January 20 PM

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions; and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me, for I have redeemed thee. Isa. 44:22.

Thus, of miserable sinners, God makes happy saints. Here is the work of each divine person in the ever glorious Trinity. God the Father blots out sins in the court of heaven: God the Son by his atonement on the cross; and God the Spirit, in the court of a sinner’s conscience. Believe, and enjoy the comfort of this. Now, may the God of hope fill us with joy and peace in believing this, and make us to abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Rom. 15:13.) When the dear women came unto the sepulchre, to see our Lord, they said, who shall roll away the stone from the door? (Mark16:3.) But behold, it was done. So a poor, broken-hearted sinner says, This thick, black, impenetrable cloud of my sins intercepts between my soul and the light of God’s countenance: it prevents the comforting rays of the Sun of righteousness from shining into my soul. O! who can disperse it? None but God. Behold, he hath done it. And He assures us of it. Look within, and be humble: look up, and be joyful. Did you think a storm of divine wrath and terrible vengeance was gathering over your guilty head? Behold! love speaks, mercy proclaims, grace declares, I have dispersed the cloud; I have blotted out thy sins. Grace superabounds over all the aboundings of sin. A deluge of pardoning love, mercy, and grace, washes away all thy transgressions. They are all dispersed like a cloud, driven away by the wind. What! all this rich love, mercy, and grace, to such a hell-deserving sinner as I am? and that too, without any terms and conditions, requisites, and deserts of mine! Yes! all is of rich love, free grace, and sovereign mercy. But behold the end of this. It is, to attach thy heart to a sin- pardoning God. O, my soul, return from thy backsliding ways, thy unbelieving thoughts, thy jealousies, and suspicions of thy Lord’s love, unto him! For “I have redeemed thee.” Look on thy sins. See thyself redeemed from them, by blood divine. Look to heaven. See it purchased for thee, and secured by thy Redeemer’s righteousness. Now glory of, and live like a son of God, and a joint heir with Christ. O, may his blood make all serene within! May that purge our conscience from all dead works to serve the living God. (Heb. 9:14.)

Redeeming grace, forgiving love,

‘Tis a most glorious theme!

It fills us with the joys above,

God’s glory to proclaim.

Thy Savior calls; my soul, return,

To taste his pard’ng love:

This makes thy frozen heart to burn,

While praise ascends above.