June 3

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.

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 thou judgest.

5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delig'est not in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then shall thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

This Psalm is David's cry for pardon. He had fallen into a terrible crime; and in the words of this Psalm his broken and contrite spirit groans for deliverance.

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"Athanasius recommends to some Christians, to whom he was writing, to repeat it when they awake at night. All evangelical churches are familiar with it. Luther says, 'There is no other Psalm which is oftener sung or prayed in the church.'"—W. S. Plummer.

"The 'mercy' of God, His 'lovingkindness,' His 'tender mercies,' 'the multitude of His tender mercies,' form the only plea, which the royal penitent admits in seeking forgiveness of his heinous crimes. He does not once mention his former services in the cause of religion; or palliate his conduct, by the peculiar temptations of his high rank, and the customs of princes; or plead that he was inadvertently betrayed into it, and led on by imperceptible degrees, step by step: but, as a vile and miserable sinner, with many repetitions and an accumulation of words, energetically expressing his inmost thoughts and feelings, he dwells on the only cheering thought his case allowed of; and entreats that God would, 'to the praise of the glory of His grace,' forgive his sins, as a debt which when remitted is blotted out; and as the stain was beyond expression deep, that He would thoroughly wash and cleanse it all away."—Thomas Scott.

Closet Promise.—The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.—Psalm exlv. 18.

"O Lord, make me sincere and without offence. Make me sincere in my prayers to Thee. May my petitions always express the desire of my heart. Make me sincere in regard to my fellow-men. May all my expressions in regard to them be according to truth. May all my feelings toward them meet Thine approbation. Save me from giving offence to others. Let me not by indolence, by thoughtlessness, by prejudice, or by passion be the occasion of leading any to sin."