The Washington times., 1903-08-29
ube International Sunday SCHOOL Lesson

great as to fight for ones life in physical
battle.
Beside the sleeping Saul Abishai said
to David: "God hath delivered up thine
enemy into thine hand this day: now,
therefore, let me smite him. And
David said to Abishai, Destroy him
not, for who can put forth his hand
against the Lords anointed and be
guiltless?"
The way a man treats his enemies
| is an index of his own character The
| infinite height of Christs character
made him pray for his murderers And
| the law for those who seek to be like
| him is love your enemies and pray for
them that prosecute you.' David s
! treatment of Saul Is case in point
Saul with 1900 men, was seeking to
| Stay him. David penetrated his camp,
stood by Saul's side as he slept, yet
spared his life. 1t was a great victory
over himself. was greater than taking n
city. Self preservation may be the first
| law of nature. but self-sacrifice is the
first law of God"
ITO Abishaf, the rough soldier. it
seemed to be the opportunity of a life
| time. He believed. first, that II was
providential Saul deserved to die like a
dog, for he had lived like a dog during
| these last mad years. His spite and
hatred had known no bounds. If ever a
man had been wronged, 1t was David.
| Second, In killing Saul, David would not
| simply be revenging himself but would
| be claiming for himself what he had a
right to-a life of peace and his own
good reputation. He would really be
| committing the act in self-defense.
Third, the nation as a nation was losing
under Saul's misrule; his death would
be blessing. David might then come
| to the throne at once. In addition to
| these considerations, there are two more
which must have suggested themselves
to David as he stood there with his
brave comrade in the darkness looking
down upon the form of their sleeping
| foe-flrst, what fool the rest of his
outlaw band would think he had been If
he should throw away this chance;
would it not lose him their confidence.
and, that gone. would not all be gone
And, second he would not need TO COM
nit the deed himself in any case-he
would only need to wink at 1t, and later
he could say truly that he did not do it.
Here in the night David passed through
his temptation in the wilderness. The
way in which he met it and triumphed
over 1t reveals to US a character before
which we must bow. In this David was
Christlike, though Christ was not to be
born for a thousand years"
"Tigerish lust for blood awoke in
| Abishai. Whatever sad, plying, half
tender thoughts stirred in David as he
looked at the mighty form of Saul, with
limbs relaxed in slumber, his nephew S
only thought was, What a fair mark
What an easy blow. He was brutally
eager to strike. Abishai represents The
natural impulse of us ALTO strike at
our enemy when we can; to meet hate
with hate, and to do to another the hate
he would do to us.
David acted with the magnanimity
that became a hero and a saint. He re-
i fused to admit the speciOus argument
that opportunity meant permission and
that license meant liberty. He Quieted
the impetuous fever Of his soul, resisted
the subtle temptation OF the adversary
and elected to await the slow unfolding
of the divine purpose How Saul's con-
science smote when he heard what had
happened. But his emotion was re-
morse, not repentance. The sorrow OF
the world worketh death Saul con-
fesSsd, L have sinned and played the
fool
Sin is always foolishness. and Away!
brings sorrow.