GREATEST THING IN WORLD
A'Brllllaot Sunday Sermon By Kev.
Daniel MacLaurin.
Tb Dlsllofalihed Dlvlat Deliver a Sermon
Which It it Scholarly and Reada
ble ai Any of Recent Years.
New Yopk Cur. Dr. Donald D. Mac
Laurin, of Rochester, preached Sunday
'.ttnrninff in St. ilohn'a M. E. Church to a
large audience. Ilia sermon was the first
in a serie on "The Greatest Thing in the
World." Dr. MacLnurin laid:
I hare most earnestly aonpht to bring
you on successive Sundays the best mia
fetry I have yet been able to give you,
that your lives mny be broadened and
deepened and lifted up into higher realm
of spiritual achievement; and I could find
no theme of greater value, a I saw it, than
that which ia suggested by the chanter
which I read to you, the thirteenth chap,
te- of Paul's first epistle of the church at
Corinth. And so for eight weeks, we shall
have our texta from this chapter; and this
morning you will find our text in the first
verse of the hrt chapter of First Corin
thians: "It 1 apeak with the tongues oi
men and angels, but have not love, I am
become sounding brass or a clanging
cymbal."
'Xor must we not think that we shall be
come tired of this wonderful theme. Did
you ever know any one to become wenry of
a diamond? Among the gemi f the Lord
God is found this chapter, and though I
do not profess to be a skillful lapidary te
bring out its flashing facets, I think, with
tlie aid of the divine spirit, we ahnll find
in each service something fresh and helpful
and new. .
Tim chapter has been in all ages of the
church especially admired; would that it
had received in all the axes of Christian
history that more practical and valuable
appreciation which would have been ex
perienced by a practice of its principle
and an acceptance of ( its precepts. Tcr
tullian e'd: "It is uttered with all the
force of the spirit," and the greAt.'jhinker
is right. Ai I have pondered it for several
years with ever growing interest, I have
come to feel that, indeed, mortal faculty
could never have written it. It never
could have sprung from the brain or heart
of even so great a man as Paul, unless hea
ven had given him the inspiration. It is,
dear friends, an utterance of heaven,
through Paul, a servant of God, to the
ions of men.
It is a glorious hymn or pean in honor
of Christian love, sung, as we have inti
mated, by the Apostle Paul when soaring
up on the wings of inspiration into the
very heights of Christian eloquence. Like
the Forty-fifth Psalm, it may be fittingly
called the "Psalm of Love: and not in
frequently your speaker will so designate
it in these Sunday morning services. It
has the form of poetry; it has the inspira
tion of poetry; it has the coloring of the
finest poetry. And if you could read it in
the Greek you would catch the fullness of
its imagery, as it is impossible for you to
do in the best English version. It seemi
a profanation to attempt its exposition.
It seems like analyzing a rose or dissect
ing a nightingale to take these principlei
t.part one from another for the necessary
analysis in the progress of our work. But
it is so full of the very heart of the gospel
Inessttge that we would be cowardly wero
we not to attempt the exposition.
The position of the psalm in the book
in which it is found heightens its effect.
You find it in the midst of lengthy argu
ment. It reminds us very much of an
oasis of towering palm trees and spring
ing flowers and running brooks in the
midst of a desert of sand. On either aide
is argument, is tumult; and right in the
midst of all bursts forth his sublime long.
It is very much like the song of the sweet
voiced school children in the midst of
their hard work and the babel of their
games. Or. better, like the very sound of
the song of heaven's choir in the pit of
Wall Street on a panicky day. We can
easily imagine the deepening hush that
must have fallen on the Corinthian church
as they read this chapter, and we can
imagine, too, the consternation produced
in the minus of those Christians as they
discovered one after another their favorite'
gifts or favorite" possessions swept away
by the great teacher. For Paul here
shows that love is the one essential of
Christian life. Love did you say? Love!
that soft sentiment that hard-headed men
say belongs to women and children. Do
you mean to coy that this is the spirit of
his language? That is precisely what the
apostle formulated. Ho affirms most ex
plicitly the absolute wortlilessncas of life
without love. Love at the beginning of it;
love at the end of it; love filling the whole
snacc between. Love at the end is not
the same as love at the beginning. It is
richer, grander, nobler, diviner. But
without the first lovo the other could never
be. The blossom and the fruitage be
sneak the rootage, and the seed and the
flower and the tree. . And unless you have
the first love love for God in your heart,
the love that shall engage our attention on
suuday mornings .will be a stranger to your
experience. "If I speak with the tonb-ue
of men and angels, but have not love. I
am become sounding brass or a clanging
I'vmhal." It would seem as if all the
Jorinthian church were eloquent speakers,
or at least were eloquent hearers; and let
me say that eloquent hearers are ai essen
tial as eloquent speech. The Corinthiar.
Christians were distinguished for their gift'
m this direction; and so the apostle, know
ing it, knowing them right well, for h.
was their father in the gospel, he supposes
Hem capable of speaking in every tongue
that rose from the lips of men or angels.
That were thev to have all and were des
titute of love they were nothing but sound'
mi brass or clanging cymbals. How hard
this must have been on those people vrhe
:lierishd eloquenco aa more easy to im
agine than to-describe, for they placed
rreat store by their gift of tongues and
their eloquence of speech. And do yoif
know we are often placing the emph'sii
tt their wrong place. We are often gui'tj
f that characteristic folly. These Corin
thians were often putting the emphasis
where the emphais should not be. VV'hal
Paul affirms and what the Gospei aflirmi
over and over again is that it is not speech
that it ia not doing bit being, that God re
rds. Being is finer than doing; finei
than saying; finer than any expression
'hieh it ia possible for it to make of itself,
jlo it is not speech hut reality that God
iook for and the church wait for. and
the world is hungry for in you and in me.
Xow, let us consider, if you please, in
-he first place, wherein love is superior to
the most eloquent speech. "If I speak
'ith the tongues of men and angels, but
iave not love, I am become sounding brass
r a clanging cymbal." What is Chris
tian love? It is more easily described than
defined. That ia precisely what the
potle has done in this great psalm ot
love. He nowhere defines it. He simply
uesennes it, gmug some niteen cnaracter- i
jstics of it. Indeed, I do not know wherV
ove is defi-.ed in the entire Bible, nor dd
I know a definition for it. You have heard
the story of the teacher of psychology, whe
upon receiving a new clan at the begnV
jiing of the term, instead of giving them a
lecture, he asked one of the members of
the class to define the human soul; and
'he young man rose and, said: "The human
oul is that faculty that thinki and feelf
nd determine;" another member of the
lam added that the soul ia immaterial.
And then be said, will you tell me what
the soul is not; and the young man had
the sense to say, "I do not knew;" and
the great professor, whose familiarity with
the subject ia felt throughout the contin
ent, replied. "Nor more do 1." And 1
fancy that the first theologian in the world,
r he aiked to define love, and if he was
honest' and candid aa the teacher of psy
chology ha would say, "No nore do I.
hat which cosies nearest to being a dot
finltlon of love ia the summary ot tho di
Jin law of the Old Testament and the
New. Thou ihalt love the Lord thy God
.with all thy heart and with all thy mind
and with all thy strength, and thy neigh
bor as thyself. But ti.is is not a defini
tion of love; nor would it ipply, especi
ally the former part of it to tho lova under
Consideration now. It ia not the reverent
ove of the heart to God, but it is that
mysterious bond that unites men, the on
(to the other. A lo that exist betwteo
People of a common spiritual experience.
It u as Dr. Doddi well iaya: "The liga
ment by which the body cf Jesus Christ
s bound together. It la the cement by
!hich the itonee in the temple are united
Jin to one. That ia as near a dehnition it
you will be aide to get from any known
fr"t""T Itlu.ChriatiaJ"ti'- U. And
so we sing, and we sing it heartily:'
"Blessed be the tie that binds our heartr
in Christian love,
The fellowship of kindrtd r.'.icdj is like fc
that above."
But though we mny not be able to de
fine this Christian love, we know it when
we see it, when we hear it, and wo know
how it anneal in the earth. We know
that love seeks with total self-forgetful-ncss
the happiness tf the object loved,
and so long as we know what it does and
how it behaves itself in the social fabric,
we ought to be quite content. And I want
you to notice nt this point wherein love
is superior to the most eloquent speech.
Eloquent speech may mean self idvertiso
tnent. Love always means self ef,acement.
"The. iffcin auestion," says. the. brilliant
DrummondT " Ifl " hi " nook entrtlcoT "Tiie
Greatest Tiling in the World," and which
commend to you to read, "was once
splendid and dazzling. It was a brilliant
faculty drawing all eye to the speaker
and all ears to his voice." It ia the gift of
eloquence by which a man sways the
mind and thrills the hearts of his hearers.
Now you can see how a man without love,
possessing such a power, gives to himself
advertisement, nnd the fa t f that ionic
of the most brilliant orators of fame, anil
among them occupants of pulpits, are so
fond of themselves nnd glory so much in
their eloquence, that they forget the other
elements that go to make up a manly Chris
tian character. And I want to sny to
you that the man possessing that eloipiencu
is in constant danger. The attraction
which he has for the people always tends
to centre his mind upon himself' and by
and by he gets to be greater if lie is not
aware, than the Muster Himself whom ho
professes to servo nnd represent.
Love, on the other hand, is self-effacement.
Love goes forth in beneficent min
istry, alleviating the wounds of broken
lives all around. In perfect harmony
with this thought is the teaching of the
Master Himself. You remember that
marvelous sermon in the mountain, in
which Ho says: "Even so, let your light
ihine before men that they shall see your
good works and may glorify your Father
in heaven." The word "so is to be em
phasized ai indicating the manner of the
hining. Light may be held so close to
the eyei a to dazzle the eyes; light may
be held so close before the eyes of the
world aa to dazzle the eyes of the world.
You are not to see the shining one, but
you are to see the fruits, the results of the
shining. This is the way with the old
sun itself. You look out upon the lawns
in the parks and the country aide, and I
have never seen the parks niore beautiful
than whan I visited them soon after my
arrival in this city a few days ago. You
look out upon the grass and the growing
grains and the vegetation and the flowers
mdyou feast your eyes on the beauty nnd
thewealth of the earth's surface: end you
begin to say, whence came all this; who is
the worker; who produced all this; and
you undertake to look up at the ami shin
ing yonder in the zenith of the heavens.
And the old sun, for your termerity, will
dart his red hot fire into your eyes nnd
will leave a mark upon you tnat you will
sot forget for many a day. Do not look
t me; look at the grass; look nt the grow
ing grain; look at the trees look at the
ivork, not at the worker. So with God
Himself. No man has seen God at any
time; we see Him only in Jesus Christ.
No mr.n has seen God the eternal, at any
time; but we count the stars that bejem
the dome above us, when the great daylight
is gone, and the more we study them the
more are we thrown back on tne teaching
of our childhood, when we learned to
ling: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how;
I wonder what you are, up above the world
io high like a diamond in the sky." You
lee the stars and the glory of them trans
ports your wondering soul, but you do
not see Him who made and keeps the
itara. If God is invisible in Himself, He
is not invisible in His ministry.- You
ind I, beloved, who have been born anew,
are sons and daughters of God, and we
please Him most when like Him, we efface
ourselves and are seen only in the benefi
cent ministry of our lives, in our home,
in our communities, in our churches, in
our city, in the world. Then under this
first point, we say again that love is of
grerter value to the cnurch and to the
world than the most eloquent speech. Now
i may not say that eloquence is not valu
able. No one of us vould refuse it if
proffered to us. I may not say neither
would Paul say that eloquence, ev.n the
gift of tongues, was anything to be de
spised. In the apostolic age it served .0
attract the attention of men to the divine
manifestations among the sons of men; and
'.t was greatly coveted because of this
'orce resident in it. Put I we it von to
notice that only a few people can be elo
quent and the great maiority of us in re
gard to speech will have tr exhibit n-ality
'aiher than eloquence in epeec' , and serve
our generation in the most pract'c 1 man
ner available to us. Now I ir.-rht cstab-'
lish this point by argument and bv declam
ation, but I prefer to give you a 'few illus
trations, to fasten what 1 mean in -our
mind.
A woman over here in New Vork City,
eoine yeare ago, came to tho City J-iaaion
Society and sought the secretary. "I
would like to do something for God. I am
not el-quent in speech, but I think I
could distribute tracts among the poof
and needy. Give me a suitable aupply and
I will render this service to mv -Lord."
She was supplied abundantly On going
down the itreet she saw a policeman tak
ing a poor woman to the station; she ,
went to the station house and thre
learned the facta in the woman's case and
when the- woman was to be kscharged.
When she came out she was Vet by this
good woman, who threw her arms around
Iier neck and kissed her; and the woman
eaid: "My God! Why did yov do tha?
No one has kissed me since my mothet
died: why did you do that?" And the
humble Christian woman tiid: "I do not
know, unless it was Jesus sent me to do
it." Without going into further detail,
let me lay that that life was redeemed y
the kin of that' Christian woman, whose
heart was full of love for her kind. This
is the kind I mean. No eloquent preach
ing from the most brilliant preacher that
yon have ever had in tho city could have
reached that life as did that kiss. That
reminded her of her departed motner. A
poor young girl waa dying in the city of
Pari and on seeing a Christian woman
wno wa a stranger to her, arid to hei:
"You know I hate you Christie is. You
have nothing to give but good advice.
You build fine institutions for us when we
have fallen, but you do nothing for ui
to keen us from being thrown into the
path of temptation." And no ono but
that good woman, acting with Mis Hunt
in her beneficent work in the gay city of
Paris, understood the dying energy with
which ahe uttered those words. By and
by this woman won her into the kingdom
of God, and just before she died said to
the Christian woman, who represented for
the firt time Christianity unto her: "Let
me die on aomething that ia your. Won't
ou let me put my head on your pillow I
would like to die with my head on such
pillow a your pure head has rested on." It
was granted. That is what I mean. That ia
the ministry that ia open, love. Over
yonder in the city of Detroit, a reporter
called a little bootblack in tho atreet to
Eoliah hia boots. The little fellow came,
ut ai he got out hia brush and waa
about to begin a big, brink fellow came
along and said: "You go away, Jimmy;
you go away. I will do this." And the
reporter became indignant and aaid:
"What do you mean by this?" "O, that
la all right, boss. Do you know that Jim
my has been sick in the hospital for more
than a month and he ia not very strong
and we boys when we are not doing any
thing turn in and help him. Is that right,
Jimmy?" "Ye, that' right." And so
he said: "All right, go ahead;" and aa the
boy wa plying hia brush and hia cloth,
and while he waa so doing the reporter
plied him with questions: "What per cent,
of what you earn dp you give to Jimmy 1"
"Eh?" "What per cent, of what
vou earn
do you give to Jimmy?" "I don't know
K-kl vmi mean " "tf. miwk fif the
money that you receive do you keep and
how much do you give to Jimmy?" "Do
you think I am a sneak? I give all of it
to him, and so do all tha boys; we don't
keep any of it. Bo when he finished the
renorter aaid: "You are a nrettv aood fel
low; here is a quarter, and you keep ten
cent and give fifteen cent to Jimmy."
No, you don t, and pa gave the quarter
to Jimmy, That was diviner, that was
nobler far than the grandest eloquence
that Brooklyn ever beard.
Now notice in the second place, and I
will make this point brief, the comparison
by which Paul set forth the superiority
of love to eloquence. He sayi, It I apeak
vi til-tne tfiit&uea of men and angebjJtut
have not roverr am-necntne- amminoTttg
brass as a clanging cymbal. The gift with
out the grace is likened to the sounding
jf brass, to the clashing of cymbals of
bronze. A great many pre.chers boast
themse'vps of their soundness, sound in
their theology and I am not saying any
thing against soundness in theology. And
ne is sometimes tempted to sav, Sound,
yes, that is what it is, hut it is without a
ministry and without menning for a bun
fry world. A rlnngirut rymbnl noise, con
tusion, but no ministry, never helpful
for a- weary, hungry world. Let us
be something more than jangling
roices, clanging noises. Let U liavo
reality, genuineness of heart, genu
ineness of love, genuineness of mil
lion; that is what tells. That is whnt
the world wants. That is what it is look
ing for. That is what God is begging
for. I read a story some months ago in
ne of your newspapers: Two men who.
had met to talk on the corner of a street.
vVhile they were talking a hand organ be
Kan to grind out its dismal music. One of
the men said, let us go on nnd get away
from that wretched stuff. And the other
i mid, now, I will not let you talk like that
iiiout that music. Why, do you know
that that was "See the Conquering Hero
lomes." composed by the great Handel,
And his friend said: "I want you to come
with me to a Handel festival. So a month
'nter, ho invited his friend to the concert,
mil so when the lively choruses were sung
snd the great symphony went on, this
friend of his became enraptured. And lig
laid: "Isn't that glorious, isn't that beau
tiful ?".VYcs.laid. his-friend.. IMo. y.ou
know wliat it is? It is ee the Conquer
ing Hero Conies.' It is what you heard on
'.lie organ." Let love cnnniier vour hearts
i ind the world will make wnv for vour com
ing, and we shall startle the world bv the
originality of our unselfishness. "If 1
ipv'uk with the tongues of men and angels,
5ut have not love, I am become as sound
ing brass or a clanging cymbal." Let us
lave love.
Resisting Power,
When a physician is called to a case
jf severe sickness, the first thing that he
istimates is the resisting power of the
patient. The chances for his recovery are
in proportion to his vitality. If there be
'.itt'e of that at the outset there is small
lope of overcoming the disease. The resist
ng power of persons in lull health is such
hnt in an epidemic they throw oil the
iisease germs that prostrate others. One
:annot always tell from appearances just
aow much ability one has to withstand
the inroads of a malady. Some who ap
parently arc robust almost immediately
luccumb, while others who look frail re
:over from violent attacks. Of course dis
lipation, unhygienic living, nnhcalthfnl sur
roundings, sap one's resisting power, so
that when a virulent ailment makes an
attack one has strenjlh insufficient to fght
it off.
You see that it is not so much tht
malignancy of the disease as it is the vital
ity of the man that dutennines tht- result,
lust so it is also in the moral world, savs
Wellsnring. There are some persons liv
ing lives ko upright, so spiritually healthy,
that they arc practically immune from
temptation. And when they are over
come, they soon recover themselves, for
their power of resistance is great. On the
other hand, there are tire who after suc
cumbing to one temptation are completely
swept away by the power of evil. How can
that be accounted for? Obviously in the
same way that the ability to resist physi
cal disease is to be explained. There has
been unwholesome moral living; the miud
has been permitted to become familihr with
evil Thoughts; the soul has breathed in
miasm l and corruption, until one has no
bility to put away temptation.
All this suggests the need of resisting
power both against disease and against sin.
A pure, clean, wholesome life, physical
and moral, will make one secure against
ny harm that either can do.
Our Worst Enemy.
Dr. Theodore L. Cuyler, in estimating
wlmc he dcemi to be our worst enemy in
this life, says: "Dangerous as the devil
is, dangerouj as worldly amusements are,
the most dangerous enemy that we often
have to encounter walks in our own shoes.
That cunning, artful, smooth-tongued
heart-devil, self, is the foe that needs the
most constant watching and subjects us to
the worae defeats. 'The flesh lusteth
ai, .inst the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the fleth, and these are contrary the one
to the other.' Peal had a tremendous
juttle e'ong these lines, heating down his
nrn.'i nature by hard blows, and the old
hero va able at the last to shout, 'I have
t'ou,'lit . good fight; henceforth there is
bid up for me a crown of righteousness!'
Whoever has, by God's help, laid his dc
Bires, his plans, his purposes, his property,
nnd, above all, his own will at the feet of
Jesus Christ, is already one of the over
co ners. He already begins to wear clean
raiment, and the omniscient eve of God
discerns on his brow the first flashings of
the victor's crown!" '
Discipline the Appetite,
Archdeacon Govctt, of Gibraltar, .'n a
letter to the public upon the consumption
of alcohol in the British army, points out
that despite the strong evidence adduced
by Lord Napier and Lord Wolaeley as to
the criminal effects of alcohol in the army
(nearly ninety per cent, of the crime being
attributed to it), and despite the evidence
of statistics, science and experience, the
lads of both the army and navy of Britain
are daily dosed with intoxicants. The
marine, at the age of twenty, is served
every day with bis tot of rum, and cheap
drinking canteens are regimental institu
tions. Until these customs, supported by
high authority, are destroyed, say Mr.
'iovett, "we shall have the shameful vices
jvhich send men to hospital or prison
nourishing both in the army and navy.
What is the use of-discipline for the body,
U there is no- discipline applied to the
.ppetite?"
Run With Patience.
It is not talent or genius that enables
one to succeed so much a perseverance
VVo win not by the sudden spurt, but by
keeping persistently at it. One may tire
himself more by running a mile than by
walking five. If we must run, let us run
W;th patience the race that i' t be for
Us. Lo'led Presbyterian.
RAM'S HORN BLASTS.
RUTH may 1)9
eclipsed but It never
ceaaea to shine.
Sourness Is not
solemnity.
God'a promises do
not depend on our
performances.
Wa drop our bau
bles when we reach
to grasp a blessing.
It would be bard
to "onduet family
prayers around a
7Kf X.
eaao of beer.
If the love of God la In your heart
tliey will know it In your home.
The woman who will eat cucumbers
la sure to talk about her cross.
The providence of Ood la not a sy
nonym for the Indolence of man.
The aermon with nothing but sensa
tion ia aa bad aa a pie with nothing but
srilce.
It Is a grave question whether ws
love God for what He la or (or what He
has.
A deacon's prayers mar be aa habit
ual and aa meaningless aa a team
iter's profanity.
The man who brags of bla paat la not
likely to have anything to brag ot In
bla future.
The atar-preacher baa no show be
side the man who reflects the Bun of
Righteousness.
Humility is one of the materials left
out by the aelt-made man.
It la not hard to cbooae' between a
dirty aaint and a clean sinner.
A man doea not eacapa bell la tho fu
ture by enduring U here.
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments
August 16.
(or
Subject: Suit Trie to Kill David, I Sam,
xvlll., 5-16 Ooldco Text, Pra. L, I
Mcmory Versee, IM4 Conmcotary
on lb Day's Lesion.
1. Uavid's promotion (v. f). 8. "David
went out." Alter his victory over Goliath
David was appointed to some post of com
mand nnd went out on military expedi
tions. "Wisely." .This word combines t!i
ulcus of prudence nnd consequent success,
"f-et him over." etc. 'Ihis is probably the
same appointment as that referred to in
v. 13. David was not made the leading
ofneer over all the host, for Abner held
that position (chap. 17:,53), but Saul gave
him some principal command in the army
and made him captain of a regiment.
"Was accepted." The elevation of the
shepherd hoy was in the hearts of the com
liion people, and no douht the sentiment
o; the iiatijn at this tunc had had some
influence on Saul in his promotion of
David. "Saul's servants." Kvun the cour
tiers, who were the most likely to be dis
pleased with this new favorite, were glad
to receive the youthful conqueror and
reivjjiibe his authority.
Jl. David's victory celebrated (vs. C-9).
C. "Was returned." There has evidently
been a digression in the narrative (vs. 1-5)
"to relate the circumstances of David'
ftrnuincnt reception into Saul's service,
the commencement of the friendship be
tween him und Jonathan, and his ultimato
promotion and success." The narrative
now goes back to the welcome which David
received when the army returned in tri
umph from the successful completion of
tiie PhiiUtine war. This verse should be
read in connection with chap. 17:54;
though some time may have elapsed, dur
ing which the army was occupied in fol
lowing up its first success. "Women came
out." It was the principal business of
certain women to cclelirate victories, sing
ot funerals, etc. "Of all the cities." They
came together from nil the neighboring
cities. "Singing and dancing." This is a
characteristic trait of Oriental manners.
On the return of friends long absent, and
particularly on the return of a victorious
army, hands of women and children issue
from the towns nnd villages to form a
triumphal procession, to celebrate the vic
tory with dancing, music and songs, in
honor of the generals who have earned
the highest distinction by feats of gal
lantry. The Hebrew women, therefore,
were merely paying the customary con
gratulations to David as the deliverer of
their country. "Tubrets timbrels." That
is. the haii'l-drum, mi instrument still
used by the Arabs, and described as a
hoop over which a piece of parchment is
drawn. Sometimes pieces of brass are
fi.ed in it to make a iinglin;;. It is beaten
with the fingers. The instrument must
have been similar to the modern tam
bourine.' 7. "Sens "e to another." They sang
alternately. Some of the women began
the song with. "Saul hath slain his thou
sands," and another company answered,
"And David his ten thousands." This
was a neat poetic parallelism. The en
thiisia'tic throng intimate that David's
triumph was of more importance than nil
of Saul's victories." In' this they com
mitted n grave indiscretion; they praised
u subject nt the expense of their sovereign.
3, B. "Very wroth." Saul centered hi
thoughts on himself. This was the prin
cipal cause of his trouble. He was al
ways ready to seek the ruin of any man
by whom he imagined he might be injured.
"But the kingdom." The prophet had
distinctly told him in the day of his sin
that the Lord had rent the kingdom from
him. and had given it to a neighbor that
ivas better than he (chap. 15:28). In David
Saul could read the marks of such a man.
"lived David." Watched all his move
ments with suspicion and jealousy, which
soon ripened into deadly hatred.
III. Saul's attempt on David's life (vs.
10, 11). Here commences the record of
those persecutions by which, during the
rest of Saul's lifetime, the conqueror of
Goliath was continually harassed. It
forms a suggestive period of lsraelitish
history, and presents in striking contrast
the development of Saul's great wicked
ness on the ouo hand, and of David's many
excellences oa the other. Theje persecj
tion. however, were a most useful discip
line for the pswlmist king.
10. "Evil suirit." A demon like thoia
mentioned S'J frequently in the New Testa
ment. "l'Vom God." Sent by permission
of God, as Satan in Job 2:7. "Came upon
L;aul." He relaDsed into a state of de
moniac possession. See chap. 10:14.
"Pronnesied." Kather, "raved." Saul'
condition is neither that of simple mad
ness or of true prophecy. He is under
the control of a power higher than him
self, but it is an evil power. Saul was at
first inspired by the Ho!y Spirit of God,
hut now that spirit, has left him nnd a
foul demon occupies his place, nnd, ac
cordingly, instead of hallowed ecitasy, his
religious exercises resemble the frantic
raviugs of a madman. He utters impas
sioned cries, and perhaps falls prostrate
on the floor and breathes forth his inner
ravings like one holding communion with
nn unseen world. As nt other times."
See chap. 10:23. Also see R. V. There U
n wonderful power in music to soothe a
troubled soul. "A javelin." Tho javelin
or spear was the cmb.em of regal authority.
In ancient times kings used a spear in
stead of n diadem. They always had it at
hand, and in ancient monuments they are
always reuresented with it.
11. "Cast the- javelin." Saul, now
thoroughly infuriated, determined to make
an end of the shepherd boy. After thii
person i! attack Saul never lost the idea
that David was the God-ordained king.
This purpose be resolved to defeat, and,
accordingly, made several attempts on
David's fife.
IV". David' further advancement fvs.
12-181. 12, 13. "Was afraid of David."
Saul became sensible that he was fighting
against God: this caused terror and con
tinued to disturb him more and more.
" Fit-cause the Lord," etc. When God is
with us we are certain to succeed, but
when tho Lord forsakes a person he is
equully certain to be defeated. The Chris
tian is mighty only "through God" (2 Cor
2:1")). "Cantain. ' It is not certain that
this was the sume appointment referred
to in v. 9. but it is quite likely that it was.
14-18. "Pehaved," etc. David acted dis
creetly; he trusted to the divine guidance:
God was with him. Because of this "Saul
. . . stood in awe of him" (v. 15, R. V.),
This is a stronger expression than the one
used in v. 12, and denotes primarily the
avoidance of the person feared. All
loved Duvid." Saul made David captain
over a thousand partly to get rid of him
from hi presence, and partly perhaps in
the hope that he would lose his fife in
battle (vs. 17. 2-); but the result was that
he became tirmlv established in the affec
tion of the people.
A POINT FOR SCIENTIGT3.
Why the Epontaneot Combustion of
Young Treeo?
Destruction of trees by spontaneous
combustion seems to to almost Im
possible, nnd yet It haa occurrod fra
quontly on tho baaka cf the Rivet
Cam, noar Cambridge, England. At
one point In the river tho procesa has
ben scan golcg on. Hale and green
willow tree, covered with a rich niaii
of foliage and In a floarlfblng condi
tion on tbe river banlts, auddenly
burst forth Into lenitton and burn Ilka
tinder right dor.n to the core.
In mo3t of the cases tbe troea were
llttU moro than striplltgi, so that
putrescence cr fermentation can hard
ly be given as a reason (or the phen
omenon. The big, vigorous willows
poured forth clouds ot smoke from
their balf-burned items, and when tht
firs bad burned out presented an ap
pearacca of charred ruins, looking at
If they had been stripped and shat
tered by lightning.
It b up to the scientists to explain
away the fact that though a larje per
centase of the subitanco of trsea li
water, yet these willow trees burned 1
without dd from other sources.
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR TOPICS.
August 16. Lessons from Paul: How to Us
Tact la Dcsllnf with Men. I Cor. 9:19-23.
8erlpture Verses Psa. 90:12; lilt
10; Prov. 1:1-6; Matt. 10:16; Rora. 16:
19; Eph. 5:15; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; Jas.
3: 13.
Lesson Thoughts.
In doallng with men we must con
sider them and not ourselves. Wb
must se;'k their Interest, not our pleas
ure; their needs, not our honor.
The horse that Is roaming at liberty
In the pasture may lenjoy himself, but
If he is to be of any use to the world
he must put his neck Into a collar and
submit to rule. So tho Christian who
would do good must serve his fellow
man. We must seek, not what we en
Joy most, but what will best swve the
cause of ChrlBt. The nobleet freedom
Is found In the humblest service-.
Selections.
Charles Klngsley talking to the farm
er of his crops, to the fisherman of his
fish, and to the gardner of his flowers,
that he might win them to tho thought
of his heart; M-Iss Gulness, Ilvlnit
among the London factory-glrla and
working for eight cents a day that she
might lift th:-m up: Mrs. Whlttemore,
In her slum dress, visiting the dives of
the city, and rescuing the lowest from
thi!lr lives of shame; Ralph Wells,
down on the dirty floor of a wretched
attic tenement, fixing a little boy's
broken kite, that he might coax the
children to hia Sunday school are
among those who can understand what
Paul meant whon ho said; "All things
to all men."
dust as the chameleon takes its col
or from what rests upon, so'tha Chris
tian worker will put himself in har
mony with the man he Is trying to
help.
Tha fingers of the blind, that at first
are unable to distinguish the raised let
ters, acquire with practice a delicacy
of touch of tact whereby they can
read as fast, nearly, as If they could
see. Tact comes with practice.
No one can do much good unless ho
enters Into thorough and heartfelt sym
pathy with the erring whom he wishes
to save. But it makes all the differ
ence In the world, with what In them
we sympathize If we sympathize wJth
the sin. if we love It and delight In it,
if we HkB to Join in it. and pacify the
conscience of the sinner by approval,
or smoothing over the sin aa a very lit
tle evil, than our sympathy Is only a
deadly evil. We strengthen In sin, and
not save from ft. But If we sympa
thize with the consciousness of own
weakness, with the desire to overcome
It. with the struggle in spite of many
failures, to gain the victory, with the
hope and longing for better things,
then our sympathy is a power for good.
Suggested Hymns.
While we pray and while we plead.
Gird on he sword and armor.
Come, Holy Spirit.
O come to the Savior.
Take thou my hand, and lead me.
Ho! Heapera of life's harvest.
EPW0RTH LEAGUE MEETING TOPICS.
Adjust 16. Endure Hardness as a Good
Soldier, (2 Tim. 2. 3, 4.)
Paul draws his figure of tho Chris
tian as a soldier. The figure of the
Christian as a soldier has always been
popular. Paul used It often, notably In
his great description of the Christian's
armor and weapons In the sixth chap
ter of his letter to the Epheslans. The
soldier spirit is rightly reckoned a
part of Christianity. True, our Lord
forbade physical force, and the under
lying fact of his Gospel Is that It ap
peals to the free will of men. None are
compelled to become Christians." The
Christian soldier is not a conscript,
but a volunteer.
But the Christian faith Involves
fighting. There is. first of all, the
struggle against self, and against the
attacks of temptation. This Is defens
ive warfare, and sometimes it is tho
most dJscouraglng. "Save me from
myself" is the exceeding bitter cry ot
many a soul contending with the very
forces of Its own life.
Then there is offensive warfare
There is upon us an obligation to tell
the good news of the Gospel. That
means struggle, effort, "hardnesa."
For the Gospel opposes sin, and many
people love sin.
What snail the Christian do? Go
Into the desert, nway from men, that
he may save his soul? Or stay among
men, but without attacking sin, and
self, and selfishness? Neither. In
the desart he will still have the fight
with himself, and it will be all the
Uesner by reason of the solitude, Tho
only thing to do Is to enlist for the war,
come out in tho Christian uniform, and
endure hardnesa as a good soldier.
Some of the reasons why a Christian
soldier should be willing to endure
hardness In the service of his Captain
are: Because he la a Christian soldier.
When they advised Nehemiah to flee
from his enumies to tho temple he
said, "Should such a man as I flee?''
To avoid hardship when it conies in
the line of duty Is treason. So the
Christian will endure the hardness "til
his place. Hardness Is the way to suc
cess. Every Christian hopes to see
tho work of God set forward. But it
can often be done only by struggle and
by rrlvatlon. If you believe it Is worth
while to pray, ' Thy kingdom come,"
you surely believe It is worth while to
holp the kingdom to corner to aid in
the answering of your own prayer.
The Christian must be a soldier be
cause of his dangers. No man ought
to be attacked for his religion's sake,
but every man Is. The Christian must
be a soldier bocause of his Influonce.
If he has no great personal battles to
fight he can find plenty of places where
a lift and a good word will help some
body else In his battl'J. Courage
breeds courage. Larger issues depend
on you. young man. young woman, than
you dream. Whether we live or die,
we are the Lord's.
Questions for Boys and Girls.
If you are good at guessing or an
swering, here are a few questions you
ran wrestle with:
You can see any day a white horse,
but did you ever see a white colt?
How many different kinds ot trees
(row In your neighborhood, and what
are they good for?
Why dons a horse eat grass back
ward and a cow forward?
Why does a hty vine wind one way
and a tcan vine be other?
Where ahould chimney be the
larger, at the top r bottom, and why?
How old must 1 grapevine be be
fore It begins to bear?
Can you tell why some leaves turn
upside down Just before a rain?
Can you tell why a horse when
totherod with a rope always unravels
It, while a cow always twists It into
a kinky knot?
What wood will bear tha greatest
weight be.'ore brotkicg?
THE RELIGIOUS LIFE
rtEADINO FOR THE QUIET HOUR
WHEN THE SOUL INVITES ITSELF.
roem: frayer Vlre Kscapes I.nw of Spir
itual Hi-ir-l'rrscrvntlnn Warn Aanlnst
Taking I'lisnrri When Forming HiiliH
Cnmlilltis; Is To-Dhj's Kspcclul 1'erlU
My soul in search of rest,
And longing to be blel,
Would lean upon Thy brent-"
Come Thou this way.
If 1 have wayward been,
And prone to look on sin
Without and not within,
Forgive, 1 pray.
Tike this soiled Barb from me,
And make my robe to be
OT seamless charily,
Wheie'er I go;
And for my way prepare
A light of sacred prayer,
'Hint reaches everyw heio,
To friend and foe.
To pray with equal zeal "v.
'or tliem whose hate I feci,
And my good name would steal,
Is haid to do:
lint who. with liase deceit.
Would rob me of life's sweet-
tow tares within mv wheat,
L'. .-n ,1
Forgive them, too.
To pray thus. I opine.
Will bring this heart of mino
K caivr to truth divine,
Taught in Thy word,
And it I ever see
The heights ot Calvary,
1 criii ilicd must be
With my dear Lord.
-Harriet 11. Duichcr, m Chicago Standard.
Ilon't liiiinlile Awrv I.lfe,
Going down the street the oilier day,
says a writer ill the Chicaxo Interior, w.ilk
ina toward the lake so that the fronts of
the buildings between us nnd the water'
edge stood clearly deiineil against the
. cloudless sky. we could not help noticing
p noticing
how the facades of ail were hung with al-
mose innumerable fire escapes. Like great
wens lor gigantic spnlers they reoched
from story to story, and silhouttcd against
the azure background they formed a very
conspicuous feature of the scene.
It was evident from their numbers that
their presence was not accidental. With
out knowing fully the Icgislntinn govern
ing their construction, it seemed certain
that the state had made their erection
(onipulsoiy. Past experience had taught
the citizens that many a "lireproof" struc
ture goes up in smoke, and that under cer
tain conditions even stone and mortar melt
with fervent heat. Those who saw the
greater part of Chicauo dissolve into
cloud thirty years ago have not the con
fidence in builders' a-surances that they
once had. Kvcn when entering the most
substantial structure they have the haliit
of looking round for means of exit. Taught
by what he has endured, a Chicago pio
neer would not care to spend more tlian
one niilit on the summit of M Hint lllanc
unless it were provided with a fire es
cape. Whv should men bo less careful of their
spiritual ilian oi their physical safety?
Why hoaid a man who would not rent
an oliice or accept a ulccping chamber
without first looking up the lire escape,
enter upon habits of life and custom of so
ciety without n moment's thought of the
risks Involved? Are there not spiritual
"death traps.'' well known to the wise,
where nevertheless the young and the
thoughtless blithely resort for the careless
enjoyment of perilous pleasures? It re
quires no special genius to enter upon the
prodigal's career; but how is one to be de
livered from its conseipienccs? When the
purse is empty, is there an easy way buck
to affluence? When the eve sparkles and
the pulses quicken under the gentle stimu
lus of champagne, would it not be the part
of wisdom to ask where is the way to
safety if the .soul should suddenly become
coiiM-ious of approaching peril? Suppose
the pace begins. to tell? Suppose the man
awakes to find his account overdrawn, his
health impaired, and his name under an
eclipse? is there u tire escape leading
quickly and eaily from this club-house
iiie io ins oiii-timo irceiloin and safety?
llayc his new habits given him a stronger
will, a clearer conscience and u more inti
mate touch with the redemptive elements
ol so iety? Before making one's home here
would it not be the part of wisdom to know
whether there is from hhi-Ii n career an
ta.-y riHicat, or whether the soul waking
to an hour of menacing peril wakens only
to iiml itself more engaged 'while strug
gling to be free?
The speci.il peril of our day is gambling.
I nscrupiihius dealers tempt little children
ninl foolish boys with multitudinous de
vices, through which thev can be intro
diiccd to the fascinations f ,innPe gains.
Ilut where is the fire escape? When the
flames me ull about you, and the danger is
imminent, nnd it is n question of flight or
death, is it easy to unlearn all these dia
bolical habits? it is a simple matter to es
cape the fascinations which attach them
se.ves to all forms of hazard and of chance?
the wise man knows that it is cuicr to
keen out than to get out.
Hinged about with tlamcs, the unhappy
victim of sin's fire traps plunges for a few
" in.MiieinN miner aim tlntlier. all in
vain, and then, us we have so lately seen
m the fashionable life of an eastern city,
in shier despmr leaps upon death and per
ishes with all tho imperfections on hi
head. Do not foolishly "take the
chances when thev are too evidently ull
against you. Do not make any mode of
Hie even your temporary home 'if from it
you fail to find a plain and easy path that
cads to a peaceful nnd secure life, a life
hid with Christ in God."
Helpful mill True,
Practicality is the spirit which rccoK
macs and grnsps the moral opportunity
present in every phase of life.-Mr. Storrs.
Intellect may give keenness of discern
ment. Love alone gives hugeness to tho
nature some t-hare in the comprehensive
ness of (,od. .lohn Hamilton Thorn.
Great occasions do not make heroes or
cowards they simply unveil them to the
eves of men. Kih-ntly and imperceptibly,
as we wake or sleep, we glow und wax
strong, or we grow and w.iX weak, and at
last some crisis shows us what we have be
come. IJjshnp We. tcntt.
Disappointment is like a sieve. Through
its coar-e meshes the small ambitions and
hopes and endeavors of a soul ure sifted
out relentlessly. Hut tho things that are
big enough not to fall through are not in
the least affected hy it. It i ouly a test
not u finality. Wellspring. '
He Good to Others.
Consider this: Your goodness is of no
use it yon are not good to others. The
good nt goodne.s is that you can wrap
other inside it It ought to be like u hig
cloak that you have on u cold night, while
the shivering iwrson next to you hds none.
It you dont m;,Uc , of vour gllojnew,
what is the gjoj f ,t?Mr. Clilford.
The Only Cure.
..The only cure for indolence is work
the on.y cure for selfishness is sacrifice
the only cure for unbelief is to shake off
the ague of doubt by doing Christ' hid
iling: the only cure for timidity i to
plunge into some dreadful duty before the
chill tome on. Rutherford.
Never Ilttrey f-onflilenre.
To betray a confidence is to make your
elf de.pical.le; many thing. ie i,t
ftmitna frimU .-l.;..l. 1 .
- --"ii uiv niu sent under a
seal of .ecrecy. but are understood to be
confidential, and a truly honorable man
Will fltVfr vm ia .
D. Hartley. ao-'.-
A fine Distinction.
Samuel Ellsworth Klser, the poet
humorist of the Chicago Record Her
aid, recently visited Baltimore In con
nection with a gathering of humorlsU
In that city. During bla visit he waa
asked by one of the local newspaper
humorists to write a piece ot verse for
bis department. Klsor turned to hi
friend with, a bland air and asked:
"Poetry, or for publication? "New
York Times.
Italy's King.
The King of Italy la five feet three
f acboa in high-
THE OK EAT DlCSTfiOl'Efr
SOW? '--ARTUNG FACTS ABOUT
THE ViCE OF INTEMPERANCE.
I'oemi The Itnynl Twins tn ?fo rn
Kvent dm Be TrnrM So Kaslljr tti
Influence of tlie Kalnon as In tha Out-
1rink of Moll Violence,
Mondle and Booze are royal twins,
Willing to serve the ' "outs" and that
"ins."
rtrndv to manage the State and Nation,
Taking a hand in legislation.
The patriot'" birthright can't be bought.
Yet the patriot's ballot count for
naught;
The decree's gone forth from Doodle tod
Ilooze.
To vote their will or your vote you lose.
The judge swings back in his easy chair.
Hilling the court with a lofty air;
lie reached the bench bv learning to o
The magical power of Doodle and iiooze.,
rSnllot reform is the lawmaker's hobhr,
Hoodie and lloozc rule the lawmaker's
lobby;
To th" lawmaker's heart the people are
dear,
But 11 iodic and Boozo hare the law
maker's car.
Ve inntiarclis and tyrants of other lands.
With serfs and slaves to obey your
commands.
Our plainness of speech you'll please ex
cuse, B:i! vou're nowhere with Boodle ani
Booze.
Fr"m over the bills -fid far away.
There breaks th" gleam of another dar.
When men shall be men and longer re
fuse, To be ruler and damned by Boodle anil
Honfe.
11. M. Chalfaut, in The New Voice.
T.lqnnr nnd I.ynrTtlnt.
Tlie extraordinorv record of mob tin
lence throughout the country during trui
Hst few rnonths has startled both eon-
ments. Our strenuous nrotesl againat
Russian massacres have b"en completely
neutralized by set" no less barbaric in our
very midst. So flagrant nnd widespread
has been the spirit of lawlessness that it
has compelled the attention of the entire
newspaper Tre of the country. De
clares the Atlanta Constitution: "It U
astonishing to consider how far and fast
the snirit of nnarchv is traveling in thin
country. It is no longer sectional, if it
eve- was. but is a nationally diffused crime,
and n crowing menace to the good order
and civilized procedures of the nation at
ln'-v. It must be stopped!"
Tn no current events esn the influewfr
of the saloon bo traced so easily. Yet
heretofore, it is practically certain that
that influence was scarcely recognized out
side of the Prohibition nrcss. The signi
ficant feature of editorial comment in thsj
srrnlnr ress to-day is the general recog
nition of this very thing. Snvs the Knox
vil' (Tennessee Journal and Tribune:
"Tbe only safety to a State or a com
munity lies in a just and fearless enforce
ment of law. Give criminals an inch
and thev will take a foot. Permit a minor
law to be violated and it wi'l lead to the
violation of greater ones. Wi"k at the
law niainst. gamblinc and it will eneour
ar the criminally disposed to do some
thin worse; close the eyes to the illicit
Sunday saloon, and those who mar medi
tate larceny "tay conclude that the offi
cials are indifferent generally. . . I ten
dor law-breaking unnopular a"d lnw-hreak-ers
of every sort infamous. When thin i
done there will be no such demonstration
as we have witnessed in county, anil
no more violations that bring terror to
commnitics and disgrace to States and
cities."
"Whiskv." declares the Inter-Ocean, at
Chicago, "is p'aving a most conspicuous,
part in the outlawry now prevalent in o
many localities.
"Kreesive ne of intoxicants may afford
a piu-tinl exnlanntion of recent revolting
crimes and the shameful events following
them. If so. then a common sense view
of the situation involves the closing of
saloons in every city menaced by mobs,
and the c'oser supervision of those dis
posed to the reckless use of intoxicants."
The closing of sn loons in Wilmington,
Delaware, "when the city was intlannvl
-d convulsed over lynching," declares tho-Wis.-onsin
Stte-.Tournal, "suggests x
theory as to th" tinal overthrow of the
sa'oon system of America.
"It is onlv a speculation, but the men
tal outreaches nF men great in soul have
in them something of prophecy. It i
certain that so deep-seated and pervading
a condition as the chain of IW.noO sa
loons, cannot be wiped out withont av
convulsion that shall shake all. What
ever the price may lie, God speed the
dav."
There is absolutely i" extenuation for
I bcs invi'"l example of public frenzy, but
the fact that the nation's attention is f
serinus'v fixed upon them is distinctly en
couraging. All the mobs of the year, the
countrv over. b--e not. been so destruc
tive nf hriran life, nrd subversive of na-t:o-'il
order, ns the legalized dramshop
of the nation io one week's uninterrupted
dcbai'cberv of the citizenship.
But this fn-t of cheer stand out: The
Tronic have been roused to a noint of ef
fective action bv this series of passionate
outbreak, and to unexpected appreciation
of the part whi-h the saloon plav in
tlirm all. Inevitably the cause of th
American home versus the liquor traffic
hs been advanced on the docket and bid
'air to b the next case railed for a hear-ic-r
nt the bar of public opinion. New
Voice.
Practical Trtuperanre Vork.
Some of the railroad branrhe of th T.
M. C. A. arc doini some excellent work in
the furthernnre of trmnerance, vis., in the
eishinr. of checks for workmen on rav dav.
To s'l lart-e c-ties and oth manufacturing
districts workmen are raid in check in
stead of c-sh. These cheek have to he
e- died, and for thi business saloon eater.
Th rcs'i't is that near'.v every workman
feels as if he must tal" a drinV as thank
to the saloonkeeper. The o; e drink too of
ten leads to a second and a tn.rd and not
infreonertlv the bulk cf workman's
wag" is left in the saloon instead of being
-arried home. .
Derllne In Irankenness.
Co-operation of the Boston nre. the
onVia's of the Boston IHc-ated Railway-,
and the new head of the Police Board of
Boston. hn materially decreased th
amount of drunkenness in the city, espeei.
aby on Saturday night. Suburbanite
coniin to Boston now find it far more
tMlirult to secure transportation hin
than thev used to. Stringent order have
been issued to the police, anil to tbe mo
tormen and conductor and the ear to re
iV"! """"'i' nee to all men who are in the
i-ihtest degree under the influence o
io,uor.
An Anient Twmimnt-st XTorSsrT.
Witte. the Ilnseian minister of finance.
I an ardent temneranre worker. He is av
teetnta'er, and induced the Oar to dec
orate the men and women who are tx
most active in temneranre work. He
make no sp-rrt of hi preference for t
totalrr in the various offices of U de
partment he control.
In rroreaa r Nolatlom.
The liouor problem o far as the T tisa
nes world is conn-roed ia prorrs of
natural solution. Railroad, corporations,
businrss men have put their ben on tHe
drink habit. Even the Minor-keeper i
mudi a aober man behind the bar.
Chxrexl Is AltsjtlNtl.
A reeent writer in Krenrb wiagansw
call attention to the fart that the oJknal
statistic of the police court of Pari show
that for several year paat titer has hea
a rjpid lucreest) m juvenile eriminabre.
Kven among murderer there is tone,! e.
large iert-eutage r-f young people, aoate el
most i-ntiilreo. Thi increase of juvenile,
crime is chirked to ak-ohol, wlWk Iwa keeit
hoivn to not no. uuertly, but iaatcweth.
thio:ih heredity.
, Alcohol tiUy an important a rel l
l ie pioJucf io i ut tnsjnilv and e-iwe, -eiil.y
In e.ti und large tnu. Uat sm
cieiy siiou d use every meat (a estaeal
lb i . ing generation la the tlaiu- t-iv-juiig
it tiM at a Ltieiae.