The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-10-23
THE JOY OF
FORGIVENESS

Specially Arranged for This Paper

verses l, q
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Blessed is he whose
transgression is forgiven, whose sin 10
covered. Psalm 32:1.
T1ME.-David's sin and repentance, n
little beyond the middle of his reign,
about Il. C. 1884 according to the margin
of our Bibles. His capital and palace
were at Jerusalem. David was almost 80
years old, successful as a general and a
statesman. The author of the Psalm was
probably David, with possible additions
In later times 20 adapt it to special oc-
casions, as often occurs In our hymns.
PLACE.-Jerusalem.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Some time in David's later life, look
ing back from the Beulah land heights
of the restored favor of God, as the
Prodigal Son after he had returned
to his fathers home and love, King
David puts into q hymn his own ex-
perience for the comfort and encour-
agement of all who have sinned and
long to be restored to their fathers
home and heart. For like Adam and
Eve, he had been driven out of Para
disc for disobeying God, and the
flaming cherubim had kept him from
the Tree of Life. But he had at last
found the waters of rest and the green
pastures of forgiven sin. So he sings:
V. 1. blessed" The word here, as
in Psa. IL and Prov. 1913, is in the
plural, Oh the blessednesses of him
whose, etc, ito denote the most SUI
preme and perfect ~blessedness," and
ito express the manifold nature of the
b~lessedness, at all times, from all
sources, in all departments of life,
in all circumstances; blessed in body
and in soul, in time and in eternity"
"Transgression sin iniqui-
ty" (2). "Sin is here Gas in Elk. 34:D
spoken of under three appellations,
so as to include the whole idea of sin
In all its manifestations. "-Perowne.
Forgiven" That is given away,
removed. This is, according to the
Hebrew conception, the taking up of
transgression as a burden, a heavy
load, resting upon the sinner, and
bearing it away from him to a place
where it will trouble him no more"
&C. A. Briggs, in Int. Crit. Com.
Covered" so as to hide it and oh.
literate it. 1T is commonly used in
connection with sacrifices, as staining
and defling the divine affairs, was
covered over by the application to
them of the blood of the victim of the
sin offering."-Prof. c. A. Briggs.
V. 2. "Imputeth not" Does not es-
innate, consider, or think of in con-
nection with the sinner."-Professor
Briggs. I'm whose spirit there is no
q guile" no deceit, "who conceals his
sin neither from God nor himself
l Drpf G ID Driyor nthn, pib1a u-or5o
9 for forgiveness are remit, END away,
destroy, wash away, cleanse, make
them as if they had never been.
V. 3. when kept silence" Try
Ing to hide his sin; refusing to &C.
knowledge 1t to himself, to others, or
t to God. "My bones (the most solid
and enduring part of his body waxed
(became increasingly old" Exhaust
Il ed, enfeebled, worn out. The secret
sin wore him out and made him sick.
Through my roaring all the day
long" 'The figure is drawn from the
. loud and unrestrained outcries of one
suffering intolerable and unremltting
, pain. He was enduring al agony
which forced from him sobs and
groans that he could not stifie."-W,
4 H. Green.
~ "A sin concealed is like a hidden
fire. 1t eats into the very life."-Vau
;. Dyke.
"The Spartan boy hid the fox be
until he dropped dead, the fox al
the while gnawing at his vitals. Davi6
felt the gnawing of remorse, and II
"a was eating out his heart."-Dr. w. e
~ Barton.
-, V. 4. "Thy hand was heavy upor
- me-" God would not leave him to 81
- on in sin. Gods hand was heavy upoI
~ him in chastisement in order to bring
MIN into a better mind, as a father
~ chastises his child in love (Heb. 1876
e. III"
"Not merely by its pressure o
d weight; but, as the context implies
IT, heavy because of heavy strokes smit
IS ing him again and again with his pow
is erful hand, so as to make him roe
with the agony of suffering."-Prof. c
d A. Briggs.
my moisture ". ~, etc. Thi
sentence Professor Briggs translates
II was changed (from a former condl
tion) into misery as when thorn
smite me-" The blows of Gods hand
are very appropriately compared wit
Ia the shifting Of the body with thorns
as when Gideon taught the elders O
Sc, Succoth with thorns and briers (Jude
I'd, B:16.)
nd v. 8. 81 acknowledged my sin" w
lir have seen above how the bitterness
es Of concealment and the reproof of tn
ng prophet led David to take this steI
ler 'Sin iniquity . transgre'
sions." The three forms of sin mel
rst Toned in VS.. /, 2. Acknowledged =.
not hid . . confess" The thre
ed words expressing the completeness
and thoroughness Of the confession
au- Nothing was withheld.
Forgiveness.