The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-17
a SpirIt Not Iame.

THE minds the measure of the
man." and it is only in the eyes of the
witless that handsome, well-gowned,
stalwart fools, with as little character
as brains, are given precedence over
the small, unasSuming or the physical
ly deformed. Nobody can look at this
ancient portrait of the crippled Me-
osheth-especiaIly as he appeared,
unshorn and unkempt, upon King
David's return to Jerusalem-witho
exclaiming: There was a mani" He
was lame in his feet. but not in his
heart. His body might be twisted, but
his soul was straight. He was great
enough to be willing to receive favors
from his fathers friend, and he was
too great to desert that friend in the
days of his adversely. When his own
property was involved. he disdained
it; he wanted friendship for itself and
not for it's material advantages. He
coveted David's favor, but not his
favors.
In the gallery of Old Testament por-
traits Mephibosheth represents the
princely soul. He is the man who
was royal in exile, the sovereignty of a
kingly heart. He won loyalty by be-
ing loyal; and gave the world what it
needs more than any number of SER
mOns-a steadfast, and exalted char
acter. that could not be overwhelmed
by adverse circumstances.
At tho Kings Table.
The story of how David sought out
the remaining members of SauPs fam
lily, that he might show them kindness
for his friend Jonathan's sake, is one
of the idylS of the Old Testament.
With David, love involved loyalty. To
him, the bonds of love were sacred
and deathless; himself and his all were
pledged to the one to whom he had
given his heart. The claims of love took
precedence of the cares of state; he
was not so busy about his king bust
L. l. i Z
the obligations of friendship. He did
not wait for Jonathan's kindred to
search him out and present their
claims: with divine passion, the king
went seeking for those whom he might
serve.
His favor to Mephibosheth was
royal. The chronicler seems to delight
in emphasizing the faet-to him more
significant than to us-that the prince
was not to be recalled from exile and
to eat bread at the kings table. Re
peatedly he shows us the spectacle of
Jonathan's son sitting at the kings
table. No dole or pension can ever
pay loves debt; it must be royal
bounty" The best belongs to beloved.
These sordid. rushing, self-centered
times would be more royal If the
David fashion became general. Sup
pose everybody should undertake, so
far as possible, to pay loves debts,
even to the point of seeking creditors.
What a day would dawn if each of
us should look UP our friends son, or
our friends friend. and show him kind
ness according to his need and to our
capacity! If everybody were to search
out the people who have helped him
rise-his old teachers and pastor, the
neighbors who were kind to him, and
the friends who helped him by word
and deed-there would dawn a day
like unto the millennium of loves
reign.
A word that the advanced" theoio-
CLANS are trying to crowd out of the
vocabulary of religion furnishes the
key to this Observation-Disclosures All
that David did for Mephibosheth was
for Jonathan's sake. Not his own
merits but the merits of the kings
friend, won him favor and happiness.
He was poor and lame and exiIed; but
for Jonathan's sake he was given a
seat at the royal table And ali the
favors that the frail and feeble chill
dren of earth, expect of the great
King are for Jesus sake''-because
OF the merits of our Jonathan.