Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

fender. Here was no murder-no adultery-yet the blood of the imaginary tyrant must atone for his unfeeling cruelty. Little did the king fuppofe, that he had uttered thefe menaces against himself. We have open ears to the crimes of others-we are deaf and infenfible to our own-in the one cafe, rigorous judges; in the other, obfequious parafites.

THE life of doctrine is in the application. When the prophet brings the word home to the bofom of David, he cannot but be fenfibly affected. "THOU et ART THE MAN." Though David be a king, he shall hear of his faults-God's meffages are always impartial. To regard greatnefs on thefe occafions is treacherous flattery. The ambaffadors of CHRIST must be gentle in the form, but, in the matter of reproof, refolute. They are the heralds of the King of Heaventhey proclaim his will to mankind"Thus faith the LORD GOD of Ifrael."

[blocks in formation]

THE heart of David is not able to withftand the meffage of GOD. Confounded, and felf-condemned, he cries out, in the bitterness of a contrite heart, "I have "finned against the LORD!" The word was fhort, but earnest and paffionate-it came from the bottom of a penitent foul. God cares not for studied phrases, but fincerity and affection-the deepest forrow is not that which is loudeft or moft loquacious.

THE first step towards repentance is the confeffion of guilt. "I have ac"knowleged my fin unto thee, O my

GOD, and mine unrighteousness have I "not hid." No fooner doth David say to the prophet, "I have finned against "the LORD", than he receives the comfortable affurance, "The LORD hath

[ocr errors]

put away thy fin." He that covereth his tranfgreffions fhall not profper, but he that confeffeth and forfaketh them fhall have mercy. Who would not ac

cufe

cufe himself, to be acquitted by GOD? Who would not declare his fin to the Searcher of hearts, to be relieved from that anguish of fpirit, which it is death to conceal? If we have offended, why should we hesitate to perform that duty, which fhall at once give glory to our Maker, and bring confolation to our fouls?

DAVID had fworn, in a zeal for juftice, that the rich oppreffor, for taking his poor neighbour's lamb, fhould die the death. GOD is more favourable to David, than to judge him out of his own mouth. "Thou shalt not die." O the wonders of redeeming love! The letter of the law demanded eye for eye, tooth for tooth, blood for blood-but (as if a penitent confeffion had difpenfed with the rigour of juftice) GOD faith, "Thou shalt not die." David was the voice of the law, awarding death unto fin-Nathan was the voice of the gospel, Ꭰ 3 awarding

awarding life unto repentance.

« Come

"unto me," faith the Saviour of mankind, "all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of memy yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

DAVID himself fhall not die for his tranfgreffion-but he shall be deprived of the fon of his adultery-the sword shall not depart from his houfe-he fhall experience ingratitude and difaffection from his friends and from his childrenhe shall afford an example to future ages, that God can grant abfolution, and yet referve his full right to inflict temporal punishment, for fin. Where he has forgiven, he may yet chaftife-he does not. forbear prefent correction, though he remits the future tremendous fentence. While he fmites us not for our offences as an angry Judge, we may endure to smart at the will of a loving Father.

YET

YET even this infliction David depre

cates with tears.

The child is fick-the

parent fafts, and prays, and weeps, and lies all night upon the earth, and is deaf to the voice of comfort. He mourns-he fues, that the monument of his fin, and the record of his fhame, for whom he ftill entertained all the fondeft fentiments of affection, might even yet be preferved to him. No doubt his grief was aggravated by the thought, that God, to chastise the guilty father, was about to deprive him of his innocent child-while the chearing reflection, that the gates heaven would receive the unpolluted fpirit which was haftening thither, seems for the moment to have been hidden from his eyes. Against this ftroke he offers his prayers, he lifts up his foul to the throne of mercy. No chaftening is joyous, but grievous-the best nature cannot yield to it, without fome degree of reluctance. Far was it, nevertheless, D 4 from

of

« ZurückWeiter »