The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-18
International .SundaySchoo
 Lesson

Third c,unrter.. Lesson nu.. Il Samuel HI.
 1-a; Ss-9s. July ies fses.
 SAMUEL. WARNS SAUL AND HIS PEOPLE
 The old order was changing rapidly now. The tron age of the Judges. eharActeri1ea largely by its rude and brute force. was pns.ins. The golden age of organised eov- srnment. worship. and instruction. of suo- 3uxation of enemies. and cultivation ot coInmerce and arts, was near at hand
 saul had been designated by lot. anoint- ed. and saiutsd as king But. like the apesties after their first call he had gone hack to his life upon the farm. An oe- casion for his ieadership. however. soon presented itself The Ammonites. besiegins a Jewish city. made terms of equalization intoIerabIe and deliberately intended to disarace the nation Report of t seems not ta have been made to Saul. at least in any official way. Much less had any appeal been made to him But instantly. with the abandon of petriotic heroisn. he stepped into tbe breach. By a most significant sixn he rallied the forces of all Israei. and, in . complete rout of the enemy. proved bimself at once a courageous and skiilfvl commander
 Tn burst of enthusiasm toward the victorious leader. universal reduistion ts made for the recaleitEant minority who had at his coronation expressed sentiments uEKAF0r0D4e 10 GAUi. 1ne HAHHHNANatANg &5 well as sagacity of Saul shows itself in his declaration of amnesty. To samuel the hsur seems opportuns for the complete proclamation Of the monarchy and settle msnt of the incumbent upon his throne. 50 a national assembly is called at Giigai.
 The very place inspired to patriotism and devotion. It was indissolubly Joined with Ysrasrs rescue from the wilderness and entrance upon the had of promise. Be- fore their eyes was the mountain ceirn. made of atopes picked out of the bed of Jordan where 0ed made q viaduct for His people Here the first Passover on the soil of Canaan had been celebrated. and here the kings preliminary installation had occurred.
 The solemn address of samuel Is in every way worthy the place. the occasion. and the speaker It is no flourish or rhetoric. Nothing spectacular or selfish is aimed at One noble end is 10 be con served. namely. the religious devotion of the people under the changed order With the skill of a eonsummate pleader. Samuel seeks a middle ground between himself and his auditors. and especially to re- mind them as forclbly as may be necessary of his integrity in all his dealings with them as individuals and as nation This
 
 the people whom he had sagved so long and faithfully is one of the most impressive things in literature. It furnishes an im- movable foundation from which Samuel can make his appeal.
 The prophet points to the iaureI-crowned victor. who by their own choice divinsly approved. he had nominated to be their king. He commands loyalty to the king and devotion to God who had given the king to them. Tn the strength of his emotion the prophet leaves a sentence un- finished. The effect is far more power fnl than if he had rounded 1t to a period It is as if the people were themselves invoked to fill the hiatus. They can imagine the rich rewards of united fidelity to God on the part of king and 60 will the hand of God be against them pIetsd. As 1t was against their fathers 90 will the hand of God be Eainst them if thay are dieobedient or rebeliious.
 Just at this tuneturs a coincidence occurs of which the prophet skillfully avaiis himself So closely have all been wrapped in attention to samusrs fare well that none have noticed the approach