[Partly through stoutness of heart, and partly through unbelief, he for a long time refused to humble himself for his heinous 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, saith 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 accusations 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 " howl upon their beds, hke 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 people 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 continue to set him at defiance, the more may they expect to feel the pressure of his righteous indignation® ]
At last through penitence he attained unto it — [" He at last acknowledged his sin, and confessed his transgressions unto the Lord:" and then God, who delighteth in mercy, spoke peace unto his soul. The transition was indeed siurprisingly rapid : " for he only said, I will confess my trans- gressions, and instantly God forgave the iniquity of liis sin^." 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 converts on the day of Pentecost and in the
jailer s And similar displays of mercy may we ourselves
hope for, if only we humble ourselves before him, and seek to be clothed in the Redeemer's righteousness : for " he is rich in mercy unto all who call upon him."]
^ Hos. vii. 14. ® See Ps. xxxviii, 1 — 8. and cii. 3 — 7.
f See 2 Sam. xii. 13. e Acts xvi. 34.