The Helena independent., 1893-07-03
THE SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE
A Profound Discourse BY Rev.
schoppe, Of the congregs-
tional Church.
More Enduring Temples OF Life
Como Out OF Wrecks ct
tho Past.
Dav,d,s I.ifs History thu Trusst Emblsn
or MANS Moral Progress Here
JI0low.

below.
At the Congregational church yesterday
morning the pastor. Rev. W. g. Hchoppe.
took for his text from Palms 5l12. 10.
''Rsstorc unto mo the Joy Of the salvation
and uphold mo by thy fres spirit. then will
teach trnnsaressors thy ways snd sinners
shalt be converted unto thes." II isa cry
from. tho depths. he snid,. Lifs's promise
10 in life's failure. The souls wealth y N
sss want. The paradox may hold that -
step backward is : step forward. Inc
saddess thing tho eye can see 10 human
soul swept back from tho harhor By the
tumult OF life's sea, driven from its chosen
course by tids and storm that hscds no sup.
pliostion, stops fer no prayers. and -
apparently wrecked with al its frsightaRs
OF hopes far fom the peaceful port. All
this turns to finest eloquencs OF prophecy
in la, 20 musings OF the philoso!hi poet.
Browning.
For thence-a paradox @ @
Which comforts hile 1t mocks.
Shall life succeed in that 1t seems to faal.
such is the instability OF human life. A
man after Gods own hcnrt" stumbles and
falls. His yet sensitive soul Ia torn BY the
ready scorn OF the world. He turns TO God
and builds on tho wreck OF former self q
truer, deeper, humber life. He ''succeeds
in that hs seems to fail" Consider David's :
gseatness. II might hnve begun In the far
OFT generations. Holmes said: "Ths child's
education should begin four centuries be-
fore il is born" The best results Of for
~ ANA n
the accumulated experiences and struggles
OF formor ages. with an added impetus OF
its own. man through his own person
nifty introduces something fiesh and oTigi-
nal into the world, while in part hs 10 I
product Of former ages. The vital forss Of
n system is seen in the great men u has
structure 10 Judaism. In it, dawn and
D ogress the face Of God IL seen. In mod
ein times its glory has not departed. Its
Mosaic 9onius for government llngers ID
Lasker, GambettA or BeRconsheld. The
consupmatc flower Of its mental ahrswd-
ness, its Jacob-like trading tendency, It's
unconqnerable tenacity has unfolded In
the Rothschllds. The German poet Heino
tenderly uttered the Hebrew soul, while tho
musician Mend dessohn has expressed the
divine harmony.
The finest ancient exponent of this
of Davi,i. Back OF his fair looks there 10
something the pencil cannot paint. The
historian can only say "the Lord was with
him" But it charmed away the turbulent
spirit Of Saul-held in submission the crude
mob who followed him into the wilderness
united in lasting friendship the genel ous
soul OF Johnathnn. He was . valiant war
rior from his outh-not hero wanting In
the finer sensibilities of human nature. but
nliye ii the tone Of his friendahip. loyalty
to his being. generosity to his followels.
When wounded in battle three OF his
=line md carried of q little water from the
spring. He refused to drink. Their
bravery had made il sacred, He poured II
out before the Lord. Above all these stood
his delicate sensibility toward the God Of
his fathers. His soul reached out in atfec-
visible. ! his was his master trait.
His personal qualities reflected the spIen-
dor OF God. The historian looked into his
face and said. "the Lord was with him"
His musical genius was TRANSPORTED by a
spirit from above; he sang of repentence
and faith as naturally MS Burns sings Of
lovo The splendid but modest heroism
shown In the great battle with the giant
Goliath was in the deep conviction that he
stood with God and for God; that the
deepest things in life are God and duty.
md, God will defend the right. Hence he
ia willing to fight the battles Of life aRainst
any odds. This spirit. simple, irresistible.
has never failed in the world. but he re-
jects Saul's armor; he must not be dazzlsd
hy the customary and powerful looking.
He must RELY on his own Judgment, act in
his own way, be loyal to himself. This is
ono Of the rare Qualities of human nature.
.'To thine own self be tfue." Amid ths
is admirable to hear him say, ''lhe Lord
will deliver thee into mine hand. that Ill
the earth may know that there ia q
God in Israeli" The rehabilitation OF God
enobled his every quality. Against any
odds he was ready to stake all on the assur-
ance that the living God was faithful and
true. that nothing could prevail against
him. On this rock he built, ana dark and
errnQ as he often was. il made him the
fnest pattern Of ancient life, the trusst
prophesy OF the coming being. The best
natural gifts often seem ugly with selfish
Put by his side the Renius Of Napoleon,
with matchless facility and power. armed
with tho natural fo oes of Europe, welding
world-dlviding kingdom with ease. yet
who but boyish natures admire the man.
There was no God in him nor before his
Dyes. 4ttI.4
Take ono OF earth's favorites- the poet OF
beauty. of romantic imaginntion-Byron
His heart mastered no evil spirits; its
tones were never ''nir, from heaven" He
dazzled many minds with his beauty and
genius and eily. s}ltish woes. Bnt he
quite wanted that urllfting influsnce that
was rich in David's lisc. There ia nothing
permansnt or truly oreat in tho human soul
in any age. under Hebrew light or Chris
tian inspil a.ion. that has not David's SON.
sibility to God. II have set the Lord be-
fore me; because hs is Mt my right hand I
shall nos be moved. "Cnst me not away
from thy presence" IT, trust in that love,
which will, like tho sea waves. wash ali
stains away-that spirit is the redemption
of souls, that spirit makes a David. With
til, dominant quality. sensitivaness to-
ward God, in mind, We NAV consider the
dark side of his character. Forths remain
der of his life he lived under the scorn
of many people. hut you cannot justly
look at any man through contemporary
eyes. Tho stern wrath--ready to condemn n
may be reused by the good and holy in
his life. The world has had fres for the
saints of all ages. dungeons for tho friends
OF liberty. poison Tor Socrates and a cross
for Jesus Christ Only beyond the expanse
of oceans, or across the rolling yenrs. onn
the broad, true outline of e eat man bo
seen. 1t is not necessary to the happiness
of the countless dead, but essential to our
own balance of character that our Judgment
lie cor cot. He lived in tho dawning day
Under the present meridian light, the same
sense of God would be impossible with the
same crimes. He was q Bplendid statue,
half hewn. One side seems divine, as Of n