sensibilities; and therefore capable, as is
but too notorious, of great crimes, as well as of great virtues.

And when I mention this last fact, I must ask you to pause, and
consider with me very solemnly what it means.

We may pervert, or rather misstate the fact in more than one way, to
our own hurt. We may say cynically, David had his good points and
his bad ones, as all your great saints have. Look at them closely,
and in spite of all their pretensions you will find them no better
than their neighbours. And so we may comfort ourselves, in our own
mediocrity and laziness, by denying the existence of all greatness
and goodness.

Nathan the prophet said that David's conduct would be open to this
very interpretation, and would give great occasion to the enemies of
the Lord to blaspheme. But I trust that none of you wish to be
numbered among the enemies of the Lord.

Again, we may say, sentimentally, that these great weaknesses are on
the whole the necessary concomitants of great strength; that such
highly organised and complex characters must not be judged by the
rule of common respectability; and that it is a more or less fine
thing to be capable at once of great virtues and great vices.

Books which hint, and more than hint this, will suggest themselves
to you at once. I only advise you not to listen to their teaching,
as you will find it lead to very serious consequences, both in this
life and in the life to come.

But if we do say this, or anything like this, we say it on our own
responsibility. David's biographers say nothing of the kind. David
himself says nothing of the kind. He never represents himself as a
compound of strength and weakness. He represents himself as
weakness itself--as incapacity utter and complete. To overlook that
startling fact is to overlook the very element which has made
David's Psalms the text-book for all human weaknesses, penitences,
sorrows, struggles, aspirations, for nigh three thousand years.

But this subject is too large for me to speak of to-day; and too
deep for me to attempt an explanation till I have turned your
thoughts toward another object, which will explain to you David, and
yourselves, and, it seems to me at times, every problem of humanity.
Look not at David, but at David's greater Son; and consider Christ
upon his Cross. Consider him of whom it is written, 'Thou art
fairer than the children of men: full of grace are thy lips,
because God hath bles