IV. MEN DEGRADE THEMSELYES in so far as the METHODS THEY ADOPT DO NO'!' HAR· l!IONISE WITH THE SUPREME ODJECT FOR WHICH THEY LIVE. 'l'he ordin'nry reader 'feels that Israel was self-degraded in preferring· to live like heathen nations when nnother -course was open. The ends of Israel's existence were highly moral; the mere Jov<' -of pomp and splendour had no congruity with this end. What had grand military and regal parade to do with the righteousness which alone exalts a nation, and which was the peculiar qualification for advancing l\Iessianic issues? It would not save them from the disasters consequent on loss of righteousness-rather it would oggra- ,·ate them (nr. 18); nor would it make the practice of righteousness more,easy. There is an intellect1.tal and moral debasement in choice of means for an eiid not con• gr1.1ous with it, and in face of warning. The individual Christian and the' Church profess to liYe for spiritual purposes. They degenerate when, from sheer self-will and hankering after the outwardly sensational, they seek to promote private or public -ends pertaining to their Christian calling· by anything not spiritual in character and tendency. V. The CHOICE OF METHODS NOT APPROVED BY Goo IS NO BAR TO THE FINAL REALISA- TION OF TITE DIVINE PURPOSE. As when men from discontent with God's provision sought flesh, he sent them quails in abundance, so now he allows their freedom and giYes a king. The quails and manna were only means of subsistence. "The life was more than meat." So the government by judges or king·s was only method of training the people for their ultimate purpose in life. Men might sicken and die with excess of flesh, but the nation would live on.' ·Trouble and sorrow might arise from a change of form of government, and the people might morally sink in the choice, yet God would overrule all and effect his purpose. The Cliurck may 8'11,/fer mucli from her perverseness, and comparatively tedious advance will' be mnde,in the world; yet Christ will at last subdue all to himself, albeit his foolish people have to learn many a bitter lesson. Likewise personally the image of Christ ,will,,some day be more perfect in tbe soul, though late in life, and after many a sorrow induced by our .own self-will in deviating from his methods of perfecting character.
H011ILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS .. Yers. 1-3. (BmmsHEBA.}---]gnoble sons of an lwnouredfatker. Nearly all that is kHown of Samuel's household is here stated. He had at least-two sons, Joel (Jehovah is God) and Abiah (my father is Jab), whose names were indicative, of the de- vout spirit in which they were given (1 Chron. vi. 28: "'Arid the, l!Ons .of Samuel, the firstborn, and the second Abiah ; " ver. 33 : '' Heman. a singer, the· son of Joel ; " -eh. xv. 17 ; xxv. 5: "Heman, the king's seer"). During the period of his judgeship they grew to maturity, and toward its close he made them "-jud&'es over Israel," an_d ,sent them to administer justice in Beersheba, in the southern limit of• the land. llis i11fluence as judge as well as prophet extended "from Dan even to Beersheba'' ( eh. iii. 20), and with advancing age he needed assistance in his labours. "It may be -doubted whether Samuel acted wisely in making this appointment, especially if, as _seems to have been understood, the nomination in l1is lifetime of his sons to fulfil the functions he bad hitherto discharged alone was an intimation that he meant them to be regarded as his successors in such government as he exercised. Nothing of this kind had been done beforn. , And thus, almost unconsciously, perhaps, he was led to give a kind of sanction to tbe hereditary principle of government which wos soon to be turned against himself'' (Kitto). He acted according to his judgment of what was best and doubtles~ with disinterestedness. There is no reason to suppose that he failed' to train his sons in the right way, or that he was aware of lheir 1 conduct at Beersheba "and reb-trained them not.'' He is not, therefore,' to ltc blamed. No ma11 is infallible. The plans of the wisest men are often marred by the misconduct < f others. And this appointment was, in its result, disastrous. • , , • ,,,,. I. THEIR ADVANTAGES WERE GREAT. They were sons of one"of the mos~ fu1!hful a1,d eminent servants of God had the benefit of his instruction and example m private an<l public, studied perhaps' in a school_ of the proJjhe~s, were w~ll acqu_a\nted with the law, held iu honour for their futher s sake, placed Ill responsible pos1bone. All CD. VIIJ. 1-22.] 'l'I-IE 1''1HS1' BOOl{ OF SA:.\-IUEL. 151