Connecticut western news., 1896-07-16

rattling on the tessellated floor of the throneroom. No sooner have these two persons confronted each other-Mephib- osheth and David, the king-than Mephibosheth throws himself flat on his face before the king and styles himself a dead dog. In the east when a man styles himself dog he utters the ut most term of self abnegation. It is not term so strong in this country. where, if dog has fair chance, he sometimes shows moro nobility of character than some human specimens that we wot of, but the mangy CUTS of the oriental cities, as l know by my own observation. are utterly detestable. Mephibosheth gives the utmost term of self loathing when he compares himself to dog, and dead at that.
 Consider the analogy. When the com mand is given from the palace of heaven to the human soul to come, the soul be- gins to tremble. It says: What is God going to do with me now? Is he going to destroy me? Is he going to wreak his vengeance upon me?" There is more than one Mephibosheth trembling now
 
 palace of divine grace. What are you trembling about? God has no pleasure in the death of sinner. He does not send for you to hurt you. He sends for you to do you good. A Scotch preacher had the following circumstances brought under his observation: There was poor woman in the parish who was about to be turned out because she could not pay her rent. One night she heard loud knocking at the door, and she made no answer and hid herself. The rapping continued louder, louder, louder, but she made no answer and continued to hide herself. She was almost frightened unto death. She said, That's the off, cer of the law come to throw me out of my home"
 A few days after Christian philan- thropist met her in the street and said :: My poor woman, where were you the other night? came round to your house to pay your rent Why didn't you let me in? Were you at home2" Why" she replied. twas that you?" 'Yes, that was me. I came to pay your rent. "Why," she said, If I had had any idea it was you I would have let you in. I thought it was an officer come to cast me out of my home" O soul, that loud knocking at the gate today is not the sheriff come to put you in jail; it is the best friend you ever had come to be your security. You shiver with terror because you think it is wrath. It is mercy. Why, then, tremble before the King of heaven and earth calls you to his palace? Stop trembling and start right away. "Oh," you say, 1T can't start. have been SO famed by sin and so lamed by evil habit can't start l am lame in both feet" My friend, we come out with our prayers and sympa- thies to help you up to the palace. If you want to get to the palace, you may get there. Start now. The Holy Spirit will help you. All you have to do is the feet of the King, as Mephibosheth did
 Gods Mercy.
 Mephibosheth's caninal comparison seems extravagant to the world, but when a man has seen himself as he really is and seen how he has been treat ing the Lord there is no term vehement enough to express his self condemna- tion. The dead dog of Mephibosheth's s comparison fails to describe the mans utter loathing of himself. Mephibo- sheth's posturing does not seem too pros trate. When soul is convicted. first he prays upright. Then the muscles of his neck relax, and he is able to bow his head. After awhile, by an almost superhuman effort, he kneels down to pray After awhile, when he has seen God and seen himself, he throws him. self flat on his face at the feet of the king, just like Mephibosheth. The fact is. if we could see ourselves as God sees You would have no time to overhaul other people. Your cry would be, "God be merciful to me, sinner. ;"
 And again, Mephibosheth in my text stands for the disabled human soul saved for the sake of another. Mephib- osheth would never have got into the palace on his own account Why did David ransack the realm to find that poor man and then bestow upon him a great fortune and command farmer of the name of Ziba to culture the estate and give to this invalid Mephibosheth half the proceeds every year? Why did King David make such mighty stir about poor fellow who would never be of any use to the throne of Israeli Ii was for Jonathan's sake. It was what Robert Burns calls for ''auld lang syne. '' David could not forget what Jonathan had done for him in other days Three times this chapter has it that all this kindness on the part of David to Mephib- osheth was for his father Jonathan E sake. The daughter of Peter Martyr, through the vice of her husband, came down to penury, and the senate of Zu- rich took care of her for her father sake. Sometimes a person has applied to you for help and you have refused him, but when you found he was tho son or brother of some one who haG been your benefactor in former days and by a glance you saw the resem
 blance of your old friend in the face O | the applicant, you relented, and yot | said, "Oh, will do this for your fa ther's sake" You know by your expert cnce what my text means. Now, m,
 friends, it is on that principle that yo'
 and are to get into the Kings palace | For Christ's Sake.
 The most important part of ever. prayer is the last three or four words o it, "For Christ's sake" Do not rattl off those words as though they wer
 merely the finishing stroke of the prayer
 They are the most important part of tn
 prayer. When in earnestness you go be
 fore God and say, For Christ's sake,
 it rolls in, as it were, upon Gods min
 all the memories of Bethlehem an
 Gennesaret and Golgotha- When you sa
 before God, "For Christ's sake," yo
 hold before Gods mind every groan, ev
 cry tear, every crimson drop of his onl
 begotten Son. If there is anything i
 all the universe that will move God t
 an act of royal benefaction, 1t Is to say
 "For Christ's sake." God is omnipc