{2dly.) Constancy also flows from intenseness. Such a soul will not give over imtil it obtain what it aims at and looks for; as we shall see in our process in opening this psalm.
And this is in general the deportment of a gracious soid in the condition here represented unto us. As poor creatures love their peace, as they love their souls, as they tender the glory of God, they are not to be wanting in this duty. What is the reason that contro- versies hang so long between God and your souls, that it mny be you scarce see a good day all yoin- lives? Is it not, for the most part, from your sloth and despondency of spirit? You will not gird up the loins of your minds, in dealing with God, to put them to a speedy issue in the blood of Cluist. You go on and off, begin and cease, try and give over ; and, for the most part, though your case l)e extra- ordinary, content yourselves Avith ordinary and customary applica- tions unto God. This makes you Avither, become useless, and pine aAvay in and under your perplexities. David did not so; but after
Ver.3.] WORDS OF THE VERSE EXPLAINED. 359
many and many a breach made by sin, yet, through quick, vigoi'ous, restless actings of faith, all was repaired, so that he lived peaceably, and died triumphantly. Up, then, and be doing; let not your " wounds corrupt because of your folly." Make thorough work of that which lies before you; be it long, or difficult, it is all one, it must be done, and is attended with safety. What you are like to meet withal in the fost place shall nextly be declared.
VERSE THIRD.
The words of the verse explained, and their meaning opened.
The general frame of a gracious soul, in its perplexities about sin, hath been declared. Its particular actings, what it doth, what it meets withal, are nextly represented unto us.
First, then, in particular, it cries out, " If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?"
There is in the words a supposition, and an inference on that sup- position. In the supposition there is, — 1. The name of God, that is fixed on as suited unto it; and, 2. The thing itself 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 in- terrogation, "Who shall stand?"
" If thou. Lord." He here fixes on another name of God, Avhich is Jah ; — a name, though from the same root with the former, yet seldom used but to intimate and express the tenible majesty of God : " He rideth on the heavens, and is extolled by his name Jah," Ps. Ixviii. 4. He is to deal now with God about the guilt of sin; and God is represented to the soul as gi'eat and terrible, that he may know what to expect and look for, if the matter must be tried out according to the demerit of sin.
What, then, saith he to Jah? i^^'i? niJir^X,—" If thou shouldest mark iniquities." "'P?' 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. Gen. xxxvii. 11, Jacob "observed" Joseph's dream; that is, he retained the memory of it, and pondered it in his heart.
The marking of iniquities, then, here intended, is God's so far con- sidering 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, or remember it no more ; that is, to forgive it, as the next verse declares.
860 AN EXPOSITION UPON rsALM cxxx. [Ver.3.
I need not show that God so far 7nurks all sins in all pei'sous as to see them, know them, disallow them, and to be displeased with them. This cannot he denied without taking away of all grounds of 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 exist- ence. 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 denied in reference unto any sins, in any persons. The first is physical, consisting in his omniscience, whereuuto all things are open and naked. Thus no sin is hid from him; the secretest are before the light of his countenance. All are marked by him. Secondly, moral, in a displicency with or displea- sure against every sin ; which is inseparable from the nature of God, upon the account of his holiness. And this is declared in the sen- tence of the law, and that equally to all men in the Avorld. But the marking here intended is that which is in a tendency to animadver- sion 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 in- cluded in it. " If," saith the psalmist, " thou, the great and dreadful God, who art extolled by the glorious name Jah, shouldst take notice of iniquities, so as to recompense sinners that come unto thee according to the severity and exigence of thy holy law;" — what then? It is answered by the matter of the projjosal, "Who can stand?" that is, none can so do. To 'yap rig svrauda oudsig idriv, says Chrysos- tom. This " who," is none; no man; not one tn the world. "i^F- ''P, "Quis stabit?" or "consistet," — "Who can stand?" or abide and en- dure the trial? 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, doth require. And there is a notable emphasis in the interrogation, which contains the manner of the inference. "Who can stand?" is more than if he had said, "None can abide the trial, and escape without everlasting ruin;" for the in- terrogation is indefinite; not, " How can I?" but, " Who can stand ?" Wlien the Holy Ghost would set out the certainty and dreadfulness of the perishing of ungodly men, he doth it by such a kind of expression, wherein there is a deeper sense intimated into the minds of men than any words can well clothe or declare : 1 Pet. iv. 1 7, " What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel?" and verse 18, "Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" So here, " Who can stand?" TliVe is a deep insinuation of a dreadful ruin as unto all with whom G((d shall so deal as to mark their iniquities. See Ps. i. 5.