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upon the possibility of their sinfulness? or have the fallen ones, cast down to hell, any cheering imagination of being born again? As certainly as these are fixed for ever in the darkness of despair, and, knowing or believing it, tremble; so surely no misgivings of his holiness disturbs the happy, ever happy state of one angelic breast. And we may, from similar reasoning, be assured that our very liability to speculate upon our spiritual condition, those very upbraidings of conscience which follow every sin committed, the restless and dissatisfied state of the human mind—all these things are proofs, inherent in the posterity of Adam, that we are his descendants, and that the curse of sin comes with us into the world.

Nay, our very condition of trial and infirmity proves one of two things-either that our Maker, contrary to the evidence of all creation, all sense, and all observation, is a God that delighteth himself in the sorrows and sufferings of His creatures, or that we are miserable sinners. That around us the whole earth teems with the sources of perfect felicity, were we in ourselves capable of such enjoyment; but that, within us, i. e. in our flesh, there is a rankling wound, a cancer gnawing at the root of happiness, defeating every aim at permanent good in this world, and sicklying all sublunary joys-is evidence which appeals to every freethinker, every sensualist, every infidel, with a force which he cannot evade.

To produce Scripture proofs of this all-interesting fact, were to lay before the gainsayer the whole Word of God. There it is: read it-nay, make but one opening in its leaves, and man's recorded impurity

shall stare you in the face. Read there of an Almighty angered-here of a nation punished. Here the expostulations of a Saviour-there the threats of an avenging God. Ponder in this page the merciful strivings of the Holy Spirit, in that the yearning compassions of the pitying Father;-and what, from all this, first strikes the mind, but that we are miserable sinners?

Should any one entertain of himself so good an opinion as to dispute, in his own favour, the universality of actual sin, though he admits the sinful nature which is common to his fallen race; let him look well-nay, but a very feeble glance, if the "eye be single," will enable him to see if there be no wicked thoughts at this moment careering in his heart. The goodness of Providence may have fenced him round so graciously with benefits, that the temptation to "steal or take God's name in vain" may have never yet assailed him with success; but, ask thyself, time-honoured child of the world, did never any disposition to "deny" thy God, does not such a tendency at this moment lie hid in thy complacent breast? Remember, He with whom we have to do trieth the hearts and reins. With Him causeless anger has the hue of murder-an unchaste thought the guilt of adultery.

Then in word, first offspring of the heart, how oft do we offend, capitally offend, against the laws of God! Words are the coward villains of the heart; and, though they have not all the daring, have all the evil disposition of the actions, to which, if they do not lead themselves, they almost always provoke others. Neither are they always fierce and angry

words which stir up strife, that do the mischief. Many tempers are not to be ruffled into such an ebullition; and the cool and deliberate wound which falls from a gentle tongue as often mortifies as that to which the more unsubdued gives birth. "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords." (Ps. lv. 21.)

Thus, for upon actions we need not descant, "every mouth is stopped, and all the world become guilty before God." (Rom. iii. 19.) Nothing, no name, can justify man but "the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe." (ib. 22.) We are all, of every age and condition, "sinners," necessarily and justly exposed to the wrath of an all-pure God; and it is, therefore, our only hope that, notwithstanding our entire inability to reform or save ourselves, we are "miserable;" "that," through the merciful interference of an Almighty Saviour, "the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy."

Oh, gracious appendage to a fallen, polluted, and abominable state of sin, that souls are pitiable! for He said, "Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so He was their Saviour. In all their affliction He was afflicted; and the angel of his presence (a glorious proof "that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself") saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them." (Is. lxiii. 8.)

SECTION V.

"REMEMBER NOT, LORD, OUR OFFENCES, NOR THE OFFENCES OF OUR FOREFATHERS; NEITHER TAKE THOU VENGEANCE OF OUR SINS. SPARE US, GOOD LORD-SPARE THY PEOPLE WHOM THOU HAST REDEEMED WITH THY MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD; AND BE NOT ANGRY WITH US FOR EVER."

HAVING presented to the Almighty those invocations which are addressed, first, to His several persons, and then to Him as the essence of those persons, individually and collectively, the petition now enters upon the ordinary language of life, beseeching our Good Lord, as the everlasting Head and Ruler of the Church, and the Maker of all things, to Spare us miserable sinners."

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There seems to be an especial regard to past offences, which, through our want of repentence, have become "sins," exposed to the "vengeance" of Almighty God. Such offences may have altogether escaped our remembrance; so that, unless God were graciously pleased to pardon, no atonement could be obtained for them through our confession-and these, in addition to the actual offences still in mind, demand of us an earnest appeal to the mercy of God.

Spare us, good Lord! is the tone of convicted criminals. The matter is no longer in dispute ; we have pleaded our guilt; we allege nothing but the sure mercies of the judge in arrest of judgment.

But the instruction of our Bible (Joel ii. 17.) urges us to renewed supplication; and we "put Him in mind" of our redemption, of the "precious blood" shed for us, and that we are His people.

We observe that, although the supplicants now address themselves to the "One Lord," without verbal reference any longer to His three characters, these are evidently traced in their full qualities in the language of the petition. Is it not the Holy Spirit of God that remembereth, the Father that taketh vengeance, and the Saviour with whose most worthy merits we are redeemed?

We may not have occasion, for some time, to recur to this-the very foundation of our holy religion-but it is material to be borne in mind throughout the whole of the succeeding entreaties. With our minds thus occupied, we shall feel a confidence, a hope, in our supplications, which would else be wanting. For having in view only the stern majesty of our offended Father, vain will be all dependence upon his paternal love, so palpably forfeited by our rebellion and ingratitude—but presenting to Him a heart broken and contrite" indeed, but full of the assurance of a reconciliation brought about by the blood of Jesus, we clear the darkening brow, and look to heaven for mercy. It is our birthright, thus born again to an inheritance with the saints in light -and we claim it at the hands of a good Lord, who, touched with the feeling of our infirmities, remembereth that we are but dust. This, however, cannot in any wise be acceptably done, without the efficacy of the Holy Spirit to move and give earnestness to our prayer. "It is the Spirit that helpeth our infir