---

Three points arising out of the text.

I. THE FACT THAT GOD LOOKETH UPON MAN. This is the doctrine of God's omniscience. Go wheresoever we may, whether in the crowd or in solitude, we can never escape from the eye of God. He sees the very thoughts of our hearts; He reads the motives from which actions spring. This is a very marvellous truth — it almost baffles our comprehension. The eye of God is not only upon us, it is upon the entire universe. This must be a necessary attribute of God. How should God govern the world if He were not able at one glance to scan the thoughts and actions of all mankind?

II. THE CHARACTER OF A TRUE PENITENT. This includes —

1. The personal consciousness of sin. Sin brought home to the individual, sin acknowledged — sin confessed as a burden resting upon the individual himself; not merely a burden shared in common with others.

2. The absence of all self-excusing. "I have perverted that which was right." An insincere penitent will always endeavour rather to palliate his fault than otherwise; to extenuate his trespass, The true penitent is rather ready to aggravate than to extenuate the sins of which he is conscious.

3. Hopeless dissatisfaction. "It profiteth me not." Every transgressor of God must be brought, at one time or another, to exclaim, "It profiteth me not." Sin always comes with the offer of profit. The temptation to transgress would fall powerless if it were not accompanied with the bribe of some prospective advantage.

III. THE BLESSED EFFECTS FOLLOWING TRUE REPENTANCE. Two things —

1. Deliverance from condemnation "He will deliver his soul from going into the pit." This speaks of full and complete forgiveness.

2. Translation to reward. "His life shall see the light." He shall be translated to everlasting life.

(Bishop Boyd Carpenter.)

---

---

KJV: He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

WEB: He sings before men, and says, 'I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it didn't profit me.