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If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

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USTICE and mercy are the perfections of the divine nature, in which we as finners have a peculiar concern. Our world is the great theatre, and the human race the great, or, fo far as we know, the only objects of their united exercife. Clear and just apprehensions, therefore, of those attributes, muft lie at the foundation of all religion. It is easy to fee, that a discovery, both of justice and mercy, is necessary to bring the finner to repentance, He muft fee the guilt and mifery in which he is involved, and the way by which he may certainly, and by which he can only, obtain a recovery. The fame views are equally neceffary to every Chriftian, during his continuance in this imperfect state. They are neceffary to that felf-denial which ought to be his habitual character, and to that humiliation and penitence which ought to be his frequent employment.

I muft, however, observe, that though there are few of the attributes of God more frequently spoken of, perhaps there are few lefs diftinctly understood. Men have either an imperfect knowledge, or weak perfuafion of the justice of God, and thence defpife his mercy. On the other hand, they are apt to take prefumptuous views of his geVOL. I. Nn

neral mercy, and thence defpife his juftice and feverity. This is not peculiar to those, who, upon the whole, are under the dominion of fin. Even the children of God themselves are ready, either to lose their views of the majefty and holinefs of God, which fhould incline them to ferve him with reverence and godly fear; or, on the other hand, by neglecting his mercy, to fall into that fiate of flavish bondage and illiberal fear, which is equally injurious to the honor of God, and hurtful to their own peace.

On these accounts I have chofen to infift a little on this paffage of the Pfalmift David, in which we have an uni ted view of divine justice and mercy?" If thou, Lord, "shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who fhall ftand? But "there is forgivenefs with thee, that thou mayft be fear"ed." It is thought by fome, that this Pfalm was composed in that memorable period of his life, when he was plunged in the deepest guilt, by his adultery and murder in the matter of Uriah; but more commonly, that it was in the time of his perfecution, when the imminent dangers to which he was fo often expofed, brought his fins ftrongly to remembrance. Referving what is here said of the mercy of God to another opportunity, let us now confider the view given us of his juftice, in this paffage, "If "thou, Lord, fhouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall "ftand" For this purpose I fhall,

1. Endeavor to ascertain and explain the meaning of the Pfalmift's affertion.

II. Support and confirm it from fcripture and experi

ence.

III., In the last place, I shall make a practical improvement of what may be faid upon it.

I. Let us then, first, endeavor to afcertain and explain the meaning of the Pfalmift's expreffion, " If thou, Lord, "shouldft mark iniquities, O Lord, who fhall ftand?" These words evidently carry in them the deepest fenfe of fin, a strong and inward conviction of the impoffibility of justifying himself before a pure and holy God, if he fhould deal with him as in juftice he might: "If thou, Lord

"fhouldft mark iniquities, O Lord, who fhall ftand ?"? God is an omnifcient being, every where prefent, to whom all our thoughts and ways, and confequently all our fins, are and must be perfectly known. The expreffion, then, cannot mean, that there are any fins unregarded, or not obferved of God; becaufe this is impoffible. The marking of iniquities here, feems to be an allufion to what paffes in human courts, where the judges fet down, or put upon record, all that is brought against the criminal, in order to found a fentence of condemnation. In this view, the meaning muft be, if God fhould fo mark iniquities, as to proceed to punish us for all of which we were really guilty, there could be no poffibility of standing such an impartial trial.

A.

I need not tell you, that the putting the words in the form of a question, "O Lord, who fhall ftand?" does not imply, that there is any uncertainty in the matter, or that any can be found pure enough to endure fuch a fcrutiny, but rather serves to deny it in the strongest manner. gain, we are not to fuppofe, that the Pfalmift, by putting the question thus in general, "Who shall stand ?" defigned to turn the accufation from himself, or to extenuate his own fins, by bringing in others equally guilty. This is indeed the practice of many in the world, who feem to think the numbers of those who are chargeable with any fin, an excuse or palliation of the guilt of particular offenders. But the true fpirit of repentance leads to very dif ferent fentiments: it makes the finner fix upon his own faults, and point at the fins and plagues of his own heart, without thinking upon the fins of others, unless as they may be an occafion of difcovering to him more of the depravation and wickedness of his own nature. So that the genuine import of the Pfalmift's expreffion feems to be, If thou, Lord, fhouldft execute the decrees of juftice, and punish every thing that is done amifs, the holiest man on earth would not be able to abide the trial; how much lefs would fuch a finner as I be able to stand?

II. I proceed now to fupport and confirm this truth from scripture and experience. And you will be pleased

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to obferve, that it is the conftant doctrine of the Holy Scriptures; it is the uniform language of humility and penitence there. Thus the Pfalmift, Pfalm cxliii. 2."Enter not into judgment with thy fervant: for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified." To the fame purpose, see the language of Job, chap. ix. 2, 3, 4. “[ "know it is fo of a truth: but how fhould man be just "with God? If he will contend with him, he cannot "anfwer him one of a thoufand. He is wife in heart, "and mighty in ftrength: who hath hardened himself

against him, and hath profpered?" A clear difcovery of the infinite majefty of God, the unfpotted holiness of his nature, the extent, the purity, and fpirituality of his law, will immediately carry home a conviction of this truth, and make us fenfible what impure and wretched creatures we are: it will make every one of us cry out with Job, after a discovery of the divine glory and perfection, ch. xl. 4, 5. "Behold, I am vile, what fhalli an"fwer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth."Once have I spoken, but I will not anfwer: yea, twice, "but I will proceed no further."-And again, ch. xlii. 5, 6. "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but "now mine eye feeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, "and repent in duft and ashes." Every true penitent will fay, with the Pfalmift, Pfal. xix. 12. "Who can un"derstand his errors? cleanfe thou me from fecret faults." Nay, he will confider his daily prefervation as an evidence of the divine patience, in the fuspension of his fentence, as in Lam. iii. 22, 23. "It is of the Lord's mercies that "we are not confumed, because his compaffions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithful"nefs."

Thefe, my brethren, are examples of the fentiments and language of the fcripture-faints; and if we look a little into their characters, as fet before us in the infpired writings, we shall fee, that self-abafement is one of the moft certain proofs of true religion; that the more any perfon has made real improvement in holinefs, he will think and fpeak in fo much the humbler manner; will more clearly fee the evil of fin, and more readily confels

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