the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Golden Treasury
Joseph said unto his brethren, come near to me, I pray you. I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt; now be not angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before for to preserve your life. Genesis 45:4-5. In like manner does Christ speak to his brethren. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud. Hosea 6:4. That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never more open thy mouth because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all thou hast done, Ezekiel 16:63.
We must never offer to vindicate or extenuate our failings and sins, but rather be ashamed and humbly confess our guilt. Thus the Lord not only pardons our transgressions, but even makes them turn to our advantage, and clears us often from the most intricate difficulties into which we have run ourselves. He averts the offence given by our faults, and orders them to the good of others, that they must serve to their improvement, or at least do them no harm. O! the riches of his grace!
What mortal power from things unclean
Can pure productions bring?
Who can command a vital stream
From an infected spring.
Yet, mighty God, thy wondrous love;
Can make our nature clean;
While Christ and grace prevail above
The tempter, death, and sin.
