Connecticut western news., 1876-02-18
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS.
By the Pastor of O sunday school

FOR FEBRUARY BOTH. 1876.
 DAVID ESTABLISHED KING-II SAM.
 V. 17-25.
 GOLDEN TEXT. Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established. Chron. xx, 20. ..r
 DATE-1047 B. c. ...t
 CoNNEcrIoN-Saula and Jonathan were dead and David mourned for them @ Sam. n. The Philistlnes ovefra m and held all the country about Gilboa q Sam. xxi, ?. Taught of God, David went up from Zlk- lag to Hebron, and there the men of ms own tribe, J ujah. and annointed him their king t2 Sam. ii. 4. But Abner, the general other side ot the Jordan, southeast from Mt. Gilboa, took Sauls fourth son (three of bus sons were dead) and made him king of Israel; So there were two kings in the followers. Dayld became stronger ard stronger liii, 1). After a time Ahner for sock Ishbosheth, SauPs son, and tried to become friends with David. He was killed killed Joab's brother Ashaei. Theu two of 1shbosheth's captains killed tbeir hug while he was asleep and brought hrs head to David, expecting Q reward. But David and murder. These deeds of violence Da- yid could notprevent, ,buthe mourned over them. After the death of 1shbosheth. all the Jews acknowledged Davld as their kinR. They came together at Hebron and Davld was third time amounted king, this time Tn the midst of an immense gath ering, at which there were present more than $50 .O00 soldiers q Chron. xii, 28 40.
 The first act of David, when king of the whole land. was to capture the city of Je- rusalem from the Jebusltes, who Lad nev- CT yet been driven out tv, 6-9), The blind and the lame were the idols of the Jebu- sites; see Ps. cxv. AS.
 The k,ng of Tyre sent Davld presents, and a fnN David palace at Jerusalem, which from Davld.' 'f.-r
 .LEssoE.-[17l David was established his promises. Tho enmlty of Saul had come to naught. Nothing can prevent Gods Keeping hls word. aud God has made promises to us, aud he will keep them. But when all seemed prosperous and peaceful the Philistines came again. Trial. temp tatlon, evil, come to us just so; when we least expect tbem.} DavId went down, from Jerusalem, to the hold.' or strong place where his scattered army could gath l18I The. Philistines spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim,' or the country of the giants, which seems to have been high ground lying south from Jerusalem.
 l19l David inqul, ed of the Lord. God encouraged him and told him what to do. God has promised to do as much for you and me. tJas. i, 5l. 1,gr ,..s
 t90l Gsd gave David so great victory that David called the place by a new name. Ine victory was so complete, so evidently the work of God. so well remem- bered. that tue prophet Isaiah Ills. xxvili, 21 hundreds of years afterwards referred to 1t as a proof of Gods power, and the certain destruction of his enemles.
 l21l The Philistines had brought thelr lmaRes-ldol Rods--wlth them but they could not help them. Nothing can help those who fight against God. Davld and his men burned these idols, as God had commanded fDeut. vii, 5l.
 t22l But the PhiIlstlnes came up again. To overcome evil once IS not enough, but every time we conquer we are stronger to conquer again. They come up to the same place, but probably stronger in nunbers than before. They took the little city where Davld was born, and it was at this time that the incident related iu Sam. xxiii, 1S 17 occurred. It IS worth reading. It makes us feel that we could love David.
 l2S2 24l The first thing to do. whenever evil comes, ie always the same. David again inquired ot the Lord. But praying is not all. Each evil must be met in the best way. aud God can teach the best way. Taught of God, David was to fetch com pass behlud them,' or parch his army around to their Hanks and rear, and by sound of going in the tops of the mul- berry trees God would give him ngn when to attack -sI
 t25I David did so. He was ready not only to pray but to act, By fetching the compass behind them, he out them of from retr eat to their own cities, and he drove them northward. from Geba Gazer, utterly es aestroylng G sneir army th dhe ph,listines did Davld afterwards fought them in their own land aud captured theIr cities, and when Solomon became king all the land ot the Phlllstines was under his control.
 EY- Birthe, Marriages and Deaths inserted free. Obituary notices five cents line.