Verse 3

The words of the verse explained; and their meaning opened.

THE general frame of a gracious soul in its perplexities about sin, has been declared. Its particular actings, what it does, what it meets withal, are nextly represented unto us.

First, Then in particular it cryes out, If you Lord shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord who shall stand?

There is in the words a Supposition; and an Inference on that Supposition. In the Supposition; there is, first, the name of God that is fixed on as suited unto it. And Secondly, The thing it self supposed. In the Inference, there is expressed the matter of it; to stand; and the manner of its proposal; Wherein two things occur, (1.) That it is expressed by way of Interrogation: (2.) The Indefiniteness of that Interrogation; Who shall stand?

If you Lord; He here fixes on another name of God; which is Jah. A name though from the same root with the former, yet seldom used, but to intimate and express the terrible majesty of God. He rids on the heavens, and is extolled by his name Jah. Psalmm 68:4. He is to deal now with God about the guilt of sin; and God is represented to the soul as great and terrible; that he may know what to expect and look for, if the matter must be tryed out according to the demerit of sin.

What then says he to J A H? If you shouldst mark iniquities. is to observe and keep as in safe custody. To keep, preserve and watch diligently. So to remark and observe, as to retain that which is observed, to ponder it, and lay it up in the heart, Genesis 37:11. Jacob observed Josephs dream: that is, he retained the memory of it, and pondered it in his heart.

The marking of Iniquities then here intended, is Gods so far considering and observing of them, as to reserve them for punishment and vengeance. In opposition unto this marking, he is said not to see sin, to overlook it, to cover it, to forget it, or remember it no more; that is, to forgive it, as the next verse declares.

I need not shew that God so far marks all sins in all persons, as to see them, know them, disallow them, and to be displeased with them. This cannot be denyed without taking away of all grounds of his fear and worship. To deny it, is all one as to deny the very being of God; deny his holiness and righteousness, and you deny his existence. But there is a day appointed, wherein all the men of the world shall know, that God knew and took notice of all and every one of their most secret sins. There is then a double marking of sin in God, neither of which can be denyed in reference unto any sins, in any persons. The first is Physical, consisting in his omniscience whereunto all things are open and naked. Thus no sin is hid from him; the secret are before the light of his countenance. All are marked by him. Secondly, Moral; in a displicency with, or displeasure against every sin, which is inseparable from the nature of God, upon the account of his holiness. And this is declared in the sentence of the law, and that equally to all men in the world. But the marking here intended, is that which is in a tendency to Animadversion and punishment according to the tenor of the law. Not only the sentence of the law, but a will of punishing according to it is included in it. If says the Psalmmist, you the great and dreadful God, who art extolled by your glorious name Jah, shouldst take notice of iniquities, so as to recompence them unto sinners that come unto you according to the severity and exigence of your holy law. What then? It is answered by the matter of the Proposal, who can stand? That is, none can so do; sayes Chrysostom; This WHO, is NONE. No man, not one in the world. quis stabit, or consistet; who can stand, or abide and endure the tryal? Every one on this supposition must perish, and that eternally. This the desert of sin, and the curse of the law, which is the rule of this marking of their iniquity, does require. And there is a notable emphasis in the interragation, which contains the manner of the Inference. Who can stand? is more than if he had said, none can abide the tryal, and escape without everlasting ruine. For the Interrogation is indefinite; not how can I? but, who can stand? When the Holy Ghost would set out the certainty, and dreadfulness of the perishing of ungodly men, he does it by such a kind of expression, wherein there is a deeper sense intimated into the minds of men, than any words can well cloath or declare. 1 Peter 4:17. What shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel? and verse 18. Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? So here. Who can stand? there is a deep insinuation of a dreadful ruine, as unto all, with whom God shall so deal, as to mark their iniquities. See Psalmm 1:5.

The Psalmmist then addressing himself to deal with God about sin, layes down in the first place in the general how things must go, not with himself only, but with all the world, upon the supposition he had fixed. This is not my case only; but it is so with all mankind, every one who is partaker of flesh and blood; whether their guilt answer that, which I am oppressed withal or no; all is one; guilty they are all, and all must perish: How much more must that needs be my condition, who have contracted so great a guilt as I have done. Here then he layes a great argument against himself, on the supposition before laid down. If none, the Holi, the humbl, the most believing soul, can abide the tryal, can endure; how much less can I, who am the chief of sinners, the least of saints, who come unspeakably behind them in holiness, and have equally gone beyond them in sin?

This is the sense and importance of the words; Let us now consider how they are expressive of the actings of the soul whose state and condition is here represented unto us, and what directions they will afford unto us, to give unto them who are fallen into the same state.

What first presents it self to a soul in distress on the account of sin. This opened in four propositions. Thoughts of Gods marking sin according to the tenor of the law full of dread and terror.

What depths the Psalmmist was in, has been declared; in them, what Resolution he takes upon himself to seek to God alone for relief and recovery, has been also shewed; and what earnestness in general he useth therein; Addressing himself unto God in that frame, with that purpose and resolution, the first thing he fixs on in particular is the greatness of his sin, and guilt, according to the tenor of the law. It appears then, that,

First, In a sin perplexed souls addresses unto God, the first thing that presents it self unto him, is Gods marking sin according to the tenor of the law. The case is the same in this matter with all sorts of sinners; whether before conversion, or in relapses and entanglements after conversion. There is a proportion between conversion and Recoveries. They are both wrought by the same means and wayes; and have both the same effects upon the souls of sinners, although in sundry things they differ, not now to be spoken unto. What then is spoken on this he[•]d, may be applyed unto both sorts; to them that are yet unconverted, and to them who are really delivered from their state and condition; but especially unto those who know not whether state they belong unto, that is, to all guilty souls. The law will put in its claim to all. It will condemn the sin, and try what it can do against the sinner. There is no shaking of it off; it must be fairly answered, or it will prevail. The law issues out an arrest for the debt; and it is to no purpose to bid the Serjeant be gone, or to entreat him to spare. If payment be not procured, and an acquittance produced, the soul must to prison. I am going unto God says the soul. He is great and terrible, a marker of sin, and what shall I say unto him? This makes him tremble, and cry out, O Lord who shall stand? so that it appears hence, that,

Secondly, Serious thoughts of Gods marking sin according to thetenor of the law, is a thing full of dread and terror to the soul of a sinner. But this is not all; he is not swallowed up in this amazement, crying out only who can stand? there is included in the words, a through sincere Acknowledgement of his own sin, and the guilt thereof. Mentioning the desert of sin, in his own case, he acknowledgs his own. So that,

Thirdly, Sincere sense and Acknowledgement of sin, with selfcondemnation in the justification of God, is the first peculiar especial working of a gracious soul rising out of its entanglements. All this is included in these words. He acknowledgs both his own guilt, and the righteousness of God, if he should deal with him according to the demerit of sin.

And these things lye in the words absolutely considered; But the state of the soul here represented, carries us on farther. He rests not here, as we shall see in the opening of the next verse, the chief thing aimed at in the whole. And as a transition from the one to the other, that we may still carry on the general design at the entrance laid down; we must take along with us this farther observation.

Fourthly, Though self-condemnation be an eminent preparation for the discovery of forgiveness in God, yet a poor distressed soul is not to rest in it, nor to rest upon it, but to pass on to the embracing of forgiveness it self.

There is yet a general proposition lying in the words, that we may make use of in our passage; and it is this, Gods marking of iniquities, and mans salvation are everlastingly inconsistent. I mean his marking them in the persons of the sinners, for the ends before mentioned.

Of some of these I shall farther treat, according as the handling of them conducs to the purpose in hand.

That which I shall begin withal, is that which was first laid down about the effects of serious thoughts concerning Gods marking sin according to the tenor of the law; which as I said, is the first thing that presents it self unto a sin entangled soul in its addresses unto God.

But this shall not pass alone. I shall draw the two first Observations into one, and make use of the first only in the confirmation of the other; which will express the sense of the words absolutely considered. The third and fourth will lead us on in the progress of the soul, towards the relief sought after, and proposed. That therefore which first is to be insisted on, comes up to this proposition.In a sin perplexed souls addresses unto God, the first thing that presents it self unto him is, Gods marking of sin according to the Tenor of the law, which of its self is apt to fill the soul with dread and terror.

I shall first somewhat speak unto it in This; as considering in its self, and then inquire into the concernment of the soul in it, whose condition is here described.

The Lord speaks of some who when they hear the words of the curse, yet bless themselves, and say they shall have peace; Deuteronomy 29:19. Let men preach, and say what they please of the terror of the Lord, they will despise it; which God threatens with utter extermination: And he notes it again, as an amazing wickedness, and the height of obdurateness, Jeremiah 36:24. generally it is with sinners, as it was with Gaal the Son of Ebed, judges 9. when he was fortifying of Sichem against Abimelech; Zebul tells him that Abimelech will come and destroy him. Let him come says Gaal, I shall deal well enough with him, let him bring forth his Army, I fear him not; but upon the very first appearance of Abimelech's Army, he trembls for fear, verse 36. Tell obdurate sinners of the wrath of God, and that he will come to plead his cause against them; for the most part they take no notice of what you say; nor have any serious thoughts about it; but go on as if they were resolved they should deal well enough with him. Notwithstanding all their stoutness, a day is coming wherein fearfulness shall surprise them, and make them cry out, who amongst us shall dwell with devouring fire, who amongst us shall inhabit with everlasting burnings? Yea, if the Lord be pleased in this life in an especial manner to draw nigh to any of them, they quickly see, that their hearts cannot endure, nor can their hands be strong, Ezekiel 22:14. Their hands hang down, and their stout hearts tremble like an aspen leaf.

He who first sinned, and had first occasion to have serious thoughts about Gods marking sin, gives us a notable instance of what we have assirmed. And the first in every kind, is the measure of all that follows in the same kind, Genesis 3:8. He heard the voyce of God: so he had done before without the least trouble or consternation of Spirit; He was made for communion with God; and that he might hear his voice was part of his blessedness. But now says he, I heard your voice and was afraid, and hid my self. He knew that God was coming in the inqu of sin, and he was not able to bear the thoughts of meeting him; could he have gone into the bowels of the earth from whence he was taken, and have been there hid from God, he would not have failed to have attempted it. Things are now altered with him; in that God whom he loved before, as a good, holy, powerful, righteous Creator, Preserver, Benefactor and Rewarder, he saw nothing now, but wrath, indignation, vengeance and terror. This makes him tremble out those dreadful words, I heard your voice, and was afraid, and hid my self.

The giving out of the law afterwards, evinces what effects the consideration of Gods proceeding with sinners, according to the tenor of it, must needs produce, Exodus 20:18, 19. All the people saw the thundrings and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the Mountain smoaking; as the apostle also describes it, Hebrews 12:18. In this manner came forth from the Lord that fiery law, Deuteronomy 33:2. So that all who were concerned in it, did exceedingly quake and tremble. And yet all this respects but the severity of the law in general, without the application of it unto any soul in particular. There is a solemnity, that carris an awe with it, in the preparation of an Assize to be kept and held by poor worms like our selves; but the dread of it, is peculiar to the Malefactors, for whose tryal and execution all this preparation is made. When a soul comes to think, that all this dreadful preparation, this appearance of terrible majesty, these streams of the fiery law are all pointed towards him, it will make him cry out, Lord who can stand? And this law is still in force towards sinners, even as it was on the day wherein it was given on Mount Sinai. Though Moses grew old, yet his strength never failed. Nor has his law, the law given by him, lost any thing of its strength, power, or authority towards sinners. It is still accompanied with thundrings and lightnings as of old. And it will not fail to represent the terror of the Lord to a guilty soul.

Among the saints themselves I could produce instances to manifest that they have found it to be thus. The cases of Job, David, Heman are known. I shall only consider it in Christ himself. From himself he had no occasion of any discouraging thought; being holy, harmless, undefiled. He fulfilled all righteousness, did his fathers will in all things, and abode in his love. This must needs be attended with the highest peace, and most blessed joy. In the very entrance of his tryals, he had a full perswasion of a comfortable issue and success; as we may see, Isaiah 50:7, 8. But yet when his soul was exercised with thoughts of Gods marking our iniquities upon him, it was sorrowful unto the death. He was amazed and very heavy, Mark 14:33. His Agony, his bloody sweat, his strong cryes and supplications, his reiterated prayers, if it be possible let this cup pass from me, his last dreadful cry, My God, my God, why hast you forsaken me, all manifest what apprehensions he had, of what it was for God to mark iniquities. Well may poor sinners cry out, Lord who shall stand? when the Son of God himself, so trembled under the weight of it.

In serious thoughts of Gods marking sin, he is represented unto the soul under all those glorious terrible attributes and Excellencies which are apt to beget a dread and terror in the hearts of sinners, when they have no relief from any covenant engagements in Christ. The soul looks upon him as the great law-giver, James 4:12. able to revenge the breach of it, by destroying body and soul in hell fire; as one terrible in holiness, of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; So also in Greatness and in power; the Living God, into whose hands it is a fearful thing to fall; as attended with vindictive justice, saying Vengean[•]e is mine, and I will recompence, Hebrews 10:30. Now for a soul to consider God, cloathed with all these dreadful and terrible Excellencies, coming to deal with sinners according to the tenor of his fiery law, it cannot but make him cry out with Moses, I exceedingly quake and tremble.

These things work on their minds the conclusion mentioned before, as asserted in these words; namely, that Gods marking of sin according to the tenor of the law, and mans salvation, are utterly inconsistent; a conclusion, that must needs shake a soul, when pressed under a sense of its own guilt.

When a person who is really guilty, and knows himself to be guilty, is brought unto his tryal, he has but these four grounds of hope that his safety and his tryal may be consistent. He may think that either (1.) The judge will not be able to find out, or discover his crimes; or (2.) That some one will powerfully intercede for him with the judge: or (3.) That the rule of the law is not so strict as to take notice of his miscarriages; or (4.) That the penalty of it, is not so severe but that there may be a way of escape. Cut him short of his expectations from some, one, or all of these, and all his hopes must of necessity perish. And how is it in this case?

First, Of the judge we have spoken somewhat already. The present inquiry is, whether any thing may be hid from him or no; and so a door of escape be opened to a sinner. The apostle tels us, that all things are open and naked unto him, Hebrews 4:12. and the Psalmmist, that there is not a thought in our hearts, nor a word in our tongue, but he understands it asar off, and knows it altogether, Psalmm 139:2, 4. What the sinner knows of himself, that may cause him to fear, that God knows. And what he knows not of himself, that deserves his fear, that God knows also; for he is greater than our hearts, and knows all things, 1 Johnn 3:20. When God shall not only set in order before the sinner, the secret sins, which he retains some remembrance of; but also brings to mind and represents unto him, that world of filth and folly, which either he never took any real notice of, or has utterly forgotten, it will trouble him, yea confound him.

Secondly, But may not this judge be intreated to pass by what he knows, and to deal favourably with the sinner? May not an Intercessor be obtained to plead in the behalf of the guilty soul? Eli determines this matter, 1 Samuel 2:25. If one man sinagainst another, the judge shall judge him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? There is not, says Job between us one that might argue the case, in pleading for me, and so make up the matter, laying his hand upon us both, Job 9:33. We now consider a sinner purely under the administration of the law; which knows nothing of a Mediator. In that case who shall take upon him to intercede for the sinner? Besides, that all creatures in heaven and earth are engaged in the quarrel of God against sinners; and besides the greatness and terror of his majesty, that will certainly deterr all or any of them from undertaking any such work; what is the request that in this case must be put up unto God? Is it not that he would cease to be Holy, leave off from being righteous, relinquish his throne, deny himself, and his Soveraignty, that a Rebell, a Traytor, his cursed enemy may live and escape his justice: Is this request reasonable? Is he fit to intercede for sinners that shall make it? Would he not by so doing prove himself to be the greatest of them? The sinner cannot then expect any door of escape to be opened unto him? All the world is against him; and the case must be tryed out nakedly between God and him: but,

Thirdly, It may be the rule of the law whereby the sinner is to be tryed, is not so strict, but that in the case of such sins as he is guilty of, it may admit of a favourable Interpretation; or that the good that he has done, may be laid in the ballance against his Evil, and so some relief be obtained that way. But the matter is quite otherwise; There is no good action of a sinner, though it were perfectly good, that can lye in the ballance with, or compensate the evil of the least sin committed. For all good is due on another account, though no guilt were incurred. And the payment of money that a man owes, that he has borrowed, makes no satisfaction for what he has stole; no more will our duties compensate for our sins. Nor is there any good action of a sinner, but it has evil and guilt enough attending it, to render it self unacceptable; so that men may well cease from thoughts of their supererrogation. Besides where there is any one sin, if all the good in the world might be supposed to be in the same person, yet in the indispensible order of our dependance on God, nothing of that good could come into consideration, until the guilt of that sin were answered for unto the utmost. Now the penalty of every sin, being the eternal ruine of the sinner, all his supposed good can stand him in little stead. And for the law it self, it is an issue of the holiness, righteousness, and wisdom of God; so that there is not any evil, so great or small, but is forb dden in it, and condemned by it. Hereupon David so states this whole matter, Psalmm 143:2. Enter not into Judgement with your servant, for in your sight shall no man living be justified. That is, if things are to be tryed out and determined by the law, no sinner can obtain acquitment; as Paul declares the sense of that place to be, Romansans 3:20. Galatians 2:16. but yet,

Fourthly, It may be the sentence of the law is not so fierce and dreadful, but that though guilt be found, there may be yet a way of escape. But the law speaks not one word on this side death to an offendor. There is a greatness, and an eternity of wrath in the sentence of it; and it is God himself who has undertaken to see the vengeance of it executed. So that on all these accounts the conclusion mentioned must needs be fixed in the soul of a sinner, that entertains thoughts of drawing nigh to God.

Though what has been spoken, may be of general use unto sinners of all sorts, whether called home to God, or yet strangers to him, yet I shall not insist upon any general improvement of it, because it is intended only for one special end or purpose. That which is aimed at, is to shew what are the first thoughts that arise in the heart of a poor intangled soul, when first he begins to endeavour a recovery in a returnal unto God. The law immediately puts in its claim unto him, and against him. God is represented unto him, as angry, displeased, provoked; and his terror more or less besets him round about. This fills him with fear, shame, and confusion of face; so that he knows not what to do: These troubles are greater or lesser, according as God seeth it best for the poor creatures present humiliation, and future safety. What then does the sinner? What are his thoughts hereupon? does he think to fly from God, and to give over all endeavours of recovery? Does he say this God is an holy and terrible God, I cannot serve him, it is to no purpose for me to look for any thing but fury and destruction from hira; and therefore I had as good give over, as persist in my desing of drawing nigh to him? It cannot be denyed but that in this case, thoughts of this nature will be suggested by unbelief: and that sometimes great perplexities arise to the soul by them. But this is not the issue and final product of this exercise of the soul; it producs another effect; it calls for that which is the first particular working of a gracious soul arising out of its sin intanglements. This is, as was declared; a sincere sense of sin, and acknowledgement of it, with self condemnation in the justification of God: This is the first thing that a soul endeavouring a recovery from its depths is brought and wrought unto. His general resolution to make serious and through work, with what he has in hand, was before unfolded. That which in the next place we are directed unto in these words, is the Reflection on its self, upon the consideration of Gods marking iniquity, now mentioned. This is Faiths great and proper use of the law; The nature whereof shall be farther opened in the next discourse.

The first particular actings of a soul towards a recovery out of the depths of sin. sense of sin, wherein it consists. How it is wrought. Acknowledgement of sin; its nature and properties. Self-condemnation.

What is the frame of the soul in general, that is excited by grace, and resolves in the strength thereof to attempt a recovery out of the depths of sin entanglements, has been declared. We have also shewed what entertainment in general such a soul had need to expect, yea, ordinarily shall be sure to meet withall. It may be he goes forth at first like Sampson with his locks cut, and thinks he will do as at other times; but he quickly finds, his peace lost, his wounds painful, his conscience restless, God displeased, and his whole condition, as to the utmost of his own apprehension, hazardous. This fills him with the thoughts expressed in this third verse, and fixes the conclusion in his mind, discoursed of before. He finds now that he has the law afresh to deal withal. Thence ariss that sense and acknowledgement of sin, that self-condemnation, in the justification of God, whereof we now speak. He grows not sullen, stubborn, displeased, and so runs away from God; he does not utterly saint, despond and give over; he pleads not any thing in his own justification, or for the extenuation of his sin and guilt; he quarrells not with, he repins not against the holiness, Severity and righteousness of the law of God; but reflects wholly on himself, his own unworthiness, guilt and desert; and in a sence of them lyes down at the foot of God, in expectation of his word and sentence.

Three things in this condition we ascribe unto such a soul. First, A sincere sense of sin. There is a twofold sense of sin. The one is general and notional, whereby a man knows what sin is, that himself is a sinner; that he is guilty of this or that, these or those sins; only his heart is not affected proportionably to that discovery and knowledge which he has of these things. The other is active and efficacious. The soul being acquainted with the nature of sin, with its own guilt in reference unto sin in general, as also to this or that sin, is universally influenced by that apprehension unto suitable affections and Operations.

Of both these we have an instance in the same person. David before Nathans coming to him, had the former, afterwards he had the latter also. It cannot be imagined but that before the coming of the prophet, he had a general knowledge and sense not only absolutely of the nature of sin, but also, that himself was a sinner, and guilty of those very sins which afterwards he was reproved for. To think otherwise is to suppose, not only that he was un-sainted, but un-manned also, and turned into a Beast. But yet this wrought not in him any one affection suitable to his condition. And the like may be said of most sinners in the world. But now when Nathan comes to him and gives him the latter efficacious sense whereof we speak, we know what effects it did produce.

It is the latter only that is under consideration; and that also is twofold: (1.) Legal or Antecedaneous unto conversion; (2) Evangelical, and previous to the recovery from depths, whereof we treat. How these two differ, and how they may be discerned one from the other, being both of them in their kind sincere, is not my business to declare.

Now this tast, which we assign as the first duty, work, or acting of a returning soul, is a deep and practical apprehension wrought in the mind and heart of a believing sinner by the Holy Ghost, of sin and its evils, in reference unto the law, and love of God, the Cross, and blood of Christ, the communion and consolation of the Spirit, and all the fruits of love, mercy, or grace, that it has been made partaker of, or on gospel grounds. hoped for.

First, The principal efficient cause of it is the Holy Ghost. He it is who convincs of sin, Johnn 16:8. He works indeed by means. He wrought it in David by the ministry of Nathan; and he wrought it in Peter, by the look of Christ. But his work it is. No man can work it upon his own soul. It will not spring out of mens rational considerations. Though men may exercise their thoughts about such things, as one would think were enough to break the hearts of stones, yet if the Holy Ghost put not forth a peculiar efficacy of his own, this sense of sin will not be wrought or produced. As the waters at the Pool of Bethesda were not troubled, but when an Angel descended and moved them; no more will the heart for sin, without a saving elapse of the Holy Ghost.

Secondly, It is a deep apprehension of sin, and the evils of it. Sleight transient thoughts about them, amount not to the sense of which we speak. My sorrow, says David, is continually before me, Psalmm 38:17. It pressed him alwayes and greatly. Hence he compares this sense of sin wrought by the Holy Ghost, to arrows that stick in the flesh, verse 2. They pain sorely, and are alwayes perplexing. sin in this sense of it, layes hold on the soul, so that the sinner cannot look up, Psalmm 40:12. And it abides with him, making his sore run in the night without ceasing, Psalmm 77:2. and deprivs the soul of rest; my soul says he, refused to be comforted. This apprehension of sin, lyes down, and rises with him in whom it is. Transient thoughts attended with infrequent sighs and ejaculations, little become a returning soul. And

Thirdly, It is Practical. It is not seated only in the speculative part of the mind, hovering in general notions; but it dwel's in the practical understanding, which effectually influencs the will and affections. Such an apprehension as from which sorrow and humiliation are inseparable. The acts of the practical understanding, do so necessarily produce, together with them suitable acts of the will and affections, that some have concluded that those are indeed proper acts of the will, which are usually ascribed to the understanding. It is so in the mind, as that the whole soul is cast into the mould and likeness of it, humiliation, sorrow, self-abhorrency, do live and dye with it.

Fourthly, It has in the first place, respect unto the law of God. There can be no due consideration of sin, wherein the law has not its place. The law calls for the sinner, and he willingly gives up his sin to be judged by it. There he sees it to be exceeding sinful, Romansans 7:17. Though a believer be less under the power of the law than others, yet he knows more of the authority and nature of it than others. He sees more of its spirituality and holiness. And the more a man sees of the excellency of the law, the more he sees of the vileness of sin. This is done by a soul in its first endeavour for a recovery from the entanglements of sin. He labours throughly to know his disease, that he may be cured. It will do him no good, he knows, to be ignorant of his distemper, or his danger. He knows that if his wounds be not searched to the bottom, they will stink and be corrupt. To the law then he brings himself and his sin. By that, he sees the vileness of the one, and the danger of the other. Most men lye still in their depths, because they would willingly escape the first step of their rising. From the bottom of their misery, they would fain at once be at the top of their felicity. The soul managed in this work by the Holy Ghost does not so. He converss with the law; brings his sin unto it; and fully hears the sentence of it. When the sin is throughly condemned, then he farther takes care of the sinner. As ever you desire to come to rest, avoid not this entrance of your passage unto it. Weigh well, and attend unto what the law speaks of your sin and its desert, or you will never make a due application to God for forgiveness. As ever you would have your souls justified by grace, take care to have your sins judged by the law.

Secondly, There is a respect in it to the love of God. And this breaks the heart of the poor returning sinner. sorrow from the law, shuts it self up in the soul, and strangls it. sorrow from the thoughts of the love of God opens it, and causss it to flow forth. Thoughts of sinning against the love of God, managed by the Holy Ghost; what shall I say? their effects in the heart are not to be expressed. This made Ezra cry out, O my God I blush and am ashamed to lift up my face to you, Chap. 9:6. and verse 10. What shall we say after this? After what? why all the fruits of love and kindness they had been made partakers of. Thoughts of love and sin laid together, make the soul blush, mourn, be ashamed and confounded in its self. So Ezekiel 36:31. Then shall you remember your own evil wayes, and your doings that were not good; When shall they do so? when thoughts and apprehensions of love shall be brought home to them; and says he, then shall you loath your selves in your own sight. The soul now calls to mind, what love, what kindness, what mercy, what grace, what patience has been exercised towards it, and whereof it has been made partaker. The thoughts of all these now come in upon him as streams of water. Such mercy, such communion, such Priviledges, such hopes of glory, such tastes of heaven, such peace, such consolation, such joy, such Communications of the Spirit, all to a poor, wretched, cursed, lost, forlorn sinner; and all this despised, neglected, the God of them all provoked, forsaken. Ah says the soul, Whither shall I cause my sorrow to go? This fills him with shame and confusion of face; makes him mourn in secret, and sigh to the breaking of the loyns; and then,

Thirdly, The blood and Cross of Christ is also brought to remembrance by the Holy Ghost. Ah, says the soul, have I thus requited the wonderful astonishing love of my Redeemer? Is this the return, the requital, I have made unto him? Are not heaven and earth astonished at the despising of that love, at which they are astonished? This brake Peters heart upon the look of Christ. Such words as these from Christ, will in this condition, sound in the ears of the soul. Did I love you, and leave my glory to become a scorn and reproach for your sake? Did I not think my life, and all that was dear unto me too good for you, to save you from the wrath to come? Have I been a Wilderness unto you, or a land of darkness? What could I have done more for you; when I had nothing left but my life, blood and soul, they went all for you that you might live by my death, be washed in my blood, and be saved through my souls being made an offering for you? And hast you thus requited my love? to prefer a lust before me, the world before me, or by mere sloth and folly to be turned away from me; go unkind and unthankful soul, and see if you canst find another Redeemer: This overwhelms the soul, and even drowns it in tears and sorrow. And then the bitterness also of the sufferings of Christ, are brought to mind. They look on him whom they have pierced and mourn, Zechariah 12:10. They remember his gall and wormwood; his cryes and tears; his agony and sweat, his desertion and anguish; his blood and death; the sharpness of the Sword that was in his soul, and the bitterness of the Cup that was put into his hand. Such a soul now looks on Christ, bleeding, dying, wrestling with wrath and curse for him, and seeth his sin in the streams of blood that issued from his side. And all this encreass that sense of sin whereof we speak. Also,

Fourthly, It relates to the communion and consolations of the Holy Ghost, with all the priviledges, and fruits of love we are by him made partakers of. The Spirit is given to believers upon the promise of Christ to dwell in them. He takes up their hearts to be his dwelling place; to what ends and purposes? that he may purify and sanctify them, make them holy, and dedicate them to God; to furnish them with Graces and gifts, to interest them in priviledges; to guide, lead, direct, comfort them; to seal them unto the day of redemption. Now this Spirit is grieved by sin, Ephesians 4:30. and his dwelling place defiled thereby, 1 Corinthians 6:19. and 3:17. Thoughts hereof greatly sharpen the spiritual sense of sin in a recovering soul. He considers, what light, what love, what joy, what consolation, what Priviledges it has by him been made partaker of; what motions, warnings, workings to keep it from sin, it has found from him; and sayes within it self; What have I done, whom have I grieved, whom have I provoked; what if the Lord should now for my folly and ingratitude utterly take his holy Spirit from me? What if I should have so grieved him that he will dwell in me no more, delight in me no more? What dismal darkness and disconsolation, yea, what utter ruine should I be left unto? However, what shame and confusion of face belongs to me for my wretched disingenuity, and ingratitude towards him?

This is the first thing that appears in the returning souls actings and frame; a sincere sense of sin on the accounts mentioned wrought in it by the Holy Ghost. And this a soul in the depths described, must come unto, if ever it expect or look for deliverance, and a recovery. Let not such persons expect to have a renewed sense of mercy, without a revived sense of sin.

Secondly, From hence proceeds an ingenious, free, gracious Acknowledgement of sin. Men may have a sense of sin, and yet suffer it to lye burning as a fire shut up in their bones, to their continual disquietment, and not be able to come off unto a free soul opening acknowledgement. Yea, confession may be made in general, and mention therein of that very sin wherewith the soul is most intangled, and yet the soul come short of a due performance of this duty. Consider how the case stood with David, Psalmm 32:3. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. How could David keep silence, and yet roar all the day long? What is that silence which is consistent with roaring? It is a mere negation of that duty, which is expressed, verse 5. that is intended. I acknowledge my sins unto you, and mine iniquities I have not hid. It was not a silence of submission and waiting on God that he intends. That would not have produced a wasting of his spiritual strength, as he complains, this silence did; My bones waxed old; nor yet was it a sullen, stubborn and contumacious frame that was upon him; but he notes, says Calvin, (and he sayes well) affectum qui medius est inter tolerantiam & contumaciam, vitio & vertuti affinis; An affection between patience and stubborness bordering onthe one and other. That is, he had a deep sense of sin; this disquieted and perplexed him all the day long; which he calls his roaring; It weakned and wearied him, making his bones wax old, or his strength decay; yet was he not able to bring his heart to that ingenious gracious acknowledgement, which like the launcing of a festered wound, would have given at least some ease to his soul. Gods children are oft-times in this matter like ours. Though they are convinced of a fault, and are really troubled at it, yet they will hardly acknowledge it. So do they. They will go up and down, sigh and mourn, roar all the day long; but an evil and untoward frame of spirit under the power of unbelief and fear, keeps them from this duty.

Now that this acknowledgement may be acceptable unto God it is required, First, that it be free, then that it be full.

First, It must be free and spiritually ingenious. Cain, Pharaoh, Ahab, Judas, came all to an acknowledgement of sin; but it was whether they would or no. It was pressed out of them; it did not flow from them. The confession of a person under the convincing terrors of the law, or dread of imminent Judgements, is like that of Malefactors on the rack; who speak out that, for which themselves and friends must dye. What they say, though it be the truth, is a fruit of force and torture, not of any ingenuity of mind. So is it with merely convinced persons. They come not to the acknowledgment of sin with any more freedom. And the reason is because all sin has shame; and for men to be free unto shame, is naturally impossible, shame being natures shrinking from it self, and the posture it would appear in. But now the returning soul, has never more freedom, liberty and amplitude of spirit, than when he is in the acknowledgement of those things whereof he is most ashamed. And this is no small evidence that it proceeds from that spirit which is attended with liberty, for where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty, 2 Corinthians 3:17. When David was delivered from his silence, he expresss this frame in the performance of this duty, Psalmm 32:5. I acknowledged my sin, and mine iniquities. I have not hid; I said I will confess my transgression. His mouth is now open, and his heart inlarged. And he multiplies one expression upon another, to manifest his enlargement. So does a soul rising out of its depths, in this beginning of his address unto God. Having the sense of sin, before described wrought in him by the Holy Ghost, his heart is made free and inlarged unto an ingenious acknowledgement of his sin before the Lord. Herein he pours out his soul unto God; and has not more freedom in any thing, than in dealing about that, whereof he is most ashamed.

Secondly, Full also it must be. Reserves ruine confession. If the soul have any secret thought of rolling a sweet morsel under its tongue, of a bow in the house of Rimmon, it is like part of the price kept back, which makes the whole robbery, instead of an offering. If there be remaining a bitter root of favouring any one lust or sin, of any occasion of, or temptation unto sin, let a man be as open, free, and earn as can be imagined in the acknowledgement of all other sins and evils, the whole duty is rendered abominable. Some persons when they are brought into depths and anguish about any sin, and are thereon forced to the acknowledgement of it, at the same time they are little concerned, with their other follies and iniquities, that it may be, are no less provoking unto God, than that is from whence their present trouble does arise. Let not, as James speaks in another case, such a man think, that he shall receive any thing from God. It must be full and comprehensive, as well as free and ingenious.

And of such importance is the right performance of this duty, that the promise of pardon is oft-times peculiarly annexed unto it, as that which certainly carries along with it, the other duties which make up a full returnal unto God, Proverbs 28:13. 1 Johnn 1:9. and that place in Job is remarkable, Chap. 33:27, 28. He looks upon men, and if any say I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. He shall not only be made partaker of pardon, but of consolation also, and joy in the light of Gods countenance.

Thirdly, There yet remains, self-condemnation with the justification of God, which lyes expressly in the words of the verse under consideration, and hereof are two parts.

First, Self-abhorrency or dislike. The soul is now wholly displeased with it self, and reflects upon it self with all affections of regret and trouble. So the apostle declares it to have been with the Corinthians when their godly sorrow was working in them, 2 Corinthians 7:11. among other things, it wrought in them indignation and revenge; or a reflection on themselves with all manner of dislike and abhorrency. In the winding up of the Controversie between God and Job, this is the point he rests in. As he had come in general to a free, full, ingenious acknowledgement of sin, Chap. 40:4, 5. So in particular he gives up his whole contest, in this abhorrency of himself, Chap. 42:6. I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes. What a vile wretched creature have I been, says the soul; I blush and am ashamed to think of my folly, baseness and ingratitude; is it possible that I should deal thus with the Lord? I abhorr, I loath my self, I would fly any where from my self, I am so vile and loathsome; a thing to be despised of God, Angels and Men; and

Secondly, There is self-judging in it also. This the apostle invites the Corinthians unto, 1 Ep. Chap. 11:31. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged. This is a persons pronouncing sentence on himself according to the tenor of the law. The soul brings not only its sin, but it self also to the law. It puts it self as to merit and desert under the stroke and severity of it. Hence ariss a full justification of God, in what sentence soever he shall be pleased to pronounce in the case before him. And these three things which we have passed through, compose the frame and first actings of a gracious soul, rising from its depths. They are all of them signally expressed in that place where we have a signal recovery exemplified, Hosea 14:1, 2, 3, 4. And this makes way for the exaltation of grace, the great thing in all this dispensation aimed at by God. Ephesians 1:6. That which he is now doing, is to bring the soul to glory in him, 1 Corinthians 1:31. which is all the return he has from his large and infinitely bountiful expence of grace and mercy. Now nothing can render grace conspicuous and glorious, until the soul come to this frame. grace will not seem high, until the soul be laid very low. And this also suits or prepares the soul for the receiving of mercy, in a sense of pardon, the great thing aimed at on the part of the sinner. And it prepares it for every duty that is incumbent on him in that condition wherein he is. This brings the soul to waiting with diligence and patience. If things presently answer not our expectation, we are ready to think, we have done what we can; if it will be no better we must bear it as we are able; which frame God abhors. The soul in this frame is contented to wait the pleasure of God, as we shall see in the close of the Psalmm? Oh says such an one; if ever I obtain a sense of love, if ever I enjoy one smile of his countenance more, it is of unspeakable grace. Let him take his own time, his own season; it is good for me quietly to wait, and to hope for his salvation. And it puts the soul on prayer; yea a soul alwayes in this frame, prayes alwayes. And there is nothing more evident, than that want of a through engagement into the performance of these duties, is the great cause why so few come clear off from their entanglements all their dayes. Men heal their wounds slightly; and therefore after a new painful festering, they are brought into the same condition of restlesness and trouble, which they were in before.

Grounds of miscarriages when persons are convinced of sin and humbled. Resting in that state. Resting on it.

The soul is not to be left in the state before described. There is other work for it to apply it self unto, if it intend to come unto Rest and peace. It has obtained an eminent advantage for the discovery of forgiveness. But to rest in that state wherein it is, or to rest upon it, will not bring it into its harbor. Three things we discovered before in the souls first serious address unto God for deliverance; sense of sin, acknowledgement of it, and self-condemnation. Two evils there are which attend men oftentimes, when they are brought into that state. Some rest in it, and press no farther; some rest upon it, and suppose that it is all which is required of them: The Psalmmist avoids both these, and notwithstanding all his pressures reachs out towards forgiveness, as we shall see in the next verse. I shall briefly unfold these two evils, and shew the necessity of their avoidance.

First, By resting or staying in it, I mean the souls desponding through discouraging thoughts that deliverance is not to be obtained. being made deeply sensible of sin, it is so overwhelmed with thoughts of its own vileness and unworthiness, as to sink under the burden; Such a soul is afflicted and tossed with tempests and not comforted, Isaiah 54:11. until it is quite weary. As a Ship in a storm at Sea; when all means of contending are gone, men give up themselves to be driven and tossed by the Winds and Seas at their pleasure. This brought Israel to that state wherein he cryed out, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgement is passed over from my God, Isaiah 40:27. and Zion; The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me, Chap. 49:14. The soul begins secretly to think there is no hope; God regards it not; it shall one day perish, relief is far away, and trouble nigh at hand. These thoughts do so oppress them, that though they forsake not God utterly to their destruction, yet they draw not nigh unto him effectually to their consolation.

This is the first evil that the soul in this condition is enabled to avoid. We know how God rebukes it in Sion. Sion said the Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me, Isaiah 49:14. But how foolish is Sion, how froward, how unbelieving in this matter; what ground has she for such sinful despondencies, such discouraging conclusions? Can a woman, says the Lord, forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb, yea, they may forget, but I will not forget you. The like reproof he gives to Jacob upon the like complaint, Chap. 40:28, 29, 30. There is nothing that is more provoking to the Lord, nor more disadvantagious unto the soul, than such sinful despondency. For,

First, It insensibly weakens the soul, and disenables it, both for present duties, and future endeavours. Hence, some poor creatures mourn, and even pine away in this condition, never getting one step beyond a perplexing sense of sin all their dayes. Some have dwelt so long upon it, and have so intangled themselves with a multitude of perplexed thoughts, that at length their natural faculties have been weakned, and rendred utterly useless; so that they have lost both sense of sin and every thing else. Against some, Satan has taken advantage to cast in so many intangling objections into their minds, that their whole time has been taken up in proposing doubts and objections against themselves; with these they have gone up and down, to one and another, and being never able to come unto a consistency in their own thoughts, they have spent all their dayes in a fruitless, sapless, withering comfortless condition. Some with whom things come to a better issue, are yet for a season brought to that discomposure of Spirit, or are so filled with their own apprehensions, that when the things which are most proper to their condition are spoken to them, they take no impression in the least upon them. Thus the soul is weakned by dwelling too long on these considerations; until some cry with those in Ezekiel 33:10. Our sins are upon us, we pine away in them, and how should we then live?

Secondly, This frame, if it abides, by its self, will insensibly give countenance unto hard thoughts of God, and so to repining, and weariness in waiting on him. At first the soul neither apprehends nor fears any such issue. It supposs that it shall condemn and abhorr it self, and justify God, and that for ever. But when relief comes not in, this resolution begins to weaken. Secret thoughts arise in the heart, that God is austere, inexorable, and not to be dealt withall. This sometimes casts forth such complaints, as will bring the soul unto new complaints, before it comes to have an issue of its tryals. Here, in humiliations antecedaneous to conversion, many a convinced person perishs. They cannot wait Gods season, and perish under their impatience. And what the saints of God themselves have been overtaken withal in their depths and tryals, we have many examples and instances. delight and expectation are the grounds of our abiding with God. Both these are weakned by a conquering prevailing sense of sin, without some relief from the discovery of forgiveness, though at a distance. And therefore our perplexed soul stayes not here, but presss on towards that discovery.

Secondly, There is a resting on this frame, that is noxious and hurtful also. Some finding this sense of sin, with those other things that attend it wrought in them, in some measure, begin to think that now all is well, this is all that is of them required. They will endeavour to make a life, from such arguments of comfort, as they can take from their trouble. They think this a ground of peace, that they have not peace. Here some take up before conversion, and it proves their ruine. Because they are convinced of sin, and troubled about it, and burdened with it, they think it shall be well with them: But were not Cain, Esau, Saul, Ahab, Judas, convinced of sin, and burdened with it? Did this profit them? Did it interest them in the promises? Did not the wrath of God overtake them notwithstanding? So is it with many daily, they think their conviction is conversion; and that their sins are pardoned, because they have been troubled.

This then is that which we reject, which the soul in this condition does carefully avoid; so to satisfy it self with its humiliation, as to make that a ground of supportment and consolation, being thereby kept off from exercising faith for forgiveness, For this is,

First, A fruit of self-righteousness. For a soul to place the spring of its peace or comfort in any thing of its own, is to fall short of Christ, and to take up in self. We must not only be justified, but glory in him also, Isaiah 45:25. Men may make use of the evidence of their graces; but only as mediums to a farther end; not as the rest of the soul in the least. And this deprives mens very humiliations of all gospel humility. True humility consists more in believing, than in being sensible of sin. Thats the souls great self-emptying and abasing; this may consist with an obstinate resolution to scamble for something upon the account of self endeavours.

Secondly, Though Evangelical sense of sin, be a grace, yet it is not the uniting grace, it is not that which interests us in Christ, not that which peculiarly, and in its own nature exalts him. There is in this sense of sin, that which is natural, and that which is spiritual; or the matter of it, and its spirituality. The former consists in sorrow, trouble, self-abasement, dejection and anxiety of mind, with the like passions. Of these I may say as the apostle of Afflictions, they are not joyous but grievous. They are such as are accompanied with the aversation of the object which they are conversant about. In their own nature they are no more but the souls retreat into it self, with an abhorrency of the objects of its sorrow and grief. When these affections are spiritualized, their nature is not changed. The soul in and by them, acts according to their nature; and does by them as such, but retreat into it self with a dislike of that they are exercised about. To take up here then, must needs be to sit down short of Christ; whether it be for life, or consolation.

Let there be no mistake. There can be no Evangelical sense of sin, and humiliation, where there is not union with Christ, Zechariah 12:10. Only in its self, and in its own nature it is not availing. Now Christ is the only rest of our souls: in any thing, for any end or purpose, to take up short of him, is to lose it. It is not enough that we be prisoners of hope, but we must turn to our strong hold, Zechariah 9:12. not enough that we are weary and laden, but we must come to him, Matthew 11:27, 28. It will not suffice that we are weak, and know we are weak, but we must take hold on the strength of God, Isaiah 27:4, 5.

Thirdly, Indeed pressing after forgiveness, is the very life and power of Evangelical humiliation. How shall a man know that his humiliation is Evangelical, that his sorrow is according to God? Is it not from hence he may be resolved, that he does not in it, as Cain did, who cryed his sin was greater than he could bear, and so departed from the presence of God; nor as Judas did, who repented, and hanged himself; nor as Felix did, tremble for a while, and then return to his lusts; nor as the jews did in the prophet, pine away under his iniquities, because of vexation of heart; nor does he divert his thoughts to other things, thereby to relieve his soul in his trouble; nor fix upon a righteousness of his own; nor slothfully lye down under his perplexity; but in the midst of it, he plyes himself to God in Christ for pardon and mercy. And it is the souls application unto God for forgiveness, and not its sense of sin, that gives unto God the glory of his grace.

Thus far then have we accompanied the soul in its depths; it is now looking out for forgiveness; which what it is, and how we come to have an interest in it, the principal matter in this discourse intended, is nextly to be considered.

The words of the verse explained and their meaning opened.

The general disposition of a gracious soul in its distress over sin has been described. Now we turn to its particular actions — what it does and what it encounters.

First, in particular, it cries out: 'If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?'

There is a supposition in the words and an inference drawn from it. In the supposition there is, first, the name of God fixed upon as suited to it, and second, the thing itself supposed. In the inference, the substance of it is expressed — 'to stand' — along with two things in the way it is stated: first, it is expressed as a question, and second, the question is left indefinite: 'Who could stand?'

'If You, Lord' — here he fixes on another name of God: Jah. Though this name comes from the same root as the former, it is rarely used except to convey and express the awesome majesty of God. 'He who rides through the heavens is exalted by His name Jah' (Psalm 68:4). He must now deal with God about the guilt of sin, and God is represented to the soul as great and terrifying — so that the soul may know what to expect if the matter must be tried according to the penalty sin deserves.

What then does he say to Jah? 'If You should mark iniquities' — the Hebrew word means to observe and hold as in secure custody, to keep, preserve, and watch carefully. It means to notice and observe in such a way as to retain what is observed, to ponder it, and lay it up in the heart, as in Genesis 37:11: 'Jacob observed Joseph's dream' — that is, he kept the memory of it and turned it over in his heart.

The 'marking of iniquities' intended here is God's paying such attention to them as to reserve them for punishment and vengeance. In contrast to this marking, He is said not to see sin, to pass over it, to cover it, to forget it, or to remember it no more — that is, to forgive it, as the next verse makes clear.

It need not be argued that God marks all sins in all persons in the sense of seeing them, knowing them, disapproving of them, and being displeased with them. This cannot be denied without removing all grounds for fearing and worshiping Him. To deny it is the same as denying the very existence of God — deny His holiness and righteousness, and you deny His existence. But a day is appointed when all the people of the world will know that God knew and took notice of every one of their most secret sins. There is therefore a double marking of sin by God, neither of which can be denied with respect to any sin or any person. The first is physical — consisting in His omniscience, to which all things are open and exposed. In this sense no sin is hidden from Him; secrets are open before the light of His face. All sins are marked by Him. Second is moral — a displeasure and disapproval with every sin, which is inseparable from the nature of God because of His holiness, and which is declared in the sentence of the law equally to all people in the world. But the marking intended here is that which tends toward censure and punishment according to the terms of the law. It includes not only the sentence of the law but also the will to punish according to it. 'If You,' says the Psalmist, 'the great and fearsome God, exalted by Your glorious name Jah, should take notice of iniquities so as to repay them to sinners according to the severity and demand of Your holy law — what then?' It is answered by the substance of the conclusion: 'Who could stand?' That is, as Chrysostom says, no one — this 'who' means 'none.' No one, not a single person in the world. 'Who could stand, or endure the trial?' Everyone on this supposition must perish, and that forever. This is what the desert of sin and the curse of the law — which is the rule of this marking of iniquity — require. There is a notable force in the question, which expresses the way the conclusion is stated. 'Who could stand?' is stronger than saying, 'None can endure the trial and escape without everlasting ruin.' For the question is not 'How can I?' but 'Who could stand?' — leaving it open to no one. When the Holy Spirit wants to set out the certainty and dreadfulness of the destruction of the ungodly, He does so by just such an expression, in which a deeper meaning is pressed into the minds of people than any words can fully clothe or declare. 1 Peter 4:17: 'What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the Gospel?' and verse 18: 'Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?' So here — 'Who could stand?' contains a deep hint of dreadful ruin for all with whom God should deal by marking their iniquities. See Psalm 1:5.

The Psalmist, preparing to deal with God about sin, lays out first — in general — how things must stand, not for himself only but for all the world, on the assumption he has fixed upon. 'This is not my situation alone; it is the situation of all mankind, every one who is flesh and blood. Whether their guilt matches what I carry or not, it does not matter. All are guilty; all must perish. How much more, then, must this be my condition, who have accumulated such great guilt. Here he presses a powerful argument against himself on the supposition already stated: If not even the holy, the humble, or the most believing soul can endure the trial, how much less can I — who am chief among sinners, the least among the saints, falling immeasurably behind them in holiness while equally exceeding them in sin?'

This is the sense and weight of the words. Let us now consider how they express the workings of the soul whose state and condition is represented here, and what direction they offer to those who have fallen into the same state.

What first presents itself to a soul in distress because of sin. This opened in four propositions. Thoughts of God marking sin according to the terms of the law — full of dread and terror.

The depths in which the Psalmist found himself have been described. His resolution to seek God alone for relief and recovery has also been shown, along with the general earnestness with which he goes about it. Now, as he approaches God in that disposition and with that purpose, the first specific thing he fixes on is the greatness of his sin and guilt according to the terms of the law. From this it appears that,

First, when a sin-troubled soul approaches God, the first thing that presents itself is God's marking of sin according to the terms of the law. This is the same for all kinds of sinners — whether before conversion or in relapses and entanglements after conversion. There is a parallel between conversion and recovery from depths. Both are accomplished by the same means and in the same ways, and both produce the same effects on the souls of sinners — though they differ in certain respects that need not be addressed here. What is said under this heading may therefore be applied to both groups: those not yet converted, and those genuinely delivered from that state — and especially to those who do not know which group they belong to, that is, to all guilty souls. The law will press its claim against all. It will condemn the sin and do all it can against the sinner. There is no shaking it off. It must be properly answered, or it will prevail. The law issues an arrest for the debt, and it is useless to tell the officer to leave or beg him to pass by. If payment is not made and a receipt of discharge is not produced, the soul must go to prison. 'I am going to God,' says the soul. 'He is great and fearsome, a marker of sin — what will I say to Him?' This makes it tremble and cry out, 'O Lord, who could stand?' And from this it appears that,

Second, serious thoughts of God marking sin according to the terms of the law fill the soul of a sinner with dread and terror. But this is not all. The Psalmist is not simply overwhelmed with terror, crying out 'Who could stand?' Embedded in the words is a thorough and sincere acknowledgment of his own sin and guilt. In speaking of what sin deserves in his own case, he acknowledges his own. From this it follows that,

Third, a sincere sense and acknowledgment of sin, with self-condemnation in the justifying of God, is the first specific working of a gracious soul as it rises out of its entanglements. All of this is contained in these words. He acknowledges both his own guilt and the righteousness of God if He should deal with him according to what sin deserves.

These things lie in the words taken on their own. But the state of the soul represented here carries us further. The Psalmist does not stop here — as we will see when we open the next verse, which is the primary focus of the whole. As a transition from the one to the other, while continuing the general design laid out at the beginning, we must carry with us this further observation.

Fourth, though self-condemnation is an important preparation for the discovery of forgiveness in God, a poor distressed soul must not remain in that state, nor rest upon it, but must press on to embrace forgiveness itself.

There is also a general proposition contained in the words that may be useful here: God's marking of iniquities and a person's salvation are forever incompatible — that is, His marking them in the persons of sinners for the purposes already described.

Some of these I will develop further, as handling them serves the purpose in view.

I will begin with the first one laid down — concerning the effects of serious thoughts about God marking sin according to the terms of the law, which, as I said, is the first thing that presents itself to a sin-entangled soul in its approach to God.

This will not stand alone, however. I will draw the first two observations together, using the first only to confirm the second, which will express the meaning of the words taken on their own. The third and fourth will carry us forward in the soul's progress toward the relief it is seeking. The proposition to be insisted on first comes to this: In a sin-troubled soul's approach to God, the first thing that presents itself is God's marking of sin according to the terms of the law, which is of itself able to fill the soul with dread and terror.

I will first say something about this in itself, and then inquire into how it concerns the soul whose condition is represented here.

The Lord speaks of some who, when they hear the words of the curse, still bless themselves and say they will have peace (Deuteronomy 29:19). Whatever people preach or say about the terror of the Lord, they despise it — which God threatens with utter destruction. He notes this again as amazing wickedness and the height of hardness in Jeremiah 36:24. Generally, it is with sinners as it was with Gaal the son of Ebed in Judges 9, when he was fortifying Shechem against Abimelech. Zebul tells him that Abimelech is coming and will destroy him. 'Let him come,' says Gaal; 'I can deal with him; let him bring his army — I am not afraid of him.' But at the very first sight of Abimelech's army, he trembles with fear (verse 36). Tell hardened sinners of the wrath of God and that He will come to plead His cause against them — for the most part they pay no attention and have no serious thoughts about it; they go on as if they are sure they can handle it. Yet in spite of all their boldness, a day is coming when fear will overtake them and make them cry out: 'Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burnings?' Indeed, if the Lord is pleased in this life to draw especially close to any of them, they quickly see that their hearts cannot endure and their hands cannot be strong (Ezekiel 22:14). Their hands go limp and their proud hearts tremble like a leaf.

The one who sinned first, and had the first occasion for serious thoughts about God marking sin, gives us a striking example of what we have affirmed. And the first instance of any kind is the measure of all that follows in the same kind (Genesis 3:8). He heard the voice of God — as he had done before, without the least trouble or alarm of spirit; he was made for communion with God, and to hear His voice was part of his blessedness. But now he says: 'I heard Your voice and was afraid, and I hid myself.' He knew that God was coming to investigate sin, and he could not bear the thought of meeting Him. If he could have gone into the very ground from which he was taken and been hidden from God there, he would not have hesitated to try. Everything had changed for him. In that God whom he had previously loved as a good, holy, powerful, righteous Creator, Sustainer, Benefactor, and Rewarder, he now saw nothing but wrath, indignation, vengeance, and terror. This made him tremble out those dreadful words: 'I heard Your voice and was afraid, and I hid myself.'

The giving of the law afterward confirms what effects the contemplation of God dealing with sinners according to its terms must produce (Exodus 20:18-19). All the people saw the thunder, the lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking — as the apostle also describes it in Hebrews 12:18. In this manner that fiery law came forth from the Lord (Deuteronomy 33:2), so that all who were present exceedingly trembled. And all of this relates only to the severity of the law in general, without its being applied to any particular soul. There is a solemnity that carries awe even in the preparation for a court session held by poor mortals like ourselves — but the true dread of it is unique to the criminals for whose trial and sentence all that preparation is made. When a soul comes to think that all this fearsome preparation, this display of terrible majesty, these streams of fiery law are directed at him personally, it will make him cry out: 'Lord, who could stand?' And this law is still in full force toward sinners, just as it was on the day it was given at Mount Sinai. Though Moses grew old, his strength never failed. Nor has the law given through him lost any of its strength, power, or authority toward sinners. It is still attended by thunder and lightning as of old. And it will not fail to represent the terror of the Lord to a guilty soul.

Among the saints themselves I could produce examples to show that they have experienced this. The cases of Job, David, and Heman are well known. I will consider it only in Christ Himself. From His own side He had no cause for any discouraging thought, being holy, innocent, and undefiled. He fulfilled all righteousness, did His Father's will in all things, and remained in His love. This must have been attended by the highest peace and most blessed joy. Even at the very beginning of His trials He had full assurance of a favorable outcome, as we see in Isaiah 50:7-8. Yet when His soul was occupied with thoughts of God marking our iniquities upon Him, it was sorrowful to the point of death. He was overwhelmed with distress and great anguish (Mark 14:33). His agony, His bloody sweat, His strong cries and prayers, His repeated plea — 'If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me' — and His last dreadful cry — 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' — all show what it meant to Him for God to mark iniquities. Surely poor sinners may well cry out 'Lord, who could stand?' when the Son of God Himself trembled so under the weight of it.

In serious thoughts of God marking sin, He is presented to the soul clothed with all those glorious and terrifying attributes and excellencies that naturally produce dread and terror in the hearts of sinners who have no relief from any covenant connection in Christ. The soul looks on Him as the great Lawgiver (James 4:12), able to destroy both body and soul in hell for every breach of His law; as One terrible in holiness, whose eyes are too pure to look on iniquity; as One great and powerful — the living God, into whose hands it is a fearful thing to fall; as One attended by retributive justice, saying 'Vengeance is Mine, and I will repay' (Hebrews 10:30). When a soul considers God clothed with all these fearsome and terrible excellencies, coming to deal with sinners according to the terms of His fiery law, it cannot help but cry out with Moses: 'I am exceedingly frightened and trembling.'

These things work in the mind the conclusion stated in the words — namely, that God's marking of sin according to the terms of the law and a person's salvation are utterly incompatible. This is a conclusion that cannot fail to shake a soul pressed under a sense of its own guilt.

When a person who is truly guilty and knows himself to be guilty is brought to trial, he has only four possible grounds of hope that he might survive it. He might think that either the judge will be unable to discover his crimes and so a way of escape will be opened; or that someone will powerfully intercede with the judge on his behalf; or that the rule of the law is not strict enough to take notice of his failures; or that the penalty is not so severe that there is no possible way to escape it. Cut him off from all expectation from any one or all of these, and every hope he has must necessarily collapse. How does it stand in this case?

First, something has already been said about the judge. The present question is whether anything can be hidden from Him, and whether a door of escape can thereby be opened to a sinner. The apostle tells us that all things are open and exposed before Him (Hebrews 4:13), and the Psalmist says that there is not a thought in our hearts or a word on our tongues but He knows it from afar and understands it completely (Psalm 139:2, 4). What the sinner knows about himself that gives him reason to fear — God knows that. And what the sinner does not know about himself that gives him reason to fear — God knows that too, for He is greater than our hearts and knows all things (1 John 3:20). When God not only lays before the sinner the secret sins he still has some memory of, but also brings to light and sets before him that whole world of filth and folly that he never truly noticed or has entirely forgotten — it will trouble him, even overwhelm him.

Second, but might not this judge be persuaded to overlook what He knows and deal favorably with the sinner? Might not an intercessor be found to plead on behalf of the guilty soul? Eli settles this question in 1 Samuel 2:25: 'If one man sins against another, the judge will mediate for him, but if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?' 'There is not between us,' says Job, 'an arbitrator who could place his hand on both of us and settle the matter' (Job 9:33). We are here considering a sinner purely under the administration of the law, which knows nothing of a Mediator. In that case, who would take it upon himself to intercede for the sinner? Moreover, all creatures in heaven and earth are engaged on God's side in the quarrel against sinners, and the greatness and terror of His majesty would certainly deter any and all of them from taking up such a cause. What request would need to be made to God in such a case? Would it not be asking Him to cease being holy, to stop being righteous, to abandon His throne, to deny Himself and His sovereignty — so that a rebel, a traitor, His cursed enemy, might live and escape His justice? Is this a reasonable request? Would whoever made it be fit to intercede for sinners? Would he not by making such a request prove himself the greatest sinner of all? The sinner has no expectation of any door of escape being opened. The whole world stands against him, and the case must be tried out nakedly between God and himself. But,

Third, perhaps the rule of the law by which the sinner is to be tried is not so strict that, in the case of sins like his, it might admit a favorable interpretation. Or perhaps the good he has done might be weighed against the evil, and some relief found that way. But the matter stands quite otherwise. There is no good action of a sinner — even if it were perfectly good — that can weigh against or compensate for the evil of even the smallest sin committed. For all good is owed on a prior account, even if no guilt had been incurred. Paying back money you borrowed makes no satisfaction for what you stole; no more can our good deeds compensate for our sins. Nor is there any good action of a sinner that does not carry enough evil and guilt with it to make it unacceptable on its own account — so people may well cease from any idea of doing more than is required. Moreover, where any sin exists, even if all the good in the world could be supposed to exist in the same person, nothing of that good could come into consideration in the necessary order of our dependence on God, until the guilt of that sin had been fully answered. Since the penalty of every sin is the eternal ruin of the sinner, all his supposed good avails him little. And as for the law itself, it is an expression of the holiness, righteousness, and wisdom of God, so there is no evil, great or small, that is not forbidden and condemned by it. On this basis David states the whole matter in Psalm 143:2: 'Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no one living is righteous' — that is, if things are to be tried and decided by the law, no sinner can obtain acquittal. Paul explains this in Romans 3:20 and Galatians 2:16. But yet,

Fourth, perhaps the sentence of the law is not so fierce and dreadful that, even if guilt is found, there may still be a way of escape. But the law speaks not one word short of death to an offender. There is a greatness and an eternity of wrath in its sentence, and God Himself has undertaken to see its vengeance carried out. On all these grounds, therefore, the conclusion stated must inevitably be settled in the soul of any sinner who entertains thoughts of drawing near to God.

Though what has been said may be of general use to sinners of all kinds — whether already brought home to God or still strangers to Him — I will not develop any general application of it here, since it is directed toward one specific end. The aim is to show what are the first thoughts that arise in the heart of a poor entangled soul when it first begins to work toward recovery in returning to God. The law immediately presses its claim against him. God is presented to him as angry, displeased, and provoked, and His terror — to a greater or lesser degree — surrounds him on every side. This fills him with fear, shame, and confusion of face, so that he does not know what to do. These troubles are greater or lesser according to what God sees is best for the poor soul's present humbling and future safety. What then does the sinner do? What does he think? Does he try to flee from God and give up all efforts at recovery? Does he say, 'This God is holy and terrifying — there is no point in me looking for anything from Him but fury and destruction, and so I may as well give up rather than keep trying to draw near to Him'? It cannot be denied that in this condition, thoughts of this kind will be suggested by unbelief, and that sometimes they produce great distress in the soul. But this is not the final outcome of this exercise. It produces another effect. It calls forth the first particular working of a gracious soul as it rises out of its sin-entanglements — namely, as was described: a sincere sense of sin and acknowledgment of it, with self-condemnation in the justifying of God. This is the first thing a soul seeking recovery from its depths is brought to. His general resolve to do thorough work with what is before him has already been described. What these words direct us to next is the soul's reflection on itself upon considering God's marking of iniquity, as mentioned. This is faith's great and proper use of the law, the nature of which will be opened further in the next discourse.

The first particular workings of a soul toward recovery from the depths of sin. A sense of sin — what it consists of and how it is produced. Acknowledgment of sin — its nature and characteristics. Self-condemnation.

What the general disposition of the soul is — when stirred by grace and resolved in its strength to work toward recovery from the depths of sin-entanglement — has been described. We have also shown what kind of reception such a soul may generally expect, and will ordinarily encounter. It may go out at first like Samson with his hair cut off, thinking it will do as it did before — but it quickly discovers that its peace is lost, its wounds are painful, its conscience is restless, God is displeased, and its whole condition — as far as it can see — is hazardous. This fills it with the thoughts expressed in this third verse and fixes the conclusion discussed above firmly in its mind. It now finds it has the law to deal with again. From this arises the sense and acknowledgment of sin, and the self-condemnation in the justifying of God, of which we now speak. The soul does not become sullen, stubborn, or resentful, and so run away from God. It does not utterly despair and give up. It argues nothing in its own defense or in minimizing its sin and guilt. It does not quarrel with or murmur against the holiness, severity, and righteousness of God's law. Instead, it turns entirely on itself — on its own unworthiness, guilt, and deserving — and in a sense of these things, lays itself down at God's feet, waiting for His word and verdict.

Three things we attribute to such a soul in this condition. First, a sincere sense of sin. There are two kinds of sense of sin. The first is general and theoretical, by which a person knows what sin is, knows himself to be a sinner, and knows himself to be guilty of this or that sin — but his heart is not moved in proportion to that knowledge. The second is active and effective. The soul, being acquainted with the nature of sin, with its own guilt in relation to sin generally and to specific sins, is entirely influenced by that understanding, producing fitting emotions and responses.

We have an example of both in the same person. Before Nathan came to David, he had the first kind; afterward he had the second as well. It is impossible to suppose that before the prophet arrived, David had no general knowledge and sense — not only of the nature of sin in the abstract, but also of the fact that he himself was a sinner and guilty of the very sins for which he was later rebuked. To suppose otherwise is to suppose not only that he had been stripped of his sainthood, but of his humanity as well, and turned into a beast. Yet this general knowledge produced in him no emotion fitting to his condition. The same may be said of most sinners in the world. But when Nathan came and gave him that second, effective sense of which we speak, we all know what effects it produced.

It is only the second kind that is under consideration, and even that is twofold: first, legal, which precedes conversion; and second, evangelical, which precedes recovery from depths. How these two differ from each other and how they may be distinguished — both being in their own way sincere — is not my purpose to explain here.

Now this sense, which we assign as the first duty, work, or action of a returning soul, is a deep and practical understanding produced in the mind and heart of a believing sinner by the Holy Spirit — a grasp of sin and its evils in relation to the law and love of God, the cross and blood of Christ, the communion and comfort of the Spirit, and all the fruits of love, mercy, and grace of which it has been made a partaker or may hope for on Gospel grounds.

First, the primary agent who produces this sense is the Holy Spirit. He it is who convicts of sin (John 16:8). He works through means. He worked it in David through the ministry of Nathan, and in Peter through the look of Christ. But the work is His. No person can produce this in their own soul. It will not arise from mere rational reflection. Though a person may turn over in his mind things that one would think would be enough to break hearts of stone, yet if the Holy Spirit does not put forth His own particular power, this sense of sin will not be produced. As the water at the pool of Bethesda was not stirred until an angel came down and moved it — so neither will the heart be moved for sin without a saving movement of the Holy Spirit.

Second, it is a deep sense of sin and its evils. Light, passing thoughts about them do not amount to the sense we are describing. 'My sorrow,' says David, 'is continually before me' (Psalm 38:17). It pressed him constantly and heavily. He therefore compares this sense of sin — wrought by the Holy Spirit — to arrows stuck in the flesh (verse 2). They cause sharp, constant pain. Sin in this sense of it lays hold on the soul so that the sinner cannot look up (Psalm 40:12). It remains with him, making his wound pour out in the night without ceasing (Psalm 77:2) and robbing the soul of rest — 'my soul,' he says, 'refused to be comforted.' This sense of sin lies down with him and rises with him in whom it is. Light, passing thoughts accompanied by occasional sighs and brief prayers are not worthy of a soul that is returning. And,

Third, it is practical. It does not reside only in the speculative part of the mind, hovering in general ideas — it dwells in the practical understanding, which effectively moves the will and the emotions. It is an understanding from which sorrow and humility are inseparable. The acts of the practical understanding necessarily produce, along with themselves, fitting acts of the will and emotions — so much so that some have concluded that what is usually attributed to the understanding is in fact proper to the will. This understanding works on the whole soul so that it is cast into its shape and likeness: humility, sorrow, and self-abhorrence live and die with it.

Fourth, it has in the first place a respect to the law of God. There can be no proper consideration of sin in which the law does not have its place. The law summons the sinner, and he willingly brings his sin to be judged by it. There he sees it to be exceedingly sinful (Romans 7:13). Though a believer stands less under the dominion of the law than others, he nevertheless knows more of its authority and nature than others. He sees more of its spirituality and holiness. And the more a person sees of the excellence of the law, the more he sees of the vileness of sin. This is what a soul does in its first effort toward recovery from sin's entanglements. He works to know his disease thoroughly so that he may be cured. He knows that being ignorant of his condition and its danger will do him no good. He knows that if his wounds are not searched to the bottom they will fester and become infected. He therefore brings himself and his sin to the law. By it he sees the vileness of the one and the danger of the other. Most people remain stuck in their depths because they want to avoid the very first step of rising from them. From the bottom of their misery they would like to leap at once to the top of their happiness. The soul managed in this work by the Holy Spirit does not do this. It converses with the law, brings its sin to it, and fully hears its verdict. When sin has been thoroughly condemned, it then attends further to the welfare of the sinner. If you ever desire to come to rest, do not avoid this entrance to it. Weigh carefully and attend to what the law says about your sin and what it deserves, or you will never make a proper application to God for forgiveness. If you ever want your soul justified by grace, take care to have your sins judged by the law.

Second, this sense of sin also has a respect to the love of God. And this breaks the heart of the poor returning sinner. Sorrow from the law shuts itself up in the soul and strangles it. Sorrow from the thought of God's love opens it and makes it flow. Thoughts of sinning against the love of God, worked in by the Holy Spirit — what shall I say? Their effects on the heart cannot be described. This made Ezra cry out: 'O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You' (Ezra 9:6), and in verse 10: 'What shall we say after this?' — that is, after all the fruits of love and kindness they had been made partakers of. Thoughts of love and sin placed alongside each other make the soul blush, mourn, be ashamed, and be confounded in itself. So in Ezekiel 36:31: 'Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good.' When will they do so? When thoughts and perceptions of God's love are brought home to them. 'And,' says God, 'you will loathe yourselves in your own sight.' The soul now calls to mind what love, what kindness, what mercy, what grace, what patience has been extended to it and of which it has been made a partaker. All these thoughts now flood in upon it like streams of water. Such mercy, such communion, such privileges, such hopes of glory, such foretastes of heaven, such peace, such comfort, such joy, such workings of the Spirit — all for a poor, wretched, lost, abandoned sinner; and all of it despised, neglected, and the God of it all offended and forsaken. 'Ah,' says the soul, 'where shall I take my sorrow?' This fills him with shame and confusion of face, makes him mourn in secret and sigh from the depths of his being. And then,

Third, the blood and cross of Christ is also brought to remembrance by the Holy Spirit. 'Ah,' says the soul, 'have I repaid the astonishing, overwhelming love of my Redeemer like this? Is this the return, the repayment, I have made to Him? Are not heaven and earth struck with wonder at the despising of that love which fills them with wonder?' This broke Peter's heart at the look of Christ. In this condition, words such as these from Christ will ring in the ears of the soul: 'Did I love you and leave My glory to become a shame and a reproach for your sake? Did I not count My very life — and all that was dear to Me — too small a price for your sake, to save you from the wrath to come? Have I been a wilderness to you, or a land of darkness? What more could I have done for you? When I had nothing left but My life, My blood, and My soul, they all went for you — that you might live by My death, be washed in My blood, and be saved through My soul being made an offering for you. And have you repaid My love like this? Preferring a sinful desire before Me, the world before Me, or through mere sloth and foolishness being turned away from Me? Go, ungrateful and unthankful soul, and see if you can find another Redeemer.' This overwhelms the soul and nearly drowns it in tears and sorrow. Then the bitterness of Christ's sufferings is also brought to mind. They look on Him whom they have pierced and mourn (Zechariah 12:10). They remember His anguish and affliction, His cries and tears, His agony and sweat, His abandonment and distress, His blood and death, the sharpness of the sword in His soul, and the bitterness of the cup placed in His hand. Such a soul now looks at Christ bleeding, dying, and wrestling with wrath and curse for it, and sees its own sin in the streams of blood that flowed from His side. All of this deepens the sense of sin of which we speak. Also,

Fourth, it has respect to the communion and comforts of the Holy Spirit, and all the privileges and fruits of love that He brings to believers. The Spirit is given to believers on the promise of Christ to dwell in them. He takes up their hearts as His dwelling place for these purposes: to purify and sanctify them, to make them holy and dedicated to God; to furnish them with graces and gifts; to bring them into privileges; to guide, lead, direct, and comfort them; to seal them to the day of redemption. Now this Spirit is grieved by sin (Ephesians 4:30), and His dwelling place is defiled by it (1 Corinthians 6:19; 3:17). Thoughts of this greatly sharpen the spiritual sense of sin in a recovering soul. It considers what light, what love, what joy, what comfort, what privileges it has been made partaker of through Him; what promptings, warnings, and stirrings He gave to keep it from sin. And then it says within itself: 'What have I done? Whom have I grieved? Whom have I provoked? What if the Lord should now, for my foolishness and ingratitude, entirely take His Holy Spirit from me? What if I have grieved Him so that He will dwell in me no more, delight in me no more? What grim darkness and desolation — what utter ruin — would I be left to? In any case, what shame and confusion of face belongs to me for my wretched insincerity and ingratitude toward Him?'

This is the first thing that appears in the returning soul's actions and disposition: a sincere sense of sin on the grounds described, produced in it by the Holy Spirit. A soul in the depths we have described must come to this if it ever expects or looks for deliverance and recovery. Let such persons not expect a renewed sense of mercy without first having a revived sense of sin.

Second, from this flows a willing, genuine, and gracious acknowledgment of sin. People may have a sense of sin and yet let it burn like a fire shut up in their bones, to their constant distress, without being able to come to a free and open acknowledgment of it. Yes, confession may be made in general terms — even mentioning the very sin that most entangles the soul — and yet the soul fall far short of properly performing this duty. Consider how it stood with David in Psalm 32:3: 'When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.' How could David keep silent while groaning all day long? What kind of silence is consistent with groaning? It is simply a failure to do what is described in verse 5: 'I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not hide my iniquity.' It was not a silence of waiting submissively on God — that would not have produced the wasting of his spiritual strength that he complains of: 'my bones wasted away.' Nor was it a sullen, stubborn, defiant attitude. But he describes, as Calvin observes — and observes rightly — 'an affection between patience and stubbornness, bordering on both.' That is, he had a deep sense of sin — this troubled and tormented him all day long, which he calls his groaning; it weakened and wore him out, making his bones waste away or his strength decay. Yet he was not able to bring his heart to that genuine, gracious acknowledgment that would have been like lancing a festered wound — giving at least some relief to his soul. God's children are often in this way like children of our own. Though convinced of a fault and genuinely troubled by it, they will hardly acknowledge it. So they go about sighing and mourning, groaning all day long — but an unhealthy and resistant disposition of spirit, under the power of unbelief and fear, keeps them from this duty.

For this acknowledgment to be acceptable to God, two things are required: first, it must be free; and second, it must be full.

First, it must be free and genuinely open. Cain, Pharaoh, Ahab, and Judas all came to an acknowledgment of sin — but against their will. It was pressed out of them; it did not flow from them. The confession of a person under the terrifying pressure of the law or the dread of impending judgment is like the confession of criminals under torture — they speak what will bring death to themselves and those they love. What they say, though it may be true, is the fruit of compulsion and pain, not of any genuine openness of mind. So it is with those who are merely convicted by the law. They come no more freely to the acknowledgment of sin. The reason is that all sin carries shame, and to be free about shame is naturally impossible, since shame is the natural recoiling of human nature from itself and from appearing as it truly is. But the returning soul has never more freedom, liberty, and openness of spirit than when acknowledging those things of which it is most ashamed. And this is no small evidence that it proceeds from the Spirit who is accompanied by freedom — for where the Spirit of God is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). When David was released from his silence, he expressed this disposition in performing this duty (Psalm 32:5): 'I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.' His mouth is now open and his heart is enlarged. He multiplies one expression upon another to show the largeness of his heart. So does a soul rising from its depths in its first approach to God. Having the sense of sin — described above — worked in it by the Holy Spirit, its heart is made free and enlarged to a genuine acknowledgment of its sin before the Lord. It pours out its soul to God and has never more freedom in anything than in dealing with what it is most ashamed of.

Second, it must also be full. Reserves destroy confession. If the soul retains any secret desire to keep some secret pleasure — any lingering fondness for some Rimmon, any bit of the price held back — this makes the whole more of a theft than an offering. If there remains any bitter root of favoring even one sinful desire or sin, or any occasion or temptation to sin, then no matter how open, free, and earnest a person may be in acknowledging all other sins and evils, the entire duty is rendered worthless. Some people, when brought into depths and anguish over a particular sin and forced to acknowledge it, at the same time pay little attention to their other foolishness and iniquities, which may be no less offensive to God than the one from which their present trouble arises. Let not such a person, as James says in another context, think he will receive anything from God. It must be both full and comprehensive, as well as free and genuine.

The right performance of this duty is so important that the promise of pardon is often particularly attached to it, as something that certainly carries with it all the other duties that make up a full return to God (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9). Remarkable also is that passage in Job 33:27-28: 'He looks at men, and if anyone says, I have sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not worth it to me — He will deliver his soul from going down into the pit, and his life will see the light.' He will not only be made a partaker of pardon, but of comfort and joy in the light of God's face as well.

Third, there yet remains self-condemnation together with the justifying of God, which lies explicitly in the words of the verse we are considering. There are two parts to this.

First, self-abhorrence. The soul is now entirely displeased with itself and reflects on itself with all emotions of regret and grief. The apostle declares this is how it was with the Corinthians when godly sorrow was working in them (2 Corinthians 7:11) — among other things, it produced in them indignation and a desire to punish themselves, a reflection on themselves with all manner of dislike and abhorrence. In the resolution of the controversy between God and Job, this is the point where it comes to rest. Just as he had come in general to a free, full, and genuine acknowledgment of sin (Job 40:4-5), so in particular he surrenders his entire cause in this abhorrence of himself (Job 42:6): 'I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.' 'What a vile and wretched creature I have been,' says the soul. 'I blush and am ashamed to think of my foolishness, baseness, and ingratitude. Is it possible I could deal with the Lord this way? I abhor myself, I loathe myself. I would flee from myself I am so vile and loathsome — a thing deserving contempt from God, angels, and men. And,

Second, self-judgment is also part of it. The apostle urges this on the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:31: 'If we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.' This is the soul pronouncing sentence on itself according to the terms of the law. It brings not only its sin, but itself, before the law. It places itself — as to merit and desert — under the stroke and severity of the law. From this arises a full justifying of God in whatever sentence He may choose to pronounce on the case before Him. These three things that we have passed through compose the disposition and first actions of a gracious soul rising from its depths. They are all clearly expressed in that passage where a notable recovery is described in Hosea 14:1-4. This clears the way for the exaltation of grace — the great purpose God is pursuing in all of this (Ephesians 1:6). What He is now doing is bringing the soul to glory in Him (1 Corinthians 1:31), which is all the return He receives from His immense and infinitely generous outpouring of grace and mercy. Nothing can make grace conspicuous and glorious until the soul is brought to this point. Grace will not seem high until the soul is laid very low. This also fits and prepares the soul to receive mercy in a sense of pardon — the great thing it is seeking. And it prepares the soul for every duty required of it in the condition in which it finds itself. This brings the soul to waiting with diligence and patience. If things do not immediately answer our expectations, we are ready to say, 'I have done what I can; if it will be no better I must bear it as I am able' — a disposition God abhors. The soul in this frame is content to wait on God's pleasure, as we will see at the close of the Psalm. 'Oh,' says such a one, 'if I ever receive a renewed sense of His love, if I ever enjoy one more smile of His face, it is all of unspeakable grace. Let Him take His own time and season. It is good for me to wait quietly and hope for His salvation.' And this disposition puts the soul to prayer — yes, a soul that is always in this frame always prays. And it is very clear that failure to engage thoroughly in the performance of these duties is the great reason why so few people ever fully break free from their entanglements all their days. People treat their wounds lightly, and therefore after a fresh and painful festering, they are brought back into the same condition of restlessness and trouble in which they were before.

Causes of failure when people are convicted of sin and humbled. Resting in that state. Resting on it.

The soul is not to be left in the state just described. There is other work for it to apply itself to if it intends to come to rest and peace. It has gained an important advantage toward discovering forgiveness. But to remain in that state, or to rest upon it, will not bring it into its harbor. Three things were identified before in the soul's first serious approach to God for deliverance: a sense of sin, acknowledgment of it, and self-condemnation. Two errors often affect people when they are brought into that state. Some rest in it and press no further; others rest upon it and suppose that it is all that is required of them. The Psalmist avoids both errors and, despite all his pressures, reaches out toward forgiveness — as we will see in the next verse. I will briefly explain these two errors and show why they must be avoided.

First, by resting or staying in this state I mean the soul despairing through discouraging thoughts that deliverance cannot be obtained. Being made deeply aware of sin, it is so overwhelmed with thoughts of its own vileness and unworthiness that it sinks under the burden. Such a soul is afflicted and tossed by storms and not comforted (Isaiah 54:11), until it is utterly exhausted. It is like a ship in a storm at sea: when all means of fighting have been exhausted, the crew give themselves up to be driven and tossed wherever the winds and waves please. This brought Israel to cry out: 'My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God' (Isaiah 40:27), and Zion to say: 'The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me' (Isaiah 49:14). The soul begins secretly to think there is no hope, that God takes no notice of it, that it will one day perish, that relief is far off and trouble close at hand. These thoughts press them so hard that though they do not completely forsake God to their destruction, neither do they draw near to Him effectively enough for their comfort.

This is the first error that a soul in this condition must be enabled to avoid. We know how God rebukes Zion for it. 'Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me' (Isaiah 49:14). But how foolish is Zion, how stubborn, how unbelieving in this! What grounds does she have for such sinful despair, such discouraging conclusions? 'Can a woman,' says the Lord, 'forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.' He gives the same rebuke to Jacob on a similar complaint in Isaiah 40:28-30. There is nothing more offensive to the Lord, or more harmful to the soul, than this kind of sinful despair. For,

First, it gradually weakens the soul and disables it both for present duties and future effort. As a result, some poor souls mourn and waste away in this condition, never getting one step beyond a tormenting sense of sin all their lives. Some have dwelt on it so long and entangled themselves in such a multitude of troubled thoughts that at length their natural faculties have been weakened and rendered entirely useless — they have lost both their sense of sin and everything else. Against some, Satan has used the opportunity to cast so many entangling objections into their minds that their whole time has been consumed proposing doubts and objections against themselves. They have gone back and forth, from one person to another, and being never able to settle their own thinking, they have spent all their days in a fruitless, withered, comfortless condition. Some who come to a better outcome are for a season brought into such a disorder of spirit, or are so filled with their own troubled thoughts, that even the truths most suited to their condition make no impression on them at all. So the soul is weakened by dwelling too long on these things — until some cry out as those in Ezekiel 33:10: 'Our sins are upon us; we are wasting away in them. How then can we live?'

Second, if this disposition persists on its own, it will gradually give way to harsh thoughts about God, and so to complaining and weariness in waiting on Him. At first the soul neither expects nor fears any such outcome. It supposes it will condemn and abhor itself and justify God, and that forever. But when relief does not come, this resolution begins to weaken. Secret thoughts arise in the heart that God is harsh, unyielding, and impossible to deal with. This sometimes produces complaints that will bring the soul to further complaints before it reaches resolution of its trials. Here, in the humiliation that precedes conversion, many a convicted person perishes. They cannot wait for God's time and perish in their impatience. And we have many examples of what even the saints of God have been overtaken with in their own depths and trials. Delight and expectation are the foundations of our abiding with God. Both of these are weakened by a conquering, prevailing sense of sin without some relief coming from even a distant discovery of forgiveness. Therefore our troubled soul does not stay here but presses on toward that discovery.

Second, there is also a resting upon this state that is harmful and damaging. Some people, finding this sense of sin along with all that accompanies it worked in them to some degree, begin to think that now all is well — that this is all that is required of them. They will try to build a life out of whatever comfort arguments they can draw from their own trouble. They think it is grounds for peace that they do not have peace. Some settle here before conversion, and it proves their ruin. Because they are convicted of sin, troubled by it, and burdened with it, they think it will go well for them. But were not Cain, Esau, Saul, Ahab, and Judas convicted of sin and burdened by it? Did it profit them? Did it bring them into the promises? Did the wrath of God not overtake them nonetheless? So it is with many today — they mistake their conviction for conversion, and think their sins are pardoned because they have been troubled.

This, then, is the error we are rejecting — the error that a soul in this condition must carefully avoid: to be so satisfied with its humiliation as to make it a ground of support and comfort, being thereby kept from exercising faith for forgiveness. For this is,

First, a fruit of self-righteousness. For a soul to place the source of its peace or comfort in anything of its own is to fall short of Christ and to settle for self. We must not only be justified but also glory in Him (Isaiah 45:25). People may make use of the evidence of their graces — but only as means toward a further end, never as any resting point for the soul. And this robs even people's humiliations of all true Gospel humility. True humility consists more in believing than in being aware of sin. Believing is the soul's great self-emptying and self-humbling. Awareness of sin can coexist with a stubborn resolve to grasp at something on the basis of self-effort.

Second, while an evangelical sense of sin is a grace, it is not the uniting grace. It is not what connects us to Christ or what, in its own nature, particularly exalts Him. In this sense of sin there is both what is natural and what is spiritual — the matter of it and its spiritual quality. The former consists in sorrow, trouble, self-abasement, dejection, and anxiety of mind, along with similar emotions. Of these I may say, as the apostle says of afflictions, that they are not pleasant but painful. They are accompanied by an aversion toward their object. In their own nature they amount to nothing more than the soul retreating into itself with a dislike of what it is sorrowful about. When these emotions are spiritualized their nature is not changed. In and by them, the soul acts according to their nature — retreating into itself with a dislike of what they are concerned with. To settle here, then, must necessarily mean stopping short of Christ, whether it is for life or for consolation.

Let there be no mistake. There can be no evangelical sense of sin and humility where there is no union with Christ (Zechariah 12:10). It is simply that in itself and in its own nature it is not saving. Christ is the only rest of our souls. To settle short of Him in anything, for any end or purpose, is to lose it. It is not enough to be prisoners of hope — we must turn to the stronghold (Zechariah 9:12). It is not enough to be weary and burdened — we must come to Him (Matthew 11:28). It is not enough to be weak and know it — we must take hold of God's strength (Isaiah 27:4-5).

Third, pressing toward forgiveness is in fact the very life and power of evangelical humility. How can a person know that his humility is evangelical — that his sorrow is according to God? Is it not from this: that he does not do as Cain did, who cried that his sin was greater than he could bear and then departed from the presence of God; nor as Judas, who repented and hanged himself; nor as Felix, who trembled for a while and then returned to his sinful desires; nor as the people in the prophet, who wasted away in their iniquities out of vexation of heart? He does not divert his thoughts to other things to relieve his soul in its trouble; he does not fix on a righteousness of his own; he does not sluggishly lie down under his distress. Instead, in the midst of it all, he presses his application to God in Christ for pardon and mercy. And it is the soul's coming to God for forgiveness — and not its sense of sin — that gives God the glory of His grace.

We have accompanied the soul this far into its depths. It is now looking for forgiveness. What forgiveness is, and how we come to have a part in it, is the primary subject of this discourse and will be considered next.