CHAPTER CIIL

ELKANAH'S PIETY.

HANNAH'S LOAN AND TE DEUM.

There is an eye that never sleeps, beneath the wings of night;
There is an ear that never shuts, when sink the beams of light.
There is an arm that never tires, when human strength gives way;
There is a love that never fails, when earthly loves decay.

That eye is fixed on seraph throngs; that ear is filled with angels' songs;
That arm upholds the world on high; that love is throned beyond the sky.

But there's a power which man can wield, when mortal aid is vain;-
That eye, that arm, that love to reach, that listening ear to gain :
That power is Prayer, which soars on high,

And feeds on bliss beyond the sky.

AND the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer

unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever. And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word.

Thee on thy mother's knees, a new-born child,
In tears we saw, when all around thee smiled.

So live, that, sinking in thy last long sleep,
Smiles may be thine, when all around thee weep.

And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, 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, O my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.

Under the palm-trees thou no more shalt meet me,
When from the fount at evening I return,

With the full water-urn;

Nor will thy sleep's low dove-like breathings greet me,
As 'midst the silence of the stars I wake,

And watch for thy dear sake.

And thou, will slumber's dewy cloud fall round thee,
Without thy mother's hand to soothe thy bed?
Wilt thou not vainly spread

Thine arms, when darkness as a veil hath wound thee,
To fold my neck, and lift up, in thy fear,

A cry which none shall hear?

What have I said, my child! — Will He not hear thee,
Who the young ravens heareth from their nest?
Shall He not guard thy rest,

And, in the hush of holy midnight near thee,

Breathe o'er thy soul, and fill thy dreams with joy?
Thou shalt sleep soft, my boy.

And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none besides thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

CHAPTER CIV.

THE DIVINE CALL. ELI DOOMED.

SAMUEL AS PROPHET

A

ND the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli.

:

And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; that the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. And the Lord called yet again, Samuel and Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 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. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for

ever.

Prince, desire to be honourable,

Cherish thy folke, and hate extortion,
Suffer nothing that may be reprovable

To thine estate, done in thy region,

Shew forth the yerd of castigation,

Drede God, do law, love trouth and worthinesse,
And wed thy folke ayen to stedfastnesse.

And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of
the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to show Eli the
vision. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son: and
he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that
the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from
me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing
from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
told him every whit, and hid nothing from him.
It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.

And Samuel And he said,

Thou Power Supreme, whose mighty scheme these woes of mine fulfil,
Here firm I rest, they must be best, because they are Thy will!
Then all I want, O! do Thou grant this one request of mine!
Since to enjoy Thou dost deny, assist me to resign.

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh : for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

God doth not need

Either man's work, or his own gifts; who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve him best; His state

Is kingly; thousands at His bidding speed,

And post o'er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.

CHAPTER CV.

SAMSON SEEKS A WIFE. HE KILLS A LION.

FEAST.

HIS RIDDLE. HIS VICTORY.

HIS

A

THE chariest maid is prodigal enough,
If she unmask her beauty to the moon.
Virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes:
The canker galls the infants of the spring,
Too oft before their buttons be disclosed;
And in the morn and liquid dew of youth
Contagious blastments are most imminent.
Be wary, then; best safety lies in fear :

Youth to itself rebels, though none else near.

ND Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

But here the cloud,

So wills Eternal Providence, sits deep.
Enough for us to know that this dark state,
In wayward passions lost, and vain pursuits,
This Infancy of Being, cannot prove
The final issue of the works of God,

By boundless Love, and perfect Wisdom formed,
And ever rising with the rising mind.

Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightly upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father