pleads that past as a reason for the present and for the future.
Thousands of years have passed since David, if he was the Psalmist,
offered this prayer; and you and I can look back to the blessed old
story of _his_ forgiveness, so swift, so absolute and free, which
followed upon confession so lowly, and can remember that infinitely
pathetic and wonderful word which puts the whole history of the
resurrection and restoration of a soul into two clauses. 'David said
unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord: and Nathan said unto
David'--finishing the sentence--'And the Lord hath made to pass the
iniquity of thy sin.' What He was He is; what He is He will be. 'For Thy
name's sake, pardon mine iniquity.'

There is yet another thought that may be suggested. The divine
forgiveness is in order that men may know Him better. That is
represented in Scripture as being the great motive of the divine
actions--'for the glory of Thine own name.' That may be so put as to be
positively atrocious, or so as to be perfectly divine and lovely. It has
often been put, by hard and narrow dogmatists, in such a way as to make
God simply an Almighty selfishness, but it ought to be put as the Bible
puts it, so as to show Him as an Almighty love. For why does He desire
that His name should be known by us but for our sakes, that the light of
that great Name may come to us, 'sitting in darkness and in the shadow
of death,' and that, knowing Him for what He is, we may have peace, and
rest, and joy, and love, and purity? It is pure benevolence that makes
Him act, 'for the glory of His great name'; sweeping away the clouds
that a darkened earth may expand and rejoice, and all the leaves unfold
themselves, and every bird sing, in the restored sunshine.

And there is nothing that reveals the inmost hived sweetness and honey
of the name of God like the assurance of His pardon. 'There is