Richard Sibbes – Psalm 130:3

[page 210 of volume 6]

‘If thou, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?’

These words are a removal of hindrances of prayer, following God with an humble confession of that which is evil, which is ever better than a proud boasting of that which is good; and thus preventing a secret objection, which God and a guilty conscience may make, that he was a guilty wretch. To which he answers by way of confession, ‘Truth, Lord! yet if thou shouldst mark iniquities, none could abide it. Whence in general we may observe,

Doct. 1. That, sin hinders and discourages the soul from prayer; for the conscience will object, and the soul will upbraid us, telling us we are sinners. God, he is holy, and how can we think he will hear us then, where there is no faith? The soul must needs sink. This estate was David’s, Psalm 51:14, 15. Sin and a guilty conscience had almost sealed up his lips; and thus was the publican, who durst not lift up his eyes to heaven; and thus will our estate be, especially if we yield to sins against conscience; like Adam, we shall run from the presence of God to hide ourselves, though our former estate and conversation with God were never so inward and familiar. Therefore let us look to our souls as we desire to appear with comfort before the throne of grace, for consciousness of the remainder of sin hinders boldness in prayer in the best.

Doct. 2. In the second place, the way to get out of misery is first to get discharged from sin; for sin is the beginning and cause of all misery. Therefore the sons of Jacob, when they were handled roughly by Joseph, presently the thought of selling Joseph into Egypt came into their minds, as the cause of all their trouble, though the fact was many years before; and the widow, when her son died, presently called to mind her sin: ‘O thou man of God, why comest thou to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?’ 1 Kings 17:18. If therefore we will remove the misery, let us remove sin first. Thus David began with desiring pardon, Psalm 143:2, then prayer for deliverance, for misery follows sin, even as the shadow doth follow the body.

Doct. 3. Thirdly, We may observe from the general, that the way to purge and take away sin is by confession; thereby clearing God and laying load on ourselves. The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession. The way for God to spare us is, not to spare ourselves. And this God requires, not for himself, as if he were not able to be merciful but by this means, but to the end that ‘we may glorify him,’ as Joshua said to Achan, ‘My son, give glory to God,’ Joshua 7:19. Secondly, God will have it a way to mercy, because he hath so decreed it; and in the third place, that thereby there may be wrought in our souls a greater shame for sin. And this confession must be serious, thorough, humble, with grief, shame, and hatred. Every ‘Lord, have mercy,’ is not enough, for many deceive themselves this way, misapplying the promises, that Christ will not ‘break the bruised reed,’ that he looks at the desire. Alas! these belong to such as are not lazy, that are plain dealers with themselves, that will not spare themselves; that by reading, hearing, meditation, conference, and all other duties, will not give over till they have found out the bottom of their iniquity hidden in their heart. And let only such apply them, and not those to whom they do not belong. Thus much in general. Now, to come to some particulars; and first, let us observe out of this interrogation, having the force of a strong affirmation,

Doct. 4. That the lest men in the estate of grace are sinners; some may he sine crimine, but not sine peccato; for in every man there are two principles: one of good, another of evil, the old man and the new. In all there is a ‘combat between flesh and spirit.’ Christ is not a mediator for such as are already perfect; for mediation needs not be, where all is friendly. And therefore there must be some enmity that must make God’s children stand in need of the perpetual intercession of Christ, who is a high priest for ever. And the servants of God have acknowledged thus much, Psalm 143:1, ‘Answer me in thy righteousness,’ not mine. I will not have a quarrel with thee; thou art righteous, I am sinful. I may be just in mine own eyes, but in thy sight no man shall be justified. We acknowledge thus much in our daily prayers, while we still pray ‘Forgive us our trespasses.’ Though we profit every day never so much, yet, like leaking ships, we gather that which will drown our souls at length if we repent not; for as it is Isaiah 64:6, ‘Our best performances are as filthy rags.’ Isaiah 6:5, ‘I am a man of polluted lips.’ Daniel 9:20, ‘While I confessed my own sins.’ The papists themselves imply so much, for else why teach they the doctrine of doubting? If we be perfect, it is a sin to doubt of salvation, for thereby we deny God to be just. If they be perfect, what need they force the doctrine of penance, or of going to saints to be their mediator? And when they are upon the rack of conscience, the best of them will renounce then their dreams of perfection. From this observation, therefore, we learn, that no man can perfectly fulfil the law; and secondly, that there can he no justification by works. Only, that that must make us just must be perfect. Our best works are imperfect.

Doct. 5. In the next place, we may observe that community of offenders is no ground of lessening or diminishing of sin. A formal Christian, it is his trick to wrap himself up in general confessions. We are all sinners; and if God should deal with us as we deserve, we were damned; but come to reckon with him for his particular sins, then he is all in a chafe. He cannot be a saint, and the like speeches, tending to the defence of his course. The psalmist is not of this nature. He argues otherwise: neither Adam nor Abraham could stand, how much less shall I, poor worm! David, he aggravates his sin while he tells us that he was conceived and born in sin. But men now-a-days, contrarily, ‘You must bear with me; it is my natural disposition; I cannot do otherwise.’ Yet do I not deny but to the dejected sinner this may be used as a comfort; for while they see the mass of corruption within them, they presently conceive worse of their estate and condition, as if none were so ill, or in as ill a case as they. Such should be stayed by considering it is the general estate of all men, only the difference is, some see their sins more than others do; and thus Solomon useth it, 2 Chronicles 6:36, ‘If any man sinneth against thee, as there is no man that sinneth not;’ and God himself useth it as an argument to move him to mercy. ‘The imaginations of man’s heart are evil continually, therefore my Spirit shall not always strive with flesh,’ Genesis 6:3.

Doct. 6. In the next place, observe that God opens the heart and eyes of his children to see and feel “hat sin is, and keeps their eyes open, and their consciences continually tender. The wicked are blind in most heinous crimes of all. David he complains of this, that his sin was ever before him, Psalm 51:3. And God threatens this, Psalm 50:21, ‘I will set them before thee;’ and the reasons hereof are,

Reason 1. First, To make our judgments conformable to his in hatred of sin; for we being his children, it is fit we should be of his image, and like to him.

Reason 2. Secondly, To make us apprehend mercy the more dearly, and thereby glorify him in it the more.

Reason 3. Thirdly, Because he would have us beg of him to cover our sins from his eyes, that it may be covered from our eyes; for the best cannot shake off the sense of sin, be it ever so burthensome. But God keeps it in our minds to humble us the more thoroughly.

Reason 4. Again, God’s children have a new life which is sensible of the least thing that is contrary to itself; and those that are in most perfect life are most perfect in the sense of sin, though never so small, though but motions. Where the sun shines most clear, then motes are most easily seen; and therefore the best Christians do complain most of corruptions, for they see more than others do. Hence, therefore, we may know our estate, whether we are still-born or have life. If we have life, we have light, and can see and discern between good and evil. Some are still-born, yet think they live. Thus are many, thinking themselves unblameable in conversation, yet in heart full of pride; and like the Pharisees, count well of themselves, nothing knowing what belongs to the Christian warfare. Others are more bold, and their very lives bewray they think not of sin, but are bold in their courses, proud in speech and carriage, contemptuous of others and the means of salvation, contented with a little, and think anything enough. But the worst of all are those that think indeed of sin, but it is to defend it and maintain it by translation and recrimination. They will be sure to repay double, to those that tell them of their courses in friendly manner.

Quest. But how shall we come to be sensible of sin?

Direct. 1. First, Let us have the picture of the law in our hearts, seeing all ill and the degrees thereof; also learn us to desire to avoid sin, so to endeavour to flee all occasions thereof, though never so small; and to take up all occasions of doing good; and doing good spiritually from judgment, affection, faith; and consider the extent of the law, reaching to the least thought.

Direct. 2. Secondly, Bring ourselves continually into the presence of God. Human frailty appears in nothing more, than when it is brought to the light; opposites being compared illustrate one another. Consider therefore in whose presence we are, what we are, what God is, what we have done, what he commandeth; and then, with Job, we shall abhor ourselves in dust and ashes, though formerly we defended ourselves, Job 42:6.

Direct. 3. And because God is invisible, bring ourselves to that which is divine; hear we the word often unfolded, and we shall, with the unbeliever, 1 Corinthians 14:24, ‘be convinced, and falling down shall confess God’s power with it.’

Direct. 4. Furthermore, Let us converse with those that are better than ourselves; for the image and likeness of God is seen in his children. It is the custom of many men to converse with the worst company, that they may appear to be the best; and thus do they increase an overweening self-conceit in themselves.

Direct. 5. Let us also use to go to places visited with God’s corrections; for seeing misery, the conscience retires to itself, considering of the ways of sin, and how the devil pays those that serve him. And this use we ought to make of objects of misery, to see God’s correcting hand, else do we provoke God, Isaiah 1:3-5, ‘who curseth such;’ Jeremiah 5:3, and branding them with the brand of king Ahaz, ‘this is Ahaz.’ And while we delight ourselves with pleasing worldly objects, our eyes shut against sin, but corrections and punishments makes them see and discern. All Christ’s admonitions could not make Judas see his sin of covetousness, which the weight of a burdened conscience afterward so wrought, as could not be pacified. Let us look therefore on the afflictions of other men, of our own persons and estates, and know the least crosses comes not without a just cause.

Direct. 6. Lastly, Let us pray to God to give us tender hearts; not to deliver us up to a hard impenetrable heart, and to spiritual judgments, but to keep us continually sensible of our sins and least infirmities.

Doct. 7. In the next place, out of the manner of delivery of this speech, we may gather thus much, that sin once truly felt is ever unpportable, none can stand under it. There are three impotencies in sinners: first, they cannot see sin: Psalm 19:12, ‘Who can understand his errors.’ Secondly, when the Lord causes them to see their sins, they cannot justify themselves; and then, in the third place, they cannot bear the burden of them; for death, the wages thereof, none can bear or endure; nay, God himself cannot endure sin, Amos 2:13—nay, the wounded conscience, which is but a part of the wages thereof in this life, none can endure—but is ‘pressed under them as a cart loaden with sheaves.’ Christ he could not endure them, but had such sense of them as if he had been quite forsaken: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ And angels could not bear the burden, but were thrown down to hell thereby, and so angels of light became angels of infernal darkness. Adam could not endure it, till Christ raised him up by the promise of the blessed seed; and therefore much less can we since the fall, as it appears in Cain, Saul, Ahithophel, Judas. The earth could not bear Korah and his company, and neither would it bear us if we had our due. Sin is a debt we cannot answer: Job 9:3, ‘We cannot answer one of a thousand.’

Use 1. This therefore confutes the papists, who say that Christ hath endured the great punishments; but there are other lighter punishments, which tee also must undergo, as purgatory and the like; to whom we say the wages of the least sin is death. That which the angels could not satisfy for, how shall we weak creatures.

Use 2. Secondly, This may put a just defence into the mouths of careful Christians. Let others term them by what names of scorn they list, such have good ground for what they do. They know what sin is, and have felt the sting thereof; and what they do, they do it in love to their souls. As for them that scorn, they know there is more cause to pity them than envy their estate. Though they can outswagger and outface sin now, which none could undergo heretofore, and though they can with a grace and authority, as they think, censure those that are careful, and themselves swear and profane the holy name of God, showing thereby a heart full of unbelief and of irreverence,—which is more odious than the sin of swearing, —yet there is a time coming, when God will set their sins in order before them, in such manner that they shall melt away in the sense of the multitude and greatness of them, without hope of relief; when they shall see nothing but vengeance and death before their eyes, and without all manner of hope they shall die.

Quest. But how comes it to pass, will some say, that many nevertheless seem to bear their sins well enough, and live and die without tears?

Ans. I answer, The estate of such may be dangerous, for Christ is not sweet till sin be bitter. But God is infinite in wisdom, not presently burdening every sinner, nor comforting those that shall desire it. For then who would not be good, and who would be ill? And if evermore comforts were present, what need were there of faith? And therefore, this is most especially true at the day of judgment, when the wicked shall be blown away as chaff, Psalm 1:4 6; when there will be a guilty conscience, watching devils, and an angry God. Where shall the wicked then appear? And there must be a hell hereafter, that men may then feel what now they will not believe.

Use of direction. Wherefore let us learn to submit ourselves to the correcting hand of God, saying, ‘It is thy mercy we are not consumed,’ Lamentations 3:22; considering that this light affliction is nothing to that we deserve, or that Christ suffered for us, or that the damned suffer in hell, or to that joy we have laid up for us in heaven; and therefore as it is in Micah 7:9, ‘Let us bear the indignation of the Lord, because we have sinned against him.’

Secondly, Let us justify God. We have deserved affliction. He hath dealt justly with us: Nehemiah 9:31, seq., ‘Righteousness belongeth to him, but to us shame and confusion of face,’ Daniel 9:7.

Thirdly, Let us moderate our censure of those that are dejected and out of heart, through sense of sin: Proverbs 18:19, ‘A wounded spirit, who can bear?’ Impute it not therefore to melancholy, or despair and madness, or as Eli unadvisedly did, to drunkenness, when he reprehended Hannah, 1 Samuel 1:14; for can we think it strange, when God sees sin in his children, that he causes them to see it, and that when they see it they should show it in their outward gestures? No; it is no light burden, that a man may run away with.