The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-05-24

good Gospel hymn and it would take
the whole world for God!
But when in my text / see Saul de-
clining this medicine of rhythm ana ca
dence and actually hurting javelin at
the heart of David the harpist, l be-
think myself of the fact that sin would
like to kill sacred music. We are not
told what tune David was playing on
the harp that day, but from the char
acter of the man we know it was not a
crazy madrigal or a senseless ditty or
sweep of strings suggestive of the mel
odrama, but elevated music, God-given
music, inspired music, religious music,
whole heaven of it encamped under a
harp string. No wonder that wicked
Saul hated it and could not abide the
sound, and with all his might hurled an
instrument of death at it.
know there are styles Of music that
sin admires, and you hear it as you
pass the casino or the dance hall, ant
the devil has stolen most of the fiddles,
though I am glad the Ole Bulls have
snatched up the charmed strings from
their dissertation; but it is fact that
sin has javelin for sacred sounds. In
many churches the javelin of criticism
has killed the music-javelin flung from
organ loft or adjoining pew of the SUI
persensitive. Saul's javelin aimed at
David's harp. Thousands of people
so afraid they will not sing scientific
ally they will not sing at all, or sing
with such low tone that no one
hears them. In many a church the
javelin of criticism has crippled the
harp of worship. If Satan could silence
all the Sunday-school songs and the
hymns of Christian worship he would
gain his greatest achievement.
When the millennial song shall rise
land it is being made ready there will
be such roll of voices, such a con,
certed power of stringed and wind in
struments, such majesty, such unanim.
ity, such continental hemisphere and
planetary reclamation, that it will be
impossible to know where earth stops
and Heaven begins. Roll on, roll in,
roll up, thou millennial harmony!
See also in my subjectGa rejected op'
portunity for revenge. Why did not
David pick up Saul's javeliH and hurl
it back again? David had a skSlfful arm
He demonstrated on another occasion
he could WELD sling, and he could
have easily picked up that javelin
aimed it at Saul, the would-be assassin,
and left the foaming and demented
monster as lifeless under the iavelin as
he had left Goliah under sling Oh,
David now is your chance. No, no.
Men and women with power of tongue
or pen or hand to reply to an embit.
tered antagonist better initiate David,
and let the javelin lie at your feet and
keep the harp in your hand. Do not
strike back Do not play the game OF
tit-for-tat. Gibbon in his history tells Of
Bajazet, the great Moslem general
who was brought captive to the tent
of Timur. He had attempted the mas
sacre of Timur and his men. Timul
said to him: Had you vanquished u,
am not ignorant of the fate which
you reserved for myself and my troops
but | disdain to retaliate. Your life
and honor are secure, and shall ex
press my gratitude to God by my elem
ency to man." Beautiful! Revenge or
Christians tongue or pen or hand il
inapt and more damage to the one
who employs it than the one against
whom it is employed. What! A javeli1
hurled at you and fallen at your feet
and you not hurl it back again? Yes
have tried the plan.
See also in my subject that the fac
that a man sometimes lodges is no
against his courage. My text says thai
when Saul assailed him, David avoid
ed out of his presence twice." that is
when the javelin was flung, he stepped
out of its direction, or bent this way o.
that, in other words, he lodged.
But all those who have read the lif,
of David know that he was not lacking
in prowess. David had faults. bu
cowardice was not one of them. Whe,
David, who was, guess, about four fee
and half high, went out to meet tn,
giant, who was, l guess, about tel
feet high, it was big undertaking
and the inequalities of the struggl,
were so great that it struck the giant
idea of the ludicrous, and he suggested
to the little fellow that he would MAX,
fine dinner for buzzard or iackal
Come to me and l will give thy flesl
unto the fowls of the air and to tn,
beasts of the field" When David wen
out to meet that giant and eonquere,
him, he demonstrated, as he did OF
other occasions, his courage. But an
so glad that when Saul flung that jave
lin, David lodged it, or the chief worl
of his life would never have been done
What a lesson this is to those who q
into useless danger and expose thei
: lives or their regulations or their use
fulness unnecessarily. When duty de
mands go ahead, though all earth an
hell oppose. Bulge not one inch iron
the right position. But when nothing
: is involved, step back or step aside
Why stand in the way of perils tina
you can avoid? Go not into quixoti
battles to fight wind mills. You viii
DO of more use to the world and to tn
church as an active Christian man thai
as target for javelins There ar
Christi ans always in fight, If the
go into churches they fight there. |
they go into presbyteries or conference
or conscientious they fight there. NJ
) advice to you is, if nothing is to b
gained for God or the truth stand on
of the way of the javelins. l. Samue
xviii, IL: David avoided out of h,