The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-10-25

duct He had kept tucsV 'NiHS' -
den in his heart during all 'neSe
months He had thought that his
secret was safe with the few conn
denriaI friends: and he had per-
suadcd himself that it was closed IN,
cident. But he had not recKoheu
God into the account, and 10 and be
hold the awful record OF sin Whlch
ne had hccn trying to forget was sud
denly spread before him.
He sank into his chair and buried
his face in his hands How long
he sat thus he knew not, but Wheh hC
looked up the prophet had gone anu
he fouAl himself alone.
Alone. No not alone, for Where
there IS sinful heart willinS to hear
the accusing voice Of God, there Is
God preseut to deal in love and
mercy with that soul And there Goa
was that day. Not as king but as
| entity sinner did David meet Gou.
| Strjpped of kingly robes and posi-
tion of state, separated from his
riches and power he stood nakeu
soul before the searching eye OF Gou'
All how black now did his sin ap'
near INTO him. All who would nave
thought that the first misstep hlo
the pleasures Of sin could nave
plunged him so low:
Was it possible that this was DaVlu
who had professed 50 much before MS
peopIe? Was this the David VINO
only yesterday had carried out MS
formal obligations before the Lord IN
the sight of all the people? was TINS
the David who had established 'he
. ark in its place in the tabernacle III
Jerusalem. and had then been nlleu
with the ambition to build a tempe
/. for the Lord?
. Upon the ground before his throne
he threw himself in his anguish or
!: soul.
!. Have mercy upon me, o God
!. was all he could cry.
|. Was there forgiveness enough IN
: heaven to compass the enormlty Oh
: his sin?
!. How dark the way seemed? Would
!. God answer?
: Dare he throw himself utterly upon
!. God and his mercy? He had stolen
!. another mans wife, and then to cover
!. I'm his sin he had killed that man.
: He was worthy of death. Dare lie
!: let God do with him as justice de-
! manded? Many man in the KING
:: dom had been judged worthy OF death
: and been killed who had not done as
! wicked,v as he. Why should he ask
I or expect any less sentence? YEA anG
!. had ha not pronounced sentence upon
Z himself when in answer to the proph
! Of Nathan's story he had said: the
: man that hath done this thing shall
I surely die
: So the struggle went on in the hear'
: of David as the succession OF barriers
= If the will we're broken down and
!. true repentance brought him to the
: mint where he was willing to cast
!. himself utterly upon the mercy anO
: Justice of God.
:: True repentance never seeks lc
: make conditions. 1t seeks not 10 eG
:. cuse of palliate the sin. And at las
= when David had given up utterly ant
e. was willing if need be TO pay TIT
= penalty with his life for his Wron'
]. doing. he found peace.
= II was in this attitude OF hear
j. which the prophet Nathan found nin
= late that same afternoon
]. 81 have sinned against the Lord,
= David cried in broken voice. Let tina
!. he done unto me which is pleasln
!. in the sight of the Lord.
} ;. And the prophet Nathan came an
1o;d bic hand upon the head of Davit
: and said:
{ !. THE Lord hath put away thy sil
! Thou shalt not die"
I ]. THE Lord hath put away MY sin
D repeated David softly to himself. no
J: sweet the words sounded. "Accordir
I ! To the multitude of the tender me
n !. cies thou hast blotted out my tran
e : gressions," he continued to himself.
4 ! How blessed it was to feel Ia
: burden of guilt taken away. "h
i awful months those had been durll
FTT which he had kept the sin hidden
his heart and had remained unrepeI
ant before God And now how. VIC
ords derful it was to feel that he nj
ling been brought back to God and Tn
the the old fellowship had been restore
e d. And then came the yearning tor
'oph- nearer walk with God and share
and his service, and he prayed: g
ering Create in me a clean heart,
God God: and renew right spirit viii
me. Restore unto me the joy OF I
d of salvation; and uphold me by
David free spirit. Then will teach ira
And gressors thy ways; apd sinners sh
niger be converted unto thee" =
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