National Republican., 1883-02-05
nAnrn Ar l1rnRoN.

REV. pR. FAUSCE's LECTURE IL HIS Berries
or TALKS on "THE LANDS AND MEN OF
THE BIBLE"
At the L street Baptist church, Rev. Dr.
Faunce gave one of his series of evening
lectures ON "The Lands and the Men OF the
Bible" his subject being David at Hebron"
and his text Psalms lXxii, 90, "The Prayers
of David the Son of Jesse arc Ended" He
bron, one of the oldest cities in the world had
been celebrated for centuries as the abode OF
the patliarchs whiiC they lived, and as Afford
| ing six of the ancestors of the Hebrew nation
| n grave when they died. A few miles north
of the city was born a boy whose songs were
| to 30 the world round and the ages through;
| who in coming years should be celebrated as
! II musician and an athlete, as u successful
! general, and rs % hunted exile, rs man OF
! great piety. and then Of great sins and
| greater reprntances. until his life should be
crowned with the ripe glory of n serene trust
and an exalted joy. David's songs have
| locality and it is the vicinity of Hebron that
| gives him his figures, rs II is the variety OF
! his experience that gives him occasion for his
| songs.
ION largo maps, and on plans drawn upon
the blackboard, the speaker pointed ont the
! various places about Hebron connected with
| tho words and works of David
| David's life in the historical books of the
Bible is conf rmed aud illustrated by his songs.
These songs are J. the youthful songs ii, the
songs of the outlaw; Ill, the songs of the
kingdom. When young man, wandering
over the hills of Hebron his heart attuned to
Gods love and grace, all nature was vocal to
| him. He saw the physical world through the
lease of his own poetic soul and the spiritual
world through his own profound religious
feeling. So to-day, convert hearts see Gods
world as transhgured. The 10Th psalm, "The
Heavens are Telling" was read by the speaker.
The 29th psalm, called, The Thunderstorm
Psalm" was also given together with the 23d,
or shepherd Psalm" as examples Of Davids
youthful songs.
The second class of his songs-those of his
outlawry or eXilc-are psalms of trouble, con-
tiCt, and victory. lie sometimes struck q
chord deeper than he knew, and he voices the
sorrows OF Calvary and the joy of Christs
resurrection. Only as we see him III u strug-
gle where he is daily hunted down, and either
his foes must perish or himself, do we see the
reason for the imprccatory psalms. His
enemies were desperately wicked men, VINO
hated his religion and his God.
The third class of his songs are those sung
, after he gained the kingdom. The wonder
ful eighteenth psalm was given rs the first OF
these. Temple songs Sabbath songs, ami
vcrsury songs, are scattered through his reign
nj Hebron and at Jerusalem. But his most
celebrated song, the flty-third psalm, is the
moan and sob of penitent heart. know
what men say about David's sin. But want
YOU to- see Davids pcnitcncc. | praise hin
for his contritiOn so lowly, so sincere, goinl
: down to the core of his nature, and rising III
to his God. l honor him more for his peni
tence than for any other virtue he ever dis
|, played in all his long life. elsa better maj
, than those who never had any of his peni
tencc. His generous heart, his tender con
, science, his ycarning for inward purity in al
, coming years were things unknown to us hat
, we not known of his sin. lie is the grca
; pcnitent of the world, leading in the magnili
q cence of his borrowings the great host of con
trite souls.
/ At length, forgiven of God and by and by o
! men, he emerges into pcty which has pc
: culiar luster He sings less about himsel
= and more about his God. The latter psalm
! are lust sunbursts of sacred gladncss. The.
= pant, and glow, and quiver with exalted emo
~ tion. LET everything that hath breatl
praise the Lord" Praise ye the Lord"
, was the song of the dying swan sweetest Il
. death, and so, one day, the Tyre dropped fror
:. the hand that had swept its strings so Ion
:. and so we'll, and the psalms of David, son c
Jesse, were ended Ended? No, not endet
~ They go singing on, these songs of faith an
- hope, reverberating through the ages; and on
~ earthly practice is but preparatory to tn
/, ~ choral harmonics of heaven. Have you syn
i pathy with these songs? Do they find yO
,s at your depths and express your experience