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"Roaring" and "silence", at first sight, seem incompatible; but they are to be
considered as on two different planes. All David's "roaring" was unheard by reason of
the non-confession of his sin. David was guilty of murder and adultery, and in the
language of another king equally guilty of a similar double crime, we may catch a faint
echo of that troubled silence that dried up his moisture as the drought of summer:--
"Pray can I not,
Though inclination be as sharp as will:
My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent;
And, like a man to double business bound,
I stand and pause where I shall first begin,
And both neglect . . . . .
May one be pardoned and retain the offence?
In the corrupted currents of the world
Offence's gilded hand may shove by justice,
And oft'tis seen the wicked prize itself
Buys out the law; but `tis not so above" (Shakespeare).
The whole Psalm turns upon that word "acknowledged" of verse 5, and David's
blessed experience was, that when he ceased "hiding", guiltily, his sin, God could then
"hide" it righteously and in grace. It is not possible to "be pardoned and retain the
offence". Prov. 28: 13, already quoted, says not only "confess" but "forsake".
Here then is a biblical blessing that lies at the very forefront of all spiritual experience.
Without this, all other blessings are but names, and can never be experienced, but with
this initial blessing, come crowding around the accepted believer many marvelous
outpourings of love and mercy. These we wish to investigate and enjoy, and we trust that
our study together may be profitable indeed, leading us by many avenues and roads back
to the opening text of the series:--
"The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it" (Prov. 10: 22).