St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-09-19

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&HEE4X tHs4AS3S31~@\V OWN miserable 1dll-
A@4HNK ure and awful sin,
II AAIZ but whose faith
6E Mye4 and repent a n c
pave the way which
VIM pNAnM \ leads back to God
l-slMHMm Xxx, and His bles sed
service. The Psalm
from which it taken is the-concluding
chapter OF story of sin and its deplora-
BILE consequences. Sin had severed fell
lowship with Gode and terminated &C
ceptable and efficient service. In an un-s
guarded moment, while yielding to the
ease ard luxury of his royal state, he
slipped the traces Of uprightness and
Dolted on into the senticing meadows OF
sin. He gratified his desires, but at
fearful cost. He sacrificed his peace of
mind and heart, and destroyed his power
for good. AS the days came and went
he CROPPED in the dark. while he sought
to find light in himself and tried to JUS
tify himself by the conduct of the kings
OF the nations about him. That which
he had done was only the common prac-
tIce OF kings and rulers Of his day. No
one In the Kingdom dared call into Ques
ton the acts of the great King David.
He was not In danger of punishment at
the hands of the. nation. But otwith-
standing this, those were days of dark
ness TO the king who had fellowshiped
with God and performed His service.
The distress and disquiet and darkness
OF those days can be realized only in
the light of David,s open confession and
his yearning appeal, His heart, stained
with lust and murder, oh! how black it
seemed as he turned toward God and
pleaded for the purging and cleansing
of that heart His hckleness and in
constancy, oh! how miserably weak and
contemplate. as he longed to have a
steadfast spirit renewed within him. The
awful danger of&being cast away from
God and losing the presence OF the Holy
Spirit who had come upon him when he
had been amounted years before rs Gods
chosen one to rule His people, oh! how
1t astifeds his heart with its terrifying
dread! The joy of the presence and saw
Ing grace of the Lord which he had.
known in days past before yielding to
temptation and indulging In SIN had van
ished, and oh! how he wished that he
might again feel the kindling within that
would warm his heart towards God and
make him long for the salvation OF the
sinner. And with the realization OF all
this-the weight, Of his sins. his IN
faithfulness, his separation from God,
his unfitness for service, there came the
longing to get back to God and again
be yoked up with Him in fellowship and
service.
HOW common Is the experience OF
i i David among Christians, OF sinful
Indulgence, of separation from God.
Days OF darkness come. The inspiration
for service has died out. The sense OF
10y in the salvation of the Lord has been
lost. There may be the perfunc Glory dis
charge Of religious duties. even as there
was probably with David during the
period of his sinfulness and separation
from God Oh! how often the Christian
goes on in this condition! No wonder
he gets no Joy out Of his service: No
wonder there is dissatisfaction and. dis
sconragement. No wonder that, ~ he
falls to 20 to God with full confession
of sin against Him, and pleads not for
the cleansed heart and the new milling
of the Spirit, gradually he gets farther
and farther away In the darkness and
finally gives up even the outward dis
play 81 devotion and service to the Lord
and His cause. Nearly every Christian
has the experience Of slipping from the
blessed yoke which he IS sharing with
the Christ who has redeemed him, and
OF wandering of and browsing In the
attractive fields Of the worlds pleasures
and sins. but 50 few, comparatively, are
like David In humble confession and ear
nest pleading In faith for cleansing and
reinstatement. There Is a great deal OF
unyoking, but so little yoking up again.
The Christian gets out Of the harness
which enables him to do effective serv-
ice for the Lord, but he does not always
get back into the harness again. Asswe
have said, he goes on with his accus-
TONED religious duties and dew otions, but
the inspiration and joy Of service are
lost because OF unconfessed sin and sep
saration from God. No amount Of sub
seouent service and faithfulness can
cover up the sin that Is fostering In the
heart. or restore to working fellowship
with God. yF
4 ~.
TT TAKES a heart that Is cleansed
from all sin and hands which have
been washed from iniquity to render
acceptable service to God. In the TWEEN
tv-fourth Psalm David asks who
.,,.II ascend into the hill Of the Lord?
ar who shall stand In his holy place!
IIe that hath clean hands and q pure
heart. who hath not lifted up his soul
rnto vanity. nor sworn deceitfully."
This was the spirit and purpose OF
1aans, teaching when He said: II
4bou bring thy gift to the altar. and
there rememberest that thy brother
hs+h aught against thee, leave there
nv oift before the altar, and go thy
tw.v. f,rst be reconciled to thy brother,
~ then come and offer thy gift" The
~. .tyt On the altar is representative OF
Christian service. but before It can De
.ccanted there must be q cleaning up
= IA scores: wrongs must be nghted;
.ac,eas,ons must be made; sins must
:. c,eansed: hands must be purified. It
- +ha consciousness of this which
..au.d 4 great and mighty king IN the
s,,st 81 confession and repentance, ana
5. - him plead the prayer OF our text:
. . for mo d clean heart, Q God;
-, .enew steadfast spirit within me.
a ns ma not away from Thy presence.
3 Sass - - ,rhv HOLY Spirit from me.