1 Samuel 3:8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you did call me… There was once a great painter, and his name was Sir Peter Lennie, and Sir Peter Lennie said that he never looked at a bad picture; for if he looked at a bad picture, he was quite sure when he began to paint next time. one of his colours would have a bad tint, or one of big figures would have a crooked line. So we will not look at a bad picture, but a good one, and Samuel is a good one. Josephus, who wrote "the history of the Jews." tells us that Samuel was twelve years old when that happened which we are going to think about now. It is a very great thing to be twelve years old. I find that in the Bible. Do you know when a little Jew became twelve years old, then he was admitted into the Jewish Church; and he was therefore called "the child of the law;" it was something like our "Confirmation," that is at twelve years old. Do you remember a little girl, twelve years old (who had died) to whom Jesus was very kind? Do you remember He raised her from the dead? He said to her "Talitha cumi." She rose up, and do you know Jesus was very kind; He thought she was hungry, and He said, "Give her something to eat." It was very thoughtful and kind to say that! Do you know what Jesus did when He was twelve years old? Did He teach the scribes and elders? No, He did not. Did He learn of them? Yes, when He was twelve years old, He went and "asked them questions." And Samuel was twelve years old at the time we are going to think about him. Little Samuel went to bed. He had a right to go to bed. He had earned his bed. He had been very busy all day — for it says just before, be had been "ministering," that is serving all day. Do you earn your bed? He had earned his by being very busy. I want to speak a little about going to bed. When you go to bed take care of two things — Wash, and wind up the clock. Don't misunderstand me. I say wash. Do I mean wash your body? Yes, I say God tells us to do that. Be very particular about washing, because it says in the tenth chapter of the Hebrews, we are not only to have "our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience," but "our bodies washed with pure water." I would not give much for the religion of that boy or girl who is not very clean, very particular about washing. Do you know what I mean by "winding up the clock?" You have got something inside you like a clock — your heart. There are a great many strange works there like a clock. You will find this, if you do not take care, it will run down and stop. I wind up my watch every night; you must wind up your heart every night, or else it will stop. Pray to God about it; wind it up. I do not know where little Samuel's bed was; you do not know, do you? I should think it was very near the ark, and very near Eli's, but it was not in the same room as Eli's One thing I will tell you, it was at the foot of Jacob's ladder. If you see a little baby in the cradle, that little baby is sleeping at the foot of Jacob's ladder. Every cradle in the world is at the foot of Jacob's ladder. I like that thought very much, don't you. If you are a good child, I am sure it will be. Your bed will be at the foot of Jacob's ladder. I hope when you go to bed you will have what little Samuel had — do you know what he had? A very soft pillow. Miss Havergall has written a very pretty book on "Little Pillows." I will tell you how she came to write it. There was a little girl of the name of Ethel, she came to stay with her aunt, and after she bad been tucked up, and her aunt had given her the last kiss, and was just going away, her aunt came back and said, "Ethel, would you like a little pillow?" She looked round on the bed, and saw she had a little soft one there, and she said, "I have got one auntie." "I don't mean that," her aunt replied. "I mean another kind of pillow It is very nice when you go to bed to have a thought, perhaps a text of the Bible, and as you put your head on the pillow, so you put that little text or thought under your heart, and it makes a nice soft pillow to go to sleep upon. Would you like me to give you one?" "Yes, indeed," replied little Ethel. So her auntie gave her a little text to be a pillow for her to sleep softly on. That made Miss Havergall write her book. So she has given just thirty-one little pillows — one for every night in the month; and she has written another little book called "Morning Bells," thoughts for the morning. I should advise you to get these two little books and read them — "Little Pillows" and "Morning Bells." Some say — in the 127th Psalm, it does not mean, "God gives His beloved sleep," but "God gives to His beloved while they are sleeping." Can God give us anything while we are sleeping? Yes, I think he does. There are different kinds of calls. Sometimes God calls us to give up naughty things, to become a Christian. Was that Samuel's call? No, because Samuel was a good boy. He was God's child. He was what we call "a Christian" then. He was called to do something. God called him by the name of "Samuel." And little Samuel made a mistake when he thought it was a man speaking to him, and not God. Perhaps you are making the same mistake now? Who is speaking to you now? I, or God? Which? God. When you go home, and your father and mother tell you something, who is telling it you? Your father or mother, or God? God. Because God made your father and mother. He made you their child, and He tells you to "obey your father and mother," and He is speaking to you through them. And if you disobey your father and mother, you disobey God. I think I once told you what is the seal upon "The Baptist Missionary Society." They have on their seal — shall I tell you what? An ox, and on one side of the ox is a plough, and on the other side is an altar; and the ox is saying, in Latin, that he is "ready for either" — ready to go and be killed if it is wanted, or ready to go and drag the plough, if it is wanted. Willing for either. Here I am, ready for anything. If God wishes me to die, I am ready to die; if God wishes me to work, I am ready for work. Ready for either. "Here I am." I heard of a little girl who said to her mother one day, "Mamma, now let's sit very quiet, don't let us speak a word — let's be very still, and let us try if we cannot hear the angels singing up in heaven." The little girl could not hear that; but it was a nice thought! "Let us be quite still, and see if we cannot hear the angels speak." If you will be very still, and say, "Speak, Lord; I will listen:" God will speak to you. I am sure He will. Do you know — it is a wonderful thing — that God tells secrets to little children that He does not tell to anybody else. God did not tell Eli, though Eli was an old man; but he told the little boy of twelve years of age; He told him a secret; He told His secret to the little boy. Do you remember anything like that in the New Testament? Do you remember there was only one time in all His life that we are told Jesus was happy, that "He rejoiced in spirit." You will find in Luke 10:21, what it was that made Jesus happy. God shows His secrets to babes. (J. Vaughan, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. |
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