unto God be an imperfect knowledge of what Sin is? Did not our Lord teach us the cause of all lack of love in our hearts towards Him?- Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors; the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay He frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love Him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom He forgave most. And He said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.' (Luke, vii. 36–50.) So long as we feel our debt of Sin to be with the debtor who owed fifty pence, our love can never glow; but one sight of what Sin really is,—the overwhelming fact of what its nature or existence in us is, must lead to that deep plunge into the love of God in Jesus Christ, which fills the soul with all joy and peace in believing.' (Rom. xv. 13.)

Our real knowledge of one step in the Divine Life of Faith, and Hope, and Love—or, in other words of Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, must lead to our real knowledge of every other step; for it is the Word of the Lord Himself, Whosoever hath to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.' (Luke, viii. 18.)

Man had the knowledge of good in Eden. Eating of the Tree of which God had said, 'Thou shalt not

eat of it,' brought him the knowledge of Evil; and now he can never rise a single step to God, and Holiness, and the Love which is of God, until he knows his own self-chosen place in Sin. The Light that shining on him shows him his Death in trespasses and sins, is the first ray of the Light of Life in Christ Jesus. 'When He' (the Spirit of Truth) 'is come, He will reprove the world of sin

of sin, because they believe not on Me.' (John, xvi. 9.)

CHAPTER II.

THE QUESTION.

'IF ONE SIN AGAINST ANOTHER, THE JUDGE SHALL JUDGE HIM; BUT IF A MAN SIN AGAINST THE LORD, WHO SHALL ENTREAT FOR HIM?'-1 SAM. II. 25.

To whom can we look for a certain answer to the inquiry, What is Sin? Surely to God alone. God made man without Sin. He knew what man was while as yet man had no Sin; He saw Sin enter, saw it leave the stain of guilt on those whom He had made innocent, saw it spread the poison of Death in man whom he had made a living soul. He who would know what Sin is must ask that solemn question of God. One thing we know, that we are sick unto Death because of this poison of Sin; but what that poison is, how it entered, how it works, and how it may be cast out, God alone can tell us. One thing is certain, for God has declared it,-There is a way by which 'being made free from Sin, we may have our fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.' (Rom. vi. 22.)

Some may ask, Why do I need to know what the nature of Sin is? If I confess that I am a Sinner, if I try to avoid Sin, and ask pardon for

all in which I fail, is not that enough? Why do I need to learn what Sin is? But would even an earthly parent be satisfied with a son who should ask pardon continually, without ever caring to learn the nature of his offence? How could that son hope to avoid the evil, if he did not even know what the evil was? If, when his parent had taken the greatest pains and care, by illustration and by precept, by warning and reproof, by penalties and rewards, to teach him the exact nature of the evil he was to avoid, the son gave no heed to learn, cared not to inquire, but held it quite enough in a general way to ask pardon, taking it for granted that some things were sure to be displeasing to his parent, but that a general confession and a general pardon would leave all straight between them,-would such be a son that a parent could delight in, a son for the father's house and the father's heart? If we desire to claim divine relationship to the High and Lofty One, to know God over all blessed for evermore as our Father, will He not say, 'If I be a Father, where is mine honour ?' (Mal. i. 6.)

We must also understand that God never gave, and never will give to any, Pardon only. He has ONE GIFT, in which all other gifts are treasured up: that One Gift is His Beloved Son. 'Whom God hath set forth, to be a Propitiation through Faith in His Blood, to declare His Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past, through

the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time His Righteousness, that He might be Just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.' (Rom. iii. 25, 26.) He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?' (Rom. viii. 32.)

God in His Holiness, instead of casting away man in his Sin, holds back His wrath, opens a way of deliverance from the Sin, and by all that can best enlighten the mind and influence the heart reveals to man the evil nature of the Sin that is in him, that he may be led to flee for Refuge to the Hope set before him. 'Therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you; and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you.' (Isa. xxx. 18.)

It has been said that Doctrines are the pillars of instruction, and Illustrations the Windows that let in the Light. God in His infinite mercy instructs us by both. Holy Scripture is a Treasury of Illustrations. Facts in the history of man, records of man in which we see Sin and Holiness in their true nature, in their workings, in their effects; while holy Precepts and blessed Promises constantly plead with the soul to refuse the evil and choose the good. But we must beware that we do not allow ourselves to think of Facts as real things, and of Doctrines as unreal. A man's opinions may be very unreal, mere notions floating vaguely and vainly through the mind, but Faith is never an