_David prayeth for remission of sins, whereof he maketh a deep
confession.—He prayeth for sanctification.—God delighteth not in
sacrifice but in sincerity.—He prayeth for the church._
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came
unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according
unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin _is_ ever before me.
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.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive
me.
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden
_part_ thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be
whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness; _that_ the bones _which_ thou hast
broken may rejoice.
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from
me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me _with thy_
free spirit.
_Then_ will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be
converted unto thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation:
_and_ my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
O LORD, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give _it_: thou
delightest not in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God _are_ a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite
heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of
Jerusalem.
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.
This, among all the Psalms, is a signal and golden one. It contains
experiences and feelings truly Davidical; and teaches us what sin is,
what the origin of sin is, and how great and awful an evil the fall of
Adam was. And also, (which is an excellent part of it indeed,) it
shows us how we obtain the remission of sins. For in this Psalm, we
have it clearly expressed, that sin is a great and innate evil, and an
awful depravation and corruption of nature, in all the powers both of
soul and body. Unless, therefore, we are born again by faith in
Christ, and are renewed in spirit and made new creatures of God, the
sense of the loss of God and of eternal life and salvation is so heavy
a burthen, and the power of sin and the sting of death so great, that
the conscience is shaken with unspeakable distress and terror; and the
anguish that takes hold on it drinks up the very marrow, and bruises
and breaks the very inmost bones, until the word of grace and of the
Spirit again raises us up and refreshes us; as David here says, “That
the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.”
But in hearts that are purified and renewed by the Spirit, there is a
new light shining; there are new motions and spiritual affections; a
sure rest and peace of conscience; a true and full assurance of
salvation; a fervent and lively joy of spirit; a rejoicing in God and
a peace with him; a heart full of thanksgiving, and a patience under
afflictions. Hence those that fear God, those that are born again, if
they are at a point concerning the good will of God towards them, are
those who can rightly teach and instruct others unto godliness. “Then
(says David) will I teach transgressors thy ways;” then will I teach
them to call upon and praise the name of the Lord, and to give thanks
unto him; and in a word, to worship and adore God truly and aright, to
bear patiently the cross and afflictions, and to offer great and
glorious sacrifices; (for that is the way in which he here expresses
himself, calling “a broken and a contrite heart” the favourite
sacrifice of God;) for that is the highest and most excellent worship
of God: and he rejects, in plain words, all sacrifices which are
offered by hypocrites without _that_ sacrifice; which sacrifices of
theirs they consider to be the highest acts of worship.
In concluding the Psalm, David begs of God that he would be pleased to
build and preserve the city of Jerusalem; that is, the place of the
word and the true worship of God. In the same manner, _we_ ought also
to pray. “Do good unto Zion, O Lord:” that is, ‘O Lord, thou seest the
virulent hatred of hypocrites: Do thou, O Lord, preserve the true
church, and the true worship of God in it;’ that is, the worship of
the First Commandment. Confound all those who boast of their good
works and sacrifices, and who neglect faith towards God, and trample
under foot the First Commandment. But preserve and comfort those who
adore thee in truth, serve thee, and sacrifice unto thee in the
spirit.