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pared not himself, shall be beaten with many stripes."

But, beloved, we hope "better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." Still let me caution you, my Christian brethren, against that listlessness of spirit, which is too often found to creep into our devotion, and eat out the marrow of our prayers-let me exhort you to offer to the Lord "a pure offering." I know that your strength is perfect weakness, but I know that God's "Spirit helpeth your infirmities:" I know that Christ "ever liveth to make intercession for you." Through Him, your petitions shall be effectual, and grace, mercy, and peace shall be multiplied upon you. And ere long, the time shall arrive when no discordant note shall mar the harmony of your worship. Translated from the church on earth, to the church in heaven, you shall " come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men

20 EXPEDIENCY OF A PRESCRIPT form.

made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant." There shall you cast your crowns before his feet, and worship him for ever and ever.1

1 Vide Note C.

LECTURE II.

ON THE CONFESSION OF SIN.

1 JOHN I. 8, 9.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

THE first part of true devotion is humiliation before God. He that comes requiring as a right, that which is offered as a favour, cannot, surely, find acceptance with the Lord, who "resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." Man, however, is naturally indisposed to this humility; he is almost always prepared to justify himself, and to plead that

he has "kept all the commandments from his youth up." But as he who is in health, or at least who imagines himself in health, does not seek the aid of a physician, or value his medicines, so the sinner, who does not feel the burden of his guilt, cannot understand or duly appreciate the blessings of the Gospel. Like the ancient Pharisees1 he says, I see, and therefore his "sin remaineth." The simple purpose of the gospel is, our restoration to the favour of God. "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself: " and thus he who does not think that he has forfeited that favour by transgression, altogether misapprehends the object of the Father in giving us his Son. Hence it is the principal aim of scripture to awaken in us a lively sense of our naturally lost condition. To this end it relates the history of our first parents' fall, and by a multitude of examples, shows us, how, in consequence, in every man, "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit:" to this end it expounds the law of God, as requiring a perfect obedience, in deed, and word, and thought, and declares

1 Vide John ix. 41.

that "whosoever shall offend in one point, he is guilty of all." For it knows that, if light have so far broken in upon the mind, then Christ's salvation will be apprehended as a good, and anxiously desired, and therefore that men will then "look unto" him, that they may "be saved." The law is thus a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we may be justified by faith."

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No text can more strongly confirm this view than that which I have selected for our present consideration; it might, one would imagine, convince all who bow to the authority of sacred scripture, that "there is none that doeth good, no, not one." I shall, in the following discourse, apply the explanation of this passage to illustrate that portion of our daily service, which I may, I think, without impropriety, term the penitential part: I shall shew you how faithfully our liturgy is modelled on the scripture: and I shall call you to give earnest heed, lest your own words arise to bear testimony against you. That part of the service to which I have alluded, extends from the commencement, to those versicles which Immediately succeed the Lord's prayer. May

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