WINNING THE BEST VICTORIES.
Success in life is determined by the victories we win. Only he who
triumphs over obstacles is a successful man.
There are as many kinds of victory as there are kinds of obstacles. Some
kinds of obstacles call upon us for the use of our secondary powers, and
some for the use of our primary powers. When the obstacles bring into
play the very best powers of our natures, and those powers conquer the
obstacles, then we win our best victories.
David is a most interesting illustration of the winning of victories.
The Bible evidently considers him one of its greatest heroes. While it
gives eleven chapters to Jacob and fourteen chapters to Abraham, it
gives sixty-one chapters to David. It thus asks us to pay great heed to
the story and lessons of David's life.
Almost our first introduction to David represents him in a fight. He is
a mere shepherd lad, out in the wilderness, perhaps miles from another
human being, when a lion springs forth and seizes a lamb from the flock
he is guarding. It was a fearsome hour for a boy. He might have deserted
the flock and fled, preserving himself. But not so. He faced the lion.
He even attacked the lion. He wrested the lamb from its mouth, and he
slew the lion. Again, when, under similar circumstances, a beast of
another kind, a bear, laid hold of a lamb, David stood up to the danger,
and with such weapons of club and knife as he had, fought the bear to
its death.
Some years ago in Alaska, in a house hundreds of miles from any other
white man's home, I saw a bearskin lying upon the sitting-room floor.
The son of the house, out hunting, had suddenly come upon a bear, that
rose up within a few feet of his face. The boy lifted his gun, shot,
aiming at the bear's heart, and then, trembling with terror, ran for
home. The next day the boy's father took associates to the spot, found
the body of the bear, and brought the skin home as a trophy of the boy's
skill and pluck. And a trophy it was! But when David, scarce armed at
all, a boy, brought down his lion and his bear, in an actual
face-to-face encounter, the skins of the lion and of the bear were
trophies indeed!
The next scene in David's life is when he meets Goliath. David is still
a youth. The ruddy color has not yet been burned out of his cheeks by
the Oriental sun. This meeting is different from any he has faced. It is
not with a beast, but with a man--a man armed, a man experienced in
combat, a man of much larger size and weight than himself, a man who had
an assured sense of his own strength, a man whose voice, manner, and
prowess put fear into the heart of every fighter in the army of Israel.
In David's previous contests there had been an element of suddenness, so
there was no time for hesitation, and so no time for the cowardice often
born of hesitation; in this contest there was delay, and during that
delay David was twitted with the foolishness of even thinking of facing
Goliath, and an effort was made to break down his courage. Right
manfully, however, did he stand up to the danger. Instead of a lamb, an
army was in peril. The cause was worthy of a great venture. He made the
venture. He took smooth stones from the brook, he used his shepherd's
sling, he conquered Goliath, and Goliath's sword and Goliath's head
became trophies of a splendid victory. The youth had rescued an army
from paralyzing fear, and had saved the glory of Jehovah's name! He
deserved credit then. He received it then. And he became forever an
inspiring example to all youth who would fight their country's battles,
and win laurels for the God of battles.
These two scenes are suggestive. The one with the lion and the bear
speaks to us of pure physical bravery. David has such muscular strength
that he, by the power in his hands and arms, can hold beasts and fight a
winning fight with them. David's strength makes the killing of a lion or
bear with a rifle, whether at long distance or even near at hand, seem
small. It makes the ordinary successes of those who contest in the
athletic trials of our day seem insignificant. Still it glorifies those
successes. Physical bravery is most desirable. People believe so. They
love to see contests of physical endurance. They will go miles to watch
such contests, and they will cheer the victors to the echo. In so doing
to-day they follow the example of all preceding generations. Barbarian,
Greek, Roman, Indian, every man everywhere is interested in muscular
power. It fells trees and wins victories over the forest; it plows soil
and wins victories over the fields; it breaks stone and wins victories
over roadbeds. Physical victories are not to be gainsaid. May every life
win them if it can against nature, against other lives in fair
athletics, against any one who would rob a home or burn a house. The
ambition to win muscular victories, in a right way, for the defense or
honor of a worthy cause, is to be commended. Victories so won make their
winners heroes. Waterloo is said to have been fought and won on the
foot-ball ground of Rugby.
The other scene is likewise suggestive--of David with Goliath. It is
that of a youth fighting for his country and his God. It is still a
physical contest, but it is now skill and muscle combined; or rather,
muscle directed by skill. The contest, physically considered, is
unequal. David is no match for Goliath. They are in different classes.
But a calm mind, a dexterous hand, and a high purpose are David's, and
they more than compensate for lack of physical force. The strongest
battalions do not always conquer. The strongest physical force is not to
conquer in this instance. Patriotism may so nerve the heart that one man
is equal to a hundred, and resolute purpose may develop such skill and
sturdiness that a few can put a thousand to flight. It has always been
so--in days of Marathon and in days of Bunker Hill--and it always will
be so. The men who win such victories may well be lauded. It was right
that David's name should go into the ballads of his country and be
repeated again and again to stir the heart of patriotism. Any man who
can fight the battles of trade or of manufacturing or of invention--any
man who can head a great industry, who can write a strong book, or who
can make an eloquent speech--any man who conquers the difficulty of his
position by skill and energy, and succeeds, has indeed won a great
victory. For a mere shepherd youth to conquer a trained fighter was
superb; and it is superb to-day when a poor boy honestly wins his way to
wealth, and a stammering boy learns to speak like a Demosthenes, and a
seeming dunce becomes a brilliant Scott. All soldiers conquering like
Grant, all discoverers succeeding like Columbus, all investigators
searching like Darwin and writing like Spencer, deserve crowns of
recognition for victories they have won.
As a result of these two scenes in David's life many other scenes of a
somewhat similar nature occurred. As occasions arose, David led many
another attack upon the nation's foes. He possessed the rare power of
creating a well-disciplined force out of outlaws. He so combined skill
and leadership that none of the enemies of Israel could resist him. The
story of his battles is a long and a glorious one. He was a fighter of
whom the nation might be proud. If physical prowess and military skill
and administrative force and legislative provision are essential to
kingly success, he had them. Victory after victory, in all these lines,
were written upon his banner.
But David's fame does not rest upon the victories he won over beast or
fellow-man, interesting and great as these victories are. The reason
that the Bible gives him the space it does, and the reason Christ is
said to be David's son (though never the son of any other Old Testament
hero), is because of the victories David won over himself. In the sphere
of his own heart he found his greatest difficulties, for in that sphere
he found his strongest foes; but in that sphere he wrought out his
greatest victories. The best element in David's life is not his physical
strength, not his intellectual skill, not his ability as a singer, a
general, a judge, a builder, or a king, but the best element is his
conquest of himself.
What a victory of _magnanimity_ that was, when Saul, who was bitterly
persecuting David, entered the cave in whose dark recesses David was
concealed, and lay down for sleep! David had him in his power. He could
have killed him instantly, and forever ended the persecution. He was
even urged to do so by his followers. But he conquered his enmity, he
looked upon the sleeping Saul with pity, and he left him unharmed. It is
a mighty soul that can pity and forgive. Here was a king pursuing an
innocent subject who had no other thought than of loyalty to his
king--pursuing him relentlessly. The whole transaction on Saul's part
was unjust and cruel. But David, deeply feeling the wrong he was
suffering, crowded down the bitterness of his heart, and treated Saul
magnanimously.
How many men, otherwise splendid men, have failed just here. They could
fight bravely as sailors or soldiers, but later they could not treat a
rival graciously. They could win successes socially or commercially or
scholastically, but they became jealous of their places and their
recognitions, and they wished no good to the one who in any way stood in
their path. But David, knowing that he himself was anointed to be king,
and that Saul's persecution of him was unjustifiable, still rose so far
above all thought of preserving his own dignity and insisting on his own
rights, that when his enemy lay helpless at his feet, he treated him
with deference! Now we begin to see why David is called "a man after
God's own heart." Was it because he could fight beast and man well? No;
but because he could fight his own jealous, bitter heart and make it
generous and kind and magnanimous.
What a victory of _penitence_ that was when David sinned in the matter
of Uriah and Bathsheba! He did sin. No one exculpates David. The Bible
does not exculpate him, nor will any sane man exculpate him. He did a
wrong that brought incessant sorrow on his heart and home. During all
the remaining years of his life he had cause to regret his wrong. It
might have been alleged that he did only what king after king, situated
like himself in that Oriental land, with its despotic power and its
manner of life, had done before him and would do after him. He might
have justified himself by the custom of the day and by the prerogative
of royalty. The probability is that he acted impulsively, allowing in an
unguarded moment a wicked suggestion to conquer him. But when a prophet
of God, Nathan, brought home to his soul the fact that he had sinned,
what a victory that was, as the man fought down all the voices within
him, calling to him to "brave it out," to "show no weakening before the
prophet," to "justify himself to himself on the score of a king's right
to do as he pleased," and in conquering these voices, humbled himself
before God, making the one voice that triumphantly rose above every
other voice the voice of penitence--"Against Thee, Thee only, have I
sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight. Create in me a clean heart and
renew a right spirit within me!"
There is nothing in our world that shows high victory better than
penitence. Mankind does wrong. Sometimes it knows the wrong. Then
perhaps it confesses its wrong in the hurried words, "I have sinned." So
said Pharaoh, and immediately did again what he had done before. So said
Saul, and never gave up the wrong that forced the confession from him.
So said Judas, and went out to hang himself. But when David said it, he
said it with a broken and a contrite heart. The man who having sinned
conquers all the passion and pride of his soul and becomes a sweet,
true, pure penitent is a victor over whom angels rejoice. Thousands of
men who have made a success in their own field of labor fail to win
life's best victories because they never bow before God and say, "Lord,
be merciful to me a sinner." They are as stout-hearted as the Pharisee,
and as self-deceived. They forget the bitternesses they have cherished
toward their fellow-men, they overlook all the omissions of goodness
that have marked their lives, they do not consider how terrible is their
present and their past ingratitude to God for all His goodness to them,
and so they lack that gentlest, most beautiful, and most exalting virtue
of penitence.
What a victory of _humility_ that was, when David, forbidden to carry
out the supreme desire of his heart in the building of a temple, exerted
all his power to help another to build it! The erection of a temple that
should be the richest structure of its time was David's dream. It was to
be the consummation of his effort. Enemies should be subdued, laws
should be passed, government should be sustained, and foreign alliances
made--all to this end. He looked forward to the day when the temple
would crown Moriah, as the happiest day of his life. But God told him
that another, not he, should build the temple, and that it would be
known, not as David's Temple, but as Solomon's Temple. Should he then
withdraw all interest from the undertaking? Should he say, "This is not
my matter, it is another's; let another then carry its burden, as he
will carry its glory." He was sorely disappointed. The one thing he had
aimed to do was denied him. But he rose above his disappointment; he
conquered it. He who was to take secondary place, threw himself into the
help of him who was to have first place. He devised plans, he organized
forces, he started instrumentalities, he gave his money by the millions,
he animated others to follow his example, and he did all that chastened
devotion could do to help another to complete the building which should
forever sound the praises of Solomon.
Humility is not a virtue easily won. The virtue of sweetly accepting
minor place when we wished major place, and of working as earnestly for
another as for ourselves, is very rare. In the army of Washington there
was a general, Charles Lee, who again and again was conquered by his own
jealousy, and would not do as the interests of Washington, his
commanding officer, demanded. He would have fought to the death for his
own reputation, but not for the reputation of Washington. Self-made men
find it exceedingly difficult to be humble. David won a far higher
victory when he cheerily went about all the self-imposed tasks of
gathering material for Solomon's temple than when he fought the lion or
Goliath, or led an army into battle. The man that does justice does
well; the man that does justice and loves mercy does better; the man
that does justice and loves mercy and walks humbly before God does best.
And no man, whoever he may be, strong, reputable, industrious,
scholarly, wealthy, ever wins his best victories until he walks humbly
with his God.
And what a victory of _unselfishness_ that was when David, in the time
of the numbering, called upon God to lay all penalty for the sin upon
himself! Again the lower propensities of David's heart had misled him.
He thought that he would number his military forces and let the nation
know how strong and ample its army was. The thought was a mistaken one.
Safety lay, not in numbers, but in the virtues that spring from obedient
trust in God. The deed of numbering, however, had been done. Then the
plague came. God would show that in three days the army could be so
reduced by sickness as to make it, however large its numbers, utterly
impotent. David saw the angel of destruction as the angel drew near to
the threshing-floor of Araunah. With a heart overflowing with
unselfishness, he cried to God, "I have sinned, I have done perversely,
but these sheep, what have they done? Let Thy hand be against me, and
against my father's house." He would die himself--to have others live.
This was perhaps his very best victory. Winkelried opened his breast to
receive all the concentrated spear thrusts of the enemy, that thus the
army behind him might have chance to advance. The self-immolating life
is the noblest. True love comes to its expression in self-sacrifice.
Christ reached His highest glory, not when He battled with wind and wave
and conquered them, not when He battled with disease and demons and
conquered them, not when He battled with lawyers and dialecticians and
conquered them, but when He poured out His life for others.
There are victories to be won at every step of our life's progress. No
one of them is to be underestimated. Victories of mere brawn, wrought
worthily in proper time and proper place, are good; victories of
intellectual skill, wrought worthily in proper purpose and proper
spirit, are good; but the best victories any life can win are the
victories won within a man's own heart. These are the most difficult
victories, and they are the most glorious victories. Each person,
equally with every other, has opportunity for such victories. Whenever
David failed to carry God and God's help into a battle he lost; but
whenever he fought under God and for God he won. David's life knew many
and many a failure, but he rose from every failure and made a new
effort. As a result, victory crowned his life, and he died a man of God.
Victory, too, may crown our lives, however weak they are, if like David,
after every fall, we penitently turn to God, and in His grace strive
once again to win the victories of faith.
MAKING THE BEST USE OF OUR LIVES.