The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-03-13
SUNDAY, MARCH 16.
THE REIGN OF DAVID

| delight to do thy will, o my Cod
Psalm 40:S.
FROM FARM TO FAME
There is always an open road be-
tween these two points. From Wash
ington to Coolidge the story agrees
that there is still no stoppage in our
own land for the lad from the farm,
and David's is nothing but an earlier
chapter in the same tale. Born on
Jesse's farm outside Bethlehem, drink
ing from its well that has flowed thru
the centuries, he early learned obedi-
ence, hard work and dependableness
so that whether it was to face the
loneliness of the shepherd or the crush
Of camp he could be trusted to do the
thing set. There is no record of
job assigned him that he did not I'M
dertake, whether it was home or state
that grave command. 1t was a great
day in his experience when Samuel
visited the home in his secret search
for a successor to Saul. 1t is pretty
! certain that the prophet was little
fellow or he would not have been so
attracted by big bodies and he was
for picking another first thing after
his arrival. But Samuel had learned
his lesson and hesitated, looked and
saw too many faults in the first born
to accept even his fascinating big
ness as proof of soul size. No one
thought of David, and we have
scarcely gotten past it yet, for the
boy too many times has scant regard
by the church that honors the place
of the Boy Christ in his church, but
rejects our own. 20, we'll; our boys
are different from what He was!"
Which is the strongest argument that
can be used for giving him something
Of the atmosphere in which his Lord
thrived. But having failed with o
marking the new start for empire
was made in a boys heart that thrill
ed with sudden ecstacy at the bene-
diction Of the admired prophet. All
it meant he could not know, but when
boy gives his all to Gods use there
is a real king in the making.
Nothing happened from the was
still shepherd laddie, but the sing
ing note was sweeter and the lambs
felt new touch of care. Then came
the call Of the court and he left his
flock to Groom melodies over the sick
Saul, lead men to battle, gain the
love of Jonathan and win a princess
bride. Long years Of distrust, of out
lawTy spent in caves and conflict, Of
associations Of many kinds until
Sau's final battle and the close Of
that chapter OF Israel's history. At
Hebron he became the king Of Judah
from which place he watched the slow
process of heart-turning toward him
self and after seven years had passed
bowed his head to receive the crown
over all Israel and swear to serve
Jehovah in ruling His people. Making
Jerusalem the capital his sway ex-
tended farther than that Of any other
save his son and he captured the i'm
agination of the Jew for all time and
offered the ideal toward which the
kingdom dream pointed.
THE QUALITIES OF THE KING
Matheson calls him the "nany-sid-
ed" and it is true. His race popu-
larity proclaims his versatility of ap-
peal, each individual Hebrew finding
a bit of his own dream-self incar-
mated there. Perhaps the strongest
strain is that of his passion for God
that found expression in his constant
listening for His direction of affairs
and is voiced in the Psalms which cry
for pardon, eXult in joy, declare the
fullest trust. Feeling the tug within
him of the struggling angels of lust
and love, of cruelty and courage, of
selfshness and selflessness, he felt
the need of the steadying hand of the
Almighty and voiced his cry for help
again and again. His power to make
friends was great for Jonathan the
chivalrous, Saul the jealous, Abiathar
the devout, Achish the Philistine, Joab
the selfish, all loved him. Even in his
age and defeat he bound a new friend
| to him in Barzillai of Gilead and it
was that power that opened many
door for his advance. There is no
| finer story written than that of the
friends who broke thru the lines en-
circling the old Bethlehem we'll and
brought the homesick fighter a drink
of its water all for sheer love of their
leader. His patience matched his
courage of which there is no ques-
ton. And he who knows how 70 wait
may own his world. Even Jonathan
the worthy successor Of Saul, conced-
ed him the crown, but in spite of
that conviction he made no effort to
wrest it from the king. But thru the
years of his exile he cultivated the
friendship of the elders of Judah who
called him to the headship of that
tribe, where he faced the loyalty of
ten others to the house of Saul and