Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-12-10
THE LIFE OF AVID.
OUR REGULAR suSpA1 sfRao, +.
An Account of the Retd of'tn
Psalm st From She erd &c
Throne.

| An Account OF lDs Ns1u of
Psalm st From She erd &c
Throne.
p.p1s-The Rev. DR.. Edwa B. Thur
her preached a sermon IN hAme1can
church here which has attrac0 conpael-
able attention. His suDJect MawaY -
Tho teyt was taken from lhroricles
1nG MThm saith the Lord Hosts, 1
toa. fbee from the sheepcote, en from
f folio the sheep. that thou a1,dst be
ruler over My people Israel. +. Ihur-
Der said:
in bethlehem to the throne IN lnsaem.
The contrast between the sneld poy
and the King Of Israel Is n otle mar
veis which human history presen us. It
ia certain that 10 one is abe bridge
s,,oI, distances without the intervtion of
sss;st;ng conditions and forces There
m"st he acting factors in the Tiff the
nreat results are secured. A man comes
= debtor to SO much, to his envirment,
20 favoring conditions, to friendly ancies,
and sometimes to seemingly adv@ cir
c1mstances. His own powers aretimu-
lated. directed and assisted toWa the
GOOD that is to be reached.
The American Revolution had ome-
thing to do in advancing ,WashinA to
his position in history. MS early (uca-
tion. his ancestry. his religious fee,i1 the
neop,e among whom his lot was c~astkere
al factors in his career. The FrencRev-
o'ution was the great opportunity tich
the GENUS of Napoleon could seize an9til-
ize. Marv a man fails to come %conicu-
ously to the front because the timeare
not ripe for a dramatic career.
The wise man studies and undershds
how VARYING factors may be made tohn-
tribute to his progress ard welfare. He
comes to know how much depends lon
the interest and services of one whoIhe
NAV seek and serve, and who may ek
ard serve him.
David's . e soul cared a multitudof
AGENCIES into service, for his career la
their employment made his history nd
bic. and gave to it that peculiar co.or III
variety which charm us.
The stars smoke to him. and thro}h
him they speak to rs, as his thought n
fee. 'nes are renorted in the music of l.
'a'ms. which have been such a so'ace II
.lnspirat'on to m%ultitndes since his tiK
The feds. flowers and forests. the streaE
n scenes of nature, bird and beast. hi
their rart in the noetry he fe't and l.
pressed IN a literature that will last B
Q as %'a,neuaee endrres. His friendship,
that lde' one with Jonathan, his %assocl-
lions with all classes ard conditions II
men: rive us a unique and Interesting nd
.so-a'ity. Fl
Won cannot understand David 49,; vd i
take into co,s;derat;on the ,ature of IL
tendencies within hi~,. and measure III
decree. of the. ~xin1uences which entered
into the for alton of his character AMI
career. lore is a l"r~e mixture of CO..
and contradic'ing tendencies !,
nm. These are manifested through II,
We .sv0 Nf hIo ororff,1 l:4.r. ~
q CITY that is being builded. The origira
low. marshv r'aces must be drained ans
ned IN. rourh naths rnret give mace t.
well na~ed streets. rude huts viii be 81,
perseded bv well CONSTRUCTED houses. pa
aces and pubic buildings: the crude ar,
1nart'stic will be ~ren'aced bv the work o
architects ard artists. before the city car
become hcautifp' and hea'thfui.
th anro rr;n all all the nericd of corstructio.
co,trad'rt;ons that ~ar and nua'ifr the
p'orv Of the citv. There are two things
tat would be annarent tt a candid cmt:c:
that progress is bei-~ made. and that(the
,ss'e OF endeavor viii be sure and salts
co Idfhjs 81 Go Dtvldt ii a nreffff'Atass Ioook - &c yo me
features which come before us c~onsocu-
we will judge him severely; if We
lcok at others we will say how admirable!
and at the same time we will perceive th,t
his way is onward from the s%heepcote p
the throne. At times David is as humbA
as a child that fees his weakness ant
need, and yet stands before his father, thai
he may be taught and led, and again he i
his superior. He urho,ds truth and right
BUSINESS as essentia, to manhood, and the1
under the influence of fear he deceive
King Achish, who has befriended him. III,
shows a wonderful spirit of forbearanc'
and forgiveness toward his enemy, San]
and then he puts his friend Uriah to thu
peril of certain death. His love for iona
yields himself to degrading loves. 81
needed to be taken out of these condition
OF ,s~elhsaness, sensua 'itv, pride and tn
evil Ct a wrorc life, if he was to- becom
"a ran after Gods own heart"
We would miss al, however, unless W
knew about the SOVEREIGN influence whicl
%Iervaded. arranged, employed and directe'
into ard contributed toward David's ca
reer. Without this DOMINATING inAuenc
Jerusalem would have been relate
with Bethlehem. We must also. remembe
That the %frnition of a great character wou!
have been imnossib'e without the presenc
Of God. While all this is true we mus
bear in mind even the divine power di
AACS SOttl ouICC CIC ClOlCc VI OdVlu OF 1O"C
his vo',1ntary action. God dealt with hin
as a free and intelligent soul. He w
called te enter into partnership with Coz
ard ne in turn PRAYED that God would I
with him. He cried out for the living Coz
as the thirsty land cries ont for the IF
giving water, that it may blossom as II
rose and rejoice in the beauty and bount
Of fru;tfulness.
1t is with such an INTERPRETATION an
qualification that we listered to-. and u,
derstand. what is intended when God
represented as saying, "I took thee fro,
the sheeocote. even from following y
sheer that thou shorldst be ruler over NJ
peop'e !s.ae!." God entered into and i
terested Himself in David's lite. even
He in our lives. God directed an
utilized circumstances, made use of eny
ro1r'ent, employed the stars that smoke
Davld>s soul, was in the blue skv Of Ps
estlne. and amid the clouds that at tim
rsrkened the heavens and pervaded wit
HIS and power all the forms
nature in Bethlehem that spoke so insn;
lr"'v to the soul of the u man. (S1
ut..l.ed the strength of BODY and soul, e.
| p wins al the powers and faculties AZ
onportunities in the interests of his nr
gress. He made use of discipline. d;sa
polntmerts and apparent failures. Of i
SINS ard errors; in no way condo,i,
them, bit with a purpose to make the
serve Him and work for David's prom
ton. A
life tales on larger meaning. and tA
/ Nra1lnp fS hotter understood .rb,~ ~