Psalm 19:13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright… I. WHAT PRESUMPTUOUS SINS ARE. 1. That presumptuous sinnings are proud adventurings of the heart upon sin; there is a large difference 'twixt foilings by temptation and adventurings by presumption. Temptation beats down that actual strength of grace resisting: but presumption tramples down the light of the Word opposing. A man doth even try it out with God, and provokes Him to His face; and maintains the devices of his heart against the purity and equity of God's will. 2. In presumptuous sinnings a man knows the thing and way to be unlawful: and therefore the presumptuous sinner is opposed to the ignorant sinner; the presumptuous sinner holds a candle in one hand, and draws out the sword with the other. 3. The presumptuous sinner adventures against express threatenings. 4. Presumptuous sins do arise from a false confidence; there are two things upon which the presuming sinner doth embolden himself. (1) One is the facility of mercy: when a man sets mercy against sin, he doth well; but when a man sets mercy against justice, now he offends. "'Tis true, this is a sin, and Divine justice will not take it well, but I will adventure on it, hoping that Divine mercy will pacify the rigour of the threatening; I will sin and offend justice, but then I will decline that court by flying to the mercy seat" (Deuteronomy 29:19). (2) Another is the self-possibility and strength of future repentance: he is one of the worst patients in a way of sinning who is confident that he can be his own physician: no soul wounds itself more than that which vainly thinks that it can presently cure them. There are two things which the sinner cannot assure himself of. One is the lengthening of his life; for this candle is lighted and put out, not according to our desires, but according to Divine pleasure: all life has its limits from the Lord of life and death. Another is the returning of the heart from sin. 5. In many presumptuous sinnings there is a slighting contempt (Numbers 15:30, 31): presumptuous sinning is called a despising of the Word of the Lord. 6. Lastly, presumptuous sinning may rise higher than all this, as when a man sins not only knowingly and wilfully, but most maliciously and despitefully against God and Christ (Hebrews 10:29; Hebrews 6:6). II. WHAT THAT STRENGTH IS WHICH KEEPS BACK REGENERATE PERSONS PROM PRESUMPTUOUS SINS; and what difference 'twixt the restrainings of evil men and this keeping back of good David. 1. Restraint is any kind of stop 'twixt the inclination and the object; when the nature is inclined to such a thing, and a bar falls in to keep them asunder, this is restraint. 2. Restraint of any agent ariseth from a greater strength of a superior agent: whatsoever keeps a man back from a sinful acting, it is (at that time) whiles a restraint of more actually strong force than the present inclination is; as in the stopping of a stone or water, that which is unequal in strength, a lesser force is not able to keep in the stronger. Though sinful inclinations be strong, yet God can overrule and bound and bind it in. 3. All restraint presupposeth an aptness, a disposition ready to run and get out. The child whose desire is to lie in the cradle is not there said to be restrained; and the tradesman whose shop is his paradise is not therefore restrained from going abroad; but when a servant would be gadding, and yet is kept in, this is restraint. 4. All restraint of sin is from God. 5. All evil men are not equally restrained by God. 6. The restraining of any sinner is an act of a merciful Providence unto him. 7. God doth restrain the good and the bad from sin. 8. God doth diversely keep back or restrain men from particular sins and sinnings: sometimes — (1) By enlivening the conscience. (2) By self-reflecting apprehensions. (3) By legal imprintings. (4) By denying and crossing opportunities. (5) By denying or withholding of temptations. (6) By causing diversions, which may call aside the employment of the sinner another way. (7) Lastly, by beginning and supporting and enlarging the principle of sanctification. 9. The restrainings of good men are exceedingly different from those of evil men. The restrainings of evil men are but as locks upon the out door; and the keeping back of good men is as the lock upon the closet. One is all impedite to the actions, the other is an impedite to the inclinations; one is a bridle upon the lips and bands, the other is a bond upon the heart and disposition. They differ in their efficacy: restrainings of evil men do not impair the state of sin, no more than chains and prisons do the nature of the thief or lions. Mere restraints do not deal justly with sins, they make a stop in one, and leave open a gap for other sins: like a vessel of many holes, though the water break not out in one place, because it is stopped, yet it freely flies out in the rest. So where a man is restrained only, though that sin cannot find a way in that vein, yet it will find a course (like the water which is hindered under ground) another way. But the holdings back by renewing grace do indispose generally and evenly. They differ in the fulness of duration; for mere restraints hold in the nature no longer than the things remain by virtue of which the mind was restrained. Let the fear of death expire, put aside the edge of the law, be sure that shams shall not follow, and the only restrained sinner breaks open school, so that he goes to the sin. But holdings back by renewed grace are cohibitions of the heart upon permanent grounds, namely, the perpetual contrariety twixt God and sin, twixt sin and His will and holiness and goodness and honour. They differ in this, that the heart of a man only restrained doth, being at liberty (like waters held up), pour forth itself more violently and greedily, as if it would pay use for forbearance. They differ thus. An evil man is kept back as a prisoner by force against his will; but a good man is kept back as a petitioner. It is his heart's desire. Oh, that my ways were so directed that I might keep Thy statutes. It is an evil man's cross to be restrained, and a good man's joy to be kept back from sin.Take what I conceive, briefly thus: God keeps back His servants from sin — 1. By preventing grace, which is by infusing such a nature, which is like a bias unto the bowl, drawing it aside another way. 2. By assisting grace, which is a further strength superadded to that first implanted nature of holiness, like a hand upon a child holding him in. 3. By quickening grace, which is, when God doth enliven our graces to manifest themselves in actual opposition, so that the soul shall not yield, but keep off from entertaining the sin: as when in the motions of sin He inflames the heart with an apprehension of His own love in Christ. 4. By directing grace, which is when God confers that effectual wisdom to the mind, tenderness to the conscience, watchfulness to the heart, that His servants become greatly solicitous of His honour, scrupulously jealous of their own strength, and justly regardful of the honour of their holy profession. 5. By doing grace, which is when God effectually inclines the heart of His servants to the places and ways of their refuge, safeties, and preservations from sin. III. WHAT CAUSES OR REASONS THERE SHOULD BE WHICH MIGHT MOVE DAVID TO PUT UP THIS PRAYER: "Keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins." 1. If he considered himself, there were sufficient grounds for such a petition, because — (1) His aptness by virtue of original corruptions, even to presumptuous sins. (2) His impotency and self-inability to keep off himself from such sins. 2. In respect of the sins themselves. Amongst which higher ranks of iniquity are presumptuous sins and sinnings, which may appear thus — (1) The more shining light of grace is trampled over for to act the sin, the viler is the sinning. (2) The more pride of heart accompanies any kind of sinning, this makes it the more vile. (3) The more impudency and boldness attends a sinning, the worse it is. (4) The more abuse of mercy concurs to the sinning, the more heinous it raiseth the sin. 3. In respect of others. (1) Such sins would be exemplary and noted. (2) Such sinnings from him would be trophies to evil men. 4. In respect of God. (1) What God had been to him might cause him to pray against presumptuous sins. (2) What he was to God. Why? David was His servant. (O. Sedgwick, B. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. |
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