Morning, May 27
Go To Evening Reading
“So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at
the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.”
2 Samuel 9:13
Mephibosheth was no great ornament to a royal table, yet he had a
continual place at David’s board, because the king could see in his face the features of the
beloved Jonathan. Like Mephibosheth, we may cry unto the King of Glory,
“What is thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog
as I am?” but still the Lord indulges us with most familiar intercourse with
himself, because he sees in our countenances the remembrance of his
dearly-beloved Jesus. The Lord’s people are dear for another’s sake . Such is the love which the Father bears to his only begotten, that
for his sake he raises his lowly brethren from poverty and banishment,
to courtly companionship, noble rank, and royal provision. Their deformity shall not rob them of their privileges . Lameness is no bar to sonship; the cripple is as much the heir as
if he could run like Asahel. Our right does not limp, though our might
may. A king’s table is a noble hiding-place for lame legs, and at the gospel feast
we learn to glory in infirmities, because the power of Christ resteth
upon us. Yet grievous disability may mar the persons of the best-loved saints . Here is one feasted by David, and yet so lame in both his feet that
he could not go up with the king when he fled from the city, and was
therefore maligned and injured by his servant Ziba. Saints whose faith
is weak, and whose knowledge is slender, are great losers; they are
exposed to many enemies, and cannot follow the king whithersoever
he goeth. This disease frequently arises from falls . Bad nursing in their spiritual infancy often causes converts to
fall into a despondency from which they never recover, and sin in
other cases brings broken bones. Lord, help the lame to leap like
an hart, and satisfy all thy people with the bread of thy table!