The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-03-03


many good people By some it is deemed
indispensable that there must be por-
ton of time spent by every sinner in deep
conviction of sin; there must follow deep
sorrow on account of SIM then, the act Of
conscious acceptance of Christ; then, the
peace and JOY which flow from believing;
then, the assurance of acceptance; then,
" the JOY unspeakable and full of glory ="
Thus Christian experience is laid off in
regular plots like the beds in flower
garden, and poor, anxious souls are led
to think that they must go regularly
through all these steps as they would 90
through the courses of "a fashionable dinner,
" from the egg to the apple" No doubt
ance, joy-all are elements in genuine
Christian experience; but there is no such
mechanical arrangement and order in
them as is sometimes prescribed The
conviction, the faith, the contrition, the
love, the JOY, and even the assurance
may all be crowded into one complex ex-
perience, so that the soul, if asked as to
its own state, could not analyze its emo
tions or say whether it most believed, or
rejected or mourned, or loved. Look at
this poor woman. If you regard only her
tears you will say that she is immersed
in the sorrow of a deep contrition If
you look at those gentle kisses she is i'm
printing on the Saviour's feet you will
say that she is all aglow with sacred
love. If you regard only the costly
chrism she is pouring without stint upon
the feet of her Lord, you will say, Here
is the conservation of mature, devoted
saint, who thinks no sacrifice too great
for Him who hath loved her." If you
listen to Jesus himself, you will say,
here is an act of pure faith Thus you
see faith and repentance, convection of
sin and contrition, love and devotion,
all mingling in one complex experience,
and manifesting their presence in floods
of tears, passionate caresses, and costly
sacrifice.
2. In the second place, we learn that
the assurance of pardon is different from
actual pardon The assurance of par
don is a thing experienced in the
heart of the sinner himself; but the
actual pardon is thing experienced
in the heart of Jesus. The faith
which is the condition of the actual par
don may be exercised by the sinner long
before he receives the assurance that his
faith hath saved him, and that he NAV
go in peace Our Lord announced it to
Simon before He told the woman herself
that her sins, which were many, where
then forgiven. The forgiveness was the
real though hidden cause of her .peni-
tence and love- When she was forgiven
we do not know. Probably before she
entered Simon house Her leaving her
home to seek Jesus was itself an act of
faith. Her bringing the alabaster box of
ointment from her house proved that she
had resolved upon amounting Him before
she left her home The faith and love were
in her heart before she reached His per-
sonal presence; and He who knew all
things knew that she was coming. and
ere her tears had begun to flow or the
ointment had been poured out He had
pardoned her. But she knew it not. She
only felt deep love for him who, per
haps on some previous occasion, had
shown His love for sinners in her pre-
sence, and who had possibly spoken to
her the first kind words she had heard
for many years since she had entered
upon her life of shame; she only. felt q
profound sorrow for the sins which that
same voice had rebuked and hoping that
she might obtain from Him that inward
peace for which the worst men and the
worst women sometimes sigh, she sought
His presence that she might confess with
the voiceless woe of tears cher evil be-
havior, and leave with meekness her sins
to her Saviour She had heard His call
from afar, and now she came seeking Him
this very coming being itself an exhibi-
ton of that faith which was the sole con
ditlon of her prompt acceptance by Him.
/ And herein is illustrated another truth
viz, that a sinner may really receive
Christ and begin to love Him before he
IS himself conscious Of the marvellous
change in his soul. May there not be
some here to-day who are indeed par
doned, and who have not yet heard the
verdict of absolution Are there none
here who do mourn over sinful wasted
lives who, if they dared, would fain be-
heve that Christ is regarding them with
like compassion?
Repenting sinners sometimes have q
double ordeal to pass through before
they can make up their minds to confess
Christ before men-frst, the mockerv of
ungodly companions; and secondly, the
incredulity Of the virtuous and truly