believers; and so lead us to the faith and love of the only Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord, that in Him we may find the promised pardon and peace, and serve Thee henceforth with ready mind. Grant this, O Heavenly Father, for thy dear Son's sake.

IV. GOD'S DESIRE THAT THE SINNER SHOULD BE

SAVED.

Ezekiel xxxiii. 11.-As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his evil way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?

WHAT words can possibly declare more strongly God's desire that we should be saved? Though our sins testify against us, and we feel that we justly deserve the wrath of God, yet these words forbid us to despair. Our offended Maker protests with an oath, that He has no wish to punish the sinner: that He is never better pleased concerning us than when we turn from our evil ways. Again and again, He entreats us to turn from them, and sets before us the sure consequence of continuing in sin, lest we should persuade ourselves that we can do evil and yet escape punishment. Surely these are the words of a tender Father, and no less of a most righteous Governor. Die you must, if you continue in sin. The justice and holiness of God demand this. But as a tender Father, He reasons with you, saying, Why will ye die? As though He would say, What pleasure, what gain is there in sin, that can ever repay you for a trembling conscience, and the torment of the soul in everlasting fire? He even beseeches you to repent and turn from your evil ways. Yours is all the gain if you repent— yours all the loss and misery if you go on still in your wickedness. Yet the Lord Almighty not only waiteth to be gracious, but even more, He tries to win us to

He "draws us with the cords of a

our own good.
man, with bands of love.”

Oh that every sinner would consider this! Oh that he would think within himself how much of inward wretchedness and fear he has caused himself to feel, what danger he has brought his soul into, how he has cast from him the comfort of holy hope and peace, the supports of faith, the blessings of the Divine favour, and the consolations of brotherly love; and how "naked, and wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind" 2 he has rendered himself as to all those things which belong unto his eternal happiness! Such consideration would mightily prevail to bring him to himself, and dispose him to say with the prodigal, "I will arise and go to my Father, and will say unto Him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.' Still look upon God as a Father, who longs to be reconciled to His offending creatures. As often as sin overcomes so often you, to Him in humble confession and sincere repentance, and doubt not of a welcome. "While you are yet a great way off," He will hasten to receive you, if your heart is duly contrite. For the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and through His cleansing blood, the Almighty offers His pardoning love, and bids His ministers beseech sinners to come unto Him, saying, "Be ye reconciled to God." Oh, "receive not this grace in vain.”+

go

PRAYER.

"3

Gracious God, who wouldest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should repent and live, grant that this Thy unspeakable goodness may draw us away from our sins, and knit our hearts unto Thee in true and devoted affection, that we may not die, but live, and declare Thy praise for evermore in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

1 Hos. xi. 4.

2 Rev. iii. 17.

4 2 Cor. v. 20; vi. 1.

3 Luke xv. 18, 19.

V.-MAN RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST.

2 Cor. v. 21.-God hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

66

He was

"IN Christ, there was no sin." 66 a Lamb without blemish and without spot," and came into the world to do the will of God by offering up himself a sacrifice for the sins of men. For how could the

sacrifice of bullocks and of goats, which were ordained under the law, make atonement for human iniquities? Men might see in them a lively token of what they deserved, and of their need of some atoning sacrifice. And they served also to foreshow the sacrifice of Christ, and to prepare men to trust in His reconciling blood. But they had no virtue in themselves to take away sin. Christ, on the contrary, being perfect God and perfect man, could offer Himself up as an allsufficient sacrifice for sin. “He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him." He could die for us because He had taken our nature upon Him, and was made like unto us in all things, sin only excepted; and in dying, He could give an infinite value and power to His death, to take away our guilt and our punishment, for He was God.

Here is no countenance, no indulgence shown to sin. God maintains his character as the righteous Governor of the world, for He punishes sin to the uttermost. The sufferings of Christ on the cross bear awful witness to the just anger of God against all sin. But how merciful does God show Himself at the same time! how anxious to save His creatures, though so unworthy of His love! He made His own son to be "sin for us," treated Him as a sinner, and made Him a sin-offering for us, though He "knew no sin,

11 John iii. 5.

21 Pet. i. 19.

3 Heb. vii. 25.

that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him,"-cleansed and made acceptable to God through the sacrifice of Christ, which He Himself ordained for us. He put Christ as it were in our place, laying our iniquities upon Him, and bringing Him to the death of the cross; and showed in Him and by what He suffered, the wrath of God against all unrighteousness, and now he offers a free and perfect pardon to all who truly repent and seek for reconciliation through Christ. So then "we are justified and accounted righteous "by faith, and have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord." This is the righteousness provided for us of God by the faith of Christ. By this, and this only, shall we find acceptance.

Go then, ponder the things done unto Jesus in the day of His humiliation. Consider His exceeding bitter sorrow, His agony, the cruel mockings and scourgings which He endured. Think upon His painful and fainting steps as He carried His cross, and His far more painful tortures as He hung upon it until death. Behold what love he hath borne to you! What compassion He has had upon your soul! This is your Saviour, your only Saviour. Will you not turn to Him and be saved? Will you not trust in Him with your whole heart, and thankfully live unto Him who died for you? If you will indeed do so, then He will perfect this good work which he has begun in you. He will make you a partaker in all the benefits of His death. He will take away all your unrighteousness, and present you blameless before God through His own meritorious intercession. But if you neglect Him, how then shall you abide the judgment of God? Who then shall save you? Your own righteousness, if you trust to that, is worthless in the sight of God. It cannot endure His judgment. For what is it? Is there no fault, no flaw in all your conduct? Does it come

up to the standard of Scripture precept? Is it perfect? Search and try it well by the light of God's word, and you will never more trust in yourself that you are righteous. You will rather cry out with the publican, smiting upon your breast, "God be merciful to me a sinner. "1 Seek then to be "found in Christ, not having your own righteousness, which is of the law, as your hope, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith;" 2 for "there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." 3

PRAYER.

O merciful Father, who hast set forth Thy Son to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, grant that, humbly sensible of our own unworthiness, we may most thankfully and entirely trust in His meritorious sufferings and death, and ever live, not unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us, and serve Him with unfeigned love and zeal all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

VI. THE JOY SPRINGING FROM THE Knowledge OF CHRIST.

Acts viii. 39-He went on his way rejoicing. It was the eunuch, the treasurer of Candace, queen of Ethiopia, of whom this is told. He had been reading in Isaiah of "One that was led as a Lamb to the slaughter." But he knew not of whom the prophet spoke these words, till God sent his servant Philip to preach unto him Jesus, the Lamb of God. The Scriptures of the Old Testament had fallen into his hands, though he lived in a far distant and heathen 2 Philip. iii. 9.

1 Luke xviii. 13.

3 Rom. viii. 1.