66 Genes. ii. 17. This included the death of the body, the death of the soul, and the eternal destruction of both in hell. This is the curse that hangs over every unpardoned sinner. And our sins have only added certainty and weight to the awful curse, for the "wages of sin is death." Now, when the Son of God said he would become our surety and Saviour, the Father said, "Thou must die for them;" see John x. 17, 18. "I lay down my life." "This commandment have I received from my Father." It is true, Christ did not suffer eternal destruction in hell; but He was a person so glorious and excellent-God's own Son-that his short sufferings were equal in value to our eternal agonies. So that, in the eye of law, and in God's account, Jesus has suffered all that you and I were condemned to suffer. Hence that sweet, sweet passage, Isa. xl. 1, 2, "Comfort ye, comfort ye, for she hath received (in Christ) of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." Christ's dying for us is as much in God's account as if we had twice over borne the eternal agonies of hell. Hence that sweet song which God enabled you and G. to sing, Isa. xii. 1, "I will praise thee; though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me." Hence also that triumphant question, Rom. viii. 34, "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died." Keep looking then to Jesus, dear soul, and you will have the peace that passeth all understanding. Whenever Satan accuses you, send him to the stripes of the Lord Jesus. Deal gently and tenderly with your unconverted friends. Remember you were once as blind as they. "He was despised and we esteemed him not," Isa. liii. Honor your mother in the Lord. Give her all reverence and obedience in things not sinful. Ask to read and pray over Mat. xviii. 3, 6. I would love much to visit the cottage on my return, but I fear I shall be kept in town till Friday, so that I must travel night and day home. The Lord bless you, and keep you cleaving to Christ the true vine. You have found the pearl of great price. Go and sin no more. "If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." God is able to keep you from falling. In his dear arms I leave you. Yours, &c. TO A SOUL THAT HAD BEGUN TO SEE CHRIST. What you want in yourself is to be found in double measure in Christ. DUNDEE, Nov. 1842. MY DEAR FRIEND-Why did you not write me a few lines? It would be occupation to you, and your soul might find rest, even when pouring itself out to another. I do trust you are seeking hard after him whom your soul loveth. He is not far from any one of us. He is a powerful and precious Saviour, and happy are they who put their trust in him. He is the Rose of Sharon, lovely to look upon, having all divine and human excellencies meeting in himself; and yet he is the Lily of the Vallies-meek and lowly in heart, willing to save the vilest. He answers the need of your soul. You are all guilt; he is a fountain to wash you. You are all naked; he has a wedding garment to cover you. You are dead; he is the life. You are all wounds and bruises; he is the Balm of Gilead. His righteousness is broader than your sin; and then he is so free. Remember the word we read at the draw-well—" Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Look at Isa. xl. 1, 2, "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people." If you receive Christ as your surety, you have realized double punishment for all your sins. The sufferings of Christ for us were as honoring to God as if we had suffered eternal punishment thrice over. If you will only open your arms to receive Christ as your surety, then your iniquity is pardoned. You will taste immediate forgiveness. Your warfare with the law and an accusing conscience will be immediately accomplished. If you will only lay hold on Christ now, you will feel the force of that sweet command, "Comfort ye, comfort ye;"-double comfort, double peace, for in Jesus you have suffered double wrath. Pray over that verse; and may He who first made the light to shine out of darkness shine into your heart, to let you see the way of salvation clearly. Soon may you sing, "Thou wast angry with me; but thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me." "O, to grace, how great a debtor !" You are always in my prayers, that God would reveal himself unto you. O the joy of being able to say, "My beloved is mine, and I am his." Ever yours in the gospel, &c. TO THE REV. P. L. MILLER, WALLACETOWN. A word in season to the weary. Sept. 14, 1842. MY DEAR PATRICK-When I last saw Horatius, I agreed not to ask him at all at the autumn communion, but only in the spring. I know not well where to look, as A. is to undertake the Edinburgh communion. Don't be cast down except for sin. Lie low in self, and set both feet on the Rock of Ages. The sun, by one blink, can give a smile to nature, so can the Lord's face give life to our dark souls. Numbers do not prove life always. Remember the well of Sychar. Get much of the hidden life in your own soul; soon it will make life spread around. Try prayer when preaching fails. He can turn the water into wine. Farewell! Ever yours in Jesus, &c. TO THE REV. J. MILNE, PERTH. Another word in season to a brother. Sept. 24, 1842. MY DEAR BROTHER-I long after you in the bowels of Jesus Christ. If I make you sorry, who is he that maketh me glad, but the same who is made sorry by me. I often try to carry you to Jesus, as the four friends did the palsied man, and I have been longing to hear you say that his word to you was-" Be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven;" and then, "arise and walk." I wonder often God does not hide his face from me and lay me low, yet he restores my soul after many falls. He holds me by my right hand, and I believe will bring me to glory, though the weakest and most inconstant of all his saved ones. We shall praise more loudly than other men, and love more ardently, and gaze upon his wounds more wistfully, and say-He gave himself for us. Cheer up, brother, and tell poor sinners what Jesus can do; for if he could not save the vilest of them all, we had never preached the good news. If I could be with you, how gladly would I, but I do not see my way. I have promised to be in London the first Sabbath of November, which will take me soon away, and for a long time, from this poor flock. Will you come to me on Monday the 17th, the last day of the Concert for prayer? I think of printing a similar tract to last year's or perhaps the same, with improvements. Suggest something. This is Saturday, and I am empty. O for fulness out of Him! Why do we not take all out of Jesus? Ever yours till glory dawn, &c. TO THE REV. J. MILNE, PERTH. Breathings of heart. December 13, 1842. My Y DEAR BROTHER-We are to have the communion, if God permit, on 1st January, 1843. A. B. is to be with me. Could you come down on the Thursday or Friday previous, and give us a good and comfortable word in the evening, 29th or 30th December-either you choose, or both if you prefer that? I preach at Newtyle to-night, and to-morrow evening at Lintrathen in a barn, and on Thursday at Kirriemuir. Pray for me, for I am a poor worm, all guilt and all helplessness, but still able to say-In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. When shall the day break and the shadows flee away? When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. I long for love without any coldness, light without dim ness, and purity without spot or wrinkle. I long to be at Jesus. feet, and tell him I am all his; and ever will be. Yours till then, &c. TO ONE WHO HAD LATELY TAKEN UP THE CROSS. ST. PETER'S, Jan. 31. 1943. MY DEAR M.-I was glad indeed to hear that you are prospering, and that you do not repent having made Moses' choiceHeb. xi. 24, 25-of which I used to tell you so often. Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. You remember what Ruth said when she clave to Naomi? "Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." I have not got your note by me, and it is late, but I will answer it to-morrow. I only write a line to-night to strengthen your faith-" that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me," Rom. i. 12. I have been remaining quiet since I wrote you last, that I may gather strength for the north. I expect hard service, but I hope Jesus will be with me. You remember the sweet promise Jacob got at Bethel while he slept at the foot of that wondrous ladder, "Behold I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." That promise is to you and me as truly as to Jacob. Therefore, do not fear though you may be taken among those who are strangers to Jesus and his love. There is a sweet promise; Ezek. xi. 16. I have felt its preciousness in foreign lands. Jesus himself will be our sanctuary not made with hands. I was preaching on Thursday last, on Rev. xix. 12, "On his head were many crowns;" trying to teach them the kingly office of the Lord Jesus. It was a very solemn night. On Sabbath I lectured on Heb. ix. 9, 10, and preached in the evening on Isaiah xlix. 5, "Though Israel be not gathered:" showing that however many will be lost by unbelief, still Christ would not lose one beam of his glory. If all the world were blind, and said the sun was dark, that would not take away one bright ray from it. It was a very awful subject, and my heart yearned over poor lost sinners. Four little girls have come since, asking, "What must I do to be saved?" Three of them were awakened before, and one very lately. A widow came last night whom I never saw before, to tell me that she had found the Lord Jesus. To-night we have been at a large meeting about the tracts which are distributed monthly to every house in town-a very sweet society. It is now late, and I am talking a little while with you as we used to do before retiring. Did you read Gen. xxxii. to day? What a solemn chapter. Do you ever come to a spot you can call Mahanaim, where the angels of God meet you? I trust you are one of the heirs of salvation, and that the angels are sent forth to minister to you. Unconverted souls have no such privilege. You see Jacob was going on God's errand, at God's command, (see xxxi. 3,) when the angels of God met him. O it is sweet to go on God's errands! How long we went Satan's and the world's, and our own, "serving diverse lusts and pleasures." Do you not feel your heart lighter now as you walk on the narrow way? Is not a Christian's darkest hour calmer than the world's brightest? Is not Jacob's prayer in his distress an interesting one? (v. 9-12.) He puts God in remembrance of his promise. This is what we should do-"The Lord which said unto me." And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good." God commands us to do this; Isa. xliii. 26, "Put me in remembrance." It is a blessed way of praying, to pray upon a promise, and to plead, "Do as thou hast said." You remember "Faith's Plea," a little book Miss C. gave you. Who do you think the man was that wrestled with Jacob? Was it not Jesus? the sinner's friend. At the daybreak Jacob began to see his blessed features, and when his thigh was out of joint, he could do nothing but hang upon him. This is what you and I should do. Say, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me." Are there not some spots that you can call Peniel, where you have met Jehovah-Jesus face to face? When you do get into his presence, O do not weary it; do not soon let go your hold. I am sure we lose much by our slight hold on Jesus. I was telling an interesting story tonight. Thirty thousand Spaniards lately came over the Pyrenees into France, to escape the civil wars. Some Geneva youths determined to take the opportunity of providing them with Spanish Testaments. The London Society granted them 10,000 copies. With these they set off and distributed freely. But the Spanish priests had come over and would not allow the Spaniards to receive or keep them. Many were burned or torn; they called them "The plague." One Spanish youth bought a Testamentkept it-read it-believed on Jesus; and when his countrymen returned to Spain, he staid behind to hear more of these wonders of redeeming love. Was not this one precious soul worth all the expense and trouble a thousand times over? "Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Be active for God; you have lost much time already." Do nothing rashly, nothing unfeminine-give no just cause for reproach, but do not fear ridicule or proud men's sneer. If they knew what you know, they would rather inquire, "O that I knew where I might find him!" Meanwhile, good night. May he who never slumbers nor sleeps watch over you all, and keep you till your dying day! May Jesus be near you, and make you of |