In the words you have : —
1. An emphatical setting forth of a great and blessed privilege; that is, pardon of sin.
2. A description of the persons who shall enjoy it : in ichose spirit tltere is no guile.
The privilege is that I shall confine my thoughts to ; it is set forth in three expressions : forgiving transgression, covering of sin, and not imputing iniquity. The manner of speech is warm and vehement, and it is repeated over again : blessed is the man.
I shall show what these three expressions import, and why the prophet doth use such vehemency and emphatical inculcation in set- ting forth this privilege.
1. Whose transgression is forgiven, or who is eased of his trans- gression ; where sin is compared to a burden too heavy for us to bear, as also it is in other scriptures : Mat. xi. 28, ' Come to me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden.'
2. Whose sin is covered ; alluding to the covering of filth, or the
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178 THE FIRST SERMON. [Ps. XXXII. 1, 2.
removing of that which is offensive out of sight. As the Israelites were to march with a paddle tied to their arms, that when they went to ease themselves they might dig, and cover that which came from them: Deut. xxiii., you have the law there, and the reason of it, ver. 14, ' For the Lord thy God walketli in the midst of thy camp ; therefore shall thy camp be holy, that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.'
And then the third expression is, to ivliom the Lord imputeth no sin ; that is, doth not put sin to their account. Where sin is com- pared to a debt, as it is also in the Lord's Prayer : Mat. vi. 12, ' For- give us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.' Thus is the act set forth.
The object of pardon about which it is conversant is set forth under divers expressions — iniquity, transgression, and sin ; as in law many words of like import and signification are heaped up and put together, to make the deed and legal instrument more comprehensive and effec- tual. I observe it the rather because, when God proclaims his name, the same words are used : Exod. xxxiv. 7, ' Taking away iniquity, trans- gi-ession, and sin.' Well, we have seen the meaning of the expression. Why doth the holy man of God use such vigour and vehemency of in- culcation— ' Blessed is the man,' and again ' Blessed is the man'? Partly with respect to his own case. David knew how sweet it was to have sin pardoned ; he had felt the bitterness of sin in his own soul, to the drying up of his blood, and therefore he doth express his sense of pardon in the most lively terms — ' Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven,' &c. And then partly too with respect to those for whose use this instruction was written, that they might not look upon it as a light and trivial thing, but be thoroughly apprehensive of the worth of so great a privilege. Blessed, happy, thrice happy, they who have obtained pardon of their sins, and justification by Jesus Christ.
The doctrine, then, which I shall insist upon is this: — That it is a great degree and step towards, yea, a considerable part of our blessed- ness, to obtain the pardon of our sins by Christ Jesus. I shall evidence it to you by these three considerations : —
1. I shall show what necessity lies upon us to seek after this pardon.
2. Our misery witliout it.
3. I shall speak of the annexed benefits, and our happiness if once we attain it.
1. The necessity that lies upon us, being all guilty before God, to seek after our justification, and the pardon of our sins by Ciirist. That it may .sink the deeper into your minds, I shall do it in this scheme or method: — First, A reasonable nature implies a conscience; a conscience implies a law ; a law implies a sanction ; a sanction implies a judge, and a judgment-day (when all shall be called to account for breaking the law) ; and this judgment-day infers a condemnation upon all man- kind unavoidably, unless the Lord will compromise the matter, and find out some way in the chancery of the g()s[)el wherein we may bo relieved. This way God hath found out in Christ, and being brought about by such a mysterious contrivance, we ought to be deeply and thankfully apprehensive of it, and humbly and broken-heartedly to
Ps. XXXII. 1, 2.] THE FIRST SERMON, 179
quit the one covenant, and accept of the grace provided for us in the other.
[1.] A reasonable nature implies a conscience ; for man can reflect upon his own actions, and hath that in him to acquit or condemn him accordingly as he doth good or evil, 1 John iii. 20, 21. Conscience is nothing but the judgment a man makes upon his actions morallj' con- sidered, the good or the evil, the rectitude or obliquity, that is in them with respect to rewards or punishment. As a man acts, so he is a party ; but as he reviews and censures his actions, so he is a judge. Let us take notice only of the condemning part, for that is proper to our case. After the fact, the force of conscience is usually felt more than before or in the fact ; because before, through tlie treachery of the senses, and the revolt of the passions, the judgment of reason is not so clear. I say, our passions and affections raise clouds and mists which darken the mind, and do incline the will by a pleasing violence ; but after the evil action is done, when the affection ceaseth, then guilt flasheth in the face of conscience. As Judas, whose heart lay asleep all the while he was going on in his villainy, but afterwards it fell upon him. Thou hast ' sinned in betraying innocent blood.' When the affections are satisfied, and give place to reason, that was before con- demned, and reason takes the throne again, it hath the more force to affect us with grief and fear, whilst it strikes through the heart of a man with a sharp sentence of reproof for obeying appetite before reason. Now this conscience of sin may be choked and smothered for a while, but the flame will break forth, and our hidden fears are easily revived and awakened, except we get our pardon and discharge. A reason- able nature implies a conscience.