The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-11-29
SABBATH SCHOOL !
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOE
DECEMBER 1.


his sons" The last verse OF the previous
chapter shows that, although Samuel came
not near Saul any more. yet he clung to him
III his heart. 1t is Il searching question, Am
any sense cling to that which He has disap-
proved? Observe the words II will send"
II have provided" In Saul's case ir was
God indu!Sing the people. hut now It is God
working and choosing for His pleasure SEQ
rs. iNxviii., TO- lNXXiX., 10. 81.
:. Take an hefer with thee aud saw l am
come to sacrifice to tn. Lord II is not like
samuel to be afraid OF II man Elsa. H.. 12),
hut tho least lack of fellowship with God ~
apt to cause poor vision, and tremblings OF
heart. and fears and forebodings. When God
speaks, it is not ours to reason. but simply
obey. Willing and obedicnt" are the words
Tor us ii we would eat the good of tho land
aud see the power OF tho Lord (Isa H. IO
He secs the end from the beginning always
knows what He vii! do (Isa. XVII, 10; John
vi. G).
3. Il will shcw thee what thou shalt do"
Here is sure guidance. Samuel had only to
trust and obey. The Lord sends provides,
shows and names ana Samuel watches to
see His way. The same Lord will guido us
IN al! that which Hs requires OF us. and ws
may in quietness and confidence dwell! with
Ham Tor His work llSn. MN, Is; [ Chron.
". 23). A. I" His Suiiaiice see Pa yyxii.
y, lSa. KIM. 2l; Nlviii., IT. Tc enjoy Him
IN" lie lei hy Hin we mus. br ~ cay in tho
handS OF tn" potter with 10 will os our own.
"pakc aud camc 10 Bethlehem. and the old
rrs of tho town tr"mhlcd N his coming"
lhrr" was no occasion to trcmh,c il they had
bern waking with God. The Sodly man
can say, What time AIN afraid will trust
III Thee" Or better still. II will trust and
nothr afraid Cps. lvi., ); Isa. Kill. 2). Tho
Lords thoughts to His people are alwavs
THOUGHTS of prac" Ger. MIX. II: p. lxyxv..
y; john xiv, 21l. To believe what He saws
and do what he tells us Is always pleasing
unto Him.
g. 81 am come to sacrifice unto tho Lord:
San'tiiy yourselves and come with me to the
Sa,riii"r.' He uses the very words OF tho
Lord (vcrsr -. and in this he was very safe
and right. The Lords messenger should saw
'Nartiy wha; the Lord tells him. Thus did
Jrrnmiah an EH"kicl and our Lord Jesus
Christ also der. l.. 4 EHek. H.. Z; ill.,. I. II;
joan Vii. i9l. We are never, under any cir
cuniS;an""S, TO liz, hut wa ara not supposed
always 10 tell I'll we know Ia cvrrybodv
Il. "Sur'iy til" lords anOintri is before
Him. THIS s:lii samuel rs he looked upon
t'iah. JSsa"'S Oldest son. but had he been
lo".:inS 20 III" Lord ami watching lov HIS
lr"'sHI" h" would moi hay" spoken ihus.
II %r'mS ~ easy 10" Us to look away from tho
Lori ana IL" our own eNcs or oar own
Judgment. Bu! all this W" must ron,rnI
ASl'nSt. AM prayrrinily and patiently seek
ana wat Ills guidance.
:. Nun !uOE"th ON tn" outward uppear-
ana. bmt thc Lord lnoEeth on the heart"
Not unit! th" hcart is right are we in any
sense right before God. The natural heart,
or rarnal mind is "nmity against Gol a,u
n"N"rcin bc made better (Rom. viii ~ but
wh"n we receive Jesus Christ we arc said To
u" no:n anew. or from above. and then We
have new heart, which cannot sin whils
the old can do nothing but sin. This is tn.
work OF the Spirit through the Word. A per-
son may he outwarily all that can bn dc
"ir"i. even 10 moral character, but il the
h"art is not new heart. if Christ is not
Ih"ie. ali else goes for nnuyht. Ponder L
tll,t u rl,,, Ill
willbr TIL the heart gets right, which is Is
rae. aud Jerusalem. and the throne OF David.
$40. Neither hath the Lord chosen
th's. I'm" Lord hath not chosen these"
AZ the seven sons Of Jesse passed before
Sl1in"l the verdict for each WAS Not
chosen Let us bear in mind that this was
II question os service. not OF salvation. For
salvation the word ever stands. 'Him that
"ometh To Me | will in mo wiscrcast OUT
(John vi. 30. But for service it is still true
that Few are chosen not because the Lord
does not want them, but because they do not
want liim they ara not willing 10 submit
wholly to Him, and His Word and His ways;
not willing to have Him think for them. and
act through them and live just to please Him
in all things.
IL. There r"mainrth yet the youngest, and
behold he kcrpeth the sheep" This was
J"sScS reply to SamuriS question a3 to
M.rth"r all his sons were present or not.
Jesse evidently was expected 40 bring all his
sons, bat he supposed tn" lad David would
not u" wanted, and that was just where ha
was mistaken. Ii il generally ths unlikely
one that is wanted and the unlikely and un-
expected thing that happens. Lat us keep
nothing back from Goi. bat yield to Him
every whit that He may use what He pleases
David was the eighth son vii. l2). which il
suggestive OF the resurrection Man. and
tho resurrection day. tho man who to tho
Jews was so unacceptable tha. they killed
Him. 1t has made me laugh in my heart
many Il time to SEQ all those big brothers
passed by ana set aside. and the whole pro-
c"cdings at II standstil until little David iS
sent for and arrives upon the scene. We do
not know how David took his being left at
home that day. Perhaps his mother COM
fOrt"d him il no needed any, bat ws may
learn this lesson. Where God wants you to
be there II. will put you.
II. And the Lord said Arise anoint him.
for this is he." When at last the .urprisei
boy arrived. this was the Lords message to
Samuel This is our first Introduction 70 tho
man after Gods own heart. who is mentioned
about 1000 times in the Old Testament. and
hfty in the New. Even his outward appear
ance is fair TO look upon, but his heart is
right with God, and he has already learned
10 trust Him for great things (chapt.r xviii,
3i-37).
13. Then Samuel took the horn Of oil and
anolntcd him in tn" mids: Of his brethren,
ana IN" Spirit Oi tn" Lori came upon David
from that day forward" The revised vcr-
sion says. Game nightly upon Ddv'i."
which Eak"s tn" III 'aning NOR" pl'.in. Ia ihn
Spirit must Ear" been on MIN h"T.rr BY
""mia'iEs II sam. H.. I. arh v. g. with ;lIs
N"r-" "" 49, that David was anDiu,"i inr"s
times. Tn" iUii sig'3i' 'au'" - trl, Vs.. -"iH
,"" some Hay ." Christ. tE" trir paw! o. Be-
p,ri DIv!d, though uu,iu'' =. " ..;rIIrH.:
f,r tn t.:"urr aud >It!"rri L."'a. oar
II ,y;d IS ,tiI w:,.tn-: ipf H. ..,:,"" ..u
Kingdom, aai We mast r".p,''. {. N...' a.i
s'.i r. "'h Him III I,.n. H., =; g.. ,'.,
l5. lesson H"i!'.