Psalm 32:1-7 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.… I. TILL YOU ARE PARDONED YOU ARE NEVER BLESSED. IS he happy who is condemned to die, although he hath plentiful allowance till the day of his execution? So neither can earthly good make the sinner blessed. II. NOTHING ELSE BUT PARDON WILL SERVE OUR TURN, Forbearance on God's part will not, for forbearance from punishment does not dissolve the obligation to punish. Respite is not pardon. Nor, either, forgetfulness on our part. They are not happy that have the least trouble, but they that have the least cause. A benumbed conscience cannot challenge this blessedness. God hath neither forgiven nor covered their sin. III. THE EVILS WHICH FORGIVENESS FREES US FROM AND THE GOOD WHICH DEPENDS UPON IT. 1. The evils. Guilt, and therefore punishment. 2. The good. You cannot enjoy God till you are forgiven. IV. WHAT MUST BE DONE THAT WE MAY BE CAPABLE OF THIS BLESSED PRIVILEGE. 1. For our first entrance into it. (1) We must have repentance and faith (Acts 10:43; 11:38; Luke 24:47). Repentance respects God, to whom we return: faith, Christ, by whom we return. And these are necessary for the glory of God. It is not fitting that pardon and life should be bad without any conditions. And they are necessary, too, for our comfort. 2. For our continuance in it. The first truths are gone over again and again; and there is a new obedience (1 John 1:7). And there is daily prayer. 3. For the recovery out of grievous lapses and falls.In them there is required a particular and express repentance; and repentance and faith must be carried with respect to those four things that are in sin: culpa, the fault, reatus, the guilt, maeula, the stain and blot, and poena, the punishment. 1. For the fault in the transgression of the law, or the criminal action. See that the fault be not continued; relapses are very dangerous. A bone often broken in the same place is hardly set again. God's children are in danger of this before the breach be well made up, or the orifice of the wound be soundly closed; as Lot doubled his incest, and Samson goes in again and again to Delilah. 2. The guilt continues till serious and solemn repentance, and humiliation before God, and suing out our pardon in Christ's name. There must be a solemn humbling for the sin, and then God will forgive us. Suppose a man forbear the act, and never commit it more (as Judah forbore the act, after he had committed incest with Tamar, but it seems he repented not till she showed him the bracelets and the staff); yet with serious remorse we must beg our peace humbly upon the account of our Mediator. Therefore something must be done to take away the guilt. 3. There is the blot or evil inclination to sin again. A brand that hath been in the fire is more apt to take fire again; the evil influences of the sin continue. Now the root of sin must be mortified, it is not enough to forbear or confess a sin, but we must pull out the core of the distemper before all will be well. 4. There is the punishment. It will not be eternal. We are delivered from that. But there may be temporary evils (Psalm 89:32, 33). What, then, is our business? Humbly to deprecate these judgments. "Lord, correct me not in Thine anger," etc. ( T. Manton.) Parallel Verses KJV: {A Psalm of David, Maschil.} Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.WEB: Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is covered. |
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