Ps. li. 6. Behold, tho2i desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know ivisdom.
MANKIND at large are chiefly observant of their outward conduct ; but the Child of God cannot rest in externals : he is anxious about the internal habits of his soul ; and desires to have them conformed to the mind and will of God. The words before us strongly express this idea. By many indeed they are interpreted, as if David intended in them to aggravate yet further the guilt he had contracted, which had been in direct opposition both to the pro- fession he had made, and to the light he had en- joyed^ But we conceive that the words, as they stand in our translation, convey the true meaning of the Psalmist ; and that they relate, not to his sins, but his repentance for them. The sense of them ap- pears to be to this effect ; " Thou requirest me to
be
* In this case, the last clause is read in the past tense ; " Thou hast made me to know."
be truly sincere in my present humiliation ; and, if i am, as I desire to be, thoroughly sincere, thou wilt make this whole dispensation a source of the most important instruction to my soul." In this view of the words, they are an humble address to God, declarative of,
I. The disposition he requires —
'* Truth" is a conformity of our feelings and actions to our professions : and this God requires of us in the whole of our spirit and conduct. He requires it^
1. In our acknowledgments — •
[We confess ourselves sinners before God. But such a confession is of no value in his sight, unless it be accompanied with suitable emotions. Think then, what becomes us, as sin- ners : what deep sorrow and contrition should we feel for having offended Almighty God ! what self-lothing and self-abhorrence for our extreme vileness and baseness ! what ardent desires after mercy ! what readiness to justify God in all that he may be pleased to inflict upon us in this world, whatever means or mstruments he may see fit to use ; yea, and in the eternal world also, even if he cast us into the lake that burnetii with fire and brimstone, and make us everlasting monuments of his wrathful indignation ! This should be the state and habit of our minds : we should have *' our hands on our mouths, and our mouths in the dust," " crying, Unclean, unclean !" In a word, we should adopt from our inmost souls the language of Job, " Behold, I am vile ! therefore I repent and abhor myself in dust and ashes." In proportion as we feel thus, we are upright, and have " truth in our inward parts : " but so far as we are wanting in these feelings, we are " hypocrites in heart," drawing nigh to God with our lips in a way belied by our hearts "^]
2. In our purposes—
[We profess, as persons redeemed by the blood of our in- carnate God, to give up ourselves to him, and to live unto Him who died for us : and, if we are sincere in this, our determina- tion is fixed, that, with God's help, nothing shall ever keep us from executing this intention. We have dehberately counted the cost. We are aware, that *^ if we will live godly in Christ Jesus, we must suffer persecution : " but we are prepared to meet it, from whatever quarter it may come, yea, though " our greatest foes should be those of our own household." We are ready to sacrifice our reputation, our interests, and our very lives also, rather than in any respect deny our God, or suffer ourselves to be
diverted ** Matt. XV. 7, 8.