The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-10-15
David's Confession.


David's Confession.
The fidelity of the Bible in the pot
trayal of character is terrible. There
is no varnish or veneer. 1t pictures
its heroes as they really are. Incl
dentally, here is evidence of inspira-
ton. Interested writer's of book of
religion would certainly have given
us series of ideally perfect saints.
The Biblegives usmen of like passions
with ourselves. If the characters of
the Scriptures were galaxy of impec-
cably holy persons, the Bible might
make good reading for angels; but it
would be of comparatively small ac-
count to men. On the contrary, it
shows us our fellows striving and fall
ing, SHINING, repenting. believing. We
see men in the process, on the way to
holiness. We have in the Bible the
evolution of the saint. That is the
very thing that makes it the help
full Book it is. Yet, in its preversity
infidelity has always considered this
the most vulnerable point in the Bible
1t irrationally demands that the char,
acters of Holy Writ shall be impecca.
BILE.
The character of David is fine ex
emplification of the principles Just
started. His caree, is as fascinating
as chat Of any knight of chiyalry. He
was the founder of CIVILIZATION before
that of Greece was born. For twenty
years the trend of life was upward
in glory and goodness.
But in an evil hour this most bril-
liant man in Hebrew history buried
his glories in nocturnal shame from
the pit in which he had fallen, we
hear, as it were, his own voice in sol
emu warning. LET him that think
eth ne standeth, take heed lest he falln
George Herbert in some quaint lines
expresses the thought that though
the Lord has begirt us round will
care. Yet all these fences one Gun
ming bosom sin blows clean away.
God called David to repentance. H,
warned before he struck. He warned
in order not to strike. Some on,
quantity says, He sends his preache
before his executioner," Every sin
ner has his Nathan. Alas. Ever,
sinner does not heed his Nathan.
The sincerity of David's repentanc
is absolute. He makes no plea 0
previous great services to God an
religion. He does not claim that reas
ons of State make it impolitic, if no
impossible, for him to go down to til
mourner's bench. Down he goes i
sight of all his subjects!
His confession is explicit. He dea'
in no platitudes, no inane generalitie
He cries, my transgression," My il
iquity," MY sins" This evil, IN
blood-guiltiness.'
His pentinence is not judicial. 1t
not conjunction in view OF penalt,
There are no judicial penalties for a
Oriental despot. Murder and adulter
on the part of king are mere peci
dillos of which society does not tax
cognizance, much less the law. Davi
stands in no awe of judicial cons,
quences of his deeds.
He was, far and away, head of tn
utterspiritual obtuseness of the worl
three thousand years ago. He ha
an evangelical conception of the M
ture of sin. He knew what constitt
ted the essence of it, what made 81
SO exceedingly sinful. 1t was in tha
it was done against the person an
holiness of God. He was quite up t
the New Testament idea of sin whe
he cried, Against thee, only have
sinned and done this evil in thy sight.
AS he felt his sin directed agains
God, so he felt the necessity of Divir
forgiveness, and was corresponding
happy when he received it. Back
the specific sin, also, he knows thel
is perverted state of the heart whic
has made that sin possible. The +
demptive.process. stops not with 70
giYeness. He cries Create in me
clean heart, o Godr' This is evange
ical regeneration. The uprightne1