THEY are the penitent Words of David, re­flecting upon his barbarous Murder of Uriah: A most earnest Prayer to GOD to forgive his Crime, and restore the Peace of his Soul. You have the dreadful Story in II Sam. xi, & xii, Chapters. After his great and complicated Wickedness, Nathan the Prophet is sent to him with a Message from GOD; a Message full of Conviction, Resentment, and Mercy. The Prophet, in the Name of GOD, charges home his Sin upon his Conscience; Thou art the Man! He de­nounces the Judgments of Heaven against him, and against his House. He aggravates his Wickedness to him, in all its Circumstances of Darkness & Horror, and informs him of the mighty Anger of GOD burning and raging against him. And now the poor King has his Heart melted within him. He has nothing to say in his own Excuse. He had carried on his Impiety, with Hypocrisy, Deceit & Lies: But the Spirit of GOD sei­zes him; He is overcome; He has no Heart to pro­ceed any further. And David said unto Nathan, I have [Page 6] sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, the Lord also hath put away thy Sin; thou shalt not die. Here's Penitence! Here's Mercy! The weeping David at once condemns himself; owns his Guilt; falls down before GOD, in Shame and Self-loathing. But Oh! How surprized was he to hear the Pardon pronounced, soon as his Repentance was declared?

When Nathan left him, he retired to fast & pray for the Life of his Child: And now, a sudden Afflatus from GOD came upon him, and inspired he writes the Psalm before us. The Spirit of GOD comes back again to his Soul: and tho' perhaps he intended to make a Prayer for the Recovery of his Infant, The Words are altered in his Mouth, and in his Pen; And he gives us the most noble Process of Repentance that is any where to be met with. That Part of the Psalm that I am upon, suited to the awful Occasion of this Day, is the Address of the humble Penitent to GOD, to pardon his dreadful Mur­der: Deliver me from Blood-guiltiness, O GOD, thou GOD of my Salvation: and my Tongue shall sing aloud of thy Righteousness.— In discoursing on these Words, I shall in the Name of GOD, endeavour the following Things.

I. I shall describe the Crime of David: Blood-Guiltiness.

II. I shall consider his Prayer: Deliver me from Blood-Guiltiness.

III. I shall state the Argument of his Hopes: O GOD, thou GOD of my Salvation.

And lastly, His grateful Resolution in Case God for­gave him; My Tongue shall sing aloud of thy Righteousness.

I shall endeavour to be as brief as I can upon these Points, that I may hasten to that particular and solemn Application, which I am call'd to by the affecting Ob­ject before us.

I. I am to describe to you the Crime of David; ex­press'd in that Word Blood-Guiltiness. The original Word litterally translated is Bloods—From Bloods. 'Twas an in­volved Crime, a perplex'd Piece of Villany. It had in [Page 7] it a Plurality of dark Circumstances & Murders. Bloods: There was more than one it seems in it. Perhaps when Uriah was set in the Front of the Battle, it was so order'd that others should fall with him to disguise the Business. II Sam. xi.25. Then David said to the Messenger — The Sword devoureth one as well as another: Make the Battle stronger next Time. However, Joah was guilty as well as David; and it all rested in the End upon the Head of David, who caused Joah to sin. So that the Guilt of two fell upon him singly, and in this Respect, he might well speak of Bloods. Besides this, the poor innocent Infant must die for his Father's Sin; so that in some Sort he was the Author of his Child's Death too. But it may be David used the plural Number here, reflecting upon his murderous Designs once or twice before: For he had the Guilt in his Heart, tho' GOD with-held him from compleating the Act. — What a Madman was he in the Case of Nabal! 'Tis true, the Son of Belial used him unjustly and scurilously: But was that any Reason that he should murder him, and his whole Family with him? Because Nabal was a Churl, must David turn a revengeful, bloody Ruffian? And yet what a Speech did he make upon this Occasion, when he heard Nabal had affronted him? He was all on Fire. 'Twas but a Word and a Blow with him. In an Instant he flies out in a Frenzy, curses all his Enemies, profanes the Name of his GOD, and vows to kill Nabal and all his Family before Morning. 1 Sam. xxv.12. So David's young Men turned their Way, and went again, and came and told him all those Sayings. And David said unto his Men, Gird you on every Man his Sword! and they girded on every Man his Sword, and went up after David four hundred Men. And David said. Surely in vain have I kept all that this Fellow hath in the Wilderness — And he hath requited me Evil for Good. So and more also do GOD unto the Ene­mies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the Morning Light, even so much as a Dog. And did you ever hear such Language as this from the Mouth of any [Page 8] but a bloody-minded Madman? And tho' a good GOD prevented the Execution of this rash Vow, who can ex­cuse David from having Murder in his Heart? Well then might David in his Penitence, reflect upon more Murders than one, and pray to be delivered from Bloods.

But to confine our Selves to this particular Crime, and if you please, to keep to the English Translation, Blood-guiltiness: O what a Scene of Impiety opens to our View! 'Tis one of the most dismal Histories in all the Scrip­tures. The strangest Instance of a Fall from GOD that was ever before known. David, a poor unregardable little Shepherd, chosen by the peculiar Grace of GOD, distinguished from, and advanced above all his goodly elder Brethren, preserved by a constant Series of Mira­cles, raised to the Throne of the peculiar People of GOD, surrounded by all the Blessings of Earth and Heaven; inspired by the vast Possession of the Holy Spirit; and in one Word, declared to be, The Man after GOD's own Heart. This David now; (would you think it!) This very David, falls into Adultery and Murder. The least Sin, had in him been great, who was under so many Obligations to GOD: But Adultery & Murder! What could a Heathen, or an Athiest do worse?

And yet this is the very Case before us. David, un­der all his indissoluble Obligations, and matchless. Ad­vantages, thus fouly falls, an eternal Reproach to hu­man Nature, and an Instance what frail Creatures we are, even the best Men upon Earth.

David then goes up to the Battlements of his Palace, and there walks idly from Side to Side; and having no Business to employ him, falls a Prey to the Temp­tations of Coveteousness and Lust. Happy had it been for thee, David, hadst thou now been employed in the Affairs of the Kingdom, or in thy Retirements address'd a Psalm to Heaven. But he was idle! And O what an Inlet is this cursed Vice to all Mischief & Wickedness? Being idle he stood as it were a Man in the Devil's Mar­ket Place, waiting to be set to Work. Here Satan found him out of God's Way; and this which appears to many [Page 9] so little a Sin, lead the Way to all the Excess and Li­centiousness following. He was tempted and he fell. The generous Uriah was now in the bloody Field, fight­ing the Battels of the Lord, & maintaining the Honour of this David; while he basely betrayed his Wife. Afraid the Matter should be discovered, he uses the meanest Artifices, and the vilest Hypocrisy to cover his Wicked­ness: But when he found none of his base Schemes took Effect, then (wonder O Heavens, and be astonished O Earth, be ye horribly afraid, and be ye very desolate!) then he conspires the Death of Uriah, one of his bravest and most gallant Friends. He who merited to be rank­ed with the thirty Worthies, must be ranked in the Fore­front of the Battel, that he may be numbred to the Sword of the Enemy. Was ever any Thing more treacherous and perfideous! The vile Conspiracy took Effect, and the brave Uriah falls a Victim to the Cruelty and Lust of David. The Adultery was detestible; But nothing could be more barbarous and cursed than the Murder. Consider the Criminal, the Manner, and the Subject, and there was no such Deed done nor seen from the Day that the Children of Israel came out of the Land of Egypt, unto this Day: Consider of it, confer together, and speak your Minds. How often must David's Conscience check him, while he was conspiring this Wickedness? How many Reluctings must he needs have within? And yet, deliberately, and bearing down all, he compleats the Guilt, and the gallant Hero bleeds a Sacrifice to his lewd Desires.

Now David began to make himself easy. The Mur­der was committed, and he thought that it would be concealed: There could never be any Proof of the Mat­ter, and he fancied himself secure. But Oh, poor Man, thy GOD, and thy Conscience know the Affair, and in vain wouldst thou disguise it from the World, while the Guilt and the Anguish corrodes within. Alas! there are no more quiet Hours for David. His Heart smites him, his GOD withdraws, the Ghost of the murdered [Page 10] Uriah haunts his Dreams, and perplexes his waking Hours. He turns pale and starts at every Noise, and hears the Blood cry from the Ground, for Vengeance to the GOD of Heaven. He who a few Nights ago could fall asleep in the Raptures of his Master's Love, now has no Rest in his Bones because of his Sin. He who was wont to remember his GOD with Joy upon his Bed, now waters his Couch with his Tears. The Anguish of his Mind was insupportable long before Nathan was sent from GOD to him. He quickly begun to repent after the Fact was over.

I know 'tis the general Opinion, that David lived in his Sin, for several Months, and was never brought to Repentance 'till this Visit from Nathan. But, with all Submission, I think the Case was much otherwise. It appears as tho' several Passages of the penitential Psalms were written after the Murder of Uriah, and before Na­than had said, The Lord also hath put away thy Sin. ^† Would David, do you imagine, have written in such disponding Terms, after God himself had assur'd him that he was pardoned? No: tho' this Psalm wherein is my Text, was written after Nathan's Message, yet it should seem from the different Air, that other of the pe­nitential Psalms were composed in the Depth of Peni­tence, before David could perswade himself that GOD had forgiven him.

See the poor King in his dark Retirements! Adultery and Murder lay upon his Soul. He complains of Dis­quietude, Wounds, and broken Bones. He weeps and rores with inward Distress. His Tears are his Meat Night and Day, and he finds no Relief as yet from GOD or Man. However, his Penitence is sincere, tho' he sees it not. He would not commit the Wickedness again for a thousand Worlds. As yet, the C [...] was con­cealed from the World, and as GOD had conceal'd it, he had no need to blaze it abroad. But however, he is brought into this submissive Temper, as every true Peni­tent [Page 11] is, if ever Providence should bring it out, his Re­pentance should be as publick as his Sin. This is the true Disposition of a sincere Convert. And now the fulness of Time was come for a merciful GOD to re­gard his Distress, and send the Words of Pardon to him. The Prophet comes at the divine Order, and charges his Guilt home upon him, Thou art the Man! At once Da­vid confesses without Hesitation or Reluctance. He bursts into Tears, and cries out, I have sinned against the Lord. Now you see David again. He appears like his former Self. Full of Faith, and Love, and Prayer, and Grati­tude, he returns to his GOD, and rises in all his Glory. Nathan goes away, and David retires to Fasting and Prayer, to ask the Life of his unlawful Child. But GOD meets him in the miraculous Inspiration, and he forgets his own particular Request, and writes this penitential Psalm, for the Benefit of the Church in all future Ages.

We have thus considered the Crime of David, and how vast was it! How dreadful in itself, and how aggravated in him! And yet, hoping in GOD, he makes this Prayer, Deliver me from Blood-guiltiness, O GOD, thou GOD of my Salvation: and my Tongue shall sing aloud of thy Righte­ousness. And this is the second Thing to be considered.

II. I am to observe upon the Prayer of David, with Regard to his dreadful Sin. He prays; and 'twas the best Thing he could do. The wisest Course we can take after we have fallen into Sin, is at once to pray for Re­pentance. If ever Satan can keep us from praying, he has us fast enough. If David had restrained Prayer, af­ter his Sin, what had become of him then indeed! then he had been ruined without Hope. But he prayed to his GOD: and what said he: Deliver me from Blood-guiltiness, O GOD, thou GOD of my Salvation &c. Deli­ver me from it. Happy had it been for David, had he made this Prayer, when he was first tempted to it. But now 'tis past, he is convinced, that if GOD will please to forgive him, he may yet be delivered. The Man who is pardoned, is in the Sight of GOD, as pure as he who never sinned.

[Page 12]III. You observe the Argument which David makes use of in his Plea for a Pardon. O GOD, thou GOD of my Salvation.— Past Experiences are Arguments for future Favours.—The Name of GOD is his strong Tower, to which he flies for Protection. His Name is the GOD of Salvation: Wherefore, for his Name's Sake, David urges for a Pardon. Thou GOD of my Salvation: 'Tis as if he had said, Thou GOD my SAVIOUR. This was the Name for the MESSIAH. And under that dark Dispensation, 'twas as tho' he had said, For CHRIST's Sake. And thus are we to seek Pardon from GOD. Not for the Sake of our own Prayers and Tears, and good Works: But only on the Account of our Saviour's Merits: O GOD, thou GOD of my Salvation. Of his own Mercy he saved us. Eph. ii.8. For by Grace are ye saved, thro' Faith, & that not of your selves: it is the Gift of GOD. 'Tis a fatal Mistake, to pray for a Pardon, and think we shall obtain it for the Sake of the Prayer. Or if we endeavour to repent of Sin, & reform our Lives, it oversets the whole Work, if we depend upon this Repentance and Refor­mation, and not on GOD our Saviour. Rom. x.3, 4. For they being ignorant of GOD's Righteousness, and going about to establish their own Righteousness, have not sub­mitted themselves unto the Righteousness of GOD. For CHRIST is the End of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth. Our whole Argument for a Pardon then, must be, O GOD, Thou GOD of my Salvation. We must depend upon the Mercies of GOD, and the Merits of our Saviour, for Pardon, and Acceptance, and Reconciliation. After all the vile Crime of David, he could make this his Confidence, and take Sanctuary here. There's no Sinner so great, but here's enough for him, upon his sincere return.

The last Thing I observ'd in the Text, was

IV. David's grateful Resolution in Case GOD forgave him; and the blessed Effect of pardoning Mercy. My Tongue shall sing aloud of thy Righteousness.

Says the Penitent David, I am under the Guilt of Bloods—But O my GOD forgive me, and my Tongue [Page 13] shall sing aloud of thy Righteousness. Praise & Thanks­giving are the immediate Practice of every pardoned Sin­ner. O when a poor Creature has been shaken over the Mouth of Hell, and then sees himself delivered, he is swallowed up in the Love of GOD, and burns with the most lively Gratitude to him. O, says he, what has my GOD done for me! and what shall I render to him! Thou GOD of my Salvation, how can I praise thee enough! Never can I requite thee; but how shall I testify the Sincerity and Ardors of my Love!

But in the original Text, the Particle And is omitted. It runs, Deliver me from Bloods, O GOD, Thou GOD of my Salvation;—My Tongue shall sing aloud of thy Righte­ousness. This expresses the Assurance the Psalmist had, that GOD had heard him, and the Joy of Pardon was breaking in. It teaches us, that where-ever true Repen­tance is, there is certainly Forgiveness. The English Translation expresses the grateful Resentment of a Pardon: the original Hebrew declares, the certain Effect of Re­pentance. As David prays to be delivered, he stops short and says inward, I am so: My Tongue shall sing aloud of thy Righteousness.

You observe; If we are pardon'd 'tis because of the Righteousness of GOD our Saviour. This must be im­puted to us, if ever we are forgiven by GOD. If after all our Sins, we are again received into Favour, we must not attribute it to our own Merits, but sing aloud of his Righteousness.

You observe, That it is an Act of Justice in GOD to forgive the believing Penitent. CHRIST, in a Word, has paid the full Price of a Pardon for all that repent and believe. 'Tis then a Debt upon GOD's giving us Faith and Repentance: GOD is Righteous when he receives us upon our Repentance and Faith. He may be just, and yet justify him that believeth. 'Tis a great Word, and if GOD had not said it himself, we should not have dar'd to; I Joh. i.9. If we confess our Sins, he is Faithful and Just to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness. Convinced of this, David assur'd [Page 14] of the divine Pardon, prepares to sing aloud of the Righ­teousness of GOD, which first purchased, and then be­stowed it.

I have now gone thro' the several Points of Doctrine which I intended, and am arriv'd to my Application.

I. From what has been said, you see into what dread­ful Sins human Nature may fall; even the best of Men, a David himself, off his Guard, and loosing his Hold of God, falls into Adultery, Persidy, Ingratitude, Hypo­crisy and Murder! O what Cause have we to walk cautiously and humbly with our God.

II. Let none venture to Sin from the Example of David. Would any seek to justify or excuse their own Wickedness from this dismal History? Do they say, David did as bad as we can? Vain Men, is David to be imitated or no? If he is, why do you not follow him in his Repentance, his Devotion, his steady and long continued Course of Holiness, as well as in one Act which he himself pronounced detestable. So that, thou Hypo­crite, out of thy own Mouth shalt thou be condemned. But if you say he is not to be imitated, then pray never mention his Name to paliate or soften thy own Crimes.—'Twas one of the greatest Agravations of his Sin, that it gave Occa­sion to the Enemies of the Lord to Blaspheme.

III. Let none applaud his own Innocence, when he compares himself with the Falls of David. Say not, how pure am I, who never committed such enormous Crimes? The Law says, Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit Adultery. Say not, These have I kept from my Youth. 'Twas the proud Pharisee who utter'd the pro­fane Boast, God I thank thee that I am not as other Men are, Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers, or even as this Pub­lican. Nay, let him that thinketh he standeth, take Heed least he fall. Whilst I have been Preaching of Adul­tery & Murder, let not the bigger Part of the Audience think that they have little to do with it. Alas, in this vile Heart of mine, are the Seeds of all these blackest Sins. So said the blessed Martyr Bradford, striking [Page 15] on his Breast; when he heard of the great Sins of others. If God should leave us to ourselves, there's no Sin so vile but the very best of us would presently com­mit. Nay, who can pronounce himself clear, when the LORD JESUS CHRIST himself, that best Expositer of the divine Law, has positively declared, Whosoever is angry at his Brother without a Cause is a Murderer: Whosoever looks with irregular Desire is an Adulterer. Matth. v.21, 27. Nay, in the Name of God, I indict every impenitent Sinner in this great Assembly, of Murder, most execrable Murder! You have your Share in the Guilt that has murdered all Mankind. For as by one Man Sin enter'd into the World, and Death by Sin, so has Death passed upon all Men, in that all have sinned. More than this, every Time you have committed a Sin, you have given a deadly Stab to your ruin'd Spirits. He that doth it, destroyeth his own Soul. When you have been about to commit Sin, how have you once and again felt your Heart mis­give, your Conscience smite you. You were that Mo­ment going to kill your Souls: And had you attended, you had heard them cry out, MURDER! And yet, you have stop'd your Ears to their bitter Shreeks, and have gone on, 'till now perhaps they are wholly dead, quite insensible, and the Spirit of GOD may never work upon them any more. But what say you to that Indictment of the Apostle, Heb. vi.6. If they shall fall away, it is impossible to renew them again unto Repentance: seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of GOD afresh, and put him to open Shame. Or what shall the profane Approacher to the Lord's Table say to that Indictment, He is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. To every impenitent Sinner, who shall ask, What has a Sermon to a Murderer to do with me? I tell him, as the Prophet from GOD to David, Thou art the Man. The Blood of your mur­dered Souls cries to Heaven against you. Against thy own Life hast thou done this Thing! All of us then have need enough to make the Prayer of my Text, Deliver me from Blood-guiltiness, O GOD, Thou GOD of my Salvation &c.—

[Page 16]But, I come now to the more particular Application of the Day; and address the Word of GOD to the poor Malefactor before us in the Terrors of the Shadow of Death.

Ah! poor Daughter of Death, Hear what Messages I bring you from Heaven, and GOD give you Faith in the Hearing.

Poor Criminal, here you stand condemned before GOD; within a few Moments of Death and Eternity. Need I say any Thing to excite your Attention to the Admonitions of Heaven. You are too nearly concern­ed to be a sleepy Hearer. I shall speak to you, as to One just launching into the invisible World, with the utmost Fidelity to GOD, my own Soul, and yours.

This is not a Time to give flattering Words, but as far as I can, first to convince, to affect, to awaken you; and then to shew you the right Way to a Pardon, and encourage you to lay hold on it.

Ah, unhappy Malefactor! The Voice of the inno­cent Blood cries aloud from the Ground to Heaven. In many Regards my Text is suited to you, and your Cir­cumstances are like David's. GOD has bless'd you with a religious Education. Like David you have been distin­guished among your Nation by peculiar Favours of GOD.

And now, what Improvement did you make of your Advantages? What Returns did you make to the good GOD that distinguished you? You are ready in some Sort to own how disobedient & false & mischievous you have been. GOD gave you a Space to repent, and tried you from Day to Day: But you repented not; you were hard and incorrigible. GOD provok'd, left you: and you see what is come of it: Young as you are, ripe for the Vengeance of a capital Execution! However, He was good to you still: and in your long Confine­ment, in Darkness & Solitude, he has given you Oppor­tunities to seek his Favour; and GOD knows how miserably you have improved them.

But, O poor Malefactor, I would not drive you to Despair. I bring you good Tydings of great Joy, unto [Page 17] you is offer'd a Saviour; Pardon and Life & Salvation. You know what the Law of GOD says expresly, Exod. xx.13. Thou shalt not kill. You have read what awful Words GOD spake to Noah, Gen. ix.5, 6. Surely your Blood of your Lives will I require: at the Hand of every Man's Brother will I require the Life of Man. Whoso shed­deth Man's Blood, by Man shall his Blood be shed. You have been told of that unalterable Sentence of Hea­ven, Numb. xxxv.16. If he smite him (so that he die) he is a Murderer: the Murderer shall surely be put to Death. Here, in the Word of GOD, you read your Crime and your Punishment. It would be a Sin in any so much as to wish for your Life, Prov. xxviii.17. A Man that doth Violence to the Blood of any Person, shall flee to the Pit, let no Man stay him. Numb. xxxv.31. Moreover, ye shall take no Satisfaction for the Life of a Murderer, which is guilty of Death: but he shall, be surely put to Death.

But tho' you have lost your Life for this World, there is yet some Hope remaining that you may obtain a bet­ter. Indeed they are dreadful Words, I Joh. iii.15. No Murderer hath eternal Life. 'Tis a dreadful Description, Rev. xxii.15. Shut out of the holy City, are Dogs, and Whoremongers, and Murderers, and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lie. 'Tis a dreadful Declaration, Gal. v.19, 21. The Works of the Flesh are these, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Murders, Drunkenness — They that do such Things shall not inherit the Kingdom of GOD. 'Tis a dreadful Account, Rev. xxi.8. The Unbelieving, and the Abominable, and Murderers, and Whoremongers, and all Liars, shall have their Part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone; which is the second Death. This, miserable Creature, must be your certain Doom, if after all, you die impenient. You have fallen into the Hands of Men, and they have condemned you as not fit to live: But O you'l find it a fearful Thing to fall in­to the Hands of the living GOD.

[Page 18]But yet, after all these dreadful Words, I am here, in the Name of CHRIST, to make you another Offer of a Pardon. Like Nathan, I would first convict you: And then, like him, I am to inform you of the Mercies of GOD, and the Hopes of Forgiveness. You must be in Agony, but you may not Despair. Tho' Murder is such a flagrant Crime, and the Word of GOD speaks so terribly of it, yet, 'tis no more than what you see David has been pardon'd for before. So was Manasseh, who is now in Glory, after all his Wickedness & Murders. He shed innocent Blood very much, which the Lord would not pardon, so as not to punish it in this World: No more did he David's Murder, but for ever after this was he pursu'd by one Affliction after another, 'till he died: But yet David and Manasseh are both now in Paradise, blessing and admiring the Grace of GOD together: You, poor Criminal, may in a few Hours be with them.

'Twas long before Manasseh repented. Not 'till he was bound with Fetters, and held in Cords of Affliction: II Chron. xxxiii.11. And when he was in Affliction he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly be­fore the God of his Fathers, and prayed unto him, and he was entreated of him, and heard his Supplication: Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he is God. Nay, what Incouragement would you desire, disconsolate Prisoner! The very Men who murdered the Son of God, were par­doned and are now in Heaven. See Act. ii.23.36 —41.

'Tis true, the innocent Blood cries from the Ground for Vengeance: But yet, the Blood of Sprinkling speak­eth better Things than the Bood of Abel, and this lifts up a prevailing Cry for Pardon & Forgiveness for you. When the frightned Jailour was going to Murder him­self, and cried out, trembling, What shall I do to be saved? The Apostle answered him, Act. xvi.31. Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and thou shalt be saved. So I say to you, Prisoner of Death. I shall explain your Duty in this Thing, and so conclude my Discourse.

[Page 19]Spend some of your few Moments in calling to Mind your Sins, in their several Argravations, and confess them as particularly as you can to GOD. He that covereth his Transgression shall not prosper: But he that con­fesseth and forsaketh shall find Mercy.

As you see yourself thus ruin'd on all Hands, now betake yourself to GOD in CHRIST. Here, poor Cri­minal, here's Mercy and plentious Redemption for you. Here's Pardon and Righteousness, Sanctification & eter­nal Life. Say, O GOD, thou GOD of my Salvation, for thy Names Sake, and for thy Son's Sake, forgive me, and renew me. Submit to GOD your Saviour, and chuse and trust in the blessed JESUS, as your Pro­phet, Priest and King. Renounce your own Righteous­ness, and depend upon his. Say, Tho' he slay me, yet will I trust in him. If God enables you to be sincere and thorough in this, there shall after all be Joy in Hea­ven over you. The Prodigal returning shall be met and embraced by the tender Father.

And now let your Tongue sing aloud of his Righ­teousness. Plead the Righteousness of your Savi­our for your Justification; praise and admire this: Adore the Righteousness of GOD, who gives you up for this World; but offers you a Pardon for the next. Justify God, and condemn yourself. Submit and resign, and fall down before this sovereign and just GOD. Thus spend the few Moments of your Life here, and if GOD should indeed give you such a Heart, in that Hour when you leave this World, the LORD JESUS CHRIST who himself suffered without the Gates, shall say to you, as once to the Malefactor at his Execution. To Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

But I now turn me to this very great Congregation: And Oh! Let the chief of Sinners here before GOD, hence learn their Duty, and take Warning. Flee in­stantly from the Wrath to come, the Evil which pursue Sinners.

[Page 20]Despair not, my Brethren, but remember David, after all his most horrible Guilt, coming back and receiving Pardon. Sinner as thou art, look into the World of the Blessed, and there see the perfected Spirit of this once enormous Offender, amidst Missions of others, once first in the Ranks of Misery and Wickedness, but now the divinest Triumphs of the Redeemer's Blood, and the most illustrious Workmanship of the Sovereign Spirit. Look into the World of the Blessed, I say, and the Holy Ghost has taught you to repeat, I Cor. vi.9, 10, 11. Nei­ther For [...]ators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor Self-Pol­luter▪ nor Abusers of themselves with Mankind, nor Thieves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, shall inherit the Kingdom of GOD; and such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. O Glories of my Context! Thy Mercy, O GOD! thy Loving-Kind­ness! The Multitude of thy tender Mercies!

Like David then forsake your Sins with the utmost Abhorrence; retire to plead unbounded Mercy, and lay hold on it for a Pardon. Be convinced of your Trans­gressions as he was, confess them with Freedom and Fulness, and deep Conviction: But see the Provision which a merciful GOD has made for you, in a Sacrifice infinitely preferable to all Burnt-Offerings, in the Death of his Son for you. O unbounded Grace, that gave you this Saviour! And if he spared not his own Son, but delivered him up freely for us all; how shall he not in Him freely give us all Things? Pardon, Grace and Glory, and every good Thing?

O the Joys among the Blessed, at the Conversion of such a Sinner as David, and as You! More than over ninety nine just Persons who need no Repentance. With how much Affection will your heavenly Father run out to meet you; and in Embraces and Kisses, proclaim, This my Son was dead and is alive, was lost and is found.