The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-12-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON xi, FOURTH QUARTER. INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES. DEC. 49,.

rsxt Of the Lesson. I sam. H. s2-<a.
Memory Verses. ~, <s-0olden Text.
Prov. xviii. al-Commentary BY the Rev.
ID. M. stearns.
80. "And Jonathan answered Saul, his
iather, and said unto him, Wherefore shall
he be slainY What hath he donef" After
David had slain Goliath and had finished
speaking with Saul, 1t Is written that
Jonathan, son of Saul, loved David as his
own soul and gave him his robe and gar
ments and sword and bow and girdle
(chapter xviii, 1-5), and that Saul also
set him over his men of war and would let
him go no more home. But when the
women sang saul has slain his thousands
and David his ten thousands" xviii, ~,
then Saul became jealous and sought to
take David's life. Having rejected the
Lord by his disobedience, he became the
prey of an evil spirit, but the Lord was
with David and prospered him (xviii,
1910. As Saul s prosecutions OF David in
creased, David said one day to Jonathan,
"As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth,
there is but a step between me and death"
Xxx, 81, but Jonathan could not believe
SO agreed to sound his father Xxx, 12) In
David's absence, and then let David know.
Saul's answer was that David must die
(verse 81, hence Jonathan s reply as In this
first verse Of our lesson.
33. And Saul cast a javelin at him to
smite him, whereby Jonathan knew that
it was determined of his father to STAY Da-
vid." II there was anger enough in Saul
90 Ii a., 4 ir,l a
poor prospect, humanity speaking, for Da-
vid. We see in Saul what may become Of
man when he rejects God. Saul might
have been the Lords own representative,
honored by God and man, for everything
was put within his reach for his good.
"a. "He was grieved for David, because
his father had done him shame" There
fore he arose from the table and went away
without eating. 1t is easy to fast when
the heart Is grieved, and If our love to
Jesus Christ was more like the love Of
Jonathan to David we would be more sem
sitive concerning the sights put upon our
Saviour and not find pleasure and a degree
of satisfaction in persons and places and
things which dishonor Him, Oh, for a
whole heart for Christi -
85. "And it came to pass in the morning
that Jonathan went out into the field at
the time appointed with David, and q lit
tie lad with him." See the story of this
appointment in verses Is to 80 and note
Jonathan's faithfulness in keeping 1t.
Our comfort Is not In our faithfulness in
keeping our word, but in the faithfulness
of our covenant keeping God and Saviour.
See Davids comfort when he came to his
dying hour III Sam. xiii, 81. See also
Cor. 1, o; Z, 10; Thess v, "a; III Thess
lii, 8.
80. "And he said unto his Lad, Run,
find out now the arrows which 1 shoot.
And as the lad ran he shot an arrow be-
yond him." I suppose any lad would
cheerfully go anywhere with the king S
son for "any manner of service" Il Chron.
xviii, 21. Think how cheerfully Samuel
ran at the supposed call Of Eli three times
in succession in one night. Let the ques-
tion search us, "Am 1 a ready and cheer
full messenger for the King and His Son at
all timesS" OH Sam. XIV 49,
81. Jonathan cried after the lad and
said, Is not the arrow beyond theeY" See
the significance of this in verse 20. How
it must have gone to Davids heart, for it
was even as he feared. He must separate
himself even from Jonathan, he must be-
a
cause an enemy is on the throne which
rightfully belongs to him. But it Is all a
part of the foreordained plan for him, and
Gods way for him to reach the throne in
due time. See Eph. ii, 10; Math. xvi, "a
3S. And Jonathan cried after the lad
Make speed, haste, stay not" An addi-
tional grievous word for David from the
heart that loved him as its own life, but it
lya i,,ct hoo
Jonathan loved him SO, for 1t hurt iona
than as much, If not more, than David
All that God says or does to us Is infinite
love; the very worst that can come to us
Is love and goodness and mercy, as God
sees it, and we must trust Him.
80. "But the lad knew not anything,
only Jonathan and David knew the mat
ter So we go on not knowing. He
holds the key of all unknown, and we are
glad. When He asked Philip about feed
ing the 5000, it was only to prove him,
for ''He Himself knew what He would
do John vi, o.. The Lad with the loaves
knew nothing but was evidently ready to
be used. Jesus knew from the Begin
ming" and that Is enough.
40. "And Jonathan gave his artillery
Or. V. weapons) unto his lad, and said
unto him, Go, carry them to the CITY,"
The lads business was simply to do what
he was told; run after the arrows, gather
them up, bring them to his master and
now take them home. His master knew
what he was about, and the lad did not
need to know. There are many things
which we now do not need to know; we
do need to obey and to have implicit conf
dence In our Master, and In all that He
does Thus In quietness and In confidence
we shall find strength lisa. XXX, 10y.
Whatsoever the King does should please all
His people Oh Sam. iii, 36).
Al. And they kissed one another and
wept one with another, until David ex-
ceeded." Their loye was wonderful, pass
ing the love Of women Oh Sam. |, 26).
There was nothing that they would not do
for each other IL 1t lay In the power of
either to do 1t. Yet this was but the faint
est shadow of the love of Christ to us.
Jonathan's love cost him much and
brought him much service, yet 1t was
steadfast to the end. David never injured
Jonathan nor rejected nor wounded his
love. The love Of Jesus cost Him 33 years
of absence from home and of humiliation
and suffering indescribable, and 1t was all
for His enemies. Behold what manner of
love Q John Ill, 2, 81.
AZ 20 nd Jonathan said tn David Go I'm