The Detroit times., 1915-04-29
The international Sunday School
Lesson for May ls saul Tries TO
XIII Davld."-i Sam. eh. 10.
BY WILLIAM Ellis

sister, envy. Is reckoned one OF the
seven deadly sins about which the
Church Fathers used to write, mod
ern pulpit teaching and religious
literature have little or nothing TO
say about this hideous and charac.
ter-blasting sin which Is one OF the
commonest TO be met with In real
life.
The person who Is more familiar
with human nature as II Is displayed
by the living men and women about
him, rather than with books. knows
that jealousy is a force to be reck-
oned with In all walks OF life. Ev.
cry large office or commercial organ
ization Is tainted with its influences.
II is the blacklist blot on the learn
ed professions. even as upon the
calling OF those who entertain the
public; the archaeologist and the
chorus girl are kindred victims OF
what Shakespeare calls the green
eyed monster" Politics Is rife with
jealousy. and even the pulpit is not
free from IL. William Elliott Griffis
says. Jealousy Is prominently the
soldiers disease" The most exag-
gerated and absurd instance of jeal-
ousy that ever came to my personal
attention was between freaks In a
museum; while history affords ample
evidence that jealousy has often
worn the crown and purple.
A king In the grip OF the mean.
mad passion OF jealousy is our les
son story today. Israeis monarch.
Saul, had his moments of bigness
and Of littleness, but he shrivelled to
the vanishing point when he yield
ed to the ignoble passion OF teal-
ousy against the younger hero-deliv-
erer OF the nation, David, the slayer
OF Goliath. AS is often physiologi-
cally true, the jealousy which was at
first only q mental attitude became
a real disease, and drove the king
into a sort of frenzy which lasted
until his death. II uncrowned him.
even before his head was cut on by
a Philistine.
The Song Of the Women.
Most of us can bean with eQua-
nimity our neighbors failures and
humiliations; but we have to meas.
ure UP toward really Christian stand.
ards before we can rejoice with
them that do rejoice" To be proud
of another's success is sign OF
sizableness OF soul. Magnanimity
really means greatness. II takes a
John the Baptist to glory in being
superseded. for the works sake, and
to cry, He must increase, l must
decrease" How many old men are
exulting m the achievements OF their
successors. and how many are sit
ting back snarling and criticizing?
Whittier came to maturity In the
true spirit OF greatness, singing.
Ring, bells in distant steeples,
The Joy of unborn peoples;
Sound. trumpets. far-off blown.
Your triumph Is my own
The song OF the dancing women.
as the soldiers returned from VIC
tory over the Philistines, seems first
TO have planted definitely In Saurs
soul the seeds Of jealousy. They
cried, indiscreetly,
Saul hath slain his thousands
And David HIS ten thousands
or course. this was foolish and
discriminating; most ovations are.
Public applause is not the most judi
cial thing In the world. Saul should
have known better than to take II at
face value. IL even the most medic
ere speaker should accept at face
value the praise accorded him. II
would turn his head. The reason SO
many public lecturers and evangel-
lists are insufferable to save them
vate life is that they have not sum-
cient sense OF humor TO save them
from taking themselves seriously.
and so believing literally all the
courteous expressions they hear con-
corning their work. II we may cred
Il the circulars OF testimonials cur
rent among lyceum bureaus, there
are a thousand lecturers at present
before the public, each OF whom Is
and without a peer"
The tragic feature OF this Ia that
every one OF the lecturers believes
his own fulsome circulars. Is 1t any
wonder that jealousy Is rife In the
AS the prima donna looks upon
her proficient understudy. as King
Herod regarded the boy babies Of
so Saul eyed David"
he saw In him a possible usurper.
He feared for his crown. Every
note of acclaim In the womens
praise of David he understood as
condemnation OF himself. He "ate
bitterness" as the expressive Chin
ese phrase has II. Instead OF re-
,isting the temptation to jealousy.
and instead of combating II by
sincerely in praise OF David,
ne nursed the foul passion until II
,ad grown to overmastering size.
Thrice the kings fury so far over
,ame him that in a At Of passion he
hurled his spear at David: for the
spirit OF jealousy. unchecked, easily
becomes the spirit OF murder.
rhe Goodness that Breeds Badness.
In the old-fashioned Sunday
school books (whoever sees them
simnie-minded goodness