THE FAMILY ALTAR

July 5.

"Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners for

to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying",

This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them!" Luke 15:1-2.

Yes, — glory to God ! — it is true, that this man, this Jesus,

receiveth sinners, even the vilest and most notorious among them,

because He would help them from their sins and save them. Ah,

He will do more than receive them now and eat with them. He

will take all their many crimson sins on Himself and pay for

their blood-red guilt with His own precious, holy blood on the

accursed tree of the" cross and thus free them from the curse and

punishment, win for them forgiveness with God, make them chil-

dren of saving grace, companions of the holy angels, lovers of

righteousness, heirs of everlasting life. And what shall we say

to the Pharisees in our text ? We shall say to them : Your sneer-

ing remarks have become the glorious song of adoring saints in

heaven, the grateful hymn of all penitent and pardoned sinners

on earth. Your sinful pride keeps you from repenting of your sins.

But know, except you repent as do these publicans and sinners,

except you come to Jesus and hear from Him the saving Gospel

of God's mercy and forgiveness for His sake, you will all perish

miserably and helplessly in your sins. All your boasted morality,

your theoretical knowledge of Moses and the prophets, will not

save you then, it will rather increase your guilt and punishment;

for the servant that knew his master's will, yet did not according

to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. (Luke 12, 47.)

You knew God's will that you should repent of your sins. So many

sweet Gospel-promises in Moses and the Prophets exhorted you

to do so. But you refused, refused even to listen to your Savior's

call to repentance. Oh, we will let your sad and terrible example

be a warning to us and will pray God to open our hearts that

we may not hear His Word in vain, nor trust in our own goodness,

nor be satisfied with our orthodox Bible-knowledge, but in true

repentance daily come to Jesus and make Him, the sinner