t1ill i11g hy the wayside, feared the worst. But even he was not prepared for such a ~lirnax of calnmity. Defeat would bring sorrow, not surprise; for were not the people godless? Slaughter would be regarded with pain -as retribution for national sins. W ns it not his own foult that his sons had not suffered capital punishment long ago? All that was most sacred and revered in the history of the chosen race, the very glory of God-this to be wrested from the hands of Israel and liome off in triumph by the heathen, who can hear it and live I There is nothing now to live for. I. To THE EYE OF MAN GoD SUFflrn:, DEFEAT. The men of Shiloh may be taken as a type of the worldly, unspiritual mind. They had been instructed to believe that Jehovah was engaged on their side in conflict with the wicked idolatrous nations. The ark hnd become with them almost synonymous with the Almighty himself. Hence the sudden wail of the city when they, hr,aring the sad tidings, leapt to the -sudden conclusion that now at least the Vanquisher was vanquished. The disaster was a check to his purposeR proceeding from his declared enemies. There are occasions wlien the surface of events suggests such a thought. The introduction of sin into the world by an evil power appeared to mar the work of God and defeat his purpose in creating a pure and beautiful world. In the days of :Roah the power of evil seemed to triumph, inasmuch as the earth became utterly corrupt. The destruc- tion of the holy hill of Zion, and desecration of the courts of the Lord by the declared enemies of Israel's God, was regarded by the heathen as a proof of his inability to guard bis own. To the terror-stricken disciples of Christ it seemed for a -while that the "g·ates of hell " were prevailing against him, and that the kingdom of .which prophets wrote and poets sang was prematurely annihilated. II. The APPEARANCE OF DEFEAT IS OWING TO THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH Gon 18 PLEASED TO CARRY OUT HIS DESIGNS. God does not govern in the moral world by .bard mechanical laws, but realises his purposes under the conditions involved in the existence of creatures endowed with freedom and accountability. He adapted his ~xercise of power. to the spiritual condition of Israel. Hence, what is defeat to the human eye may really be fore-ordained _and reasonable_ restraint. Symbol and chas- tisement were suited to the imperfect state of the religious thought and feeling. If the surrender of the symbol shall issue in better results than its retention, then wh:it seems defeat arises out of the peculiar conditions under wl,ich God works his will. !rhe principle has witk application. It is a condition of the possible existence of .f.ree moral creatures that their life may or may not be marred by sin. If, then, sin roars the world, God's purpose is not really defeated. The forces of evil in the antr- diluvian age might have been crushed out by the Spirit had God reversed the condi- tions under which he governed men, and forced them to be holy. The visible, transitor:-,· life of Christ and his liability to .death were, from II the foundation of the world," Divinely-recognised conditions of accomplishing human redemption. The occasional -0bliteration of religious ordinances and of personal piety often results from the fact that the Church is ari1enable to the law, "From him that bath not shall be taken away even that which he bath." Finally, so far as we can see, the happiness of a world is reasonably made conditional on the free, responsible action of the world as an inter- related community, in which the good or evil of one is wisely made to affect all the rest. III. WHAT illf!;;MS DEFEAT TURNS OU'!' TO DE A STEP TO FINAL VICTORY. It is the per- fection of wisdom to snatch victory from defeat. This is seen in the first effect of the capture of the nrk. The dormant conscience of the people was aroused. Right- eousness, not charms and ceremonials, must be the antecedent of victory. It will be found that nil other apparent defeats of God's designs prove to be smges toward a ltig!ter good. Tiu, curse of sin was the occasion of the'' seed of the woman'' being pro- mised to II bruise the serpent's head." The men of Noah's time procured a sweeter earth and a most weighty warning and encouragement for the use of all future generations. The sighs and tears of desponding disciples yielded to the exultant joy arnl abounding; hope of the kingdom won with his blood who now liveth el'ermore. And howe,·er much sin may now mar the life of the world, there is reason to believe that, unde1 the control of him who is II able to subdue nil things to himself," the issue of all will be the vindication of right and the more gloriou~ assertion of God's majesty. Umeral lessons :-1. It is proprr I~> avoid haste in expressing unfo.vouu.ble 92 THE FIRST nooK OF SAMUEL. [en. IV. l-22'.
judgmcnt 0'.1 _eYents that seem adnrse to the final success of Christianity. 2. Whcrr 11:real c-alam1tics come on the Chnrch. the first effect shouhl be great scarchim• of heart. :l. There is eq'ry cnconrng-ement, fi·om the history of the past, for strong~st conlid- <'nC'e in the final trinrnph of Christ oYcr every foe. ReJoice not auainst me, O mine cnem!/ (l\l icah Yii. 8). Ca.st down, lYtit not destroyed (2 Cor. iv. 9). Surely t!te wrath of ma.n shall praise tlzee (I's. lxx,·i. 10). He must reign till lie hatli put all enemies- under Ms feet (1 Uor. x,·. 25). •