Pray that the Spirit may deepen your penitence and make it sincere. Pray that it may be a godly sorrow, an evangelical repentance wrought by the Spirit, arising from a view of the nature of sin, and then will you find pardon at the hands of the Lord. Go to him and he will say to you, "Be of good cheer, your sins which are many are all forgiven, and much being forgiven you will love the Saviour much. PRAYER. Almighty and ever blessed God, we are encouraged to come before thy footstool of mercy by the gracious promises what thou hast made to the humble and contrite soul. Notwithstanding, thou art holy in thy nature, and glorious in thy perfections, and though thou art surrounded by millions of happy and holy spirits above, yet thou dost condescend to notice the guilty sons of men. Thou dost dwell with man upon earth, and especially with the man who is of a humble spirit and broken heart. Look down upon a brokenhearted sinner before thee. Thou hast brought him to see his sin and to mourn over it, and we trust, with a godly sorrow. Thou hast placed his sins in the light of thy countenance, and his sin is ever before him. While overwhelmed with a deep sense of his guilt and unworthiness, may he willingly embrace that Saviour, who can alone deliver him from the consequences of his numerous transgressions. May he rest with firm and unshaken confidence on the promises of forgiveness, which thou hast made in thy word to penitent sinners. May he hope in thy mercy. Let no feeling of despair fasten upon his mind, but remembering how many rebellious sinners thou hast pardoned, may he throw his soul entirely upon thee. O God, regard his desire for thy favour, and as thou hast shown him his sins, reveal to him thy mercy. Have mercy upon him according to thy loving-kindness, and according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out his transgressions. Purge him as with hyssop that he may be clean, wash him that he may be whiter than snow. Make him to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Give him a sense of thy forgiving grace, that in the midst of his present affliction he may be cheered. Look upon his affliction and his pain, and forgive all his sins. May the blessed Spirit reveal a Saviour unto him in all his ability and willingness to save, that trusting in his power and love, he may be safe and happy, and attain to an evidence of being interested in the blessings of his pardoning blood and justifying righteousness. Under his present convictions and penitence of heart, may he rest in nothing short of the work of Christ. May he take refuge in nothing but the merits of the Redeemer. O bless him with the knowledge of salvation, and ere he leaves this world, may he have the witness of the Spirit to the acceptance of his person and the pardon of his iniquities. We thank thee if this affliction has been blessed to his spiritual good; if it has led him, as we hope it has, to inquire after thee, and to cry out for thy mercy, before it is too late. May the work thus begun, be carried on, and finally, may he be numbered with those around thy throne, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Support the present sufferer under his afflictions of body. If it should terminate in death, may he glorify thee in his last moments; if he should be restored, may he glorify thee by a holy life and conversation, and be prevented from returning again into the ways of sin. Bring, we beseech thee, all impenitent sinners to thy throne of mercy. Convince them of sin. Bestow upon them the spirit of penitence and prayer. May they have repentance toward God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sanctify their bodily sufferings to this end. May they be chosen in the furnace of affliction, and brought at last to thy kingdom above; for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. "Awaked from sin's delusive sleep, Oh, from thy throne of bliss above. CHAPTER XIV. To the Self Righteous. FIRST SCRIPTURE PORTION. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, who is in heaven. Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity, Mat. vii. 21-23. For I say unto you, except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven, Mat. v. 20. I have spread out my hands all day unto a rebellious people which walked in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou, Isa. lxv. 2-6. And he (Jesus) spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray-the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself; God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican; I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican standing afar off, could not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other; for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted, Luke xviii. 9-14. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness; those that remember thee in thy ways. Behold thou art wrath, for we have sinned; in thee is continuance, and we shall be saved. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind, have taken us away, Isa. lxiv. 5, 6. Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and |