of the earth'."

66

The sinless Son of man was

lowly in heart 2." And his eminent type, the royal prophet David, repeatedly in the course of his inspired Psalms, abases himself to the earth, at the remembrance of his guilt; and finds his only consolation in the hope of divine mercy. In the words of my text he recurs, with a painful feeling, to his earlier years; deploring his offences; beseeching God to grant him forgiveness; and taking, as the only ground of his hope, the compassion of a merciful Lord.

1. He confesses his sins, and tremblingly allows them to be transgressions of the, laws of God. Conviction of sinfulness is, usually, the first step in the road to Heaven. As long as long as the mind perseveres, in making self-righteous opposition to the influence of that Spirit, whose first office it is, to "convince the world of sin3;" so long is there no cheering hope of such a

Numb. xii. 3.

2 Matt. xi. 29.

3 John xvi. 9.

person receiving the Gospel, as his refuge and his guide. Pride is the predominant principle of our fallen nature and manifests itself in ten thousand different shapes, according to the temper and constitution of mind. Pride will be found in every heart; and that conspicuously, until grace has been in powerful operation: yea it will be offensively striving to rise again, even after the blessed work has been favourably commenced. One of the surest symptoms that we have "not received the grace of God in vain," is, that we carefully search for our faults, and patiently listen to rebuke, or advice, on account of our misdoings; and that we openly spread them before the mercy seat of Jehovah, with contrition of heart, and faith in Christ. The earlier in life that this habit is begun, the more easy will the task be of rendering our account; the more edifying will the exercise be to the soul: and under the discipline of this self-examination, there will 1 2 Cor. vi. 1.

be fewer sins at the last to mourn for before God. Sin is not readily discerned by us in its true light. We bring into the world within us, a principle of disobedience, a love of self, an attachment to things present, ignorance of God, and blindness to our future state. We begin to offend, alas! how early. We see and hear of sin in others. We find it excused, and palliated: and, at last, scarcely any thing goes by the hard name of Sin, except what the law punishes with imprisonment, fine, or death. But what is Sin? It is defiance to the will of God: indifference to his gracious promises: disregard of his terrific threats rebellion against his Majesty violation of his revealed law: hardening of the conscience, and leaguing with fallen spirits and bad men, to dishonour, since they cannot overthrow, the kingdom of the most High. It is a cowardly desertion of a sacred trust. It is folly, because it injures ourselves. It is madness, for it endeth in damnation. Nor

C

does Sin simply consist in acts of evil doing. Guilt is most alarmingly increased by the neglect of opportunities, in which good might have been done; by the careless performance of duties which we profess to have observed; by being under the influence of unworthy motives, even in a good cause; or taking no care to complete, what the grace of God impelled us to begin.

Such is Sin as revealed by God; embracing all that relates to the Sovereign Ruler, especially under his covenant of mercy; all that connects us with mankind; all that tends to debase our own souls; all that defiles thought, corrupts conversation, and pollutes our open and secret doings. All this is Sin. Sin is the great barrier between God and wretched man the cause of unhappiness in this life, and of perdition in the life to come.

2. "Remember not the sins of my youth." It is a subject very seriously to

be considered, that responsibility begins at a much earlier period in life, than the selfindulgent youth, or doating parents, are willing to believe. Instances there are of children, in very tender years, becoming alive to the principles of religion.

And

we may justly imagine, that if due care were taken, at an earlier stage of life, to bring the soul under grace, the religious character would commonly be found more decided, and vigorous in after life. True it is, that the soul, under the most favourable circumstances of education, soon begins to contract the defiling stains of Sin. The first years of life are found, by self-examination, to be tainted with selfishness, anger, deceit, disobedience, idleness, jealousy, falsehood and wilfulness. Removed from the tender controul of parental love (which is oftentimes, through misguided affection, too lenient for such a being as man) the scene opens amongst companions of different ages, and variety of character. Here are learned, suddenly, words and