means of grace; the sons, by open flagrant wickedness; Eli, by not checking it when he had both the opportunity and the lawful authority to do it, and had been warned to do it. "I will perform against Eli all the things which I have spoken concerning his house; for I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not "."

Here is disobedience bringing final ruin on the sheep of his hands. In the Epistle, consequently, we have subjection set forth as our duty; as our safeguard against our

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adversary the devil, who, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." See here how, incidentally, the Epistle knits all into one. The devil is our adversary; then what are the adversities spoken of in the Gospel but sins? the deeds of the devil? He is represented as a roaring lion, seeking prey to devour. He is the devourer of flocks and herds, e 1 Pet. v. 8.

b 1 Sam. iii. 12, 13.

S

carrying danger every where. How shall the sheep be safe, but by abiding within the fold, obeying the voice of the shepherd?

And this brings me to the point which I just now observed in passing, viz. that this obedience to the good Shepherd is enforced by the exhortation, to be subject to one another, and being clothed with humility. Which subjection is immediately spoken of as submission to God Himself. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in good time." This, again, sounds strange at first. We will look more closely into it presently. But first observe, how we have here another connecting link between the parts of this lesson. “Be clothed with humility." Was not Samuel an instance of this? and of the being subject to others? There is, perhaps, not in the whole range of holy writ another such example, (always, as in all things else, excepting our Lord Himself,) of the absence of a will of his own, as is this of

Samuel. Before he was born, his parents chose for him what his calling should be.

"Hannah vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of Hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thine handmaid, but wilt give unto Thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head d."

took him up with her,

"And when she had weaned him, she and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young. And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And she said,..... for this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of Him: therefore also I have lent him unto the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord"." "And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Elif."

Here we have the utter subjection of

d 1 Sam. i. 11.

f 1 Sam. iii. 1.

e 1 Sam. i. 24-27.

a child to his parents, even as to the choice of his whole course of life; and that a strict one. Not only was he lent to the Lord for as long as he should live, but devoted to Him as a Nazarite. The strict vow of the Nazarite was made for him, and laid upon him. Hannah said, “I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head."

Need I remind those here present how at their baptism their parents, and godfathers and godmothers, did "promise and vow three things in their name; first, that they should renounce the devil and all his works secondly, that they should believe all the Articles of the Christian faith: and, thirdly, that they should keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of their life?" But the child Samuel grew, and came to be a young man. What then? "He ministered unto the Lord before Eli." Before that careless old man, who neglected to correct his own wicked sons; who, though them

selves priests, sinned so abominably even in their ministrations, that they brought the worship of God into disrepute, and made men abhor the offering of the Lord. Before this man, in subjection to him, and his wicked sons, (who were entitled to succeed him in the high priesthood,) did holy Samuel dwell in the house of the Lord. And so God, Who resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble, exalted him in due time. Eli and his whole house were cut off, and Samuel was exalted to be judge over Israel; as such, executing even the priest's office, though not himself of priestly descent.

Now this, it may be said, is a very extreme case. Certainly it is so. But it is very plainly recorded in God's holy word. And its application seems plain there where it occurs. And the Church makes this very application of it, by appointing it for this Sunday's Lessons, in connection with this Epistle, and Gospel, and Collect. Extreme cases are on record in God's g 1 Sam. ii. 17.