Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-11-02

the Lord" After the death Of Eli and his
sons the ark which the Philistines had
taken remained in their country seven
months, bat IL brought such trouble upon
them that they were glad 20 get rid Of 1t,
and so sent it home on a new cart drawn
by two milk COWS and accompanied by a
trespass Offering (chapter vi, 1912 Tho
men Of Beth-shemesh were glad 10 sec the
ark again, but transgressed by looking
into it, and over O,000 persisted. The man
Of Kirjath-jca then came and fetched up
the ark OF the Lord, and il abode in the
house Of Abinadab in the hill for 20 years
fverse q. 1t was some time during those
20 years that Samuel urged the people to
put away all their idols, turn 20 the Lord
with all theil heart and serve Him only,
and no would pray for them.
g. And they gathered together 10 Mlz-
peh, and drew water and poured It out be-
fore the Lord The name " Mizpeh' is
found Just seven times in this chapter
and Just II times in Jer xl and xii
Its Significance is SEEN In Gen. XXI, 40.
10 be that OF God Judging or watching be-
tween people--God as witness. Tho wa
ter poured out represented their utter help
Iessness and true penitence; they Were a.
water poured upon the ground which
could not be gathered up again Oil sam
xiv, ID Samuel lived hafose God and
sought TO lead tho people so 70 do.
T. sThe childBcn of Israel We're afraid Of
the Philistinesf IL troubles satan whom
he sees the people Of God giving themselves
20 prayer and fasting. He seems TO under
stand that such conduct means some deil
mite business with God and some sure re-
suits; hence the Philistines are stirred to
action by Israel's conduct. But Israel mad
no cause TO fear and would not have feared
had they but remembered the Lord 5 past
dealings on their behalf in Egypt. ana the
wilderness, and in the days of the judges
To be afraid Of man is to forget God lisa
Ii, H. l3).
s. Cease not TO cry unto the Lord orr
God for US, that He viii save us out Of The
hand Of the Philistincs. I" Perhaps they
thought of the successful pleadings Of
Moses on behalf of the people (Nunl. xiv
10, 20), and believed that the oifectual
fervent prayer Of "a righteous man ayaiieth
much (Jas v, l6). In RS. |, 10, it Is
written: Call upon Me in the day of from
BILE / will deliver thee, and thou shalt
glorify Me-" In Thess. y, IL; Pet -
5, we are TO pray without ceasing and be
sober and yigilant.
8. samuel cried unto the Lord for
Israel, and the Lord heard him. The
margin says answered him. The burnt
Offering spoke of the merits of the great
sacrifice of which all sacrifices were typ
ical whose merits alone can avail any
thing. 1t also spoke of whole hearted sur
render to God as fully shown forth in lev
| and Rom xii, /, 2. Samuel in a measure
represented both prophet priest and king
The king rules in Righteousness, the
prophet is for God to the people and the
priest is for the people before God. On en-
couragements in prayer see Mark XII, 23,
24 John V, Is.
10. THE Lord thundered with great
thunder on that day upon The Philistincs
and discounted them" The PhilistineS
drew near to battle while Samuel was hav
ing dealings with God in the matter of the
burnt Offering. That was poor time for
them to touch the people of God when they
were accepted before Him, in the Offering
(Iev. i, A. Believers are always accept
ed in the Beloved" (Eph. /, %, and who
ever touches them touches Him. Thunder
is the voice Of God, as in Ps. xxx, B. q;
Job xxxvii, is; John xii, rs. When lie
speaks, none can stand before Him. just
two words from Jesus sent the soldiers
who came to take Him falling backward
to the ground (John xviii, %.
IL. "And the men of Israel went out OF
Mizpeh and pursued the Philistines and
sinote them" When David went forth in
the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God Of
the armies Of Israel, he prevailed over the
Philistine with sling and with a stone
Il Sam. xviii SOY. When the children Of
Judah relied upon the Lord God of their
fathers, they prevailed over their enemies
Oh Chron. xiii, IS). For the eyes OF the
Lord run to and fro throughout the whole
earth to show Himself strong on behalf Of
them whose heart is perfect Cor whole or
quiet) toward Him" I'll Chron. xvi, -.
-. ''Then Samuel took stone and sct
it between Mizpeh and Shen and called the
name of it Ebenezer (the stone of help),
saving. "Hitherto hath the Lord helped
us" The name Ebenezer' is found only
i'm chapters ~, 1, and V, l, and here Inthe
two former places it is associated with the
victory Of the Philistines, but here with
their defeat The Philistines triumphed
because Israel relied upon the ark and not
upon the Lord (chapter iv, 81 but now
Israel triumphs because it relies upon the
Lord He who reads the heart can always
tell whether we really rely upon Him or
10. 1.-THE hand Of the Lord was against
the Philistines all the days of Samuel. T"
They were subdued and came no more into
the coast of Israel in his days. This was
''the hand of the Lord, - not the work of
Samuel, but it was the hand OF the Lord
because of Samuel's whole heart for God.
Ezra could testify that The hand of our
God was upon us and He delivered US from
the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay
in wait by the way Ezra viii. 80. He
also testifles in chapter vii, %, II was
strengthened as the hand of the Lord my
God was upon me-"
IA. And the cities which the Philistines
had taken from Israel We're restored to Is
rael. And there was peace between Israel
and the Amorites" They had peace and
prosperity because the Lord was with
them "When mans ways please the
Lord Ho maLeth even his enemies to be
at peace with him prov xvi -. The
way of peace and vic DRY is fully stated in
verse of our lesson chapter-a whole
hearted turning 60 the Lord. all idols put
away and a prepared heart TO serve Him
Gnly. Then we are ready 10 see some Of
the great and mighty things which He
viii do for those who trust in Him that
Ills name Eisiy be glori.ied (.Jer. xxxiii,
3D. "Walk before Me. and be thou per
feet Is sill he word for each believer
gGen xvii 1. Dent xiii, l3D
Is. And samuel Judged Israel all tie
days OF his II e. We shall nieet Samuel
again in connection with raul and David,
bat 1t is well to cote here in connection
with his Office as indge in Israel that when