The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-06

spoken. Samuel ran through the apartment.
20 be- informed 10 The contrary. ami to be
directed to his bed. Again the voiC- cam-.
with like Response ana result y third time
he heard and haStrued. saving with sur
| lri>et emphasis. Thou didSt call Jntil
this visit Eli had not understood what had
happened. He may have supposed that
there was some diSrurDanC. in Siulnber
through diScr1ered vital functions. Now
H. perCeives that there Was Il divine man
hesitation. Perhaps recent cuinnnuhicailonS
made 10 him Were recalled. Vrhron. ii. y
So He Therefore directed the boy To lie
down once more and told him what to sa.
if called a fourth time. God intelled in
this way 10 teach Samuel reverence for au-
thoTity. as Jesus did Matt. viii. l., Again
ant heareth." WAS the answer. In that one
sentence SLrnue! recognized the person VINO
spoke and Acknowledged his readiness To
serve and made. ii possible for God to 90
with him according To his pleasure.
kNOWLEDGE-The seventh verse of our
lesson sheds light ON the conduct OF sam
Gel. The marginal rendering i a better eX-
preston than the Orisinal. Thus did Samuel
nefore he knew The Lord and before he
This accounts tor his three visits to Eli. and
explains why he did not recognize the Voice.
he did not know God. He was brought
into personal acquaintance with Jehovah. a
higher state than that enjoyed by most men.
even the righteous. That state cannOt be
described. bur II was evidently one OF great
b!. SseGneSS. ,John xvii. - II WAS undOubt-
edtv the plan of the Almighty to bring .he
entire race into such intimacy with himself.
-AtlstlIi p"EiN liIllS 'rtI- III, ibl. nut zen AWAY
iE iranssreSsing Uien. iii. 81. Subsequently.
as the centuries PASSED. here and there men
retu.nrd and knew the Maker. Among the
more illustriouS of TN So We're Enoch Gen.
V. - ana Adam flames ii. 30. OF the Olden
time. Such Were the writer's Of Scripture.
This direct knowledge of God prepared a
enccs In his felloW-meH.
JtDGMENT-N0w that Samuel was
heard. rec9snized and answered the Call,
what will God say To him? Or. rather. mas
much as many things will ne communicated
IN IN" course of the years Il sam. iii. 9II.
what will God say first: Is 1t prudent TO
trust weiehtv subjects TO a child" If he
knows God * he prepared to receive such
messages; hen the divine enters the hui
man u pu:iiicS and expands A child with
'oi Is wiser than a man without him.
tEccl. ~. 49, On that night God made known
10 Samuel his proposed judgments upon the
houSe Of Eli. his purpose to remove the
priesthood from his family. He also dis
closed the reason for this purpose. yhe rofO-
riOus immortality of Ellis sons. Whv tp!I
this 10 Samuel? II was a very timely les
son for the boy. He needed 10 Know that
Gods ministers must he holy tLev. xxi. S..
that iiophfi and fhincdS We're rejected on
account OF thrir SINS. and re needed. above
all TO adjust his own conduct and character
not according 10 the loose practices then
prevailing. but according to the higher
standards which God had set IN. Moreover.
although there is no record 10 that effect.
Samuel had reason 10 infer that this pro-
motion would follow Els rejection.
TEACHtNG-of the many Instructive
points in the lesson we have room only for
the following: l. The religion OF a people
Is dependent upon its ministers. der. V. ID
Their character ana example are most po-
tent. Licentiousness III them is 4 public
calamity. Holiness to the lord should he
their motto. ,Ix. xviii. So ,. Fathers
ar" responsible for their sons. many Of
whom become wayward ami fll the land
with mourning because unrsStraincd. Eli Is
an example of parental failure worthy of
study. .. \ piouS mother is Gods best gift
TO man. 4 generation. or a nation. Her
prayers bring down showers Of blessings.
She transmits herself to her offspring AMI
lives in them. The world needs more Han
mains. No woman need desire, Il larger mis-
sion than hers. / The hopes of better days
center in the children. \ hOy-deSired be
fore birth. welcomed At birth. nurtIred after
birth. "onsecrated to God. trained in Gods
house. called by Gods voice. instructed IN
Gods purpOS-will make Il man who can
be used for Gods glory. All along the
centuries the iniirfn and the incompetent
who fail. give way for the PREPARED youth
who succeeds.