The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-29

Third Quarter. Lesson TX. Samuel
 xvi, S-12, &l-25. August 30, 1903.
 David Spares Saul.
 Here is a succession of the most an cient hero-tales of literature. They are unsurpassed: natural spirited. fascinat- ing. Incidentally they give helpful giimpses of the times and ways Of primitive age--the customs. social. po- litical, and military. But the narrative has a higher claim for consideration than that. It faithfully exhibits the ethical evolution of the first man of that age. It shows the moral ideas which dominat- ed him and by which he in turn domi- mated his own and surrounding nations. What enhances the value of the narra- tive is that 1t gives the real, not the ideal ized, man.
 It Is the fugitive and exile period of David's life, covering seven years of in cessant and extreme personal hardsnips and peril. With all it's pains and priva- tions, 1t is really the richest epoch in his life. It is an apprenticeship to throne. Here. too, he learned in suffer ing what he afterwards taught in song psalms dear to myriads were born in the caves and wildernesses of this period. Some one likens them to the grapevfnes of Naples growing out of the burnt lava.
 It is spiritually significant that David. in his flight, armed and refreshed him- self in the sanctuary. He took his own trophy, the sword of Goliath, as wea- pon and ate the hallowed show bread, no other being available. thus giving an example of violation of letter being CO., incident with keeping of spirit, cir cumstance to which Jesus referred. The incident of madness feigned at Gath. the shrewd device by which the fugitive es- capes after his Identification by Achish, comes next. Then the recruiting of the army of malcontents at the cave of Adul- lam: the shameful and bitter fruit of Da- vid's unnecessary deception; the last in terview between David and Jonathan; David's sparing of Saul in the cave of En-gedi; Nabal, the churl, hts vineyard and his wife.
 For a second time the life of Saul was in the hands of David The envious mon arch was in pursuit of his hated rival. He was encamped at En-gedi with a troop of three thousand of the most va liant and experienced men. David was his own scout, and approached the camp near enough to see that the posting of sentinels had been omitted. Taking a comrade as dauntless as himself he pass ed the barricade encircling the camp and extemporized out of the baggage wagons as the custom was. At the center of the sleeping host David found Saul as he expected. He was easily identified by the spear thrust into the ground at his head. the Oriental sign of headquarters to this day Abishai whispered to his command CT the request that he might pinion Saul to the earth. There would be no danger of arousing the camp, for the skilled executioner would see that his victim should be so thoroughly dispatched by a single blow that not groan would be emitted.
 | The unusual high moral level which David had already attained was evinced | by his conduct in this emergency. A dog en reasons would justify the killing of Saul according to the ethical standards then current. Self-preservation. imme- diate accession to the throne. Sauls increasing incapacity to reign. the op- portunity come to his hand a second | time, consideration for his loyal follow | CTS, and so on. These were the arguments which urged the deed. To all Dayids calm and self-oblivious answer was,