The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-08-22
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON ron
AUGUST 20.
Lesson Text; "Thc Amounting of
David" I sam. xvii. t-I3-
Golden Text: sam. xvi,
5-Commcntary.

uh4l'ull ls u lot us To side with tod. regard
less of our own thoughts or feelings or prefer
enccs that even the great and good Samuel
IS here seen clnging in his heart for he went
not near him, Chap. XIV, 80 to Saul after the
Lord had rejected him. We must remember
that the Lord did not reject Saul until Saul
had persstcntly rejected and disobeycd the
Lord Chaps xiii, 10. IL: xv.. 2cN. so that Saul
had no ore TO blame but himself for the loss
Of his position.
2. How can Tgo2 II Saul hear it he will
XIII me- This does not sound like the utter.
ancc of faithful, fearless follower of the
Lord God of Hosts. IL might he said TO Sam.
u"l; Who art thou that thou shouldst he
afraid of a man that shall die, and
torgcttcst the Lord thy Makcr' lisa. H., ~,
I'D Had Samuel been in full sympathy with
the Lord, In the case of Saul he might not
have talked thus: ut whenever we are i'm the
least degree out of the fellowship with God
we are apt 60 Say and do many foolish and
sinful things. The fenr OF the Lord aud conf
duncc in the perfect love Of God Is an effect
ual cure for all other fear. "And the Lord
said take an hcfer with thee and say. ! am
come To sacrifice 10 the i.ordn Sinful man
can do nothing in the way of serving God
apart from sacrifice aud atouomcnt; on
hulpst actions. or very be-t service. cannot
bc acceptable ~ God apart from the mcrit'
ut our Lord Jesus Christ, bul the weakest
cry or the tecblcst service Is made acceptable
through Him
g. II will show thee what thou shalt do!
and thou shalt anOnt unto Ne him whom
unmo unto thee" The servant of the Lord
has only tn move forward calmly and in per
tcct confidence IN his captain and ho Is al
ways promised surr guidance.
g. And Samuel did that which the Lore
spako.' This IS now as it should be- the
word Of the Lord prevails, and the servant IL
simply ob'dicut aud comes 20 Bethlehem
leaving God to carry ont His own plsas and
manage His own affairs in His own wise way.
When W. are thus passive and also ohcdicnt
In His hands, all vii, be well and lis pur
pose unhnlored "Ihe elders of the town
trrmhlu1.' Here is another indication of lack
ut fellowship with God, for II thcir heart.
wcr" right and their conduct right there
would have been rejoicing instead of trcm
bling at a visit from the Lords servant. but
probably they, too, were clinging to the disc
bedicnt king.
;. 81 am como to sacrifice unto the Lord
He uses the very words which ne was told 10
use ~. p, aud that Is always the right thing
10 do Jesus Himself said only what IN,
Father told Him tJohu xii. 40 (; Jeremiah nuc
E2rSlel wore to speak only the Lords word
tdor l., -; Lsck. it, s, 10. II, II: and
wton We as messengers uf the Lord coniin,
ourselves % the Lords message. rather thar
give our thoughts about it, surely We shall bt
most pleasing % Him.
&, :. "rhc Lord lool,cth on tho heart A.,
the first Of JCs-u's SONS stood before Samucl.
there was something about him which caused
Samuel 10 think that me was the Lords an
uulnied; but how solemn the word of the
Lord; 81 have refused him Let MS again
repeat that in tho matter of salvation the
Lord refuses mono who como to Him; but
this is n matter of special service and IL IL
not stature nor far Couutennucc He seeks
hut a heart right with Himself, ~ man after
his own heart chap, xii, ~.
$40. jesse made seven ot his SONS to pass
before Samuel; Gui Samucl said unto jesse,
tho Lord hath not chosen these Here, then,
Is an apparent failure; the Lord had said "
Samuel that lio had provided u king from
among jesse, SONS, and yet here are all the
sons whom jesse had thought IL necessary &
bring; and for this special service. this plac,
of honor, all are set aside, tho right man hai
not appeared. Gods thoughts and ways are
q, much higher thrnours as heaven is higher
than Curth and how few seem 10 know Hi
thoughts or understand His coUntcuanCe
lisa. ly., = =; Mic iy. ~; but let men b,
blind as they may, there is no failure with
God. lln has chosen Ills servant, and viii
yot set the muu uf His choice ON the ,throu,
uf lsraviand of the whole world. Wait upon
Him and bee cputicut
II. "Scnl and totch him, for we will not
sit down till lac come, hthor.' So every.
thing has TO stand still till the slightod son
Is brought. In roply 10 Samuel squrstion rs
to whether these seven were all his sons
jesse replied that the youngest was at home
Keeping the sheep, and it was for him that
they were now sending and waiting
T. "And he sent, and brought him in. -
and the Lord said: Arise nnoiut him: for thii
Is ho.' As we are thus lur the iirN time per
sonally introduced TO David, the son of Jesse
the history Of whose kindom, past and future
fills 50 much of Scripture and with whom W,
expect 10 be somewhat intimately associated
when Jesus. the son of David who is also tn,
church's bridegroom, shall sit ON David,
throne, We can only stand and gaze upon thii
ruddy, good-looking young man and wonder
at the grace of God in choosing amortal mar
for such glorious immortal future; and
then turning Ia our own souls we would say
q, my soul, SEQ that thou doSt never cease
to adore ani cry aloud the praises of Him,
whose grace has called you, passing by 50
many others, 10 be a king-pricst unto God,
washing you in His own precious blood.
10. "Then Samuel took the horn of oil and
nnonted him i'll the midst of his brethren
He was afterward, at Hebron, anointed
king over the house of Judah, and some
what later, at the same place, anointed king
over all Israel. I'll Sam. H., 4; ", l-5) AT.
ter Samuel anointed him that day there wer,
long years of waiting and rejection and per.
secution ere he came to the throne, 50 now
although jesus, the Son of David, is GOd'i
chosen and gnGinted King of Israel and Of
when lie is rejected and prosecuted. 9TH,
spirit of the Lord came nightly upon David
from that day forward (See X. W Here
is the power 10y which alone we can suffer oi
serve or wait or in any way glority God
From beginning to end of Scripture the powc
of the Spirit Of GOD IL the only power re-
voalcd Tor eirectuHl service and whether it is
playing upon the harp or writing psalms, sub
duing enemies or rcigning over Israel, what.
ever David did that was acceptable TO God
was by the Holy Spirit,
$50 Samuel roseup and went TO Ramah.n
For the second time he has anonted a Cap
tain over the Lords inheritance, and now he
Tctircs q his own home, no doubt to con.
tinue in prayer for the Lords people and for
His auonted.-L'sson HeiDer.
NOT FAST ENOUGH.
Rev. A, Pearson, Vicar Of st. Margarot's,
recently presided over an enthusiastic gospel
temperance meeting at Brighton. In ad-
dressing the assembly he said that the toni
porance cause was not progressing fast
enough, that Englands drink bill had been
reduced from l45 millions to l25 millions in
twenty years-a million year-and at this
rate it would take 125 years TO complete the
work. IL a fire brigade was called 10 fro
lt would he of no use 10 march TO the tune of
tho "Dcad March in Saup and then try to
extlnguish the fire with watering can.
TUE MOST VITAL QUESTION.
There is to-day In tho English-speakine
countries no such tremendous, far-reaching
Vita question as that OF drunkenness. In It's
Implications and effects il oyershadows all
IA 40 10. A.