Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-08-11

let us apply our scorn and conueHiiia
tion TO our sins of thought ana WotNe'
and let children apply the same 10 lhei
youthful sins. But our emphasis shouiu
be on repentance and forgiveness ana an
that leads us to them. Only thus can we
Judge correctly of David; only thus can
we gain the comfort hope, and saIVatloIi
we need. The section includes sam,
chaps. II. u; Psalms 80 and 81. Historicai
setting Time The great sin of David
was committed about b. c. 1888 Main
ans reproof was about a year later, Is.
c. 1894 and this psalm belongs to the
| period following. Place. Davids place
| in Jerusalem David Now about %
years old. having reigned 20 years
Today's lesson includes verses TO IL.
| chapter 81, Book of Psalms, as follows:
l. Blessed is he whose transgression
| is forgiven whose sin is covered.
| 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the
| Lord imputeth not iniquity And IN
| whose spirit there is no guile.
8. When kept silence trying to hide
| my sin, my bones waxed old.
4. My moisture was changed, etc.
! He was like tree dried up in a drought
| These terms express either bodily sick
| ness or the languishing of his spiritual
| life. All the freshness was gone from MS
| spirit; all of the joy and delight OF Nv
| ing was taken away; his graces fadeu.
| Unconfessed, unforgiven sin is a terrible
|
| times in this world foretaste of the
| terrors to come
| ). Acknowledged not hid
confess" The three words expressing the
| completeness and thoroughness or the
confession. Nothing was withheld. And
| thou forgavest." (See in VS.. ], % GOO
| loves TO forgive and he will forgive as
| soon as the sinner comes TO that state OF
| mind when forgiveness will do good TO
| him, and at least not injure others. The
| atonement of Christ, and the condition on
| which forgiveness can be granted-faith
| in him-are TO induce sinners to repent.
and to prevent his forgiveness from in
| creasing the sin of the world.
| 9. when thou mayest be found be-
| fore II is too late to repent, and the pun
| ishment has come like a food. There is
a 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 forgiving 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 ana
| crags inaccessible to an enemy, which
We're 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
| deliverance." AS he was
| s. II will instruct thee" Verses 3
| and seem to me to be best taken as the
divine voice answering the confidence of
| verse Z. The Il and thee in each CORE
spond. '-Macaren. David's experience
L DC Nnh 90. ncfr 10 -
cause they will not listen to Gods in
| Gtruction II will counsel thee with mine
eye" My look shall show you the way.
/ will keep watch over you mine eve
will ever be upon you. not TO watch for
faults, but for guidance. If / see you
going astray, / will warn you. 1t is
very gentle, loving guidance.
g. BE ye not as the horse, or as the
mule Irrational animals, who are
guided by force and not by reason.-
Murphy. Sin is always irrational to sin
is to act without understanding. Bit
and bride" Instead of noble moral in
fluences. God will govern men by reason,
II they are willing to be so governed;
by force, If they reject his words. Lest
they come near unto thee" Better as In
r. ", else they will not come near unto
thee, will not be subject to your control,
in harmony with your purposes. I'm the
Bible men are squarely likened to horses,
| anu muicS, uokS, HoSS, anu 10
other animals. Such comparisons are
certainly forceful Many a child has
| been helped to see the evil of quarrelng
by being told to let dogs delight to bark
and bite
TO- Many sorrows shall be to the
wicked and he cannot escape them or
gain the victory over them so long as
he remains wicked Evil will pursue and
overtake him. But he that trusteth in
the Lord" He receives mercy, because
faith or trust implies that he has for
saken and confessed his sin. hates 1t, and
has come back to his Father an obedicnt
child led and saved by Jesus Christ.
Therefore only those who believe can be
saved Mercy shall compass him about"
Mercy is around him on all sides. as the
circumference of a sphere is about the
center, so that in no direction can harm
come to him.
I II. BE glad in the Lord II follows
shat the righteous have abundant cause
for exultation, not in themselves, but in
jehovah; l. e.. i'm their knowledge, and
possession. and enjoyment Of him.-Alex-
under. Who shall say that religion makes