THE MAN AFTER THE FLESH. PART II.

THE KING OF MAN'S CHOICE.

Chapter 8:TESTED AND FOUND WANTING.

(1 Sam. 12:, 13:14).

(Continued from page 240.)

Having delivered his faithful witness to the king, nothing further holds Samuel at Gilgal. The place had lost, for the time being at least, its spiritual significance-the state of the king little answering to it. We hear of the prophet no more, for Samuel-though, as we know, his heart was sorely grieved at the development of evil-cannot go on with it. He apparently withdraws to the same place, Gibeah of Benjamin, whither Saul comes; but as no mention is made of any intercourse between them there, it is probable that the prophet did not tarry long.

The people have dwindled down to a paltry 600; enough surely, if they were with God, to do all the works which David with a like number did later on; but the one thing needful is lacking. They abide in Gibeah of Benjamin, near Saul's native place, and with painful suggestions of the past associated with it. The Philistines encamp in all their power at Michmash-as Young gives it, " the place of most," or, translating the latter name, "a fire," answering to the desolation which marked their occupation of the land-a burnt-over territory with no verdure or fruit.

From this center they devastate the entire land. One company goes to Ophrah, the city of Gideon, to the land of Shual, "the jackal;" very significant in this connection, for surely wild beasts were devouring the heritage of Israel.

Another goes to Beth-horon, "the house of destruction ;" and still another passes on across the land until they can look down into the valley of Z’s-boil, where all fertility had been quenched with the fire from heaven, at the time of the destruction of Sodom. Thus, fittingly, from Michmash, "the place of fire," radiates that which consumes all the fair heritage which God had given them. How true it is that religious formalism burns up every Christian thing, every sign of real life to God!

How are the people to meet this devastating horde ?Their pitiable condition is seen in the fact that there was no smith found throughout all the land. The Philistines had taken them away to prevent them from manufacturing weapons of war for the Israelites. Even for the peaceful pursuits of agriculture they were dependent upon their masters, and were obliged to go down to them to have their plowshares sharpened, or the ax, or even the mattock. Nothing remained for them but a file for the mattocks and plows, which could put a poor and temporary edge upon their implements. We are reminded of the lament of Deborah over the condition of the people in her day:"Was there a shield or spear seen among 40,000 in Israel ?"

Can it be possible that these are the people who have, but a short time ago, gone so valiantly against their enemies ? Their condition is pitiable. They have been reduced to a worse condition than servitude, being dependent upon their masters even for the means of tilling the soil. But more pitiable is the spiritual condition of the people of God when under similar circumstances. Wherever the power of formalism prevails, as seen in its completeness in Rome, not only are all spiritual weapons taken out of the hands of God's people, but even the needful spiritual implements for cultivating the peaceful means of satisfying our soul's hunger are removed. Our inheritance is a spiritual one. We are "blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ," and this answers, as we know, to Israel's position in Canaan; but the soil, though fruitful and drinking of the water of the rain of heaven, needed to be cultivated if it were to yield its increase. So, too, in spiritual things. There is no lack in what is ours in Christ. As far as the eye of faith can reach, north, south,, east and west, all is ours, and every part that the foot of faith treads upon practically belongs to the saints; but if the soil is not cultivated, of what use is it ? We might say that our inheritance is contained in the precious word of God, and that our cultivation of this, the diligent digging beneath the surface for its precious things, the turning it over with the plow of conscience, applying it thus to ourselves, answers to the various agricultural pursuits indicated here. The domination of religious formalism would rob us of the means of doing this. Need we ask, With how many of us does our portion lie fallow because we are apparently without implements for its cultivation ? The Bible, in other words, is a closed book; or, if read, seems to be but barren because there is no searching into its wondrous depths; or, if there is this, alas, how the dulness of our spiritual implements, our diligence, our faith, our spiritual judgment, prevents anything like a full yielding of an abundant harvest! To be sure, there is the rubbing of the file, as iron sharpeneth iron through mutual intercourse, which even formalism would completely destroy; but the fire is needed also, and the beating down of that which even in proper use becomes dulled, so that its keen edge may be again restored to it.

These smiths might well answer to what we have later in Israel's history-the schools of the prophets, places where the fire and the hammer of God's word and truth are applied under the direction of the Holy Spirit. They would thus correspond to all proper and scriptural means for developing activity among God's saints. Might we not say that, in their place, institutions of learning would answer to these smiths' shops, where furnishing in the knowledge of the languages in which the word of God is written, and other truths, would equip one to be a diligent seeker in the Word ? Thus, schools and colleges, when in proper hands and used in faith, are most helpful in developing an ability to dig into the word of God. The same is true of all assembly fellowship. Where the Spirit of God is ungrieved, how much spiritual furnishing do we get from association together! We can see, then, what it is for all this to be in the hands of the Philistines. And has not that been the case all too often in the history of God's saints ? Nay, may we not say that it is that which particularly characterizes them at the present day, religious formalism having charge of all education, both elementary and advanced, and even, in great measure, of the people of God ?

A Christian parent puts his child to school; and what is the character of the influence exerted over the little one there ? How often is it Philistine-that which is often in open enmity against God, of so formal a character that no genuine faith is inculcated! This is seen in still greater measure when the youth passes on to college, where infidelity is taught; and if his intellectual implements have a keen edge upon them, he is taught rather to turn them against the truth of God than to explore its wondrous depths.

Institutions of theological education only bring this out still more glaringly, for here the things of God are professedly the objects. Alas, higher criticism, evolution, and various forms of infidelity, are taught in the very places where one should be thoroughly furnished to cultivate the inheritance of the Lord.

We have been speaking merely of the implements used in times of peace; but when we think of the necessary weapons of warfare with which to meet the manifold enemies who are constantly threatening our heritage, here the lack is even more glaring, for not even are there dull weapons. The enemy knows too well that it will never do to leave spear and sword in the hands of those who may be nerved to use them. As we look abroad to-day, how many of God's people are able to meet the attacks of evil on all hands ? Infidelity presses in one direction, worldliness in another, the Philistine formalism in another ; and what power is there to meet it with those weapons of warfare which the apostle says are '' not carnal, but mighty through God " ? Surely, we can never expect Philistia to furnish weapons against itself.

In God's mercy, however, faith can triumph even here. We remember it was with an ox goad, a weapon which could be pointed up with a file, that Shamgar wrought deliverance from these very Philistines. The goad would seem to answer to those words of the wise which are as goads; a word of simple exhortation, admonition, appealing to the conscience, which true faith will ever make use of. Even Philistines cannot deprive God's people of that; and what is an ordinary and needful implement in times of peace can, in the hands of faith, be turned against the enemy with terrible effectiveness.

(To be continued.)