Psalms 51:1

Psalms 51:1. Have mercy upon me, O God,

"I cannot do without mercy, though I am thy child; and thou must give me great mercy, or it will be no mercy to me, for little mercy will not serve my turn. ‘ Have mercy upon me, O God,’ without stint, and without end.

Psalms 51:1. According to thy lovingkindness:

"If I must set thee a measure, let thine own nature be the measure of thy mercy; I would view thee in the tenderest, brightest light: according to thy kindness, - ah, thy lovingkindness." Surely, that is one of the sweetest words in our dear mother tongue, and no other language contains a sweeter one: "according to thy lovingkindness."

Psalms 51:1. According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

"Thou canst not blot out such multitudes of sins unless thou hast multitudes of mercies; but inasmuch as there is no counting of thy mercies any more than there is counting of my sins, let the bright drops of thy mercy be equal to the black drops of my transgression. When I view my sin in its blackness, then I cry for mercy according to thy lovingkindness; and when I view my transgressions in their multitude, then I cry for pardon ‘according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies.’ "Is not this a blessed prayer? It could not have come from David if he had not felt the greatness of his sin; and it will not suit you, dear friends, unless you also are taught by the Spirit of God to know what a bitter thing sin is.