ed to him-that he died on the cross, to expiate the guilt of sin-rose from the dead-and is now seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high, receiving there the ascriptions of praise from the lips of the redeemed.

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You want no miracle wrought in your presence, to induce you to believe this, because you believe it on the authority of the inspired writers; nor is it necessary that a voice should speak to you from the celestial glory to confirm it. But though you are fully convinced of these facts, yet you are not so fully convinced that he died for you or that he is gone to heaven to prepare a mansion for you, in the house of his Father. You believe that there is redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; but you sometimes doubt whether you are redeemed and forgiven. You believe that he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them; but you are not fully persuaded that he is interceding for you. You feel your need of such a Saviour; 'and you know, that all that the Father giveth him shall come to him; yet, you doubt, whether the Father ever gave you to Christ; or whether you have ever come unto him, in a scriptural manner.* You cannot believe the truth of the Gospel more firmly than you do believe it— you cannot place a more entire dependance on Christ for salvation, than you do place; you cannot feel more disposed to give him all the honour of your salvation, than you do feel; and yet, at times, you doubt your acceptance, your safety-your final blessedness. Does not this clearly prove, that faith in Christ, and an assurance of an interest in him, are essentially distinct.

"Nor can we doubt the correctness of this assertion, if we attend to the order of the SPIRIT'S operations on our mind. He inclines us to believe the truth which he exhibits; and he enables us to do it. For he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you; all things that the Father hath

:

* On this important subject, the Author wishes to refer the intelligent reader to No. 22 of this Series.

are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. This is his first act; but it is a later act, to bear testimony with our spirits that we are born of God; and as some space of time must necessarily elapse after he has performed the first act, before he performs the second, it is evident, that faith may exist in its purity, and in its force, even where there is no. assurance of it. Hence it follows, that a person who relies on the atonement of Christ for salvation, is as safe, though he live and die without any firm persuasion of his future blessedness, as one who is enabled to rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Indeed, my dear Louisa, I should dread making the final happiness of my soul depend in the slightest degree on my personal assurance of its safety. This would be nothing less than intermingling a personal attainment with the efficacy of the Saviour's death; and placing 'my hope of a blissful immortality on the precarious basis of a fluctuating feeling, rather than on that immoveable foundation which God has laid in Zion. If you peruse the biographical sketches, which constitute one of the most interesting and profitable readings of modern times, you will perceive that the most eminent servants of our Lord, have, during their pilgrimage on earth, complained of that alternation of feeling which you have recently experienced-and some have been left for days, and for months, to walk in mental darkness without the light of the divine countenance. Your favourite poet was a man eminently embued with the spirit of Christianity, which he has diffused through his inimitable writings, and yet in what a dark and gloomy frame of mind did he leave this world. His biographer says, that within a few days of his decease, after a near relative had been attempting to cheer him with the prospect of exchanging a world of infirmity and sorrow, for a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, he threw from him the words of peace, and exclaimed, "Oh, spare me! spare me! You know, you know it to be false." Having given utterance to this despairing language he sunk into a state of apparent insensibility, in which state he continued for twelve hours, and then expired without moving a limb, or even heaving a breath. Thus termi nated the mortal career of one of the most celebrated

poets that ever consecrated the powers of his mind to the cause of Christ.

"Without one cheerful beam of hope,

Or spark of glimmering day.”

"Shall we say that he died without faith? because he died without an assurance that he possessed it. Would not such an opinion necessarily tend to destroy our confidence in the sufficiency of the atonement of Christ? by making our final happiness, depend on the peculiar frame of our mind, in that solemn hour, when some latent cause may bring over the spirit, a gloom which no human effort can dispel? If we believe in Christ we shall be saved; and though we may sometimes doubt the genuine nature of our faith, yet that circumstance will not endanger either our present safety, or our future blessedness."

"But though, my dear Louisa, an assurance of your interest in Christ is not essential to your salvation, yet you will find it to be essential to your happiness? You cannot doubt it, without feeling a deep pang-and if you should habitually doubt it, you will live in a state of perpetual dejection. I urge you in the spring time of your experience, to attain it; or you may so accustom yourself to a desponding spirit, as to feel more inclined to cherish, than expel it. Wherefore, says the Apostle, give all diligence to make your calling and election sure. But to quote the expressions of a living author, beware how you proceed in this inquiry. Do not place your confidence in speculative opinions; be not influenced by particular feelings, which having much of animal nature in them, may sometimes elevate and sometimes depress you, while your state is the same; do not wait for sudden impressions and visionary suggestions, but remember that the witness and the seal of the spirit are his work, and his influences; hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

"And if you should not immediately attain a full assurance of your interest in Christ, do not suffer your mind to be overwhelmed in trouble; as this is a knowledge which belongs to the more advanced Christian rather than the young disciple. It will not come at once by an overpowering force-driving away every gloomy

fear-and throwing open before you an unclouded prospect of a blissful immortality-but gradually-at inter mitting seasons-weakening the strength of your doubts, and strengthening the weakness of your faith-till at length the God of hope will fill you with all joy and peace in believing. I was much struck with a paragraph in a devotional treatise which I recently perused, and which I will send you. Great consolation is often received at different seasons, even during the period when our general feelings are intermingled with dark and painful forebodings. Hence the weakest believer sometimes returns from the closet and from the sanctuary, strong in faith, though he may again relapse into his more stated frame of de spondency. The clouds occasionally separate, which enables him to view the sun of righteousness, and feel the healing virtue of his presence, though they may again unite to obscure his vision and leave him to grope on his "darkling way." These intermitting seasons of darkness and light, of high enjoyment and deep dejection, have a salutary effect, and serve to prepare him for that state of settled assurance, which in fact, they tend in some measure to produce.'

"As I have so far exceeded the ordinary bounds of epistolary correspondence, I shall not at present enter on the other very important questions to which you refer in your last; but will cheerfully do it at some future period. It has given us great pleasure to hear that you have such an excellent minister near you, and though he preaches in a chapel which does not belong to our establishment, yet if he preach Christ and him crucified, I have no doubt you will enjoy his labours. The feet of the messenger that publisheth peace, are no less beautiful on the mountains than in the city, and his proclamation is as interesting to the self-condemned sinner, when delivered in the unconsecrated chapel, as when utteredunder the arched vault of a spacious cathedral; and though we may retain our predilections and partialities to forms and places, yet we ought not to suffer our prejudices to deprive us of our spiritual consolations.

"The account which you have given me of your sisters, has awakened an opposite class of feeling in my breast. Emma, I fear, is under some fatal influence which have not yet detected, and will, unless subdued by the

you

loving kindness of God our Saviour, devote herself to the pleasures of the world. Her beauty has made her vain, and the versatility of her genius is a snare to her. You must watch over her with great care, and pray, that He who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light, would be pleased to renew her in the spirit of her mind. Jane is a lovely girl. She has an elegant mind, and if the good work is begun in her heart, she will be an interesting companion to you. You will let me hear from you as soon as you can spare a few moments from your numerous engagements, and believe me to remain, "Your's affectionately,

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After tea, as the evening was very serene, Miss Holmes proposed a walk to her sister Jane, who very willingly consented to accompany her. On passing through the grove, they met a poor old woman, who lived in a neat cottage by the way side. They had often seen her knitting in the porch, but had never spoken to her, nor did they know her character. "I am going," said the old woman, to your house, ladies, to ask a favour." " Any favour," said Miss Holmes, "which we have in our power to grant we shall be very happy to grant you. What is it ?" "I want Miss, to procure a larger Bible, as my eyes are become so dim, I cannot see to read this small print," (exhibiting a Bible which bore the marks of age.)

I will step back and fetch you one," said Jane," and save you the trouble of walking further." The Bible was very soon fetched, and the two young ladies walked to the cottage with the old woman where they spent a most interesting hour.

Miss Holmes. “How long have you lived in this lonely hut?"

"About twenty years. I was turned out of the cottage I lived in before, by Lord H-- -'s steward, because I would not give up my religion; but the Lord opened the heart of a good man who lives in the village, and he built this little cottage for me, where I have lived rent free ever since."

Miss Holmes. "How long is it since you first knew

the Lord ?"

"More than fifty years. I was, when young, a very thoughtless girl, and took great delight in pleasure; but