religious exaltation through their eccentric mode of
life, and thus it comes that the Hebrew word, which means "to live as a
prophet," has also the signification "to rave, to behave in an unseemly
way."

These men lived together in Israel until a very late date in guilds,
the so-called schools of the prophets. They were, in fact, a species
of begging friars, and were held by the people in a contempt which they
evidently did their best to deserve. To Ahab they prophesied
whatsoever was pleasing to him to hear; and as one of them came into
the camp unto Jehu with a message from Elisha to anoint him king, his
friends asked him: "Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee?" Amos
likewise indignantly resents being placed on the same level with this
begging fraternity: "I was no prophet," he says, "neither was I a
prophet's son." And so when the people exclaimed in astonishment: "Is
Saul also among the prophets?" they did not mean: "How is it that such
a worldly-minded man finds himself in the company of such pious
people?" Their meaning is better represented in a question like this:
"How comes a person of such distinction to find himself in such
disreputable company?"

Let it be understood that these last two or three paragraphs are
roughly paraphrased from Professor Cornill's book, _The Prophets of
Israel_. My opinion as to how far his reading of this proverb-question
will bear criticism is of no value. It may be open to debate whether,
historically, he has not placed certain hysterical phenomena recorded
of these prophets much too late. But whatever scholarship may have to
say about his interpretation of our text, the interpretation commends
itself to my judgment, and it serves the purpose before me. It has, I
venture to think, a very timely message for us all, and especially to
young people.

You have heard the question a score of times, and you will hear it
again if you live. Hear it then, for once, as the remembrancer of this
truth--that when Saul was found among these so-called prophets he had
ceased to respect himself, and when a man does that he must either
recover himself, or accept moral ruin. I care not what his exterior
circumstances may be; just so far as he fears self-scrutiny is he
self-damned, and he knows it. We talk about the "basis of character."
It is this, or it is that, according as a man may regard it from his
standpoint of morals or religion. We may call it what we choose, but
one thing