1 pure and ,godlike4 ,the silent influence of his character was a great power in ,israel1 inspiring many a young heart with holy awe1 and silencing the flippant arrogance of the scoffer4 ,mothers1 did not ,hannah do well1 do nobly1 in dedicating her son to the ,lord8 ,sons and daughters1 was it not a noble and honourable life8 ,then go ye and do likewise4 ,and ,god be pleased to incline many a heart to the service2 a service1 which with all its drawbacks1 is the highest and the noblest2 and which bequeaths so blessed a welcome into the next stage of existence3 ,well done1 good and faithful servant2 enter thou into the joy of thy ,lord4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,people ,,demand ,a ,,king4 #a ,,samuel viii4 ,whatever impression the ,ebenezer of ,samuel may have produced at the time1 it passed away with the lapse of years4 ,the feeling that1 in sympathy with ,samuel1 had recognized so cordially at that time the unbroken help of ,jehovah from the very beginning1 waxed old and vanished away4 ,the help of ,jehovah was no longer regarded as the palladium of the nation4 ,a new generation had risen up that had only heard from their fathers of the deliverance from the ,philistines1 and what men only hear from their fathers does not make the same impression as what they see with their own eyes4 ,the privilege of having ,god for their king ceased to be felt1 when the occasions passed away that made ,his interposition so pressing and so precious4 ,other things began to press upon them1 other cravings began to be felt1 that the theocracy did not meet4 ,this double process went on--the evils from which ,god did deliver becoming more faint1 and the benefits which ,god did not bestow becoming more conspicuous by their absence--till a climax was reached4 ,samuel was getting old1 and his sons were not like himself2 therefore they afforded no materials for continuing the system of judges4 ,none of them could ever fill their father's place4 ,the people forgot that ,god's policy had been to raise up judges from time to time as they were needed4 ,but would it not be better to discontinue this hand-to-mouth system of government and have a regular succession of kings8 ,why should ,israel contrast disadvantageously in this respect with the surrounding nations8 ,this seems to have been the unanimous feeling of the nation4 ,all the elders of ,israel gathered themselves together1 and said to ,samuel1 ,make us a king to judge us like all the nations4 ,it seems to us very strange that they should have done such a thing4 ,why were they not satisfied with having ,god for their king8 ,was not the roll of past achievements under ,his guidance very glorious8 ,what could have been more wonderful than the deliverance from ,egypt1 and the triumph over the greatest empire in the world8 ,had ever such victories been heard of as those over ,sihon and ,og8 ,was there ever a more triumphant campaign than that of ,joshua1 or a more comfortable settlement than that of the tribes8 ,and if ,canaanites1 and ,midianites1 and ,ammonites1 and ,philistines had vexed them1 were not ,barak and ,deborah1 ,gideon and ,jephthah1 ,samson and ,samuel1 more than a match for the strongest of them all8 ,then there was the moral glory of the theocracy4 ,what nation had ever received direct from ,god1 such ordinances1 such a covenant1 such promises8 ,where else were men to be found that had held such close fellowship with heaven as ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob1 ,moses and ,aaron1 and ,joshua8 ,what other people had had such revelations of the fatherly character of ,god1 so that it could be said of them1 ,as an eagle stirreth up her nest1 fluttereth over her young1 spreadeth abroad her wings1 taketh them1 beareth them on her wings3 so the ,lord did lead him1 and there was no strange god with him4 ,instead of wishing to change the theocracy1 we might have expected that every ,israelite1 capable of appreciating solid benefits1 would have clung to it as his greatest privilege and his greatest honour4 ,but it was otherwise4 ,comparatively blind to its glories1 they wished to be like other nations4 ,it is too much a characteristic of our human nature that it is indifferent to ,god1 and to the advantages which are conferred by ,his approval and ,his blessing4 ,how utterly do some leave ,god out of their calculations6 ,how absolutely unconcerned they are as to whether they can reckon on ,his approval of their mode of life1 how little it seems to count6 ,you that by false pretences sell your wares and prey upon the simple and unwary2 you that heed not what disappointment or what pain and misery you inflict on those who believe you1 provided you get their money2 you that grow rich on the toil of underpaid women and children1 whose life is turned to slavery to fulfil your hard demands1 do you never think of ,god8 ,do you never take into your reckoning that ,he is against you1 and that ,he will one day come to reckon with you8 ,you that frequent the haunts of secret wickedness1 you that help to send others to the devil1 you that say1 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 when you are doing your utmost to confirm others in debauchery and pollution1 is it nothing to you that you have to reckon one day with an angry ,god8 ,be assured that ,god is not mocked1 for whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap2 for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption1 while he that soweth to the ,spirit shall of the ,spirit reap life everlasting4 ,but the lesson of the text is rather for those who have the favour and blessing of ,god1 but are not content1 and still crave worldly things4 ,you are in covenant with ,god4 ,he has redeemed you1 not with corruptible things such as silver and gold1 but with the precious blood of ,christ4 ,you are now sons of ,god1 and it doth not yet appear what you shall be4 ,there is laid up for you an inheritance incorruptible1 undefiled1 and that fadeth not away4 ,yet your heart hankers after the things of the world4 ,your acquaintances and friends are better off4 ,your bare house1 your homely furnishings1 your poor dress1 your simple fare distress you1 and you would fain be in a higher worldly sphere1 enjoying more consideration1 and participating more freely in worldly enjoyments4 ,be assured1 my friends1 you are not in a wholesome frame of mind4 ,to be depreciating the surpassing gifts which ,god has given you1 and to be exaggerating those which ,he has withheld1 is far from being a wholesome condition4 ,you wish to be like the nations4 ,you forget that your very glory is not to be like them4 ,your glory is that ye are a chosen generation1 an holy nation1 a royal priesthood1 a peculiar people1 your bodies temples of the ,holy ,ghost1 your souls united to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,yet again1 there are congregations1 which though in humble circumstances1 have enjoyed much spiritual blessing4 ,their songs have gone up1 bearing the incense of much love and gratitude2 their prayers have been humble and hearty1 most real and true2 and the ,gospel has come to them not in word only1 but in power1 and in the ,holy ,ghost1 and in much assurance4 ,yet a generation has grown up that thinks little of these inestimable blessings1 and misses fine architecture1 and elaborate music1 and highly cultured services4 ,they want to have a king like the nations4 ,however they may endanger the spiritual blessing1 it is all-important to have these surroundings4 ,it is a perilous position1 all the more perhaps that many do not see the peril--that many have little or no regard for the high interests that are in such danger of being sacrificed4 ,this then1 was the request of all the elders of ,israel to ,samuel--,give us a king to judge us like all the nations4 ,we have next to consider how it was received by the prophet4 ,the thing displeased ,samuel4 ,on the very face of it1 it was an affront to himself4 ,it intimated dissatisfaction with the arrangement which had made him judge of the people under ,god4 ,evidently they were tired of him4 ,he had given them the best energies of his youth and of his manhood4 ,he had undoubtedly conferred on them many real benefits4 ,for all this1 his reward is to be turned off in his old age4 ,they wish to get rid of him1 and of his manner of instructing them in the ways of the ,lord4 ,and the kind of functionary they wish to get in his room is not of a very flattering order4 ,the kings of the nations for the most part were a poor set of men4 ,despotic1 cruel1 vindictive1 proud--they were not much to be admired4 ,yet ,israel's eyes are turned enviously to them6 ,possibly ,samuel was failing more than he was aware of1 for old men are slow to recognise the progress of decay1 and highly sensitive when it is bluntly intimated to them4 ,besides this1 there was another sore point which the elders touched roughly4 ,thy sons walk not in thy ways4 ,however this may have come about1 it was a sad thought to their father4 ,but fathers often have the feeling that while they may reprove their sons1 they do not like to hear this done by others4 ,thus it was that the message of the elders came home to ,samuel1 first of all1 in its personal bearings1 and greatly hurt him4 ,it was a personal affront1 it was hard to bear4 ,the whole business of his life seemed frustrated2 everything he had tried to do had failed2 his whole life had missed its aim4 ,no wonder if ,samuel was greatly troubled4 ,but in the exercise of that admirable habit which he had learned so thoroughly1 ,samuel took the matter straight to the ,lord4 ,and even if no articulate response had been made to his prayer1 the effect of this could not but have been great and important4 ,the very act of going into ,god's presence was fitted to change1 in some measure1 ,samuel's estimate of the situation4 ,it placed him at a new point of view--at ,god's point of view4 ,when he reached that1 the aspect of things must have undergone a change4 ,the bearing of the transaction on ,god must have come out more prominently than its bearing on ,samuel4 ,and this was fully expressed in ,god's words4 ,they have not rejected thee1 but they have rejected ,me4 ,samuel was but the servant1 ,god was the lord and king4 ,the servant was not greater than his lord1 nor the disciple greater than his ,master4 ,the great sin of the people was their sin against ,god4 ,he it was to whom the affront had been given2 ,he1 if any1 it was that had cause to remonstrate and complain4 ,so prone are even the best of ,god's servants to put themselves before their ,master4 ,so prone are ministers of the ,gospel1 when any of their flock has acted badly1 to think of the annoyance to themselves1 rather than the sin committed in the holy eyes of ,god4 ,so prone are we all1 in our families1 and in our ,churches1 and in society1 to think of other aspects of sin1 than its essential demerit in ,god's sight4 ,yet surely this should be the first consideration4 ,that ,god should be dishonoured is surely a far more serious thing than that man should be offended4 ,the sin against ,god is infinitely more heinous than the sin against man4 ,he that has sinned against ,god has incurred a fearful penalty--what if this should lie on his conscience for ever1 unconfessed1 unforgiven8 ,it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living ,god4 ,yet1 notwithstanding this very serious aspect of the people's offence1 ,god instructs ,samuel to hearken to their voice1 yet protest solemnly to them1 and show them the manner of the kingdom4 ,there were good reasons why ,god should take this course4 ,the people had shown themselves unworthy of the high privilege of having ,god for their king4 ,when men show themselves incapable of appreciating a high privilege1 it is meet they should suffer the loss of it1 or at least a diminution of it4 ,they had shown a perpetual tendency to those idolatrous ways by which ,god was most grievously dishonoured4 ,a theocracy1 to work successfully1 would need a very loyal people4 ,had ,israel only been loyal1 had it even been a point of conscience and a point of honour with them to obey ,god's voice1 had they even had a holy recoil from every act offensive to ,him1 the theocracy would have worked most beautifully4 ,but there had been such a habitual absence of this spirit1 that ,god now suffered them to institute a form of government that interposed a human official between ,him and them1 and that subjected them likewise to many an inconvenience4 ,yet even in allowing this arrangement ,god did not utterly withdraw ,his loving-kindness from them4 ,the theocracy did not wholly cease4 ,though they would find that their kings would make many an exaction of them1 there would be among them some that would reign in righteousness1 and princes that would rule in judgment4 ,the king would so far be approved of ,god as to bear the name of the ,lord's anointed3 and would thus1 in a sense1 be a type of the great ,anointed ,one1 the true ,messiah1 whose kingdom1 righteous1 beneficent1 holy1 would be an everlasting kingdom1 and his dominion from generation to generation4 ,the next scene in the chapter before us finds ,samuel again met with the heads of the people4 ,he is now showing them the manner of the king--the relation in which he and they will stand to one another4 ,he is not to be a king that gives1 but a king that takes4 ,his exactions will be very multifarious4 ,first of all1 the most sacred treasures of their homes1 their sons and their daughters1 would be taken to do hard work in his army1 and on his farms1 and in his house4 ,then1 their landed property would be taken on some pretext--the vineyards and olive-yards inherited from their fathers--and given to his favourites4 ,the tenth part of the produce1 too1 of what remained would be claimed by him for his officers and his servants1 and the tenth of their flocks4 ,any servant1 or young man1 or animal1 that was particularly handsome and valuable would be sure to take his fancy1 and to be attached for his service4 ,this would be ordinarily the manner of their king4 ,and the oppression and vexation connected with this system of arbitrary spoliation would be so great that they would cry out against him1 as indeed they did in the days of ,rehoboam1 yet the ,lord would not hear them4 ,such was ,samuel's picture of what they desired so much1 but it made no impression2 the people were still determined to have their king4 ,what a contrast there was between this exacting king1 and the true ,king1 the ,king that in the fulness of the time was to come to ,his people1 meek and having salvation1 riding upon the foal of an ass6 ,if there be anything more than another that makes this ,king glorious1 it is ,his giving nature4 ,the ,son of ,god1 says the ,apostle1 loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,gave ,himself6 ,how comprehensive the word6 ,all that ,he was as ,god1 all that ,he became as man4 ,as prophet ,he gave ,himself to teach1 as priest to atone and intercede1 as king to rule and to defend4 ,the ,good ,shepherd giveth ,his life for the sheep4 ,this is ,my body which is given for you4 ,if thou knewest the gift of ,god1 and ,who it is that saith unto thee1 ,give ,me to drink1 thou wouldest have asked of ,him1 and ,he would have given thee living water4 ,with what kingly generosity1 while ,he was on earth1 ,he scattered the gifts of health and happiness among the stricken and the helpless6 ,jesus went about all ,galilee1 teaching in their synagogues1 and preaching the gospel of the kingdom1 and healing all manner of sickness1 and all manner of disease among the people4 ,see ,him1 even as ,he hung helpless on the cross1 exercising ,his royal prerogative by giving to the thief at ,his side a right to the ,kingdom of ,god--,verily ,i say unto thee1 this day shalt thou be with ,me in ,paradise4 ,see ,him likewise1 exalted on ,his throne at ,god's right hand1 to be a ,prince and a ,saviour for to give repentance to ,israel and forgiveness of sins4 ,how different the attributes of this ,king from him whom ,samuel delineated6 ,the one exacting all that is ours2 the other giving all that is ,his6 ,the last scene in the chapter shows us the people deliberately disregarding the protest of ,samuel1 and reiterating their wilful resolution--,nay1 but we will have a king over us2 that we also may be like all the nations1 and that our king may judge us1 and go out before us1 and fight our battles4 ,once more1 ,samuel brings the matter to the ,lord--repeats all that he has heard2 and once more the ,lord says to ,samuel1 ,hearken unto their choice and make them a king4 ,the matter is now decided on1 and it only remains to find the person who is to wear the crown4 ,on the very surface of the narrative we see how much the people were influenced by the desire to be like all the nations4 ,this does not indicate a very exalted tone of feeling4 ,to be like all the nations was surely in itself a poor and childish thing1 unless the nations were in this respect in a better condition than ,israel4 ,yet how common and almost irresistible is this feeling6 ,singularity is certainly not to be affected for singularity's sake2 but neither are we to conform to fashion simply because it is fashion4 ,how cruel and horrible often are its behests6 ,the ,chinese girl has to submit to her feet being bandaged and confined till walking becomes a living torture1 and even the hours of what should be rest and sleep1 are often broken by bitter pain4 ,the women of ,lake ,nyassa insert a piece of stone in their upper lip1 enlarging it from time to time till speaking and eating become most awkward and painful operations1 and the very lip sometimes is torn away4 ,our fathers had terrible experience of the tyranny of the drinking customs of their day2 and in spite of the greater freedom and the greater temperance of our time1 there is no little tyranny still in the drinking laws of many a class among us4 ,all this is just the outcome of the spirit that made the ,hebrews so desire a king--the shrinking of men's hearts from being unlike others1 the desire to be like the world4 ,what men dread in such cases is not wrong-doing1 not sin1 not offending ,god2 but incurring the reproof of men1 being laughed at1 boycotted by their fellows4 ,but is not this a very unworthy course8 ,can any man truly respect himself who says1 ,i do this not because ,i think it right1 not even because ,i deem it for my interest1 but simply because it is done by the generality of people8 ,can any man justify himself before ,god1 if the honest utterance of his heart must be1 ,i take this course1 not because ,i deem it well-pleasing in ,thy sight1 but because if ,i did otherwise1 men would laugh at me and despise me8 ,the very statement of the case in explicit terms condemns it4 ,not less is it condemned by the noble conduct of those to whom grace has been given to withstand the voice of the multitude and stand up faithfully for truth and duty4 ,was there ever a nobler attitude than that of ,caleb1 when he withstood the clamour of the other spies1 and followed the ,lord fully8 or that of ,shadrach1 ,meshach1 and ,abednego1 when alone among myriads1 they refused to bow down to the image of gold8 or that of ,luther when1 alone against the world1 he held unflinchingly by his convictions of truth8 ,let the young especially ponder these things4 ,to them it often seems a terrible thing to resist the general voice1 and hold by conscience and duty4 ,to confess ,christ among a school of despisers1 is often like martyrdom4 ,but think6 ,what is it to deny ,christ8 ,can that bring any peace or satisfaction to those who know ,his worth8 ,must it not bring misery and self-contempt8 ,if the duty of confessing ,him be difficult1 seek strength for the duty4 ,pray for the strength which is made perfect in your weakness4 ,cast your thoughts onward to the day of ,christ's second coming1 when the opinion and practice of the world shall all be reduced to their essential worthlessness1 and the promises to the faithful1 firm as the everlasting hills1 shall be gloriously fulfilled4 ,for in that day1 ,hannah's song shall have a new fulfilment3 ,he raiseth up the poor out of the dust1 and lifteth up the beggar out of the dunghill1 to set them among princes1 and make them inherit the throne of glory4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,saul ,,brought ,,to ,,samuel4 #a ,,samuel ix4 #a-ad4 ,god's providence is a wonderful scheme2 a web of many threads1 woven with marvellous skill2 a network composed of all kinds of materials1 great and small1 but so arranged that the very smallest of them is as essential as the largest to the completeness of the fabric4 ,one would suppose that many of the dramas of the ,old ,testament were planned on very purpose to show how intimately things secular and things sacred1 as we call them1 are connected together2 how entirely the minutest events are controlled by ,god1 and at the same time how thoroughly the freedom of man is preserved4 ,the meeting of two convicts in an ,egyptian prison is a vital link in the chain of events that makes ,joseph governor of ,egypt2 a young lady coming to bathe in the river preserves the life of ,moses1 and secures the escape of the ,israelites2 the thoughtful regard of a father for the comfort of his sons in the army brings ,david into contact with ,goliath1 and prepares the way for his elevation to the throne2 the beauty of a ,hebrew girl fascinating a ,persian king saves the whole ,hebrew race from massacre and extermination4 ,so in the passage now before us4 ,the straying of some asses from the pastures of a ,hebrew farmer brings together the two men1 of whom the one was the old ruler1 and the other was to be the new ruler of ,israel4 ,that these two should meet1 and that the older of them should have the opportunity of instructing and influencing the younger1 was of the greatest consequence for the future welfare of the nation4 ,and the meeting is brought about in that casual way that at first sight seems to indicate that all things happen without plan or purpose4 ,yet we find1 on more careful examination1 that every event has been planned to fit in to every other1 as carefully as the pieces of a dissected map1 or the fragments of a fine mosaic4 ,but of all the actors in the drama1 not one ever feels that his freedom is in any way interfered with4 ,all of them are at perfect liberty to follow the course that commends itself to their own minds4 ,thus wonderfully do the two things go together--,divine ordination and human freedom4 ,how it should be so1 it baffles us to explain4 ,but that it is so1 must be obvious to every thoughtful mind4 ,and it is because we see the two things so harmonious in the common affairs of life1 that we can believe them to act harmoniously in the higher plane of redemption and salvation4 ,for in that sphere1 too1 all things fall out in accordance with the ,divine plan4 ,known unto ,god are all ,his works from the beginning of the world4 ,yet this universal predestination in no degree interferes with the liberty of man4 ,if men reject ,god's offers1 it is because they are personally unwilling to accept of them4 ,if they receive ,his offers1 it is because they have been made willing to do so4 ,ye will not come unto ,me that ye might have life1 said our ,lord to the ,jews4 ,and yet it is ever true that it is ,god that worketh in you both to will and to do of ,his good pleasure4 ,god having given the people permission to appoint a king1 that king has now to be found4 ,what kind of person must the first king be--the first to supersede the old rule of the ,divinely-inspired judges1 the first to fulfil the cravings of the people1 the first to guide the nation which had been appointed by ,god to stand in so close a relation to ,himself8 ,it seemed desirable1 that in the first king of ,israel1 two classes of qualities should be united1 in some degree contradictory to one another4 ,first1 he must possess some of the qualities for which the people desire to have a king2 while at the same time1 from ,god's point of view1 it is desirable that under him the people should have some taste of the evils which ,samuel had said would follow from their choice4 ,to an ,oriental people1 a stately and commanding personality was essential to an ideal king4 ,they liked a king that would look well on great occasions1 that would be a commanding figure at the head of an army1 or in the centre of a procession2 that would arrest the eye of strangers1 and inspire at first sight an involuntary respect for the nation that had such a ruler at its head4 ,nor could any one have more fully realized the wishes of the people in this respect than ,saul4 ,a choice young man and a goodly2 there was not among the children of ,israel a goodlier person than he2 from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people4 ,further1 though his tribe was small in number1 it was not small in influence4 ,and his family was of a superior caste1 for ,kish was a mighty man of power4 ,and ,saul's personal qualities were prepossessing and promising4 ,he showed himself ready to comply with his father's order about the asses that had strayed1 and to undertake a laborious journey to look for them4 ,he was interested in his father's business1 and ready to help him in his time of need4 ,and the business which he undertook he seems to have executed with great patience and thoroughness4 ,a foot journey over a great part of the territory of ,benjamin was no easy task4 ,altogether1 he shows himself1 as we say1 a capable man4 ,he is not afraid to face the irksome2 he does not consult merely for his ease and pleasure2 labour does not distress him1 and difficulties do not daunt him4 ,all this was so far promising1 and it seems to have been exactly what the people desired4 ,but on the other hand1 there seems to have been1 from the very beginning1 a great want in ,saul4 ,he appears from the very first to have wanted all that was most conspicuous and most valuable in ,samuel4 ,it is a circumstance not without its significance1 that the very name and work of ,samuel do not seem to have been familiar or even known to him4 ,it was his servant that knew about ,samuel1 and that told ,saul of his being in the city1 in the land of ,zuph 7ver4 #f74 ,this cannot but strike us as very strange4 ,we should have thought that the name of ,samuel would have been as familiar to all the people of ,israel as that of ,queen ,victoria to the people of ,great ,britain4 ,but ,saul does not appear to have heard it1 as in any way remarkable4 ,does not this indicate a family living entirely outside of all religious connections1 entirely immersed in secular things1 caring nothing about godly people1 and hardly ever even pronouncing their name8 ,it is singular how utterly ignorant worldly men are of what passes in religious circles1 if they happen to have no near relative1 or familiar acquaintance in the religious world to carry the news to them from time to time4 ,and as ,saul thus lived outside of all religious circles1 so he seems to have been entirely wanting in that great quality which was needed for a king of ,israel--loyalty to the ,heavenly ,king4 ,here it was that the difference between him and ,samuel was so great4 ,loyalty to ,god and to ,god's nation was the very foundation of ,samuel's life4 ,anything like self-seeking was unknown to him4 ,he had early undergone that momentous change1 when ,god is substituted for self as the pivot of one's life4 ,the claims of the great ,king were ever paramount in his eyes4 ,what would please ,god and be honouring to ,him1 was the first question that rose to his mind4 ,and as ,israel was ,god's people1 so the interest and the welfare of ,israel were ever dear to him4 ,and thus it was that ,samuel might be relied on not to think of himself1 not to think of his own wishes or interests1 except as utterly subordinate to the wishes and interests of his ,god and his nation4 ,it was this that gave such solidity to ,samuel's character1 and made him so invaluable to his people4 ,in every sphere of life it is a precious quality4 ,whether as domestic servants1 or clerks1 or managers1 dependent on others1 those persons are ever of priceless worth whose hearts are thus set on objects outside themselves1 and who are proof against the common temptations of selfishness and worldliness4 ,and when they are the rulers of a nation1 and are able to disregard their personal welfare in their burning desire to benefit the whole people1 they rise to the rank of heroes1 and after their death1 their names are enshrined in the memories of a grateful and admiring people4 ,but in these high qualities1 ,saul seems to have been altogether wanting4 ,for though he was not selfish and self-indulgent at first1 though he readily obeyed his father in going to search for the strayed asses1 he had no deep root of unselfishness in his nature1 and by-and-bye1 in the hour of temptation1 the cloven foot unhappily appeared4 ,and ere long the people would learn1 that as ,saul had in him no profound reverence for the will of ,god1 so he had in him no profound and indefeasible regard for the welfare of ,god's people4 ,the people would come to see what a fatal mistake they had made in selecting a king merely for superficial qualities1 and passing by all that would have allied him1 as ,samuel was allied1 to ,god himself4 ,now it seems to have been ,god's purpose that the first king of ,israel should be a man of this kind4 ,through him the people were to learn that the king who simply fulfilled their notions1 was capable1 when his self-will was developed1 of dragging the nation to ruin4 ,no6 it was not the superficial qualities of ,saul that would be a blessing to the nation4 ,it was not a man out of all spiritual sympathy with the living ,god that would raise the standing of ,israel among the kingdoms around1 and bring them the submission and respect of foreign kings4 ,the intense and consistent godliness of ,samuel was probably the quality that was not popular among the people4 ,in the worldliness of his spirit1 ,saul was probably more to their liking4 ,yet it was this unworldly but godly ,samuel that had delivered them from the bitter yoke of the ,philistines1 and it was this handsome but unspiritual ,saul that was to bring them again into bondage to their ancient foes4 ,this was the sad lesson to be learned from the reign of ,saul4 ,but ,god did not design altogether to abandon ,his people4 ,when the lesson should be learnt from ,saul's history1 ,he would guide them to a king of a different stamp4 ,he would give them a king after ,his own heart--one that would make the will of ,god the great rule1 and the welfare of the people the great end of his government4 ,david would engrave in the history of the nation in deeper letters than even ,samuel1 the all-important lesson1 that for kings and countries as much as for individuals1 the fear of the ,lord is the beginning of wisdom2 that ,god honours them that honour ,him1 while they that despise ,him shall indeed be lightly esteemed4 ,but let us now come to the circumstances that led to the meeting of ,saul and ,samuel4 ,the asses of ,kish had strayed4 ,very probably they had strayed at a time when they were specially needed4 ,the operations of the farm had to be suspended for want of them perhaps at a season when any delay would be especially inconvenient4 ,in all ranks of life1 men are subject to these vexations1 and he is a happy man who does not fret under them1 but keeps his temper calm1 in spite of all the worry4 ,especially is he a happy man who retains his equanimity under the conviction that the thing is appointed by ,god1 and that ,he who overruled the loss of ,kish's asses to such high events in the history of his son1 is able so to order all their troubles and worries that they shall be found conducive to their highest good4 ,at ,kish's order1 ,saul and one of the servants go forth to seek the asses4 ,with the precise localities through which they passed1 we are not accurately acquainted1 such places as ,shalim or ,zuph not having yet been identified4 ,but the tour must have been an extensive one1 extending over most of the territory of ,benjamin2 and as it must have been necessary to make many a detour1 up hill and down dale1 to this farm and to that1 the labour involved must have been very great4 ,it was not a superficial but a thorough search4 ,at last1 when they came to the land of ,zuph1 they had been away so long that ,saul thought it necessary to return1 lest his father should think that some evil had befallen them4 ,but the servant had another string to his bow4 ,though ,saul was not familiar with the name or the character of ,samuel1 his servant was4 ,what ,god hides from the wise and prudent1 ,he sometimes reveals to babes4 ,it is an interesting thing in the history of the ,church1 how often great people have been indebted to servants for important guidance1 perhaps even for their first acquaintance with saving truth4 ,the little captive maid that ministered in the house of ,naaman the ,syrian was the channel through whom he came to know of the prophet of ,israel who was able to heal him4 ,many a distinguished ,christian has acknowledged1 like the ,earl of ,shaftesbury1 his obligations to some pious nurse that when he was a child told him ,bible stories and pressed on his heart the claims of ,god4 ,happy those servants who are faithful in these circumstances1 and of whom it can be said1 ,they have done what they could6 ,of this servant of ,saul's we know nothing whatever1 save that1 in his master's dilemma1 he told him of the ,lord's servant1 and induced him to apply to him to extricate him from his difficulty4 ,it does not appear that the city was ,samuel's usual place of abode4 ,it was a place to which he had come to hold a religious service1 and the occasion was evidently one of much importance4 ,it is interesting to observe how the difficulty was got over1 of their having no present to offer to the man of ,god1 in accordance with the custom of the country4 ,saul1 though in comfortable circumstances1 had absolutely no particle of money with him4 ,his servant had but a quarter of a shekel1 not designed apparently for spending purposes1 but perhaps a little keepsake or kind of amulet he carried about with him4 ,but there was such hospitality in those days that people going about the country had no need for money4 ,so it was when our ,lord instructed the disciples when sending them out on their missionary tour--,provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses1 nor scrip for your journey1 neither two coats1 neither shoes1 nor yet staves1 for the labourer is worthy of his meat4 ,those who have presumed on these instructions1 holding that the modern missionary does not need any sustenance to be provided for him1 but may safely trust to the hospitality of the heathen1 forget how different was the case and the custom among the ,hebrew people4 ,but now1 as ,saul and his servant came to the city1 another providential meeting takes place to help them to their object4 ,as they went up the hill to the city1 they found young maidens going out to draw water4 ,the city was up the hill1 and the water supply would naturally be at the bottom4 ,from the maidens that were going down to the fountain1 they obtained information fitted to quicken their movements4 ,they learned that the prophet had already arrived4 ,the preparations for the sacrifice which he was to offer were now going on4 ,it was just the time to get a word with him1 if they had business to transact4 ,very soon he would be going up to the high place1 and then the solemn rites would begin1 and be followed by the feast1 which would engross his whole attention4 ,if they would catch him at the proper moment they must make haste4 ,that they did quicken their pace1 we cannot doubt4 ,and it was necessary2 for just as they reached the city ,samuel made his appearance1 about to go up to the high place4 ,if they had lost that moment1 they would probably have had no opportunity during the whole day4 ,nor is it likely that ,saul1 who had no great desire for the company of the prophet1 would have waited till the sacrifice and the feast were over4 ,the two men were brought together just in the nick of time4 ,and thus another essential link of ,god's chain1 bringing the old and the new ruler of ,israel into contact with each other1 was happily adjusted1 all through means to us apparently accidental1 but forming parts of the great scheme of ,god4 ,from this part of the narrative we may derive two great lessons1 the one with reference to ,god1 and the other with reference to man4 ,first1 as it regards ,god1 we cannot but see how silently1 secretly1 often slowly1 yet surely1 ,he accomplishes ,his purposes4 ,there are certain rivers in nature that flow so gently1 that when looking at the water only1 the eye of the spectator is unable to discern any movement at all4 ,often the ways of ,god resemble such rivers4 ,looking at what is going on in common life1 it is so ordinary1 so absolutely quiet1 that you can see no trace whatever of any ,divine plan4 ,things seem left to themselves1 and ,god appears to have no connection with them4 ,and yet1 all the while1 the most insignificant of them is contributing towards the accomplishment of the mighty plans of ,god4 ,by means of ten thousand times ten thousand agents1 conscious and unconscious1 things are moving on towards the grand consummation4 ,men may be instruments in ,god's hands without knowing it4 ,when ,cyrus was moving his armies towards ,babylon1 he little knew that he was accomplishing the ,divine purpose for the humbling of the oppressor and the deliverance of ,his oppressed people4 ,and in all the events of common life1 men seem to be so completely their own masters1 there seems such a want of any influence from without1 that ,god is liable to slip entirely out of sight4 ,and yet1 as we see from the chapter before us1 ,god is really at work4 ,whether men know it or not1 they are really fulfilling the purposes of ,his will4 ,calmly but steadily1 like the stars in the silent heavens1 men are bringing to pass the schemes of ,god4 ,his wildest enemies are really helping to swell ,his triumphs4 ,oh1 how vain is the attempt to resist ,his mighty hand6 ,the day cometh1 when all the tokens of confusion and defeat shall disappear1 when the bearing even of the fall of a sparrow on the plans of ,god shall be made apparent1 and every intelligent creature in earth and heaven shall join in the mighty shout--,alleluiah1 for the ,lord ,god ,omnipotent reigneth4 ,but again1 there is a useful lesson in this chapter for directing the conduct of men4 ,you see in what direction the mind of ,saul's servant moved for guidance in the day of difficulty4 ,it was toward the servant of ,god4 ,and you see likewise how1 when ,saul and he had determined to consult the man of ,god1 they were providentially guided to him4 ,to us1 the way is open to ,god ,himself1 without the intervention of any prophet4 ,let us in every time of trouble seek access to ,god4 ,have we not a thousand examples of it in ,bible history1 and in other history too8 ,men say it is not right we should trouble ,god with trifles4 ,nay1 the living ,god knows not what trouble is1 and in ,his scheme there are no trifles4 ,there is no limit one way or other in the command1 ,in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving1 let your requests be made known unto ,god4 ,acknowledge ,him in all your ways1 and ,he will direct your steps4 ,but above all1 acknowledge ,him with reference to the way of life eternal4 ,make sure that you are in the way to heaven4 ,use well the guide book with which you are furnished4 ,let ,god's word be a light to your feet and a lamp to your path2 and then your path shall itself be like the shining light1 shining brighter and brighter unto the perfect day4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,first ,,meeting ,,of ,,samuel ,,and ,,saul4 #a ,,samuel ix4 #ae-bg4 ,the meeting between ,samuel and ,saul was preceded by previous meetings between ,samuel and ,god4 ,god had prepared the prophet for his visit from the future king of ,israel1 and the first thing brought before us in these verses is the communication on this subject which had been made to the prophet a day before4 ,it is very interesting to observe how readily ,samuel still lends himself for any service he can render on behalf of his people1 under the new arrangement that ,god had permitted for their government4 ,we have seen how mortified ,samuel was at first1 when the people came to him with their request for a king4 ,he took it as a personal affront1 as well as a grave public error4 ,conscious as he was of having done his duty faithfully1 and of having rendered high service to the nation1 and reposing calmly1 as he probably was1 on the expectation that at least for some time to come1 ,israel would move forward peacefully and happily on the lines which he had drawn for them1 it must have been a staggering blow when they came to him and asked him to overturn all that he had done1 and make them a king4 ,it must have been one of those bewildering moments when one's whole life appears lost1 and all one's dearest hopes and hardest labours lie shattered1 like the fragments of a potter's vessel4 ,we have seen how1 in that sad moment1 ,samuel carried his sorrows to the ,lord1 and learning thus to view the whole matter from ,god's point of view1 how he came to make comparatively little account of his own disappointment1 and to think only how he could still serve the cause of ,god1 how he could still help the people1 how he could prevent the vessel which he was no longer to steer from dashing against the hidden rocks he saw so clearly ahead4 ,it is impossible not to be struck with the beauty and purity of ,samuel's character in this mode of action4 ,how many a good man takes offence when slighted or superseded by some committee or other body1 in connection with a political1 social1 or religious cause which he has tried to help6 ,if they won't have me1 he says1 let them do without me4 ,if they won't allow me to carry out the course which ,i have followed1 and which has been undoubtedly highly beneficial1 ,i'll have nothing more to do with them4 ,he sulks in his tent like ,achilles1 or goes over to the enemy like ,coriolanus4 ,not so ,samuel6 ,his love for the people is too deep to allow of such a course4 ,they have behaved badly to him1 but notwithstanding he will not leave them4 ,like an injured but loving wife1 who labours with every art of patient affection to reclaim the husband that has abused her and broken her heart2 like a long-suffering father1 who attends with his own hands to the neglected work of his dissipated son1 to save him if possible from the consequences of his folly--,samuel overlooks his personal slight1 and bears with the public folly of the people1 in the endeavour to be of some use to them in the important stage of their history on which they are entering4 ,he receives ,divine communications respecting the man who is to supersede him in the government of the people1 and instead of jealousy and dislike1 shows every readiness to help him4 ,it is refreshing to find such tokens of magnanimity and disinterestedness4 ,however paltry human nature may be in itself1 it can become very noble when rehabilitated by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,need we ask which is the nobler course8 ,you feel that you have not been treated perhaps by your church with sufficient consideration4 ,you fret1 you complain1 you stay away from church1 you pour your grievance into every open ear4 ,would ,samuel have done so8 ,is not your conduct the very reverse of his8 ,side by side with his1 must not yours be pronounced poor and paltry8 ,have you not need to study the thirteenth chapter of #a ,corinthians1 and when you read of the charity that beareth all things1 believeth all things1 hopeth all things1 endureth all things1 ask yourselves whether it might not be said of you that you have neither part nor lot in this matter8 ,the communication that ,god had made to ,samuel was1 that on the following day ,he would send to him the man whom he was to anoint as captain over ,israel1 that he might save them from the ,philistines2 for ,he had looked upon ,his people1 because their cry was come up to ,him4 ,there is an apparent inconsistency here with what is said elsewhere4 ,in chap4 viii4 #ac it is said1 that the ,philistines came no more into the coast of ,israel1 and that the hand of the ,lord was against the ,philistines all the days of ,samuel4 ,but probably all the days of ,samuel mean only the days when he exerted himself actively against them4 ,as long as ,samuel watched and checked them1 they were kept in restraint2 but when he ceased to do so1 they resumed their active hostility4 ,the concluding verses of chap4 xiii4 7#ai-bc7 show that in ,saul's time the ,philistine oppression had become so galling that the very smiths had been removed from the land of ,israel1 and there was no right provision even for sharpening ploughshares1 or coulters1 or axes1 or mattocks4 ,undoubtedly ,saul removed this oppression for a time1 and ,david's elegy shows how beneficial his reign was in some other ways1 although the last act of his life was an encounter with the ,philistines in which he was utterly defeated4 ,it is evident that before ,saul's time the tyranny of their foes had been very galling to the ,israelites4 ,the words of ,god1 their cry is come up to ,me1 indicate quietly a very terrible state of distress4 ,they carry us back to the words uttered at the burning bush1 ,i have seen1 ,i have seen the affliction of ,my people which are in ,egypt1 have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters2 for ,i know their sorrows4 ,god speaks after the manner of men4 ,he needs no cry to come into ,his ears to tell ,him of the woes of the oppressed4 ,nevertheless ,he seems to wait till that cry is raised1 till the appeal is made to ,him1 till the consciousness of utter helplessness sends men to ,his footstool4 ,and a very blessed truth it is1 that ,he sympathizes with the cry of the oppressed4 ,there is much meaning in the simple expression--their cry is come up to ,me4 ,it denotes a very tender sympathy1 a concern for all that they have been suffering1 and a resolution to interpose on their behalf4 ,god is never impassive nor indifferent to the sorrows and sufferings of ,his people4 ,all are designed to serve as chastenings with a view to ultimate good4 ,the eye of ,god is ever watching to see whether the chastening is sufficient1 and when it is so1 to stop the suffering4 ,in the ,inquisitor's chamber1 the eye of ,god was ever on the boot and the thumbscrew1 on the knife and the pincers1 on the furnace and all the other instruments of torture4 ,in the sick room1 ,he watches the spent and struggling patient1 knows every paroxysm of pain1 knows all the restlessness and tossing of the weary night4 ,he understands the anguish of the loving heart when one after another of its treasures is torn away4 ,he knows the unutterable distress when a child's misconduct brings down grey heirs with sorrow to the grave4 ,appearances may be all the other way1 but the ,lord ,god is merciful and gracious1 slow to anger and of great compassion4 ,the night may be long and weary1 but the dawn comes at the appointed time4 ,ye have heard of the patience of ,job1 and have seen the end of the ,lord1 that the ,lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy4 ,but now ,samuel and ,saul have met4 ,saul is as unfamiliar with ,samuel's appearance as with his name2 he goes up to him and asks where the seer's house is4 ,i am the seer1 replies ,samuel2 but at the moment ,samuel was not at liberty1 and could not converse with ,saul4 ,he invites him to go up with him to the high place1 and take part in the religious service4 ,then he invites him to the feast that was to follow the sacrifice4 ,next day he is to deal with him as a prophet1 making important communications to him4 ,but in regard to the matter which occupies him at the moment1 his father's asses1 he need trouble himself no more on that head1 for the asses are found4 ,then he gives ,saul a hint of what is coming4 ,he makes an announcement to him that he and his father's house are the objects of the whole desire of ,israel4 ,it is not very apparent whether or not ,saul had any inkling of the meaning of this remark4 ,it may be that he viewed it as a mere expression of politeness1 savouring of the customary exaggeration of the ,east4 ,at all events1 his answer was couched in those terms of extravagant humility which was likewise matter of ,eastern custom4 ,am not ,i a ,benjamite1 of the smallest of the tribes of ,israel8 and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of ,benjamin8 ,wherefore then speakest thou so to me8 ,the sacrifice next engages the attention of all4 ,samuel's first meeting with ,saul takes place over the symbol of expiation1 over the sacrifice that shows man to be a sinner1 and declares that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin4 ,no doubt the circumstance was very impressive to ,samuel1 and would be turned to its proper use in subsequent conversation with ,saul1 whether ,saul entered into the spirit of it or not4 ,if it be asked1 ,how could a sacrifice take place on the height of this city1 whereas ,god had commanded that only in the place which ,he was to choose should such rites be performed8--the answer is1 that at that time ,shiloh lay in ruins1 and ,mount ,zion was still in the possession of the ,jebusites4 ,the final arrangements had not yet been made for the ,hebrew ceremonial1 and in the present provisional and unsettled state of things1 sacrifices were not limited to a single place4 ,after the sacrifice1 came the feast4 ,it was now that ,samuel began to give more explicit hints to ,saul of the dignity to which he was to be raised4 ,the feast was held in the parlour--a room adjacent to the place of sacrifice1 to which ,samuel had invited a large company--thirty of the chief inhabitants of the town4 ,first ,saul and his servant are complimented by having the place of honour assigned to them4 ,then they are honoured by having a portion set before them which had been specially set apart for them the day before4 ,the speech concerning this portion in ver4 #bd is somewhat obscure if it be regarded as a speech of ,samuel's4 ,it seems more natural to regard it as a speech of the cook's4 ,it will be observed that the word ,samuel in the middle of the verse is in italics1 showing that it is not in the ,hebrew1 so that it is more natural to regard the clause as having the cook for its nominative1 and indeed this talk about the portion is more suitable for the cook than for ,samuel4 ,servants were not forbidden to speak during entertainments2 nor did their masters disdain even to have serious conversation with them 7see ,nehemiah ii4 #b-h74 ,there is another correction of the ,authorized ,version that needs to be made4 ,at the end of ver4 #bd the words ,since ,i said are not a literal rendering4 ,the original is simply the word which is constantly rendered saying4 ,it has been suggested 7,speaker's ,commentary7 that a word or two should be supplied to make the sense complete1 and the verse would then run3--unto this time hath it been kept for thee against the festival of which ,samuel spake1 saying1 ,i have invited the people4 ,the part thus reserved was the shoulder and its appurtenances4 ,why this part was regarded as more honourable than any other1 we do not know1 nor is it of any moment2 the point of importance being1 first1 that by ,samuel's express instructions it had been reserved for ,saul1 and second1 that these instructions had been given as soon as ,samuel made arrangements for the feast4 ,to honour ,saul as the destined king of ,israel was ,samuel's unhesitating purpose4 ,some men might have said1 ,it will be time enough to show this mark of respect when the man is actually chosen king4 ,had there been the slightest feeling of grudge in the mind of ,samuel1 this is what he would have thought4 ,but instead of grudging ,saul his new dignity1 he is forward to acknowledge it4 ,there shall be no holding back on his part of honour for the man whom the ,lord delighted to honour4 ,if the words of ver4 #bd were really spoken by the cook1 they must have added a new element of surprise and impression to ,saul4 ,it was apparent that he had been expected to this feast4 ,the cook had been warned that a man of consequence was coming1 and had therefore set apart that portion to him4 ,saul must have felt both that a supernatural power had been at work1 and that some strange destiny--possibly the royal dignity--was in reserve for him4 ,to us1 pondering the circumstances1 what is most striking is1 the wonderful way in which the fixed purpose of ,god is accomplished1 while all the agents in the matter remain perfectly free4 ,that ,saul and his servant should be present with ,samuel at that feast1 was the fixed decree of heaven4 ,but it was brought about quite naturally4 ,there was no constraint on the mind of ,saul's servant1 when1 being in the land of ,zuph1 he proposed that they should go into the city1 and try to make inquiry of the man of ,god4 ,there was no constraint on the damsels when at a certain time they went down to the fountain for water1 and on their way met ,saul and his servant4 ,there was no constraint on ,saul and his servant1 save that created by common sense1 when they quickened their pace in order to meet ,samuel on the way to the sacrifice4 ,every one of these events fell out freely and naturally4 ,yet all were necessary links in the chain of ,god's purposes4 ,from ,god's point of view they were necessary1 from man's point of view they were casual4 ,thus necessity and freedom harmonized together1 as they always do in the plans and operations of ,god4 ,it is absurd to say that the predestination of ,god takes away the liberty of man4 ,it is unreasonable to suppose that because ,god has predestinated all events1 we need not take any step in the matter of our salvation4 ,such an idea is founded on an utter misunderstanding of the relation in which ,god has placed us to ,him4 ,it overlooks the great truth1 that ,god's ways are not our ways1 nor ,his thoughts our thoughts4 ,the relation of the ,infinite ,will to the wills of finite creatures is a mystery we cannot fathom2 but the effect on us should be to impel us to seek that our will may ever be in harmony with ,god's1 and that thus the petition in the ,lord's prayer may be fulfilled1 ,thy will be done on earth1 as it is in heaven4 ,the feast is over2 ,samuel and ,saul return to the city1 and there1 on the housetop1 they commune together4 ,the twenty-sixth verse seems to narrate in detail what is summarily contained in the twenty-fifth4 ,after returning from the sacrifice and the feast1 they seem to have committed themselves to rest4 ,in the early morning1 about daybreak1 they had their conversation on the housetop1 and thereafter ,samuel sent ,saul away1 convoying him part of the road4 ,what the conversation on the housetop was1 we are not told2 but we have no difficulty in conjecturing4 ,samuel could not but communicate to ,saul the treasured thoughts of his lifetime regarding the way to govern ,israel4 ,he must have recalled to him ,god's purpose regarding ,his people1 beginning with the call of ,abraham1 dwelling on the deliverance from ,egypt1 and touching on the history of the several judges1 and the lessons to be derived from each4 ,we may fancy the fervour with which he would urge on ,saul1 that the one thing most essential for the prosperity of the nation--the one thing which those in power ought continually to watch and aim at1 was1 loyalty by the people to their heavenly ,king1 and the faithful observance of ,his law and covenant4 ,he would dwell emphatically on the many instances in which neglect of the covenant had brought disaster and misery1 and on the wonderful change in their outward circumstances which had come with every return of fidelity to their ,king4 ,granted1 they were soon to have a king4 ,they were to change their form of government1 and be like the rest of the nations4 ,but if they changed their form of government1 they were not to surrender the palladium of their nation1 they were not to abandon their gloria et tutamen4 ,the new king would be tempted like all the kings around him to regard his own will as his only rule of action1 and to fall in with the prevalent notion1 that kings were above the law1 because the king's will was the law1 and nothing could be higher than that4 ,what an infinite calamity it would be to himself and to the nation1 if the new king of ,israel were to fall into such a delusion6 ,yes1 the king was above the law1 and the king's will was the law2 but it was the ,king of kings alone who had this prerogative1 and woe to the earthly ruler that dared to climb into ,his throne1 and take into his puny hands the sceptre of the ,omnipotent6 ,such1 we may well believe1 was the tenor of that first meeting of ,samuel and ,saul4 ,we cannot but carry forward our thoughts a little1 and think what was the last4 ,the last meeting was at ,endor1 where in darkness and utter despair1 the king of ,israel had thought of his early friend1 had perhaps recalled his gentle kindness on this first occasion of their meeting1 and wondered whether he might not be able and willing to throw some light once more upon his path4 ,but alas1 the day of merciful visitation was gone4 ,the first conversation was in the brightness of early morning2 the last in midnight gloom4 ,the time of day was appropriate for each4 ,on that sepulchral night1 the worst evils that he had dreaded1 and against which he had doubtless warned him on that housetop1 had come to pass4 ,self-willed and regardless of ,god1 ,saul had taken his own course1 and brought his people to the very verge of ruin4 ,differing1 toto coelo1 from ,samuel in his treatment of his successor1 he had hunted ,david like a partridge on the mountains1 and stormed against the man who was to bring back to the nation the blessings of which he had robbed it4 ,brought to bay at last by his recklessness and passion1 he could only reap the fruit of what he had sown2 for ,god is not mocked2 they that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption1 and they that sow to the ,spirit shall1 of the ,spirit1 reap life everlasting4 ,again there was to ring out the great law of the kingdom1--,them that honour ,me1 ,i will honour2 while they that despise ,me shall be lightly esteemed4 ,the good words of ,samuel fell not into good ground4 ,he had not in ,saul a congenial hearer4 ,saul was too worldly a man to care for1 or appreciate spiritual things4 ,alas1 how often for a similar reason1 the best words of the best men fail of their purpose6 ,but how is this ever to be cured8 ,how is the uncongenial heart to become a fit bed for the good seed of the ,kingdom8 ,i own1 it is a most difficult thing4 ,those who are afflicted with indifference to spiritual truth will not seek a remedy1 because the very essence of their malady is that they do not care4 ,but surely their ,christian friends and relatives1 and all interested in their welfare1 will care very much4 ,have you such persons--persons whose worldly hearts show no sympathy with ,divine truth--among your acquaintances or in your families8 ,persons so steeped in worldliness that the strongest statements of saving truth are as much lost upon them as grains of the best wheat would be lost if sown in a heap of sand8 ,o how should you be earnest for such in prayer2 there is a remedy1 and there is a ,physician able to apply it2 the ,spirit of ,god if appealed to1 can repeat the process that was so effectual at ,philippi1 when the ,lord opened the heart of ,lydia1 that she attended to the things that were spoken by ,paul4 ,if ye then that are evil know how to give good things unto your children1 how much more shall your ,father who is in heaven give the ,holy ,spirit to them that ask ,him4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,saul ,,anointed ,,by ,,samuel4 #a ,,samuel x4 #a-af4 ,there is a remarkable minuteness of detail in this and other narratives in ,samuel1 suggesting the authenticity of the narrative1 and the authorship of one who was personally connected with the transactions4 ,the historical style of ,scripture is very characteristic2 sometimes great periods of time are passed over with hardly a word1 and sometimes events of little apparent importance are recorded with what might be thought needless minuteness4 ,in ,genesis1 the whole history of the world before the flood is despatched in seven chapters1 less than is occupied with the history of ,joseph4 ,enoch's biography is in one little verse1 while a whole chapter is taken up with the funeral of ,sarah1 and another chapter of unusual length with the marrying of ,isaac4 ,yet we can be at no loss to discover good reasons for this arrangement4 ,it combines two forms of history--annals1 and dramatic story4 ,annals are short1 and necessarily somewhat dry2 but they have the advantage of embracing much in comparatively short compass4 ,the dramatic story is necessarily diffuse2 it occupies a large amount of space2 but it has the advantage of presenting a living picture--of bringing past events before the reader as they happened at the time4 ,if the whole history of the ,bible had been in the form of annals1 it would have been very useful1 but it would have wanted human interest4 ,if it had been all in the dramatic form1 it would have occupied too much space4 ,by the combination of the two methods1 we secure the compact precision of the one1 and the living interest of the other4 ,in the verses that are to form the subject of the present lecture1 we have a lively dramatic picture of what took place in connection with the anointing of ,saul by ,samuel as king of ,israel4 ,the event was a very important one1 as showing the pains that were taken to impress him with the solemnity of the office1 and his obligation to undertake it in full accord with ,god's sacred purpose in connection with ,his people ,israel4 ,everything was planned to impress on ,saul that his elevation to the royal dignity was not to be viewed by him as a mere piece of good fortune1 and to induce him to enter on the office with a solemn sense of responsibility1 and in a spirit entirely different from that of the neighbouring kings1 who thought only of their royal position as enabling them to gratify the desires of their own hearts4 ,both ,saul and the people must see the hand of ,god very plainly in ,saul's elevation1 and the king must enter on his duties with a profound sense of the supernatural influences through which he has been elevated1 and his obligation to rule the people in the fear1 and according to the will1 of ,god4 ,though the servant that accompanied ,saul seems to have been as much a companion and adviser as a servant1 and to have been present as yet in all ,samuel's intercourse with ,saul1 yet the act of anointing which the prophet was now to perform was more suitable to be done in private than in the presence of another2 consequently the servant was sent on before 7ch4 ix4 #bg74 ,it would seem to have been ,samuel's intention1 while paying honour to ,saul as one to whom honour was due1 and thus hinting at his coming elevation1 not to make it public1 not to anticipate the public selection which would follow soon in an orderly way4 ,it was right that ,saul himself should know what was coming1 and that his mind should be prepared for it2 but it was not right at this stage that others should know it1 for that would have seemed an interference with the choice of the people4 ,it must have been in some quiet corner of the road that ,samuel took out his vial of sacred oil1 and poured it on ,saul to anoint him king of ,israel4 ,the kiss which he gave him was the kiss of homage1 a very old way of recognizing sovereignty 7,ps4 ii4 #ab71 and still kept up in the custom of kissing the sovereign's hand after elevation to office or dignity4 ,to be thus anointed by ,god's recognised servant1 was to receive the approval of ,god ,himself4 ,saul now became ,god's messiah--the ,lord's anointed4 ,for the term messiah1 as applied to ,christ1 belongs to ,his kingly office4 ,though the priests likewise were anointed1 the title derived from that act was not appropriated by them1 but by the kings4 ,it was counted a high and solemn dignity1 making the king's person sacred1 in the eyes of every ,god-fearing man4 ,yet this was not an indelible character2 it might be forfeited by unfaithfulness and transgression4 ,the only ,messiah1 the only ,anointed ,one1 who was incapable of being set aside1 was ,he whom the kings of ,israel typified4 ,of ,him ,isaiah foretold3 ,of the increase of ,his government and peace there shall be no end1 upon the throne of ,david and upon his kingdom1 to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice1 from henceforth even for ever4 ,and in announcing the birth of ,jesus1 the angel foretold3 ,he shall reign over the house of ,jacob for ever1 and of ,his kingdom there shall be no end4 ,it is evident that ,saul was surprised at the acts of ,samuel4 ,we can readily fancy his look of astonishment after the venerable prophet had given him the kiss of homage1--the searching gaze that asked1 ,what do you mean by that8 ,samuel was ready with his answer3 ,is it not because the ,lord hath anointed thee to be captain over ,his heritage8 ,but in so momentous a matter1 involving a supernatural communication of the will of ,god1 an assurance even from ,samuel was hardly sufficient4 ,it was reasonable that ,saul should be supplied with tangible proofs that in anointing him as king ,samuel had complied with the will of ,god4 ,these tangible proofs ,samuel proceeded to give4 ,they consisted of predictions of certain events that were about to happen--events that it was not within the range of ordinary sagacity to foresee1 and which were therefore fitted to convince ,saul that ,samuel was in possession of supernatural authority1 and that the act of consecration which he had just performed was agreeable to the will of ,god4 ,the first of these proofs was1 that when he had proceeded on his journey as far as ,rachel's tomb1 he would meet with two men who would tell him that the lost asses had been found1 and that his father's anxiety was now about his son4 ,it must be owned that the localities here are very puzzling4 ,if the meeting with ,samuel was near ,ramah of ,benjamin1 ,saul1 in returning to ,gibeah1 would not have occasion to go near ,rachel's tomb4 ,we can only say he may have had some reason for taking this route unknown to us4 ,here he would find a confirmation of what ,samuel had told him on the day before2 and his mind being thus relieved of anxiety1 he would have more freedom to ponder the marvellous things of which ,samuel had spoken to him4 ,the next token was to be found in the plain of ,tabor1 but this ,tabor can have no connection with the well-known mountain of that name in the plain of ,esdraelon4 ,some have conjectured that this ,tabor is derived from ,deborah1 ,rachel's nurse1 who was buried in the neighbourhood of ,bethel 7,gen4 xxxv4 #h71 but there is no probability in this conjecture4 ,here three men1 going up to ,bethel to a religious festival were to meet ,saul2 and they were to present him1 as an act of homage1 with two of their three loaves4 ,this was another evidence that ,god was filling men's hearts with a rare feeling towards him4 ,the third token was to be the most remarkable of any4 ,it was to occur at what is called the hill of ,god4 ,literally this is ,gibeah of ,god--,god's ,gibeah4 ,it seems to have been ,saul's own city1 but the name ,gibeah may have been given to the whole hill where the city lay4 ,the precise spot where the occurrence was to take place was at the garrison of the ,philistines4 7,thus it appears incidentally that the old enemy were again harassing the country47 ,gibeah1 which is elsewhere called ,gibeah of ,saul1 is here called ,god's ,gibeah1 because of the sacred services of which it was the seat4 ,here ,saul would meet a company of prophets coming down from the holy place1 with psaltery1 and tabret1 and pipe1 and harp1 and here his mind would undergo a change1 and he would be impelled to join the prophets' company4 ,this was a strange token1 with a strange result4 ,we must try1 first1 to form some idea of ,saul's state of mind in the midst of these strange events4 ,the thought of his being king of ,israel must have set his whole being vibrating with high emotion4 ,no mind can take in at first all that is involved in such a stroke of fortune4 ,a tumult of feeling surges through the mind4 ,it is intoxicated with the prospect4 ,glimpses of this pleasure and of that1 now brought within reach1 flit before the fancy4 ,the whole pulses of ,saul's nature must have been quickened4 ,a susceptibility of impression formerly unknown must have come to him4 ,he was like a cloud surcharged with electricity2 he was in that state of nervous excitement which craves a physical outlet1 whether in singing1 or shouting1 or leaping1--anything to relieve the brain and nervous system1 which seem to tremble and struggle under the extraordinary pressure4 ,but mingling with this1 there must have been another1 and perhaps deeper1 emotion at work in ,saul's bosom4 ,he had been brought into near contact with the ,supernatural4 ,the thought of the ,infinite ,power that ordains and governs all had been stirred very vividly within him4 ,the three tokens of ,divine ordination met with in succession at ,rachel's tomb1 in the plain of ,tabor1 and in the neighbourhood of ,gibeah1 must have impressed him very profoundly4 ,probably he had never had any very distinct impression of the great ,supernatural ,being before4 ,the worldly turn of mind which was natural to him would not occupy itself with any such thoughts4 ,but now it was made clear to him not only that there was a ,supernatural ,being1 but that ,he was dealing very closely with him4 ,it is always a solemn thing to feel in the presence of ,god1 and to remember that ,he is searching us and knowing us1 knowing our sitting down and our rising up1 and comprehending all our thoughts afar off4 ,at such times the sense of our guilt1 feebleness1 dependence1 usually comes on us1 full and strong4 ,must it not have been so with ,saul8 ,if the prospect of kingly power was fitted to puff him up1 the sense of ,god's nearness to him was fitted to cast him down4 ,what was he before ,god8 ,an insignificant worm1 a guilty sinner1 unworthy to be called ,god's son4 ,the whole susceptibilities of ,saul were in a state of high excitement2 the sense of the ,divine presence was on him1 and for the moment a desire to render to ,god some acknowledgment of all the mercy which had come upon him4 ,when the company of prophets met him coming down the hill1 the ,spirit of ,god came upon him1 and he prophesied with them4 ,when in the ,old ,testament the ,spirit of ,god is said to come on one1 the meaning is not always that ,he comes in regenerating and sanctifying grace4 ,the ,spirit of ,god in ,bezaleel1 the son of ,uri1 made him cunning in all manner of workmanship1 to work in gold1 and in silver1 and in brass4 ,the ,spirit of ,god1 when ,he came upon ,samson1 magnified his physical strength1 and fitted him for the most wonderful feats4 ,so the ,spirit of ,god1 when ,he came on ,saul1 did not necessarily regenerate his being2 alas6 in ,saul's future life1 there is only too much evidence of an unchanged heart6 ,still it might be said of ,saul that he was changed into another man4 ,elevated by the prospect before him1 but awed at the same time by a sense of ,god's nearness1 he had no heart for the pursuits in which he would have engaged on his return home had no such change occurred4 ,in the mood of mind in which he was now1 he could not look at anything frivolous3 his mind soared to higher things4 ,when therefore he met the company of prophets coming down the hill1 he was impelled by the surge of his feelings to join their company and take part in their song4 ,they were returning from the high place where they had been engaged in worship1 and now they seem to have been continuing the service1 sounding out the high praises of ,god1 and thankfully remembering ,his mercies4 ,it was the same ,god who had so wonderfully drawn near to ,saul1 and conferred on him privileges which were as exalted as they were undeserved4 ,no wonder the heart of ,saul caught the infection1 and threw itself for the time into the service of praise6 ,no young man could well have resisted the impulse4 ,had he not been chosen out of all the ten thousands of ,israel for an honour and a function higher than any ,israelite had ever yet enjoyed8 ,ought he not1 must he not1 in all the enthusiasm of profoundest wonder1 extol the name of ,him from whom so suddenly1 so unexpectedly1 yet so assuredly1 this marvellous favour had come8 ,but it was an employment very different from what had hitherto been his custom4 ,that utter worldliness of mind which we have referred to as his natural disposition would have made him scorn any such employment in his ordinary mood as utterly alien to his feelings4 ,too often we see that worldly-minded men not only have no relish for spiritual exercises1 but feel bitterly and scornfully toward those who affect them4 ,the reason is not far to seek4 ,they know that religious men count them guilty of sin1 of great sin1 in so neglecting the service of ,god4 ,to be condemned1 whether openly or not1 galls their pride1 and sets them to disparage those who have so low an opinion of them4 ,it is not said that ,saul had felt bitterly toward religious men previous to this time4 ,but whether he did so or not1 he appears to have kept aloof from them quite as much as if he had4 ,and now in his own city he appears among the prophets1 as if sharing their inspiration1 and joining with them openly in the praises of ,god4 ,it is so strange a sight that every one is astonished4 ,saul among the prophets6 people exclaim4 ,shall wonders ever cease8 ,and yet ,saul was not in his right place among the prophets4 ,saul was like the stony ground seed in the parable of the sower4 ,he had no depth of root4 ,his enthusiasm on this occasion was the result of forces that did not work at the heart of his nature4 ,it was the result of the new and most remarkable situation in which he found himself1 not of any new principle of life1 any principle that would involve a radical change4 ,it is a solemn fact that men may be worked on by outer forces so as to do many things that seem to be acts of ,divine service1 but are not so really4 ,a man suddenly raised to a high and influential position feels the influence of the change1--feels himself sobered and solemnized by it1 and for a time appears to live and act under higher considerations than he used to acknowledge before4 ,but when he gets used to his new position1 when the surprise has abated1 and everything around him has become normal to him1 his old principles of action return4 ,a young man called suddenly to take the place of a most worthy and honoured father feels the responsibility of wearing such a mantle1 and struggles for a time to fulfil his father's ideal4 ,but ere long the novelty of his position wears away1 the thought of his father recurs less frequently1 and his old views and feelings resume their sway4 ,admission to the fellowship of a ,church which sustains a high repute may have at first not only a restraining1 but a stimulating and elevating effect1 until1 the position becoming familiar to one1 the emotions it first excited die away4 ,this risk is peculiarly incident to those who bear office in the ,church4 ,ordination to the ministry1 or to any other spiritual office1 solemnizes one at first1 even though one may not be truly converted1 and nerves one with strength and resolution to throw off many an evil habit4 ,but the solemn impression wanes with time1 and the carnal nature asserts its claims4 ,how earnest and how particular men ought ever to be in examining themselves whether their serious impressions are the effect of a true change of nature1 or whether they are not mere temporary experiences1 the casual result of external circumstances4 ,but how is this to be ascertained8 ,let us recall the test with which our ,lord has furnished us4 ,not every one that saith unto ,me1 ,lord1 ,lord1 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven1 but he that doeth the will of ,my ,father which is in heaven4 ,many will say unto ,me in that day1 ,lord1 ,lord1 have we not prophesied in ,thy name1 and in ,thy name have cast out devils1 and in ,thy name have done many wonderful works8 ,then will ,i say unto them1 ,i never knew you2 depart from ,me1 ye that work iniquity4 ,the real test is a changed will2 a will no longer demanding that self be pleased1 but that ,god be pleased2 a will yielding up everything to the will of ,god2 a will continually asking what is right and what is true1 not what will please me1 or what will be a gain to me2 a will overpowered by the sense of what is due in nature to the ,lord and ,judge of all1 and of what is due in grace to ,him that loved us and washed us from our sins in ,his own blood4 ,have you thus surrendered yourselves to ,god8 ,at the heart and root of your nature is there the profound desire to do what is well-pleasing in ,his sight8 ,if so1 then1 even amid abounding infirmities1 you may hold that you are the child of ,god4 ,but if still the principle--silent1 perhaps1 and unavowed1 but real--that moves you and regulates your life be that of self-pleasing1 any change that may have occurred otherwise must have sprung only from outward conditions1 and the prayer needs to go out from you on the wings of irrepressible desire1 ,create in me a clean heart1 ,o ,lord1 and renew a right spirit within me4 ,two things in this part of the chapter have yet to be adverted to4 ,the first is that somewhat mysterious question 7ver4 #ab7 which some one asked on seeing ,saul among the prophets--,but who is their father8 ,various explanations have been given of this question2 but the most natural seems to be1 that it was designed to meet a reason for the surprise felt at ,saul being among the prophets--viz4 that his father ,kish was a godless man4 ,that consideration is irrelevant2 for who1 asks this person1 is the father of the prophets8 ,the prophetic gift does not depend on fatherhood4 ,it is not by connection with their fathers that the prophetic band enjoy their privileges4 ,why should not ,saul be among the prophets as well as any of them8 ,such men are born not of blood1 nor of the will of man1 nor of the will of the flesh1 but of ,god4 ,the other point remaining to be noticed is ,saul's concealment from his uncle of all that ,samuel had said about the kingdom4 ,it appears from this both that ,saul was yet of a modest1 humble spirit1 and perhaps that his uncle would have made an unwise use of the information if he had got it4 ,it would be time enough for that to be known when ,god's way of bringing it to pass should come4 ,there is a time to speak and a time to keep silence4 ,saul told enough to the uncle to establish belief in the supernatural power of ,samuel1 but nothing to gratify mere curiosity4 ,thus in many ways ,saul commends himself to us in this chapter1 and in no way does he provoke our blame4 ,he was like the young man in the ,gospel in whom our ,lord found so much that was favourable4 ,alas1 he was like the young man also in the particular that made all the rest of little effect--,one thing thou lackest4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,saul ,,chosen ,,king4 #a ,,samuel x4 #ag-bg4 ,when first the desire to have a king came to a height with the people1 they had the grace to go to ,samuel1 and endeavour to arrange the matter through him4 ,they did not1 indeed1 show much regard to his feelings2 rather they showed a sort of childlike helplessness1 not appearing to consider how much he would be hurt both by their virtual rejection of his government1 and by their blunt reference to the unworthy behaviour of his sons4 ,but it was a good thing that they came to ,samuel at all4 ,they were not prepared to carry out their wishes by lawless violence2 they were not desirous to make use of the usual ,oriental methods of revolution--massacre and riot4 ,it was so far well that they desired to avail themselves of the peaceful instrumentality of ,samuel4 ,we have seen how ,samuel carried the matter to the ,lord1 and how the ,lord yielded so far to the wish of the nation as to permit them to have a king4 ,and ,samuel having determined not to take offence1 but to continue in friendly relations to the people and do his utmost to turn the change to the best possible account1 now proceeds to superintend the business of election4 ,he summons the people to the ,lord to ,mizpeh2 that is1 he convenes the heads of the various tribes to a meeting1 which was not to be counted a rough political convention1 but a solemn religious gathering in the very presence of the ,lord4 ,either before the meeting1 or at the meeting1 the principle must have been settled on which the election was to be made4 ,it was1 however1 not so much the people that were to choose as ,god4 ,the selection was to take place by lot4 ,this method was resorted to as the best fitted to show who was the object of ,god's choice4 ,there seems to have been no trace of difference of opinion as to its being the right method of procedure4 ,but before the lot was actually cast1 ,samuel addressed to the assembly one of those stern1 terrible exposures of the spirit that had led to the transaction which would surely have turned a less self-willed and stiff-necked people from their purpose1 and constrained them to revert to their original economy4 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god of ,israel3 ,i brought up ,israel out of ,egypt1 and delivered you out of the hand of the ,egyptians1 and out of the hand of all kingdoms1 and of them that oppressed you2 and ye have this day rejected your ,god1 who ,himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations2 and ye have said unto ,him1 ,nay1 but set a king over us4 ,how could the people1 we may well ask1 get over this8 ,how could they prefer an earthly king to a heavenly8 ,what possible benefit worth naming could accrue to them from a transaction dishonouring to the ,lord of heaven1 which1 if it did not make ,him their enemy1 could not but chill ,his interest in them8 ,perhaps1 however1 we may wonder less at the behaviour of the ,israelites on this occasion if we bear in mind how often the same offence is committed1 and with how little thought and consideration1 at the present day4 ,to begin with1 take the case--and it is a very common one--of those who have been dedicated to ,god in baptism1 but who cast their baptismal covenant to the winds4 ,the time comes when the provisional dedication to the ,lord should be followed up by an actual and hearty consecration of themselves4 ,failing that1 what can be said of them but that they reject ,god as their ,king8 ,and with what want of concern is this often done1 and sometimes in the face of remonstrances1 as1 for instance1 by the many young men in our congregations who allow the time for decision to pass without ever presenting themselves to the ,church as desirous to take on them the yoke of ,christ6 ,a moment's thought might show them that if they do not actively join themselves to ,christ1 they virtually sever themselves from ,him4 ,if ,i make a provisional bargain with any one to last for a short time1 and at the end of that time take no steps to renew it1 ,i actually renounce it4 ,not to renew the covenant of baptism1 when years of discretion have been reached1 is virtually to break it off4 ,much consideration must be had for the consciousness of unworthiness1 but even that is not a sufficient reason1 because our worthiness can never come from what we are in ourselves1 but from our faith in ,him who alone can supply us with the wedding garment4 ,then there are those who reject ,god in a more outrageous form4 ,there are those who plunge boldly into the stream of sin1 or into the stream of worldly enjoyment1 determined to lead a life of pleasure1 let the consequences be what they may4 ,as to religion1 it is nothing to them1 except a subject of ridicule on the part of those who affect it4 ,morality--well1 if it fall within the fashion of the world1 it must be respected2 otherwise let it go to the winds4 ,god1 heaven1 hell1--they are mere bugbears to frighten the timid and superstitious4 ,not only is ,god rejected1 but ,he is defied4 ,not only are ,his blessing1 ,his protection1 ,his gracious guidance scorned1 but the devil1 or the world1 or the flesh is openly elevated to ,his throne4 ,yet men and women too can go on through years of life utterly unconcerned at the slight they offer to ,god1 and unmoved by any warning that may come to them ,who is the ,almighty that we should serve ,him8 ,and what profit shall we have if we bow down before ,him8 ,their attitude reminds us of the answer of the persecutor1 when the widow of his murdered victim protested that he would have to answer both to man and to ,god for the deed of that day4 ,to man1 he said1 ,i can easily answer2 and as for ,god1 ,i will take ,him in my own hands4 ,but there is still another class against whom the charge of rejecting ,god may be made4 ,not1 indeed1 in the same sense or to the same degree1 but with one element of guilt which does not attach to the others1 inasmuch as they have known what it is to have ,god for their ,king4 ,i advert to certain ,christian men and women who in their early days were marked by much earnestness of spirit1 but having risen in the world1 have fallen back from their first attainments1 and have more or less accepted the world's law4 ,perhaps it was of their poorer days that ,god had cause to remember the kindness of their youth and the love of their espousals4 ,then they were earnest in their devotions1 full of interest in ,christian work1 eager to grow in grace and in all the qualities of a ,christlike character4 ,but as they grew in wealth1 and rose in the world1 a change came o'er the spirit of their dream4 ,they must have fine houses and equipages1 and give grand entertainments1 and cultivate the acquaintance of this great family and that1 and get a recognized position among their fellows4 ,gradually their life comes to be swayed by considerations they never would have thought of in early days4 ,gradually the strict rules by which they used to live are relaxed1 and an easier and more accommodating attitude towards the world is taken up4 ,and as surely the glow of their spiritual feelings cools down2 the charm of their spiritual enjoyments goes off2 the blessed hope1 even the glorious appearing of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 fades away2 and one scheme after another of worldly advancement and enjoyment occupies their minds4 ,what glamour has passed over their souls to obliterate the surpassing glory of ,jesus ,christ1 the image of the invisible ,god8 ,what evil spell has robbed the ,cross of its holy influence1 and made them so indifferent to the ,son of ,god1 who loved them and gave ,himself for them8 ,is the gate of heaven changed1 that they no longer care to linger at it1 as in better times they used so fondly to do8 ,no4 ,but they have left their first love2 they have gone away after idols2 they have been caught in the snares of the god of this world4 ,in so far1 they have rejected their ,god that saved them out of all their adversities and tribulations2 and if they go on to do so after solemn warning1 their guilt will be like the guilt of ,israel1 and the day must come when their own wickedness shall correct them1 and their backslidings shall reprove them4 ,but let us come back to the election4 ,the first lot was cast between the twelve tribes1 and it fell on ,benjamin4 ,the next lot was cast between the families of ,benjamin1 and it fell on the family of ,matri2 and when they came to closer quarters1 as it were1 the lot fell on ,saul1 the son of ,kish4 ,again we see how the most casual events are all under government1 and conspire to accomplish the purpose of ,him who worketh all things after the counsel of ,his own will4 ,the lot is cast into the lap2 but the whole disposing thereof is of the ,lord4 ,no doubt ,saul had anticipated this consummation4 ,he had had too many supernatural evidences to the same effect to have any lingering doubt what would be the result of the lot4 ,but it was too much for him4 ,he hid himself1 and could not be found4 ,and we do not think the worse of him for this1 but rather the better4 ,it is one of the many favourable traits that we find at the outset of his kingly career4 ,however pleasant it might be to ruminate on the privileges and honours of royalty1 it was a serious thing to undertake the leadership of a great nation4 ,in this respect1 ,saul shared the feeling that constrained ,moses to shrink back when he was appointed to deliver ,israel from ,egypt1 and that constrained ,jeremiah to remonstrate when he was appointed a prophet unto the nations4 ,many of the best ministers of ,christ have had this feeling when they were called to the ,christian ministry4 ,gregory ,nazianzen actually fled to the wilderness after his ordination1 and ,ambrose1 ,bishop of ,milan1 in the civil office which he held1 tried to turn the people from their choice even by acts of cruelty and severity1 after they had called on him to become their bishop4 ,but1 besides the natural shrinking of ,saul from so responsible an office1 we may believe that he was not unmoved by the solemn representation of ,samuel that in their determination to have a human king the people had been guilty of rejecting ,god4 ,this may have been the first time that that view of the matter seriously impressed itself on his mind4 ,even though it was accompanied by the qualification that ,god in a sense sanctioned the new arrangement1 and though the use of the lot would indicate ,god's choice1 ,saul might well have been staggered by the thought that in electing a king the people had rejected ,god4 ,even though his mind was not a spiritual mind1 there was something frightful in the very idea of a man stepping1 so to speak1 into ,god's place4 ,no wonder then though he hid himself6 ,perhaps he thought that when he could not be found the choice would fall on some one else4 ,but no4 ,an appeal was again made to ,god1 and ,god directly indicated ,saul1 and indicated his place of concealment4 ,the stuff or baggage among which ,saul was hid was the collection of packages which the people would naturally bring with them1 and which it was the custom to pile up1 often as a rampart or defence1 while the assembly lasted4 ,we can fancy the scene when1 the pile of baggage being indicated as the hiding-place1 the people rushed to search among it1 knocking the contents asunder very unceremoniously1 until ,saul was at length discovered4 ,from his inglorious place of retreat the king was now brought out1 looking no doubt awkward and foolish1 yet with that commanding figure which seemed so suitable for his new dignity4 ,and his first encouragement was the shout of the people--,god save the king6 ,how strange and quick the transition6 ,a minute ago he was safe in his hiding-place1 wondering whether some one else might not get the office4 ,now the shouts of the people indicate that all is settled4 ,king of ,israel he is henceforward to be4 ,three incidents are recorded towards the end of the chapter as throwing light on the great event of the day4 ,in the first place1 ,samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom1 and wrote it in a book1 and laid it up before the ,lord4 ,this was another means taken by the faithful prophet to secure that this new step should if possible be for good1 and not for evil4 ,it was a new protest against assimilating the kingdom of ,israel to the other kingdoms around4 ,no6 although ,jehovah was no longer ,king in the sense in which ,he had been1 ,his covenant and ,his law were still binding1 and must be observed in ,israel to their remotest generation4 ,no change could repeal the law of the ten words given amid the thunders of ,sinai4 ,no change could annul the promise to ,abraham1 ,in thee and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed4 ,no change could reverse that mode of approach to a holy ,god which had been ordained for the sinner--through the shedding of atoning blood4 ,the destiny of ,israel was not changed1 as the medium of ,god's communications to the world on the most vital of all subjects in which sinners could be interested4 ,and king though he was1 ,saul would find that there was no way of securing the true prosperity of his kingdom but by ruling it in the fear of ,god1 and with the highest regard to ,his will and pleasure2 while nothing was so sure to drive it to ruin1 as to depart from the ,divine prescription1 and plunge into the ways that were common among the heathen4 ,the next circumstance mentioned in the history is1 that when the people dispersed1 and when ,saul returned to his home at ,gibeah1 there went with him a band of men1 whose hearts ,god had touched4 ,they were induced to form a bodyguard for the new king1 and they did so under no physical constraint from him or any one else1 but because they were moved to do it from sympathy1 from the desire to help him and be of service to him in the new position to which he had been raised4 ,here was a remarkable encouragement4 ,a friend in need is a friend indeed4 ,could there have been any time when ,saul was more in need of friends8 ,how happy a thing it was that he did not need to go and search for them2 they came to him with their willing service4 ,and what a happy start it was for him in his new office that these helpers were at hand to serve him6 ,a band of willing helpers around one takes off more than half the difficulty of a difficult enterprise4 ,men that enter into one's plans1 that sympathize with one's aims1 that are ready to share one's burdens1 that anticipate one's wishes1 are of priceless value in any business4 ,but they are of especial value in the ,church of ,christ4 ,one of the first things our ,lord did after entering on ,his public ministry was to call to ,himself the twelve1 who were to be ,his staff1 ,his ready helpers wherever they were able to give help4 ,is it not the joy of the ,christian minister1 as he takes up his charge1 if there go with him a band of men whose hearts ,god has touched8 ,how lonely and how hard is the ministry if there be no such men to help6 ,how different when efficient volunteers are there1 in readiness for the ,sunday-school1 and the ,band of hope1 and the missionary society1 and the congregational choir1 and for visiting the sick1 and every other service of ,christian love6 ,congregations ought to feel that it cannot be right to leave all the work to their minister4 ,what kind of battle would it be if all the fighting were left to the officer in command8 ,let the members of congregations ever bear in mind that it is their duty and their privilege to help in the work4 ,if we wish to see the picture of a prosperous ,apostolic ,church1 let us study the last chapter of the ,epistle to the ,romans4 ,the glory of the primitive ,church of ,rome was that it abounded in men and women whose hearts ,god had touched1 and who laboured much in the ,lord4 ,do any of us shrink from such work8 ,are any willing to pray for ,god's work1 but unwilling to take part in it personally8 ,such a state of mind cannot but suggest the question1 ,has the ,lord touched your hearts8 ,the expression is a very significant one4 ,it implies that one touch of ,god's hand1 one breathing of ,his ,spirit1 can effect such a change that what was formerly ungenial becomes agreeable2 a vital principle is imparted to the heart4 ,life can come only from the fountain of life4 ,hearts can be quickened only by the living ,spirit of ,god4 ,in vain shall we try to serve ,him until our hearts are touched by ,his ,spirit4 ,would that that ,spirit were poured forth so abundantly that one should say1 ,i am the ,lord's1 and another should call himself by the name of ,jacob1 and another should subscribe with his hand to the ,lord1 and surname himself with the name of ,israel6 ,the last thing to be noticed is the difference of feeling toward ,saul among the people4 ,while he was received cordially by most1 there was a section that despised him1 that scorned the idea of his delivering the nation1 and1 in token of their contempt1 brought him no presents4 ,they are called the children of ,belial4 ,it was not that they regarded his election as an invasion of the ancient constitution of the country1 as an interference with the sovereign rights of ,jehovah1 but that1 in their pride1 they refused to submit to him2 they would not have him for their king4 ,the tokens of ,divine authority--the sanction of ,samuel1 the use of the lot1 and the other proofs that what was done at ,mizpeh had been ratified in heaven--made no impression upon them4 ,we are told of ,saul that he held his peace2 he would rather refute them by deeds than by words2 he would let it be seen1 when the opportunity offered1 whether he could render any service to the nation or not4 ,but does not this ominous fact1 recorded at the very threshold of ,saul's reign1 at the very time when it became so apparent that he was the ,lord's anointed1 suggest to our minds a corresponding fact1 in reference to ,one who is the ,lord's ,anointed in a higher sense8 ,is there not in many a disposition to say even of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,how shall this man save us8 ,do not many rob the ,lord ,jesus ,christ of ,his saving power1 reducing ,him to the level of a mere teacher1 denying that ,he shed ,his blood to take away sin8 ,and are there not others who refuse their homage to the ,lord from sheer self-dependence and pride8 ,they have never been convinced of their sins1 never shared the publican's feeling1 but rather been disposed to boast1 like the ,pharisee1 that they were not like other men4 ,and is not ,christ still to many as a root out of a dry ground1 without form or comeliness wherefore they should desire ,him8 ,oh for the spirit of wisdom and illumination in the knowledge of ,him6 ,oh that1 the eyes of our understandings being enlightened1 we might all see ,jesus fairer than the children of men1 the chief among ten thousand1 yea altogether lovely2 and that1 instead of our manifesting any unwillingness to acknowledge ,him and follow ,him1 the language of our hearts might be1 ,whom have we in heaven but ,thee8 and there is none on the earth that we desire besides ,thee4 ,entreat us not to leave ,thee1 nor to return from following after ,thee2 for where ,thou goest we will go1 and where ,thou lodgest we will lodge2 ,thy people shall be our people1 and ,thou ,thyself our ,lord and our ,god4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,the ,,relief ,,of ,,jabesh-,,gilead4 #a ,,samuel xi4 ,primitive though the state of society was in those days in ,israel1 we are hardly prepared to find ,saul following the herd in the field after his election as king of ,israel4 ,we are compelled to conclude that the opposition to him was far from contemptible in number and in influence1 and that he found it expedient in the meantime to make no demonstration of royalty1 but continue his old way of life4 ,if we go back to the days of ,abimelech1 the son of ,gideon1 we get a vivid view of the awful crimes which even an ,israelite could commit1 under the influence of jealousy1 when other persons stood in the way of his ambitious designs4 ,it is quite conceivable that had ,saul at once assumed the style and title of royalty1 those children of ,belial who were so contemptuous at his election would have made away with him4 ,human life was of so little value in those ,eastern countries1 and the crime of destroying it was so little thought of1 that if ,saul had in any way provoked hostility1 he would have been almost certain to fall by some assassin's hand4 ,it was therefore wise of him to continue for a time his old way of living1 and wait for some opportunity which should arise providentially1 to vindicate his title to the sceptre of ,israel4 ,apparently he had not to wait long--according to ,josephus1 only a month4 ,the opportunity arose in a somewhat out-of-the-way part of the country1 where disturbance had been brewing previous to his election 7comp4 xii4 #ab74 ,it was not the first time that the inhabitants of ,gilead and other dwellers on the east side of ,jordan came to feel that in settling there they had to pay dear for their well-watered and well-sheltered pastures4 ,they were exposed in an especial degree to the assaults of enemies1 and pre-eminent among these were their cousins1 the ,ammonites4 ,very probably the ,ammonites had never forgotten the humiliation inflicted on them by ,jephthah1 when he smote them from ,aroer1 even till thou come to ,minnith1 even twenty cities1 and till thou come to the plain of the vineyards1 with a very great slaughter4 ,naturally the ,ammonites would be desirous both to avenge these defeats and to regain their cities1 or at least to get other cities in lieu of what they had lost4 ,we do not know with certainty the site of ,jabesh-,gilead1 or the reasons why it was the special object of attack by ,king ,nahash at this time4 ,but so it was2 and as the people of ,jabesh-,gilead either knew not or cared not for their real defence1 the ,god of ,israel1 they found themselves too hard bestead by the ,ammonites1 and1 exhausted probably by the weary siege1 proposed terms of capitulation4 ,this is the first scene in the chapter before us4 ,the men of ,jabesh said to ,nahash1 king of the ,ammonites1 ,make a covenant with us1 and we will serve thee4 ,the history of the ,israelites in time of danger commonly presents one or other of two extremes3 either pusillanimous submission1 or daring defiance to the hostile power4 ,in this case it was pusillanimous submission1 as indeed it commonly was when the people followed the motions of their own hearts1 and were not electrified into opposition by some great hero1 full of faith in ,god4 ,but it was not mere cowardice they displayed in offering to become the servants of the ,ammonites2 there was impiety in it likewise4 ,for of their relation to ,god they made no account whatever4 ,by covenant with their fathers1 ratified from generation to generation1 they were ,god's servants1 and they had no right voluntarily to transfer to another master the allegiance which was due to ,god alone4 ,the proposal they made was virtually a breach of the first commandment4 ,and it was not a case of necessity4 ,instead of humbling themselves before ,god and confessing the sins that had brought them into trouble1 they put ,god altogether aside1 and basely offered to become the servants of the ,ammonites4 ,even the remembrance of the glorious victories of their own ,jephthah1 when he went to war with the ,ammonites1 in dependence on the ,god of ,israel1 seems to have had no effect in turning them from the inglorious proposal4 ,we see here the sad effect of sin and careless living in lowering men's spirits1 sapping courage1 and discouraging noble effort4 ,oh1 it is pitiable to see men tamely submitting to a vile master6 ,yet how often is the sight repeated6 ,how often do men virtually say to the devil1 ,make a covenant with us1 and we will serve thee6 ,not indeed in the open way in which it used to be believed that one of the popes1 before his elevation to the papal chair1 formally sold his soul to the devil in exchange for that dignity4 ,yet how often do men virtually give themselves over to serve a vile master1 to lead evil or at least careless lives1 to indulge in sinful habits which they know they should overcome1 but which they are too indolent and self-indulged to resist6 ,men and women1 with strong proclivities to sin1 may for a time resist1 but they get tired of the battle2 they long for an easier life1 and they say in their hearts1 ,we will resist no longer2 we will become your servants4 ,they are willing to make peace with the ,ammonites1 because they are wearied of fighting4 ,anything for a quiet life6 ,they surrender to the enemy1 they are willing to serve sin1 because they will not surrender the ease and the pleasures of sin4 ,but sin is a bad master2 his wages are terrible to think of4 ,the terms which ,nahash offered to the men of ,jabesh-,gilead combined insult and injury4 ,on this condition will ,i make a covenant with you3 that ,i may thrust out all your right eyes1 and lay it for a reproach unto all ,israel4 ,the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel4 ,there is nothing in which the pernicious influence of paganism was more notorious in ancient times--and indeed1 we may say1 is more notorious in all times--than in the horrible cruelties to which it led4 ,barbarity was the very element in which it lived4 ,and that barbarity was often exemplified in cruelly depriving enemies of those members and organs of the body which are most needful for the comfort of life4 ,the hands and the eyes were especially the victims of this diabolical feeling4 ,just as you may see at this day in certain ,african villages miserable creatures without hands or eyes who have fallen under the displeasure of their chief and received this revolting treatment1 so it was in those early times4 ,but ,nahash was comparatively merciful4 ,he was willing to let the men of ,jabesh off with the loss of one eye only4 ,but as if to compensate for this forbearance1 he declared that he would regard the transaction as a reproach upon all ,israel4 ,the mutilated condition of that poor one-eyed community would be a ground for despising the whole nation2 it would be a token of the humiliation and degradation of the whole ,israelite community4 ,these were the terms of ,nahash4 ,his favour could be purchased only by a cruel injury to every man's body and a stinging insult to their whole nation4 ,but these terms were just too humiliating4 ,whether the men of ,jabesh would have been willing to lose their eyes as the price of peace we do not know2 but the proposed humiliation of the nation was something to which they were not prepared at once to submit4 ,the nation itself should look to that4 ,the nation should consider whether it was prepared to be thus insulted by the humiliation of one of its cities4 ,consequently they asked for a week's respite1 that it might be seen whether the nation would not bestir itself to maintain its honour4 ,if we regard ,nahash as a type of another tyrant1 as representing the tyranny of sin1 we may derive from his conditions an illustration of the hard terms which sin usually imposes4 ,the way of transgressors is hard4 ,oh1 what untold misery does one act of sin often bring6 ,one act of drunkenness1 in which one is led to commit some crime of violence that would never have been dreamt of otherwise2 one act of dishonesty1 followed up by a course of deceit and double-dealing1 that at last culminates in disgrace and ruin2 one act of unchastity1 leading to loss of character and to a downward career ending in utter darkness1--how frightful is the retribution6 ,but happy is the young person1 when under temptation to the service of sin1 if there comes to him at the very threshold some frightful experience of the hardness of the service1 if1 like the men of ,jabesh-,gilead1 he is made to feel that the loss and humiliation are beyond endurance1 and to betake himself to the service of another ,master1 whose yoke is easy1 whose burden is light1 and whose rewards are more precious than silver and gold6 ,with the activity of despair1 the men of ,jabesh now publish throughout all ,israel the terms that ,nahash has offered them4 ,at ,gibeah of ,saul a deep impression is made4 ,but it is not the kind of impression that gives much hope4 ,all the people lifted up their voices and wept4 ,it was just the way in which their forefathers had acted at the ,red ,sea1 when1 shut in between the mountains and the sea1 they saw the chariots of ,pharaoh advancing in battle array against them2 and again1 it was the way in which they spent that night in the wilderness after the spies brought back their report of the land4 ,it was a sorrowful sight--a whole mass of people crying like babies1 panic-stricken1 and utterly helpless4 ,but1 as in the two earlier cases1 there was a man of faith to roll back the wave of panic4 ,as ,moses at the ,red ,sea got courage to go forward1 as ,caleb1 the faithful spy1 was able to resist all the clamour of his colleagues and the people1 so on this occasion the spirit that rises above the storm1 and flings defiance even on the strongest enemies1 came mightily on one man--on ,saul4 ,his conduct at this time is another evidence how well he conducted himself in the opening period of his reign4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord came upon ,saul when he heard the tidings1 and his anger was kindled greatly4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord evidently means here that spirit of courage1 of noble energy1 of dauntless resolution1 which was needed to meet the emergency that had arisen4 ,his first act was a symbolical one1 very rough in its nature1 but an act of the kind that was best fitted to make an impression on an ,eastern people4 ,a yoke of oxen was hewn in pieces1 and the bloody fragments were sent by messengers throughout all ,israel1 with a thundering announcement that any one failing to follow ,saul would have his own oxen dealt with in a similar fashion6 ,it was a bold proclamation for a man to make who himself had just been following his herd in the field4 ,but boldness1 even audacity1 is often the best policy4 ,the thundering proclamation of ,saul brought an immense muster of people to him4 ,a sufficient portion of them would set out with the king1 hastening down the passes to the ,jordan valley1 and having crossed the river1 would bivouac for the night in some of the ravines that led up towards the city of ,jabesh-,gilead4 ,messengers had been previously pushed forward to announce to the people there the approach of the relieving force4 ,long before daybreak1 ,saul had divided his force into three1 who were to approach the beleaguered city by different roads and surprise the ,ammonites by break of day4 ,the plan was successfully carried out4 ,the assault on the ,ammonite army was made in the morning watch1 and continued till midday4 ,it was now the turn for the ,ammonites to fall under panic4 ,their assailants seem to have found them entirely unprepared4 ,there is nothing with which the undisciplined ranks of an ,eastern horde are less able to cope than an unexpected attack4 ,the defeat was complete1 and the slaughter must have been terrific2 and it came to pass that they which remained of them were scattered1 so that two of them were not left together4 ,the men of ,jabesh-,gilead1 who had expected to spend that night in humiliation and anguish1 would be sure to spend it in a very tumult of joy1 perhaps rather in a wild excitement than in the calm but intensely relieved condition of men of whom the sorrows of death had taken hold1 but whom the ,lord had delivered out of all their distresses4 ,it is no wonder though the people were delighted with their king4 ,from first to last he had conducted himself admirably4 ,he had not delayed an hour in taking the proper steps4 ,though wearied probably with his day's work among the herd1 he set about the necessary arrangements with the utmost promptitude4 ,it was a serious undertaking3 first1 to rouse to the necessary pitch a people who were more disposed to weep and wring their hands1 than to keep their heads and devise a way of escape in the hour of danger2 second1 to gather a sufficient army to his standard2 third1 to march across the ,jordan1 attack the foe1 confident and well equipped1 and deliver the beleaguered city4 ,but dangers and difficulties only roused ,saul to higher exertions4 ,and now1 when in one short week he has completed an enterprise worthy to rank among the highest in the history of the nation1 it is no wonder that the satisfaction of the people reaches an enthusiastic pitch4 ,it would have been unaccountable had it been otherwise4 ,and it is no wonder that their thoughts revert to the men who had stood in the way of his occupying the throne4 ,here is another proof that the opposition was more serious and more deadly than at first appears4 ,these men were far from contemptible4 ,even now they might be a serious trouble to the nation4 ,would it not be good policy to get rid of them at once8 ,did they not deserve to die1 and ought they not at once to be put to death8 ,it is not likely that if this question had been mooted in the like circumstances in any of the neighbouring kingdoms1 there would have been a moment's hesitation in answering it4 ,but ,saul was full of a magnanimous spirit--nay1 it seemed at the time a godly spirit4 ,his mind was impressed with the fact that the deliverance of that day had come from ,god4 ,and it was impressed at the same time with the grandeur and sublimity of the ,divine power that had been brought into operation on behalf of ,israel4 ,saul perceived a tremendous reality in the fact that the ,lord was their defence2 the ,holy ,one of ,israel was their ,king4 ,if ,israel was encircled by such a garrison1 if ,israel's king was under such a ,protector1 what need he fear from a gang of miscreants like these children of ,belial8 ,why dim the glory of the day by an act of needless massacre8 ,let forbearance to these misguided villains be another proof of the respect the nation had to the ,god of ,jacob1 as the ,defender of ,israel and ,israel's ,king1 and the certainty of their trust that ,he would defend them4 ,and so ,saul said1 ,there shall not a man be put to death this day2 for to-day the ,lord hath wrought salvation in ,israel4 ,o ,saul1 ,saul1 how well for thee it would have been hadst thou maintained this spirit6 ,for then ,god would not have had to reject thee from being king1 and to seek among the sheepfolds of ,bethlehem a man after ,his own heart to be the leader of ,his people6 ,and then thou wouldest have had no fear for the security of thy throne2 thou wouldest not have hunted thy rival like a partridge on the mountains2 and never1 never wouldest thou have been tempted1 in thy difficulties1 to seek counsel from a woman with a familiar spirit1 on the plea that ,god was departed from thee6 ,as we are thinking how well ,saul has acted on this occasion1 we perceive that an old friend has come on the scene who helps us materially to understand the situation4 ,yes1 he is all the better of ,samuel's guidance and prayers4 ,the good old prophet has no jealousy of the man who took his place as head of the nation4 ,but knowing well the fickleness of the people1 he is anxious to turn the occasion to account for confirming their feelings and their aims4 ,seeing how the king has acknowledged ,god as the ,author of the victory1 he desires to strike while the iron is hot4 ,come1 he says1 let us go to ,gilgal1 and renew the kingdom there4 ,gilgal was the first place where the people had encamped under ,joshua on crossing the ,jordan4 ,it was the place where the twelve stones taken from the empty bed of the river had been set up1 as a testimony to the reality of the ,divine presence in the midst of them4 ,in some aspects1 one might have thought that ,samuel would invite them to ,ebenezer1 where he had set up the stone of help1 and that he would add another testimony to the record that hitherto the ,lord had helped them4 ,but ,gilgal was nearer to ,jabesh-,gilead1 and it was memorable for still higher traditions4 ,to ,gilgal accordingly they went1 to renew the kingdom4 ,and there they made ,saul king before the ,lord in ,gilgal1 and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace-offerings before the ,lord1 and there ,saul and all the men of ,israel rejoiced greatly4 ,the first election of ,saul had been effected without any ceremonial1 as if the people had been somewhat afraid to have a public coronation when it was obvious they had carried their point only by ,divine sufferance1 not by ,divine command4 ,but now1 unequivocal testimony has been borne that1 so long as ,saul pays becoming regard to the heavenly ,king1 the blessing and countenance of the ,almighty will be his4 ,let him then be set apart with all due enthusiasm for his exalted office4 ,let his consecration take place in the most solemn circumstances--let it be before the ,lord in ,gilgal2 let it be accompanied with those sacrifices of peace-offerings which shall indicate respect for ,god's appointed method of reconciliation2 and let it be conducted with such devout regard to ,him and to ,his law1 that when it is over1 the ,divine blessing shall seem to fall on ,saul in the old form of benediction1 ,the ,lord bless thee and keep thee2 the ,lord make ,his face to shine on thee and be gracious to thee2 the ,lord lift up ,his countenance on thee and give thee peace4 ,let the impression be deepened that the ,god of ,israel is ,he that giveth strength and power unto ,his people4 ,saul himself will not be the worse for having these feelings confirmed1 and it will be of the highest benefit to the people4 ,and thus1 under ,samuel's guidance1 the kingdom was renewed4 ,thus did both ,saul and the people give unto the ,lord the glory due to ,his name4 ,and engaging in the ceremonial as they all did in this spirit1 both ,saul and all the men of ,israel rejoiced greatly4 ,it was1 perhaps1 the happiest occasion in all the reign of ,saul4 ,what contributed the chief element of brightness to the occasion was--the sunshine of ,heaven4 ,god was there1 smiling on ,his children4 ,there were other elements too4 ,samuel was there1 happy that ,saul had conquered1 that he had established himself upon the throne1 and1 above all1 that he had1 in a right noble way1 acknowledged ,god as the ,author of the victory at ,jabesh-,gilead4 ,saul was there1 reaping the reward of his humility1 his forbearance1 his courage1 and his activity4 ,the people were there1 proud of their king1 proud of his magnificent appearance1 but prouder of the super-eminent qualities that had marked the commencement of his reign4 ,nor was the pleasure of any one marred by any ugly blot or unworthy deed throwing a gloom over the transaction4 ,for one moment1 let us compare the joy of this company with the feelings of men revelling in the pleasures of sin and sensuality1 or even of men storing a pile of gold1 the result of some successful venture or the legacy of some deceased relative4 ,how poor the quality of the one joy compared to that of the other6 ,for what is there outside themselves that can make men so happy as the smile of ,god8 ,or what condition of the soul can be so full1 so overflowing with healthy gladness1 as when the heart is ordered in accordance with ,god's law1 and men are really disposed and enabled to love the ,lord their ,god with all their heart1 and to love their neighbours as themselves8 ,is there not something of heaven in this joy8 ,is it not joy unspeakable and full of glory8 ,one other question3 ,is it yours8 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,samuel',s ,,vindication ,,of ,,himself4 #a ,,samuel xii4 #a-e4 ,it was a different audience that ,samuel had to address at ,gilgal from either that which came to him to ,ramah to ask for a king1 or that which assembled at ,mizpeh to elect one4 ,to both of these assemblies he had solemnly conveyed his warning against the act of distrust in ,god implied in their wishing for a king at all1 and against any disposition they might feel1 when they got a king1 to pay less attention than before to ,god's will and covenant4 ,the present audience represented the army1 undoubtedly a great multitude1 that had gone forth with ,saul to relieve ,jabesh-,gilead1 and that now came with ,samuel to ,gilgal to renew the kingdom4 ,as the audience now seems to have been larger1 so it very probably represented more fully the whole of the twelve tribes of ,israel4 ,this may explain to us why ,samuel not only returned to the subject on which he had spoken so earnestly before1 but enlarged on it at greater length1 and appealed with more fulness to his own past life as giving weight to the counsels which he pressed upon them4 ,besides this1 the recognition of ,saul as king at ,gilgal was more formal1 more hearty1 and more unanimous than at ,mizpeh1 and the institution of royalty was now more an established and settled affair4 ,no doubt1 too1 ,samuel felt that1 after the victory at ,jabesh-,gilead1 he had the people in a much more impressible condition than they had been in before2 and while their minds were thus so open to impression1 it was his duty to urge on them to the very uttermost the truths that bore on their most vital well-being4 ,the address of ,samuel on this occasion bore on three things3 #a his own personal relations to them in the past 7vers4 #a-e72 #b the mode of ,god's dealing with their fathers1 and its bearing on the step now taken 7vers4 #f-ab72 and #c the way in which ,god's judgments might be averted and ,his favour and friendship secured to the nation in all time coming 7vers4 #ac-be74 #a4 ,the reason why ,samuel makes such explicit reference to his past life and such a strong appeal to the people as to its blameless character is1 that he may establish a powerful claim for the favourable consideration of the advice which he is about to give them4 ,the value of an advice no doubt depends simply on its own intrinsic excellence1 but the effect of an advice depends partly on other things2 it depends1 to a great extent1 on the disposition of people to think favourably of the person by whom the advice is given4 ,if you have reason to suspect an adviser of a selfish purpose1 if you know him to be a man who can plausibly represent that the course which he urges will be a great benefit to you1 while in reality he has no real regard for any interest but his own1 then1 let him argue as he pleases1 you do not allow yourselves to be moved by anything he may say4 ,but if you have good cause to know that he is a disinterested man1 if he has never shown himself to be selfish1 but uniformly devoted to the interests of others1 and especially of yourselves1 you feel that what such a man urges comes home to you with extraordinary weight4 ,now1 the great object of ,samuel in his reference to his past life was to bring the weight of this consideration to bear in favour of the advice he was to give to the people4 ,for he could appeal to them with the greatest confidence as to his absolute disinterestedness4 ,he could show that1 with ever so many opportunities of acting a selfish part1 no man could accuse him of having ever been guilty of crooked conduct in all his relations to the people4 ,he could establish from their own mouths the position that he was as thoroughly devoted to the interests of the nation as any man could be4 ,and therefore he called on them to give their most favourable and their most earnest attention to the advice which he was about to press on them1 the more so that he was most profoundly convinced that the very existence of the nation in days to come depended on its being complied with4 ,the first consideration he urged was1 that he had listened to their voice in making them a king4 ,he had not obstructed nor baulked them in their strong feeling1 though he might reasonably enough have done so4 ,he had felt the proposal keenly as a reflection on himself1 but he had waived that objection and gone on4 ,he had regarded it as a slur on the ,almighty1 but the ,almighty ,himself had been pleased to forgive it1 and he had transacted with ,him on their behalf in the same way as before4 ,nothing that he had done in this matter could have an unfriendly aspect put on it4 ,he had made the best of an objectionable proposal2 and now they had not only got their wish1 but along with it1 objectionable though it was1 a measure of the sanction of ,god4 ,and now1 behold1 the king walketh before you4 ,in the next place1 ,samuel adverts to his age4 ,i am old and grey-headed2 and1 behold1 my sons are with you1 and ,i have walked before you from my childhood unto this day4 ,you have had abundant opportunities to know me1 and my manner of life4 ,you know how ,i began1 and you know how ,i have gone on1 till now the circle of my years is nearly completed2 a new generation has grown up2 my sons are your contemporaries2 ,i am old and grey-headed4 ,you know how my childhood was spent in ,god's house in ,shiloh1 how ,god called me to be ,his prophet1 and how ,i have gone on in that exalted office1 trying ever to be faithful to ,him that called me4 ,what ,samuel delicately points to here is the uniformity of his life4 ,he had not begun on one line1 then changed to another4 ,he had not seesawed nor zigzagged1 one thing at one time1 another at another2 but from infancy to grey hairs he had kept steadfastly to the same course1 he had ever served the same ,master4 ,such steadiness and uniformity throughout a long life genders a wonderful weight of character4 ,the man that has borne an honoured name through all the changes and temptations of life1 through youth and middle age1 and even to hoar hairs1 that has served all that time under the same banner and never brought discredit on it1 has earned a title to no ordinary esteem4 ,it is this that forms the true glory of old age4 ,men instinctively pay honour to the hoary head when it represents a career of uniform and consistent integrity2 and ,christian men honour it all the more when it represents a lifetime of ,christian activity and self-denial4 ,examine the ground of this reverence1 and you will find it to be this3 such a mature and consistent character could never have been attained but for many a struggle1 in early life1 of duty against inclination1 and many a victory of the higher principle over the lower1 till at length the habit of well-doing was so established1 that further struggles were hardly ever needed4 ,men think of him as one who has silently but steadily yielded up the baser desires of his nature all through his life to give effect to the higher and the nobler4 ,they think of him as one who has sought all through life to give that honour to the will of ,god in which possibly they have felt themselves sadly deficient1 and to encourage among their fellow-men1 at much cost of self-denial1 those ways of life which inflict no damage on our nature and bring a serene peace and satisfaction4 ,of such a mode of life1 ,samuel was an admirable representative4 ,men of that stamp are the true nobles of a community4 ,loyal to ,god and faithful to man2 denying themselves and labouring to diffuse the spirit of all true happiness and prosperity2 visiting the fatherless and the widows in their affliction1 and keeping themselves unspotted by the world--happy the community whose quiver is full of them6 ,happy the ,church1 happy the country1 that abounds in such worthies6--men1 as ,thomas ,carlyle said of his peasant ,christian father1 of whom one should be prouder in one's pedigree than of dukes or kings1 for what is the glory of mere rank or accidental station compared to the glory of ,godlike qualities1 and of a character which reflects the image of ,god ,himself8 ,the third point to which ,samuel adverts is his freedom from all acts of unjust exaction or oppression1 and from all those corrupt practices in the administration of justice which were so common in ,eastern countries4 ,behold1 here ,i am2 witness against me before the ,lord and before ,his anointed2 whose ox have ,i taken8 or whose ass have ,i taken8 or whom have ,i defrauded8 whom have ,i oppressed8 or of whose hand have ,i received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith8 and ,i will restore it to you4 ,it was no small matter to be able to make this challenge1 which is as fearless in tone as it is comprehensive in range1 in the very midst of such a sea of corruption as the neighbouring kingdoms of the ,east presented4 ,it would seem as if1 down to this day1 the people in most of these despotic countries had never known any other regime but one of unjust exaction and oppression4 ,we have seen1 in an earlier chapter of this book1 how shamefully the very priests abused the privilege of their sacred office to appropriate to themselves the offerings of ,god4 ,in the days of our ,lord and ,john the ,baptist1 what was it that rendered the publicans so odious but that their exactions went beyond the limits of justice and decency alike8 ,even to this day1 the same system prevails as corrupt as ever4 ,i have heard from an excellent ,american missionary a tale of a court of justice that came within his experience1 even at a conspicuous place like ,beirut1 that shows that without bribery it is hardly possible to get a decision on the proper side4 ,a claim had been made to a piece of land which he had purchased for his mission1 and as he refused to pay what on the very face of it was obviously unjust1 he was summoned before the magistrate4 ,the delays that took place in dealing with the case were alike needless and vexatious1 but the explanation came in a message from the authorities1 slily conveyed to him1 that the wheels of justice would move much faster if they were duly oiled with a little ,american gold4 ,to such a proposal he would not listen for a moment1 and it was only by threatening an exposure before the higher powers that the decision was at last given where really there was not the shadow of a claim against him4 ,from the same source ,i got an illustration of the exactions that are made to this day in the payment of taxes4 ,the law provides that of the produce of the land one tenth shall belong to the ,government for the public service4 ,there is an officer whose duty it is to examine the produce of every farm1 and carry off the share that the ,government are entitled to4 ,the farmer is not allowed to do anything with his produce till this officer has obtained the ,government share4 ,after harvest the farmers of a district will send word to the officer that their produce is ready1 and invite him to come and take his tenth4 ,the officer will return word that he is very busy1 and will not be able to come for a month4 ,the delay of a month would entail incalculable loss and inconvenience on the farmers4 ,they know the situation well2 and they send a deputation of their number to say that if he will only come at once1 they are willing to give him two tenths instead of one1 the second tenth being for his own use4 ,but this too they are assured that he cannot do4 ,and there is nothing for them but to remain with him higgling and bargaining1 till at last perhaps1 in utter despair1 they promise him a proportion which will leave no more than the half available for themselves4 ,and these are not exceptional instances--they are the common experiences of ,eastern countries1 at least in the ,turkish empire4 ,when such dishonest practices prevail on every side1 it often happens that even good men are carried away with them1 and seem to imagine that1 being universal1 it is necessary for them to fall in with them too4 ,it was a rare thing that ,samuel was able to do to look round on that vast assembly and demand whether one act of that kind had ever been committed by him1 whether he had ever deviated even an hairbreadth from the rule of strict integrity and absolute honesty in all his dealings with them4 ,observe that ,samuel was not like one of many1 banded together to be true and upright1 and supporting each other by mutual example and encouragement in that course4 ,as far as appears1 he was alone1 like the seraph ,abdiel1 faithful found among the faithless1 faithful only he4 ,what a regard he must have had for the law and authority of ,god6 ,how rigidly he must have trained himself in public as in private life to make the will of ,god the one rule of his actions6 ,what was it to him that slight peccadilloes would be thought nothing of by the public8 ,what was it to him that men would have counted it only natural that of the money that passed through his hands a little should stick to his fingers1 provided he was faithful in the main8 ,what was it to him that this good man and that good man were in the way of doing it1 so that1 after all1 he would be no worse than they8 ,all such considerations would have been absolutely tossed aside4 ,get thee behind me1 ,satan1 would have been his answer to all such proposals4 ,unbending integrity1 absolute honesty1 unswerving truth1 was his rule on every occasion4 ,how can ,i do this wickedness1 would have been his question--,how can ,i do this great wickedness1 and sin against ,god8 ,is there nothing here for us to ponder in these days of intense competition in business and questionable methods of securing gain8 ,surely the rule of unbending integrity1 absolute honesty1 and unswerving truth is as binding on the ,christian merchant as it was on the ,hebrew judge4 ,is the ,christian merchant entitled to make use of the plea of general corruption around him in business any more than ,samuel was8 ,some say1 ,how else are we to make a living8 ,we answer1 ,no man is entitled even to make a living on terms which shut him out from using the ,lord's ,prayer1--from saying1 ,give us this day our daily bread4 ,who would dare to say that bread obtained by dishonesty or deceit is ,god-given bread8 ,who could ask ,god to bless any enterprise or transaction which had not truth and honesty for its foundation8 ,better let bread perish than get it by unlawful means4 ,for man doth not live by bread alone1 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of ,god4 ,the blessing of the ,lord1 it maketh rich1 and ,he addeth no sorrow with it4 ,instead of ,christian men accepting the questionable ways of the world for pushing business1 let them stand out as those who never can demean themselves by anything so unprincipled4 ,no doubt ,samuel was a poor man1 though he might have been rich had he followed the example of heathen rulers4 ,but who does not honour him in his poverty1 with his incorruptible integrity and most scrupulous truthfulness1 as no man would or could have honoured him had he accumulated the wealth of a ,cardinal ,wolsey and lived in splendour rivalling royalty itself8 ,after all1 it is the true rule1 ,seek first the kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness2 and all these things shall be added unto you4 ,but ere we pass from the contemplation of ,samuel's character1 it is right that we should very specially take note of the root of this remarkable integrity and truthfulness of his toward men4 ,for we live in times when it is often alleged that religion and morality have no vital connection with each other1 and that there may be found an independent morality altogether separate from religious profession4 ,let it be granted that this divorce from morality may be true of religions of an external character1 where ,divine service is supposed to consist of ritual observances and bodily attitudes and attendances1 performed in strict accordance with a very rigid rule4 ,wherever such performances are looked on as the end of religion1 they may be utterly dissociated from morality1 and one may be1 at one and the same time1 strictly religious and glaringly immoral4 ,nay1 further1 where religion is held to be in the main the acceptance of a system of doctrine1 where the reception of the doctrines of grace is regarded as the distinguishing mark of the ,christian1 and fidelity to these doctrines the most important duty of discipleship1 you may again have a religion dissociated from moral life4 ,you may find men who glory in the doctrine of justification by faith and look with infinite pity on those who are vainly seeking to be accepted by their works1 and who deem themselves very safe from punishment because of the doctrine they hold1 but who have no right sense of the intrinsic evil of sin1 and who are neither honest1 nor truthful1 nor worthy of trust in the common relations of life4 ,but wherever religion is spiritual and penetrating1 wherever sin is seen in its true character1 wherever men feel the curse and pollution of sin in their hearts and lives1 another spirit rules4 ,the great desire now is to be delivered from sin1 not merely in its punishment1 but in its pollution and power4 ,the end of religion is to establish a gracious relation through ,jesus ,christ between the sinner and ,god1 whereby not only shall ,god's favour be restored1 but the soul shall be renewed after ,god's image1 and the rule of life shall be to do all in the name of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,now we say1 ,you cannot have such a religion without moral reformation4 ,and1 on the other hand1 you cannot rely on moral reformation being accomplished without a religion like this4 ,but alas6 the love of sinful things is very deeply grained in the fallen nature of man4 ,godlessness and selfishness are frightfully powerful in unregenerate hearts4 ,the will of ,god is a terrible rule of life to the natural man--a rule against which he rebels as unreasonable1 impracticable1 terrible4 ,how then are men brought to pay supreme and constant regard to that will8 ,how was ,samuel brought to do this1 and how are men led to do it now8 ,in both cases1 it is through the influence of gracious1 ,divine love4 ,samuel was a member of a nation that ,god had chosen as ,his own1 that ,god had redeemed from bondage1 that ,god dwelt among1 protected1 restored1 guided1 and blessed beyond all example4 ,the heart of ,samuel was moved by ,god's goodness to the nation4 ,more than that1 ,samuel personally had been the object of ,god's redeeming love2 and though the hundred-and-third ,psalm was not yet written1 he could doubtless say1 ,bless the ,lord1 ,o my soul1 and all that is within me1 bless ,his holy name4 ,who forgiveth all thine iniquities1 who healeth all thy diseases1 who redeemeth thy life from destruction1 who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies1 who satisfieth thy mouth with good things1 so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's4 ,it is the same gracious ,divine action1 the same experience of redeeming grace and mercy1 that under the ,christian dispensation draws men's hearts to the will of ,god2 only a new light has been thrown on these ,divine qualities by the ,cross of ,christ4 ,the forgiving grace and love of ,god have been placed in a new setting1 and when it is felt that ,god spared not ,his own ,son1 but delivered ,him up for us all1 a new sense of ,his infinite kindness takes possession of the soul4 ,little truly does any one know of religion1 in the true sense of the term1 who has not got this view of ,god in ,christ1 and has not felt his obligations to the ,son of ,god1 who loved him and gave ,himself for him4 ,and when this experience comes to be known1 it becomes the delight of the soul to do the will of ,god4 ,for the grace of ,god that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men1 teaching us that1 denying ungodliness and worldly lusts1 we should live soberly1 righteously1 and godly in this present world2 looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great ,god and our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 who gave ,himself for us that ,he might redeem us from all iniquity1 and purify to ,himself a peculiar people1 zealous of good works4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,samuel',s ,,dealings ,,with ,,the ,,people4 #a ,,samuel xii4 #f-be4 #b4 ,having vindicated himself 7in the first five verses of this chapter71 ,samuel now proceeds to his second point1 and takes the people in hand4 ,but before proceeding to close quarters with them1 he gives a brief review of the history of the nation1 in order to bring out the precise relation in which they stood to ,god1 and the duty resulting from that relation 7vers4 #f-ab74 ,first1 he brings out the fundamental fact of their history4 ,its grand feature was this3 ,it is the ,lord who advanced ,moses and ,aaron1 and brought your fathers up out of the land of ,egypt4 ,the fact was as indisputable as it was glorious4 ,how would ,moses ever have been induced to undertake the task of deliverance from ,egypt if the ,lord had not sent him8 ,was he not most unwilling to leave the wilderness and return to ,egypt8 ,what could ,aaron have done for them if the ,lord had not guided and anointed him8 ,how could the people have found an excuse for leaving ,egypt even for a day if ,god had not required them8 ,how could ,pharaoh have been induced to let them go1 when even the first nine plagues only hardened his heart1 or how could they have escaped from him and his army1 had the ,lord not divided the sea that ,his ransomed might pass over8 ,the fact could not be disputed--their existence as a people and their settlement in ,canaan were due to the special mercy of the ,lord4 ,if ever a nation owed everything to the power above1 ,israel owed everything to ,jehovah4 ,no distinction could even approach this in its singular glory4 ,and yet there was a want of cordiality on the part of the people in acknowledging it4 ,they were partly at least blind to its surpassing lustre4 ,the truth is1 they did not like all the duties and responsibility which it involved4 ,it is the highest honour of a son to have a godly father1 upright1 earnest1 consistent in serving ,god4 ,yet many a son does not realise this1 and sometimes in his secret heart he wishes that his father were just a little more like the men of the world4 ,it is the brightest chapter in the history of a nation that records its struggles for ,god's honour and man's liberty2 yet there are many who have no regard for these struggles1 but denounce their champions as ruffians and fanatics4 ,close connection with ,god is not1 in the eyes of the world1 the glorious thing that it is in reality4 ,how strange that this should be so6 ,o righteous ,father1 exclaimed ,christ in ,his intercessory prayer1 the world hath not known ,thee4 ,he was distressed at the world's blindness to the excellence of ,god4 ,how strange it is1 ,richard ,baxter says in substance somewhere1 that men can see beauty in so many things--in the flowers1 in the sky1 in the sun--and yet be blind to the highest beauty of all1 the fountain and essence of all beauty1 the beauty of the ,lord6 ,never rest1 my friends1 so long as this is true of you4 ,is not the very fact that to you ,god1 even when revealed in ,jesus ,christ1 may be like a root out of a dry ground1 having no form or comeliness or any beauty wherefore you should desire ,him--is not that1 if it be a fact1 alike alarming and appalling8 ,make it your prayer that ,he who commanded the light to shine out of darkness would shine in your heart1 to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of ,god in the face of ,jesus ,christ4 ,having emphatically laid down the fundamental fact in the history of ,israel1 ,samuel next proceeds to reason upon it4 ,the reasoning rests on two classes of facts3 the first1 that whenever the people forsook ,god they had been brought into trouble2 the second1 that whenever they repented and cried to ,god ,he delivered them out of their trouble4 ,the prophet refers to several instances of both1 but not exhaustively1 not so as to embrace every instance4 ,among those into whose hand ,god gave them were ,sisera1 the ,philistines1 and the ,moabites2 among those raised up to deliver them when they cried to the ,lord were ,jerubbaal1 and ,bedan1 and ,jephthah1 and ,samuel4 ,the name ,bedan does not occur in the history1 and as the ,hebrew letters that form the word are very similar to those which form ,barak1 it has been supposed1 and ,i think with reason1 that the word ,bedan is just a clerical mistake for ,barak4 ,the use the prophet makes of both classes of facts is to show how directly ,god was concerned in what befell the nation4 ,the whole course of their history under the judges had shown that to forsake ,god and worship idols was to bring on the nation disaster and misery2 to return to ,god and restore ,his worship was to secure abundant prosperity and blessing4 ,this had been made as certain by past events as it was certain that to close the shutters in an apartment was to plunge it into darkness1 and that to open them was to restore light4 ,cause and effect had been made so very plain that any child might see how the matter stood4 ,now1 what was it that had recently occurred8 ,they had had trouble from the ,ammonites4 ,at ver4 #aa the prophet indicates--what is not stated before--that this trouble with the ,ammonites had been connected with their coming to him to ask a king4 ,evidently1 the siege of ,jabesh-,gilead was not the first offensive act the ,ammonites had committed4 ,they had no doubt been irritating the tribes on the other side of ,jordan in many ways before they proceeded to attack that city4 ,and if their attack was at all like that which took place in the days of ,jephthah1 it must have been very serious and highly threatening4 7,see ,judges x4 #h1 #i47 ,now1 from what ,samuel says here1 it would appear that this annoyance from the ,ammonites was the immediate occasion of the people wishing to have a king4 ,here let us observe what their natural course would have been1 in accordance with former precedent4 ,it would have been to cry to the ,lord to deliver them from the ,ammonites4 ,as they had cried for deliverance when the ,ammonites for eighteen years vexed and oppressed all the tribes settled on the east side of ,jordan1 and when they even passed over ,jordan to fight against ,judah and ,benjamin and ,ephraim1 and the ,lord raised up ,jephthah1 so ought they to have cried to the ,lord at this time1 and ,he would have given them a deliverer4 ,but instead of that they asked ,samuel to give them a king1 that he might deliver them4 ,you see from this what cause ,samuel had to charge them with rejecting ,god for their ,king4 ,you see at the same time how much forbearance ,god exercised in allowing ,samuel to grant their request4 ,god virtually said1 ,i will graciously give up ,my plan and accommodate myself to theirs4 ,i will give up the plan of raising up a special deliverer in special danger1 and will let their king be their deliverer4 ,if they and their king are faithful to ,my covenant1 ,i will give the same mercies to them as they would have received had things remained as they were4 ,it will still be true1 as ,i promised to ,abraham1 that ,i will be their ,god and they shall be ,my people4 #c4 ,this is the third thing that ,samuel is specially concerned to press on the people2 and this he does in the remaining verses 7vers4 #ac-be74 ,they were to remember that their having a king in no sense and in no degree exempted them from their moral and spiritual obligations to ,god4 ,it did not give them one atom more liberty either in the matter of worship1 or in those weightier matters of the law--justice1 mercy1 and truth4 ,it did not make it one iota less sinful to erect altars to ,baal and ,ashtaroth1 or to join with any of their neighbours in religious festivities in honour of these gods4 ,if ye will fear the ,lord1 and serve ,him1 and obey ,his voice1 and not rebel against the commandment of the ,lord1 then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the ,lord your ,god2 but if ye will not obey the voice of the ,lord1 but rebel against the commandment of the ,lord1 then shall the hand of the ,lord be against you1 as it was against your fathers4 ,there is nothing very similar to this in the circumstances in which we are placed4 ,and yet it is often needful to remind even ,christian people of this great truth3 that no change of outward circumstances can ever bring with it a relaxation of moral duty1 or make that lawful for us which in its own nature is wrong4 ,nothing of moral quality can be right for us on shipboard which is wrong for us on dry land4 ,nothing can be allowable in ,india which could not be thought of in ,england or ,scotland4 ,the law of the ,sabbath is not more elastic on the continent of ,europe than it is at home4 ,there is no such thing as a geographical religion or a geographical ,christianity4 ,burke used to say1 looking to the humane spirit that ,englishmen showed at home and the oppressive treatment they were often guilty of to the natives of other countries1 that the humanity of ,england was a thing of points and parallels4 ,but a local humanity is no humanity4 ,those who act as if it were1 make public opinion their god1 instead of the eternal ,jehovah4 ,they virtually say that what public opinion does not allow in ,england is wrong in ,england1 and must be avoided4 ,if public opinion allows it on the continent of ,europe1 or in ,india1 or in ,africa1 it may be done4 ,is this not dethroning ,god1 and abrogating ,his immutable law8 ,if ,god be our ,king1 ,his will must be our one unfailing rule of life and duty wherever we are4 ,truly1 there is little recognition of a mutable public opinion affecting the quality of our actions1 in that sublime psalm that brings out so powerfully the omniscience of ,god1--the hundred and thirty-ninth1 ,whither shall ,i go from ,thy ,spirit1 and whither shall ,i flee from ,thy presence8 ,if ,i ascend up into heaven1 ,thou art there2 if ,i make my bed in hell1 behold ,thou art there4 ,if ,i take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea1 even there shall ,thy hand lead me and ,thy right hand shall hold me4 ,if ,i say1 ,surely the darkness shall cover me1 even the night shall be light about me4 ,yea1 the darkness hideth not from ,thee1 but the night shineth as the day2 the darkness and the light are both alike to ,thee4 ,it was ,samuel's purpose1 then1 to press on the people that the change involved in having a king brought no change as to their duty of invariable allegiance to ,god4 ,the lessons of history had been clear enough2 but they were always a dull-sighted people1 and not easily impressed except by what was palpable and even sensational4 ,for this reason ,samuel determined to impress the lesson on them in another way4 ,he would show them there and then1 under their very eyes1 what agencies of destruction ,god held in ,his hand1 and how easily ,he could bring these to bear on them and on their property4 ,is it not wheat harvest to-day8 ,you are gathering or about to gather that important crop1 and it is of vital importance that the weather be still and calm4 ,but ,i will pray the ,lord1 and ,he shall send thunder and rain1 and you will see how easy it is for ,him in one hour to ruin the crop which you have been nursing so carefully for months back4 ,so ,samuel called unto the ,lord2 and the ,lord sent thunder and rain that day3 and all the people greatly feared the ,lord and ,samuel4 ,and all the people said unto ,samuel1 ,pray for thy servants unto the ,lord thy ,god that we die not2 for we have added unto all our sins this evil3 to ask us a king4 ,it was an impressive proof how completely they were in ,god's hands4 ,what earthly thing could any of them or all of them do to ward off that agent of destruction from their crops8 ,there were they1 a great army1 with sword and spear1 young1 strong1 and valiant1 yet they could not arrest in its fall one drop of rain1 nor alter the course of one puff of wind1 nor extinguish the blaze of one tongue of fire4 ,oh1 what folly it was to offer an affront to the great ,god1 who had such complete control over fire and hail1 snow and vapours1 stormy wind fulfilling ,his word6 ,what blindness to think they could in any respect be better with another king6 ,thus it is that in their times of trial ,god's people in all ages have been brought to feel their entire dependence on ,him4 ,in days of flowing prosperity1 we have little sense of that dependence4 ,as the ,psalmist puts it in the thirtieth ,psalm3 ,in my prosperity ,i said1 ,i shall never be moved4 ,when all goes well with us1 we expect the same prosperity to continue2 it seems stereotyped1 the fixed and permanent condition of things4 ,when the days run smoothly1 involving happy months1 and these as happy years1 all seems certain to continue4 ,but a change comes over our life4 ,ill-health fastens on us2 death invades our circle2 relatives bring us into deep waters2 our means of living fail2 we are plunged into a very wilderness of woe4 ,how falsely we judged when we thought that it was by its own inherent stability our mountain stood strong6 ,no1 no2 it was solely the result of ,god's favour1 for all our springs are in ,him2 the moment ,he hides ,his face we are most grievously troubled4 ,sad but salutary experience6 ,well for you1 my afflicted friend1 if it burns into your very soul the conviction that every blessing in life depends on ,god's favour1 and that to offend ,god is to ruin all6 ,but now1 the humble and contrite spirit having been shown by the people1 see how ,samuel hastens to comfort and reassure them4 ,now that they have begun to fear1 he can say to them1 ,fear not4 ,now that they have shown themselves alive to the evils of ,god's displeasure1 they are assured that there is a clear way of escape from these evils4 ,turn not aside from following the ,lord1 but serve the ,lord with all your heart4 ,if ,god be terrible as an enemy1 ,he is glorious as a friend4 ,no doubt you offered a slight to ,him when you sought another king4 ,but it is just a proof of ,his wonderful goodness that1 though you have done this1 ,he does not cast you off4 ,he will be as near to you as ever ,he was if you are only faithful to ,him4 ,he will still deliver you from your enemies when you call upon ,him4 ,for ,his name and ,his memorial are still the same3 ,the ,lord1 the ,lord ,god1 merciful and gracious1 long-suffering1 and abundant in goodness and in truth1 forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin1 and that will by no means clear the guilty4 ,samuel1 moreover1 reminds them that it was not they that had chosen ,god2 it was ,god that had chosen them4 ,the ,lord will not forsake ,his people1 for ,his great name's sake1 because it hath pleased the ,lord to make you ,his people4 ,this was a great ground of comfort for ,israel4 ,the eternal ,god had chosen them and made them ,his people for great purposes of ,his own4 ,it was involved in this very choice and purpose of ,god that ,he would keep ,his hand on them1 and preserve them from all such calamities as would prevent them from fulfilling ,his purpose4 ,fickle and changeable1 they might easily be induced to break away from ,him2 but1 strong and unchangeable1 ,he could never be induced to abandon ,his purpose in them4 ,and if this was a comfort to ,israel then1 there is a corresponding comfort to the spiritual ,israel now4 ,if my heart is in any measure turned to ,god1 to value ,his favour and seek to do ,his will1 it is ,god that has effected the change4 ,and this shows that ,god has a purpose with me4 ,till that purpose is accomplished1 ,he cannot leave me4 ,he will correct me when ,i sin1 ,he will recover me when ,i stray1 ,he will heal me when ,i am sick1 ,he will strengthen me when ,i am weak2 ,i am confident of this very thing3 that ,he which hath begun a good work in me will perform it unto the day of ,jesus ,christ4 ,once more1 in answer to the people's request that he would intercede for them1 ,samuel is very earnest4 ,god forbid that ,i should sin against the ,lord in ceasing to pray for you4 ,the great emphasis with which he says this shows how much his heart is in it4 ,what should ,i do1 if ,i had not the privilege of intercessory prayer for you8 ,there is a wonderful revelation of love to the people here4 ,they are dear to him as his children are dear to a ,christian parent1 and he feels for them as warmly as he feels for himself4 ,there is a wonderful deepening of interest and affection when men's relation to ,god is realized4 ,the warmest heart as yet unregenerate cannot feel for others as the spiritual heart must do when it takes in all the possibilities of the spiritual state--all that is involved in the favour or in the wrath of the infinite ,god1 in the predominance of sin or of grace in the heart1 and in the prospect of an eternity of woe on the one hand or of glory1 honour1 and heavenly bliss on the other4 ,how is it possible for one to have all these possibilities full in one's view and not desire the eternal welfare of loved ones with an intensity unknown to others8 ,we know from experience how hard it is to get them to do right4 ,even one's own children seem sometimes to baffle every art and endeavour of love1 and go off1 in spite of everything1 to the ways of the world4 ,entreaty and remonstrance are apparently in vain4 ,the more one pleads1 the less perhaps are one's pleas regarded4 ,one resource remains--intercessory prayer4 ,it is the only method to which one may resort with full assurance of its ultimate efficacy for attaining the dearest object of one's heart4 ,does the thought of giving up intercessory prayer come to one from any quarter8 ,no wonder if the insinuation is met by a deep1 earnest ,god forbid6 ,i bless ,god1 said ,mr4 ,flavel1 one of the best and sweetest of the old ,puritan divines1 on the death of his father--,i bless ,god for a religious and tender father1 who often poured out his soul to ,god for me2 and this stock of prayers ,i esteem the fairest inheritance on earth4 ,how many a man has been deeply impressed even by the very thought that some one was praying for him6 ,is it not strange1 he has said to himself1 that he should pray for me far more than ,i pray for myself8 ,what can induce him to take such an interest in me8 ,every ,christian ought to think much of intercessory prayer1 and practise it greatly4 ,it is doubly blessed3 blessed to him who prays and blessed to those for whom he prays4 ,nothing is better fitted to enlarge and warm the heart than intercessory prayer4 ,to present to ,god in succession1 one after another1 our family and our friends1 remembering all their wants1 sorrows1 trials1 and temptations2 to bear before ,him the interests of this struggling ,church and that in various parts of the world1 this interesting mission and that noble cause2 to make mention of those who are waging the battles of temperance1 of purity1 of freedom1 of ,christianity itself1 in the midst of difficulty1 obloquy1 and opposition2 to gather together all the sick and sorrowing1 all the fatherless and widows1 all the bereaved and dying1 of one's acquaintance1 and ask ,god to bless them2 to think of all the children of one's acquaintance in the bright springtide of life1 of all the young men and young women arrived or arriving at the critical moment of decision as to the character of their life1 and implore ,god to guide them--,o brethren1 this is good for one's self2 it enlarges one's own heart2 it helps one's self in prayer6 ,and then what a blessing it is for those prayed for6 ,who can estimate the amount of spiritual blessing that has been sent down on this earth in answer to the fervent intercessions of the faithful8 ,think how ,moses interceded for the whole nation after the golden calf1 and it was spared4 ,think how ,daniel interceded for his companions in ,babylon1 and the secret was revealed to him4 ,think how ,elijah interceded for the widow1 and her son was restored to life4 ,think how ,paul constantly interceded for all his ,churches1 and how their growth and spiritual prosperity evinced that his prayer was not in vain4 ,god forbid that any ,christian should sin against the ,lord in ceasing to pray for the ,church which ,he hath purchased with ,his own blood4 ,and while we pray for the ,church1 let us not forget the world that lieth in wickedness4 ,for of all for whom the desires of the faithful should go up to heaven1 surely the most necessitous are those who have as yet no value for heavenly blessings4 ,what duty can be more binding on us than to pray for her that prays not for herself8 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,saul ,,and ,,samuel ,,at ,,gilgal4 #a ,,samuel xiii4 ,the first thing that claims our attention in connection with this chapter is the question of dates involved in the first verse4 ,in the ,authorized ,version we read1 ,saul reigned one year2 and when he had reigned two years over ,israel1 ,saul chose him three thousand men4 ,this rendering of the original is now quite given up4 ,the form of expression is the same as that which so often tells us the age of a king at the beginning of his reign and the length of his reign4 ,the ,revised ,version is in close1 but not in strict1 accord with the ,hebrew4 ,it runs1 ,saul was thirty years old when he began to reign1 and he reigned two years over ,israel4 ,a marginal note of the ,revised ,version says1 ,the ,hebrew text has1 ',saul was a year old4' ,the whole verse is omitted in the unrevised ,septuagint1 but in a later recension the number thirty is inserted4 ,there can be no doubt that something has been dropped out of the ,hebrew text4 ,literally translated1 it would run1 ,saul was a year old when he began to reign1 and he reigned two years over ,israel4 ,a figure seems to have dropped out after ,saul was and another after he reigned4 ,a blot of some kind may have effaced these figures in the original manuscript1 and the copyist not knowing what they were1 may have left them blank4 ,the ,septuagint conjecture of thirty as ,saul's age is not very felicitous1 for at the beginning of ,saul's reign his son ,jonathan was old enough to distinguish himself in the war4 ,judging from probabilities1 we should say that the original may have run thus3 ,saul was forty years old when he began to reign1 and he reigned thirty and two years over ,israel4 ,this would make the length of ,saul's reign to correspond with the duration of ,saul's dynasty as given in ,acts xiii4 #ba4 ,there it is said that ,god gave to the people ,saul by the space of forty years4 ,if to the thirty-two years which we suppose to have been the actual length of ,saul's reign we add seven and a half1 during which his son ,ishbosheth reigned1 we get in round numbers as the duration of his dynasty forty years4 ,this would make ,saul about seventy-two at the time of his death4 ,the narrative in this chapter appears to be in immediate connection with that of the last4 ,the bulk of the army had gone from ,jabesh-,gilead to ,gilgal1 and there1 under ,samuel1 they had renewed the kingdom4 ,there they had listened to ,samuel's appeal1 and there the thunderstorm had taken place that helped so well to rivet the prophet's lessons4 ,therefore the bulk of the army was disbanded1 but two thousand men were kept with ,saul at ,michmash and near ,bethel1 and one thousand with ,jonathan at ,gibeah4 ,these were necessary to be some restraint on the ,philistines1 who were strong in the neighbourhood and eager to inflict every possible annoyance on the ,israelites4 ,saul1 however1 does not seem to have felt himself in a position to take any active steps against them4 ,but though ,saul was inactive1 ,jonathan did not slumber4 ,though very young1 probably under twenty1 he had already been considered worthy of an important command1 and now1 by successfully attacking a garrison of the ,philistines in ,geba1 he showed that he was worthy of the confidence that had been placed in him4 ,it is interesting to mark in ,jonathan that dash and daring which was afterwards so conspicuous in ,david1 and the display of which on the part of ,david drew ,jonathan's heart to him so warmly4 ,the news of the exploit of ,jonathan soon circulated among the ,philistines1 and would naturally kindle the desire to retaliate4 ,saul would see at once that1 as the result of this1 the ,philistines would come upon them in greater force than ever2 and it was to meet this expected attack that he called for a muster of his people4 ,gilgal was the place of rendezvous1 deep down in the ,jordan valley2 for the higher part of the country was so dominated by the enemy that no muster could take place there4 ,so it seemed as if the brilliant achievement of ,jonathan was going to prove a curse rather than a blessing4 ,in all kinds of warfare1 we must be prepared for such turns in the order of events4 ,when one side shows a great increase of activity1 the other does the same4 ,when one achieves an advantage1 the other rouses itself to restore the balance4 ,it has often happened in times of religious darkness that the bold attitude of some fearless reformer has roused the enemy to activity and ferocity1 and thus brought to his brethren worse treatment than before4 ,but such reverses are only temporary1 and the cause of truth gains on the whole by the successful skirmishes of its pioneers4 ,many persons1 when they see the activity and boldness which the forces of evil manifest in our day1 are led to conclude that our times are sadly degenerate2 they forget that the activity of evil is the proof and the result of the vitality and activity of good4 ,no doubt there were faint-hearted persons in the host of ,israel who would bring hard accusations against ,jonathan for disturbing the equilibrium between ,israel and the ,philistines4 ,they would shake their heads and utter solemn truisms on the rashness of youth1 and would ask if it was not a shame to entrust a stripling with such power and responsibility4 ,but ,jonathan's stroke was the beginning of a movement which might have ended in the final expulsion of the ,philistines from the territories of ,israel if ,saul had not acted foolishly at ,gilgal4 ,in this case1 it was not the young man1 but the old1 that was rash and reckless4 ,jonathan had acted with courage and vigour1 probably also with faith2 it was ,saul that brought disturbance and disaster to the host4 ,the dreaded invasion of the ,philistines was not long of taking place4 ,the force which they brought together is stated so high1 that in the number of the chariots some commentators have suspected an error of the copyist1 #cj1jjj for #c1jjj1 an error easily accounted for1 as the extra cipher would be represented by a slight mark over the ,hebrew letter4 ,but1 be this as it may1 the invading host was of prodigiously large dimensions4 ,it was so large as to spread a thorough panic through the whole community of ,israel1 for the people hid themselves in caves1 and in thickets1 and in rocks1 and in high places1 and in pits4 ,not content with such protection1 some of them crossed the ,jordan1 and took refuge in ,gilead and in ,dan1 not far from ,jabesh-,gilead1 where another enemy had been so signally defeated4 ,saul had remained in ,gilgal1 where he was followed by a host of people1 not in any degree impressed by what ,god had done for them at ,jabesh-,gilead1 not trying to rally their courage by the thought that ,god was still their ,king and ,defender1 but full of that abject fear which utterly unnerves both mind and body1 and prepares the way for complete disaster4 ,how utterly prostrated and helpless the people were is apparent from that very graphic picture of their condition which we find towards the end of the chapter3 ,there was no smith found throughout all the land of ,israel2 for the ,philistines said1 ,lest the ,hebrews make to themselves swords or spears2 but all the ,israelites went down to the ,philistines to sharpen every man his share1 and his coulter1 and his axe1 and his mattock4 ,it requires little effort of imagination to see that the condition of the ,israelites was1 humanly speaking1 utterly desperate4 ,an enormous array of warriors like the ,philistines1 equipped with all the weapons of war1 and confident in their prowess and their power1 pouring upon a land where the defenders had not even swords nor spears1 but only clubs and stones and suchlike rude resources for the purposes of conflict1 presented a scene the issue of which could not have been doubtful on all human calculations4 ,but surely the case was not a whit more desperate than that of their forefathers had been1 with the sea before them1 the mountains on either side1 and the ,egyptian army1 in all its completeness of equipment1 hastening to fall upon their rear4 ,yet out of that terrible situation their ,divine ,king had delivered them1 and a few hours after1 they were all jubilant and triumphant1 singing to the ,lord who had triumphed gloriously1 and had cast the horse and his rider into the sea4 ,and no one can fail to see that the very gravity of the situation at the present time ought to have given birth to a repetition of that spirit of faith and prayer which had animated ,moses1 as it afterwards animated ,deborah1 and ,gideon1 and many more1 and through which deliverance had come4 ,on every ground the duty incumbent on ,saul at this time was to show the most complete deference to the will of ,god and the most unreserved desire to enjoy ,his countenance and guidance4 ,first1 the magnitude of the danger1 the utter disproportion between the strength of the defending people and that of the invading host1 was fitted to throw him on ,god4 ,second1 the fact1 so solemnly and earnestly urged by ,samuel1 that1 notwithstanding the sin committed by the people in demanding a king1 ,god was willing to defend and rule ,his people as of old1 if only they had due regard to ,him and ,his covenant1 should have made ,saul doubly careful to act at this crisis in every particular in the most rigid compliance with ,god's will4 ,thirdly1 the circumstance1 which he himself had so well emphasized1 that the recent victory at ,jabesh-,gilead was a victory obtained from ,god1 should have led him direct to ,god1 to implore a similar interposition of ,his power in this new and still more overwhelming danger4 ,if only ,saul had been a true man1 a man of faith and prayer1 he would have risen to the height of the occasion at this terrible crisis1 and a deliverance as glorious as that which ,gideon obtained over the ,midianites would have signalized his efforts4 ,it was a most testing moment in his history4 ,the whole fortunes of his kingdom seemed to depend on his choice4 ,there was ,god1 ready to come to his help if ,his help had been properly asked4 ,there were the ,philistines1 ready to swallow them up if no sufficient force could be mustered against them4 ,but weighed in the balances1 ,saul was found wanting4 ,he did not honour ,god2 he did not act as knowing that all depended on ,him4 ,and this want of his would have involved the terrible humiliation and even ruin of the nation if ,jonathan had not been of a different temper from his father1 if ,jonathan had not achieved the deliverance which would not have come by ,saul4 ,let us now examine carefully how ,saul acted on the occasion1 all the more carefully because1 at first sight1 many have the impression that he was justified in what he did1 and consequently that the punishment announced by ,samuel was far too severe4 ,it appears that ,samuel had instructed ,saul to wait seven days for him at ,gilgal1 in order that steps might be properly taken for securing the guidance and help of ,god4 ,there is some obscurity in the narrative here1 arising from the fact that it was on the first occasion of their meeting that we read how ,samuel directed ,saul to wait seven days for him at ,gilgal1 till he should come to offer burnt-offerings and to show him what he was to do 7chap4 x4 #h74 ,we can hardly suppose1 however1 that this first direction1 given by ,samuel1 was not implemented at an earlier time4 ,it looks as if ,samuel had repeated the instruction to ,saul with reference to the circumstances of the ,philistine invasion4 ,but1 be this as it may1 it is perfectly clear from the narrative that ,saul was under instructions to wait seven days at ,gilgal1 at the end1 if not before the end1 of which time ,samuel promised to come to him4 ,this was a distinct instruction from ,samuel1 ,god's known and recognized prophet1 acting in ,god's name and with a view to the obtaining of ,god's countenance and guidance in the awful crisis of the nation4 ,the seven days had come to an end1 and ,samuel had not appeared4 ,saul determined that he would wait no longer4 ,saul said1 ,bring hither a burnt-offering to me1 and peace-offerings4 ,and he offered the burnt-offering4 ,now1 it has been supposed by some that ,saul's offence lay in his taking on him the functions of priest1 and doing that which it was not lawful for any but priests to do4 ,but it does not appear that this was his offence4 ,a king is often said to do things which in reality are done by his ministers and others4 ,all that is necessarily involved in the narrative is1 that the king caused the priests to offer the burnt-offering4 ,for even ,samuel had no authority personally to offer sacrifices1 and had he been present1 the priests would have officiated all the same4 ,the real offence of ,saul was that he disregarded the absence of ,god's prophet and representative1 of the man who had all along been the mediator between ,god and the king and between ,god and the people4 ,and this was no secondary matter4 ,if ,saul had had a real conviction that all depended at this moment on his getting ,god's help1 he would not have disregarded an instruction received from ,god's servant1 and he would not have acted as if ,samuel's presence was of no moment4 ,the significant thing in ,saul's state of mind1 as disclosed by his act1 was that he was not really bent on complying with the will of ,god4 ,god was not a reality to ,saul4 ,the thought of ,god just loomed vaguely before his mind as a power to be considered1 but not as the power on whom everything depended4 ,what he thought about ,god was1 that a burnt-offering must be offered up to propitiate ,him1 to prevent ,him from obstructing the enterprise1 but he did not think of ,him as the ,being who alone could give it success4 ,it was substantially the carnal mind's view of ,god4 ,it says1 no doubt there is a ,god1 and ,he has an influence on things here below2 and to keep ,him from thwarting us1 we must perform certain services which seem to please ,him4 ,but what a pitiful view it is of ,god6 ,as if the ,high and ,lofty ,one that inhabiteth eternity could be induced to bestow or to withhold ,his favour simply by the slaughter of an animal1 or by some similar rite6 ,but this was ,saul's idea4 ,the sacrifice must be offered2 the rite must be gone through4 ,this piece of outward homage must be paid to the power above1 but the way of doing it is of little moment4 ,it is a sacred form1 no more4 ,i am sorry not to have ,samuel present1 but the fault is not mine4 ,he was to be here1 and he has not come4 ,and now these frightened people are stealing away from me1 and if ,i wait longer1 ,i may be left without followers4 ,priests1 bring the animal and offer the sacrifice1 and let us away to the war6 ,how different would have been the acting of a man that honoured ,god and felt that in ,his favour was life6 ,how solemnized he would have been1 how concerned for his own past neglect of ,god1 and the neglect of his people6 ,the presence of ,god's prophet would have been counted at once a necessity and a privilege4 ,how deeply1 in his sense of sin1 would he have entered into the meaning of the burnt-offering6 ,how earnestly he would have pleaded for ,god's favour1 countenance1 and blessing6 ,if ,jacob could not let the angel go at ,peniel unless he blessed him1 neither would ,saul have parted from ,god at ,gilgal without some assurance of help4 ,if ,thy presence go not with me1 he would have said1 carry us not up hence4 ,alas1 we find nothing of all this6 ,the servant of ,god is not waited for2 the form is gone through1 and ,saul is off to his work4 ,and this is the doing of the man who has been called to be king of ,israel1 and who has been solemnly warned that ,god alone is ,israel's defence1 and that to offend ,god is to court ruin6 ,when ,samuel came1 ,saul was ready with a plausible excuse4 ,on the ground of expediency1 he vindicated his procedure4 ,he could not deny that he had broken his promise 7it was a virtual promise7 to wait for ,samuel1 but there were reasons exceedingly strong to justify him in doing so4 ,samuel had not come4 ,the people were scattered from him4 ,the ,philistines were concentrating at ,michmash1 and might have come down and fallen upon him at ,gilgal4 ,all very true1 but not one of them by itself1 nor all of them together1 a real vindication of what he had done4 ,samuel1 he might be sure1 would not be an hour longer than he could help4 ,there were far more people left to him than ,gideon's band1 and the ,god that gave the victory to the three hundred would not have let him suffer for want of men4 ,the ,philistines might have been discomfited by ,god's tempest on the way to ,gilgal1 as they were discomfited before1 on the way to ,mizpeh4 ,o ,saul1 distrust of ,god has been at the bottom of your mind6 ,the faith that animated the heroes of former days has had no control of you4 ,you have walked by sight1 not by faith4 ,had you been faithful now1 and honoured ,god1 and waited till ,his servant sent you off with his benediction1 prosperity would have attended you1 and your family would have been permanently settled in the throne4 ,but now your kingdom shall not continue4 ,personally1 you may continue to be king for many years to come2 but the penalty which ,god affixes to this act of unbelief1 formality1 and presumption is1 that no line of kings shall spring from your loins4 ,the ,lord hath sought ,him a man after ,his own heart1 and the ,lord hath commanded him to be captain over ,his people4 ,what a solemn and impressive condemnation have we here1 my friends1 of that far too common practice--deserting principle to serve expediency4 ,i don't like to tell a lie1 some one may say1 but if ,i had not done so1 ,i should have lost my situation4 ,i dislike common work on the ,sabbath day1 but if ,i did not do it1 ,i could not live4 ,i don't think it right to go to ,sunday parties or to play games on ,sunday1 but ,i was invited by this or that great person to do it1 and ,i could not refuse him4 ,i ought not to adulterate my goods1 and ,i ought not to give false statements of their value1 but every one in my business does it1 and ,i cannot be singular4 ,what do these vindications amount to1 but just a confession that from motives of expediency ,god's commandment may be set aside8 ,these excuses just come to this3 ,it was better for me to offend ,god and gain a slight benefit1 than it would have been to lose the benefit and please ,god4 ,it is a great deal to lose a small profit in business1 or a small pleasure in social life1 or a small honour from a fellow-man2 but it is little or nothing to displease ,god1 it is little or nothing to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath4 ,alas for the practical unbelief that lies at the bottom of all this6 ,it is the doing of the fool who hath said in his heart1 ,there is no ,god4 ,look at this history of ,saul4 ,see what befell him for preferring expediency to principle4 ,know that the same condemnation awaits all who walk in his footsteps--all who are not solemnized by that awful1 that unanswerable1 question1 ,what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul8 ,great offence has often been taken at the character here ascribed to the man who was to fill the throne after ,saul--,the ,lord hath sought ,him a man after ,his own heart4 ,was ,david1 the adulterer1 the traitor1 the murderer1 a man after ,god's own heart8 ,but surely it is not meant to be affirmed that ,david was such a man in every aspect1 in every particular4 ,the point on which the emphasis should rest must surely be that ,david was such a man in that feature in which ,saul was so wanting4 ,and undoubtedly this was eminently true of him4 ,that which stood out most fully in the public character of ,david was the honour which he paid to ,god1 the constancy with which he consulted ,his will1 the prevailing desire he had to rule the kingdom in ,his fear and for ,his glory4 ,if ,god was but a form to ,saul1 ,he was an intense reality to ,david4 ,if ,saul could not get it into his mind that he ought to rule for ,god1 ,david could not have got it out of his mind if he had tried4 ,that ,david's character was deformed in many ways cannot be denied2 he had not only infirmities1 but tumours1 blotches1 defilements1 most distressing to behold2 but in this one thing he left an example to all of us1 and especially to rulers1 which it would be well for all of us to ponder deeply3 that the whole business of government is to be carried on in the spirit of regard to the will of ,god2 that the welfare of the people is ever to be consulted in preference to the interests of the prince2 that for nations1 as for individuals1 ,god's favour is life1 and ,his frown ruin4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,jonathan',s ,,exploit ,,at ,,michmash4 #a ,,samuel xiv4 #a-bc4 ,it has sometimes been objected to the representation occurring at the end of the thirteenth chapter of the utter want of arms among the ,hebrews at this time that it is inconsistent with the narrative of the eleventh4 ,if it be true1 as stated there1 that the ,israelites gained a great victory over the ,ammonites1 they must have had arms to accomplish that2 and1 moreover1 the victory itself must have put them in possession of the arms of the ,ammonites4 ,the answer to this is1 that the invasion of the ,philistines subsequent to this in such overwhelming numbers seems to have been the cause of the miserable plight to which the ,hebrews were reduced1 and of the loss of their arms4 ,whether we are to take the statement as quite literal that in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people save ,saul or ,jonathan1 or whether we are to regard this as just an ,oriental way of saying that these were the only two who had a thorough equipment of arms1 it is plain enough that the condition of the ,hebrew troops was very wretched4 ,that in their circumstances a feeling of despondency should have fallen on all save the few who walked by faith1 need not excite any surprise4 ,the position of the two armies is not difficult to understand4 ,several miles to the north of ,jerusalem1 a valley1 now named ,wady ,suweinet1 runs from west to east1 from the central plateau of ,palestine down towards the valley of the ,jordan4 ,the name ,mukmas1 still preserved1 shows the situation of the place which was then occupied by the garrison of the ,philistines4 ,near to that place1 ,captain ,conder#a believes that he has found the very rocks where the exploit of ,jonathan occurred4 ,on either side of the valley there rises a perpendicular crag1 the northern one1 called in ,scripture ,bozez1 being extremely steep and difficult of ascent4 ,it seems just possible that ,jonathan1 with immense labour1 might have climbed up on his hands and his feet1 and his armour-bearer after him4 ,it is evident that ,saul had no thought at this time of making any attack on the ,philistines4 ,how could he1 with soldiers so poorly armed and so little to encourage them8 ,samuel does not appear to have been with him4 ,but in his company was a priest1 ,ahiah1 the son of ,ahitub1 grandson of ,eli1 perhaps the same as ,ahimelech1 afterwards introduced4 ,saul still adhered to the forms of religion2 but he had too much resemblance to the ,church of ,sardis--,thou hast a name that thou livest1 and art dead4 ,the position of the army of ,israel with reference to the ,philistines seems to have been very similar to what it was afterwards when ,goliath defied the army of the living ,god4 ,the ,israelites could only look on1 in helpless inactivity4 ,but just as the youthful spirit of ,david was afterwards roused in these circumstances to exertion1 so on the present occasion was the youthful spirit of ,jonathan4 ,it was not the first time that he had attacked the garrison of the ,philistines4 7,see xiii4 #c47 ,but what he did on the former occasion seems to have been under more equal conditions than the seemingly desperate enterprise to which he betook himself now4 ,a project of unprecedented daring came into his mind4 ,he took counsel with no one about it4 ,he breathed nothing of it to his father4 ,a single confidant and companion was all that he thought of--his armour-bearer1 or aide-de-camp4 ,and even him he did not so much consult as attach4 ,come1 said he1 and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised2 it may be that the ,lord will work for us2 for there is no restraint by the ,lord to save by many or by few4 ,no words are needed to show the daring character of this project4 ,the physical effort to climb on hands and feet up a precipitous rock was itself most difficult and perilous1 possible only to boys1 light and lithe of form1 and well accustomed to it2 and if the garrison observed them and chose to oppose them1 a single stone hurled from above would stretch them1 crushed and helpless1 on the valley below4 ,but suppose they succeeded1 what were a couple of young men to do when confronted with a whole garrison8 ,or even if the garrison should be overpowered1 how were they to deal with the ,philistine host1 that lay encamped at no great distance1 or at most were scattered here and there over the country1 and would soon assemble8 ,in every point of view save one1 the enterprise seemed utterly desperate4 ,but that exception was a very important one4 ,the one point of view in which there was the faintest possibility of success was1 that the ,lord ,god might favour the enterprise4 ,the ,god of their fathers might work for them1 and if ,he did so1 there was no restraint with ,him to work by many or by few4 ,had ,he not worked by ,ehud alone to deliver their fathers from the ,moabites8 ,had he not worked by ,shamgar alone1 when with his ox goad he slew six hundred ,philistines8 ,had he not worked by ,samson alone in all his wonderful exploits8 ,might he not work that day by ,jonathan and his armour-bearer1 and1 after all1 only produce a new chapter in that history which had already shown so many wonderful interpositions8 ,jonathan's mind was possessed by the idea4 ,after all1 if he failed1 he could but lose his life4 ,and was not that worth risking when success1 if it were vouchsafed1 might rescue his country from degradation and destruction1 and fill the despairing hearts of his countrymen with emotions of joy and triumph like those which animated their fathers when on the shores of ,sinai they beheld the horse and his rider cast into the sea8 ,it is this working of faith that must be regarded as the most characteristic feature of the attempt of ,jonathan4 ,he showed himself one of the noble heroes of faith1 not unworthy to be enrolled in the glorious record of the eleventh chapter of the ,hebrews4 ,he showed himself pre-eminent for the very quality in which his father had proved deficient4 ,though the earnest lessons of ,samuel had been lost on the father1 they had been blessed to the son4 ,the seed that in the one case fell on stony places fell in the other on good ground4 ,while ,samuel was doubtless disconsolate at the failure of his work with ,saul1 he was succeeding right well1 unknown perhaps to himself1 with the youth that said little but thought much4 ,while in spirit perhaps he was uttering words like ,isaiah's1 ,then said ,i1 ,i have laboured in vain2 ,i have spent my strength for nought and in vain1 ,god was using him in a way that might well have led him to add1 ,yet surely my judgment is with the ,lord1 and my work with my ,god4 ,and what encouragement is here for every ,christian worker6 ,don't despond when you seem to fail in your first and most direct endeavour4 ,in some quiet but thinking little boy or girl in that family circle1 your words are greatly regarded4 ,and just because that young mind sees1 and seeing wonders1 that father or mother is so little moved by what you say1 it is the more impressed4 ,if the father or the mother were manifestly to take the matter up1 the child might dismiss it1 as no concern of his4 ,but just because father or mother is not taking it up1 the child cannot get rid of it4 ,yes1 there is an eternity1 and we ought all to be preparing for it4 ,sin is the soul's ruin1 and unless we get a ,saviour1 we are lost1 ,jesus did come into the world to save sinners2 must we not go to ,him8 ,yes1 we must be born again4 ,lord ,jesus1 forgive us1 help us1 save us6 ,thus it is that things hid from the wise and prudent are often revealed to babes2 and thus it is that out of the mouth of babes and sucklings ,god perfects praise4 ,but ,jonathan's faith in ,god was called to manifest itself in a way very different from that in which the faith of most young persons has to be exercised now4 ,faith led ,jonathan to seize sword and spear1 and hurry out to an enterprise in which he could only succeed by risking his own life and destroying the lives of others4 ,we are thus brought face to face with a strange but fascinating development of the religious spirit--military faith4 ,the subject has received a new and wonderful illustration in our day in the character and career of that great ,christian hero ,general ,gordon4 ,in the career of ,gordon1 we see faith contributing an element of power1 an element of daring1 and an element of security and success to a soldier1 which can come from no other source4 ,no one imagines that without his faith ,gordon would have been what he was or could have done what he did4 ,it is little to say that faith raised him high above all ordinary fears1 or that it made him ready at any moment to risk1 and if need be1 to sacrifice his life4 ,it did a great deal more4 ,it gave him a conviction that he was an instrument in ,god's hands1 and that when he was moved to undertake anything as being ,god's will1 he would be carried through all difficulties1 enabled to surmount all opposition1 and to carry the point in face of the most tremendous odds4 ,and to a great extent the result verified the belief4 ,if ,gordon could not be said to work miracles1 he achieved results that even miracles could hardly have surpassed4 ,if he failed in the last and greatest hazard of his life1 he only showed that after much success one may come to believe too readily in one's inspiration2 one may mistake the voice of one's own feeling for the unfailing assurance of ,god4 ,but that there is a great amount of reality in that faith which hears ,god calling one as if with audible voice1 and goes forth to the most difficult enterprises in the full trust of ,divine protection and aid1 is surely a lesson which lies on the very surface of the life of ,gordon1 and such other lives of the same kind as ,scripture shows us1 as well as the lives of those military heroes of whom we will speak afterwards1 whose battle has been not with flesh and blood1 but with the ignorance and the vice and the disorder of the world4 ,one is almost disposed to envy ,jonathan1 with his whole powers of mind and body knit up to the pitch of firmest and most dauntless resolution1 under the inspiration that moved him to this apparently desperate enterprise4 ,all the world would have rushed to stop him1 insanely throwing away his life1 without the faintest chance of escape4 ,but a voice spoke firmly in his bosom1--,i am not throwing away my life4 ,and ,jonathan did not want certain tokens of encouragement4 ,it was something that his armour-bearer neither flinched nor remonstrated4 ,but that was not all4 ,to encourage himself and to encourage his companion1 he fixed on what might be considered a token for them to persevere in one alternative1 and desist in another4 ,the token was1 that if1 on observing their attempt1 the ,philistines in the garrison should defy them1 should bid them tarry till they came to them1 that would be a sign that they ought to return4 ,but if they should say1 ,come up to us1 that would be a proof that they ought to persevere4 ,was this a mere arbitrary token1 without anything reasonable underlying it8 ,it does not seem to have been so4 ,in the one case1 the words of the ,philistines would bear a hostile meaning1 denoting that violence would be used against them2 in the other case they would denote that the ,philistines were prepared to treat them peaceably1 under the idea perhaps that they were tired of skulking and1 like other ,hebrews 7ver4 #ba71 wishing to surrender to the enemy4 ,in this latter case1 they would be able to make good their position on the rock1 and the enemy would not suspect their real errand till they were ready to begin their work4 ,it turned out that their reception was in the latter fashion4 ,whether in the way of friendly banter or otherwise1 the garrison1 on perceiving them1 invited them to come up1 and they would show them a thing4 ,greatly encouraged by the sign1 they clambered up on hands and feet till they gained the top of the rock4 ,then1 when nothing of the kind was expected1 they fell on the garrison and began to kill4 ,so sudden and unexpected an onslaught threw the garrison into a panic4 ,their arms perhaps were not at hand1 and for anything they knew1 a whole host of ,hebrews might be hastening after their leaders to complete the work of slaughter4 ,in this way1 nearly twenty ,philistines fell in half an acre of ground4 ,the rest of the garrison taking to flight seems to have spread a panic among the host4 ,confusion and terror prevailed on every side4 ,every man's sword was against his fellow4 ,there was trembling in the host1 in the field1 and among the people2 the spoilers and the garrison1 they also trembled1 and the earth quaked2 so it was a very great trembling4 ,whether this implies that the terror and discomfiture of the ,philistines was increased by an earthquake1 or whether it means that there was so much motion and commotion that the very earth seemed to quake1 it is not very easy to decide2 but it shows how complete was the discomfiture of the ,philistines4 ,thus wonderfully was ,jonathan's faith rewarded1 and thus wonderfully1 too1 was the unbelief of ,saul rebuked4 ,seen from the watch-tower at ,gibeah1 the affair was shrouded in mystery4 ,it seemed as if the ,philistine troops were retreating1 while no force was there to make them retreat4 ,when inquiry was made as to who were absent1 ,jonathan and his armour-bearer alone were missed4 ,so perplexed was ,saul1 that1 to understand the position of affairs1 he had called for ,ahiah1 who had charge of the ark 7the ,septuagint reads1 the ephod71 to consult the oracle4 ,but before this could be done1 the condition of things became more plain4 ,the noise in the host of the ,philistines went on increasing1 and when ,saul and his soldiers came on the spot1 they found the ,philistines1 in their confusion1 slaughtering one another1 amid all the signs of wild discomfiture4 ,nothing loath1 they joined in harassing the retreating foe4 ,and as the situation revealed itself others hastened to take part in the fray4 ,those ,hebrews that had come for protection within the ,philistine lines now turned against them1 all the more heartily perhaps because1 before that1 they had had to place their feelings so much under restraint4 ,and the ,hebrews that lay hid in caves and thickets and pits1 when they saw what was going on1 rushed forth to join in the discomfiture of the ,philistines4 ,what a contrast to the state of things that very morning--the ,israelites in helpless feebleness1 looking with despair on the ,philistines as they lay in their stronghold in all the pride of security1 and scattered defiant looks and scornful words among their foes2 now the ,philistine garrison surprised1 their camp forsaken1 their army scattered1 and the only desire or purpose animating the remnant being to escape at the top of their speed from the land of ,israel1 and find shelter and security in their native country4 ,so the ,lord saved ,israel that day2 and the battle passed over unto ,beth-aven4 ,and thus the faith of ,jonathan had a glorious reward4 ,the inspiration of faith vindicated itself1 and the noble self-devotion that had plunged into this otherwise desperate enterprise1 because there was no restraint to the ,lord to save by many or by few1 led thus to a triumph more speedy and more complete than even ,jonathan could have ventured to dream of4 ,none of the judges had wrought a more complete or satisfactory deliverance2 and even the crossing of the ,red ,sea under ,moses had not afforded a more glorious evidence than this achievement of ,jonathan's of the power of faith1 or given more ample testimony to that principle of the kingdom of ,god1 which our ,lord afterwards enunciated1 ,if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed1 ye shall say unto this mountain1 ,remove hence unto yonder place2 and it shall remove2 and nothing shall be impossible unto you4 ,this incident is full of lessons for modern times4 ,first1 it shows what wide and important results may come from individual conviction4 ,when an individual heart is moved by a strong conviction of duty1 it may be that ,god means through that one man's conviction to move the world4 ,modesty might lead a man to say1 ,i am but a unit2 ,i have no influence2 it will make very little difference what ,i do with my conviction1 whether ,i cherish it or stifle it4 ,yet it may be of just worldwide importance that you be faithful to it1 and stand by it steadfastly to the end4 ,did not the ,reformation begin through the steadfastness of ,luther1 the miner's son of ,eisleben1 to the voice that spoke out so loudly to himself8 ,did not ,carey lay the foundation of the modern mission in ,india1 because he could not get rid of that verse of ,scripture1 ,go ye into all the world1 and preach the ,gospel to every creature8 ,did not ,livingstone persevere in the most dangerous1 the most desperate enterprise of our time1 because he could not quench the voice that called him to open up ,africa or perish8 ,or to go back to ,scripture times4 ,a ,jewish maiden at the court of the great king of ,persia becomes the saviour of her whole nation1 because she feels that1 at the risk of her life1 she must speak a word for them to the king4 ,saul of ,tarsus1 after his conversion1 becomes impressed with the conviction that he must preach the ,gospel to the ,gentiles1 and through his faithfulness to that conviction1 he lays the foundation of the whole ,european ,church4 ,learn1 my friends1 every one1 from this1 never to be faithless to any conviction given to you1 though1 as far as you know1 it is given to you alone4 ,make very sure that it comes from the ,god of truth4 ,but don't stifle it1 under the notion that you are too weak to bring anything out of it4 ,don't reason that if it were really from ,god1 it would be given to others too4 ,test it in every way you can1 to determine whether it be right4 ,and if it stands these tests1 manfully give effect to it1 for it may bear seed that will spread over the globe4 ,second1 this narrative shows what large results may flow from individual effort4 ,the idea may not have occurred for the first time to some one2 it may have been derived by him from another2 but it has commended itself to him1 it has been taken up by him1 and worked out by him to results of great magnitude and importance4 ,pay a visit to the massive buildings and well-ordered institutions of ,kaiserswerth1 learn its ramifications all over the globe1 and see what has come of the individual efforts of ,fliedner4 ,think how many children have been rescued by ,dr4 ,barnardo1 how many have been emigrated by ,miss ,macpherson1 how many souls have been impressed by ,mr4 ,moody1 how many orphans have been cared for by ,mr4 ,mueller1 how many stricken ones have been relieved in the institutions of ,john ,bost4 ,it is true1 we are not promised that every instance of individual effort will bring any such harvest4 ,it may be that we are to be content with very limited results1 and with the encomium bestowed on the woman in the ,gospel1 ,she hath done what she could4 ,but it is also true that none of us can tell what possibilities there are in individual effort4 ,we cannot tell but in our case the emblem of the seventy-second ,psalm may be verified1 ,there shall be an handful of corn in the earth on the top of the mountains2 the fruit thereof shall shake like ,lebanon1 and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth4 ,lastly1 we may learn from this narrative that the true secret of all spiritual success lies in our seeking to be instruments in ,god's hands1 and in our lending ourselves to ,him1 to do in us and by us whatever is good in ,his sight4 ,thus it was eminently with ,jonathan4 ,it may be that the ,lord will work for us2 for there is no restraint to the ,lord to save by many or by few4 ,it was not ,jonathan that was to work with some help from ,god2 it was the ,lord that was to work by ,jonathan4 ,it was not ,jonathan's project that was to be carried out2 it was the ,lord's cause that was to be advanced4 ,jonathan had no personal ends in this matter4 ,he was willing to give up his life1 if the ,lord should require it4 ,it is a like consecration in all spiritual service that brings most blessing and success4 ,men that have nothing of their own to gain are the men who gain most4 ,men who sacrifice all desire for personal honour are the men who are most highly honoured4 ,men who make themselves of no reputation are the men who gain the highest reputation4 ,because ,christ emptied ,himself1 and took on ,him the form of a servant1 ,god highly exalted ,him and gave ,him a name above every name4 ,and those who are like ,christ in the mortifying of self become like ,christ also in the enjoyment of the reward4 ,such are the rules of the kingdom of heaven4 ,he that loveth his life shall lose it1 and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,tent ,work in ,palestine4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,saul',s ,,wilfulness4 #a ,,samuel xiv4 #bd-eb4 ,that ,saul was now suffering in character under the influence of the high position and great power to which he had been raised1 is only too apparent from what is recorded in these verses4 ,no doubt he pays more respect than he has been used to pay to the forms of religion4 ,he enjoins a fast on his people at a very inconvenient time1 under the idea that fasting is a proper religious act4 ,he is concerned for the trespass of the people in eating their food with the blood4 ,he builds the first altar he ever built to ,god4 ,he consults the oracle before he will commit himself to the enterprise of pursuing the retreating enemy by night4 ,he is concerned to find the oracle dumb1 and tries to discover through whose sin it is so4 ,for a ceremonial offence1 committed by ,jonathan in ignorance1 he fancies that ,god's displeasure has come down on the people1 and he not only insists that ,jonathan shall die for this offence1 but confirms his decision by a solemn oath1 sworn in the name of ,god4 ,all this shows ,saul plunging and floundering from one mistake to another1 and crowning his blunders by a proposal so outrageous that the indignation of the people arrests his purpose4 ,the idea that the work of the day shall be wound up by the execution of the youth through whom all the wonderful deliverance has come1 and that youth ,saul's own son1 is one that could never have entered into any but a distempered brain4 ,reason seems to have begun to stagger on her throne2 the sad process has begun which in a more advanced stage left ,saul the prey of an evil spirit1 and in its last and most humiliating stage drove him to consult with the witch of ,endor4 ,but how are we to explain his increase of religiousness side by side with the advance of moral obliquity and recklessness8 ,why should he be more careful in the service of ,god while he becomes more imperious in temper1 more stubborn in will1 and more regardless of the obligations alike of king and father8 ,the explanation is not difficult to find4 ,the expostulation of ,samuel had given him a fright4 ,the announcement that the kingdom would not be continued in his line1 and that ,god had found a worthier man to set over ,his people ,israel1 had moved him to the quick4 ,there could be no doubt that ,samuel was speaking the truth4 ,saul had begun to disregard ,god's will in his public acts1 and was now beginning to reap the penalty4 ,he felt that he must pay more attention to ,god's will4 ,if he was not to lose everything1 he must try to be more religious4 ,there is no sign of his feeling penitent in heart4 ,he is not concerned in spirit for his unworthy behaviour toward ,god4 ,he feels only that his own interests as king are imperilled4 ,it is this selfish motive that makes him determine to be more religious4 ,the fast1 and the consultation of the oracle1 and the altar1 and the oath that ,jonathan shall die1 have all their origin in this frightened1 selfish feeling4 ,and hence1 in their very nature and circumstances1 his religious acts are unsuitable and unseemly4 ,in place of making things better by such services1 he makes them worse2 no peace of ,god falls like dew on his soul2 no joy is diffused throughout his army2 discontent reaches a climax when the death of ,jonathan is called for2 and tranquillity is restored only by the rebellion of the people1 rescuing their youthful prince and hero4 ,alas1 how common has this spirit been in the history of the world6 ,what awful tragedies has it led to1 what slaughter of heretics1 what frightful excesses disgraceful to kings1 what outrages on the common feelings of humanity6 ,louis ,,xiv4 has led a most wicked and profligate life1 and he has ever and anon qualms that threaten him with the wrath of ,god4 ,to avert that wrath1 he must be more attentive to his religious duties4 ,he must show more favour to the ,church1 exalt her dignitaries to greater honour1 endow her orders and foundations with greater wealth4 ,but that is not all4 ,he must use all the arms and resources of his kingdom for ridding the ,church of her enemies4 ,for twenty years he must harass the ,protestants with every kind of vexatious interference1 shutting up their churches on frivolous pretexts1 compelling them to bury their dead by night1 forbidding the singing of psalms in worship1 subjecting them to great injustice in their civil capacity1 and at last1 by the revocation of the edict that gave them toleration1 sweeping them from the kingdom in hundreds of thousands1 till hardly a ,protestant is left behind4 ,what the magnificent monarch did on a large scale1 millions of obscurer men have done on a small4 ,it is a sad truth that terror and selfishness have been at the foundation of a great deal of that which passes current as religion4 ,prayers and penances and vows and charities in cases without number have been little better than premiums of insurance1 designed to save the soul from punishment and pain4 ,nor have these acts been confined to that ,church which1 more than any other1 has encouraged men to look for saving benefit to the merit of their own works4 ,many a ,protestant1 roused by his conscience into a state of fright1 has resolved to be more attentive to the duties of religion4 ,he will read his ,bible more2 he will pray more2 he will give more2 he will go to church more4 ,alas1 the spring of all this is found in no humiliation for sin before ,god1 no grief at having offended the ,father1 no humble desire to be renewed in heart and conformed to the image of the ,first-born6 ,and the consequence is1 as in the case of ,saul1 that things go1 not from bad to better1 but from bad to worse4 ,there is no peace of ,god that passeth all understanding2 there is no general rectification of the disordered faculties of the soul2 there is no token of heavenly blessing1 blessing to the man himself and blessing to those about him4 ,a more fiery element seems to come into his temper2 a more bitter tone pervades his life4 ,to himself it feels as if there were no good in trying to be better2 to the world it appears as if religion put more of the devil into him4 ,but it is all because what he calls religion is no religion2 it is the selfish bargain-making spirit1 which aims no higher than deliverance from pain2 it is not the noble exercise of the soul1 prostrated by the sense of guilt1 and helpless through consciousness of weakness1 lifting up its eyes to the hills whence cometh its help1 and rejoicing in the grace that freely pardons all its sin through the blood of ,christ1 and in the gift of the ,holy ,spirit that renews and sanctifies the soul4 ,the first thing that ,saul does1 in the exercise of this selfish spirit1 is to impose on the people an obligation to fast until the day be over4 ,any one may see that to compel fasting under such circumstances was alike cruel and unwise4 ,to fast in the solitude of one's chamber1 where there is no extra wear and tear of the bodily organs1 and therefore no special need for recruiting them1 is comparatively safe and easy4 ,but to fast amid the struggles of battle or the hurry of a pursuit2 to fast under the burning sun and that strain of the system which brings the keenest thirst2 to fast under exertions that rapidly exhaust the thews and sinews1 and call for a renewal of their tissues--to fast in circumstances like these involves an amount of suffering which it is not easy to estimate4 ,it was cruel in ,saul to impose a fast at such a time1 all the more that1 being commander-in-chief of the army1 it was his duty to do his utmost for the comfort of his soldiers4 ,but it was unwise as well as cruel2 with energies impaired by fasting1 they could not continue the pursuit nor make the victory so telling4 ,perhaps he was under the influence of the delusion that the more painful a religious service is1 the more is it acceptable to ,god4 ,that idea of penance does find a place in our natural notions of religion4 ,saul1 as we have seen1 grew up with little acquaintance with religious persons and little knowledge of ,divine things2 and now that perforce he is constrained to attend to them1 it is no wonder if he falls into many a serious error4 ,for he probably had no idea of that great rule of ,god's kingdom1 ,i will have mercy1 and not sacrifice4 ,the folly of ,saul's order became apparent when the army came to a wood1 where1 as is common enough in the country1 a stream of wild honey poured out1 probably from the trunk of a hollow tree4 ,stretching out his rod or spear1 ,jonathan fixed it in a piece of the comb1 which he transferred with his hand to his mouth4 ,immediately his eyes were enlightened2 the dull feeling which settles on the eyes amid fatigue and hunger disappeared2 and with the return of clear vision to his eyes1 there would come a restoration of vigour to his whole frame4 ,when told for the first time of the order which his father had given1 he showed no regret at having broken it1 but openly expressed his displeasure at its having ever been imposed4 ,then said ,jonathan1 ,my father hath troubled the land4 ,see1 ,i pray you1 how mine eyes have been enlightened1 because ,i tasted a little of this honey4 ,how much more if haply the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found6 for had there not been a much greater slaughter among the ,philistines8 ,we must bear in mind that ,jonathan was a true man of ,god4 ,he had set out that morning in his wonderful exploit in the true spirit of faith and full consecration to ,god4 ,he was in far nearer fellowship with ,god than his father1 and yet so far from approving of the religious order to fast which his father had given1 he regards it with displeasure and distrust4 ,godly men will sometimes be found less outwardly religious than some other men1 and will greatly shock them by being so4 ,the godly man has an unction from the ,holy ,one to understand ,his will2 he goes straight to the ,lord's business2 like our blessed ,lord1 he finishes the work given him to do2 while the merely religious man is often so occupied with his forms1 that1 like the ,pharisees1 he neglects the structure for which forms are but the scaffolding2 in paying his tithes of mint1 anise1 and cummin1 he omits the weightier matters--justice1 mercy1 and truth4 ,but the evil caused by ,saul's injudicious fast was not yet over4 ,the obligation to fast lasted only till sunset1 and when the day was ended1 the people1 faint and ravenous1 flew upon the spoil--sheep1 oxen1 and calves--and devoured them on the spot1 without taking time or pains to sever the blood from the flesh4 ,to remedy this1 ,saul had a great stone placed beside him1 and ordered the people to bring every man his ox or his sheep1 and slay them on that stone1 that he might see that the blood was properly drained from the flesh4 ,then we gather from the marginal reading of ver4 #ce that he was proceeding to erect with the stone an altar to ,god1 but that he did not carry this purpose completely into effect1 because he determined to continue the pursuit of the ,philistines4 ,he saw how much recruited his troops were by their food1 and he therefore determined to make a new assault4 ,if it had not been for the unwise order to fast given early in the day1 if the people had been at liberty to help themselves to the honey as they passed it1 or to such other refreshments as they found in their way1 they would have been some hours earlier in this pursuit1 and it would have been so much the more effectual4 ,it would seem1 however1 that the priest who was in attendance on ,saul was somewhat alarmed at the abrupt and rather reckless way in which the king was making his plans and giving his orders4 ,let us draw near hither unto ,god1 said he4 ,counsel was accordingly asked of ,god whether ,saul should go down after the ,philistines and whether ,god would deliver them into the hand of ,israel4 ,but to this inquiry no answer was given4 ,it was natural to infer that some sin had separated between ,god and ,saul1 some iniquity had caused ,god to hide ,his face from him4 ,here was a state of things that might well make ,saul pause and examine himself4 ,had he done so in an honest spirit1 he could hardly have failed to find out what was wrong4 ,god had given a wonderful deliverance that day through ,jonathan4 ,jonathan was as remarkable for the power of faith as ,saul for the want of it4 ,jonathan had been wonderfully blessed that day1 but now that ,saul1 through the priest1 sought to have a communication with ,god1 none was given4 ,might he not have seen that the real cause of this was that ,saul wanted what ,jonathan possessed8 ,besides1 was ,saul doing justice to ,jonathan in taking the enterprise out of his hands8 ,if ,jonathan began it1 was he not entitled to finish it8 ,would not ,saul have been doing a thing alike generous and just had he stood aside at this time1 and called on ,jonathan to complete the work of the day8 ,if the king of ,england was justified in not going to the help of the ,black ,prince1 serious though his danger was1 but leaving him to extricate himself1 and thus enjoy the whole credit of his valour1 might not ,saul have let his son end the enterprise which he had so auspiciously begun8 ,in these two facts1 in the difference between him and ,jonathan as to the spirit of faith1 and in the way in which ,saul displaced the man whom ,god so signally countenanced in the morning1 the king of ,israel might have found the cause of the silence of the oracle4 ,and the right thing for him would have been to confess his error1 stand aside1 and call on ,jonathan to continue the pursuit and1 if possible1 exterminate the foe4 ,but ,saul took a different course4 ,he had recourse to the lot1 to determine the guilty party4 ,now1 it does not appear that even the king of ,israel1 with the priest at his side1 was entitled to resort to the lot to ascertain the mind of ,god except in cases where all natural means of discovering it confessedly failed4 ,but we have just seen that in this case the natural means had not failed4 ,therefore there was no obligation on ,god to order the lot supernaturally so as to bring out the truth4 ,in point of fact1 the process ended so as to point to the very last man in all the army to whom blame was due4 ,it was1 as mathematicians say1 a reductio ad absurdum4 ,it is a proof that an instrument is out of order if it brings out a result positively ludicrous4 ,if near the equator an instrument gives the latitude of the polar circle1 it is a proof that it is not working rightly4 ,when the lot pointed to ,jonathan1 it was a proof that it was not working rightly4 ,any man might have seen this4 ,and ,saul ought to have seen it4 ,and he ought to have confessed that he was entirely out of his reckoning4 ,frankly and cordially he should have taken the blame on himself1 and at once exonerated his noble son4 ,but ,saul was in no mood to take the blame on himself4 ,nor had he moral sagacity enough to see what an outrage it would be to lay the blame on ,jonathan4 ,assuming that he was guilty1 he asked him what he had done4 ,he had done nothing but eat a little honey1 not having heard the king's order to abstain4 ,the justification was complete4 ,at worst1 it was but a ceremonial offence1 but to ,jonathan it was not even that4 ,but ,saul was too obstinate to admit the plea4 ,by a new oath1 he devoted his son to death4 ,nothing could show more clearly the deplorable state of his mind4 ,in the eye of reason and of justice1 ,jonathan had committed no offence4 ,he had given signal evidence of the possession in a remarkable degree of the favour of ,god4 ,he had laid the nation under inconceivable obligations4 ,all these pleas were for him2 and surely in the king's breast a voice might have been heard pleading1 ,your son1 your first-born1 the beginning of your strength1 the excellency of dignity1 and the excellency of power6 ,is it possible that this voice was silenced by jealousy1 jealousy of his own son1 like his after-jealousy of ,david8 ,what kind of heart could this ,saul have had when in such circumstances he could deliberately say1 ,god do so1 and more also1 for thou shalt surely die1 ,jonathan8 ,but the ,divine right of kings to govern wrong is not altogether without check4 ,a temporary revolution saved ,jonathan4 ,it was one good effect of excitement4 ,in calmer circumstances1 the people might have been too terrified to interfere4 ,but now they were excited--excited by their victory1 excited by their fast followed by their meal1 and excited by the terror of harm befalling ,jonathan4 ,they had far clearer and more correct apprehension of the whole circumstances than the king had4 ,it is especially to be noted that they laid great emphasis on the fact that that day ,god had worked by ,jonathan1 and ,jonathan had worked with ,god4 ,this made the great difference between him and ,saul4 ,as the ,lord liveth1 there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground2 for he hath wrought with ,god this day4 ,so the people rescued ,jonathan1 that he died not4 ,the opportunity of inflicting further damage on the ,philistines at this time was thus lost through the moral obtuseness1 recklessness1 and obstinacy of ,saul4 ,but in many a future campaign ,saul as a warrior rendered great service to the kingdom4 ,he fought against all his enemies on every side4 ,on the east1 the ,moabites1 the ,ammonites1 and the ,edomites had to be dealt with2 on the north1 the kings of ,zobah2 on the south1 the ,amalekites2 and on the west1 the ,philistines4 ,these campaigns are briefly stated1 but we may easily see how much of hard military work is implied in connection with each4 ,we may understand1 too1 with what honesty ,david1 in his elegy over ,saul and ,jonathan1 might commemorate their warlike prowess3 ,from the blood of the slain1 from the fat of the mighty1 the bow of ,jonathan turned not back1 and the sword of ,saul returned not empty4 ,whether these military expeditions were conducted in a better spirit than ,saul shows in this chapter we cannot tell4 ,whether further proofs were given of ,god's presence with ,jonathan as contrasted with his absence from ,saul we do not know4 ,it does not appear that there was any essential improvement in ,saul4 ,but when ,jonathan again emerges from the obscurity of history1 and is seen in a clear and definite light1 his character is singularly attractive--one of the purest and brightest in the whole field of ,scripture4 ,evidently the military spirit ruled in ,saul1 but it did not bring peace nor blessing to the kingdom4 ,he gathered an host1 surrounded himself with a standing army1 so as to be ready and have an excuse for any expedition that he wished to undertake4 ,after a brief notice of ,saul's family1 the chapter ends by telling us that there was sore war against the ,philistines all the days of ,saul2 and when ,saul saw any strong man or any valiant man1 he took him unto him4 ,the ,philistines were far from being permanently subdued2 there were not even intervals of peace between the two countries4 ,there was bitter war1 an open sore1 perpetually bleeding1 a terror on every side1 never removed4 ,how different it might have been had that one day been better spent6 how different it would certainly have been had ,saul been a man after ,god's own heart6 ,one day's misdeeds may bring a whole generation of sorrow1 for one sinner destroyeth much good4 ,once off the right rail1 ,saul never got on it again2 rash and restless1 he doubtless involved his people in many a disaster1 fulfilling all that ,samuel had said about taking from the people1 fulfilling but little that the people had hoped concerning deliverance from the hand of the ,philistines4 ,who does not see what a fearful thing it is to leave ,god and ,his ways1 and give one's self up to the impulses of one's own heart8 ,fearful for even the humblest of us1 but infinitely fearful for one of great resources and influence1 with a whole people under him6 ,how beautiful some prayers in the ,psalms sound after we have been contemplating the wild career of ,saul6 ,show me ,thy ways1 ,o ,lord2 teach me in ,thy paths4 ,lead me in ,thy truth and teach me1 for ,thou art the ,god of my salvation2 on ,thee do ,i wait all the day4 ,oh that my ways were directed to keep ,thy statutes6 ,then shall ,i not be ashamed1 when ,i have respect unto all ,thy commandments4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,final ,,rejection ,,of ,,saul4 #a ,,samuel xv4 ,here we find the second portion of ,god's indictment against ,saul1 and the reason for his final rejection from the office to which he had been raised4 ,there is no real ground for the assertion of some critics that in this book we have two accounts of ,saul's rejection1 contradictory one of the other1 because a different ground is asserted for it in the one case from that assigned in the other4 ,the first rejection 7#a ,sam4 xiii4 #ac1 #ad7 was the rejection of his house as the permanent dynasty of ,israel1 but it did not imply either that ,saul was to cease to reign1 or that ,god was to withdraw all countenance and co-operation with him as king4 ,the rejection we read of in the present chapter goes further than the first4 ,it does not indeed imply that ,saul would cease to reign1 but it does imply that ,god would no longer countenance him as king1 would no longer make him his instrument of deliverance and blessing to ,israel1 but would leave him to the miserable feeling that he was reigning without authority4 ,more than that1 as we know from the sequel1 it implied that ,god was about to bring his successor forward1 and thereby exhibit both to him and to the nation the evidence of his degradation and rejection4 ,it is likely that the transactions of this chapter occurred when ,saul's reign was far advanced4 ,if he had not been guilty of fresh disregard of ,god's will1 though ,david would still have been his successor1 he would have been spared the shame and misery of going out and in before his people like one who bore the mark of ,cain1 the visible expression of the ,divine displeasure4 ,throughout the whole of this chapter1 ,god appears in that more stern and rigorous aspect of ,his character which is not agreeable to the natural heart of man4 ,judgment1 we are told1 is ,his strange work2 it is not what ,he delights in2 but it is a work which ,he cannot fail to perform when the necessity for it arises4 ,there is a gospel which is often preached in our day that divests ,god wholly of the rigid1 judicial character2 it clothes ,him with no attributes but those of kindness and love2 it presents ,him in a countenance ever smiling1 never stern4 ,it maintains that the great work of ,christ in the world was to reveal this paternal aspect of ,god's character1 to convince men of ,his fatherly feelings towards them1 and to divest their minds of all those conceptions of indignation and wrath with which our minds are apt to clothe ,him1 and which the theologies of men are so ready to foster4 ,but this is a gospel that says1 ,peace6 peace6 when there is no peace4 ,the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ does indeed reveal1 and reveal very beautifully1 the paternal character of ,god2 but it reveals at the same time that judicial character which insists on the execution of ,his law4 ,that ,god will execute wrath on the impenitent and unbelieving is just as much a feature of the ,gospel as that ,he will bestow all the blessings of salvation and eternal life on them that believe4 ,what the ,gospel reveals respecting the sterner1 the judicial1 aspect of ,god's character is1 that there is no bitterness in ,his anger against sinners2 there is nothing in ,god's breast of that irritation and impatience which men are so apt to show when their fellow-men have offended them2 ,god's anger is just4 ,the calm1 settled opposition of ,his nature to sin is the feeling that dictates the sentence ,the soul that sinneth1 it shall die4 ,the ,gospel is indeed a glorious manifestation of the love and grace of ,god for sinners1 but it is not an indiscriminate assurance of grace for all sinners2 it is an offer of grace to all who believe on ,god's ,son1 but it is an essential article of the ,gospel that without faith in ,christ the saving love and grace of ,god cannot be known4 ,instead of reducing the character of ,god to mere good-nature1 the ,gospel brings ,his righteousness more prominently forward than ever2 instead of smoothing the doom of the impenitent1 it deepens their guilt1 and it magnifies their condemnation4 ,yes1 my friends1 and it is most wholesome for us all to look at times steadily in the face this solemn attribute of ,god1 as the ,avenger of the impenitent4 ,it shows us that sin is not a thing to be trifled with4 ,it shows us that ,god's will is not a thing to be despised4 ,there are just two alternatives for thee1 ,o sinner1 who art not making ,god's will the rule of thy life4 ,repent1 believe1 and be forgiven2 continue to sin1 and be lost for ever4 ,the transaction in connection with which ,saul was guilty of a fresh disregard of ,god's will was an expedition which was appointed for him against the ,amalekites4 ,this people had been guilty of some very atrocious treatment of ,israel in the wilderness of ,sinai1 the details of which are not given4 ,nations having a corporate life1 when they continue to manifest the spirit of preceding generations1 are held responsible for their actions1 and liable to the penalty4 ,saul was sent to inflict on ,amalek the retribution that had been due so long for his perfidious treatment of ,israel on the way to ,canaan4 ,in the narrative1 various places are mentioned as being in the ,amalekite territory1 but their exact sites are not known2 and indeed this matters little1 all that it is important to know being that the ,amalekites were mainly a nomadic people1 occupying the fringe between ,canaan and the desert on the south border of ,palestine1 and doubtless subsisting to a large extent on the prey secured by them when they made forays into the territories of ,israel4 ,saul gathered a great army to compass the destruction of this bitter and hostile people4 ,in reading of the instructions he received to exterminate them1 to slay both man and woman1 infant and suckling1 ox and sheep1 camel and ass1 we shudder to think of the fearful massacre which this involved4 ,it was an order similar to that which the ,israelites received to exterminate the inhabitants of ,canaan1 or that to destroy the ,midianites1 during the lifetime of ,moses4 ,though it seems very horrible to us in whose eyes human life has become very sacred1 it probably excited little feeling of the kind in the breasts of the ,israelites1 accustomed as they were1 and as all ,eastern nations were1 to think very little of human life1 and to witness wholesale slaughter with little emotion4 ,but there is one thing in the order that we must not overlook1 because it gave a complexion to the transaction quite different from that of ordinary massacres4 ,that circumstance was1 that the prey was to be destroyed as well as the people4 ,in the case of an ordinary massacre1 the conquering people abandon themselves to the licence of their passions1 and hasten to enrich themselves by appropriating everything of value on which they can lay their hands4 ,in the case of the ,israelites1 there was to be nothing of the kind4 ,they were to destroy the prey just as thoroughly as they were to destroy the people4 ,they were to enrich themselves in nothing4 ,now1 this was a most important modification of the current practice in such things4 ,but for this restriction1 the extermination of the ,amalekites would have been a wild carnival of selfish passion4 ,the restriction appointed to ,saul1 like that which ,joshua had imposed at ,jericho1 bound the people to the most rigid self-restraint1 under circumstances when self-restraint was extremely difficult4 ,the extermination was to be carried into effect with all the solemnity of a judicial execution1 and the soldiers were to have no benefit from it whatever1 any more than the jailer or the hangman can have benefit from the execution of some wretched murderer4 ,now1 let it be observed that it was in entirely disregarding this restriction that a chief part of ,saul's disobedience lay4 ,saul and the people spared ,agag1 and the best of the sheep1 and of the oxen1 and of the fatlings and the lambs1 and all that was good1 and would not utterly destroy them2 but everything that was vile and refuse1 that they destroyed utterly4 ,the sparing of ,king ,agag seems to have been a piece of vanity with ,saul1 for a conqueror returning home with a royal prisoner was greatly thought of in those ,eastern lands4 ,but the sparing of the prey was a matter of pure greed4 ,observe how the character of the transaction was wholly changed by this circumstance4 ,instead of wearing the aspect of a solemn retribution on a sinful nation1 on a people laden with iniquity1 all the more impressive because the ministers of ,god's vengeance abstained from appropriating a vestige of the property1 but consigned the whole1 like a plague-stricken mass1 too polluted to be touched1 to the furnace of destruction--instead of this1 it just appeared like an ordinary unprincipled foray1 in which the victorious party slew the other1 mainly to get them out of the way and enable them without opposition to appropriate their goods4 ,it was this consideration that made the offence of ,saul so serious1 that made his breach of the ,divine order so guilty4 ,had he no knowledge of the history of his people8 ,did he not remember what had happened at ,jericho in the days of ,joshua1 when ,achan stole the wedge of gold and the ,babylonian garment1 and1 in spite of the fact that the rest of the people had behaved well and that ,god's purpose in the main was amply carried out1 ,achan and all his family were judicially stoned to death8 ,how could ,saul expect that such a flagrant violation of the ,divine command in the case of the ,amalekites1 perpetrated not on the sly by a single individual1 but openly by the king and all the people1 could escape the retribution of ,god8 ,such then was ,saul's conduct in the affair of ,amalek4 ,the next incident in the narrative is the communication that took place regarding it between the ,lord and ,samuel4 ,speaking after the manner of men1 ,god said1 ,it repented ,him that ,he had set up ,saul to be king4 ,that these words are not to be explained in a strictly literal sense is evident from what is said in ver4 #bi3 ,the strength of ,israel will not lie nor repent1 for ,he is not a man that ,he should repent4 ,the intimation to ,samuel was equivalent to this3 that ,god was now done with ,saul4 ,he had been weighed in the balances and found wanting4 ,he had had his time of probation1 and he had failed4 ,he was joined to his idols1 and must now be let alone4 ,this last and very flagrant act of disobedience settled the matter4 ,my ,spirit shall not always strive with man4 ,how did ,samuel receive the announcement8 ,it grieved ,samuel1 and he cried to the ,lord all night4 ,it is the same word as is translated in ,jonah1 ,it displeased ,jonah4 ,but there is nothing to show that ,samuel was displeased with ,god4 ,the whole transaction was disappointing1 worrying1 heart-breaking4 ,doubtless he had a certain liking for ,saul4 ,he admired his splendid figure and many fine kingly qualities4 ,it was a terrible struggle to give him up4 ,the ,divine announcement threw his mind into a tumult4 ,all night he cried unto the ,lord4 ,doubtless his cry was somewhat similar to our ,lord's cry in ,gethsemane1 ,if it be possible1 let this cup pass4 ,if it be possible1 recover ,saul4 ,and observe1 ,samuel had good cause to raise this cry on account of the man who would naturally have been ,saul's successor4 ,he must have had great complacency in ,jonathan4 ,if ,saul was to be set aside1 why should not ,jonathan have the crown8 ,on whose head would it sit more gracefully8 ,in whose hand would the sceptre be held more suitably8 ,but even this plea would not avail4 ,it was ,god's purpose to mark the offence of ,saul with a deeper stigma1 and attach to it in the mind of the nation a more conspicuous brand1 by cutting off his whole family and transferring the crown to a quite different line4 ,it took the whole night to reconcile ,samuel to the ,divine sentence4 ,how very deeply and tenderly must this man's heart have been moved by regard for ,saul and for the people6 ,in the morning1 his soul seems to have returned to its quiet rest4 ,his mood seems now to have been1 ,not my will but ,thine be done6 ,next comes the meeting of ,saul and ,samuel4 ,samuel seems to have expected to meet ,saul at ,carmel--the ,carmel of ,nabal 7chap4 xxv4 #b7--;but1 perhaps on purpose to avoid him1 ,saul hastened to ,gilgal4 ,and when they met there1 ,saul1 with no little audacity1 claimed to have performed the commandment of the ,lord4 ,that this plea was not advanced in simple ignorance1 as some have thought1 is plain enough from ,samuel's reception of it and his rebuke4 ,what meaneth this bleating of sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the oxen in my ears8 ,facts are stubborn things1 and they make quick work of sophistry4 ,oh1 says ,saul1 these are brought as a sacrifice to the ,lord thy ,god2 they are an extra proof of my loyalty to ,him4 ,saul1 ,saul1 is it not enough that thou didst allow the selfish greed whether of thyself or of thy people to overbear the ,divine command8 ,must thou add the sin of hypocrisy1 and pretend that it was a pious act8 ,and dost thou imagine that in so doing thou canst impose either on ,samuel1 or on ,god8 ,o sinners1 you do miscalculate fearfully when you give to ,god's servants such false explanations of your sins6 ,how long1 think you1 will the flimsy material hold out8 ,in the case of ,saul1 it did not even enable him to turn the corner4 ,it brought out a fact which he must have trembled to hear3 that ,samuel had had a communication about him from ,god the very night before1 and that ,god had spoken very plainly about him4 ,and what had ,god said8 ,god had proceeded on the fact that ,saul had disobeyed his voice1 and had flown upon the spoil to preserve what ,god had commanded him to destroy4 ,nay1 says ,saul1 it was not ,i that did that1 but the people1 and they did it to sacrifice to the ,lord thy ,god in ,gilgal4 ,the excuse hardly needed to be exposed4 ,why did you let the people do so8 ,why did you not fulfil ,god's command as faithfully as ,joshua did at ,jericho8 ,why did you allow yourself1 or the people either1 to tamper with the clear orders given you by your ,king and theirs8 ,behold1 to obey is better than sacrifice1 and to hearken than the fat of rams4 ,moral conduct is more than ceremonial form4 ,because thou hast rejected the word of the ,lord1 ,he also hath rejected thee from being king4 ,this terrible word pierces ,saul to the quick4 ,he is thoroughly alarmed4 ,he makes acknowledgment of his sin in so far as he had feared the people and obeyed their words4 ,he entreats ,samuel to forgive him and turn again with him that he may worship ,god4 ,he shows no evidence of true1 heartfelt repentance4 ,and ,samuel refuses to return with him1 and refuses to identify himself with one whom ,god hath rejected from being king4 ,but ,saul is deeply in earnest4 ,he tries to detain ,samuel by force4 ,he takes hold of his mantle1 and holds it so firmly that it rends4 ,it is a symbol1 says ,samuel1 of the rending of the kingdom of ,israel from thee this day1 to be given by ,god to a neighbour of thine that is better than thou4 ,and this is ,god's irreversible sentence4 ,your day of grace is expired1 and the ,divine sentence is beyond recall4 ,one more appeal does ,saul make to ,samuel4 ,again he owns his sin1 but the request he makes shows clearly that what he is most anxious about is that he should not appear dishonoured before the people4 ,it is his own reputation that concerns him4 ,honour me now1 ,i pray thee1 before the elders of my people and before ,israel1 and turn again with me1 that ,i may worship the ,lord thy ,god4 ,samuel yields4 ,the abject wretchedness of the man seems to have touched him4 ,but it is not said that ,samuel worshipped with him4 ,samuel would no doubt continue firm to his purpose not to identify himself with ,saul as king1 or give him any moral support in his attitude of disobedience4 ,so far from that1 ,samuel openly superseded him in dealing with ,agag2 he went out of his way1 and did an act which could not but appear a frightful one for a venerable prophet of the ,lord4 ,it is the voice of the real king that sounds in the command1 ,bring ye hither to me ,agag1 the king of the ,amalekites4 ,we seem to see the royal prisoner advancing cringingly before that imperial figure1 in whose eye there is a look1 and in whose face and figure there is a determination1 that may well make him quail4 ,surely1 says ,agag1 imploringly1 the bitterness of death is past4 ,spared by the king1 ,i am not to fare worse from the prophet4 ,samuel knew him a merciless destroyer4 ,as thy sword hath made women childless1 so shall thy mother be childless among women4 ,and ,samuel hewed ,agag in pieces before the ,lord in ,gilgal4 ,cursed be he that doeth the work of ,god deceitfully1 and cursed be he that withholdeth his sword from shedding of blood4 ,it is a scene of terror4 ,the swift retribution executed on the one king was but the sign of the slower retribution pronounced upon the other4 ,in the one case the doom was rapid2 in the other it was deferred2 in both it was sure4 ,and have we not here a sad picture of that retribution which is sure to come on the impenitent sinner1 and in the procedure of ,samuel a foreshadowing of ,him who cometh from ,edom1 with dyed garments from ,bozrah1 who will one day speak to ,his enemies in ,his wrath and vex them in ,his hot displeasure8 ,have we not here a foretaste of the opening of the sixth seal1 when the kings of the earth1 and the great men1 and the rich men1 and the chief captains1 and the mighty men1 shall say to the mountains and rocks1 ,fall on us1 and hide us from the face of ,him that sitteth on the throne1 and from the wrath of the ,lamb3 for the great day of ,his wrath is come2 and who shall be able to stand8 ,and oh6 how little in that day will those plausible excuses avail with which men try to cover their sins to themselves1 and it may be to others4 ,how will the hail sweep away the refuges of lies6 ,how will the real character of men's hearts1 the true tenor of their lives1 in respect they have set aside ,god's will and set up their own1 be revealed in characters that cannot be mistaken6 ,the question to be determined by your life was1 whether ,god or you was ,king4 ,which did you obey1 ,god's will or your own8 ,did you set aside ,god's will8 ,then you are certainly a rebel2 and never having repented1 never having been washed1 or sanctified1 or justified1 your portion is with the rebels2 the ,father's house is not for you6 ,and now the breach between ,samuel and ,saul is final4 ,samuel came no more to visit ,saul until the day of his death2 nevertheless ,samuel mourned for ,saul2 and the ,lord repented that ,he had made ,saul king over ,israel4 ,saul is cut off now from his best means of grace--he is virtually an excommunicated man4 ,was it hard8 ,do our sympathies in any degree go with him8 ,to our compassion he is entitled in the highest degree1 but to nothing more4 ,saul's worst qualities had now become petrified4 ,his wilfulness1 his selfishness1 his passionateness1 his jealousy1 had now got complete control1 nor could their current be turned aside4 ,the threat of losing his kingdom--perhaps the most terrible threat such a man could have felt--had failed to turn him from his wayward course4 ,he was like the man in the iron cage in the ,pilgrim's ,progress1 who gave his history3 ,i left off to watch and be sober2 ,i laid the reins upon the neck of my lusts2 ,i sinned against the light of the word and the goodness of ,god2 ,i have grieved the ,spirit and ,he is gone2 ,i tempted the devil1 and he is come to me2 ,i have provoked ,god to anger and ,he has left me2 ,i have so hardened my heart that ,i cannot repent4 ,it is a terrible lesson that comes to us from the career of ,saul4 ,if our natural lusts are not under the restraint of a higher power2 if by that power we are not trained to watch1 and check1 and overpower them2 if we allow them to burst all restraint and lord it over us as they will1--then will they grow into so many tyrants1 who will rule us with rods of iron2 laugh at the feeble remonstrances of our conscience2 scoff at every messenger of ,god2 vex ,his ,holy ,spirit1 and hurl us at last to everlasting woe6 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,david ,,anointed ,,by ,,samuel4 #a ,,samuel xvi4 #a-ac4 ,the rejection of ,saul was laid very deeply to heart by ,samuel4 ,no doubt there were many engaging qualities in the man ,saul1 which ,samuel could not but remember1 and which fed the flame of personal attachment1 and made the fact of his rejection hard to digest4 ,and no doubt1 too1 ,samuel was concerned for the peace and prosperity of the nation4 ,he knew that a change of dynasty commonly meant civil war--it might lead to the inward weakening of a kingdom already weak enough1 and its exposure to the attacks of hostile neighbours that watched with lynx eyes for any opportunity of dashing against ,israel4 ,thus both on personal and on public grounds the rejection of ,saul was a great grief to ,samuel1 especially as the rejection of ,saul implied the rejection of ,jonathan1 and the prophet might ask1 with no small reason1 where1 in all the nation1 could there be found a better successor4 ,it was not ,god's pleasure to reveal to ,samuel the tragic events that were to stretch ,jonathan and his brothers among the dead on the same day as their father2 but it was ,his pleasure to introduce him to the man who1 at a future time1 was to rule ,israel according to the ideal which the prophet had vainly endeavoured to press upon ,saul4 ,there is a sharpness in ,god's expostulation with ,samuel which implies that the prophet's grief for ,saul was carried to an excessive and therefore sinful length4 ,how long wilt thou mourn for ,saul1 seeing ,i have rejected him from reigning over ,israel8 ,grief on account of others seems such a sacred1 such a holy feeling1 that we are not ready to apprehend the possibility of its acquiring the dark hue of sin4 ,yet if ,god's children abandon themselves to the wildest excess for some sorrow which bears to them the character of a fatherly chastening2 if they refuse to give effect in any way to ,god's purpose in the matter1 and to the gracious ends which ,he designs it to serve1 they are guilty of sin1 and that sin one which is greatly dishonouring to ,god4 ,it can never be right to shut ,god out of view in connection with our sorrows1 or to forget that the day is coming--impossible though it may seem--when ,his character shall be so vindicated in all that has happened to ,his children1 that all tears shall be wiped from their eyes1 and it shall be seen that ,his tender mercies have been over all ,his works4 ,it was to ,bethlehem1 and to the family of ,jesse1 that ,samuel was to go to find the destined successor of ,saul4 ,the place was not so far distant from ,ramah as to be quite beyond the sphere of ,samuel's acquaintance4 ,of ,jesse1 one of the leading men of the place1 he would probably have at least a general knowledge1 though it is plain he had not any personal acquaintance with him1 or knowledge of his family4 ,bethlehem had already acquired a marked place in ,hebrew history1 and ,samuel could not have been ignorant of the episode of the young ,moabite widow who had given such a beautiful proof of filial piety1 and among whose descendants ,jesse and his sons were numbered4 ,the very name of ,bethlehem was fitted to recall how ,god honours those that honour ,him1 and might have rebuked that outburst of fear which fell from ,samuel1 whose first thought was that he could not go1 because if ,saul heard of it he would kill him4 ,well1 it is plain enough that1 with all his glorious qualities as a prophet1 ,samuel was but a man1 subject to the infirmities of men4 ,what an honest book the ,bible is6 its greatest heroes coming down so often to the human level and showing the same weaknesses as ourselves6 ,but ,god1 who stoops to human weakness1 who fortified the failing heart of ,moses at the burning bush1 and the doubting heart of ,gideon1 and afterwards the weary heart of ,elijah and the trembling heart of ,jeremiah1 condescends in like manner to the infirmity of ,samuel1 and provides him with an ostensible object for his journey1 which was not fitted to awaken the jealous temper of the king4 ,samuel is to announce that his coming to ,bethlehem is for the purpose of a sacrifice1 and the circumstances connected with the anointing of a successor to ,saul are to be gone about so quietly and so vaguely that the great object of his visit will hardly be so much as guessed by any4 ,the question has often been raised1 ,was this diplomatic arrangement not objectionable8 ,was it not an act of duplicity and deceit8 ,undoubtedly it was an act of concealment1 but it does not follow that it was an act of duplicity4 ,it was concealment of a thing which ,samuel was under no obligation to divulge4 ,it was not concealment of which the object was to mislead any one1 or to induce any one to do what he would not have done had the whole truth been known to him4 ,when concealment is practised in order to take an unfair advantage of any one1 or to secure an unworthy advantage over him1 it is a detestable crime4 ,but to conceal what you are under no obligation to reveal1 when some important end is to be gained1 is a quite different thing4 ,it is the glory of ,god to conceal a thing2 providence is often just a vast web of concealment2 the trials of ,job were the fruit of ,divine concealment2 the answers of our ,lord to the ,syrophoenician woman were a concealment2 the delay in going to ,bethany when ,he heard of the illness of ,lazarus was just a concealment of the glorious miracle which ,he intended by-and-bye to perform4 ,one may tell the truth1 and yet not the whole truth1 without being guilty of any injustice or dishonesty4 ,it was not on ,saul's account at all that ,samuel was sent to anoint a king at ,bethlehem4 ,it was partly on ,samuel's account and partly on ,david's4 ,if ,david was hereafter to fill the exalted office of king of ,israel1 it was desirable that he should be trained for its duties from his earliest years4 ,saul had not been called to the throne till middle life1 till his character had been formed and his habits settled2 the next king must be called at an earlier period of life4 ,and though the boy's father and brothers may not understand the full nature of the distinction before him1 they must be made to understand that he is called to a very special service of ,god1 in order that they may give him up freely and readily to such preparation as that service demands4 ,this seems to have been the chief reason of the mission of ,samuel to ,bethlehem4 ,it could not but be known after that1 that ,david was to be distinguished as a servant of ,god1 but no idea seems to have been conveyed either to his brothers or to the elders of ,bethlehem that he was going to be king4 ,the arrangements for the public worship of ,god in those times--while the ark of ,god was still at ,kirjath-jearim--seem to have been far from regular1 and it appears to have been not unusual for ,samuel to visit particular places for the purpose of offering a sacrifice4 ,it would seem that the ordinary1 though not the uniform1 occasion for such visits was the occurrence of something blameworthy in the community1 and if so this will explain the terror of the elders of ,bethlehem at the visit of ,samuel1 and their frightened question1 ,comest thou peaceably8 ,happily ,samuel was able to set their fears at rest1 and to assure them that the object of his visit was entirely peaceable4 ,it was a religious service he was come to perform1 such a service as may have been associated with the other religious services he was accustomed to hold as he went round in circuit in the neighbourhood of ,ramah4 ,for this sacrifice the elders of ,bethlehem were called to sanctify themselves1 as were also ,jesse and his sons4 ,they were to take the usual steps for freeing themselves of all ceremonial uncleanness1 and after the sacrifice they were to share the feast4 ,a considerable interval would necessarily elapse between the sacrifice and the feast1 for the available portions of the animal had to be prepared for food1 and roasted on the fire4 ,it was during this interval that ,samuel made acquaintance with the sons of ,jesse4 ,first came the handsome and stately ,eliab4 ,and strange it is that even with the fate of the handsome and stately ,saul full in his memory1 ,samuel leapt to the conclusion that this was the ,lord's anointed4 ,could he wonder at ,god's emphatic ,no6 ,surely he had seen enough of outward appearance coupled with inward unfitness4 ,one trial of that criterion had been enough for ,israel4 ,but alas1 it is not merely in the choice of kings that men are apt to show their readiness to rest in the outward appearance4 ,to what an infinite extent has this tendency been carried in the worship of ,god6 ,let everything be outwardly correct1 the church beautiful1 the music excellent1 the sermon able1 the congregation numerous and respectable--what a pattern such a church is often regarded6 ,alas6 how little satisfactory it may be to ,god4 ,the eye that searches and knows us penetrates to the heart1--it is there only that ,god finds the genuine elements of worship4 ,the lowly sense of personal unworthiness1 the wondering contemplation of the ,divine love1 the eager longing for mercy to pardon and grace to help1 the faith that grasps the promises1 the hope that is anchored within the veil1 the kindness that breathes benediction all round1 the love that beareth all things1 believeth all things1 hopeth all things1 endureth all things1--it is these things1 breathing forth from the hearts of a congregation1 that give pleasure to ,god4 ,or look at what often happens in secular life4 ,see how intensely eager some are about appearances4 ,why1 it is one of the stereotyped rules of society that it is necessary to keep up appearances4 ,well-born people may have become poor1 very poor1 but they must live to outward appearance as if they were rich4 ,between rivals there may be a deadly jealousy1 but they must1 by courtesy1 keep up the form of friendship4 ,and in trade a substantial appearance must be given to goods that are really worthless4 ,and often1 men who are really mean and unprincipled must pose as persons very particular about the right and very indignant at the wrong4 ,and some1 meaner than the common1 must put on the cloak of religion1 and establish a character for sanctity4 ,the world is full of idolatries1 but ,i question if any idolatry has been more extensively practised than the idolatry of the outward appearance4 ,if there be less of this in our day than perhaps a generation back1 it is because in these days of sifting and trial men have learned in so many ways by hard experience what a delusion it is to lean on such a broken reed4 ,yes1 and we have had men among us who from a point of view not directly ,christian have exposed the shams and counterfeits of the age1--men like ,carlyle1 who have sounded against them a trumpet blast which has been echoed and re-echoed round the very globe4 ,but surely we do not need to go outside the ,bible for this great lesson4 ,thou desirest truth in the inward parts1 and in the hidden part ,thou shalt make me to know wisdom2 ,if ,i regard iniquity in my heart1 the ,lord will not hear me4 ,or if we pass to the ,new ,testament1 what is the great lesson of the parable of the ,publican and the ,pharisee8 ,the ,publican was a genuine man1 an honest1 humble1 self-emptied sinner4 ,the ,pharisee was a silly puffed-up pretender4 ,the world seems to think that all high profession must be hollow4 ,i need not say that such an opinion is utterly untenable4 ,the world would have you profess nothing1 lest you should not come up to it4 ,christ says1 ,abide in ,me1 so shall ye bear much fruit4 ,it was on this principle that ,st4 ,paul professed so much and did so much4 ,the life that ,i live in the flesh1 ,i live by the faith of the ,son of ,god1 who loved me and gave ,himself for me4 ,there is nothing to be said of the other sons of ,jesse4 ,only the youngest one remained1 apparently too young to be at the feast2 he was in the field1 keeping the sheep4 ,and ,jesse sent and brought him in4 ,now he was ruddy1 and withal of a beautiful countenance 7marg4 eyes71 and goodly to look to4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,arise1 anoint him1 for this is he4 ,though goodly to look at1 he was too young1 too boyish to be preferred on the score of outward appearance4 ,it was qualities unseen1 and as yet but little developed1 that commended him4 ,greatly astonished must ,jesse and his other sons have been to see ,samuel pouring on the ruddy stripling the holy oil1 and anointing him for whatever the office might be4 ,but it has often been ,god's way to find ,his agents in unexpected places4 ,here a great king is found in the sheepfold4 ,in ,joseph's time a prime minister of ,egypt was found in the prison4 ,our ,lord found ,his chief apostle in the school of ,gamaliel4 ,the great ,reformer of the sixteenth century was found in a poor miner's cottage4 ,god is never at a loss for agents1 and if the men fail that might naturally have been looked for to do ,him service substitutes for them are not far to seek4 ,out of the very stones ,he can raise up children to ,abraham4 ,but it was not a mere arbitrary arrangement that ,david should have been a shepherd before he was king4 ,there were many things in the one employment that prepared the way for the other4 ,in the ,east the shepherd had higher rank and a larger sphere of duties than is common with us4 ,the duties of the shepherd1 to watch over his flock1 to feed and protect them1 to heal the sick1 bind up the broken1 and bring again that which was driven away1 corresponded to those which the faithful and godly ruler owed to the people committed to his sceptre4 ,it was from the time of ,david that the shepherd phraseology began to be applied to rulers and their people2 and we hardly carry away the full lesson that the prophets intended to teach in their denunciations of the shepherds that fed themselves and not the flock when we apply these exclusively to the shepherds of souls4 ,so appropriate was the emblem of the shepherd for denoting the right spirit and character of rulers1 that it was ultimately appropriated in a very high and peculiar sense to the person and office of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,but long ere he appeared ,king ,david had familiarised men's minds with the kind of benefits that flow from the sceptre of a shepherd-ruler--the kind of blessings that were to flow in their fulness from ,christ4 ,never did he write a more expressive word than this1 ,the ,lord is my shepherd1 ,i shall not want4 ,on the groundwork of his own earthly kingdom he had drawn the pattern of things in heavenly places1 for describing which in after times no language could be found more suitable than that borrowed from his first occupation4 ,but in full harmony with the character of ,old ,testament typology1 the glory of the thing symbolized was infinitely greater than the glory of the symbol4 ,much though the nation owed to the godly administration of him whom ,god took from the sheepfold1 and brought from following the ewes great with young1 to feed ,jacob ,his people and ,israel ,his inheritance1 these benefits were shadows indeed when compared with the blessings procured by the great ,shepherd of ,israel1 the good ,shepherd that giveth ,his life for the sheep1 whose shepherd care does not terminate with the life that now is1 but will be exercised in eternity in feeding them and leading them by living fountains of water1 where ,god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes4 ,there are other points of typical resemblance between ,david and ,christ that demand our notice here4 ,if it was a strange-like thing for ,god to find the model king of ,israel in a sheepcot at ,bethlehem1 it was still more so to find the ,saviour of the world in a workshop at ,nazareth4 ,but again2 ,king ,david was chosen for qualities that did not fall in with the ordinary conception of what was king-like1 but qualities that commended him to ,god2 and in the same manner the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,god's ,elect1 in whom ,his soul delighted1 was not marked by those attributes which men might have considered suitable in one who was to gain the empire of the world4 ,he shall grow up as a tender plant1 and as a root out of a dry ground2 ,he hath no form nor comeliness1 and when we shall see ,him there is no beauty that we should desire ,him4 ,in bodily form the ,lord ,jesus would seem to have resembled ,david rather than ,saul4 ,there is no reason to think that there was any great physical superiority in ,christ1 that ,he was taller than the common1 or that ,he was distinguished by any of those physical features that at first sight captivate men4 ,and even in the region of intellectual and spiritual influence1 our ,lord did not conform to the type that naturally commands the confidence and admiration of the world4 ,he had a still1 quiet manner4 ,his eloquence did not flash1 nor blaze1 nor flow like a torrent4 ,the power of ,his words was due more to their wonderful depth of meaning1 going straight to the heart of things1 and to the aptness of ,his homely illustrations4 ,our ,lord's mode of conquest was very remarkable4 ,he conquered by gentleness1 by forbearance1 by love1 by sympathy1 by self-denial4 ,he impressed men with the glory of sacrifice1 the glory of service1 the glory of obedience1 obedience to the one great authority--the will of ,god--to which all obedience is due4 ,he inspired them with a love of purity1--purity of heart1 purity after the highest pattern4 ,if you compare our blessed ,lord with those who have achieved great conquests1 you cannot but see the difference4 ,i do not mean with conquerors like ,alexander1 or ,caesar1 or ,napoleon4 ,napoleon himself at ,st4 ,helena showed in a word the vast difference between ,christ and them4 ,our conquests1 said he1 have been achieved by force1 but ,jesus achieved ,his by love1 and to-day millions would die for ,him4 ,but look at some who have conquered by gentler means4 ,take such men as ,socrates1 or ,plato1 or ,aristotle4 ,they achieved great intellectual conquests--they founded intellectual empires4 ,but the intellect of ,jesus ,christ was of another order from theirs4 ,he propounded no theory of the universe1 ,he did not affect to explain the world of reason1 ,he did not profess to lay bare the laws of the human mind1 or prescribe conditions for the welfare of states4 ,what strikes us about ,christ's method of influence is its quiet homeliness4 ,yet quiet and homely though it was and is1 how prodigious1 how unprecedented has been its power6 ,what other king of men has wielded a tithe of ,his influence8 ,and that not with one class of society1 but with all2 not only with the poor and uneducated1 but with thinkers and men of genius as well2 not only with men and women who know the world1 and know their own hearts and all their wants1 and apprehend the fitness of ,christ to supply them1 but even with little children1 in the simple unconsciousness of opening years4 ,for out of the mouths of babes and sucklings ,he hath perfected praise4 ,now let us mark this also1 in conclusion1 that besides being a ,king ,himself ,jesus makes all ,his people kings to ,god4 ,every ,christian is designed to be a ruler1 an unconscious one it may be1 but one who exercises an influence in the same direction as ,christ's4 ,how can you accomplish this8 ,by first of all drinking into ,christ's spirit1 looking out on the world as ,he did1 with compassion1 sympathy1 self-sacrifice1 and an ardent desire for its renovation and its happiness4 ,by walking worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called4 ,not by the earthquake1 or by the tempest1 but by the still small voice4 ,by quiet1 steady1 persistent love1 goodness1 and self-denial4 ,these are the true ,christian weapons1 often little thought of1 but really the armour of ,god1 and weapons mighty to the pulling down of strongholds and the subjugation of the world to ,christ4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,david',s ,,early ,,life4#b #a ,,samuel xvi4 #ad-bc4 ,before we enter at large into the incident of which these verses form the record it is desirable to settle1 as far as we can1 the order of events in the early life of ,david4 ,after being anointed by ,samuel1 ,david would probably return to his work among the sheep4 ,it is quite possible that some years elapsed before anything else occurred to vary the monotony of his first occupation4 ,the only interruption likely to have occurred to his shepherd life would be1 intercourse with ,samuel4 ,it is rather striking that nothing is said1 nothing is even hinted1 as to the private relations that prevailed in youth between him and the venerable prophet who had anointed him with the holy oil4 ,but it cannot be supposed that ,samuel would just return to ,ramah without any further communication with the youth that was to play so important a part in the future history of the country4 ,if ,saul1 with all his promising qualities at the beginning1 had greatly disappointed him1 he could only be the more anxious on that account about the disposition and development of ,david4 ,the fact that after ,david became the object of the murderous jealousy of ,saul1 it was to ,samuel he came when he fled from the court to tell what had taken place1 and to ask advice 7ch4 xix4 #ah1 #ai71 seems to indicate that the two men were on intimate terms1 and therefore that they had been much together before4 ,whether ,david derived his views of government from ,samuel1 or whether they were impressed on him directly by the ,spirit of ,god1 it is certain that they were the very same as those which ,samuel cherished so intensely1 and which he sought so earnestly to impress on ,saul4 ,god's imperial sovereignty1 and the earthly king's entire subordination to him2 the standing of the people as ,god's people1 ,god's heritage1 and the duty of the king to treat them as such1 and do all that he could for their good2 the infinite and inexhaustible privilege involved in this relation1 making all coquetting with false gods shameful1 dishonouring to ,god1 and disastrous to the people1--were ruling principles with ,samuel and ,david alike4 ,if ,david was never formally a pupil of ,samuel's1 informally he must have been so to a large extent4 ,samuel lived in ,david2 and the complacency which the old prophet must have had in his youthful friend1 and his pleasure in observing the depth of his loyalty to ,god1 and his eager interest in the highest welfare of the people1 must have greatly mitigated his distress at the rejection of ,saul1 and revived his hope of better days for ,israel4 ,as ,david grew in years1 but before he ceased to be a boy1 he might acquire that local reputation as a mighty valiant man and a man of war which his friend referred to when he first mentioned him to ,saul4 ,in him as in ,jonathan faith gendered a habit of dash and daring which could not be suppressed in the days of eager boyhood4 ,the daring insolence of the ,philistines1 whose country lay but a few miles to the west of ,bethlehem1 might afford him opportunities for deeds of boyish valour4 ,jerusalem1 the stronghold of the ,jebusites1 was but two hours distant from ,bethlehem1 and on the part of its people1 too1 collisions with ,israelites were doubtless liable to occur4 ,it may have been now1 or possibly a little later1 that the contest occurred with the lion and the bear4 ,the country round ,bethlehem was not a peaceful paradise1 and the career of a shepherd was not the easy life of lovesick swains which poets dream4 ,it was at this period of ,david's life that ,saul's peculiar malady took that form which suggested the use of music to soothe his nervous irritation4 ,his courtiers recommended that he should seek out a cunning player on the harp1 whose soothing strains would calm him in the paroxysms of his ailment4 ,obviously1 it was desirable that one who was to be so close to a king so full of the military spirit as ,saul should have a touch of that spirit himself4 ,david had become known to one of the courtiers1 who at once mentioned him as in all respects suitable for the berth4 ,saul accordingly sent messengers to ,jesse1 bidding him send to him ,david his son1 who was with the sheep4 ,and ,david came to ,saul4 ,but his first visit seems to have been quite short4 ,saul's attacks were probably occasional1 and at first long intervals may have occurred between them4 ,when he recovered from the attack at which ,david had been sent for1 the cunning harper was needed no longer1 and would naturally return home4 ,he may have been but a very short time with ,saul1 too short for much acquaintance being formed4 ,but it is the way of the historians of ,scripture1 when a topic has once been introduced1 to pursue it to its issues without note of the events that came between4 ,the writer having indicated how ,david was first brought into contact with ,saul1 as his musician1 pursues the subject of their relation1 without mentioning that the fight with ,goliath occurred between4 ,some critics have maintained that in this book we have two accounts of ,david's introduction to ,saul1 accounts which contradict one another4 ,in the first of them he became known to him first as a musician sent for in the height of his attack4 ,in the other it is as the conqueror of ,goliath he appears before ,saul4 ,it is the fact that neither ,saul nor any of his people knew on this occasion who he was that is so strange4 ,according to our view the order of events was this3 ,david's first visit to ,saul to play before him on his harp was a very short one4 ,some time after the conflict with ,goliath occurred4 ,david's appearance had probably changed considerably1 so that ,saul did not recognize him4 ,it was now that ,saul attached ,david to himself1 kept him permanently1 and would not let him return to his father's house 7ch4 xviii4 #b74 ,and while ,david acted as musician1 playing to him on his harp in the paroxysms of his ailment 7ch4 xviii4 #aj71 he went out at his command on military expeditions1 and acquired great renown as a warrior 7ch4 xviii4 #e74 ,thus1 to turn back to the sixteenth chapter1 the last two verses of that chapter record the permanent office before ,saul which ,david came to fill after the slaughter of the ,philistine4 ,in fact1 we find in that chapter1 as often elsewhere1 a brief outline of the whole course of events1 some of which are filled up in minute detail in the chapter following4 ,having thus settled the chronology1 or rather the order of events in ,david's early history1 it may be well now to examine more fully that period of his life1 in so far as we have any materials for doing so4 ,according to the chronology of the ,authorized ,version1 the birth of ,david must have occurred about the year before ,christ #ajhj4 ,it was about a hundred years later than the date commonly assigned to the ,trojan war1 and therefore a considerable time before the dawn of authentic history1 at least among the ,greeks or the ,romans4 ,the age of ,david succeeded what might be called the heroic age of ,hebrew history2 in one sense1 indeed1 it was a continuation of that period4 ,samson1 the latest1 and in some sense the greatest of the ,jewish heroes1 had perished not very long before2 and the scene of his birth and of some of his most famous exploits lay within a very few miles of ,bethlehem4 ,in ,david's boyhood old men would still be living who had seen and talked with the ,hebrew ,hercules1 and from whose lips high-spirited boys would hear1 with sparkling eye and heaving bosom1 the story of his exploits and the tragedy of his death4 ,the whole neighbourhood would swarm with songs and legends illustrative of the deeds of those mighty men of valour1 that ever since the sojourn in ,egypt had been conferring renown on the ,hebrew name4 ,the mind of boyhood delights in such narratives2 they rouse the soul1 expand the imagination1 and create sympathy with all that is brave and noble4 ,we cannot doubt that such things had a great effect on the susceptible temperament of the youthful ,david1 and contributed some elements of that manly and invincible spirit which remained so prominent in his character4 ,but a much more important factor in determining his character and shaping his life was the religious awakening in which ,samuel had so prominent a share4 ,not a word is said anywhere of the manner in which ,david's heart was first turned to ,god2 but this must have been in his earliest years4 ,we think of ,david as we think of ,samuel1 or ,jeremiah1 or ,josiah1 or ,john the ,baptist1 as sanctified to the ,lord from his very childhood4 ,god chose him at the very outset in a more vital sense than ,he afterwards chose him to be king4 ,in the exercise of that mysterious sovereignty which we are unable to fathom1 ,god made his youthful heart a plot of good soil1 into which when the seed fell it bore fruit an hundredfold4 ,in strong contrast to ,saul1 whose early sympathies were against the ways and will of ,god1 those of ,david were warmly for them4 ,samuel would find him an eager and willing listener when he spoke to him of ,god and ,his ways4 ,how strange are the differences of young persons1 in this respect1 when they come first under the instructions of a minister or other servant of ,god6 ,some so earnest1 so attentive1 so impressed2 so ready to drink in all that is said2 treasuring it1 hiding it in their hearts1 rejoicing in it like those that find great spoil4 ,others so hard to bring into line1 so glad of an excuse for absence1 so difficult to interest1 so fitful and unconcerned4 ,no doubt much depends on the skill of the teacher in working upon anything in their minds that gives even a faint response to the truth4 ,and in no case is the aversion of the heart beyond the power of the ,holy ,spirit to influence and to change4 ,but for all that1 we cannot but acknowledge the mysterious sovereignty which through causes we cannot trace makes one man so to differ from another2 which made ,abel so different from ,cain1 ,isaac from ,ishmael1 ,moses from ,balaam1 and ,david from ,saul4 ,was ,david at any time a member of any of the schools of the prophets8 ,we cannot say with certainty1 but when we ponder what we read about them it seems very likely that he was4 ,these schools seem to have enjoyed in an eminent degree the gracious power of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the hearts of the inmates seem to have burned with the glow of devotion2 the emotions of holy joy with which they were animated could not be restrained1 but poured out from them1 like streams from a gushing fountain1 in holy songs and ascriptions to ,god2 and such was the overpowering influence of this spirit that for a time it infected even cold-hearted men like ,saul1 and bore them along1 as an enthusiastic crowd gathers up stragglers and sweeps them onward in its current4 ,it seems highly probable that it was in connection with these institutions1 on which so signal a blessing rested1 that the devotional spirit became so powerful in ,david afterwards poured out so freely in his ,psalms4 ,for surely he could not be in the company of men who were so full of the ,spirit without sharing their experience and pouring forth the feelings that stirred his soul4 ,we all believe in some degree in the law of heredity1 and find it interesting to trace the features of forefathers1 physical and spiritual1 in the persons of their descendants4 ,the piety1 the humanity1 and the affectionateness of ,boaz and ,ruth form a beautiful picture in the early ,hebrew history1 and seem to come before us anew in the character of ,david4 ,boaz was remarkable for the fatherly interest he took in his dependants1 for his generous kindness to the poor1 and for a spirit of gentle piety that breathed even through his secular life4 ,was it not the same spirit that dictated the benediction1 ,blessed is he that considereth the poor2 the ,lord will deliver him in time of trouble8 ,was it not the same interest in the welfare of dependants that ,david showed when he dealt among the people1 even the whole multitude of ,israel1 as well to the women as to the men1 to every one a cake of bread1 and a good piece of flesh1 and a flagon of wine8 ,ruth again was remarkable for the extraordinary depth and tenderness of her affection2 her words to ,naomi have never been surpassed as an expression of simple1 tender feeling3 ,entreat me not to leave thee1 nor to return from following after thee2 for whither thou goest ,i will go1 and where thou lodgest ,i will lodge2 thy people shall be my people1 and thy ,god my ,god4 ,does not this extraordinary tenderness seem to have fallen undiminished to the man who had such an affection for ,jonathan1 who showed such emotion on the illness of his infant child1 and poured out such a flood of anguish on the death of ,absalom8 ,the history of ,boaz and ,ruth would surely take hold very early of his mind4 ,the very house in which he lived1 the fields where he tended his sheep1 every object around him1 might have associations with their memory2 aged people might tell him stories of their benevolence1 and pious people give him traditions of their godliness1 and thus an element would be contributed to a character in which the tenderness of a woman and the piety of a saint were combined with the courage and energy of a man4 ,the birthplace of ,david1 ,bethlehem1 is more remarkable for its moral associations than its natural features4 ,well has it been said by ,edward ,robinson of the place where both ,david and ,jesus were born1 ,what a mighty influence for good has gone forth from this little spot upon the human race both for time and for eternity6 ,it was situated some six miles to the south of ,jerusalem1 and about twice that distance to the north of ,hebron4 ,the present town is built upon the north and north-east slope of a long grey ridge1 with a deep valley in front and another behind1 uniting at no great distance1 and running down toward the ,dead ,sea4 ,the country around is hilly1 but hardly beautiful2 the limestone rock gives a bare appearance to the hills1 which is not redeemed by boldness of form or picturesqueness of outline4 ,the fields1 though stony and rough1 produce good crops of grain2 olive groves1 fig-orchards1 and vineyards abound both in the valleys and on the gentler slopes2 the higher and wilder tracts were probably devoted to the pasturing of flocks4 ,the whole tract in which ,hebron1 ,bethlehem1 and ,jerusalem are situated is elevated nearly four thousand feet above the level of ,jordan and the ,dead ,sea on the one side1 and between two and three thousand feet above the ,mediterranean on the other4 ,among these hills and valleys ,david spent his youth1 watching the flocks of his father4 ,we have seen that the life of a shepherd in those scenes was not without its times of danger1 making great demands on the shepherd's courage and affection4 ,in the main1 however1 it was a quiet life1 affording copious opportunities for meditation and for quiet study4 ,it was the great privilege of ,david to see much of ,god in ,his works and to commune with ,him therein4 ,the ,psalms are full of allusions to the varied aspects of nature--the mountains1 the rocks1 the rivers1 the valleys1 the forests1 the lightning1 the thunder1 the whirlwind4 ,it is not easy to say how much of the written ,word existed in ,david's time1 but at the most it could be but a fragment of what we now possess4 ,but if the mines of revelation were few1 all the more eager was his search for their hidden treasures4 ,and ,david had the advantage of using what we may call a pictorial ,bible4 ,when he read of the destruction of ,sodom he could see the dark wall of ,moab frowning over the lake near to which the guilty cities were consumed by the fire of heaven4 ,when he paused to think of the solemn transactions at ,machpelah1 he could see in the distance the very spot where so much sacred dust was gathered4 ,close by his daily haunts one pillar marked the place where ,god spake to ,jacob1 and another the spot where poor ,rachel died4 ,in the dark range of ,moab yon lofty peak was the spot whence ,moses had his view and ,balaam his vision4 ,it was from that eminence the prophet from ,pethor saw a star come out of ,jacob and a sceptre rise out of ,israel that should smite the corners of ,moab and destroy all the children of ,seth4 ,the sympathy with ,god fostered by these studies and meditations was of the closest kind2 an unusually clear and impressive knowledge seems to have been acquired of the purpose of ,god concerning ,israel2 drinking in himself the lessons of revelation1 he was becoming qualified to become the instrument of the ,holy ,spirit for those marvellous contributions to its canon which he was afterwards honoured to make4 ,and among these hills and valleys1 too1 ,david would acquire his proficiency in the two very different arts which were soon to make him famous--the use of the sling and the use of the harp4 ,it seems to have been his ambition1 whatever he did1 to do it in the best possible way4 ,his skill in the use of the sling was so perfect that he could project a stone even at a small object with unerring certainty4 ,his harp was probably a very simple instrument1 small enough to be carried about with him1 but in handling it he acquired the same perfect skill as in handling his sling4 ,in his hands it became a wonderfully expressive instrument4 ,and hence1 when ,saul required a skilful musician to soothe him1 the known gifts of the young shepherd of ,bethlehem pointed him out as the man4 ,of the influence of music in remedying disorders of the nerves there is no want of evidence4 ,bochart has collected many passages from profane writers which speak of the medicinal effects of music on the mind and body1 especially as appeasing anger and soothing and pacifying a troubled spirit 7,speaker's ,commentary74 ,a whole book was written on the subject by ,caspar ,laescherus1 ,professor of ,divinity at ,wittenberg 7,a4,d4 #afhh74 ,kitto and other writers have added more recent instances4 ,it is said of ,charles ,,ix4 of ,france that after the massacre of ,st4 ,bartholomew his sleep was disturbed by nightly horrors1 and he could only be composed to rest by a symphony of singing boys4 ,philip ,v4 of ,spain1 being seized with deep dejection of mind that unfitted him for all public duties1 a celebrated musician was invited to surprise the king by giving a concert in the neighbouring apartment to his majesty's1 with the effect that the king roused himself from his lethargy and resumed his duties4 ,we may readily believe that in soothing power the harp was not inferior to any of the other instruments4 ,still1 with all its success1 it was but a poor method of soothing a troubled spirit compared to the methods that ,david was afterwards to employ4 ,it dealt chiefly with man's physical nature1 it soothed the nervous system1 and removed the hindrance which their disorder caused to the action of the powers of the mind4 ,it did not strike at the root of all trouble--alienation from ,god2 it did not attempt to create and apply the only permanent remedy for trouble--trust in a loving ,father's care4 ,it was a mere foreshadow1 on a comparatively low and earthly ground1 of the way in which ,david1 as the ,psalmist1 was afterwards to provide the true oil of joy for the mourner1 and to become a guide to the downcast soul from the fearful pit and the miry clay up to the third heaven of joy and peace4 ,the sounds of his harp could only operate by an influence felt alike by saint and sinner in soothing an agitated frame2 but with the words of his ,psalms1 the ,divine ,spirit1 by whose inspiration they were poured out1 was in all coming ages to unite ,himself1 and to use them for showing the sin-burdened soul the true cause of its misery1 and for leading it by a holy path1 sorrowing yet rejoicing1 to the home of its reconciled ,father4 ,it is a painful thing to see any one in overwhelming trouble2 it is doubly painful to see kings and others in high places miserable amid all their splendours1 helpless amid all their resources4 ,alas1 ,o spirit of man1 what awful trials thou art subject to6 ,well mayest thou sometimes envy the very animals around thee1 which1 if they have no such capacities of enjoyment as thou hast1 have on the other hand no such capacities of misery4 ,the higher our powers and position1 the more awful the anguish when anything goes wrong4 ,yet hast thou not1 ,o man1 a capacity to know that thy misery cannot be remedied till the cause of it is removed8 ,prodigal son1 there is but one way to escape a miserable life4 ,arise1 go to thy ,father4 ,see how ,he is in ,christ reconciling the world to ,himself1 not imputing to men their trespasses4 ,accept ,his offers and be at peace4 ,receive ,his ,spirit and your disorder shall be healed4 ,i own that not even then can we assure you of freedom from grievous sorrows4 ,the best of men in this world have often most grievous sufferings4 ,but they are strengthened to bear them while they last2 they are assured that all things work together for good to them that love ,god1 to them that are the called according to ,his purpose2 and they know that when the earthly house of their tabernacle is dissolved1 they have a building of ,god1 an house not made with hands1 eternal in the heavens4 ,,footnotes3 #b ,a few paragraphs on the ,life of ,david are reproduced from the author's book ,david1 ,king of ,israel4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,david',s ,,conflict ,,with ,,goliath4 #a ,,samuel xvii4 ,these irrepressible ,philistines were never long recovering from their disasters4 ,the victory of ,jonathan had been impaired by the exhaustion of the soldiers1 caused by ,saul's fast preventing them from pursuing the enemy as far1 and destroying their force as thoroughly1 as they might have done4 ,a new attack was organised against ,israel1 headed by a champion1 ,goliath of ,gath1 whose height must have approached the extraordinary stature of ten feet4 ,against this army ,saul arrayed his force1 and the two armies fronted each other on opposite sides of the valley of ,elah4 ,this valley has generally been identified with that which now bears the name of ,wady-es-,sumt--a valley running down from the plateau of ,judah to the ,philistine plain1 not more than perhaps eight or ten miles from ,bethlehem4 ,the ,philistine champion appears to have been a man of physical strength corresponding to the massiveness of his body4 ,the weight of his coat of mail is estimated at more than one hundred and fifty pounds1 and the head of his spear eighteen pounds4 ,remembering the extraordinary feats of ,samson1 the ,philistines might well fancy that it was now their turn to boast of a ,hercules4 ,day after day ,goliath presented himself before the army of ,israel1 calling proudly for a foeman worthy of his steel1 and demanding that in default of any one able to fight with him and kill him1 the ,israelites should abandon all dream of independence1 and become vassals of the ,philistines4 ,and morning and evening1 for nearly six weeks1 had this proud challenge been given1 but never once accepted4 ,even ,jonathan1 who had faith enough and courage enough and skill enough for so much1 seems to have felt himself helpless in this great dilemma4 ,the explanation that has sometimes been given of his abstention1 that it was not etiquette for a king's son to engage in fight with a commoner1 can hardly hold water2 ,jonathan showed no such squeamishness at ,michmash2 and besides1 in cases of desperation etiquette has to be thrown to the winds4 ,of the host of ,israel1 we read simply that they were dismayed4 ,nor does ,saul seem to have renewed the attempt to get counsel of ,god after his experience on the day of ,jonathan's victory4 ,the ,israelites could only look on in grim humiliation1 sullenly guarding the pass by the valley into their territories1 but returning a silent refusal to the demand of the ,philistines either to furnish a champion or to become their servants4 ,the coming of ,david upon the scene corresponded in its accidental character to the coming of ,saul into contact with ,samuel1 to be designated for the throne4 ,everything seemed to be casual1 yet those things which seemed most casual were really links in a providential chain leading to the gravest issues4 ,it seemed to be by chance that ,david had three brothers serving in ,saul's army2 it seemed also to be by chance that their father sent his youthful shepherd son to inquire after their welfare2 it was not by design that as he saluted his brethren ,goliath came up and ,david heard his words of defiance2 still less was it on purpose to wait for ,david that ,saul had sent no one out as yet to encounter the ,philistine2 and nothing could have appeared more ridiculous than that the challenge should wait to be answered by the stripling shepherd1 who1 with his sling and shepherd's bag thrown over his shoulder1 had so little of the appearance of a man of war4 ,it seemed very accidental1 too1 that the only part of the giant's person that was not thoroughly defended by his armour1 his eyes and a morsel of his forehead above them1 was the only part of him on which a small stone from a sling could have inflicted a fatal injury4 ,but obviously all these were parts of the providential plan by which ,david was at once to confer on his country a signal boon1 and to raise his name to the pinnacle of fame4 ,and1 as usual1 all the parts of this pre-arranged plan fell out without constraint or interference2 a new proof that ,divine pre-ordination does not impair the liberty of man4 ,one cannot but wonder whether1 in offering his prayers that morning1 ,david had any presentiment of the trial that awaited him1 anything to impel him to unwonted fervour in asking ,god that day to establish the works of his hands upon him4 ,there is no reason to think that he had4 ,his prayers that morning were in all likelihood his usual prayers4 ,and if he was sincere in the expression of his own sense of weakness1 and in his supplication that ,god would strengthen him for all the day's duties1 it was enough4 ,oh6 how little we know what may be before us1 on some morning that dawns on us just as other days1 but which is to form a great crisis in our life4 ,how little the boy that is to tell his first lie that day thinks of the serpent that is lying in wait for him6 ,how little the girl that is to fall in with her betrayer thinks of the snare preparing for her body and her soul6 ,how little the party that are to be upset in the pleasure boat and consigned to a watery grave think how the day is to end6 ,should we not pray more really1 more earnestly if we did realise these possibilities8 ,true1 indeed1 the future is hid from us1 and we do not usually experience the impulse to earnestness which it would impart4 ,but is it not a good habit1 as you kneel each morning1 to think1 ,for aught ,i know1 this may be the most important day of my life4 ,the opportunity may be given me of doing a great service in the cause of truth and righteousness2 or the temptation may assail me to deny my ,lord and ruin my soul4 ,o ,god1 be not far from me this day2 prepare me for all that ,thou preparest for me6 ,the distance from ,bethlehem being but a few hours' walk1 ,david starting in the morning would arrive early in the day at the quarters of the army4 ,when he heard the challenge of the ,philistine he was astonished to find that no one had taken it up4 ,there was a mystery about this1 about the cowardice of his countrymen1 perhaps about the attitude of ,jonathan1 that he could not solve4 ,accordingly1 with all that earnestness and curiosity with which one peers into all the circumstances surrounding a mystery1 he asked1 what encouragement there was to volunteer1 what reward was any one to receive who should kill this ,philistine8 ,not that he personally was caring about the reward1 but he wished to solve the mystery4 ,it is evident that the consideration that moved ,david himself was that the ,philistine had defied the armies of the living ,god4 ,it was the same arrogant claim to be above the ,god of ,israel1 which had puffed up their minds when they took possession of the ark and placed it in the temple of their god4 ,you thought so that day1 ,david might mutter1 but what did you think next morning1 when the mutilated image of your god lay prostrate on the floor8 ,please ,god1 your sensations to-morrow1 yea1 this very forenoon1 shall be such as they were then4 ,the spirit of faith started into full and high activity1 and the same kind of inspiration that had impelled ,jonathan to climb into the garrison at ,michmash now impelled ,david to vindicate the blasphemed name of ,jehovah4 ,was it the flash of this inspiration in his eye1 was it the tone of it in his voice1 was it the consciousness that something desperate was to follow in the way of personal faith and daring1 that roused the temper of ,eliab1 and drew from him a withering rebuke of the presumption of the stripling that dared to meddle with such matters8 ,eliab certainly did not spare him4 ,elder brothers are seldom remiss in rebuking the presumption of younger4 ,why camest thou down hither8 ,and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness8 ,i know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart2 for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle4 ,irritating though such language was1 it was borne with admirable meekness4 ,what have ,i now done8 ,is there not a cause8 ,he that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that taketh a city4 ,eliab showed himself defeated by his own temper1 a most mortifying defeat2 ,david held his temper firmly in command4 ,which was the greater1 which the better man8 ,and the short question he put to ,eliab was singularly apt1 ,is there not a cause8 ,when all you men of war are standing helpless and perplexed in the face of this great national insult1 is there not a cause why ,i should inquire into the matter1 if1 by ,god's help1 ,i can do anything for my ,god and my people8 ,undaunted by his brother's volley1 he turned to some one else1 and obtained a similar answer to his questions4 ,inspiration is a rapid process1 and the course for him to pursue was now fully determined upon4 ,his indignant tone and confident reliance on the ,god of ,israel1 so unlike the tone of every one else1 excited the attention of the bystanders2 they rehearsed his words to ,saul1 and ,saul sent for him4 ,and when he came to ,saul1 there was not the slightest trace of fear or faintheartedness about him4 ,let no man's heart fail because of him2 thy servant will go and fight with this ,philistine4 ,brave words1 but1 as ,saul thinks1 very foolish4 ,you go and fight with the ,philistine8 you a mere shepherd boy1 who never knew the brunt of battle1 and he a man of war from his youth8 ,yes1 ,saul1 that is just the way for you to speak1 with your earthly way of viewing things2 you1 who measure strength only by a carnal standard1 who know nothing of the faith that removes mountains1 who forget the meaning of the name ,,isra-,,el1 and never spent an hour as ,jacob spent his night at ,peniel6 ,listen to the reply of faith4 ,and ,david said unto ,saul1 ,thy servant kept his father's sheep1 and there came a lion and a bear1 and took a lamb out of the flock2 and ,i went out after him and smote him1 and delivered it out of his mouth2 and when he arose against me ,i caught him by his beard1 and smote him and slew him4 ,thy servant slew both the lion and the bear2 and this uncircumcised ,philistine shall be as one of them1 seeing he hath defied the armies of the living ,god4 ,david said moreover1 ,the ,lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion1 and out of the paw of the bear1 ,he will deliver me out of the hand of this ,philistine4 ,could there have been a nobler exercise of faith1 a finer instance of a human spirit taking hold of the ,invisible2 fortifying itself against material perils by realizing the help of an unseen ,god2 resting on ,his sure word as on solid rock2 flinging itself fearlessly on a very sea of dangers2 confident of protection and victory from ,him8 ,the only help to faith was the remembrance of the encounter with the lion and the bear1 and the assurance that the same gracious help would be vouchsafed now4 ,but no heart that was not full of faith would have thought of that1 either as an evidence that ,god worked by him then1 or as a sure pledge that ,god would work by him now4 ,how many an adventurer or sportsman1 that in some encounter with wild animals has escaped death by the very skin of his teeth1 thinks only of his luck1 or the happiness of the thought that led him to do so and so in what seemed the very article of death8 ,a deliverance of this kind is no security against a like deliverance afterwards2 it can give nothing more than a hope of escape4 ,the faith of ,david recognized ,god's merciful hand in the first deliverance1 and that gave an assurance of it in the other4 ,what6 would that ,god that had helped him to rescue a lamb fail him while trying to rescue a nation8 ,would that ,god that had sustained him when all that was involved was a trifling loss to his father fail him in a combat that involved the salvation of ,israel and the honour of ,israel's ,god8 ,would ,he who had subdued for him the lion and the bear when they were but obeying the instincts of their nature1 humiliate him in conflict with one who was defying the armies of the living ,god8 ,the remembrance of this deliverance confirmed his faith and urged him to the conflict1 and the victory which faith thus gained was complete4 ,it swept the decks clear of every vestige of terror2 it went right to the danger1 without a particle of misgiving4 ,there are two ways in which faith may assert its supremacy4 ,one1 afterwards very familiar to ,david1 is1 when it has first to struggle hard with distrust and fear2 when it has to come to close quarters with the suggestions of the carnal mind1 grapple with these in mortal conflict1 strangle them1 and rise up victorious over them4 ,for most men1 most believing men1 it is only thus that faith rises to her throne4 ,the other way is1 to spring to her throne in a moment2 to assert her authority1 free and independent1 utterly regardless of all that would hamper her1 as free from doubt and misgiving as a little child in his father's arms1 conscious that whatever is needed that father will provide4 ,it was this simple1 child-like1 but most triumphant exercise of faith that ,david showed in undertaking this conflict4 ,happy they who are privileged with such an attainment6 ,only let us beware of despairing if we cannot attain to this prompt1 instinctive faith4 ,let us fall back with patience on that other process where we have to fight in the first instance with our fears and misgivings1 driving them from us as ,david had often to do afterwards3 ,why art thou cast down1 ,o my soul1 and why art thou disquieted in me8 ,hope in ,god1 for ,i will yet praise ,him who is the health of my countenance and my ,god4 ,and now ,david prepared himself for the contest4 ,saul1 ever carnal1 and trusting only in carnal devices1 is fain to clothe him in his armour1 and ,david makes trial of his coat of mail2 but he is embarrassed by a heavy covering to which he is not accustomed1 and which only impedes the freedom of his arm4 ,it is plain enough that it is not in ,saul's panoply that he can meet the ,philistine4 ,he must fall back on simpler means4 ,choosing five smooth stones out of the brook1 with his shepherd's staff in one hand and his sling in the other1 he drew near to the ,philistine4 ,when ,goliath saw him no words were bitter enough for his scorn4 ,he had sought a warrior to fight with2 he gets a boy to annihilate4 ,it is a paltry business4 ,come to me1 and ,i will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the fields4 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,let not the wise man glory in his wisdom1 neither let the mighty man glory in his might4 ,was ever such proof given of the sin and folly of boasting as in the case of ,goliath8 ,and yet1 as we should say1 how natural it was for ,goliath6 ,but pride goeth before destruction1 and a haughty spirit before a fall4 ,in the spiritual conflict it is the surest presage of defeat4 ,it was the ,goliath spirit that puffed up ,st4 ,peter when he said to his ,master1 ,lord1 ,i will go with ,thee to prison and to death4 ,it is the same spirit against which ,st4 ,paul gives his remarkable warning1 ,let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall4 ,can it be said that it is a spirit that ,churches are always free from8 ,are they never tempted to boast of the talents of their leading men1 the success of their movements1 and their growing power and influence in the community8 ,and does not ,god in ,his providence constantly show the sin and folly of such boasting8 ,because thou sayest1 ,i am rich and increased with goods1 and have need of nothing1 and knowest not that thou art wretched1 and miserable1 and poor1 and blind1 and naked4 ,in beautiful contrast with the scornful self-confidence of ,goliath was the simplicity of spirit and the meek1 humble reliance on ,god1 apparent in ,david's answer3 ,thou comest to me with a sword1 and with a spear1 and with a shield2 but ,i come to thee in the name of the ,lord of hosts1 the ,god of the armies of ,israel1 whom thou hast defied4 ,this day will the ,lord deliver thee into my hand2 and ,i will smite thee1 and take thine head from thee2 and ,i will give the carcases of the ,philistines this day to the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth1 that all the earth may know that there is a ,god in ,israel4 ,and all this assembly shall know that the ,lord saveth not with sword and spear2 for the battle is the ,lord's1 and ,he will give you into our hand4 ,what a reality ,god was to ,david6 ,he advanced as seeing ,him who is invisible4 ,guided by the wisdom of ,god1 he chose his method of attack1 with all the simplicity and certainty of genius4 ,conscious that ,god was with him1 he fearlessly met the enemy4 ,a man of less faith might have been too nervous to take the proper aim4 ,undisturbed by any fear of missing1 ,david hurls the stone from his sling1 hits the giant on the unprotected part of his forehead1 and in a moment has him reeling on the ground4 ,advancing to his prostrate foe1 he seizes his sword1 cuts off his head1 and affords to both friends and foes unmistakable evidence that his opponent is dead4 ,rushing from their tents1 the ,philistines fly towards their own country1 hotly pursued by the ,israelites4 ,it was in these pursuits of flying foes that the greatest slaughter occurred in those ,eastern countries1 and the whole road was strewn with the dead bodies of the foe to the very gates of ,ekron and ,gaza4 ,in this pursuit1 however1 ,david did not mingle4 ,with the head of the ,philistine in his hands1 he came to ,saul4 ,it is said that afterwards he took the head of ,goliath to ,jerusalem1 which was then occupied1 at least in part1 by the ,benjamites 7,judges i4 #ba71 though the stronghold of ,zion was in the hands of the ,jebusites 7#b ,sam4 v4 #g74 ,we do not know why ,jerusalem was chosen for depositing this ghastly trophy4 ,all that it is necessary to say in relation to this is1 that seeing it was only the stronghold of ,zion that is said to have been held by the ,jebusites1 there is no ground for the objection which some critics have taken to the narrative that it cannot be correct1 since ,jerusalem was not yet in the hands of the ,israelites4 ,it cannot be doubted that ,david continued to hold the same conviction as before the battle1 that it was not he that conquered1 but ,god4 ,we cannot doubt that after the battle he showed the same meek and humble spirit as before4 ,whatever surprise his victory might be to the tens of thousands who witnessed it1 it was no surprise to him4 ,he knew beforehand that he could trust ,god1 and the result showed that he was right4 ,but that very spirit of implicit trust in ,god by which he was so thoroughly influenced kept him from taking any of the glory to himself4 ,god had chosen him to be ,his instrument1 but he had no credit from the victory for himself4 ,his feeling that day was the very same as his feeling at the close of his military life1 when the ,lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies3--,the ,lord is my rock1 my fortress1 and my deliverer2 the ,god of my rock1 in ,him will ,i trust2 ,he is my shield and the horn of my salvation1 my high tower and my refuge1 my saviour2 ,thou savest me from violence4 ,while ,david was preparing to fight with the ,philistine1 ,saul asked ,abner whose son he was4 ,strange to say1 neither ,abner nor any one else could tell4 ,nor could the question be answered till ,david came back from his victory1 and told the king that he was the son of ,jesse the ,bethlehemite4 ,we have already remarked that it was strange that ,saul should not have recognized him1 inasmuch as he had formerly given attendance on the king to drive away his evil spirit by means of his harp4 ,in explanation it has been urged by some that ,david's visit or visits to ,saul at that time may have been very brief1 and as years may have elapsed since his last visit1 his appearance may have so changed as to prevent recognition4 ,on the part of others1 another explanation has been offered4 ,saul may have recognized ,david at first1 but he did not know his family4 ,now that there was a probability of his becoming the king's son-in-law1 it was natural that ,saul should be anxious to know his connections4 ,the question put to ,abner was1 ,whose son is this youth8 ,the commission given to him was to enquire whose son the stripling is4 ,and the information given by ,david was1 ,i am the son of thy servant ,jesse the ,bethlehemite4 ,it may be added that there is some difficulty about the text of this chapter4 ,it seems as if somehow two independent accounts of ,david had been mixed together4 ,and in one important version of the ,septuagint several passages that occur in the received text are omitted1 certainly with the result of removing some difficulties as the passage stands4 ,it is not possible to read this chapter without some thought of the typical character of ,david1 and indeed the typical aspect of the conflict in which he was now engaged4 ,we find an emblematic picture of the conquest of ,messiah and ,his ,church4 ,the self-confident boasting of the giant1 strong in the resources of carnal might1 and incapable of appreciating the unseen and invincible power of a righteous man in a righteous cause1 is precisely the spirit in which opposition to ,christ has been usually given1 ,let us break their bands asunder1 and cast away their cords from us4 ,the contempt shown for the lowly appearance of ,david1 the undisguised scorn at the notion that through such a stripling any deliverance could come to his people1 has its counterpart in the feeling towards ,christ and ,his ,gospel to which the ,apostle alludes3 ,we preach ,christ crucified1 to the ,jews a stumbling-block1 and to the ,greeks foolishness4 ,the calm self-possession of ,david1 the choice of simple but suitable means1 and the thorough reliance on ,jehovah which enabled him to conquer1 were all exemplified1 in far higher measure1 in the moral victories of ,jesus1 and they are still the weapons which enable ,his people to overcome4 ,the sword of ,goliath turned against himself1 the weapon by which he was to annihilate his foe1 employed by that very foe to sever his head from his body1 was an emblem of ,satan's weapons turned by ,christ against ,satan1 through death he destroyed him that had the power of death1 and delivered them who all their lifetime were subject to bondage4 ,the representative character of ,david1 fighting1 not for himself alone but the whole nation1 was analogous to the representative character of ,christ4 ,and the shout that burst from the ranks of ,israel and ,judah when they saw the champion of the ,philistines fall1 and the enemy betake themselves in consternation to flight1 foreshadowed the joy of redeemed men when the reality of ,christ's salvation flashes on their hearts1 and they see the enemies that have been harassing them repulsed and scattered--a joy to be immeasurably magnified when all enemies are finally conquered1 and the loud voice is heard in heaven1 ,now is come salvation1 and strength1 and the kingdom of our ,god and the power of ,his ,christ2 for the accuser of our brethren is cast down1 that accused them before our ,god day and night4 ,lastly1 while we are instructed by the study of this conflict1 let us be animated by it too4 ,let us learn never to quail at carnal might arrayed against the cause of ,god4 ,let us never fear to attack ,,sin1 however apparently invincible it may be4 ,be it sin within or sin without1 sin in our hearts or sin in the world1 let us go boldly at it1 strong in the might of ,god4 ,that ,god who delivered ,david from the paw of the wild beast1 and from the power of the giant1 will make us more than conquerors--will enable us to spoil principalities and powers and triumph openly over them4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,saul',s ,,jealousy--,,david',s ,,marriage4 #a ,,samuel xviii4 ,the conqueror of ,goliath had been promised1 as his reward1 the eldest daughter of the king in marriage4 ,the fulfilment of that promise1 if not utterly neglected1 was at least delayed2 but if ,david lost the hand of the king's daughter1 he gained1 what could not have been promised--the heart of the king's son4 ,it was little wonder that the soul of ,jonathan was knit with the soul of ,david1 and ,jonathan loved him as his own soul4 ,besides all else about ,david that was attractive to ,jonathan as it was attractive to every one1 there was that strongest of all bonds1 the bond of a common1 all-prevailing faith1 faith in the covenant ,god of ,israel1 that had now shown itself in ,david in overwhelming strength1 as it had shown itself in ,jonathan some time before at ,michmash4 ,to ,jonathan ,david must indeed have appeared a man after his own heart4 ,the childlike simplicity of the trust he had reposed in ,god showed what a profound hold his faith had of him1 how entirely it ruled his life4 ,what depths of congeniality the two young men must have discovered in one another2 in what wonderful agreement they must have found themselves respecting the duty and destiny of the ,hebrew people6 ,that ,jonathan should have been so fascinated at that particular moment shows what a pure heart he must have had4 ,if we judge aright1 ,david's faith had surpassed ,jonathan's2 ,david had dared where ,jonathan had shrunk2 and ,david's higher faith had obtained the distinction that might naturally have been expected to fall to ,jonathan4 ,yet no shadow of jealousy darkens ,jonathan's brow4 ,never were hands more cordially grasped2 never were congratulations more warmly uttered4 ,is there anything so beautiful as a beautiful heart8 ,after well-nigh three thousand years1 we are still thrilled by the noble character of ,jonathan1 and well were it for every young man that he shared in some degree his high nobility4 ,self-seekers and self-pleasers1 look at him--and be ashamed4 ,the friendship between ,david and ,jonathan will fall to be adverted to afterwards2 meanwhile we follow the course of events as they are detailed in this chapter4 ,one thing that strikes us very forcibly in this part of ,david's history is the rapidity with which pain and peril followed the splendid achievement which had raised him so high4 ,the malignant jealousy of ,saul towards him appears to have sprung up almost immediately after the slaughter of ,goliath4 ,when ,david was returned from the slaughter of the ,philistine1 the women came out of all the cities of ,israel1 singing and dancing1 to meet ,king ,saul1 with tabrets1 with joy1 and with instruments of music4 ,and the women answered one another as they played1 saying1 ,saul hath slain his thousands1 and ,david his ten thousands4 ,and ,saul was very wroth1 and the saying displeased him2 and he said1 ,they have ascribed to ,david ten thousands1 and to me they have ascribed but thousands2 and what can he have more but the kingdom8 ,and ,saul eyed ,david from that day and forward4 ,this statement seems 7like so many other statements in ,scripture narratives7 to be a condensed one1 embracing things that happened at different times2 it appears to denote that as soon as ,david returned from killing ,goliath his name began to be introduced by the women into their songs2 and when he returned from the expeditions to which ,saul appointed him when he set him over the men of war1 and in which he was wonderfully successful1 then the women introduced the comparison1 which so irritated ,saul1 between ,saul's thousands and ,david's ten thousands4 ,the truth is1 that ,david's experience1 while ,saul continued to be his persecutor1 was a striking commentary on the vanity of human life1--on the singularly tantalizing way in which the most splendid prizes are often snatched from men's hands as soon as they have secured them1 and when they might reasonably have expected to enjoy their fruits4 ,the case of a conqueror killed in the very moment of victory--of a ,wolfe falling on the ,plains of ,quebec1 just as his victory made ,britain mistress of ,canada2 of a ,nelson expiring on the deck of his ship1 just as the enemy's fleet was helplessly defeated1--these are touching enough instances of the deceitfulness of fortune in the highest moments of expected enjoyment4 ,but there is something more touching still in the early history of ,david4 ,raised to an eminence which he never courted or dreamt of1 just because he had such trust in ,god and such regard for his country2 manifesting in his new position all that modesty and all that dutifulness which had marked him while his name was still unknown2 taking his life in his hand and plunging into toils and risks innumerable just because he desired to be of service to ,saul and his country1--surely1 if any man deserved a comfortable home and a tranquil mind ,david was that man4 ,that ,david should have become the worst treated and most persecuted man of his day2 that for years and years he should have been maligned and hunted down1 with but a step between him and death2 that the very services that ought to have brought him honour should have plunged him into disgrace1 and the noble qualities that ought to have made him the king's most trusty counsellor should have made him a fugitive and an outlaw from his presence1--all that is very strange4 ,it would have been a great trial to any man2 it was a peculiar trial to a ,hebrew4 ,for under the ,hebrew economy the principle of temporal rewards and punishments had a prominence beyond the common4 ,why was this principle reversed in the case of ,david8 ,why was one who had been so exemplary doomed to such humiliation and trial1--doomed to a mode of life which seemed more suitable for a miscreant than for the man after ,god's own heart8 ,the answer to this question cannot be mistaken now4 ,but that answer was not found so readily in ,david's time4 ,david's early years bore a close resemblance to that period of the career of ,job when the hand of ,god was heavy upon him1 and thick darkness encompassed one on whose tabernacle the candle of the ,lord had previously shone very brightly4 ,it pleased ,god1 in infinite love1 to make ,david pass through a long period of hard discipline and salutary training for the office to which he was to be raised4 ,the instances were innumerable in the ,east of young men of promising character being ruined through sudden elevation to supreme unchallenged power4 ,the case of ,saul himself was a sad instance of this doleful effect4 ,it pleased ,god to take steps to prevent it from happening in the case of ,david4 ,it is said that when ,alcibiades1 the distinguished ,athenian1 was young1 ,socrates tried hard to withhold him from public life1 and to convince him that he needed a long course of inward discipline before he could engage safely and usefully in the conduct of public affairs4 ,but ,alcibiades had no patience for this2 he took his own way1 became his own master1 but with the result that he lost at once true loftiness of aim and all the sincerity of an upright soul4 ,we do not need1 however1 to illustrate from mere human history the benefits that arise from a man bearing the yoke in his youth4 ,even our blessed ,lord1 ,david's antitype1 though ,he was a ,son1 yet learned ,he obedience by the things which ,he suffered4 ,and how often has the lesson been repeated6 ,what story is more constantly repeated than1 on the one hand1 that of the young man succeeding to a fortune in early life1 learning every wretched habit of indolence and self-indulgence1 becoming the slave of his lusts1 and after a miserable life sinking into a dishonoured grave8 ,and on the other1 how often do we find1 in the biography of the men who have been an honour to their race1 that their early life was spent amid struggles and acts of self-denial that seem hardly credible1 but out of which came their resolute character and grand conquering power8 ,o adversity1 thy features are hard1 thy fingers are of iron1 thy look is stern and repulsive2 but underneath thy hard crust there lies a true heart1 full of love and full of hope2 if only we had grace to believe this1 in times when we are bound with affliction and iron2 if only we had faith to look forward a very little1 when1 like the patriarch ,job1 we shall find that1 after all1 ,he who frames our lot is very pitiful and of tender mercy6 ,in the case of ,david1 ,god's purpose manifestly was to exercise and strengthen such qualities as trust in ,god1 prayerfulness1 self-command1 serenity of temper1 consideration for others1 and the hope of a happy issue out of all his troubles4 ,his trials were indeed both numerous and various4 ,the cup of honour dashed from his lips when he had just begun to taste it2 promises the most solemn deliberately violated1 and rewards of perilous service coolly withheld from him2 faithful services turned into occasions of cruel persecution2 enforced separation from beloved friends2 laceration of feelings from ,saul's cruel and bloody treatment of some who had befriended him2 calumnious charges persisted in after convincing and generous refutation2 ungrateful treatment from those he had benefited1 like ,nabal2 treachery from those he had delivered1 like the men of ,keilah2 perfidy on the part of some he had trusted1 like ,cush2 assassination threatened by some of his own followers1 as at ,ziklag1--these and many other trials were the hard and bitter discipline which ,david had to undergo in the wilderness4 ,and not only was ,david thus prepared for the great work of his future life1 but as a type of the ,messiah he foreshadowed the deep humiliation through which ,he was to pass on ,his way to ,his throne4 ,he gave the ,old ,testament ,church a glimpse of the manner in which it became ,him1 by whom are all things and for whom are all things1 in bringing many sons unto glory1 to make the ,captain of their salvation perfect through suffering4 ,the growth of the malignant passion of jealousy in ,saul is portrayed in the history in a way painfully graphic4 ,first1 it is simply a feeling that steals occasionally into his bosom4 ,it needs some outward occasion to excite it4 ,its first great effort to establish itself was when ,saul heard the ,hebrew women ascribing to ,david ten times as great a slaughter as they ascribed to ,saul4 ,we cannot but be struck with the ruggedness of the women's compliment4 ,to honour ,david as more ready to incur risk and sacrifice for his country1 even in encounters involving terrible bloodshed1 would have been worthy of women1 and worthy of good women2 but to make the standard of compliment the number of lives destroyed1 the amount of blood shed1 indicated surely a coarseness of feeling1 characteristic of a somewhat barbarous age4 ,but the compliment was quite significant to ,saul1 who saw in it a proof of the preference entertained for ,david1 and began to look on him as his rival in the kingdom4 ,the next step in the history of ,saul's jealousy is its forming itself into an evil habit1 that needed no outward occasion to excite it1 but kept itself alive and active by the vitality it had acquired4 ,and ,saul eyed ,david from that day and forward 7ver4 #i74 ,if ,saul had been a good man1 he would have been horrified at the appearance of this evil passion in his heart2 he would have said1 ,get thee behind me1 ,satan2 he would have striven to the utmost to strangle it in the womb4 ,oh6 what untold mountains of guilt would this not have saved him in after life6 ,and what mountains of guilt1 darkening their whole life1 would the policy of resistance and stamping out1 when an evil lust or passion betrays its presence in their heart1 save to every young man and young woman who find for the first time evidence of its vitality6 ,but instead of stamping it out1 ,saul nourished it2 instead of extinguishing the spark1 he heaped fuel on the flame4 ,and his lust1 having been allowed to conceive1 was not long of bringing forth4 ,under a fit of his malady1 even as ,david was playing to him with his harp1 he launched a javelin at him1 no doubt in some degree an act of insanity1 but yet betraying a very horrible spirit4 ,then1 perhaps afraid of himself1 he removes ,david from his presence1 and sends him out to battle as a captain of a thousand4 ,but ,david only gives fresh proofs of his wisdom and his trustworthiness1 and establishes his hold more and more on the affections of the people4 ,the very fact of his wisdom1 the evidence which his steady1 wise1 and faithful conduct affords of ,god's presence with him1 creates a new restlessness in ,saul1 who1 with a kind of devilish feeling1 hates him the more because the ,lord is with him1 and is departed from ,saul4 ,the next stage in the career of jealousy is to ally itself with cunning1 under the pretence of great generosity4 ,saul said to ,david1 ,behold my elder daughter ,merab1 her will ,i give thee to wife2 only be thou valiant for me1 and fight the ,lord's battles4 ,for ,saul said1 ,let not mine hand be upon him1 but let the hand of the ,philistines be upon him4 ,but cunning and treachery are close connections1 and when this promise ought to have been fulfilled1 ,merab was given to ,adriel the ,meholathite to wife4 ,there remained his younger daughter ,michal1 who was personally attached to ,david4 ,and ,saul said1 ,i will give him her1 that she may be a snare to him1 and that the hand of the ,philistines may be against him4 ,the question of dowry was a difficult one to ,david2 but on that point the king bade his servants set his mind at rest4 ,the king desireth not any dowry1 but an hundred foreskins of the ,philistines1 to be avenged of the king's enemies4 ,and ,saul thought to make ,david fall by the hand of the ,philistines4 ,alas6 the history of ,saul's malignant passion is by no means exhausted even by these sad illustrations of its rise and progress4 ,it swells and grows1 like a horrid tumour1 becoming uglier and uglier continually4 ,and the notices are very significant and instructive which we find as to the spiritual condition of ,saul1 in connection with the development of his passion4 ,we are told that the ,lord was departed from him4 ,when ,saul was reproved by ,samuel for his transgression1 he showed no signs of real repentance1 he continued consciously in a state of enmity with ,god1 and took no steps to get the quarrel healed4 ,he preferred the kind of life in which he might please himself1 though he offended ,god1 to the kind of life in which he would have pleased ,god1 while he denied himself4 ,and ,saul had to bear the awful penalty of his choice4 ,living apart from ,god1 all the evil that was in his nature came boldly out1 asserting itself without let or hindrance1 and going to the terrible length of the most murderous and at the same time the meanest projects4 ,don't let any one imagine that religion has no connection with morality6 ,sham religion1 as we have already seen1 may exist side by side with the greatest wickedness2 but that religion1 the beginning of which is the true fear of ,god1 a genuine reverential regard for ,god1 a true sense of ,his claims on us1 alike as our ,creator and our ,redeemer1--that religion lays its hand firmly on our moral nature1 and scares and scatters the devices of the evil that still remains in the heart4 ,let us take warning at the picture presented to us in this chapter of the terrible results1 even in the ordinary affairs of life1 of the evil heart of unbelief that departs from the living ,god4 ,the other side of the case1 the effect of a true relation to ,god in purifying and guiding the life1 is seen in the case of ,david4 ,god being with him in all that he does1 he is not only kept from retaliating on ,saul1 not only kept from all devices for getting rid of one who was so unjust and unkind to himself1 but he is remarkably obedient1 remarkably faithful1 and by ,god's grace remarkably successful in the work given him to do4 ,it is indeed a beautiful period of ,david's life--the most blameless and beautiful of any4 ,the object of unmerited hatred1 the victim of atrocious plots1 the helpless object of a despot's mad and ungoverned fury1 yet cherishing no trace of bitter feeling1 dreaming of no violent project of relief1 but going out and in with perfect loyalty1 and straining every nerve to prove himself a laborious1 faithful1 and useful servant of the master who loathed him4 ,the question of ,david's marriage is a somewhat difficult one1 appearing to involve some contradictions4 ,first of all we read that a daughter of ,saul1 along with great riches1 had been promised to the man who should kill ,goliath4 ,but after ,david kills him1 there is no word of this promise being fulfilled1 and even afterwards1 when the idea of his being the king's son-in-law is brought forward1 there is no hint that he ought to have been so before4 ,are we to understand that it was an unauthorized rumour that was told to ,david 7ch4 xvii4 #be-bg7 when it was said that the victor was to get these rewards8 ,was it that the people recalled what had been said by ,caleb about ,kirjath-sepher1 a town in that very neighbourhood1 and inferred that surely ,saul would give his daughter to the conqueror1 as ,caleb had given his8 ,this is perhaps the most reasonable explanation1 because when ,david came into ,saul's presence nothing of the kind was said to him by the king2 and also because1 if ,saul had really promised it1 there was no reason at the time why he should not have kept his promise2 nay1 the impulsive nature of the king1 and the great love of ,jonathan toward ,david1 and the love with which ,david inspired women1 would rather have led ,saul to be forward in fulfilling it1 and in constituting a connection which would then have been pleasant to all4 ,if it be said that this would have been a natural thing for ,saul to do1 even had there been no promise1 the answer is that ,david was such a stripling1 and even in his father's household occupied so humble a place1 as to make it reasonable that he should wait1 and gain a higher position1 before any such thing should be thought of4 ,accordingly1 when ,david became older1 and acquired distinction as a warrior1 his being the king's son-in-law had become quite feasible4 ,first1 ,saul proposes to give him his elder daughter ,merab4 ,the murderous desire dictates the proposal1 for ,saul already desires ,david's death1 though he has not courage himself to strike the blow4 ,but when the time came1 for some reason that we do not know of ,merab was given to ,adriel the ,meholathite4 ,david's action at an after period showed that he regarded this as a cruel wrong 7#b ,sam4 iii4 #ac74 ,saul1 however1 still desired to have that hold on ,david which his being his son-in-law would have involved1 and now proposed that ,michal his younger daughter should be his wife4 ,the proposal was accepted1 but ,david could bring no dowry for his wife4 ,the only dowry the king sought was a hundred foreskins of the ,philistines4 ,and the hundred foreskins ,david paid down in full tale4 ,what a distressing view these transactions give us of the malignity of ,saul's heart6 ,when parents have sacrificed the true happiness of their daughters by pressing on them a marriage of splendid misery1 the motive1 however selfish and heartless1 has not usually been malignant4 ,the marriage which ,saul urged between ,david and ,michal was indeed a marriage of affection1 but as far as he was concerned his sin in desiring it1 as affording facilities for getting rid of him1 was on that account all the greater4 ,for nothing shows a wickeder heart than being willing to involve another1 and especially one's own child1 in a lifelong sorrow in order to gratify some feeling of one's own4 ,saul was not merely trifling with the heart and happiness of his child1 but he was deliberately sacrificing both to his vile passion4 ,the longer he lives1 ,saul becomes blacker and blacker4 ,for such are they from whom the ,spirit of the ,lord has departed4 ,we may well contrast ,david and ,saul at this period of their lives2 but what a strange thing it is that further on in life ,david should have taken this leaf from ,saul's book1 and acted in this very spirit towards ,uriah the ,hittite8 ,not that ,uriah was1 or was to be1 son-in-law to the king2 alas6 there was an element of blackness in the case of ,david which did not exist in that of ,saul2 but it was in the very spirit now manifested by ,saul towards himself that ,david availed himself of ,uriah's bravery1 of ,uriah's faithfulness1 of ,uriah's chivalrous readiness to undertake the most perilous expeditions--availed himself of these to compass his death4 ,what do we learn from this8 ,the same seeds of evil were in ,david's heart as in ,saul's4 ,but at the earlier period of ,david's life he walked humbly with ,god1 and ,god's ,spirit poured out on him not only restrained the evil seed1 but created a pure1 holy1 devoted life1 as if there were nothing in ,david but good4 ,afterwards1 grieving the ,holy ,spirit1 ,david was left for a time to himself1 and then the very evil that had been so offensive in ,saul came creeping forth drew itself up and claimed that it should prevail4 ,it was a blessed thing for ,david that he was not beyond being arrested by ,god's voice1 and humbled by ,his reproof4 ,he saw whither he had been going2 he saw the emptiness and wickedness of his heart2 he saw that his salvation depended on ,god in infinite mercy forgiving his sin and restoring ,his ,spirit1 and for these blessings he pled and wrestled as ,jacob had wrestled with the angel at ,peniel4 ,so we may well see that for any one to trust in his heart is to play the fool2 our only trust must be in ,him who is able to keep us from falling1 and to present us faultless before the presence of ,his glory with exceeding joy4 ,he that abideth in ,me1 and ,i in him1 the same bringeth forth much fruit1 for without ,me ye can do nothing4 ,if a man abide not in ,me1 he is cast forth as a root and withered1 and men take them and cast them into the fire and they are burned4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,saul',s ,,further ,,efforts ,,against ,,david4 #a ,,samuel xix4 ,a new stage of his wicked passion is now reached by ,saul2 he communes with his servants1 and even with his son1 with a view to their killing ,david4 ,ordinary conspirators are prone to confine their evil designs to their own breasts2 or if they do have confidants1 to choose for that purpose persons as vile as themselves1 whom they bind to secrecy and silence4 ,saul must have been sadly overpowered by his passion when he urged his very son to become a murderer1 to become the assassin of his friend1 of the man with whom ,god manifestly dwelt1 and whom ,god delighted to honour4 ,it is easy to understand what line ,saul would take with ,jonathan4 ,heir to the throne1 he was specially affected by the popularity of ,david2 if ,david were disposed of1 his seat would be in no danger4 ,the generous prince did his utmost to turn his father from the horrid project3 ,he spake good of ,david unto ,saul1 and said unto him1 ,let not the king sin against his servant1 against ,david2 because he hath not sinned against thee1 and because his works have been to thee-ward very good4 ,for he did put his life in his hand1 and slew the ,philistine1 and the ,lord wrought a great salvation for all ,israel3 thou sawest it and didst rejoice3 wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood1 to slay ,david without a cause8 ,for the moment the king was touched by the intercession of ,jonathan4 ,possibly he was rebuked by the burst of generosity and affection1--a spirit so opposite to his own2 possibly he was impressed by ,jonathan's argument1 and made to feel that ,david was entitled to very different treatment4 ,for the time1 the purpose of ,saul was arrested1 and ,david was in his presence as in times past4 ,ofttimes1 says ,bishop ,hall1 wicked men's judgments are forced to yield unto that truth against which their affections maintain a rebellion4 ,even the foulest hearts do sometimes retain good notions2 like as1 on the contrary1 the holiest souls give way sometimes to the suggestions of evil4 ,the flashes of lightning may be discerned in the darkest prison4 ,but if good thoughts look into a wicked heart1 they stay not there2 as those that like not their lodging1 they are soon gone2 hardly anything distinguishes between good and evil but continuance4 ,the light that shines into a holy heart is constant1 like that of the sun1 which keeps due times1 and varies not his course for any of these sublunary occasions4 ,but1 as the heathen poet said1 ,you may expel nature with a thunderbolt1 but it always returns4 ,the evil spirit1 the demon of jealousy1 returned to ,saul4 ,and strange to say1 his jealousy was such that nothing was more fitted to excite it than eminent service to his country on the part of ,david4 ,a new campaign had opened against the ,philistines4 ,david had had a splendid victory4 ,he slew them with a great slaughter1 so that they fled before him4 ,we may be sure that in these circumstances the songs of the women would swell out in heartier chorus than ever4 ,and in ,saul's breast the old jealousy burst out again1 and sprang to power4 ,a fit of his evil spirit was on him1 and ,david was playing on his harp in order to beguile it away4 ,he sees ,saul seize a javelin1 he instinctively knows the purpose1 and springs aside just as the javelin flies past and lodges in the wall4 ,the danger is too serious to be encountered any longer4 ,david escapes to his house1 but hardly before messengers from ,saul have arrived to watch the door1 and slay him in the morning4 ,knowing her father's plot1 ,michal warns ,david that if he does not make his escape that night his life is sure to go4 ,michal lets him down through a window1 and ,david makes his escape4 ,then1 to give him a sufficient start1 and prolong the time a little1 she has recourse to one of those stratagems of which ,rebecca1 and ,rahab1 and ,jeroboam's wife1 and many another woman have shown themselves mistresses--she gets up a tale1 and pretends to the messengers that ,david is sick4 ,the men carry back the message to their master4 ,there is a peculiar ferocity1 an absolute brutality1 in the king's next order1 ,bring him up to me in the bed that ,i may slay him4 ,evidently he was enraged1 and he either felt that it would be a satisfaction to murder ,david with his own hand when unable to defend himself1 or he saw that his servants could not be trusted with the dastardly business4 ,the messengers enter the house1 and instead of ,david they find an image in the bed1 with a pillow of goat's hair for his bolster4 ,when ,michal is angrily reproached by her father for letting him escape1 she parries the blow by a falsehood--,he said unto me1 ,let me go2 why should ,i kill thee8 ,on this somewhat mean conduct of hers a light is incidentally shed by the mention of the image which she placed in the bed in order to personate ,david4 ,what sort of image was it8 ,the original shows that it was one of the class called teraphim--images which were kept and used by persons who in the main worshipped the one true ,god4 ,they were not such idols as represented ,baal or ,ashtoreth or ,moloch1 but images designed to aid in the worship of the ,god of ,israel4 ,the use of them was not a breach of the first commandment1 but it was a breach of the second4 ,we see plainly that ,david and his wife were not one in religion2 there was discord there4 ,the use of the images implied an unspiritual or superstitious state of mind2 or at least a mind more disposed to follow its own fancies as to the way of worshipping ,god than to have a severe and strict regard to the rule of ,god4 ,it is impossible to suppose that ,david could have either used1 or countenanced the use of these images4 ,god was too much a spiritual reality to him to allow such material media of worship to be even thought of4 ,he knew too much of worship inspired by the ,spirit to dream of worship inspired by shapes of wood or stone4 ,when we read of these images we are not surprised at the defects of character which we see in ,michal4 ,that she loved ,david and had pleasure in his company there is no room to doubt4 ,but their union was not the union of hearts that were one in their deepest feelings4 ,the sublimest exercises of ,david's soul ,michal could have no sympathy with4 ,afterwards1 when ,david brought the ark from ,kirjath-jearim to ,mount ,zion1 she mocked his enthusiasm4 ,how sad when hearts1 otherwise congenial and loving1 are severed on the one point on which congeniality is of deepest moment6 ,agreement in earthly tastes and arrangements1 but disagreement in the one thing needful--alas1 how fatal is the drawback6 ,little blessing can they expect who disregard this point of difference when they agree to marry4 ,if the one that is earnest does so in the expectation of doing good to the other1 that good is far more likely to be done by a firm stand at the beginning than by a course which may be construed to mean that after all the difference is of no great moment4 ,if the title of the fifty-ninth ,psalm can be accepted as authentic1 it indicates the working of ,david's mind at this period of his history4 ,it is called ,michtam of ,david1 when ,saul sent1 and they watched the house to kill him4 ,it is not to be imagined that it was composed in the hurried interval between ,david reaching his house and ,michal sending him away4 ,that ,david had a short time of devotion then we may readily believe1 and that the exercises of his heart corresponded generally to the words of the psalm1 which might be committed afterwards to writing as a memorial of the occasion4 ,from the words of the psalm it would appear that the messengers sent by ,saul to apprehend him were men of base and cowardly spirit1 and that they were actuated by the same personal hatred to him that marked ,saul himself4 ,no doubt the piety of ,david brought to him the enmity1 and the success of ,david the rivalry1 of many who would be emboldened by the king's avowed intention1 to pour out their insults and calumnies against him in the most indecent fashion4 ,perhaps it is to show the estimate he formed of their spirit1 rather than to denote literally their nationality1 that the ,psalmist calls on ,god to awake to visit all the heathen4 ,prowling about the city under cloud of darkness1 coming and going and coming again to his house1 they return at evening2 they make a noise like a dog1 and go about the city4 ,behold1 they belch out with their mouth2 swords are in their lips2 for who1 say they1 doth hear8 ,thus showing his estimate of his enemies1 the ,psalmist manifests the most absolute reliance on the protection and grace of ,god4 ,but ,thou1 ,o ,lord1 shalt laugh at them2 ,thou shalt have all the heathen in derision4 ,because of his strength will ,i wait upon ,thee2 for ,god is my defence4 ,the ,god of my mercy shall prevent me2 ,god shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies4 ,he does not ask that they may be slain1 but he asks that they may be conspicuously dishonoured and humbled1 and made to go about the city like dogs1 in another sense--not like dogs seeking to tear upright men in pieces1 but like those starved1 repulsive1 cowardly brutes1 familiar in ,eastern cities1 that would do anything for a morsel of food4 ,his own spirit is serene and confident--,unto ,thee1 ,o my strength1 will ,i sing2 for ,god is my defence1 and the ,god of my mercy4 ,it may be that the superscription of this psalm is not authentic1 and that the reference is either to some other passage in ,david's life1 or in the life of some other psalmist1 when he was especially exposed to the ravings of a murderous and calumnious spirit1 and in the midst of unscrupulous enemies thirsting for his life4 ,the psalm is eminently fitted to express the feelings and experiences of the ,church of ,christ in times of bitter persecution4 ,for calumny has usually been the right-hand instrument of the persecutor4 ,to justify himself1 he has found it necessary to denounce his victim4 ,erroneous opinions1 it is instinctively felt1 are no such offence as to warrant the wholesale spoliation and murder which vehement persecution calls for4 ,crimes of a horrible description are laid to the charge of the persecuted4 ,and even where the sword of persecution in its naked form is not employed1 but opposition and hatred vent themselves on the more active servants of ,god in venomous attacks and offensive letters1 it is not counted enough to denounce their opinions4 ,they must be charged with meanness1 and double dealing1 and vile plots and schemes to compass their ends4 ,they are spoken of 7as ,st4 ,paul and his companions were7 as the offscourings of the earth1 creatures only to be hunted out of sight and spoiled of all influence4 ,happy they who can bear all in the ,psalmist's tranquil and truthful spirit2 and can sum up their feelings like him--,i will sing of ,thy power2 yea1 ,i will sing aloud of ,thy mercy in the morning2 for ,thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble4 ,but let us return to ,david4 ,can we think of a more desolate condition than that in which he found himself after his wife let him down through a window8 ,it is night1 and he is alone4 ,who could be unmoved when place in such a position8 ,forced to fly from his home and his young wife1 just after he had begun to know their sweets1 and no prospect of a happy return6 ,driven forth by the murderous fury of the king whom he had served with a loyalty and a devotion that could not have been surpassed6 ,his home desolated and his life threatened by the father of his wife1 the man whom even nature should have inspired with a kindly interest in his welfare6 ,what good had it done him that he had slain that giant8 ,what return had he got for his service in ever so often soothing the nerves of the irritable monarch with the gentle warblings of his harp8 ,what good had come of all his perilous exploits against the ,philistines1 of the hundred foreskins of the king's enemies1 of the last great victory which had brought so unprecedented advantage to ,israel8 ,would it not have been better for him never to have touched a weapon1 never to have encountered a foe1 but kept feeding that flock of his father's1 and caring for those irrational creatures1 who had always returned his kindness with gratitude1 and been far more like friends and companions than that terrible ,saul8 ,such thoughts might perhaps hover about his bosom1 but certainly they would receive no entertainment from him4 ,they might knock at his door1 but they would not be admitted4 ,a man like ,david could never seriously regret that he had done his duty4 ,he could never seriously wish that he had never responded to the call of ,god and of his country4 ,but he might well feel how empty and unprofitable even the most successful worldly career may become1 how maddening the changes of fortune1 how intolerable the unjust retributions of men in power4 ,his ill-treatment was so atrocious that1 had he not had a refuge in ,god1 it might have driven him to madness or to suicide4 ,it drove him to the throne of grace1 where he found grace to help him in his time of need4 ,it was no wonder that the fugitive thought of ,samuel4 ,if he could get shelter with him ,saul would surely let him alone1 for ,saul could have no mind to meddle with ,samuel again4 ,but more than that2 in ,samuel's company he would find congenial fellowship1 and from ,samuel's mature wisdom and devotion to ,god's law learn much that would be useful in after life4 ,we can easily fancy what a cordial welcome the old prophet would give the youthful fugitive4 ,was not ,david in a sense his son1 seeing that he had chosen him from among all the sons of ,jesse1 and poured on him the holy oil8 ,if an old minister has a special interest in one whom he has baptized1 how much more ,samuel in one whom he had anointed6 ,and there was another consideration that would have great effect with ,samuel4 ,old ,christians feel very tenderly for young believers who have had hard lines in serving ,god4 ,it moves them much when those on whom they have very earnestly pressed ,god's ways have encountered great trials in following them4 ,gladly would they do anything in their power to soothe and encourage them4 ,samuel's words to ,david would certainly be words of exceeding tenderness4 ,they must have fallen like the dew of ,hermon on his fevered spirit4 ,doubtless they would tend to revive and strengthen his faith1 and assure him that ,god would keep him amid all his trials1 and at last set him on high1 because he had known his name4 ,from ,ramah1 his ordinary dwelling-place1 ,samuel had gone with ,david to ,naioth1 perhaps under the idea that they would elude the eye of ,saul4 ,not so1 however4 ,word of ,david's place of abode was carried to the king4 ,saul was deeply in earnest in his effort to get rid of ,david1--surely a very daring thing when he must have known ,god's purpose regarding him4 ,messengers were accordingly sent to ,naioth4 ,it was the seat of one of the schools of the prophets1 and ,david could not but be deeply interested in the work of the place1 and charmed with its spirit4 ,here1 under the wing of ,samuel1 he did dwell in safety2 but his safety did not come in the way in which perhaps he expected4 ,saul's purpose was too deeply seated to be affected by the presence of ,samuel4 ,nay1 though ,samuel in all likelihood had told him how ,god had caused him to anoint ,david as his successor1 ,saul determined to drag him even from the hands of ,samuel4 ,but ,saul never counted on the form of opposition he was to encounter4 ,the messengers went to ,naioth1 but their hearts were taken hold of by the ,spirit who was then working in such power in the place1 and from soldiers they were turned into prophets4 ,a second batch of messengers was sent1 and with the same result4 ,a third batch followed1 and still the same miraculous transformation4 ,determined not to be baffled1 and having probably exhausted the servants whom he could trust1 ,saul went himself to ,ramah4 ,but ,saul was proof no more than his servants against the marvellous spiritual force that swept all before it4 ,when he came to ,ramah1 the ,spirit of the ,lord was upon him1 and he went on and prophesied all the way from ,ramah to ,naioth4 ,and there1 stripping himself of his royal robes and accoutrements1 he prophesied before ,samuel in like manner1 and lay down1 just as one of the prophets1 and continued so a whole day and night4 ,it was a repetition of what had taken place at the hill of ,god when ,saul returned from his search after the asses 7#a ,sam4 x4 #aj1 #aa71 and it resuscitated the proverb that had been first used on that occasion1 is ,saul also among the prophets8 ,transformed and occupied as ,saul was now1 he was in no mood to carry out his murderous project against ,david1 who in the view of this most unexpected form of deliverance might well sing1 ,my safety cometh from the ,lord1 who made heaven and earth4 ,the question cannot but press itself on us1 ,what was the character of the influence under which ,saul was brought on this remarkable occasion8 ,observe the phenomena so far as they are recorded4 ,in the first place1 nothing is said of any appeal to ,saul's reason and conscience4 ,in the second place1 no such conduct followed this experience as would have followed it1 had his reason and conscience been impressed4 ,he was precisely the same wicked man as before4 ,in the third place1 there is no evidence of anything else having taken place than a sort of contagious impression being produced on his physical nature1 something corresponding to the effect of mesmerism or animal magnetism4 ,in earnest religious movements of a very solid character1 it has been often remarked that another unusual experience runs alongside of them2 in some persons in contact with them a nervous susceptibility is developed1 which sometimes causes prostration1 and sometimes a state of trance2 and it has been found that many persons are liable to the state of trance whose hearts and lives are in no way transformed by the religious impression4 ,it seems to have been some such experience that befell ,saul4 ,he was entranced1 but he was not changed4 ,he was for the time another man1 but there was no permanent change2 after a time1 his old spirit returned4 ,evidently he was a man of great nervous susceptibility1 and it is plain from many things that his nerves had become weakened4 ,he fell for the time under the strong influence of the prophetic company2 but ,david did not trust him1 for he fled from ,naioth4 ,and yet1 even if this was all that happened to ,saul1 there was something providential and merciful in it that might have led on to better results4 ,was it not in some sense a dealing of ,god with ,saul8 ,was it not a reminder of that better way which ,saul had forsaken1 and in forsaking which he had come to so much guilt and trouble8 ,was it not a gracious indication that even yet1 if he would return to ,god1 though he could not get back the kingdom he might personally be blessed8 ,whatever of this kind there might be in it1 it was trampled by ,saul under foot4 ,he had made his bed1 and1 thorny though it was1 he was determined to lie on it4 ,he would not change his life2 he would not return to ,god4 ,does not ,god1 in ,his merciful providence1 often deal with transgressors as he dealt with ,saul1 placing them in circumstances that make it comparatively easy for them to turn from their sins and change their life8 ,your marriage1 a death in your circle1 a change of residence1 a change of fortune1 forming a new acquaintance1 coming under a new ministry1--oh6 friends1 if there be in you the faintest dissatisfaction with your past life1 the faintest desire for a better1 take advantage of the opportunity1 and turn to ,god4 ,summon courage1 break with your associates in sin 7the loss will be marvellously small71 give up your dissipated pleasures1 betake yourselves to the great matters that concern your welfare evermore4 ,mark in the providence that gave you the opportunity1 the kind hand of a gracious ,father1 sadly grieving over your erring life1 and longing for your return4 ,harden not your heart as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness4 ,don't drive the angel out of your way1 who stands in your path1 as he stood in ,balaam's1 to stop your progress in the ways of sin4 ,who knows whether ever again you shall have the same opportunity8 ,and even if you have1 is it not certain that the disinclination you feel now will be stiffer and stronger then8 ,be a man1 and face the irksome4 ,whatever you do1 determine to do right4 ,it is childish to stand shivering over a duty which you know ought to be done4 ,whatsoever thy hand findeth to do1 do it with thy might2 for there is no work1 nor device1 nor knowledge1 nor wisdom1 in the grave1 whither thou goest4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,david ,,and ,,jonathan4 #a ,,samuel xx4 ,we have no means of determining how long time elapsed between the events recorded in the preceding chapter and those recorded in this4 ,it is not unlikely that ,saul's experience at ,naioth led to a temporary improvement in his relations to ,david4 ,the tone of this chapter leads us to believe that at the time when it opens there was some room for doubt whether or not ,saul continued to cherish any deliberate ill-feeling to his son-in-law4 ,david's own suspicions were strong that he did2 but ,jonathan appears to have thought otherwise4 ,hence the earnest conversation which the two friends had on the subject2 and hence the curious but crooked stratagem by which they tried to find out the truth4 ,but before we go on to this1 it will be suitable for us at this place to dwell for a little on the remarkable friendship between ,david and ,jonathan--a beautiful oasis in this wilderness history1--one of the brightest gems in this book of ,samuel4 ,it was a striking proof of the ever mindful and considerate grace of ,god1 that at the very opening of the dark valley of trial through which ,david had to pass in consequence of ,saul's jealousy1 he was brought into contact with ,jonathan1 and in his disinterested and sanctified friendship1 furnished with one of the sweetest earthly solaces for the burden of care and sorrow4 ,the tempest suddenly let loose on him must have proved too vehement1 if he had been left in ,saul's dark palace without one kind hand to lead him on1 or the sympathy of one warm heart to encourage him2 the spirit of faith might have declined more seriously than it did1 had it not been strengthened by the bright faith of ,jonathan4 ,it was plain that ,michal1 though she had a kind of attachment to ,david1 was far from having a thoroughly congenial heart2 she loved him1 and helped to save him1 but at the same time bore false witness against him 7chap4 xix4 #ag74 ,in his deepest sorrows1 ,david could have derived little comfort from her4 ,whatever gleams of joy and hope1 therefore1 were now shed by human companionship across his dark firmament1 were due to ,jonathan4 ,in merciful adaptation to the infirmities of his human spirit1 ,god opened to him this stream in the desert1 and allowed him to refresh himself with its pleasant waters2 but to show him1 at the same time1 that such supplies could not be permanently relied on1 and that his great dependence must be placed1 not on the fellowship of mortal man1 but on the ever-living and ever-loving ,god1 ,jonathan and he were doomed1 after the briefest period of companionship1 to a lifelong separation1 and the friendship which had seemed to promise a perpetual solace of his trials1 only aggravated their severity1 when its joys were violently reft away4 ,in another view1 ,david's intercourse with ,jonathan served an important purpose in his training4 ,the very sight he constantly had of ,saul's outrageous wickedness might have nursed a self-righteous feeling1--might have encouraged the thought1 so agreeable to human nature1 that as ,saul was rejected by ,god for his wickedness1 so ,david was chosen for his goodness4 ,the remembrance of ,jonathan's singular virtues and graces was fitted to rebuke this thought2 for if regard to human goodness had decided ,god's course in the matter1 why should not ,jonathan have been appointed to succeed his father8 ,from the self-righteous ground on which he might have been thus tempted to stand1 ,david would be thrown back on the adorable sovereignty of ,god2 and in deepest humiliation constrained to own that it was ,god's grace only that made him to differ from others4 ,ardent friendships among young men were by no means uncommon in ancient times2 many striking instances occurred among the ,greeks1 which have sometimes been accounted for by the comparatively low estimation in which female society was then held4 ,the heroic companions celebrated by ,homer and others1 it has been remarked1 seem to have but one heart and soul1 with scarcely a wish or object apart1 and only to live1 as they are always ready to die1 for one another4444 ,the idea of a ,greek hero seems not to have been thought complete without such a brother in arms by his side4#c ,but there was one feature of the friendship of ,jonathan and ,david that had no parallel in classic times1--it was friendship between two men1 of whom the younger was a most formidable rival to the older4 ,it is ,jonathan that shines most in this friendship1 for he was the one who had least to gain and most to lose from the other4 ,he knew that ,david was ordained by ,god to succeed to his father's throne1 yet he loved him2 he knew that to befriend ,david was to offend his father1 yet he warmly befriended him2 he knew that he must decrease and ,david increase1 yet no atom of jealousy disturbed his noble spirit4 ,what but divine grace could have enabled ,jonathan to maintain this blessed temper8 ,what other foundation could it have rested on but the conviction that what ,god ordained must be the very best1 infinitely wise and good for him and for all8 ,or what could have filled the heart thus bereaved of so fair an earthly prospect1 but the sense of ,god's love1 and the assurance that ,he would compensate to him all that ,he took from him8 ,how beautiful was this fruit of the ,spirit of ,god6 ,how blessed it would be if such clusters hung on every branch of the vine6 ,besides being disinterested1 ,jonathan's friendship for ,david was of an eminently holy character4 ,evidently ,jonathan was a man that habitually honoured ,god1 if not in much open profession1 yet in the way of deep reverence and submission4 ,and thus1 besides being able to surrender his own prospects without a murmur1 and feel real happiness in the thought that ,david would be king1 he could strengthen the faith of his friend1 as we read afterwards 7chap4 xxiii4 #af73 ,jonathan1 ,saul's son1 arose and went to ,david into the wood1 and strengthened his hand in ,god4 ,at the time when they come together in the chapter before us1 ,jonathan's faith was stronger than ,david's4 ,david's faltering heart was saying1 ,there is but a step between me and death 7ver4 #c71 while ,jonathan in implicit confidence in ,god's purpose concerning ,david was thus looking forward to the future1--,thou shalt not only while yet ,i live show me the kindness of the ,lord that ,i die not2 but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever2 no1 not when the ,lord hath cut off the enemies of ,david every one from the face of the earth4 ,there has seldom1 if ever1 been exhibited a finer instance of triumphant faith1 than when the prince1 with all the resources of the kingdom at his beck1 made this request of the helpless outlaw4 ,what a priceless blessing is the friendship of those who support and comfort us in great spiritual conflicts1 and help us to stand erect in some great crisis of our lives6 ,how different from the friendship that merely supplies the merriment of an idle hour1 at the expense1 perhaps1 of a good conscience1 and to the lasting injury of the soul6 ,but let me now briefly note the events recorded in this chapter4 ,it is a long chapter1 one of those long chapters in which incidents are recorded with such fulness of detail1 as not only to make a very graphic narrative1 but to supply an incidental proof of its authenticity4 ,first of all1 we have the preliminary conversation between ,david and ,jonathan1 as to the real feeling of ,saul toward ,david4 ,incidentally1 we learn how much ,saul leant on ,jonathan3 ,my father will do nothing1 either great or small1 but he will show it me1--a proof that ,jonathan was1 like ,joseph before him1 and like ,daniel after him1 eminently trustworthy1 and as sound in judgment as he was noble in character4 ,guileless himself1 he suspected no guile in his father4 ,but ,david was not able to take so favourable a view of ,saul4 ,so profound was his conviction to the contrary1 that in giving his reason for believing that ,saul had concealed from his son his real feeling in the matter1 and the danger in which he was1 he used the solemn language of adjuration3 ,as the ,lord liveth1 and as thy soul liveth1 there is but a step between me and death4 ,viewed from the human point1 this was true2 viewed from under the ,divine purpose and promise1 it could not be true4 ,yet we cannot blame ,david1 knowing as he did what ,saul really felt1 for expressing his human fears1 and the distress of mind to which the situation gave birth4 ,next1 we find a device agreed on between ,david and ,jonathan1 to ascertain the real sentiments of ,saul4 ,it was one of those deceitful ways to which1 very probably1 ,david had become accustomed in his military experiences1 in his forays against the ,philistines1 where stratagems may have been1 as they often were1 a common device4 ,it was probable that ,david would be missed from ,saul's table next day1 as it was the new moon and a feast2 if ,saul inquired after him1 ,jonathan was to pretend that he had asked leave to go to a yearly family sacrifice at ,bethlehem2 and the way in which ,saul should take this explanation would show his real feeling and purpose about ,david4 ,in the event of ,saul being enraged1 and commanding ,jonathan to bring ,david to him1 ,david implored ,jonathan not to comply2 rather kill him with his own hand than that2 for there was nothing that ,david dreaded so much as falling into the hands of ,saul4 ,jonathan surely did not deserve that it should be thought possible for him to surrender ,david to his father1 or to conceal anything from him that had any bearing on his welfare4 ,but inasmuch as ,david had put the matter in the form he did1 it seemed right to ,jonathan that a very solemn transaction should take place at this time1 to make their relation as clear as day1 and to determine the action of the stronger of them to the other1 in time to come4 ,this is the third thing in the chapter4 ,jonathan1 takes ,david into the field1 that is1 into some sequestered ,wady1 at some distance from the town1 where they would be sure to enjoy complete solitude2 and there they enter into a solemn covenant4 ,jonathan takes the lead4 ,he begins with a solemn appeal to ,god1 calling on ,him not as a matter of mere form or propriety1 but of real and profound significance4 ,first1 he binds himself to communicate faithfully to ,david the real state of things on the part of his father1 whether it should be for good or for evil4 ,and then he binds ,david1 whom by faith he sees in possession of the kingly power1 in spite of all that ,saul may do against him1 first to be kind to himself while he lived1 and not cut him off1 as new kings so often massacred all the relations of the old2 and also after his death to show kindness to his family1 and never cease to remember them1 not even when raised to such a pitch of prosperity that all his enemies were cut off from the earth4 ,one knows not whether most to wonder at the faith of ,jonathan1 or the sweetness of his nature4 ,it is ,david1 the poor outlaw1 with hardly a man to stand by him1 that appears to ,jonathan the man of power1 the man who can dispose of all lives and sway all destinies2 while ,jonathan1 the king's son and confidential adviser1 is somehow reduced to helplessness1 and unable even to save himself4 ,but was there ever such a transaction entered into with such sweetness of temper8 ,the calmness of ,jonathan in contemplating the strange reverse of fortune both to himself and to ,david1 is exquisitely beautiful2 nor is there in it a trace of that servility with which mean natures worship the rising sun2 it is manly and generous while it is meek and humble2 such a combination of the noble and the submissive as was shown afterwards1 in highest form1 in the one perfect example of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,next comes a statement of the way in which ,jonathan was to announce to ,david the result4 ,it might not be safe for him to see ,david personally1 but in that case he would let him know what had transpired about him through a preconcerted signal1 in reference to the place where he would direct an attendant to go for some arrows4 ,as it happened1 a personal interview was obtained with ,david2 but before that1 the telegraphing with the arrows was carried out as arranged4 ,on the first day of the feast1 ,david's absence passed unnoticed1 ,saul being under the impression that he had acquired ceremonial uncleanness4 ,but as that excuse could only avail for one day1 ,saul finding him absent the second day1 asked ,jonathan what had become of him4 ,the excuse agreed on was given4 ,it excited the deepest rage of ,saul4 ,but his rage was not against ,david so much as against ,jonathan for taking his part4 ,saul did not believe in the excuse1 otherwise he would not have ordered ,jonathan to send and fetch ,david4 ,if ,david was at ,bethlehem1 ,saul could have sent for him himself2 if he lay concealed in the neighbourhood1 ,jonathan alone would know his hiding-place1 therefore ,jonathan must get hold of him4 ,if this be the true view1 the stratagem of ,jonathan had availed nothing2 the plain truth would have served the purpose no worse4 ,as it was1 ,jonathan's own life was in the most imminent danger4 ,remonstrating with his father for seeking to destroy ,david1 he narrowly escaped his father's javelin1 even though1 a moment before1 in his jealousy of ,david1 ,saul had professed to be concerned for the interests of ,jonathan4 ,thou son of the perverse rebellious woman1 do not ,i know that thou hast chosen the son of ,jesse to thine own confusion1 and to the confusion of thy mother's nakedness8 ,what strange and unworthy methods will not angry men and women resort to1 to put vinegar into their words and make them sting6 ,to try to wound a man's feelings by reviling his mother1 or by reviling any of his kindred1 is a practice confined to the dregs of society1 and nauseous1 to the last degree1 to every gentle and honourable mind4 ,in ,saul's case1 the offence was still more infamous because the woman reviled was his own wife4 ,surely if her failings reflected on any one1 they reflected on her husband rather than her son4 ,but that it was any real failing that ,saul denounced when he called her the perverse rebellious woman1 we greatly doubt4 ,to a man like ,saul1 any assertion of her rights by his wife1 any refusal to be his abject slave1 any opposition to his wild and wicked designs against ,david1 would mean perversity and rebellion4 ,we are far from thinking ill of this nameless woman because her husband denounced her to her son4 ,but when we see ,saul in one breath trying to kill his son with a javelin and to destroy his wife's character by poisoned words1 and at the same time thirsting for the death of his son-in-law1 we have a mournful exhibition of the depth to which men are capable of descending from whom the ,spirit of the ,lord hath departed4 ,no wonder that ,jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger1 and did eat no meat the second day of the month4 ,one wonders how the feast went on thereafter1 but one does not envy the guests4 ,did ,saul drown his stormy feelings in copious draughts of wine1 and turn the holy festival into a bacchanalian rout1 amid whose boisterous mirth and tempestuous exhilaration the reproaches of conscience would be stifled for the hour8 ,the third day has come1 on which1 by preconcerted agreement1 ,jonathan was to reveal to ,david his father's state of mind4 ,david is in the agreed-on hiding-place2 and ,jonathan1 sallying forth with his servant1 shoots his arrows to the place which was to indicate the existence of danger4 ,then1 the lad having gone back to the city1 and no one being on the spot to observe them or interrupt them1 the two friends come together and have an affecting meeting4 ,when ,jonathan parted from ,david three days before1 he had not been without hopes of bringing to him a favourable report of his father4 ,david expected nothing of the kind2 but even ,david must have been shocked and horrified to find things so bad as they were now reported4 ,in an act of unfeigned reverence for the king's son1 ,david bowed himself three times to the ground4 ,in token of much love they kissed one another2 while under the dark cloud of adversity that had risen on them both1 and that now compelled them to separate1 hardly ever again 7as it turned out7 to see one another in the flesh1 they wept one with another until ,david exceeded4 ,they wept as only strong men weep1 ,when weep they must1 or die4 ,one consolation alone remained1 and it was ,jonathan that was able to apply it4 ,jonathan said to ,david1 ,go in peace1 forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the ,lord1 saying1 ,the ,lord be between me and thee1 and between my seed and thy seed for ever4 ,yes1 even in that darkest hour1 ,jonathan could say to ,david1 ,go in peace4 ,what peace8 ,thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on ,thee1 because he trusteth in ,thee4 ,the angel of the ,lord encampeth about them that fear ,him1 and delivereth them4 ,many are the afflictions of the righteous1 but the ,lord delivereth them out of them all4 ,we cannot turn from this chapter without adding a word on the friendships of the young4 ,it is when hearts are tender that they are most readily knit to each other1 as the heart of ,jonathan was knit to the heart of ,david4 ,but the formation of friendships is too important a matter to be safely left to casual circumstances4 ,it ought to be gone about with care4 ,if you have materials to choose among1 see that you choose the best4 ,at the foundation of all friendship lies congeniality of heart--a kindred feeling of which one often becomes conscious by instinct at first sight4 ,but there must also be elements of difference in friends4 ,it is a great point to have a friend who is above us in some things1 and who will thus be likely to draw us up to a higher level of character1 instead of dragging us down to a lower4 ,and a friend is very useful1 if he is rich in qualities where we are poor4 ,as it is in ,in ,memoriam-- ,he was rich where ,i was poor1 ,and he supplied my want the more ,as his unlikeness fitted mine4 ,but surely1 of all qualities in a friend or companion who is to do us good1 the most vital is1 that he fears the ,lord4 ,as such friendships are by far the most pleasant1 so they are by far the most profitable4 ,and when you have made friends1 stick by them4 ,don't let it be said of you that your friend seemed to be everything to you yesterday1 but nothing to-day4 ,and if your friends rise above you in the world1 rejoice in their prosperity1 and banish every envious feeling2 or if you should rise above them1 do not forget them1 nor forsake them1 but1 as if you had made a covenant before ,god1 continue to show kindness to them and to their children after them4 ,pray for them1 and ask them to pray for you4 ,perhaps it was with some view to the friendship of ,jonathan and his father that ,solomon wrote1 ,there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother4 ,jonathan was such a friend to ,david4 ,but the words suggest a higher friendship4 ,the glory of ,jonathan's love for ,david fades before our ,lord's love for ,his brethren4 ,if ,jonathan were living among us1 who of us could look on him with indifference8 ,would not our hearts warm to him1 as we gazed on his noble form and open face1 even though we had never been the objects of his affection8 ,in the case of ,jesus ,christ1 we have all the noble qualities of ,jonathan in far higher excellence than his1 and we have this further consideration1 that for us ,he has laid down ,his life1 and that none who receive ,his friendship can ever be separated from ,his love4 ,and what an elevating and purifying effect that friendship will have6 ,in alliance with ,him1 you are in alliance with all that is pure and bright1 all that is transforming and beautifying2 all that can give peace to your conscience1 joy to your heart1 lustre to your spirit1 and beauty to your life2 all that can make your garments smell of myrrh1 and aloes1 and cassia2 all that can bless you and make you a blessing4 ,and once you are truly ,his1 the bond can never be severed2 ,david had to tear himself from ,jonathan1 but you will never have to tear yourselves from ,christ4 ,your union is cemented by the blood of the everlasting covenant2 and by the eternal efficacy of the prayer1 ,father1 ,i will that they also whom ,thou hast given me be with me where ,i am4 ,,footnotes3 #c ,thirlwall's ,history of ,greece4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,david ,,at ,,nob ,,and ,,at ,,gath4 #a ,,samuel xxi4 ,we enter here on a somewhat painful part of ,david's history4 ,he is not living so near to ,god as before1 and in consequence his course becomes more carnal and more crooked4 ,we saw in our last chapter the element of distrust rising up somewhat ominously in that solemn adjuration to ,jonathan1 ,truly as the ,lord liveth1 and as thy soul liveth1 there is but a step between me and death4 ,these words1 it is true1 gave expression to an undoubted and in a sense universal truth1 a truth which all of us should at all times ponder1 but which ,david had special cause to feel1 under the circumstances in which he was placed4 ,it was not the fact of his giving solemn expression to this truth that indicated distrust on the part of ,david1 but the fact that he did not set over against it another truth which was just as real1--that ,god had chosen him for ,his service1 and would not allow him to perish at the hand of ,saul4 ,when a good man sees himself exposed to a terrible danger which he has no means of averting1 it is no wonder if the contemplation of that danger gives rise for the moment to fear4 ,but it is his privilege to enjoy promises of protection and blessing at the hand of the unseen ,god1 and if his faith in these promises be active1 it will not only neutralize the fear1 but raise him high above it4 ,now1 the defect in ,david's state of mind was1 that while he fully realized the danger1 he did not by faith lay hold of that which was fitted to neutralize it4 ,it was ,jonathan rather than ,david who by faith realized at this time ,david's grounds of security4 ,all through ,jonathan's remarks in chapter xx4 you see him thinking of ,god as ,david's ,protector1--thinking of the great purposes which ,god meant to accomplish by him1 and which were a pledge that ,he would preserve him now1--thinking of ,david as a coming man of unprecedented power and influence1 whose word would determine other men's destinies1 and dispose of their fortunes4 ,david seems to have been greatly indebted to ,jonathan for sustaining his faith while he was with him2 for after he parted from ,jonathan1 his faith fell very low4 ,time after time1 he follows that policy of deceit which he had instructed ,jonathan to pursue in explaining his absence from the feast in ,saul's house4 ,it is painful in the last degree to see one whose faith towered to such a lofty height in the encounter with ,goliath1 coming down from that noble elevation1 to find him resorting for self-protection to the lies and artifices of an impostor4 ,we cannot excuse it1 but we may account for it4 ,david was wearied out by ,saul's restless and incessant persecution4 ,we read in ,daniel of a certain persecutor that he should wear out the saints of the ,most ,high1 and it was the same sad experience from which ,david was now suffering4 ,it does not appear that he was gifted naturally with great patience1 or power of enduring4 ,rather we should suppose that one of such nimble and lively temperament would soon tire of a strained and uneasy attitude4 ,it appears that ,saul's persistency in injustice and cruelty made ,david at last restless and impatient4 ,all the more would he have needed in such circumstances to resort to ,god1 and seek from ,him the oil of grace to feed his patience1 and bear him above the infirmities of his nature4 ,but this was just what he seems not to have done4 ,carnal fear therefore grew apace1 and faith fell into a state of slumber4 ,the eye of sense was active1 looking out on the perils around him2 the eye of faith was dull1 hardly able to decipher a single promise4 ,the eye of sense saw the vindictive scowl of ,saul1 the javelin in his hand1 and bands of soldiers sent out on every side to seize ,david or slay him2 the eye of faith did not see--what it might have seen--the angel of the ,lord encamping around him and delivering him4 ,it was ,god's purpose now to allow ,david to feel his own weakness2 he was to pass through that terrible ordeal when1 tossed on a sea of trials1 one feels like ,noah's dove1 unable to find rest for the sole of one's foot1 and seems on the very eve of dropping helpless into the billows1 till the ark presents itself1 and a gracious hand is put forth to the rescue4 ,left to himself1 tempted to make use of carnal expedients1 and taught the wretchedness of such expedients2 learning also1 through this discipline1 to anchor his soul more firmly on the promise of the living ,god1 ,david was now undergoing a most essential part of his early training1 gaining the experience that was to qualify him to say with such earnestness to others1 ,o taste and see that the ,lord is good3 blessed is the man that trusteth in ,him4 ,on leaving ,gibeah1 ,david1 accompanied with a few followers1 bent his steps to ,nob1 a city of the priests4 ,the site of this city has not been discovered2 some think it stood on the north-eastern ridge of ,mount ,olivet2 this is uncertain1 but it is evident that it was very close to ,jerusalem 7see ,isa4 x4 #cb74 ,its distance from ,gibeah would therefore be but five or six miles1 much too short for ,david to have had there any great sense of safety4 ,it appears to have become the seat of the sacred services of the nation1 some time after the destruction of ,shiloh4 ,david's purpose in going there seems to have been simply to get a shelter1 perhaps for the ,sabbath day1 and to obtain supplies4 ,doeg1 indeed1 charged ,ahimelech1 before ,saul1 with having inquired of the ,lord for ,david1 but ,ahimelech with some warmth denied the charge4#d ,the privilege of consulting the ,urim and ,thummim seems to have been confined to the chief ruler of the nation2 if with the sanction of the priest ,david had done so now1 he might have justly been charged with treason2 probably it was because he believed ,doeg rather than ,ahimelech1 and concluded that this royal privilege had been conceded by the priests to ,david1 that ,saul was so enraged1 and inflicted such dreadful retribution on them4 ,afterwards1 when ,abiathar fled to ,david with the high priest's ephod1 through which the judgment of ,urim and ,thummim seems to have been announced1 ,david regarded that circumstance as an indication of the ,divine permission to him to make use of the sacred oracle4 ,but what shall we say of the untruth which ,david told ,ahimelech1 to account for his coming there without armed attendants8 ,the king hath commanded me a business1 and hath said unto me1 ,let no man know anything of the business whereabout ,i send thee1 and what ,i have commanded thee2 and ,i have commanded my servants to such and such a place4 ,here was a statement not only not true1 but the very opposite of the truth2 spoken too to ,god's anointed high priest1 and in the very place consecrated to ,god's most solemn service2 everything about the speaker fitted to bring ,god to his mind1 and to recall ,god's protection of him in time past2 yet the first thing he did on entering the sacred place was to utter a falsehood1 prompted by distrust1 prompted by the feeling that the pledged protection of the ,god of truth1 before whose shrine he now stood1 was not sufficient4 ,how plain the connection between a deficient sense of ,god's truthfulness1 and a deficient regard to truth itself6 ,what could have tempted ,david to act thus8 ,according to some1 it was altogether an amiable and generous desire to keep ,ahimelech out of trouble1 to screen him from the responsibility of helping a known outlaw4 ,but considering the gathering distrust of ,david's spirit at the time1 it seems more likely that he was startled at the fear which ,ahimelech expressed when he saw ,david coming alone1 as if all were not right between him and ,saul1 as if the truce that had been agreed on after the affair of ,naioth had now come to an end4 ,probably ,david felt that if ,ahimelech knew all1 he would be still more afraid1 and do nothing to help him2 moreover1 the presence of ,doeg the ,edomite was another cause of embarrassment1 for ,saul had once ordered all his servants to kill ,david1 and if the fierce ,edomite were told that ,david was now simply a fugitive1 he might be willing enough to do the deed4 ,anyhow1 ,david now lent himself to the devices of the father of lies4 ,and so the brave spirit that had not quailed before ,goliath1 and that had met the ,philistines in so many terrific encounters1 now quailed before a phantom of its own devising1 and shrank from what1 at the moment1 was only an imaginary danger4 ,david succeeded in getting from ,ahimelech what he wanted1 but not without difficulty4 ,for when ,david asked for five loaves of bread1 the priest replied that he had no common bread1 but only shewbread2 he had only the bread that had been taken that day from off the table on which it stood before the ,lord1 and replaced by fresh bread1 according to the law4 ,the priest was willing to give that bread to ,david1 if he could assure him that his attendants were not under defilement4 ,it will be remembered that our ,lord adverted to this fact1 as a justification of ,his own disciples for plucking the ears of corn and eating them on the ,sabbath4 ,the principle underlying both was1 that when a ceremonial obligation comes into collision with a moral duty1 the lesser obligation is to give place to the heavier4 ,the keeping of the ,sabbath free from all work1 and the appropriation of the shewbread to the use of the priests alone1 were but ceremonial obligations2 the preservation of life was a moral duty4 ,it is sometimes a very difficult thing to determine duty1 when moral obligations appear to clash with each other1 but there was no difficulty in the collision of the moral and the ceremonial4 ,our ,lord would certainly not have sided with that body of zealots1 in the days of conflict between the ,maccabees and the ,syrians1 who allowed themselves to be cut in pieces by the enemy1 rather than break the ,sabbath by fighting on that day4 ,david had another request to make of ,ahimelech4 ,is there not here under thy hand spear or sword8 for ,i have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me1 because the king's business required haste4 ,it was a strange place to ask for military weapons4 ,surely the priests would not need to defend themselves with these4 ,yet it happened that there was a sword there which ,david knew well1 and which he might reasonably claim1--the sword of ,goliath4 ,give it me1 said ,david2 there is none like that4 ,we read before1 that ,david carried ,goliath's head to ,jerusalem4 ,nob was evidently in the ,jerusalem district1 and as the sword was there1 there can be little doubt that it was at ,nob the trophies had been deposited4 ,so far1 things had gone fairly well with ,david at ,nob4 ,but there was a man there detained before the ,lord1--prevented probably from proceeding on his journey because it was the ,sabbath day1--whose presence gave no comfort to ,david1 and was1 indeed1 an omen of evil4 ,doeg1 the ,edomite1 was the chief of the herdmen of ,saul4 ,why ,saul had entrusted that office to a member of a nation that was notorious for its bitter feelings towards ,israel1 we do not know2 but the herdman seems to have been like his master in his feelings towards ,david2 he would appear1 indeed1 to have joined the hereditary dislike of his nation to the personal dislike of his master4 ,instinctively1 as we learn afterwards1 ,david understood the feelings of ,doeg4 ,it would have been well for him1 when a shudder passed over him as he caught the scowling countenance of the ,edomite1 had his own conscience been easier than it was4 ,it would have been well for him had he been ruled by that spirit of trust which triumphed so gloriously the day he first got possession of that sword4 ,it would have been well for him had he been free from the disturbing consciousness of having offended ,god by borrowing the devices of the father of lies and bringing them into the sanctuary1 to pollute the air of the house of ,god4 ,no wonder1 though1 ,david was restless again6 ,and ,david arose1 and fled that day for fear of ,saul1 and went to ,achish the king of ,gath4 ,how different his state and prospects now from what they had been a little time before6 ,then the world smiled on him2 fame and honour1 wealth and glory1 flowed in on him2 ,god was his ,father2 conscience was calm2 he hardly knew the taste of misery4 ,but how has his sky become overcast6 ,a homeless and helpless wanderer1 with scarcely an attendant or companion2 in momentary fear of death2 fain to beg a morsel of bread where he could get it2 a creature so banned and cursed that kindness to him involved the risk of death2 his heart bleeding for the loss of ,jonathan2 his soul clouded by distrust of ,god2 his conscience troubled by the vague sense of unacknowledged sin6 ,and yet he is destined to be king of ,israel1 the very ideal of a good and prosperous monarch1 and the earthly type of the ,son of ,god6 ,like a lost sheep1 he has gone astray for a time1 but the ,good ,shepherd will leave the ninety-and-nine and go among the mountains till ,he find him2 and his experience will give a wondrous depth to that favourite song of young and old of every age and country1 ,he restoreth my soul3 ,he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness1 for ,his name's sake4 ,and now we must follow him to ,gath1 the city of ,goliath4 ,down the slope of ,mount ,olivet1 across the brook ,kedron1 and past the stronghold of ,zion1 and probably through the very valley of ,elah where he had fought with the giant1 ,david makes his way to ,gath4 ,it was surely a strange place to fly to1 a sign of the despair in which ,david found himself6 ,what reception could the conqueror of ,goliath expect in his city8 ,what retribution was due to him for the hundred foreskins1 and for the deeds of victory which had inspired the ,hebrew singers when they sang of the tens of thousands whom ,david had slain8 ,it will hardly do to say that he reckoned on not being recognised4 ,it is more likely that he relied on a spirit not unknown among barbarous princes towards warriors dishonoured at home1 as when ,themistocles took refuge among the ,persians1 or ,coriolanus among the ,volscians4 ,that he took this step without much reflection on its ulterior bearings is well nigh certain4 ,for1 granting that he should be favourably received1 this would be on the understanding that his services would be at the command of his protector1 or at the very least it would place him under an obligation of gratitude that would prove highly embarrassing at some future time4 ,happily1 the scheme did not succeed4 ,the jealousy of the ,philistine nobles was excited4 ,the servants of ,achish said unto him1 ,is not this ,david1 the king of the land8 ,did they not sing one to another of him in dances1 saying1 ,saul hath slain his thousands1 and ,david his ten thousands8 ,david began to feel himself in a false position4 ,he laid up these words in his heart1 and was sore afraid of ,achish4 ,the misery of his situation and the poverty of his resources may both be inferred from the unworthy device to which he resorted to extricate himself from his difficulty4 ,he feigned himself mad1 and conducted himself as madmen commonly do4 ,he scrabbled on the door of the gate1 and let his spittle fall down upon his beard4 ,but the device failed4 ,have ,i need of madmen1 asked the king1 that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence8 shall this fellow come into my house8 ,a ,jewish tradition alleges that both the wife and daughter of ,achish were mad2 he had plenty of that sort of people already3 no need of more6 ,the title of the thirty-fourth ,psalm tells us1 he drove him away1 and he departed4 ,have any of you ever been tempted to resort to a series of devices and deceits either to avoid a danger or to attain an object8 ,have you been tempted to forsake the path of straightforward honesty and truth1 and to pretend that things were different with you from what they really were8 ,i do not accuse you of that wickedness which they commit who deliberately imprison conscience1 and fearlessly set up their own will and their own interests as their king4 ,what you have done under the peculiar circumstances in which you found yourselves is not what you would ordinarily have done4 ,in this one connection1 you felt pressed to get along in one way or another1 and the only available way was that of deceit and device4 ,you were very unhappy at the beginning1 and your misery increased as you went on4 ,everything about you was in a constrained1 unnatural condition1--conscience1 temper1 feelings1 all out of order4 ,at one time it seemed as if you were going to succeed2 you were on the crest of a wave that promised to bear you to land1 but the wave broke1 and you were sent floundering in the broken water4 ,you were obliged to go from device to device1 with a growing sense of misery4 ,at last the chain snapped1 and both you and your friends were confronted with the miserable reality4 ,but know this3 that it would have been infinitely1 worse for you if your device had succeeded than that it failed4 ,if it had succeeded1 you would have been permanently entangled in evil principles and evil ways1 that would have ruined your soul4 ,because you failed1 ,god showed that ,he had not forsaken you4 ,david prospering at ,gath would have been a miserable spectacle2 ,david driven away by ,achish is on the way to brighter and better days4 ,for1 if we can accept the titles of some of the ,psalms1 it would seem that the carnal spell1 under which ,david had been for some time1 burst when ,achish drove him away1 and that he returned to his early faith and trust4 ,it was to the cave of ,adullam that he fled1 and the hundred and forty-second ,psalm claims to have been written there4 ,so also the thirty-fourth ,psalm1 as we have seen1 bears to have been written when he changed his behaviour 7feigned madness7 before ,abimelech 7,achish871 who drove him away1 and he departed4 ,so much uncertainty has been thrown of late years on these superscriptions1 that we dare not trust to them explicitly2 yet recognising in them at least the value of old traditions1 we may regard them as more or less probable1 especially when they seem to agree with the substance of the ,psalms themselves4 ,with reference to the thirty-fourth1 we miss something in the shape of confession of sin1 such as we should have expected of one whose lips had not been kept from speaking guile4 ,in other respects the psalm fits the situation4 ,the image of the young lions roaring for their prey might very naturally be suggested by the wilderness4 ,but the chief feature of the psalm is the delightful evidence it affords of the blessing that comes from trustful fellowship with ,god4 ,and there is an expression that seems to imply that that blessing had not been always enjoyed by the ,psalmist2 he had lost it once2 but there came a time when 7ver4 #d7 ,i sought the ,lord1 and ,he answered me1 and delivered me from all my fears4 ,and the experience of that new time was so delightful that the ,psalmist had resolved that he would always be on that tack3 ,i will bless the ,lord at all times2 ,his praise shall continually be in my mouth4 ,how changed the state of his spirit from the time when he feigned madness at ,gath6 ,when he asks1 ,what man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may see good8 7ver4 #ab7--what man would fain preserve his life from harassing anxiety and bewildering dangers8--the prompt reply is1 ,keep thy tongue from evil1 and thy lips from speaking guile4 ,have nothing to do with shifts and pretences and false devices2 be candid and open1 and commit all to ,god4 ,o taste and see that the ,lord is good3 blessed is the man that trusteth in ,him4 ,o fear the ,lord1 ye ,his saints 7for you too are liable to forsake the true confidence71 for there is no want to them that fear ,him4 ,the young lions do lack and suffer hunger1 but they that seek the ,lord shall not lack any good thing4 ,the righteous cry1 and the ,lord heareth1 and delivereth them out of all their troubles4444 ,many are the afflictions of the righteous2 but the ,lord delivereth them out of them all4 ,the sorrows of death compassed me1 and the pains of hell gat hold upon me2 ,i found trouble and sorrow4 ,then called ,i upon the name of the ,lord3 ,o ,lord1 ,i beseech ,thee1 deliver my soul4 ,gracious is the ,lord1 and righteous2 yea1 our ,god is merciful4 ,the ,lord preserveth the simple2 ,i was brought low1 and ,he helped me4 ,return unto thy rest1 ,o my soul1 for the ,lord hath dealt bountifully with thee 7,psalm cxvi4 #c-g74 ,,footnotes3 #d ,see #a ,sam4 xxii4 #ae3--;,have ,i to-day begun to inquire of ,god for him8 be it far from me3 let not the king impute anything unto his servant1 nor to all the house of my father2 for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this1 less or more 7,r4,v47 ,to deny beginning to do a thing is much the same as to deny doing it4 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,david ,,at ,,adullam1 ,,mizpeh1 ,,and ,,hareth4 #a ,,samuel xxii4 ,the cave of ,adullam1 to which ,david fled on leaving ,gath1 has been placed in various localities even in modern times2 but as the ,palestine ,exploration authorities have placed the town in the valley of ,elah1 we may regard it as settled that the cave lay there1 not far indeed from the place where ,david had had his encounter with ,goliath4 ,it was a humble dwelling for a king's son-in-law1 nor could ,david have thought of needing it on the memorable day when he did such wonders with his sling and stone4 ,these dens and caves of the earth--effects of great convulsions in some remote period of its history--what service have they often rendered to the hunted and oppressed6 ,how many a devout saint1 of whom the world was not worthy1 has blessed ,god for their shelter6 ,with how much purer devotion and loftier fellowship1 with how much more sublime and noble exercises of the human spirit have many of them been associated1 than some of the proudest and costliest temples that have been reared in name--often little more--to the service of ,god6 ,if ,david at first was somewhat an object of jealousy to his own family1 in this the day of his trials they showed a different spirit4 ,when his brethren and all his father's house heard of it1 they went down thither to him4 ,as the proverb says1 ,blood is thicker than water1 and often adversity draws families together between whom prosperity has been like a wedge4 ,if our relations are prospering while we are poor1 we think of them as if they had moved away from us2 but when their fortunes are broken1 and the world turns its back on them1 we get closer1 our sympathy revives4 ,we think all the better of ,david's family that when they heard of his outlaw condition they all went down to him4 ,besides these1 every one that was in distress1 and every one that was in debt1 and every one that was discontented1 gathered themselves unto him2 and he became a captain over them2 and there were with him about four hundred men4 ,the account here given of the circumstances of this band is not very flattering1 but there are two things connected with it to be borne in mind3 in the first place1 that the kind of men who usually choose the soldier's calling are not your men of plodding industry1 but men who shrink from monotonous labour2 and1 in the second place1 that under the absolute rule of ,saul there might be many very worthy persons in debt and discontented and in distress1 men who had come into that condition because they were not so ready to cringe to despotism as their ruler desired4 ,mixed and motley therefore though ,david's troop may have been1 it was far from contemptible2 and their adherence was fitted greatly to encourage him1 because it showed that public feeling was with him1 that his cause was not looked on as desperate1 that his standard was one to which it was deemed safe and hopeful to resort4 ,but if1 at the first glance1 the troop appeared somewhat disreputable1 it was soon joined by two men1 the one a prophet1 the other a priest1 whose adherence must have brought to it a great accession of moral weight4 ,the prophet was ,gad 7ver4 #e71 who next to ,samuel seems to have stood highest in the nation as a man of ,god1 a man of holy counsel1 and elevated1 heavenly character4 ,his open adherence to ,david 7which seems to be implied in ver4 #e7 must have had the best effects both on ,david himself and on the people at large4 ,it must have been a great blessing to ,david to have such a man as ,gad beside him2 for1 with all his personal piety1 he seems to have required a godly minister at his side4 ,no man derived more benefit from the communion of saints1 or was more apt to suffer for want of it2 for1 as we have seen1 he had begun to decline in spirituality when he left ,samuel at ,naioth1 and still more when he was parted from ,jonathan4 ,when ,gad joined him1 ,david must have felt that he was sent to him from the ,lord1 and could not but be full of gratitude for so conspicuous an answer to his prayers4 ,it would seem that ,gad remained in close relation to ,david to the close of his life4 ,it was he that came from the ,lord to offer him his choice between three forms of chastisement after his offence in numbering the people2 and from the fact of his being called ,david's seer 7#b ,sam4 xxiv4 #aa7 we conclude that he and ,david were intimately associated4 ,it was he also that instructed ,david to buy the threshing-floor of ,araunah the ,jebusite1 and thus to consecrate to ,god a spot with which1 to the very end of time1 the most hallowed thoughts must always be connected4 ,the other eminent person that joined ,david about this time was ,abiathar the priest4 ,but before adverting to this1 we must follow the thread of the narrative and especially note the tragedy that occurred at ,nob1 the city of the priests4 ,from the mode of life which ,david had to follow and the difficulty of obtaining subsistence for his troop at one place for any length of time1 he was obliged to make frequent changes4 ,on leaving the cave of ,adullam1 which was near the western border of the tribe of ,judah1 he traversed the whole breadth of that tribe1 and crossing the ,jordan1 came to the territories of ,moab4 ,he was concerned for the safety of his father and mother1 knowing too well the temper of ,eastern kings1 and how they thirsted for the blood1 not only of their rivals1 but of all their relations4 ,he feared that they would not be let alone at ,bethlehem or in any other part of ,saul's kingdom4 ,but what led him to think of the king of ,moab8 ,perhaps a tender remembrance of his ancestress ,ruth1 the damsel from ,moab1 who had been so eminent for her devotion to her mother-in-law4 ,might there not be found in the king of ,moab somewhat of a like disposition1 that would look with pity on an old man and woman driven from their home1 not indeed1 like ,naomi1 by famine1 but by what was even worse1 the shameful ingratitude and murderous fury of a wicked king8 ,if such was ,david's hope1 it was not without success2 his father and his mother dwelt with the king of ,moab all the time that ,david was in the hold4 ,but it was not ,god's purpose that ,david should lurk in a foreign land4 ,the prophet ,gad directed him to return to the land of ,judah4 ,it was within the boundaries of that tribe1 accordingly1 that the rest of ,david's exile was spent1 with the exception of the time at the very end when he again resorted to ,philistine territory4 ,his first hiding-place was the forest of ,hareth4 ,while ,david was here1 ,saul1 encamped in military state at ,gibeah1 delivered an extraordinary speech to the men of his own tribe4 ,hear now1 ye ,benjamites2 will the son of ,jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards1 and make you all captains of thousands1 and captains of hundreds2 that all of you have conspired against me1 and there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of ,jesse1 and there is none of you that is sorry for me1 or that showeth me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me1 to lie in wait1 as at this day8 ,it would have been difficult for any other man to condense so much that was vile in spirit into the dimensions of a little speech like this4 ,it begins with a base appeal to the cupidity of his countrymen1 the ,benjamites1 among whom he was probably in the habit of distributing the possessions of his enemies1 as1 for instance1 the ,gibeonites1 who dwelt near him1 and whom he slew1 contrary to the covenant made with them by ,joshua 7#b ,sam4 xxi4 #b74 ,it accuses his people of having conspired against him1 because they had not spoken to him of the friendship of his son with ,david1 although that fact must have been notorious4 ,it accuses the noble ,jonathan of having stirred up ,david against ,saul1 while neither ,jonathan nor ,david had ever lifted a little finger against him1 and both the one and the other might have been trusted to serve him with unflinching fidelity if he had only given them a fair chance4 ,it indicates that nothing would be more agreeable to ,saul than any information about ,david or those connected with him that would give him an excuse for some deed of overwhelming vengeance4 ,did ever man draw his own portrait in viler colours than ,saul in this speech8 ,there was one bosom--let us hope only one--in which it awoke a response4 ,it was that of ,doeg the ,edomite4 ,he told the story of what he had seen at ,nob1 adding thereto the unfounded statement that ,ahimelech had inquired of the ,lord for ,david4 ,ahimelech and the whole college of priests were accordingly sent for1 and they came4 ,the charge brought against him was a very offensive one2 in so far1 it was a statement of facts1 but of facts placed in an odious light1 of facts coloured with a design which ,ahimelech never entertained4 ,oh1 how many an innocent man has suffered in this way6 ,even in courts of justice1 by pleaders whose interest is on the other side1 and sometimes by judges 7like ,jeffreys7 steeped in hatred and prejudice1 how often have acts that were quite innocent been put to the account of treason1 or put to the account of malice1 or cunningly forged into a chain1 indicating a deliberate design to injure another6 ,it can never be too earnestly insisted on that to be just to a man you must not merely ascertain the real facts of his case1 but you must put the facts in their true light1 and not colour them with prejudices of your own or with suppositions which the man repudiates4 ,the conduct of ,ahimelech was manly and straightforward1 but indiscreet4 ,he admitted the facts1 with the exception of the statement that he had inquired of the ,lord for ,david4 ,he vindicated right manfully the faithful1 noble services of ,david1 services that ought to have excluded the very idea of treason or conspiracy4 ,he protested that he knew nothing of any ground the king had against ,david1 or of any cause that could have led him to believe that in helping him he was offending ,saul4 ,but just because ,ahimelech's defence was so true and so complete1 it was most offensive to ,saul4 ,what is there a despot likes worse to hear than that he is entirely in the wrong8 ,what words irritate him so much as those which prove the entire innocence of some one with whom he is angry8 ,saul was angry both with ,david and with ,ahimelech4 ,ahimelech had the great misfortune to prove to him that in both cases there was no shadow of ground for his anger4 ,in proportion as ,saul's reason should have been satisfied1 his temper was excited4 ,what an uncontrollable condition that temper must have been in when the death of ,ahimelech was decreed1 and all his father's house6 ,we do not wonder that no one could be found in his bodyguard to execute the order4 ,did this not stagger and sober the king8 ,far from it4 ,his fit of rage was so hot and imperious that he would not be baulked4 ,turning to ,doeg1 he commanded him to fall on the priests4 ,and this vile man had the brutality to execute the order1 and to plunge his sword into the heart of fourscore and five unarmed persons that wore the garments which even in heathen nations usually secured protection and safety4 ,and as if it were not enough to kill the men1 their city1 ,nob1 was utterly destroyed4 ,men and women1 children and sucklings1 oxen and asses and sheep--a thorough massacre was made of them all4 ,had ,nob been a city of warriors that had resisted the king's armies with haughty insolence1 harassed them by sorties1 entrapped them by stratagems1 and exasperated them by hideous cruelty to their prisoners1 but at last been overpowered1 it could not have had a more terrible doom4 ,and had ,saul never committed any other crime1 this would have been enough to separate him from the ,lord for ever1 and to bring down on him the horrors of the night at ,endor and of the day that followed on ,mount ,gilboa4 ,this cruel and sacrilegious murder must have told against ,saul and his cause with prodigious effect4 ,there could not have been a single priest or ,levite throughout the kingdom whose blood would not boil at the news of the massacre1 and whose sympathies would not be enlisted1 more or less1 on behalf of ,david1 now openly proclaimed by ,saul as his rival1 and probably known to have been anointed by ,samuel as his successor4 ,not only the priests and ,levites1 but every rightminded man throughout the land would share in this feeling1 and many a prayer would be offered for ,david that ,god would protect him1 and spare him to be a blessing to his country4 ,the very presence in his camp of ,abiathar1 the son of ,ahimelech1 who escaped the massacre1 with his ephod1--an official means of consulting ,god in all cases of difficulty1--would be a visible proof to his followers and to the community at large1 that ,god was on his side4 ,and when the solemn rites of the national worship were performed in his camp1 and when1 at each turn of public affairs1 the high priest was seen in communication with ,jehovah1 the feeling could not fail to gain strength that ,david's cause was the cause of ,god1 and the cause of the country1 and that1 in due time1 his patient sufferings and his noble services would be crowned with the due reward4 ,but if the news of the massacre would tend on the whole to improve ,david's position with the people1 it must have occasioned a terrible pang to ,david himself4 ,there was1 indeed1 one point of view in which something of the kind was to be looked for4 ,long ago1 it had been foretold to ,eli1 when he tolerated so calmly the scandalous wickedness of his sons1 ,behold1 the days come that ,i will cut off thine arm1 and the arm of thy father's house1 but there shall not be an old man in thine house4 ,and thou shalt see an enemy in ,my habitation1 in all the wealth which ,god shall give ,israel3 and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever4 ,ahimelech was a grandson of ,eli1 and the other massacred priests were probably of ,eli's blood4 ,here1 then1 at last1 was the fulfilment of the sentence announced to ,eli2 doomed as his house had been1 their subsistence for years back was of the nature of a respite2 and here1 at length1 was the catastrophe that had been so distinctly foretold4 ,that consideration1 however1 would not be much1 if any1 consolation to ,david4 ,if the falsehood which he had told to ,ahimelech was really dictated by a desire to save the high priest from conscious implication with his affairs--with the condition of one who was now an outlaw and a fugitive1 it had failed most terribly of the desired effect4 ,the issue of the lie only served to place ,david's duplicity in a more odious light4 ,there is one thing in ,david1 when he received the information1 that we cannot but admire--his readiness to take to himself his full share of blame4 ,i have occasioned the death of all thy father's house4 ,and more than that1 he did not even protest that it was impossible to have foreseen what was going to happen4 ,for at the very time when he was practising the falsehood on ,ahimelech1 he owns that he had a presentiment of mischief to follow1 ,i knew it that day1 when ,doeg the ,edomite was there1 that he would surely tell ,saul4 ,nor did he excuse himself on the ground that the massacre was the fulfilment of the longstanding sentence on ,eli's house4 ,he knew well that that circumstance in no degree lessened his own guilt1 or the guilt of ,doeg and ,saul4 ,though ,god may use men's wicked passions to bring about ,his purposes1 that in no degree lessens the guilt of these passions4 ,it seems as if ,david never could have forgiven himself his share in this dreadful business4 ,and what a warning this conveys to us6 ,are you not sometimes tempted to think that sin to you is not a very serious matter1 because you will get forgiveness for it1 the atoning work of the ,saviour will cleanse you from its guilt8 ,be it so2 but what if your sin has involved others1 and if no atoning blood has been sprinkled on them8 ,what of the youth whom your careless example first led to drink1 and who died a miserable drunkard8 ,what of the clerk whom you instructed to tell a lie8 ,what of the companion of your sensuality whom you drove nearer to hell8 ,alas1 alas6 sin is like a network1 the ramifications of which go out on the right hand and on the left1 and when we break ,god's law1 we cannot tell what the consequences to others may be6 ,and how can we be ever comforted if we have been the occasion of ruin to any8 ,it seems as if the burden of that feeling could never be borne2 as if the only way of escape were1 to be put out of existence altogether6 ,the superscription of the fifty-second ,psalm bears--,maschil of ,david2 when ,doeg the ,edomite came and told ,saul1 ,david is come to the house of ,ahimelech4 ,there is not much in this title to recommend it1 as the information that was given by ,doeg to ,saul is not stated accurately4 ,we might have expected1 too1 that if ,doeg was alone in the ,psalmist's eye1 the atrocious slaughter of the priests would have had a share of reprobation1 as well as the sharp1 calumnious1 mischievous tongue which is the chief object of denunciation4 ,and though ,doeg1 as the chief of ,saul's bondmen1 might be a rich man1 that position would hardly have entitled him to be called a mighty man1 nor to assume the swaggering tone of independence here ascribed to him4 ,whoever was really the object of denunciation in this psalm1 seems however to have belonged to the same class with ,doeg1 in respect of his wicked tongue and love of mischief4 ,it is indeed a wretched character that is delineated3 the ,psalmist's enemy is at once mischievous and mighty2 and not only is he mischievous1 but he boasts himself in it4 ,he is shameless and without conscience1 bent on doing all the evil that he can4 ,let him only have a chance of bringing a railing accusation against ,god's servants1 and he does it with delight4 ,but his conduct is senseless as it is wicked4 ,god is unchangeably good1 and ,his goodness is a sure defence to ,his servants against all the calumnious devices of the greatest and strongest of men4 ,it is the tongue of this evil man that is his instrument of mischief4 ,it is utterly unscrupulous1 sharp as a razor1 cunning1 devouring4 ,a liar is a serious enemy1 one who is utterly unprincipled1 clever withal1 and who trains himself with great skill to do mischief with his tongue4 ,it is painful to be at the mercy of a calumniator who does not launch against you a clumsy and incredible calumny1 but one that has an element of probability in it1 only fearfully distorted4 ,especially when the calumniator is one that deviseth mischief1 who loves evil more than good1 to whom truth is too tame to be cared for1 who delights in falsehood because it is more piquant1 more exciting4 ,to those who have learned to regard it as the great business of life to spread light1 order1 peace1 and joy1 such men appear to be monsters1 and indeed they are2 but it is a painful experience to lie at their mercy4 ,to this class belonged ,doeg1 a monster in human form1 to whom it was no distress1 but apparently a congenial employment1 to murder in cold blood a very hecatomb of men consecrated to the service of ,god4 ,no doubt it would appal ,david to think that such a man was now leagued with ,saul as his bitter and implacable enemy4 ,but his faith saw him in the same prostrate position in which his faith had seen ,goliath4 ,men cannot defy ,god in vain4 ,men dare not defy that truth and that mercy which are attributes of ,god4 ,god shall likewise destroy thee for ever3 ,he shall take thee away1 and pluck thee out of thy dwelling-place1 and root thee out of the land of the living4 ,the righteous also shall see1 and fear1 and shall laugh at him4 ,what became of ,doeg we do not know4 ,the historian does not introduce his name again4 ,before ,david came to power1 he had probably received his doom4 ,had he still survived1 we should have been likely again to fall in with his name4 ,the ,jews have a tradition that he was ,saul's armour-bearer at the battle of ,gilboa1 and that the sword by which he and his master fell1 was no other than that which had slain the priests of the ,lord4 ,as for the truth of this we cannot say4 ,but even supposing that no special judgment befell him1 we cannot fancy him as other than a most miserable man4 ,with such a heart and such a tongue1 with the load of a guilty life lying heavy on his soul1 and that life crowned by such an infamous proceeding as the massacre of the priests1 we cannot think of him as one who enjoyed life1 but as a man of surly and gloomy nature1 to whom life grew darker and darker1 till it was extinguished in some miserable ending4 ,in contrast with such a career1 how bright and how much to be desired was ,david's anticipated future3--,i am like a green olive-tree in the house of my ,god3 ,i trust in the mercy of ,god for ever and ever4 ,i will praise ,thy name for ever1 because ,thou hast done it3 and ,i will wait on ,thy name1 for it is good before ,thy saints4 ,many sorrows shall be to the wicked2 but he that trusteth in the ,lord1 mercy shall compass him about4 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,david ,,at ,,keilah1 ,,ziph1 ,,and ,,maon4 #a ,,samuel xxiii4 ,the period of ,david's life shortly sketched in this chapter1 must have been full of trying and exciting events4 ,if we knew all the details1 they would probably be full of romantic interest2 many a tale of privation1 disease1 discomfort1 on the one hand1 and of active conflicts and hairbreadth escapes on the other4 ,the district which he frequented was a mountainous tract1 bordering on the west coast of the ,dead ,sea1 and lying exposed more or less to the invasions of the neighbouring nations4 ,in the immediate neighbourhood of ,ziph1 ,maon1 and ,carmel1 the country--a fine upland plain--is remarkably rich and fertile2 but between these places and the ,dead ,sea it changes to a barren wilderness2 the rocky valleys that run down to the margin of the sea1 parched by the heat and drought1 produce only a dry stunted grass4 ,innumerable caves are everywhere to be seen1 still affording shelter to outlaws and robbers4 ,but at ,engedi 7now ,ain-,jidy1 the fountain of the goat71 the last place mentioned in this chapter1 the traveller finds a little plain on the shore of the ,dead ,sea1 where the soil is remarkably rich2 a delicious fountain fertilizes it2 shut in between walls of rock1 both its climate and its products are like those of the tropics2 it only wants cultivation to render it a most prolific spot4 ,by what means did ,david obtain sustenance for himself and his large troop in these sequestered regions8 ,bayle1 in the article in his famous ,dictionary on ,david1--an article which gave the cue to much that has been said and written against him since1--speaks of them as a troop of robbers1 and compares them to the associates of ,catiline1 and even ,dean ,stanley calls them freebooters4 ,both expressions are obviously unwarranted4 ,the only class of persons whom ,david and his troop regarded as enemies were the open enemies of his country1--that is1 either persons who lived by plunder1 or the tribes on whom ,saul1 equally with himself1 would have made war4 ,that ,david regarded himself as entitled to attack and pillage the ,hebrew settlers in his own tribe of ,judah is utterly inconsistent with all that we know both of his character and of his history4 ,if ,david had a weakness1 it lay in his extraordinary partiality for his own people1 contrasted with his hard and even harsh feelings towards the nations that so often annoyed them4 ,nothing was too good for a ,hebrew1 nothing too severe for an alien4 ,in after life1 we see how his heart was torn to its very centre by the judgment that fell upon his people after his offence in numbering the people 7#b ,sam4 xxiv4 #ag72 while the record of his severity to the ,ammonites cannot be read without a shudder 7#b ,sam4 xii4 #ca74 ,besides1 in this very narrative1 in the account of his collision with ,nabal 7#a ,sam4 xxv4 #g71 we find ,david putting in the very forefront of his message to the churl the fact that all the time he and his troop were in ,carmel the shepherds of ,nabal sustained no hurt1 and his flocks no diminution4 ,instead of fleecing his own countrymen1 he sent them presents when he was more successful than usual against their common foes 7#a ,sam4 xxx4 #bf74 ,unquestionably therefore such terms as robbers and freebooters are quite undeserved4 ,one chief source of support would obviously be the chase--the wild animals that roamed among these mountains1 the wild goat and the coney1 the pigeon and the partridge1 and other creatures whose flesh was clean4 ,possibly1 patches of soil1 like the oasis at ,engedi1 would be cultivated1 and a scanty return obtained from the labour4 ,a third employment would be that of guarding the flocks of the neighbouring shepherds both from bears1 wolves1 and lions1 and from the attacks of plundering bands1 for which service some acknowledgment was certainly due4 ,at the best1 it was obviously a most uncomfortable mode of life1 making not a little rough work very necessary2 an utter contrast to the peaceful early days of ,bethlehem1 and rendering it infinitely more difficult to sing1 ,the ,lord is my shepherd1 ,i shall not want4 ,acting as guardian to the shepherds in the neighbourhood1 and being the avowed foe of all the ,arab tribes who were continually making forays from their desert haunts on the land of ,judah1 ,david was in the very midst of enemies4 ,hence probably the allusions in some of the psalms4 ,consider mine enemies1 for they are many1 and they hate me with cruel hatred4 ,mine enemies would daily swallow me up1 for there be many that fight against me1 ,o ,thou ,most ,high4 ,my soul is among lions1 and ,i lie even among them that are set on fire1 even the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword4 ,could we know all his trials and difficulties1 we should be amazed at his tranquillity4 ,one morning1 an outpost brings him word that ,saul is marching against him4 ,he hastily arranges a retreat1 and he and his men clamber over the mountains1 perhaps under a burning sun1 and reach their halting-place at night1 exhausted with thirst1 hunger1 and fatigue4 ,scarcely have they lain down1 when an alarm is given that a body of ,bedouins are plundering the neighbouring sheepfolds4 ,forgetful of their fatigues1 they rush to their arms1 pursue the invaders1 and rescue the prey4 ,next morning1 perhaps1 the very men whose flock he had saved1 refuse to make him any acknowledgment4 ,murmurs rise from his hungry followers1 and a sort of mutiny is threatened if he will not allow them to help themselves4 ,to crown all1 he learns by-and-bye1 that the people whom he has delivered have turned traitors and are about to give him up to ,saul4 ,wonderful was the faith that could rise above such troubles1 and say1 ,mine eyes are ever toward the ,lord1 for ,he shall pluck my feet out of the net4 ,in illustration of these remarks let us note first what took place in connection with ,keilah4 ,this was a place of strength and importance not far from the land of the ,philistines4 ,a rumour reaches him that the ,philistines are fighting against it and robbing the threshing-floors4 ,the first thing he does1 on hearing this rumour1 is to inquire of ,god whether he should go and attack the ,philistines4 ,it is not a common case4 ,the ,philistines were a powerful enemy2 probably their numbers were large1 and it was a serious thing for ,david to provoke them when he had so many enemies besides4 ,this was evidently the feeling of his followers4 ,behold1 we be afraid here in ,judah3 how much more then if we go to ,keilah against the armies of the ,philistines8 ,but ,david is in an admirable frame of mind1 and his only anxiety is about knowing precisely the will of ,god4 ,he inquires again1 and when he gets his answer he does not hesitate an instant4 ,it was about this time that ,abiathar the son of ,ahimelech came to him1 bringing an ephod from ,nob1 perhaps the only sacred thing that in the hurry and horror of his flight he was able to carry away4 ,and now1 in his time of need1 ,david finds the value of these things2 he knows the privilege of fearing ,god1 and of having ,god at his right hand4 ,the fears of his men appear now to be overcome2 he goes to ,keilah1 attacks the ,philistines1 smites them with a very great slaughter1 brings away their cattle and rescues the people4 ,it is a great deliverance1 and ,david1 with peace and plenty around him1 and the benedictions of the men of ,keilah1 breathes freely and praises ,god4 ,but his sense of ease and tranquillity was of short duration4 ,saul hears of what has taken place1 and hears that ,david has taken up his quarters within the town of ,keilah4 ,he chuckles over the news with fiendish satisfaction1 for ,keilah is a fortified town2 he will be able to shut up ,david within its walls and lay siege to the place1 and when he has taken it1 ,david will be at his mercy4 ,but ,saul1 as usual1 reckons without his host4 ,david has received information that leads him to suspect that ,saul is meditating mischief against him1 and it looks as if he had come to ,keilah only to fall into a trap1--to fall into the hands of ,saul4 ,but though a new danger has arisen1 the old refuge still remains4 ,bring hither the ephod1 he says to ,abiathar4 ,and communication being again established with ,heaven1 two questions are asked3 ,will ,saul come down to ,keilah1 to destroy the city for ,david's sake8 ,yes1 he will4 ,will the men of ,keilah whom ,david has saved from the ,philistines distinguish themselves for their gratitude or for their treachery8 ,they will become traitors2 they will deliver ,david up to ,saul4 ,so there is nothing for it but for ,david to escape from ,keilah4 ,the worst of it is1 he has no other place to go to4 ,he goes forth from ,keilah1 as his father ,abraham went forth from ,ur of the ,chaldees1 not knowing whither4 ,he and his followers went whithersoever they could go4 ,treachery was a new foe1 and when the treachery was on the part of those on whom he had just conferred a signal benefit1 it was most discouraging2 it seemed to indicate that he could never be safe4 ,flying from ,keilah1 he takes refuge in a part of the wilderness near ,ziph4 ,being very rocky and mountainous1 it affords good opportunities for hiding2 but in proportion as it is advantageous for that purpose1 it is unfavourable for getting sufficient means of subsistence4 ,a wood in the neighbourhood of ,ziph afforded the chance of both4 ,in this wood ,david enjoys the extraordinary privilege of a meeting with ,jonathan4 ,what a contrast to his treatment from the men of ,keilah6 ,if1 on turning his back on them1 he was disposed to say1 ,all men are liars1 the blessed generosity of ,jonathan modifies the sentiment4 ,in such circumstances1 the cheering words of his friend and the warmth of his embrace must have come on ,david with infinite satisfaction4 ,they were to him what the loving words of the dying thief were to the ,saviour1 amid the babel and blasphemy of ,calvary4 ,who1 indeed1 does not see in the ,david of this time1 persevering in his work under such fearful discouragements1 under the treachery of men with hearts like ,judas ,iscariot1 experiencing the worst treatment from some whom he had benefited already1 and from others whom he was to benefit still more--who can fail to see the type of ,christ1 patiently enduring the cross at the hands and in the stead of the very men whom by ,his sufferings ,he was to save and bless8 ,for ,david1 like our blessed ,lord1 though not with equal steadfastness1 drinks the cup which the ,father has given him2 he holds to the work which has been given him to do4 ,the brief note of ,jonathan's words to ,david in the wood is singularly beautiful and suggestive4 ,jonathan1 ,saul's son1 arose and went to ,david into the wood1 and strengthened his hand in ,god4 ,and he said unto him1 ,fear not2 for the hand of ,saul my father shall not find thee2 and thou shalt be king over ,israel1 and ,i shall be next unto thee1 and that also ,saul my father knoweth4 ,to begin with the last of ,jonathan's words1 what a lurid light they throw on the conduct of ,saul6 ,he was under no misapprehension as to the ,divine destiny of ,david4 ,he must have known therefore that in fighting against ,david1 he was fighting against ,god4 ,it looks unaccountable madness2 yet what worse is it than a thousand other schemes in which1 to carry out their ends1 men have trampled on every moral precept1 as if there were no ,god1 no lawgiver1 ruler1 or judge above1 no power in hell or heaven witnessing their actions to bring them all into judgment8 ,in his words to ,david the faith and piety of ,jonathan were as apparent as his friendship4 ,he strengthened his hand in ,god4 ,simple but beautiful words6 ,he put ,david's hand as it were into ,god's hand1 in token that they were one1 in token that the ,almighty was pledged to keep and bless him1 and that when he and his ,god were together1 no weapon formed against him would ever prosper4 ,surely no act of friendship is so true friendship as this4 ,to remind our ,christian friends in their day of trouble of their relation to ,god1 to encourage them to think of ,his interest in them and ,his promises to them2 to drop in their ear some of ,his assurances--,i will never leave thee nor forsake thee1--is surely the best of all ways to encourage the downcast1 and send them on their way rejoicing4 ,and what a hallowed word that was with which ,jonathan began his exhortation--,fear not4 ,the fear not's of ,scripture are a remarkable garland4 ,all of them have their root in grace1 not in nature4 ,they all imply a firm exercise of faith4 ,and ,jonathan's fear not was no exception4 ,if ,david had not been a man of faith1 it would have sounded like hollow mockery4 ,the hand of ,saul my father shall not find thee4 ,was not ,saul with his well-equipped force1 at that very moment1 within a few miles of him1 while he1 with his half-starved followers was at his very wits' end1 not knowing where to turn to next8 ,thou shalt be king over ,israel4 ,nay1 friend1 ,i should be well pleased1 ,david might have said1 if ,i were again feeding my father's flocks in ,bethlehem1 with all that has happened since then obliterated1 reckoned as if it had never been4 ,and ,i shall be next unto thee4 ,o ,jonathan1 how canst thou say that8 ,thou art the king's eldest son1 the throne ought to be thine1 there is none worthier of it2 the very fact that thou canst say that to me shows what a kingly generosity is in thy bosom1 and how well entitled thou art to reign over ,israel6 ,yes1 ,david1 but does not the very fact of ,jonathan using such words show that he is in closest fellowship with ,god8 ,only a man pervaded through and through by the ,spirit of ,god could speak thus to the person who stands between him and what the world would call his reasonable ambition4 ,in that spirit of ,jonathan there is a goodness altogether ,divine4 ,oh what a contrast to his father1 to ,saul6 ,what a contrast to the ordinary spirit of jealousy1 when some one is like to cut us out of a coveted prize6 ,some one at school is going to beat you at the competition4 ,some one in business is going to get the situation for which you are so eager4 ,some one is going to carry off the fair hand to which you so ardently aspire4 ,where1 oh where1 in such cases1 is the spirit of ,jonathan8 ,look at it1 study it1 admire it2 and in its clear and serene light1 see what a black and odious spirit jealousy is2 and oh1 seek that you1 by the grace of ,god1 may be1 not a ,saul1 but a ,jonathan6 ,it would appear that ,saul had left the neighbourhood of ,ziph in despair of finding ,david1 and had returned to ,gibeah4 ,but the distance was small--probably not more than a long day's journey4 ,and after a time1 ,saul is recalled to ,ziph by a message from the ,ziphites4 ,then came up the ,ziphites to ,saul to ,gibeah1 saying1 ,doth not ,david hide himself with us in strong holds in the woods1 in the hill of ,hachilah1 which is on the south of ,jeshimon8 ,now therefore1 ,o king1 come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down2 and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand4 ,the men of ,keilah had not gone the length of treachery1 for when they were thinking of it1 ,david escaped2 but even if they had1 they would have had something to say for themselves4 ,was it not better to give up ,david and let him suffer1 than to keep him in their city1 and let both him and them and their city share the fate1 as they would have been sure to do1 of ,ahimelech and the city of ,nob1--that is1 be utterly destroyed8 ,but the men of ,ziph were in no such dilemma4 ,their treachery was simple meanness4 ,they no doubt wished to ingratiate themselves with ,saul4 ,they had no faith either in ,david1 or in ,god's promises regarding him4 ,disbelieving ,god1 they acted inhumanly to man4 ,they let ,saul know his best opportunity1 and when he came on the spot1 apparently of a sudden1 ,david and his troop were surrounded1 and their escape seemed to be cut off4 ,here was a strange commentary on the strong assurance of ,jonathan1 ,saul my father shall not find thee4 ,has he not found me1 only to too good purpose8 ,but man's extremity is ,god's opportunity4 ,when ,saul seems ready to pounce on ,david1 a messenger arrives1 ,haste thee1 and come1 for the ,philistines have invaded the land4 ,the danger was imminent1 and ,saul could not afford to lose an hour4 ,and thus1 on the very eve of seizing the prey he had been hunting for years1 he is compelled to let it go4 ,it is edifying to observe all the different ways in which the ,divine protection toward ,david had been shown1 all the time that he had been exposed to the hostility of ,saul4 ,first of all1 when ,saul spoke to his servants and to ,jonathan that they should kill ,david1 ,jonathan was raised up to take his side1 and by his friendly counsels1 arrested for the time the murderous purpose of ,saul4 ,next1 when ,saul hurled a javelin at ,david1 a rapid movement saved his life4 ,the third time1 he was let down through a window by his wife1 in time to escape4 ,the fourth time1 the messengers that were sent to apprehend him were filled with the ,spirit of ,god1 and even ,saul1 determined to make up for their lack of service1 underwent the same transformation4 ,the fifth time1 when he was in ,keilah1 he was supernaturally warned of the unkind treachery of the men of ,keilah1 and thus escaped the snare4 ,and now1 a sixth escape is effected1 in the very article of death1 so to speak1 by a ,philistine invasion4 ,thus was illustrated that wonderful diversity of plan that characterises the ways of ,god1 that variety in unity which we may trace alike in the kingdom of nature1 of providence1 and of grace4 ,a similar variety is seen in ,his deliverances of ,israel4 ,at one time the sea is divided1 at another the sun stands still2 ,gideon delivers by lamps and pitchers1 ,shamgar by his ox-goad1 ,samson by the jawbone of an ass1 ,jephthah by his military talents1 ,david by his sling and stone1 ,daniel by his skill in dreams1 ,esther by her beauty and power of fascination4 ,to remember such things ought to give you confidence in times of perplexity and danger4 ,if it be ,god's purpose to deliver you1 ,he has thousands of unseen methods1 to any one of which ,he may resort1 when1 to the eye of sense1 there seems not the shadow of a hope4 ,and one reason why ,he seems at times to doom ,his children to inevitable ruin1 is that ,he may call their faith and their patience into higher exercise1 and teach them more impressively the sublime lesson--,stand still1 and see the salvation of ,god4 ,the fifty-fourth ,psalm bears an inscription that would refer it to this occasion4 ,there are some expressions in the psalm that hardly agree with this reference2 but the general situation is quite in keeping with it4 ,save me1 ,o ,god1 the ,psalmist cries1 by ,thy name1 and judge me by ,thy strength4 ,the danger from which he needs to be saved comes from strangers that are risen up against him1 and opposers that seek after his soul2 persons that have not set ,god before them4 ,to be saved by ,god's name is to be saved through attributes which are manifestly ,divine2 to be judged by ,god's strength1 is to be vindicated1 to be shown to be under ,god's favour and protection1 by the manifest exercise of ,his power4 ,the petitions are such as ,david might well have made after his conversation with ,jonathan4 ,the psalm is evidently the song of one whose hand had been strengthened in ,god4 ,its great central truth is1 ,god is mine helper2 the ,lord is with them who 7like ,jonathan7 uphold my soul4 ,and there comes after that a happy exercise of the spirit of trust1 enabling the ,psalmist to say1 ,he hath delivered me out of all trouble4 ,this result is wonderful and beautiful4 ,how remarkable that in that wilderness of ,judah1 amid a life of hardship1 exposure1 and peril1 with a powerful king thirsting for his blood1 and using his every device to get hold of him1 he should be able to say of ,god1 ,he hath delivered me out of all trouble4 ,it is the faith that removes mountains3 it is the faith that worked so wonderfully when the lad with the sling and stones went out so bravely against the giant4 ,what wonders cannot faith perform when it gets clear of all the entanglements of carnal feeling1 and stands1 firm and erect1 on the promise of ,god6 ,how infinitely would such a faith relieve and sustain us in the common troubles and anxieties of life1 and in deeper perplexities connected with the cause of ,god6 ,take this short clause as marking out the true quality and highest attainment of simple faith1 and resolve that you will not rest in your own endeavours till your mind reaches the state of tranquillity which it describes so simply1--,he hath delivered me out of all trouble4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,david ,,twice ,,spares ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,saul4 #a ,,samuel xxiv41 xxvi4 ,the invasion of the ,philistines had freed ,david from the fear of ,saul for a time1 but only for a time4 ,he knew full well that when the king of ,israel had once repelled that invasion he would return to prosecute the object on which his heart was so much set4 ,for a while he took refuge among the rocks of ,engedi1 that beautiful spot of which we have already spoken1 and which has been embalmed in ,holy ,writ1 as suggesting a fair image of the ,beloved ,one--,my beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of ,engedi 7,song of ,solomon i4 #ad74 ,the mountains here and throughout the hill country of ,judea are mostly of limestone formation1 abounding1 like all such rocks1 in caverns of large size1 in which lateral chambers run off at an angle from the main cavity1 admitting of course little or no light1 but such that a person inside1 while himself unseen1 may see what goes on at the entrance to the cave4 ,in the dark sides of such a cave1 ,david and his men lay concealed when ,saul was observed by him to enter and lie down1 probably unattended1 to enjoy the mid-day sleep which the heat of the climate often demands4 ,we cannot fail to remark the singular providence that concealed from ,saul at this time the position of ,david4 ,he had good information of his movements in general2 the treacherous spirit which was so prevalent1 greatly aided him in this2 but on the present occasion1 he was evidently in ignorance of his situation4 ,if only he had known1 how easy it would have been for him with his three thousand chosen men to blockade the cave1 and starve ,david and his followers into surrender6 ,the entrance of the king being noticed by ,david's men1 they urged their master to avail himself of the opportunity of getting rid of him which was now so providentially and unexpectedly presented to him4 ,we can hardly think of a stronger temptation to do so than that under which ,david now lay4 ,in the first place1 there was the prospect of getting rid of the weary life he was leading1--more like the life of a wild beast hunted by its enemies1 than of a man eager to do good to his fellows1 with a keen relish for the pleasures of home and an extraordinary delight in the services of ,god's house4 ,then there was the prospect of wearing the crown and wielding the sceptre of ,israel1--the splendours of a royal palace1 and its golden opportunities of doing good4 ,further1 there was the voice of his followers urging him to the deed1 putting on it a sacred character by ascribing to it a ,divine permission and appointment4 ,and still further1 there was the suddenness and unexpectedness of the opportunity4 ,nothing is more critical than a sudden opportunity of indulging an ardent passion2 with scarcely a moment for deliberation1 one is apt to be hurried blindly along1 and at once to commit the deed4 ,with all his noble nature1 ,robert the ,bruce could not refrain from plunging his dagger into the heart of the treacherous ,comyn1 even in the convent of the ,minorite friars4 ,the discipline of ,david's spirit must at this time have been admirable4 ,not only did he restrain himself1 but he restrained his followers too4 ,he would neither strike his heartless enemy1 nor suffer another to strike him4 ,on the first of the two occasions of his sparing him--recorded in the twenty-fourth chapter--he might naturally believe that his forbearance would turn ,saul's heart and end the unjust quarrel4 ,on the second occasion of the same sort--recorded in the twenty-sixth chapter--he could have had no hope of the kind4 ,it was a pure sense of duty that restrained him4 ,he acted in utter contempt of what was personal and selfish1 and in deepest reverence for what was holy and ,divine4 ,how different from the common spirit of the world6 ,young people1 who are so ready to keep up a sense of wrong1 and wait an opportunity of paying back your schoolfellows1 study this example of ,david4 ,ye grown men1 who could not get such-a-one to vote for you1 or to support your claim in your controversy1 and who vowed that you would never rest till you had driven him from the place1 how does your spirit compare with that of ,david8 ,ye statesmen1 who have received an affront from some barbarous people1 utterly ignorant of your ways1 and who forthwith issue your orders for your ships of war to scatter destruction among their miserable villages1 terrifying1 killing1 mutilating1 no matter how many of the wretches that have no arms to meet you in fair fight--think of the forbearance of ,david4 ,and think too of many passages in the ,new ,testament that give the idea of another treatment and another species of victory3--,therefore1 if thine enemy hunger1 feed him2 if he thirst1 give him drink2 for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head4 ,be not overcome of evil1 but overcome evil with good4 ,the special consideration that held back the arm of ,david from killing ,saul was that he was the ,lord's anointed4 ,he held the office of king by ,divine appointment1--not merely as other kings may be regarded as holding it1 but as ,god's lieutenant1 called specially1 and selected for the office4 ,for ,david to remove him would be to interfere with the ,divine prerogative4 ,it would be so much the more inexcusable as ,god had many other ways of removing him1 any one of which ,he might readily employ4 ,david said furthermore1 ,as the ,lord liveth1 the ,lord shall smite him2 or his day shall come to die2 or he shall descend into battle1 and perish4 ,the ,lord forbid that ,i should stretch forth mine hand against the ,lord's anointed4 ,let us briefly follow the narrative on each of the two occasions4 ,first1 when ,david saw ,saul asleep at the entrance of the cave near ,engedi1 he crept towards him as he lay1 and removed a loose piece of his garment4 ,when ,saul rose up and proceeded on his way1 ,david boldly followed him1 believing that after sparing the king's life he was safe from attack either from him or his people4 ,his respectful salutation1 drawing the king's attention1 was followed by an act of profound obeisance4 ,david then addressed ,saul somewhat elaborately1 his address being wholly directed to the point of disabusing the king's mind of the idea that he had any plot whatever against his life4 ,his words were very respectful but at the same time bold4 ,taking advantage of the act of forbearance which had just occurred1 he demanded of the king why he listened to men's words1 saying1 ,behold1 ,david seeketh thy hurt4 ,he protested that for himself nothing would induce him to stretch forth his hand against the ,lord's anointed4 ,that very day1 he had had the chance1 but he had forborne4 ,his people had urged him1 but he would not comply4 ,there was the skirt of his garment which he had just cut off3 it would have been as easy for him1 when he did that1 to plunge his sword into the heart of the king4 ,could there be a plainer proof that ,saul was mistaken in supposing ,david to be actuated by murderous or other sinful feelings against him8 ,and yet ,saul hunted for his life to take it4 ,rising still higher1 ,david appealed to the great ,judge of all1 and placed the quarrel in ,his hands4 ,to vary the case1 he quoted a proverb to the effect that only where there was wickedness in the heart could wickedness be found in the life4 ,then1 with the easy play of a versatile mind1 he put the case in a comical light3 did it become the great king of ,israel to bring his hosts after one so insignificant--after a dead dog1 after a flea8 ,was ocean to be tossed into tempest to waft a feather or to drown a straw8 ,once more1 and to sum up the whole case1 he appealed solemnly to ,god1 virtually invoking ,his blessing on whoever was innocent in this quarrel1 and calling down ,his wrath and destruction on the party that was really guilty4 ,the effect on ,saul was prompt and striking4 ,he was touched in his tenderest feelings by the singular generosity of his opponent4 ,he broke down thoroughly1 welcomed the dear voice of ,david1 lifted up his voice and wept4 ,he confessed that he was wrong1 that ,david had rewarded him good and he had rewarded ,david evil4 ,david had given him that day a convincing proof of his integrity2 though it seemed that the ,lord had delivered him into his hand1 he killed him not4 ,he had reversed the principle on which men were accustomed to act when they came upon an enemy1 and had him in their power4 ,and all these acknowledgments of ,david's superior goodness ,saul made1 while knowing well and frankly owning that ,david should be the king1 and that the kingdom should be established in his hand4 ,one favour only ,saul would beg of ,david in reference to that coming time--that he would not massacre his family1 or destroy his name out of his father's house--a request which it was easy for ,david to comply with4 ,never would he dream of such a thing1 however common it was in these ,eastern kingdoms4 ,david sware to ,saul1 and the two parted in peace4 ,how glad ,david must have been that he acted as he did6 ,already his forbearance has had a full reward4 ,it has drawn out the very best elements of ,saul's soul2 it has placed ,saul in a light in which we can think of him with interest1 and even admiration4 ,how can this be the man that so meanly plotted for ,david's life when he sent him against the ,philistines8 that gave him his daughter to be his wife in order that he might have more opportunities to entangle him8 that flung the murderous javelin at his head8 that massacred the priests and destroyed their city simply because they had shown him kindness8 ,saul is indeed a riddle1 all the more that this generous fit lasted but a very short time2 and soon after1 when the treacherous ,ziphites undertook to betray ,david1 ,saul and his soldiers came again to the wilderness to destroy him4 ,it has been thought by some1 and with reason1 that something more than the varying humour of ,saul is necessary to account for his persistent efforts to kill ,david4 ,and it is believed that a clue to this is supplied by expressions of which ,david made much use1 and by certain references in the ,psalms1 which imply that to a great extent he was the victim of calumny1 and of calumny of a very malignant and persistent kind4 ,in the address on which we have commented ,david began by asking why ,saul listened to men's words1 saying1 ,behold1 ,david seeketh thy life8 ,and in the address recorded in the twenty-sixth chapter 7ver4 #ai7 ,david says very bitterly1 ,if they be the children of men that have stirred thee up against me1 cursed be they before the ,lord2 for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the ,lord1 saying1 ,go1 serve other gods4 ,turning to the seventh ,psalm1 we find in it a vehement and passionate appeal to ,god in connection with the bitter and murderous fury of an enemy1 who is said in the superscription to have been ,cush the ,benjamite4 ,the fury of that man against ,david was extraordinary4 ,deliver me1 ,o ,lord1 lest he tear my soul like a lion1 rending it in pieces when there is none to deliver4 ,it is plain that the form of calumny which this man indulged in was accusing ,david of rewarding evil to him that was at peace with him1 an accusation not only not true1 but outrageously contrary to the truth1 seeing he had delivered him that without cause was his enemy4 ,it is not unlikely therefore that at ,saul's court ,david had an enemy who had the bitterest enmity to him1 who never ceased to poison ,saul's mind regarding him1 who put facts in the most offensive light1 and even after the first act of ,david's generosity to ,saul not only continued1 but continued more ferociously than ever to inflame ,saul's mind1 and urge him to get rid of this intolerable nuisance4 ,what could have inspired ,cush1 or indeed any one1 with such a hatred to ,david we cannot definitely say2 much of it was due to that instinctive hatred of holy character which worldly men of strong will show in every age1 and perhaps not a little to the apprehension that if ,david did ever come to the throne1 many a wicked man1 now fattening on the spoils of the kingdom through the favour of ,saul1 would be stript of his wealth and consigned to obscurity4 ,it would seem1 then1 that had ,saul been left alone he would have left ,david alone4 ,it was the bitter and incessant plotting of ,david's enemies that stirred him up4 ,jealousy was only too active a feeling in his breast1 and it was easy to work upon it1 and fill him with the idea that1 after all1 ,david was a rebel and a traitor4 ,these things ,david must have known2 knowing them1 he made allowance for them1 and did not suffer his heart to become altogether cold to ,saul4 ,the kindly feelings which ,saul expressed when he dismissed from his view all the calumnies with which he had been poisoned1 and looked straight at ,david1 made a deep impression on his rival1 and the fruit of them appeared in that beautiful elegy on ,saul and ,jonathan1 which must seem a piece of hypocrisy if the facts we have stated be not kept in view3 ,saul and ,jonathan were pleasant and lovely in their lives1 and in their death they were not divided4 ,in the second incident1 recorded in the twenty-sixth chapter1 when ,david again spared the life of ,saul1 not much more needs to be said4 ,some critics would hold it to be the same incident recorded by another hand in some earlier document consulted by the writer of #a ,samuel1 containing certain variations such as might take place at the hand of a different historian4 ,but let us observe the differences of the two chapters4 7#a7 ,the scene is different2 in the one case it is near ,engedi1 in the other in the wilderness1 near the hill ,hachilah1 which is before ,jeshimon4 7#b7 ,the place where ,saul was asleep is different2 in the one case a cave2 in the other case a camp1 protected by a trench4 7#c7 ,the trophy carried off by ,david was different2 in the one case the skirt of his garment1 in the other a spear and cruse of water4 7#d7 ,the position of ,david when he made himself known was different2 in the one case he went out of the cave and called after ,saul2 in the other he crossed a gully and spoke from the top of a crag4 7#e7 ,his way of attracting attention was different2 in the one case he spoke directly to ,saul1 in the other he rallied ,abner1 captain of the host1 for failing to protect the person of the king4 ,but we need not proceed further with this list of differences4 ,those we have adverted to are enough to repel the assertion that there were not two separate incidents of the same kind4 ,and surely if the author was a mere compiler1 using different documents1 he might have known if the incidents were the same4 ,if it be said that we cannot believe that two events so similar could have happened1 that this is too improbable to be believed1 we may answer by referring to similar cases in the ,gospels1 or even in common life4 ,suppose a historian of the ,american civil war to describe what took place at ,bull ,run4 ,first he gives an account of a battle there between the northern and southern armies1 some incidents of which he describes4 ,by-and-bye he again speaks of a battle there1 but the incidents he gives are quite different4 ,our modern critics would say it was all one event1 but that the historian1 having consulted two accounts1 had clumsily written as if there had been two battles4 ,we know that this fancy of criticism is baseless4 ,in the ,american civil war there were two battles of ,bull ,run between the same contending parties at different times4 ,so we may safely believe that there were two instances of ,david's forbearance to ,saul1 one in the neighbourhood of ,engedi1 the other in the neighbourhood of ,ziph4 ,and all that needs to be said further respecting the second act of forbearance by ,david is that it shines forth all the brighter because it was the second1 and because it happened so soon after the other4 ,we may see that ,david did not put much trust in ,saul's profession the first time1 for he did not disband his troop1 but remained in the wilderness as before4 ,it is quite possible that this displeased ,saul4 ,it is also possible that that inveterate false accuser of ,david from whom he suffered so much would make a great deal of this to ,saul1 and would represent to him strongly that if ,david really was the innocent man he claimed to be1 after receiving the assurance he got from him he would have sent his followers to their homes1 and returned in peace to his own4 ,that he did nothing of the kind may have exasperated ,saul1 and induced him to change his policy1 and again take steps to secure ,david1 as before4 ,substantially1 ,david's remonstrance with ,saul on this second occasion was the same as on the first4 ,but at this time he gave proof of a power of sarcasm which he had not shown before4 ,he rated ,abner on the looseness of the watch he kept of his royal master1 and adjudged him worthy of death for not making it impossible for any one to come unobserved so near the king1 and have him so completely in his power4 ,the apology of ,saul was substantially the same as before2 but how could it have been different8 ,the acknowledgment of what was to happen to ,david was hardly so ample as on the last occasion4 ,david doubtless parted from ,saul with the old conviction that kindness was not wanting in his personal feelings1 but that the evil influences that were around him1 and the fits of disorder to which his mind was subject1 might change his spirit in a single hour from that of generous benediction to that of implacable jealousy4 ,but now to draw to a close4 ,we have adverted to that high reverence for ,god which was the means of restraining ,david from lifting up his hand against ,saul1 because he was the ,lord's anointed4 ,let us now notice more particularly what an admirable spirit of self-restraint and patience ,david showed in being willing to bear all the risk and pain of a most distressing position1 until it should please ,god to bring to him the hour of deliverance4 ,the grace we specially commend is that of waiting for ,god's time4 ,alas6 into how many sins1 and even crimes1 have men been betrayed through unwillingness to wait for ,god's time6 ,a young man embarks in the pursuits of commerce2 but the gains to be derived from ordinary business come in far too slowly for him2 he makes haste to be rich1 engages in gigantic speculation1 plunges into frightful gambling1 and in a few years brings ruin on himself and all connected with him4 ,how many sharp and unhandsome transactions continually occur just because men are impatient1 and wish to hurry on some consummation which their hearts are set on6 ,nay1 have not murders often taken place just to hasten the removal of some who occupied places that others were eager to fill8 ,and how often are evil things done by those who will not wait for the sanction of honourable marriage8 ,but even where no act of crime has been committed1 impatience of ,god's time may give rise to many an evil feeling that does not go beyond one's own breast4 ,many a son who will succeed to an inheritance on the death of his father1 or of some other relative1 is tempted to wish1 more or less consciously1 for an event the last to be desired by a filial heart4 ,you may say1 it is human nature2 how could any one help it8 ,the example of ,david shows how one may help it4 ,the heart that is profoundly impressed with the excellence of the ,divine will1 and the duty and privilege of loyally accepting all ,his arrangements1 can never desire to anticipate that will in any matter1 great or small4 ,for how can any good come in the end from forcing forward arrangements out of the ,divine order8 ,if1 for the moment1 this brings any advantage in one direction1 it is sure to be followed by far greater evils in another4 ,do we all realize the full import of our prayer when we say1 ,thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven8 ,of one thing you may be very sure1 there is no impatience in heaven for a speedier fulfilment of desirable events than the will of ,god has ordained4 ,there is no desire to force on the wheels of ,providence if they do not seem to be moving fast enough4 ,so let it be with us4 ,let us fix it as a first principle in our minds1 as an immovable rule of our lives1 that as ,god knows best how to order ,his providence1 so any interference with ,him is rash and perilous1 and wicked too2 and with reference both to events which are not lawfully in our hands1 and the time at which they are to happen1 let us realize it as alike our duty and our interest to say to ,god1 in the spirit of full and unreserved trust--,not our will1 but ,thine be done4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,,david ,,and ,,nabal4 #a ,,samuel xxv4 ,we should be forming far too low an estimate of the character of the people of ,israel if we did not believe that they were very profoundly moved by the death of ,samuel4 ,even admitting that but a small proportion of them are likely to have been in warm sympathy with his ardent godliness1 he was too remarkable a man1 and he had been too conspicuous a figure in the history of the nation1 not to be greatly missed1 and much spoken of and thought of1 when he passed away4 ,cast in the same mould with their great leader and legislator ,moses1 he exerted an influence on the nation only second to that which stood connected with the prophet of the ,exodus4 ,he had not been associated with such stirring events in their history as ,moses2 neither had it been his function to reveal to them the will of ,god1 either so systematically1 or so comprehensively1 or so supernaturally2 but he was marked by the same great spirituality1 the same intense reverence for the ,god of ,israel1 the same profound belief in the reality of the covenant between ,israel and ,god1 and the same conviction of the inseparable connection between a pure worship and flowing prosperity on the one hand1 and idolatrous defection and national calamity on the other4 ,no man except ,moses had ever done more to rivet this truth on the minds and hearts of the people4 ,it was the lifelong aim and effort of ,samuel to show that it made the greatest difference to them in every way how they acted toward ,god1 in the way of worship1 trust1 and obedience4 ,he made incessant war on that cold worldly spirit1 so natural to us all1 that leaves ,god out of account as a force in our lives1 and strives to advance our interests simply by making the most of the conditions of material prosperity4 ,no doubt with many minds the name of ,samuel would be associated with a severity and a spirituality and a want of worldliness that were repulsive to them1 as indicating one who carried the matter1 to use a common phrase1 too far4 ,but at ,samuel's death even these men might be visited with a somewhat remorseful conviction that1 if ,samuel had gone too far1 they had not gone half far enough4 ,there might come from the retrospect of his career a wholesome rebuke to their worldliness and neglect of ,god2 for surely1 they would feel1 if there be a ,god1 we ought to worship ,him1 and it cannot be well for us to neglect ,him altogether4 ,on the other hand1 the career of ,samuel would be recalled with intense admiration and gratitude by all the more earnest of the people4 ,what an impressive witness for all that was good and holy had they not had among them6 ,what a living temple1 what a ,divine epistle1 written not in tables of stone1 but in fleshy tables of the heart6 ,what glory and honour had not that man's life been to the nation1--so uniform1 so consistent1 so high in tone6 ,what a reproof it carried to low and selfish living1 what a splendid example it afforded to old and young of the true way and end of life1 and what a blessed impulse it was fitted to give them in the same direction1 showing so clearly what is good1 and what doth the ,lord require of thee but to do justly1 and to love mercy1 and to walk humbly with thy ,god4 ,by a remarkable connection1 though perhaps not by design1 two names are brought together in this chapter representing very opposite phases of human character--,samuel and ,nabal4 ,in ,samuel we have the high-minded servant of ,god1 trained from infancy to smother his own will and pay unbounded regard to the will of his ,father in heaven2 in ,nabal we see the votary of the god of this world1 enslaved to his worldly lusts1 grumbling and growling when he is compelled to submit to the will of ,god4 ,samuel is the picture of the serene and holy believer1 enjoying unseen fellowship with ,god1 and finding in that fellowship a blessed balm for the griefs and trials of a wounded spirit2 ,nabal is the picture of the rich but wretched worldling who cannot even enjoy the bounties of his lot1 and is thrown into such a panic by the mere dread of losing them that he actually sinks into the grave4 ,under the one picture we would place the words of the ,apostle in the third chapter of ,philippians--,whose god is their belly1 whose glory is in their shame1 who mind earthly things2 under the other the immediately following words1 ,our conversation is in heaven4 ,such were the two men to whom the summons to appear before ,god was sent about the same time2 the one ripe for glory1 the other meet for destruction2 the one removed to ,abraham's bosom1 the other to the pit of woe2 each to the master whom he served1 and each to the element in which he had lived4 ,look on this picture and on that1 and say which you would be like4 ,and as you look remember how true it is that as men sow so do they reap4 ,the one sowed to the flesh1 and of the flesh he reaped corruption2 the other sowed to the ,spirit1 and of the ,spirit he reaped life everlasting4 ,the continuity of men's lives in the world to come gives an awful solemnity to that portion of their lives which they spend on earth3--,he that is unjust1 let him be unjust still3 and he that is filthy1 let him be filthy still3 and he that is righteous1 let him be righteous still3 and he that is holy1 let him be holy still4 ,there is another lesson to be gathered from a matter of external order before we proceed to the particulars of the narrative4 ,this chapter1 recording ,david's collision with ,nabal1 and showing us how ,david lost his temper1 and became hot and impetuous and impatient in consequence of ,nabal's treatment1 comes in between the narrative of his two great victories over the spirit of revenge and impatience4 ,it gives us a very emphatic lesson--how the servant of ,god may conquer in a great fight and yet be beaten in a small4 ,the history of all spiritual warfare is full of such cases4 ,in the presence of a great enemy1 the utmost vigilance is maintained2 every effort is strained1 every stimulus is applied4 ,in the presence of a small foe1 the spirit of confidence1 the sense of security1 is liable to leave every avenue unguarded1 and to pave the way for signal defeat4 ,when ,i am confronted with a great trial1 ,i rally all my resources to bear it1 ,i realize the presence of ,god1 ,i say1 ,thou ,god seest me2 but when it is a little trial1 ,i am apt to meet it unarmed and unguarded1 and ,i experience a humiliating fall4 ,thus it is that men who have in them the spirit of martyrs1 and who would brave a dungeon or death itself rather than renounce a testimony or falter in a duty1 often suffer defeat under the most ordinary temptations of everyday life1--they lose their temper on the most trifling provocations2 almost without a figure1 they are crushed before the moth4 ,whether the death of ,samuel brought such a truce to ,david as to allow him to join in the great national gathering at his funeral we do not know with certainty2 but immediately after we find him in a region called the wilderness of ,paran1 in the neighbourhood of the ,judean ,carmel4 ,it was here that ,nabal dwelt4 ,this ,carmel is not to be confounded with the famous promontory of that name in the tribe of ,asher1 where ,elijah and the priests of ,baal afterwards had their celebrated contest2 it was a hill in the tribe of ,judah1 in the neighbourhood of the place where ,david had his encampment4 ,a descendant of the lion-hearted ,judah and of the courageous ,caleb1 this ,nabal came of a noble stock2 but cursed with a narrow heart1 a senseless head1 and a grovelling nature1 he fell as far below average humanity as his great ancestors had risen above it4 ,with all his wealth and family connection1 he appears to us now as poor a creature as ever lived1--a sort of golden beast1 as was said of the ,emperor ,caligula2 and we cannot think of him without reflecting how little true glory or greatness mere wealth or worldly position confers1--how infinitely more worthy of honour are the sterling qualities of a generous ,christian heart4 ,it is plain that in an equitable point of view ,nabal owed much to ,david2 but what he owed could not be enforced by an action at law1 and ,nabal was one of those poor creatures that acknowledge no other obligation4 ,the studied courtesy and modesty with which ,david preferred his claim is interesting2 it could not but be against the grain to say anything on the subject2 if ,nabal had not had his understanding blinded he would have spared him this pain2 the generous heart is ever thinking of the services that others are rendering1 and will never subject modesty to the pain of urging its own4 ,ye shall greet him in my name1 said ,david to his messengers2 and thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity1 ,peace be both to thee1 and peace to thy house1 and peace be to all that thou hast ,no envying of his prosperity--no grudging to him his abundance2 but only the ,christian wish that he might have ,god's blessing with it1 and that it might all turn to good4 ,it was the time of sheep-shearing1 when the flocks were probably counted and the increase over last year ascertained2 and by a fine old custom it was commonly the season of liberality and kindness4 ,a time of increase should always be so2 it is the time for helping poor relations 7a duty often strangely overlooked71 for acknowledging ancient kindnesses1 for relieving distress1 and for devising liberal things for the ,church of ,christ4 ,david gently reminded ,nabal that he had come at this good time2 then he hinted at the services which he and his followers had done him2 but to show that he did not wish to press hard on him1 he merely asked him to give what might come to his hand2 though1 as the anointed king of ,israel1 he might have assumed a more commanding title1 he asked him to give it to thy son1 ,david4 ,so modest1 gentle1 and affectionate an application1 savouring so little of the persecuted1 distracted outlaw1 savouring so much of the mild self-possessed ,christian gentleman1--deserved treatment very different from what it received4 ,the detestable niggardliness of ,nabal's heart would not suffer him to part with anything which he could find an excuse for retaining4 ,but greed so excessive1 even in its own eyes1 must find some cloak to cover it2 and one of the most common and most congenial to flinty hearts is--the unworthiness of the applicant4 ,the miser is not content in simply refusing an application for the poor1 he must add some abusive charge to conceal his covetousness--they are lazy1 improvident1 intemperate2 or if it be a ,christian object he is asked to support1--these unreasonable people are always asking4 ,any excuse rather than tell the naked truth1 ,we worship our money2 and when we spend it1 we spend it on ourselves4 ,such was ,nabal4 ,who is ,david8 and who is the son of ,jesse8 ,there be many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master4 ,shall ,i then take my bread1 and my water1 and my flesh that ,i have killed for my shearers1 and give it unto men1 that ,i know not whence they be8 ,as often happens1 excessive selfishness overreached itself4 ,insult added to injury was more than ,david chose to bear2 for once1 he lost self-command1 and was borne along by impetuous passion4 ,meek men1 when once their temper is roused1 usually go to great extremes4 ,and if ,david's purpose had not been providentially arrested1 ,nabal and all that belonged to him would have been swept before morning to destruction4 ,with the quickness and instinctive certainty of a clever woman's judgment1 ,abigail1 ,nabal's wife1 saw at once how things were going4 ,with more than the calmness and self-possession of many a clever woman1 she arranged and despatched the remedy almost instantaneously after the infliction of the wrong4 ,how so superior a woman could have got yoked to so worthless a man we can scarcely conjecture1 unless on the vulgar and too common supposition that the churl's wealth and family had something to do with the match4 ,no doubt she had had her punishment4 ,but luxury had not impaired the energy of her spirit1 and wealth had not destroyed the regularity of her habits4 ,her promptness and her prudence all must admire1 her commissariat skill was wonderful in its way2 and the exquisite tact and cleverness with which she showed and checked the intended crime of ,david--all the while seeming to pay him a compliment--could not have been surpassed4 ,now therefore1 my lord1 as the ,lord liveth1 and as thy soul liveth1 seeing the ,lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood1 and from avenging thyself with thine own hand1 now let thine enemies and they that seek evil to my lord be as ,nabal4 ,but the most remarkable of all her qualities is her faith2 it reminds us of the faith of ,rahab of ,jericho1 or of the faith of ,jonathan2 she had the firm persuasion that ,david was owned of ,god1 that he was to be the king of ,israel1 and that all the devices men might use against him would fail2 and she addressed him--poor outlaw though he was--as one of whose elevation to sovereign power1 after what ,god had spoken1 there could not be the shadow of a doubt4 ,her liberality1 too1 was very great4 ,and there was a truthful1 honest tone about her4 ,perhaps she spoke even too plainly of her husband1 but the occasion admitted of no sort of apology for him2 there was no deceit about her1 and as little flattery4 ,her words had a wholesome honest air1 and some of her expressions were singularly happy4 ,when she spoke of the soul of my lord as bound in the bundle of life with the ,lord thy ,god1 she seemed to anticipate the very language in which the ,new ,testament describes the union of ,christ and ,his people1 ,your life is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,she had a clear conception of the sure mercies of ,david1 certainly in the literal1 and we may hope also in the spiritual sense4 ,the revengeful purpose and rash vow of ,david were not the result of deliberate consideration2 they were formed under the influence of excitement1--most unlike the solemn and prayerful manner in which the expedition at ,keilah had been undertaken4 ,god unacknowledged had left ,david to misdirected paths4 ,but if we blame ,david1 as we must1 for his heedless passion1 we must not less admire the readiness with which he listens to the reasonable and pious counsel of ,abigail4 ,with the ready instinct of a gracious heart he recognises the hand of ,god in ,abigail's coming1--this mercy had a heavenly origin2 and cordially praises ,him for ,his restraining providence and restraining grace4 ,he candidly admits that he had formed a very sinful purpose2 but he frankly abandons it1 accepts her offering1 and sends her away in peace4 ,blessed be the ,lord ,god of ,israel1 which sent thee this day to me2 and blessed be thy advice1 and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood1 and from avenging myself with mine own hand4 ,it is a mark of sincere and genuine godliness to be not less thankful for being kept from sinning than from being rescued from suffering4 ,and it was not long before ,david had convincing proof that it is best to leave vengeance in the hands of ,god4 ,it came to pass1 about ten days after1 that the ,lord smote ,nabal that he died4 ,having abandoned himself at his feast to the beastliest sensuality1 his nervous system underwent a depression corresponding to the excitement that had accompanied the debauch4 ,in this miserable state of collapse and weakness1 the news of what had happened gave him a fright from which he never recovered4 ,a few days of misery1 and this wretched man went to his own place1 there to join the great crowd of selfish and godless men who said to ,god1 ,depart from us1 and to whom ,god will but echo their own wish--,depart from ,me6 ,when ,david heard of his death1 his satisfaction at the manifest interposition of ,god on his behalf1 and his thankfulness for having been enabled to conquer his impetuosity1 overcame for the time every other consideration4 ,full of this view1 he blessed ,god for ,nabal's death1 rejoicing over his untimely end more perhaps than was altogether becoming4 ,we1 at least1 should have liked to see ,david dropping a tear over the grave of one who had lived without grace and who died without comfort4 ,perhaps1 however1 we are unable to sympathize with the earnestness of the feeling produced by ,god's visible vindication of him2 a feeling that would be all the more fervent1 because what had happened to ,nabal must have been viewed as a type of what was sure to happen to ,saul4 ,in the death of ,nabal1 ,david by faith saw the destruction of all his enemies--no wonder though his spirit was lifted up at the sight4 ,if it were not for a single expression1 we should1 without hesitation1 set down the thirty-seventh ,psalm as written at this period4 ,the twenty-fifth verse seems to connect it with a later period2 even then it seems quite certain that1 when ,david wrote it1 the case of ,nabal 7among other cases perhaps7 was full in his view4 ,the great fact in providence on which the psalm turns is the sure and speedy destruction of the wicked2 and the great lesson of the psalm to ,god's servants is not to fret because of their prosperity1 but to rest patiently on the ,lord1 who will cause the meek to inherit the earth4 ,many of the minor expressions and remarks1 too1 are quite in harmony with this occasion3 ,trust in the ,lord and do good1 so shalt thou dwell in the land1 and verily thou shalt be fed4 ,cease from anger1 and forsake wrath2 fret not thyself in any wise to do evil4 ,the meek shall inherit the earth4 ,the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom1--unlike ,nabal1 a fool by name and a fool by nature4 ,the great duty enforced is that of waiting on the ,lord2 not merely because it is right in itself to do so1 but because ,he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noonday4 ,the chapter ends with ,abigail's marriage to ,david4 ,we are told1 at the same time1 that he had another wife1 ,ahinoam the ,jezreelite1 and that ,michal1 ,saul's daughter1 had been taken from him1 and given to another4 ,these statements cannot but grate upon our ear1 indicating a laxity in matrimonial relations very far removed from our modern standard alike of duty and of delicacy4 ,we cannot acquit ,david of a want of patience and self-restraint in these matters2 undoubtedly it is a blot in his character1 and it is a blot that led to very serious results4 ,it was an element of coarseness in a nature that in most things was highly refined4 ,david missed the true ideal of family life1 the true ideal of love1 the true ideal of purity4 ,his polygamy was not indeed imputed to him as a crime2 it was tolerated in him1 as it had been tolerated in ,jacob and in others2 but its natural and indeed almost necessary effects were not obviated4 ,in his family it bred strife1 animosity1 division2 it bred fearful crimes among brothers and sisters2 while1 in his own case1 his unsubdued animalism stained his conscience with the deepest sins1 and rent his heart with terrible sorrows4 ,how dangerous is even one vulnerable spot--one unsubdued lust of evil6 ,the fable represented that the heel of ,achilles1 the only vulnerable part of his body1 because his mother held him by it when she dipped him in the ,styx1 was the spot on which he received his fatal wound4 ,it was through an unmortified lust of the flesh that nearly all ,david's sorrows came4 ,how emphatic in this view the prayer of the ,apostle--,i pray ,god that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the ,lord4 ,and how necessary and appropriate the exhortation1 ,put on the whole armour of ,god--girdle1 breastplate1 sandals1 helmet1 sword--all2 leave no part unprotected1 that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day1 and having done all to stand4 ,thus1 then1 it appears1 that for all that was beautiful in ,david he was not a perfect character1 and not without stains that seriously affected the integrity and consistency of his life4 ,in that most important part of a young man's duty--to obtain full command of himself1 yield to no unlawful bodily indulgence1 and do nothing that1 directly or indirectly1 can tend to lower the character or impair the delicacy of women1--,david1 instead of an example1 is a beacon4 ,greatly though his early trials were blessed in most things1 they were not blessed in all things4 ,we must not1 for this reason1 turn from him as some do1 with scorn4 ,we are to admire and imitate the qualities that were so fine1 especially in early life4 ,would that many of us were like him in his tenderness1 his godliness1 and his attachment to his people6 ,his name is one of the embalmed names of ,holy ,writ1--all the more that when he did become conscious of his sin1 no man ever repented more bitterly2 and no man's spirit1 when bruised and broken1 ever sent more of the fragrance as of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,david',s ,,second ,,flight ,,to ,,gath4 #a ,,samuel xxvii42 xxviii4 #a1 #b2 xxix4 ,we are not prepared for the sad decline in the spirit of trust which is recorded in the beginning of the twenty-seventh chapter4 ,the victory gained by ,david over the carnal spirit of revenge1 shown so signally in his sparing the life of ,saul a second time1 would have led us to expect that he would never again fall under the influence of carnal fear4 ,but there are strange ebbs and flows in the spiritual life1 and sometimes a victory brings its dangers1 as well as its glory4 ,perhaps this very conquest excited in ,david the spirit of self-confidence2 he may have had less sense of his need of daily strength from above2 and he may have fallen into the state of mind against which the ,apostle warns us1 ,let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall4 ,in his collision with ,nabal we saw him fail in what seemed one of his strong points--the very spirit of self-control which he had exercised so remarkably toward ,saul2 and now we see him fail in another of his strong points--the spirit of trust toward ,god4 ,could anything show more clearly that even the most eminent graces of the saints spring from no native fountain of goodness within them1 but depend on the continuance of their vital fellowship with ,him of whom the ,psalmist said1 ,all my springs are in ,thee8 7,psalm lxxxvii4 #g74 ,carelessness and prayerlessness interrupt that fellowship2 the supply of daily strength ceases to come2 temptation arises1 and they become weak like other men4 ,abide in ,me1 said our ,lord1 with special emphasis on the need of permanence in the relation2 and the prophet says1 ,they that wait on the ,lord1 as a habitual exercise1 shall renew their strength2 they shall mount up with wings as eagles2 they shall run and not be weary1 and they shall walk and not faint4 ,the most strange thing about ,david's new decline is1 that it led him to try a device which he had tried before1 and which had proved a great failure4 ,we see him retreating before an enemy he had often conquered2 retreating1 too1 by a path every foot of which he had traversed1 and with whose bitter ending he was already familiar4 ,just as before1 his declension begins with distrust2 and just as before1 dissimulation is the product of the distrustful spirit4 ,he is brought into the most painful dilemma1 and into experience of the most grievous disaster2 but ,god1 in ,his infinite mercy1 extricates him from the one and enables him to retrieve the other4 ,it is affliction that brings him to his senses and drives him to ,god2 it is the returning spirit of prayer and trust that sustains him in his difficulties1 and at last brings to him1 from the hand of ,god1 a merciful deliverance from them all4 ,our first point of interest is the growth and manifestation of the spirit of distrust4 ,david said in his heart1 ,i shall now perish one day by the hand of ,saul2 there is nothing better for me than that ,i should speedily escape into the land of the ,philistines4 ,we find it difficult to account for the sudden triumph of this very despondent feeling4 ,it is hardly enough to say that ,david could have had no confidence in ,saul's expressions of regret and declared purposes of amendment4 ,that was no new feature of the case4 ,perhaps one element of the explanation may be1 that ,saul1 with his three thousand men1 had not only become familiar with all ,david's hiding-places1 but had stationed troops in various parts of the district that would so hamper his movements as to hem him in as in a prison4 ,then also there may have been some new outbreak of the malignant fury of ,cush the ,benjamite1 and other enemies who were about ,saul1 rousing the king to even more earnest efforts than ever to apprehend him4 ,there is yet another circumstance in ,david's situation1 that has not1 we think1 obtained the notice it deserves1 but which may have had a very material influence on his decision4 ,david had now two wives with him1 ,abigail the widow of ,nabal1 and ,ahinoam the ,jezreelitess4 ,he would naturally be desirous to provide them with the comforts of a settled home4 ,a band of young men might put up with the risks and discomforts of a roaming life1 which it would not be possible for women to bear4 ,the rougher sex might think nothing of midnight removals1 and attacks in the dark1 and scampers over wild passes and rugged mountains at all hours of the day and night1 and snatches of food at irregular times1 and all the other experiences which ,david and his men had borne patiently and cheerfully in the earlier stages of their outlaw history4 ,but for women this was unsuitable4 ,it is true that this alone would not have led ,david to say1 ,i shall one day perish by the hand of ,saul4 ,but it would increase his sense of difficulty2 it would make him feel more keenly the embarrassments of his situation2 it would help to overwhelm him4 ,and when he was thus at his wit's end1 the sense of danger from ,saul would become more and more serious4 ,the tension of a mind thus pressed on every side is something terrible4 ,pressed and tortured by invincible difficulties1 ,david gives way to despair--,i shall one day perish by the hand of ,saul4 ,let us observe the manner in which this feeling grew to such strength as to give rise to a new line of conduct4 ,it got entrance into his heart4 ,it hovered about him in a somewhat loose form1 before he took hold of it1 and resolved to act upon it4 ,it approached him in the same manner in which temptation approaches many a one1 first presenting itself to the imagination and the feelings1 trying to get hold of them1 and then getting possession of the will1 and turning the whole man in the desired direction4 ,like a skilful adversary who first attacks an outpost1 apparently of little value1 but when he has got it erects on it a battery by which he is able to conquer a nearer position1 and thus gradually approaches1 till at last the very citadel is in his hands1--so sin at first hovers about the outposts of the soul4 ,often it seems at first just to play with the imagination2 one fancies this thing and the other1 this sensual indulgence or that act of dishonesty2 and then1 having become familiar with it there1 one admits it to the inner chambers of the soul1 and ere long the lust bringeth forth sin4 ,the lesson not to let sin play even with the imagination1 but drive it thence the moment one becomes conscious of its presence1 cannot be pressed too strongly4 ,have you ever studied the language of the ,lord's ,prayer8--,lead us not into temptation4 ,you are being led into temptation whenever you are led to think1 with interest and half longing1 of any sinful indulgence4 ,wisdom demands of you that the moment you are conscious of such a feeling you resolutely exclaim1 ,get thee behind me1 ,satan6 ,it is the tempter trying to establish a foothold in the outworks1 meaning1 when he has done so1 to advance nearer and nearer to the citadel1 till at last you shall find him in strong possession1 and your soul entangled in the meshes of perdition4 ,the conclusion to which ,david came1 under the influence of distrust1 as to the best course for him to follow shows what opposite decisions may be arrived at1 according to the point of view at which men take their stand4 ,there is nothing better for me than that ,i should escape speedily into the land of the ,philistines4 ,from a more correct point of view1 nothing could have been worse4 ,had ,moses thought of his prospects from the same position1 he would have said1 ,there is nothing better for me than to remain the son of ,pharaoh's daughter1 and enjoy all the good things to which ,providence has so remarkably called me2 but standing on the ground of faith1 his conclusion was precisely the opposite4 ,looking abroad over the world with the eye of sense1 the young man may say1 ,there is nothing better for me than that ,i should rejoice in my youth1 and that my heart should cheer me in the days of my youth1 and that ,i should walk in the ways of mine heart and in the sight of mine eyes4 ,but the eye of faith sees ominous clouds and gathering storms in the distance1 which show that there could be nothing worse4 ,as usual1 ,david's error was connected with the omission of prayer4 ,we find no clause in this chapter1 ,bring hither the ephod4 ,he asked no counsel of ,god2 he did not even sit down to deliberate calmly on the matter4 ,the impulse to which he yielded required him to decide at once4 ,the word speedily indicates the presence of panic1 the action of a tumultuous force on his mind1 inducing him to act as promptly as one does in raising one's arm to ward off a threatened blow4 ,possibly he had the feeling that1 if ,god's mind were consulted1 it would be contrary to his desire1 and on that ground1 like too many persons1 he may have shrunk from honest prayer4 ,how different from the spirit of the psalm--,show me ,thy ways1 ,o ,lord1 teach me ,thy paths2 lead me in ,thy truth and teach me1 for ,thou art the ,god of my salvation2 on ,thee do ,i wait all the day4 ,dost thou imagine1 ,david1 that the ,lord's arm is shortened that it cannot save1 and ,his ear heavy that it cannot hear8 ,would not ,he who delivered you in six troubles cause that in seven no evil should touch thee8 ,has ,he not promised that thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue1 neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh8 ,dost thou not know that thy seed shall be great and thine offspring as the grass of the earth8 ,thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age1 like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season4 ,so ,david arose1 and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him1 unto ,achish the son of ,maoch1 king of ,gath4 ,it is thought by some that this was a different king from the former1 the name ,achish like the name ,pharaoh being used by all the kings4 ,at first the arrangement seemed to succeed4 ,achish appears to have received him kindly4 ,david dwelt with ,achish at ,gath1 he and his men1 every man with his household1 even ,david with his two wives4 ,the emphasis laid on the household and the wives shows how difficult it had been to provide for them before4 ,and ,saul1 at last1 gave up the chase1 and sought for him no more4 ,of course1 in giving him a friendly reception1 ,achish must have had a view to his own interest4 ,he would calculate on making use of him in his battles with ,saul1 and very probably give an incredulous smile if he heard anything of the scruples he had shown to lift up his hand against the ,lord's anointed4 ,availing himself of the favourable impression made on ,achish1 ,david now begs to have a country town allotted to him as his residence1 so as to avoid what appeared the unseemliness of his dwelling in the royal city with him4 ,there was much common sense in the demand1 and ,achish could not but feel it4 ,gath was but a little place1 and ,achish1 if he was but lord of ,gath1 was not a very powerful king4 ,the presence in such a place of a foreign prince1 with a retinue of soldiers six hundred strong1 was hardly becoming4 ,possibly ,achish's own body guard did not come up in number and in prowess to the troop of ,david4 ,the request for a separate residence was therefore granted readily1 and ,ziklag was assigned to ,david4 ,it lay near the southern border of the ,philistines1 close to the southern desert4 ,at ,ziklag he was away from the eye of the lords of the ,philistines that had always viewed him with such jealousy2 he was far away from the still greater jealousy of ,saul2 and with ,geshurites1 and ,gezrites1 and ,amalekites in his neighbourhood1 the natural enemies of his country1 he had opportunities of using his troop so as at once to improve their discipline and promote the welfare of his native land4 ,there was another favourable occurrence in ,david's experience at this time4 ,from a parallel passage 7#a ,chron4 xii47 we learn that during his residence among the ,philistines he was constantly receiving important accessions to his troop4 ,one set of men who came to him1 ,benjamites1 of the tribe of ,saul1 were remarkably skilful in the use of the bow and the sling1 able to use either right hand or left with equal ease4 ,the men that came to him were not from one tribe only1 but from many4 ,a very important section were from ,benjamin and ,judah4 ,at first ,david seemed to have some suspicion of their sincerity4 ,going out to meet them he said to them1 ,if ye be come peaceably to me to help me1 my heart shall be knit unto you2 but if ye be come to betray me to my enemies1 seeing there is no wrong in my hands1 the ,god of our fathers look thereon and rebuke it4 ,the answer was given by ,amasai1 in the spirit and rhythmical language of prophecy3 ,thine are we1 ,david1 and on thy side1 thou son of ,jesse2 peace1 peace be unto thee1 and peace be to thine helpers2 for thy ,god helpeth thee4 ,thus he was continually receiving evidence of the favour in which he was held by his people1 and his band was continually increasing1 until it was a great host1 like the host of ,god4 ,it seemed1 up to this point1 as if ,providence had favoured his removal to the land of the ,philistines1 and brought to him the security and the prosperity which he could not find in the land of ,judah4 ,but it was ill-gained security and only mock-prosperity2 the day of his troubles drew on4 ,the use which1 as we have seen1 he made of his troop was to invade the ,geshurites1 the ,gezrites1 and the ,amalekites4 ,in taking this step ,david had a sinister purpose4 ,it would not have been so agreeable to the ,philistines to learn that the arms of ,david had been turned against these tribes as against his own countrymen4 ,when therefore he was asked by ,achish where he had gone that day1 he returned an answer fitted1 and indeed intended1 to deceive4 ,without saying in words1 ,i have been fighting against my own people in the south of ,judah1 he led ,achish to believe that he had1 and he was pleased when his words were taken in that sense4 ,achish1 we are told1 believed ,david1 believed that he had been in arms against his countrymen4 ,he hath made his people ,israel utterly to abhor him2 therefore he shall be my servant for ever4 ,could there have been a more lamentable spectacle8 one of the noblest of men stained by the meanness of a false insinuation2 ,david1 the anointed of the ,god of ,israel1 ranged with the common herd of liars6 ,nor was this the only error into which his crooked policy now led him4 ,to cover his deceitful course he had recourse to an act of terrible carnage4 ,it was deemed by him important that no one should be able to carry to ,achish a faithful report of what he had been doing4 ,to prevent this he made a complete massacre1 put to death every man1 woman1 child of the ,amalekites and other tribes whom he now attacked4 ,such massacres were indeed quite common in ,eastern warfare4 ,the ,bulgarian and other massacres of which we have heard in our own day show that even yet1 after an interval of nearly three thousand years1 they are not foreign to the practice of ,eastern nations4 ,in point of fact1 they were not thought more of1 or worse of1 than any of the other incidents of war4 ,war was held to bind up into one bundle the whole lives and property of the enemy1 and give to the conqueror supreme control over it4 ,to destroy the whole was just the same in principle as to destroy a part4 ,if the destruction of the whole was necessary in order to carry out the objects of the campaign1 it was not more wicked to perpetrate such destruction than to destroy a part4 ,true1 according to our modern view1 there is something mean in falling on helpless1 defenceless women and children1 and slaughtering them in cold blood4 ,and yet our modern ideas allow the bombardment or the besieging of great cities1 and the bringing of the more slow but terrible process of starvation to bear against women and children and all1 in order to compel a surrender4 ,much though modern civilisation has done to lessen the horrors of war1 if we approve of all its methods we cannot afford to hold up our hands in horror at those which were judged allowable in the days of ,david4 ,yet surely1 you may say1 we might have expected better things of ,david4 ,we might have expected him to break away from the common sentiment1 and to show more humanity4 ,but this would not have been reasonable4 ,for it is very seldom that the individual conscience1 even in the case of the best men1 becomes sensible at once of the vices of its age4 ,how many good men in this country1 in the early part of this century1 were zealous defenders of slavery1 and in ,america down to a much later time6 ,there is nothing more needful for us in studying history1 even ,old ,testament history1 than to remember that very remarkable individual excellence may be found in connection with a great amount of the vices of the age4 ,we cannot attempt to show that ,david was not guilty of a horrible carnage in his treatment of the ,amalekites4 ,all we can say is1 he shared in the belief of the time that such carnage was a lawful incident of war4 ,we cannot but feel that in the whole circumstances it left a stain upon his character2 and yet he may have engaged in it without any consciousness of barbarity1 without any idea that the day would come when his friends would blush for the deed4 ,the ,philistines were now preparing a new campaign under ,achish against ,saul and his kingdom1 and ,achish determined that ,david should go with him2 further1 that he should go in the capacity of keeper of his head1 or captain of his body guard1 and that this should not be a temporary arrangement1 but permanent--for ever4 ,it is difficult for us to conceive the depth of the embarrassment into which this intimation must have plunged ,david4 ,we must bear in mind how scrupulous and sensitive his conscience was as to raising his hand against the ,lord's anointed2 and we must take into account the horror he must have felt at the thought of rushing in deadly array against his own dear countrymen1 with most of whom he had had no quarrel1 and who had never done him any harm4 ,when ,achish made him head of his body guard he paid a great compliment to his fidelity and bravery2 but in proportion as the post was honourable it was disagreeable and embarrassing4 ,for ,david and his men would have to fight close to ,achish1 under his very eye2 and any symptoms of holding back from the fray--any inclination to be off1 or to spare the foe1 which natural feeling might have dictated in the hour of battle1 must be resisted in presence of the king4 ,perhaps ,david reckoned that if the ,israelites were defeated by the ,philistines he might be able to make better terms for them--might even be of use to ,saul himself1 and thus render such services as would atone for his hostile attitude4 ,but this was a wretched consolation4 ,david was entangled so that he could neither advance nor retreat4 ,before him was ,,god1 closing ,his path in front2 behind him was ,,man1 closing it in rear2 and we may well believe he would have willingly given all he possessed if only his feet could have been clear and his conscience upright as before4 ,still1 he does not appear to have returned to a candid frame of mind1 but rather to have continued the dissimulation4 ,he had gone with ,achish as far as the battlefield1 when it pleased ,god1 in great mercy1 to extricate him from his difficulty by using the jealousy of the lords of the ,philistines as the means of his dismissal from the active service of ,king ,achish4 ,but instead of gladly retiring when he received intimation that his services were dispensed with1 we find him 7chap4 xxix4 #h7 remonstrating with ,achish1 speaking as if it were a disappointment not to be allowed to go with him1 and as if he thirsted for an opportunity of chastising his countrymen4 ,it is sad to find him continuing in this strain4 ,we are told that the time during which he abode in the country of the ,philistines was a full year and four months4 ,it was to all appearance a time of spiritual declension2 and as distrust ruled his heart1 so dissimulation ruled his conduct4 ,it could hardly have been other than a time of merely formal prayers and comfortless spiritual experience4 ,if he would but have allowed himself to believe it1 he was far happier in the cave of ,adullam or the wilderness of ,engedi1 when the candle of the ,lord shone upon his head1 than he was afterwards amid the splendour of the palace of ,achish1 or the princely independence of ,ziklag4 ,the only bright spot in this transaction was the very cordial testimony borne by ,achish to the faultless way in which ,david had uniformly served him4 ,it is seldom indeed that such language as ,achish employed can be used of any servant--,i know that thou art good in my sight1 as an angel of ,god4 ,achish must have been struck with the utter absence of treachery and of all self-seeking in ,david4 ,david had shown that singular1 unblemished trustworthiness that earned such golden opinions for ,joseph in the house of ,potiphar and from the keeper of the prison4 ,in this respect he had kept his light shining before men with a clear1 unclouded lustre4 ,even amid his spiritual backsliding and sad distrust of ,god1 he had never stained his hands with greed or theft1 he had in all these respects kept himself unspotted of the world4 ,the chapter of ,david's history which we have now been pursuing is a very painful one1 but the circumstances in which he was placed were extremely difficult and trying4 ,it is impossible to justify the course he took4 ,by-and-bye we shall see how ,god chastised him for it1 and by chastising him brought him to ,himself4 ,but to those who are disposed to be very severe on him we might well say1 ,he that is without sin among you1 let him first cast a stone at him4 ,who among you have not been induced at times to try carnal and unworthy expedients for extricating yourselves from difficulty8 ,who1 in days of boyhood or girlhood1 never told a falsehood to cover a fault8 ,who of you have been uniformly accustomed to carry to ,god every difficulty and trial1 with the honest1 immovable determination to do simply and solely what might seem to be agreeable to ,god's will8 ,have we not all cause to mourn over conduct that has dishonoured ,god and distressed our consciences8 ,may ,he give all of us light to see wherein we have come short in the past1 or wherein we are coming short in the present4 ,and from the bottom of our hearts may we be taught to raise our prayer1 ,from all the craft and cunning of ,satan2 from all the devices of the carnal mind2 from all that blinds us to the pure and perfect will of ,god--good ,lord1 deliver us4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,,saul ,,at ,,endor4 #a ,,samuel xxviii4 #c-be4 ,for a considerable time ,saul had been drifting along like a crippled vessel at sea1 a melancholy example of a man forsaken of ,god4 ,but as his decisive encounter with the ,philistines drew on1 the state of helplessness to which he had been reduced became more apparent than ever4 ,he had sagacity enough to perceive that the expedition which the ,philistines were now leading against him was the most formidable that had ever taken place in his day4 ,it was no ordinary battle that was to be fought2 it was one that would decide the fate of the country4 ,the magnitude of the expedition on his part is apparent from an expression in the fourth verse--,saul gathered all ,israel together4 ,the place of encounter was not any of the old battle-fields with the ,philistines4 ,usually the engagements had taken place in some of the valleys that ran down from the territories of ,dan1 or ,benjamin1 or ,judah into the ,philistine plain1 or on the heights above these4 ,but such places were comparatively contracted1 and did not afford scope for great bodies of troops4 ,this time the ,philistines chose a wider and more commanding battlefield4 ,advancing northwards along their own maritime plain1 and beyond it along the plain of ,sharon1 they turned eastwards into the great plain of ,esdraelon or ,jezreel1 and occupied the northern side of the plain4 ,the troops of ,saul were encamped on the southern side1 occupying the northern slope of ,mount ,gilboa4 ,there the two armies faced each other1 the wide plain stretching between4 ,it was a painful moment for ,saul when he got his first view of the ,philistine host1 for the sight of it filled him with consternation4 ,it would appear to have surpassed that of ,israel very greatly in numbers1 in resources1 as it certainly did in its confident spirit4 ,yet1 if ,saul had been a man of faith1 none of these things would have moved him4 ,was it not in that very neighbourhood that ,barak1 with his hasty levies1 had inflicted a signal defeat on the ,canaanites8 ,and was it not in that very plain that the hosts of ,midian lay encamped in the days of ,gideon1 when the barley cake rolling into their camp overturned and terrified the host1 and a complete discomfiture followed8 ,why should not the ,lord work as great a deliverance now8 ,if ,god was with them1 ,he was more than all that could be against them4 ,might not this be another of the days foretold by ,moses1 when one should chase a thousand1 and two put ten thousand to flight8 ,yes1 if ,god was with them4 ,all turned upon that if4 ,and ,saul felt that ,god was not with them1 and that they could not count on any such deliverance as1 in better times1 had been vouchsafed to their fathers4 ,and why1 ,o ,saul1 when you felt thus1 did you not humble yourself before ,god1 confess all your sins1 and implore ,him to show you mercy8 ,why did you not cry1 ,return1 ,o ,lord1 how long8 ,and let it repent ,thee concerning ,thy servants8 ,would you have found ,god inexorable8 ,would ,his ear have been heavy that it could not hear8 ,don't you remember how ,moses said that when ,israel1 in sore bondage1 should cry humbly to ,god1 the ,lord would hear his cry1 and have mercy on him8 ,why1 ,o ,saul1 do you not fall in the dust before ,him8 ,somehow ,saul felt that he could not4 ,among other effects of sin and rebellion1 one of the worst is a stiffening of the soul1 making it hard and rigid1 so that it cannot bend1 it cannot melt1 it cannot change its course4 ,the long career of wilfulness that ,saul had followed had produced in him this stiffening effect2 his spirit was hardened in its own ways1 and incapable of all exercise of contrition or humiliation1 or anything essentially different from the course he had been following4 ,there are times in the life of a deeply afflicted woman when the best thing she could do would be to weep1 but that is just the thing she cannot do4 ,there are times when the best thing an inveterate sinner could do would be to fling himself before ,god and sob for mercy1 but fling himself before ,god and sob he cannot4 ,saul was incapable of that exercise of soul which would have saved him and his people4 ,most terrible effect of cherished sin6 ,it dries up the fountains of contrition and they will not flow4 ,it stiffens the knees and they will not bend4 ,it paralyses the voice and it will not cry4 ,it blinds the eyes and they see not the ,saviour4 ,it closes the ears and the voice of mercy is unheard4 ,it drives the distressed one to wells without water1 to refuges of lies1 to trees twice dead1 to physicians who have no medicines1 to gods who have no salvation2 all he feels is that his case is desperate1 and yet somewhere or other he must have help6 ,saul did not neglect the outward means by which in other days ,god had been accustomed to direct the nation4 ,he tried every authorized way he could think of for getting guidance from above4 ,he believed in a heavenly power1 and he asked its guidance and its help4 ,but ,god took no notice of him4 ,he answered him neither by dreams1 nor by ,urim1 nor by prophets4 ,men1 though in heart rebellious against ,god's will1 will go through a great deal of mechanical service in the hope of securing ,his favour4 ,it is not their muscles that get stiffened1 but their souls4 ,what a strange conception they must have of ,god when they fancy that mere external services will please ,him6 ,how little ,saul knew of ,god when he supposed that1 overlooking all the rebellion of his heart1 ,god would respond to a mechanical effort or efforts to communicate with ,him6 ,don't you know1 ,o ,saul1 that your iniquities have separated between you and your ,god1 and your sins have hid ,his face from you that ,he will not hear8 ,nothing will have the least effect on ,him till you own your sin4 ,i will go and return unto ,my place1 until they acknowledge their offence and seek ,my face4 ,and this is just what you will not1 cannot do6 ,how infinitely precious would one tear of genuine repentance have been in that dark hour6 ,it would have saved thousands of the ,israelites from a bloody death2 it would have saved the nation from defeat and humiliation2 it would have removed the obstacle to fellowship with the ,hope of ,israel1 who would have stood true to ,his ancient character1--the ,saviour thereof in time of trouble4 ,but ,saul's day of grace was over1 and accordingly we find him driven to the most humbling expedient to which a man can stoop--seeking counsel from a quarter against which1 in his more prosperous days1 he had directed his special energies1 as a superstitious1 demoralizing agency4 ,he had been most zealous in exterminating a class of persons1 abounding in ,eastern countries1 who pretend to know the secrets of the future1 and to have access to the inhabitants of the unseen world4 ,little could he have dreamt in those days of fiery zeal that a time would come when he would rejoice to learn that one poor wretch had escaped the vigilance of his officers1 and still carried on1 or pretended to carry on1 a nefarious traffic with the realms of the departed6 ,it shows how little man is acquainted with the inner feelings of other men--how little he knows even himself4 ,doubtless he thought1 in the days of exterminating zeal1 that it was sheer folly and drivelling superstition that encouraged these sorcerers1 and that by clearing them away he would be ridding the land of a mass of rubbish that could be of service to no one4 ,he did not consider that there are times of wretchedness and despair when the soul that knows not ,god will seek counsel even of men with a familiar spirit--he little dreamt that such would be the case with himself4 ,is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing8 he would have asked with great indignation in those early days1 if it had been insinuated that he would ever be tempted to resort to such counsellors4 ,what better could ,i ever be of anything they could tell me8 ,surely it would be wiser to meet any conceivable danger full in the face than to seek after such counsel as they could give6 ,he did not consider that when man's spirit is overwhelmed within him1 and his craving for help is like the passion of a madman1 he will clutch like a drowning man at a straw1 he will even resort to a woman with a familiar spirit1 if1 peradventure1 some hint can be got to extricate him from his misery4 ,but to this complexion it came at last4 ,with dreadful sacrifice of self-respect1 ,saul had to ask his advisers to seek out for him a woman of this description4 ,they were able to tell him of such a woman residing at ,endor1 about ten miles from where they were4 ,with two attendants he set out after nightfall1 disguised1 and found her4 ,naturally1 she was afraid to do anything in the way of business in the face of such measures as the king had taken against all of her craft1 nor would she stir until she had got a solemn promise that she would not be molested in any way4 ,then1 when all was ready1 she asked whom she should call up4 ,call up ,samuel1 said ,saul4 ,to the great astonishment of the woman herself1 she sees ,samuel rising up4 ,a shriek from her indicates that she is as much astonished and for the moment frightened as anyone can be4 ,evidently she did not expect such an apparition4 ,the effect was much too great for the cause4 ,she sees that in this apparition a power is concerned much beyond what she can wield4 ,instinctively she apprehends that the only man of importance enough to receive such a supernatural visit must be the head of the nation4 ,why did you deceive me8 she said1 for thou art ,saul4 ,never mind that1 is virtually ,saul's reply2 but tell me what you have seen4 ,the ,revised ,version gives her answer better than the older one--,i saw a god arise out of the earth4 ,what is his appearance8 earnestly asks ,saul4 ,he is an old man1 and he is covered with a mantle4 ,and ,saul sees that it is really ,samuel4 ,but what was it that really happened1 and how did it come about8 ,that the woman was able1 even if she really had the aid of evil spirits1 to bring ,samuel into ,saul's presence we cannot believe4 ,nor could she believe it herself4 ,if ,samuel really appeared--and the narrative assumes that he did--it must have been by a direct miracle1 ,god supernaturally clothing his spirit in something like its old form1 and bringing him back to earth to speak to ,saul4 ,in judgment it seemed good to ,god to let ,saul have his desire1 and to give him a real interview with ,samuel4 ,he gave him his request1 but sent leanness to his soul4 ,so far from having his fears allayed and his burden removed1 ,saul was made to see from ,samuel's communication that there was nothing but ruin before him2 and he must have gone back to the painful duty of the morrow staggering under a load heavier than before4 ,samuel begins the conversation2 and he does so by reproaching ,saul for having disquieted him1 and brought him back from his peaceful home above to mingle again in the strife and turmoil of human things4 ,nothing can exceed the haggard and weird desolation of ,saul's answer4 ,i am sore distressed2 for the ,philistines make war against me1 and ,god is departed from me and answereth me no more1 neither by prophets nor by dreams3 therefore ,i have called thee1 that thou mayest make known unto me what ,i shall do4 ,was ever a king in such a plight8 ,who would have thought1 when ,samuel and ,saul first came together1 and ,saul listened so respectfully to the prophet counselling him concerning the kingdom1 that their last meeting should be like this8 ,in all ,saul's statement there is no word that carries such a load of meaning and of despair as this--,god is departed from me4 ,it is the token of universal confusion and calamity4 ,and ,saul felt it1 and as no one understood these things like ,samuel1 he had sought ,samuel to counsel his wayward son1 to tell him what to do4 ,it is not every sinner that makes the discovery in this life what awful results follow when ,god is departed from him4 ,but if the discovery does not dawn on one in this life1 it will come on him with overwhelming force in the life to come4 ,men little think what they are preparing for themselves when they say to ,god1 ,depart from us1 for we desire not the knowledge of ,thy ways4 ,the service of ,god is irksome2 the restraints of ,god's law are distressing2 they like a free life1 freedom to please themselves4 ,and so they part company with ,god4 ,the form of ,divine service may be kept up or it may not3 but ,god is not their ,god1 and ,god's will is not their rule4 ,they have left ,god's ways1 they have followed their own4 ,and when conscience has sometimes given them a twinge1 when ,god has reminded them by the silent monitor of ,his claims1 their answer has been1 ,let us alone1 what have we to do with ,thee8 ,depart from us1 leave us in peace4 ,ah6 how little have you considered that the most awful thing that could happen to you is just for ,god to depart from you6 ,if we could conceive the earth a sensitive being1 and somehow to get a dislike for the sun1 and to pray the sun to depart from her1 how awful would be the fulfilment6 ,losing all the genial influences that brighten her surface1 that cover her face with beauty and enrich her soil with abundance1 all the foul and slimy creatures of darkness would creep out1 all the noxious influences of dissolution and death would riot in their terrible freedom6 ,and is not this but a poor faint picture of man forsaken by ,god6 ,o sinner1 if ever thy wish should be fulfilled1 how wilt thou curse the day in which thou didst utter it6 ,when vile lusts rise to uncontrollable authority--when those whom you love turn hopelessly wicked1 when you find yourselves joyless1 helpless1 hopeless1 when you try to repent and cannot repent1 when you try to pray and cannot pray1 when you try to be pure and cannot be pure--what a terrible calamity you will then feel it that ,god is departed from you6 ,trifle not1 ,o man1 with thy relation to ,god2 and let not thy history be such that it shall have to be written in the words of the prophet--,but they rebelled and vexed ,his ,holy ,spirit2 therefore ,he was turned to be their enemy and ,he fought against them 7,isaiah lxiii4 #aj74 ,there was no comfort for ,saul in ,samuel's reply1 but much the contrary4 ,why should he have asked advice of the ,lord's servant1 when he owned that he was forsaken by the ,lord ,himself8 ,what could the servant do for him if the ,master was become his enemy8 ,what can a priest or a minister do for any man if ,god has turned ,his face away from him8 ,can he make ,god deny ,himself1 and become favourable to one who has scorned or sinned away ,his ,holy ,spirit8 ,saul was experiencing no more than he had just reason to expect since that fatal day when he had first deliberately set up his own will above ,god's will in the affair of ,amalek4 ,in the course which he began then1 he had persistently continued1 and ,god was now just executing the threatenings which ,saul had braved4 ,and next day would witness the last of his sad history4 ,the ,lord would deliver ,israel into the hands of the ,philistines2 in the collision of the armies he and his sons would be slain2 disaster to his arms1 death to himself1 and destruction to his dynasty would all come together on that miserable day4 ,it is no wonder that ,saul was utterly prostrated3 ,he fell straightway all along on the earth1 and was sore afraid1 because of the words of ,samuel2 and there was no strength in him2 for he had eaten no bread all the day1 nor all the night4 ,he could not have expected that the interview with ,samuel would be a pleasant one1 but he never imagined that it would announce such awful calamities4 ,have you not known sometimes the terrible sensation when you had heard there was something wrong with some of your friends1 and on going to inquire1 discovered that the calamity was infinitely worse than you had ever dreamt of8 ,a momentary paralysis comes over one2 you are stunned and made helpless by the tidings4 ,we may even be tempted to think that surely ,samuel was too hard on ,saul2 might he not have tempered his awful message by some qualifying word of hope and mercy8 ,the answer is1 ,samuel spoke the truth1 the whole truth1 and nothing but the truth4 ,we are all prone to the thought that when evil men get their doom there will surely be something to modify or mitigate its rigour4 ,samuel's words to ,saul indicate no such relaxation4 ,moral law will vindicate itself as natural law vindicates itself--,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap4 ,the last incident in the chapter is interesting and pleasing4 ,we might have thought that such a calling as that followed by the witch of ,endor would have destroyed all the humanities in her nature2 that she would have looked on the king's distress with a cold1 stoical eye1 and that her only concern would be to obtain for herself a fee adapted to the occasion4 ,but she shows much of the woman left in her after all4 ,when she rehearses her service1 and the peril of her life at which it has been rendered1 to prepare the way for her asking a favour1 the favour which she does ask is not for herself at all1--it is on ,saul's own behalf1 that she might be permitted the honour of preparing for him a meal4 ,saul's mind is too much occupied and too much agitated to care for anything of the kind4 ,still prostrate on the ground he says1 ,i will not eat4 ,men overwhelmed by calamity hate to eat1 they are too excited to experience hunger4 ,it was only when his servants1 thinking how much he had gone through already1 how much more he had to go through on the morrow1 and how utterly unfit his exhausted body was for the strain--it was then only that he yielded to the request of the woman4 ,and the woman showed that1 for all her sinister business1 she was equal to the occasion of entertaining a king4 ,the fat calf in the house corresponded to the fatted calf in the parable of the prodigal son4 ,it was not the custom even in families of the richer class to eat meat at ordinary meals2 it was reserved for feasts and extraordinary occasions2 and in order to be ready for any emergency a calf was kept close to the house1 whose flesh1 from the delicate way in which it was reared and fed1 was tender enough to be served even at so hasty a meal4 ,with cakes of unleavened bread1 this dish could be presented very rapidly1 and1 unlike the hasty meals which are common among us1 was really a more substantial and nourishing entertainment than ordinary4 ,it is touching to mark these traces of womanly feeling in this unhappy being1 reminding us of the redeeming features of ,rahab the harlot4 ,what effect the whole transaction had on the woman we are not told1 and it would be vain to conjecture4 ,and now ,saul retraces his dark and dreary way southward to the heights of ,gilboa4 ,we can hardly exaggerate his miserable condition4 ,he had much to think of1 and he would have needed a clear1 unclouded mind4 ,we can think of him only as miserably distracted1 and unable to let his mind settle on anything4 ,it would have needed his utmost resources to arrange for the battle of to-morrow1 a battle in which he knew that defeat was coming1 but which he might endeavour1 nevertheless1 to make as little disastrous as possible4 ,moreover1 he knew it was to be the last day of his life1 and troubled thoughts could not but steal in on him as to what should happen when he stood before ,god4 ,no doubt1 too1 there were many sad thoughts about his sons1 who were to be involved in the same fate as himself4 ,was there no way of saving any of them8 ,the arrangement of his temporal effects1 too1 would claim attention1 for1 restless and excitable as he had been1 it was not likely that his private affairs would be in very good order4 ,anon his thoughts might wander back to his first interview with ,samuel1 and bitter remorse would send its pang through him as he thought how differently he might have left the kingdom if he had faithfully followed the counsels of the prophet4 ,possibly amid all these gloomy thoughts one thought of a brighter order might steal into his mind--how thoroughly ,david1 who would come to the throne after him1 would retrieve his errors and restore prosperity1 and make the kingdom what it had never been under him1 a model kingdom1 worthy to shadow forth the glories of ,messiah's coming reign4 ,poor distracted man1 he was little fitted either to fight a battle with the ,philistines or to encounter the last enemy on his own account4 ,what a lesson to be prepared beforehand6 ,on a deathbed1 especially a sudden one1 distractions can hardly fail to visit us--this thing and the other thing needing to be arranged and thought of4 ,happy they who at such a moment can say1 ,i am now ready to depart4 ,into ,thy hands ,i commend my spirit1 for ,thou hast redeemed me1 ,o ,lord ,god of truth4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,,david ,,at ,,ziklag4 #a ,,samuel xxx4 ,after ,david had received from ,king ,achish the appointment of captain of his body guard1 he had with his troops accompanied the ,philistine army1 passing along the maritime plain to the very end of their journey--to the spot selected for battle1 close to the fountain which is in ,jezreel4 ,it seems to have been only after the whole ,philistine host were ranged in battle array that the presence of ,david and his men1 who remained in the rear to protect the king1 arrested the attention of the lords of the ,philistines1 and on their remonstrance they were sent away4 ,it is probable that ,david's return to ,ziklag1 and the expedition in which he had to engage to recover his wives and his property1 took place at or about the very time when ,saul made his journey to ,endor1 and when the fatal battle of ,gilboa was raging4 ,we have seen that though ,david never1 like ,saul1 threw off the authority of ,god1 he had been following ways of his own1 ways of deceit and unfaithfulness4 ,he too had been exposing himself to the displeasure of ,god1 and on him1 as on ,saul1 some retribution behoved to fall4 ,but in the two cases we see the difference between judgment and chastisement4 ,in the case of ,saul it was judgment that came down2 his life and his career were terminated avowedly as the punishment of his offence4 ,in the case of ,david the rod was lifted to correct1 not to destroy2 to bring him back1 not to drive him for ever away2 to fit him for service1 not to cut him asunder1 or appoint him his portion with the hypocrites4 ,there is every reason to believe that the awful disaster that befell ,david on his return to ,ziklag was the means of restoring him to a trustful and truthful frame4 ,it appears from the chapter now before us that1 in the absence of ,david and his troop1 severe reprisals had been taken by the ,amalekites for the defeat and utter destruction which they had lately inflicted on a portion of their tribe4 ,we must remember that the ,amalekites were a widely dispersed people1 consisting of many tribes1 each living separately from the rest1 but so related that in any emergency they would readily come to one another's help4 ,news of the extermination of the tribes whom ,david had attacked1 and whom he had utterly destroyed lest any of them should bring word to ,achish of his real employment1 had been brought to their neighbours2 and these neighbours determined to take revenge for the slaughter of their kinsmen4 ,the opportunity of ,david's absence was taken for invading ,ziklag1 for which purpose a large and well-equipped expedition had been got together2 and as they met with no opposition1 they carried everything before them4 ,happily1 however1 as they found no enemies they did not draw the sword2 they counted it better policy to carry off all that could be transported1 so as to make use of the goods1 and sell the women and children into slavery1 and as they had a great multitude of beasts of burden with them 7ver4 #ag7 there could be no difficulty in carrying out this plan4 ,it seems very strange that ,david should have left ,ziklag apparently without the protection of a single soldier2 but what seems to us folly had all the effect of consummate wisdom in the end2 the passions of the ,amalekites were not excited by opposition or by bloodshed2 their destructive propensities were satisfied with destroying the town of ,ziklag1 and every person and thing that could be removed was carried away unhurt4 ,but for days to come ,david could not know that their expedition had been conducted in this unusually peaceful way2 his imagination and his fears would picture far darker scenes4 ,it must have been an awful moment to ,david--hardly less so than to ,saul when he saw the host of the ,philistines near ,jezreel--to reach what had been recently so peaceful a home and find it a mass of smoking ruins4 ,if he had been disposed to congratulate himself on the success of the policy which had dictated his escape from the land of ,judah1 and his settling at ,ziklag under protection of ,king ,achish1 how in one moment must the rottenness of the whole plan have flashed upon him1 and how awed must he have been at the proof now so clearly afforded that the whole arrangement had been frowned on by the ,god of heaven6 ,what an agony of suspense and distress he must have been in till more definite news could be obtained2 and what a burst of despair must have been heard through the camp when it became known to his followers that the worst that could be conceived had happened--that their houses were all destroyed1 their property seized1 and their wives and children carried off1 to be disgraced1 or sold1 or butchered1 as might suit the fancy of their masters6 ,and then1 that remorseless massacre that they had lately inflicted on the kinsmen of their invaders1 how likely it would be to exasperate their passions against them6 ,what mercy would they show whose neighbours had received no mercy8 ,what a dreadful fate would these helpless women and children be now experiencing6 ,it was probably one of the bitterest of the many bitter hours that ,david ever spent4 ,first there was the natural feeling of disappointment1 after a long and weary march1 when the comforts of home had been so eagerly looked forward to1 and each man seemed already in the embrace of his family1 to find home utterly obliterated1 and its place marked by blackened ruins4 ,then there was the far more intense pang to every affectionate heart1 caused by the carrying off of the members of their families2 this1 it appears1 was the predominant feeling of the camp3 the soul of the people was grieved1 every man for his sons and for his daughters4 ,and somehow ,david was the person blamed1 partly perhaps through that hasty but unjust feeling that blames the leader of an expedition for all the mishaps attending it1 and partly also1 it may be1 because ,ziklag had been left utterly undefended4 ,what business had he to march us all at the heels of these uncircumcised ,philistines1 as if we ought to make common cause with them1 only to march us back again just as we came1 to gain nothing there and to lose everything here6 ,to all this was added a further element of excitement3 it was not merely calamities known and seen that worked in the minds of the people2 the gloom of dreaded but uncertain horrors helped to excite them still more4 ,imagination would quickly supply the place of evidence in picturing the situation of their wives and children4 ,the feelings of the troops were so fearfully excited against ,david that they spoke of stoning him4 ,the very men that had lately approached him with the beautiful salutation1 ,peace1 peace be to thee1 and peace be to thine helpers1 for thy ,god helpeth thee1 now spoke of stoning him4 ,how like the spirit and the conduct of their descendants a thousand years later1 shouting at one time1 ,hosanna to the ,son of ,david1 and but a few days after1 ,crucify ,him1 crucify ,him4 ,the state of ,david's feelings must have been all the more terrible for the uneasy conscience he had in the matter1 for he had too much cause to feel that the dissembling policy which he had been pursuing had caused another massacre1 more frightful than that of the priests after his visit to ,nob4 ,it is probable that at this awful moment the mind of ,david was visited by a blessed influence from above4 ,the wail of woe that spread through his camp1 and the dismal ruins that covered the site of his recent home1 seem to have spoken to him in that tone of rebuke which the words of the prophet afterwards conveyed1 ,thou art the man6 ,under great excitement the mind works with great rapidity1 and passes almost with the speed of lightning from one mood to another4 ,it is quite possible that under the same electric shock1 as we may call it1 that brought ,david to a sense of his sin he was guided back to his former confidence in the mercy and grace of his covenant ,god4 ,in one instant1 we may believe1 the miserable hollowness of all those carnal devices in which he had been trusting would flash upon his mind1 and ,god--his own loving ,father and covenant ,god--would appear waiting to be gracious and longing for his return4 ,and now the prodigal son is in his ,father's arms1 weeping1 sobbing1 confessing1 but at the same time feeling the luxury of forgiveness1 rejoicing1 trusting and delighting in ,his protection and blessing4 ,it may indeed be objected that we are proceeding too much on mere imagination in supposing that ,david's return to a condition of holy trust in ,god was effected in this rapid way4 ,the view may be wrong1 and we do not insist on it4 ,what we found on is the very short interval between his last act of dissimulation in professing to desire to accompany ,achish to battle1 and his manifest restoration to the spirit of trust1 evinced in the words1 applied to him when the people spoke of stoning him1 ,but ,david strengthened himself in the ,lord his ,god 7ver4 #f74 ,these words show that he has got back to the true track at last1 and from that moment prosperity returns4 ,what a blessed thing it was for him that in that hour of utmost need he was able to derive strength from the thought of ,god1--able to think of the ,most ,high as watching him with interest1 and still ready to deliver him6 ,it was a somewhat similar incident1 though not preceded by any such previous backsliding--a similar manifestation of the magical power of trust--that took place in the life of a more modern ,david1 one who in serving ,god and doing good to man had to encounter a life of wandering1 privation1 and danger seldom surpassed--the ,african missionary and explorer1 ,david ,livingstone4 ,in the course of his great journey from ,st4 ,paul de ,loanda on the west coast of ,africa to ,quilimane on the east1 he had to encounter many an angry and greedy tribe1 whom he was too poor to be able to pacify by the ordinary method of valuable presents4 ,on one occasion1 in the fork at the confluence of the river ,loangwa and the river ,zambesi1 he found one of those hostile tribes4 ,it was necessary for him to have canoes to cross--they would lend him only one4 ,in other respects they showed an attitude of hostility1 and the appearances all pointed to a furious attack the following day4 ,livingstone was troubled at the prospect1--not that he was afraid to die1 but because it seemed as if all his discoveries in ,africa would be lost1 and his sanguine hopes for planting commerce and ,christianity among its benighted and teeming tribes knocked on the head4 ,but he remembered the words of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,go ye therefore into all the world1 and preach the gospel unto every creature1 and lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world4 ,on this promise he rested1 and steadied his fluttering heart4 ,it is the word of a gentleman1 he said1 the word of one of the most perfect honour4 ,i will not try1 as ,i once thought1 to escape by night1 but ,i will wait till to-morrow1 and leave before them all4 ,should such a man as ,i be afraid8 ,i will take my observations for longitude tonight1 though it should be my last4 ,my mind is now quite at rest1 thank ,god4 ,he waited as he had said1 and next morning1 though the arrangements of the natives still betokened battle1 he and his men were allowed to cross the river in successive detachments1 without molestation1 he himself waiting to the last1 and not a hair of their heads being hurt4 ,it was a fine instance of a believing ,christian strengthening himself in his ,god4 ,when faith is genuine1 and the habit of exercising it is active1 it can remove mountains4 ,the first result of the restored feeling of trust in ,david was his giving honour to ,god's appointed ordinance by asking counsel of ,him1 through ,abiathar the priest1 as to the course he should follow4 ,it is the first time we read of him doing so since he left his own country4 ,at first one wonders how he could have discontinued so precious a means of ascertaining the will of ,god and the path of duty4 ,but the truth is1 when a man is left to himself he cares for no advice or direction but his own inclination4 ,he is not desirous to be led2 he wishes only to go comfortably4 ,indifference to ,god's guidance explains much neglect of prayer4 ,david has now made his application1 and he has got a clear and decided answer4 ,he can feel now that he is treading on solid ground4 ,how much happier he must have been than when driving hither and thither1 scheming and dissembling1 and floundering from one device of carnal wisdom to another6 ,as for his people1 he can think of them now with far more tranquillity2 have they not been all along in ,god's keeping1 and is it not true that ,he that keepeth ,israel neither slumbers nor sleeps8 ,we need not dwell at great length on the incidents that immediately followed4 ,no events could have fallen out more favourably4 ,one-third of his troops was indeed so exhausted that they had to be left at the brook ,besor4 ,with the other four hundred he set out in search of the foe4 ,the special providence of ,god1 so clearly and frequently displayed on this occasion1 provided a guide for ,david in the person of an ,egyptian slave1 who1 having fallen sick1 had been abandoned by his master1 and had been three days and nights without meat or drink4 ,careful treatment having resuscitated this young man1 and a solemn assurance having been given him that he would neither be killed nor given back to his master 7the latter alternative seems to have been as terrible as the other71 he conducts them without loss of time to the camp of the ,amalekites4 ,each day's journey brought them nearer and nearer to the great wilderness where1 some five or six hundred years before1 their fathers had encountered ,amalek at ,rephidim1 and had gained a great victory over them1 after not a few fluctuations1 through the uplifted arms of ,moses1 the token of reliance on the strength of ,god4 ,through the same good hand on ,david1 the ,amalekites1 surprised in the midst of a time of careless and uproarious festivity1 were completely routed1 and all but destroyed4 ,every article they had stolen1 and every woman and child they had carried off1 were recovered unhurt4 ,such a deliverance was beyond expectation4 ,when the ,lord turned again the captivity of ,ziklag1 they were like men that dream4 ,the happy change of circumstances was signalized by ,david by two memorable acts1 the one an act of justice1 the other an act of generosity4 ,the act of justice was his interfering to repress the selfishness of the part of his troops who were engaged in the fight with ,amalek1 some of whom wished to exclude the disabled portion1 who had to remain at the brook ,besor1 from sharing the spoil4 ,the objectors are called the wicked men and the men of ,belial4 ,it is a significant circumstance that ,david had been unable to inspire all his followers with his own spirit--that even at the end of his residence in ,ziklag there were wicked men and men of ,belial among them4 ,no doubt these were the very men that had been loudest in their complaints against ,david1 and had spoken of stoning him when they came to know of the calamity at ,ziklag4 ,complaining men are generally selfish men4 ,they objected to ,david's proposal to share the spoil with the whole body of his followers4 ,their proposal was especially displeasing to ,david at a time when ,god had given them such tokens of undeserved goodness4 ,it was of the same sort as the act of the unforgiving servant in the parable1 who1 though forgiven his ten thousand talents1 came down with unmitigated ferocity on the fellow-servant that owed him an hundred pence4 ,the act of generosity was his distribution over the cities in the neighbourhood of the spoil which he had taken from the ,amalekites4 ,if he had been of a selfish nature he might have kept it all for himself and his people4 ,but it was the spoil of the enemies of the ,lord4 ,it was ,david's desire to recognise ,god in connection with this spoil1 both to show that he had not made his onslaught on the ,amalekites for personal ends1 and to acknowledge1 in royal style1 the goodness which ,god had shown him4 ,that it was an act of policy as well as a recognition of ,god may be readily acknowledged4 ,undoubtedly ,david was desirous to gain the favourable regard of his neighbours1 as a help toward his recognition when the throne of ,israel should become empty4 ,but we may surely admit this1 and yet recognise in his actions on this occasion the generosity as well as the godliness of his nature4 ,he was one of those men to whom it is more blessed to give than to receive1 and who are never so happy themselves as when they are making others happy4 ,the ,bethel mentioned in ver4 #bg as first among the places benefited can hardly be the place ordinarily known by that name1 which was far distant from ,ziklag1 but some other ,bethel much nearer the southern border of the land4 ,the most northerly of the places specified of whose situation we are assured was ,hebron1 itself well to the south of ,judah1 and soon to become the capital where ,david reigned4 ,the large number of places that shared his bounty was a proof of the royal liberality with which it was spread abroad4 ,and in this bounty1 this royal profusion of gifts1 we may surely recognise a fit type of great ,david's greater ,son4 ,how clearly it appeared from the very first that the spirit of ,jesus ,christ exemplified ,his own maxim which we have just quoted1 ,it is more blessed to give than to receive4 ,once only1 and that in ,his infancy1 when the wise men laid at ,his feet their myrrh1 frankincense1 and gold1 do we read of anything like a lavish contribution of the gifts of earth being given to ,him4 ,but follow ,him through the whole course of ,his earthly life and ministry1 and see how just was the image of ,malachi that compared ,him to the sun--the ,sun of ,righteousness with healing in ,his wings4 ,what a gloriously diffusive nature ,he had1 dropping gifts of fabulous price in every direction without money and without price6 ,jesus went about in all ,galilee 7it was now the turn of the north to enjoy the benefit71 teaching in their synagogues1 and preaching the gospel of the kingdom1 and healing all manner of diseases and all manner of sickness among the people4 ,listen to the opening words of the ,sermon on the ,mount2 what a dropping of honey as from the honeycomb we have in those beatitudes1 which so wonderfully commend the precious virtues to which they are attached6 ,follow ,jesus through any part of ,his earthly career1 and you find the same spirit of royal liberality4 ,stand by ,him even in the last hour of ,his mortal life1 and count ,his deeds of kindness4 ,see how ,he heals the ear of ,malchus1 though ,he healed no wounds of ,his own4 ,listen to ,him deprecating the tears of the weeping women1 and turning their attention to evils among themselves that had more need to be wept for4 ,hear the tender tones of ,his prayer1 ,father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do4 ,observe the gracious look ,he casts on the thief beside ,him in answer to his prayer--,verily ,i say unto thee1 this day shalt thou be with ,me in ,paradise4 ,mark how affectionately ,he provides for ,his mother4 ,see ,him after ,his resurrection saying to the weeping ,mary1 ,woman1 why weepest thou8 ,count that multitude of fishes which ,he has brought to the nets of ,his disciples1 in token of the riches of spiritual success with which they are to be blessed4 ,and mark1 on the day of ,pentecost1 how richly from ,his throne in glory ,he sheds down the ,holy ,spirit1 and quickens thousands together with the breath of spiritual life4 ,thou hast ascended on high1 ,thou hast led captivity captive1 ,thou hast received gifts for men2 yea1 for the rebellious also1 that the ,lord ,god might dwell among them4 ,it is a most blessed and salutary thing for you all to cherish the thought of the royal munificence of ,christ4 ,think of the kindest and most lavish giver you ever knew1 and think how ,christ surpasses him in this very grace as far as the heavens are above the earth4 ,what encouragement does this give you to trust in ,him6 ,what a sin it shows you to commit when you turn away from ,him6 ,but remember1 too1 that ,jesus ,christ is the image of the invisible ,god4 ,remember that ,he came to reveal the ,father4 ,perhaps we are more disposed to doubt the royal munificence of the ,father than that of the ,son4 ,but how unreasonable is this6 ,was not ,jesus ,christ ,himself1 with all the glorious fulness contained in him1 the gift of ,god--,his unspeakable gift8 ,and in every act of generosity done by ,christ have we not just an exhibition of the ,father's heart8 ,sometimes we think hardly of ,god's generosity in connection with ,his decree of election4 ,leave that alone2 it is one of the deep things of ,god2 remember that every soul brought to ,christ is the fruit of ,god's unmerited love and infinite grace2 and remember too what a vast company the redeemed are1 when in the ,apocalyptic vision1 an early section of them--those that came out of the great tribulation--formed a great multitude that no man could number4 ,sometimes we think that ,god is not generous when ,he takes away very precious comforts1 and even the most cherished treasures of our hearts and our homes4 ,but that is love in disguise2 ,what ,i do thou knowest not now1 but thou shalt know hereafter4 ,and sometimes we think that ,he is not generous when ,he is slow to answer our prayers4 ,but ,he designs only to encourage us to perseverance1 and to increase and finally all the more reward our faith4 ,yes1 truly1 whatever anomalies ,providence may present1 and they are many2 whatever seeming contradictions we may encounter to the doctrine of the exceeding riches of the grace of ,god1 let us ascribe all that to our imperfect vision and our imperfect understanding4 ,let us correct all such narrow impressions at the cross of ,christ4 ,let us reason1 like the ,apostle3 ,he that spared not ,his own ,son1 but delivered ,him up for us all1 how shall ,he not with ,him also freely give us all things8 ,and let us feel assured that when at last ,god's ways and dealings even with this wayward world are made plain1 the one conclusion which they will go to establish for evermore is--that ,,god ,,is ,,love4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,saul4 #a ,,samuel xxxi4 ,the plain of ,esdraelon1 where the battle between ,saul and the ,philistines was fought1 has been celebrated for many a deadly encounter1 from the very earliest period of history4 ,monuments of ,egypt lately deciphered make it very plain that long before the country was possessed by the ,israelites the plain had experienced the shock of contending armies4 ,the records of the reign of ,thotmes ,,iii41 who has sometimes been called the ,alexander the ,great of ,egypt1 bear testimony to a decisive fight in his time near ,megiddo1 and enumerate the names of many towns in the neighbourhood1 most of which occur in ,bible history1 of which the spoil was carried to ,egypt and placed in the temples of the ,egyptian gods4 ,here1 too1 it was afterwards that ,barak encountered the ,canaanites1 and ,gideon the ,midianites and ,amalekites2 here ,jehu smote all that remained of the house of ,ahab in ,jezreel1 and all his great men1 and his familiar friends1 and his priests1 until he left none remaining2 here ,josiah was slain in his great battle with the ,egyptians2 here was the great lamentation after ,josiah's death1 celebrated by ,zechariah1 the mourning of ,hadad-,rimmon in the valley of ,megiddo2 in short1 in the words of ,dr4 ,clarke1 ,esdraelon has been the chosen place of encampment in every great contest carried on in the country1 until the disastrous march of ,napoleon ,bonaparte from ,egypt into ,syria4 ,jews1 ,gentiles1 ,saracens1 ,crusaders1 ,egyptians1 ,persians1 ,druses1 ,turks1 ,arabs1 and ,french1 warriors out of every nation which is under heaven1 have pitched their tents upon the plains of ,esdraelon1 and have beheld their banners wet with the dews of ,tabor and ,hermon4 ,so late as #ahdj1 when the ,pacha of ,egypt had seized upon ,syria1 he was compelled to abandon the country when the citadel of ,acre1 which guards the entrance of the plain of ,esdraelon by sea1 was bombarded and destroyed by the ,british fleet4 ,it is no wonder that in the symbolical visions of the ,apocalypse1 a town in this plain1 ,ar-,mageddon1 is selected as the battlefield for the great conflict when the kings of the whole earth are to be gathered together unto the battle of the great day of ,almighty ,god4 ,as in the plains of ,belgium1 the plains of ,lombardy1 or the carse of ,stirling1 battle after battle has been fought in the space between ,jezreel and ,gilboa1 to decide who should be master of the whole adjacent territory4 ,the ,philistine host are said to have gathered themselves together and pitched in ,shunem 7chap4 xxviii4 #d71 and afterwards to have gathered all their hosts to ,aphek1 and pitched by the fountain which is in ,jezreel 7xxix4 #a74 ,that is to say1 they advanced from a westward to a northward position1 which last they occupied before the battle4 ,saul appears from the beginning to have arranged his troops on the northern slopes of ,mount ,gilboa1 and to have remained in that position during the battle4 ,it was an excellent position for fighting1 but very unfavourable for a retreat4 ,apparently the ,philistines began the battle by moving southwards across the plain till they reached the foot of ,gilboa1 where the tug of war began4 ,notwithstanding the favourable position of the ,hebrews1 they were completely defeated4 ,the archers appear to have done deadly execution2 as they advanced nearer to the host of ,israel1 the latter would move backward to get out of range2 while the ,philistines1 gaining confidence1 would press them more and more1 till the orderly retreat became a terrible rout4 ,so utterly routed was the ,israelite army that they do not appear to have tried a single rally1 which1 as they had to retreat over ,mount ,gilboa1 it would have been so natural for them to do4 ,panic and consternation seem to have seized them very early in the battle2 that they would be defeated was probably a foregone conclusion1 but the attitude of a retreating army seems to have been assumed more quickly and suddenly than could have been supposed4 ,if the ,philistine army1 seeing the early confusion of the ,israelites1 had the courage to pour themselves along the valleys on each side of ,gilboa1 no way of retreat would be left to their enemy except over the top of the hill4 ,and when that was reached1 and the ,israelites began to descend1 the arrows of the pursuing ,philistines would fall on them with more deadly effect than ever1 and the slaughter would be tremendous4 ,saul seems never to have been deficient in personal courage1 and in the course of the battle he and his staff were evidently in the very thickest of the fight4 ,the ,philistines followed hard upon ,saul and upon his sons2 and the ,philistines slew ,jonathan1 and ,abinadab1 and ,melchi-shua1 the sons of ,saul4 ,saul himself was greatly distressed in his flight by reason of the archers4 ,finding himself wounded1 and being provided with neither chariot nor other means of escape1 a horror seized him that if once the enemy got possession of him alive they would subject him to some nameless mutilation or horrible humiliation too terrible to be thought of4 ,hence his request to his armour-bearer to fall on him4 ,when the armour-bearer refused1 he took a sword from him and killed himself4 ,it may readily be allowed that to one not ruled habitually by regard to the will of ,god this was the wisest course to follow4 ,if the ,philistine treatment of captive kings resembled the ,assyrian1 death was far rather to be chosen than life4 ,when we find on ,assyrian monuments such frightful pictures as those of kings obliged to carry the heads of their sons in processions1 or themselves pinned to the ground by stakes driven through their hands and feet1 and undergoing the horrible process of being flayed alive1 we need not wonder at ,saul shrinking with horror from what he might have had to suffer if he had been taken prisoner4 ,but what are we to think of the moral aspect of his act of suicide8 ,that in all ordinary cases suicide is a daring sin1 who can deny8 ,god has not given to man the disposal of his life in such a sense4 ,it is a daring thing for man to close his day of grace sooner than ,god would have closed it4 ,it is a reckless thing to rush into the presence of his ,maker before ,his ,maker has called him to appear4 ,it is a presumptuous thing to calculate on bettering his condition by plunging into an untried eternity4 ,no doubt one must be tender in judging of men pressed hard by real or imaginary terrors1 perhaps their reason staggering1 their instincts trembling1 and a horror of great darkness obscuring everything4 ,yet how often1 in his last written words1 does the suicide bear testimony against himself when he hopes that ,god will forgive him1 and beseeches his friends to forgive him4 ,does not this show that in his secret soul he is conscious that he ought to have borne longer1 ought to have quitted himself more like a man1 and suffered every extremity of fortune before quenching the flame of life within him8 ,the truth is1 that the suicide of ,saul1 as of many another1 is an act that cannot be judged by itself1 but must be taken in connection with the course of his previous life4 ,we have said that to one not habitually ruled by regard to the will of ,god1 self-destruction at such a moment was the wisest course4 ,that is to say1 if he merely balanced what appeared to be involved in terminating his life against what was involved in the ,philistines taking him and torturing him1 the former alternative was by far the more tolerable4 ,but the question comes up1--if he had not habitually disregarded the will of ,god1 would he ever have been in that predicament8 ,the criminality of many an act must be thrown back on a previous act1 out of which it has arisen4 ,a drunkard in a midnight debauch quarrels with his father1 and plunges a knife into his heart4 ,when he comes to himself he is absolutely unconscious of what he has done4 ,he tells you he had no wish nor desire to injure his father4 ,it was not his proper self that did it1 but his proper self over-mastered1 over-thrown1 brutalized by the monster drink4 ,do you excuse him on this account8 ,far from it4 ,you excuse him of a deliberate design against his father's life4 ,but you say the possibility of that deed was involved in his getting drunk4 ,for a man to get drunk1 to deprive himself for the time of his senses1 and expose himself to an influence that may cause him to commit a most horrible and unnatural crime1 is a fearful sin4 ,thus you carry back the criminality of the murder to the previous act of getting drunk4 ,so in regard to the suicide of ,saul4 ,the criminality of that act is to be carried back to the sin of which he was guilty when he determined to follow his own will instead of the will of ,god4 ,it was through that sin that he was brought into his present position4 ,had he been dutiful to ,god he would never have been in such a dilemma4 ,on the one hand he never would have been so defeated and humiliated in battle2 and on the other hand he would have had a trust in the ,divine protection even when a bloody enemy like the ,philistines was about to seize him4 ,it was the true source alike of his public defeat and of his private despair that he indicated when he said to ,samuel1 ,god is departed from me2 and he might have been sure that ,god would not have departed from him if he had not first departed from ,god4 ,it is a most important principle of life we thus get sight of1 when we see the bearing that one act of sin has upon another4 ,it is very seldom indeed that the consequences of any sin terminate with itself4 ,sin has a marvellous power of begetting1 of leading you on to other acts that you did not think of at first1 of involving you in meshes that were then quite out of your view4 ,and this multiplying process of sin is a course that may begin very early4 ,children are warned of it in the hymn--,he that does one fault at first1 and lies to hide it1 makes it two4 ,a sin needs to be covered1 and another sin is resorted to in order to provide the covering4 ,nor is that all4 ,you have a partner in your sin1 and to free yourself you perhaps betray your partner4 ,that partner may be not only the weaker vessel1 but also by far the heavier sufferer1 and yet1 in your wretched selfishness1 you deny all share of the sin1 or you leave your partner to be ruined4 ,alas6 alas6 how terrible are the ways of sin4 ,how difficult it often is for the sinner to retrace his steps6 ,and how terrible is the state of mind when one says1 ,i must commit this sin or that--,i have no alternative6 ,how terrible was ,saul's position when he said1 ,i must destroy myself4 ,truly sin is a hard1 unfeeling master--,the way of transgressors is hard4 ,he only that walketh uprightly walketh surely4 ,blessed are the undefiled in the way1 that walk in the law of the ,lord4 ,the terrible nature of the defeat which the ,israelites suffered on this day from the ,philistines is apparent from what is said in the seventh verse--,and when the men of ,israel that were on the other side of the valley1 and they that were beyond ,jordan1 saw that the men of ,israel fled1 and that ,saul and his sons were dead1 they forsook their cities and fled2 and the ,philistines came and dwelt in them4 ,the plain of ,esdraelon is interrupted1 and in a sense divided into two1 by three hills--,tabor1 ,gilboa1 and ,little ,hermon4 ,on the eastern side of these hills the plain is continued on to the ,jordan valley4 ,the effect of the battle of ,gilboa was that all the rich settlements in that part of the plain had to be forsaken by the ,israelites and given up to the ,philistines4 ,more than that1 the ,jordan valley ceased to afford the protection which up to this time it had supplied against enemies from the west4 ,for the most part1 the trans-,jordanic tribes were exposed to quite a different set of enemies4 ,it was the ,syrians from the north1 the ,moabites and the ,ammonites from the east1 and the ,midianites and ,amalekites from the remoter deserts1 that were usually the foes of ,reuben1 ,gad1 and ,manasseh4 ,but on this occasion a new foe assailed them4 ,the ,philistines actually crossed the ,jordan1 and the rich pastures of ,gilead and ,bashan1 with the flocks and herds that swarmed upon them1 became the prey of the uncircumcised4 ,thus the terror of the ,philistines1 hitherto confined to the western portion of the country1 was spread1 with all its attendant horrors1 over the length and breadth of ,israel4 ,we get a vivid view of the state of the country when ,david was called to take charge of it4 ,and we get a vivid view of the worse than embarrassment1 the fatal crime1 into which ,david would have been led if he had remained in the ,philistine camp and taken any part in this campaign4 ,how utterly crushed the ,philistines considered the ,israelites to be1 and how incapable of striking any blow in their own defence1 is apparent from the humiliating treatment of the bodies of ,saul and his sons1 the details of which are given in this chapter and in the parallel passage in #a ,chronicles 7chap4 x474 ,if there had been any possibility of the ,israelites being stung into a new effort by the dishonour done to their king and princes1 that dishonour would not have been so terribly insulting4 ,but there was no such possibility4 ,the treatment was doubly insulting4 ,saul's head1 severed from his body1 was put in the temple of ,dagon 7#a ,chron4 x472 his armour was hung up in the house of ,ashtaroth2 and his body was fastened to the wall of ,beth-shan4 ,the same treatment seems to have been bestowed on his three sons4 ,the other part of the insult arose from the idolatrous spirit in which all this was done4 ,the tidings of the victory were ordered to be carried to the house of their idols as well as to their people 7#a ,sam4 xxxi4 #i74 ,the trophies were displayed in the temples of these idols4 ,the spirit of vaunting1 which had so roused ,david against ,goliath because he defied the armies of the living ,god1 appeared far more offensively than ever4 ,not only was ,israel defeated1 but in the view of the ,philistines ,israel's ,god as well4 ,dagon and ,ashtaroth had triumphed over ,jehovah4 ,the humiliation suffered in the days when the ark of ,god brought such calamities to them and their gods was now amply avenged4 ,the image of ,dagon was not found lying on its face1 all shattered save the stump1 after the heads of ,saul and his sons had been placed in his temple4 ,yes1 and the nobles at least of the ,philistines would boast that the slaughter of ,goliath by ,david1 and the placing of his head and his armour near ,jerusalem--probably in the holy place of ,israel--were amply avenged4 ,well was it for ,david1 we may say again1 that he had no share in this terrible battle6 ,henceforth undoubtedly there would be no more truce on his part towards the ,philistines4 ,had they not dishonoured the person of his king8 had they not insulted the dead body of ,jonathan his noble friend8 had they not hurled new defiance against the ,god of ,israel8 had they not spread robbery and devastation over the whole length and breadth of the country1 and turned every happy family into a group of cowering slaves8 ,were this people to be any longer honoured with his friendship8 ,o my soul1 come not thou into their secret2 unto their assembly1 mine honour1 be not thou united6 ,the only redeeming incident1 in all this painful narrative1 is the spirited enterprise of the men of ,jabesh-gilead1 coming to ,beth-shan by night1 removing the bodies of ,saul and his sons from the wall1 and burying them with all honour at ,jabesh4 ,beth-shan was a considerable distance from ,gilboa1 where ,saul and his sons appear to have fallen2 but probably it was the largest city in the neighbourhood1 and therefore the best adapted to put the remains of the king and the princes to open shame4 ,jabesh-gilead was somewhere on the other side of the ,jordan1 distant from ,beth-shan several miles4 ,it was highly creditable to its people that1 after a long interval1 the remembrance of ,saul's first exploit1 when he relieved them from the cruel threats of the ,ammonites1 was still strong enough to impel them to the gallant deed which secured honourable burial for the bodies of ,saul and his sons4 ,we are conscious of a reverential feeling rising in our hearts toward this people as we think of their kindness to the dead1 as if the whole human race were one family1 and a kindness done nearly three thousand years ago were in some sense a kindness to ourselves4 ,that first exploit of ,saul's1 rescuing the men of ,jabesh-gilead1 seems never to have been surpassed by any other enterprise of his reign4 ,as we now look back on the career of ,saul1 which occupies so large a portion of this book1 we do not find much to interest or refresh us4 ,he belonged to the order of military kings4 ,he was not one of those who were devoted to the intellectual1 or the social1 or the religious elevation of his kingdom4 ,his one idea of a king was to rid his country of its enemies4 ,he fought1 we are told1 against all his enemies on every side1 against ,moab1 and against the children of ,ammon1 and against ,edom1 and against the king of ,zobah1 and against the ,philistines3 and whithersoever he turned himself he vexed them4 ,and he did valiantly and smote ,amalek1 and delivered ,israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them4 ,that success gave him a good name as king1 but it did not draw much affection to him2 and it had more effect in ridding the people of evil than in conferring on them positive good4 ,royalty bred in ,saul what it bred in most kings of the ,east1 an imperious temper1 a despotic will4 ,even in his own family he played the despot4 ,and if he played the despot at home he did so not less in public4 ,all that we can say in his favour is1 that he did not carry his despotism so far as many4 ,but his jealous and in so far despotic temper could not but have had an evil effect on his people4 ,we cannot suppose that when jealousy was so deep in his nature ,david was the only one of his officers who experienced it4 ,the secession of so many very able men to ,david1 about the time when he was with the ,philistines1 looked as if ,saul could not but be jealous of any man who rose to high military eminence4 ,that ,saul was capable of friendly impulses is very different from saying that his heart was warm and winning4 ,the most vital want in him was the want of godliness4 ,he had little faith in the nation as ,god's nation1 ,god's heritage4 ,he had little love for prophets1 or for men of faith1 or for any who attached great importance to moral and spiritual considerations4 ,his persecution of ,david and his murder of the priests are deep stains than can never be erased4 ,and that godless nature of his became worse as he went on4 ,it is striking that the last transaction in his reign was a decided failure in the very department in which he had usually excelled4 ,he who had gained what eminence he had as a military king1 utterly failed1 and involved his people in utter humiliation1 in that very department4 ,his abilities failed him because ,god had forsaken him4 ,the ,philistines whom he had so often defeated crushed him in the end4 ,to him the last act of life was very different from that of ,samson--,samson conquering in his death2 ,saul defeated and disgraced in his4 ,need we again urge the lesson8 ,them that honour ,me ,i will honour2 but they that despise ,me shall be lightly esteemed4 ,you dare not leave ,,god out in your estimate of the forces that bear upon your life4 ,you dare not give to ,him a secondary place4 ,god must have the first place in your regards4 ,are you really honouring ,him above all1 prizing ,his favour1 obeying ,his will1 trusting in ,his word8 ,are you even trying1 amid many mortifying failures1 to do so8 ,it is not the worst life that numbers many a failure1 many a confession1 many a prayer for mercy and for grace to help in time of need1 provided always your heart is habitually directed to ,god as the great end of existence1 the ,pole ,star by which your steps are habitually to be directed1 the ,sovereign whose holy will must be your great rule1 the ,pattern whose likeness should be stamped on your hearts1 the ,god and ,father of your ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 whose love1 and favour1 and blessing are evermore the best and brightest inheritance for all the children of men4 ,,end ,,of ,,vol4 #a4 ,printed by ,hazell1 ,watson1 ,viney1 ,ld41 ,london and ,aylesbury4