66

to cease to do evil, and to learn to do well "-to "abhor that which is evil, and to cleave to that which is good." Alas! how many profess to join in this confession, and yet have no wish, and make no effort to alter one sinful course, or to give up one vain, or licentious, or worldly pleasure or lust! O, beware of mocking God! This was the sin of the Pharisees of old: they did not neglect their outward duties: nay, they made long prayers; but their sins were still cherished; they were still proud and self-righteous: they said, Lord, Lord! but did not the things which Christ commanded them: hence, said our Lord, "In vain do they worship me."

66

Such is a very brief sketch of this beautiful portion of our matchless Liturgy; and the form of confession in the Communion Service is very similar both in expression and tone. O, that we could all heartily join in them! They describe most fully the frame of mind of the true Christian, who worships God in spirit and in truth." They shew us what are the breathings of the souls of a congregation whose "fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." And why should not all join in them both spiritually and heartily? Alas! in one of them-and that, if possible the most spiritual of the two-but few of us ever join -those few, I mean, whose high privilege it is to meet around the Lord's table. And yet the same faith and grace and love which are needed to make the confession in the Communion Service the language of our hearts, are required to enable us to offer up the other also in sincerity and in truth. All that is wanted is a heart suited to these confessions: and why should not all possess that treasure

—even a heart converted by the Spirit and renewed by Divine grace? God's promise is unlimited: "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you." (Ezek. xxxvi. 26.) "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke xi. 13.) Pray then, my dear brethren, for the Holy Spirit: "it is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh can profit you nothing." Get clear and scriptural views of sin, and of your own in particular. Get a due sense of the evil and danger of it, and of its intolerable burden: you will then fly to the cross of Him who is mighty to save; and there you will find pardon, righteousness, and life eternal through faith in His name and merits. As you feel more of the power of in-dwelling corruption, you will value more highly the throne of grace your confessions will be more intelligent, fervent, and sincere: God will hear, answer, and bless you. He will grant you for his dear Son's sake pardon and peace: and he will enable you also to live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of his great name. Amen.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

WHAT gracious words are these! They contain a declaration of love from the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation; and they should beam hope and encouragement on every truly contrite heart. Jehovah is here declared to be "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." We hear the voice of our compassionate God saying to us, " I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." (Isa. xliii. 25.)

66

God, for Christ's sake, forgives the sins of all those who truly repent and believe the Gospel.

He forgives them freely, fully, instantaneously, eternally. The moment a sinner renounces his own righteousness, and in the consciousness of his own pollution and helplessness relies on the Saviour's blood and righteousness for life and justification, the guilt of his sin is forgiven, and he is "accepted in the Beloved:" "in Him we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." But after the guilt of sin is forgiven, and God is pacified toward the believing sinner, he needs a fresh supply of pardoning grace continually. Such is the weakness of the flesh and the craft and malice of the devil, that the Christian does many things which he ought not to do, and leaves undone many things which he ought to have done.' Though he "delights in the law of God after the inward man, yet he finds another law in his members warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which is in his members: " humbled therefore under a sense of sin and confessing it to his God, he comes to a throne of grace for a renewal of pardon. Nor does the Lord reject the man who comes with the true penitent's confession and prayer upon his lips, "God be merciful to me a sinner; ""for if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Not that the penitent's confession is the procuring cause, or the condition of pardon. To suppose so, would be to overthrow the very nature of the Gospel, and to make the grace of Christ of none effect: God's dear children are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood." (Rom. iii. 24, 25.) 'We are accounted righteous before God,

91

only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings.' But this humble and hearty confession of sin describes the state of mind of those who are pardoned, and points out the characters to whom God does and will make known his forgiving love; for the man who confesses his sins without partiality or hypocrisy has been convinced of sin, and made to feel the exceeding sinfulness of it; he has been filled with a godly sorrow for it, and real hatred of it. To him the Holy Ghost has given "repentance unto salvation not to be repented of;" he confesses his sins unto the Lord, and humbly implores pardon through the sacrifice of Christ; nor is he denied the request of his lips; " I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin;" "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."

These words will throw light on that portion of our spiritual Liturgy which forms the next subject for our consideration, and will tend to give us a clearer insight into the true meaning of what is commonly called

THE ABSOLUTION.

We have already accompanied the true worshipper into the house of prayer, and to the throne of grace: we have heard him on bended knees and with contrite spirit pouring out his confessions and his supplications to the God of all mercy and consolation, We have erred and strayed like lost sheep; we have offended against thy holy laws;

1 Tenth Article of the Church of England.