Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-02-14

OUT lne land that ne was the dlNinely'
appointed successor TO Elrs authority
Samuel is Called.
At the time Of our lesson, Samue
had not as yet received the divine com.
mission, but was still, as boy, doing
the chores around the temple ant
waiting on his aged and fecbl,
teacher. But in the night the cal
came, not once but three times, Whicl
Samuel thought was the summons o
Ell, but the old priest told him IL was
the Lord calling and told him TO an,
swer; Speak, Lord, for thy servan
heareth' And the first commission {,
the young priest was to tell his mas
ter that the time was ripe for Tho
curse upon his house to be fulfilled
Their iniquity had gone on unclocllcC
until IT could not be- purged with sacri'
flee nor offering forever We read IL
the next chapter how Hophni anC
Phineas were slain in battle with the
Philistines, and how Eli fell and broke
his neck when the news was brought
to him. But Samuel grew, and tn,
Lord was with him, and did let none
OF his words fall to the ground " Thus
did the prayer-Child Of Hannah be.
come the dominant figure in the ma.
tional life up until his old age, whcr
the people, unwilling TO trust thoil
government to the administration OF
Samuels wayward sons, Clamored fol
king like other nations. And it Wa.
left for King Saul to wipe out all The
yestiges of the family Of Eli, with the
exception Of one man, Abiathar, who
tel under the displeasure Of Solomon
The Keeping of Vows.
The first thing that attracts oul
notice is the sacredness Of a vow. We
are all given to making good resolu,
tions and TO signing pledges but few
there are who do not lightly disrCD
gard them under the pressure of cir.
cumstances differing from those under
which they were made, We often
quote the old couplet:
when the devil was sick, the devil q
saint would be;
When the devil got well, the devil of
saint was he
Yet this homely and coarsely-eX-
pressed truth is eXemplified day after
day among people we know, if not
with ourselves. Many a man, under
stress Of sorrow or misfortune, has
made a solemn promise to the Lord
that, if he ever got safely out of his
troubles, lie would lead different and
a better life. Many d man, racked
with the pain and remorse of the
morning after has registered a vow
to never again" yield to the tcmpter,
Some men in poverty have even prom
Used, should divine fover enable
them to reach affluenCe, that none of
earth's unfortunate should ask in vain
for his aid and sympathy. Yet the
large percentage of these people who
are so ready to make a vow when the
clouds are lowering over them will
forget all about 1t when the sun
shines again. We all look to God
when we are beyond all human help,
yet few are those whose grateful re
membrance impels to live better lives
or lend a hand to others in distress.
Props to the Will.
The making of vows was common
in this eastern country. II seemed to
give them an extra strength to carry
out a good resolution when a vow had
been duly and formally registered, and
not many would dare to break such a
vow. The oriental mind is imaginative
and emotional, but our occidental civ
ilization has developed a mental type
that scorns any such eXpedient-we
look with pity upon the man who can
not control his own conduct by his
own convictions without having his
VIII W uo IlSHl pIOppcu up ny IL pltube
or an oath. II is weak -willed man
who cannot do right without having
his volition strengthened by a docu-
ment duly signed and sworn to. Every
man ought to have enough will power
to do what he knows is right without
such an eXpedient. And yet, that man
has never yet been born who could
and would unassisted, shape his life
in accordance with his own convic-
tiOns. Some are weak and easily led
astray, either by companions or by the
natural weaknesses of the flesh. 9th
ers are strong and not easily diverted
from the path Of right. Yet all have
failed to live up to their convictions
no man has done the best he knew
how. Why, then, should we not look
for help to the only source Of unfail-
ing and ineNhaustible strength? Let
up then make our vows to the Lord,
and to him only, and let these VOWS
our most sacred and inyiofuble
obligation. 1t is not in the nature of
mankind to be goOd-only the grace
Of God will enable him to do what his
conscience tells him he ought to do.