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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, ate, peuvent itre fiimte A dee taux de rMuction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtra reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filrn^ ^ partir do I'angis supArieur gauche, de gauche i droite, et do haut en baa, en prenant le nomtre d'Images nteessaire. Lea diagra:nmes suivants iilustrent la m^thoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ARE YOU fOMlYmA^^' A QirESTIO]\r FOR EVERyBODT. BY THE EEV. J. C. BILE, B. A., Rector of Belmingham, Suffolk, .^' Author of "Living or Dead ?" "ASSDRANCE," &C. Price Two Pence. iWontwal: PRINTED BY W. SALTER & Co. 1851. imi&k C^ ARE YOU FOfiGIVEN? "YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN YOU." 1 John a. 12. Reader, Do you see the question which stands at the head of this page ? It is just possible you may not understand its meaning. Perhaps you may think, " Whom have I injured ?— Whom . have I defrauded ?— Whom have I wronged?— Whose confidence have I forfeited ?— What need have I of forgiveness ?" I answer, it is not an earthly forgiveness I am asking about, but a heavenly one. I do not inquire whether you are forgiven in the sight of men, but whether y^ u are forgiven in the sight of God. The question I desire to press home on your conscience is simply this, " Are you a pardoned soul ?" Come now, and give me your attention, while I speak to you about the forgiveness of sins. The subject is one that can never be considered too soon. We lately saw the pestilence slaying its thousands and tens of thousands of our countrymen. The strongest were carried off in a few hours. The cleverest physicians found their skill entirely un- availing. We live yet, and we may be thankful. We hve yet, and surely we should be thoughtful. Our turn may come next. Our graves may soon be ready for us. Come then, I say once more, and let me speak to you about the forgiveness of sins. I. Let me show you first of all your need of forgiveness. 37^7 / All men need forgiveness, because all men are sinters He thatdoL -t know this knows notb^^^^ in relieion. It is the very A B C ol Christianity, that a man should know hii right place, and under- '''we'lrfTgreat sinners. Sinners we were bonl and sinner! we have been all our live^^ Me take to sin naturally from the very first. J>° cn"^ Iver ne^ds schooling and education to teach t to do wrong. No devil or bad companion ever leads us no such wickedness as our own hearts. And rtie wages of sin is death. We must either be for- '"^ell°TgX''^inners in the sight of God. w7have broken ^is holy law. We have trans- gressed His precepts. We have "o; ^0"^ H'^^j^'j; There is not a commandment m all the ten wmcn Joes no condemn us. If we have not broke., lUn deed «e have in Nvord, we have m thought and ,m not one of us that would be acquitted. And as rt is r;Ser-=:uhtaS-o.;s :S:re^rdfa;^h-:S.rv:ho^ lYnow nothing beyond Aeir outW appea a„c^ I see some bent on pleasure, and '"""^ °" ™"_ some who look rich, and some who look poor- some Xg in their carriages some hurrying ^ong some loi J, .^^ „j .„g^. j^ach Tas h tow^n "s"nd end,, all iike hidden fromme^ But one thing I know for a certainty as I ookupon them —thev are all smners. Ihere is noi a su am^ng them all but is guilty before God There Teathes not the man or woman m that crowd bu must die forgiven, or else rise agam to be con- demned for ever at the last day. breadth of When I look through the length and breaatn oi rr;nrBritain I must make the same report, l^reat criiain, i muou ^ tvt--*u ■l?r^rp^nnr^. from From the Land's End lo uic x^oxu. ^-^'•'— . -- ^I^f the Isle of Wight to Caithness, from the Queen on the throne to the pauper in the vvork-liouse, we are all sinners. We have got a name among the empires of the earth. We send our ships into every sea and our merchandize into every town in the world' We have bridged the Atlantic with our steamers. We have made night in our cities like day with gas We have changed England into one great County by railways. We can exchange thought between London and Edinburgh in a few seconds by the electric telegraph. But with all our arts and sciences, with all our machinery and inventions, with all our armies and navies, with all our lawyers and statesmen, we have not altered the natures of our people ; we are still in the eye of God an island full of sinners. When I turn to the map of the world, I must say the same thing. It matters not what quarter I examine, I find men's hearts are everywhere the same, and everywhere wicked. Sin is"" the family disease of all the children of Adam. Never has there been a corner of the earth discovered, where sm and the devil do not reign. Wide as the dif- ferences are between the nations ot the earth thev have been found to have one great mark in common Europe and Asia, Africa and America, Iceland and India, Pans and Pekin, all alike have the mark of sm. The eye of the Lord looks dov.a on this globe ot our s as it rolls round the sun, and sees it covered with corruption and wickedness. What He sees in the moon and stars, in Jupiter and Saturn, I cannot tell, but on the earth I know He sees sin. (Psalm XIV. 2, 3.) Reader, you may not perhaps like what I am saying. I have no doubt such language as this sounds extravagant to some. You think I am goina much too far. But mark well what I am about tS say next, and then consider whether I have not used the words of soberness and truth. What then, I ask, is the life of the best Chris- tian amongst us all? What is 'it but one great career of short-comings ? What is it but a daily 6 acting out the words of our Prayer Book, " leaving undone things that we ought to do, and doing things that we ougiit not to do?" Our faith, how feeble ! Our love, how cold ! Our works, how few ! Our zeal, how small [ Our patience, how short-breathed ' Our humility, how threadbare! Our self-denial how dwarfish ! Our knowledge, how dim ! Our spirituality, how shallow ! Our prayers, how formal ! Our desiies for more grace, how faint ! Never did the wisest of men speak more wisely than when he said, " there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not." (Eccles, vii. 20.) " In many things," says the apostle James, " we o&nd all." (James iii. 2.) And what is the best action that is ever done by the very best of Christians ? What is it after all but an imperfect work, when tried on its own merits ? It is, as Luther says, no better than a splendid sin. It IS always more or less defective. It is either wrong in its motive, or incomplete in its perform- ance,— not done from perfect principles, or not ex- ecuted in a perfect way. The eyes of men may see no fault in it, but weighed in the balance of God it would be found wanting, and viewed in the light of heaven it would prove full of flaws, It is like the drop of water which seems clear to the naked eye, but placed under a microscope is discovered to be full of impurity. David's account is literally true, " there is none that doeth good, no not one." (Psalm xiv. 3.) And then, what is the Lord God, whose eyes are on all our ways, and before whom we have one day to give account ? " Holy, holy, holy," is the re- markable expression applied to Him by those who are nearest to Him. (Isaiah vi. 3. Rev. iv. 8.) It sounds as if no one word could express the intensity of His holiness. One of His prophets says, " He is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity." (Habak. i. 13.) We think the angels exalted beings, and far above ourselves ; but we are told in Scripture, " He charged His angels with folly." (Job iv. 18.) We admire the moon and i n Stars as glorious and splendid bodies ; but we read, " Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not ; yea the stars are not pure in His sight," (Job xxv. 5.) We talk of the heavens as the noblest and purest part of creation; but even of them it is written, " the heavens are not clean in His sight." (Job XV. J 4.) Reader, what is any one of us but a mis- erable sinner in the sight of such a God as this ? Surely we ought all to cease from proud thoughts about ourselves. We ought to lay our hands upon our mouths, and say with Abraham, "I am dust and ashes," and with Job, " I am vile," and with Isaiah, II We are all as an unclean thing," and with John,' If we say that we have no sin we deceive our- selves, and the truth is not m us," (Gen, xviii. 27; Jobxh4; Isaiah Ixiv. 6 ; 1 Tohn i. 9.) Where is the man or woman in the whole catalogue of the Book of life, that will ever be able to say more than this, " I obtained mercy ?" What is the glorious company of the apostles, the goodly fellowship of the prophets, the noble army of martyrs, what are they all but pardoned sinners ? Surely there is but one conclusion to be arrived at, we are all great sin- ners, and we all need a great forgiveness. See now what just cause I have to tell you that to know your need of forgiveness, is the first thin^ in true religion. Sin is a burden, and must be takeu off. Sin IS a defilement, and must be cleansed away. Sm is a mighty debt, and must be paid. Sm is a mountain standing between us and heaven, and must be removed. Happy is that mother's child amongst us that feels all this ! The first step towards heaven is to see clearly that we deserve hell. There are but two alternatives before us, we must either be forgiven, or be miserable for ever. See too how little many persons know of the design of Christianity, though they live in a Chris- tian land. They fancy they are to go to church to learn their duty, and hear morality enforced, and for no other purpose. They forget that the heathen philosojphers could have told them as much as this They forget that such men as Plato and Seneca 8 I gave instruction, which ought to put to shame the Christian liar, the Christian drunkard, and the Chris- tian thief. They have yet to learn that the leading mark of Christianity is the remedy it provides for sin. This is the glory and excellence of the Gospel. It meets man as he really is. It takes him as it finds him. It goes down to the level to which sin has brought him, and offers to raise him up. It tells him of a remedy equal to his disease, a great for- giveness for great sinners. Reader, I ask you to consider these things well, if you have not considered them before. It is no light matter whether you know your soul's necessi- ties or not. It is a matter of life and death. Try, I beseech you, to become acquainted with your own heart. Sit down and think quietly what you are m the sight of God. Bring together the thougths,and words, and actions of any day in your hfe, and measure them by the measure of Gods word. Judge yourself honestly, that you may not be con- .lemned at the last day. Oh ! that you might find out what you really are ! Oh ! that you might learn to pray Job's prayer, " Make me to know my trans- gression and my sin " (Job xiii. 23.) Oh ! that you might see this great truth, that until you are for- given, your Christianity has done nothmg for you at all ! . , , , II. Let me point out to you, in the second place, the way of forgiveness, . I ask your particular attention to this point, tor none can be more important. Granting for a moment that you want pardon and forgiveness, what ought you to do? Whither will you go? Which way will you turn ? Every thing hinges on the answer you give to this question. Will you turn to ministers, and put your trust m them ^ They cannot give you pardon : they can only tell you where it is to be found. They can set u^fL^ v'^-i t^1'- >^''f>ifl of life : but you yourself must eat it. They can show you the path ol peace : but you had yourself power must walk into it. The to cleanse the leper, but only Jewish ^ declare 's him cleansed. The Christian minister hus no power to forgive sins, he can only pronounce who they are that are forgiven. Will you turn to sacraments and ordinances, and trust in them ? They cannot supply you with forgiveness, however diligently you may use them. By sacraments faith is confirmed and grace m- creased, in all who rightly use them. But they cannot justify the sinner. They cannot put away transgression. You may go to the Lord's table every Sunday in your Hfe ; but unless you look far beyond the sign to the thing signified, you will after all die in your sins. You may attend a daily service regularly, but if you think to establish a righteousness of your own by it, in the slightest degree, you are only getting further away from God every day. Will you trust in your own works and endea- vours, your virtues and your good deeds, your prayers and your alms ? They will never buy for you an entrance into heaven. Tliey will never pay y ur debt to God. They arc all imperfect in them- selves, and only increase your guilt. There is no merit or worthiness in them at the very best. " When ye have done all those things which are commanded you," says the Lord Jesus, " say we are unprofitable servants." (Luke xvii. 10.) Will you trust in your own repentance and amendment? You are very sorry for the past. You hope to be better for the time to come. You hope God will be merciful. Alas ! if you lean on this, you have nothing- beneath you out a broken reed. The judge docs not pardon the thief because he IS sorry for what he did. To-day's sorrow will not wipe off the score of yesterday's sins. It is not an ocean of tears that would ever cleanse an uneasy conscience and give it peace. Where then must a man go for paidon? Where «s forgiveness to be found ?^ Listen, reader, and by God's help I will tell you. 'rhere is a way both sure and plain, and into that way I desire to guide every inquirer's feet. \ 1 » 10 That way is, simply to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Saviour. It is to cast your soul, with all its sins, unreservedly on Christ, to cease com- pletely from any dependance on your own works and doings, either in whole or in part, and to rest on no other work but Christ's work, no other righteousness but Christ's righteousness, no other merit but Christ s merit, as your ground of hope. Take this course, and you are a pardoned soul. " To Christ says Peter, " give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believed in Him shall receive remission of sins." (Acts x. 43,) " Through this man," said Paul at Antioch, "is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified from all things." (Acts xiii. 38.) in Him," writes Paul to the Colossians, " we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins." (Col. i. 14.) The Lord Jesus Christ, in great love and compas- sion, has made a full and complete satisfaction ior sin, by His own death upon the cross. Ihere He offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, and allowed the wrath of God, which we deserved, to fall on His own head. For our sins He gave Himself, suffered, and died, the just for the unjust, the innocent lor the guilty, that He might deliver us from the curse ot a broken law, and provide a complete pardon for all who are willing to receive it. And by so domg, as Isaiah says, He has borne our sins, as John the bap- tist says,'He has taken aivay sin, as Paul says. We has pursed our sins, and put away sin, and as Daniel says. He has made an end of sin, md finished transgression. (Isaiah liii. U. John i. 29. Heb. i. 3. ix. 26. Dan. ix. 24.) , And now the Lord Jesus is sealed and appointed by God the Father to be a Prince and a Saviours to gf.,A rPTni««inn of sins to all who Will havc it. l^he keys of death and hell are put in His hand, llie government of the gate of heaven is laid on His shoulder. He Himself is the door, and by him all that enter in shall be saved. (Acts v. 31. Kev. i. le. John X. 9.) 11 I Christ, in one word, has purchased a full forgive- ness, if you and I are willing to receive it. He has done all, paid all, suffered all that was needful to reconcile us to God. He has provided a garment of righteousness to clothe us. He has opened a foun- tain of living waters to cleanse us. He has removed every barrier between us and God the Father, taken every obstacle out of the way, and made a road by which the vilest may return. All things are now ready, and the sinner has only to believe and be saved, to eat and be satisfied, to ask and receive, to wash and be clean. And faith, simple faith, is the only thing required, in order that you and I may be forgiven. That we will come to Jesus as sinners with our sins, trust in Him, rest on Him, lean on Him, confide in Him, commit our souls to Him, and forsaki3 t:- Ho cast into uie depths of the sea, — to be sought for and not found, — to be remembered no more, — to be cast behind God's back. (Mic. vii. 19. Jerem. 1. 60. xxxi. 34. Isaiah xxxviii. 17.) Some people fancy they may be justified one year and con- demned another, — children of adoption at one time, and strangers by and by, — heirs of the kingdom in tiiu ucgiiiiiiiig VL uicii uuys, aiiu yci strvuin-c oi iiic devil in their end. I cannot find this in the Bible ; as the New Zealander told the Romish priest, I do 21 »» )j 1 •4 t not see it in the book. It seenis to me to ov6iturn the good news of the Gospel altogether, and to tear up its comforts by the roots. I beli-^ve the salvation Jesus offers is an everlasting salvation, and a pardon once sealed with His blood shall never be reversed. Reader, I have set before you the nature of the forgiveness offered to you. I have told you but a little of it, for my words are weaker than my will. The half of it remains untold. The greatness of it is far more than any report of mine. But I think I have said enough to show you it is worth the seeking, and I can wish you nothing better than that you may strive to make it your own. Do you call it nothing to look forward to death without fear, and to judgment without doubtin^^s, a^.d to eternity without a sinking of heart? jDo yon call it nothing to feel the world slipping from youi' grasp, and to see tne grave getting ready for you, and the valley of the shadow of death opening before your eyes, and yet not be afraid ? Do you call it nothing to be able to think of the great day of account, the throne, the books, the Judge, the assembled worlds, the revealing of secrets, the final sentence, and yet to feel " I am safe ?" This is the portion, and this the privilege of a forgiven soul. Such ar: one is on a rock. When the rain of God's wrath descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, his feet shall not slide, his habitation shall be sure. Such an one is in an ark. When the last fiery deluge is sweeping over all things on the surface of the earth, it shall not come nigh him. He shall be caught up and borne securely above it all. Such an one is in a hiding place. When Gou arises to judge terribly the earth, and men are calling to rocks and mountains to fall upon them and cover them, the everlastinff arms shall bft thrown around him, and the storm shall pass over bis head. He shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 22 Such an one is in a city of refuge. The accuser of the brethren can lay no charge against him. The law cannot condemn him. Tliere is a wall between him and the avenger of blood. The enemies of his soul cannot hurt him. He is in a secure sanctuary. Such an one is rich. He has treasure in heaven which cannot be affected by worldly changes, com- pared to which Peru and California are nothing at all. He need not envy the richest merchants and bankers. He has a portion that will endure when bank-notes and sovereigns are worthless things. He can say, like the Spanish ambassador, when shown the trea- sury at Venice, " My master's treasury has no bottom." He has Christ. Such an one is insured. He is ready for any thing that may happen. Nothing can harm him. Banks may break, and governments may be overturn- ed. Famine and pestilence may rage around him. Sickness and sorrow may visit his own fireside. But still he is ready for all, — ready for health, ready for disease, — ready for tears, ready for joy,-— ready for poverty, ready for plenty, — ready for life, ready for death. He has Christ. He is a pardoned soul. "Blessed" indeed "is he whose transgression is for- given, and whose sin is covered." (Psalm xxxii. 1.) Reader, how will you escape if you neglect so great salvation ? Why should you not lay hold on it at once, and say. Pardon me, even me also, O my Saviour. What would you have, if the way I hav'^ set before you does not satisfy you ? Come while the door is open. Ask, and you shall receive. IV. Let me give you in the last place some marks of having found forgiveness. I dare not leave out this point. Too many per- sons presume they are forgiven, who have no evi- dences to show. Not a few cannot think it possible they are forgiven, who are plainly in the way to heaven, though they may not see it themselves. I would fain raise hope in some, and self-inquiry in others ; and to do this let me tell you the leading marks of a forgiven soul. I • I I 23 accuser ist him. 1 a wall . The 3 is in a heaven 3s, com- ng at all. bankers, nk-notes can say, ,he trea- has no for any rm him. )verturn- md him. de. But eady for eady for •eady for led soul, on is for- xxii. 1.) 3glect so hold on 0, O my ,y I hav^ ne while ire. ne marks lany per- e no evi- possible 3 way to elves. I nquiry in e leading Forgiven souls hate sin. They can enter most fully into the words of our Communion Service, "the remembrance of sin is grievous unto them, and the burden of it is intolerable." It is the serpent which bit them : how should they not shrink from it with horror ? It is the poison which brought them to the brink of eternal death : how should they not loathe it with a godly disgust ? It is the Egyptian enemy which kept them in hard bondage : how should not the very memory of it be bitter to their hearts? It is the disease of which they carry the marks and scars about them, and from which they scarcely recovered : well may they dread it, flee from it, and long to be delivered altogether from I its power. Remember how the woman in Simon's house wepl over the feet of Jesus. (Luke vii. 38.) Remember how the Ephesians publicly burned their wicked books. (Acts xix. 19.) Remember how Paul mourned over his youthful transgressions, " I am not meet to be called an Apostle, because I per- secuted the Church of God." (1 Cor. xv. 9.) Ah ! reader, if you and sin are friends, you and God are not yet reconciled. You are not meet for heaven, for one main part of heaven's excellence is the absence of all sin. Forgiven souls love Christ. This is that one thing they can say, if they dare say nothing else, — they do love Christ. His person, His office, His work, His name, His cross. His blood, His words. His example. His day. His ordinances, all, all are precious to forgiven souls. The ministry which exalts Him most, is that which they enjoy most. The books which are most full of Him, are most pleasant to their minds. The people on earth they feel most drawn to, are those in whom they see something of Christ. His name is as ointment poured forth, and comes with a peculiar sweetness to their ears. (Cant. i. 3.) They would tell you they cannot help feeling as they do. He is their Redeem- er, their Shepherd, their Physician, their King, their strong deliverer, their gracious guide, their hope, their joy, their all. Were it not for Him lliey would be of I 24 Mi all men most miserable. They would as soon con- sent that you should take the sun out of the sky, as Christ out of their religion. Those people who talk of "the I-ord," and "the Almighty," and "the Deity " ana so forth, but have not a word to say about Christ, are in any thing but a right slate of mind. Wiiat saiih the Scripture ? " He that hon- oureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him. (John v. 23.) " If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. — 1 Cor. xvi. 22. Forgiven souls are humble. They cannot forget that they owe all they have and hope for to free grace, and this keeps them lowly. They are brands plucked from the fire,— debtors who could not pay for them- selves,— captives who must have remained m prison for ever, but for undeserved mercy,— wandering sheep who were ready to perish when the shepherd found them,-and what right then have they to be oroud f I do not deny that there are proud saints, feut this I do say, they are of all God's creatures the most inconsistent,-and of all God s children, the most likely to stumble and pierce themselves with many sorrows. Forgiveness more often produces the spirit of Jacob :— " I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant ;" (Gen.xxxii. 10.) and of Hezekiah, "I shall go softly f my years; (Isaiah xxxviii. 15.) and of the Apostle Paul, I am less than the least of all saints,-chief of sinners. (Ephes. iii. 8. ;-l Tim. i. 15.) Reader, when you and I have nothing we can call our own but sin and weakness, there is surely no garment that becomes us so well as humihty. , • r i • • Forgiven souls are holy Their chief desire is to please Him who has saved them, to do His will, to glorify Him in body and in spirit which are His. " What shall I render unto the Lord for all His bene- fits," is a leading principle in a pardoned heart. It was the remembrance of Jesus showing mercy, that ^. J. -D-,,,! ^« l^boiii-Q sn nhnndant. and in doing good so unwearied. It was a sense of pardon that made m 25 n con- sky, as ho talk, id "the I to say state of lat hon- ir which an love 3ma." — Dt forget le grace, plucked )r them- n prison andering shepherd 3y to be d saints, tures the Iren, the