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when it has been announced that some poor sinner has just been born of God.—

"To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Who sweetly all agree―

To save a world of sinners lost,
Eternal glory be."

Come then but as you approach the mercy-seat, be boldly confident of a welcome to the bosom of your heavenly Father.

66

If any man serve me," says Jesus, "him will my Father honour." Now, to serve is to obey. But the penitent obeys Jesus, when he obeys that blessed command," Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden; take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." When this is sincerely done, we honour Jesus. But is the Father then a cold and distant spectator? No, but "him shall my Father honour." But how can he honour the obedient and believing penitent better than to accept, pardon, and love him? Hear what Jesus says in John, xiv. 21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." So then, if we love Jesus by obeying him, we are immediately loved by the Father; and when the Father loves us, Jesus Christ loves us also. Does this show a coldness and an unwillingness on the part of the Father? Behold then, how visionary and unjust have been your views. If any thing can be required to strengthen all that has been said, it is with delight I refer you to a passage, to which one of the class leaders in this city has just turned my attention, when conversing upon this subject. John, xiv. "At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you.'

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As much as to say, this shall be a matter of course, in virtue of my Mediatorship; this you need not doubt; this you cannot doubt; the many proofs of my love to you forbid it. But the Father shall require no entreaty. "For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God."

These are beautiful and touching expressions. Hoping in God, that faith may soon realize their blessed import; and that the time is at hand when you shall be enabled to rejoice in the Lord with joy unspeakable and full of glory: I remain, your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,

J. C.

LETTER XL.

TO THE SAME.

My dear Brother,

Limerick, February 28, 1842.

You may indeed well call upon heaven and earth to assist you in celebrating the high praises of your pardoning God. How clearly do you now see that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, were united in the great work of saving you out of the hands of all your enemies.

"Now unbelief, stand forth, and tell,
What is too hard for God!"

How peculiarly awful has been your case. Through what a scene of mental conflict have you passed. You have indeed paid dearly for your sin; nor is it likely you will ever repeat it, or any thing similar :

the penalty is too great, you have learned wisdom from what you have suffered; should you again backslide from God, the suffering to be endured is now no secret to your conscience. It is not therefore likely you will hazard another such trial. It has been in your case, during your late trial, as it is with the damned in hell. Hell begins upon earth, and therefore we may look for a similarity in some respects; such as self-reproach, self-torture, and unavailing regret. The extremes are great it is true, as much so as time and eternity, finite and infinite; and therefore the degrees must be different, while the mental materials are the same. One hour after you felt your innocence and peace had departed, you would have given a thousand worlds the circumstance had not occurred; but what was done could not be undone, nor yet banished from your memory; the sting was left behind; and in all the bitterness of unavailing regret, you gave yourself up to "lamentations, and mourning, and woe." Thus while the justice of God has received a sufficient vindication, your future faithfulness is also secured; perhaps your zeal and usefulness also. What humility and gratitude are manifest in your expressions! What a dread of falling into sin again. How strong and determined the resolution to avoid every thing that would grieve your Lord.

"After all that I have done,

Saviour, art thou pacified?
Whither shall my vileness run?
Hide me, earth,-the sinner hide!
Let me sink into the dust,

Full of holy shame, adore!
Jesus Christ, the Good, the Just,
Bids me go and sin no more!

O confirm the gracious word,
Jesus, Son of God and Man!
Let me never grieve thee, Lord,
Never turn to sin again:

X

'Till my all in all thou art,

'Till thou bring thy nature in, Keep this feeble, trembling heart;

Save me, save me, Lord, from sin!"

He

How has God frustrated the designs of the devil. thought nothing less, than that he had effected a breach between God and you, which would last for ever. How wonderfully has the Lord overruled the works of the devil;-" Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." Judges, xiv. 14. And now that you are forgiven;— now that the storm is hushed, and a holy calm has overspread your storm-beaten heart;-now that all the clouds with which conscious guilt, had overcast your sad and shuddering soul, have vanished away, before the sunshine of that countenance, which has beamed upon you from above;—now that the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, has illumined your soul, you may venture a look upon the past.

Is it not a matter of surprise to yourself, that after all the rich blessings you had received from God;the many months of sweet communion you enjoyed with himself; when,

that

"With chords of love he drew you on,

And half reveal'd his face,"

you should have been so much off your guard, as to have permitted the devil and your own corruptions, to drive you to and fro, as a leaf in the wind, until you were carried away, body and soul, into captivity and death.

Perhaps, when you take your education into the account, your astonishment may be increased. Illumined, as your mind was, by the light of science, as well as by that of religion, you were much better prepared to judge between vice and virtue, than the vulgar herd of mankind? You were capable both by education and religion, to look over, and far

beyond, the multitude. Qualified, not only to give an example, both in word and deed, but also to profit by the example of others, whether good or bad. The punishment of many for their follies, should have been admonitory and instructive to you. It was quite enough for you to know, by observation upon others, that "the way of transgressors is hard," without proving it to be so for yourself. You had not forgotten the following, which you read several years ago,

"Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum."

Had you been faithful, this would have been your experience. The example of others should have made your cautioned soul withdraw from the road which led them to ruin; and this should have been your happiness. Instead of having obtained wisdom at so dear a rate, you might have looked upon the damage sustained by others, and so have become more wise and happy. This was the turn an ingenious Frenchman gave to the above Latin sentiment,—

"Heureux celui qui devient sage,

En voyant d'autrui le damage."

I write not these things to reproach you, nor to cast a gloom over your happy mind; but from an anxiety that you may profit as you should from your melancholy fall. Now that you have recovered yourself out of the snare of the devil, by whom you have been "led captive;" deep humility is becoming. That is a very remarkable passage in Ezekiel, xvi. 63."That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God." Humility is taught here. Never to open thy mouth any more to boast; to murmur; to judge harshly of others.

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