The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1903-10-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LAss0n In the international Series
for October IS, 1OO3--David's
Confession.
THE LESSON TEXT.

guilty, and cleanse me from my sin.
3. For / acknowledge my transgressions;
and my sin Is ever before me.
4. Against Thee, Thee only, have sinned,
and done this evil in Thy sight that Thou
mightest be justified when Thou speakest,
and be clear when Thou judgest.
5. Behold, / was shapen In iniquity; and
In sin did my mother conceive me.
8. Behold, Thou desTeth truth in the in
ward parts; and in the hidden part Thou
shalt make me to know wisdom.
Z. Purge me with hyssop, and / shall be
clean! wash me, and / shall be whittier than
snow
s. Make me to hear joy and gladness;
that the bones which Thou hast broken
may rejoice.
3. Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot
out all mine iniquities.
10. Create in me clean heart, COO;
and renew a right spirit within me.
II. Cast me not away from Thy presence;
and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
~. Restore unto me the JOY of Thy saliva
ton; and uphold me with Thy free spirit
49, Then will | teach tranSgressors my
ways; and sinners shall be converted unto
Thee
a. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness,
God, Thou of my salvation; and my tongue
shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness,
mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.
-. For Thou desirest not sacrifice; else
would l give it; Thou delightest not In
Il. The sacrifices OF God are a broken
spirit; broken and contrite heart, "
God, Thou wilt not despise.
GOLDEN TEXT.-Create in me
clean heart, . GOd.-Ps. 31:1O.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
e Sam. 81 One of the many lndlca-
lions of David's generosity and true
heartedness is found in his kindness to
Mephibosheth, the crippled son OF his
friend Jonathan. An ordinary orlen-
tai monarch of David's time would have
exterminsted the family of the former
king. root and branch. David did not
do so; but sent across the Jordan to Lo-
debar, where Mephibosheth was liv-
ing in concealment, and brought MIN
to Jerusalem with great honor, restor-
ing to him the rich lands OF Saul when
had been confiscated, and added him
to the constantly increasing number OF
courtiers who enjoyed the kings favor
and lived more or less at his expense
at the court in Jerusalem.
G. Sam. 11-12:25) David stood the
tests of adversely better than those OF
prosperity. Ease and luxury were be-
ginning to tell on his character. In
stead of leading his armies into battle
as formerly, he now left them to Joab,
and remained himself in his harem at
Jerusalem The fact that in those days
it was considered eminently proper for
king to have a harem did not make
that harem less demoralizing. The sad
story of David's moral weakness when
tempted, and then of his deliberate muir
der to conceal his sin and add another
woman to his harem, is told in Chap.
H. Thus far" says Aglen, 1.-The story
belongs to the usual crimes of an ORR
entail despot What follows,
however, could have been found no.
where in the ancient world but in the
Jewish monarchy" When after the
terrible year lived with a guilty con-
science, the prophet Nathan again ap-
peared before David to do the hard
duty of friend Q2:1-12), David broke
down completely, confessing his sin
and repenting with a repentance that
was really change of life. Black as
the sin had been, Jehovah forgave the
penitent man, but the results of the
sin troubled David's life to the end.
Cps. 51:1-5.) In connection with this
story of the sin and repentance of lsra-
els greatest king, we study the marvel
Gus prayer for pardon in the Fiftyfirst
Psalm. 1t is not known who wrote
this Psalm, but it fits David's circum-
stances so fully that many suppose it
was written by him after the visit of
Nathan. In it's words the penitence and
aspiration of those who have done
wrong have found expression through
all the centuries to the present time.
Is there not place for the confession
and prayer of the first few verses in
every Christian experience? The one
offering the prayer has hope. but it is
in Gods loving kindness rather than
in his own deserts. Against Thee,
Thee only, have l sinned:" The very
natural feeling of the heart whatever
it's sin, as it bows before the loving
and righteous God to whom in it's sin
it has been untrue. The Psalms are
written in the language of the feelings.
"That thou mayest be justified" by
confessing my guilt admit that Thy
condemnation is just"
(vs. 6-12.) Purify me with hyssop:"
pronounce me clean from my sin just
as the priest pronounces the leper clean
as he sprinkles him with the hyssop
branch" "Gladness:" That comes
only with sense of sin put away and
forgiven. Bones broken"
"a very strong figure, denoting the
most complete prostration. "-Perowne.
(Vs. 1919 Then will l teach"
No one can bring others to Christ more
effectively than the one who has come
close to Gods fatherly heart in this
experience of contrition and forgive
ness ''Thy praise:" An expression of
the JOY that fills the heart of the prod
igal after his return to the fathers
house. Thou delightest not in sacri-
fee" Nor in any other external thing
in itself, but in a real, vital change of
heart.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Ones sins may be very numerous, but
the multitude of Gods tender mercies
outnumbers them.
Confession and forsaking of sin are
necessary in order to obtain Gods par
don.
wash me thoroughly from mine ini-
guilty" In cleansing from sin no one