Robert Traill (The Throne of Grace), Works, 1:64:
Presumption can never plead with God, neither in deep distress, nor in the view of sin; but it is the excellent property of faith, that it can plead with God in both cases: Ps. 65:3, Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shall purge them away. Spoken like a believer; and Ps. 130:3, 4, If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But can David stand? Yes, and he stands on this ground: but there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared. There is just cause to suspect, that there is presumption in that man’s heart, when his boldness is only kept up, when sin is out of sight, and disappears. A believer believes most humbly, and often most strongly, when his sinfulness and unworthiness is best seen: for true boldness of faith is not supported by any good or worth in us, but by what is in Christ.
Presumption can never plead with God, neither in deep distress, nor in the view of sin; but it is the excellent property of faith, that it can plead with God in both cases: Ps. 65:3, Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shall purge them away. Spoken like a believer; and Ps. 130:3, 4, If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But can David stand? Yes, and he stands on this ground: but there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared. There is just cause to suspect, that there is presumption in that man’s heart, when his boldness is only kept up, when sin is out of sight, and disappears. A believer believes most humbly, and often most strongly, when his sinfulness and unworthiness is best seen: for true boldness of faith is not supported by any good or worth in us, but by what is in Christ.
