IT It is easy to treat lightly the power of individual influence, but even in the affairs of the world the interest of history centres chiefly in individuals. A philosophic historian would probably tell us that this element has been allowed too much prominence, and that instead of interesting ourselves so deeply in the charac- teristics of individuals, we should take more note of peoples, and that the chief subject of interest is their progress. There is truth in the view ; but to how large an extent are peoples affected by their great men and leaders, so that it is impossible to understand the development of the mass without a previous acquaintance with the spirit and teaching of those to whom they have looked up as leaders and guides. The multitude moves under the inspira- tion, in response to the call, of its great men. A sullen discontent may fill a nation's heart, but it remains inoperative until there arises one who shall give it voice, and not only voice, but power to make its protest effective. This is the lesson wrought out in the striking stories contained in the Book of Judges. Who are these men whose names are blazoned on the rolls of Isaiah's chivalry — Gideon, Jephthah, Samson — who are they but illustration of that striking saying of the prophet, "A man shall be as an hiding place " ?
Is it not true, as Tennyson says, that —
" The individual withers and the world is more and more " ?
Do we not expect to reform society by external or mechanical changes rather than by personal leadership ? Do not people say to us, " The shadow of a great rock in a weary land is to be found behind our platform, or party, or creed " ? Was not Matthew Arnold right when he said that the Americans had but one sacred
i82 THE GREAT TEXTS OF THE BIBLE
book, the Book of Numbers ? On the contrary, the history of a democracy, as of all other forms of social organisation, is funda- mentally a history of great men. Behind the power of numbers lies the power of personality. Our national progress is summed up in a few great names : Washington and Lincoln, Hamilton and Jefferson, Emerson and Lowell.^
ii. The Strong in Israel.
It is a call to every one, to every one who has received the gift of power and recognises it. And the call is to use the power so as to become a shelter, so as to become the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Let us take examples. It would be best if we could take ordinary instances, the men and women of like passions, and of like circumstances, such as we are. For the power is given to every one to become the shadow of a great rock. The recognition of the gift may be wanting as well as the use of it. But whoever will may have it and use it. There is no doubt that it would be best if we could take ordinary instances, but it is not possible. Ordinary men and women are not suffi- ciently well known. There is not enough known about them. We must take outstanding examples.
1. Let us take Samson first. It is not easy to make use of the career of Samson for edification. But we know that he received power. It is distinctly stated that the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him. And he used it. He used it according to his understanding and according to his circumstances. His power was in his own right arm. Single-handed he sought to stem the tide of Philistine encroachment. The effort was inadequate, but it was not so utterly inadequate as it seems to us. For it was made in the youth of the nations, and nations, like men, make more of physical strength in their youth than afterwards. According to the gift that was given him, and in spite of certain disabilities, Samson did become to his own time and people the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
The land was very weary These uncircumcised Philistines were a sore trial. Immigrants into the land of Palestine, which is now called after their name, they had come from afar — some say the island of Crete — and they had seized or built certain
* r. G. Peahody, Mtyminqs in the College Chapel, 2nd Ser., p. 114.
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strong cities by the seacoast. They were able and ambitious. They desired to possess the whole land. They were not careful to use legitimate means of accomplishing it. Already it had begun to be a life-and-death struggle between Israel and the Philistines.
And what if the Philistines should win ? Is there a promise that through them all the nations of the earth shall be blessed ? Will Isaiah come from Ashdod ? "Will the Messiah be born in Askelon ? There Samson stood, the shadow of a great rock in that weary, weary land, using the power that had been given him, and in the way he understood it had been given him to use.
2. Take Samuel next. Samson was an athlete : Samuel was a statesman. Samson used the hand : Samuel used the head. The war is still with the Philistines. But it has now become manifest that no single hand, however strong, can bring relief. Samuel's task is to gather the tribes of Israel together and make a nation of them.