The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-07-20
SAMUEL THE REFORMER.
International Sunday school Lesson To-
July II, 1889.

Especially arranged from s. s. Quarterly.l
LESSON TEXT Sam. 7:l'l2.
GOLDEN TExr-Cease to do evil; learn 70
do well.-Isa. 1911.
CENTRAL TRuTH-The way Of salvation Is
through repentance Of sin and turning to
the Lord
TIME-B c. 1894. Verse three begins
twenty years after the last lesson. Others
make the date b. c. lll4)
PLAcE-Mizpeh (the "watch'tower'o,
about three miles and half northwest OF
Jerusalem, on high hill. (2) Ebenezer, not
very far from Mizpeh, toward the south
west SAMUEL was now about fifty years
old. His home at Ramah. Now the ac-
cepted Judge of Israel, making circuits
through several towns. SAMSON is sup
posed to have been Judge further 70 the
southwest, dying two years before this
lesson opens. The ARK, after seven months
among the Philistines, was restored, and
renamed for fifty years at Kirjath-j earim,
till David took it to Mount Zion.
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs-l. Rirjdth.
jedrisn: about nine miles west Of Jerusalem
Sd,sctVied: consecrated, not as priest, but
to have care Of the Ark. g. Ashtdroth. plural
of Ashtoreth, meaning the many images OF
the female deity Of the Ph9nicians. Pre-
pare pour hearts: fix your hearts on God. T.
Badlim. plural Of BGdl, the male deity OF
the Ph9nicians; the sun. q. Poured it out:
% showing that, like this water, their
promises could never be returned to them.
Hence it was an act OF confirmation OF their
words. (2) A confession of weakness. C3)
A complete remuneration Of their idolatry;
none was left. Samuel Judged Israel: be-
came the recognized judge, civil, re-
ligious and military leader. Q. A sucking
lamb: new and innocent, as a symbol Of the
new life to be begun. IL. Bethcdr: near
Ebenezer. See Place.
PREPARATIONS FOR REVIVAL. long
discipline of trouble because of their sins,
leading the people to see how evil a thing
sin was 2. A longing for better things
". o. 3. Samuel's labors and teaching.
L. A call to better life ". ~.
EBENEZER people not only had one
victory, but they were delivered for long
time from the power of the Phillstines and
ere long followed the most prosperous
times the nation ever knew The revival
Of religion was the beginning OF new era
Of prosperity, growth and power.
LESSON FACTs-ln the last lesson we saw
the Ark of the Covenant captured by the
Phlistnes and carried away. They kept
the Ark for seven months. For the story
Of how they came to send 1t back, read
chapters and 8. At last it came back.
But Israel was not yet ready for any great
revival, and twenty years passed away.
Then Israel began to "lament after the
Lord" The time was ripe for true re-
vival, and Samuel who, no doubt, had
watched for the right opportunity, came to
the people and urged them to put away the
strange gods whom they had wickedly been
serving, and return to the Lord their
God This the people did, and confessed
their sins to God. Samuel made interceS-
sion for them, and things seemed to go bet
ter for awhile. But when the Philistines
heard that the Israeltes were gathered to-
gether, they conspired to fight against
them. The memory of their past defeats
filled the Israelites with fear, and they be-
sought Samuel to pray for them In re-
Spouse, the prophet offered sacrifice to
God, and God miraculously Numbered so
against the enemy that they were discom-
flied and fled before the 1sraelites, who that
day smote them with great slaughter
CoMMENTs-When Israel sinned, might
God justly have cast them of forever'
Most certainly. Did He cast them OF for
ever! No. for His mercies never fail. He
waited patiently with them for twenty
years, and then as soon as they began to
cry to Him, He heard the voice of their sup
plcation, and pardoned their sin, and re-
stored to them the light of His coun.
tenance This showed what kind Of God
He was. "Forgiving transgresslon and in
EQUITY and SIM" such He had said He was
to Moses. And so He proved Himself to be
to the followers of Moses. What was nee.
essary on the part of Israel to receive par
donl Only that they should repent Of their
sin, and return TO the God Of their fathers.
Only this, and nothing more. And as often
as they returned, they found that He was
gracious and willing to blot out their trans
gressions.
So it still is. When we find that tempta-
ton has swept us away from that which we
know as our duty, we need not give up hope
and feel as though on that account the Lord
was about to cast us of forever. The better
way is to follow the example of Israel and
return to Him from whom we have wan
dered See how God himself encourages US
to do this. He says: Return unto me, We
backsliding children, and will heal your
backslidings." The way to undo our sins is
not by SHINING more, but by confessing them
to God and asking Him for renewed pardon.
Was it not in this way that David and Peter
came back9 And was 1t not because he
would not thus come to the Master that
Judas persisted! The teacher must impress
this upon the mind Of his class, and try TO
make them understand that in staying away
from the Master after they have sinned
they are only making matters worse, not
better.-Rev. A. F. Schauffier.
practical sTrGgPSTIOSs
/. Long years of preparation are needed
for great work
2. God will revive us again, when we
turn from sin and serve Him with all our
hearts.
8. Leaving all sin, casting out "the idols
Of our hearts" is the proof of true repent
ance.
a. We should pray one for another.
5. Public religious services have great
value.
g. Renewed interest in religion awakens
new opposition.
Z. God will give the victory to those who
trust in Him.
s. God will do the work, but we have our
part to perform
PAUL's idea is that we should seek to do
"honest [becomingI things, not only in the
sight of the Lord, but also in the sight Of
men, Oh Cor. 6;2i) That man makes