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NEGLIGENCE AND RUIN.

In the circumstances under which Eli is first presented to our notice, there were included several peculiar privileges, from which a very different character and conduct might have been anticipated. Aaron had two sons, Eleazer and Ithamar; and although the names are preserved, from the days of that fine character, Phineas, the son of Eleazer, after whom, it seems, one of Eli's children was named, no mention whatever of the high priest is to be found until Eli appears. This high and sacred office, which had all along continued in the line of Eleazer, for some cause had just been transferred to the posterity of Ithamar; and Eli, being his lineal descendant, was the first man of his posterity who had been promoted to the united honor of High Priest and Judge in Israel. The oracular voice in the sanctuary, given by Urim and Thummim, had for some time ceased; which was no ambiguous intimation of degeneracy, and probably of divine displeasure, either with the posterity of the elder brother, or with Hophni and Phineas. On these accounts, one might surely have presumed, that in Eli there would have been found much of prudent caution, of daily vigilance, and strict integrity. But, alas, instead of this-thus exalted in Israel, it was only to stand at the head of a list of human beings, not one of which should ever reach his advan、、 → years, and many of which were appointed to die in the flower of their age!

After a perusal of the whole of this affecting narrative, we see a Parent, venerable in point of age and office, charged with, not what is generally styled immorality in practice we see him arraigned only for his failure in action, or neglect of known duty: we see how difficult i was to fix upon him a sufficient consciousness of guilt; and that though he was at last awakened to a sense of his folly, alas! it was too late for him, either to recover his

steps, or change the solemn and determined purpose of Heaven! Each of these features in this story requires to be more distinctly noticed.

First,-His failure in parental duty. Throughout the whole of this sad tale, nothing else, and nothing more than this, is brought in charge against Eli.

From natural timidity, or the love of ease, he seems to have shrunk from exertion and trouble. Of authority he was in ample possession, as being not only the Parent of his children, but also High Priest, and even the Judge of Israel. Each of these characters equally suggested to him the importance of exerting his authority when it became necessary. Looking fully into the case, as a Parent he ought to have "restrained" these young men ; as High Priest he ought to have excommunicated; nay, they would not obey, and did not desist from such sin, as Judge belonged to him the awful duty of even pronouncing upon them sentence of death. Amidst such weight of obligation, it is, however, the character of Parent which is selected to illustrate the extent of his guilt; and certainly when that guilt is contemplated, it is marvellous that such a Parent should have been so blind and inactive. You see him go on indulging in effect, nay even conniving at the practices of his sons, till they had actually become "customs ;" and it is not improbable that Eli might have often partaken of the food, so sacrilegiously obtained by them or their servants, now grown so insolent. But without noticing other sins, what was the nature of their offensive customs, so far as sacrifice to Jehovah was concerned? To them, as Priests, certain portions of the animal, excellent in themselves, belonged, the breast, the right shoulder, and several other parts; yet in wanton violation of this express and universal law, would they, or even their servants, seize instantly, or even by force, whatever they chose! The fat of these animals was to be burned, without fail, upon the altar of God,-a

ceremony which, by itself, was essential to the acceptance of the sacrifice, inasmuch as it was typical of the sacrifice of Christ, as well as expressive of the repentance and faith of the offerer. To this, as well as to the former regulation, they paid no regard; "wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for men abhorred the offering of the Lord." Hence ignorance, or ungodliness and profaneness, if not idolatry, were sure to prevail.

Eli's failure, however, consisted not in entire silence. He was not afraid of telling his sons of their iniquity; and in doing so, he discovers his entire knowledge of their whole conduct. Nay, he remonstrated with them, and even set their guilt and danger before them in the strongest terms: "If a man sin against another," said he, "the Judge shall judge him; but if a inan sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?" But what signified words only in such a case? What was the use or value of his authority, if, on such an occasion as this, it was not to be exerted with effect? Therefore, though he thus remonstrated with his children, as he only remonstrated, for this he receives no token of approbation whatever; so far from it, he is just about to be solemnly charged, precisely as we do an accomplice in crime. But mark how difficult it is to rouse the mind even of a Parent, and that with regard to his own children, after a course of criminal easiness and neglect of duty!

Second,-The various means which were requisite to convince him of his negligence and guilt.

From this lethargy, Eli might, without doubt, have been fully awakened, long before the night on which Samuel so frequently disturbed his repose. If that dear Child ran to him, and awakened him not less than three times; even this was portentous, and, it seems not at all improbable, was also intended to stir him up, by putting him in remembrance of neglected warnings. At all events, he had

been at least as frequently called upon, before this period, to the consideration of his duty.

1 The character and conduct of Elkanah and Hannah were in themselves calculated to do so. The interview which he had with the mother of Samuel before he was born, proves that Eli was far from being insensible to the evil of sin in others; while the entire surrender and dedication of such a Child unto God, by both Parents, and their leaving him, at such an early age, " to minister unto the Lord before Eli," was a standing reproof to him, who did not scrutinize the conduct of his own sons, now fit in point of age, and under obligation in point of office, to devote themselves entirely to the sanctuary. I do not say, that he was altogether unmoved; for Hannah's present of Samuel seems to have made some impression. If Eli "worshipped the Lord there," after such a gift, it was well, but, alas! he is roused neither to a sense of his own danger nor his guilt.

2. Did he not hear the awakening language of Hannah herself, under divine influence, when she said—

"He will keep the feet of his saints,

But the wicked shall be silent in darkness;
For by strength shall no man prevail.
The adversaries of the Lord shall be crushed,
Out of heaven shall He thunder upon them.
The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth;
He shall give strength unto his KING,
And exalt the horn of his MESSIAH !"*

* By the way, the reader may here observe Hannah describing the promised Saviour of the world, as a King, before there was any king in Israel; and first applying to him the remarkable epithet Messiah, in Hebrew; Christ, in Greek; and Anointed, in English which was adopted by David and Nathan, Isaiah and Daniel, and the succeeding prophets of the Old Testament, as well as the apostles and inspired writers of the New.—Hales, ii. 332.

3. A third and far more solemn, premonition, however, awaited Eli, at the advanced age of eighty-eight, when a prophet of God came to him, and charged him as an accomplice in the crimes of his children, saying, "Thus saith the Lord,—

"Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy Father,

When they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house?

And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my Priest? To offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? And did I give to the house of thy Father,

All the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice, and at mine offering,
Which I have commanded in my habitation?

And honorest thy Sons above me, to make yourselves fat
With the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
Wherefore the Lord, the God of Israel saith,

I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy Father,
Should walk before me for ever:

But now the Lord saith, Be it far from me;

For them that honor me, I will honor,

And they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.
Behold the days come, that I will cut off thine arm,
And the arm of thy Father's house;

And there shall not be an old man in thine house :
And thou shalt see the affliction of the tabernacle,

Instead of all the wealth which God would have given Israel :*
And there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar,

Shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart,

And all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee,

That shall come upon thy Sons,

On Hophni and Phineas,

In one day they shall die, both of them!

And I will raise me up a faithful Priest,

That shall do according to all that is in mine heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house;

And he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house Shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver, and a morsel of And shall say, Put me into somewhat about the priesthood, [bread, That I may eat a piece of bread !"

* This appears to be the true translation; and accordingly Eli did see the tabernacle deprived of the ark, which was its glory, and lived to hear that it was captured by the Philistines.

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