News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-09-19
THE |. S. S. LESSON.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
SEPTEMBER %.

L IALooo4t
SEPTEMBER Do.
Lesson Text: Death of Saul and His
Sons ISam., XXI, 1-13- Golden
Text: Ps. xvXiv., 16-Com-
mentary.
When David again had Saul in his power,
after the time recorded in the last lesson, and
Ablshal wanted to slay him., David refused
again to touch the Lords anointed, and said;
The Lord shall smite him, or his day shall
come to die, or he shall descend into battle
and perish" The last of these predictions is
fulfilled in the lesson of to-day. The events
between the last lesson and this are: The
death of Samuel; the death of Nabal, Upon
whom David was restrained from taking ven
eeance; David marries Abigail and Ahinoam;
he spares Saul a second time; he goes to the
Philistines and lives at Ziklag; Saul again
dlsobeys Tod by consulting the witch of En-
dor; David's town of Ziklag is smitten dur
ing his absence with his six hundred, and
women, children and focks all carried cap
tive, but David pursues and recover all.
l. Nov the Philistines fought against
Israel and the men of Israel fled from before
the Philistines." This was the battle to
which David and his men had started, when
they were sent back by the Lords of the
InlllSGlDeS only TO ma L1kldg OeSOldUe and
burned with fire; God again hindered David
from having anything to do with the death
of Saul. 1t is a sad sight to see the people of
Godfal before the defiers of God, when the
promise was that one should chase a thousand
and two put ten thousand to flight Oeut.
xxi, 30; but the best of men are nothing
if God is not with them, and Israel, through
Saul, had forsaken God, and the dearly be-
loved of His soul is given again into the
hands of her enemies because of her sins
der. xii, y that she may by Christening learn
to know God.
2. The Philistines slew Jonathan, and
Abinadab, and Melchishua, Sauls sons" 1t
makes ones heart ache to read this, especially
concerning Jonathan, the loving, the brave,
the noble. How David lamented for him is
recorded in thenext chapter, and we do not
wonder at the depth of his lamentations over
one whose soul was knit with his own, but we
do wonder when we read that it was a
lamentation over Saul as well as Jonathan.
Oh Sam. l., ~ The secret of it is that David
saw not the man Saul, his enemy, but he
saw the King Saul, the nointe of the Lord.
If we could only see the children of God as
dear to Him, and as they will be when per-
fected, we would have more pity for their
failings and sorrow for their sins.
3. 1.-The battle went sore against Saul, and
the archers hit him" He was not any
longer in merciful hands, but in the hands of
those who knew no mercy. Long suffering
and mercy had followed him many years; he
had been spared many a time and warned
often: but she that being often reproved,
hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be de-
stroyed, and that without remedy" and now
mercy is past for him and Judgment has
reached him.
f.. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell
uponit t." Saul being sore I'M csked his
armor bearer to slay him; but notice TIE
reason: LEST these u~ncircumcised come and
thrust me through and abuse me-" h a
fear he has of being dishOnored by those I'M
circumcised, what a keen sense OF honor, but
it is the old story as when he pleaded with
Samuel: Honor ME now before the elders OF
my people and before Israeli CHAP. XIV, 3O.
1t was his honor, and not the honor of God,
that he was careful about. In SauTS case 1t
was Saul and his glory that was uppermost;
but in David's case, David was nothing and
the Lord and His glory was everything.
.. His armor bearer = x = fell like
wise upon his sword and died with him."
This looks heroic and like a spirit of devotion
to his master, but had he been devoted to
God instead of to Saul, or mora devoted to
God than to Saul, he would not have
done so. No man who fears God will AXE
his own life, and anyone who believes God
concerning the awful future of the ungodly
as revealed in Scripture could not think of
madly into it. Simple unbelief is the
cause of all such conduct.
6. $50 Saul died, and his three sons, and
his armor bearer, and all his men, that same
bO5ObhtA. W ldO bhCb IHO - VI
the Lord Jesus, in Luke xvi, and other
words of the Spirit plainly recorded in Scrip
ture, teach us that if we believe God and are
by the precious blood of His dear
Son, Ito die is gain" Ito depart and be with
Christ is far better" and when the spirit
the body, our conscious personal life
continues, and the angels guide or carry us
to perfect bliss in His presence But if we
die in our sins and disobedient It is equally
plain that the P% 2 n o Il sTf IL t ahs1 q pn
~n,ebyan of +aa+h .nJ Zoo rf,,l Iooh;no for ~
Judgment.
Z. Israel = = = forsook the cities and
He'd, and the Philistines came and dwelt in
Here is not only the defeat and
of the Lords people Israel, but
their possessions, which they ought to have
Kept and enjoyed, are possessed by their enc
mics. This is sad, indeed, and the only rea-
son is that the people of God had turned
heir backs upon Him.
s. The Philistines came to strip the slain"
The defiers of God cannot do enough to show
heir hatred of Him and His professed fol-
overs. 1t is the devil who possesses them and
Who is called truly a devourer and destroyer.
9. ''They cut off his head and stripped off
lis armor, and sent y x " to publish it
= = among the people" Thu what Saul
Used Philistines abused his body. But worst
# all it was published abroad among these
dolatrous detiers of the Living and True
Tod. When one who bears the name of
Iesus is in any way overcome by the world,
he flesh, or the devil, hat Holy Name is
1lasphemed and thus dishonored by the sins
committed, and not only are such Chris
ians if they are Christians laughed at and
lespised by the world, but the precious name
hey bear, instead of being exalted, is de-
pissed also on their account.
10. ''They put his arrHor in the house OF
Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the
vail of Bethshan." What a victory for the
butt will not continue. Blessed be
Tod that all the victories of His enemies are
My for a little time, but the victory of His
lear Son is for eternity.
IL. 9Th inhabitants of Jabesh Giliad
Thank God for the faithful in all
ges who will not tolerate an insult to His
Iame or His people if he can prevent it. He
las always had them, has them to-day, and
vil nave them, a little flock until His body
5 completed and then shall the whole earth
egin to be field with them.
u. "Al the valiant men arose and went
II night We are not told how many were
aliant men, but if it was with them as with
he men of Gideon, there were but few, and
ct God can do more with 300 like Gldeon'S
and than with 5000, or 10000. or 100000
Tho are half hearted or fearful or afraid.
esus our Captain, knowing all things that
rere to befall Him went steadily forward to
he consummation of His agony and our sal
alton, never stopping or turning aside.
10. "They took their bones and buried them
nucf a Tree at JaDeSn, anu IdSIeu seven
avs" 1t was only their bodies they rescued
fter all. We are after souls, and our Cap
ain will rescue the bodies, too, IN due time,
lot to be buried, but to be raised incorrupti,
lie. immortal, just like His own gloritied
.ody. This is the end of the story of Saul,
aised by the God of Israel to be King over
lis people; if he had only obeyed God what
blessing he might nave been and what a
ifferent record he might have left. Are you
walking in Gods way or in your own way,
nd what record win you leave?-LesSon
EeLleT-
An EDITORS Uv%er-UauJIOn.
Many people make mistakes and
lose a lot by being too suspicious, too