Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-08-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
international Lesson for August l6, 500
D.vid's Confessisa and Forgiveness
Psalm ~; LII

Psalm ~, LII
ARRANGED from Peloubet's NotesJ
GOLDEN TEXT.-Create in me n clean
neart. . God: and renew a right spirit with
In me.-Psa. 81 10.
THE SECTION includes . Sam n .nd
IL. also Psalms 81 and 81
IlME.-The great sin of David wa. COM
mitted about ID. G.. 1855 Nathan's reproo.
was about a year later. and the psalm of
the lesson belongs to the period follow,
Ing. David was 30 years old. having reigned
20 years.
PLAcE.--David's palace I'm Jerusalem.
LESSON NOTES.
i. Dnvid's SMITHS was a doubl.
crime, consisting of the two most
heinous wrongs one person can commit
against another-adultery end murder.
mingled with meanness, selfishuess and
injustice. Moreover, it defied Gods
law and dishonored God and religion
before all the people. It is not at all
likely that this fall was entirely sudden.
Probably there was n relaxation of
David's religious fervor and zeal. which
were his guard. Then his multiplying
wives were in the same direction.
David. too. parleyed with temptation.
He should have shut his eyes and turned
away, and then he would have been safe.
y IL.
He himself never apologies for his sin.
lie knew the commandments, and il was
sin against light. II is to be held up
in eternal eNecration and scorn. But
we should see that many n wicked thing
in the past would he very much worse
il done in our day and in our light.
Then we must consider the prevailing
sentiments and feelings of the day.
No other king of the time" says Spur
geon, would have felt any compunc-
ton for having acted as he did" The
degree of guilt depends very largely on
the circumstances in which a sin is com
mitted.
III. David's Repentance For n wear
David said nothing about his sin. He
thought that he could go on just as be-
fore. But the knowledge that his sin
was known would put stings in his con-
science. Then the relations between
himself and Ahithophel, David's chief
and wisest counselor and the grand
father of Bathsheba may have been
strained, for not long after Ahithophcl
turned against David 1t also seems
probable, from Psalms 32:4, that this
burden, added to his long-continued
cares, brought sickness upon him.
Nor ear can hear nor tongue can tell
The fortunes of that inward hell"
When those silent influences had pre-
pared the way, God sent his prophet
Nathan. With great wisdom he spoke
parable to David, which led the king in.
dignantly to condemn another, uncon-
scious that his condemnation fell upor
. I,.,, 4.
terrible words: Thou art the man."
All these things brought David to
the deepest and most sincere repent.
ancc. The proof of David's sincerity.
that he was not merely sorry for the
consequences, but repented of the sin,
is shown by his forsaking that sin and
hating all sin, and by his efforts to re.
move the evil effects of his wrong
Psalms 81 and 81 were Davids public
confession to both God and man. He
who taught men to sin by his example
should also by his example teach them
repentance.
III. David's Song OF Forgiveness and
Peace. Ill. The first stanza- con.
sisting of the first four verses. expresses
longing for forgiveness. Not the three
threes- three names for sin, three
words for forgiveness, and Psalms 81.
three aspects or names of mercy. The
three words for sin are "transgression."
sin and 'iniquity." "Transgression'
means literally separating OF breaking
loose, hence signifying apostacy or re.
bellion. "Sin" is, literally, missing n
mark. All sin is a fearful failure a. IN
reaching the ideal of conduct and as to
winning the desired satisfaction. In
lqulty' is something twisted or dis
turbed. Forgiven" covered" and
imPuteth not" are the three terms for
forgiveness. The first means taken
away or lightened of the burden OF
sin. The second signifies their being
blotted out of Gods book OF remem.
brance, hidden from sight of God and
man. lmputeth not" is as case re-
moved from the docket OF the court.
so that ii will never be called up. Three
words expressing Gods love nre
mercy, loving kindness" and tender
iHrrcies, in the plural to express the
humberlcss acts of mercy to unnum-
ncred sins. In verse David lilcns him
self to tree dried up in a drouth. All
me freshness was gone from his spirit:
all the JOY Of living was taken away.
The second stanza Oversees 5-7) tells OF
confession and forgiveness. Three
truths are here brought out: (1) comics.
SION is necessary before forgiveness can
he granted; (2) there is too late"
C'pray unto Thee in time when Thou
mayest be found'O, and (3), the for
given will be composed about with
songs OF deliverancc." As David was
besieged on every side with troubles
30 on every side there would be vic.
IoTles' and songs TO celebrate them.
The third stanza takes in verses g
TO ii, and is an exhortation from cx-
perence. Maclaren says that verses
and 0 seem to him "to be best taken
rs ;he divine voice answering the conf.
dence OF verse Z" and "the II and thee.
IN each correspond" David's expert
cnce is Gods tent. II any 20 astrav il
" because they will not listen to Gods
instruction. The guidance OF God il
very gentle and loving: II will counsel
thee with Mine eyes" Only the ira
ttOnal need the hit apd ty,o III