Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-06-03
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning June 7, 1908.

Beginning June 7, 1908.
BY REV. S. H. DOYLE.
Topic.-Songs of the heart-vI. What
Is true penitence.-Ps Ii. (Consecra Ton
meeting)
The Fifty-frst Psalm is one of the
eeepest and sincerest expressions of re-
lpentance to be found in religious his
tory. David had sinned grievously.
He had broken two of the most serious
commandments of God God sent Ma
than the prophet to him, who in a
parable made David see &and condemn
himself. and when he saw what he
had done he fell down in sackcloth
land ashes and cried unto God for for
Igiveness and afterward expressed his
Repentance in the words of this psalm,
(which may well be taken as type of
true penitence.
Moreover, the subject of repentance
lis well worthy of our study, and espe-
lcially today. The tendency of our
from sin. The John the Baptists who
lare crying, Repent and be baptized
flor the remission of sin," are not so
large in aumber as they have been in
1.-THE history of the past nor as they
lshould be today, for without re-
lpentance it is impossible for the hui
imam soul to find salvation in Jesus
Christ
What. then, is true penitence as ex-
ipressed by David in this psalm? %
lit includes consciousness of sin. No
imam will ever repent Of what he is not
lconscious. If he is not convicted Of
ibis sinfulness, he will never seek God
Ito pardon it and to forgive him. Time
had elapsed between Davids sin and
ibis repentance. He went on living as
|he had done before. but when Nathan.
Under Gods direction, convicted him
tof his sinfulness the first step had been
taken toward true repentance. Our
difficulty today is the absence of deep
lconviction of sin. In many cases sin
weakness for which we are not re-
sponsible 1t has been defined merely
Jas the absence of love" or human self
tshness. But sin is transgression
against the law of God. David real
Tied this when he cried out to God,
against Thee. and Thee only. have l
lsinned." So did the prodigal son when
he exclaimed. Il have sinned before
heaven and in Thy sight" If you
have never felt that you are sinner.
ask God to show you, as he did David,
the true condition of your heart, and
you also will be convinced of your per-
lsonal sinfulness. ~ True repentance
of God. David appreciated the fact
that God was gracious and merciful
He had no fear in coming to Him.
Much more should we apprehend the
mercy Of God today since it has been
manifested in the gift of His Son as
"the Lamb of God who taketh away
the sin of the world" 81 1t includes
confession of sin. This confession
need only be made to God No man
needs to confess to a fellow man I'M
less he can make restitution for a
wrong done. a. contrition or sorrow
for sin. and this sorrow must mean
hatred of sin and a turning away from
sin. The man who truly repents must
give up his sins; otherwise repentance
Is farce and mockery. But If VIC
truly repent God is able and willing to
forgive us our sins. "If any man si..
he hath an advocate with the Father.
even Jesus Christ the righteous, who
is the expiatory sacrifice for our sins"
BIBLE READINGS.
Job xiii, 4, 5; lisa. i, 1918; ". II;
Mark i, IA. Is; Luke iii. Is; XIV, 11-24;
Acts II, 3741; XVI, 10, 20; Rom. ii,
IA; II Cor. vii, Sill.