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 sin, that  act  would  fall  infinitely  short  of  satisfying God's outraged  justice. Hence it  was  that  to  atone for man's  sins  the  Word  of  God  Himself  was,  if  I may  say  so,  obliged  to  come  down  from  heaven  and become man  and  suffer  and  die — as  man,  because man had  sinned,  and  as  God,  because  God  only  could cancel an  infinite  offence. Every drop  of  His bloody sweat  in  Gethsemani  declares  the  malice  of mortal  sin — every  stroke  of  the  scourge,  every  thorn of His  crown,  every  fall  on  Calvary's  slope,  the  five nails that  held  Him  on  the  cross. The frantic  grief of Magdalen,  Mary's  heartbroken  sobs  and  the moans of  the  dying  Saviour,  all  proclaim  the  malice of mortal  sin. Sin, and  sin  alone,  reduced  an  ineffable God  to  the  condition  of  the  Man  of  sorrows, for His  blood  was  poured  out  for  many  unto  the remission of  their  sins.

Brethren, in  your  upturned  faces  to-night,  I  discern three  classes — those  who  have  never  sinned mortally, those  who  have  so  sinned  and  repented,  and those on  whose  souls  grievous  sin  yet  remains. Thank God  there  are  some  who,  standing  on  their life's record,  can  demand  defiantly  of  the  world: "Which of  you  shall  convince  me  of  mortal  sin?  " Blessed be  God  that  so  many,  though  having  wandered afar  and  miserably  fallen,  have  yet  been enabled by  His  grace  to  arise  and  return  to  their Father. Would to  God  that  the  conversion  of  even one sin-laden  soul  here  to-night  might  gladden  the Father's heart,  and  give  joy  to  the  angels  of heaven. O sinful  soul,  however  deplorable  thy  con-