Caird (J.), Aspects of Life, 33.
Halsey (J.), The Spirit of Truth, 276.
Hodge (C), Princeton Sermons, 110.
Keble (J.), Sermons for the Cliristian Year: Lent to Passion-tide, 95,
King (E.), The Love and Wisdom of God, 97.
Maclaren (A.), The God of the Amen, 77.
Newman (J. H.), Parochial and Plain Sermons, i. 41.
Selby (T. G.), The Imperfect Angel, 136.
Spurgeon (C. H.), New Park Street Pulpit, iii. (1857) No. 116.
Strong (A. H.), Miscellanies, ii. 359.
Thew (J.), Broken Ideals, 106.
Thorold (A. W.), Questions of Faith and Duty, 55.
Trench (R. C), Westminster and other Sermons, 249.
Voysey (C), Sermons, xiv. No. 20 ; xvi. No. 39 ; xxvii. No. 9 ; xxx.
No. 43. Watkinson (W. L.), The Fatal Barter, 127.
,j „ Studies in Christian Character, i. 21.
Wilson (J. M.), Sermons Preached in Clifton College Chapel, 60. Christian World Pulpit, Ixiv. 146 (Ossian Davies).
Churchman^ Pulpit : The Lenten Season, v. 54 (Jackson), 181 (Stokoe). Literary Churchman, 1885, p. 96 (Hardy).
344
Hidden Faults.
Who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults.
Ps. xix. 12.
1, The Nineteenth Psalm is one of those which are called Psalms of Nature. The thoughts, at any rate in part, belong apparently to the early shepherd life of him who was promoted by God from the sheep-folds to feed Jacob His people and Israel His inheritance. In his wanderings on the hills and in the valleys around Bethlehem the bold, romantic, thoughtful youth had ample leisure to meditate upon the wonders of the natural world, and in this contemplation his mind rises from the everlasting order to the God who is there revealed ; and is inspired with a sense of that unseen Presence which guides and directs the whole. As he sees the sun break forth in the morning from his couch of cloud, " as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber," until his radiance spreads over the whole clear sky, and " there is nothing hid from the heat thereof," he beholds in this a figure of the pure, and enlightening, and cheering law of Jehovah ; and the desire comes for that sinlessness which can bear the full light of this Sun of Eighteousness, and the words well up from his heart, " Who can discern his errors ? Clear thou me from hidden faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins ; let them not have dominion over me : then shall I be perfect, and I shall be clear from great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, 0 Lord, my rock, and my redeemer."
2. The Psalmist stands perplexed before the mystery of his own being ; he is at once ignorant of himself and yet mistrustful of himself ; he does not know himself, yet knows himself suffi- ciently well to suspect himself ; therefore he appeals to the Spirit
346 HIDDEN FAULTS
who searcheth all things. How true it is that we are mainly unknown to ourselves ; that within us are unexplored regions ; that our heart is substantially undiscovered ! Schopenhauer one day strayed into the Eoyal Gardens of Berlin ; and when an officer inquired of him, " Who are you, sir ? " the philosopher responded, " I don't know ; I shall be glad if you can tell me." The officer reported him for a lunatic; but he was far from that — he was one who had deeply pondered the mystery of personality, and was accordingly puzzled by it.
^ The exclamation of the Psalmist hits off a universal fact. " Who can discern his errors ? " It is the cry of a man who almost despairs of ever coming to know and understand his actual inner condition, of ever coming to see himself as God sees him. There is a touch of pensive surprise in the words, as if he had just had an unwonted revelation of himself, as if he had just made discovery of faults and sins hitherto hidden from him. The sight fills him with astonishment and alarm. He had no idea there was so much lingering mischief within. He is not quite sure that he has seen the worst yet. "If there be this, there may be more." " Who can discern his errors ? " ^
\ Bishop Perowne renders the text, " As for errors — who can perceive " (them) ? The word " error " here is analogous to the Greek word for " sin," which gives the notion of missing the mark. It means straying, wandering from the path. There are sins of ignorance and of infirmity unconsciously, unintentionally done through lack of self-knowledge, or of jealous vigilance against the deceits of the world and the snares of Satan. There are also sins of presumption, done with deliberateness and hardened pride, and a sort of insolence against God. There are also sins which do not usually come earliest in the moral history, but which are the inevitable result and penalty of sins of carelessness and infirmity ; and which imply, nay, sooner or later create, that awful insensibility which is the sure symptom of spiritual death, and for which no forgiveness, because no repentance, is possible.^
^ Nothing is more common than the confession, on the part of eminently holy men, that every day of their lives gives them some new understanding of the sinfulness of their own hearts ; that the guilt which once seemed slight and easily covered now rises before them in such mountainous proportions that nothing but infinite power and infinite love can remove it. These confessions