Lord, you know all things; you know that I

love you."
John 21:17

DEAR reader, this is His own solemn declaration
of Himself-"I, the Lord, search the heart." Can you
open all your heart to Him? Can you admit Him
within its most secret places? are you willing to
have no concealments? Are you willing that He
should search and prove it? Oh, be honest with
God!-keep nothing back-tell Him all that you
detect within you. He loves the full, honest
disclosure: He delights in this confiding surrender
of the whole heart. Are you honest in your desires
that He might sanctify your heart, and subdue all
its iniquity?-then confess all to Him-tell Him all.
You would not conceal from your physician a
single symptom of your disease-you would not
hide any part of the wound; but you would, if
anxious for a complete cure, disclose to him all.
Be you as honest with the Great Physician-the
Physician of your soul. It is true, He knows your
case; it is true, He anticipates every want; yet He
will have, and delights in having, His child
approach Him with a full and honest disclosure.
Let David's example encourage you: "I
acknowledged my sin unto You, and mine iniquity
have I not hid; I said, I will confess my
transgressions unto the Lord; and You forgave
the iniquity of my sin." And while the heart is thus
pouring itself out in a full and minute confession,
let the eye of faith be fixed on Christ. It is only in
this posture that the soul shall be kept from
despondency. Faith must rest itself upon the
atoning blood. And oh, in this posture, fully and
freely, beloved reader, may you pour out your
heart to God! Disclosures you dare not make to
your tenderest friend, you may make to Him: sins
you would not confess, corruption your would not
acknowledge as existing within you, you are
privileged thus, "looking unto Jesus," to pour into
the ear of your Father and God. And oh, how the
heart will become unburdened, and the
conscience purified, and peace and joy flow into
the soul, by this opening of the heart to God! Try
it, dear reader: let no consciousness of guilt keep
you back; let no unbelieving suggestion of Satan,
that such confessions are inappropriate for the
ear of God, restrain you. Come at once-come
now-to your Father's feet, and bringing in your
hands the precious blood of Christ make a full
and free disclosure. Thus from the attribute of
Christ's omniscience may a humble believer
extract much consolation at all times permitted to
appeal to it, and say with Peter, "Lord, You know
all things, You know that I love You."