,ummation, and that determined ehaH be ond of time , but it may be eomo earlier ro11red out "f'OII the dewlate. The Revised period; but thRt ie not revealed. The Yel'l!ion is ,·ery different here," And CYcn meaning of t·alal, is Msumed to be •• end " untotheoonsummntion, and the.t determined, not "ruin," ae asserted by m!\ny co~• shall tcra/11 be poured out upon the deso- mentators. Where the word does mean lator." We have already seen the.t 'lJ!'\f-1 "destmction," it is simply as an utter end of (tiltalt), " poured out," must be abe.ndoned, o. person or n11.tion-it 1s tlmt person's or &.A not present in any of the vel'l!ions. Most nation's destruction; but it never docs of them have read 11:'1;'- We must, in the mean" destruction" o.pn.rt from this. In con- first instanoo, e.eenme the nominative in the nection with this question, two po.sso.ges in s~ntence to be the subject of the verb. In Isaiah have to be considered (Isa. x. 23 • tbnt. case we should render in aooordanoe xxviii. 23), where kalah and mh•relzelh witli t!Je rendering of the two Greek ?ccu~ in connection. Our interpretation -rersions. "Until e.n end e.nd a limit be set implies that we take ,p e.e a conjunction t.o the desolation." The reading of Jerome and not e.e a preposition. ProfeBBor Beva~ in the ,ulgat.e, RB we have seen, seems to would make it absolute, the.t when ,v in- have been ::itf~ (tayshayb ), "to dwell," "to troduces a verbal clause, the verb takes the precedenoe of the subjeot, e.nd would there- remain," for he renden per&e~-erabit; and fore point ,j), not ,1;1; but in opposition to must not have had the preposition ',1;1, ('al), this dictum is I Se.m. ii. 15. The generality "upon," for he makes deaolati.cm the nomi- of the phenomenon is due to the normal native of the verb. Jerome's interpretation structure of the Hebrew clause. An end points to thto end of the world, and the shall be set some time to the desolation of reading we adopt points also to the same Zion, although that end may coincide with tenninm aa qwm, the more indefinitely. the end of all things. The end 18t to the desolation may be the
HOMILETICS. Vers. S--8.-0onfession of sin. I. THE DUTY OF OONFESSION. This implies, first a recognition of guilt in our own consciousness; and second, an admission of it in th: presence of God. 1. If we have sinned, it is to'f'ong to ignO'f'e the fact or to forget it, till we have repented and have been forgiven. To do so will foster insincerity and self- deception, and will harden the heart in sin. We must first admit our guilt to ourselves, 2. If we have sinned, we a.re required to dedare our guilt before God. The guilt must not be hidden in the secret darkness of our own consciousness. It must be confessed. Though we may confess our sins one to another, the supreme duty is to confess them tn God, because (1) we have sinned against him; (2) he is our Judge; (3) he"is our Father; (4) he only can deliver us from the consequences and power of sin. II. THE TESTS OF SINCERE CONFESSION. No duty is more often obeyed only in outward form, and yet there is no duty in which unreality and superficiality are more fatal. 1. One test of sincerity is the presence of real grief (ver. 3). There may be a bald admission of guilt without any feeling of compunction. This is of no value, 2. Another test is the feeling of sha'TTl,{l : "confusion of faces." There is a confession which glories in wickedness. True confession is self-humiliating (Gen. iii. 7-10). III. THE GROUNDS oF CONFESSION. 1. A consideration of our conduct in the light of the nature and character of God. (1) We shall realize our guilt by comparison with God's righteousness, which is the standard of perfection. It is the daylight of God's presence which reveals the defects of our work. (2) We shall be prompted to confess our siu to God when we see his greatness, which cannot flndure sin; his faithfulness, which is true to his side of the covenant, though we are false to ours (ver. 4); and his mercy, which pardons the penitent (ver. 9). 2. A consideration of our conduct in the light of our obligationl!. (1) We are subjects of the great King; therefore our sin is tr,.ason: "we have rebelled." (2) We live under spiritual government, and are not left to our own inclination to shape our conduct; therefore our wickedness is the breach of law: we have "departed from God's precepts and judgments." (3) We be.ve been enlightened by Divine revelation. We cannot plead ignorance. Even the heathen have some light of con~cience and nature (Rom. i. 18-20). We have the cli,arer light of prophecy, an<i our guilt is tha~ " w~ have -qo~ hearkeneq to God'~ 11ervants the propheis." - - Oil, lX. 1-27.] Tim BOOK OF DANIEL 2,7
IV. Tm,; PERSONAL APPLIOATIO!'f OF THE DUTY OF CONP'E88ION. ] . It is Ur> iue,·~r,/. Dnnicl iucludes men of all classes and in all situations. We cannot ehake off 011r gn:I t by leaving the scenes of our sins. We carry thie burden with us (ver. 7). The rich nnd great are not exempt (vcr. 8). 2. It is personal. The prophet writes in the first person-" we." Oonfession must be individual. (1) We should acknowledge ar,cl confess our special sins, our besetting sine, the sins which are particularly our own chnracteristic defects, the different kinds of sin, the separate acts of sin. Confession of geneml guilt is often vague, and doee not aesociate iteelf closely with our experiencP. (2) We should recognize the sinful condition of the heart of which these special sins are symptoms, and confess our sin as well as our sins (Ps. Ii. 5). V. THE ENDS OIi' OONFEBSION, 1. It is right on its own account, BS an evidence of sincerity (1 John i. 8). 2. It is a necessary condition of forgiveness (1 John i. 9). 3. It is the first step towards a better life, As we admit the evil of the pBSt we are more able to do better for the future (Ps. Ii. 7-10).