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Matthew Henry’s Commentary – First Samuel, Chapter III

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Matthew Henry
Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)




F I R S T   S A M U E L

CHAP. III.



     

In the foregoing chapter we had Samuel a young priest, though by birth

a Levite only, for he ministered before the Lord in a linen ephod; in

this chapter we have him a young prophet, which was more, God in an

extraordinary manner revealing himself to him, and in him reviving, if

not commencing, prophecy in Israel. Here is,

I. God’s first manifestation of himself in an extraordinary manner to

Samuel,

ver. 1-10.

II. The message he sent by him to Eli,

ver. 11-14.

III. The faithful delivery of that message to Eli, and his submission

to the righteousness of God in it,

ver. 15-18.

IV. The establishment of Samuel to be a prophet in Israel,

ver. 19-21.












The Call of Samuel. B. C. 1128.

     

1 And 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.

  2 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;

  3 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;

  4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

  5 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.

  6 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.

  7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of

the LORD yet revealed unto him.

  8 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.

  9 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.

  10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times,

Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant

heareth.

     

To make way for the account of God’s revealing himself first to Samuel,

we are here told,

1. How industrious Samuel was in serving God, according as his place

and capacity were

(v. 1):

The child Samuel, though but a child, ministered unto the

Lord before Eli. It was an aggravation of the wickedness of Eli’s

sons that the child Samuel shamed them. They rebelled against the Lord,

but Samuel ministered to him; they slighted their father’s admonitions,

but Samuel was observant of them; he ministered before Eli, under his

eye and direction. It was the praise of Samuel that he was so far from

being influenced by their bad example that he did not in the least fall

off, but improved and went on. And it was a preparative for the honours

God intended him; he that was thus faithful in a little was soon after

entrusted with much more. Let those that are young be humble and

diligent, which they will find the surest way to preferment. Those are

fittest to rule who have learnt to obey.

2. How scarce a thing prophecy then was, which made the call of Samuel

to be the greater surprise to himself and the greater favour to Israel:

The word of the Lord was precious in those days. Now and then a

man of God was employed as a messenger upon an extraordinary occasion

(as

ch. ii. 27),

but there were no settled prophets, to whom the people might have

recourse for counsel, nor from whom they might expect the discoveries

of the divine will. And the rarity of prophecy made it the more

precious in the account of all those that knew how to put a right value

upon it. It was precious, for what there was (it seems) was private:

There was no open vision, that is, there were none that were

publicly known to have visions. Perhaps the impiety and impurity that

prevailed in the tabernacle, and no doubt corrupted the whole nation,

had provoked God, as a token of his displeasure, to withdraw the Spirit

of prophecy, till the decree had gone forth for the raising up of a

more faithful priest, and then, as an earnest of that, this faithful

prophet was raised up.

     

The manner of God’s revealing himself to Samuel is here related very

particularly, for it was uncommon.

     

I. Eli had retired. Samuel had waited on him to his bed, and the rest

that attended the service of the sanctuary had gone, we may suppose, to

their several apartments

(v. 2):

Eli had laid down in his place; he went to bed betimes, being

unfit for business and soon weary of it, and perhaps loving his ease

too well. Probably he kept his chamber much, which gave his sons the

greater liberty. And he sought retirement the more because his eyes

began to wax dim, an affliction which came justly upon him for winking

at his sons’ faults.

     

II. Samuel had laid down to sleep, in some closet near to Eli’s room,

as his page of the back-stairs, ready within call if the old man should

want any thing in the night, perhaps to read to him if he could not

sleep. He chose to take Samuel into this office rather than any of his

own family, because of the towardly disposition he observed in him.

When his own sons were a grief to him, his little servitor was his joy.

Let those that are afflicted in their children thank God if they have

any about them in whom they are comforted. Samuel had laid down ere

the lamp of God went out,
v. 3.

It should seem he lay somewhere so near the holy place that he went to

bed by that light, before any of the lamps in the branches of the

candlestick went out (for the main lamp never went out), which probably

was towards midnight. Till that time Samuel had been employing himself

in some good exercise or other, reading and prayer, or perhaps cleaning

or making ready the holy place; and then went softly to his bed. Then

we may expect God’s gracious visits, when we are constant and diligent

in our duty.

     

III. God called him by name, and he took it for Eli’s call, and ran to

him,

v. 4, 5.

Samuel lay awake in his bed, his thoughts, no doubt, well employed (as

David’s

Ps. lxiii. 6),

when the Lord called to him, bishop Patrick thinks out of the most holy

place, and so the Chaldee paraphrase reads it, A voice was heard out

of the temple of the Lord; but Eli, though it is likely he lay

nearer, heard it not; yet possibly it might come some other way.

Hereupon we have an instance,

1. Of Samuel’s industry, and readiness to wait on Eli; supposing it

was he that called him, he hastened out of his warm bed and ran to him,

to see if he wanted any thing, and perhaps fearing he was not well.

“Here am I,” said he–a good example to servants, to come when they are

called; and to the younger, not only to submit to the elder, but to be

careful and tender of them.

2. Of his infirmity, and unacquaintedness with the visions of the

Almighty, that he took that to be only Eli’s call which was really the

call of God. Such mistakes as these we make oftener than we think of.

God calls to us by his word, and we take it to be only the call of the

minister, and answer it accordingly; he calls to us by his providences,

and we look only at the instruments. His voice cries, and it is but

here and there a man of wisdom that understands it to be his voice. Eli

assured him he did not call him, yet did not chide him for disturbing

him with being over-officious, did not call him a fool, and tell

him he dreamed, but mildly bade him lie down again, he had nothing for

him to do. If servants must be ready at their masters’ call, masters

also must be tender of their servants’ comfort: that thy man-servant

and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou. So Samuel

went and lay down. God calls many by the ministry of the word, and

they say, as Samuel did, “Here am I;” but not looking at God, nor

discerning his voice in the call, the impressions of it are soon lost;

they lie down again, and their convictions come to nothing.

     

IV. The same call was repeated, and the same mistake made, a second and

third time,

v. 6-9.

1. God continued to call the child yet again

(v. 6),

and again the third time,
v. 8.

Note, The call which divine grace designs to make effectual shall be

repeated till it is so, that is, till we come at the call; for the

purpose of God, according to which we are called, shall certainly

stand.

2. Samuel was still ignorant that it was the Lord that called him

(v. 7):

Samuel did not yet know the Lord. He knew the written word, and

was acquainted with the mind of God in that, but he did not yet

apprehend the way in which God reveals himself to his servants the

prophets, especially by a still small voice; this was altogether

new and strange to him. Perhaps he would have been sooner aware of a

divine revelation had it come in a dream or a vision; but this was a

way he had not only not known himself, but not heard of. Those that

have the greatest knowledge of divine things must remember the time

when they were as babes, unskilful in the word of righteousness.

When I was a child I understood as a child. Yet let us not

despise the day of small things. Thus did Samuel (so the margin

reads it) before he knew the Lord, and before the word of the Lord

was revealed unto him; thus he blundered one time after another,

but afterwards he understood his duty better. The witness of the Spirit

in the hearts of the faithful is often thus mistaken, by which means

they lose the comfort of it; and the strivings of the Spirit with the

consciences of sinners are likewise often mistaken, and so the benefit

of their convictions is lost. God speaketh once, yea, twice, but man

perceiveth it not,
Job xxxiii. 14.

3. Samuel went to Eli this second and third time, the voice perhaps

resembling his, and the child being very near to him; and he tells Eli,

with great assurance, “Thou didst call me

(v. 6-8),

it could be no one else.” Samuel’s disposition to come when he was

called, though but by Eli, proving him dutiful and active, qualified

him for the favour now to be shown him; God chooses to employ such. But

there was a special providence in it, that he should go thus often to

Eli; for hereby, at length, Eli perceived that the Lord had called

the child,
v. 8.

And,

(1.) This would be a mortification to him, and he would apprehend it to

be a step towards his family’s being degraded, that when God had

something to say he should choose to say it to the child Samuel, his

servant that waited on him, and not to him. And it would humble him

the more when afterwards he found it was a message to himself, and yet

sent to him by a child. He had reason to look upon this as a further

token of God’s displeasure.

(2.) This would put him upon enquiring what it was that God said to

Samuel, and would abundantly satisfy him of the truth and certainty of

what should be delivered, and no room would be left for him to suggest

that it was but a fancy of Samuel’s; for before the message was

delivered he himself perceived that God was about to speak to him, and

yet must not know what it was till he had it from Samuel himself. Thus

even the infirmities and mistakes of those whom God employs are

overruled by infinite Wisdom, and made serviceable to his purposes.

     

V. At length Samuel was put into a posture to receive a message from

God, not to be lodged with himself and go no further, but, that he

might be a complete prophet, to be published and made an open vision.

1. Eli, perceiving that it was the voice of God that Samuel heard, gave

him instructions what to say,

v. 9.

This was honestly done, that though it was a disgrace to him for God’s

call to pass him by, and be directed to Samuel, yet he put him in the

way how to entertain it. Had he been envious of this honour done to

Samuel, he would have done what he could to deprive him of it, and,

since he did not perceive it himself, would have bidden him lie down

and sleep, and never heed it, it was but a dream; but he was of a

better spirit than to act so; he gave him the best advice he could, for

the forwarding of his advancement. Thus the elder should, without

grudging, do their utmost to assist and improve the younger that are

rising up, though they see themselves likely to be darkened and

eclipsed by them. Let us never be wanting to inform and instruct those

that are coming after us, even such as will soon be preferred before

us,

John i. 30.

The instruction Eli gave him was, when God called the next time, to

say, Speak, Lord, for they servant heareth. He must call himself

God’s servant, must desire to know the mind of God. “Speak,

Lord, speak to me, speak now:” and he must prepare to hear, and

promise to attend: Thy servant heareth. Note, Then we may expect

that God will speak to us, when we set ourselves to hearken to what he

says,

Ps. lxxxv. 8; Hab. ii. 1.

When we come to read the word of God, and to attend on the preaching of

it, we should come thus disposed, submitting ourselves to the

commanding light and power of it: Speak, Lord, for thy servant

heareth.

2. It should seem that God spoke the fourth time in a way somewhat

different from the other; though the call was, as at other times, a

call to him by name, yet now he stood and called, which

intimates that there was now some visible appearance of the divine

glory to Samuel, a vision that stood before him, like that before

Eliphaz, though he could not discern the form thereof,
Job iv. 16.

This satisfied him that it was not Eli that called; for he now saw

the voice that spoke with him, as it is expressed,

Rev. i. 12.

Now also the call was doubled–Samuel, Samuel, as if God

delighted in the mention of his name, or to intimate that now he should

be made to understand who spoke to him. God hath spoken once, twice

have I heard this,
Ps. lxii. 11.

It was an honour to him that God was pleased to know him by name

(Exod. xxxiii. 12),

and then his call was powerful and effectual when he called him by

name, and so brought it particularly to him, as Saul, Saul. Thus

God called to Abraham by name,

Gen. xxii. 1.

3. Samuel said, as he was taught, Speak, for thy servant

heareth. Note, Good words should be put into children’s mouths

betimes, and apt expressions of pious and devout affections, by which

they may be prepared for a better acquaintance with divine things, and

trained up to a holy converse with them. Teach young people what they

shall say, for they cannot order their speech by reason of

darkness. Samuel did not now rise and run as before when he thought

Eli called, but lay still and listened. The more sedate and composed

our spirits are the better prepared they are for divine discoveries.

Let all tumultuous thoughts and passions be kept under, and every thing

be quiet and serene in the soul, and then we are fit to hear from God.

All must be silent when he speaks. But observe, Samuel left out one

word; he did not say, Speak, Lord, but only, Speak, for thy

servant heareth, way was made for the message he was now to

receive, and Samuel was brought acquainted with the words of God and

visions of the Almighty, and this ere the lamp of God went out

(v. 3)

in the temple of the Lord, which some of the Jewish writers put

a mystical sense upon; before the fall of Eli, and the eclipsing of the

Urim and Thummim for some time thereby, God called Samuel, and made him

an oracle, whence they have an observation among their doctors, That

the sun riseth, and the sun goeth down

(Eccl. i. 5),

that is, say they, Ere God maketh the sun of one righteous man to set,

he makes the sun of another righteous man to rise. Smith ex

Kimchi.









Eli and His House Threatened. B. C. 1128.

     

11 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.

  12 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.

  13 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.

  14 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.

  15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of

the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

  16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he

answered, Here am I.

  17 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.

  18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him.

And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.

     

Here is,

I. The message which, after all this introduction, God delivered to

Samuel concerning Eli’s house. God did not come to him now to tell him

how great a man he should be in his day, what a figure he should make,

and what a blessing he should be in Israel. Young people have commonly

a great curiosity to be told their fortune, but God came to Samuel, not

to gratify his curiosity, but to employ him in his service and send him

on an errand to another person, which was much better; and yet the

matter of this first message, which no doubt made a very great

impression upon him, might be of good use to him afterwards, when his

own sons proved, though not so bad as Eli’s, yet not so good as they

should have been,

ch. viii. 3.

The message is short, not nearly so long as that which the man of God

brought,

ch. ii. 27.

For, Samuel being a child, it could not be expected that he should

remember a long message, and God considered his frame. The memories of

children must not be overcharged, no, not with divine things. But it is

a sad message, a message of wrath, to ratify the message in the former

chapter, and to bind on the sentence there pronounced, because perhaps

Eli did not give so much regard to that as he ought to have done.

Divine threatenings, the less they are heeded, the surer they will come

and the heavier they will fall. Reference is here had to what was there

said concerning both the sin and the punishment.

     

1. Concerning the sin: it is the iniquity that he knoweth,
v. 13.

The man of God told him of it, and many a time his own conscience had

told him of it. O what a great deal of guilt and corruption is there in

us concerning which we may say, “It is the iniquity which our own

heart knoweth, we are conscious to ourselves of it!” In short, the

iniquity was this: His sons made themselves vile, and he restrained

them not. Or, as it is in the Hebrew, he frowned not upon

them. If he did show his dislike of their wicked courses, yet not

to that degree that he ought to have done: he did reprove them, but he

did not punish them, for the mischief they did, nor deprive them of

their power to do mischief, which as a father, high priest, and judge,

he might have done. Note,

(1.) Sinners do by their own wickedness make themselves vile. They

debauch themselves (for every man is tempted when he is drawn aside

of his own lusts,
Jam. i. 14)

and thereby they debase themselves, and make themselves not only mean,

but odious to the holy God and holy men and angels. Sin is a vile

thing, and degrades men more than any thing,

Ps. xv. 4.

Eli’s sons made light of God, and made his offerings vile in the

people’s eyes; but the shame returned into their own bosom: they

made themselves vile.

(2.) Those that do not restrain the sins of others, when it is in the

power of their hand to do it, make themselves partakers of the guilt,

and will be charged as accessaries: Those in authority will have a

great deal to answer for if they make not the sword they bear a

terror to evil workers.

     

2. Concerning the punishment: it is that which I have spoken

concerning his house,
v. 12 and 13.

I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, that is,

that a curse should be entailed upon his family from generation to

generation. The particulars of this curse we had before; they are not

here repeated, but it is added,

(1.) That when that sentence began to be executed it would be very

dreadful and amazing to all Israel

(v. 11):

Both the ears of every one that hears it shall tingle. Every

Israelite would be struck with terror and astonishment to hear of the

slaying of Eli’s sons, the breaking of Eli’s neck, and the dispersion

of Eli’s family. Lord, how terrible art thou in thy judgments! If this

be done in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? Note, God’s

judgments upon others should affect us with a holy fear,

Ps. cxix. 120.

(2.) That these direful first-fruits of the execution would be certain

earnests of the progress and full accomplishment of it: When I begin

I will proceed and make an end of all that I have

threatened,

v. 12.

It is intimated that it might possibly be some time before he would

begin, but let them not call that forbearance an acquittance, nor that

reprieve a pardon; for when at length he does begin he will make

thorough work of it, and, though he stay long, he will strike home.

(3.) That no room should be left for hope that this sentence might be

reversed and the execution stayed or mitigated,

v. 14.

[1.] God would not revoke the sentence, for he backed it with an oath:

I have sworn to the house of Eli; and God will not go back from

what he has sworn either in mercy or judgment.

[2.] He would never come to a composition for the forfeiture: “The

iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor

offering for ever. No atonement shall be made for the sin, nor any

abatement of the punishment.” This was the imperfection of the legal

sacrifices, that there were iniquities which they did not reach, which

they would not purge; but the blood of Christ cleanseth from all

sin, and secures all those that by faith are interested in it from

that eternal death which is the wages of sin.

     

II. The delivery of this message to Eli. Observe,

     

1. Samuel’s modest concealment of it,

v. 15.

(1.) He lay till the morning, and we may well suppose he lay

awake pondering on what he had heard, repeating it to himself, and

considering what use he must make of it. After we have received the

spiritual food of God’s word, it is good to compose ourselves, and give

it time to digest.

(2.) He opened the doors of the house of the Lord, in the

morning, as he used to do, being up first in the tabernacle. That he

should do so at other times was an instance of extraordinary

towardliness in a child, but that he should do so this morning was an

instance of great humility. God had highly honoured him above all the

children of his people, yet he was not proud of the honour, nor puffed

up with it, did not think himself too great and too good to be employed

in these mean and servile offices, but, as cheerfully as ever, went and

opened the doors of the tabernacle. Note, Those to whom God manifests

himself he makes and keeps low in their own eyes, and willing to stoop

to any thing by which they may be serviceable to his glory, though but

as door-keepers in his house. One would have expected that Samuel would

be so full of his vision as to forget his ordinary service, that he

would go among his companions, as one in an ecstasy, to tell them what

converse he had had with God this night; but he modestly keeps it to

himself, tells the vision to no man, but silently goes on in his

business. Our secret communion with God is not to be proclaimed upon

the house-tops.

(3.) He feared to show Eli the vision. If he was afraid Eli

would be angry with him and chide him, then we have cause to suspect

that Eli used to be as severe with this towardly child as he was

indulgent to his own wicked sons, and this will bear hard upon him.

But we will suppose it was rather because he was afraid to grieve and

trouble the good old man that he was so shy. If he had run immediately

with the tidings to Eli, this would have looked as if he desired the

woeful day and hoped to build his own family upon the ruin of Eli’s;

therefore it became him not to be forward to declare the vision. No

good man can take pleasure in bringing evil tidings, especially not

Samuel to Eli, the pupil to the tutor whom he loves and honours.

     

2. Eli’s careful enquiry into it,

v. 16, 17.

As soon as ever he heard Samuel stirring he called for him, probably to

his bed-side; and, having before perceived that God had spoken to him,

he obliged him, not only by importunity (I pray thee, hide it not

from me), but, finding him timorous and backward, by an adjuration

likewise–God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing

from me! He had reason enough to fear that the message prophesied

no good concerning him, but evil; and yet, because it was a message

from God, he could not contentedly be ignorant of it. A good man

desires to be acquainted with all the will of God, whether it make for

him or against him. His adjuration–God do so to thee, if thou hide

any thing from me–may intimate the fearful doom of unfaithful

watchmen; if they warn not sinners, they bring upon themselves that

wrath and curse which they should have denounced, in God’s name,

against those that go on still in their trespasses.

     

3. Samuel’s faithful delivery of his message at last

(v. 18):

He told him every whit. When he saw that he must tell him he

never minced the matter, nor offered to make it better than it was, to

blunt that which was sharp, or to gild the bitter pill, but delivered

the message as plainly and fully as he received it, not shunning to

declare the whole counsel of God. Christ’s ministers must deal thus

faithfully.

     

4. Eli’s pious acquiescence in it. He did not question Samuel’s

integrity, was not cross with him, nor had he any thing to object

against the equity of the sentence. He did not complain of the

punishment, as Cain did, that it was greater than he either deserved or

could bear, but patiently submitted, and accepted the punishment of his

iniquity. It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good. He

understood the sentence to intend only a temporal punishment, and the

entail of disgrace and poverty upon his posterity, and not a final

separation of them from the favour of God, and therefore he cheerfully

submitted, did not repine, because he knew the demerits of his family;

nor did he now intercede for the reversing of the sentence, because God

had ratified it with a solemn oath, of which he would not repent. He

therefore composes himself into a humble resignation to God’s will, as

Aaron, in a case not much unlike.

Lev. x. 3,

He held his peace. In a few words,

(1.) He lays down this satisfying truth, “It is the Lord; it is

he that pronounces the judgment, from whose bar there lies no appeal

and against whose sentence there lies no exception. It is he that will

execute the judgment, whose power cannot be resisted, his justice

arraigned, nor his sovereignty contested. It is the Lord, who

will thus sanctify and glorify himself, and it is highly fit he should.

It is the Lord, with whom there is no unrighteousness, who never

did nor ever will do any wrong to any of his creatures, nor exact more

than their iniquity deserves.”

(2.) He infers from it this satisfying conclusion: “Let him do what

seemeth him good. I have nothing to say against his proceedings. He

is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works, and therefore

his will be done. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I

have sinned against him.” Thus we ought to quiet ourselves under

God’s rebuke, and never to strive with our Maker.




Samuel Honoured as a Prophet. B. C. 1128.

     

19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none

of his words fall to the ground.

  20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel

was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

  21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed

himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

     

Samuel being thus brought acquainted with the visions of God, we have

here an account of the further honour done him as a prophet.

     

I. God did him honour. Having begun to favour him, he carried on and

crowned his own work in him: Samuel grew, for the Lord was with

him,
v. 19.

All our increase in wisdom and grace is owing to the presence of God

with us; this is all in all to our growth. God honoured Samuel,

1. By further manifestations of himself to him. Samuel had faithfully

delivered the message he was entrusted with, and therefore God employed

him again in his service: The Lord revealed himself again to Samuel

in Shiloh,
v. 21.

Note, God will graciously repeat his visits to those that receive them

aright.

2. By fulfilling what he spoke by him: God did let none of his words

fall to the ground,
v. 19.

Whatever Samuel said, as a prophet, it proved true, and was

accomplished in its season. Probably there were some remarkable

instances of the truth of Samuel’s predictions that happened soon

after, which confirmed those that were afterwards to be fulfilled, and

gave general satisfaction as to his mission. God will confirm the

word of his servants, and perform the counsel of his

messengers

(Isa. xliv. 26),

and will do what he hath said.

     

II. Israel did him honour. They all knew and owned that Samuel was

established to be a prophet,
v. 20.

1. He grew famous; all that came up to Shiloh to worship took notice of

him, and admired him, and talked of him when they returned home. Early

piety will be the greatest honour of young people, and bring them, as

much as any thing, and as soon, into reputation. Those that honour God

he will honour.

2. He grew useful and very serviceable to his generation. He that

began betimes to be good soon came to do good. His

established commission from God, and established reputation with the

people, gave him a great opportunity of shining as a light in Israel.

When old Eli was rejected, young Samuel was established; for God will

never leave himself without a witness nor his church without a

guide.


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Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)


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