Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1896-07-24
TALMAGE'S SERMON
INTERESTING THEME ny TitE
HAsHINGTON PREACHER
Subject; "Kindness Tor Another's
Sake

ANI@iAEAu fAMFil Al Hf-a Tor NH filH
continually a. the kings table aud was lame
on both his feet. III samuel tx, audI2.
Was there ever ANYTHING more romantic
and chivalrous than the love Of David and
JoualhanY At ono time Jonathan was up
and David was down. Now David l. up and
Jonathau's family Is down. A. You have
often heard Of two soldiers before going into
battle making Il covenant that II one is shot
the survivor will take charge Of the body,
the watch, the mOmentuS and perhaps 81 the
hsreft family OF the one that dies, so David
and Jonathan hal made a covenant, and
now that Jonathan is dead David l. iJquiring
about his family, that he may show kind
ness unto them for their father Jonathans
sake.
Careful search is made, and a son Of iona
than by the exceedingly hOmey name OF
Mephibosheth is found. His nurse, in mis- in-
fancy had let him fall, and the fall had put
both his ankles out OF place, and they had
never been set. This decrepit. poor man Is
brought into the palace OF King David.
David gaZes upon him with melting tender
ness. no doubt seeing in his face a resem-
blance 10 his old friend, the deceased Jona-
than. The whole bearing Of King David
toward him seems to say; Chow glad / am
10 see you, MephibOshethi How YOU remind
me Of your father, my old friend and bene-
factor! | made a bargain with your iathera
good many years ago, ami | am going TO
keep il with YOU. What can | do for YOU,
Mephibosheth? lam resolved what to do
/ will make YOU Ia rich man. | will restore 10
you the conllscated property OF your grand
father Saul, and you shall be a guest OF mine
Us long as you live, and you shall be seated
at my table among the princes IL was too
much for Mephibosheth, ami he cried out
against it, calling himself dead dog. "Be
still" says David, II don't 10 this on your
account; | do this for your father Jonathan's
sake. | can never forget his kindness
remember when was bounded from place
10 place how he befriended me. Can ever
forget how he stripped himself al his
cOurtier apparel and gave it TO me instead
OF my shepherds coat, and how he took oil
his own sword and belt and gave them TO
me instead Of my sling2 Oh, / can never
forget him! l feel rs if couldn't do enough
for you, his son. | don't do it for your
sake; | do it for your father Jonathau's
sake SO Mephihosheth dwelt in Jerusa-
lem, for he did eat continually at the kings
/ table and was lame on both his feet"
There is 50 much gospel in this quaint in
cident that am embarrassed to know where
to begin. Whom do Mephibosheth and
David and Jonathan make you think Of
Mephibosheth, in the first place, stands for
the disabled human soul. Lord Byron de-
seribes sin as a charming recklessness as Il
. Eultdllll a. a l'hA y hkL NNJl ~ NhuiA Nv
scribes sin as triumphant In many intricate
plots; Gavarni, with his engrayer's knife
always shows sin as a great POPULARITY; but
the Bible presents it as a Mephb0sheth, lame
on both feet. Sin, like the nurse in the con-
text, attempted to carry Us and let US fall
and we have been disabled, and in our whole
moral nature we are decrepit. Sometimes
theoIogians haggle about a technlcality.
They use the words "tOtal depravity," and
] l.sAf in, hn lN.t IN
some reject it. What do you mean by
total depravity? Do you mean that every
man is as low rs he can be? Then, do
not believe 1t either. But do YOU mean
that sin has let US fall; that it has SCARF
llei and wounded and crippled our en-
tire moral nature until we cannot walk
straight and are lame in both feetI
Then | admit your proposition. There is
not so much difference in an African jungle
with barking. howling Kissing. hghln-
quadruped and reptile, and paradise with
its animals coming before Adam, when he
patted them and strOkcd them and gave
them names, so that the panther was as
tame as the COW and the condor as tame a
the dove-as there is between the human sou
gffa9sd hnd tPo Son hi IS G9d S 9FigP la
mentalis's or the poets say in regard to sin
In the name OF Coz | declare to you to-day
that sin is Reorganization, disintegratioD
CHASTITY designation, hobbling dcIormity
Your modern theOlogtan tells you thai
man is little out Of sorts; he sometime.
thinks wrong; he sometimes acts wrong: in
deed, his nature needs little moral surgery
an outside spiut. slight comLress. n it'll,
rectllcatlOn. Religion is good thing L
have; 1t might some day come into use. Maj
Is partially wrong, not all wrong. He +
lame in one foot. Bring the salve Of divin,
grace and the ointment and the pain extrac
tor, and we will have his one foot cured
Man is only half wrong, not altogethe
wrong. In what is mans nature right! II
his WILL his affections, his Judgment No
There is an Old book that says: 1.-The Who'll
head is sick and the whole heart faint,
Mophibosheth lame in both feet. Our belle
OF the fact that sin has scarltied and deforme
our souls increases az we 20 on in wears
When you started life you thought that ma
was little married by sin and he was abou
one tenth wrong BY the time Won Ind pOn
through the early evnerienSe Of von
trade or OCCUPATION or profession Won he
level that man was ahont bnlf ,yr1n,, n
the time YOU came TO mtdlife Won believe
that man w.s tbroa- fo,,rtbs ~, D.
within these most Co., go i~iouo Nv
been 90 lied ahon+ ond s-in Iioj a,,l - ,,''
Won have coma IN tba "anoi,yei +i,t @
Ia altocether yvror, ana ,',''' ,'l,'
with tSa nro w. 10, - ~ Tu ," ON sd
! health n TX Ialt :
fine nronhat mTha ba,1rt ;s gaao;tt,} W..
all things and desnaratelv wicLed i y VIZ W.
ever Won may have haIinved haForo rou, 49,
believe that NIenhihosheth ia lima ON 49,
feet. va wv
Again. Mephihosbetb in tbe tex+ sto,,s e.
the disabled human son. bnmhieG anJ ~ -
+ stored When this Invalid of NV text lt co.
Y command to come TO KING Davis naioeoo !,
trembled. The fact was t5at the rrap" 'fo
y of Mephibosheth had treated 6avid NO. ~
shockingIv. and now Nenhiboshatb soys :
G himself: HWhat does tha Him, u,ant of ~
Isn't it enough that am lnme2 Ia be onin
to destroy nv Iife2 Is he going r. rraaL .
me the vengeance which he holds toward N
l grandfather. SAUL Ms too had" Rnt q
: to the palace Mephib0sheth must. since n n
king has communicated II Witb 'tarS W