Psalms 51
PATTo the chief Musician. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the Prophet came unto him,after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Here now begins a new collection of some Psalms, whereof David was the author: which, I suppose, were found after the first book w r as published, and this second begun; to the end of which from this placo they continue: as we read expressly, Psal. lxxii. ult. For though the author of the two last before that be not mentioned in the title, yet the very matter of them, as well as the ^conclusion of the book, assure us they were composed by David; who, in this fifty-first Psalm (as the title tells us), most sadly bewails the sin which he had committed with Bath-sheba, and those that followed it. In which ho had also continued for some time, till Nathan the prophet came with a message from God to reprove him, and to pronounce a very sore judgment against him and his family for his crimes. After this Divine reprehension and threatening, he was very much humbled, and, to make himself as notorious an example of true repentance as he had been of foul wickedness, he composed this penitential hymn: and sent it to the master of the music in the tabernacle, to be used perpetually there; as a testimony of his unfeigned sorrow for what he had done, and of the miserable condition he thought himself in, without the infinite mercy of God to him. \ Which ho begs with the greatest earnestness, together with the assistances of his grace; which he promises to employ for the reducing other sinners, beseeching him withal to bo favourable to his people, especially to the city of Jerusalem; and not let them and that suffer for his offences. Ver.l. JtlAVE mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.^ God, the supreme judge of the world, whom I havo most highly offended many ways, and therefore may most justly be condemned to suffer the effects of thy severest displeasure; I cast down myself before thee, and humbly supplicate for mercy: unto which I am encouraged by thy known clemency, and thy infinite* compassions; which will move thee, I hope, to take pity upon a grievous sinner, and to pardon the adultery and bloodshed, accompanied with a number of foul circumstances, which I have committed. of thy heavy displeasure; and to turn it into the height of joy and gladness.
Psalms 51:2
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. I have made mysnlf indeed exceeding loathsome by my repeated wickedness, which, like a stain that hath long stuck to a garment, is not easily got out: but do not therefore, I beseech thee, abhor me, but rather magnify thy mercy in purifying me perfectly, and cleansing me so throughly, that there may be no spot remaining in me.
Psalms 51:3
For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. For how stupid soever I was, before thou sentest thy prophet to awaken me, I am now deeply touched with a sense of my horrid transgressions: which I both sorrowfully confess and bewail in thy presence, and in the face of the public congregation; and carry also a sad and amazing remembrance thereof continually before my eyes.
Psalms 51:4
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 thoujndgest. Not because I stand in fear of punishment from men, who have no power over me; but because I am so obnoxious to thee, whose judgments I ought to dread the more, the less I am liable to give an account of my actions unto others. O how it afflicts me, that I presumed, because I had none to control me hero on earth, to offend thy majesty, thy all-seeing majesty; at whose tribunal tho highest must be judged: and if thou shouldest pronounce the heaviest sentence upon me for my crimes, and execute it also with the greatest severity,! could not accuse thee of too much rigour; but must still justify thee in thy proceedings, and clear thee from all such unjust imputations!
Psalms 51:5
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity: and in sin did my mother conceive me. It is true, indeed, and thou, O Lord, knowest it better than I, that there is in me an innate pronencss to evil; but I am so far from representing this as an excuse for what I have done, that I confess the consideration of it ought to have made me the more watchful and diligent to suppress those bad inclinations; which I knew to be’ so natural, that I brought them into the world with me.
Psalms 51:6
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden parts thou shalt make me to know wisdom. I am amazed at ray folly, that I should be so careless; when I was not ignorant that thou requirest us not to entertain, with the least kindness, those first motions which we find in our thoughts and desires after any evil, but uprightly to oppose them; for which end thou hast put a principle of better motions into us, and endued me with wisdom, which secretly checks and corrects those brutish inclinations.
Psalms 51:7
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. I have nothing therefore to say in my own behalf, but wholly betake myself to thee, for a gracious pardon of my sin, which every thing I can think of sadly aggravates. I am as impure as a leper, and deserve to be banished from thy presence, and shut out from among thy people; far more impure by touching Bath-sheba, than he is that toucheth a dead body; yet I am not so foul, but, if thou plcasest, thou canst purify me, and make me as clean and white as snow: vouchsafe me that grace, O Lord; expiate me, I beseech thee, (Lev. xiv. G. Numb. xix. 17, 18.) and restore me perfectly unto thy favour, and the happy fruits of it, which. I have justly forfeited and lost.
Psalms 51:8
Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Raise me out of this wofully dejected state wherein I lie; and as the terrible message I received by thy prophet; hath cast me into such insufferable anguish and pain, as if my bones were crushed in pieces by my fall: so send me the most comfortable news of my reconciliation with thee; to ease me of the torment I endure under the weight of my guilt, and the sense
Psalms 51:9
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.’) Remember not any longer how kicked I have been; nor lay any sin to my charge: but pass by all my transgressions, and acquit me from the punishment they deserve.
Psalms 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, God; and renew a right spirit withinme. And bestow upon me withal such purity of heart (which, alas! I have lost, and am notable to recover without thy grace), that I may utterly hereafter detest all such filthy motions: and, because we are apt to revolt from our good resolutions, do thoirdaily supply me with fresh strength from above, to confirm and settle them, that I may never return to folly.
Psalms 51:11
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit fromme.~\ I’deserve, I confess, to be rejected by thee, as my predecessor was, (1 Sam. xv. 25, 26.) and to be admitted no more into thy favour: but I humbly beseech thee, deal not so severely with me, nor deprive me (as thou didst him, compare 1 Sam. x. 6. with xvi. 14.) of the gift of thy Holy Spirit, wherewith thou hast anointed me, (ver. 13.)
Psalms 51:12
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit J. Let not that evil spirit which. troubled him seize on me; but restore to me the joy which I was wont to have, when I saw myself so much in thy favour as to be delivered by thee out of the greatest danger: (Psal. xxi. 1.) support me and my authority, with such a cheerful, free, and generous spirit, as becomes him whom thou hast appointed to be the governor of thy people:
Psalms 51:13
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. That I may have the confidence to admonish those of their duty that transgress thy laws (as I will not fail to do), and they may not take the boldness to despise my instructions: but the very worst of them may, by my authority and my example, be reclaimed from their sinful lives, and become, like me, thy faithful servants.
Psalms 51:14
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue sliallsing aloud of thy righteousness. Though I have added the sin of murder to that of adultery, the murder of a trusty servant, of several of my servants, (2 Sam. xi. 17.) who by my order were exposed to that danger wherein they lost their lives; let it not hinder this grace which I beg of thee; but, O God, the God from whom I have received £o many deliverances and blessings, vouchsafe this one favour more, to deliver me from the punishment due to this crying sin: and I will not spare to proclaim, as loud as ever I can, thy infinite goodness and clemency; together with thy truth and faithfulness in thy promises to returning sinners: it shall be my joy to speak of these, though therewithal I publish my own most horrid wickedness.
Psalms 51:15
O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. Try me, O God, and let the sense of thy gracious pardon give me the boldness and liberty to open my lips (which shame, confusion, and fear, have closed and shut up), and my mouth shall every where declare thy mercy to thy perpetual praise and renown.
Psalms 51:16
For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt-offering. This shall be the Digitized sacrifice I will offer to thee, as an acknowledgment of thy kindness; but that of beasts, I know, thou desirest not T should bring thee: the whole burnt-offerings being no pleasure at all to thee, but only as they are tokens of a grateful mind. *'
Psalms 51:17
The sacrifices of God arc a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. With which I will also join that Divine sacrifice of an humble, sorrowful, and penitent heart: for a soul that is truly contrite, and entirely submits its will’ to thine, is* such an acceptable sacrifice, that thou canst not possibly reject it.
Psalms 51:18
Do good in thy good pleasure unto’Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. And the same mercy I desire for myself, I beg also for all thy people. Spare them, good Lord, and let not my folly be the occasion of bringing upon them any calamity; or upon that city, which is called after my name, where I have set both thy throne and mine: (2 Sam. v. 7. 9. vi. 16.) but be favourable to that place, and do it good; let the walls of Jerusalem, which I have begun.to build, (2 Sam. v. 9.) be perfectly finished, (1 Kings iii. 1. xi. 27.)
Psalms 51:19
Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, ivith burnt-offering, and whole burnt-offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. Then shall the righteous be very thankful to thee; and express it by bringing peace-offerings in abundance, and all other sacrifices: they shall offer thee the choicest sacrifices upon thy altar, (1 Kings iii. 5. viii. 63, 64.) which from such pious persons shall be acceptable to thy majesty.