In the end, he comforts himself from his trust in the goodness of God, and promises that he will instruct others also that they might be converted. Hence it plainly appears, that the prophet, in this Psalm, wished, for a particular end, to leave the true wisdom of the divine religion explained in sound words and in a sound sense; that we might learn therefrom what sin is, what grace is, and what true repentance is.

But there are also other psalms of this kind, as the psalm, "Blessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven." And also that, "Out of the depths have I cried." For David is particularly apt in this kind of doctrine yet so, that he remains a learner with us in the experience of this doctrine: because all men, how much soever they may be gifted with the Holy Spirit, still remain learners of the Word, still remain beneath and within the Word, and still find, in their experience, that they can scarcely imbibe one drop out of the immense ocean of the Spirit.

Having thus spoken, in a very few words, of the argument and order of the Psalm, I will now speak also of its title.-The history of it is well known to be from 2 Sam. chap. xii. And I have no doubt, that this title gave occasion to the schoolmen to understand it as having reference to the person of David only, and to his actual sins; since David seems to speak alone in his own person, and concerning his own sins of adultery and murder.-It is a wonder that they did not teach also, that this Psalm is to be used under this sin only. It is a wonder that they permitted it to be used in prayer, as an example, under all sins. For it is thus that Payl saith, the Lord Jesus has shewn forth in me an "example" unto all who shall believe in him. Whereas, all who should believe in him might not be persecutors of the church. But Christ shewed forth in Paul his long-suffering, his clemency, his infinite mercy, that others might not despair under their sins. In the same manner also these men, have

set forth this Psalm as an example for prayer under all sins, although they understand it as referring only to the actual sin of David, who is mentioned in the title of it.

But we must go much farther than this: we must not confine it to these external sins, but must consider it as penetrating into the whole nature, the fountainspring, and the origin of sin. For the Psalmist is speaking of sin altogether; of the root of sin, not of the external act only; for that is only, as it were, the fruit which proceeds from the tree and root of sin. For when he exclaims that he "was conceived in sin, this certainly does not refer to adultery only, but to the whole nature as defiled by sin. And yet, it does not at all militate against this interpretation, that David mentions his actual sin as an example: for in this outward act, more sins are signified than his one sin with Bathsheba. He adds to his adultery, the sin of lying dissimulation: for he pronounces the man. who took away the ewe lamb from his poor neighbour, to be worthy of death, while he himself would not see his own sin in the murder of Uriah and the rape of his wife, but wished still to appear holy and a lover of justice and equity. This was doubling his sin. Moreover, he not only thus coloured over the shameful murder of Uriah, but occasioned the death of other Israelites; and caused also the name of the Lord to be blasphemed. And thus, having broken the fifth and sixth commandment, he sinned against the first, the second, and the third also. Nor would he have left the fifth commandment, which respects duty to parents, unbroken, if he had resisted his adulterous desires.

With the sin of blasphemy, indeed, God most particularly charges him: "Thou hast given occasion to the children of Ammon to blaspheme." For at their slaughter of David's people, the minds of those nations were elated against the people and the God

of Israel; so that, they boasted that the God of Israel was nothing at all, but that the God of the Ammonites was God, and prevailed. Wherefore, David is a signal example of sin, thus breaking together nearly the whole of the ten commandments; and yet, he would not have confessed these sins, had Nathan not come to him; but would still have made himself appear to be a just and holy king.

When the sin of David is thus set forth, it furnishes a signal example both of sin and of grace. And indeed, had not the holy scriptures handed down to us this history, who would ever have believed, that so great a saint could have so foully fallen!-He had instituted the worship of the tabernacle with the utmost diligence, under the directions of the Holy Spirit-he had augmented that worship with the most holy psalms-he had conducted the most serious wars with signal success-God had pronounced him to be an elect man-he had received a most glorious promise of the future seed, that is, of Christ, whom the prophets call the son of David, and also, king David-in short, there can be no reason why he should not be justly compared with Moses and Samuel: and yet, so great a man, falls, not into one light sin, but into many enormities of sins at once: and what is still more perilous, he falls into impenitence, and deep security: so that, had not Nathan come to him, David might, perhaps, have sinned against the Holy Ghost.

Since, therefore, so great a man, who was full of the Holy Spirit, renowned for the greatest works, for divine wisdom, for a gift of prophecy distinguished above all others, so foully fell, it may be as an example before us, that we may derive consolation whenever we are overcome and fall into sin, or when our consciences are touched with a sense of the wrath and the judgment of God. For here, in this most manifest example, the goodness and mercy of God shine forth,

as ready to pardon our sins and to justify us, if we do not add the cloak, of denying that we have sinned, as it is shewn in the history of Saul; who, although he had sinned against the voice of the Lord, might have been pardoned, if he had not added to his sin a defence of it, saying, "I have obeyed the voice of the Lord," 1 Sam. xv.: and even when he was admonished the second time, he perseveringly denied the charge: nay, "I have (says he) heard the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent Therefore, he received from Samuel this dreadful sentence, "Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel." As though he had said,-The Lord is, indeed, ready to forgive sins; but it is to those who acknowledge their sins, and who do not despair but believe that there is a way of return open unto that God who has promised the remission of sins unto those that repent, &c.

Therefore, although the Psalm speaks of the whole nature of sin, and the fountain-spring of it, yet we do not exclude the history to which the title of it refers— adultery and the murder of Uriah. For in these sins of his, David saw, as in a glass, the pollution of his whole nature: so that, he thought thus with himselfBehold here am I, who have administered the affairs of the state, who have instituted the church and the worship of God, and who have guided the people by the skilfulness of my hands, Ps. Ixxviii. ! and how am I fallen into such iniquity, into so many and great sins? From the knowledge of one sin, therefore, he came to the knowledge of the whole of his sinfulness. As though he had said-If I, so great a man, have thus fallen as it were from heaven down to hell, is not this a full proof to me and to all men, that in my flesh there is no good whatever?

It is therefore great wisdom to know, that we are nothing but sin; that we might not think lightly of

sin as the Pope's teachers do, who define sin to be, a word, or an act, or thought against the law of God.' Whereas, do you define it according to this Psalm, 'that the whole of that which is born of father and mother is sin, even before the person can, by reason of age, do, say, or think any thing. For, from this root, nothing can be born that is good before God. And hence arises the division of sin. First, the whole nature is corrupt by sin, and subjected to eternal death. And next, the external appearance as it were of sin which a man, having the law, can perceive: as when thefts, adulteries, or murders are committed. But of this latter kind, even the civil laws speak, though not with sufficient accuracy.

As to what the schoolmen say therefore, that things are sound by nature,' that is a great blasphemy; and the blasphemy is still greater, when it is considered, that the same saying applies also to devils.→→ If things natural were sound, what need would there be of Christ? Moreover, if man when born, have thus a sound will and a sound understanding, to which (as they say,) the will can naturally conform itself, what is the meaning of all this--that what was in paradise lost by sin, can be restored in no other way than by the Son of God alone? And yet many teachers of theology, as it appears, in our times, defend this opinion—‘that natural things are sound;' that is, that the will is good; and if at any time, through depravity, it will or think that which is not right and good, they attribute that to the depravity of men, but not to the will simply, as considered in itself. Against these perilous sentiments, therefore, the mind must be fortified, lest the knowledge of grace be obscured; for that cannot possibly remain sound and whole, while we think in this way of the nature

of man.

Nor is this doctrine of the schoolmen to be by any means borne with in the church-that man can