The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-05-20
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Especially Prepared for The Republic
can by DR.. U. s. Wright.

can BY Dr. U. ,. wright.
SUNDAY, MAY %.
Isrsel's First King. Sam. 9:15-21.
Read Chapters 81.
Only hear Jehovah, and serve him in
truth with all your heart. l Sam. 1924.
SETTING UP A GOVERNMENT.
These last days have demonstrated
that it is no small task to get form of
government going smoothly. Ger
many adopted democratic forms but the
outcome has not been all that believer
in label could wish. Poland, Russia.
Jugo-S lavia and Checho-Slavia are all
revealing the difficulty of setting up
governmental households. Our own
history under the Articles Of Confeder-
alton makes an interesting parallel. Yet
government is absolutely fundamental
to any real progress and our under
standing of present difficulties should
make US sympathetic toward Israel in
their day of very real crisis. The old
forms had failed to meet their growing
needs in most perilous situation and
their elders did precisely what
our own fore-bears did in seeking
to counsel together in order that a
more secure condition might be reach
ed and they were as honest and patriot
ic as were Washington and the rest who
formed the body that gave US our Con-
stitution. The Judgeship had broken
down as uniting force. Big as Samuel
was he had created public opinion but
had not been able to build state.
Aging. his sons were weaker than him.
self and unprincipled which their father
never was. There was growing me-
mace from both east and west and these
patriots saw that there must be some
permanent personal center instead of
the local, temporary Judgeshlp aiming
to meet a temporary emergency. They
were familiar with the fact of mon
archy for Moses. Joshua and others had
welded its power and Gideons son had
born the title. 1t was the familiar
form among the nations tho Philistia
had builded an organization something
akin to Israel in which the basis was
cities instead of tribes. Apparently
there never was a King of Philista.
But with their own confederacy peri
ously near the rocks, with tribal Jesl-
ousies to be considered their decision
was for the monarchy They submitted
their conclusion Samuel with their rea-
sons leaving him to pass upon their de-
sire and work out details. There seems
to be full recognition of the perils in
volyed but the possible gain was too
clear to long delay action upon their
leaders part.
HOLDING THE PRIMARIES.
Samuel was liver of his religion first
of all but there was rare shrewdness in
his day. There are clearly two parties
IN the life of Israel, the religious and
the political, whose differences become
clearer as the history proceeds. 1t is
significant that the religious element is
foremost in making the change. The
church may be conservative but the
prophets are born of her influence and
we have never had a constructive
statesman who was not religious man.
mo man can ever sit here" said Nc
Kinley pointing to his chair in his White
House office, who does not believe
this, and he laid his hand upon his
own Bible. Benjamin lying between
the animosities of the strong tribes
north and south was too small to excite
jealousy and the location was central.
Samuel knew far more about Saul than
he did about the Seer. Yet trihes light
as air mark the passage to popular
choice. Runaway mules blazed the path
to palace for this young fellow as
not so eager to serve Israel as to refuse
an humole task. A servants word
sent him to the throne, changed OK
goad for sceptre and lifted his feet
from furrow TO palace floor for he was
democratic enough to listen to the word
of the most common man among the
Hebrews. There are no triies in the
plan of God. Garfield owed his career
to pair of blue yarn socks and Grant
credited a pound of butter with his
presidency. When a trlfa points to-
ward God s man and public service it is
safe to follow. Convinced of his worth
and of God s wish Samuel arranged the
selection and the sacred lot declared
Jehovah's will and set the Son of KIsh
in the way of empire