TALMAGE’8 SERMON^
an old fashioned mother,
SUNDAY’S SUBJECT.
lother Mad* Mia •
Bnafhl II M HI—
[HI—DM DM •»
HE stories of De
borah and Abigail
are very apt to dis
courage a woman’s
soul. She says
within herself: "It
Is impossible that
I ever achieve any
such grandeur of
character, and I
don’t mean to try;”
■ - as though a child
should refuse to
play the eight notes because be cannot
execute a "William Tell." This Han
nah of the text differs from the persons
I just named. She was an ordinary wo
man. with ordinary tntellsctual cspa
dty, placed in ordinary circumstances,
and yet, by extraordinary piety, stand
ing out before all the ages to come,
the model Christian mother. Hannah
was the wife of Blkanah, who was a
person very much like herself ua
romantic and plain, never having
fought a battle or been the subject of
n marvelous escape., Neither of them
would have been called a genius. Just
what you and 1 might be, that was
Klksnah and Hannah. The brightest
time In all the history of that family
waa the birth of Samuel. Although no
mar ran along the heavens pointing
down to his birthplace, I think the angels
of God stooped at the coming of so
wonderful a prophet. As Samuel had
been given In answer to prayer, El
w».h knd all his family, save Hannah,
started up to Shiloh to offer sacrifice*
of thanksgiving. The cradle where
the child slept was altar enough for
Hannah’s grateful heart; out wnen me
boy waa old enough she took him to
Shiloh, and took three bullocks end an
vylnk vt ftuUl • >■* • WU'» •( «lM,
and made offering of sacrifice unto the
Lord, and there, according to a previous
▼ow, she left him; for there he waa to
atay all the days of his life, and min
ister In the sanctuary. Years rolled
on; and every year Hannah made with
her own hand a garment for Samuel,
and took it over to him. The lad would
have got along well without that gar
ment, for I suppose he was well clad
by the ministry of the temple; but Han
nah could not be contented unless she
was all the time doing something for
her darling boy. "Moreover bis mother
made him a little coat, and brought it
to him from year to year, when she
came up with her husband to offer the
yearly sacrifice."
Hannah stands before you, then, to
day, in the first place, as an Industri
ous mother. Thero was no need that
she work. Elkanah, her husband, was
tar from poor. He belonged to a dis
tinguished family; for the Bible tells
os that he was the son of Jeroham,
the son of Ellhu, the son of Tohu, the
■on of Zuph. "Who were they?" you
■ay. I do not know; but they were dis
tinguished people, no doubt, or their
stames would not have been mentioned.
Hannah might have seated herself In
her family, and, with folded arms, and
dishevelled hair, read novels from year
|o year, if there had been any to read;
but when I see her making that gar
ment and taking It over to Samuel, I
know she Is Industrious from principle
■a well as from pleasure. Qod would
not have a mother become a drudge or
n slave; he would have her employ all
the helps possible In this day in the
rearing of bor children. But Hannah
ought never to be ashamed to be found
making a coal for Samuel. Most moth
ers need no counsel in this direction.
The wrinkles on their brow, the pallor
on their cheek, the thimble-mark on
their finger, atteat that they are faith
ful in the maternal dutlea. The bloom
and the brightness and the vivacity of
girlhood have given place to the grand
er dignity and usefulness and industry
of motherhood. I)ut there Is a heath
enish Idea getting abroad In some of
the families of Americans; there are
mothers who banish themselves from
the home circle. For three-fourths of
their maternal duties they prove them
selves incompetent. They are Ignorant
of what their children wear, and what
their children eat, and what their chil
dren read. They entrust to Irresponsi
ble persons these yoorg Immortal*,
and allow them to be under Influences
which may cripple their bodies, or
taint their purity or spoil their man
ners, or destroy their souls. From the
nwnward cut of ttamuel'a coat you
know his mother Hannah did not make
It. Out from uuder darning chande
liers, and off from Imported carpets,
and down the granite stairs, there Is
eomlug a great crowd of children In
this day, untrained, saucy. Incompetent
fur all the practical duties of life,
ready lo be caught la the first whirl
of crime and sensuality. Indolent and
unfaithful mol here will make Indolent
and unfaithful shildren. You eannot
espevl neatness and order In any house
wh«re the daughters see nothing hut
slatternliness and upetdedewnallve
wene In their psiesu. Let Hannah he
oil* and most certainly iamuel wilt
grow up Idle Who are the ladnetri
wue men In nil nur eecuputlona and pro
IteUsMf W ho are they managing the
■mrvhead tie of the world, hollaing the
wells, tinning the roofs, weaving the
ear pet a. making the lees, governing
the nation*, making the earth to guahe
and home and roar and rattle with the
tread of gigauuv enterprueaf W ho are
they f FVr the asust part. th*y defend
ed front tnduotrteus met hers, who. In
the ehf homeetee I, <wed to spin their
own yarn, and weave their own ear*
gate, and plait their own door main
aad flag their own *hnl< s. and da their
aea werh. The stalwart men and the
te*weaUal women at ihla day. ninety
nine out nf n hundred el ihem. eems
from such an Illustrious ancestry of
bard knuckles and homespun. And
who are these people In society, light
as froth, blown every whither of temp
tation and fashion—the peddlers of
filthy stories, the dancing-Jacks of poli
tical parties, the scum of society, the
tavern-lounging, store-infesting, the
men of low wink, and filthy chuckle,
and brass breastpin, and rotten associ
ations? For the most part, they came
from mothers idle and disgusting, the
scandal-mongers of society, going from
house to bouse attending to every
body's business but their own; believ
ing In witches and ghosts, and horse
shoes to keep the devil out of the
churn, and by a godless life setting
their children on the very verge of hell.
The mothers of Samuel Johnson, and of
Alfred the Great, and of Isaac Newton,
and of St. Augustine, and of Richard
Cecil, and of President Edwards, for
the most part were industrious, hard
working mothers. Now, while I con
gratulate all Christian mothers upon
the wealth and the modern science
which may afford them all kinds of
help, let me say that every mother
ought to be observant of her children's
walk, her children’s behavior, her chil
dren’s food, her children’s books, her
children's companionships. However
much help Hannah may have, I think
she ought every year, at least, make
one garment for Samuel. The Lord
have mercy on the man who Is so un
fortunate as to have had a iaxy mother!
Again: Hannah stands before you to
day aa an Intelligent mother. From
the way in which she talked in this
cnnpier, mu iruiu iue mij «» man
aged this boy, you know she was in
telligent. There are no persona In a
community who need to be so wise and
well-informed aa mothers. O, this
work of culturing children for this
world and the next. This child la
timid, and It must be roused up and
pushed out Into activities. This child
Is forward, and he must be held back,
and tamed down Into modesty and po
liteness. Rewards for one, punish
ments for another. That which will
make George will ruin John. The rod
la necessary in one case, while a frown
of displeasure is more than enough
In another. Whipping and a dark
closet do not exhaust all the rounds of
domestic discipline. There have been
children who hare grown up and gone
to glory without ever having had their
ears boxed. O, how much care and in
telligence is necessary in the rearing
of children! But In this day, when
there are so many books on this sub
ject, no parent Is excusable In being
Ignorant of the best mode of bringing
up a child. If parents knew more of
dietetics, there would not be so many
dyspeptio stomachs and weak nerves
and inactive livers among children. If
parents knew more of physiology, there
Would not be so many curved spines
and cramped chests and Inflamed
throats and diseased lungs as there are
among children. If parents knew more
of art, and were in sympathy with all
that Is beautiful, there would not be
so many children coming out In the
world with boorish proclivities. If pa
rents knew more of Christ, and prac
tised more of his religion, there would
not be so many little feet already
starting on the wrong road, and all
around as voices of riot and blasphemy
would not come up with such ecstacy
of Infernal triumph. The eaglets
In the eyrie have no advantage
over the eaglets of a thousand
years ago; the kids have no su
perior way of climbing up the
rocks than the old goats taught them
hundreds of years ago; the whelps
know no more now than did the whelps
of ages ago—they are taught no more
by the Ilona of the desert; but It la a
shame that In this day, when there are
so many opportunities of Improving
ourselves In the best manner of cultur
ing children, that so often there Is no
more advancement In this respect than
there has been among the kids and the
eaglets and the whelps.
Again: Hannah stands before you
today as a Christian mother. From
her prayers, and from the way she con
secrated he* boy .o God, I know she
waa good. A mother may have the
finest culture, the most brilliant sur
roundings; but the Is not fit for her
duties unless ahe be a Christian
mother. There may be well-read
libraries In the house; and music In
the parlor; and the canvas of the best
artists adorning the walla; and the
wardrobe be crowded with tasteful
apparel; and the children be wonder
ful for their attainments, and make
! the house ring with laughter and In
nocent mirth; but there Is something
wofully lacking In that house, If It be
not also the residence of a Cbrtatiao
uioiher. 1 bless God that there are not
many prayerleas mothers. The weight
I of responsibility la so great that thhy
feel the need of a divine hand U
help, and a divine heart to aympathlse
Thousands of mothers have been le i
Into the kingdom of God by the bandi
1 of their little ehlldiea. There ar«
hundred# of mothers today who would
not have been Christian# had It n«i
been tor the prattle of their littU
one* (bonding some day In Ibi
cur eery, they bethought themselves
"this child tlod has given me to rats*
I tor eternity. What Is my inOnetu-t
upon tit Not being n Christian my
self, bow can I ever eipecl him to be
come n Christian. UrJ help we"' ti
are there nations mothers who knot
nothing el the Infinite help of re
ligloa? Then I commend te you Han
sab. the pious mother of fiawuet in
not think It la absolutely twpoeuibb
that year children mat* up iniquitous
Out el loot such (air bruea and heigh
eyes and soft bands end taaerea
heart* crime gets Its v tell ms catir
paling purity (roan the hears, an t rah
Mag mat the mhsmIim from in
brae, and quenching the I net re of th
eye, and shriveling up and puteoalni
and pe'ref y leg and seething an
scalding aad blasting aad harntag will
shame aad wee.
Every child is a bundle of tremend
ous possibilities; and whether that
child shall come forth in life. Its haart
attuned to. the eternal harmonies, and
after a life of usefulness on earth, to
Co to a Ufa of Joy in heaven; or,
whether across It shall Jar eternal dis
cord*, and after a life of wrong-doing
on earth, It shall go to a home of Im
penetrable darkness and an abyas of
immeasurable plunge, 1* being decided
by nursery song snd Sabbath lesson
and evening prayer, snd walk and rlda
and look and frown and smile. 0, how
many children In glory! crowding all
tha battlements and lifting a million
voiced hosanna, brought to Ood through
Chriatlan parentage! Ona hundred
and twenty clergymen together, and
they were telling their experience and
tbelr ancestry; and of the one hundred
and twenty clergymen, how many of
them, do you suppose assigned, as tha
meana of their conversion, the Influence
of a Chriatlan mother? One hundred
out of the one hundred and twentyl
Philip Doddridge waa brought to Ood
by the Scripture leaaon on tha Dutch
tile of the chimney fire-place. The
mother thinks ahe Is only rocking a
child; but at the same time she may
be rocking the destiny of emplree—
rocking the fate of natlona—rocking
the glories of heaven. The same
maternal power that may lift a child
up may press a child down. A daughter
came to a worldly mother and said
ahe waa anxloua about her sins, and
ane nan oeen praying an nignt. me
mother said: "Ob, atop praying! I
don't believe in praying. Get over all
those religious notions, and I’ll give
you a dress that will cost live hundred
dollars and you may wear It next week
to that party." The daughter took the
dress; and she moved In the gay circle,
the gayest of the gay that night; and
sure enough, all religious Impressions
were gone and she stopped praying.
A few months after, she came to die,
and In her closing moments said;
"Mother, I wish you would bring me
that dress that cost five hundred dol
lars." The mother thought It was a
very strange request; but she brought
It to please the dying child. "Now,"
said the daughter, "mother, hang that
dress on the foot of my bed;" and the
dress was bung there, on the foot of
the bed. Then the dying girl got up
on one elbow and looked at her mother
and then pointed to the dress, and
said; "Mother, that dress Is the price
of my soul!" Oh, what a momentous
thing it is to be a mother!
Again, and lastly; Hannah stands
before you today, the rewarded mother.
For all the coatB she made for Samuel;
for all the prayers she offered for him;
for the discipline she exerted over him,
she got abundant compensation In the
piety and the usefulness and the popu
larity of her son 8amuel; and that
is true In all ages. Every mother gets
full pay for all the prayers and tsars
in behalf of her children. That man use
ful In commercial life; that man promi
nent in the profession; that master
mechanic—why, every step he takes In
life has an echo of gladness tn the old
heart that long ago taught him to be
Christian and heroic and earnest. The
story of what you have done or whcft
you have written, of the influence you
have exerted, has gone back to the old
homestead—for there is someone al
ways ready to carry good tidings—and
that story makes the needle in the old
mother’s tremulous hand fly quicker,
and the flail In the father's hand come
down upon the barn floor with a more
vigorous thump. Parents love to hear
good news fyom their children. Do
you send them good news always?
I^ook out for the young man who
speaks of hls father as the "governor,"
the "squire,” or the "eld chap.” Look
cut for the young woman who calls her
mother her ‘‘maternal ancestor,” or the
"old woman.” "The eye that mocketh
at hls father and refuseth to obey hls
mother, the ravens of the valley shall
pick It out and the young eagles shall
eat It."__
unne ■ eao ununnAiia
Brown—You don't look well, Jones—
I don’t want to look well; If I looked
well my wife would think I could work.
—Town Topics.
"I went to two receptions last night
nnd lost my umbrella st the last." "Its
a wonder you didn’t lose It at the first
one." "That’s where I got It.”--Truth.
Rogers (to Rasher, whom he has met
accompanied by a 2-year-old child)—
: Hello. Rasher! That's your little hoy,
le It? By Jots! It's a dead Image of
you. Rasher- Kscuae me. but ibis hap
pen* to he a neighbor’s child. Rogers
(not to be thrown down)- Well—er—
or It looks Ilka you. anyway.—San
Francisco Wave.
l*ollte doctor (cautiously)—Your bus*
band Is suffering from overwork or
eicesslve Indulgent** In alcoholic stim
ulants It Is tahcm) a little difficult to
tell which. Aatloua wife Oh. It *
overwork Why, he can't oven go to
the theater without rushing out half
a doaeu time* to *»•« his business part*
Sera.-New York Weohly.
pon houiiwiviv,
Mtlh keep* from souring longer in n
shallow pna this In n milk pltchsr.
im#p pans msko an sfiasl amousi «f
cream
j A small pise# af vsndW may h# mod#
to harm atl slgkt hy patting lively
puwdsred salt on tt until It roaekss Ik*
black part af tks wick,
i latsi wash oil * bilks or lloeleum
I la hot soapsuds. Wash Ihom with
topid ester and wtpa with a doth lam
pane l la *W >*> part* of cult SttU Sit l
, asisr.
i j To reaait lb* finger murks from
l varatshsd farattaro rah them with a
I rloth dampsaed with sasot atl Ta
v rernme tnem from attad faratiart ana
j hocus* se all.
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OP INTEREST TO
AGRICULTURISTS.
Some Cp-to-Dote Blots About Coltlea
tloo or the Boll end Yield. Thereof
—Horticulture, Viticulture nod Flori
culture.
(Farmers’ Review Special Report.)
ROFESSOR TAFT
•poke on pests new
and old. During
the last few yeitff1
we have had'
brought in, at least
to our notice, a
numer of new In
sects and diseases.
The most danger
ous of these Is the
San Jose scale. I
do not know of any In this state, but it
may be here In large quantities, for It Is
not usually discovered by the ordinary
farmer till the third year, when the tree
Is drying from Its effects. Then the or
chardlst begins to hunt for a name. A
single scale on a tree In the spring will
develop millions before the season Is
over, and so you see the dlfflcutly of
fighting It. If any of you have bought
trees from New Jersey, you had better
look them over. The trees. If Infested,
will look as If they had been sprinkled
with coal ashes, and when these specks
are examined It will be seen that there
Is a depression near the center of the
Insect and In that depression is a little
yellow speck. If a tree Is found with
them on the trunk, you had better cut
It down and burn it; If on the branches,
you may be able to save the tree by
burning the branches.
The plum scale Is In our state, but
It Is doing little damage on trees that
are growing properly. The only
remedy for all of the scales Is- whale
oil soap or kerosene emulsion, some
thing that will kill by contact and not
by being eaten, as the scales live by
During the last few years many
peach growers in New Jersey and some
other states were troubled by what
they thought was the yellows, but on
Investigation it was found to be due
to the black aphis swarming on the
roots. Trees that have been brought
to this state have been found Infested
in a number of cases and generally the
trees have died. When these Insects
are found on the branches they can be
killed by the whale oil soaps, or to
bacco water or kerosene emulsion. But
on the roots it is more difficult. Some
apply kalnit over the roots; but in
applying, one should not dig the earth
away so the kainlt will come in direct
contact with the roots.
Q. —When we bring oranges Trom
California and they have the scale on
them is there not a danger that they
will Introduce the scale into this sec
tion 1
Professor Taft.—I certainly think
there Is. We should have a law to keep
out those Insects whether they come
In stock or fruit, though it might be
hard to stop It on the oranges.
R. D. Graham of Grand Rapids spoke
on the New American Fruit Growers
Union. He described the meeting at
Chicago, which was for the organizing
of an association of state and provin
cial (Canadian) associations. The
Michigan association had not yet seen
a reason for taking part in the move
ment. He took up the question of uni
formity of packages advocated by
some. He did not think it was advis
able to have a uniform package for dif
ferent markets have different ideas
about this; but as to capacity he
thought there should be uniformity. A
bushel basket should contain a bushel,
and others should contain what they
are represented to contain. We already
have a law to that effect that should
be enforced.
S. H. Comings.—We Bhould have that
law enforced, for a good many snide
packages are being put on the market
from this state, and It is hurting the
fruit trade. There are two forces that
are working for the reduction of size
of packages: first, the manufacturers
want a smaller package for then they
sell more of them: and the transporta
non companies want smaller pacKages,
so they can get more for carrying
them.
Mr. Morrill spoke on the transporta
tion of fruit. We are approaching a
time, we'll l>e In It within 30 days,
when the state will need better trans
portation facilities for fruit than at
present. There should be organization
iu selling fruit, to prevent the many
losses In various ways. The state is
hill of men who have lost consignments
of fruit sent to men they know uoihlng
about. They do not even look In
llradstreet'a to see If the man has any
standing, or that he estate at all. If
we have a strong association ws can
sell to better advantage and Itulm-e the
package manufacturers to tusks pack
ages according to law.
Mr. Huth,—We have too easy a way
of selling our fruit. We pack It au<l
lake It to the duck and that ends it
do our ability to sell has withered as
any other ability withers when not
used Now | want to see an oigentta
tlun, but how can we go about It?
Mr Munson, of Urnnd Hspids, told
| of the fruit eellern' association of that
vicinity. They hats a membership of
asters! hundred members wbo pay |l
per year membership sad |i sstra
tor awry I.omu bushels of fruit
sold. They send out circulate tu all
the great fruit-buying centers and so
licit buyers, stating what fruit they
have on hand The plan has proved
very aueconsful. ns buyers now com*
sad port base the fruit either In the
; marks! os In the orchards They do
1 il>tt ship to commission men In stker
| cities, an do the fruit men in dt Joseph,
Iwastay ttMtarS.
The mustard family imludes mu
* only that what wo know as mustard.
but cabbage, turnip, radish. I
i leh, nmet trees, and even (ho .. .
Hnm For field cultivation the white
end black or brown rarletlea of mua
tard are used. The seed of the white
mustard Is nearly white, and of the
black mustard the seed Is brown or
nearly black. The mustard of com
merce consists of seeds of both of these
varieties ground together. The black
mustard seed is the strongest. Mus
tard is grown both as food for cattle
and sheep, and for turning under in
the green state. Some object to It for
the reason that once on a land it is
hard to eradicate, but the best way of
getting rid of It Is to allow It to come
to the blossoming stage and then turn
it under.
’• For growing mustard a soft, loamy
soil Is preferred. The seed may be
sown broadcast at the rate of one peck
to the acre, or In drills at the rate of
six quarts to the acre. The latter is
preferred when the seed Is to be used
for commerce, aa the weeds can thus
be kept out, and the mustard seed will
be pure when threshed. Such drills
are usually put in about two feet
apart, this giving room for cultiva
tion. The harvesting begins when the
pods turn brown or yellow. The crop
i- * a poo nor nr anvt h a If Ihf*
pods are yet In that state where they
need to be dried, the mustard Is piled
up In the open field for a day or two.
But often the pods are so dry that they
readily break open and Bplll the ripe
seed. In that case they are hauled at
once to the barn, a cloth being put In'
the bottom of the wagon to prevent
any of the seed from being lost, which
Is very likely to bo the case. The
greatest danger In curing Is the wet
weather, which often injures the crop
to the extent of rendering It unfit for
market.
« ...
Wliat Bee-keeping Requires.
The essential thing in caring for bees
Is the right kind of hive. Not that the
bees will gather any more honey In
one hive than another. This is a fake
of the patent hive vender, but some
hives are more convenient than others,
and enable the bee keeper to so manip
ulate them that he can get his honey
In marketable shape. Some of the es
sentials of a good hive are ease of ac
cess, every part movable and Inter
changeable, freenese from all super
fluous traps, drawers, etc., and a sur
plus arrangement holding boxes which
may be taken out one at a time. There
Is no patent on anything of value In
the construction of a beehive and any
one can make a modern hive If he
wishes to do so. Competition, however,
has so beaten down prices In these
goods that in most cases they can be
bought In the flat, cut ready to nail,
for about what the lumber would cost
In small quantities.
After the hives, come a few simple
and Inexpensive tools, which facilitate
the work of handling bees. Chief
among these Is what la known as a
smoker. The fact was recognized long
ago that when beeB are disturbed or
alarmed they at once fill themselves
with honey. When filled with honey
they seldom sting, unless hurt In some
way. They dislike smoke of any kind
very much, so that when a stream of
tt is thrown into the hive they at once
fill their honey sacs. After this they
may be driven from one place to an
other simply by blowing a current ol
smoke upon them. The smoker Is an
Implement for generating smoke, so
constructed that the current may be di
rected to any point the operator wishes.
A very fair smoker may be had for 50
cents. The timid, and those who have
a number of colonies to manipulate,
and want to work rapidly, will find it
convenient to have a bee veil to pro
tect the face, as a sting about the
head or near the eyes is apt to cause
some inconvenience, to say the least.
There are other tools, such as an
extractor, a drone trap, a swarming
box, a bee escape, etc., which will be
found necessary by those who carry
on certain phases of bee-keeping, or
conduct it on a large scale, but the
farmers can manipulate a few colonies
... J ^ . a * L n tp t l.v.ntt in
U lUiUlll UUJ VI lUVtu. - —
Nebraska liee-Keeper.
Teeth of the Horse.
The teeth of the horse form the sub
ject of a bulletin issued by the Agri
cultural Experiment Station of Vir
ginia. It concludes with the following
practical suggestions:
“When young colts are troubled with
indigestion, or refuse to suckle, look
into the condition of their teeth and
gums. If the gums are inflamed, swol
len, and painful to the touch, have
them properly lanced. If at the age of
from two to five years the colt refuses
to eat. wads his hay and lets it drop,
or eats with difficulty, have his teeth
examined and properly treated by a
competent veteriuariuu. If the eyes
become weak and inflamed during den
tition, the teeth may need the atten
tion of the veterluury surgeon. If the
Jaws become enlarged, in nine cases
out of ten the teeth need attention.
It the horse turns his bead to the aide
while eating, and attempts to chew bis
food on one side, ids teeth need atten
tion. Wadding (be hay and dropping
it la symptomatic of a long tooth,
which needs the attention of the vete
rinary dentist If the hurae gradually
hues flesh without any apparent cause,
although well cared for, the teeth are
probably ai fault. If the horse slobbers
while driving and pulls viciously on
the hit. look to the teeth; many 'pull
en'* are made so for the want »f proper
denial attention t arrying the head to
one side while being driven Is frequent
ly symptomatic of a faulty condition
•f the teeth which is relieved by a few
minutes' work of the veterinary sur
geon '
\ few simple rules wfcteh will assist
In giving a a# a good carriage la walk
tag are Always lift the heel grat. It*
; |,it throw hash the »Saunters ta your
•hurts not ta stoop, aad aevor walk an
the beets, hut wee the hall of the hot
! intend no not so lag the arms war
I (he shout t« ta aad let the kaa Is hang
! oj the sides with the points turned
backward so that the keek* of yaqr
hs»uo will I* to < »* i.ini ta nnyaae
n ,. tr * ? oh t hts 1 * mac .* more grace
HWMM t gi act tea at le t
* g ssatnei ana'a atd*a
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON V. AUGUST 2—THE
KINDNESS OP KING DAVID—
Uoldan Text! “Be Kindly Affeetloaed
One to Another With Brotherly Lot*’*
—Romani 111:10— Tha Howards of
Brotherhood.
HIS lesson, which center*
on David’s kindness to
Jonathan’s son, yet
reaches back more than
twenty years, to the
time when Jonathan and
David made their coven
ant of friendship (II. C.
10*2), and forward almost
twenty years, to the time
when Mephlbosheth'*
friend gave aid to David
In his time of trouble and
seeming ruin (B. C. 1022).
The whole range of his
tory, so far as It relates
"t*" fills Subject, should be studied. The prac
tical lesson Is on the surface, and can be
Illustrated In many ways by modern ex
amples. This section Includes chapter 7 and
chapter 16: 1-4. Also 17: 27-2», which give*
Incidents concerning the relation of David
to Mephlbosheth. Historical Hotting.—Time.
Unknown, but probably after David's earlier
wars, and In the quieter times before the
second half of his reign. Perhaps II. C. 1010.
Place.—Jerusalem and Do-debar. near Ma
hanalm. In Gilead, east of the Jordan.
David, about 4« year* old. Mephlbosheth,
about 20 years old.
3. “I* there not yet any of the house of
Haul, that I may show the kindness of God
unto him?” David could not have done this
In the early part of his reign, because his
kingdom was not then so firmly established
that It would be safe. Hut as s>sin as there
was no danger of bringing division and dis
cord, David’s heart led him to make this
Inquiry. "The kindness of Ood” Is kindness
like God’s, large and free, and forgiving,
or very great kindness; or kindness for
God’s sake, according to God's example. t
to enemies, according to the precept of
Proverbs 25: 21, 22, and Homans 12: 19-21.
Haul bad several times tried to kill David:
he had driven him Into exile, and haunted
him from place to place. There was a long
black chapter of wrongs In the past. The
Unfortunate Prince.—Vs. 3-8. “And Zlba
said." Zlba was an old trusted servant of
Haul, who had cared for Mephlbosheth in his
need. “He was now a prosperous man with
fifteen sons and twenty servants, and sup
posed that he could Inform the king."—Kitto.
“Jonathan hath yet a son," unknown to
David, because his friends would fear that ho
might be regarded as a rival. “Which la
lame on his feet." When the news came of
the death of Jonathan and Saul on Mt. Oil
boa the nurse look Jonathan's little boy,
then five years old, and fled from Jezreel.
In her haste she let him fall, and he became
lame In both feet. That was flf.een years
before this search of David, so that Mephl
bosheth was about twenty years old when he
came to David’s court. Thus both by his
physical condition, and by Ills circumstances
as the last of a conquered dynasty, and by
his poverty, this young man would And It
difficult to look forward to a very successful
life.
4. “Dehold, he Is In the house of Machlr."
He was a rich man, judging from 2 Samuel
17: 27, who, after the death of Saul and
Jonathan, had received the lame son of the
latter Into his house.—Kell. “In Lo-debar,"
a town not far from Mahanaim. cast of the
Jordan on the Jabbok, where Jsh-bosheth. his
uncle, held his court, for seven years, while
David was In Hebron. Mephlbosheth. was
thus dependent on friends for his support.
6. “David sent, and fetched him.” not
merely by a summons, but as Joseph sent
wagons from Kgypt to Palestine for his
father.
7. “And David said unto him, Fear not."
It is quite probable that Mephlbosheth was
afraid of becoming known to David. One day
a messenger arlvers at Lo-debar. It Is a
messenger from the king. Mephlbosheth is
alarmed when he finds the king has sent for
him. The messenger was probably charged
not to disclose the king’s object, for when
the lame youth appeared before the king,
and prostrated himself In humble reverence,
some trepidation seems to have been visible
in his manner, as we may gather from the
kind and assuring words of David addressed
to one In whose countenance he probably
found some traces of the friend he had loved
so well.—Kitto.
9. “I have given unto thy master’s son
all that pertained to Saul.” Saul’s family
estate, which had fallen to David in right
of his wife (Num. 27: 8), or been forfeited
to the crown by Ish-bosheth’s rebellion
(chap. 12: 8), was provided (v. 11, also chap.
I 19: 28) for enabling him to maintain an es
tablishment suitable to his rank, and Zlba
appointed steward to manage It. on the con
dition of receiving one-half of the produce
in remuneration of his labor and expense,
while the other moiety was to be paid as rent
to the owner of the land (chap. 19: 29.)—
J. F. D. The estate must have been consid
erable. much larger than the patrimonial In
heritance of Saul, perhaps Increased by con
fiscation during his possession of royal au
thority.—Milman.
10. “Shalt till the land.” as he had prob
ably done either for David, or for those who
had possession. Possibly Zlba was using it
for himself. Henceforth he was to till the
land for Mephlbosheth, “and bring In the
fruits, that they master s son may have food
to eat." Though Mephlbosheth himself was
to be a guest at the royal table, ho would
lh*» of this estate for the
Mephlboiheth * • • shall eat bread al
wuy at my table." Thla waa to do honor, the
greatest honor, to hla frlend'a son. It wcs^
also politic to keep him under hla eye and a
to bring him Into loving relationship. Tor.
however Innocent he might be. or however
Incapacitated from becoming king, he might
easily become a nucleus around which the
enemies of David might gather. There are
two Incidents In after years which bear upon
the present story. They orrured during Ab
salom's rebellion. II. C. |«K or I'CSa Seven
teen or eighteen years aftar the events of
today's lesson. During this rebellion. Zlba
betrayed hie matter and falsely accused him
of treachery lo David. The klug believing
him as was guile natural under the circuit!
ataaces. took away Mephiboaheth's property
and gave It to Zlba. Utter on. when Mepbl
boshetb seemed to tell him tbe truth, ca
ptaining hie position aud action David re
stored half of lb Tbe st rv la very touch
lag. tgee t dam. If. I t. I* tt-MJ
Too Musts t-ospni
There are men who h*v# heard the
gospel gu lung that It b*a became gov
and nature They have beard It go
frequently that Ibe divine grtre make*
no tmpreeaien on ibem, when the
hearts of others beat faster by reason
of Ibe tuuch of divine lav*, ttav. l>r.
frail,
Mtests of flats. \
The only bind af a miser that tbe
Mini* approve* of la a miser of time.
Kvery man should remember that each
hour on I a ins Ml minute# studded with
dlaUiuuda of know ledge Net M C.
fue king.
kveaig
The non miserable man on earth
may be katpy la Ibe thought af a bum*
In the future (Kid has premised ue
Ikal. and II Is that fur which wo hope
wad work Archbishop Ireland,
