Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-12-19
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I 13-Read I. Sam. 81.
1t must have been with feelings
very different from those of their last
encounter, when the ark of God was
carried into the battle, that the host
OF Israel now faced the Philistine
army near Mizpeh. Then they had
only the, symbol of Gods gracious
presence, now they had the reality.
Then their spiritual guides were the
wicked Hophni and Phinehas; now
their guide was holy Samuel, saws
DR.. Blake. Then they had rushed
into the fight in thoughtless uncon.
Germ about their sins: now they had
confessed them, and through the
blood Of sprinkling they had obtained
sense Of forgiveness. Then thew
were pulled up by vain presump.
ton; now they were animated by
calm but confident hope. Then their
advance was hallowed by no prayer;
now the cry of needy children had
gone up from Gods faithful servant.
In fact, the battle with the Philis.
tines had already been fought by
Samuel on his knees. There can be
no more sure token of success than
this. Are We engaged in conflict
with our own besetting sins? Or
are we contending against scanda.
lous transgression in the world
around us? Let us first fight the
battle on our knees If we are VIC
torious there we need have little fear
of victory in the other battle.
1t was as Samuel was offering up
the burnt-offering that the Phillstines
drew near to battle against Israel
There was an unseen ladder that day
between earth and heaven, on which
the angels of God assembled and de-
scended as in Jacobs vision at
Bethel. The smoke of the burnt.
Offering carried up to God the con.
fession and contrition of the people.
their reliance on Gods method of
atonement, and their prayer for His
pardon and His blessing. The great
thunder with which God thundered
on the Philistines carried down from
God the answer and the needed helm.
There is no need for supposing that
the thunder was supernatural. It
was supernatural. 1t was an instance
of what is so Common, O natural
force adapted to the purpose of an
answer to prayer. What seems to
have occurred Is this vehement
thunderstorm had gathered q milo
to the east and now broke, probably
with violent wind, in the faces of the
Philistines, who were advancing up
the heights against Mizpeh. Unable
to face such terrific war of the
elements, tho Phillstines would turn
round, placing their backs to the
storm. The men of Israel, but little
embarrassed by 1t. since 1t came from
behind them, and gave tho greater
momentum to their force, rushed on
the embarrassed enemy, and drove
them before them like smoke before
the wind.
Hitherto hath the Lord helped
u.s." The characteristic feature of
the inscription lies in the word
timony to special help obtained in
that time of trouble: 1t was q grate-
full recognition of that help; and It
was an enduring monument to per-
petuate the memory Of 1t. But 1t
was more, much more. The word
hitherto" denotes a series, a chain
Of similar mercies, an unbroken sue
cession of Divine interpretations and
Divine deliverances. The special pur-
pose of this inscription was to link
on the present deliverance to all the
past, and to form a testimony to the
enduring faithfulness and mercy of
q covenant-keeping God. But was
there not something strange in this
inscription, considering the circum-
stances? Could Samuel have forgot
that tragic day at Shiloh? Had Sam
uel forgot how the victorious Philis-
tines soon after dashed upon Shiloh
like beasts of prey, plundering, de-
stroying, massacring, till nothing
more remained to be done to Justify
the name of "Ichabod?"
All that Samuel has considered
we'll Even amid the desolations of
Shiloh the Lord was helping them.
He was helping them to know them
selves. helping them to know their
sins, and helping them to know the
bitter fruit and woeful punishment
of sin. He was helping them to
achieve the great end for which He
had called them-to keep alive the
knowledge of the true God and the
practice of His worship, onward to
the time when the great promise
should be realized--when He should
come in whom all the families of the
earth were to be blessed. Samuel's
idea of what constituted the nations
glory was large and spiritual. The
true glory of the nation was to fulfil
the function for which God had
taken it into covenant with Himself.
Whatever helped them to do this was
a blessing, was token Of the Lords
remembrance Of them. The links
of the long chain denoted by Sam
uel's hitherto" were not all Of one
kind. Some were in the form of mer-
cies, many were in the form of chas-
Jennings. For the higher the func-
ton for which Israel was called, the
more need was there of Christening.
The higher the destination of a sill.
YER vessel, the greater is the need
that the silver be pure, and therefore
that 1t be frequently passed through
the furnace. The destination Of Is
rael does not merely give thanks for
seasons Of prosperity, but for checks
md chastenings too.