The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-04-27
APENITENT'SPRAYER
LESSON v, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY I.

Text OF the Lesson, Is. II. l-lo-hem-
DRY Verses. 1O-I3-Golden Text, Ps.
Ii. Io-Commentary by the Rev. ID. VI.
Stearus.
|. Have mercy upon me, God, ac-
cording TO thy lovingkindness; according
unto the multitude Of thy tender mercies
blot out my transgressions. 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 III Sam. XII and
xii Let all consider the true significance
of the seventh commandment as taught by
our Lord Jesus, and let only those who are
not guilty throw stones.
2 Wash me thoroughly from mine in
iquity, 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 n word as | John l. 9, would have
comforted him, IF we confess our sins He
il faithful and just 10 forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all undghteous-
ness" But he had virtually the same
teaching in Lev. vi, IL.
3. For | acknowledge my transgressor;
and my sin is ever before me-" only nc
knowledge thine niquity, that thou hast
trangressed against the Lord thy God"
was Gods plea with Israel by jeremiah
der. iii. 13). 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.
. 81 II,
and done this evil in thy sight; that thou
mightest be justified when thou speakest
and be clear when thou judgest." When
Nathan reproved hiin he said, 81 have
sinned against the Lord" Oh Sam xii. 49,
When Joseph was sore tempted, instead Of
yielding as David did, he said, How can
/ do this great wickedness and sin against
God" (Gen. xxx, o.
B. Behold, l was shnpen 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
rs 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, II; viii. ..
g. Behold, thou desirest truth i'm the in-
shalt make me TO know wisdom" There
is a something in us known in Scripture
"a THE imagination Of the thoughts OF
the heart" q Chron. xviii o; xxx, 49,.
And il is written, 81, the Lord, search the
heart, try the reins."
= purge me with hyssop and shall he
clean wash me and / shall be whittier than
snow" God made provision for the cleans
Ing Of the people whr.g Ie redeemed from
the bondage Of Egypt ned to understand
this verse one should be fc,ailiar with the
story Of the leper and the two little birds
OF Lev. xiii and xiv, and also the red hoifer
story OF Mum. xix In the cleansing OF
each case, the leper and the deflemcnt con
tracted by the way, the uncean one could
do nothing for himself until pronounced
clean by the priest. The hySsop was used
To sprinkle the blood, or the ashes and
water, which symbolized and typiiicd the
blood of Jesus Christ. (See Lev. xiv. 4. Z;
Mum xix, ls, and compare lisa. /, 49,
8 make me 10 hear JOY and gladness,
that the bones which thou hast broken
may rejoice" Ones very bones are fig
uratiyely 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" FPS.
substitute, bearing our sins, it is written:
81 am poured out like water and all my
bones are out of joint Ny heart is like
wax; it is melted in the midst of my bow
els" Dps. xxi, l4) How fearful is sin thus
TO affect the Holy One of God.
g. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out
all mine iniquities" God said concerning
Israel, mine eyes are upon all their ways:
they are not hid from my face, neither is
their iniquity hid from mine eyes" der.
xvi, 10. But Hezekiah could say after his
repentance, Thou hast cast all my sins
behind thy back" lisa. xxxviu, l7), and con-
corning Israel when she shah turn TO God
it is written, II have blotted ont us "A thick
cloud thy transgressions, and rs cloud
thy sins" Thou wilt cast all their sins
into the depths of the sea" lisa. xiii. -;
Xiv, % Mic. vii, 49,
TO- Create in me a clean heart, o God;
and renew right spirit within me-" This is
going to the root of the difficulty We
sometimes hear of a change Of heart; If by
that is meant new one instead OF the old
sinful one, all is well, for the old cannot be
improved Rom viii, >. We must be
born from above (John iii, 3, margin) and
receive nature we never had before, even
the divine nature QI Pet. i, 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 %. "a, 80 What
is worth having is surely worth asking
for
IL. 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
thee, and will give thee rest" (EX. xXSiii,
a. l5). The strength and comfort of
Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Jeremiah and all
the servants Of God was His presence with
them CEx. iii. u; Josh. i, 3; Judg. Vi, 16;
Jer. i, s, l9). And to US our Lord has said.
80. 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, 10, so that if we will we
may rejoice in the abiding of the Father,
Son and Spirit in us John xiv, II, 23).
II. Restore unto me the JOY of thy sal
walton, and uphold me with thy free spir-
it," Salvation and the joy of salvation are
two different things; the last we may lose,
but not the first. Many have the first VINO
have not the last. Receiving Jesus, we have
life and are children of God John i, II; iii,
16), but assurance and joy comes by rest
ing on the infallible word OF God, irrespec-
tive of our feelings concerning the result of
such acceptance of Christ {Rom. XIV, Is;
Pet. i, s.. The Spirit works through His
word and thus gives us fullness of JOY
John XIV. IL; / John i, y.
-. Then will teach transgressors thy
WAYS and sinners shall be converted unto