Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-12-19
\ WHOLE NO. 953.
The Crisiia Its Cause and Cure


FUsf CosyTegationat Chureh, ot Ierr
Hau,s, Sabbath Ersning, December 9, go
TExr.-And Samuel told all the words {
the Lord unto the people that asked
him king And he said "This viii
the manner of the king that shalf reiS
over you. He will take your sons an
appoint them for himself, for his chari
OTIS, and to be his horsemen; aud som
shall run before his chariols. And h
will appoint him captains over thou
sands and captains over 6fties, an
will set them to ear his ground. ant
to reap his harvest, and 10 make hi
tl instruments Of war. and instruments o
his chariots. And he will take you
daughters TO be confsetIonaries. and {,
be cooks, aud TO be bakers. And he will
take your olive yards even the best o
them and give them to his servants
And he will take the tenth Of yolr seed
and Of your vineyards, and give to hi
officers and to his servants. And h,
will take your men servants, aud YOU
maid servants, and your goodliest young
men. and your asses aud put them To hi,
work. He will take the tenth of YOU
sheep, aud we shall be his servants
And ye shall cry out IN that day, be.
cause Of your king which ye shall have
chosen you; and the Lord will not hear
you in that day.-l Samuel, VIII Chapter
l0-lS perses
An explanation OF the circumstances un.
der which these words were uttered is nee
essary Samuel had been Judge Of Israel.
He had become too old for service, had re-
signed his Office and had put his two sons
in his place They were wild, dissolute.
reckless young men and the children Of
Israel did not like the exchange: They
came 10 Samuel and asked to have king
substituted in the place Of his sons. This
was proceeding which naturally was far
from satisfactory to Samuel. In great
trouble he went to the Lord to ask wha
he should do. And the Lord told him to
harken 10 the voice Of the people, but to
protest solemnly to them and shew them
what manner Of king they should have to
reign over them. These verses contain
Samuers description of the king which
they should have. He describes in this
passage wicked king and an evil gov
ernment. He portrays Saul's reign in
black characters that he may perchance
dissuade the people from their ambition TO
have king like the other nations. Now
what are the evil elements in this descrip
ton? What is il which was TO make Saul's
reign so unbearable2 There is no prophecy
ofmurder, of rapine, of malicious and bloody
prosecutions. The declaration is simply
that Saul should so reign as to make his peo-
pie his servants. The qualification Of his
own ambition, the enjoyment of his own
pleasures, the enrichment of his ow purse,
was to be the object of his reign and these
parposes he would use his people. This
is the picture, picture Of government
founded on fishness,-which God holds
up as an object OF terror and aversion to
tho children Of Israel. With the subsequent
ful6llment of this prophecy IN the reign of
Saul we have nothing to do this evening.
Ihave called your attention to this passage
merely because it describes very clearly
and simply Gods idea Of bad gov.
ernment. Its application we shall see
more clearly bye and bye.
An analysis of the questions which have
agitated governments aud overthrown
kingdoms will show principle underly-
ing them all. For agitations and revolu-
tions have been like earthquakes. All that
we can IS the rolling of the unsteady
earth and the sudden crashing ruin of gov
ernments which were always thought 10
be immovable in their. massive strength :
Now il has been in the South, now in the
North. now in the East, now in the West.
None apparently have been safe. But it
has been the same hidden fire far beneath
the earth's surface which has been the cause
Of almost all political revolutions and gov
ernmental convulsions.
Two antagonistic theories Of government
have been striving for q mastery IN The
world-the one aristocratic or despotic,
the other popoular or democratic.
The one theory is that upon which Saul's
government was based. ltis very distinctly
described ID our text. II divides the world
into two classes-the one an aristocratic
few privileged to rule-the other the mul-
tituds ordained oserve. IL makes govern
ment not subservient to the interests OF the
people, but a mere machine to enable the
strong TO gather larger need OF service
from the weak. In the hands Of this theory
the people are like flock Of sheep 10 the
hands of the shearer,. not TO be fed by theii
rulers but to be sheared OF their wool fol
their rulers enrichment. II makes little
difference whether the form Of government
be monarchical or oligarchical or aristo-
cratic. Wherever il is SO constituted tha
the people are made to serve and the ruler
to be served, Saups theory OF govcrnmen
is at it's foundation. This is the theory o
the divine right Of fk,pgs--that is the divin
right Of the ruler to fleece and the divin
duty of the people to submit 10 be heeced
This is the foundation stone Of most OF th
r6Fones of Europe and tits because the pee
ple are waking up to truer idea Of th
Office Of government that the Europea
thrones are crumbling into decay.
The other theory ,--the democratic
popular thsory Of government. lis directl
the reverse. This does not necessarily d
clare the right Of the people to rule. 1t d.
clarcs only that government. whatever
itsform, Is 10 be so administered as to emu
to the benefit Of the people-and OF all u
people. IL makes the rulers 10 be the 50
vaats--thc ruled 10 be the served. Th
theory Of government may underiic an
solute monarchy, q constitutional mon'
chy an oligsrchy or an aristoeracy-thou
far more likely 10 be found in pure q
mocracy. But the difference between tn
two elemental notions Of governmentis
at all n difference of form of organization
lis difference wholly in the PurP'
with which government sis organized a
the motive with which il is carried On.
The second theory is the Bible teach
concerning government. For although
Bible teaches nothing concerning the 4
of goverpment, it does teach coucern
-.sh vb,rh IA .hould ha