old priest.

But besides growing old and feeble, Eli was also growing more and more
unhappy day by day. His two sons were wicked and disobedient, and,
what was worse, they were teaching God's people to be wicked too. Eli
would not punish them as they deserved, so at last the time came when
God took the punishment into His own hands. Only He would warn Eli
before-hand, for the old priest was His servant.

So one night God's message came, spoken by God's own voice--spoken not
to the great priest, but to the humble little server.

It was evening time. All the work of the day was over, and Eli had
gone to rest. The lamp in the temple was burning dimly, sometimes
flickering as if it would go out altogether, and leave the holy place
in darkness. Samuel, tired with his day's service, was fast asleep,
when suddenly he woke up, startled and attentive. Some one had called
his name: "Samuel, Samuel."

"Here am I," answered the boy at once. Perhaps the old priest was ill,
and wanted him. Hastily Samuel slipped out of bed, and ran to Eli. But
the old man was lying there quite calmly, and when Samuel asked why he
had called, he answered quietly, "I called not; lie down again."

It was very strange; but perhaps he had been dreaming, so Samuel went
back and crept into bed, and very soon was once more fast asleep. Then
again the voice came: "Samuel." This time Samuel was sure it was no
dream, and he ran to Eli and cried to him, "Here am I, for thou didst
call me."

"I called not, my son," said Eli. "Lie down again."

But when it happened a third time, and the little white figure stood
by the priest's bed, declaring positively, "Thou didst call me," Eli
suddenly realized that perhaps it was God whose voice the boy had
heard.

"Go, lie down," he said gently to the bewildered child, "and it shall
be if He call thee that thou shalt say, 'Speak, Lord, for Thy servant
heareth.'"

One great lesson Samuel had learnt, and that was to do exactly what he
was told, never questioning. So now he went back to bed without
another word.

Did Eli mean that it was the Lord who had called him? The great God
who was so wonderful, whose Ark was in the Holy Place behind the veil
of blue and purple and scarlet, guarded by cherubim? He had only
seemed like a far-off name to Samuel. Could it really be God's own
voice that had called Samuel? If that was so, then the great unknown
God must all the time have known the little servant in His house.

T