the equity and justice of God; on the rectitude of his government, the excellence of his law, and the reasonableness of his requirements. They were not grievous commandments he had broken. It was not a hard yoke he had disdained. The law he had transgressed was holy, just, and good. Obedience to it was no less conducive to his good than to God's glory. But a consideration which still more deeply affected him was the goodness of God; against thee, so good to all, to me so benevolent, so beneficent. He thought of the condescension of God, his bounty, his forbearance, his compassion, of goodness in all its various forms, its universality, its liberality, its unweariedness. Against him, the great, holy, just, wise and good Jehovah he had sinned. He reflected on all his perfections; and then on his relations, as creator, preserver, benefactor; his creator, preserver, and benefactor; against thee, the former of my body, the father of my spirit, my bountiful provider, my watchful guardian, my powerful protector, in whom I live and move and have my being; against thee, on whom I am so continually and completely dependant. He thought of his obligations, of all that he owed to God. He had sinned against the being who had the strongest claims on him originally, and who had been by his munificent and perpetual benefactions bringing him continually more in debt. He thought of all that God had done for his soul. He had pardoned all his sins, had saved him from going down to the pit, having himself found a ransom for him, and even the sin he was repenting of, God had forgiven!

There was at least one other thought present to

the mind of the Psalmist. It was of God's omnipresence, for he alludes to it in this very connection. All he had done against God, he had done before him, in his immediate presence; "and done this evil in thy sight," against thee and before thee I have sinned.

After this brief and very imperfect survey, who does not see that the grand aggravation of sin is its being against God.

But did this attach enormity to the sin of David merely? Have not others sinned against the same being? Yes, all who have sinned, have sinned against God, and all the sins of each have been against God. There is no sin which is not against God. It is not sin, if it is not against God. Thou art the man, as well as he whom Nathan addressed in this language, and thou, and thou, and the language in which he replied equally well becomes you, "I have sinned against the Lord."

But have you ever taken this view, and been affected by this consideration? Have you ever in your confession gone beyond, "I have sinned." Has your heart ever impelled you to add with emphasis against thee. This is the grand defect of many convictions and repentances. Have you ever entered into the deep meaning of those two words against thee? If you have not, you are still a stranger to genuine, evangelical repentance.

1. This subject shows us why conviction of sin is often so slight. It is because the sin is not regarded as against God. That most important circumstance of sin is overlooked.

The object of sin is not con

templated and considered. The person perceives and confesses only that he has sinned, and no wonder that does not greatly affect him. That is not the affecting consideration. The affecting consideration is its being against God. Many persons acknowledge to us that they are sinners, but they cannot, they say, perceive that they are so great sinners, as we would have them believe. Their whole difficulty arises from their not contemplating sin as against God. It is my sinning against God and such a God, that makes me so great a sinner. If I forget the object of my sin, I shall of course be blind to its enormity. Look at your sin in the light of this subject, as against God; and think of it too, as before him, against him and before him; and can you any longer doubt that you are a great sinner? You have heard sometimes an indignant master, or parent address a servant or child in language like this, "dare you disobey my orders in my presence, insult me to my face," and you felt that that circumstance aggravated the disobedience. But do you not know that all God's orders are disobeyed in his presence. We never sin but in his sight. All iniquity insults him to his face.

2. We see from this subject why true repentance equally regards all sin. It does so because all sin is against God. The reason why the true penitent repents of any sin is its being against God, and this reason holds with respect to all sin whatsoever. It is all against God. If there were any sins not against God, he might spare those; but there is not, cannot be any such sin. Spurious repentance is partial. It sorrows on account of one sin, but for another feels no grief, and

the reason is that it recognizes no common character as belonging to all sins, and constituting their turpitude. Judas never repented but of one sin. Saul was several times sorry. Neither of them repented of all their sins, because they repented of no one of them on right principles, and for the proper reason.

3. We see why the reformation that follows true repentance is thorough. The true penitent sorrowing for sin as against God, and perceiving all sin to be against God, for the reason that he renounces any, renounces every sin. It grieves him so that he has done so much against God, that he cannot consent to do any thing more against him, and his daily prayer is, "let not any iniquity have dominion over me; search and see if there be any evil way in me."

4. We see why sin is no trifle, viz: because it is against God. Its object gives it importance. An offence small in itself, becomes great if directed against majesty. And for the same reason that sin generally is no trifle, no sin is a trifle, because there is no sin which is not against God. This, therefore, redeems every sin from the insignificance which some would attach to certain sins.

That language applied to sin, "it is nothing, it is a trifle, a venial offence, a mere peccadillo," would never be used, if men contemplated sin as against God.

The subject is a practical one, will you then make a practical use of it? It concerns you, it concerns every sinner; will you then allow it to interest you? Will you investigate the subject, and see if the view

I have presented of sin is correct? And if it is against God, and you find it so, will you let your mind dwell on that circumstance of sin? Will you weigh those two words against thee? Will you ponder on the import of them?

If sin is against God, and you have sinned against him, is it not time to confess it, and to confess it as against God, and to God? Is it not high time to say, each of you, "against thee, and thee only have I sinned ?" Would it be premature if you were to adopt this confession to-day? Will you do it? Will you say in the ear that is never dull, "against thee have I sinned,” being sorry that you have done so, and resolving to do so no more? "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,” he is faithful, for he has said he will; and just, for now he can be just and justify him who believes in Jesus; and he will do more; he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness, for "the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son cleanses us from all sin."

5. We see why, even where there is some conviction of sin, it is no deeper, often but a slight seriousness. It is because sin is not regarded as against God.

6. We see why it is that you can sin with so little compunction, ay, without feeling of any kind, why you can so recklessly neglect this and that duty. It is because you don't consider that you are doing it to God.

7. How dreadful the approach to the judgment seat will be to those who neglect the mercy seat. How much more formidable human tribunals would