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come." The possession of grace fills us with very different feelings from the possession of anything else. A man who has much money is not very anxious that all the world should be rich-one who has much learning does not long that all the world were learned; but if you have tasted the grace of the gospel, the irresistible longing of your hearts will be, O that all the world might taste its regenerating waters! And if it be true, as I think it is, that God's method of bringing in the kingdom is to be by the salvation of Israel, how can an enlightened, gracious soul but pray, "Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion?"

As to the mode of studying prophecy, dear friend, I am far from being a capable adviser. My advice, however, is, that you begin with the simple and more unquestioned parts, and then advance to the more difficult ground. Begin with fulfilled prophecy-you will thus gain an intimate acquaintance with the language and manner of the prophetic writings. Then advance to the marks of unfulfilled prophecy, and cautiously and prayerfully to those parts that are obviously unfulfilled. This would be a most interesting course, and, if humbly followed out, cannot but give you great light and interest in the cause of Israel, and the world's conversion. For fulfilled prophecy, you might follow the guidance of Keith on Fulfilled Prophecy, or Bishop Newton, or both.

I am delighted to hear of the thank-offering you mention. It is sweet when thankfulness does not end in mere words, but in gifts to God and devotedness of our all to Him. I am happy to say that the Lord's cause seems still to advance in Scotland. On the very day 1 arrived from Ireland we had very sweet tokens of the presence of the Spirit of God in the congregation, and many Thursday evenings since.

I have been in Strathbogie also, and seen some of the Lord's wonders there. He that hath the key of David has opened a door there, for the salvation of many souls. I am still as anxious as ever that God's work should be pure, and unmixed with error and satanic delusions; and, therefore, when I pray for the revival of God's work, I always add that it may be pure and permanent. I have seen two awakened since I came home, with the use of hardly any means. If they shall turn out real conversions, I think I shall never despair of any.

I trust that your own studies get on well, dear friend. Learn much of your own heart, and when you have learned all you can, remember you have seen but a few yards into a pit that is unfathomable. Jer. xvii. 9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief. Live much in the smiles of God. Bask in his beams. Feel his

all-seeing eye settled on you in love, and repose in his almighty arms. Cry after divine knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding. Seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasure, according to the word in Prov. ii. 4. See that v. 10 be fulfilled in you. Let wisdom enter into your hearts and knowledge be pleasant to thy soul; so you will be delivered from the snares mentioned in the following verses. Let your soul be filled with a heart-ravishing sense of the sweetness and excellency of Christ and all that is in Him. Let the Holy Spirit fill every chamber of your heart; and so there will be no room for folly, or the world, or Satan, or the flesh. I must now commend you all to God and the word of his grace. My dear people are just assembled for worship. Alas! I cannot preach to them to-night. I can only carry them and you on my heart to the throne of Write me soon. Ever yours, &c.

grace.

TO HIS SABBATH SCHOOL TEACHERS, DURING A WEEK OF ABSENCE FROM THEM.

(Accompanied by notes on the Scripture Lesson that was to be taught in the classes that week.) KELSO, Feb. 24, 1841.

MY DEAR FRIENDS AND FELLOW-LABORERS-I send you a few notes on the parable for next Sabbath evening. May you find them profitable. You cannot tell what a sweet comfort it is to me, when I am so far distant from my flock, to know that you are in the midst of the lambs, speaking to God for them, and speaking to them for God. I thank my God without ceasing for your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope. Be not weary in well-doing, dear friends, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Do not be impatient-wait on the Lord. The blessing will come. Use a few spare half hours in seeking after the lambs on the week-days. This will prove to the parents that you are in earnest. To bring one child to the bosom of Christ would be reward for all our pains in eternity. Oh! with what glowing hearts we shall meet in heaven those whom God has used us as humble instruments in saving! Meditate on Phil. i. 8. And may the Lord meet with you and the lambs on Sabbath-day, and bless you, and do you good.

Farewell, dear fellow-laborers. Ever your affectionate friend and pastor, absent in body, not in spirit, &c.

TO A SOCIETY IN BLAIRGOWRIE FOR DIFFUSING THE
KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.

Advices.

DUNDEE, March 27, 1841.

MY DEAR FRIEND--I was happy indeed to receive your letter, and the Rules of your Society, which interested me very much. I would have answered you sooner, but have been laid down by my heavenly Father on a bed of sickness, from which I am just recovering by his grace. Spared fig-trees should bear much fruit; pray that it may be so with me. Luther used to say 66 that temptations, afflictions, and prayer, made a minister." I do trust that your society may be greatly blessed, first, in the comforting, enlivening, and sanctifying of your own souls, and then in the bringing others to know the same fountain where you have found peace and purity. Let Jesus come in to your meetings and sit at the head of the table. It is a fragrant room when the bundle of myrrh is the chief thing there. Let there be no strife among you, but who to be lowest at his feet, who to lean their head most fully on his breast. Let all your conversations, meditations, and readings, lead you to the Lamb of God. Satan would divert your minds away to questions and old wives' fables, which gender strifes. But the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus-draws to Jesus--makes you cleave to the Lord Jesus with full purpose of heart. Seek advance of personal holiness. It is for this the grace of God has appeared to you. See Titus ii. 11, 12. For this Jesus died-for this he chose you--for this he converted you, to make you holy men-living epistles of Christ--monuments of what God can do in a sinner's heart. You know what true holiness is. It is Christ in you the hope of glory. Let him dwell in you, and so all his features will shine in your hearts and faces. Oh! to be like Jesus, this is heaven wherever it be. I think I could be happy among devils, if only the old man were slain in me, and I was made altogether like Jesus. But, blessed be God, we shall not be called to such a trial, for we shall not only be like Jesus, but be with Him to behold His glory. Pray to be taught to pray. Do not be content with old forms that flow from the lips only. Most Christians have need to cast their formal prayers away, to be taught to cry Abba. Arrange beforehand what you are to pray for. Do not forget confession of sin, nor thanksgiving. Pray to get your closed lips open in intercession-embrace the whole world and carry it within the vail. I think you might with advantage keep a small book in which you might mark down objects to be prayed for. I pray God to make you very useful in the parish and in the world. Do all things without murmurings and disputings; see Phil. ii. 14, 16. Live for eternity. A few days more, and our journey is done. Oh! fight hard against sin and the devil-the

devil never sleeps. Be you also active for good. The Lord bless you and your dear minister. Pray for us. Pray for the dead parishes around you. Ever yours, &c.

LETTERS TO A SOUL SEEKING JESUS.-NO. I.
Seek to know your corruption.

DUNDEE, 1841.

DEAR FRIEND-According to promise, I sit down to talk with you a little concerning the great things of an eternal world. How kind it is in God that he has given us such an easy way of communicating our thoughts, even at a distance. My only reason for writing to you is, that I may direct your soul to Jesus, the sinner's friend. "This man receiveth sinners." I would wish much to know that you were truly united to Christ, and then, come life, come death, you will be truly and eternally happy. Do you think you have been convinced of sin? This is the Holy Spirit's work, and his first work upon the soul, (John xvi. 8; Acts ii. 37; xxi. 29, 30.) If you did not know your body was dangerously ill, you would never have sent for your physician; and so you will never go to Christ, the heavenly physician, unless you feel that your soul is sick even unto death. Oh! pray for deep discoveries of your real state by nature, and by practice. The world will say you are an innocent and harmless girl; do not believe them. The world is a liar. Pray to see yourself exactly as God sees you; pray to know the worth of your soul. Have you seen yourself vile, as Job saw himself? Job xi. 3, 5; xiii. 5, 6 undone, as Isaiah saw himself? Isa. vi. 1, 5. Have you experienced anything like Psalm li.? I do not wish you to feign humility before God, nor to use expressions of self-abhorrence, which you do not feel; but, O pray that the Holy Spirit may let you see the very reality of your natural condition before God. I seldom get more than a glance at the true state of my soul in its naked self. But, when I do, then I see that I am wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked; Rev. iii. 17. I believe every member of our body has been a servant of sin-Romans iii. 13, 18-throat, tongue, lips, mouth, feet, eyes. Every faculty of our mind is polluted; Gen. vi. 5. Besides you have long neglected the great salvation; you have been gainsaying and disobedient. Oh! that you were brought to pass sentence upon yourself, guilty of all. Hear what a dear believer writes of himself" My wickedness, as I am in myself, has long appeared to me perfectly ineffable, and swallowing up all thought and imagination, like an infinite deluge, or mountains over my head. I know not how to express better what my sins appear to me to be, than by heaping infinite upon infinite, and multiplying infinite by infinite. When I look into my heart and take a

view of my wickedness, it looks like an abyss infinitely deep, and yet it seems to me that my conviction of sin is exceedingly small and faint." Perhaps you will ask, why do you wish me to have such a discovery of my lost condition? I answer, that you may be broken off from all schemes of self-righteousness; that you may never look into your poor guilty soul to recommend you to God; and that you may joyfully accept of the Lord Jesus Christ, who obeyed and died for sinners. Oh! that your heart may cleave to Christ. May you forsake all and follow Jesus Christ. Count everything loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. You never will stand righteous before God in yourself. You are welcome this day to stand righteous before God in Jesus. Pray over Phil. iii. 7, 9. I will try and pray for you. Grace be with Your friend in Jesus, &c.

. you.

TO THE SAME.-NO. II.

Seek the righteousness of Christ.

DEAR FRIEND-I was glad to hear of your safe arrival, and that your health had not suffered by the voyage. I trust the Lord is dealing gently with your frail body, so that your mind may get leave freely to fix itself on Jesus Christ and him crucified. Above all, I pray that the Holy Spirit may sweetly and silently open your heart, to relish the way of salvation through the blood and obedience of Immanuel. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things; Acts xiii. 38, 39. You would be deeply concerned to hear that your room-mate has been so suddenly and awfully called away. Should it not be a solemn warning to you? Oh, that you may be even now clothed in the righteousness of Jesus! so that, if you were called away, you may meet God in peace, and hear Jesus say, "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." In yourself you never will stand righteous before Jehovah. Psalm cxliii. 2, answers your case. "Enter not into judgment with me," must be your cry. In your nature, in your past life, in your breaking of the holy law, in your contempt and neglect of Jesus, in your indwelling sin, God can see nothing but what he must condemn. O that you would be of the same mind with God about your own soul! Do not be afraid to look upon its loathsomeness; for God offers to clothe you in Jesus Christ. Romans v. 19. By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. There is only one in all the world on whose face God can look and say, "He is altogether lovely." Jesus is that one. Now God is willing that you and I should hide in Jesus. I feel at this moment that he is my righteousness. Jer. xxiii. 6. This is his name whereby he shall be called, "the Lord our righteousness."

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