Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-03
THE DREAM OF a YOUNG KING.
The International Sunday Schoo! Les.
son for December 8 Is, Solomon
Chooses Wisdom" kings:4-15.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

A mans first sentim ents when ele-
waited to a place Of honor reveal his
character. Is he more impressed by q
sense Of the personal honors that have
come to him, or by the opportunity OF
service? A noble nature, such as
Queen Victoria revealed when she
was called to the throne, is over
whelmed by sense, OF unworthiness.
So King Solomon, touched to the
depths, cried out at his accession that
he was as 9 little child and could not
rule his kingdom without help from
above. 1t is when he is highest and
most honorable that man profoundly
feels this sense of deep humility.
1t is recipe for noble living that
the Apostle gives when he eXhorts
"Covet earnestly the best gifts Solo
mon must have possessed in a meas
lure the thing he craved, for it takes
wisdom to enable one to choose wis,
dom. He elected the best and receiv-
ed also the second best. Had he cho-
sen the second best, he would forever
have missed the best. He asked for
wisdom rather than for wealth and
honor, and wealth and honor came to
him unasked in the train of wisdom.
Whose puts LIES first things first
finds all secondary things falling into
harmonious order thereafter.
This is the day when Success is
apotheosaed. The young people OF
this generation, as they face their ca
reers, are called upon to make choice;
and it must be confessed that the wor-
ship of Success has nowadays be-
gotten baheful lust for. riches. This
sordid pursuit Of gold has. depleted
the gospel ministry, has robbed liter
AZURE of many workers OF promise, and
has turned artists into tradesmen. In
certain quarters there is manifest a
hopeful reaction in these days against
this intense materialism and worship
of the golden calf For it is only by the
Solomon route of electing highest wis
dom that men aud women can come
to any thrones of prosperity and peace
and helpfu!ness.
Fables VS.. Facts.
The legendary lore concerning Solo.
mon is peculiarly sunlptuous Tradi-
ton has loved to embellish this story
of his choice of wisdom. In contrast
with all the fanciful tales Of his un.
canny and supernatural knowledge
stands the simple dignity of Scripture.
We do not need to go to Josephus or
the Koran or the books Of the rabbits,
to learn the glory Of Solomon. It is
honor enough for him that, despite
weaknesses which will appear later.
he enjoyed the most illustrious reign
in the history of Israel, a reign
blessed witt. peace and prosperity. Be
cause Of his choice of wisdom he CAV,
! to the Jewish people an intellectual
bent which persists to this day.
1t is a mistake Of some few million
persons in school and out. to confound
book-taught knowledge with wisdom.
A man may have stored all the learn
| ing of the libraries and still be far
| from wise. A sense Of life's signifi
canoe, and an insight into human ns-
ture are more truly wisdom than all
the heaped-dp erudition of the schools.
Solomon was learned in all the wis
dom of the East: but far more val,l-
able than this, he possessed a depth
Of human insight and understanding
that made him a wise Judge and a
wise ruler The familiar episode of
| the two women who claimed the one
child showed that much OF Solomon'.s
Wanted wisdom was only an uncom-
mon measure Of common sense -
which <becometh throned monarch
better than his crown"
Worldly Wise Unwisdom.
A bad taste is left in ones mouth
by too close contact with the worldly
wisdom OF our day. The noble spirit
recoils from the exceeding sophisti-
cation of selhshness. It is not good
| to come into intimate relationship
with this spirit of worldly wisdom
which knows all the ways Of men. and
has a cynical comprehension Of the
motives that actuate them. An under
standing heart is far different. We
may go to the city clubs and hotels
and theaters and newspaper Offices for
this keen knowledge of the ways OF
the world: but away off on the farm.
or in myrisd homes, we may find that
understanding heart which constituted
Solomon's real wisdom.
Who does not know instances OF
wives and mothers of public men who
have no such knowledge, by the
worlds measure, as their husbands
and sons possess, yet who are the
wise counselors OF the latter? 1t is
the eye Of the heart that sees deepest
into life. The greatest sages have
not been schoolnen One who has oh.
served life closely and long knows
that there is such a thing as worldly
wise unwisdom, and greater thing,
which may be called unworldly-wise
wisdom. 1t is better to have an ul,-
derstsnding heart than to have head
full Of knowledge.
The hops of every time, as OF Solo
mons kingdom lies IN its wise men.
No day is without such Our own, In
particular. is rich in companies OF
strong men and women who are above
the lure of riches, and whom honors
cannot Drihe from steadfactness 10
the old, proved ideals. They, have a
capacity to perceive what is essential
and courage to stand for those
treasures Of wisdom which are above
ruhies. After we have laid aside our
books Of Success" with their
chronicles Cf millionaires, and have
turned IN WEAKNESS from the piles OF
newspaper rubbish about an artificial