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Spiritual Gifts, Volume 4a
When the Philistines again make war with Israel, Saul is afraid.
He has had no rest in any season of peril, and the people are divided.
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Some go with Saul in all his wickedness. Others cannot trust to his
judgment, and wish a righteous ruler. Saul’s last acts have been so
cruel, presumptuous and daring, that his conscience is as a scourge,
continually upbraiding him. Yet he does not repent of his wickedness,
but pursues his relentless course with despairing desperation, and at
the prospect of a battle he is distracted and melancholy. He presumes,
with his load of guilt upon him, to inquire of God, but God answers
him not. He has barbarously massacred the priests of the Lord, because
they suffered David to escape. He destroyed the city where the priests
lived, and put a multitude of righteous persons to death, to satisfy his
envious rage. Yet in his peril he dares to approach God, to inquire
whether he shall make war with the Philistines.
But as God has left him, he seeks a woman with a familiar spirit,
who is in communion with Satan. He has forsaken God, and at length
seeks one who has made a covenant with death and an agreement
with hell, for knowledge. The witch of Endor had made agreement
with Satan to follow his directions in all things, and he would perform
wonders and miracles for her, and would reveal to her the most secret
things, if she would yield herself unreservedly to be controlled by his
Satanic Majesty. This she had done.
When Saul inquired for Samuel, the Lord did not cause Samuel to
appear to Saul. He saw nothing. Satan was not allowed to disturb the
rest of Samuel in the grave, and bring him up in reality to the witch
of Endor. God does not give Satan power to resurrect the dead. But
Satan’s angels assume the form of dead friends, and speak and act like
them, that through professed dead friends, he can the better carry on
his work of deception. Satan knew Samuel well, and he knew how to
represent him before the witch of Endor, and to utter correctly the fate
of Saul and his sons.
Satan will come in a very plausible manner to such as he can
deceive; and will insinuate himself into their favor, and lead them
almost imperceptibly from God. He wins them under his control
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cautiously at first, until their perceptibilities become blunted. Then
he will make bolder suggestions, until he can lead them to commit
almost any degree of crime. When he has led them into his snare
fully, he is then willing that they should see where they are, and he