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THE WITCH OF ENDOR.

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To the Editors.-THE following
thoughts, which occurred to my
mind on reading the account of
the Witch of Endor, as recorded
in the Bible, have been for many
months lodged in my study, from
which they have only once
twice emerged to elicit the opinion
of friends on the views which they
develop. The paper signed W.R.
in your August Number, has in-
duced me to forward them for your
use, if acceptable. You will find
a remarkable sameness of opinion
with your Correspondent, which,
instead of being deemed an useless
repetition, may assist in strength-
ening what he has advanced, and
perhaps some few thoughts may
throw further light upon the sub-
ject. I am pleased with the har-
monious result of your correspon-
dent's inquiries and my own, and
shall be happy in affording the
smallest aid to unravel the seem-
ingly mysterious subject. Since
I first committed my remarks to
paper,
I have met with some MS.
notes of an old clergyman, in
which are about four or five lines
on the same side of the question.
Your constant Reader,
I. C.

Cold Harbour Lane, Camberwell,
Aug. 1, 1832.

The Rev. Thomas Scott, Dr. Adam Clarke, and Mr. Greenfield, the editor of the Comprehensive Bible, are of opinion that it was Samuel himself who appeared to the Witch of Endor; Matthew Henry and Dr. Gill suppose that it was Satan, who assumed the shape of Samuel. There are insuperable difficulties in both these positions, and yet the majority of commentators seem to favour the opinion that Samuel did actually appear.

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The following view, which I do not before recollect having seen, has afforded entire satisfaction to my own mind on this disputed question.

It is not evident that the king SAW SAMUEL on this occasion, and it might be all PRETENCE in the woman THAT SHE SAW HIM. It was easy for her to describe him, as from his popular character, and having only recently been dead, he was very generally known in Israel. It is said, indeed, that Saul perceived it was Samuel, and bowed himself to the ground, but this perception seems to have arisen out of the woman's description. The voice of Samuel is, perhaps, the most difficult part of the statement, if the appearance were not that of Samuel, or a spirit that feigned his form; but, in his agitated state of mind, Saul could not pay particular attention to this, nor, perhaps, would he be surprised at any difference in the voice of one risen from the dead, and by some power of ventriloquism, or other secret art, the woman might easily carry on the conversation. Perhaps she might also know so public a person as the king, through his disguise, and especially recognize him when he wished to see his former friend, the prophet Samuel, at a moment when the terrible invasion of the Philistines must have alarmed the whole land; so that any intimation from the apparition was not absolutely necessary to give a clue to the rank of her visitor, or even a word or action from his attendants was enough for her observing eye. Nor might it be unknown to the woman that David was the Lord's anointed, and was to supersede Saul; perhaps Saul's persecutions of his intended successor had made this notorious;

here, however, it may even be conceded that the woman was divinely inspired at the moment, to foretel what should happen to Saul, just as Balaam was on several occasions, on which ground alone we can satisfactorily explain the prediction of Saul's approaching defeat and death, with that of his

sons.

This view of the subject seems to set at rest much disputation, by removing the standing-places of the advocates of two very opposite and prevailing opinions. For, as at first stated, some assert that this was Satan in the likeness of Samuel, while others insist that it was Samuel himself. Those who deny that it was Satan, argue that the inspired page would not, in that case, have stated, as it does, that it was Samuel; and those who say that it was not Samuel, but Satan, maintain that God would not have raised Samuel from the dead, or have disturbed the repose of his spirit, to answer Saul, when he refused to answer him by ordinary methods; that no glorified or disembodied spirit could be subject to enchantments, and that the prediction that Saul and his sons would next day be with Samuel, was not that of a true prophet, but

of the father of lies, as all Saul's sons were not slain, nor could it be true that wicked Saul and pious Jonathan would ever live in the same happy state with Samuel.

Let us, however, suppose, which really does seem to be the case, that Samuel never appeared, neither in his own shape, nor in one assumed by the devil; that the woman only feigned that she saw him, and on describing him to Saul, he believed her word, while under the influence of credulity, and listened to her feigned voice as that of the dead Samuel, and that she had a divine impulse upon her to warn the royal criminal of his approaching fate, and every difficulty is at once entirely removed.

The veracity of the predictions must, indeed, be justified, if we consider the woman as speaking under the divine impulse, as the oracle of Samuel, and it does appear that the expression "tomorrow shalt thou be with me," is sufficiently borne out by three of Saul's sons perishing in the battle of Gilboa, and by the father and the sons being, on the morrow, in the same ETERNAL STATE with Samuel, which does not necessarily imply that they were all equally blessed.

CRITICISM ON 1 Cor. vII. 14, BY SIR ISAAC NEWTON, İN A LETTER TO JOHN LOCKE.*

London, May 15th, 1703. SIR,-Upon my first receiving your papers, I read over those concerning the first Epistle of Corinthians, but by so many intermissions, that I resolved to go over them again, so soon as I could get leisure to do it with more attention. I have now read it (them) over a second time, and

gone over all your papers on the second Epistle. Some faults, which seemed to be faults of the scribe, I mended with my pen, as I read the papers; some others I have noted in the inclosed papers. In your paraphrase on 1 Cor. vii. 14, you say, 'the unbelieving husband is sanctified, or made a Christian, in his wife.' I doubt

* See Lord King's Life of Locke, Letters at the end of the first volume.

this interpretation, because the unbelieving husband is not capable of baptism, as all Christians are. The Jews looked upon themselves as clean, holy, or separate to God, and other nations as unclean, unholy, or common; and, accordingly, it was unlawful for a man that was a Jew, to keep company with, or come unto one of another nation. Acts x. 28. But when the propagation of the Gospel made it necessary for the Jews, who preached the Gospel, to go unto and keep company with the Gentiles, God showed Peter by a vision, in the case of Cornelius, that he had cleansed those of other nations, so that Peter should not any longer call any man common or unclean, and on that account forbear their company; and therefore Peter went in unto Cornelius and his companions, who were uncircumcised, and did eat with them. Acts x. 27, 28. and xi. 3. Sanctifying, therefore, and cleansing, signify here not the making a man a Jew or a Christian, but the dispensing with the law whereby the people of God were to avoid the company of the rest of the world, as unholy or unclean. And if this sense be applied to St. Paul's words, they will signify, that although believers are a people holy to God, and ought to avoid the company of unbelievers as unholy or unclean, yet this law is dispensed with in some cases, and particularly in the case of mar

riage. The believing wife must not separate from the unbelieving husband as unholy or unclean, nor the believing husband from the unbelieving wife; for the unbeliever is sanctified or cleansed by mar riage with the believer, the law of avoiding the company of unbelievers being, in this case, dispensed with. I should, therefore, interpret St. Paul's words after the following manner :

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified or cleansed by the believing wife, so that it is lawful to keep him company, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; else were the children of such parents to be separated from you, and avoided as unclean, but now by nursing and educating them in your families, you allow that they are holy.'

This interpretation I propose as easy and suiting well to the words and design of St. Paul, but submit it wholly to your judgment.

I had thoughts of going to Cambridge this summer, and calling at Oates in my way, but am now uncertain of this journey. Present, I pray, my humble service to Sir Francis Masham and his lady. I think your paraphrasé and commentary on these two Epistles is (are) done with very great care and judgment.

I am, Your most humble and obedient servant, ISAAC NEWTON.

LETTERS OF CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP TO A DISSENTING STUDENT.

To Mr. Samuel Lucas, at Dr. Conder's, Mile End, London.

Bury, May 19, 1769. My young friend,-Both your last letters I have now before me. 'Tis your mercy to find, that as

the

grand adversary of souls attempts to oppose persuasion of your interest in Christ's most precious righteousness, your desires increase towards the privilege. I have in these days been looking

into dialogue XVII. of Theron and Aspasio. Much do I need the spirit of believing prayer and supplication, that I may be favoured with the saving knowledge of the glorious truth, contained in that excellent dialogue! May you, and all that wish me well, be enabled to pray successfully for me in this great and momentous matter, and that it may, eventually, be with me, as you charitably and sincerely wish for, in relation to my state, health, and success. The glorious and blessed Gospel furnishes with the most strong and unquestionable grounds of consolation and unshaken confidence, yet I find the indispensable necessity of the good Spirit to enable me to lay hold upon and improve these to the honour of God and the soul's edification; for we can, as one justly observed, no more believe savingly than obey the law perfectly. Many years ago I thought I saw a peculiar glory, in that wonderful title given to our Lord, Hebrews xii. 2, "The Author and Finisher of Faith;" and concluded, that if there were no other proof of his Supreme Deity, it would go far with me to believe that grand doctrine; but 'tis well that Old and New Testament abound with multiplied testimonies, and confirmations of the important truth, which derives such inconceivable dignity to his glorious righteous

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Bury, Nov. 8, 1769. My dear friend,-Seeing you lament former neglects, and misimprovement of precious time, I would hope your sincerity will appear in looking up to Him who teaches to profit, to give you counsel for the sake of his dear Son, to improve present opportunities; for our own resolutions are of no value unless the Lord himself, by his grace, stand by us. 'Tis a very great matter practically to understand 2 Tim. second chapter throughout. I mean not that any part in the epistles to ministers should be neglected, but there are some parts of the very last importance; and, doubt, the third and fourth chapters of the first to Timothy are such; as is the second of that to Titus. Yet, after all, 'tis hard to determine how highly a conscientious and wise person ought to prize and study the excellent things contained in these admirable epistles. Most certain it is, if the Holy Ghost, the living author of the Scriptures, be your interpreter, you shall see daily new mines of wisdom and grace in these vast fields of spiritual knowledge, so that my pretending to offer any thing of my own would be the effect of pride, an evil that has greatly and justly provoked the Lord to contend with me. Oh! watch and

pray against this cursed and most dangerous adversary! Does the power of religion gain ground in your new habitation? Pray for us that the Gospel may not miscarry in my unskilful hands. The heads of the people need much of the spirit of prayer, and spiritual wisdom how to act at such a time as this. We have had a stranger, one Mr. Walters, here; he preached thrice at Mr. Savill's place under the name of a Congregational Minister. Mrs. Corsbie, and several others, are greatly taken with him, and others are as much set against him. I wish you would, with my

respects to Dr. Conder, desire of him to inform us concerning him, for he told me he received a present of Mr. Erskine's works in folio from the Doctor, but owned he was not employed by him to preach. Your care to execute what I desired of you calls for my thanks, though I am not able to do any thing as 1 ought. Beg that I and this people may be filled with the Spirit, and then will I heartily wish you all sanctified success in your studies, and prove,

Your ready servant by grace,
JAMES DAVIDSON.

PRESENT ASPECT OF POPERY.

to

To the Editors.-THE resolution of our friends, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, inserted in your register of "Transactions" for this month, is, in my humble judgment, entitled to prompt and serious consideration. They declare that "it is high time to use active measures avowedly for the entire extinction of the Roman Catholic religion," and submit" whether it be not our duty, as strenuous Protestants, to unite for this object, either by joining the British Reformation Society, or by forming a separate institution." Permit me, respectfully, to offer a few suggestions upon the subject to your readers.

Few, it is presumed, will dissent from the opinion of our Yorkshire friends, that the overthrow of popery "is rendered certain by abundant divine promises, and cannot be very distant." The "little horn" of Daniel's fourth beast, even that "horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows," is doomed to N.S. NO. 93.

have his dominion taken away when he has continued for a "time and times, and the dividing of time.* Of the wicked or lawless one, of whose manifestation the Apostle Paul forewarned the Thessalonians, it is declared," whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.t The mystic Babylon of the Apocalypse "shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." No event, in the range of unfulfilled prophecy, is affirmed with more clearness and unconditional certainty than is the destruction of this ancient, wide-spreading, and awful apostacy; nor, I will add, is any event described as of more importance, or the occasion of greater triumph and congratulation throughout the moral empire of God. From whatever period that has been named by expositors, we.

* Dan. vii. 20, 25. + 2 Thess. ii. 8. Rev. xviii. 8. 4 A

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