The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-08-22

OF the iathtr > i'''.
inga toward his dis
ohc,i'nt 80 cost child, there are many
touchin@, Incidents, each bearing The fra
grant bio SONS Of instruction. We WI
study III" whole story, AID compare II
with the psalms, and with Gods love to
wards lis SINFUL children, IS expressed
in the story Of the ProdiEal Son. L",
The srho"! reneat in concert John 81"
and the l>iIth Commandment. Historical
setting. Time, b. G. 1929, a short TIM
after N" ast lesson. Pace. % Mahan-
aim uli- 'wo hosts or aAnlps), DaVids
Temporary 1aDitab 4 strongly fortified
town cas- ii the Jordan, and near The
Jahbok. was The place Saufs son
lShhoSHc;n, made his capital while he
was holdius; Inc ten tribes against DaVl0
at Hebron. Here, too, the angel OF The
Lord me- Jacob and Jacob prevailed il
prayer (5,N. 32). CD The battlefield was
Ia" Nood u Erhraim, not the highlands
in the Irioo ot Ephraim. west of the Jo,
dan, but some part of he great forests
Of Gilcad. East Of the Jordan, and within
one day ~ Mahlnaim (chap, 49,: y. Tho
name was probably given to the spor
hccaus" - he Inem0rable defeat Of The
EIhraim!trS there in the lime OF Jcph.
thah G's'tsr. 12i)
TOGay'S lesson includes verses gil, -.
g, chapter g, Second Book Of Samnel as
follows:
.. "Ar0 &bSalom met the servants OF
a'aEid' in battle array; ana his troops
were detected. ''Absaiom rode uDon -
mul", in MS flight. '"i'hC mule which
ne ro,l"-perhaps DaVld's own-was
mark Of royalty q Kings 1888, 3S),"-Cam
bridge Bible. Ills head caught hold OF
the oak. His head was caught ia
the iorkeI Doughs Of the tree, and he
Jung there" stunned and helpless Per
FapS his long, thick HAIR got entanglcd,
put there ~ nothing to support tho >'onr
n0n idea that he was suspended merely
by his hi;!r. Cambridge Bible "Josephus
says distinctly that his hair was en-
tangled. Cook
II. 'Why iidSt th0n not smith him
there: But the man knew too much to
pc tempted even by girdle, the mark OF
Friendship, and by money, for he well
knew that 1t would be Known, and Joah-'
himsef would have cast the blame upon
him before David. FOR David was in
tensely anxious that niS hayward Gonr
should be saved.
ii "JOaD . took three darts
and thrust them through the heart of
4Absalon.' lie alone felt strong enough
10 disobey the king. He did the act for
Davids own sake. Doubtless he thor
Oughly believed that Absalom's death
was the only effectual way Of ending
this most guilty and perniciohs insurrec-
ton. and so preserving the country from
ruin."
1C. "JoaD held back the people" from
further slaughter. In this way the ma
~, 49,,
David.
II. "They took Absalom, and cast him
into great pit in the wood" etc. 1.-THE
people Of the east indicate their dctesta-
ton Of the memory of an infamous per
son by throwing stones at the place
where he is buried"
%2. "Cushi," one Of the COuriers. "Is
the young man AbsalOm safer" David's
first thought, after he knew that the
Kingdom was safe, was for the fate o.
his hayward son.
Is the young man safe? This Is a quos.
ton every parent and every friend OF
young men should ask. Is the young
man safe from intemperance, from bad
companions, from bad books, from dis
honest conduct, from bad habits? Is he
safe IN Jesus Christ? Is he safe in o.
good home and among good influences"
Is he safe for this world? Is he safe for
eternity? Ask yourself, also, what you
are doing to make him and keep him
safe.
Is the young man safei No. Why notr
Because he has begun to taste intox-
icatng drinks.
Because he has given I'D his life 30.
regular ney-making.
Because he is reckless in his way Of
handling money.
Because his thoughts are not pure.
Because he has lot Of opinions that
ore false.
Because his parents do not set him
good example.-A. f. Schauftaer.
80. went up to the chamber" TO be
alone In his sorrow. The deepest sor-
row threads the wine press alone" And
wept." Tears are the safety-valves Of
the heart. ALBERT Smith. 20 my son,
Absalom!" There is not in the whole OF
the Old Testament passage Of deeper
pathos than this. The simple beauty OF
the narrative is exauisite we are ir-
resistibly reminded Of him who, while
he beheld the rebellious city of Jeru-
salem and thought Of the destruction IT,
was bringing upon itself, Wept over it
duke 1874. Cook. Would God ] had
died for thee" So Moses (IGx. 81 :32) and
so ST. Paul (ROm. 9:3) would have sacri-
feed themselves, had it been possible. to
save others. His wish to die in Absaloms
stead was no mere extravaganza Of grief.
David knew his own peace was made with
God; nc could die at any time. If Alb
salon We're spared in life, he might yet
repent. One Of the bitterest. ingredients
in this cup Of sorrow was the conscious
ness that his own sin"was partly the.
cause of Absalom's fate. 1t was part OF
the doom uttered by the prophet, THE
sword shall never depart from thy house."
! Twice now had the sword slain his sons.
All his efforts to prevent it had been in
vain. Had David not failed in his cx-
ample and in his training perhaps Alb
SALON. would have been different young
man.