The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 552

III._ A SAD ~ND OF LIFE IN KEEP!NG_wri:a ITS onDINARY COURSE. There is n singular blending of diverse thought and motive m the last utterances and acts of Saul. Ho knew his doom was at hand; and yet, partly under a sense of utter wretchedness ~vhich made him willing to die, and partly from the patri0tic feeling that his unwill- mgness to face his country's foe should not be added to his crimes, he goes forth to battle. Then, also, when pressed in battle and in great straits, was there not a sense of misery, a consciousness of Divine abandonment, which made the con- tinuance of life a burden no longer to be endured, blended with the thought precious to the Hebrew, that he was one of the chosen race, allied by nationality with the great Messianic purpose, and that, as such, it must never be said that [srael's king was abused by the touch of_ the ."uncircumcised" alien? In this commingling of hght and darkness, moral qmckenmgs and mad infatuation, we ha,e an analogue to his conduct all through his sad career. It is not for us to say whether there was not in those last sad moments, as he lay on the earth, a melting of that heart which had so long striven against God. As in many other instances, there is no light thrown on the inner experience of the soul in its most sacred relations to God. The case of the thief on the cross may suggest the possibility of a cry from the heart to which the mercy that endureth for ever responds. But it is for us to stand in awe and take to ourselves the solemn lesson of this sad and perverted life. ' IV. A QUESTION AS TO THE MORAL CHARACTER OF SUICIDE. Willet, in his 'Har- rnonie upon the first Booke of Samuel,' quotes authorities pro and con on the general question and on Saul's act; but without entering on a wide subject, it may suffice to note that moral cowardice is ordinarily the cause of suicide, and that it is a ,iolation of the prerogatives of God. As we have indicated, there may have been considerations of a semi-religious character which influenced Saul in desiring not to be slain by the "uncircumcised," and to him it waR certain that death was at hand. NeYertheless, no private feeling, no relief from dishonour, can justify a forestalling, in the matter of life and death, of the course of Providence. The principle involved is most vital, and when once the door for its violation is opened, the whole fabric of society is sapped at its foundation. General le.ssons :-1. It is instructive to contrast the beg·inning and end of lives, and note how by the action of a deceitful heart the fatal turn is taken toward dis- grac<J and despair. 2. Although some parents ruin their sons by their sins, yet we all do them wrong and damage in so far as sin taints our life. 3. Although Gocf cuts off the hopes of the good by the calamities which ·come through the sins of others, yet in his mercy he raises them to a purer and safer joy. 4. Whatever judg- ments God brings sl10uld bo suhmitted to with resignation. Yerti. 7-13.-T!te final iswes of life a criterion of worth. The facts are-I. The defeat of Saul is followed by the general flight of the men of Israel from the neiu-hbouring cities, and tl,e occupation of these by the Philistines. 2. The bodies of Saitl and of his sons being found, the Philistines strip the king's of his armour, publish the fact in the houses of idols, and dishonour him on the wall of Beth-shan. 3. The men of Jabesh-Gilead, hearing of this, rescue the bodies and bury them at Jabcsh amidst much mourning. The historian closes the narrative concerning Saul's reign by a reference to the immediate result of the defeat on the adjacent cities, and to the barbarous treatment of Saul's body. The people who had demanded a king, and who were proud of his poweiful bodily presence, were now to learn in ~addesL form how much better it is to wait tl,e time of God, and to trust rather to righteousness of national life than to physical force and martial display. The people and the king were at fault, and the judgment falls on both. We here see- I. THAT LIFE'S WORTH IS TESTED BY ITS FINAL RESUL'r. The public life of Saul at one time promised well for himself and Israel. Every aid which wise advice and holy influence could render bad been freely bestowed by Samuel, the man of God, and the promise of Divine help :vas given on condi!ion of_ obedience to tlie J?ivine voice. Although troubles came rn consequence of d1sobed1ence, 11;nd thus m~1cated that his life was proving a failure, there were doubtless men so blrnd to the signs oE the times as to refer the troubles to accidents and unforeseen circumstances, and to hope still that there would be a turn in the tide of affairs which would insure a pro~- OH. XXXI. 1--LJ j nm FIRST BOOK OF SA:VIU F.L. 565