happy, even if it were in heaven : sin would eat his vitals, as doth a canker. It is the restoration of the soul to the Divine image that constitutes a very principal part of its felicity : for when we are " holy, as God is holy," then are we happy, as God is happy. We must be careful however i\ot to confound those different sources of happiness. St. Paul was so jealous on this head, that when quoting the words of our text, he omitted these at the close of it, lest any one should imagine that our sanctification were in any respect the ground of our justification before God. Sanctification is the fruit and consequence of our having received a justifying righteousness : and, though it in no respect procures our reconciliation with God in the first instance, (for that is pro- cured solely through faith in Christ,) yet it is as inseparably con- nected with justifying faith, as good fruit is with a good tree : nor can the soul be happy in a sense of the Divine favour, till it has this evidence of its acceptance with him.]
But David proceeds to inform us,
II. How he himself attained unto it —
For a long time he was altogether destitute of it — [Partly through stoutness of heart, and partly through un- belief, he for a long time refused to humble himself for his hei- nous iniquities. But was he happy during that period ? Hear his own representation of his state and feelings : '^ When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long ; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer." The state of an impenitent sinner is fitly compared to *•' the troubled sea, which cannot rest, but incessantly casts up mire and dirt. There is no peace, sailh God, to the wicked." We have a striking elucidation of this point in the history of Judas and of Peter. Both of them had sinned grievously : but Peter, through the influence of faith, repented ; whilst Judas, under the influence of unbelief, sought refuge in suicide from the accusa- tions of his own mind. Thus it is with many who are haunted with a sense of guilt, but will not abase themselves before God : they "roar all the day long;" and ^M\owl upon their beds, like dogs ; but they cry not unto God from their inmost souls''." Hence they can find no rest, or peace; and often precipitate themselves into the torments of hell, to get rid of the torments of a guilty conscience. Ignorant peojjle impute these acts to religion : but it is the want of religion that produces them : it is the want of true contrition that causes their guilt so to prey upon their minds. " God's hand is heavy upon them," because they will not humble themselves before him : and the longer they con- tinue to set him at defiance, the more may they expect to feel the pressure of his righteous indignation ® ]
At
'' Hos. vii. 14. ^ See Ps, xxxviii. 1—8. & cii. 3—7.
95 psALMSj XXXII. 1 — 6. [352.
At last through penitence he attained unto it — -
I" He at last acknowledged his sin, and confessed his trans- gressions unto the Lord:" and then God, who delighteth in mercv, spoke peace unto his soul. The transition was indeed surprizingly rapid: "for he only said, I will confess my trans- gressions, and instantly God forgave the iniquity of his sinV Doubtless God saw the sincerity of his heart : he saw not only that David mourned over his past offences, but was determined through grace to give himself up in future wholly and unre- servedly to the Lord : and therefore he would not delay to restore to him the light of his countenance, and the joy of his salvation. We have a beautiful instance of this rich display of
mercy in the parable of the prodigal son as also in the