The history of Jonathan and David in their relation to each other has a very peculiar interest. Even to the natural mind it is a wonderful and touching story; but, as is the case with all the Scriptures, its far deeper, its real and true interest and value, lie in its spiritual meaning. All that was written aforetime was written for our learning in spiritual things in this gospel dispensation. (Romans xv. 4.) This history has a striking gospel significance, which I wish to speak of briefly.

It is undoubtedly true that David was an eminent type of Christ, and that in most if not all of the incidents of his life recorded in the Scriptures there is set forth in a figure some truth concerning Jesus in his work of salvation. Jonathan appears to represent the Lord's spiritual people as they appeared under the law, while Saul-as the anointed king represents Israel after the flesh, with the authority of the worldly sanctuary and carnal ordinances, and all that pertained to the first covenant. Saul and Jonathan were related in the flesh, and were both under that legal covenant, as the carnal Israelites and those who had divine life were all together under that law, and under its carnal service, and could not be distinguished from each other by anything peculiar to either in that legal work. But when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Saul hated him from that time, while from that same time "Jonathan's soul was knit to the soul of David, and he loved him as his own soul." So when Jesus appeared, even in the prophecies of the 01d Testament, as the conqueror of death, the enmity of the carnal mind was ever excited against him, and those who testified of him were persecuted.

I will dwell somewhat upon this battle of David. He was in the house of Saul after he had been anointed king, of which fact Saul was ignorant. Although anointed to be king, the kingdom was not to be given to David until Saul's death, then it was to be established to him and his seed forever. It was probably to signify the permanence of the kingdom to him and his seed that he was anointed out of a horn, while Saul was anointed out of a vial for the opposite reason. David always acknowledged Saul as king while he lived. Jesus was in the legal house, and subject to both parental and legal authority, but was not known as the anointed King by the legal rulers and princes of this world. He was not under their displeasure as a man, but only when by act or word he declared his sovereign power, and the work of salvation which he came to do.

When David was sent by his father to see his brethren, who were in the army of Saul fighting the Philistines, a champion of great size had come out of the camp of the Philistines forty days in succession, and each day had challenged Israel to choose a man to fight him. Upon his appearance all Israel were dismayed at the sight of him, and fled from him. Nevertheless Israel each morning, seeming to forget their fear of the previous day, went forth to the fight again, in the same armor, and again shouted for the battle, as though confident of the victory. But again they were afraid at the sight of Goliath, and fled from him.

The Philistines were gathered at Shochoh, (a thicket) which belonged to Judah, and pitched between that and Azekah (a cultivated ground). To my mind they, who were the great and constant enemies of Israel, represent our sins, and all the vileness of our fleshly nature, and it is in the wilderness of the flesh, between the flesh and the cultivated soil where grace reigns, the battle is waged. The great and fearful champion that comes forth from that camp of our enemies is death. Of him the Lord's quickened people must be afraid, for in the armor of the law they cannot overcome him, but must fall before him. Sin reigns unto death.

It was on the fortieth day of the champion's appearance that David appeared and accepted the challenge. So on the fortieth day Jesus overcame the devil in the wilderness. David could not go to fight Goliath without the authority of Saul, so Jesus must be recognized by the law as having the right to go into the conflict with death. He was authorized by the law, and put forward by the legal authorities as the one man who "ought to die for the people, that the whole nation perish not," though the high priest who uttered that prophecy by the Spirit did not himself know the power of the words he uttered. (John xi. 50-52.)

Saul armed David with his own armor, but David put it off. The law armed Jesus with the flesh. By being made flesh he came under the law. He could not meet and overcome death until he had taken upon himself and put off again that flesh in which sin had been committed, and thus had condemned sin in the flesh. It was only by first being overcome himself that he could overcome the great enemy. He must first die in order to abolish death. The law must first be satisfied by his death, which makes an end of sin, and then death has lost its power. "He that is dead is freed from sin." Then the Son of God, who took upon himself the likeness of sinful flesh, in order to die the death due for the transgressions of his people, can no longer be holden of death, but comes forth victorious over him. "Death hath no more dominion over him."

All this must be shown in a figure by the action of David, while David must remain alive. So having put off Saul's armor, he chose five smooth stones from the valley. These stones represent an accursed death inflicted upon an Israelite. When a man became accursed he must be stoned to death. David threw one of these stones and brought down the giant. Jesus by his own death under the curse of the law, represented in this figure by the smooth (perfect) stones with which David armed himself, brought death down at his feet, and "destroyed him that had the power of death." He must first die, and then meet death with his own death, and thus overcome him so thoroughly that he can never make any one for whom Jesus died his captive any more. Jesus fought the battle so effectually in the valley of Elah, the bitter valley of death, that when he came forth out of that valley he even "carried captivity captive."

To make the figure more complete David took the champion's own sword to cut off his head. It was the sword of justice which death held over all who were under the curse of the law. But when Jesus through his own death "finished transgression, made an end of sin," and so laid death low, deprived of all his power, then that sword of justice was taken from death and turned against himself to bring his existence to an end. It was not simply absolute power, as abstractly considered, by which Jesus overcame death, but the power that justice and judgment give, for they are the habitation of God's throne, or the foundation of his power as against death. His people are not simply snatched from death, as a stronger man may take away a lawful captive from a weaker, but they are legally delivered. They are justified. No charge can ever be brought against them, for God has justified them. "It was Christ that died, yea, rather, is risen again, and is now at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for them." His intercession is felt to be effectual, for with the sword of justice justly taken from his conquered enemy he has destroyed him forever.

"The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, and there was a valley between them." "And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead they fled. And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron." And when the Lord's people see the victory of Jesus over death they arise, and shout, and pursue their enemies, and rejoice in the victory that is given unto them through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When David went forth to fight the Philistine Saul inquired who he was. No one seemed to know. Upon his return Saul sent for him and asked him, "Whose son art thou, thou young man?" David with modesty and meekness answered, "I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite." When he had thus spoken to Saul, "the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David; and he loved him as his own soul." "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle."

What can this act of Jonathan signify unless it be the fact that all of the Lord's people in all dispensations do ever ascribe their robe of righteousness, and all their garments of salvation, and all their weapons of war and their strength, to Jesus? They recognize and testify that all they have belongs to him, and is his gift to them. This is as clearly declared by the holy men in the legal dispensation as by those now in the gospel day.

To the sight of men, Jonathan and Saul were alike as warriors. They fought with carnal weapons, and must both fall upon that same battlefield, overcome by the Philistines. That is the end of all who are under that dispensation. It is the end of all flesh. It is only by faith that a future is seen for Jonathan which is not seen for Saul, in which he and his seed shall be remembered in covenant love and salvation by David. Upon this earthly battlefield he and his fathers fight side by side with equal courage and zeal. David classes them as equals, and speaks of them with equal praise. "From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions." "How are the mighty fallen." That legal covenant could not furnish any weapon to those under it whereby they could overcome their enemies. "How are the weapons of war perished !"

For Jonathan, David had some words of love and tenderness which he had not for Saul. "I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan. Very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women." The love of the Lord's people to Jesus is wonderfully described in those few words. In all ages, in all dispensations, in all lands and among all people, it is the same. It is indeed wonderful, a "love that passeth knowledge."

"Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father,, and defended him at the risk of his own life, and saved him out of his father's hand, who sought to kill even Jonathan his son because of his defense of David. In this Jonathan may well represent the prophets and holy of old, who testified of Jesus, and declared his coming and king and who were hated by the carnal Israelites and their rulers, and were persecuted and killed, because they spake good concerning the spiritual David who was to be the Ruler over Israel.

And Jonathan said to David, "And thou shalt not only while yet live shew me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not: but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house forever: no, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David's enemies. Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him; for he loved him as his own soul."

This promise was not literally fulfilled to Jonathan, for he died Saul in battle with the Philistines on Mount Gilboa. Nor were the promises which were given to the prophets to declare among the literally fulfilled to them. They, with all the Lord's spiritual under the old dispensation, "having obtained a good report faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thin for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."--Heb, xi. 40. The "everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure," was made with them, and which was all their salvation and all desire, (2 Sam. xxiii. 50 was not made to grow or be fulfilled in flesh, nor in the sight of men. Its fulfillment was experienced then the manifestation of Christ to them through the Spirit, who has appeared in the flesh, and has openly fulfilled all that they spoke him, revealing himself to his people among all nations by faith, showing unto us that his people both under the old and the new dispensations are made perfect only in him.

As we see the heart of Jonathan turned toward his children far the future, with a longing desire that David would show the of the Lord to them, so we see the hearts of the fathers (the turned unto their children in the gospel dispensation, and rejoicing when it was made known unto them that the things they declared to be fulfilled unto us. (Luke i. 17; 1 Peter i. 12.)

AUGUST 18, 1899.