The true northerner., 1896-07-29
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. 2.

NAItONAl ocNico, AO0. &.
Text OF the Lesson, ~ Sam. IN. 1-13-Mem-
ory Verses, 7-Goiden Text. Rom. HI.
i0-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
I. THAT may show him kindness for
.Jonathans sake" David Is at rest In His
Kingdom, reigning over all Israel and ex-
ecuting Judgment and justice unto all his
people (II Sam. vii, /; will, 15). Read In
Jer xiii, 8, g. of king who, on David's
throne, shall reign and prosper and exc
cute judgment and justice In the earth
jehovah tsidkenu David had sworn to
Jonathan that he would show the kindness
of the Lord TO his house forever U Sam.
Xxx, 14-17), and he would now keep his
word What a wonderful word Is this
1.-THE kindness of God" (see also verse 81.
IL Is the same word ofttimes translated
mercy " and also Glowing kindness" as
In Ps. xiii 8; XIV, o; xiii, 3, etc. The
honor of being channel through which
the loving kindness of God may be shown
to others Is given to every believer. See
III Cor. vi, q; Col. Iii, IL.
2, g. Jonathan hath yet son which Is
lame on his feet When the news came
of his fathers death, he was little boy
years old His nurse took him up to flee
with him. and in her haste she let him
fall, thus causing him to be crippled for
life OH Sam. iv, A.. This story of the
kings kindness to Mephibosheth for JON
athan's sake is very suggestive all through
of the love Of God to sinners. The man
was lame through no fault of his own, and
he was lame on both feet-could not walk
at all. All are sinners through Adam,
and such sinners that in our flesh there
dwelleth no good thing (Rom. v, 12; vii,
49, If his name signifies, as some think,
"shame proceeding from the mouth" 1t Is
very suggestive of Rom. iii, 13; Math. XIV,
IS.
4. "He Is In the house of Machir the
son of Ammiel in Lo-debar." The name
of this place may signify "no pasture"
and makes us think of the prodigal son,
who, when he had wasted all his living,
would fain have eaten the swines food
(Luke XIV, 16) Every sinner who stays
away from God and seeks to bless himself
in this world of no food for the soul Is
somewhat like Mephibosheth in Lo-debar.
8. "King David sent and fetched him."
He did not send him word to come and see
him because he had good news for him,
but he took means to bring him right into
his presence. Our David, blessed Lord
Jesus does not tell us to make ourselves
fit to come to him, but knowing our in
curable lameness He comes right TO us
with His love and grace, and we helpless
creatures have only to receive Him and all
His love John 1, 12).
8. ''He fell on his face and did reverence,
and David said, Mephibosheth, and he an
swered, Behold thy servant" A sinner
on his face before God is a hopeful sight,
as conviction of sin is an essential to con-
version, and nothing works conviction like
the loving kindness of God. See Luke V,
s; Isa vi, 5; Job. xiii, 5, 6; Acts tx, 5, 6.
David calling him by name makes us think
of John Xxx, 10, "Jesus saith unto her,
Mary"
z. "Fear not, for / will surely show thee
kindness for Jonathan thy fathers sake"
See the comfort, the restoration and the
future provision contained In the words Of
this verse. The perfect love of God casts
out all fear and enables us to sing Isa. xii,
2. We have restored in the grace of God
In Christ more than we lost in Adam, and
He who spared not His own Son, but de-
livered Him up for us all, will with Him
also freely give us all things.
s. "What is thy servant that thou
lOOh upOu suCu a uOS ds
amY" AS we see and believe, the love of
God to us we become increasingly filled
with sense of our own unworthiness. A
decreasing estimate Of self is good growth
In grace, as when Paul saw himself to be
the least of the apostles, then less than
the least of all saints, then chief of sinners.
AS Christ increases we decrease
9. ~ have given unto thy masters son
all that pertained to Saul and 10 all his
house" 1t was all of grace, for all had
been forfeited. So with the sinner we lost
all in Adams sin, but God commendeth
His love toward us in that while we were
yet sinners Christ died for us. He loved us
even when we were dead in sins (Rom. v,
s; Eph. ii, A. 81. All that we receive in
Christ is Gods free gift to us in grace
(Rom. vi, 23; Iii, "a; John V, ~.
10. "Mephibosheth, thy masters son,
shall eat bread always at my table" He
might have been forgiven and had the
property restored without being made a
member of the kings family, but see the
exceeding great riches of his grace" in
taking him to his own table To be for
given Is very great, TO be justified or ac
counted as If we had never sinned is great
er, but to be made child of God and joint
heir with Jesus Christ is greater still Il
John IL, IL; Rom. iii, "a; v, l. Acts xiii,
3S, 80; Rom. viii, Is; 1 John iii, p.
IL. According to all that my lord the
king hath commanded his servant, so
shall thy servant do" These were the
words of that Ziba who afterward SLAM
dered his master and sought to turn away
the heart of David from him UI Sam.
xvi, g.; xix, 27) If we are children of
God, we must expect to be slandered by
some one, and IL the slanderers are those of
our own household we must not think IL
strange, but rather accept 1t as fellowship
with Christ and count 1t a privilege.
IL. "All that dwelt in the house of Ziba
were servants unto Mephibosheth. /" Every
true child of God by faith In Christ Jesus
has all things working together for his
good (Rom. viii, 2s), so that all things
may truly be said to serve him. AS In
Eek L. 1921, the wheels and the living