Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24. Search me, 0 God, and know my heart ; try me, and know my thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
THE perfections of God are all infinitely glorious ; but, like the cloud of fire, they have a different aspect towards the friends, and the enemies of God. To the ungodly they are dark and terrible ; but to the godly they are full of light and comfort3. His omni- science in particular is a ground both of joy and terror : in this light David speaks of it in the psalm before us. He represents this attribute in striking colours b; he declares that the consideration of it was delightful to him0: but the prospect it afforded him with respect to the wicked was extremely melan- choly'1. Returning however to his own immediate concerns, he improves this attribute to his own spiri- tual advantage6.
From these words we may notice,
I. The danger of indulging any secret sin —
There is no man who is perfectly free from sinf ; but no real Christian will knowingly harbour sin. The indulging of it could not consist with his salva- tion. This is strongly intimated in the textg. It is also expressly declared in other parts of Scripture.
[A regenerate person it is said cannot indulge sinh. Al- lowed sin characterizes those who are of the devil': it entirely prevents the acceptance of our prayers k : it entails on a person everlasting destruction1. Our Lord repeatedly urges this as a reason for mortifying every sin, how pleasant or profitable soever it bem.]
Nor ought it to be esteemed " an hard saying" — [The harbouring of any sin is a contempt of God's
a Exod. xv. 11. b ver. 1 — 12. c ver. 17, 18.
d ver. 19. e ver. 23, 24. f 1 Kings viii. 46.
s He intimates that if there were any wicked way in him, he could not be walking in the way everlasting.
h 1 John hi. 9. ; 1 John iii. 8. k Ps. lxvi. 18.
1 Matt. v. 19. m Matt. v. 29, 30.