Strange plea! "GREAT is mine iniquity, therefore pardon it!" Such an address at the throne of grace never rose from a self-righteous heart! No: with the pharisee of old they are ready to say, "Thank God, I am not such a sinner as David was: I never committed the horrid crimes of which he was guilty: his iniquity was great indeed." It was so. But souls enlightened by the Spirit of truth to see the spirituality of the holy law of God, will agree to our Saviour's interpretation of it: that the impure desire is adultery in the heart, and anger a species of murder in the soul. Matt. 5:28 "Out of the heart proceed murders and adulteries." Matt. 15:19.
Sensible of the desperate wickedness of our heart: convinced of the exceeding sinfulness of sin; who will dare plead, pardon mine iniquity, for it is little? Is it against a little God sin is committed? Is a little wrath revealed against sin? Did a little Christ die for us! Is a little hell the punishment of sin! Lord forbid that we should think little of sin, or that iniquity should appear little in our eyes: the iniquity of every one of us is great.
"O," says a poor, sin-burdened soul, "Mine iniquity is great, too great to be forgiven." So the father of lies might suggest to David; but he believed him not. Great as his iniquity was, he did not aggravate his crimes by rejecting God's declarations of mercy, invitations of grace, and promises of pardon: he confesses his great iniquity; he pleads pardon for it. On what does he found his plea? For lay name's sake, O Lord; thou hast taken upon thee that precious name, JESUS: thou wilt be salvation to the ends of the earth. Psalm 98:3. Thy blood cleanseth from all sin; wash me in it and I shall be whiter than snow; ALL manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men. O, while these glorious truths stand upon record, I cannot doubt, I dare not despair; the belief of them causes me to pray, and plead, and hope: GREAT as mine iniquity is, GREAT as my distress is, yet thou art a great God and Saviour, to pardon my sin and give peace to my soul. Was ever any sinner sent to hell with such a plea in his mouth? No; that is impossible; for the word of God cannot be broken. "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." I John 1:9. Therefore heaven rings with acclamations of joy from such pardoned, glorified sinners. O that we may join them, in giving glory "unto Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Rev. 1:5