Ps, li. 16, 17. Thou desirest not sacrifice ; else would I give it : thou delightest not in burnt-offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit : a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
"WHEREWITHAL shall I come before the Lord?" is the first inquiry that will be made by an awakened sinner. No sooner were the murderers of our Lord " pricked to the heart" with a conviction of their guilt, than they cried out, (the whole assem- bly of them together), " Men and brethren, what
shall we do?" In answer to this, man proposes many costly offerings ; and for the obtaining of peace would present unto God any thing that he should require^. Had God required sacrifices to be offered for David's sins, he would gladly have offered them, however numerous or costly they had been : " Thou desirest not sacrifice : else would I give it thee." But there is only one thing required, and that uni- versally, of all people under heaven : and what that is, we are informed in the words before us : " The sacrifices of God," &c.
Here are two points to be inquired into ; I. What is that sacrifice which God approves —
The term " sacrifice" is metaphorically applied to many things : to praise and thanksgivings'' ; to alms- deeds''; to a surrender of the soul to God''. But in our text it does not so much refer to any offerings whereby a pardoned sinner may honour God, as to that disposition of mind whereby an unpardoned sinner may facilitate his acceptance with God. As to any external services, David informs us that these would not answer the desired end : for though many offerings under the law were appointed and approved of God as typical of the great sacrifice, yet were they in themselves of no value % especially when compared with obedience^; and, when substituted for obedi- ence, they were hateful and abominable in the sight of God^. For such sins as David's there was actually no sacrifice appointed : no penalty less than death could be awarded to the person that was found guilty either of adultery or murder ''. But there is a sacrifice which will forward the acceptance even of such an atrocious sinner as David : it is called in our text, " A broken and contrite heart." To ascertain what is meant by this, let us consider,
1. The term —
a Mic. vi. 6, 7. ^ Heb. xiii. 15. = Heb. xiii, IG.
'1 Rom. xii. 1, '^ Ps. 1. 8 — 14. ^ 1 Sam. xv. 22. Hos. vi. 6.
8 Isai. i. 11 — 15. and Ixvi. 3. and Amos v. 21 — 23.
'1 Numb. XXXV. 31 Deut. xxii. 22.