Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-04-28
APENITENT'S YER
Lesson V, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 4.

Text Of the Lesson, Ps. II, 1-l3-Mem-
DRY Verses, 1o-i3-Golden Text, Ps.
Ii, IO-Comm cntary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
1. Have mercy upon me, o God, &C
cording to thy lovingkindness; according
unto the multitude of thy tender mercies
blot out my transgressons This is the
third of the seven penitential psalms, the
others being the vi, xxi, eli, cxxx cxliii,
xxxviii. The title gives the circumstances
which led David to write this psalm, and
the whole story Is found in II Sam. XII and
xii Let all consider the true significance
of the seventh commandment rs taught by
our Lord Jesus, and let only those who are
not guilty throw stones.
2. wash me thoroughly from mine in
EQUITY, and cleanse me from my sin" Like
the leper who said, Lord, if Thou wilt
Thou canst make me clean" (Math. viii, y,
he believes that the Lord can cleanse him,
and he wants it done thoroughly. How
such word as | John /, 8, would have
comforted him, "If we confess our sins He
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse US from all unrighteous
ness" But he had virtually the same
teaching in Lev. vi, IL
3. "For l acknowledge my transgressor
and my sin is ever before me-" "Only 40
knowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast
trangressed against the Lord thy God"
was Gods plea with Israel by Jeremiah
der. iii, l9). David does this, not making
light Of it nor seeking to hide either his
iniquity the root of all the trouble, or his
transgresson in which he overstepped the
line, or his sin in which he came short of
the mark (Ex. xxxiv, y
4. Against thee, thee only, have sinned
and done this evil in thy sight; that thou
mightest be justified when thou speakest
and be clear when thou judgest." When
Nathan reproved him he said, II have
sinned against the Lord" Oh Sam. xii, l3)
When Joseph was sore tempted, instead of
yielding rs David did, he said, "How can
| do this great wickedness and sin against
God?" (Gen. xxx, 81
D. Behold, | was shapen in iniquity
and in sin did my mother conceive me-"
David recognizes sin in his nature, he did
not believe that we are by nature holy, but
us Paul testifes by the Spirit, by nature
the children of wrath, even as others"
CEph. ii, 81. "By one man sin entered the
world, and death by sin; and SO death
passed upon all men," The carnal mind is
enmity against God' (Rom. v, IL; viii, y.
q. Behold, thou desirest truth in the in
ward parts; and in the hidden part thou
shalt make me to know wisdom" There
is II something in us known in Scripture
as The imagination of the thoughts Of
the heart" Il Chron. xviii, 0; xxx, lS).
And it is written, II, the Lord, search the
heart, try the reins"
:. Purge me with hyssop and shall be
clean, wash me and shall be whittier than
yyin for I ha oil
ing of the people whom He redeemed from
the bondage of Egypt, and to understand
this verse one should be familiar with the
story of the eper and the two little birds
of Lev. xiii and xiv. and also the red heifer
story OF Mum. xix. In the cleansing of
each case. the leper and the deflemeut con
lracted by the way, the unclean one could
10 nothing for himself until pronounced
clean by the priest, The hysscp was used
10 sprinkle the blood, or the ashes and
water, which symboized and typified the
blood of Jesus Christ (See Lev. xiv, 4, :;
Nun. xix. IS, and compare lisa. i, 49,
S, Make me to hear JOY and gladnes7,
that the bones which thou hast broken
may rejoice" Ones very bones are fig
uratively said to suffer because Of sin
My bones waXed old through my roaring
all the day long" Neither is there any
rest in my bones, because of my sin" ops
! xxi, 3; XXxyiii 81. And of Christ, our
substitute, bearing orr SINS it is written
| II am poured out like water and all my
| bones are out of joint My heart is like
wax; it is melted in the midst Of my bow
els CPs. xxi, 40. How fearful is sin thus
to affect the Holy One Of God.
0, al ide thy face from my sins and blot out
all mine impurities" God said concerning
L. M al bai
they are not hid from my face, neither is
their iniquty hid from mine eyes der
| xvi, ~. But He2ekiah could say after his
| repentance, Thou hast cast all my sins
| behind thy back lisa. XxXviii, ~, and con
! corning Israel when she shall turn TO God
| it is written, Il have blotted out as a thick
cloud thy transgressons and as a cloud
| thy sins" Thou wilt cast all their sins
into the depths Of the sea" lisa. xiii. %
xiv, -; Mic. vii, l9l.
TO- Create in me II clean heart, O God
and renew a right spirit within me-" This is
| going to the root of the difficulty. We
sometimes hear of change of heart; if by
that is meant n new one instead of the old
sinful one, all is we'll; for the old cannot be
improved (Rom viii, y. We must be
born from above (John iii, 3, margin) and
receive IL nature we never had before even
the divine nature I'll Pet. /, A., before we
can enter the kingdom OF God. This God
is ready to do for us, but He wants us to
ask Him (Ezek. xxxvi, %. q, 80. What
is worth having is surely worth asking
for.
II. Cast me not away from thy pres
ence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from
me-" Moses prayed, IF thy presence go
not with me carry us not up hence" And
the Lord said, MY presence shall go with
Thea and will give thee rest" (EX, XxXiii,
Il, l5), The strength and comfort Of
Noses Joshua, Gideon, jeremiah and all
the servants of God was His presence with
them (EX. iii, II; Josh i, D; judy. vi IL,
Jer. i, s, 49,. And to us our Lord has said,
10, am with you Away" (Math xviii,
20). He has promised never to leave us,
and has told us that the Spirit will abide
In us (John xiv, ~, SO that if we will we
may rejoice in the abiding Of the Father,
Son and Spirit in us tIohn xiv, II, 23).
h9aStOrA INTO me the inv Df thV ca