Ver. 5.-0onfession of sin. Let men argue as they please agninst the Bible; they c1rnuot deny or alter the fact that this book has a power of laying hold on the heart and conscience, unrivalled and unique. One reason is its penetrating knowledge of human nature; another, its deep and wide sympathy. Our interest is quickened, sympathy roused, because we are presented, not with abstract truth, dry dogma, but with living experience. Conscience can be impartial, judgment cool, because it is another's case, not our own, we contemplate. Suddenly, when we thought we were looking at a picturC', we find it is a mirror. The still small voice says, "Thou art the man!" I. A BURDENED SPIRIT BIDING ITSELF BEHIND DUMB LIPS. David" kept silence .._ would not acknowledge hie sins even to himself, therefore, of course, not to God. Forget them, he could not. But (we may assume) he excused them-laid the blamo (as we so easily do) on temptation and circumstance and nature. Besides, was a king to be bound within as strict limits as an ordinary person? Had not his blackest crime -the murder of his brave, faithful general-been in a manner forced on him? He "kept silence" before othe:e,-perhaps was specially exemplary in p_ublic worship and pious ceremony; "kept silence" before God,-perhaps kept up rigidly the form of prayer, but, though his lips prayed, his heart was dumb. Wonderful is the deceitful- nesu of sin; the self-ignorance into which it betrays us (Jas. i. 14, 15) I !I. 'l'IlE BBOKEN llEABT A.ND CONTRITE SPIRIT POURING OUT ITS PENITENT CON• FESSION TO Goo. As long as David "kept silence," the Lord had a controversy with 240 THE DOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. XXXII. 1-11. ----~-------------------------- 1,im. His" hand was beavy." Possibly in some stroke of sickness; perhaps only in the bodily disorder which springs from mental suffering. The ghastly secret refused to be buried in silence and oblivion. 'fhe burden grew intolerable. .At last he said, "I will confess my transgressions." 1. To his own conscience. "The first step is the hardest;" and perhaps the hardest thing in frank confession is to acknowledge sin to one's self. It is easy to say, "We have erred and strayed," when everybody else says so; quite another thing to say, in the lonely silence of your own thought," I am wrong." No one likes that. No one msght to like it. Dut it has to be done, or confession to God-or to man-is a vain form. 2. What next, '!'he carrying out of the purpose; the soul alone with God, saying, "Father, I have sinned!" Many a man blames himself inwardly, bitterly, proudly; but it leads to nothing. lie does not acknowled!!:e his sin to God. Here are three words which give three views of sin. (1) Sin. The Hebrew word properly means "error,"" failure," "missing the mark," (2) Iniquity: perverseness, depravity, with the added idea of guilt: "The iniquity [or,' guilt'] ofmy sin." 3. Transgressim: breaking away, viz. from obedience to God's Law; rebellion. (In vers. 1, 2 same words in different order.) II!. THE IMMEDIATE RELIEF AND INFINITE COMFORT FOUND IN TURNING TO GOD. The guilty silence is broken. The veil of self-delusion is rent off. The sinner take, his right attitude, his true position before God. Not the same as though he had not sinned,-that is impossible; but that which belongs to him in fact. There is a dawn of comfort in this. At least we have done with falsehood, come on to the firm ground of truth. But the only real comfort is, not in our penitence, but in God's promises. Confession and repentance do not lay the ground of forgivenes,, or of the hope and certainty of it. God has laid that (2 Cor. v. 19-21). The name of God is significant here: not " God" the Almighty Creator, but "the Lord," i.e. Jehovah- God's covenant name with Israel. Nature holds out no inducement to confess sin, no hope of pardon. Its law is, "Reap what you have sown." If the ground of acceptance were our repentance, we never could be assured that it was adequate. But God's faithfulness and justice are pledged to grant what his love has already provided in the gift of his Son (1 John i. 9). Confession is just the breaking down of the barrier raise<.!, not by our sin, but by impenitence and unbelief; at once the stream of Divine mercy flow11 unhindered, "Thou forgavest," etc. CONCLUSION. This experience was too exemplary, too instru~tive, too precious, to be permitted to perish in forgetfulness. The Holy Spirit (as we said) does not merely paint a picture, but holds up a mirror, David's experience may be ours,
HOMILIES DY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-11.-Divine forgiveness. This psalm is one of those historically established as Da.vid's.1 It has long been a favourite with the greatest saints, who a.re the very ones that own themselves the greatest sinners. Luther referred to it as one of his special psalms. So Dr. Chalmers, who, it is said, could scarcely read its first three verses without tears filling bis eyes. The compression necessary to keep this work within moderate limits renders it impossible to do more than point out how it might profitably be expanded and expounded in a course of sermons. It is headed, "a Psalm, giving instruction;" i.e. a didactic psalm-a doctrinal one, in fact, and as such is to be one of the songs of the sanctuary. Note: They fall into error who do not regard the rehearsal of Divi11e truth as a fitting method of sacred song. We may not only sincr praise to God, but may speak "to one another in psalms, and hymns,2 and spi;itual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord." This psalm is a grateful rehearsal of the blessedness of Divine forgiveness. We see therein- !. FoBGIVENEBB NEEDED. Her(', indeed, t.he expo~itor must be clear, firm, direct, swift, pointed. We have: 1. Sin committed. The Hebrew language, poor as is its vocabulary in many directions, is abundant in the terms used in connection with sin.• 1 Ewald. in • Revelation, its Nature and Record,' p. 278, note (T. and T. Clark).
• Dr. Watts's grand liymn, "'l'he mighty frame of glorious grace," is a noble, yea, a sub- lime illustration of thiB. 1 See Mr. Girdlestone's • Synonyms of the Old Testament.' PB, xxxn. 1-11.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 24.1