LESSON IV. SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. KINDNESS TO JONATHAN'S SON. 2 Sam. 9: 1-13. 2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him: Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. 3 And the king said, Is there not any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba, said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. 4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar. 5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo debar. 6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! 7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; July 27th, 1884. and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. 8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? 9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul, and to all his house. 10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet. GOLDEN TEXT: Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not. Prov. 7: 10. CENTRAL TRUTH: True friendship is honorable and lasting. NOTES. TIME. About 7 years after David began to reign in Jerusalem. V. 1. For Jonathan's sake-David had sworn to Jonathan that he would show kindness to his offspring. (See 1 Sam 20: 41, 42). 2. Ziba a faithful slave of Saul. 3. Kindness of God-(1) everlasting kindness; (2) for God's sake; (3) very great kindness. Lame -his nurse had let him fall when he was 5 years old, and this caused his lameness. He was now about 21 years old. 4. Machir-a wealthy chief of the tribe of Manasseh, living east of the Jordan 5. Lo-debar-east of the Jordan. 6. Me-phib'o-sheth-grandson of Saul, and son of Jonathan. 7. Fear not; he was afraid that David would have him put to death. The land of Saul-all of his estates. At my table—as though a royal son of David himself. 8. Dead dog-poor, lame and despised. This was extreme humility. 9-10. Ziba was to be overseer of the property, and give one-half of the income to Mephibosheth. 12. Micha, or Micah, a child of Mephibosheth. He also was spared, for Jonathan's sake. Contrary to the custom of eastern kings, David did not exterminate the family of his rival to the throne. This proved his true and lasting friendship for Jonathan. A type of Christ, the sinner's Friend. QUESTIONS. 1-5. Why did David wish to find some living member of Saul's family? Why did he wish to show kindness for Jonathan's sake? Who was Jonathan? Where had he died? What former slave of Saul was living? What did David ask him? What is meant by the "kindness of God?" What was Ziba's answer? What was Jonathan's son's name? Where was he? Who was Machir? Ammiel? Where was Lo-debar? 5-8. Where did David have Mephibosheth brought? What did the latter expect? Why? How did he meet the king? How did the king reassure him? What did he promise to do to him? What property would he give him? How would he honor him? How did he receive this kindness? Why did he call himself a dead dog? 9-13. What did David impose on Ziba? How many sons and servants had Ziba? What did he answer? How was Mephibosheth treated? What bodily ailment had he? What had caused it? What was his age? What was his son's name? In what city did they dwell? Who were given him as his servants? What is the subject? The Golden Text? The Central Truth? How is true friendship shown? (By deeds of kindness). CATECHISM. Ques. 128 How dost thou conclude thy prayer? Ans. "FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, the power, and the glorY FOREVER;" that is, all these we ask of Thee because Thou art our King, and Almighty, art willing and able to give us all good; and all this we pray for, that thereby not we, but Thy holy name, may be glorified for ever. 7th Sunday after Trinity. V. 1. Is there any that is left, etc.-As soon as all his wars were over, and his power established, and he had leisure to look into the domestic affairs of his kingdom, David's loving grateful nature led him to inquire after the family of his friend Jonathan. Saul's sons had been slain in battle at Gilboa, and but few of his descendants remained. David knew not what had become of them. Kindness for Jonathan's sake.-In verse 3 he says: that I may show the kindness of God unto him-here we have a glimpse into the heart of David. He was a true friend of Jonathan; and his thoughts went back to the brotherly covenant made between himself and Jonathan, and he yearned to requite the kindness of the friend of his youth. Vs. 9-10. Ziba was appointed steward to Mephibosheth. Saul's former servant was now to be servant of his grandson, Mephibosheth, and should cultivate the land and give one-half the income to the crippled prince, that he might live in a style becoming his station, and not feel that he was dependent upon others. The lands of Saul would have fallen to David, (1), as the son-in-law of Saul, (2), as being forfeited to the crown by Ish bosheth's rebellion; but David restored them to Mephibosheth. Though the latter ate at David's table, yet his family needed the income of the lands for their support. V. 12. Micha, the grandson of Jonathan, thus became a wealthy prince, and his posterity became numerous. (Read 1 Chron. 8: 34-38. V. 13. Lame on both his feet-this is V. 2. He inquired of Ziba, an aged mentioned several times in the narraservant of Saul, whether any children tive. His lameness resulted from a fall, of Saul and Jonathan were still living. when his nurse ran with him on her If there were he wanted to show them arms, to save him from the Philistines. kindness for Jonathan's sake. Here we David's friendship was (1), lasting, see the kindness and generosity of David. (2), survived the test of ill-treatment, V.3. Ziba said, Jonathan hath yet a (3), generous and unselfish, and (4), is son. He then told him of Mephibo- a type of God's kindness towards us, sheth, who was lame on both of his feet." for Christ's sake." Christ's spiritual Vs. 4-5. David at once sent for him. offspring are welcomed at the table of Doubtless the young man expected to the King of Heaven, and "the kindbe put to death, to prevent his ever ness of God" is shown to us. claiming the throne of Israel, as the successor of Saul. V. 6. Mephibosheth came unto David. THE BALLAD OF FAIR ROSAMOND. The story of the love of King Henry he prostrated himself to the ground. II. for the beautiful Rosamond has What a contrast between David, with been a prolific theme for poets and hishis royal power and glory, and Mephi- torians. Higden, the old chronicler of bosheth, so poor and crippled! Chester, states that Rosamond was the V. 7. David said, Fear not.-He daughter of Walter, Lord Clifford, and quickly reassured the trembling prince. that she died at Woodstock A. D. 1177, Fear not-how welcome were these poisoned, as some thought, by Queen Elwords from the lips of the generous eanor. The King had constructed for king! (1), Only kindness shall be her a wonderful secret residence, so that shown thee. (2), More than that; thou none might come to her save those who shalt receive all the lands of the former had been specially instructed by him. king, and thou shalt be a wealthy This house was afterwards called "Labprince. (3), A still greater honor is in yrinthus, Dedalus Worke," being constore for thee: thou shalt eat at my table, structed with its grounds into a maze. and shalt be as one of my own sons! Queen Eleanor is alleged to have found V. 8. Mephibosheth bowed himself.-out her rival by a silken thread, which He was unprepared for such kindness the King had drawn after him out of and honor. He regarded himself as no her chamber with his foot, and that she more than a dead dog. He that hum-" delt with hir in such sharpe and cruell bleth himself shall be exalted. wise, that she lived not long after." The Guardian. VOL. XXXV. THE SACRED TIES. AUGUST, 1884. The little wounds we sometimes feel, With no malign intention Some thoughtless words thrown off in jest The hurts from throws of open foes, Your friend, oh, spare, and never care Which to your heart had bound him ;— In word and deed true-hearted, Like Hamlet's friend, thus to the end From him ne'er to be parted. -Dr. W. M. Nevin. ENGLISH HUMORISTS. BY THE EDITOR. Wit and humor are frequently confounded, because they frequently occur in the same individual; but they are in fact essentially different. Wit is keen and cutting while humor is genial and kind. The one flashes like a burnished blade; the other diffuses genial warmth like a glowing hearthstone in the nights of winter. The professional wit may be tolerated in society for the amusement which he creates; the genial humorist, on the other hand, is the most agreeable of companions, and it is only when he lapses into wit that he becomes an object of apprehension. SYDNEY SMITH was both a wit and a humorist. It has also been asserted of NO. 8. him that if he had not been known as the wittiest man of his day he would have been considered one of the wisest; but it was hard to believe that the man who was always joking could ever be serious. He was in fact a brilliant scholar and a philosopher of no mean repute. It was to be regretted, we think, that, in deference to the wishes of his family, he entered the ministry, for which he felt no predilection; but his character always remained unsullied, though his unceasing flow of animal spirits sometimes led him to the verge of irreverence; as, for instance, when he described a negro as "the image of God cut in ebony." A man who had been a verger in St. Paul's, London, when Smith was one of the canons, was long afterwards sexton of Christ Reformed Church, Philadelphia, when we were pastor of that church. He told us many anecdotes concerning the great humorist, and especially extolled him for his unbounded charity. Smith was born at Woodford, in Essex, in 1770. Though of an influential family, he himself made no account of it; he used to say that his ancestors "had no coat-of-arms, but were in the habit of sealing their letters with their thumbs." The name Smith, he said, was so universally employed that it had become common property, and sometimes he pretended to have forgotten it. "Ah!" he would exclaim with the most ludicrous air of perplexity, "What is my name? Can anybody tell?" One of the characteristics of Sydney Smith's wit was a kind of humorous exaggeration. On being told that a friend of his was going to be married to an extremely fat young lady, he exclaimed, "Impossible! you mean a part of her; he could not marry her all him self. Why you might take your morning's walk round her, always provided you were in rude health and that there were frequent resting places." The anecdotes related concerning Smith are almost innumerable. Generally his remarks were kindly though humorous, but occasionally keen and cutting. Speaking of a millionaire who was fond of taking part in philanthropic movements, without spending his money, he said, "He is ready enough to play the good Samaritan, but without the oil and the two pence." Observing Lord Brougham's carriage he remarked to a friend, alluding to the B surrounded by a coronet on the panel: "There goes a carriage with a B outside and a wasp within." In 1844, Mr. Smith wrote, on his birth day, in a letter to a friend : 66 I am to-day seventy-four years of age, and being Canon of St. Paul's, in London, and rector of a parish in Somersetshire, my time is equally divided between town and country. I am living in the best society of the metropolis, am at ease in my circumstances, and much given to talking, laughing, and noise. I dine with the rich in London, and physic the poor in the country. I am, on the whole, a happy man. I find the world an enter taining world, and am heartily thankful to Providence for the part allotted to me in it." could play expertly on the piano and sing pathetic as well as comic songs with remarkable expression. One evening he enchanted his father by singing two songs-one grave and the other gay-of which the words and music were both new. It turned out that both words and music were Theodore's own! At the age of sixteen his father took him into partnership, and he at once became a precocious young man, admired by musicians and players, the friends and boon companions of his father. Several of his songs were popular, and he became the pet of the green-room. Every night he hung around the theatres, with the privilege of admission behind the scenes. It was the easiest way to moral ruin, and the young man followed it with surprising rapidity. Theodore had an elder brother who was not regarded as particularly talented. He was consequently allowed to go to school, where nobody took much notice of him, but he gradually worked his way upward, and finally entered the ministry. He became an eminent and useful man, and his descendants still occupy a prominent social position. The poet Coleridge says that Theodore Hook's talents were absolutely marvellous. He wrote many plays and stories which were popular but ephemeral. For many years he was the editor of the "John Bull" newspaper, and his income was at least ten thousand dollars per annum, but he spent it all and was generally heavily in debt. The Prince of Wales got him the position of Treasurer of the island of the Mauritius, on a salary of £2000 a year. At the end of five years his accounts were £12,000 in arrears. It is not supposed that he personally embezzled all this money, but he knew nothing about financial matters, and left everything to his subordinates, who proved unfaithful. On his return to London Hook was asked the cause of his resignation, and replied that there was "something the matter with his chest." A few months later he was attacked by fatal illness. It is said that even in the midst of pain, his humor never left him. When asked whether he had any appetite, he said he did not think he could eat anything, "except, perhaps, the wing of a roasted butterfly." He declared himself to be firm in the Christian faith, so that even death could not cast a gloom over his joyous spirit. THEODORE HOOK, who is recognized as one of the most brilliant of English humorists, was in almost every respect inferior to Sydney Smith. Hook was the son of a musical composer of some note in his day, and was born in London, in 1788. He is an example of a man who was gifted with a rich fountain One of Hook's extraordinary talents. of genius, but wasted the beautiful was his gift of singing improvised songs waters. From his earliest youth he was on the spur of the moment. He would regarced as a prodigy, and was petted sit down at the piano and quite unand spoiled. At the age of fourteen he hesitatingly compose a verse upon every person in the room, full of the most pointed wit, gathering up as he proceeded every incident of the evening, and working up the whole into a brilliant song. Once, while he was engaged in doing this, a servant opened the door and announced: "Mr. Winter, ceiver of Taxes." Mr. Hook immediately sang another verse: Hood's humorous pieces were generally of a higher order than those of his cotemporaries, and have therefore found a permanent place in his collected works. They are sometimes caustic but never coarse, and all his writings do not conRe-tain an impure line. All through his life he retained a certain boyishness of spirit and manner which led him occasionally to indulge in mild practical jokes. Thus, for instance, on the first of April he supplied an angling friend with some elaborate flies for bait, which, after being immersed in the water a On another occasion he amused a little while, came up displaying in large company all night. At last while he letters, "Oh! what an April fool you was improvising at the piano, a servant are." Passing along a country lane entered the room, and opened the shut- once, he saw a notice board, with the ters, and let in the daylight. Hook words written on it, Beware the immediately sang: "Here comes Mr. Winter, Receiver of Taxes, mery "But the sun, see, the heavens adorning, Diffusing life, pleasure, and light. With you 'tis the sign of the morning; But with me 'tis the final, Good Night!" Notwithstanding Hook's wonderful talents he was satisfied to play the jester and harlequin for the aristocracy. Like a dazzled moth he fluttered around the burning taper until he had burned his wings, and then was swept away. He died in poverty, and for many years his grave was unmarked by a stone. He died in August, 1841, and, says one of his biographers, "the play of his life was ended." To us there seems to have been little genuine mirth in his career. It is rather a tragedy than a comedy. With all his brilliant talents his life was worse than wasted. THOMAS HOOD, who was a younger cotemporary of Theodore Hook, was in every way a more admirable personage. He was born in 1799 and died in 1845. It was his misfortune to be regarded only as a humorist, though he was in fact one of the sweetest poets of his generation. His "Bridge of Sighs" and "The Song of the Shirt" will never be forgotten. Remembering that he was a life-long invalid, who could hardly be said to have passed a day without intense pain, his humorous pieces almost seem an effort on the part of nature to throw off the crushing weight of disease. Indeed, his humor is generally mixed with emotion. As he himself says: "There's not a string attuned to mirth, But has its chord in melancholy." 66 dog;" there being obviously no dog within miles of the place, Hood wrote with a piece of chalk in still larger letters, "Ware be the dog." Some of Hood's best pieces were composed on his deathbed, when nothing but the necessities of his family could have driven him to composition. It was a graceful act, when at this time, the government granted him, for his services to literature, a pension of £100, which after his death was continued to his widow. One of his sons, Thomas Hood, Jr., became a successful author, but so far as we know he was not a humorist. CHARLES LAMB," the gentle Elia," is the last of the series to whom we can now refer. He was born in 1775 and died in 1834. His essays are among the most charming compositions in English literature, and though he had many personal weaknesses, his life-long devotion to his afflicted sister has" rendered even his eccentricities almost admirable." "There are some reputations," says Southey, "which will not keep, but Lamb's is not of that kind. memory will retain its fragrance as long as the best spice that was ever expended upon one of the Pharaohs." His The humor of Charles Lamb not only appeared in all his writings, but was especially delightful in private life. His habit of stuttering added to the amusement created by his odd remarks. Sometimes these embodied a criticism so luminous or acute that they have survived not only for their drollery, |