The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-08-20
DAVID SPARES
SAUL'S LIFE
Sunday School Lesson for Aug. 80, 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper

GOLDEN TEXT-"Tove your enemies:
do good to them that hate you."-Luke
6:27.
TIME.-some time during the seven
years OF exile before he came to be king.
B. G. 1062-i055 CUssher). OF 1024-i0l7.
PLACE.-The wilderness OF Judea, In
GLIDING Maon Carmel the hin Hachilah,
and the wilderness OF Ziph. all from four
TO eight miles south and east Of Hebron;
the cave OF Adulam. southwest of Jeru-
salem. about two miles from Elah, where
David conquered Goliath; and Engedi. a
wilderness west OF the Dead sea, and
bordering upon Il. Saul's capital was at
Gibeah. about five miles north OF Jerusa-
lem.
Samuel died about this time at Ramah.
aged So. David was between Is and 50
years old. and an exile.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Lessons David Learned.-Hard as
these years of exile we're for David to
bear yet they we're most fruitful years
TO him. as his apprenticeship for the
kingdom. In them he found what
Hugh Miller called his schools and
schoolmasters.
1. The exile experiences preserved
him from the dangers to which his
sudden elevation to power and popu-
larity would expose him. He learned
his weakness, and his need Of divine
help.
2. He learned entire trust in God I'M
der all circumstances; the value and
necessity OF religion. This led to the
marvellous development of religious in
situations. and OF the service Of song
under HIS administration.
3. He had the best opportunities for
becoming acquainted with the people;
their grievances under Saul; their
needs; their dispositions and tenden-
cies. He understood their spiritual as
well as their temporal wants. His own
weaknesses, in yielding to the tempta-
ton to falsehood, and TO dependency
and unbelief would help him to un-
derstand the people.
4. He had practice in the art of gov
erning.
8. He gained experience in war.
G. He obtained a knowledge of the
country, and OF its enemies.
Z. In this school OF fighting men
were trained those generals and wise
strategists who in the golden days OF
David's rule commanded his armies,
and raised Israel from the obscurity
OF an Arab tribe, who with difficulty
held their own among the ancient
CanaanItes, to the position Of one OF
the great nations Of the old eastern
world. "-Ellicott.
8. Many OF his sweetest songs were
wrought out by this long and hard ex-
perience. for the comfort and hope not
only OF his own people, but for Gods
children in all ages; for while they
grew out OF hardship and wrongs they
were songs of victory. of light shin
ing out of darkness, roses growing
out Of black SOIL
9. In spite OF his few lapses from
faith and perfect truth, he grew in
character and manhood, he became
strong in faith and virtue, large
hearted, wrise, and consecrated to God.
Victory Over himself Samuel rs.
The Two Accounts. There are two
accounts of David's sparing Saul's life.
one in Samuel 26, our lesson verses
for to-day, and one in 1 Samuel "a. The
scenes Of the events were In the same
general region, Saul's army was in
both cases his select band OF 5000;
so that some scholars think that the
two accounts are descriptions of the
same event. But they are so different
as TO make this very improbable; and
II is perfectly natural that such an
event should occur more than once.
David and Abishai quietly stole into
Saurs camp and took away his spear,
probably OF beautiful and costly work
manship as became a king, and the
cruise or pitcher of water which is
usually. in warm climates, kept near
a persons couch. as a draught in the
night time is found very refreshing.
Saurs cruise would probably be of SUI
perior materials, or more richly orna-
mented than common ones. and there
fore by its size or form be easily dis
tinguished. "-Cambridg Bible.
Then the two men went to another
hill over against the one where Saul
was encamped, and shouted to Saul's
general, Abner, deriding him for his
negligence. Saul recognized Dayid's
voice and they talked together
v. 10. IF the Lord have stirred thee
up" as a punishment to David for
some wrong. Saying. Go, serve other
gods" go into heather lands. and
away from ali religious services of
Jehovah.
Saul repented and departed. David
accepted his profession of friendship,
but he was too wise to put himself in
Saul's power. He well knew that his
changed opinion was like the early
dew which soon passeth away.
Thus David gained his great victory
over himself; a greater than his ia
nous victory over Goliath. HE that
ruleth his own spirit is greater than
he that taketh a city" 'Self-preser-
walton is tho first law of nature" but
II is not the first law Of God. who is
above nature. We may not in anywise
transgress Gods law In seeking
safety"
Overcome Evil WIN Good.
To fight evil with evil Is simply to
make two evils instead of one.
And both evils are increased by the
processes,