VOL. II.]

For the Churchman's Magazine.

THE COMMENTATOR:

OR

A GUIDE to the intelligent comprehension, and pious use, of the LITURGY.

No. II-The General Confession.

THERE is no subject in religion concerning which there is a more general agreement among Christians than that which now presents itself to our attention," the humble confession of our sins to Almighly God." This is a duty recommended by the example of holy men in all ages of the world, and by the positive precepts of Scripture. "We confesed our sins unto the Lord, and he forgave the iniquity of our sin. This has been the religious experience of Moses, Abraham, David, the Prophets, the Apostles, and the primitive Christians. In the Book of Numbers (v. 5, 6) the Lord himself speaks, saying, "when a man or woman shall commit any sin, to trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty; then shall they confess their sin which they have committed." And in the Book of Ezra, where it is recorded that the people had wickedly violated the divine, commandment, this is the injunction laid upon them, (x. ii.) "Now, therefore, make Confession unto the Lord God of your Fathers, and do his pleasure."

Wisely then has the Church ordered that when we meet together VOL. II. No. III,

[No. 3.

to present our united tribute of Prayer and Praise to the Father of mercies and God of all consolation, we should first deplore our unworthiness at his footstool, by making an open and sincere confession of our manifold sins and wickedness.

The first sentence in the General Confession, contains a solemn address to God, in language well calcu lated to inspire us with awe, and at the same time to encourage our devotions:-"Almighty and most merciful Father."In the first words of this address, we make a public acknowledgement of the greatness of the Being against whom we have sinned. It denotes the absolute sovereignty and dominion of God, both in heaven and on earth, and his infinite power to do all his pleasure. This must be a fearful attribute of the Deity to the impenitent sinner. It effectually destroys all his expectation of escaping the punishment due to his transgressions. An attribute like this, is calculated to fill us with reverence and awe, but it should not drive us to despair, for to the penitent_transgressor, the power of God is always tempered with mercy. The Church, therefore, teaches us to address him as our "mst merciful Father." The idea of the almighty power of God, is calculated to excite in us a salutary fear of his anger, while the thought of his mercy tends to inspire us with confidence, and melt us to gratitude and love. The former reminds us of the danger of persevering in our disobedi

ence; the latter fills us with a comfortable hope of being received into favour upon our sincere repentance. And though the omnipotence of God might terrify us from his presence, yet his mercy invites us to return, and confess our sins with contrite hearts. We are also taught in this address to invoke God by the endearing appellation of "Father;" and we are encouraged to do so by the authority of the Saviour himself, in the form of Prayer dictated to his disciples. This part of the address leads us to consider God as the author and preserver of our being; and above all, as our Father by Redemption, "having begotten us again unto a lively hope, in Christ Jesus, and made us accepted in the beloved."

We may here remark, that in all her Prayers the Church has manifested her wisdom and piety by prefacing them with such titles and attributes of God, as are most proper for the petitions which follow them, and most likely to excite in us the affections which correspond with our addresses to the throne of grace.

After the solemn address which has been noticed, we proceed to an open confession of our unworthiness in the sight of God:-"We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep." It is not possible that our ignorance and wanderings could be described in more appropriate and expressive language than that which the Church has here adopted. It is the true expression of our real state and character, and in the very language of the Holy Spirit. "I have gone astray like a lost sheep. (Ps. cxix. 176.) All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way" (Is. liii. 6.)-The servants of God are often spoken of in scripture under this figure. Thus David says, (Ps c. 2.) "We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." And God is accordingly called their Shepherd. The Lord is my shep

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herd." (Ps. xxiii. 1.)-The nature of our alienation from God is such, and such is our natural indisposition to return to him, that were not the Saviour to seek and recover us, by the ministry of his word, and the agency of the divine Spirit, we should continue to wander further and further from the path of duty, till we perished in our iniquity. We are justly compared, therefore, to lost sheep. No animal is more apt to stray than this, unless constantly under the Shepherd's eye: so we also, while eagerly feeding on the vanities of the world, constantly stray onward, regardless whether we be right or wrong; and easily fall into temptations and snares. But to understand the full force of this figure, it must be considered that sheep were peculiarly liable to stray, and peculiarly subject to danger, in the open countries of the East, which were full of wild beasts. Such a "great and terrible wilderness" is this world; where the Devil," as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour." Alas! how frequently do we, like erring sheep, forsake the safe fold, the pure streams, and the green pasture, which God hath provided for us, and wander into the dry and barren wilderness, where we want all' true comfort, and are exposed to a thousand dangers! What abundant cause, then, have we to be humble, when we reflect on our vain and erring conduct, and come forward to make our confession at the divine foot-stool! But are we really humble? Are we truly sensible of the evil of our doings? Or do we adopt the words of this Confession as a mere matter of form? Let us beware of imposing upon ourselves in so solemn a matter, as well as of the greater sin of hypocrisy; lest being hardened in our iniquity we perish, and that without remedy.

But why is it that we are compelled to make this humiliating confession? Why is it that we have lef