who has done so-who, taught by the gospel, can combine together such sense of his sins and abasement before God with filial confidence!

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But secondly, though the gospel is "to purge our conscience from dead works" and from the guilt of all our sins, by the atoning blood of Christ alone, yet this is not to render us careless of contracting guilt; but it is that we may serve the living and true God." Though the greatness of his guilt is no obstacle to the true penitent's forgiveness, yet every one who finds the pardon and peace of the gospel, will henceforth "exercise himself to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and man." Though we shall be always imperfect, and shall put no confidence in anything that we do, yet if we would for the future maintain a blessed confidence towards God, we must have the "testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have our conversation in the world."

Finally, let me address one word more to those whose peace arises only from forgetfulness and inconsideration, while they yet live in sin. See in the instance before us, how the Saviour even in the days of his humiliation, could by one word spoken, so awaken the recollections and alarm the consciences of these men, that they could not conceal their confusion. What then, think you, will be

the case when he shall come again in his terrible majesty to judge the quick and dead? or even at a still nearer time, when he shall come by death to require your souls of you? You may sin, and forget your sins: but he will then bring you to an awful account, and your own awakened consciences shall become your accusers, and shall make you anticipate his awful judgment, and shall torment you before the time. Oh, in how much stronger a light will your broken sabbaths, your neglected opportunities, your unhallowed pleasures, your stifled convictions then appear! Oh learn to revere your consciences now, and to yield to their dictates. Seek now to have your "hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience" by the blood of Jesus, and by his purifying Spirit, that they may never become your tormentors, but that you may another day rejoice in their approving testimony, and meet your Lord in peace at his coming. Amen!

SERMON IV.

PSALM XXXII. 5.

I ACKNOWLEDGED MY SIN UNTO THEE, AND MINE INIQUITY HAVE I NOT HID. I SAID, I WILL CONFESS MY TRANSGRESSIONS UNTO THE LORD: AND THOU FORGAVEST THE INIQUITY OF MY SIN.

THE Psalmist seems to have anticipated the benefit which all pious readers would derive from the relation which he, in this Psalm, gives us of what had passed in his own mind. Hence he inscribes the composition MASCHIL, or Instruction: and, having delivered the intended account of himself, he remarks, at verse 6, "For this," i. e. admonished and encouraged by such examples as this, "shall every one that is godly, pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found." Under the most distressing circumstances of outward trouble, and even of inward guilt, such characters shall be emboldened to betake themselves unto God in prayer, and whenever they do so, experience shall teach them, that, whatever their fears may have suggested, it is "a time when God may be found."

And the event has by no means disappointed

these anticipations. He has here given us such a lively description of the miseries of guilt, of the way in which forgiveness is to be found, of the readiness of God to pardon, and of the blessedness arising from the sense of his forgiving love, as I believe has been found highly profitable to all devout persons ever since.

The Psalm describes three distinct conditions of mind, together with the writer's progress from the one to the other of them. The first, is a state of GUILT-sullen and to a great degree impenitent guilt. The second a state of CONTRITION, penitence, and ingenuous confession of sin. The last is a state of REJOICING, in reconciliation with God and the sense of his favour.

These three states of mind we shall consider in their order, endeavouring to make a practical application and improvement of what may suggest itself to our observation under each.

I. THE FIRST STATE OF MIND the Psalmist thus describes from his own bitter experience-" When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me. My moisture is turned

into the drought of summer."

"He kept silence." He had committed sin; and the sense of guilt had seized his conscience.

Under these circumstances, instead of ingenuously confessing his sin, he preserved a sullen "silence." Instead of betaking himself to the divine mercy as his only and his sufficient refuge, he imitated the conduct of fallen Adam, who fled from the presence of God, to hide himself among the trees of Eden. Or as Jonah, when he rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, oppressed with guilt and despondency, laid himself down in the sides of the ship, and like a stranger to prayer, strove to forget his misery in sleep, even when the seamen were calling, every man upon his God. Thus David "kept silence," from the acknowledging of his transgression-from the confession of his sins.

Miserable indeed is the mind of man when it thus shuts itself up, shuns the presence of God, and despairs of obtaining help from him—or at least dares not, or is unwilling to seek it; trembles under the sense of his displeasure; can enjoy no communion with him-the fountain of all true happiness-is agitated by remorse, yet not softened in penitence, but fretful and rebellious; like Ephraim, bearing chastisement "as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke:" unable to forget its sorrows, yet flying from the only remedy of them.

The best that can be hoped for the mind in this situation is, that God should repeat and augment his correction, till the stubborn Spirit is broken