Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-04-15

Tor the truly great music. The old
songs which he once loved he now
despiscs. The truly beautiful music
he once despised now he loves My
friends, if you do not love the society
of Christian people there is somo.h hing
wrong in your life You have dis
eased spiritual appetite. The sooner
you go with the truly consecratcd PEG
pie the sooner you will learn to love
their society. Do not make the prayer
of my text. Restore unto me the joy
Of thy salvation" unless by constant
association with Christian people you
do all in your power to develop that
spiritual joy.
But in order to fully grasp the beau
ty of the psalmist's prayer you must
remember that il is given with the alb
sOlute knowledge that I'm his own
strength he was nothing. but that in
Gods strength he could be everything.
David at this time was standing under
the shadows of his past sins. God had
blessed him again and again. yet just
after these many manifestations of the
divine love he had fallen back into sin
because he had depended upon his own
strength. Thus David says, Restore
unto me the joy of thy salvation and
uphold me by thy free spirit" That
means in plain English, 20 God,
bring me back to thy loving grace.
cleanse me from sin and then by thy
power do not let me again wallow in
the quagmires and the boys and the
filth OF evil" After David had played
the fool in King Achish's court and
had murdered Uriah to steal for him.
self Uriah's wife. ought he not to have
made this prayer with fear and trem-
bling? After you and l have sinned
again and again when God had re-
stored upon us the joy of his salvation,
ought not we to make this prayer in the
same spirit as David made it?
Trust In the Father.
1t Is only by doubling and continuing
to distrust our own strength that we
are led to rely entirely upon Gods pro
tecting power l would have us feel
our dependence Oh God when we make
this prayer exactly as the little adopt
ed daughter of dear friend of mine
feels toward her father. He is Il noble
man, made noble through suffering.
He started out in humble financial
circumstances. but he went on and on
in life until at last lie won position
of wealth and influence. But after the
wealth came. then came the sorrow.
God came to his two little girls and
said: Come. daughters: come. l want
you to play In the green field of heav
en-" And in night the earthly nursery
was emptied for the celestial play
grounds. Broken hearted We're my
friend and his dear wife. The cry of
their agonizing hearts was, 20 God.
give us little girl" And God gave
them little daughter, not of their
own flesh and blood, however. but u
little girl who came out of Il howell of
poverty and filth and sin.
Some months ago this little girl was
in a founding institute in one of our
large eastern cities. By this institu-
ton she was sent west and put into u
low MeXican's home of ignorance and
filth. There my friend found her and
said: 'She shall not remain here. She
shall come and be my daughter and
1--we in my homie" He took her west.
girl and put clean clothes upon her
and put her into clean, white bed.
They surrounded her with all that
wealth and love could give. Yet,
though that little girl is now only
about two and onehalf years old. she
lives in continual terror of being taken
back to her past surroundings. Every
night before she goes to bed she calls
her foster father to her side or crawls
up into his lap and puts her little
arms about his neck and says, Papa.
you won't let them come and take
baby away. will you?" Sometimes she
awakes ut night and calls and asks
the same question, you won't let
them take baby away, will you:" And
the great. strong man. with tears in
his eyes, says: mo. baby: no. daugh-
ter. I will not let them come and
take you away from me and mammal!
Go to sleep now; papa will keep you
safely by his sidew So David. as Il
heartbroken sinner, just reaches up
and puts his arms up in plea to God
and says: 20 Father, keep me. Don't
let me go back to sin as l have done
In the past Keep me, Lord. Keep
me I'm the power of thy love" Have
you not. o man, sinned after God
has restored to you again and again
the JOY of salvation? Can you not say
to him now: Keep me. Lord. Keep
me- Father. Keep me-"
Thus. my friends. because You have
again and again come to Christ and
tasted OF the joy of salvation and then
fallen away do not let your broken
resolutions keep you away from the
Saviour today. First get a clean sheet.
Say. 20 God. forgive" Then make a
prayer, an earnest prayer. which will
be II continuous prayer for every morn
ing noon and night. Let this be your
prayer: 20 God. keep me. keep me!
o Lord. keep De every step go."
And God will keep you. brother. He
will keep you under the shadow of his
wings. He will keep you as David was