Aug. 16
UNCOVER AND CONFESS SIN
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth
and forsaketh them shall have mercy" Prov. 28:13
Here is the way of mercy for a guilty and repenting sinner. He must
cease from the habit of covering sin. This is attempted by falsehood,
which denies sin; by hypocrisy, which conceals it; by boasting, which
justifies it; and by loud profession, which tries to make amends for
it.
The sinner's business is to confess and forsake. The two must go
together. Confession must be honestly made to the Lord Himself; and it
must include within itself acknowledgment of the wrong, sense of its
evil, and abhorrence of it. We must not throw the fault upon others,
nor blame circumstances, nor plead natural weakness. We must make a
clean breast of it, and plead guilty to the indictment. There can be
no mercy till this is done.
Furthermore, we must forsake the evil: having owned our fault, we
must disown all present and future intent to abide in it. We cannot
remain in rebellion and yet dwell with the King's Majesty. The habit
of evil must be quitted, together with all places, companions,
pursuits, and books, which might lead us astray. Not for confession,
nor for reformation, but in connection with them we find pardon by
faith in the blood of Jesus.