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

be encouraged to profess your love for
Him, unworthy though it be, and your
faith in Him, though you may think it
too weak for Him to notice
Perhaps this open confession of Christ
is all that you need do, to have Him utter
In the ear of your heart the comforting
assurance, Thy faith hath saved thee !;
go in peace"
3. In the last place, want to make a
remark on question suggested by the
parable spoken on the occasion; whether
or not 1t is well to have sinned much =?
Whether the greatest love springs from
the most heinous transgresssion?
This question is suggested by dozen
other instances in the Gospels. Publicans
and harlots are seen pressing into the
Kingdom, while rulers and moral men
stay outside. One sinner that repenteth
is said to- give more joy to the angels than
ninety and nine just persons that need
no repentance. The lost sheep and the
lost piece of silver, when found, give oc-
casion to the most exultant jubilation.
The son who refused to go into the vine
yard, but afterward went, seems to have
the advantage of his brother, who, while
he did not refuse to go, never got there.
The wretched publican is preferred be-
fore the Pharisee, who was no doubt a
most excellent, though a conceited man.
The prodigal son is the one whose return
to his home makes the sound of music in
the banquet hall. For him the fatted
calf is killed for him the feast is spread :;
for him 81 the house is all ablaze, and
trem oles to the merry dance"
Is it, then, an advantage to have gone
far and deep into sin? Oh, no; it is not
credible that the Gospels teach any such
hideous lesson as this.
But observe CD that great sinners are
much more likely to discover that they
are sinners than moralists and ritualists
The notorious courtezan, the shameless
drunkard, whom all tho town regard as
sinners are much more likely to acknowl-
edge that they are sinners than the
smooth punctilious Pharisee whom all the
people hold to be a sort of unconverted
saint. 1t is not better to owe 500 pence
than fifty. But it is nevertheless true
that the larger the debt the more likely
we are to be burdened by it the worse
our life, the more likely we are to confess
how bad it is If we owe but little we
are IN danger of forgetting that we owe
anything. If our life is in the main right
we are in danger of forgetting how often
it Is wrong in heart and motive, and how
far short we come of perfection
CD The much and the little of sin are
for the most part determined by the sin
ner's own conscience, and not by the
actual amount of his iniquity. The debt
which he owes troubles him, not in pro-
portion to the number of his outward
traHsgressions, but in proportion to his
consciousness of sin; and this is in no.
wise in proportion to the amount and ex-
tent of evil actually committed and
brought to the notice of men. Oftenthey
who have the least of what the world
calls sin, have yet the deepest sense of
the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and are
the most forward to exclaim, 20 Woe is me !
for | am undone, because | am man of
unclean lips" and therefore as they have
most groaned under the evil, are the most
thankful for the fact of redemption. ooh!
the debtor who has been forgiven much.
and who loves much, is not always he
who owed most 1t is he who dwells on
his debt, magnifies the difficulty of meet
ing it whom it gals and fnets like a
daily burden, whom it follows through
rain and shine, logging him like an ap-
partition, cleaving to him like a curse.
Hence David says that his sin is ever be
fore him, and he can see only that and
Paul accounts himself the chief of sin
ners. The debt may not seem very large
to others; but it is much to him; he
groans under the intolerable strain and
when it is removed, he breaks out into
the tears and songs of grateful rapture,
a Joy too deep to be expressed. The way
to love much is not to sin much, but to
think much of sin. The best people
think most Of it; they who strive most
against 1t have the profoundest sense of
its power. Once try to get out of debt
to your Heavenly Creditor and though
you may owe butffty pence, the ffty will
Cypress you till they seem to be 500, and
you will know no peace until, confessing
that, you nave nothing to pay, He
frankly torglves you all.
4. To conclude: AS when we hear
one or two notes of a familiar air. the
whole strain is suggested and floats
through the ear of memory. SO now as
we have been listening to one incident in
the life Of Christ it reminds us of all the
glad tidings in His Gospel of salvation
a nd IN foo