The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-09-14
DAVID SPARINo SAUL.
International Sunday school Lesson fol
Scptcm Der IS, 1880.

CENTRAL TRUTH The only way to over
come evil is with .ood.
TIME-B C. 1850, two or three years ate
the last lesson
PLAcE-Wilderness of Engcdi, "fountaiu
OF the kid" on the cliffs fifteen hundred o
two thousand feet high on the west side o
the Dead sea, 1t il very difficult of access
but charming spot when reached Man,
caves are in the vicinity.
SAMuEL-Ded about this time at Ramah
aged eighty-six,
DAvID-About twenty-five years old, ar
exile.
SEVEN YEARS OF ExILE-From b C. 106,
TO 1858. % To Mob, close TO Jerusalem
only few hours tchs. 81, ~; Ps. 52). e
To Gath, brief stay (2l :lO.l5; Ps. 34). g.
In the cave of Adullam, five or six mile.
southwest OF Bethlehem (ch. ~; Ps. 5, ant
l42). az The wilderness of Judah, includ
ing Ziph, Maon, Adullam C2a:5 23:l-39; Ps
A. (5) Experience at Engedi (ch. "A, to
days lesson. Q6) Experience NJ Carmel il
the south Of Judah, with Nabal (ch. 25l. g.
At Hachilah, IN the wilderness Of Judah
David spares Saul a second time, unles:
this is another version OF to-day's lessor
(ch. 26). ~ At Gath, sixteen miles among
the Philistines (ch. %; Ps. So.
DAVIES BAND-Assembled at Adullam
four hundred at first (222) afterward SIX
hundred (27:2) Among them were the
prophet Cad; Abiathar, the son Of the high
priest; Abishai, Davids nephew, after
wards o great general; thirty-four valian,
men of war, "whose faces were as lions
and were as swift as roes upon the mount
aims" Il Chron. l2:l-l4. The others were
discontinued men, many OF them fleeing
from the expressions of Saul.
! VALUE OF DAvID's EXILE EXPERIENCE
| ~ 1t kept him from the dangers Of sudden
prosperity. (2) 1t taught him to put trust
in God. (3 1t made him acquainted with
the needs of the people, a. 1t gave him
practice in dealing with men. az 1t pre-
pared large number of persons to hail him
as King. (6) Itgave him skill in war. (7)
1t gave strength to his character.
| HELPS OVER HARD PLACEs-Saul, with
three thousand chosen men, was pursuing
after David. He came into the entrance of
the cave OF Engedi, where David was hidden
with his men; while he was asleep, David,
refusing to kill him, merely cut off a part Of
his royal robe. 4. Shirt the hem, perhaps the
golden fringe. 5. Dauid's heart smote him for
treating with indignity his King Z. Stayed
his servants: who wished to kill Saul. This
Opportunity was great temptation to
David. BY killing Saul he would save his
own life, escape persecution, become King
| he had to resist not only his own feelings,
but the persuasions Of his companions. g.
BoiUed himself: in reverence to his King. 10
Thine eyes haze seen: David sparlng Saul re-
futed the ISLANDERS spoken against him by
such as Doeg (22 Q III, and Cush. (See title
to Ps. ~ H. Wickedness proceedeth from the
,DicIted: as bad fruit from u bad tree. From
David came good to Saul; therefore Saul
could see that he was not wicked.
INTRoDUCToRY-Call the attention Of the
class TO the fact that we have had concrete
illustrations of opposite principles working
out their legitimate fruitage in two differ
ent men. In Saul we had envy, culminat.
ing IN practical murder. In Jonathan we
had love, ending in selfsacritice To-day
we have another virtue eXempliiied in &C
tual life. In order rightly to understand it,
we need to remember that for two or three
years David had been a hunted exile. Saul
had driven him from post to pillar, leaving
his soul no rest CAS- mirror of his feel
Ings Mt this time read Psalm 80 In his
wanderings David had gathered around
him band OF discontinued and somewhat
lawless men, 600 In number Saul, who for
some time had been busy with the Philis-
tines, now gathered 5000 men, and put all
his energies into hunting down his enemy
With David his falling into Saups hands
was sure death. Under these circumstances
the events of the lesson took place.
CoMMENTs-Th golden text this week is
well chosen. Here we have its practical
exemplifcation in the life of David. In
order fully to understand the grandeur OF
David's conduct, let us look at it carefully.
1t is said that to return evil for good Is
devilish; to return good for good is human;
but to return good for evil is divine. II so,
David's conduct showed that he was guided
by the Divine Spirit. For Saul was seeking
his life without any cause Nay, David had
been Saul's benefactor, and yet he had to
fee from before his face. 1t was rank in
Justice and wanton bloodthrstiness that led
Saul to act as he was dong. Yet David was
ready TO forgive him, and bore him no
malice. But notice that it was not for lack
of opportunity that David did his foe no
harm. Never had man a better chance, for
both at this time and subsequently with
Abishai he had free scope to act as he
pleased. Saul was absolutely in David's
power. Note again that it was not because
others dissuaded him that he spared
Saul. On both occasions the attendants
urged David TO take vengeance on his foe. On
both occasions David had to stem the tide
of public opinion and stand alone on the
right side. Compare this with SauPs con
duct as given in / Sam. Is pa Observe
finally that it was not because he could Of
fer no plausible excuse that David spared
Saul. He might easily have argued that
Samuel had anointed him as well as Saul,
and that by his disobedience Saul had for
feited the Divine favor and had been reject
ed by God, and that under the circumstances
it was only acting in self-defense for him TO
be avenged Of his adversary. Many poorer
arguments than this have suffced to lead
Gods children into paths of sin. All the
above considerations may well exalt the
character Of David's actions in our eyes.
1t was a most magnificent piece of large
hearted forgiveness on David's part IL
Jonathan, in our last weeks lesson, shone
as an evening star, David, in this lesson,
arises upon our vision as an equally brilliant
morning star.-Rev. A. f. Schaufiler.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
|. Our early life is a school to train US for
life's work.
2, Our whole life is school to prepare US
for the Heavenly Kingdom.
3. Gods love shines through our trials as
4.