SERMON XXIX.

SAMUEL.

JANUARY 18, 1824.

AND Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him.-1 SAMUEL, iii. 19.

SAMUEL was born of pious parents, who had a tender concern for his spiritual good, and who early lent him to the Lord as long as he lived. God was highly pleased with their conduct, and manifested his approbation by making their child a subject of his special grace, and an instrument of promoting his own glory. It is not easy to determine when God sanctified Samuel; but it seems by the account of his dedication in the tabernacle at Shiloh, that he was then a subject of special grace; for it is said, "he worshipped the Lord there." Whilst he was a youth, and resided with Eli the priest, God endued him with the gift of inspiration, and ordained him a prophet. After this, it is said in our text, " And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground." The mode of expression here intimates, that God afforded Samuel his constant presence. It is, therefore, the design of the present discourse, to show what was implied in God's being with Samuel. And,

I. This implied, that God preserved his life and health. His mother seemed to have an apprehension, for some reason or other, when she consecrated him to God, that he might be shortlived; for she said, "she lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth." She ardently desired that his life might be protracted, and God gratified her desire. Accordingly it is said, "Samuel grew." While other children died, Samuel lived, and grew in stature and strength. God graciously preserved his life and

health in a dying world, and lengthened out his days to the common period of human life; so that before he left the world he could gratefully say, "I am old and gray headed." Long life is often represented as the natural effect and temporal reward of early piety. "Come ye children," says the Psalmist, "hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days? Let him depart from evil, and do good: seek peace and pursue it." Divine wisdom says, " By me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life increased." Again we are told, "The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened." It was in mercy to Samuel, and a reward of his early piety, that God preserved him from diseases and dangers, and carried him in the arms of his providence, even to old age. God watched over him every day and every where, and kept him as in the hollow of his hand, and as the apple of his eye, from the arrows of death. With long life he satisfied him, and showed him his salvation.

II. God's being with him implied, that he preserved him from moral, as well as natural evil. He lived in an evil day, when there was no king in Israel, and every one did that which was right in his own eyes, without any legal restraint. At such a day, iniquity abounded, and the love of many waxed cold. All orders and ages of men had grown corrupt, and every kind of error, delusion and vice prevailed. Samuel therefore was greatly exposed to be carried away by the torrent of moral corruption, and nothing but the presence of God could preserve him from being overwhelmed and destroyed. But God was with him and he with God; for he lived as seeing him who is invisible. A love to God, and a sense of his constant presence, made him hate and avoid every sinful course. The happiness he enjoyed in walking with God and contemplating his character, his ways, his word and works, weaned him from the world, and made him look down with disdain and aversion upon those lying vanities, which engrossed the attention and pursuit of the vain and irreligious. He committed the keeping of his soul to God, who would not suffer him to be tempted above what he was able to bear, but with every temptation made a way for his escape. It is remarkable that we do not read that he ever went astray, but, through the whole course of his long life, kept himself unspotted from the world, and uncorrupted amidst a corrupt and degenerate people. This was certainly owing to God's being with him, and restraining the native depravity of his heart. It is easy for God to keep the heart of those who constantly lean upon him, from every evil affection, and guard them against all the fiery darts of Satan,

and all the frowns and flatteries of the world. And as Samuel loved him and he loved Samuel, so he constantly afforded him the restraining influence of his spirit, which effectually secured him from all the ensnaring objects with which he was surrounded. III. God's being with Samuel implied his constant guidance in the path of duty. Though he was well educated; though he resided with Eli, the priest; though he had the sacred oracles in his hands; yet he still needed the presence and direction of God, that he might know, under all circumstances, what was that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God, which he ought to follow. Though he had a heart to obey God, still he stood in need of a divine influence, to discover what he would have him to do in many doubtful and difficult cases. Notwithstanding his general knowledge of the scriptures, innumerable instances occurred, in which he might have mistaken his duty, unless God had governed his views and determined his determinations. "The way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." This Samuel realized, and therefore acknowledged God in all his ways, that he might direct his paths. Accordingly we find that God did from time to time, direct him in dutý. He directed him to bear his solemn messages to Eli and his house. He directed him to comply with the voice of the people, and anoint Saul to be king over Israel. And he directed him, at the hazard of his life, to anoint David, the son of Jesse, to succeed Saul on the throne which he then claimed and possessed. Besides directing him in extraordinary cases, whither to go, what to do, and what to say, he directed him in all his common and daily conduct. He never left him to lean to his own understanding, and to trust in his own heart; but guided him in the strait and narrow path in which he ought to go. In this sense, God was with him in childhood, in youth, and through the whole course of his life. He never forsook him, nor withdrew his directing influence from him, from the time he sanctified his heart, till he had conducted him to the close of life. And to this it was owing that he so seldom, if ever, departed from the path of duty.

IV. God's being with Samuel implied, that he afforded him assistance in the discharge of duty. "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord." No man is sufficient of himself to think any thing as of himself, but all his sufficiency is of God. "It is God which worketh in men both to will and to do, of his good pleasure." Samuel was constantly dependent on God to enable him to do his duty, after he was led to the knowledge of it. He was called to many arduous and self-denying duties, which he

would have neglected to perform, if God had not inspired him with courage, resolution, and zeal. He was at first afraid to deliver the divine messages to Eli. It was a dangerous duty to anoint David king over Israel, while Saul his enemy was on the throne. In the administration of justice, he had to set his face as a flint, and shake his hand from the holding of bribes. In a word, through the whole course of his life, he stood in need of the divine assistance in the discharge of duty. But when he was weak, then was he strong; strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. God was always at his right hand, that he should not be moved. When he was called to extraordinary duties, God gave him extraordinary strength. While God was near to him, he felt near to God, which filled him with resolution and fortitude in his service. He felt as though he could do all things through divine assistance, and his confidence was well founded. While God was with him, he had omnipotence on his side, which could enable him to surmount every obstacle that occurred in the path of duty.

V. God's being with Samuel implied that he succeeded, as well as guided and assisted, him in duty. Men may form wise and good designs, and pursue them with activity and diligence, but without success. In all their undertakings, it depends upon God whether they shall obtain the object of their wishes. It is in the power of God to disconcert the best concerted designs, and it is in his power to render them successful. Samuel laid out himself in the service of God, and exerted himself greatly to promote the good of the nation. And we have no account of his ever failing of accomplishing his wise and benevolent purposes. This must be ascribed to God's being with him, and sending him prosperity. He formed his designs under the divine direction, and under a sense of his absolute dependence on divine aid, and with unreserved submission to the divine disposal; which was the most proper and infallible way of obtaining the divine blessing on all his exertions. He followed the voice of God in his providence, and the blessings of his providence followed him. As his designs were all of a benevolent nature, so God was pleased to fulfil his promise, and "command his blessing upon every thing he set his hand to." He committed his works unto the Lord, and his thoughts were established. This idea is plainly suggested in the words following the text. "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground." God meant to make it appear that he was with him, by fulfilling his predictions, and prospering him in all his pious and laudable pursuits. Such prosperity was a visible token of God's being with him and approving of his character and con

duct.

And this divine approbation highly recommended him to the affection, esteem and confidence of the public. Accordingly it is said, "The people feared the Lord and Samuel." They believed that the Lord was with him in whatever he said and did. This leads me to observe,

VI. That God's being with Samuel implied, that he made him eminently useful in his day and generation. It appears from the whole history of his life, that God did employ him to do a great deal to promote the temporal and spiritual good of mankind. The sacred historians mention Samuel among the most eminent men in the Jewish nation. His life is made an era, from which to date the most important events, and record the most illustrious characters. The writer of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel, speaking of the passover in Josiah's day, says there was no such passover kept since the time of Samuel. And the apostle Peter, speaking of the predictions concerning the incarnation and death of Christ, says, "Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days." Samuel is also mentioned with Moses, and represented as similar to that illustrious law-giver. God made Samuel uncommonly useful in various ways.

1. By his predictions. He early called him and ordained him a prophet, to reveal his will to his chosen people. We have a particular account of his speaking to him the first time, and ever after that, of his being called and known as a prophet in Israel. For God let none of his words fall to the ground, but fulfilled his predictions at the time specified; which, in connection with the miracles he wrought, established his character as a true prophet. It does not appear that there was any other prophet in the nation, until near the close of his life. God made him his only ambassador extraordinary, to deliver his special messages to his people in particular, and to the world in general. In this second character he was extensively useful. He promoted the good of the nation in his day, and the good of mankind to future ages. He stood at the head of the prophets, and trained up many after him, to speak in the name of the Lord, and foretell his important designs of providence and grace.

Though He was

2. God made Samuel useful by his instructions. he was not a priest, yet he was an eminent instructer. the first that taught the school of the prophets; which was a most excellent institution, and continued in the nation until after the Babylonish captivity, when synagogues were first established and multiplied in the land. But, beside this, he taught the people at large, and restrained them from the gross