HOPKINSIAN MAGAZINE.

VOL. IV.

JULY 31, 1831.

NO. 10.

SERMON.

PSALM LI. 4.-Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified when thou -speakest, and clear when thou judgest.

This is the language of true repentance. Happy would it be for those who make the sins of David an apology for their own, if they possessed that other trait of his character which is exhibited in these words. Then, indeed, they would not attempt to palliate their sins, but would feel and confess that they have no excuse to offer, and that unless sovereign mercy interposed, they must be condemned, and that justly. Repentance is our indispensable prerequisite to salvation. It is enjoined upon all men by the command of God, and it is required as the condition of forgiveness and eternal life. It is therefore desirable that the nature of repentance should be understood: and such a practical exhibition of it as here presented, affords the best means of attaining a true knowledge of it. By attending to the feelings and excercises of the penitent king of Israel, we may learn what ought to be the state of our hearts, and what it must be, if we exercise true repentance. Your attention is therefore invited to the remarks which are now to be offered on this passage of sacred scripture which I have quoted.

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1. David makes the confession: "Against thee, thee only, have I That which rendered sin the most odious in his view, and which especially induced him to humble himself before God, was, that he saw that sin is committed against God. True penitents always have such a sense of sin, This distinguishes genuine repentance from that which is spurious. It is sorrow for sin on account of its opposition to God, and its hatefulness in his sight. David not only believed that God is holy and infinitely amiable and worthy; but he had complacency in the divine character, he loved God as a holy being; and because he loved him, he hated sin as being opposed to his character, to the feelings of his heart, and to his holy government. Sinners may feel a sorrow for sin, and doubtless often do feel a sorrow for it, which is very different in its nature from that of David. When they see that they are in the hands of God, that he hates sin, that they have sinned against him and are liable to be punished with the expressions of his everlasting displeasure, they lament that they have committed sin against him. Sometimes their alarm and distress become very great, their souls are disquieted within them, and they refuse to be comforted. But what is the real cause of their

distress and sorrow? Is it their abhorrence of the nature of sin? Is it that they love the holy character of God, and are conscious that they have offended him? No. It is their dread of punishment which causes their sorrow for sin.. It is the conviction which they feel of their exposure to divine wrath, which makes them tremble in view of their transgressions, and lament that they have incurred guilt. If they could be assured that no punishment would follow, if they knew that after death there was no judgment, and no retributions to the wicked for their sins, they would be wholly relieved, and would go on in the ways of sin with alacrity and delight. It is easy to see, that such sorrow for sin as arises merely from the apprehension of punishment, is in its nature, perfectly selfish, and that it implies no true love to God, or hatred of the nature of sin. But the sorrow which David expressed, and which constitutes true repentance, was not selfish. It resulted from his supreme love to God. It grieved him that he had sinned, because in sinning he had offended the being whom he loved with all his heart. For the same reason we all ought to excercise sorrow for our sins. Our God and sovereign, the author of our being, and the source of all our blesings, is holy. We are bound to him by the strongest natural and moral obligations. It has been our duty, ever since we were capable of knowing and serving him, to render to him the tribute of supreme affection, to seek the promotion of his glory, and to honour his name. But we have alienated our hearts from him. We have practically disowned him as our God. We have set at nought his authority, and returned ingratitude for his mercies. How then ought our hearts to be affected in view of our sins? Ought we not, and if we ought, should we not; go to him with the humble confession, "Against thee, thee only have we sinned,"

But why does the penitent Psalmist say that it is against God only that he has sinned? Had he not by his sins injured any of his fellow men? Had he not done injury to himself? Yes. He had in a very flagrant manner violated the principles of justice and humanity in relation to others, and had sinned against his own soul, exposing himself to the displeasure of God. But still he regarded his sins as being hateful principally on account of their being committed against God. If he had injured a fellow man, that man was a creature of God, or subject of his government, and an object of his divine regard: Or if he had sinned against himself, he was bound to regard himself as being not his own, but the property of God, and bound to glorify God in his body and spirit which were God's. Accordingly all his sins, whether committed against God directly, his fellow men, or himself, were ultimately and principally against God. Thus he veiwed them; and this led him to confess as he did, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned." The same view ought we to take, of the sins by which we injure any of our fellow men. Whether we do injury to their persons, their characters, or their property; we ought to consider those whom we injure, as God's creatures, for whom he has done much, whom he preserves and blesses, for whose salvation he has given his beloved Son, whom he commands us to

love as ourselves. By injuring them, therefore, we sin against God; and on this account chiefly ought we to lament such sins, and repent of them before God.

2. The heart of David was affected by the consideration, that his sins had been committed not only against God, but in the sight of God. "Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil,' (or as in the original) "done evil in thy sight." True penitents fee' the import of the truth, that the holy God is a witness of all their moral conduct, that he constantly looks at their hearts; and views, as their final judge, all the thoughts and intents of their hearts.— While sinners are careless and indifferent respecting their conduct towards God, they consider not that he is present in every place, and knows all their actions and the feelings of their hearts. If they realized this truth, they could not feel secure while they transgress his law and practically bid defiance to his wrath. That which brings home to their minds a conviction of their guilt and danger, is a lively and impressive sense of their dependence on God, their accountableness to him, and of their being under the inspection of his omniscient eye. This view of God all true penitents have, and it causes them to abase themselves in his presence, and with godly sorrow, to confess to him their sins. Feeling that their hearts are naked and open to the view of God, they desire to be purified in heart, and to be delivered from the dominion and love of sin. Such a desire led David to offer the supplications, "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me

a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." External reformation will not satisfy the consciences or the desires of those who feel a hatred of sin as being committed against God.— They deprecate the existence of any impurity of heart, knowing that in his sight, sins of the heart,—the most latent unholy feelings or designs are offensive; and that he requires his creatures to be holy in heart as well as in conduct.

3. David acknowledges that the declarations and threatenings of God towards sinners are righteous and just. He says in his confession, "That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest." He knew that God had made fearful denunciations against those who transgress his law. He knew that he had exposed himself to the wrath which God had threatened; but he was far from accusing his Maker of injustice or undue severity in annexing to his law such a penalty. This is another characteristic of a true penitent. Those who regard sin as an evil only because its consequences to them are painful, feel no true reconciliation to the justice of God in his threatened judgments.— They feel a perfect opposition to the penalty of his law, and would choose that God should be dishonored, and his law trampled in the dust rather than that his authority should be vindicated, and his law maintained, by the execution of its penalty upon themselves. They see no excellence in the Divine law or government, or even in God himself, except what secures their own happiness. But those who are truly humble and penitent, see a divine beauty in the haAred of God towards themselves as sinners, and they approve of his

judgments as being righteous and just. Why should they not approve of his justice, and accept of the punishment of their iniquities as being right? The feelings of God towards sin are holy, and his threatenings against sinners are only the expressions of his holy feelings of abhorrence in view of their guilt.

If, therefore, they possess any measure of the same holiness which God does, will they not feel as he does towards sin, and approve of the expressions of his feelings as displayed in his holy denunciations? It is true that such a state of heart, is directly opposite to that selfishness and pride which mankind by nature possess. But those who exercise true repentance are humble; they are willing to take their proper place before God; and therefore, they are willing to acknowledge that he is to be justified when he speaketh; and that he is clear when he judgeth. Yet this state of heart is not inconsistent with the most importunate supplications for mercy. On the contrary, it is the only state of heart in which sinners are prepared either truly to approve, or to receive mercy. How can a person love mercy exercised in his forgivness, if he hates the justice which condemns him? He who regards himself as being unjustly condemned, feels that he has a right-not to ask for mercy-but to demand, on the principles of justice, a discharge. He would spurn at the offer of mercy, and would feel justified in so doing. But he who is conscious that the sentence of his condemnation is just, and who cordially accedes to it, feels that his only hope is mercy, and is willing to cast himself upon mercy, as one who has no other plea to offer than that he is guilty, and deserves to suffer the penalty he has incurred. With such humility in his heart, he is prepared to welcome a pardon, and to acknowledge his obligations to the merciful Sovereign who bestows it. The reasonableness of God in making such repentance a condition of salvation, may be illustrated by the following supposition: Two persons commit an act of treason against the government of their country. Their guilt is proved, and they are accordingly sentenced to capital punishment. One of them confesses that he is justly condemned; he approves of the laws of his government; and justifies the magistrate who pronounced his sentence; and he petitions for pardon on condition only that it can be granted consistently with the good of the nation and the honor of the laws; and is willing if he cannot be pardoned on such a condition, to suffer the punishment to which he has been sentenced. The other criminal declares that he feels no sorrow on account of his offence except that he has been detected, and is exposed to punishment.He expresses hatred of the laws, and declares that he will not be reconciled to the government unless he is previously discharged. Which of these persons would it best comport with the honor of the government, and the principles of mercy, to pardon? Which, if pardoned, would accept the favor with a right spirit, and become a worthy member of society? To every mind the question must be plain. The whole nation, if appealed to, would give the same answer. They would say, let him be pardoned who is reconciled to the government, and approves of the sentence of the law. This case is analogous to the principles on which God deals with sinners.

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Through Christ it is consistent with the divine government to pardon the truly penitent. And those are the truly penitent, who condemn themselves for their sins, and approve of God for condemning them; who come to God as did David when he confessed, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and clear when thou judgest."

REFLECTIONS.

1. From the nature of true repentance as here illustrated, it is easy to infer what are its fruits. He who was sent to preach repentance and to prepare the way for the ministry of Christ, said to those who came to his baptism, "Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance." This is the duty of all men, no less than it is their duty to repent. Since those who truly repent exercise sorrow for sin as being committed against God, and approve of his holy law and government, it is evident that their repentance will be attended with reformation and holy obedience. He who loves God and hates sin, will endeavor to obey his holy commandments, and to forsake every sinful practice. Those who think that they repent of sin, and yet do not obey the gospel, but live in the habitual neglect of duty, and continue to cherish their habits of sin, are deceiving themselves.— What they call repentance is nothing more than the sorrow which results from the servile dread of punishment. It does not flow from love to God, nor does it imply any true hatred of the evil nature of sin. It is only a selfish sorrow-that sorrow of the world which worketh death. Those who hate sin because it is an offence against God, desire, as David did, to be pure in heart, and to be conformed to God's holy law. They have a tenderness of conscience, a quick susceptibility of being influenced by every motive which God presents to dissuade them from sin and to allure them to a holy life.They desire to avoid even the appearance of evil, and would choose to suffer wrong from man, rather than to do wrong in relation either to God or to man. The truly penitent are affected with a sense of the holiness and the omniscience of God, and they act as knowing that he sees them, and searches the recesses of their hearts.

What are the fruits of repentance which are manifested in a season in which sinners of different ages and characters are led to repentance by the spirit of God? The prayerless sinner soon becomes familiar with the language of prayer. The profane cease from taking the name of God in vain. Those who had neglected the holy scriptures, begin to search with delight those sacred pages, and to behold wondrous things in the law of God. Enimies become friends; forgive, and love one another. The vicious are reformed; and the formal and selfrighteous moralist becomes an earnest pleader for mercy, and a firm advocate of the doctrines of grace. These are some of the fruits of true repentance when it prevails among any people. Such are its natural, its genuine fruits. How much to be desired then, is it, that it should prevail universally! How happily changed would be the characters and the prospects of many who are now walking in the broad way of sin which leads to destruction. Children of God, and friends of the Saviour, pray for