FORGIVENESS OF SIN. live under ordinances, and not to meet in them with the King of saints i May I not justly fear that the Lord will take his Holy Spirit from me, until I be left without re- medy 1 With such thoughts as these are sin-entangled souls exercised in all their applications to God. 2. We see the application itself consists in crying unto God. Now this is done with intenseness of mind. It is said of our blessed Savior, that when he was in depths for our sins, he offered up " prayers and suppli- cation, with strong cries and tears." Heb. 5 : 7. Strong cries and tears express the utmost intensity of spirit. David expresses it by roaring, as we have seen; as also by sighing, groaning and panting. A soul in such a con- dition lies down before the Lord, with sighs, groans, mourning, cries, tears, and roaring, according to the various workings of his heart; and this produces. Importunity. The power of the importunity of our faith, our Savior hash marvellously set forth, Luke, 11 : 8-10, as also chapter 18 : 1. Importunate prayer is prevailing ; and importunity is, as it were, made up of these two things; frequency of interposition and variety of arguings. A man that is importunate will come to you seven times a day about the same busi- ness; and after all, if any new thought come into his mind, though he had resolved to the contrary, he will come again; and nothing can be imagined to relate to the business he has in hand, but he will turn it to the furtherance of his plea. So is it in this case. Men will use both frequency of interposition and variety of argu- ings. "I cry unto thee daily," or rather all the day. Psalm 88 : 1. By this means we " give God no rest," which is the very character of importunity. Such souls go to God; and they are not satisfied with what they have done ; but they go again and again. What variety of arguments are pleaded with God I could show in the history of David. But it is known to all ; there is hardly
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