of little faith." So, in order to come boldly, and therefore joyfully, all we need is more faith in the Great High Priest who sits upon the throne of grace. 5 Now, do not sigh, Ah, I wish I had more faith!' It will not come to you by languid lamentations about your want of faith. It is the gift of God." And if thou knewest this gift of God, and who it is that only waits to be inquired of,* that He may give it thee, surely thou wouldst ask of Him! For He giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, not even with all your neglect of Him and His gifts. Just ask! and He says, 'It shall be given you. 'Ye have not, because ye ask not. And let the least glimmer of dawning faith in your heart lead you to go on asking, and to pray continually, Lord, increase our faith. Then you will be able to come boldly; for in Christ Jesus our Lord . . . we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him." 16 98 People do not come for what they do not want. Until the Holy Spirit shows us our need of mercy, and puts reality into the Litany prayer, Have mercy upon us 1 Matt. viii. 26. 7 2 Eph. ii. 8. 8 Luke xvii. 5. 3 John iv. 10. 91 miserable sinners, we shall never come to the throne of grace to obtain mercy. 'He that into God's kingdom comes, 92 So, if you have never yet felt that you could sincerely say, 'God be merciful to me a sinner (or, as the Greek has it more emphatically, to me, the sinner'), and therefore have never yet felt particularly anxious to come to the throne of grace to obtain it, I would urgently entreat you to pray, Lord, show me myself!' When the Holy Spirit answers that prayer, you will be eager enough to come and obtain mercy! It will be the one thing then that you will be particularly anxious. about. Obtaining mercy comes first; then finding grace to help in time of need. You cannot reverse God's order. You will not find grace to help in time of need till you have sought and found mercy to save. You have no right to reckon on God's help and protection and guidance, and all the other splendid privileges which He promises to the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ," until you have this first blessing, the mercy of God in Christ 1 Ps. li. 1. $ Luke x. 42. 2 Luke xviii. 13. · 73 Jesus; for it is 'in' Jesus Christ that all the promises of God are yea, and Amen.' But He is rich in mercy," and 'delighteth in mercy. All who have come to the throne of grace for it, ' are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. And then no less surely will they, and do they, 'find grace to help in every time of need." 24 'Let us therefore come boldly!' Behold the throne of grace! The promise calls me near ; My soul, ask what thou wilt, Thou canst not be too bold: Since His own blood for thee He spilt, What else can He withhold? 1 2 Cor. i. 19, 20. 41 Pet. ii. 10. 2 Eph. ii. 4. Heb. iv. 16. JOHN NEWTON. 3 Mic. vii. 18. THIRTEENTH DAY. A Hindrance. 'First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.'-MATT. v. 24. T is a strange gift that we have to bring, so strange, that it is in one sense nothing,' and yet in another sense everything. He asks us for it, saying, Give Me thine heart; " and this heart of ours, this gift that we are to bring, worthless and yet priceless, is one mass of sins and burdens. Jesus asks for it just as it is, with all the sins and all the burdens; and the moment it is given over to Him, the sins are cleansed and the burdens are borne for us. 2 Do you wish to come to Him with it, and yet find that there seems something preventing you from really doing so? If so, the verse at the head of this chapter may throw God's light upon the secret 1 Prov. xxiii. 26. 2 Jer. xvii. 9. 3 Matt. xv. 19. obstacle. 'Is there any secret thing with thee?" Christ will either accept the gift altogether, or not at all.' If there is something which you do not really mean to do right about,-some sin which you have no real intention of giving up,-it will be a fatal barrier. He forgives all or none. If you are but willing, His precious blood shall cleanse you from all sin. But He does not save by halves; and if there is a sin knowingly kept back, then 'ye are yet in your sins," and thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." 6 This may seem a very stern way of putting it; but when such tremendous issues hang upon it, is it not folly to shrink from looking the matter straight in the face? The Lord says, ' First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.' This may be literally your case. Some one may have somewhat against you,—an old quarrel, or a fresh misunderstanding, -and you are too proud to acknowledge your fault, or your share of it; or you are too timid, or even too idle to do so. When there are faults on both sides, it is pretty often the one most in fault who is 1 Job. xv. II. 41 Cor. xv. 17; ib. iii. 3. 6 Jas. v. 16. 2 Hos. x. 2. $ 1 John i. 7. |