ethren--"of thy
brethren the prophets_", confirms our sense of the text--_I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets_. Strange language, if
this was one of the angels who kept their first estate; one who never
dwelt in flesh, nor inhabited a human body! But if this was one of the
old prophets, Samuel, Nathan, Daniel, or any other of those who had
tabernacled in flesh, and been sent to warn his brethren, and foretell
things to come, the language is easy and natural. *

* * * * *

* _Sundulos sou gar eimi, xai ton adelphon sou ton prophaton_.
Doct. Doddridge in his notes on this passage observes, that it may be
rendered _I am thy fellow servant and the fellow servant of thy
brethren the prophets_.

But the translation in the Bible is perfectly literal. The sentence is
elliptical. The elipsis may as well be filled by _tis_, as by
_sundoulos_. If filled by the former, it reads thus, _I am a fellow
servant, and one of the brethren the prophets_. This, for the reasons
given above, we conceive to be the sense of the passage. The learned
reader wilt judge for himself.

* * * * *

If we search the scriptures, we shall see that the saints whose bodies
were in the grave, have been sometimes thus used of God.

When Saul went to consult the powers of darkness, because the Lord did
not answer him in the time of his distress, Samuel, who had died some
time before, was sent of God to reprove that rebellious prince, and
denounce his doom.

Some indeed suppose that the apparition was not Samuel, but an
infernal! But the sacred historian represents it as being Samuel, and
why should we reject his testimony?

The sorceress had not power by her charms, to call back the prophet
from the world of spirits. But God had power to send him on his
business; to enable him to make himself visible, and foretel the evils
which then hung over Saul and Israel: And from several considerations
we think it evident that he did do it.

The woman appears to have been surprized when she saw Samuel. To her,
he was an unexpected visitor. By his means she found out Saul, whom
before she did not know in his disguise.--Apostate spirits if they
ever gave responses to those who consulted them, commonly flattered
them in their crimes, or gave ambiguous answers to their inquiries;
but not so the ghost which appeared on this occasion. Most pointedly
did it reprove the abandoned prince, who was adding iniquity to
transgression, and hardening him