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I. SIN IS INWARD AND OUTWARD LAWLESSNESS. It is disloyalty in heart and life. A black and bitter thing leading to black and bitter consequences.

II. MEN COMMONLY ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL THEIR SIN.

1. From themselves — and will hardly admit that some evil deeds are sins under their peculiar circumstances.

2. From society generally.

3. From God Himself, who sees and knows their sins in all their enormity and aggravated character.

III. IN ATTEMPTING TO CONCEAL THEIR SINS MEN ARE DOOMED TO COMPLETE FAILURE. They are already "before Thee" — even "our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance."

1. It is so with all our personal sins.

2. With family sins.

3. With Church sins.

4. With national sins.

IV. TO ATTEMPT TO HIDE SIN IS TO COMMIT FURTHER AND DEEPER SIN.

1. Against ourselves — deeply injuring our moral nature.

2. Against our fellows — lowering the moral tone of society.

3. Against God — who is increasingly wronged and outraged.

V. MEN OUGHT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR SIN. Private sin. Public sin. All sin of every kind and character should be penitently confessed to God. "Thou hast," etc.

VI. GOD HAS A COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF ALL SIN COMMITTED AGAINST HIM. It is in the very light of His countenance.

1. We have only a partial knowledge of sin, — in ourselves, in our friends, in society generally.

2. We have dim and imperfect conceptions of sin at best; for human lights are always changing, but God sees sin in itself and in the light of His own countenance, which never disguises evil.

3. We cannot prevent God seeing and knowing our sin. He Himself places it before His own eyes in all its nakedness and reality. What, therefore, must be the ultimate shame and misery of those who persist in sin? Therefore repent and believe the Gospel.

(W. Unsworth.)

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KJV: Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

WEB: You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.