The Washington times., 1903-09-05
Ube international Sunday School Lesson
FOR SEPTEMBER
FOR SEPTEMBER 6.

Draw thy sword and thrust me through
Herewith, lest these uncircumcised come
and thrust me through and abuse me.
But his armor- bearer would not, for he
was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took
his sword. and fell upon it. And when
the armor- bearer saw that Saul was dead
he likewise fell upon his sword and died
with him. SO Saul died. and his three
sons. and his armor- bearer, and all his
men that same day together"
Death of the God-Deserted.
There are awful terrors that hang
around the death scene of the God-de-
serted. The death OF the believing man
may be just as terrible and repuIsive in
actual detail of the circumstances of
death, but the light OF an eternal hope
always breaks upon the soul of the de-
parting one that gives him triumph in
his defeat. but the consciously God-de-
serted man knows no such consolation.
In the death OF Saul we have the picture
of the death Of a God deserted man. He
had had in former times plenteous ad-
vantages, and divine revelation and
grace; but in his later years he had for
saken Gcd until God had forsaken him
in turn. and his will had become hard
ened in wickedness and he had lost all
desire toward penitence-at last he
presented that most appalling OF all
wrecks OF ruin-a human soul conscious
ly severed from the sympathy, and be-
reft of the favor OF the Divine There
(
progress of evil. From the monarch on
the eve OF the battle of Jabesh- -Gilead to
the monarch on the eve of the battle of
Gilboa, what a fearful fall. Saul had suf-
fered because Saul had sinned. He was
guilty of repeated and fragrant dis
obedience, and it is an easy descent to
perdition when the bias Of the nature
| is seconded by the strenuous endeavors
of the will. To every sinner there will
come his moment of need. The world
ling may prolong his revelry and accum-
ulate his gain, but the hour will come
when he will discover that the world Is
a cheat and that the riches cannot al
ways profit. Your hour may be nearer
that you think Gods mercy may still
delay il. but il viii come-the hour of
trial. when sorrow breaks upon sorrow,
! like billows upon a desoIate strand"
so Saul died" Saul really died as
/ the fool dieth. His end might have
| been altogether different If he had not
/ persistently played the fool toward God
! for so many years Saul died knowing
/ that all was lost-the battle. his king
dom. the favor of jehovah Hope was
/ gone. courage was gone, everything was
! gone. Never was there more tragical
/ ending of a career once radiant with
/ great possibilities and rich in budding
: promise. What had been the beginning
| of the fall? Selfwill putting itself
above a divine commandment. What
had been the progress of the fall? Com
| plete abandonment to his own impulses;
suspicious; unbridled passions; spasms
! of remorse that foamed themselves out
and did not change his conduct or his
heart; gloomy hugging of the torturing
| jealousy that gnawed away all his
/ frank generosity, and worked him into
savage fury toward his noble son and
toward the young hero who had done
so much for him; and. worst OF all. and
cause OF all. obstinate determination not
20 bend, however God might strike, but
| 70 defy heaven and all it's lightniugs
] He is the Titan of Jewish history. the