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THE WITCH OF ENDOR.

OXXT.

JHE Witex OF Pf NDOR.

HERE was Saul this long

time? He was still at
)) his house, unhappy and
discontented; the evil
spirit troubling him more
and more. The Philistines now came
to fight against Israel, and Saul
gathered together all his soldiers
at Gilboa. But he felt much
frightened when he looked upon
the army of his enemies, for he
knew that he had not God to fight
for him.

Saul went and asked God to help
him; but had no answer. Saul had
forsaken God; now God forsook
him. Saul had no answer, be-
cause he did not pray humbly; he
was not truly sorry for his sin. He
was frightened and miserable, but
he was not penitent and hum-
ble. God promises always to an-
swer sincere prayers; but Saul’s
prayer was careless and insincere ;
and, therefore, God would not at-
tend to it. .

What could Saul do now? Where
did he go for help? Did he pray
again to God, and ask for a new
heart, and a right spirit? No,
Saul was soon tired of prayer, for
he did not care for God’s blessing
and forgiveness. He called his
servants, and asked them if they
knew a witch who could tell him
what he wanted to know. The
witches were wicked women who
pretended to have the power of rais-
ing dead people, and of foretelling
fnture things. God had commanded
them to be put to death. But Saul
was now grown s0 foolish, and so

   

wicked that he wished to ask advice
of a witch, and not of God, nor of
His holy prophets.

Saul’s servants told him there was
a witch living at Endor; so he
changed his dress, that people might
not know him, and went secretly,
by night, to Endor. Saul came to
the house where this wicked wo-
man lived, and asked her to raise a
dead man to life for him. The wo-
man did not know Saul; and she
refused at first to do what he wished,
for she was afraid of being put to
death. But Saul told her not to
fear; and promised she should not
be punished. Then she said,
“Whom shall I bring up?” And
Saul told her to bring up Samuel.
‘The foolish woman had no power to
raise Samuel. But God showed
His power by causing a figure like
Samuel to come up, and speak to
Saul. When the woman saw the
figure coming up out of the ground,
she was very much frightened, and
cried out for fear. Then Saul looked
too. What did he see? He saw
the figure of an old man; he
thought it was Samuel, and he
bowed down to the ground. Then
the figure asked, “Why hast thou
called me up?” Saul said, “I am
sore distressed; the Philistines
make war against me; God is gone
from me; and answers me no more,
and I have called thee to tell me
what I shall do.” Then the figure
said, “ Why dost thou ask of me, if
the Lord is thine enemy. He has
departed from thee, and given the
kingdom to David, because thou