The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-14
Mternafional SundaySchooL Lesson

TuhOmQRelHu umu ulH Dwlu MlhIu ulHUl1lu Fourth Quarter. Lesson xI. ' Samuel iii. 1-:1. December 15, 1907. THE BOY SAMUEL. Samuel was "a lily on dungh Ill.," | The child. clad in his white tunic. his l face turned up in innocence toward God. stood in the midst of moral rot tennese unparalleled in Israeps his- tory. He reverently opened and closed the doors of desecrated sanctuary, and ministered unto the Lord whom a degraded priesthood had forgotten. He was the white flower Of a dark epoch. Whence came he? His father was a devout man. punctilious in his attend ance upon the appointed services of religion and In the offering of sacri- fees. He and his house worshfpped God. His mother, secretly lamenting the foul apostasy of Israel. coveted a son. who. if he should not prove the very Shiloh himself, would at least become the moral renovator of the ma . ton. A woman so self -forgetful in prayer as to excite the suspicion of intoxication; possessing the poetic seuius to compose a sacred and praise full hymn surpasse d, if at all, only by the hymn of the Virgin Mary; wo- man consecrated enough to give her hrst-born son unreservedly 10 Goo- from such a parentage came Samuel last fin the line of judges. first in order of prophets. ..
 The boys memory went not back Of the time when his mother, in fulfill ment of her VOW. left him within the curtain walls of the tabernacle. He was the companion and solace of the high priest, so feeble and disgraced. His childish hands began to discharge such services as they were capa of. and his pure heart was filled with reyerent emotions. Here was devel- oped that moral power which was des- tined to eclipse the physical energy of Samson.
 mat youth. soul of innocence and devotion. was no solecism as ne lay there on his little mat. nestling within the sacred precincts of the tabernacie. and Under the soft and hallowed light of the golden lamp stand. That un- suIlied heart was more precious TUT nishing than material altar or censer' thought all were of beaten gold.
 Then, as ever. the prepared heart re- ceived the prepared message. rrom between the cherubim above the ark and through the mystic veil came the ineffabIe voice of God of >Sabaoth. lie called the child by name: Samuel; Samuel!
 The excessive wickedness of the peo- ria had led to A prolonged silence on the part of God, so that the historian says the word of the Lord was rare in those days. No one had any vision from God to publish abroad. The niety of a child led God to break Ills si,ance. Of Samuel's pure heart He could make a sounding-b board to send His voice to the outermost boundaries
 There could have been nothing ter rIble or unnatural iL the accents or Gods voice as He called the child. II was the voice of father anu lrienu Three times he mistook it for the call of the aged high priest. sleeping in his oficial lodge near by and within the tabernacle.
 That night Samuel knew the Lord. and for three-auarters of a century ar rewards His word was revealed 10 him. and His voice as often heard as that of a familiar friend.
 new trait is revealed in this Ias- cinating character. The chiid was ot not smart and pert. His head was not turned by his great and sudden pref- erment He was not anxious to pose at once as a prophet. He showed refined and sensitive spirit in the re- luctance with which he revealed the evil tfdings of which he was the bear CT. Ell had fairly to eStort the sao intelligence from him.
 Such was the genesis of glorious career which placed Samuel among the immortal worthies whose names are grayen upon that tall obelisk. the elev.. enth chapter of the Epistle to the He- brevs. He was the Instaurator or prophetism. His hand effected that bloodless revolution which oh anged ths theocracy of Israel into kingdom
 Analysis and Key. his DarentaRe.
 Characteristics of his father and
 mother.
 Partial account for his own charac-
 ter.
 2. boy given to God and His taber-
 nacle.
 Suggestive effect of environment an d
 occupations.
 Evolution of moral power and spir-
 itual character.
 8. A Divine summons.
 Prepared message for prepared
 heart.
 4. Last of Judges. first of Prophets
 such his origin. environment ana
 training.