in His book. Where shall we seek pardon, but from this very Saviour, whom we have offended? "Lord, at thy feet, ashamed, I lie; Pardon my sins, before I die, And blot them from thy book!" "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. "Psalm x. 4. Have We proudly live, as if life were our own. you not spent many years without the least Religion -nay, despising and mocking religious people? Lord, pardon the proud rebel, whom thou hast now brought low! For Jesu's sake, forgive me; and enter now into this heart, which is not worthy to receive thee! "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt; they have done abominable works; there is none that doeth good." Psalm xiv. 1. Was not this the secret of all our ungodliness? We loved sin; we hated God; we wished there was no God; we believed infidel books and men, who told us, that there is no God, and no hell. Now, we feel that God is punishing, and hell is almost begining to burn, in our consciences. Lord! can sinners so abominable, and so corrupt, ever be saved? O show thyself to us, Almighty to save, even the chief of sinners, through Jesus! "For thy Name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great!" Psalm xxv. 11. Great, indeed, is my sin! The very smallest sin, deserving of hell! What then shall I do with my many thousands of sins? Jesus! thy name was so given unto thee, because thou wilt save thy people from their sins: for that Name's sake, pardon all mine iniquities! "Thou hast set our iniquities before thee,, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.", Psalm xc. 8, Nothing, O Lord, can be hidden from Thee : oftentimes have I sinned in darkness: but the darkness hideth not from Thee! O blot out the sins which now cover me with shame! Accept me for thy dear Son's sake! "And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to them that instructed me! I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly." Proverbs v. 11-14. Its Oh pitiable sight, to see what sin has wrought! That once-strong body wasting away, and the beautiful face quite gone! What was the beginning of this? Hating the Gospel: laughing at good advisers, and pious Ministers: keeping bad company: greedily drinking-in sin. Is there any hope left for such a wretch? Jesus, thou art able to save to the uttermost ! To thee we commend every mourning sinner: O give poor, lost sinners faith in thee! Suffer not their souls to perish! 66 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished." Proverbs xi. 21. Gay company often hardens us in sin: drunkards, fornicators, sabbath-breakers, cheats, liars and swearers wish numbers to be sinners like themselves. But we shall die alone, and be judged alone. We Prepare us, Lord, for our last account! would commune with our own hearts and Thee. How may we break off evil company? How may we have communion with the Holy Spirit? It is only through Jesus. "At the last, it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder." Proverbs xxiii. 32. At first, the cup of pleasure was sweet; but, now that pleasure has made a slave of me, the sweet is turning bitter. And, in the end, it must prove a never-dying sting. O Almighty Redeemer, pluck the sinner as a brand out of the burning! Give thy Ministers grace to do this, by thy strength! "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah i. 18. This is a promise, which reaches to the very worst cases;-to the murderer, whose crimes are blood 1; the infidel, who has murdered souls; the seducer, who has ruined, perhaps, the body and soul of some unhappy creature; the faithless Preacher, who has blindly led the blind, till many of them have fallen into the ditch.-But why do I speak of such? Even to me, the chief of sinners, is this promise made! Grant to us, Lord, faith, strong as the promise! "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Isaiah xliii. 25. Lord, when we remember our many sins, with shame and confusion of face, help us also to look to the bleeding Saviour, who has made an atonement for them all! For His name's sake, remember our iniquities no more, for ever. "Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Ezekiel xviii. 31. Since Christ is willing to save me, why am I unwilling to be saved? Lord, from thy Spirit alone can come the desire of this salvation. Incline our hearts to cast away the works of darkness, and to accept the covenant of peace, which Jesus hath sealed with his blood! "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Ezekiel xxxvi. 26. Oh, the unutterable hardness of this heart; that cannot love; that cannot believe; that cannot melt with godly sorrow! Lord, touch it with thy Spirit! Kindle the love of Jesus in me! Then shall the love of sin depart, and the law of love and holiness be written on my inmost soul. "Prepare to meet thy God." Amos iv. 12. If now I am almost speechless at the thought of death, how shall I stand at the bar of God? I would thank the Lord fr giving me warning. Help me, gracious Saviour, to comprehend the word of reconciliation, offered in the Gospel! |