EXPOSITION

OF

THE FIFTY-FIRST PSALM.

"Have mercy upon me, O Lord."

THIS

EXPOSITION OF THE FIFTY-FIRST PSALM,

BY

THE REVEREND FATHER MARTIN LUTHER,

WAS PUBLISHED FOR THE GLORY OF CHRIST AND THE
EDIFICATION OF THE Church.

INTRODUCTION.

I EXPOUNDED, in the last spring, the Second Psalm concerning Christ as King-his spiritual and celestial kingdom; how it is received by this world, how it is afflicted and torn by kings and people, and yet, nevertheless, conquers and triumphs.-Now, I purpose an Exposition of the Psalm, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord," which instructs us concerning repentance. Not, however, that I consider myself able to give an Exposition adequate to the contents of this Psalm; for I confess that I have not fully entered into the spirit which here speaks; but I have undertaken it only, that we might have an occasion and a subject matter for meditation and instruction, that I myself, together with you, may become a learner, and may depend upon the Spirit's teaching; and whatever he shall be pleased to give, we will receive and be thankful for it.

The understanding of this Psalm is, on many accounts, both necessary and useful; for it embraces the doctrines of the essential articles of our religionof repentance, of sin, of grace, of justification; and also, of that worship which we are to render unto God. These are divine and heavenly things, which; unless they be taught by the great Spirit himself, cannot possibly enter into the heart of man. Hence we see, that, although this doctrine has been agitated by our adversaries with all their efforts, and in many and immense volumes, yet there is no one out of them all, who really knows what repentance is, what sin is, or what grace is: these are to them certain terms, or

dreams only, some mere ideas of which have flashed across their sight and understanding. And the cause of all this darkness and ignorance is this:-the true knowledge of these things does not depend upon the understanding and wisdom of human reason, nor is it (so to speak) born at home; that is, it does not grow naturally in our hearts, but is revealed and given from heaven. For who among natural men could so speak of repentance, and the remission of sins, as the Holy Spirit speaks in this Psalm ?

But

Hence, this Psalm is commonly entitled "The Psalm of Repentance," and is celebrated above all the rest, as being used in the services and daily prayers of churches; and he who first affixed to the Psalm this title, doubtless knew something of its contents. as to the multitude in general, who sing and pray it over in their performance of those work-services enjoined by bishops, they know nothing whatever about it. They apply this Psalm to the repentance of works, or to actual sin, which they define to be, a word, an act, or a thought against the law of God.' But this definition is by far too contracted, to set forth before the eyes of men the magnitude and power of sin. Sin must be looked into much more deeply than this; sin or sinfulness must be set forth much more clearly; for it is not enough to confine it to the outward act (as it is termed.)

From this error-the not understanding what sin is, has arisen, as is always the case, another errorthe not understanding what grace is. It has happened, therefore, that in raising up trembling consciences, and in comforting them against the fears of death and the judgment of God, these men have been utterly useless. For how can that man give consolation, who does not know what grace is? And therefore it was, that they fell into those follies of recommending to persons labouring under the burthens of their consciences, hoods, rules, and other like absurdities,

whereby they believed that God would be appeased. But these are proofs sufficiently manifest, that they rightly understood neither grace nor sin, and that they taught a mere natural theology, without the word of God.

In the same way did they teach repentance also --that men should recount all their transgressions of the past year, grieve for them, and atone for them by sati-faction. But, I pray you, does the judge therefore not hang the thief because he hears him confess his theft, and sees him grieve on account of it? And yet, these fellows imagine, that satisfaction can be made unto God, by their feigning this grief, wearing other garments, changing their deportment, and altering their food!

Wherefore, the Exposition of this Psalm will be particularly useful upon these points. We may from it learn to understand these essential articles of our doctrine, and may be enabled skilfully and weightily to confute our adversaries, who thus impurely dispute in matters of so much importance. For I have learnt by my own experience, in times when my conscience has been in distress, that all their profane disputations can give no relief whatever. I have therefore often exhorted the church to the giving of thanks for this unspeakable gift of the Word and pure doctrine, and that all such darkness is driven away by the clear light of the Word shining.

To come then to the Psalm.-We have here delivered the doctrine concerning true repentance. There are, in true repentance, two things: the knowledge of sin, and the knowledge of grace. Or, to use terms of more common acceptation,-the fear of God, and a trust in his mercy. These two parts of repentance David so sets forth in this prayer of his, as though they were represented in a picture. In the beginning of the Psalm, we see him labouring under the knowledge of his sin, and the burthen of his conscience.