John Trapp on Psalms 32:5

Verſ. 5. I acknowledged my ſin unto thee] Though it were long firſt, yet thou broughteſt mee to it. The ſoul is ready to hang her comforts on every hedge, to ſhift and ſhark in every by-corner for comfort, rather than to repair to the right fountain. Let ſhould have eſcaped to the Mountaines at firſt; but he would needs to Zoar; which yet was ſoon too hot to hold him; David ſhould have acknowledged his ſin ere this time; he ſhould ſpeedily have caſt up the poyſon he had ſwallowed down, before it got to the vitalls; but he had no mind to it, till he had taſted of the whip, and then he agnized his ſin unto the Lord, he put himſelf into the hands of juſtice, in hope of mercy. The properties or conditions of ſound Confeſſion are theſe, ſay the Schoolmen in this Tetraſtich.

Sit ſimplex, humilis confeſſio, pura, fidelis, At que frequens, nuda & diſcreta, lubens, verecunda, Integra, ſecreta, & lachrymabilis, accelerata, Fortis, & accuſans, & ſe punire parata.

And mine iniquity have I not hid] In confeſſion wee muſt ſhew the Lord the iniquity of our ſin, the filthineſſe of our leudneſſe, the abomination of our provocations, Rom. 7.13. Wee muſt bring out our ſins (as they took the Veſſells of the Sanctuary, Ezra. 8.34.) by number, and by weight; laying open how many tranſgreſſions are wrap'd up in our ſins, and their circumſtances. See for this, Levit. 16.21.

I ſaid, I will confeſſe, &c. i.e. I reſolved and purpoſed ſo to do; but [illegible: 1 word] that could be done, thou forgaveſt, &c. Gods ear was in Davids heart, before his confeſſion could be in his tongue. So, at another time, he did but conceive a purpoſe to build God an houſe, and God rewarded it with the building and eſtabliſhing of Davids houſe, 2 Sam. 7.

And thou forgaveſt the iniquity of my ſin] The ſting and ſtain of it, the criminall and penall part ofit,Vel peccatum peccati, Uti[illegible: 1 letter]ur duobus vocabulis ad aggravandum peccatum ſuum. Kimchi. As we ſay, terra pulveris, or [illegible: 1 word] luti. the worſt thing that was in it; not the fire only, but the filth that was in it; reſerving ſtill to thy ſelf a power of fatherly corrections, and medicinall miſeries. But the iniquity of ſin is wiped off by the ſpunge of true confeſſion. Homo agnoſcit, Deus ignoſcit. Man no ſooner acknowledgeth the debt, but God croſſeth the Book. It is therefore good counſell that a Father giveth, Fac confitendo propitium, quem tacendo non facis neſcium, Confeſſe and find mercy; ſith by a ſenſeleſſe ſilence thou canſt not keep thy ſins from Gods knowledge of them. Let out that bad blood by opening a vein, that good health may enter.

Per miſereremti, tollitur ira Dei.

Wot you what? (ſaid Henry the eighth to the Duke of Suffolk concerning Step[illegible: 1 letter]en Gardiner when he had confeſſed his Popery, for which he ſhould have been the morrow after ſent to the Tower) he hath confeſſed himſelf as guilty in this matter as his man,Act. & Mon. fol. 1177. and hath with much ſorrow and penſiveneſſe ſued for my pardon. And you know what my nature and cuſtome hath been in ſuch caſes, evermore to pardon them that will not diſſemble, but confeſſe their fault, &c.

Selah] q. d. I ſpeak it joyfully, there being no ſuch matter of mirth in all the World, as the ſweet ſenſe of forgiveneſſe of ſin. O ſingularem (inquit David hic) Dei erga homines peccata ſua agnoſcentes gratiam & benevolentiam!