Psalm 25:11

“For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, though it is great.”

God is a mighty Sovereign, “who does according to his own will,” “neither gives account to us of any of his matters.” We may indeed mark the traces of wisdom and goodness in everything which he does; but “his ways and his thoughts are very different from ours, and far above them.”

In the dispensations of his providence he pays no regard to the moral characters of men, but “makes the sun to shine equally upon the evil and the good.”

In the dispensations of his grace too, he is far from preferring those whom we should think he would select. He often inclines the hearts of “publicans and harlots to enter into his kingdom,” while he leaves less abandoned Religionists, Pharisees and Formalists to perish in their sins. This, if it is a humiliating truth, is also replete with comfort. If it takes away all grounds of boasting, it cuts off at the same time all occasion for despondency. If he “has a right to do what he will with his own,” the vilest person in the universe may approach him with a comfortable hope of acceptance and may address him in the language of the text.

In these words of the Psalmist we may notice,

I. David’s Confession.

David was not ashamed to confess that his sins were exceedingly great.

There is no reason to think that David in this Psalm adverts to his transgression with Bathsheba. It is probable that the Psalm was penned many years before that event. The Royal Penitent speaks rather of his indwelling corruptions. He had long been accustomed to observe the workings of his own heart, and had often besought God to search and try him to the uttermost, Psalm 139:23-24. In this way he had marked both the defects of his duties, and the evil propensities of his nature; and, from a review of all his actions, words, and thoughts, was led to acknowledge that his sin was exceeding great. Nor was this confession peculiar to him.

Holy Job, as soon as he beheld his true character, exclaimed, “Behold, I am vile! Job 40:4.”

Paul no sooner became acquainted with the purity and extent of God’s law, than he saw himself a condemned sinner, and confessed, that “in him dwelt no good thing! Romans 7:9; Romans 7:18.”

And does not a similar confession befit us also?

Let us only review our past lives, and we shall find much occasion for the deepest humiliation.

Have not many of us been addicted to open, known iniquities? And do not the consciences of such people testify against them that their sin is great?

Have not many also devoted all their time and attention to secular concerns? And will they account it a light thing thus to despise God, and idolize the world?

Have not others satisfied themselves with a formal round of duties, in which their souls were never earnestly engaged? And can they suppose that God is pleased with a mere lip-service, when their hearts are far from him?

Have not others professed godliness indeed, but walked utterly unworthy of their profession, being as proud, and passionate, as worldly too, and covetous—as those who have made no such profession? And can they suppose their sin is not great, when sinners are hardened, and God is blasphemed through their means?

But why do we speak of the profane and worldly, or the formal and hypocritical? Must not even the saints themselves blush and be confounded, when they consider how miserably they have fallen short in everything? Must they not exclaim with Paul, “O wretched man that I am!” Surely we must know little indeed of ourselves, if we do not all see how much the confession in the text is suited to our state.

When, like David, we are duly humbled under a sense of our guilt, we shall readily adopt,

II. David’s Petition.

David could not rest without imploring forgiveness at God’s hands.

He found a sense of guilt to be an intolerable burden to his soul, Psalm 38:4; and well knew that it would “eat as a canker,” until he had obtained the pardon of his sin. Hence he humbled himself before his God, and cried for mercy.

Nor shall we restrain prayer before God, if we will but consider the state of an unpardoned soul.

No words can fully express the misery of one who has all the guilt of his sins upon him!

He has no peace with God, seeing that “God is angry with him every day,” and “the wrath of God abides on him.”

He has no peace in his own conscience; for though he may drown reflection for a while in business or pleasure, he is like the troubled sea which cannot rest, but casts up mire and dirt! Isaiah 57:20.

He is also destitute of any well-founded hope for Heaven; he may buoy up himself with blind presumption; but he will feel many misgiving fears, and forebodings of evil.

He has no comfort in his afflictions; for, not having God for his friend, he cannot go to him with confidence, or obtain those refreshing consolations which strengthen and uphold the godly.

In a dying hour he is yet more wretched; if he is not insensible as a beast, how does he regret his mis-spent hours, and wish that God would prolong his state of probation!

But in the eternal world his misery is completed; he comes to the tribunal of divine justice without any mediator to reconcile him to God, or any advocate to plead his cause. Yes, the very voice which just before importuned him to accept of mercy, now bids him “depart accursed” and from that moment his doom is fixed in everlasting burnings!

Now can any man reflect on this, and not see the need of crying earnestly for mercy? Can our petitions be too earnest, or too constant, when they are the appointed, and the only means of escaping all this misery?

But in our application for mercy, we must be careful to use,

III. David’s Plea.

The Psalmist derived all his hope of mercy from God himself.

He never pleaded the smallness of his offences or the multitude of his services, the depth of his penitence, or the fervor of his petitions. He knew that name, which had long before been proclaimed to Moses, to which, as to “a strong tower, the righteous runs and is safe;” and to that he fled for refuge; from that he derived his only hope, his only plea.

Nor can we present any other plea than the name—the sacred name of Jesus.

Under the Gospel we are taught more clearly to ask in the name of Jesus, and are assured that petitions so offered shall never fail of acceptance, John 14:13-14. But it is no easy matter to offer that plea in sincerity. Perhaps there is nothing in the world more difficult. We naturally prefer any other plea that can be devised; and, even when we find that we have not in ourselves any worthiness on which we can rely, we are still averse to rest on the name of Jesus. We either deem it insufficient to procure acceptance for our prayers, or make our unworthiness a reason for declining to urge it as our plea with any confidence before God. But, unless we renounce every other hope, and rest entirely on the mediation and intercession of Christ—our prayer will never enter into the ears of our heavenly Father.

Observations.

1. The vilest of sinners has no reason to despair.

The confession, petition, and plea, which David presented at the throne of Grace—are suited to the very chief of sinners. Nor, as the subsequent experience of David proves, can there be any state in which they shall not prevail. Let none then despond. Be it so, our sins are great; but are they greater than Christ’s merits, or beyond the reach of God’s mercy? If not, let us exalt our adorable Savior; and determine, if we perish, to perish crying for mercy in the name of Jesus!

2. The most eminent saints have no ground to boast.

There never was a creature that had any righteousness of his own to plead. And if God has had mercy upon any, it was purely and entirely for his own name’s sake, Ezekiel 36:22; Ezekiel 36:32. Could we ascend to Heaven, and ask the glorified saints what had been the ground of their acceptance, they would all “cast down their crowns at the feet of Jesus,” and shout, with one consent, “Salvation to God and to the Lamb! Revelation 4:10; Revelation 7:10.” Let the saints on earth then lie low before God, and say continually, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto your name be the praise!”

3. People of every description must guard diligently against pride and unbelief.

Sin, of whatever kind, is both evil in itself and dangerous to us. But the consequences of pride and unbelief are peculiarly fatal. There is not any other sin which may not be forgiven, provided we seek mercy with real penitence and faith. But if we are too proud to confess our sins, and to plead the name and merits of Jesus for the forgiveness of them—then we insure and seal our own condemnation. Let us then guard against all sins; but especially against sins which rivet all our other sins upon us. So shall we obtain favor with God, and “be to him for a name and for a praise for evermore! Jeremiah 13:11.”

Charles Simeon