November 29

Psalm li. - 1. Have mercy upon me, O God! according to thy loving-kindness; 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 blood-guiltiness, 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 show forth thy praise. 16. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest 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 shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt-offering and whole burnt-offering; then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

The sin which David lamented with such extreme humiliation and anguish is recorded in 2 Sam. xi. Having been betrayed into sin with Bathsheba, in order to cover his fault, he caused her husband, the valiant Uriah, to be so exposed in battle, that he was killed. David invented such excuses for his twofold crime, that, for a while, his conscience gave him little trouble. But, by and by, the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to the erring king: "and he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The men had exceeding many flocks and herds: but the poor man had nothing save one little ewe-lamb, which he had bought and nourished up; and it grew up together with him and with his children: it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man; and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die; and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did

this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man."

By his judgment on the rich robber, David had already condemned himself; and now he is agonized with the sense of his guilt, especially with its heinousness in the sight of God. Nothing can palliate his sin; nothing can hide it from his own view. He is so stupid in transgressions, that no resources of atonement and purification within his reach could avail to cleanse and restore him. He owns the justice of God in his condemnation, and casts himself wholly and solely upon the mercy of God. "He would give any and every thing were the seasons to return when he enjoyed communion with God, a cheerful heart, and a constant spirit; when the protection of God was spread out over him, and his Spirit reigned in his heart." He desires to be not only forgiven, but cleansed, made pure, and this in order that through his recovery from so grievous a tall he may set forth the grace of God for the salvation of other sinners, and that the glory of Zion may not be tarnished by his sin. Such is the spirit of true penitence: it bewails sin as committed against God; it acknowledges the justice of his condemning sentence; it longs for pardon as a means to personal purity, and to the recovery of others from sin and death.

APPROPRIATE HYMES.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 82, 94, 95.

Create in us a clean heart, O God! and renew a right spirit within us. So purify us by thy grace that we shall shine as lights in the world, holding forth the Word of life. We bless thee for thy loving care, for rest and safety in the night, for the comfort and promise of this holy day. May thy Word and thy worship be precious to our souls! Give us grace, that we may be established in the truth, and be doers of thy Word, and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves. Sow in our hearts the seed of eternal life, and enable us to bring forth fruit, to the glory of thy name, and the comfort of our souls.

Bless this day thy holy Church, in her ministry, her worship, her sacraments, her works of love. Bless all missions throughout the world. Visit all Sunday schools with thy heavenly grace.

[O Lord! grant unto the children of this household the teaching of thy Spirit, the guidance of thy providence, that they may walk in the way of wisdom and of life.]

Defend us with thy heavenly grace, that we may continue thine forever, and daily increase in thy Holy Spirit more and more, until we come unto thine everlasting kingdom, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.