Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-10-30
"A GREAT VICTORY"
Sunday Discourse by Dr.. Chapman, the
Noted Pastor Evangelist.
The Souls Deep Longing After God-Faitb
Will Conquer In the Eld-God Is Our
Strength and Life.

!
bur Chapman has furnished to the press a
host striking and popular sermon which
| IS intended for all those who would rise to
better things. 1t is entitled "a Great
Victory" and is preached from the texts:
AS the hart panteth after, the, water
brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, y
| God" Psalm ~: |. Hope in God, for [
shall yet praise Him who is the health OF
my countenance." Psalm 43: s.
The first verse is lamentaton in the
wilderness, the second is shout OF re-
jocing when victory is won. The terri
tory stretching out from the wilderness in
the one text to the presence of God in the
other is not only the story OF the expe'
riencc of David but Of the most of Chris
tians. My message last week was to those
who occasionally fall under juniper trees
and want to die; here it is to all who
would rise to better things.
The Psalms are divided into five books,
and the ancient Rabbns say in these five
books in the psater we have the image OF
the five books OF the law, or in other
words kind of a second pentateuch the
echo of the first. In the first God speaks
and in the second the voice of the people
| law. and grateful Israel responds with
shout of praise. These two Psalms form
the first division Of the second book.
They are dedicated to the master must
clans or the sons of Horah. They were
the celebrated musicians and singers OF
the day; they were in Davids time the
keepers of the threshold of the tabernacle,
and still earlier in the time of Moses they
were watchmcn at the entrance OF the
camp of the Lcvites; they were part of
that band that acknowledged David as
leader at Xklag; they were warriors with
iaccs like lions. and who for speed were
like gaZeiles on the mountains.
Mr.. Spurgeon says that although David
is not mentioned as the author of these
psalms they must be his. for the truth il
80 like HIM /, has the character OF his
every letter. had sooner question the
authorship of Bunyans second part OF the
"pgrim's Progress than to question Da-
vld's right to these psalms. Whoever
wrote thcm has given name to the souls
deep longing after God and made sigh
mcodi0u> thing.
There are three divisions in the psalm.
each c.oS,ng with the refrain, why art
thou cast down. o my soul!' The whole
psalm is ia" picture OF a soul climbing
C0dward. not without backward sips.
bat climbing nevertheless, until the sigh
ol the first text gives way TO the shout OF
the second. Perhaps the singer during his
exile on the eastern side OF Jordan had
seen some gentle creature with open mouth
and hcaving TANKS eagerly seeking water
in tha dry rIver bed. aud he saw II this "A
picture OF hims9'f The who,e psalm Is
Ike what We 1--WE seen OF some cary
spring day. when the sun was warm, the
sky h'uc. the trrcs ready TO burst into bud
Rad the birds were Singing, but ON.N tor
day. thea tn, 2'olds returned, the at
mo>rh"rc was chilled the binds are a
stil!ci aud tar sln was under a cloud.
Viewed in one way It Is pa I'm OF gloom,
~ another way II is psalm OF cory.
StrcakS OF brightness are ever flashing
through tn" g!oom. FIRST there il sigh
as of a breaking heart. then comes word
of hope ike rainbow spanning the water.
fall; once aIaIn the contcndlng enemies
meet a in vcrfc, . and 10, but finally
above ii all cones the refrain without a
romp,aInt II shall yet praise Hum who is
t." health of my copntcnanre
There are certain expressions most strik.
ing Ia thr pam. Three times does David
say "Why ant thou cast down, O my
sou,t' ~ though no were tw, men. The
r,a,mi-t talks t. hImteN .'ohn Trapp
says It - David ending David on OF the
dump,, 10 search for the cause of orrow
i. Often the bc>t surgery ior grief. IN
verse notice tn" words. "'lhc Lord viii
c'wnwad Ills loving kindness in tn" day
time NJ BAY la, ever Gawncd IN which
an he" o. grace could be utterly forsakcn
~ t'' SAM verse We ltliI I'll we HlsHl
lts .oaa shall be with ne" Affection
loay rU, ont our light at times, but if i
Goes r"t silence oar song the LIGHT VIII
come a,alH Verse 3. psalm T.. send out
Thy lcht and TRUTH Those are like an
gels to guide han to the object OF his af
fec,one. bat finally above all sounds the
notc u victory, Hope thou IN God. THIS
is ike thu singing OF Paul and Slas, il
loose. chains. shakes the prison walls and
. !. f,..,
toned IN this palm were used frequently
hv Christ. hou" and faith. Faith tells Ne
What Chr. { h ioac; hone tells Us what
lic will do, and hope is Ike the sun as we
Journey toward It: our burden ia cast
back Of us FAITH may have many
struggle with fear bat II will conquer IN
the end. These two psalms are really one;
the.e l. a constant unfolding of eXpc.
iic".c ald rising to q higher appreciation
oI Cod and ~ faith acquires more strength
vow win notice that no; only David but
ourselves come 10 think Of God in differ.
emf way and address HIM in NOR" cndrar.
ma terms. There Is no better illustration
OF this than these two psalms.
go cod" Dcharred from public wor-
ship DAVID Is heart sick. lie is not seek.
ing ease he needs God. He is not after
comiult but ike a traveller whose water
hottie Is empty and vino finds the well
dry, 50 he must have God or he Will faint.
When 1t Is a. natural for lis to long for
God as for an animal TO thirst, it is well
with cur sous 20 God we hear him
saying. 1t Is rs ii he can scarcely breathe
for tn r$t. He does not know Just what
h" j. needing or lust how God would re.
veal Himself to hun. but he must have God.
Al unrest or thirst or outgoing of desire
are but the reaching out of the soul after
God. We shall be satisfied only when we
lind Him.
"Tnc Living God" Ny soul thrsteth
advance upon the first expression, and this
IS Lehoyah's name of power, Ancient
Israel was accustomed to use it before
every Victory since it Is higher than 20
God,' In the first cry We naturally find
1t followed with a shout of victory, Il
shall yet praise Him Hunger and thirst
are Gods Instruments TO call us to Him
seJ. When the prodgal was an hun.
Fercl he said. II will arise" 1t is pic
ture of orc who has tried other things in
the world, pleasure, wealth. honor and
thea cries out. 20 for the living Cod
But thirst j. better than hunger; you may
raiijatc hunger but thirst is a perpetual
appetite. The next best thing to being in
the light Of Gods love is to be unhappy
until Won have IT. he l. the living God
because lie has life in Himself and because
lie bcstows that life to others.
Ill.
90 my Cod Appropriation comes
next, and once 1t il taken it is never
dropped. Ee says; God Of, my life, and
God my rock There are five 'mys" in
the forty,,thlrd psalm, my cause, my
God You n,vcr really appreciate God
until you begin to apply Him to your life:
and lie will be to you Just what you wish.
lie is like locked caslset filled with jew.
els You may have such casket in your
possession. Only the key unlocking it
po.session. Tbis pos s pronoun is the
key in this case. my God md when
nuce Won have unnamed Il nnlhlnn can