The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-08-05


grimly endured
the gnawing Of unconfessed sin.
Such was the case with King David.
His body was clad in the royal purple.
ana seated on throne; hut his soul
was In hell. and had been there more
than year. He had sinned, griev-
ously slnned In the matter Of the wife
OF Criah the IIlttite. In idleness upon
the roof Of his palace the lust Of his
eyes awakened an Illicit passion for
The wife ~ another. whom he took,
ana by craft rendered "A widow. With
cunning cleverness he attempted to
conceal his crime. thinking all would
be wei. But David penned no psalms.
and his harp awakened no melodies
IN the royal palace all that year. He
Thought 10 prosper, hut his prosperity
was turned into the drought OF sum-
mer.
Made Coward by Conscience.
But that year Of agony dragged on,
during which. as he afterwards con-
fessed ops. 32:3) his "bones waxed
old through his roaring all the day
long, all because his tongue kept ST.
lence." Then Nathan came. Davids
old friend, the prophet Nathan. We
can well imagine how his knees smote
each other as the chamberlain an
nounced Nathan AT the door Ordl-
narily David would have greeted the
old prophet with hale and hearty
welcome. but not today. OF all men
he cared 90 see II was not Nathan. But
he must not be discourteous: let him
come in. DlgnIfied. clear-eyed Ma
than stands before the king. David's
eyes are shifty; his face Is pale, and
his whole bearing Is IN at ease. Now
he's in for IL. But imagine his relief
when from the lips OF Nathan fall. not
words OF Pronunciation, but com
plant about n man losing his sheep.
All, how immensely relieved is Kin
David The blood comes back TO his
facel he is alert and all attention
now, his old self-rellant. righteous
self. sheep; why he knows all about
sheep. having grown up with the
hocks out Bethlehem way. "Say on,
Nathan; what was II you said about
n sheepf" Ito HIMSELF: my. I'm
glad he isn't going TO talk about sim"
"Found Out" by His Sin.
1nen follows Nathan's story OF the
rich man stealing the only sheep OF
the poor neighbor 10 feed chance
guest, and the king is furious. AS
the Lord llveth. the man that hath
done this shall surely die" Hold on,
David, you are going too far. The law
grants only four sheep for one, but
YOU would take the mans life But
how like him we all arei What sac
rlfice viii we not undergo. what serv-
ice wifi we not render, rather than
get down.
Thou art the man." thunders the
prophet. and David crumples into
heap before his merciless uncover
ing Of that sin, and weakly says: ~
lave sinned." But now the flood
gates are open, and with body shak-
Ing with sobs, he pours out his soul
In that matchless penltent Psalm 1.-THE
which has been the beaten
pathway back 10 God for millions OF
sinners since.
Forgiven.
But that Isn't ALL David finds
mercy. us our text guarantees for Ma
than Immediately replies. "The Lord
hath also put away thy sim"
Once again David selzes his harp, |
and'he palace walls ring with the glad |
refrain Of the thirty-second Psalm. !
BLESSED Is the man whose transgres- |
sion Is forgiven, whose sin Is COW |
ered" Blessed be our God; when he /
covers sin beneath the cleansing blood |
OF the Lamb OF God. there is abund- /
ance of prosperity assured, "for who /
so confesseth and forsaketh his sin .
shall have mercy"
"Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts,
and let him return unto the Lord, and
he will have mercy upon him; and TO
our God. for he VIII abundantly par
don. For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways, saith the Lord."-Isalah IS 4, s.
"lf We confess our sins he is faith
hui and just TO forgive us our sins