; he lies awake
and frets at night, and goes listlessly and heavily about his
business in the morning; his heart is not right with God, and he
knows it; God and he are not at peace, and he knows it.

Then he tries to repent: but it is a false, useless sort of
repentance. He says to Himself, as David did, 'Well, then, I will
make my peace with God: I will please Him. I have done one wrong
thing. I will do two right ones to make up for it.' If he is a
rich man, he perhaps tries David's plan of burnt-offerings and
sacrifices. He says, 'I will give away a great deal in charity; I
will build a church; I will take a great deal of trouble about
societies, and speak at religious meetings, and show God how much I
really do care for Him after all, and what great sacrifices I can
make for Him.'

Or, if he is a poor man, he will say, 'Well, then, I will try and be
more religious; I will think more about my soul, and come to church
as often as I can, and say my prayers regularly, and read good
books; and perhaps that will make my peace with God. At all events,
God shall see that I am not as bad as I look; not altogether bad;
that I do care for Him, and for doing right.'

But, rich or poor, the man finds out by bitter experience how truly
David said, 'Thou requirest no sacrifice, else would I give it Thee.
Thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.'

Not that they are not good and excellent; but that they are not good
coming from him, because his heart is still unrepentant, because,
instead of confessing his sin and throwing himself on God's mercy,
he is trying to win God round to overlook his sin. So almsgiving,
and ordinances, and prayer give the poor man no peace. He rises
from his knees unrefreshed. He goes out of church with as heavy a
heart as he went in, and he finds that for all his praying he does
not become a better man, any more than a happier man. There is
still that darkness over his soul, like a black cloud spread between
him and God.

My friends, if any of you find yourselves in this sad case, the only
remedy which I can give you, the only remedy which I ever found do
_me_ any good, or give me back my peace of mind, is David's remedy;
the one which he found out at last, and which he spoke of in these
blessed Psalms. Confess your sin to God. Bring it all out. Make a
clean breast of it--whatever it may cost you, make a clean breast of
it. Only be but _honest_ with God, and all will come right at once.