The farmer and mechanic., 1915-03-09

Such was Saul who quickly took |
definite measures for the help Of the !
lmperilled Israelites in Jabesh-Gilead. |
Here we find Saul at his greatest |
height.
Hot And Holy Anger.
Amid the helpless weeping Of the
mass, up rose this one man quick to
do. And the spirit of God came
nightly upon Saul when he heard
these words and his anger was kin
died greatly"
Does that sound strange? Is not
the Spirit of God q consoler the One
who helps us to endure life's ills?
Not so: THE Comforter,' which is
His title in the New Testament, means
Strengthener. The Spirit of God is
power for striving, as we'll as solace
! in suffering. For some churches the
surest sign Of a baptism OF the Holy
| Spirit would be for them to get into
| action and clean up their own mem
| bership rolls and their neighborhood
conditions and their local politics.
1t is high praise for Saul that he
had capacity for hot and holy in
dignation. Surely the righteous God
has no pleasure in the tepid and col
orless spirits who never resent in
tjustice and oppression, and do not
flame with righteous anger against
wrong doing. Neither God nor man
can get much help from the torpid
souls who simply endure injustice
Would that we could write of every
church member, "The spirit of God
came nightly upon John Doe and
his anger was kindled greatly" Then
we should see flaming victories for
the Church Of Christ.
The Bloody Summons
Instant action followed Saurs in
tense purpose. "He took a yoke OF
oxen and cut them in pieces and sen,
them throughout all the borders OF
? Israel by the hands of messengers
3 saying. whosOever cOmeth not forth
t after Saul and after Samuel, so shall
e it be done unto his oxen, and The
t dread Of Jehovah fell on the people
y and they came out as one man"
| Some of us would have hesitatet
: over the sacrifice of those va;ua bl
t oxen. Petty persons do not know
G when minor prudences are to be dis
e regarded in the achievement Of grea
II purposes. Saul was a great doer. L
= this hour his real craftsmanship ap
peared. He lad the qualities Of
y heroic leader, which appealed to tn
'r imagination Of the people. The trou
g BILE with a great deal of our reforT
IS work today is that it is supera bund
% antly equipped with officechair thee
al rists, while sorely lacking men VIII
'e actually can bring things to pas
ia There are one hundred men who ca
'e tell us how the nation should be ru
a to every one who can take off his coz
~ and show us how to make mod
d neighborhoOd.
NJ SauFs summons to Israel by NEAR
e. of pieces Of bloody beef, which swi
e. runners bore, suggests the fiery GRO
or Of the Scottish highlands, which cal
OF ed the clans to war A wooden GRO
40 was scorched with fame and drenCl
RS ed in blood "as an emblem Of the fl
u and sword awaiting all who shOu
or neglect it's summons"
~ No laChryInOSe message was it tn
ny went from the new king to his pc
III pie. It was a strong mans SUNNI or
y, OF course it put the fear Of the LO
So into the hearts of men, even as t.
ne fearless words of strong men do
al al our own day. PERHAPS there is a hi
~ ~ of Billy Sundays power in this episo
VI of the stinging message which broug
recruits to SauTs standard.
" ~ When Justice Fell.
A host of three hundred thousa7
-. Tsraelites swiftly assembled to folio
ho Saul into action. The sight was 0
No. to fuse patriots into unity. Such {
casions as this make for national Sc
timent. In helping beleaguer
~, Jabesh-Gilead Saul was incidenta
sh- and unwittingly doing most
of strengthen his own power over Isra
;+h Across the Jordan in the beleaguer
IDS 'ity u JaoeSH- -Iiieau' 'ne u.Sti {,
;ce and anxious Jews had received
.si- message of succor soon to come. TT
nd adopted strategem. sending word
nds Nahash Tomorrow we will come
ore unto you and We shall do with US
tho that seemeth good unto you"
and But oelore that ,olnorro" pro
the hosts Of Israel. divided into tn
no great companies, fell swiftly upon
re- sleeping Ammonites and until
orr heat Of the day they were busy
wn shifting tho enemy. And it came
on pass that they that remained w
,yas scattered so that no two of them w
be- lett tosetner.
ling Koyai Na2IiamiiiitS.
the saul prayed the hlhs srea,iS
hen day, and we shaiI nave neeo 70
ihe member his nobility in the sad