A Devotion from Jonathan Edwards

For Thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.

—Psalm 25:11

It is evident by some passages in this psalm that when it was penned it was a time of

affliction and danger with David. His distress makes him think of his sins and leads him to

confess them and to cry to God for pardon, as is suitable in a time of affliction.

It is observable in the text what arguments the psalmist makes use of in pleading for

pardon.

First, he pleads for pardon for God’s name’s sake. He has no expectation for pardon for the

sake of any righteousness or worthiness of his or for any good deeds he had done or any

compensation he had made for sins. If human righteousness could be a just plea, David would

have had as much to plead as most.

Second, the psalmist pleads the greatness of his sins as an argument for mercy. He does not

plead his own righteousness or the smallness of his sins. He does not say, “Pardon my iniquity,

for I have done much good to counterbalance it,” or “Pardon my iniquity, for it is small and you

have no great reason to be angry with me.” But, “Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.” He

enforces his prayer with this consideration, that his sins are very heinous.

But how could he make this a plea for pardon? Because the greater his iniquity was, the

more need he had of pardon. It is as much as if he had said, “Pardon my iniquity, for it is so

great that I cannot bear the punishment. My sin is so great that I am in need of pardon. My case

will be very miserable unless you are pleased to pardon me.” He makes use of the greatness of

his sin to enforce his plea for pardon as someone would make use of the greatness of calamity

in begging for relief. A beggar who begs for bread will plead the greatness of his poverty and

necessity. And God allows such a plea as this, for he is moved to mercy toward us by nothing in

us but the misery of our case. He does not pity sinners because they are worthy but because

they need his pity.