74 reprehensible. It is sometimes harder to be gracious than to he righteous. Righteousness may impress us with the sublime grandeur of a mountain with glaciers glittering in the sunlight. Grace appeals to us as the mountain might when carpeted with verdure or hidden beneath silvery cascades. Righteous ness is'strength. Grace is strength com bined and adorned with beauty. One may act in righteousness from motives of pride and self respect. Grace, how ever, is conducive to humility and self distrust. The law commanded us. Grace teaches us. Titus 2:11-13. What the law could not do, grace accomplishes and thus the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us who walk in the Holy Spirit. TUESDAY, Jan. 11. 2 Cor. 5:11-21. The Controversy Between God and Man. When two persons have fallen out, it is usually true that th e one who is least at fault or indeed not &t all to blame, is the one who takes the first step to ward reconciliation. Why is it th a t the one most to blame, finds it so hard to offer apologies and to make amends? The first duty of every human being is to get right with God. Then he will necessarily and immediately get" right with man. In the great controversy be tween God and man, God is the innocent and aggrieved party. He has done ev erything possible to heal the breach. The Gospel message is “God is recon ciled: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” WEDNESDAY, Jan. 12. Matt. 5:23-30. An Interrupted Sacrifice. The fact of having aught against a brother might well keep us from the al tar, but the fact th a t a brother has aught against us, does not a t first sight seem to necessarily involve our blame worthiness or even responsibility. Nevertheless it mars the beauty and spoils the perfection of the sacrifice. God has a right to dictate the terms and prescribe the manner of our ap proach to Him. By promoting the sim plicity of worship we enhance its sub limity. It is worth our while to remove every hindrance however trifling and causeless it may seem. When such a misunderstanding is removed, it is like clearing the sky of every cloud, and un der the Divine approval like the bright shining of the sun, we may worship in spirit and in truth.
THE K I N G ’S BUS I NES S THURSDAY, Jan. 13. Gen. 45:1-15. Forgiveness Exemplified. No spirit of resentment or desire for retaliation rankled in 'Joseph’s breast. Had such a fire smouldered through the years, it would have burst out into a scorching flame to consume and devour, when at last his guilty brothers were delivered into his hand. Joseph antici pated Christianity by many millenniums. He freely forgave them for wronging him and heaped coals of fire upon their heads. They were haunted by a sense of guilt and tortured by remorse. His unexpected kindness broke their hearts as well as banished their fears. He bound them to him in loyal and lov ing allegiance. Bonds of gratitude are stronger than fetters of steel. The free ness and fullness of Divine forgiveness constitute a bulwark of salvation and make it practically impossible to con tinue longer in sin. FRIDAY, Jan. 14. 2 Sam. 14:21-33. Ill-timed Clemency. David received and pardoned Absalom in violation of every principle of law and justice. Had Absalom only been a manslayer, he should have remained in the city of refuge, but he was an im penitent murderer and he was absolved without confession, judgment or atone ment. The king kissed the guilty man without allowing the law to take its course. What was the consequence? That sentimental act of folly cost David his throne. It opened the way for Ab salom’s rebellion. The next scene is that of a dethroned and dishonored mon arch passing over the brook Kedron in to exile with the blast of the rebel’s trumpets in his ears- and the cry “Ab salom reigneth in Hebron.” There are certain shallow sentimentalists who imagine that all th a t is necessary to save every human and angelic sinner is for God to issue a universal and uncon ditional amnesty proclamation, irrespec tive of attitude, character or desire, Some even blame the Almighty for not doing it! SATURDAY, Jan. 15. Rom. 5:1-21. Divine Forgiveness. Justification is only possible for a sin ner when it is accompanied by regenera tion and followed by sanctification. There is not only remission of penalty, there is restoration to favor. The pen alty of sin is rem itted on the ground of what Christ has suffered upon the cross.
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