The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-04
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON
t- Copyright, Davis W. Clark.)
 

Pleasant Fields of Holy Writ.
 Save for my da''y range
 Among the pleasant fields of Holy Writ, might despair. -Tennyson' Third Quarter. Lesson I. Samuel
 viii, 1-1o July 5, 1903.
 Israel Asking for King.
 For four hundred years. the Hebrews had had the most unique form or gov ernment in the history of the world namely, a tneocracy. There was no visible chief ruler, no palace. throne, or scepter: not unless the tabernacle should be considered the palace of their unseen and unseeable king. In point Of fact' the ark of the covenant was called throne, and the holy of holies, throne room hebrew poetry. pictures Jenovan as seated on the golden wings or the cherubim, his feet resting upon the golden lid of the ark as upon foot stool. There mercy was to be obtain ed. and so it was called the mercy seat There also was security. Under the shadow of the wings of the cherubim, on which Jehovah sat, his people were en- couraged to trust. The great advan- tages of the theocracy for Israel while 1t lasted, are apparent in every issue and incident of national life. But a point of transition had evidently been reached in the lifetime of the nation. It is diff ficult to say, with any degree Of cer- tainty. to what extent the ideal Of the theocracy had been lived up to. It Is evi- dent however that at this juncture Israel had fallen away from 1t. The alleged nepotism of Samuel. and the oppres- sion of his sons, were palpaole pretexts The people panted a change. They had perhaps been ridiculed by their neighbors as a headlesJ nation. Tnen. to,. they were restive under the rule or tie theocracy, which held them to the highest ideals of personal and CIVIC righteousness. The cry was raised: "A King! like all the nations"
 Happily, at this crisis-hour, there stood out the towering personality of a great man and patriot. Samuel was outraged at the popular demand. There was no personai element in the equation. His whole career lifts him above that suspi- cion. And the very fact. that the request was made to him, Is incidental evidence of the esteem in which he was helo' IL is a tribute to his power to bring things to pass The reason of SamueIs ais pleasure was, that he considered u a dethroning of God.
 One of the wisest things Samuel ever did, in a long life packed with wisdom. was to take time to pray. In spite or the inlportunity of the elders and the neople. he went in before the Lord, and spread the whole matter before him. He was quiet, and listened to see what the Lord would say. He waited TOT orders from headquarters. The asker received. the seeker found, the knocker had the door opeend From his inter view with the Divine, Samuel emerged, calm in spirit clear in purpose, conf1- dent of success.
 The change in the form of government, had the divine sanction. The people had nroved themselves unfit for theocracy It was an ideal to which they could not attain. God would accommodate him self to their low level, and give theDS the desire of their hearts. He did not do this, however, without distinct warn ing of the perils involved. All the evils incident to royalty in the Orient are |, yividly pictured. This is done to set the people on their guard, and thus re- duce the danger to minimum
 The outcome of Samuers wise and patriotic service, was a monarchy Ike, yet unlike, that of the surrounding nations. The ultimate deposit from the fervent heat of this bloodless revolu- tion, was a theocratic monarchy-God ruling yet but through kings of his own selection, and limited by terms which he had prescribed. Samuel effected this constitutional change with the master hand of states man. He was the Cavour of Canaan He secretly advised and strengthened the candidate to the throne. He gave no public intimation of his knowledge of who the candidate was He allowed the Ilot-casting to go on without foreshadow- ing the inevitable outcome. He faith fully warned Israel of the historic dan gers of monarchy, and uncovered the sin fulness of motive in desiring this change.
 He announced the limitations under which the king might reign. and made this a matter of record. It has been well said. no man ever resigned the first power of the State into other hands with so much courtesy, tenderness. dignity, and grace. It was the highest possible tribute to the integrity, patriotism and capacity of
 Samuel that the people intrusted the
 proposed change implicitly to his hands. | The Teachers Lantern.
 preview of the new quarter may
 well be taken at this point. The les
 sons are in the First Book of Samuel In the earliest Hebrew manuscript. the
 two books appear as one. They ara