"Behold thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off all that hath familiar spirits, and the wizzards out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?" verse 9. This woman feigned ignorance of Saul, but must have known him, for "Saul was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upwards." There was "none like him among all the people," 1 Sam. 10: 23-25. A person who had never seen him before, but only heard of him, must suspect him to be king Saul. No person who saw him once could for. get him. From his publicity during his reign;from the very nature of this woman's profession; from her being banished the land by him, it cannot be doubted, but she had before seen or heard concerning him so as to recognize him. It was for her interest and safety to feign she did not know him. But we are told, verse 10, "and Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, as the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing." This shows she dreaded punishment, and if she did not know him to be king Saul, why should his swearing to her by the Lord, put all her fears to rest in a mement about her safety. At first, she was suspicious of his sincerity, and that his object was to ensnare her. But the instant she saw he was in earnest, she says to him, "whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, bring me up Samuel." A number of difficulties are supposed to be contained in the remainder of the chapter, which I shall now consider.

It is said, "if there was nothing supernatural in the case, why is it said, that the woman saw Samuel who was dead: and even described his appearance?" Answer: the woman had just learnt from Saul, that it was Samuel he wished her to bring up, and Saul's words intimate, that she had known Samuel before his death. But allowing she had not, was there any

supernatural power required to describe the appearance of a judge in Israel? It is evident Saul did not see Samuel, for if he had seen him, why ask the woman, "what sawest thou? What form is he of?" It was not from what Saul himself saw, but from the woman's description he perceived that it was Samuel. Samuel was dead, and this woman's profession was to consult with the dead; hence she says, "I saw gods or a judge ascending out of the earth." Her divulging that she knew Saul with her seeing Samuel, was calculated to increase his confidence in her art. Her also crying aloud, and signs of fear, went to produce the same effect, and was common with persons who pretended to divine. See Virgil's En. b. vi. l. 46-76.

But it will no doubt be asked, "if Samuel's ghost did not appear, who held the conversation with Saul? I answer, the woman. Her trade was to consult with the dead, and to whisper as if the dead spoke out of the ground; and all who have heard a ventriloquist, know, that they can imitate various voices, and make it appear to their audiences, as if the voice was a great way beneath the surface of the earth. If Samuel's ghost held the conversation with Saul, what need was there for his asking Saul "why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up?" If this ghost could foretel future events, why ask such a question? But the woman spoke this in a voice below ground, in a whispering tone, and thus deceiving Saul she learns from him what he wanted with Samuel, and shapes her after conversation accordingly. Saul (verse 15) discloses by his answer, his distressed condition, which was all the clue this woman wanted. Her reply is contained in verses 1620, which she puts in the mouth of Samuel's ghost, she pretended to bring up, and was no doubt spoken as if from under the ground. It is supposed to con

tain predictions of future events, which could only be known by supernatural means, and shall now receive attention.

1st, It is alleged Samuel's ghost predicted, that "the kingdom of Israel should be taken from Saul and given to David." Answer: Samuel had publicly declared this before his death, 1 Sam. ch. 14, 15. He had also anointed David to be king in presence of all his brethren, 1 Sam. 15: 13. Jonathan knew David was to be king, and so did Saul himself. This was even known at the court of Achish, 1 Sam. 21: 11. It was a fact of public notoriety, 1 Sam. 23: 17. It required neither ghost nor God to predict what before Samuel's death was so well known.

2d, It is also said, Samuel's ghost predicted, that God would deliver Saul and the armies of Israel into the hands of the Philistines." Answer; who that saw Saul's age; his distressed condition; the desperate state of the Jews, long borne down by the Philistines; and knew the numerous hosts he had to contend with, would have predicted a favorable issue? Moreover, this woman had just heard Saul say, that God had forsaken him, and did not answer him in any way. If this woman wished to maintain respectability in her profession, it would have been madness to predict any other result. Allowing her to be a heathen, it was well known, if the gods were not propitious, but had abandoned a man or a people, no better fate could be expected for Saul and Israel.

3d, It is also said, "how could this woman predict that on the morrow Saul and his sons should be with Samuel in the state of the dead?" Answer; the words rendered "to morrow," are used in other places to express the idea of time future indefinitely, and may be rendered "hereafter shalt thou and thy sons be with me." See Gen. 30: 33. Exod. 13: 14. Josh. 4: 6. But, passing this; any person of ordi

nary sagacity, from a knowledge of Saul's situation, could not well have predicted otherwise. Saul, an old man, subject to hypochondria, comes to this woman faint and weary, the night before a pitched battle with the numerous and mighty hosts of the Philistines. She sees his terrified condition, she learns from himself, that God had forsaken him, and knew that he and the Jewish nation had revolted from their bondage under the Philistines. If he and his sons did not fall in the battle, yet if taken alive, death was their fate. From these, and other circumstances, there could be little risk in foretelling such a fate to Saul and his family, and that the time had arrived when David should be king. Who under such circumstances would have insured their lives? All his sons did not die on the morrow.

In concluding our remarks, it ought to be observed, that this account is not given in honor of Saul's character, but to show the wicked, superstitious course he pursued when he forsook Jehovah and his laws. It is delivered to us in the popular language of the times. If the facts were communicated by Saul or any of his servants, we must expect them given, according to their own superstitious notions which influenced them on this occasion. If furnished by the woman herself, no one could expect her to expose her art, and tell us it was all a piece of deception. Should we receive this account as supernatural, and that Samuel's ghost actually ap peared and conversed with Saul, it involves very serious consequences. It destroys the criterion of judgment between a true and false prophet. It al so teaches, that God gave countenance to an impostor on this occasion, against whom he had denounced the most severe judgments, see Lev. 20: 27. Deut. 8: 11. We must also believe, that though God refused to consult with Saul at his camp at Gil

boa in any shape, yet answered him at Endor by a ghost, brought up from the dead by a heathen impostor, whom he by God's express commandment had banished from Canaan, verse 4. Admit what many build on this passage, and no good man is allowed to rest from his labors in peace. Admit what they say, and ghosts not only visit our world, but some persons have the power to bring them here at their pleasure. Admit it, and we are carried back to all the superstitious notions of the heathen, and yet are commanded by God to have nothing to do with them.

Job 4: 15. "Then a spirit passed before me; the hair of my flesh stood up." It is conceded, this passage does not refer to the ghost or spirit of a man. But if it did, Eliphaz did not see this ghost in the day time, nor even in the night while awake, but while he was asleep. He even could not tell what it was like, but a silence ensued and he heard what is related verses 17-21. Some suppose Job, chap. 7: 14, alludes to this, which shows in what light he viewed it.

Matt. 14: 26, "And when the disciples saw him walk on the sea they were troubled, saying, it is a spirit (fantasma) and they cried out for fear." See Mark 6: 49, where the same thing is related. It is a plain case here, that the fears of the disciples were unfounded, as the fact of the case showed. See verse 27. There was no fantasma or false appearance, for the Saviour whom they saw walking on the sea was a reality. It was the disciples' previous prejudices which produced their fears on this oc

casion.

Luke 24: 37, "But they were terrified and affrighted and supposed that they had seen a spirit," (pneuma.) See also verses 38, 39. Nothing is said about this spirit being the ghost of a dead person.