The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-06-09
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Lesson XI.-Second Quarter, For
June 13, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Verse, 5-GoIdsn Text, Pc. xxxii, 1.
Commentary Prepared by Rev. q. M.
Stearns.
It Is certainly restful and most re-
freshing to turn from the record Of sin.
as in the last lesson. to this record Of
sin forgiven and to hear the Spirit of
the Lord through David tell Of this
great blessedness. Nathan said to Da-
vid, 1.-The Lord hath put away thy sin;
howbeit by this deed thou hast
, given great occasion to the enemies Of
the Lord to blaspheme" QI Sam. xii.
Is, 14), and they have been biaspbem-
ing ever since. There Is forgiveness
for the sinner, but it Is an awful thing
to be a stumbling block in the way Of
others. 1t Is beautiful to read of such
a sinner as David as 1.-The anointed Of
the God Of Jacob and the sweet psalm
ist Of Israel" The title. God. Of ia
cob" Is to me q most wonderful name
and gives me great encouragement
As to the psalms Of David. see how
he gives God oil the glory. THE Spirit
Of the Lord spake by me, and His
word was In my tongue" III Sam. xiii,
/ !, p. There can be no doubt that the
Lord wrote through him all the psalms
attributed to him and many Of the
others. Our Lord Jesus spoke of him
az writing the One Hundred and Tenth
Matt. xii. 4145). The apostles spoke
Of him as the author Of the Sixteenth,
the Second and others (Acts II, 80. 81:
iv, Is, 20; xiii. $3.50. Paul refers to
our present lesson as coming through
David In Rom. ". SO. This Is the
second psalm beginning with the word
blessed" and it Is a plural word
meaning literally "Oh. the blessings"
Spurgeon says that. it means double
joys, bundles Of happiness, mountains
Of delight. There can be no real bless
edness till we know our sins forgiven.
and the gospel that does not proclaim
the forgiveness of sins Is not the Cos
pei of God. for that gospel, says.
Through this nan is preached unto
you the forgiveness Of sins, and by
Him all that believe are justified from
all things" (Acts Kill, 3S, 80; Rom. Ill. pa.
In verses /, 2. 5. there are four diff
ferent words used concerning our guilt
-transgression, sin. iniquity, guile-and
DR.. Adam Clarke says that the first
means passing q boundary or doing
what is forbidden: the second means
missing q mark or not doing what Is
commanded; the third what Is
morally wrong, contrary to equity: the
fourth signifies fraud or deceit To re-
move these evils three acts are men,
housekeeping. covering, not. tmput-
ing. All are fully accomplished for US
by the one great sacrifice on Calvary.
and the benefits become ours when
with true %pentitence we turn to Him.
We may actually have the forgiveness
and be without the Joy because we do
not rest on the assurance Of His In
fallible word. for JOY and peace come
only by believing from. XIV, ~. II we
do not acknowledge our sin and seek
TO cover our iniquity we will be In as
| bad q case as was David verses 3-5h
| but If we confess our sins He Is faith
full and just to forgive US u sins and
! to cleanse US from all unr~ighteousness
! Il John 1, 81. The riches of His grace
in this psalm are 30 exceedingly abu
dant that the little we can call atten-
ton to seems 80 poor we can only pray
that the reader may by the Spirit see
the ocean Of fullness that IS here. Eph.
/, 6, I, are very precious words to me,
beginning and ending with grace and
including acceptance. redemption and
: forgiveness. The truly cody can never
perish. but they may wander and need
. restoration (verse G.; II, 70; John <. 2s).
How rich Is verse Z. my hiding place.
| u life hid with Christ in God, In God
and in Christ! CCol. ill. ); l Thess. l. l;
II Cor. xii. - My strong habitation.
my dwelling place Ps. Xxi. 3; &c, ~
how absolutely safe, preserved from
trouble, for, though we must have TRIP
| ulation, we need not be troubled. and
no real evil can befall us John xvi. 80;
xiv, u. He may let us go to the fur-
mace or the lions den, but we shau
| come out without any harm whatever.
There will be songs Of deliverance, for
| God Is unto US a God Of deliverances
ops. xviii, 20, r. W. The word "se-
lah," used only in the Psalms and In
Hab. iii, always suggests that we pause
and mediate. Its use here in verses
4, 5, 7, Is most suggestive. When there
Is no peace consider why; when for
given consider how great His grace,
and always mediate upon Him as our
refuge.
Inasmuch as 1T Is not in man that
| walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. &, 2l.
It becomes US ever to seek from the
! Lord our God, with all sincerity, the
way wherein we may walk and the
thing that we may do Ger. Kill. 3; Ps.
cxliii. g.. In verse 8 of our lesson and
in lisa. XXX, 81; Elk. xiii, 20, we have
the assurance of sure guidance If only
we are meek enough to be guided CPs,
XIV, 81. There are horses which can