The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-23
THE SUNDAY.SCHOOL LESSON
SIN, PARDON AND PEACE.
LESSON ", FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, OCT. 27.


init Verses 1, 2-Goldcn Text. Rom. '.
IL Commentary by the Rev. .. NJ.
Stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission of II. S. Hoffman, publisher, Phiiadei
phia.
Our last lesson was concerning the ever
lasting covenant which God made with
David to establish His kingdom forever, and
his thanksgiving to God because of this great
favor; then follows the record of Davlds
great success in subduing all his enemies on
every side, because the Lord was with him
and preserved him whithersoever he went;
after which we read Of his kindness to Mephl-
bosheth, son Of Jonathan, son of Saul; and
then, in II Sam Ii, II, is the record OF Da-
vids awful sin and transgression, because OF
the iniquity Of his heart, with its consequent
Judgment by God, and on David's part penl-
tence and the receiving of forgiveness. Our
lesson today is one Of the seven penltential
psalms, the others being tho 9th, 5lst, 3Sth,
lO2d, 13Oth and l4Sd; this and the 5lst are
supposed to have been written by David
after that dark chapter in his life, and if we
should Judge by the contents of each we
euppOSo pAio AaooSA w As~'> ~S~~
ten first.
l., 2. "Transgression forgiven, sin
covered, iniquity not imputed"
Transgression signifies the going beyond
bounds or doing that which we should otdo;
sin is coming short Of the mark, or leaving
undone that which we ought to have done;
iniquity signifies anything distorted or per-
verse, and seems to refer to the natural heart,
which is all wrong since the fall and mani
tests its perverseness in sin and transgresslon;
so that here we have the whole matter of
wrong and wrong doing disposed Of and for
ever settled in Gods appointed way.
3,4. "When kept silence" Now, that is
sometimes a good thing to do, and David
more than once practiced it wisely tPs.
m1viii, IS; xxx, l, q, but when, as in this
case, there was sin to be confessed, it was no
time to keep silent, and he here tells US of his
sufferings on account Of his sinful silence as
warning to us. HE that covereth his sins
shall not prosper; but whose confesseth and
forsaketh them shall have mercy" "If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive US our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness. prov. xviii, l3; !
John i, 81 The word "Selah" at the close
in the Psalms and nowhere else in the Bible
except in Hab. iii, 8, 0, IS. It signifies "a
pause" and may indicate pause in the
music, or a pause in the singing, while the
music continues; we shall certainly be max
ing practical and profitable Use Of it if,
wherever we find it, we pause and mediate
upon what we have just read
5. II acknowledged, thou for
gayest." Some one has said that sin uncon-
fessed, like a gathering wound, swells and
torments, but the lance gives relief; sincere
confession is the lance which brings the peace
Of forgiveness
6. "For this shall every one that is godly
pray unto Thee" Every sinner rejoicing In
the forgiveness of sins is an encouragement
to others to come and obtain the like bless
ing; every Christian who has had the joy of
salvation (which they had for time lost by
transgression) restored to him is an encour-
agement to other backsliders to return. Are
we so rejoicing in possessed and assured
salvation that others are, because Of our Joy,
seeking the Lord alsos There is time when
He may be found.
z. "Thou art my hiding place" Notice
the word ''thou" three times in this verse; it
Is God Himself who is our hiding place, pre-
server and deliverer.
8. ~ will instruct thee and teach thee in
the way which thou shalt CO." Evidently
the Lord is now speaking in reply to David,
for no one can instruct and teach like Him,
and no one is capable but Him. He has not
promised that we shall have no trouble, that
we shall never pass through fire or water; on
the contrary He has told us that 'ln the
world we shall have tribulation, and that ''all
that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suf-
fer persecution" John xvi, So; II Tim iii, l2;
but He has promised to be with US in the
trouble, and thus lead US while He preserves
us from being in any way injured by it. The
word here translated Instruct signifies to
make successful or prosperous, as i'll Josh. i,
rs; Kings ii, 8, where it is so translated;
but the more common Old Testament word
for instruction signifies chastisement; it
therefore becomes us, if we sincerely desire
to be led by Him, to believe that He does
lead us, and in what seems ofttimes to be the
most adverse circumstances, We should hear
Him say 81 am the Lord thy God who
teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee
by the way that thou shouldest 60" lisa
Xviii, ~:
! VIII Lueo Will Iuluo eye. 4NOIiCc
the marginal reading, which seems equal to
saying, 81 will tell you how to 60 and then
watch you to see that you keep in the right
way" or as it is plainly stated in Isa. XXX, q,
Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee,
saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when
ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn
to the left" With such great and precious
promises how quiet we should be.
8. "Be ye not rs the horse or as the mule"
It is manifest in every day life that the big
gest mule is not always the one in the traces
and that horse often knows more than his
driver. Balaam'S ass saw more than it's
master, and opened its mouth to some pur.
pose; but the rule prevails that horses and
mules have not the wisdom of men and must
be restrained and guided by bit and bride.
Now, when men and women, end particularly
Christians, need to be restrained 10y the bit
and bride Of circumstances, which are Gods
providences, instead of meelily and trustipgly
following their Shepherd, it is anything but
creditable to them, and does no honor to that
beautiful name by which they are called
-. TO- Many SORROWS shall be to the wicked,
but he that trusted in the Lord, mercy shall
compass him about" Sorrows touch the
righteous Us we'll as the wicked, but the sor-
rows Of the righteous are blessings in Disguise,
for the loving hand of the Lord is in every
one Of them, and no matter what they look
like they are all goodness and mercy, so that
the believer may truly say in all his sorrows
''Sorrowful. yet alway rejoicing" Ill Cor.
vi, l0)
II. "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice ye
righteous" Not circumstances nor feelings,
not things around US nor within us, not what