VERY downhearted, discouraged girl made this excuse: "I am afraid God won't forgive me." Perhaps some who read this feel the same way. However, nearly all who offer this excuse are very hopeful cases. They are under deep conviction of sin; they look bad to themselves. Their own hearts look so dark that Satan tempts them to think they are beyond forgiveness.

They feel like the old shepherd who prayed: "Lord, I got among the thorns and briers, and am scratched and torn and bleeding; but, Lord, it is only fair to say that it was not on Thy ground. I had wandered out of Thy pasture." You have looked at yourself long enough. Look now at Christ.

You remember the story Jesus told about a sheep that was lost. You recall that on a dark night, the faithful shepherd went out to hunt for it. Well, in this story, Jesus is telling about Himself. I want you to notice especially that He does not say He searched a long, long time and then finally gave up and returned without the lost sheep. No; He searched until He found it. And He brought it home, too. He did not scold it or whip it because it ran away. He closes the story by saying that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over the ninety-nine who need no repentance.

By this story, Jesus means you to understand that He will surely find every straying sheep. And He will bring them all home, too unless they refuse to come. The lost sheep did not refuse. Some people do. They wish to remain among the thorns and the briers. In that case, Jesus will not force them to come. I judge, from your excuse, that Jesus has already found you. You are not going to refuse to come home with Him, are you?

By the story of the lost sheep, Jesus means you to understand that He will surely find every straying sheep. And He will bring them all home, too- unless they refuse to come.

Read again this beautiful promise; it is God's promise to you: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' I John 1:9. God's promises are

like the clothes we wear. If there is heat in the body to warm our clothes, they warm us; but if there is no heat, they give none. When there is living faith to grasp God's promises, they afford comfort; but to a dead, unbelieving heart, they are cold and ineffectual. Dear friends, God can not lie. If you will sincerely confess your sins, God will forgive you. He wants you to believe the promise and to get the sweet assurance out of it. He loves you, and He values you according to the price He paid for you.

In the Bible, four very broad statements are made to help God's children to know that when sins are confessed they are all forgiven. In one place, it says that He will cast our sins "into the depths of the sea." Micah 7:19. Dr. Gordon, of Boston, was once speaking on this verse; and in quoting it, he left out the word "depths." His little son noticed this, and at home, after service, he told his father of the mistake, and added: "Father, why didn't you tell the people that sins are heavy like lead and sink out of sight in the water? They might think sins are like corks floating around on top where they can be seen."

Again, we read that God will put our sins behind His back. (Isaiah 38: 17.) I am glad it does not say that He will put them behind our backs, for the devil would soon find them there and haunt us with them. When our confessed sins are behind His back, let us believe it and leave them there.

God promises to blot out our sins like a thick cloud. (Isaiah 44: 22.) You have seen a dark cloud vanish before the sunlight. You have never seen that cloud again, have you? God will blot out our sins in the

same way.

As if this were not sufficient to give faith, the psalmist says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103 12. It would be an interesting study to figure out how far the east is from the west. With man's present knowledge, it would be impossible; but God knows how far it is, and there He will put our sins when we are willing to confess them and forsake them.

A little girl had been very disobedient all the morning. When she came home from school in the evening, she found her mother very ill. She wanted to see her mother and confess, but the nurse would not permit her to enter the room. At last, the child thought of a bright idea. Getting her slate, she wrote: "Please, mamma, forgive me for being so naughty this morning. If you are too ill to speak, rub this out, and I will know you have forgiven me." Her joy was great when the slate came back with everything rubbed out. When you are willing to meet the conditions, God will certainly do His part, and your sins will be blotted out with the blood of Jesus.

A mother asked her little daughter if there was anything God could not do. The child replied, "Yes, God can not see my sins through the blood of Jesus." Sometimes people get the idea that God is continually watching them and taking account of all they do. It is true that a careful record is kept of all our deeds. We must meet them some day. But as regards the Christian, God sees only two parties - Adam in Eden and Christ on Calvary. There is coming a time when, as individuals, we must all stand before God. What a joy awaits those whose sins have been blotted out! And what a sorrow awaits those whose sins must pass in review before the great Judge!

When Satan tempts you to feel that your sins are too awful for forgiveness, tell him that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. (1 John 1:7.)

Answer him as Billy Bray, the Cornish evangelist, did: "Thee is a pretty feller to give a man advice! Thee had a good situation theeself, and thee lost it; and thee wants me to lose mine too, does thee?"

God invites us to reason with Him: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1: 18..

In the verses just preceding this, God makes grievous and terrible charges against men. Their sins and hypocrisies and apostasies have been provoking beyond measure. Now He makes a proposal. He asks men to produce their reasons why He should forgive their sins.

The loving invitation, with its precious promise, implies that there are good and sufficient reasons why God should forgive your sins. If you present these reasons in sincerity, you may expect to attain the result you seek the forgiveness of your sins.

The very nature of the case shows that you are to address your reasons and make your appeal to mercy, not to justice. You have no hope from any appeal that you may make to justice. You are to seek only for such reasons as may induce the Lord to exercise mercy in your behalf. What reasons may a sinful human being present to God which will insure His granting pardon?

You know that your sins have separated you from God. You have no good reason for sinning; therefore all the wrong is on your side, and all the right is on God's side. In this attitude, you must confess every sin to God. You acknowledge that you have no apology to make for sinning. The case, you feel most deeply, admits of none.

Next, you must promise God to renounce immediately all sin in the future and to cease from all rebellion against God. This only is repentance, and only as you do this can you hope for forgiveness. Then you must