The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-05-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Prepared especially for The Republi-
can by Rev. U. S. Wright, D. D.
SUNDAY, MAY Is.
DAVID, THE POET KING.

shall follow me all the days of my
life.-Psalms 1876.
MAN-BUILDERS
''I'm a self-made man." was the
word spoken. Mighty glad you are
taking all the responsibility" ended
the conversation. For many hands
have shared in shaping every mans
life and David, who had captured the
Imagination and affection of his race,
is no exception. Farmer Jesse was no
ordinary ticker of the soil but must
have been worthy of the Bethlehem
line. He bequeathed the boy as well
as his brothers sturdy bodies and a
passion in patriotism that gave himi
four stars in the service flag. And to
send some of mothers cooking" to
the boys in camp shows his tender
ness and his understanding of boys
for "home eats bring a rare thrill
to the heart OF a rookie. But beyond
all else he was a good man whose re
ligion included a bed for the preacher
that many a time held the tired form
of Samuel and made that home the
nursery of a fine faith in the care of
God. And there is many a king in
both pulpit and pew today because
Of the open door for the coming of
the preacher whose familiar presence
gave opportunity for the word that
set the feet in new paths and the
face toward the heights. There were
other hands also that shared in the
making of David. His friendships
were many and his relations with
Jonathan have given the world one
of its finest classics. In his outlaw
days when after giving his best to
country, to king and to God, he was
hunted like a hare from cave to cave
he might well have felt like Nolan in
"a Man Without a Country" when
he said: % the United States"
But in that hour Jonathan crept thru
the lines and kept his faith in man, in
country and in God steady, for he
strengthened his hands in God"
putting the slipping fingers once more
into the holding of Jehovah. And
there were many others who shared
the making of this many-sided char
acter who did all he undertook with
all his might. Whether sinner or
saint, soldier or statesman, poet OF
prince, king or outlaw, he was what
ever it was without any reserves. He
was never a halfway man. Never an
echo he was yet like the cliff that
catches the cry Of child, the ripple
Of the brook, the shout Of the hunter,
the roar of the tempest or the sing
ing of birds, and is responsive to all,
So he held the imagination Of the
Jew thru all the centuries.
THE BOYS CALL
Saul had done much to serve his
land, but his insane jealousy, his i'm
patience that prevented his sticking
thru long campaign and his failure
to hold Samuel and the religious par
ty to his plans were all against his
continuance in office. He was Mad
Anthony Wayne rather than Wash
ington and should not be over-blamed
for some things that grew directly
from his particular type. Samuel
was saddened and the old empire
builder resolved that something must
be done for tomorrow's need. That
he refused to consider the knightly
Jonathan may be due to his hot de-
mocracy that feared Saul's plan to
make the crown hereditary. He
caught Gods word, 81 have rejected"
and 81 have approved" and immedi-
ately set out to fulfill it. But there
must be no open break with Saul, so
a perfectly accustomed scene of
peaceful sacrifice was staged at Beth
lehem. The elders Of the city were
well aware Of the chasm between the
Prophet and the Prince and they had
no desire to fall into it, but Samuel
was counting war no more eagerly
than they. They were called to the
feast as were Jesse and his sons. How
long it took to study that family
cannot be determined, but that stall
wart first-boln got the first vote Of
the Prophets judgment. Samuel must
have been a little fellow to be so per-
sistently captivated by bigness. We
are so given to admiration for what
we do not have; black eyes prefer
blue, straight hair covets curls. Mutt
makes jeff his friend. Yet out of this
preference there has come the re-
vealing test Of God, that the man
is more than body and it is manhood
upon which God leans. whats his
spirit ?" is the Almighty's question.
Ours is, whats he worth ?" whats
he know" what can he do?"
hese are all good enough as far as
go, but soul is the only measure
'vers real man.
bought Of David. He was
I'd no nlapn in a bapCI,at