the people to n strong temptntion to commit excess. Unw-ise zeal may be considered varioitsly. ·1. As to j1Y1°m. It nssumes diverse forms according to the circumstar,crs -of the case. (I) Sometimes the aim may be wrong, as when the Jews in apostolic times, in their zeal, not according to knowledge, sought most energetically to per- petuate a decaying ceremonial. The same is true of all who compass sea ancl land to make mere proselytes to their order or se<:t, or to bring modern feeling and u.~agP, back, in matters of minor significance, to the style of the past. (2) Often tl,e method is wrong, as in the case of Saul. Men have not always the wisdom to co·:- serve or develop, as the occasion may demand, their energy suitably to the Qnd in view. There is an enormous waste in the world from this cause. Perhaps no man, in his daily calling, is free from this form of unwise zeal. We see illustrations of this in the untiring effort of some to be justified before God by their' own deeds of righteousness; in the constant and painful flow of penitential tears and self-inflicter! sorrows as means of the forgiveness which comes only by calm trust in Christ; and iii the wild and ill-considered agencies sometimes used to win careless men to Christ. (3) Sometimes the end is good and the method, but the time -is unsuited. It might be good for Israel to chase the foe with full energy, and also good to fast, but the time was not suitable for tl1e conjunction of the two. It is mistaken zeal to concen- trate all strength on the edification of a Church when multitudes are living outside the fold of Christ. Wisdom lies much in doing work at the right season. 2. As to <rrigin.' Saul's unwise zeal arose from his impulsive temperament not being chastened and regulated by a diligent use of the counsel which was always available to him as king from God. 'l'his radical error accounts for the ill-balanced judgment which -could not see the effect of a long· fast on physical energy, for the rash utternnce, for the eager springing at the first chance to escape from the helpless position conse- quent on recerit transgression, and for the egotistical reference to avenging h-is own ilnemies. The origin of unwise zeal in most instances is connected with deficient waiting upon God. The knowledge of men may be defective, their temperament may be impulsive, their prevision of a low grade, their self-regulation a matter of emotional pressure rather than of reason; and yet if such men would, remembering their obvious imperfections, devoutly wait on God for his guidance, and seek daily grace to govern themselves, they would avoid many blunders in practice. Imper- fectly-balanced men will never do work in life perfectly. We must lay to our account a l~rge_ IJr.oportion of foolish ~ee~s in Christian and _secular enterprise. The calming, enh htenmg power of devot10n 1s not fully recogmsed. 3. As to consequences. In Saul8.s case, as already indicated, it induced trouble and pain to his people, interfered with the most perfect success of Jonathan's effort (vers. 29, 30), lowered himself in the eyes of his subjects as a king deficient in judgment, and, by exercise, intensified the defective qualities which gave rise to it. We have here n summfLry of wb,tt .always attends unwise zeal. Every foolish display of energy, even in a good cause, brings distress to those who have the interests of religion and humanity at heart. Being a waste of power, and therefore a violation of the moral and social laws by which God brings the highest results to pass, it impedes the subjugation of evil to good, nnd the final triumph of God's kingdom. The world is suffering still from erratic courses, destitute of sound judgment, pursued in the name of religion; from a -concentration of energy on superficial instead of on radical evils; and from an 1incl11e application of resources to the curative methods, in frequent oversight of the preventive. TI. MORAL' OBTUSENESS. The moral obtuseness of Saul's character had manifeste,l itself in his evident inability to see at Gilgal- (eh.xiii. 8-10) the stupidity of seeking- to please Goq by an act of worship which itself was a violation of his explicit com- mands. Character becomes more fixed· as time passes on; and here we see Saul s,, morally obtuse as not to perceive that, while condemning a ceremonial offence on the part of the people (vcr. 33), he was unconscious of the folly of his own conduct, anrl of the moral offence both of laying on the people a serious hindrance to victory and of' preferring his own wild impulse to the counsel ~f Je~ovab. Moral obtu~eness may be regarded in reference to-1. Its causes-e. g. mhented dulness of conscience, imperfectly~formed moral discrimination in early year?, growi_ng habituation to formal religious acts, the influence of a low state of public morality, and po~tpone- 252 THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. [en. XIV. 1-85.
!11cnJ <;>f sincere repentance after known transgressions. 2. Its manifestation-e. g. 111 ng1d external obser,ances to the neglect of spiritual culture combination of religious _zeal with P?sitive indulgence in immoral feeling8, ease in tl'etecting r.alpable offences m o!hers with self-complace!l~ views o~ one's own condition, insensibility to. the truth wh•.ch awakens the finer spmtual feelmgs of other men, and coarse treat- ment of the_ sen_sitin. 3. Its danger-e. g. in being inaccessible to many of the most elevatmg rnf111ences 1 rendered more dense by every repeated exercise and· productive of a delusiYe self-righteousness which becomes more self-asserti~e in. propo_rtion as inward u~l10I_in~ss I?revails. 4. Its treatment-e. g. by distinct personal !eachmg of t\rn _most _d1scnmmatmg and pt)n_gent character, placing the individuals m close assoc1:i,t!on wi_th person~ of fine spmtual_ discernment and delicacy of cha-· racter as a stnkmg· foil, prompting to acts that will tend to reveal the inward incom- petency, and special prayer for the quickening of the life-giving Spirit. . General lessons :-1. Cultivate a refined moral sensibility in youth as a basis for life. 2. Men in office need prayer for special spiritual wisdom. 3. When sin has- been committed it should be repented of at once, and special prayer made lest its- inward influence be to lower the tone of feeling. -