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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
June 1924
yond thee? Make haste! Stay n o t!” How David’s h ea rt must have grieved for he knew the warning cry was m eant for him. If you had been th e little lad to go w ith Jonathan , he would have given you the bow and arrows and told you to run back to th e 'city, bu t if you had lingered a b it and peeped over your shoulder, you would have seen David spring from his hiding place and fall a t Jo n a th an ’s feet. This wonderful, loyal friend had given him the warning which would save his life. In th eir g reat love and sorrow they clasped each other and kissed and wept together. Then, again renew ing th e ir love covenant which was to con tinue forever, they p arted ; Jon ath an retu rn ing to th e court and David going to seek a place of safety from the evil King. Jo n ath an ’s soul was k n it w ith th e soul of David, and he was w illing to give up even his kingdom and le t David be exalted. Doesn’t th a t rem ind us of the g reat and wonder ful love of th e Lord Jesus, who gave up his place and came and died for our sins th a t we m ight sit together in heavenly places (Eph. 2 :6 )? And if God so loved us, we ought also to love one ano ther (1 John 4 :1 1 ). P ra y er: Dear Lord Jesus, we w ant Thee to come into our h earts and fill our h earts w ith Thy g reat love so th a t we may love one another as Jonath an loved David. Amen. The most of post-mortem kindness is mere sentim ental ity, a camouflage for neglected love. “Say it w ith flowers” is a post-mortem kindness wasted. I have always said I would ra th e r have a plain box for a coffin, w ithout flowers, a funeral w ithout eulogy, a grave in the po tte r’s field, th a n a life w ithout th e sweetness of love, em anating from a loving, devoted heart. “Say it w ith flowers” is a motto much abused. The woman who anointed th e head of Jesus did not keep the alabaster box of her love and tenderness sealed up un til our Lord Jesus was dead, bu t she broke the box and poured it on His head as a token of her love. Do not keep th e alab aster box of your love and kindness sealed up un til your loved ones or friends are dead, but fill th eir lives w ith the sweetness and fragrance of love and tenderness. If they have done anything worth while speak approvingly, say some cheering word th a t will help them fu rth e r up th e hill. Words fitly spoken while ones ears can hear them , and while their h earts can be th rilled and life made happier is something worth while. The kind things said afte r they are dead should have been said before they had gone. If the flowers which are placed on the coffin had been sent to tb e home, how it would have cheered and sweetened life! B ring now your alab aster box you have laid away, so full of fra g ra n t perfumes of sympathy and affection and eulogy which you intend to break over the body of your loved ones or friends, and break the box and pour its loving contents upon th e aching h ea rt and burdened soul. W hat we need is b ro therly kindness in our weary and troubled hours. We need to be refreshed and cheered In th e awful battle of life. Let us learn the g reat lesson of breaking th e alabaster box of our love and kindness on the living. Post-mortem love and sympathy do not cheer the burdened h e a rt; flowers on th e coffin cast no fragrance over th e w eary life and h eart aching for love and sympathy. — The Vanguard. Ife Ife POST-MORTEM KINDNESS
The Story of The Young P rince Who Loved The Poor Shepherd Boy If you had been one of th e little lads who lived near Jerusalem a t the tim e when Saul was K ing of Israel, you m ight have been chosen to go ou t w ith th e soldiers when they practiced archery and it would have been your delight ful task to run and find the arrows. Many, many times you would have seen the young Prince Jon ath an and his dearest friend, the poor shepherd boy, David. You m ight have ru n for th eir arrows, too, or you m ight have listened a t the cu rtain while David played sweet melodies on his harp for Jon ath an and King Saul. Perhaps, too, you would sometimes have watched them riding away to b attle to fight the enemies of Israel. They loved each other deeply. Our golden text tells us, th a t— “The soul of Jon ath an was kn it w ith th e soul of David and Jon ath an loved him as his own soul.” Sometimes you m ight have heard bits of conversation, perhaps about Goliath, the giant—w hat could they have told about him? Or you m ight have heard them talking sadly of King Saul’s displeasure because th e people seemed to love th e hero, David, more than th e king. And if you had happened one day to be out in the field near th e king’s court you would have Seen these two friends walking, per haps arm in arm , and talk ing earnestly and by one look into th eir faces you would have known th a t a g reat trouble had come to them— a trouble which m ight even p a rt them. Great anxiety would be in David’s face as he questioned Jonathan, “W hat have I done? W hat is my sin before thy fath er th a t he seeketh my life” ? Jon ath an could not be lieve th a t his fath er really m eant harm to David, although he recalled th a t since th e victorious re tu rn afte r Goliath had been slain when th e people greeted David w ith joy, singing, ‘Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands,’ many times King Saul’s anger a t David had bu rst forth, even when David was being most kind to the king. Jon ath an and David long ago had made a covenant to gether; a promise to love each other forever and w arn each other of danger. As they walked togeth er in the field the day before the yearly sacrifice and feast of the new moon, David said to Jon athan , “Tomorrow I should not fail to sit a t the king’s table for the feast, bu t let me go to my city, Bethlehem, and if th e king shall miss me and say, ‘It is well’ then I shall be a t peace, bu t if he becomes very angry, then be sure he means evil tow ard me.” Jon ath an con sented to th is plan and pointed to a stone in the field where David should hide upon his re tu rn from Bethlehem . From th is hiding place, Jon ath an said, if David saw him come into the field and shoot arrows which fell in fron t of him, David would know all was well, bu t if th e arrow s fell be yond him, David was to flee for his life. On the morning appointed, perhaps very early, ju st as the sun was peeping over th e hill, Jon ath an took his bow and arrows, and calling to a lad (it m ight have been you) started for the field. Sadly he went, w ith heavy h eart, for King Saul had indeed been greatly angered a t David’s ab sence. And when Jon ath an loyally stood up for David, his fath e r turned upon him angrily exclaiming, “Thou hast .chosen to love th is .poor shepherd boy, bu t while he liveth thy kingdom will not be established. Now fetch him to me, for he shall surely d ie !” From his hiding place David saw Jon ath an approaching. Suddenly Jon ath an raised his bow and sent an arrow flying sw iftly far beyond him. Then Jon ath an called loudly, as if to the lad running for th e arrow , “ Is no t th e arrow be
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