The Progress., 1896-08-06

~, Yv1 r will 10 nccdCul
!. !: ]. j: ! ): !. i: !.
r----,.,,rys flIt first Of all 10 not"
k-SghlFHST@r avail the sins committed
lkvEI 4,sTsYuHI by David. tJ@ way
lkl<I T>'AVS he was led ~. 1ually
SYETypSf<->N into de"per waters,
1IkS%%2 VII his fcu@htan"". ana
IlElME NsIc%--1 confession, and for
( Mt4'F%J givcnosS. Tho qu"S-
~ tons will arise, how
LAYI could 50 EOoh ana
ESPT useful n man lail IN
v' to sin? How are we
30 Judge Of his gum
Hatred Of sin can
not be too great. but
| let US apply our scorn ana Co''"'
| ton to orr sins Of thought ana '"o,N''
| and let children apply the same 10 '"'',
| Youthful sins But our emphasis S''o''',,
| be on repentance and forgiveness "'''' ','
| that leads us to them. only thus can We
judge correctly of David; on'E ''"S ,'n
we gain the comfort, hope, and sa'Va'ioh
we need The section includes Sam
| chaps, II, T.. Psalms SO ana %. HlStof''a'
| SETTING Time. The great sin OF DaVi'
was committed about Il. G. fd3'. Naih-
| on,s ronroof was about a year later L.
| c. 1924 and this psalm belongs to the
pcriod following. Place. DavidS place
| in Jerusalem. David, NO" ahout ~
wears old having rcigncd % years.
| Tosay's lesson includes verses TO H.
| CHAPTER 80, Book of Psalms, as follows:
! + Blessed Is he whose transgrtSS'oh
| is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
g Blessed Is the man unto whom lhe
Lord imputeth not iniquity. Anu III
whose spirit there is no guile.
3 when | kept silence trying TO hlde
my sin, my bones waXed old.
! 4. MY moisture was changed cue
He was Ike tree dried up in drought
These terms express either bodily SICK
ness or the languishing of his splrl'ual
life. All the freshness was gone from ms
| spirit: all of the joy and delight OF Nv
ing vas taken away. his graceS laoeu.
! I-nconfesscd unfOrgiven sin IS a terrlp'c
torment. and gives to the sinner some
times in this world a foretaste or inc
| tcrrOrS to come.
J. acknowledged . . not hid
confess" The three words expressing the
completeness and thoroughness OF the
confession. Nothing was withheld. Ana
thou forgavest.' (See in VS.. ]. ~ God
loves to forgive, and he will forgive as
soon as the sinner comes to that state OF
mind when forgiveness Will do GOOD 10
him. and at least not injure others. the
atonement of Christ, and the condition on
which forgiveness can be granted-lalth
in him-are to induce sinners to repent,
and to prevent his forgiveness from IN
creasing the sin of the world.
| 6. when thou mayeSt be found, be-
fore it is too late to repent, and the pun
ishmcnt has come like a flood. There ls
too late. Surely when the great
waters The trouble, the disaster, the
consciousness of guilt the punishments
for sin come like a sudden and over
whelming mountain torrent. "They shall
not reach unto him." That Is, the waters
shall not reach him, because he is too
} far above them, in some safe shelter.
Gods forgivlng love, shown to us in
Jesus Christ, is his safety and defense.
T. Thou art my hiding place" Where
the floods of trouble cannot find him. AN
allusion to those rocky fortresses and
crags inaccessible to an enemy, which
were sought in times Of danger. BARNES
. Thou wilt preserve me from trouble.
How? BY forgiveness, by removing the
= punishment, by bringing good out OF evil
, by turning defeats into victories. Thou
wilt compass me about with songs OF
dcliverance." AS he was
& Il will instruct thee Verses
anil seem 70 me to be best taken as the
divine voice answering the confidence OF
verse 7. The 4 and thee in each CORE
spond." -Maclaren. Davids experience
is Gods text If any 60 astray it Is be-
Il cause they will not listen to Gods in
n structon. Il will counsel thee with mine
Il eye" My look shall show you the way
L will keep watch over you; mine eye
u will ever be upon you, not to watch FOL
.,,Itr I,,,t r,,sl
!, going astray, / will warn you. 1t Is ;
, very gentle, loving guidance
!. g. "Be we not as the horse, or as tn
4 mule" Irrational animals, who ar
guided by force and not by reason.
Murphy. Sin is always irrational, to sill
=. is to act without understanding. ''Bi
and bride" Instead of noble moral in
3 nuences. God will govern men by reason
If If they are willing to be so governed
e by force If they reject his words. Les
. they come near unto thee" Better as II
e r. ", else they will not come near unit
Q thee, will not be subject to your control
In harmony with your purposes. I'm tn
e Bible men are squarely likened to horses
= and mules, and dogs, and hogs, and t
"a other animals Such comparisons ar
certainly forceful. Many child ha
u been helped to see the evil of quarreln
by being told to let dogs delight to bar
ana bite
10. MANY sorrows shall be to TIL
& wicked" and he cannot escape them G
q gain the victory over them so long q
-, he remains wicked. Evil will pursue an
- overtake him. But he that trusteth |
10 the Lord" He receives mercy, becaus
n faith or trust implies that he has fol-
saken and confessed his sin, hates 1t, an
y has come back to his Father an obedicr
If ! child. led and saved by Jesus Chris
- Therefore only those who believe can /
~ saved. Mercy shall compass him about.
i Mercy is around him on all sides, as II,
Nv circumference of a. sphere is about til
center so that in no direction can hafl
come to Inn.
n II. BE glad in the Lord 1t follow
,d that the righteous have abundant cauS
for exuttation, not in themselves, but
III Jehovah; l. e., in their knowledge, ar
u possession, and enjoyment Of him.-Ale!
ander. Who shall say that religion MAKE
'e good people unhappy and dull?
~ CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.