Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-07-04
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON FOR JULY SEVENTH.
SAMUEL CALLED OF GoD-IsAM. III, LA


SAMUEL CALLED OF GOD-I SAM III, LA
NOTES.-As the lessons for this quar-
ter are all taken from First Samuel, it
will be necessary, for a right eOmpre-
hension of the train of instruction, for
scholar and teacher to read First Samuel
through at sitting before even the first
lesson is learned. To understand right
ly this third chaper one must first
read of Hannah's VOW and subsequent
conservation of the first born to the SER
vice of the Lord. The life of Samuel is
character study especially adapted to
the young. And to interest them the
incidents must become vivid, as if Sam
uel lived in the nineteenth century, and
not, as is supposed by some, about eleven
hundred and fifty years before Christ.
The child SGDluel.-HiS call came
when he was twelve years old, according
to Josephus. This was the age of Christ
when he went into the Temple.-THe
aOord Of the Lord a0Gs precious
scarce. There wasn't much of it, and
what there was had been perverted and
had fallen into decay. No open riSion.-
No authorized communications through
divinely appointed prophets. Nothing
new was published abroad Was laid
dOlon IN his piGce.-Went to sleep in an
apartment opening into the court of the
Temple. There were rooms, like clOis-
ters, opening into the court ali around
for the use of the priests Where
the ark of the Lord lcaS.-Not in the
same room, the holy of holies, but near
it. The ark was made of acacia-wood,
4 feet by q by p. Over it was the
golden lid, or mercy seat, and the cheru-
bin. In it were two tables of stone, the
pot of mamma and AarOn's rod-Sanl-
uel did not get knOlo the Lord -Recog-
nize his voice, know him personally
AH that hare spOken.-Read ii, 27-36.
- lciH Judge his house .fiorerer- The
heaviest curse God could put on him for
his neglect.
I11structiOn.-Nev fail to read the
lessons in the Revised Version and thor
Oughly compare both versions. Many a
thought may come by this method of
careful scholarship which is within the
reach of any student.
The tendency nowadays is to begin
the religious training Of a child at too
late period. One of the most eminent
ministers of to-day said that he distinct
ly remembered what he heard in
church at three years of age, and it in
fuenced him, he thought, to be the man
he was. We are apt to think that a
child can wait until he has well passed
his kindergarten period. On the con-
trary, parents should eonseerate their
little ones by teaching them to say God
as they teach them to say mamma +, by
interesting them in Christ and the Bible
characters just as they are interested in
bOto-1CooC and by-by. Samuel went to
the Temple when he was weaned and he
stayed there.
There are very few places in these
United States where the word of the
Lord is so rare and infrequent that peo-
pie don't know enough to lead right
Lives. The times are not "hard" with US
such diffusion of spiritual truth. The
excuse II knew not" for this or that
sin is SO flimsy one that he marks him.
self as blind fool who gives it.
1t is not hard to imagine that most
boys eleven or twelve years old would
after the second futile call have turned
himself over for comfortable nap
Our boy in the lesson had such re-
spect for his dim-eyed friend who
was old and needed help that he
would have answered and run as cheer
fully at the hundredth call. God will
bless the boy or girl who never gets an
gry or impatient at the care and tender
ness the aged rightfully require and too
often reluctantly demand of the young.
Gentle rebuke, tender expOstulatiOn is
not enough when ones son or daughter
does sinful thing. A parent, if any
body, has the chance and the duty of
frankly revealing the wrong and un-
enforcing the moral code.
A father is not worthy the sacred name
unless he peremptorily check blasphem-
ing sons or frivolous girls. Eli was
Justly threatened with punishment for
neglecting his parental duty.
Don't look for call like Samuers.
You won't get it. But your call is just
as sure to come in another way. 1t
comes through father or mother, pastor,
teacher or friend; it comes when You
read your Bible or think out in the or
chard alone; it comes to every one in
his unmysterious but peculiar way
Like Samuel be ready with speak,
Lord, thy servant heareth."
Many one has started life with hard
duties to perform. One youngster sells
to support a sick mother,
another sweeps the store, and another
keeps quiet around the house for a pa
rent is sick The sense of responsible
ty does not depend on age, but Opportu-
nity. He who does not fail at ten or
twelve to do the unselfish, hard thing,
will be sure to have built the surest
foundation for an imperishable man.
hood.