THE REMEDY.

"But why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me. Hope thou in God."s

But how can I hope in God when I have so grievously offended him? How can I approach the outraged purity of his presence? What can I do to deprecate the fierceness of his wrath?

"He that saith he hath not sinned makes God a liar:" but what then? Because a man hath sinned, it does not follow that he should do so always, for although it is impossible, humanly speaking, that the "Ethiopian can change his skin, or he that is accustomed to do evil learn to do good," yet "all things are possible with God."a

Now behold the counsels of the Almighty : Jesus said to the impotent man: "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.' Jesus said to the woman taken in adultery : Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no Nathan said unto David: "The Lord

more."

also hath put away thy sin.”

"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but

that the wicked should turn from his way and live, for why will ye die, O house of Israel."a

"How shall I give thee up Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and

man."b

Truly if he were man, my escape would be hopeless, but he is God, he has not the passions and the feelings of man, and it is plain that his his will is that none should perish, but that all should come to everlasting life.

Dwell upon this also. has spared thee hitherto. spare thee altogether?

Consider how God

And may he not

In the midst of thy revellings, and surfeitings of the world, he might with one word have smitten thee to the dust. While thou wast saying to thy soul, "Soul, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry," God might have said to thee, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." But he spared thee, he led thee forth to green pastures, though thou lovedst the barren wilderness, he pleaded with thee face to face, he gave thee thy conscience, his Holy Scriptures, his

a

Eze. i. xxxiii. 11.

b Hosea. xi. 8.

с

Luke xii. 19

Son Jesus Christ, his Holy Spirit, and has called aloud to thee: "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."

But there is more required for the remedy of thy fears than an admiration of God's mercy; and for a justification of thy sins, than a retrospect of the past. Though God is merciful, yet is he just; and his justice is so severe, that he requires a satisfaction before it can be appeased. And can I give it? I cast about for something to appease him. He is placable - he is willing to be appeased, but wherewithal shall I do it?

I cast about in vain.

do it.

But there is one who can.

Thou canst not

Behold, once more, the counsels of God. His counsel is, that ATONEMENT shall be made: "Ye have sinned a great sin, and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure, I shall make atonement for your sin." Thus spake Moses, and it is even so, that Jesus Christ shall go up unto the Lord, and make atonement for me.

Jesus Christ "being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; yet he took upon himself the form of a

Nor was that all.

Having lived a life of holiness, he died a death of SACRIFICE, and "Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us."a

Nor was that all.

Being sacrificed for us, and dying the death of the cross, he rose again, and ascended on high; and "when he had himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high," and there he still sits, our MEDIATOR, and our INTERCESSOR; thence he sends the COMFORTER; thence he views the sufferings, the trials, the struggles, even of me, his sinful creature.

"Without shedding of blood there is no remission."c But there is a shedding of blood; and JESUS made it.

Without an atonement, we cannot satisfy justice; but there is an atonement, and JESUS made it.

Without some intercession of a more worthy advocate than man, between ourselves and God, there is no hope that God will hear. But there is an intercession, and JESUS, at the right hand of God, for ever makes it.

Then, "awake, O my soul, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."

"Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?" Turn to the gospel of Jesus

Christ, and answer-look to the blood of the Saviour, and answer, Thou hast sinned against God; thou hast sinned from habit; thou hast sinned against conscience, against reason, against the scriptures, until, O my soul, thou art an abomination before the Lord.

Believest

But yet, the Lord is merciful. thou the gospel? "I know that thou believest."a Be not then almost persuaded to be a Christian, but entirely so. Give thyself up to repentance ; prostrate on thy knees " pray without ceasing"" pray for the Spirit; pray for mercy; pray for sanctifying grace.

O yes, even yet I will be glad and rejoice. My Saviour is my "strong rock for an house of defence, and my fortress." Bring hither the ring, and kill the fatted calf;" for while I am now saying, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." Lo, I hear my Father's voice, the kind, the forgiving, My son was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found."

66

THE PRAYER.

O thou, who sittest at the right hand of God, in thine eternal glory, Jesu Christ, my Media