i Isai. Ivii. 17, 18.
David's humiliation and acceptance.
2 Sam. xii. 13. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned agaijist the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
IT is scarcely to be conceived to what a degree sin will blind the eyes, and harden the heart. We see indeed that the ungodly world will commit every species of iniquity without either shame or remorse : but who would imagine that a person enlightened, renewed, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, should in the space of a few days be reduced by sin to a state of utter obduracy ? Yet such was the change which one single temptation speedily effected on him who was "the man after God's own heart." The circumstances of David's crime are so well known, that they need not at present to be enlarged upon. But his long impenitence, his apparent for- ge tfuln ess of his horrid deeds, and his excessive severity against a man whose fault bore no propor- tion to his own, are less noticed ; though they can- not fail to strike every one who reads the account of his conversation with Nathan. By an apposite and well-wrought parable, the Prophet Nathan had led David inadvertently to pass sentence against him- self ; and then availed himself of the opportunity to
charge home upon him the crimes he had per- petrated. Then it was, and not till then, that David felt a just sense of his guilt : though nine months at least had elapsed since his criminal intercourse with Bathsheba, yet his conscience had slept, till it was now awakened to perform its office. On this occa- sion he confessed his sin to Nathan ; and received from Nathan a consolatory assurance, that his ini- quity, heinous as it was, was pardoned.
There are two points to which the text directs our attention ;
I. David's humiliation —
There does not at first sight appear any thing- worthy of notice in David's confession : but, if we examine it carefully, we shall find in it several things which indicated a deep and true repentance.
1. He acknowledged his sin as an offence against God—
[The evil of sin m this viezv is generally overlooked ; and the quality of actions is appreciated and determined by their effects on society. Hence the offences which are committed solely agamst God, such as unbelief, impenitence, self-righteousness, and the like, are never condemned by the world, or even con- sidered as blemishing the moral character at aU ; while such crimes as theft and perjury render a man universally execrated and abhorred. But it is from its relation to God that sin derives its principal malignity: its chief heinousness consists in its being a violation of God's law, a contempt of his autho- rity, and a practical denial of all his attributes. If any sin what- ever could deserve to be marked with superior infamy on other considerations, it would surely be the crimes which David had committed : yet, in adverting to these ver}^ actions, David passes over their crimmality in relation to man, and notices them only as offences against God^. This shews that he had j ust views of his conduct : and that the grounds of his humi- liation were precisely such as the occasion required.]
2. He made no attempt to extenuate his guilt —
[Unhumbled persons imiformly endeavour to palliate their faults. Adam cast the blame of his transgression on Eve ; and Eve transferred it to the serpent''. Saul, when reproved for
^ See Ps. li. 4. Joseph's views of sin perfectly agreed with those of David. See Gen. xxxix. 9. ^ Gen. iii. 12, 13.
317. J David's humiliation and acceptance. J271
sparing Agag and the cliief of the spoil, shiitecl the blame from himself upon the people ; and, as far as it still attached to hmi, excused liimself as acting involuntarily, and as overawed by the people ''. But David's mouth was shut : he uttered not one single word in extenuation of his crimes: heavy as Nathan's charge against him was, he fell under it. This was another excellent proof of his penitence and contrition : and it is certain, that wherever real humiliation is, the penitent will be more ready to aggravate his guilt, than to palliate and excuse it.]