The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-04-27
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOB
MAY 1. t
Lesson Text: "The Prayer of tho
Penitent," Psalm H., 1-13-Gold-
en- Text: Psalm IT,, 10
Commentary.

/. "Have mercy upon me, o God. accord
ing to Thy loving kindness; according unto
the multitude OF Thy tender mercies blot ont
my transgressions This Is the third Of the
seven penitential psalms. the others being
the vi, xxxii.. cii., c1H., cxliii., xxxvih.
The title gives the circumstances which led
David to write this psalm, and the whole
story is found in IL Sam. Ii, 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. -,sssa
2. wash me thoroughly from mine In
jquity, and cleanse me from my sin." Like
the leper who said, Lord, If Thou wilt Thou
canst make me clean" (Math. viii, q, he be-
lieves that the Lord can cleanse him, and he
wants it done thoroughly. How such a word
as John j., 8, would have comforted him
II we confess our sins He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness." But he had vir-
tually the same teaching In Lev. vi, II.
8. For acknowledge my transgressor;
and my sin is ever before me.n .'OnIy ac-
knowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast
transgressed against the Lord thy God,n
was Gods plea with Israel by Jeremiah ger
ill.,, 49,. David does this not making light
Of 1t nor seeking to hide either his iniquity,
the root Of all the trouble, or his transgres-
s1n in which he came short Of the mark Ex.
XIV, q. .sg ..r
4. Against thee, thee only, havef 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, 81 have sinned against
the Lord" III Sam. xii, 49,. When Joseph
was sore tempted, instead of yielding as
David did, he said, "How can do this great
wickedness and sln against Godr Gen.
xxx, 2) .--...e.
S. 'Behold, was shapsu in iniquity, and
in sin did my mother conceive me.h David
recognizes sin In his nature, he did not be-
Eeve that we are by nature holy, but asi
Paul testifies by the Spirit, "BY nature the
children Of wrath, even as others" (Eph. H.,
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. ", IL; viii, q.
6. Behold. thou desirest truth In the in-.
ward parts; and in the hidden part thou
shalt make me to know wisdom" There In
something in us known In Scripture as "The
imagination Of the thoughts Of the heart" q
ten, 81, the Lord, search the heart, try
the relns." . .
z. Purge me with hyssop and shall be
clean, wash me and shall be winter than
snow" God made provision for the cleans-
ing Of the people whom BE redeemed from.
the bondage Of Egypt, and to understand
this verse one should be familiar with the
story Of the leper and the two little birds Of
Lev. xiii. and xiv, and also the red heifer
story Of Mum. xix. In the cleandng Of each
case, the leper and the dehlement contracted
by the way, the unclean one could do moth.
ing for himself until pronounced clean by
10 Ia ma IN
the blood, or the ashes and water, which
symbolized and typifed the blood Of Jesus
Christ. (See Lev. NV, 4, z; Mum. XIX, Il,
and compare Isa. l., 49,
Snake me to hear joy and gladness, that
the bones which thou hast broken. may re-
ioice." Ones very bones are fguratively
said to suffer because Of sin. Ny bones
waved old through my roaring all the day
long" Neither Is there any rest In my boneA
because Of my sin" tPs. exit, 8; Ix1viii,
81. And Of Christ. our substitute, bearing
our sins. it is written: II am poured out liko
water and all my bones are out Of joint
Ny heart is like wax; 1t is melted IN the
midst of my bowels" (Ps. xii, ~. How
fearful is sin thus to affect tho Holy One Of
God. sr
.. "Hide Thy face from my Sins and blot
out all mine iniquities." God said concern
ing Israel, Mine eyes are upon all their
ways; they are not hid from Ny face, neither
is their iniquities hid from Mine eyes" Jer.
xvi, IN. But Hezekiah could say after his
repentance, "Thou hast cast all my sins be-
hind Thy back" lisa. xxxviti., ~, and con-,
corning Israel when she shall return to God
cloud thy tSansgressions, and as q cloud thy
sins.n 'aThou wilt cast all their sins into the
depths Of the sea" lisa. Kill, rs; xvi, ~;
Mic. vii, 19.
10. "Create in me clean heart, Oh Gol;
and renew a right spirit within me-" This
is going to the root of the difficulty. We
sometimes hear Of change Of heart; II by
that Is meant a new one instead OF the old
sinful one, all Is well; for the old cannot Do
improved Rom. viii, q. We must be born
from above John ILL.,, 8, rnarsin) and receive
q nature we never had before. even tne
divine nature III Pet. !, a. before We can
ready to do for US but he wants us to ask
Him lEzek. XVI, 26 81, 81. What 10
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 60 with
thee, and I will give thee rest OK. 1xxij.,
Il, 15,. The strength and comfort Of Mosea
Joshua, Gideon, Jeremiah and all the serS
wants Of God was His presence with them
lex. lii, 10: josh. l., & Judg; VI, 10; Jsf.
j., g. 1g. And to us oh Lord has said. 'Lo,I
am with you alway" tMath. xviii; De
he has promi sed never to leave Us, and has
told us that the Spirit will abide in us John
XIV, IN, so that II we will we may rejoice
in the abiding of the Father. Son and Spirit
in us John XIV, II, 23.
10. -Restore unto me the Joy. OF Thy sal-
walton, and uphold me with Ihy Tree
spirit" Salvation and the joy of salvataon
are two different things; the last we may
lose, but not the first. Many have the nrsY
who have not the last. Receiving Jesus We
have life and are children Of God John y
12: ILL.,, 16, but assurance and JOY comes 5y|
resting on the infallible word OF God lrte-;
specive of our feelings concerning the result
of such acceptance Of Christ from. ~, llS; !
l Pet. l., g.. The Spirit works through His
word and thus gives us fullness OF JOY John
xv., II; John l.. ~. !
13. Then will teach transgressors Thy
ways, and sinners shall be converted unto
Thee This is the end of our salvation or
restoration, that others may hear Of Jesus.
Jesus instructed Peter that after he was
restored he should strengthen his brethren
luke xii, 32). Being saved, we should Tor
get entirely our own welfare, and give our.
Selves as living sacrifices to make known His
righteousness, show forth bis praise, and
thus hasten the time when He shall appear
in His glory to build up Zion. See verses
IA, Is. is, and compare Ps. cn., l6.-Lesson :
Helper. /
SCHwE1NFURTH, the unspeakable
leader of that refuge at Rockford
impiously called Heaven" is defend
ant in the Circuit Court to a charge
of alternating the affections of a Chi
cago matron, and will be called upon