The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-12
A Life as a Plan.

It was a sudden and complete
change which came into the life or
David. From being hunted exile.
man with a price upon his mead. he
found himself, upon the news
of Sauls death, as successor to a
crown. He had been anointed by
Samuel as Israefs future king; ne
knew also that the hearts of his own
him. In an unexpected access of great
fortune character reveals itself. Many
a young man has 'lost his head in
these circumstances. But not David,
He regarded his life as a plan of God.
He had learned the great lesson that
it is better to find out the Lords will
than to rely upon ones own scheming.
He that believeth shall not make
HASTE so the first step taken by the
prospective king was to inquire OF Je-
hovah what he should do.
There is deal OF foolish TAX
about the modesty of genius: yet there
never was a great man ignorant of his
own powers. Else how could he use
them? The genius knows his skill
long before the world discovers it,
David knew himself to be of king
caliber. He had measured himself
with Saul, and had demonstrated his
own superiority. His experiences in
the wilderness had convinced him, as
well as others, that he was competent
to rule. In the confidence of this
vision and faith ne could await Gods
hour for his clock of destiny to strike.
He hae entered into the patience of
the Lord
The Maenanimity of the Mighty.
David's ability to wait was no more
a sign of his inherent greatness than
was his magnanimity. A small man
simply cannot be magnanimous. The
spirit of petty vindictiveness, of brood
ing over fancied or real Sights and
wrongs. is a hallmark of littleness of
I,Sc a1--f onf Of 11n pnTry
king, after he had moved to Hebron,
by divine direction, and had been
anointed king by the men of Judah,
was to show his appreciation for the
bravery of the men of Jabesh- Gilead
who had rescued from the Philistines
the bodies of Saul and his sons. The
eulogy Of David was sort of Victoria
Cross to be proudly borne.
In thus honoring SauPS friends, and
in his summary punishment of the
slayers of SauI's son Ishbosheth (who
succeeded to the sovereignty of the
his public mourning for Abner, the
crafty general over the forces of Saul
and his son, David proved the mould
in which he was cast, A public man
must have large capacity for forgive
ness. There can be no room in his life
for private vengeance and spite. 1t
is noticeable that the smaller and
more provincial and ignorant COM
munity the greater the number of
petty quarrels and jealousies and
neighborhood feuds. Magnanimity is
mark of the mighty.
The School That Graduates Kings.
A peculiar quality of this western
continent is it's genius for producing
self made men. Two empires have
been established in North America
within little more than a hundred
years; and, greater yet, two nations of
imperial men. strong, self-reliant and
resolute, have been created. In the
process of forming the state. the peo-
pie have themselves won to
sovereignty Of character. Out of the
new, hard conditions have sprung a
new and hardy race. 1t was in that
same school of hardship that David
was trained. All the toll and severity
and suffering of those wilderness years
entered into his character. In master
ing untoward conditions he learned to
master himself and his fellow men
By successive facing of emergencies
he equipped himself for the great
emergency which, in, his soul, he
knew would eventuate.
This became a life principle with
David; when he relapsed from it. and
allowed his character, like his mus
Giles, to become soft" he fell into
| shameful sin. Small duties were his
preparation for great. AS a shepherd
ldus he SLEW INC lion anu the Deari anO
| so was made ready to meat Goliath
He ruled we'll his band of turbulent
| followers in the wilderness, and so was
made ready for the crown of Judah
IN the seven years Of this kingship he
exercised his authority with such
| tact and beneicence that an Israe
knew him for a good and great king
and when Saufs son was out of the
way, they sent q deputation to David
asking him to rule over them also.
| Wisely David had refrained, from
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