is an intelligent and faithful service to him. Other men attract little notice by inordinate love towards their own, and little therefore can they disparage God before man. But his minister, looked up to for a pattern of faithful stewardship to his Master, cannot but bring either his own fidelity or God's glory into question. When they are seen bearing with such as are openly acting contrary to the interests of God's service, who are pulling down as fast as they build up, what shall men think? Surely either lightly of their fidelity, or of the importance of God's service.

But there were perhaps other and more excuseable reasons for this slackness in his duty on the part of Eli. It is probable that his sons had gradually gained the dominion over his age which so much stood in need of their help, and had even insensibly usurped his power as judge. Except by a bold and vigorous exertion, which was beyond the effort of the sluggishness of his time of life, he could not reinstate himself. Their impetuous and overbearing temper quite overawed the timid old man. Yet a zeal for God's insulted honour should have roused him, and had he sought only his glory, he would not have feared any thing which men could do. He would have asserted it by word and deed in the face of the congregation.

A very different rebuke from that with which Eli met his sons was now given by God to him. A prophet was sent to announce the displeasure of God, and pronounce judgment upon him and his posterity for his indifference to God's honour. sad train of calamities is foretold. The loss of the

A

ark itself, the ruin of his family, its deprivation of the priesthood, its degradation into the ranks of the lowest poverty, and, as a sign and token of these, the deaths of Hophni and Phinehas in one day, are declared. In those days God openly revealed his counsels. And these things are written for our learning, that we may be assured how God deals with our sins, although he may not express his displeasure. Our tree may be green and flourishing— many may admire and enjoy its shade and shelter, but God's mark and number has been put upon it, and like Eli's it has been destined to the axe. Let, above all, the minister of God take warning from this awful message, how he bears with the sins of his children, and allows them to remain a scandal and stumbling-block to his neighbours. His line, like Eli's may cease to produce faithful and spiritual priests unto God. Its stream has been corrupted at its source. Has it never happened that several generations of profligates could be traced up to some eminent preacher of the word? Let him make himself present in his imagination to so dreadful a futurity. Let him see himself placed at the head of a file which ends in some notorious infidel, whose works are undoing much more than his have done or may be doing. Let him behold posterity gazing in amazement and sorrow at such a genealogy age after age, and all the good and wise lamenting the dishonour done to God, and injury to man by the writings of his descendant. Could a judgment more

terrible fall upon a good man? Eli's conduct led morally no less than judicially to throw of his house. And so will his.

the

spiritual over

The example

of such characters as Eli is the more instructive, as in their life-time it is less remarked.

The world

sympathises with their human but unspiritualized affections. They are also endowed with bright and shining qualities which throw a splendour of holiness around them, and dazzle to their defects: while those qualities are active, but the defects passive. It is not until these last have produced some bitter fruit in their children or among posterity, that they are noted, and then become in the page of history, as Eli's are, a prominent feature. The man of his own days and the man of posterity thus appears sometimes quite in two different characters.

His successor in his judicial character was at that moment in the tabernacle, waiting upon him. Samuel, the son of Elkanah, a Levite, had been presented and dedicated to the Lord by his mother Hannah, according to vow. As soon as he was weaned she took him up to Shiloh (where the tabernacle had been ever since the days of Joshua), and there left him, to be brought up in ministry unto the Lord before Eli. The boy grew up in wisdom and stature, and in favour both with God and men 1. In him Eli must have seen a glaring contrast to his profligate sons. His holy innocence, his watchful dutifulness, the grace, and purity, and truth, which came from his lips, must have sorely reminded him of all the opposite qualities which were exhibited by his reprobate sons, and bowed his heart in prostrate humiliation before the Lord. Great, however, must have been the comfort of such an attendant on the

1 1 Sam. ii. 21. 26.

solitude of the old man, and beautiful is this conjunction of childhood and old age, of yet untainted innocence and godliness, with sincere and brokenhearted repentance. Through this child, Eli received a second message from the Lord. He was in attendance upon Eli. The old man had lain down, the lamp of God was just burning out, and Samuel had also laid himself down, when the Lord called "Samuel." The boy, not knowing the word of the Lord, nor having had it yet revealed to him, thought that Eli had called him, and went to him; and thus he was called, and went three times. On the third call, however, Eli plainly perceived that the Lord had called the child, and gave him directions for answering him. In the morning Samuel feared to tell Eli the message of the Lord, so full of denunciation was it against his house. Eli, however, commanded him to tell forth his communication. It confirmed that of the prophet, and added to it the threat of an event close at hand, which God would bring to pass in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heard it should tingle. Eli accepted from the boy with pious humiliation and unfeigned resignation this stern irrevocable sentence of God. "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good," he exclaimed. He had God's honour and glory at heart, although he wanted the resolute activity to maintain it. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done," was his earnest prayer, although not his practice. The main defect in his character was passiveness, and this, while it prevented him from asserting the cause of God as he ought, yet inclined him to utter and holy submission to his judgments.

He patiently acquiesced in his punishment, acknowledged its justice, and freely confessed his own unworthiness and sins of omission. God's sentence was quickly put into execution. The Philistines, the most formidable enemy of Israel, were again in the field. Israel met them, and was sorely defeated. How far the corruption of the sons of Eli had spread appears from what followed. As soon as the army had returned to the camp, the Elders convoked a council, and in this they came to the infatuated resolution of carrying the ark of God into the field. Their folly and impiety would force God to defend his own dwelling-place. They treated him exactly in the same superstitious and unceremonious way as the heathen did their gods. They would compel his will to their own devices. charm of his ark. But they Thus has God been treated by his own people in all ages. They have claimed his aid and authority in the most iniquitous enterprises. They have put him, as far as in them lay, in the midst of their host, carried him into the fight, and on shoulders as hateful to him as those of Hophni and Phinehas. He has been proclaimed as the abetting and patron Deity on occasions which his soul abhorred: men have sung "Te Deum" at the close of a horrible massacre, and howled his holy name, and boasted his presence among them, amid deeds at which humanity shudders.

They would make a were not singular.

Eli did not dispute the authority of the council when they came for the ark. Probably, although both High Priest and judge, his prerogative did not extend so far as to put a negative on the decree of