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A BROKEN HEART THE BEST SACRIFICE
“WHEREWITHAL shall I come before the Lord?” is the first inquiry that will be made by an awakened sinner. No sooner were the murderers of our Lord “pricked to the heart” with a conviction of their guilt, than they cried out, (the whole assembly of them together), “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” In answer to this, man proposes many costly offerings; and for the obtaining of peace would present unto God any thing that he should require [Note: Mic_6:6-7.]. Had God required sacrifices to be offered for David’s sins, he would gladly have offered them, however numerous or costly they had been: “Thou desirest not sacrifice: else would I give it thee.” But there is only one thing required, and that universally, of all people under heaven: and what that is, we are informed in the words before us: “The sacrifices of God,” &c.
Here are two points to be inquired into;
I. What is that sacrifice which God approves—
The term “sacrifice” is metaphorically applied to many things: to praise and thanksgivings [Note: Heb_13:15.]; to almsdeeds [Note: Heb_13:16.]; to a surrender of the soul to God [Note: Rom_12:1.]. But in our text it does not so much refer to any offerings whereby a pardoned sinner may honour God, as to that disposition of mind whereby an unpardoned sinner may facilitate his acceptance with God. As to any external services, David informs us that these would not answer the desired end: for though many offerings under the law were appointed and approved of God as typical of the great sacrifice, yet were they in themselves of no value [Note: Psa_50:8-14.], especially when compared with obedience [Note: 1Sa_15:22. Hos_6:6.]; and, when substituted for obedience, they were hateful and abominable in the sight of God [Note: Isa_1:11-15; Isa_66:3 and Amo_5:21-23.]. For such sins as David’s there was actually no sacrifice appointed: no penalty less than death could be awarded to the person that was found guilty either of adultery or murder [Note: Num_35:31 Deu_22:22.]. But there is a sacrifice which will forward the acceptance even of such an atrocious sinner as David: it is called in our text, “A broken and contrite heart.” To ascertain what is meant by this, let us consider,
1. The term—
[We all have some idea of what is meant by “a broken heart,” when applied to worldly sorrow. It signifies a person overwhelmed with sorrow to such a degree, that he is always bowed down under its weight, and incapable of receiving consolation from any thing but the actual removal of his burthens. Thus far it may serve to illustrate the meaning of our text, and to shew what is meant by a heart broken with a sense of sin — — — But in other respects there is an exceeding great difference between the two: for a heart broken with worldly troubles, argues an ignorance of our own demerit—a want of resignation to God—a want of affiance in him—and a low esteem of those benefits which sanctified affliction is calculated to produce — — — In these respects therefore it forms a contrast, rather than a resemblance, to true contrition.
Let us then drop the term, and consider the thing.]
2. The thing—
[“A broken and a, contrite heart” consists in a deep sense of our guilt and misery—a self-lothing and abhorrence on account of the peculiar aggravations of our sin, (as committed against a gracious God and a merciful Redeemer,)—a readiness to justify God in his dealings with us, whatever they be, —and such an insatiable desire after mercy, as swallows up every other sensation, whether of joy or sorrow — — —
View all these things distinctly and separately—compare them with the workings of David’s mind as set forth in this psalm [Note: ver. 3, 4, 7–9.] — — — view them as illustrated by other portions of Holy Writ [Note: 2Ch_34:27. Job_40:4; Job_42:6. with Zec_12:10. Luk_15:18-19. 2Ch_33:12-13. or all together. 2Co_7:11. or as exemplified in other of David’s Psalms, Psa_38:4-10; Psa_40:12. Perhaps it will be best to confine the illustrations to Psalms 51, 38 for fear of swelling this part of the subject too much.] — — — and the more they are considered, the more will they discover to us the precise nature of that sacrifice which is described in the text.]
Let us now proceed to inquire,
II. Why God honours it with his peculiar favour—
That God does signally honour it, is certain—
[When it is said that “a broken and contrite heart God will not despise,” more is meant than is expressed: it means, that God will honour it with tokens of his peculiar approbation. Whoever he be that offers to him this sacrifice, God will notice him, even though there were only one in the universe, and he the meanest and vilest of mankind. Not all the angels in heaven should so occupy his attention as to prevent him from searching out that person, and keeping his eye continually fixed upon him for good [Note: Isa_66:2.]— — — Moreover, God will comfort him; he will not merely view him from heaven, but will come down and dwell in his heart on purpose to comfort and revive him [Note: Isa_57:15.] — — — Nor is this all; for God will surely and eternally save him [Note: Psa_34:18. Job_33:27-28.]: and the more abased the man is in his own eyes, the higher will God exalt him on a throne of glory [Note: Luk_18:14.] — — —]
And the reasons of his so honouring it are plain—
[It is the work of his own Spirit on the soul of man. No created power can effect it: we may break and bruise the body, but we can never produce in any one a broken and contrite spirit. This is God’s prerogative [Note: Job_40:11. Eze_11:19.]; and whoever has obtained this blessing must say, “He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing, is God [Note: 2Co_5:5.].”—Again, It is the precise disposition that becomes us. If the holy angels that never sinned veil their faces and their feet in the presence of their God, what prostration of mind must become such guilty creatures as we are! Surely we must “put our hands on our mouth, and our mouth in the dust, crying, Unclean, unclean [Note: Lam_3:29. with Lev_13:45.]!” yea rather, we should “gird us with sackcloth, and wallow ourselves in ashes, and make mourning as for an only son, even most bitter lamentation, [Note: Jer_6:26. with Jam_4:9-10.].”—Further, It disposes us to acquiesce cordially in Gods’ appointed method of recovery. Till we are thoroughly broken-hearted with a sense of sin, we never estimate aright the unspeakable blessings of Redemption. “We may profess a regard for the Gospel; but we do not really “glory in the cross of Christ;” Christ does not truly become “all our salvation and all our desire.” But to the truly contrite, O how precious is the name of Jesus, that adorable name, the foundation of all our hopes, the source of all our joys!—Lastly, It invariably stimulates us to a cheerful unreserved obedience. No commandment is hard to a person, when once his heart is truly broken and contrite. Let us see that we were dead, and that Christ died for us; and a sense of “his love will constrain us to live to him,” and to “glorify him with our body and our spirit, which are his.”
Say now, whether here be not reason sufficient for the distinguished favours which God vouchsafes to the contrite soul? We know that there is nothing meritorious in contrition: but there is in it a suitableness for the reception of the divine mercies, and for the reflecting back upon God the honour which he confers upon it.]
This subject may well be improved,
1. For the conviction of the impenitent—
[Worldly sorrow has more or less been the portion of us all: but how few have “sorrowed after a godly sort!” The generality have never laid to heart their sins at all: and they who have felt some compunction, have for the most part been satisfied with a little transient sorrow, and something of an outward reformation of life. But let this be remembered, that when it is said, “God will not despise the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart,” it is manifestly implied, that he will despise every thing short of that. Do not then deceive yourselves with an expectation that God will accept your feigned or partial humiliation: your penitence must be deep, and your change radical: your sorrow for sin must far exceed any worldly sorrow, and must bring you incessantly to the foot of the cross, as your only refuge and your only hope: nor will any repentance short of this be “a repentance unto salvation, but only a repentance eternally to be repented of [Note: 2Co_7:10.].”]
2. For consolation to the penitent—
[When once you become truly penitent, men will begin to despise you: they will look upon you as a poor weak enthusiast, and will “cast out your name as evil” — — — But your comfort is, that God will not despise you. If the Psalmist had merely affirmed this, it would have been a rich ground of consolation: but he makes it a matter of appeal to God; “A broken and contrite spirit, thou, O God, will not despise.” What a glorious truth! When you are so vile and contemptible in your own eyes that you blush and are confounded before God, and “dare not even lift up your eyes unto heaven,” God looks upon you with pleasure and complacency, and acknowledges you as his dearly beloved child [Note: Jer_31:18-20.]. Do you want evidence of this? See for whom God sent his only-begotten Son into the world [Note: Isa_61:1-3,]; and read the account given of the very first sermon that Jesus ever preached [Note: Luk_4:17-21.]: and hear to whom in particular he addressed his invitations [Note: Mat_11:28.]: consider these, I say, and then reject the consolation if you can.]
3. For instruction to the more advanced Christian—
[Is a broken and contrite heart the sacrifice with which you must come to God? Know that it is that which you must continue also to offer him to the latest hour of your lives. You are not to lose the remembrance of your shame and sorrow, but to “lothe yourselves after that God is pacified towards youa,” ye [Note: Eze_16:63.], and because that God is pacified towards you. The more abundant is his mercy towards you, the more should you abhor yourself for having ever sinned against so gracious a God. You cannot but have seen in others, and probably felt within yourselves a disposition to depart from this ground, and to indulge a spirit of self-sufficiency and pride. I entreat you to examine yourselves with respect to it — — — It is a common evil, and is very apt to lurk in us unperceived. But if we see it not ourselves, we shall without fail discover it to others; or, if they should not discover it, God will behold it, and that too with utter abhorrence [Note: Pro_16:5 and 1Pe_5:5.]. Watch over yourselves therefore, and pray that you may grow continually in lowliness of mind, in tenderness of conscience, in meekness of temper, and in purity of heart. The more you resemble little children, the higher will you be in the kingdom of God [Note: Mat_18:4.].]