"Paint Me as I Am."

OLIVER CROMWELL was sitting before an artist to have his portrait painted. Years of anxiety had traced many a furrow upon his brow. Fearing the artist would flatter him by the omission of the furrows, Cromwell said, “Paint me as I am. If you leave out the scars and wrinkles, I will not pay you a shilling.”
Perhaps the reader has often been to the photographer, and your desire has been to obtain an exact portrait. But did it ever strike you that God, in His holy Word, has drawn the full-length and accurate portrait of every man?
You will find it in the third chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. It is thy own portrait, my reader, therefore fail not to look thereon with deep attention. God has drawn it that thou mayest know how thou appearest in His sight.
In that scripture we read: ― “There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.”
“But,” say you, “I have never committed these deeds.” That may be quite true. But remember that it is written, “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:77But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)).
Do you, my reader, acknowledge the foregoing scripture to be a portrait of your heart? Then I am sure you will not wonder that Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Perhaps a reader says, “What shall I do to be saved?” The answer is distinctly written by the pen of Divine inspiration:— “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)). C. H.