The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-11-27
ON KINGLY
BUSINESS BENT,
A Sermon Preached by
Rev. John Shape, Nov.
ember 24th, 1901.

Inc song OF Inc women "0duI
has slain his thousands and David
his ten thousands" had greatly
angered Saul so that from that day
he sought both pretext and oppor-
tuuity TO kill David. Twice he
hurled the javeIin at him aud twice
David escaped. The king made
him his son.in-law only in the hope
that he as captain in the army
would perish at the hands Of the
Phllistines. Al his marriage ~
Michal, SauI's daughter, the king
demanded as a dowry one hundred
forcskins OF the Philistines and
David went out with his men aud
brought in two hundred. The king
gives command TO Jonathan and to
all mis- servants that they should
kill David. The more successful
in battle. David was against Saul's
enemies. the more did Saul become
his enemy. The fire OF jealousy
burned holly 10 the beart of the
king. Once more be hurled the
javeln at his son-ln.law and once
more David escaped. while the
iavelin buried itself in the wall.
Saul sent messengers TO the home
of David TO take him and kill him,
but only an image with a pillow OF
goats hair for his bolster was found
iu David's bed. IN the night time
the future king Of Israel has slipped
away to Ramah. Saul pursucs,
but IN the presence of Samuel, the
prophet, the spirit OF God comes
upon both the king and his mes
scngels, and they phrophecy, so
that the people saw; "Is Saul also
among the prophcts!
David now becomes fugitive and
an outlaw 10 the laud. lie pauses
only 10 make covenant With Jona-
than, to whom his soul was knit in
love sweeter and stronger than a
woman $ love. and then escapes 10
Mob. 10 Ablme lech. the priest. whose
lie with that Of eishty-four other
priests. ia taken at Saul's COM
mand. because Abimelech had be-
friended the .amished David with
bread to cat. Ard had given him
Goliath'> sword, and ,hal dared
him TO say IN the very face oi Saul.
"And who is so faithful among all
thy servants as navid?' 1t was
while the priest was giving David
the hallowed bread OF the altar,
that the conversation occurred in
which the text OF the morning is
found. it is used BY David when
he asks Abimelec Ier either sword
or spear. saving for "lnavc either
brought my SWORD nor NV wcapoas
with me, because the kings busi-
ness required haste"
Pausipg only to saw that the
kings business here referred 10,
might mean Saul's da,tardIy busi.
ness OF attempting 10 SAY David,
or some imaginative business on
which David wishes the priest to
think he is bent. we may apply the
lesson to present day effort 10 the
business o! our king.
Consider that the business in
which we as subjects Of the great
K,rg are engaged. is first. last and
always business. 1t is not past
time. 1t is uot pleasure merely,
but business. He who makes ol
the Kings business "a paStlime.
dshonors the king. Manyare there
who give God merely the odds and
epGs of..time. when he demands un-
divided service. Marking time ia
mere pasttlme; "torward march"
is the watchword of the man OF
business Jesus was imbued with
this idea. At the early age of
twelve he knew he must be about
his Fathers business: during his,
pnblic ministry he declared that
he must work the works OF Him
that sent him while il was called
day, and 40 at the close could dare
TO say, ri do always the things
that please h'm. We too often
play at doing the LORD 5 work, but
there is nowhere 10 Gods word a
command to 70 play III my vine-
yard.
Our work for the king is voca.
tional not avoeationaI. One can
easily tell the difference between
the avoeational aud the vocational
Christian. Our aroca!ion is what
We do Incidentally; our vocation is
our recreation: our vocation is our
chief concern and duty. Our avo.
cation is Que OF thousand things
VIC dabb,e at: our vocation is the
one thing Of our lives. The avoca.
tion al Christina is regularly ia his
p!ace, whel it does not rain, or It
is not loo hot, nor too cod. nor too
cloudy. nor too NIL ldy; the voca.
tional Christian may be summed
up IN a word-hc is faithful. The
avoc ational CHRISTIAN has much
emotional ecstasy in Christian ser.
vice: the vocational Christian ia
possessed Of a solemn joy at the
thought that he is engaged in sc.
rious and important business for
the king.
In such messengers the King Of
Kings has confidence. David is an
outlaw " fleeing from the presence OF
Saul. his king;in the presence of
the King we servs~ here is both
truat and security. Hcentrusts US
with his business. We arc his am
basaadors at this foreign court.
All the dignity, all the authority.
all the power Of high heaven is al
our command, so long as We heark.
en- 10 heavens command. We are
The Kings subjects. Rejecting Us
is rejecting the King himself. The
real business OF ourhiug is tho sal.
walton ol the lost meu. aud IN this
business we have both share and