_Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness._ THE FIFTY-FIRST PSALM A darker guilt you will scarcely find--kingly power abused--worst passions yielded to. Yet this psalm breathes from a spirit touched with the finest sensibilities of spiritual feeling. Two sides of our mysterious t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin._ DAVID’S CRY FOR PARDON I. How David thought of his sin. The repetition of these petitions show his earnestness of soul. In like manner he asks for the gifts of God’s Spirit. 1. He speaks of transgressions, the individual acts of s... [ Continue Reading ]
_Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest._ UNIMPEACHABLE JUSTICE Our subject will be, that both in the condemnation and in the punishment of every sinner God will be justified. Now, c... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me._ ORIGINAL DEPRAVITY Men may come upon this doctrine one of two different ways. 1. As a dogma in theology. The first thing that some theologians do is to assail human nature, to describe it as covered with wounds, bruises and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold Thou desirest truth in the inward parts._ TRUTH IN THE INWARD PARTS Some of us may remember the interesting story with which the apocryphal Book of Esdras commences. The inquiry is started, “What is strongest?” and this is submitted to the judgment of three young men of the king’s guard. Wi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean._ PRAYER AN INDEX OF THE HEART Men’s prayers are this. And they show, also, how far men agree with one another, for if we sincerely unite in the prayers of other men, whether living or dead, this shows that we feel as they did and believe what they belie... [ Continue Reading ]
_For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me._ ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF TRANSGRESSION I. The proposition. “I acknowledge my transgressions,” etc. 1. Simply and absolutely. (1) There’s the mental acknowledgment in the mind, so as to own it. This was one thing which David here did,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Make me to hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice._ THE DEPRESSION OF BELIEVERS This is the language of David at a period of trouble. His soul was depressed. He was fully conscious of his sins, but he was not conscious of forgiveness. He pleads with God for pa... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities._ GOD’S PARDONING GRACE This psalm is made up partly of confessions and acknowledgments of his great crimes, partly of petitions and supplications, wherein he intercedes for pardon, and prays for forgiveness. And this was but necessary to... [ Continue Reading ]
_Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me._ A CLEAN HEART I. The blessing asked for. It may refer to two distinct graces, conversion or entire sanctification. For when a man is converted there is still in him an inclination to evil, the struggle between the flesh and th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me._ A MOST NEEDFUL PRAYER CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT This psalm is, beyond all others, a photograph of penitent David. You may have seen that interesting slab of stone which bears on its surface indications of the fall of rain... [ Continue Reading ]
_Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation._ THE FALLEN CHRISTIAN PRAYING FOR SPIRITUAL JOY He asks that God would clear away his sorrows as well as his sins, make once again a happy man of him; so that he may not only rise up from the ground on which he has fallen and go on his heavenly way, but,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness._ SOUL MURDER--WHO IS GUILTY Some may question whether such a text as this should be chosen for an ordinary congregation, No one here is guilty of blood. But there are more ways... [ Continue Reading ]
_O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise._ THE LIPS DIVINELY OPENED I. A humiliating fact implied. Sin seals the lips. 1. In our approaches to God, sin is a barrier to all spiritual freedom. When overwhelmed with guilt and shame, the soul is ready to exclaim with David... [ Continue Reading ]
_For Thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it; Thou delightest not in burnt-offering._ THE SERVICE WHICH DAVID WOULD NOT RENDER 1. He declines a superfluous and unnecessary service; he will not give that; this is one thing which he resolves on, and it is a good resolution in him. In the w... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise._ A BROKEN AND A CONTRITE HEART What is a broken heart? We use the expression to set forth the effects of heavy affliction and sorrow. And so here, the broken heart tells of deep sorrow on accou... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee._ THE CHRISTIAN’S GREAT BUSINESS Sinners are all around us living in their sins. Some of these wandering ones are in great misery every day, as the result of their sins; and all, whether suffering or not, are robbi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt-offering and whole burnt-offering._ SACRIFICES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS They are called the sacrifices of righteousness, which are offered rightly, and according to the true intent and meaning, and order of God’s law. The law of G... [ Continue Reading ]