A False Covering and a Safe Refuge
A.Clark. Proverbs 28:13 He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.… I. THE FALSE AND DECEPTIVE REFUGE. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper." 1. This is the course which men usually adopt when they enter on a course of sin. They are conscious that they are doing wrong, and they try to cover and conceal what they are doing. They resort to a variety of expedients. Some flatly deny them. Others cover their sins by evasion, or they shift the blame off upon others. Some plead their weakness, and the circumstances in which they were placed. Many plead the practice of others. It is the custom of the trade. The vilest class attempt to cover their sins by glorying in them. 2. Note the folly of such conduct. Such a man shall not succeed in the attempt to cover his sins. And he shall not escape from the consequences of his sins, however he attempts to conceal them. Sin brings its own punishments to the man who commits it. II. THE MORE EXCELLENT WAY WHICH IS HERE COMMENDED. 1. The condition of forgiveness. We must confess our sins. We must forsake them. 2. These conditions are not the only ground of forgiveness. In God there is not only provision made for forgiveness, but also for our help to resist sin, and escape from it. (A.Clark.) Parallel Verses KJV: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. WEB: He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.