Having stated thus his own experience, David proceeds to tell us,
III. What improvement we should make of it —
Unspeakably encouraging is the record here given us. We should take occasion from it,
1. To seek the Lord for ourselves —
[" The godly" will make their prayer unto God; and the ungodly also should do it. If any man ever had reason to despair, David had, after having so grievously departed from his God. But he cried unto the Lord, and obtained mercy at his hands. Shall the ungodly then say, My sins are too great to be pardoned ? Or shall " the godly," after the most horrible backslidings, sit down in despair, and say, " There is no hope?"
No: the example of David absolutely forbids this At
the same time it shews the folly of delaying repentance : for there is no peace to the soul in an impenitent state : neither here nor hereafter can we be happy in any other way than that which God has marked out for us. If penitential sorrow be painful, it never corrodes like impenitent obduracy: there is in it a melting of soul that participates of the nature of holy joy: and, if " weeping do endure for a night, joy is sure to come in the morning." If then we would be truly happy, let us flee to Christ as the Refuge set before us: he is " the Lord our Righteousness ;" and the vilest sinner upon earth shall find his " blood able to cleanse froin all sin," and his righteousness sufficient to clothe our souls, so that the " shame of our naked- ness shall never appear." But let us take care,]
2. To seek him whilst he may be found —
[There is " a time wherein he may be found" of every one of us ; and a time wherein he may not be found. This is an awful truth ; but it is attested by many passages of Holy Writ: " O that thou hadst known, even thou, at least i7i this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace ! " said our Lord to Jerusalem ; " but now they are hid from thine eyes." God may, and does, " give over many to a reprobate mind," and to final impenitence : " So I gave them up." But if you have the least desire of mercy, we are warranted to say, " Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." O then improve the present hour : " Seek ye the Lord whilst he may be found ; call ye upon him whilst he is near." " If you cover your sins, you cannot prosper ; but if you confess and forsake them, you shall find mercy." " If you say that you have no sin, you deceive yourselves ; but if you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive you your sins, and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness."]