The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-10-25
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
IN INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
OCTOBER ~.
Lesson Text: "sin, Forgiven ess and
Peace Ps xxxil, 4 1i-GoI,icn
Il X; R"m. v. f.-Commen-
fary on the Lesson.

| Our lesson To-Day Is one OF tho seven peni-
tential psalms, the others being the 9th 5lst,
18th, 102d 130th and 143d; this and the 51st
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
might suppose the latter to have been writ
ten first. In the title this is called "A Psalm
Of David:'' and in III Sam. xiii, l. g he
! Is called the sweet psalmiSt of Israel, and it
Us written that 'the Spirit of the Lord spaks
oy him, and His word was i'm his tongue
therefore we ought to come tn these words
81 the Spirit through David, firmly beiev-
ing (Rom. XIV, ~, and relying on the same
| Spirit to give us the comfort and instruction
here for us. The word ''maschil." .lsc IL
the title, and used hero for the first time,
signifies Ito act wisely" and surely David
.cted wisely when he confessed and received
forgiveness.
2. "Transgression forgiven, p " sin
Sowered, iniquity not imputed" y"
| IranSgression signifies the going beyond
| bounds or doing that which we should not do:
sln is coming short Of the marx, or leaving
| npdone 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 fell and mani
| tests ITS perverseneSs in sin and tranSgrcSsion;
| 30 that here we have the whole matter of
wrong and wrong doing; disposed of and for
eve. ever settled lin. in Gods appointed way; See if
| Spirit, referring to these very words tells us
| I'm Rom. iv., SIS, that this doing away with
sin, and consequent imputation of righteous
ness, is apart from any works on our part,
hut iscntrely of grace, through the redemp-
tion that is in Christ Jesus and is freely
granted to every believer. The words I'm
whose spirit there is no guile" indicate that
to enjoy these blessings there must be on our
part the absence OF all deceit (for that is the
wordD and q sincere confession Of and turn
Ing away from, the sin or transgression
Coming thus with true penitence and humil.
ity, and trusting only in the merits and work
of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was made sin
for us, and who bare our sins in His own body
on the cross I'll Cor. ", 81; Pet H., 2f,
VIC may he as sure we arc that God lives
that He, for Christ's sake, has hlotted out all
that was against us, and will remember it mo
more usa. Sliii., %; Eph. iv., a2,; that be.
ing justified by faith we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Golden
teXtl
3 4. When kept silence" Now, that is
sometimes good thinG to do, and David
xxxviii., IL; xxXix., /, y, but when, in
this case, there was sin TO he confessed it was
no time to keep silent and he here tells us of
his suffer.ngs on account OF his sinful silence
as a warning to us. He that covercth his
sins shall not prosper; but whose confesseth
and forsaketh then, shall have mercy
8. 81 acknowledged, 4" Thou for.
gavcSt." Some one has said that sin ,lncor-
fessed, like gathering wound, swellS and
torments, but the lance gives relief; sincere
of forgiveness
G. ''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 ths like bless
ing; every Christian who has had the Joy of
salvation (Which they had for a time lost hy
transgression) restored to him is an eucour-
agement to other biacksliders to return:
:. Thou art my hiding place Notice
the word thou" three times in this verse;
il is God Himself who is our hiding place,
preserver and daiiverer. David had been
hiding from God, like Adam and Eve in the
garden of Eden tisn: iii; 3, l0I, but now, his
is a sure and safe hiding red as But all others
win he swept away lisa, xviii, IN.
=. ~ will instruct thee and teach thee in
the way which thou shalt 60" 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
shall never pass through fire or water; on
the contrary He has told - :'siaS in the
world we shall have tribulation. and that ''all
that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suf-
fer persecution" John xvi, IS; III Tim. i'll,
12): but He has promised to be with us III the
trouble and thus lead us, while He preserves
us from being in any way injured by 1T; The
word here translated instruct signifies to
make successful or prosperous, as IN Josh. l.,
z, $: | Kings H.. 3, where it is so translated;
hut the moro common Old Testament word
for instruction signifies chaStiSemenG; IL
therefor" becomes us if we sincerely desire
to he lei bv Him, to believe that He does
lead us. and in what seems ofttimes to he the
most adverse circumstances, We should hear
Him say: II ain the Lord thy God who
teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee
by the way that thou shouldcst go' lisa.
Xviii, ~.
81 will guide thee with Mino eye" Notice
the marginal reading, which seems equal to
saying: Il will tell you how to so and then
watch you to see that you keep IN the right
way" or as it is plainly stated in lisa. xNZ..
81: ''Ihine ears Shall hear a word behind
thee, saying: This is the way, walk We in it,
when We turn 10 the right hand and when ye
turn to the left" With such great and
precious promises how quiet we should be. -.
q. "Be We not as the horse or as the mule
1t 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. Ealaams ass saw more than its
master, and opened its mouth To some pur-
pose; but the rule prevails that horses and
| mules have not the wisdom of nlen and must
be restrained and guided by bit and bride.
| Now. when men and women. and particularly
| Christians. need to be restrained by the bit
and bride of circumstances, which are Eod's
provdences instead of meckly and trust
! inCly following their Shepherd. il is anything
hut creditabie to them, and does no honor to
| that beautiful name by which they are called
| 10. Many sorrowS shall he 10 the wicked,
| nut he lilaI CfUStculn TIE ItI'i. SilSi
compass him about" Sorrows touch the
| righteous as well as the wicked. but the sor-
rows of the righteous are blessings in dis
| guise, for the loving hrud of the Lord is in
| every one of them. and no matter what they
| look like they are all goodness and mercy, 50
that the believer may truly say in all his
! sorrows: ''Sorrowful yet always rejoicing.
| III Cor. vi, 1O) The SORROWS of the wicked
on the other hand, are only the forctastc OF
| greater sorrows in the future, when "The
wicked shall be turned into hell. end all tho
! nations that forget God Ps ix., lIl
H. "Be glad in the Lord. and rejoice w
righteous" Not circumstances nor feelings
not things around us or within Us, rot what
we do no: what is done for US but Oh" Lore
Himself, and the Lord alone is to lc our sal
walton, our joy, our strength, and that at al
| times.
shout for joy, all We that are upright il
heart" We may he glad and rejoice in
very quiet way but here is authority tn MAKE
our Joy known: the inhabitant Of Zion is eX
horted to cry out and shout because the EIol,
One of Israel is in the midst lisa. xii, 6): an,
when the Lord reigns supreme and alone il
any heart it will be hard to suppress rea
"Hallelujah"' As it is only thoss who CONF