The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-29
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON
Copyright, Davis " Clark.) re<zz zzez<z<<ssezs =<<Ee<<<es<=e<s

..vengeance is the Lords; he win exe- cute 1t in his own way and time" Again the sanctity of the kings life and person is acknowledged. He is the Lords an- ointed; no harm must be done him. !" David Is no regicide. He will continue an exile and fugitive rather than appoint himself the executioner of a Divine ven- geance.
 By a most skillful device he secures un- mistakable evidence that the king has really been at his mercy He carries away the royal spear which stands like flag stan at the kings pillow and the silver ewer from which the king refreshes himself. With these imperial trophies David and his comrade in adventure safely withdraw from the camp. A mo- nent later Davids musical voice. which he has often practiced among the hills, rang out its taunting challenge to Ab- ner, Saul's chief of stan. Saul recognizes the voice which has often calmed his frenzy. David uses his opportunity to deprecate the kings course. Saul has one of his oft-recurring. but entirely su- perficial, seasons of compunction. ending in suited blessing upon his rival.
 The Teachers Lantern.
 The cave and exile psalms cast light upon the incidents of this period. They also show the spirit and principles which dominated the heart of the fugitive. They may not have been literally writ ten by David. The theme and motif of them may have been transmitted by tra- dition. and afterward put into permanent metrfcai form. If that is so. the spirit has been singularly preserved. It Is quite possible that some devout Hebrew of a later date so put himself in complete sympathetic touch with David as to in- terpret his emotions with absolute idel- ity. That has often been done in litera- ture.
 The flight to Mob is supposed to be de- scribed in Psalm If. To Gath in xxxiv (the alphabetical Psalm). Among the leave songs" are (Adullam) Psalm lyii and cxlii. Among the songs of exile are Psalm xiii (one of the choicest of the Psalter) and Psalm Wi. It has. been aptly said that all the experiences of hu- man life seem emptied into Davids sim gle career. He sang much because he suf- fered much.
 David is the ideal friend-maker and friend-keeper. He knew how to grapple his friends with hooks of steel.
 The duplication of incidents as, for example. Saul twice in David's power with only slight incidental differences of detail, ought not to annoy the reader. Only those who hold to verbal inspira- tion and inerrancy will go out of their way tO ueIenu the teXt. tuners VIII dree- fy admit that the two incidents may really be one. with immaterial differences in the narrative. The substance of 1t is that Saul was in David's power, and for high ethical and religious reasons he did not put him to death, as the spirit and custom of his age would justify him in doing. and condemn him for letting the opportunity pass.
 There is no more striking illustration of fancied and false security than Saul so dead asleep that his rival could carry away souvenirs from his very couch and person.
 David's conduct is a good comment on the Sermon on the Mount. Love your enemies" There is no room for hate. even of a deadly foe. David was that near to the standard of the Sermon, though he lived a thousand years before 1t was preached.