The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-09-19
DEATH OF SAUL.
International Sunday School Lesson ia
September ~, 1880.

lSpecialy arranged from .. y. Quarterly1
Lesson TEXT Sam. 81 :1-13.
GOLDEN TExr-The face Of the Lord Is
against them that do evil.--Ps. 84:16.
CENTRAL TRUTH-"They shall eat the fruit |
Of their own way, and be filled with their |
own devices"
T1xE-B. @. 1os58 Four or five years
after the last lesson.
PLAcE-The plain Of Jezreel, a part Of the |
plain Of Esdraelon, between little Hermon
on the north, at whose base the Philistines
were encamped at Shunem; and Mount
Gilboa on the south, on whose slopes the
Israelites were encamped. The two camps
were thus four or Ave miles apart This
was the same battle-ground where Gideon
and his 300 overthrow the Mdianites.
PARALLEL ACCOUNT Chron. 10:1-A.
SAul-Sixty or seventy years old; capital
at Gibeah.
HELPS OVER HARD PLACEs-1. The PhRts-
tines: the old enemy Of Israel, on the coast
OF the Mediterranean. Fought against israel:
see Place. Their object was to ravage the
country, and to take possession Of the great
caravan route to Damascus, for their COM
merce. Q. Sdurs sons: all Of his sons were
killed, except the youngest, Ishbosheth. 4.
Took ssCord, and fs1 upon t. his army is
routed; his trust gone; his sons slain; God
has forsalkeu him. David might have been
there to help, but he has persecuted his
only true friend. 8. Died with him: being
snswerable for the kings life, he feared
punishment. 9. An ne men: probably the
soldiers Of the royal body-guard. Q. HIS
Ashdod II Chron. 10: 10). 10. Armour: In
the temple Of Ashtaroth at Beth-shan OF,
Ashkelon. Bsth-shdn q fortress on the
heights overlooking the Jordan, twelve
miles south Of the Sea Of Galilee. II.
Jdbesh- Giledd: o town east Of the Jordan,
ten miles from Beth-shan.
LESSON FAcrs-Between the events of the
last lesson and this fvo years intervene.
David knows no rest for tho sole of his foot.
Jonathan sees him once, but clings with
alial devotion to his father. Things 60 from
bad to worse with Saul. At last the end
draws near. The old-time enemy, the Phil
istine, appears; Saul is defeated; good JON
athan and his two brothers are slam with
the edge Of the sword; Saul fees; is over
taken; wounded. He begs his armor-bearer
TO slay him to save him from the disgrace
Of capture and the ignouiny Of torture.
His armor.bearer refusing, he draws his
own sword, and wildly falling upon it, COM
mits suicide. The armor-bearer follows his
example. In their exultation the Philistines
cut OF his head and sent It In triumphal
procession around among their cities, while
they nail his headless body to the city wall
at Beth-shan. Finally the men Of Jabesh-
body Of their King, organize . rescuing
party, march in the darkness OF the night,
recover the body, and, burying it under q
tree in Jabesh, fast seven days as q token
Of respect for their fallen monarch.
CoMMENTs-That which will impress many
scholars as remarkable in this lesson, IL
the fact that men 30 utterly different In
character a. Saul and Jonathan should be
united In their deaths. One would think
that while 30 vile q man as Saul deserved
30 inglorious an end, 30 magnanimous q
man a. Jonathan merited q different death.
Any novel would have brought things out
differently. The word OF God, however, Is
more novel than any novel, and is often
very hard to understand, unless we take in.
TO account the other world. Judged merely
by experiences Of this world, things are eli
wrong. II there be no future life, then all
10 frightfully bad In this world. II so noble
q man a. Jonathan 10 TO have so little in
this world, and SO cruel man as Saulis to
have 30 much; II Herod is to sit on the
throne in luxury, while John lanRuishes in
prison; II the Nasarene is to be nailed To
the cross, while Caiaphas reclines on dam.
ask cushions in ease; II, I say, that is all
that there is to look at, then Of all imagina-
BILE worlds this Is the worst.
L. again good this week, for its says: 1.-THE
wicked Is driven away in his wickedness
but the righteous hath hope In His death. ~
What IL Saul and Jonathan lie In the same
field, deadl Nay, what II Jonathan alone ID
slain, and Saul live and reign many years
| What II John suffer and Herod rejoice, and
what II Jesus pine away on the cross, and
Plate complacently carry on his earthly gov
ernmentl The end will set all right, for ther
will appear the true character Of all that IL
earthly. Then the true gold Of character
will be found to be the only thing that will
stand the fre Of the refiners. Let all suf
| ferers be patient, committing the keeping
of their souls to Him In well doing, as unto
q faithful Creator. The fire shall try every
mans work Of what sort II 10. Then will
6aul and Jonathan, Herod and John, PLATE
and Jesus, stand no longer in such up
parently false positions. Our scholars may
% well know first 90 last that Jonathan II
apt In this world to fare worse than Saul
and David often has to bear in patient, for
giving manner what he never has deserved
The true Christian recognizes this and en-
Oufeo Potlontlys lOr 10 mas r66peCt unto int
recompense Of the reward. Looked o.
from the standpoint Of time, the rectitudt
Of q Jonathan IL folly. Looked at from
the standpoint Of eternity, the envy o.
Of Saul is suicidal. Thus while the Noun
Gilboa draws the same dark curtain ovel
the lives Of such different men, the curtain
rising and displaying the scenes Of another
world reveals them In very different as
poets, and we are led to exclaim: "Let mi
die the death of the righteous, and let my
last end be like Hisp'-Rev. A. f. Schauf
fer.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
l. God gives US all many opportunities Il
live happy and useful lives.
2. Life 10 probation, testing us whether
we will serve God or not.
8. God gives US the aids necessary Il
make our lives q success.
4. II we fall we shall have only ourselves
to blame.
8. Many people have done nobly undel
more difficult circumstances than ours.
9. The finest qualities and the highes
position, without the love Of God in tn,
heart, will fail Of making true and nobl,
man.