exalt his name together ""l" Had any reflection been cast
on him for these devout acknowledgments, he would have re- plied, as on another occasion, " Is there not a cause'?" or rather would have welcomed the disgrace, and said, " I will yet be more vile than thus"."]
2. From a sense of love to his fellow-creatures — [Nothing is more gratifying to the saints than to see or
hear what God has done for others. To them therefore David addresses himself. He speaks not to the ungodly ; for that would be to " cast his pearls before swine :" but to the godly he knew that the recital of his experience would be a rich source of com- fort and encouragement, hi another place he explicitly avows this very intention ; and, for the promotion of that end, lie gives a summary of the Lord's dealings with him during his long impenitence, and on the very first symptoms of penitence and contrition". It is with a similar view that Paul also records his own wickedness in persecuting the Church of Christ; and displays the enormous unparalleled exercise of God's mercy to- wards
•■ Lam. iii. 55 — 57. ' Ps. xxxiv. 4, 6.
^ Ps. xxxiv. 1—3. & xcvi. 1—4.
' 1 Sam. xvii. 29. ™ 1 Sam. vi. 22. " Ps. xxxii. 3—6.
wards him, '' the chief of sinners :" he declares, that this whole dispensation towards him was designed by God himself as a pattern for the encouragement of all penitents to the end of time °. We then, if we " fear God," are the persons invited to come and listen to the voice of David. In all that he has spoken on this subject, he has sought our good: for it was not to him as a prophet that this mercy was vouchsafed, but as a saint, who feared God and wrought righteousness : and every one who in this respect resembles him, may hope to participate with him in his exalted privileges p.]
As saints indeed we profess to have already en- joyed them in some measure : and therefore we are concerned to inquire,
III. How we may know whether our souls be par- takers of the same benefit — • It is the privilege of all to have access to God, and to have their prayers answered by him : yea, and to know also that they have been answered. Of this we are assured on the authority of God him- self But here the question arises. How shall
these answers be clearly known to have come from God? Formerly God was pleased to make known to his people their interest in his favour by means which we are no longer to expect. He may indeed, if he see fit, still reveal his will to men by dreams and visions, by voices and signs ; but we have no reason to think he either does, or will do so ; and therefore we can place no confidence in any mani- festations which are professedly derived from such sources. We may also say, that nothing certain can be known from any direct impressions of the Spirit of God upon the mind. We are far from affirming that no such impressions are ever made : for there can be no doubt but that God " sheds abroad his love in the hearts of his people," and gives them *' a spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father," and " by his Spirit witnesses with their spirits that they are the children of God," and even " seals them
by
" 1 Tim i. ].^ — 16.
"^Compare Ps. Ixv. 2. &: Isai. Ixv. 24. & John xiv. 13, 14. with 1 John v. lo — 15.