The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-06-28
SAMUEL CALLED.
International Sunday-SchOOl Lesson HoR
July Z. 1889.

GOLDEN 1EAT-10eu dAS"OA oAS |
Speak, for Thy servant heareth.-1 Sam.
$40. i
CENTRAL TRUTH-God calls US to love and
serve Him.
T1ME-B & 1874, when Samuel was twelve
years old.
PLACE-Shiloh, the religious capital OF
Israel. seventeen miles northwest OF Jeru-
salem.
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY - Samson was
horn about the same time as Samuel, and
was Judge in another part of the country.
INTRoDUCTIoN--W now take up our les
sons where we left off at the close OF 1885,
The Judges ruled over three hundred years,
to the time of Samuel Now we enter upon
q new era in the history of Israel
HELPS OVER HARD PLACES-1 Samuel NTH |
(stered: did such work as lighting lamps, |
opening doors. etc Before Eli: under the
direction of the high priest He seems TO
have been personal attendant WORD Wds
1recio,Ls: e. rare No open riSiOn: no pup
lie prophesy, such as had been through
Moses and Joshua. 8 Ere the lamp tocnt
out: e., just before morning. Lad downto
sleeO; in one of the buildings within the
court Of the tabernacle, and built around IL
| Not In the tabernacle itself 10. And hS
Lord came and stood: in some manifest pres
| ence or vision Not merely voice as be-
fore. IL. Both the ears tinglc: with horror.
| - Al things phich 7 haze spoken some
time before this by prophet Il Sam. Z:St-
| S4) 49, Made Themselves Uile: probably oet-
| ter rendered. have cursed Themselves l. g.,
| brought curses upon themselves Cook.
Ellis sons had blasphemed God and made
| light of HIM by their Infamous conduct In
| his very presence He restrained them not:
and hence was partly to blame. IA. Shdn
not be pur0ed cleansed away, but the pun
ishment would surely come.
| COP CALLING THE YOUNG God is calling
every child as he called Samuel. 1t IS an
individual call, by name, for HE caletn
His own sheep by name" God calls % by
His Word; (2) by His own loving attrac-
tive character, CD by what He has done
for US in Jesus Christ; az by the influences
of the Holy Spirit; (5) by various provi'
dences; (6) by conscience, 0) by SabbatnS
and religious services; (8) by the invita-
tions and influence of friends; GU by the
living water which satisfies every thirst OF
the soul; OO) by the attr actions or good
ness and Of Heaven
LESSON FACTS We now return to the Old
Testament for our lessons. And a more
beautiful story than that of the text 1t Is
impossible to find Let the teacher hrst
tell the class about the birth of little Sam
uel. and how his mother at tender age
, brought him to the temple, thereto minister
| to the Lord. Having made that clear, the
way will be open to go on to the story OF the
3 lesson.
, Much is implied in the first verse. The
teacher may we'll try TO set before the class
, | the simple duties Of the young lad as ne
| went about his daily task. Among his
other duties was the opening and closing
q Of the doors of the tabernacle each DAY
and perhaps, also, the lighting OF tnt
= golden candlestick. Besides this, he was
= kind of personal servant of the aged Ell
There was nothing at all romantic about al
this, but it was fidelity in small things tina
- opened the way for the larger privileges O
: which our lesson speaks. At last there
came dav which, in the life OF this boy
was most marked.
One day the lad had gone to his rest Al
usual in some one of the chambers arount
the tabernacle The night had worn ava.
n silently, and the morning was approaching
3. No profane priests or pious worsh1per
q have yet appeared at the tabernacle. Al
d was wrapped in that profound sllenc
which betokens the approach of the dawn
y Then, without warning, Samuel heard hi
le name distinctly spoken ut is Eli"
re- thinks, and with quick obedience he an
Is swers the call Il called thee not" say
old Eli; Ego lie down again." Perplexeo
le and perhaps thinking that he had bee
90 dreaming, the boy returns to his loWl
4. couch. Again the voice speaks his name
and again, thinking that it must be hi
master, he runs, but only to be sent bacl
A third time this experience is repeated
re and then only does it dawn upon Ellis min
IN that God is calling the boy. go lie down,
We saws the old man, land it shall be that ii b
ce call thee, thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, IL
RI Thy servant heareth.'" For the fourt
of time God called, and now the lad, fl
it. structed. saws: "Speak, Lord, for TIL
es servant heareth" Then God tells hi
he what He proposes to do in the family
an Eli, and how He will bring judgment upc
ge the house of the high priest for his failul
va to do what he should have done in the brin
at ing up of his sons.
ar CoMMENTs-There are other ways
,sa which God speaks to US, besides in
tn HOLY Word. To every one He has given
oh conscience, which tells them that 1t
70. wicked to do wrong. What is that in o.
r.. hearts which condemns US when we ha'
mn told lie or disobeyed our parents? 1t
in. really the voice OF God, just as plain as tn
ba which addressed the boy so many years a.
act In the tabernacle. There is no one in Ii
IN class who has not had the privilege of hes
nd ing the voice of God speaking directly
an. him. No one will ever be able to say:
yer have not had as great privileges as that b
ich had" In fact, we must confess that '
aid have, in reality, had higher advantag
be than he, for the revelation that we have
ar. our hands is far fuller and far more he
nta full than that which the boy Samuel I
wv. ioyed. How did Samuel act as soon as
Id understood that it was God who was spe;
,ok ing to him? He said: ''Speak, Lord; for 7
thu servant heareth." That was a good way
~ answer the Lord By 'heareth" he mes
thu not only that he was ready TO listen, but
w. obey as well That is exactly the attitU
ar. that every one should take when God spes
na. to them, whether 1t be by the voice of til
1on OWN conscience or by the written page
on His Holy Word. II, in this particular,
nd are careful 10 obey what we hear, we 81
~ receive mauy messages from Him that
A. gladden. our lives and lead US in the y
,.a In which we should walk. Il is only tn
, in who are not willing to obey what they
"a hear who receive no additional MESA