Confession and Absolution

Thomas Spurgeon.

Psalm 25:11

For your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.

I. CONFESSION IS TO BE MADE DISTINCTLY AND DIRECTLY, AND ONLY TO THE LORD. There were priests and prophets in those days, but David unfolds the story of his sin to God Himself. He realises that all sin is directly aimed at God. Observe in David's confession the utter absence of excuses. In this confession there is no mention of punishment. David does not ask to be let off. He asks for pardon solely and simply. And David had a true conception of the heinousness of sin.

II. A PLEADING PRAYER. Two pleas, The first he finds in God. "For Thy name's sake." He was God's own child, and he pleads his sonship. The second he finds in his own sinfulness. Many mistake by asking pardon because the iniquity is small. The strongest plea is to say to God, "Have mercy upon me, for I am a great sinner. I have sinned in a thousand ways, and even ten thousand times." True confession brings the true absolution.

(Thomas Spurgeon.)