The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 166

religious service. 2. Following the directions given, he meets Samuel ascending to the high place. 3. Samuel is already instructed by God to expect during the day the man whom he is to anoint as king. 4. On seeing Saul, an intimation is given from God that he is the chosen man. In some respects this narrative of events re- sembles what is occurring every day in every land, for we have here a set of inde- pendent actions converging on a common result. No siugle meeting of men occnrs in society without a variety of acts and movements having directly or indirectly preceded it as links in the chain of causation. But the speciality in this instance is the information that the meeting of Saul and Samuel was pre-ordained of Gori. Hence the incident is an illustration of the double side of what to men may appear to be only ordinary human occurrences. An uninformed person would have said that it was accidental that the asses went astray, and that maidens directed Saul to their city, where Samuel happened to be. To Saul it so appeared ; but, guided by the inspired narrative, we know that the "accident" was "fore-ordained" without de- stroying its really accidental character. We may notice what light the record before us throws on the general question of special providences. I. we SEE HERE THE FREE ACTION OF MANY INDEPENDENT WILLS. In so far as asses exercise will, those were free in straying from home on that day. The action of Kish in. selecting Saul rather than any one else to seek them was quite bis own. The readiness -of Saul to obey bis father and not find a substitute in the toil was unconstrained. The mental and emotional antecedents of the citizens prompting their will to arrange for Samuel to· visit their city were natural, and operated on wills perfectly inde- pe~dent, The sug·gestion of the servant that Saul shduld uot return, but go to this very -city, aro·se spontaneously; and Saul's concern for his father was relieved by consider- ations which he freely yielded to. The action of Samuel, amidst his many public engagements, was free in deciding to offer ijUcrifice, and, so far as we can see, not exc1usively connected with an expectation of meeting the coming king in that par- ticular place. In addition to all these free and independent acts, there were events wl1ich tended to turn the free acts in the one direction. Lack of pasture in certain places may have influenced the asses to take the course they did. The distance to be traversed was just such as to bring Saul to the vicinity of Samuel where persons were at hand to answer his questions. The difficulty of approaching the prophet with a proper token of respect was overcome by the casual possession of a small coin. Tliis analysis of fact accords with what may be affirmed of thousands of incidents ;;very day. Independent lines of force converge on one point and issue in an his- torical resultant. In no case recorded in Scripture does any supreme power take away freedom of action. II. The FREE ACTION OF MANY IS ATTENDED BY THE UNRECOGNISED ACTION OF Goo. In the instance before us this is obvious, for it was ordained that Samuel should meet with Saul on that very day, though they were so far apart (vers. 15, 16). Whether it was "chance " that took Saul to that city or some influence exerted on him is easily answered by the fact that it was God's purpose for Samuel to see and anoint him. God'~ fore-ordination does not wait on " chance." The same reasoning would show that even the course taken by the asses, though free, was not without God's action. The inspiration of Samuel's conduct is a primary fact of the prophetic offic.:e. It is possible to start difficulties in relation to this subject; but they are diffi- culties of ignorance, not of lcnowledge, and therefore lose much of their force. 'Ne do not even know wliat the free act of will is, though we know the fact. We know that our actions are free, and yet that we are influenced by others. The point of junction between the external influence and the free act of our will has never been detected ; the!·efore, any difficulties which men raise against these narratives in the Bible lie equally ugainst all interaction of free natures. The Scripture doctrine is that God does act on man without destroying his freedom. God is not a latent energy. He assures us that he is a real Power, working in some" mightily to will and to do," am! striving with others. The highest g·overnment is only possible on this snpposition. The possibility of wliat are called special providences resolves itself into the free action of a sup1·eme Spirit on created spirits, so as to secure their free and independent action, aml at the same time cause that action to converge on given points. ,v e even cau Lio tliat iu some degree with children ancl feebler natures. Why do mPn wish to K2  t(i.( Tl!E FIHS'l' BOOK OF SAMUEL.