the supplication is well uttered, he will answer ; and whilst they are yet speaking, he will hearp." No language can ex- press the depth of the condescension which he will manifest to the poor suppliant, or the riches of that grace which he will impart to the believing penitent. Pardon, peace, holiness, glory, are not too great for him to bestow on the most un- worthy of men, who call upon him with their whole hearts.]
But, that we may not miscarry in the exercise of this duty, the Apostle gives us,
II. A direction for the acceptable performance of it —
Our repentance must be attended with,
1 . A sincere renunciation of all evil —
[Oh ! " cleanse your hands, ye sinners ;" and think not to find acceptance with God, whilst ye " hold fast iniquity" of any kind. Hear what God said to his people of old : " When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hands, to tread my courts ? . . . . When ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you : yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear : your hands are full of blood. Wash ye ; make you clean ; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes: cease to do evil: learn to do wellq." In truth, " the very prayers of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord1." Look, I pray you, to all the habits of your past life ; your conduct in your respective trades and callings, no less than in your common intercourse with mankind : and, as God enjoins you to " shake your hands from holding of bribes," so I would say, Shake your hands from holding of unjust gains of any kind, and from retaining any evil which you have been wont to perpetrate s.
Nor is this sufficient : you must put away evil from the heart, as well as in the act : for " if you regard iniquity in your heart, the Lord will not hear you4." " Your heart must be right with Godu," who demands the whole of it for himself x, and will not accept " a divided heart y." " Purify your hearts then, ye double-minded :" for " ye cannot serve God and mammon too2." You must " not love the world, nor any thing that is in it," if you would approve yourselves to Goda: the very desire to retain friendship with the world is con- structive treason, and a decisive proof of enmity against Godb.
p Isai. lxv. 24. <i Isai. i. 12 — 16.
1 Prov. xxi. 27. and xxxviii. 9. s Isai. xxxiii. 15.
1 Ps. lxvi. 18. u Ps. Ixxviii. 37. x Prov. xxiii. 26.
y Hos. x. 2. z Matt. vi. 24. a 1 John h. 15, 16.
b ver. 4. See the Greek.