also."-Now he hears the Galatians are about to conceal the cross.-What! blot the sun out of the system! all doctrines revolve round this, and receive their light and effect from it! This doctrine has had many triumphs-it still triumphs!it has conducted millions to glory!-it is the doctrine that shall prevail. This is the doctrine our missionaries are making known-if you approve it, give! Moravian missionary preaching the Lord." Say it again," said the Indian: yes, they will never tire saying it again. * * * * If anything this morning can bring a good collection, it will be the cross of Christ. * 1 John, i., 9.-If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. SIN is defined, "the transgression of the law"-all nonconformity to God's law, whether of commission or omission, is sin.—John's definition-three things in the idea of sinlawgiver-law given-law broken. 1. Lawgiver is God!-our Maker! has a right to be our governor, and, as such, he is authorized to make laws for our conduct-often ready to maintain man's rights-forget not God's rights-this is one, his right to govern-he gave life, and should give law. 2. Law given.-God has exercised his right as our Maker and Governor by various degrees and in various ways; not to speak of internal conscience, the light of every man, he has made known to us a clearer law-moral-written-besides the ceremonial, two tables of stone, ten precepts, the summary of the moral law. Moral, to distinguish from the ceremonial; this binding only on the Jews, and transient, binding on them only in their dispensation: that binding on all, and perpetual, immutable! It has been confirmed by the Gospel; Jesus Christ submitted to it-made under it practised it as an example-enforced it-gave a summary more brief than it-more valuable, too, as it brings forth the leading principle of it-love! 3. Law broken.-Sin is its violation-text says, "confess this;" a duty often enjoined in Holy Scripture. So Solomon says. * * * Jesus Christ, in the parable of the prodigal, makes it a leading feature: "I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son"-danger of the nature of true confession. I. The nature of the duty. II. The promise annexed to its performance. III. The security afforded for its fulfilment. I. The nature of the duty. 1. It must be sincere and cordial-not lips, but heart!—result of conviction. He who truly confesses is impressed with the majesty of the lawgiver; a formalist may confess, but he only feels sin as an offence against society, or his own character: but the true penitent is so convinced that sin is against God, that he cries, "against thee only:" he feels that he has been in rebellion, high-treason against the King of Kings. The formalist confesses, but says much to excuse-that God acts too hard: the true penitent is convinced of the equity of the lawgiver-every precept-all right and good-no fault but in him.-The formalist confesses, but exclaims against the penalty the law demands: not so the penitent; he feels no such thing as a little sin—he feels that he is doomed to eternal death, and thus feeling, cries, "It is just, the sentence should take place." 2. Abandon sin for the future.-Pharaoh confessed, but he was under the influence of carnal terror-no sooner was the rod removed than he returned to his old sins-abandon them-cut off the right hand, &c. 3. Confession must be personal and individual.—Nothing more worthless than the vague confession with which the world abounds: "God help us, we are all sinners;" this is rather to confess others' sins, or classed in general mass. But those recorded in Scripture are personal-David—Publi can-me a sinner-not us sinful sons of Adam; not us sinful inhabitants of Judea; nor us publicans-but he loses sight of all others—me. 4. Must be general and comprehensive-not one particular sin, perhaps recently committed, or which happens to expose us to human censure, &c. But all, of every kind—and take pains to recollect—by closet work-by comparing with God's word. *** Not only of our outward conduct, but our tempers and dispositions-an idle thought is wicked-not only confess the sin of our life, but of our nature. Formalists are deficient here-they say their hearts were good-not so the penitent; his heart a thousand times worse-he finds that not only was the stream tainted, but the fountain. 5. Frank, honest, and ingenuous-no excuse-no whiting -all such is evil-confess in all aggravations-the true penitent cannot discover the most favourable circumstance, though others may see some such in it. See the prodigal— against thee-in thy sight-these are what make sin exceeding sinful. 6. Must be connected with a believing application to God for mercy through a Mediator.-Judas no better for his confession-no penitence in that-his was despair-the sorrow of the world worketh death-but godly sorrow notwhen it degenerates to despair, it ceases to be repentance. -The scapegoat taught the necessity of this looking for mercy by faith-confessed their sins on the goat—a typical transfer on it. So, on Jesus-the hand of faith laying hold on him. * II. The promise annexed to its performance. 1. "We receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance, among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Christ Jesus." If with true penitence and faith we confess, God will forgive. This does not imply an alteration in the proper desert of sin-it is always hateful-not less so when it is pardoned-entertain the same feelings we had when seeking pardon-this makes us loath ourselves. But forgiveness implies the remission of the penalty.-God does not impute sin when the sinner is pardoned.—Blessings are connected with it also. 1. Peace with God. 2. A persuasion of our adoptionpardon is the act of God as a Sovereign-adoption as a gracious Father; yet they always go together. 3. It is connected further with a title to eternal happiness-" heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ!" 2. This is the first part of the promise-forgiveness-the guilt. The other part is purification from all unrighteousness. In sin two things are to be considered-the sinful act, and the sinning principle which led to it.-It taints the whole man!-corrupts, so as to offend God!-God then promises the Holy Ghost to believers-not as a Comforter only, but a Sanctifier. This work is begun at, and from, the time of justification. This blessing is initio, imparted at that moment.-Christ sets up his throne, rules, and begins to make all things new. Every pardoned man is, in a measure, sanctified: he hates sin, and if "he follow on to know the Lord," all darkness will be removed.-(See Howe, p. 11.) III. The security afforded for its fulfilment. 1. Faithfulness is accuracy in fulfilling an engagement. God has bound himself hereto !" I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins, and their iniquities will I remember no more."-" Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."-"I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.""Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Promises of purity also: "I will pour clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."-This is a promise as well as a precept.-Now He cannot lie, nor repent. What inducement in God to violate them? Men often make rash promises, and as often break them.—God makes no thoughtless ones; all settled in mercy and grace. Men do them faithlessly-God is truth itself.-Men often cannot perform through unforeseen events. Not so God. It is his changeless purpose to forgive all who come in his way. 2. Justice also.-We do not explain this in reference to his promises to us, but his engagements with the Messiah.Certain transactions are recorded, when sacrifices could not put away sin, "but a Divine appointment was necessary.' Christ said, "Lo! I come."-He undertook to be man's substitute as a sufficient atonement-our kinsman-what he undertook he performed. "In the fulness of time 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."-But on what condition ?-this, "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed: he shall prolong his days, and the pleas ure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied." Now after the Son had performed, died, risen-if the Father refused to pardon and sanctify, to save one who came in His way, he would be unjust to his Christ.-So infinitely sure are we of salvation if we will be saved in God's way. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." : Faithful and just? These were the attributes from which we had originally nothing to hope. If he said, "Faithful to punish," all could believe; if "merciful and gracious to forgive," no difficulty. But an act of justice? How? Christ's atonement solves all! it is the key! We defy any who reject the atonement to make any sense of this text. How can such go to the justice of God, and demand forgiveness? "God is a consuming fire." But if we look at the atonement all is clear. Christ suffered he was God's own Son!-Therefore there is an infinite merit in his sufferings and death.-Hence, God can be just, and yet a Saviour! *** Do not be satisfied with admiring this plan, but make a practical application. Let us be willing to look at our sins-drink in our shamehumble ourselves come to the throne of grace, and on |