A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

This is the first thing that appears in the returning souls actings and frame; a sincere sense of sin on the accounts mentioned wrought in it by the Holy Ghost. And this a soul in the depths described, must come unto, if ever it expect or look for deliverance, and a recovery. Let not such persons expect to have a renewed sense of mercy, without a revived sense of sin.

¹Secondly, From hence proceedeth an ingenious, free, gracious Acknowledgement of sin. Men may have a sense of sin, and yet suffer it to lye burning as a fire shut up in their bones, to their continual disquietment, and not be able to come off unto a free soul opening acknowledgement. Yea, confession may be made in general, and mention therein of that very sin wherewith the soul is most entangled, and yet the soul come short of a due performance of this Duty. Consider how the case stood with David, Psal. 32. 3. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. How could David keep silence, and yet roar all the day long? What is that silence which is consistent with roaring? It is a mere negation of that duty, which is expressed, v. 5. that is intended. I acknowledge my sins unto thee, and mine iniquities I have not hid. It was not a silence of submission and waiting on God that he intends. That would not have produced a wasting of his spiritual strength, as he complains, this silence did; My bones waxed old; nor yet was it a sullen, stubborn and contumacious frame that was upon him; but he notes, saith Calvin, (and he says well) affectum qui medius est inter tolerantiam & contumaciam, vitio & vertuti affinis; An affection between patience and stubbornness bordering on ⟨p. 61⟩the one and other. That is, he had a deep sense of sin; this disquieted and perplexed him all the day long; which he calls his roaring; It weakened and wearied him, making his bones wax old, or his strength decay; yet was he not able to bring his heart to that ingenious gracious acknowledgement, which like the lancing of a festered wound, would have given at least some ease to his soul. Gods children are oft-times in this matter like ours. Though they are convinced of a fault, and are really troubled at it, yet they will hardly acknowledge it. So do they. They will go up and down, sigh and mourn, roar all the day long; but an evil and untoward frame of spirit under the power of unbelief and fear, keeps them from this duty.