The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-14

be walking amid the gardens of our temporal prosperlties. But we are not studying the pictures upon our walls or the grandeur of our homes. We are looking at the spiritual wrecks of our past lives. Like David we see our hein- ous sin rising up before us. We are saying, 70 God that I might live my life over again ant be as I once was.' Buc no sooner do- our repentnat tears begin to fall than David the libertine. David the murderer, comes to us and says: Friend Christ will forgive you of your sins as he has forgiven me my slns li you will only throw yourself upon his mercy Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Will you believe 1t and throw yourself upon the mercy of a pardonng Christ?
 But David comes in his old age, as a broken hearted father to bring to us gospel comfort, just as he once came as "a young man and middle aged man. He comes with his gray hairs and with tottering feet and leaning upon staff and says: Fathers and mothers. I know only too well how you are worrying and agonizing over that wayward boy. I have drunk out of the same chalce of woe I know what it is to sit up night after night. waiting for him to come home, while you listen for his staggering footsteps. An. no night Is so dark as that night when a loving parent Is list ening for the step of a returning prodigal l have been through it all. God will comfort you even IS he comforted me after my boy Abalom went astray. Trust him, father. Trust hsm mother. He $ the Jesus who alone can bring you com fort at time like this. Will you trust him, you who have dear ones who are doing wrong? Will you trust this Christ even now? will you just trust Jesus and cling to him for help?"
 If you cannot get help from Christ at this time, you can get help from no other source. In a masterpiece paint ed some years ago the artist took for his theme "The acrifice of Iphigenia." Perhaps you know the story Away back in Homeric times Agamemnon, leader of the Greks, with his wife and daughter, Clytemnestra and Iphlgenia, was leading his great fleet to attack Troy. Suddenly the fleet became becalmed. Then Calchas, ana Iphigenia. was leading his great fleet to attack Troy Suddenly the fleet became beealmed. Then Calchas, the wisest of the soothsayers declared that the gods were angry and the fleet cold nver be continued on it's journey un- less the beautiful Princess Iphlgenia was offered a sacrifice. So the artist pie lures ali these Homerc characters gath cred about to slay the beautiful Iphi- genia to assuage the anger of the gods.
 Is there among the myths more sor- rowful story? Iphigenia was saved in the end but there are analogous cases which no miracle interposes. How bitter must be the reflections of some aged fathe- who to gain wealth for himself or a title for his daughter, sacrifices her in a loveless marriage. He may be carried upward in society by the wind of fortune, but he has no joy in his success as he realizes what it cost his daughter. Oh. there are some sorrows beyond the reach of an earthly comfort CT. Carry them where David carried his griefs and learn at least the value of the heavenly peace.
 Ancient and Modern Sacrifices.
 Perhaps King David's sorrow over