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fess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God is faithful and just in his promises of mercy, and "will abundantly pardon" all those who lament their transgressions and are sorry for their sins, and who intreat his forgiveness through the worthiness of Christ.

The humble Christian has also a regard to "the blood of the everlasting covenant" in his daily prayers. He is conscious of many stains and imperfections even in his best deeds. He is travelling through "a world which lieth in wickedness;" he carries about with him a nature inclined to evil; and though he earnestly endeavours to keep himself unspotted from the world," he finds occasion to pray with David; "Cleanse thou me, O Lord, from secret faults; keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me; then shall I be upright and innocent from the great transgression." Looking, according to the promise of God, for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness; he is deligent that he may be found by his Lord in peace, without spot and blameless."

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He prays

a 1 John, v. 19.
d 2 Pet. iii. 14.

also for the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit, in the language of the Church, "O God, make clean my heart within me ;" "cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name." St. Paul has united together these efficacious means of purification under the Gospel Covenant, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter the Sixth ; where, giving a description of some gross and polluted sinners, he says, "And such were some of you but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

3. In the third, and last place, we may remark, that we can enjoy no real comfort and peace, unless we live in a state of favour and acceptance with God. While God is our enemy on account of our sins, he can alarm us with his judgments; he can "make all his waves and billows to pass over us;" he can afflict us very sore in our substance and in our persons, so that our frame shall seem to be dissolved, and our bones to be broken, and our heart like melting wax. If our heavenly Sovereign, instead of hiding his face from our sins, fixes his eyes upon them; if he brings our transgressions with all their aggravating cir

cumstances before us, instead of blotting them out, and freely forgiving them; who may abide? who can stand in his presence whose wrath is as "a consuming fire?" Let us then in due time "acquaint ourselves with him and be at peace. Let us thankfully embrace the offers of mercy and forgiveness which are held out to us in the Gospel of his Son. As we are sure that "there is no peace to the wicked." and that in God's favor and loving kindness alone there is life, may we diligently seek his favor, and humbly make use of those means of grace which he has appointed, "that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and may be enabled to serve him with a quiet mind.' The God of heaven, whose laws we have repeatedly broken, whose goodness we have often requited with ingratitude, still encourages us to return unto him: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord," by his Prophet; "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." "Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes: cease to do evil; learn to do well." If our heavenly Father hears us offering up the confessions of "a broken and contrite heart;" if he sees us return e Job xxii. 21. f Isai xlviii. 22. Isai. i. 18, &c.

F

to him as once rebellious, but now repenting sons; he will cause us to hear of joy and gladness; he will welcome us again to the arms of his mercy; he will abundantly pardon us through the merits of his Son; he will enrich us with the gifts of his divine Spirit; and will comfort our souls with an abiding hope of his eternal glory. Our great Redeemer has " proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord, and he was sent to comfort all that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."b

Isai. lxi. 1-3.-Luke iv. 18, 19.

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SERMON IV.

THE AGENCY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN CREATING

A NEW AND A CLEAN HEART.

PSALM LI. 10, 11, 12.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew

a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence;

take not thy holy Spirit from me.

and

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit.

WE may perceive, as we advance in our examination of this interesting Psalm, a regular progress. From the lowest depths of humiliation and self-debasement the Penitent rises by degrees to a more comfortable state, but he

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