TWELFTH DAY.-EVENING.

he who offered it up was a sinner, a humble dependent on the mercy of an offended God. He 'I tell you, this man went down to his house looked at himself, and said to God, Behold what justified rather than the other: for every one I am. He never thought of the divine mercy, that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he in connection with himself. He had no feeling that humbleth himself shall be exalted,' Luke that he needed mercy; he thought that he de

xviii. 14.

IN the parable of which these words are the conclusion, Jesus Christ told of a Pharisee and a Publican who went up into the temple to pray. The Pharisees were the strictest sect of the Jews, great professors, and for the most part full of self-righteous pride. The Publicans were the tax gatherers, who farmed the taxes from the Roman government; and as their profit depended on what they could collect over and above the sum which they had agreed to pay to the government, they very generally used every means in their power, whether just or unjust, to wring money from those who paid the taxes. They were consequently held in thorough detestation by the Jews, and were, for the most part, persons of very bad character. But the worst are not beyond the grace of God. Nay, there is more hope of one who is counted by all, and who also counts himself to be sinful, than of a self-conceited, self-righteous person.

Our Lord represents both the Pharisee and the Publican as praying. The Pharisee stood by himself, and prayed thus, '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.' The prayer of the publican was after a different fashion. He, 'standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner.' Mark the judgment of Jesus concerning these two persons; I tell you, that this man (the publican) went down to his house justified rather than the other,' (the pharisee)—words which unquestionably mean that the publican was accepted and justified, whilst the pharisee was rejected, and his religious services held in abhorrence.

served favour.

And after all, to what did the good amount that he had to relate of himself? Freedom from some few gross sins, and the scrupulous observance of one or two of the minor matters of the law. Marvellous folly! that a man who has no more to say for himself than this, should trust in himself that he is righteous, and despise others!

The publican stood afar off, probably in the court of the Gentiles, as unworthy of a place among God's chosen people, and especially as unfit to stand near that eminent saint, the pharisee. Thus shrinking from observation, and his heart almost sunk under a feeling of his sinfulness, he would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven. He felt as David did, when that man of God poured out his prayer, saying, 'Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head; therefore my heart faileth me.' But though he would not lift up his eyes, by grace he was enabled to lift up his soul, and as he smote on his breast in bitter grief, he prayed from his very heart, 'God be merciful to me, a sinner.'

The whole scope of scripture, and many express statements, teach us, that it is God's method of salvation to make the sinner deeply sensible of his sinfulness, to convince him that he cannot save himself, and to show him that God can save him, and is willing to save him, through the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ. Now, not one of these things was found in the Pharisee. He had no deep conviction of his sinfulness; he was not at all aware of his inability to save himself; he had no apprehension of God's pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace. In the Publican, on the contrary, they appear all. He saw the corruption What are the grounds of this judgment, and of his heart, and the transgressions of his life, to how does it appear to be consistent with the be far beyond any remedy that he could apply, whole tenor of God's revealed will? Observe and it having been taught him that there is forthe temper and conduct of the two men. When giveness with God, he presented himself at a the pharisee went to pray, he stood by himself, apart from the other worshippers, to mark the opinion that he entertained of his own superior sanctity, to attract attention, and to draw the admiration of men. His prayer agreed well with his behaviour when presenting himself to offer it. It was nothing but a laudation of himself. There was not in it, one expression, or one hint, that

throne of grace, earnestly desiring to be a partaker of that forgiveness. The condemnation of the pharisee, therefore, and the justification of the publican, entirely agree with the bible method of salvation; for Jesus says,

'Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.' Our Saviour repeated no one sentiment so tre

quently as this. We find it recorded no fewer than pointed them some laborious penance, or a work ten times in the evangelists. That is no doubt requiring a great effort, the fruit of which was intended to teach us the importance which our Lord to be salvation; and they would know how to set attaches to evangelical humiliation. Such humi- about performing the penance, or accomplishing liation lies at the very entrance into a state of grace.' the work. But when it is said, 'believe on the The sinner who, like the publican, stands selfcondemned, grieving for his sinfulness, and crying for mercy, God receives in at the strait gate that leadeth unto life. To such a one he says, 'Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.' And then, in the exercise of free sovereign grace, he begins to exalt the poor sinner abased by evangelical humiliation, uniting him to Christ, bestow-really desirous to possess true saving faith? Do ing on him the privileges and dignity of a child of God, and at last receiving him to perfect happiness, and heavenly glory.

On the other hand, pride, and especially the pride of self-righteousness, is exceedingly offensive to God; for it is a plain denial of man's fallen and ruined condition, and of the utility and necessity of that amazing plan which has been devised for the recovery of sinners. It puts man in a position in which he does not desire, and will not accept, the salvation which God offers. And it makes God a liar, for he declares that there is none righteous, no not one; and that all the imaginations of the thoughts of man's heart are only evil continually. The man who possesses this self-righteous spirit indeed exalts himself: but ah! what a humbling awaits him! He shall be stripped of his fond conceits, and cast down to hell, a miserable, hopeless wretch, to dwell with devils and everlasting burnings.

Lord, make me know myself. Make me understand thy character as revealed in the scriptures. Then shall I lie low before thee as a sinner; my prayer shall be for mercy, for Christ's sake; thou wilt hear the prayer, and receive me graciously, and love me freely, and bless me abundantly

THIRTEENTH DAY.-MORNING.

Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' the sinner is often greatly puzzled how to proceed. Now though saving faith is the gift of God, some simple statements can be made of the way in which faith is attained, and some directions given to those who are anxious to possess it.

But first, let me ask myself, how far am I

I deeply feel that I am sinful, deserving wrath, under condemnation? For what is the use of my inquiring about the way in which I may attain to the possession of faith in Jesus Christ, unless I be sensible of my ruined and dangerous state, and be convinced that I can be saved from that state, in no other way, but through faith in Jesus Christ? O my soul, thou hast God's testimony that thou art lost and undone, a child of wrath, an heir of hell. Do not thine own secret, it may be, thy strong convictions, agree with that testimony? Be assured, O my soul, that thou art in the most urgent need of salvation. May the Lord bless to thee thy meditation on this scripture, that sets forth the way in which that faith cometh, without which there is no salvation.

"Faith cometh by hearing.' Those unconverted persons who think at all about the matter, have a kind of impression that faith is some strange, difficult thing, and that it must require some laborious work, or some vigorous effort, or some subtile investigation, to attain to it. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above;) or who shall descend into the deep; (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith which we preach.'-Neither is faith bestowed as a reward on those who labour and exercise themselves unto righteousness, for before faith

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by there can be no righteousness at all.-Neither is the word of God,' Rom. x. 17.

THERE are persons who, when told to believe on Christ, do not know where to begin, or what to do. They express a willingness to do something, or any thing; but then what to do, they are utterly at a loss. It is true that their difficulty originates in their attachment to the works of the law, and in the blindness of their mind to the glorious simplicity of the gospel. They could understand you at once if you ap

faith obtained by any secret work of the Holy Spirit, apart from the revelation of the divine will.-Neither can I attain to the possession of faith by any work, or effort, of my reasoning powers, as I can to the knowledge of a mathematical truth, or of a piece of machinery. I cannot work up my mind to the possession of it.

But faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' God makes known his will to the children of men in a variety of ways. By

some.

voices, dreams, visions, he has communicated with | wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit. While The truths thus received, he commanded men listen to the communications made to them to be written down; and these writings compos- by the word of God, the Holy Spirit, having ing the scriptures, he hath, in his providence, pre- communicated spiritual life to the soul originally served, and sent forth among the nations, a faith- dead, enables it, in the exercise of its renewed ful and full record of the way by which man may powers, to apprehend and receive the truths prebe recovered to holiness and happiness. Then sented to it-to apprehend, receive, and rely on there is the voice of the living teacher reading Christ, who is the sum and substance of these these scriptures, or drawing his statements of truths. divine truth from their pages. Now, hearing refers to all these. It is a hearing God, whether speaking to men, as he did of old to the prophets and apostles; or speaking to us by his word, when we are reading that word, and pondering its contents; or speaking to us the things contained in the word, by the mouth of his living servants.

Faith cometh by this hearing. The sinner simply hears the communication from God-the doctrines, precepts, facts, warnings, promises, recorded in the word, and from this hearing follows faith. To this statement agree all those places of scripture where we have an account of men coming into the possession of saving faith. It was from hearing the word of God, in the preaching of Peter, on the day of Pentecost, that faith came unto the three thousand. The faith of the Ethiopian eunuch came from hearing the word of God, recorded by Isaiah, and explained by Philip. The faith of Cornelius came from hearing the word of God, in the preaching of Peter. The faith of Mary came from hearing Christ. The faith of Lydia came from hearing the word of God, in the preaching of Paul. The faith of the men of Antioch came from hearing the word of God, in the preaching of Paul and Barnabas.

But some will say, you make faith a very simple thing indeed, if it comes merely by hearing the word of God. True, it is simple in one sense, so simple that its simplicity becomes a stumbling-block to many. But in another sense it is not so simple and easy.

For the hearing by which it comes must be the hearing of the word of God. Now, how many do not hear the statements of scripture as statements that are made by God, very seldom think distinctly of the Bible as God's word, and never own the truths of the Bible as truths invested with God's authority? Such persons cannot attain to faith, because, whilst in respect of the matter they do hear the word of God, they do not in fact hear it as his word; it is before their mind only as the word of man; regarded as true, perhaps, but wanting the weight of divine authority to give a perfect assurance of its truth, and to invest it with importance.

Besides whilst faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, faith is a grace

Since, then, salvation cometh through faith, and faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, with what faithfulness, affection, and fulness, should the word be preached! Lord, make all ministers feel that theirs is an important work. Holy Spirit, furnish them, quicken them, direct them, bless their preaching.

With what care, desire, and diligence should we read and hear the word! By it cometh that which is our life. Apart from it, we can have no salvation. Refusing or neglecting the word of God, we must soon sink down into eternal ruin.

With what humility should we receive its statements! Cavilling and opposition-how unbecoming in creatures receiving a communication from the Creator! O my soul, sit thou at the feet of Jesus, and with humble gratitude receive and obey his word.

And finally, since it is only the Holy Spirit who makes hearing issue in faith, let me constantly and earnestly pray for the Spirit to be with me, in his quickening, illuminating power, whenever I read, or hear the word.

THIRTEENTH DAY.-EVENING.

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase,' 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7. WHEN the amiable Melanchthon was converted, gospel truth seemed to him so plain and persuasive, that he thought he only needed to present it to the minds of his fellow-men, to secure its immediate and cordial reception. But to his surprise and grief, he found his statements of it treated with indifference and neglect, and he was compelled to confess that old Adam was too strong for young Melanchthon. Perhaps the feeling that at first possessed Melancthon, is more or less that of every new convert to genuine religion; and probably it glows warmly in the breast of every pious young minister. But the experience of Melanchthon will be their experience, and they will arrive at a conclusion similar to his. Man's

corrupt nature cannot be overcome by any merely | indifferent to the result of his ministration. But human efforts. The sweetest, or the most solemn, he is to look to a work of the Holy Spirit for

or the most awful views of divine truth, do not change the sinner's heart. And what has been the instrument in impressing and converting one, is tried on another, and utterly fails. A text of scripture which has been the seed of spiritual life to one soul, is presented to another soul, and never touches it at all. And thus the experience of every warm-hearted, zealous minister, is brought into accordance with the word of God, which teaches, that whilst human instruments are employed, the success is entirely God's work. 'Paul planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.'

God

Ministers are nothing but instruments. appoints them their work, and that work it is their duty to perform with all heartiness and fidelity, and with such desires, and expectations of success, as the word of God warrants. But that success is to be the work of another-the result of a secret active energy, giving spiritual life and vigour to the soul of man. One man puts a plant into the ground, another goes and waters that plant, but it needs the power of God to make the plant germinate, spring up, and yield increase. They who plant and water do something towards an end, but that end itself they effect not; another and higher, even God, accomplishes it. So one minister may instruct us, and another may refresh our memories by a frequent and affectionate statement of truths previously learned. But a divine power is needed, before the heart on which these truths fall, possesses and manifests spiritual life, or brings forth the fruits of holiness.

success, he is to desire that work, he is to pray for it. Planting and watering with all the diligence and devotedness of one who has received the command of God to do so, he is ever to bear in mind that the increase must be caused by the great power of God. Thus God's command will keep him to duty, and the feeling that God alone giveth success when and where he pleaseth, will produce an entire dependence on God, and secure for him all the glory.

And what should the people have in view in going to the house of God? The benefit of the precious soul. And how may we obtain that? Solely through the grace of God, and by the work of his Holy Spirit. It matters not what be said, or how it be said, or who say it, except the Spirit of God quicken the seed of the word. Good seed, indeed, there must be; the word of truth must be set forth; but except a divine power operates on the heart, no fruit follows. In the use of all means of grace, then, it should ever be distinctly borne in mind, that God alone giveth the increase. Whenever I open my Bible, my heart should be lifted up to God in earnest prayer for his Spirit to quicken and teach me. And when I go to hear the word preached, my supplication should be for the preacher, that he may stand in God's strength, and feed in God's counsel; but my thoughts, and desire, and prayer should pass beyond him. I should have a deep conviction of the inability of all human, yea, of all created agency, to give life to the spiritually dead, or growth in grace to the living. Thoroughly persuaded that the Spirit of God alone giveth life and refreshing to the soul through the word, my prayer should be for the Spirit to come graciously to my soul, and I should have a felt deep dependence on his divine influences. Thus sensible that I need the Holy Spirit, and desiring

This doctrine of the Spirit of God alone giving the increase, should have a practical effect on both ministers and people. Ministers should plant and water-instruct, exhort, plead dili-and expecting him, let me go and hear what God gently, perseveringly, affectionately, but praying earnestly for, and wholly depending on the divine influences for success. Preaching to a congregation of sinful men, they are like Ezekiel prophesying over the dry bones. Strange, hopeless work, | that of the prophet, in the estimation of carnal

men!

the Lord will say to me by his ministering servant.-Were it always thus with me, my soul would benefit more than it does from the means of grace; for I would be honouring God's free method of salvation, and especially, I would be giving due honour to the Holy Spirit, who, even by Christians, is too little regarded and honoured.

As hopeless that of a gospel minister, in his own estimation, if only he himself is to be May the necessity of divine influences be fully looked to. But as the prophet bidden, behoved recognised, and deeply felt in the church of to obey, though having no power to effect the Christ. And whilst there are earnest prayers result to which his words pointed, so must every that God would raise up able and faithful minisminister have a regard to his appointed work, ters, like Paul and Apollos, may there be a though knowing that not a single soul has he the | genuine and thorough conviction present to the power savingly to benefit. Not that he is to be minds of God's people, that the most able and

faithful ministers are only instruments by whom | must be perused frequently and diligently. It God worketh, and that the energy and power by bears absurdity in the very face of it to say, that which the work is done, is the direct and immedi- a man searches the scriptures, who only spends, ate energy of the Holy Spirit on the soul. Lord, in a whole week, an hour or half an hour, or make thy ministering servants willing to be perhaps not so much, on the sabbath day, in readnothing, that all the glory may be thine. And ing the bible. You need your daily bread to spread, in thy church, an anxious longing, and nourish your body; but you also need daily an earnest prayer for the outpouring of the Spirit, nourishment to your soul. Perhaps you have no and along with that let there be an opening of relish for the daily reading of the scriptures-no men's hearts to receive his quickening, renewing, appetite for the spiritual food which they afford. and refreshing influences. But be persuaded to take a little of that food daily; its tendency is to produce an appetite for more; it will make you hunger and thirst after righteousness. The word of God is both medicine and food to the sin-diseased soul. It purges it nourishes and strengthens the renewed nature, away corruption, it heals the disease of sin, and the spiritual man.