the activity oC self-cleception, there is not the activity of the truth. If it wcro acli·rc in us, it would show us that there was much remaining evil to be overcome. 4. Sec~nd opposed po~ilion. (1) Slated, "IC we confess our sins." The preci~e converse would hl\ve been saying that we have sin. There is a going beyond that Lo the practice of the Christian duty of confession, which is literally," a saying along with," i.e. along with God. It is a duty which cannot be performed unless with feelings of penitence, arisincr from a proper view of what we are and have done. What we are to confess is not ~ercly that we have sin, i.e. have the taint still in us, are not completely sanctifierl; b11t we arc to confess particular manifestations of sin. "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil." David had his sin brought home to him very pointedly, "Thou art the man!" and he did not then hide it, but confessed, "I have sinned against the Lord." "It is much easier to make pious speeches to the effect that we are sinners in a general way, and expressive of general deep contrition, and of the misery engender"d by sin, than to acknowledge the particular wrong we have done, and to endeavour as far as possible to repair it. Many who are ready enough to admit generally that they are sinners would be the first hotly to repel a char,;e of sinfulness on any one special point, so deep is the self-deception of the human heart, which is often furthest from Go,\ when the lips are busiest in honouring him." Let our confessions have the particularity which is here suggested. Let them be founded on self-knowledge, and on self-know- ledge in particular manifestations. 'fhe sorrow that prompts to confession cannot be all that it should be unless we clearly realize wherein we have violated the spirit of the Divine precepts and especially of the gospel. (2) Justified. "He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." When particular sins are in question, there is brought in the blessing of Corgi veness as well as of cleansing. God has pledged hi8 word to forgive us our sins : " I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy ~ns." lle has also pledged his word to advance our sanctification: "I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." This Scripture itself is a distinct promise. If, then, we walk in the light, and fulfil the specific condition, viz. confess our sins, we may with the utmost confidence look to God to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness of disposition which would lead to the commission of sin. I:Ie not only holds himself bound by his promise, but the prornfae is thoroughly in accordance with his nature. In vie1v of what he has dune in redemption, he regards it as not only a gracious thing, but even a righteous thing, to attach the double blessing to confession of our sins. Doing, then, what he commands, we can appeal to him, even as righteous, to bless us. 5. Third false position. (1) Stated. "If we say that we have not sinned." This is a very large assumption, even if we do not take into account our pre-Christian state: "\Ve have never committed sin since we entered into union with Christ, It is going beyond the previous assumption, inasmuch as this involves complete sanctification from the beginning. This, then, is the most thorough-going perfectionism. Thus perfect, we may say with Christ, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" But what is said about the assumption? (2) Oondemned. "We make him a liar, and his Word is not in us." The wildest assumption receives the severest con- demnation. The blood of Christ is for our continual cleansing. God is therefore dealing with us on the supposition of our partial sanctification. To claim complete sanctification is to make him a liar, i.e. to contradict this supposition. It can be said, further, that his Word is not in us, i.e. is not evidenced in our consciousness in wh:i.t it says about our state. We do not need to go beyond the petition which Christ put into the mou1h of disciples, "Forgive us our sins." It is the height of presumption to imagiue that we can here outgrow the Lord's Prayer.-R. F.
EXPOSITION. Tho oonne:xion with the preceding is close. CHAPTER II. We have just hnd (1) the innfcssion that Vore. 1, 2.-Moreovor, w11lking in tho we do sin; we now J:uwe (2) tho principle light involves ncccpting tho propitiation thnt wo must not sin; nnd (3) the consola- wrought through Jesus Christ the Righteous. tion thut sin is not irremedi11ble. 20 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [ou. 11. 1-29.