The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-06
TRAGIC ENDING
OF GREAT LIFE
Rev. Benjamin Young Discourses on
Failures of Saul.
DEFECTS IN HIS CHARACTER
Lessons TO BE DRAWN FROM THE
DEATH OF IsRAEL'S KING.

Rev Benjami Dung preached last
night in the First Methodist church
the third sermon in the series TO young
men entitled The Tragedy of Failure. "
His text was from Samuel, XXI. 3-4-5;
And the battle went sore against Saul
And when his armor bearer
sew that Saul was dead he fell likewise
upon his sword and died likewise with
him." He said in part:
This is the record of the tragic end
ing of a great life. Saul is leaning
heavily upon his spear. the death CLEAN
is in his eye, for he has inflicted upon
himself a mortal wound by falling
upon his sword At first sight there
seems to be something heroic in this
final rally of the king. There is a sort
of heroic hOpelessness, but the whole
scene is suggestive of failure and de-
spair. The picture is painted in SOM
bre cOlors; the storm Of battle has
been terrific; the surroundings harmon
:ze with the central figure of the trag-
edy. the royal leader is defeated: Saul
is dead In this defeat on the battle
field Of GiIboa there are some pointed
lessons for us.
Two reasons make biographical study
interesting. II furnishes the heroic to
stir US to emulation. or it gives us that
which warns of disaster. Saul started
cut well He was the choice of the
PEOPLE He was of fine personal ap-
pearance. There was not a man in all
Israel who could equal him in strength.
The prophet had pronounced blessings
upon his head. Yet with all personal
advantages his life was a conspicuous
failure. and eliminated in self destruc-
ton. In all biography it would be diff
1icult TO find a life which spells failure
in such large letters.
Reason For the Failure.
one reason for his failure was that
1t was VaCillating in character. 1t is
hard for such an one to win success.
You may straddle fence, but every
body has contempt for fence rider.
Weather cocks have their places on
steeples, but may the good Lord deliver
us from the religious or political wea-
thercock- The man of this age must
think and have convictions. You can
not serve two masters. The man who
will stick can win out in almost any
line of human activity. You may sue
coed if you ride one horse, but if you
attempt to ride four or five horses
Tor the delectation of your friends you
will stand good chance of breaking
your neck. Have decision; do not vac
iliate.
Saul also failed in taking advantage
the Sfbylline books teach that oppor-
tunities rise in price and diminish in
Lumber every time we neglect to avail
ourselves of them. This is true in hui
man experience. Make the OppOrtun-
ity.
Sauls cUpidity and love of display
caused him to err. This was the sin
of that age. We know something about
II today. To be possessed of an inordi-
nate desire for gain is not helpful to
moral health. 1t is dangerous to graf
lily the passion for display 1t is we'll
TO be nicely clad. but it will be far more
Profitable to spend sUrplussage on men
Ia furnishing rather than to spend il
Tor beaver or to accentuate the color
Ct your necktie. The cut and the color
% your waistcoat is not so important
as the pattern of your brains. I DO
not mean that you shall go about look
iHs like Rip Van Wrinkle, but I mean
that you shall be stronger than the
mere dictates of fashion.
Envy Is Foul Bird.
The passion for display is fatal to
strength of character. Envy played an
important part in this failure. This Is
seen in SauTs dealings with David. He
was very mad when the people sung
the praises of the slayer of Goliath.
Envy is a foul bird in the nest of a
human heart. Some of the dark mar
T2tives in American history are read
today because men have given place
III their souls for envy. 1t will make
the heart bitter. and thus incapacitate
YOU If your friend should slay some
giant wish him well and bid him God
speed to greater victories.
Finally Saul acted as though he could
violate the law of God with impunftv.
il is pathetic to see him in the gather
ing gloom Fastening to the witch TO
ciVine the outcome of the battle Here
the crown had already fallen from his
brow The way of the transgressor is
hard This is made plain i'm this
tragedy. Law hedges US about; to dis
obey means ruin. A sad feature in this
Ptory IS that the death of the king
brought about the death of Jonathan.
MS SON one failure causes another.
one life brings down another life. |
read after the name of Saul. Failed"
/ read this of a company or of a bust
EeSS. or of home or of character
il means wasted lives, blasted hopes.
thwarted ambition. enacted tragedy. 1t
* bad here: II will be worse yonder
Young man, God meant you for a
large place. Give him a chance i'm the
bioSsOming time of life. Put him not
away from you ia the period of matur-
ing powers. Go not to the final strug-
Eics with the curse upon YOU because
YOU have consulted familiar spirits. and
YOU know not the spirit of the divine.
Go not out into the stormy night like
cid mad Lear breathing defiance at the
elements. or like Saul on the bloody
field of Gilboa TO be caught up in the
fell sweep Of disaster, but go with pur-
pose and heart in conformity with
Gods good laws to build a habitation
v hich shall stand in the crises of eter-
nifty.