Times-promoter., 1907-10-25
with intense earnestness:
"Thou art the mani"

trembled as though he would fall.
"The man shall surely die!"--
Thou art the mani"
He had pronounced the judgment
upon his own head
He grasped the side of the throne to
steady himself, and with bowed head
and averted face he listened while
Nathan reviewed all the black record
which he had written against his
life. It was all true. He did not
seek to deny it or palliate his con,
duct. He had kept these things hid
den in his heart during all these
months. He had thought that his
secret was safe with the few conf
Dental friends; and he had per-
suaded himself that it was a closed in.
cident. But he had mot reckoned
God into the account, and 10 and be-.
hold the awful record of sin which
he had been 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 when he
looked up the prophet had gone, and
he found himself alone.
Alone! No not alone, for where
| there Is sinful heart willing to hear
the accusing voice of God, there is
God present to deal ia love and
mercy with that soul. And there God
was that day. Not as King but as
guilty sinner did David meet God
Stripped of kingly robes and posi-
tion of state, separated from his
riches and power he stood a naked
soul before the searching eye of God.
Ah, how black now did his sin ap-
pear unto him. All, who would have
thought that the first misstep into
the pleasures of sin could have
plunged him so low!
Was 1t possible that this was David
who had professed so much before his
people? Was this the David who
only yesterday had carried out his
formal obligations before the Lord in
the sight of all the people? Was this
the David who had established the
ark in its place in the tabernacle in
Jerusalem, and had then been filled
with the ambition to build a temple
for the Lord? N.
Upon the ground before his throne
he threw himself in his anguish of
soul.
"Have mercy upon me, o God, J"
was all he could cry.
Was there forgiveness enough in
heaven to compass the enormity Of
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
UP his sin he had killed that man.
He was worthy of death. Dare he
let God do with him as justice de.
manded? Many a man in the king,
dom had been Judged worthy of death
and been killed who had not done as
wickedly as he. Why should he ask
or expect any less sentence? Yea, and
had he not pronounced sentence upon
himself when in answer to the proph
ct Nathan's story he had said: "rhe
man that hath done this thing shall
surely die"
So the struggle went on in the heart
of David as the succession Of barriers |
of the will were broken down and
true repentance brought him to the
point where he was willing to cast |
himself utterly upon the mercy and |
justice of God. 81 t{AS
True repentance never seeks to
make conditions. 1t seeks not to ex.
cuse Of palliate the sin. And at last |
when David had given UP utterly and
was willing if need be to pay the
penalty with his life for his wrong
doing, he found peace.
1t was In this attitude of heart
which the prophet Nathan found him
late that same afternoon.
Il have sinned against the Lord
David cried in broken voice. Let that
be done unto me which is pleasing
in the sight Of the Lord
And the prophet Nathan came and
laid his hand upon the head Of David. /
and said:
"The Lord hath put away thy sin
Thou shalt not die"
"The Lord hath put away MY SIM
repeated David softly to himself. How
sweet the words sounded. According
to the multitude of the tender mer,
cies thou hast sblotted out my. trans,
he continued to himself.
How blessed it, was to feel that
burden Of guilt taken away. What
awful months those had been during +
which he had kept the sin hidden In |
bis heart and had remained ,nrepent. |
ant before God. And now how won,