420 PSALMS, hi. 14. [592.
Jesus before the world began." He is " a God of salvation," as making the redemption of the world his great concern ; yea, as altogether occupied in it ; so as, if I may so speak, to be swallowed up in it, and to be " a God of it." We read of him as " a God of patience and consolation," yea, " a God of all grace : " but the title given in my text meets most fully the necessities of mankind, and opens a door of hope to every sinner under heaven.]
Nor is there a sin which, if truly repented of, shall not be forgiven —
[We read, indeed, of the sin against the Holy Ghost, as excepted from the tremendous catalogue of pardonable sins. But it is not excepted because of its enormity, as though it were too great to be forgiven ; but only because that sin im- plies a wilful and deliberate rejection of the only means of salvation : it destroys, not because it exceeds the efficacy of the Redeemer's blood, but because it tramples on that blood which alone can expiate even the smallest sin. A man who determinately rejects all food, needs not to do any thing else to ensure his own destruction : he rejects the necessary means of life, and therefore must inevitably perish. But we may say without exception, that " the blood of Jesus Christ both can and will cleanse from all sin," if only we sprinkle it upon our conscience, and trust in it for salvation. It is worthy of observation, that the Psalmist expresses no doubt as to the possibility of his acceptance with God. He does not say, " If such guilt can be forgiven, deliver thou me ;" but simply, *' Deliver me." Nay, in a preceding part of this psalm he says, " Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean ; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow^" Whatever guilt, therefore, may lie upon the conscience of the vilest sinner under heaven, let him go to God, and cry with humble confidence, " Deliver me, O God of my salvation ! "]
From this example of David, we may further learn, II. The duty of all who have obtained mercy of the Lord —
The world are ready to complain, " Why do you not keep your religion to yourself ? But no pardoned sinner ought to do so : he is bound to render thanks for the mercies vouchsafed unto him.
1. He owes it to God —
[Surely God is to be honoured, as a God of providence and a God of grace. Are we distinguished above the brute
'^ ver. 7.