Low as you are sunk beneath the common depths of wickedness, there is yet power with the Almighty to raise you up. In Christ are riches unsearchable, and mercies boundless. He has 66

He has “ gifts even for the rebellious.” His compassions fail not. His arms are always open to receive the returning Prodigal. - Turn then to this strong hold, ye prisoners of hope.” Break the chain with which you are bound, and return unto the Lord. Cast yourselves on his mercy. Pray to him, “if peradventure he will give

, you repentance unto the acknowledgement of the truth.". Plead with him to fulfil his gracious promise of taking away the heart of stone, and giving a heart of flesh. Add not to your already enormous sins, by any longer delay, “ lest he swear in his wrath, that you shall never enter into his rest.”

To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart.”

66 Seek the Lord while he may be found: call upon him while he is

May he heal your backslidings ! May he receive you graciously! May his anger be turned away!

SERMON VIII.

THE BROKEN HEART, AN ACCEPTABLE

SACRIFICE,

Psalm li, 17.

The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a

broken and a contrite heart, O God! Thou wilt not despise.

This passage of Scripture is one of the sentences which our Church has appointed to be occasionally used at the beginning of her daily service.

Nor could any passage of Scripture have been more suitably chosen for the purpose ; for while it points out to us the frame and disposition of soul, which we should bring with us to the House of God; it encourages the humble worshipper to draw near with a confident expectation of being favourably received. In fact, David here describes that state of heart, which is all in all in Religion ; without which no religious profession can avail, no

performance of religious duties can be accepted. 6. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God! Thou wilt not despise.” ( Let us consider,

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I. The State of Heart here described.
II. The Favour with which God regards it.

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I. The state of Heart here spoken of is described by the expressions of “ a broken spirit,” “ a broken and a contrite heart.” A broken heart is a phrase in common use among us.

We sometimes talk of a man being broken-hearted ; and what we generally mean by this expression is, that he is utterly weighed down and overcome by grief or fear. His spirits sink under the burden. Unable any longer to contend, he yields to his difficulties, and gives up all hope. Such, however, is not exactly the meaning of this expression, as it is used in the text. By a broken heart is here meant, a heart convinced, and humbled indeed, under a sense of sin; but not in despair. It describes a state of heart directly the reverse of what is the natural state. Naturally the heart is proud, unconscious of its guilt, stout in defending itself, and boasting of its own merit and goodness. But the broken heart is humble, thoroughly convinced of its sin, and unre

servedly condemning itself on account of it. The Scriptures sometimes compare these two different states of the heart, to a heart of stone and a heart of flesh. The natural heart is a heart of stone. It is cold and hard, and resists all impressions. It is moved neither by the promises, nor by the threatenings of Scripture. But the broken heart is a heart of flesh. It is warm, tender, and like wax, readily receives and keeps the image stamped on it. It reveres the truths of God, and “trembles at his word.” It was said, that the broken heart, though humbled under a sense of sin, is not in despair. This is to be noted. A state of despair can never be pleasing to God. Nor is such the state here described. When the heart is broken, it despairs indeed of establishing its own righteousness. Once it hoped to justify itself before God, and to stand on its own merits. But now all such hopes are gone for ever. It has seen too clearly, and felt too deeply, its own unworthiness, to have a thought of this kind. Here it despairs. It despairs of saving itself; but it does not despair of being saved by God's mercy in Jesus Christ. To this it looks with hope ; perhaps with a trembling hope, but still with hope. On this alone it depends for acceptance with God, and gives up every other plea but this.

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But farther, the Heart, here spoken of, is described as being not only broken but contrite. “ A broken and a contrite heart." Now as the expression of a broken heart signifies its being deeply convinced of sin; so that of a contrite heart denotes its being truly penitent for it. Contrition is that “ godly sorrow for sin,” of which the Scriptures speak. There is a sorrow for sin, which does not answer this description. A man may be very sorry for his sin, when he finds that he is to suffer for it.

A sight of the good which he has lost, or of the evil which he has brought on himself, may affect him with the most lively grief. Thus Esau bitterly lamented that he had despised his birth-right; when he found, that in consequence he had forfeited the blessing. Thus many criminals grieve for their offence, when it has brought them to prison and to death. But this is not « godly sorrow.” This is not contrition. To " sorrow after a godly manner," is to lament the evil of sin; to feel shame and compunction at the thoughts of our guilt and baseness. It is to grieve for our sins as having been committed against a good and holy God, who has been daily loading us with benefits and mercies. Godly sorrow" has always an eye to God. It looks upon sin as an act of Rebellion against God;