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

way of the Lord, and sinners are net
converted. What we need is what
David needed. The cry of the Psalm
ist must pour from our lips. We must
walk the pathway of confession and re-
pentance SO that we may again De
yoked ur with Christ and with Him
perform joyful and efficient service.
IL AVING gained the presence OF the
Il l. Lord by confession and repent
ance, David pleads for six things as es-
sential to equipment for service. He
longs to get back into the harness OF
his Lords service again. He wants to
teach transgressors the ways OF the
Lord; he wants to lead sinners to sal
walton. He knows he is not fitted to do
SO, but he knows the Lord can equip
him. He asks first for a clean heart.
Create for me clean heart, o Cod"
This, God only can do. Man can sweep
and garnish the old natural heart, but
it takes God to Great clean heart. You
remember Jesus parable of the man
who drove out the unclean spirit from
his heart and swept and garnished 1t,
and how later seven other spirits more
evil than the first came back in his
company and took possession OF the
heart which the man had cleaned. 1t
is always SO when man undertakes the
task of his own heart cleaning. Fail
IRE and disappointment must always
mark such attempt, for God is the only
one who can successfully perform the
task. David does not ask God to patch
up the old heart, but pleads for the
creation of a clean heart, as though
there was nothing which David could
provide which would make any kind
of presentable heart. What is needed
in his case is a creation, not a max
ing over.
During house-cleaning time last
spring wife and spread out an old
rug which we thought contained album
dant good material for smaller
made-over rug, but when we came to
examine. carefully preparatory to the
making of the new rug we found that
the remnants of the old rug were so
utterly worthless that 1t was out Of
the question to use it. David spread
his heart out before the Lord and
when he saw its filth and worthless
ness he gave up the thought Of re-
construction and at once pleaded for
the creation of something new. Some
how Or other these hearts OF ours ap-
pear pretty good and able to supply
abundant material out OF which to
put it into Gods hands for remaling
He begins to show us that what He
has declared regarding the human
heart-that 1t is "deceitful above all
things and desperately wicked"-is
true, and we turn hopelessly from our
selves and plead David's prayer:
Create for mo clean heart, O God"
n AVID'S second request was for a
~ "steadfast spirit" With David it
was desire for renewal OF that which
he had known in the days that were
behind. The steadfast spirit had kept
him faithfully watching over his focks
until called by God and anointed to be
king. 1t had made him patient all
through the years of persecution and
trial at the hands Of Saul. It had
made him brave in the hour Of danger.
It had given him generous, forgiv
Ing spirit when Saul was within his
power and when victory finally gave
him the kingdom. II is blessed thing
to be able to plead for renewal of a
steadfast spirit. The past life speaks
much of hopefulness for the future.
But even If the Christian cannot plead
for renewal. though the past Chris
tan life has been all written over
with weakness and failure, still he
NAV ask God to GIVE steadfast
spirit. And this says F. B. Meyer.
.God can give and will give to us by
His Holy Spirit. He can renew our
will from day to day, and infuse into
us His own unaltering. unalterable
purpose. He can make possible obedi-
ence to the apostolic injunction, BE
We steadfast. unmovable. always
Astounding in the work Of the Lord. :
Hear what comfortable words the
APOSTLE Peter saith: The God Of all
grace. VINO called you unto His eter-
nal glory in Christ. after that ye have
suffered little while, shall Himself
restore, stablish. and settle you.
Then we shall move resolutely and
unfalteringly onward. Like Column
bus. undaunted by encouragement, we
shall cross nnknown seas, till the
scent of the land we seek is waited
across the brief intervening distance"