The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-10-22

David's Joy Over Forgiveness
In spite of the numerals, the fifty
first Psalm is the premise of which
the thirty-second is the conclusion.
Confession, forgiveness-that is the
logical order. The penitential Psalm
must precede the joy song of forgive
ness. The two hymns can not be di-
vorced, but must be taken in their
true order of sequence. Their power
and imperishability is that they are
transcripts from the human heart.
They are all mems Psalms because
they faithfully portray all mems ex-
periences. For this reason they must
be perpetually and universally help.
full.
The two Psalms picture sin as the
realist thing in the world. They adj
NIT of no question as 10 its veritabIe-
ness. They disdain all efforts to gloss,
or palliate. The terms of human
speech could not make more emphatic
the verify and turpitude of sin. its
penaltyand agony. The autobiograph
ical character of these Psalms is their
strength. As one reads he realizes
that David is teaching in song what
he himself had learned in suffering.
The impotence of secretion as a re-
lief for sin is nowhere in literature
more effectively described. David
tried it. He kept silence. He ignored
the circumstance He went on with
royal functions. But his unconfessed
SIN was like secret acid shut up with
in him. 1t corroded and dissolved his
very bones, the framework which
held his body up. He could not sub
due the groans which his agony
wrung from him. In place of natural
moisture there was the ariditv of
Sahara. A hidden sin is a hidden
torment-that is the teaching of Da-
vid's experience. No relief in secre-
tion-that is the lesson of David's
Psalm.
The antithesis here drawn between
the misery of attempted secretion and
the joy of frank confession is one of
the most striking things ever done
with pen. David might have tried
to have palliated his sin. Some mod
ern commentators have cleverly at
tempted to do so for him. But he
pleaded no eXtenuating causes, he
made no mention of previous services.
He did not excuse himself from public
confession by reasons of State. He
went down upon his knees, crying,
God, be merciful to me, sinner
He particularized my iniduity, my
sin, " "thisevil, " my bloodguiltiness. ,
By these two Psalms, given forpublic
use in the worship of the TEN pie
David made known at once his sin
and the fact of its forgiveness.
What God does is well done. When
he forgives he forgives well.
Contemplating the thoroughness of
the Divine emancipation of the sinner
from his sin leads David to break out
rapturously, so, the blessednes of him
whose transgression is forgiyen!'' God
covers sin when it is confessed. He
ceases to impute iniquity. He extracts
guile
David realizes that his case is exem-
plarY. He proceeds to make it useful
to his fellows. He exhorts those who
are bent upon goodness to offer. as he
himself has, the prayer of pentinence.
Great are the gains. The forgiven
man is like one standing on a high
ledge which the greatest flood can
never reach. He is hidden and pre-
served. 1t is strong figure which
likens songs to abodyguard surround
ing the man who has been delivered.
The triumph and security of the CON
lessor could not be described in terms
more significant.
This 'skillfully constructed song''
has now reached such height than
even the Divine voice can join in it.
David's experience is Gods text. The
Deity is represented as entreating the
forgiven man to be tractabl so that
the errors of the past may not be re-
peated. The eye of God on man from
90 %. %. .. -. q o. % % 90 a, a, a,