The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-08-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
ENTERTAINING DISSERTATION ON
SERIOUS SUBJECTS.

90 lOunu IN sam. 10: lU- ~
INTRODUCTORY.
The connection calls for a brief survey OF
lsraels conquests under Saul Conquests.
We have SAID. because wherever Israel went
victory perched upon her banners. But
conquest proper belonged TO Davids day:
those wars under Saul were mainly defen-
sive and expulsory rather than subjugatory.
1t was the king after Gods own heart who
at later time set the bounds OF the King
dom and established It's authority. But
Saul was mighty warrior in his day. and.
had he followed up his advantages. he
would have been a great king. His first
victory was over the dmmonites. just prior
to his full coronation Il Sam. IL. The Sec
ond triumph was over the PhiHstines Il
Sam. ID and IA where Jonathan comes TO
the front. The third was over the MoaDites:
the fourth. the EdOmites: and the fifth. the
Syrtdns-all mentioned in l Sam. IA AZ.
The sixth campaign. with the Amaiekites.
the subject OF to-day's lesson. occurred
about the fifteenth year OF Sauls reign.
Two other Philistine wars mark the declin-
ing years OF Saul. in the latter of which he
persisted. Saul was man who stopped
short OF his greatest possibilities. He
smote thrice and stayed"
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES
BEHOLD, ne SET nam up place. stone OF
triumph for King Saul monumen ito
himself That was a tell-tale shalt tire
veals TO us the fatal weakness OF Sauls
characteristic set self above God. Carmel
came before Gilgal, stones before sacrifice.
That was the trouble in the initial default.
few years before. there at Giigal. Tired
OF waiting for Samuel. Gods prophet.
anxious to be through with the formal GER
emony OF the burnt offer ng. ambitious to
do for himself. he essayed that which be-
longed 10 the messenger OF God alone to
do. He boldly put forth his hand and
himself offered the burnt Offering. 1t was
essentially an exaltation OF SELF Saul
thought more highly Of himself than he
thought of God. So here he has wholly
mistaken the character and object OF this
war, and his place In IL. 1t was not merely
for Sauls uplifting. twas to be religious
war. war OF determination for Israels
lasting good. Saul thinking Of self again.
sees in 1t mere opportunity for present
plumber and for personal glory. Hence his
conduct In the providence of war COM
promise Is often selfshness; il may be
treachery. Abatement of the issue, how it
pressed upon Us in Volutionary days, and
again in the more recent war OF the sixties
Heaven be praised that there were those
who saw higher purpose. Alas for Saul
that he did not.
1 hare performed the commandment Of the
Lord Moral alteration. IL is one OF the
strangest. saddest things in the world-how
wiliulness warps the judgment and twists
the faculty OF discernment. See, said Saul.
Il have performed the commandment of
the LorG. And when the man oil God
looked. what did he behold! The fragrant
tokens of real disobedience. Saul has per-
formed his own will. not Gods. Oh. these
conscienceS OF ours, how we can pervert
theml Il have performed the command
ment OF the Lord. some one is saying at
! the baptismal font; and when we look. alas.
what travesty of the ordinance command
| ed! L have performed the commandment
| OF the Lord" some one is saying as he
leaves the sacred desk. and 10. il is pitt
| full, il not blasphemous, man. made right
| eousness he has been preaching, and right
! in the face OF the oracle Of God Il have
/ performed the commandment Of the Lord
/ some one is saying at the Lords treasury
but alas how meager is his "ali for Jesusl-
God sees it all. Words VIII not change its
! character. Blessed be thou of the Lord
cant. Not every one that saith unto me.
Lord. Lord. shall enter into the kingdom OF
heaven: but he that doeth the ,oiH OF my
/ Father which is in heaven"
The people spared the best TO sacrifice unto
/ the Lord. Saul was not the last man who
robbed in the name OF religion or gave
| pious names TO such odious things as self
ishness. and avarice. and cupidity. Jesus
met afterward with a people who. in their
wicked covetousness, said TO father or
mother. regarding something they would
fain enjoy themselves, 1T il corban." |. c..
dedicated TO God. and so were 4 ee." Thus.
said Christ. ye make the word o God OF
none effect" They played with the word
! OF God, that was all Alas how the lusts
/ of pride And power and possession were
| humored through the centuries Of Rome's
domination, and the church. So called. be-
and a robber! Sacrifice. indeed And
there is "a lesson for ourselves as individ-
uals. Jesus says. If thy right hand offend
thee cut it oil and cast it from thee And
we understand il is that we let no cherished
a tainment or valued possession hinder our
eternal we'll being. Yet in spite of this
plain mandate. behold us. burdening and
embarrassing our poor souls with earths
| rubbish or worse. We have spared the
best" we think. but even that which is the
best becomes the worst for us If il be kept
for self rather than for God, To lay hands
OH that which is depoted is not 10 win heav-
ems favor. but to court heavens wrath.
"Ye are not your own.
The rest zoe mare utterly destroyed. But
the rest" will not atone There Is no such
thing as partitive obedience. 1t is whole
| or nought. Neither Is there any such thing
| as balancing OF good against i'll. No
amount of strength in yeste days loyalty
| will make up for to-days weak treason and
disloyalty. The schoolboy may know how
| to subtract and divide very we'll. but IL he
know not how to add and multiply as well
! his answer will be all wrong. 1t Is no
! palliation before the court that the en-
! bezzle- was fair and honest accountant
| twenty years of his Ii g. no more than that.
for the most pat. be was n royal good
fellow" and knew how TO return q favor.
| MY son, give me thy heart" says the Voice
wit in. utterly destroy the reign of self h
| what il means. Have you done itI- NO.
But have no great vices. tell no lies. I
have stopped my club expenses. L have
even dropped my cigars" The rest zoe
hare utterly destroyed Friend. never mind
the rest. for the present. Come to the main
requirement. Have you -obeyed the voice
Of the Lord?-
Go and utterly destroy. Here is the end
Of The whole matter. God wants uncom-
promising loyalty. unconditional submis-
sion, iull and complete devotion. He wants
IL not simply for his honor and glory but
for our comfort and Ill .ssng. Would you
offer sacrifice? Behold. TO obey is better
than sacrifice 1t is sacrifice. for IL is that
IN which the Lord delights. Would you
render servicep When thou vast little In
thine own sight vert thou not made tho
head Of Re tribes OF Israeli" sci -em plying
abatement before God is the wav to leader
ship. Destroy pride. root and branch.
He that is greatest among you shall be
| your servant" y. We men OF holy ambition
| in the kingdom OF Christ, believe il. rebel,
lion here is ~as the sin OF wtchcraft." It IL
virtually going over TO the enemy; il is de-
= rtion OF G., q. Because thou hast neg
| lected the word OF tho Lord. he hath also
! rejected thee-think of it-fTon being
king Saul rejected the word of the Lord
and lost-a crown. Do we do less2
Next Lc sson--The Amounting of David
Sam. 16: I-13.
| ,,xx~rN fat1,ar noxrtNn OH.