The Pilgrim Path---Isaiah 6: 5; First John 1: 8, 9 (8—18—20)

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

CONFESSSION & FORGIVENESS

The Old English Puritan Joseph Alleine (1634—1668) was quite the minister. He would often spend the time from 4 am until 8 am every morning in “devotional exercises”---because he simply knew he needed to meet God. He figured he would be of no use to his people if he did not actually know the LORD---and wrestle with Him in prayer (and ponder Holy Scripture). One of his more famous works was entitled, “A Sure Guide to Heaven.” Here is a segment from that work on evangelism:
All of Christ is accepted by the sincere convert. He loves not only the wages but the work of Christ, not only the benefits but the burden of Christ. He is willing not only to tread out the corn, but to draw under the yoke. He takes up the commands of Christ, yea, the cross of Christ. The unsound convert takes Christ by halves. He is all for the salvation of Christ, but he is not for sanctification. He is for the privileges but does not appropriate the person of Christ. This is an error in the foundation. Whoever loves life, let him beware here. It is an undoing mistake, of which you have often been warned, and yet none is more common.

Considering today’s texts, I wanted to give you a Prayer of Alleine’s entitled, “My Sins!”

My heart is a sin-pool; I cannot even count the swarms of sinful thoughts, words, and actions that have flowed from it.

My head and my heart are full of the load of guilt that is on my soul. My mind and body are full of sin.

My sins, they stare at me! My creditors are upon me. Every commandment takes hold of me, for more than ten thousand talents, yes, ten thousand times ten thousand.

How endless then is the sum of all my debts! If this whole world were filled up from earth to heaven with paper, and all this paper written over by mathematicians, yet, when all were added up, it would still fall inconceivably short of what I owe to the least of God’s commandments.

For my debts are infinite, and my sins are increased. They are wrongs to an infinite Majesty.

And if one who commits treason here on earth is worthy to be punished, what have I deserved---someone who has so often lifted my hand against heaven, and struck at the crown and dignity of the Almighty?

It would be better to have all the regiments of hell come against me than to have my sins fall upon me. LORD, I am surrounded!

The sands are many, but then they are not great. The mountains are great, but then they are not many.

But my sins are as many as the sands, and as mighty as the mountains. Their weight is greater than their number.

It would be better that the rocks and the mountains fall upon me, than that the crushing and unstoppable load of my own sins would remain.

If my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my sins laid in the balance together, they would be heavier than the sand of the sea.

O LORD, you know my mighty sins. They have brought nothing but misery. What a mess I am in! I am sold as a slave to sin, cast out of your favor, cursed in my body, and cursed in my soul. I am cursed in my name, in my relations, and in all that I have.

My soul is within a step of death.

What do I do? Where will I go? Which way will I look? Where shall I flee? What place could hide me from your presence, everywhere? What could secure me from your unlimited power?

Will I linger any longer like this, the way I was? No. If I waited there as I was, I would die.

What then? Is there no help? No Hope? None, unless I turn.

But is there any remedy for such woeful misery? Any mercy?

YES! As sure as your promise is true, God, I will have pardon and mercy---If I now genuinely, and without reservation, turn by Christ to YOU.

So, I thank you on the bended knees of my soul, O most merciful Jehovah, that your patience has waited for me. Because if I had died as I was before, I would have perished forever.

And now I adore your grace and accept the offer of your mercy.

I renounce all my sins and resolve by your grace to set myself against them, and to follow you in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life. Amen.

We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Spread the tidings all around: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news, to every land, climb the steeps and cross the waves;
Onward! ‘tis our LORD’S command: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Priscilla J. Owens, 1868

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ Our Risen LORD, Pastor Jason