Story Of Absalom

In a .sermón Sunday night at Calvary Baptist cburch, New York city, in which the name of Bryan was not mentioned, Eev. Dr. Robert S. MaeArthur dealt ; with the Popocratic candidate for the ' presidency. Dr. MacArthur's theme ! was "A Specious Bible CandTdate." He i told his hearers about Absalom's dacy for the throne of Israel, pointing out some of Absalom' characteristics ; for high office. "Absalom," he said, "was a spectaenlar candidate, but he also believed that he was the child of destiny. He may have carried about him some : tious tokens of good fortunes. He seems to have assured himself that he was divinely selected as the neit King of Israel. "This spectacnlar candidate for a time caught the popular fancy. In his chariot he drove every morning to the city gate and there he was accessible to all. He Biirely was a model of audaeious splendor. Human nature is rnueh j the same in every age and country, and j the gullible people are not dead. "For a time they are taken with atrical posing and with striking I phors. For a time they are daizled by j the triumphant march of a modern ! didate aeross the continent, but in the long run only worth wins, and in the end all men find their level. "Absalom as a candidate was a i gogue. As a demagogue he may be equaled, but scarcely surpassed, in modern times. "He probably gare all permission to go npon the grasa when they carne to the capital at Jerusalem, and he would distribute postoffices, no doubt, when he j was exalted to the throne. The Absaloms still live; they stil! reflect on the administration of justice; j they hint at the reconstruction of courts, and they make ambitious display of their love for the workinpman. They still strive to excite adniiration and secure place; they 6tül attitudinize, criticise and illusionize. Sometimes the efforts of demagogues are purely provincial and paerile; but at other times they are i bastic, bumptious and well nigh ; mous. They pretend a great affection for the people, while they advocate trines which would impoverish the pie. They talk of the classes as against the masses." Dr. MacArthnr then told how attraetive Absalom was as a talker: he had the art of alluring the unthinking. He conld talk all the morning to those who came to hear him, but the time carne when the people escaped from his hypnotic power and took him at his true vahiation. Then the doctor thus concluded: "A man was nominated for the Presidency on a platform which some honestl.v believe is a seeond Declaration of Independente. They said the man i nated was the Moses of a new deliveranee. They forsret that Mo.ses never i entered the promised land. That honor j was left for Joshua. the brave soldier and the royal leader. The triumphal journey to the metropolis was begun. Speeches were delivered with great freqaency. They were fully printed. The zpnith was attained, and the descent to the nadir was begun before the ; tropolis was reaehed, even before the ! journey was begun. The noonday TM at the convention. All after that was the descent of midnight. The sober second thought of the American people bas retnrned. They have begun to face the dangers which threatened the honor, if not the existence. of the Republic. They are trladly returning from their national policies of dishqnor and destruction. The heated term is nearly over. A chilling frost feil the other eyening. Never before in one evening did so grêat a stream of vrords drench and fo great a drought of ideas pour on a New York audience. "The people in Absalom's day found that his patronizing manner. his condescending friendship, and his effusive elocution - I beg of yon to observe that I am speaking of Absalom- vrere at the ratio of sixteen onnces of pretensión to one grain of possession. "This leads me to speak of the laat characteristic of this candidate for high office. The story is an interesting and thrilling one at this point. Absalom came into open rebellion against David. Absalom had bad advisers. The battle was fonjrht on the borders of the ' est at Ephraim. Absalom was defeated, and on his swift mule fled. and his long hnir caught on the boughs of an oak. The mule fled, and he was left suspende.i. Darid charged his troops not to slay lom, but Joab hastened to the ?pot and pierced him through with three darts. His story is most pathefic, suggestiye and instnictive. The darts are votes. The literal death is the politieal death, and the warnings which the tory of Absalom gives are as solemn ts they are numerous and practical."