SERMON XIII.

2 SAM. xii. 13.

And David faid unto Nathan, I have finned against the Lord. And Nathan faid unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy Sin: thou shalt not die.

IN holy Scripture, not only the great and

good Actions of pious Perfons are written for our Learning, that we may admire, and, as far as we are concerned, imitate them; but their chief Tranfgreffions alfo are recorded, for a Caution to be on our Guard, and a Direction, if, like them, we have done amifs, like them, to repent and reform. Amongst all the Inftances of this Kind, there is none more fruitful of Instruction, than that well-known Hiftory of David's being feduced from a religious Courfe of Life to most dreadful Wickedness, and continuing regardless of his Guilt, till the Prophet Nathan at Length having awakened him to a Sense of it, by a

VOL. II.

a Rom. xv. 4.
U

home

home Application of the parallel Cafe of the poor Man and the Ewe Lamb, brought him to the Confeffion, and adminiftered to him the Comfort expreffed in the Text.

There are many Circumstances in this Narration, which may and ought to remind us of Truths, in which we are too nearly interested. But the principal of them will be comprehended, if we learn from it the following Points of Doctrine.

I. That, without continual Care, the best of Men may be led into the worst of Crimes.

II. That we are all very apt to overlook our own Faults, and yet to be extremely quickfighted and fevere in Relation to those of others.

III. That as foon as ever we are, by any Means, made fenfible of our Offences, we fhould acknowledge them with due Penitence.

IV. That, on doing this, the greatest Sins will be forgiven us. Yet,

V. That Sins, even after they are forgiven, produce frequently fuch lamentable Confequences, that, on this Account, amongst others, Innocence is greatly preferable to the trueft Repentance.

I. That without continual Care the best of Men may be led into the worft of Crimes.

David,

David, we are told in holy Writ, was a Man after God's own Heart: who did that which was right in the Eyes of the Lord, and turned not afide from any Thing that he commanded him, all the Days of his Life, fave only in the Matter of Uriah the Hittite. Such high Expreffions are never to be interpreted of any mere Man in the utmoft Rigour: but the loweft Meaning muft be, that he was, on the Whole, to a very high Degree, innocent of known deliberate Sin; and exemplary for Piety and Virtue, to the Age he lived in: when even they, who in some Things were favoured with Revelations from above, were in others, being left to their own Reason, lefs enlightened than common Christians are now, and therefore intitled to a more favourable Judgment. But independently on this Confideration, David's Eminence in Goodness appears from many excellent Actions, related throughout the Book of Samuel: and the Pfalms, written by him, are everlasting Inftances of his fervent Devotion, his reverent Efteem of God's Law, his Watchfulness over his own Spirit. Nay, indeed, there is one Instance in which he appears to have been fcrupulous even to an Extremity of Delicacy: when his Heart fmote him, that he had cut c 1 Kings xv. 5.

b1 Sam. xiii. 14. Acts xiii. 22.
U 2

off

off the Skirt of Saul's Garment. Suppofe, now, the Prophet Nathan had foretold concerning fuch a Man as this, that in a little Time he would commit the capital Sin of Adultery; and, when the Scheme which he had framed to hide it was fruftrated, would calmly contrive to murder by Treachery the Man whom he had injured, intrust others with his Purpose, execute it by their Means, and triumphantly take his Wife home to himself: who could poffibly have believed the Prediction; or how could David have received the most respectful Warning against fuch Enormities, but with contempt or Indignation? Yet fo it was: even this good Man, even when grown old in Religion, was guilty of Deeds, which many habitual Sinners, though prompted by youthful Paffion, and unrestrained by the Fear of God, would ftill have abhorred.

And if this was the Cafe of David, then let him that thinketh he ftandeth, take Heed left he fall. Few, it may be doubted, have the fame Warmth of right Refolution; but all have the fame deceitful Nature: and therefore we must all be continually attentive; or we know not into what Abominations we may be drawn.

Every Man hath within him the Principles. of every bad Action, that the worst Man ever did. And though in fome they are languid, and seem scarce alive; yet, if foftered by Indulgence, they will foon grow to incredible Strength: nay, if only left to themselves, will in Seafons favourable to them, shoot up, and over-run the Heart, with fuch furprising Quickness, that all the good Seed fhall be choaked on a fudden by Tares, which we never imagined had been within us. And what increases the Danger is, that each of us hath fome wrong Inclination or other, it is well if not several, beyond the reft natural to us, and the Growth of the Soil. Thefe, therefore, we must be especially diligent to keep under, and weed out the least Fibres of them that we can perceive: elfe we shall find them Roots of Bitterness, continually Springing up to trouble and defile us'. Then, besides all our inward Weakneffes, the World about us is thick fet round with Snares, differently formed: feme provoking us to immoderate Paflion, or envious Malignity; fome alluring us with forbidden Pleasures, or foftening us into Supineness and Indolence, or overcharging our Hearts with the Cares of this Life, g Luke xxi. 34.

1

f Heb. xii. 15,