The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-09-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AN INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON CONSIDERED.

The lesson for Sunday. Sept. %. may DO
found In sam. 81 lis.
INTRODUCTORY.
Saul has now been king forty years. and
In the Providence OF God his reign r. ended.
The scene OF his taking OF is n hitting one
It's the historic battle-ground Of the Is
raelites. the plain OF Esdraelon. IL was
here. besides other great engagements
mat the struggle between Gideon and the
Midanites occurred. Tho place OF Won
drous victory Is TO be turned into the place
OF wretched defeat The cause OF the
altered denouement Is not far 20 seek.
Gideon was lighting In the strength OF tho
Lord and ut the Lords call. Saul l. con-
tending in his own strength and lighting.
not only against PhilisIla. hut at variance
with Jehovah. The outcome might be an
tlcipated. The beauty OF Israel" as
David periodically sings. is slain upon thy
high places. And there is deep signih-
canoe In the words that come presently af-
ter. For there the shield OF tho mighty Is
vileiy cast away. the shield OF Saul and let
us read IL without the translators addi-
tions). not anointed with OIL" Saul had
gone into battle in this case. had he not.
with an unanointed shield. And Saul fell.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS,
Now. In the meantime Saul has been
consulting the witch OF Endor to the north
OF the Philistine camp. and David has found
himself, fortunately. indeed, on many ac-
counts, sent back from the field OF battle to
Ziklag.-The Philistines fought They
were "A belligerent people ever vexing Israel
during the DAYS OF the Judges and the early
days OF the kings.-Fell down slain. The
last word means literally followed out,
worn out. worsted. Hence. more properly.
smitten, or, as in margin. wounded. -
Mount Giiooa. To the east OF the plain OF
Esdraelon. Israel had pitched. as we read
at 20; /. by fountain which is in JezreeL-
Followed hard. The word signifies to
cleave TO. as In the chase. The Douay YER
sion says. fell upon.-Abinadab. In IA 40
he seems 10 be called Ishui Ishbosheth
was left In Sam. 2: we read OF his
pseudo-coronation. or the panic which
occurred in the royal househo old at Gibeah
we have some animation in the story OF
Mephibosheth's manning q Sam. 4: a..
Dead. Military suicide.-He tell like
wise. Yet see the impostor who aiterward
claimed TO have slain Saul q Sam. l. 10.l
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
The Philistlnes followed hard upon Saul
and upon his sons. The enemies OF Israel
were shrewd and sagacious in that olden
day They are no less so now Fell upon
Sgul" Is the way the Douay version puts il.
Followed up. we might say. The willy war;
riors OF the seacoast turned their weapons
upon the crested heads of Israels hosts and
held them thore until Saul and his sons
were brought low. Tho adversary is not
slow to take a similar advantage STILL He
trains his guns upon the Generals; his
sharpShooters try 10 pick them Oft. IL but
Satan can destroy the great leading doc
trines, the master principles in the struggle,
he knows that the battle is his. Watch MIN.
Christian soldier. He is aiming at the
cross. Think what Israel might have done
had she rallied about Mt. Gilboa. stout
hearted FOR the rieht- Stand firm about the
hill Golgotha, whore IA better than Saul has
planted his royal ensign.
And he was sore wounded OF the archers.
1t was superior Phlistine archery that
seems TO have been one OF the nearer
causes or Saul's overthrow. Israel was
probably not as skilltul with the bow rs her
neighbor. Jonathan had used IT. but we
read OF no band OF disciplined atchers.
The sword and spear, OF which also the
Philistines had "a shtewd monopoly, are
oftener spoken OF. up 10 this date. as the
accepted weapons OF the tribes prior 10
David's career. There. In that solemn
dirge over the death OF Saul and Jonathan.
recorded in the opening chapter OF the
succeeding book OF the Bible. right in the
midst OF the majestic poetry OF grief is
thrust this prosalc parenthctlcal sentences:
Also he babe them teach the children OF
Judah the use of the bow; behold it is writ
ten in the book o: Jasher." We find the
sufficient explanation OF it IN this brief
chronicle of the disastrous battle at Mt.
Gilboa. The trained Philstine archers
were too much for the Israelites. SO. while
David lamented deeply over the discom-
future OF Saul and his sons, he took care
that such n catastrophe should not again
occur; "he babe them teach the children of
the same. While we lament our shortcom-
ings and defects in tuneful hymn or in
humble prayer, let us ut the same time
wisely guard against a repetition of such
overthrow Learn TO "quench all the fiery
darts OF the wicEed," aud 70 so resist the
devil" that he will flee from YOU"
But his or-bearer would not. That
proved him a true armor- bearer; faithful
and obedient in Saul's defense, he would
not lay hands upon him TO do him hurt.
I'sr G.ast l. md q.
was. the kings person was sacred. To touch
that he was sore afraid" SO also was
David. That Amalekite who came 10 him
after the battle found IL out to his sorrow.
so Isto01 upon him and slew him." he
sail. That falsehood did not pay. Never
did willful lie receive more summary reward.
How vast thou not afraid to stretch forth
thine hand to destroy the Lords anointed? 2
And one OF David's loyal young men "smote
him that he died. David had an exalted
conception OF the kingship. Leadership in
Israel was no triiiing thing. to be assumed
or sighted "a u personal within. Ahigh and
holy vocation demands sentiments in keep
ing. Touch not mine anointed.
Publish 1t in the house OF their idols.
Satap has proclamation. too. The devil
breaches. Give him for text the down.
fall of any leader in Israei'and lte will pub
lish &c from every housetop in the city.
Glad tidings- for him Is the good news
that a saint has been brought 10 the dust
and Inundated through Philistia's sharp
arrows. Out among the people" goes the
swift winged word. Newspaper. interview,
gossip. 10y every channel it is sent on its
way, till all the world knows il. Alas.
that there should ever be given ground
Tor evil report. But this let US see to. IN at
we are as wise and dligent 10 spread good
news as tho adversary Is 10 scatter the bad.
Go home to thy friends and tell them how
great things the Lord hath done Tor thee
and hath had compassion on thee. And
mark you, when he began 20 publish" such
news--~all men did marvel" so will they
to-day.
The inhabitants OF Jabesh- Gilead. It
must have been an honor ever after 10 hail
from that city. There it lay away across
the Jordan. out OF the region OF piety and
loyalty IL would seem: but the men Of that
town did as daring and gallant deed as is
recorded anywhere on the pages OF history.
That all night march TO seize and carry
away TO decent burial the dishonored bodies
of Saul and his unfortunate sons belongs
VOL up in the annals OF the heroic. Saul
missed IL not in that early day OF his career
when in the name of the Lord he befriende ed
the helpless and affrichted people OF Jabesh-
Gilead. They were of "a kind NOT To forget
n kind deliverer. II is 10 be feared that
many to-day come from some other city
beyond jordan than Jabesh- Gilead.
Next Lesson-Revew. Temperance Les
son. l Sam. %. 23-3l; 35-3S. Missionary
Lesson. rs. 81: Ii.