May 28

(by grace ye are saved;) for by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them? How can it be otherwise? If in him we live, and move, and have our being naturally, has the spiritual life, called the life of God, any thing less than a divine source for its origin and support? Hence the promise, "I will sprinkle clean water upon them—I will put my Spirit within them, and cause them to walk in my statutes."

To him, therefore, for this influence, let us pray, not only for ourselves, but for others—for our families, friends, neighbours, all mankind. He is the God of all grace, and he answers relative as well as personal prayer. But let one thing be remembered: if our prayers are sincere, it will appear in our exertions; for God uses means, and makes us the instruments of his agency. And he that converteth a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

MAY 28.—"I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men?"—Job 7:20.

HERE is a confession, and an inquiry.

The confession seems to have nothing very discriminating in it. The manner in which it is used, and the sentiments from which it proceeds, can alone, therefore, evince the state of mind in him who employs it. In true penitence the confession will always be strictly personal. We may often hear the expression, "God knows we are all sinners," but the meaning of the exclaimers is to bring in others for a share, rather than to condemn themselves; and the universality of transgression is owned, to extenuate the individuality. But, says the real penitent, "Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer?" "My sin is ever before me." And he confesses not only the fact of his sin, but the fault, the guilt, the desert—"I am not worthy to be called thy son." "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest." And while he is candid towards others, because he knows not the extenuations which attach to their offences, he will be severe towards himself, for he is conscious of the aggravations of his own iniquities. And as sin is the transgression of the law, and the law is spiritual, extending to the state of his heart, and requiring his principles and motives to be good as well as his actions, and condemning omissions of duty, as well as positive crimes, with his growing knowledge, his sins enormously multiply in number, and he only speaks the words of truth and soberness when he says, "Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me." True confession is also always accompanied with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Some speak of their sins, if not with pleasure, yet with a kind of indifference. But Ephraim bemoaned himself. The publican smote upon his breast. When Peter thought on his fall he wept bitterly. Of

course there is also a disposition to sacrifice the evil deplored. Pharaoh and Saul more than once said, "I have sinned," yet went on still in their trespass. But he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin, shall find mercy. He therefore will say, with Ephraim, "What have I any more to do with idols?" He will even pluck out a right eye, and cut off a right hand, and cast it from him. Thus it was with the Ephesian converts. "Many that believed, came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver." What a sum to lose! Many would have sold these books; but these persons said, Though they have poisoned us, they shall not infect others, and threw into the flames what might have yielded them near two thousand pounds. This was bringing forth fruit meet for repentance. A man, too, when divinely wrought upon, will in his confession acknowledge evils of which natural conscience never accuses us, such as spiritual pride, self-righteousness, and the neglect and contempt of the provision made for the recovery of sinners, by which we frustrate the grace of God, and make Jesus Christ to be dead in vain. When, therefore, the Saviour says, the Spirit shall convince of sin, he adds, because they believe not on me. And no guilt will affect such a soul like this. And till we are led to the evil heart of unbelief, we overlook the root and the spring of our ruin, and stop only at the branches and the streams.

But here is also an inquiry—I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? It seems not at first view very intelligible. It may be taken two ways, requiring very different answers. First, What shall I do unto thee in a way of satisfaction or reparation for the wrong I have committed; so as to prevent the consequences of my guilt, and stop thy proceedings against me? This will be the immediate concern of the awakened sinner, and he will be able to give no sleep to his eyes, or slumber to his eye-lids, till he finds a solution in his favour. Hence Micah represents such a man as asking, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" In reply to this, it must be said, we can do nothing, offer nothing. The very attempt would be adding insult to injury. But cannot we repair the evil by future good works and obedience? In the first place, we can only obey in the strength of God, and not in our own. Secondly, all the obedience we can render is always due to God, and therefore can never be meritorious in expiation of our offences: the payment of things present will not wipe off the old score. To which also we may add, that our obedience will be incomplete, and therefore instead of recompensing God any thing, will fall short of his glory, and require pardon for its defects. The man soon sees this, and feels that he can make no atonement himself, and that the redemption of his soul must cease for ever if it depends on any ransom he can furnish. And thus he would be down in absolute despair, but for the light of the Gospel.

which breaks in and shows him what in this case he can do. It is not to go about to establish his own righteousness, but to submit himself to the righteousness which is of God. It is not to toil, but believe—"To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." His only course therefore is to appeal; to take with him in the hand of faith the Surety of the new covenant, and to say, "Look upon the face of thine Anointed." "Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name." Nothing else will avail; nothing else is necessary; but coming in his name, pleading his sacrifice, you will be accepted in the Beloved as if you had never sinned, and God will rejoice over you with joy.

Then, secondly, you will ask, what shall I do unto thee in a way of duty and thankfulness? And the inquiry thus made is not only allowable but commendable, and as to the feelings of the pardoned sinner unavoidable. Though he has nothing to do unto God in putting away sin, or bringing in a justifying righteousness, he is infinitely indebted to his goodness. He cannot discharge his obligations; but he feels them, and therefore must ask, "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me?" What service shall I present him, not as a peace-offering but as a thank-offering? How shall I obey him, not as a slave but a son? not as a mercenary, but as one who is blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ? To him none of God's commandments are grievous. What he has to do all the days of his life is to love his benefactor, to fear to offend him, to pray that the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart may be acceptable in his sight; it is, by the mercies of God to present his body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable; and by him only to make mention of his name.

MAY 29.—"Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts."—Galatians 4:6.

We have heard of benefactors; and we have seen a happy few who seem to value their wealth only as the resource of kindness and mercy; and who make it the business of their lives to do good. But God is love; and all benevolence vanishes from a comparison with the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us. None ever relieved such numbers, succoured so freely, or gave so richly. What are the greatest favours conferred by human generosity? Survey the gifts of God. Consider only two of them—The Son of his love, and the Spirit of his Son—The one given for us; the other to us—The one peculiarly the promise of the Old Testament; the other of the New. Each of these is equally necessary in the process of our recovery. The Christian alike values both: and of both the Apostle here speaks: "When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And 'because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts." Let us attend to the latter of these.