"r t.J;e faint{'st- sh11dow. The greatness of his mercy towards the sinner docs nut lead him t:i excuse any .sin. If om· heart conrlemn us, how much more dues he? If our conscience, which is but II faint and imperfect echo of his voice, condemn us, how much more ?oes ,,be? 2. 0o'1S~ce "!lay rwt take cog~izance of etJery sin, but God "knowetl1 al{ illl'n.gs. There are sms which escape the vigilance of conscienca. A man's secret sins may be of three classes: (1) those which are unknown to his follow-men but known to hims<'lf; (2) those which are not recognized as sins by himself, but a'ro so ,•iewed by his fellow-men; and (3) those which are not regarded as sins eitht>r by himself or his follow-men. Ilnt no sins what~ver are hidden from God. "His eyes are upon the ways of m1m, and be seeth all his goings. There is no darkness," etc. (Job xxxiv. 21, 22); "Ho bath set our iniquities bdore him, onr secret sins in the' light of his countenance." If, then, our con8cieace with its impet·fect information, condemn us, how much more mnst he \\'ho "knoweth all thinas 0 "I· "If conscience he as a thousand witnesses," says Dr. Arrowsmith," the all-seeing God is as a thousand con~cienres." III. THAT WHEN, JN TilE EXERCISE OF ITS JUDICIAL FUNCTION, CONSOIEKCE DOES NOT CONDEMN us, V.'E REGARD Gon WITH -INSPIRING CONFIDENCE. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then ha"e we confid,mce towards God." Notice: 1. Confidence in God as to its 'Tlature. "Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him." It is the firm persuasion, the assurance, of the heart th~t we are his children, and that we may look to him to be to us and to do for us all that be has promised to be to and to do for bis children. Or, if we view it as indicated by the twenty-first verse, it is the confidence that he does not condema.us, bnt that he accepts us now and will own us in the great day. How precious is this assurance! •2. Confl- · dence in God spri11_qin!! from the exercise of holy love and the approbation of conscience. "Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." The "hereby" refers to what has gone before. He who lovea:_neither in word nor with the tongue, bnt in deed and truth, may know that he is "of the truth," etc. "We know that we have passed ont of death. into life, because we love the brethren;" "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light." Again, St. John speaks of this assurance towards God as springing from an approving conscience (ver. 21). Apart from th.e approbation of the inward monitor, we cannot look God-ward with confidence or with joy. 3. CO'nfidence in God inspiring the conviction tnat he will answer our prayers to him. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight." The keeping of his commandments is not meritorious; it does not give us a claim upon him for the blessings which we ask in prayer; but it is an indication of character which shows that the suppliant will ask only what is in accordance with his will. That we "do the things that are pleasing in his sight" is a guarantee that we shall desire only those· things which he will be pleased to bestow upon us (cf. eh. v. 14, 16; Ps. xx.xvii. 4). Having the assurance that we are his children and endeavouring to please him, we are persuaded that the wise and gracious Father will answer our prayers to him.-W. J.
Vera. I-12.-Righteous11ess and sin in rel,a,lion to chiidren of God. I. RroHTEOUS- ?-~Ss INSEPARABLE l'ROM BEING CHILDREN OF GoD. ,1. Present inner nature. (1) .As nxr,gnized by God. "Behold what manner of love the Father bath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God: and such we a.re." The subject was started in the closing verse of the second chapter in the connecting of "doing righteousness" with being "beaotten of him." T.he latter thought so arrests John, that he calls tllem to contemplate the great bestowal of love on them. It was love calculated to exci~e their admi,ration. It wae Jove that proceeded from the Father. 'l'he fatherly Jove did not stop short of their receiving the title of" children or God;" and the title corresponds to the reality. God gives us rommunity of nature with himself. "Partakers of the Divine nature" is the Jan?:U,llge which Peter employs. Our havmg God e.s onr Father implies that we can enter into his thoughts, ca-:i enjoy his approval and love, can c,r-0perate with him to the advancement of his ends. Beyond this it was impossible for love to go. Let us rejoice in the gifting of love, by which God openly gives us the title of his children, and does not give the title without the 'reality. (2) .As not 'teco,9- r1ized by the world, "For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him Im, 111. 1--24.J 'l'HE F1HS'r EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOUN.