The Pulpit Commentary — Zephaniah — Section 46

and meekness nre the virtues here specially mentioned, for these contain the sum of moml duty, and are opposed to the violence and deceit, the avarice and oppression,•that had been depicted in eh. i. as the evils which brought down the judgment of the Lord on Judah nnd Joruealem. If we would truly seek the Lord, we must turn from the Rins of which we have been guilty, and set about those duties that we have been neglecting. 'l'his may be no easy task. It may imply a seeking, a searching of heart with great diligence to detect the hidden roots of evil, a pursuit of holiness with labour and perse- verance in order to overcome inbred habits of ein, and to acquire habits of goodness. The character is not to be renewed or changed by a single effort or in one day; it require~ n lifelong effort to "put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and put on the new man, which after God bath been created in righteousness aud holiness of truth." But the work can and ought to be begun at once, and will be so begun if we really seek the Lord. If we know the Lord as the Holy One, and feel the evil of sin as it is in hie sight, then our turning to him in repentance really implies a turning from all sin and a seeking righteousness and meekness. This too must be prompt and immediate. There is no time to be lost; the day of the Lord is at hand, his judgment is announced, his wrath has almost begun to burn, the dark thunder-clouds are as it were big with the approaching storm. Therefore let there be no delay; make haste, and tarry not, before the decree brings forth its terrible execution. J udgment is still, as it were, in the womb of the Divine law and order, but ere long it must break forth, and the day of the Lord's wrath will sweep away all the wicked of the earth as chaff. Before that day comes, yet there is time, time enough to seek the Lord, but no time to waste in dallying with sin or halting between two opinions. Finally, be it remembered that this call is addressed to all ahke, to the godly as well a9 to sinners. It is especially addressed to all the meek of the earth, who have wrought God'~ judgment, as well as to those who have still to seek righteousness and meekness. For, indeed, those who have most earnestly repented will most feel their need of the ever- fresh and repeated call. That repentance is not genuine which is not virtually con- tinued and actually repeated even to tho very end of life, is a principle of Protestant theology, and most important for practical religion. We must not be content in this matter with any past experience or exercises of soul; as long as we have in us or about us anything of the sins that provoke God's angel', our repentance must be continual 'l'he whole of e. Christian's life should be a turning from sin to God. In view of the sin that dwells in us, and our continual shortcomings of the righteousness and meekness required by God's Law, we must be constantly humbling ourselves before God aod asking his forgiveness; and we must also be striving against sin, making it our earnest effort to abandon all practices and habits that are wrong, to eradicate passions anC. tempers of mind at variance with God's holy Law, and to acquire and cultivate the qualities required by it. We are to be putting off the old man and putting oo the new, constantly day by day. Alas I how often do we forget this! How many days do we spend without conscious striving against sin or effort after holiness! Can we wonder that we should need rebuke and chastening from the Lord if we are thus neglecting what is an essential element of Christian life? Again, this repentance needs not only to be constantly going on as to the principle or power of it, but there are occasions when it needs to be actually renewed. One such occasion is when a believer falls into any grievous sin, such as wounds his conscience nnd destroys his peace. Then he must not be satisfied with a mere general ackuowledgment of sinfulness; he mnst come once more, as he came at first, to God through Christ and anew, as at first, with the returning prodigal say, "Father, I have sinned," etc.; anew, as at first, turu from his sin to God with full purpose of heart and endeavour after new obedience. No fresh burden of guilt is to be got rid of in any other way than that, and in that way all may be removed. Another occasion when we ought actually to renew our repentance is when we seek to enter into spiritual communion with God. Israel of old was com- manded to keep a solemn day of fast and humiliation for sins just before the joyful Feast of Tabernacles, and in regard to the New Testament feast of the Lord's Supper it is said, "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." There cannot be faithful self-examination without a remembering and bringing to light of much sin, and that must needs call for humiliation and prayer for forgiveness, and renewed efforts after holiness. But if, thus searching and trying  THE BOOK OF ZEPRANIAII. [olt. u. 1-lG.