present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not." (Rom. vii. 18.)

So that being in this state-of necessity in this state-all of us falling short of the glory of God, wretched men that we are, what is to be done? Bewail our own sinfulness.

This David did. "I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim: I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief." (Psalm vi. 6, 7.)

This Peter did, when having fallen from his faith, he denied his Lord, and said, "I know not the man." He soon was smitten down with sorrow, and "went out and wept bitterly." (Matt. xxvi. 75.)

So let it be with us.

Lamentation must

needs come forth from a broken and contrite

heart.

He that has offended one who dearly loves him, must needs have sorrow. But God loves us dearly. Shall we then offend him, wound him, crucify him afresh with our disobedience

and sin, and when we perceive it, still pass on with obdurate hearts, and think of it as of no consequence?-Surely not. Then let us bewail our sinfulness, remembering that a broken and a contrite heart God will not despise.

3. But, side by side with contrition, stands in the penitent heart confession.

Some would hide their sins, as Adam and Eve, who hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the den." (Gen. iii. 8.)

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Some would deny their sins, as Sarah, "who denied," when the angel reproved her for laughing," and said, I laughed not." (Gen. xviii. 15.)

Some would excuse their sins, as those unrighteous men, who, when accused by their Lord of neglecting the duties of charity, replied, "When saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee.” (Matt. xxv. 44.)

Some would pass by all consideration of

themselves, as involving an unpleasant task, and would congratulate themselves as being (however bad) still somewhat better than others; as the Pharisee, who exclaimed with very great satisfaction, "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are." (Luke xviii. 11.)

But not so for the penitent Christian. He must repeat his sins, count them over, speak them out before God, aggravate them even with shame and discomfiture to himself; not that their burden may be shifted from himself to others, or that he may "dissemble and cloke them before the face of Almighty God, but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart." This was David's plan.

"Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness, according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences, wash me thoroughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my faults, and my sin is ever before me." (Psalm li. 1-3.)

4. But even yet we have not done enough.

Tears are an acceptable offering in God's sight; and confession is a pleasant thing even to him who knows the secrets of all hearts before a word is uttered; but rising up and flowing out of it, as the water did from the stony rock when smitten by the rod of Moses, must issue a strict amendment of life. "Who would value the submission of him that had injured him, unless the confession of his fault were an engagement not to offend again. These purposes are the last, but the chiefest part of our repentance, without which it will appear our examination was slight and superficial, our sight of sin none at all or very transient, our sorrow forced and hypocritical, our confession formal, if not odious; because to confess and not to resolve to amend, is to tell the Almighty what we will do, not to bewail that which we have already done; wherefore let all the parts of our repentance aim at, and end in, a new obedience."*

Repentance is first a change of

*Dean Comber.

mind, but it is secondly a change of action.

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Godly sorrow worketh repentance”—worketh it; therefore it is not repentance itself. John Baptist preached repentance to the people; but he always was careful to say, "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance. Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire." And then, as each class of sinners came up in turn, to know how they were to achieve this repentance, to all and each of them it was replied, by action.

To the people it was answered, "He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise."

To the soldiers it was answered, “Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages."

To the publicans it was answered, “Exact no more than that which is appointed you." (Luke iii, 9-13.)

And so to every penitent : let them consider not only, "How shall I lament, or how shall