As 'tis his property to disregard all good (Psa. 26.4.) he seteth not his heart to that which is good, he abhorreth not evil; that i•, he hath no regard to the good of duty, and he hath a great regard to the evil of iniquity. His not abhorring evil is to be interpreted in the affirmative, he regards, respects evil, he prizes and values his very basest lusts before the Law and Will of God. David disclaimeth this base spirit (Ps. 66.18.) If I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear my prayers. Now who are they whose prayers God will not hear? We have the answer made by the blind man (Joh. 9.) God heareth not sinners: whom will he hear then, seeing all are sinners? His meaning is, he hears not impenitent sinners, unbelieving sinners, such as trade on in a way of sin. Thus David concluded, if I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me; for if I regard iniquity, I am of those sinners whose prayers God will not hear. Though David had done great iniquities, and had much iniquity in his heart, yet he regarded no iniquity in his heart, If I have locked to any iniquity in my heart (saith he) as the word is; that is, if iniquity in my heart be smiled upon, if I have pleased my self with it, if I have given it a good look, I were a wicked man, and God heareth not such.
As 'tis his property to disregard all good (Psa. 26.4.) he seteth not his heart to that which is good, he abhorreth not evill; that i•, he hath no regard to the good of duty, and he hath a great regard to the evill of iniquity. His not abhorring evill is to be interpreted in the affirmative, he regards, respects evil, he prizes and values his very basest lusts before the Law and Will of God. David disclaimeth this base spirit (Ps. 66.18.) If I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear my prayers. Now who are they whose prayers God will not hear? We have the answer made by the blind man (Joh. 9.) God heareth not sinners: whom will he hear then, seeing all are sinners? His meaning is, he hears not impenitent sinners, unbelieving sinners, such as trade on in a way of sin. Thus David concluded, if I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me; for if I regard iniquity, I am of those sinners whose prayers God will not hear. Though David had done great iniquities, and had much iniqui•y in his heart, yet he regarded no iniquity in his heart, If I have locked to any iniquity in my heart (saith he) as the word is; that is, if iniquity in my heart be smiled upon, if I have pleased my self with it, if I have given it a good look, I were a wicked man, and God heareth not such.
