his displeasure, it greives them at their hearts, and fills them with
deep concern.

Apart from all considerations of interest, the good see a baseness and
deformity in sin, which render it the object of their aversion. They
consider it the disgrace of their rational nature, and are humbled and
abased when conscious that temptation hath prevailed to seduce them
from the paths of rectitude. IT will not be imagined that David could
banish thought, and drive away reflection, for a whole year after the
commission of such enormous sin; as he committed in the matter now
before us.

It is presumed that no man, retaining reason was ever able soon to
forget any enormity, which he knew himself guilty. The remembrance
always haunts the imagination, and conscience goads the mind with a
thousand stings. The delinquent hath not power to prevent it. He
cannot drive away thought, and turn off his attention to other
objects.

It is further presumed, that every good man is formed to the habit of
reflection; that he often enters into himself by a serious attention
to his state; considers his temper; review's his conduct, and brings
both to the divine standard, that he may know himself, and reform
whatever is amiss.

A person of David's character, especially circumstanced as he was at
that time, could not possibly have been destitute of considerations.
The society of the woman who had been the occasion of the crimes which
had so maimed his character, must have brought those crimes to his
remembrance, and kept them on his mind. Every time she came into his