powers of the witch. (See I Sam. 15: 26, 35.) Saul’s
own testimony was, “God is departed from me and
answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by
dreams.”-I
Sam. 28: 6, 15.
Any rightly informed person will readily see the
absurdity of supposing that Samuel would hold any
conference whatever with Saul under the drcumstance.
(1) Samuel (when living) was aware that God had for-
saken Saul, and hence Samuel had no right to speak
to him and no right to give him any information which
the Lord was unwilling to give him. And Samuel
would not do so. (2) It is thoroughly absurd to sup
pose that a spirit-medium under condemnation of the
Lord and prohibited of the right of residence in the
land of Israel could have the power at the instance of a
wicked king, whom God had deserted, to “disquiet”
Samuel and to bring him “up” out of shol. Was
Samuel down in the earth, or was he afar off in heav-
en ? and had the witch the power in either case to com-
mand him .to present himself before King Saul to
answer his question? Or is it reasonable to suppose
that any spirit-mediums have the power to “disquiet”
and “bring up” or in any other manner cause the dead
to appear to answer the speculative questions of the
living ?
The “familiar spirit” of the witch, personating
Samuel, foretold nothing which Saul himself did not
anticipate. Saul knew that God’s word had been passed
that the kingdom should be taken from him and his
family, and he had sought the witch because of his
fear of the Philistine hosts in battle array for the mor-
row. He expected no mercy for himself and his fami-
ly, God having told him that David vould be bis succesor