Psalms 51:1 «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. » Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. _A Psalm of David_] Who was no... [ Continue Reading ]
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Ver. 2. _Wash me throughly from mine iniquity_] Heb. Multiply, wash me; so Isaiah 55:7. God is said to multiply pardon as much as we multiply sin. David apprehended his sin so exceeding sinful, his stain so inveterate, so engrained,... [ Continue Reading ]
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin [is] ever before me. Ver. 3. _For I acknowledge my transgressions_] And therefore look for pardon, according to thy promise. _Homo agnoseit, Deus ignoscit._ And my sin] My twisted sin and sadly accented; mine accumulative sin, voluminous wickedness,... [ 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. Ver. 4. _Against thee, thee only, have I sinned_] This he spake in respect of the secresy of his sins, say some; whence also it followeth,... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Ver. 5. _Behold, I was shapen in iniquity_] This he allegeth, viz. his original depravity, not as an excuse, but as an aggravation of his actual abominations, which he saith were committed out of the vile viciousness of his nat... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Ver. 6. _Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts_] _Quam tamen mihi defuisse res ipsa demonstrat; _ but this truth hath not been found in me, when I acted my sin in that sort, and di... [ Continue Reading ]
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Ver. 7. _Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean_] Sprinkle me with the blood of Christ by the hyssop bunch of faith, not only taking away thereby the sting and stink of sin, but conferring upon me the sweet sa... [ Continue Reading ]
_Make me to hear joy and gladness; [that] the bones [which] thou hast broken may rejoice._ Ver. 8. _Make me to hear joy and gladness_] God will speak peace unto his people, he createth the fruit of the lips to be peace, Isaiah 57:19, &c. No such joyful tidings to a condemned person as that of a par... [ Continue Reading ]
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Ver. 9. _Hide thy face from my sins_] We are not able to endure God's presence, much less his justice for our sins; nor can there be any sound peace of conscience while he frowneth. His favour is better than life, but his displeasure mor... [ Continue Reading ]
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Ver. 10. _Create in me a clean heart, O God_] His heart was woefully soiled with the filth of sin and the work of grace interrupted; he therefore prayeth God to interpose and begin it again, to set him up once more, to rekindle... [ Continue Reading ]
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Ver. 11. _Cast me not away from thy presence_] Deprive me not of communion with thee and comfort from thee; for that is a piece of hell torments, 2 Thessalonians 1:9. Cain's punishment, which possibly David might here mind, a... [ Continue Reading ]
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit. Ver. 12. _Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation_] He had grieved that holy thing, that Spirit of God whereby he was sealed to the day of redemption, Ephesians 4:30, and is therefore at a loss for comfort; he had vili... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 51:13 [Then] will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Ver. 13. _Then will I teach transgressors thy ways_] _Instruunt nos Patres tum docentes, tum labentes,_ saith Augustine: Two ways the saints teach us. First, By their doctrine. Secondly, By their fall... [ Continue Reading ]
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: [and] my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. Ver. 14. _Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God_] Heb. from bloods; in every drop whereof is a tongue crying for vengeance. Besides, if David's adultery was a sin of infirmity... [ Continue Reading ]
O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. Ver. 15. _O Lord, open thou my lips_] Which now I find stopped and sealed up, as it were, with the sin that doth so easily beset me; so that whereas I promised before to "sing aloud of thy righteousness," this I shall never be abl... [ Continue Reading ]
For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give [it]: thou delightest not in burnt offering. Ver. 16. _For thou desirest not sacrifice_] This is the reason why David restipulateth praise, if God will pardon his great sin, Psalms 51:15, viz. because he well understood that God preferred praise be... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise._ Ver. 17. _The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit_] _i.e._ Such a heart as lieth low, and heareth all that God saith; such a sacrifice or service as is laid on the low altar of a contrite h... [ Continue Reading ]
Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Ver. 18. _Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion_] Having made his own peace with God, he now prayeth for the Church: and the rather, because by his foul sins he had hazarded, or rather exposed, both Zion and Jerusalem, Chur... [ Continue Reading ]
Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. Ver. 19. _Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices, &c._] _i.e._ Such as are offered in faith, and according to the will of God, Psal... [ Continue Reading ]