The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1899-05-19

home. The manner OF the speaker was
earnest, and the thought was SO much in
harmony with the time and the place
that It had telling effect. The text was
found Ct Sam II 1867 in David's question
| as he came down from his home in Beth
lehem and found the army of Israel In
fear because OF the insulting challenges
of Goliath, land who il this uncircun-
cised Philistine, that he should defy the
armies of the living God2' The speaker
said: 'sTbe pr ople laughed at David, the
boy from the country and added, s'Why
earnest thou down hither?" There was
cause for David's coming down. His
father had hidden him come and sent
him with some little things to comfort
the brethren. There was reason for
David's interest in the battle. He was q
child Of God and rested upon God to help
In the dangers of life. He could not
conceive how any one should thus defy
the living God. II others had had the
same heart interest in the battle as d.
vid Goliath long since would have been
slain. David's question, far from being
| a foolish remark, was a grand one. It
was not long before these haunting broth
ers were filled with delight at what this
boy from the country accomplished. We
are interested this morning in what we
shall have to call a country town. God
has put US where we are, and He is con-
stantly showing us that there are helps
to be gained in country living that can
be had nowhere else.
This passage elbows the chance for
making right convictions in country liv-
ing. Whether restless under the limita-
lions that you find in the country or
satisfied with it's life, this thing is true,
that there you have the chance to mould
right conviction, and right conviction is
what men much need to-day. Men
will tell you that the need CT
business life is principle; the
ship that has no rudder has
a poor chance for reaching the har-
Dor. When men talk about purpose
they mean conviction. A business man
may have certain good ideas about in
vesting his income, but unless these good
Ideas be convictions, what are they
worth? Your boy may have some good
Ideas about purpose in life; but if OF
the first suggestion of evil he let's them
go, OF what use are they? If conviction
is needed in business life, much more is
it needed in matters of religion. What
is mans honesty worth if at the first
hint of self-interest it disappears? There
must be convit ton in the truth il there i:
any conviction about the truth. TT
need Of life to-day in one word is coz.
science.
David came from his country home il
Bethlehem to this valley. 1t was plair
that battle was in planning. On one
side was the Philistlne host, On the Other
side the host of Israel. Every day TIT
lines were formed in battle array, every
day Israel turned their backs. David
interest was real one. His heart wa
: with the Hebrews, he looked for thei
success. His interest is not simply al
interest in a contest between the armies
= with him it is contest between righ
and wrong. To David sthe army o
Israel was the army of God. Israe
stood for the right, the army of the Phil
istines stood for everything he knew wal
} wrong. There was no doubt with hin
! on which aide he stood. What we neeC
in life to-day is conviction of right will
} God behind it ard conviction of wron,
, with God against it. Put that conviction
in life to-day and it shows what sort o
men are needed in public life. Coz
, stands behind politics. Because we for
: get this we grow so Indifferent as to wha
sort of men we put into office; because
? we have forgotten this we go oa so reck
t lessly. We buy and sell in the presence
, presence than in the market-place
, This conviction shows what kind of mel
and women we need in social life. Be
/ cause we forget that the Seventh Com
mandment comes from God as it cam
: from Mount Sinai we think purity
> mere conventionality. II we can per
suade ourselves that conviction is RICH
backed by God, then all parts of our lif
will feel the thrill OF this thought.
This incident teaches another thing
David's vigorous words might have com,
from the conviction that God was behint
the host of Israel, that the battle involved
the question of right and wrong; b,
thought more. he knew that right mus
triumph. We need not only the convic
ton of the divinity of right and wrong
but also the conviction that God lives ant
therefore the right must win. Living
things ale always victorious. A living
purpose must be always unfolding itself
God tells US that in the fullneas OF time
all things must be brought in subsection
to Jesus Christ. 1t is for man to-day
to find out on which aide he is and there
take his place. To do wrong for policy'f
sake is to bring man In the end into
defeat before his fellowmen. 1t ID
HARD SOMETIMES TO UPHOLD THR
RIGHT,
but God works through hardships.
What harder than for country boy to
stend against giant and conquer with a
slin2l And yet read the story. In the
country town there is the chance
lou get nowhere else for truth to
work itself down into feeling and