He also enjoyed the distinguished honor of being the founder of the school of the prophets and the first in that glorious succession of holy men who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and who formed the only unbroken line of truth and righteousness in the history of God’s ancient people. From the days of Samuel the prophets formed a distinct class, and had a regular school of training, corresponding somewhat to our theological seminaries and training institutes, and Samuel had the pre-eminence of being the founder of these prophetic schools. Later in his life he went about the country as a pastor and overseer, visiting the towns and villages, holding conventions, from place to place and instructing the people in the law of God and the schools of the prophets in the principles of the kingdom. But, above all his public ministries and even his national influence, Samuel was himself a beautiful and spotless character. In an age of almost universal corruption he lived a life of blameless piety, and at a later period, when bidding farewell to the nation as their judge, he could truly call upon them to witness to his uprightness and integrity. “Behold,” he said, “I am old and gray-headed, and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. Behold, here I am; witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it to you.” And they said, “Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man’s hand.” Samuel stands forth as one of the blameless lives of sacred history; human no doubt in his infirmities, but no fault has been recorded against him, and his personal character is the most eloquent testimony of all his history. We have been permitted to trace this beautiful life to its source. Some characters, like Elijah’s suddenly burst upon our vision and we only know them in the public and closing chapters of their history. Some, however, are like a beautiful river that you can trace to its crystal fountain and follow all through its winding channel until, like our own Hudson, it pours its volume into the sea. Thus we have been permitted to stand by Samuel’s cradle and even to know something of his prophetic future before his very birth. We enter into the joys and sorrows and the believing prayers of Hannah, the devoted mother, who was the real fountain, not only of his natural life, but also of his piety and holy power. And we walk side by side with him through his childhood and his youth until, at last, we meet him in the busy activities of his manhood and follow him until he lays down his ministry and passes to his honored rest.