The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-07
The Sunday School Lesson.
SERIES FOR 1895.--FOURTH QUARTER.
!. STUDIES IN JEWISH HISTORY.


ing word for his friend. Wherefore
should he be put to deoth9 What hath
he done?
The appeal was to Saul's sense of jus.
tice. Not one charge had ever been
made, not suspicion had been raised,
against David. He had craved no favor;
he had reluctantly accepted the favors
thrust upon him; he had been the brav-
est Of the brave in fighting his countrY's
battles under the king. This the nation
knew. this Saul knew.
But this reasonable appeal was to an
unreasonable man; to man now under
control of the Furies. Saurs reply to
Jonathan was such a violent reply as
he had once made to David, when the
youthful harper was trying with music
to pacify the disordered spirits of the
responding king. Saul cast has spear
at him to smite him,
What must the feasters now think of
the king? Such frenzy of evil temper
as prompts father to attempt to take
the life of his own SOD, even, while he is
trying to clear that sons succession to
the throne, is beneath the dignity of
even barbarian king.
Jonathan, in the horror and confusion
which have come to the feast, led from
the banquet hall. Two seats were now
vacant at the feast.
And Jonathan's keenest grief, we are
told, was not for himself, but because of
the shameful wrong done to his friend
David.
2. David by Strategy Warn
ed of his Danger,-vs. 35-40.
1t now remains for Jonathan to COM
municate with David. He waits till the
morning, the time agreed upon. Jona
than had expected to tell his friend that
his fathers pretended favor toward him
was real and escort him safely to his
| place at the table on this last day of the
feast. He has instead very different
story to tell his friend.
Jonathan takes with him lad, to
carry his bow and arrows. He goes near
| to certain rock or mound, named Eel,
not far away, where it has been agreed
he is to find David. To some secret
crevice in the rock. or hiding place in
the cairn, whichever it may be, David
has come in the night.
What an eager listener for every sound
was David in his chosen prison house.
Jonathan had agreed with David that,
as his boy went before him to bring
back his arrows, he would send an ar
row on the hither side Of the boy if it
was safe for David to return; and on the
farther side of the boy if it was advisa
BILE for him to flee. And he had agreed
also, if David could not safely use his
eyes to behold his manner of shooting
the arrows to interpret the same in
words which his hidden friend could not
misapprehend.
And these we're the ominous first
words David heard his friend speak: Is
not the arroaO beyond thees
The whole dreadful story was thus
told. Jonathan had shot the arrow be-
yond the boy.
Jonathan then shot at distance the
three arrows agreed upon, saying at the
end apparently to the boy but really
to the eager ears of his endangered
d,-Make speed, haste, stag not.
These words plainly tell David that soon
the emissaries of the enraged king will
be on his track.
Jonathan then, having completed
what to the lad seemed but a customary
exercise in archery, gave his bow and
arrows, his artillery" as it was then
reckoned,- the hands of the boy.
and sent him with his burden back to
| the citadel.
3. The Parting of the Friends,
vs.. Al. AZ.
Now that they are left alone the two
friends are prompted by their intense
affection to indulge in the dangerous
luxury of farewell. David comes from
his hiding place on the south side of
Ezel, and going toward Jonathan falls
on his face before him, and three times
repeats the humble obeisance. This is
the Oriental expression of reverence
and gratitude. 1t is in this case no
meaningless form. David sees before
him such friend as human nature can
scarcely parallel. Jonathan has favored
David against his father; nay, he had
favored David against himself. He has
recognized in his friend one to whom, if
the will of Jehovah shall 80 decide, he
will gladly yield his title to a throne.
The two men then wept. aoept auth
one another, wept in each others arms;
and their weeping was intensified by
the passionate kisses of unselfish af-
lection. Here were the two bravest men
of the kingdom in their parting hour
weeping like children. The excess of
David's sorrow is quantity expressed in
the words, David exceeded, that is, he
passed beyond the bounds of self-con-
troll; to use similar modern idiomatic
phrasing, he broke down. He had no
courage or will left in him.
Jonathan soon spoke the words which
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