The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-06-11

- ..zsszo OI anguish nave
grimly endured
the gnawing Of unconfessed sin.
Such was the case with King David.
His body was clad in the royal purple,
and seated on throne; but his soul
was In hell, and had been there more
than year. He had sinned, griev-
ously sinned In the matter of the wife
OF Uriah the Hittite. In idleness upon
the roof of his palace the lust Of his
eyes awakened an Illicit passion for
the wife of another, whom he took,
and by craft rendered a widow. With
cunning cleverness he attempted to
conceal his crime, thinking all would
be well. But David penned no psalms,
and his harp awakened no melodies
In the royal palace all that. year. He
thought to prosper, but 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 FPS. 32:3), his "bones waxed
old through his roaring all the day
long," all because his tongue kept ST.
lence." Then Nathan came, David's
old friend. the prophet Nathan. We
can well imagine how his knees smote
each other as the chamberlain an
nounced Nathan at the door. Oril-
narily David would have greeted the
old prophet with hale and hearty
welcome. but not today. or all men
he cared to see II was not Nathan. But
he must not be dlscourteous; let him
come in. Digniffed, clear-eyed Ma
than stands before the king. David'a
eyes are shifty; his face is pale. ana
his whole bearing is III at ease. Now
he's In for 1t. But imagine his relief
when from the lips of Nathan fall, not
words Of denunciation, but a COM
plant about man losing his sheep.
All, how immensely relieved Is Kin
David! The blood comes back to his
face! he Is alert and all attention
now, his old self-reliant, righteous
self. Sheep; why he knows all about
sheep, having grown up with the
focks out Bethlehem way. "Say on.
Nathan; what was II you said about
a sheep?" ITO himself): my, Tn
glad he isn't going to talk about sim"
"Found Out" by His Sin.
linen follows Nathans story of the
rich. man stealing the only sheep Of
the poor neighbor to feed chance
guest, and the king is furious. "As
the Lord liveth, 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 lifel But
how like him we all are! What sac
rifice win we not undergo, what serv-
Ice will we not render, rather than
get down.
'Theu art the man." thunders the
prophet, and David crumples into
heap before his merciless uncover
ing Of that sin, and weakly says: IT
have sinned." But now the food
gates are open, and with body shak-
Ing with sobs. he pours out his soul
In that matchless penltent Psalm 1.-THE
fifty-frst). which has been the beaten
back to God for millions OF
sinners since.
Forgiven.
But that isn't all. David finds
mercy. as our text guarantees for Ma
than Immediately replies, The Lord
hath also put away thy SIM"
Once again David selves his harp.
and the palace walls ring with the glad
refrain Of the thirty-second Psalm.
IL the man whose trnnsgres-
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
70 confesseth and forsaketh his sin
hall have mercy"
"Let the wicked fOrsake HIS way.
Ind the unrighteous man his thoughts,
Ind let him return unto the Lord, and
le will have mercy upon him; and to
,ur God, for he will abundantly par
Ion. For my thoughts are not your
thoughts. neither are your ways my
ways. saith ihe Lord."-Isaiah 55:T.
IF we confess our Sins he Is faith
ul and just 10 forgive rs our sins