The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-07-09

and talk Hike braggartw Listen;
let me read you the literal words:
"And IEliab's anger was kindled
against David and he said, Why
earnest thou down hither, and with
whom hast thou left those few sheep
In the wilderness? l know thy pride
and the naughtiness of thy heart; for
thou art come down that thou highest
see the battle" Thus young David
had to struggle to get his foothold In
life. Has not King David right to
come to our young folks, battling and
struggling TO get foothold in life,
and say: Young people, l know
your trials. l know how hard 1t Is
to make the world recognize your
powers. But struggle on. God will
see you through. The darkness and
despair are sure to be followed by the
sunrise of triumph. Weeping may en-
dure for a night. but joy cometh in the
morning. Yes, young folks, keep on In
your struggles; all will yet be we'll"
David's Second Goliath.
But today David comes to bring us
gospel comfort which he has found
In the crises Of his palace as well as
In the trials and misrepresentation
and struggles of his early life. When
David was mature, well developed
man, with the kingly crown upon his
head and the royal purple robes about
his shoulders, he had Goliath to
fight more formidable than the one he
encountered when he was a rugged
faced shepherd boy. And when David
met this second Goliath he became not
the conq)ieror, but the conquered, And
yet today, as Il repentant libertine and
murderer, he comes to us and says:
Friend. your earthly success may
have been the means Of destroying
your spiritual life. But Christ can
save you yet. for he has saved me, the
chief of sinners" Has your expert
ence, successful man, been that Of
King David? With kingly crown
upon your head and with royal purple
about your shoulders, have you never
been compelled to shed repentant tears
over some spiritual fall, some mean.
disgraccful thing you have done under
strong temptation?
The material conflicts of Il noble
youth cannot be compared to the spir
itual struggles of the human heart
when facing some terrible sin Of mid
die life. Some time ago I saw In the
home Of one of my elders most sug
gestive picture. Its subject was
s.TN 7 I,lf I,, <l,n
ground of that picture is the bright
sunshine Of the noontide, A young
woman, with baby In her arms and
sturdy child of five summers tug
cling at lr,r skirts. has brought n well
filled lunch basket to her young hus-
band working as day laborer. He Is
a magnificent specimen of Il man.
With his Astounding health and laugh
Ing face he seems to say: Life Is
battle. but my bare arm is strong
enough to fight It, Life has its bur
dens, but my shoulders are broad
enough to carry them" There he
stands, holding out his hands to take
the baby from her mothers arms. Life
may be struggle. but II triumphant
Joy was ever pictured In a mans face
and in a wOman's bearing and In her
child's smile 1t Is to be found in the
foreground of that picture.
A Significant Picture.
But hardly has your eye studied the
four happy figures in the foreground
than you look into the background OF
the picture There under the trees
shadow in beautiful garden stands a
young woman in widows weeds. She
has an open book In her hand which
she Is listlessly carrying She has been
walking, but her mind Is far away
with the dead. Suddenly she turns
and catches a glimpse OF that happy
family group. II her sad, mournful
eyes and pathetic face mean nything.
they seem to say: "Oh, II l could
only give up my money and my home
and my diamonds and my wealth and
have my dear ones to love like that.
o God, can l ever be as once was"
So some of us seem to be walking
amid the gardens Of our temporal pros
perities. But we are not studying the
pictures upon our Wills OF tne gran
deur of our homes We are looking
at the spiritual wrecks Of our past
lives. Like David, we see our heinous
sin rising up before us. We are say.
ing, 20 God, that l might live my
life over again and he as once was!'
But no sooner do our repentant tears
begin to fall than David the libertine,
David the murderer, comes to us and
says: Friend. Christ will forgive you
your sins as he has forgiven me my
sins If you will only threw yourself
upon his mercy. Weeping may endure
for night. but joy coneth in the
morning." Will you believe it, sinner?
Amid the complete destruction of your
spiritual life will you believe 1t and
throw yourself upon the mercy of a
pardoning Christ?
But David comes In his old age, rs
broken hearted father, to bring to us
gospel comfort. just as he once came
as young man and as middle aged