The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 182

Moses, 11nd the apostles will show that an equally wise arrangement was made for the support of their faith and duty. So modern servants of God can point to, promises fulfilled, in a blessing on their toil, as evidence that they were not mistaken in the call to work; and their once dislru8tful heart becomes strong in the conscious- ness of n power not their own. In a different, though not less real, way the indi- vidual Christian finds varied support to his belie£ that God has called him into tJ,,. itingdom, nnd made him n "king and a priest;" as also to his discharge of the d11li""' appropriate to his high and holy calling. Ill. The REALISATION OF THE PROVIDED SUPPOI\T ENSUES ON THE EFFORT TO EXE!tCIS!>: THE FAITH AND TO DISCHARGE THE DUTY. When Saul acted on the belie£ that Samuel was a true prophet speaking and acting £or God, he found all to ti.m out as he had. been promised. The exercise of such faith as he had, in the first instance, put him, in possession of the supports to faith £or future times; and the discharge of duty, so far as made clear, led to a discovery of the supports to duty that would be his in the more conspicuous acts of life. So was it with Abraham, and Moses, and the apostles. Every true servant gets encouragement, not by waiting, but while" going on his way," and doing the deeds appointed. The Saviour said to the palsied, "Put forth thy hand." In the attempting of the impossible act the faith came and grew. Faith, finds nourishment £or itself, and waxes strong in proportion as it is exercised. General lessons :-1. We may render valuable service by timely sympathy and co-operation with those called to occupy difficult positions. 2. The most unassail- able Christian evidence is that to be gained in a life of entire devotion to Christ. 3. Full confirmation of our hopes and beliefs will come in so far as we are faithful to carry into action what confidence we already have. Another man. The mind of Saul was evidently overcharged with the grout things which had so unexpectedly been brought before his attention. His imagin- ation must have been filled with those pictures of royal state and lofty duties which are ever in Eastern minds associated with kingship. But he was scarcely able to frame an adequate conception of what Samuel meant by saying, "Thou shalt be turned into another man.',' There are several grades of transformation brought before us by ordinary li£e and by Scripture. !. "ANOTHER MAN II IS SOMETIMES MADE BY TOTAL CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES. We all are partly subject to our surroundings ; but some natures happen to be in cir- cumstances which appear to be quite alien to the development of what is in them. They are repressed ; the strong forces of their life refuse to come forth ; they are comparative nonentities ; if no change occurs in their relative position they will pass away from life unknown and almost useless. There are in some persons mental £acuities which, being predominant, but not drnwn out by appropriate nutriment, and exercise, give to the individual an appearance of stupidity and vacuity. A poet's soul encompassed by everything antagonistic to its development will be miserable as a lark that cannot rise. But when the unnatural restraints are removed, and the dispositions and faculties of individuals are placed amidst circumstances favourable to their proper development, there comes a change as rapid, as fresh, and striking as when the light and rain of spring call forth the bulb from under the dull earth into a form of beauty and sweetness. An observer of life cannot but have met with many cases of this. , !I. 11 ANOTHER MAN II IS SOMETIMES MADE BY SPECIAL ENDOWMENTS FOR OFFICIAL DUTIES., This was the case with Saul. It is the teaching of Scripture that "every good and perfect gift" cometh from God. He gave wisdom and cunning to the men who framed the choice work of the tabernacle (Exod. xxxi. 2-6). Reason is hi8 gift, though too often used against him. The Old Testament speaks of special gift;j £or men called to lead on the people of God. The endowment of S,rnl was in harmony with that of Moses and Joshua. The contrast of the men as not endo1rnd and endowed is striking. The figure of Moses nfter he went forth in the name oj Jehovah dwarfs the Moses feeding Jethro's sheep. The timid, questioning, spirit- ~lly ignorant men who followed Christ as long as they dared, and "thought" that he 'would have redeemed Israel," can scarcely be recognised as the men who, wh_en en<lowed with power from on high, stood forth on the day of Pentecost, 1md, with N 2  180 THE :nnsr llOOK OF SAMUEL. [CH. X. 1-10,