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SERMON XXV.

2 Sam. xii. 13.

"And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shall not die."

It is very wonderful to review the whole of God's dealing with David, as recorded in Holy Scripture, and to find this sad and awful story in the midst of it. Chosen and beloved of God, and loving Him above all things; strengthened from childhood with a mighty faith; great-minded, so as to be able to spare his cruel enemy; wise, just, temperate, merciful, considerate of others; tried in the furnace of adversity, and then blessed with the fullest success and the highest glory, and in that glory first seeking to glorify God;—who would have thought that David would be found sinning against God and his neighbour, first taking the wife of his faithful servant, and then plotting the death of that servant to cover his own shame?

The thought is astonishing and dreadful.

We often judge a man by a single action, and say what a wretch, what a monster he must be, who can do such a thing! A man that can do so is not to be trusted, is not fit to live. It was not so great a crime as his own that the Prophet spoke of to David, when "David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."a For one action he judged the man deserving of death, and yet he had done a far worse; for who could make restoration for the lamb he had taken, and the life he had given to the sword?

What follows, then? Are we to think lightly of sin because David could be guilty of it, and to suppose that, after all, God's judgment is not so severe upon it as we have been told, or as conscience would bid us fear? Are we to say, "here is a great saint guilty of what people would call extreme wickedness; so we must expect to find ourselves sometimes led away into what is wrong, and we need not be over much troubled at it." Such cannot be the lesson • 2 Sam. xii. 5, 6.

God has meant for us, for His judgment on sin is holy, and just, and severe, let man do what he will. David cannot change the mind of God, or alter what He has declared against them that do such things. But he can be to us both a warning and an example of repentance.

He is a warning to us that we may not presume on our past doings, or on God's favour to us; for it was after shewing great virtues, and receiving great favours from God, that he thus fell. His fall itself is warning enough to a soul that loves God. The thought of all the outward torments of hell itself is not so dreadful to a devout soul as the guilt of adultery and murder. If David had been told beforehand what he would one day do, he might have answered, like Hazael," Is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing?" Doubtless if he had been so warned by a Prophet, he would not have done as Hazael did; he would have watched, and not have suffered the enemy to take advantage of him. But he had no right to expect such a warning. God had given him means enough to guard against such crimes, had supplied him with all he could want to satisfy his reasonable desires, » 2 Kings viii. 13.

and had given him laws to shew him what he might and what he might not have, and had taught him where to seek help if he should be tempted. Yet he fell.

And the true servant of God will take warning by his fall, not the less because he did not perish. There was, indeed, a punishment left, after his pardon. The sword came upon his house, and the blood of Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah, besides the death of the child of his sin, paid a fourfold penalty for Uriah. And the sin of Absalom avenged the dishonour of Bathsheba.

This is a warning to the carnal, who do not much fear sin. Let them think that the man after God's own heart, even after he had deeply repented, suffered long and bitter chastisement, and losses which he felt worse than death, for the one thing in which He had displeased the Lord. It was not merely a father's weakness that made him cry " would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" Doubtless the thought of his own sin came back upon him, and he felt that he had made forfeit of his own life by transgression, and that now, perchance, his prayer might have saved his guilty son, but that he had brought a curse upon his

c 2 Sam. xviii. 33.

house. It was a long and bitter sorrow that he had to endure; and they would do well to think of it who make light even of pardoned sin.

But the truly spiritual man looks not so much at the punishment as at the guilt itself, and thinks how dreadful must it be, after years of love toward God, and enjoyment of His love, to fall into grievous sin, and dishonour Him, and give occasion to His enemies to blaspheme! Let a man of the world consider how he would shrink from the notion of being, some day, found guilty, before all men, of dishonourable and treacherous conduct. Let one who has not station enough in society to enter into the feeling of such disgrace, think what it would be to stand before the judge in court, and to be convicted of some disgraceful crime, even though he might be recommended to mercy. How utterly lost would he think himself, and how would he shrink from the sight of men, and wish the very hills to cover him, and to make an end of his wretchedness!

Yet the man who sees God by faith cannot but think even more of grievously offending Him. "Against Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight," said David,

d Ps. li. 4.

d

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