The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-08-24
oAvlp'S ANoINTMENT.
International Sunday school Lesson for
August 10, 1850.


Especially arranged from S. S. Quarterly
LESSON TEXT Sam. 10: l-lS.
GOLDEN TExT-Man looketh on the out
ward appearance, but the Lord looketh on
the heart.-I Sam. 1877.
CENTRAL TRurH-Childhood and youth are
the preparation season for life's work.
TIME-About B. G. 1865 or 1908.
PLACE-Ramah, four miles north OF Jeru.
salem. And Bethlehem, six miles south OF
Jerusalem.
sAUL-About fifty years old. Capital at
Gibeah. SAMUEL-About 80 years old. Home
ut Ramah.
DAvIp-"Beloved," or "darling," born ut
mother unknown. He had seven brothers
and two sisters. Al the time OF this lesson
he was from IL to 20 years old.
HELPS OVER HARD PLACES. Mourn for
Saul: "a Saul was his friend, and had dis
appointed him. C9 He was troubled about
the kingdom, with its king rejected man.
Jesse: the grandson Of Boaz and Ruth. =
He will XII me: the act would seem like
treason. And Saul was under the inhu'
snce Of . bad spirit Q6:l4). am come 10
sdcrtfce: holding feast as usual In connec'
ton with 1t. He told tho exact truth, Out
he did not tell his whole object. 4 Iheeidsrs
trembkd. they feared he might have come 70
reprove some sin; or they were afraid that
Saul might regard them as harboring an
enemy Of his, and therefore destroy them.
s. Sanctlfy yourse!ues: by washing their gar
ments and their bodies; and by putting
away sin, and consecrating themselves 70
God (see Ex. 1910, etc). 10 Screen OF hS
sons: including the three who had already
| passed before Samuel. IL. wa not SIT down'
| to the feast. This was family feast, apart
from the public services Of the sacrihce.
| II. Ruddu reddish in hair and complexion,
or with fresh, red cheeks. or BEAUTIFUL
eountendnce: literally, of lovely eyes. H.
Anoi,.ted him: devoted him to special pur
pose. 1t is not likely that the family, per
haps not even David, knew the object Tor
which he was set apart.
DAvID's NATURAL ENDowMENTs-l be
had good inheritance from faithful health
full, honest. pious parents :. de had phys,
ical strength, activity, beauty, but not great
size. 8. He had natural talents OF high
order, for becoming general, statesman,
| a poet, q musician. 4. He had a lovable ma
ture, which attracted others to him
| DAvID's TRAiNINt-l In religion. .. In
daily work and care. 3. In opportunity to
learn. 4. In the gift of the Holy Spirit. o.
In definite life work.
| CoMMESrs-The detection Of Saul, and
his consequent rejection by God, were the
source of great and long-continued sorrow
to Samuel. Many less noble man than he
would have been glad Of Saul's downfall,
thinking that in this way his own power
would be augmented. But in Samuers
exalted mind, no such thoughts were
harbored This grief of Samuel's seems
almost to have been excessive, as may DO
seen from our lesson.
Beyond the truth implied by the lesson
that God setteth up one and putteth down
another, the most fruitful and helpful line
of thought will probably gather around the
| great truth, "For man looketh on the out
ward appearance, but the Lork looketh on
the hcartr tver. y. How true this was in
the case before US is evident when we
look on the spirit displayed afterwards
by Eliab, in Sam. 11:2S. He lacked both
courage ami generosity, and would have
made very poor ruler for Israel IN these
troublous times. David was the flower OF
that family, not because OF his ruddy coun-
tenance, but because Of his abiding faith In
| the God Of Israel. If we would measure
his character in all It's fullness, we must
first measure all the richness OF those
| Psalms which he penned. From Elab no
stream of sacred influence has come down
| the long line Of centuries, but the streams
of blessing that have flowed from David s
| life and words have blessed not only Israel
according to the flesh, but all the Israel OF
| God down to these latest days. There was
no comparison at all between the two men
| for grandeur Of character. All this Is very
apparent to US now, but to the men OF those
days it was by no means clear. 1t took di'
| vine insight into the hearts Of the two can
ddates for the throne to make it sure which
one would prove the better monarch.
As q practical truth Of the highest i'm.
portance, let the teacher urge upon tho
scholar a realization OF the fact that God
| reads his heart. The whole tendency OF Our
lives naturally is to forget this. We Judge
and are judged so largely by our mere out
ward conduct, that we are apt to forget that
there is One who pierces far beneath our
words, looks, deeds, and never passes judg-
ment until the secret thoughts and motives
of the heart are revealed. "Thou God seest
me-" is grand motto for child or man to
have engraved on the mind. Belshazzar
must have been surprised to find that there
was One who dared weigh monarch in the
balances, but the Scripture declares that
God weighs mems spirits prov. 1879
What marvellous knowledge this isl
Thoughts cherished but never uttered,
thoughts long since forgotten-all, all God
knows to-day. Stop for one moment and
think how swiftly we think, 80 that the ex-
preston "swift as thought" has become
proverbial Think how, as the days and
years go by, our thoughts multiply into
millions and hundreds Of millions. Kind,
unkind, good, bad, angry, gentle, pure, i'm
pure, covetous, generous; how they have
chased each other along! All these God
knows, and according to them He judges US.
1t was doubtless keen realization OF this
that led TO that exclamation: IF thou, Lord,
shoudest mark iniquity, o Lord, who shall
stand?" (Ps. 1907 -. He must be fool
who, in such awful light OF divine omnis'
cience, can claim to be spotess. Rev. A. 7.
Schsuffler.
| PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Two cures Of grief - knowledge OF
Gods will, and work to do for God
Q. II one person refuses TO do Gods work,
God will raise up another in his place.
8 Men judge by outward appearances;
they can see character only so far as 1t is
manifested.
4. God judges by the heart, out of which
ha iaop - and Ha In n