The passage, thus opened, affords me a peculiarly fit occasion to declare,
1. What should be the effect of sin upon the soul —
[That it should humble us, will be universally acknow- ledged. But to many it appears as if it were a proper ground for dejection and despondency ; and more especially when it has been committed by one who has been numbered with the Israel of God. But I would wish the terms of my text to be very particularly noticed ; for in them the plea is urged in the very face of all the iniquities that had been committed : " Though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake." Here you will see that conviction of sin is, not to keep us from God, but to bring us to him. We must on no account give way to discouragement, as though our sins were too great to be forgiven, or as though it were presumptuous in such sinners to draw nigh to God. Presumptuous it would be, if we were to seek any plea from ourselves : but it cannot be so when our plea is derived from God alone. One or two passages of Scripture will place this matter in a clear and beautiful light. David prays, " For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity: for it is great p." And again, "Ini- quities prevail against me : but as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them awayq." Here he makes the greatness of his sins a reason for his more earnest application to God, and for his more entire affiance in him. Let us then learn a truth but little known, and a truth on which our spiritual welfare most essentially depends ; namely, That sin is a just ground
m Josh. vii. 10, 11. n Exod. xxxii. 9 — 14.
° John xiv. 13, 14. p Ps. xxv. 11. i Ps. lxv. 3.