that God cannot be satisfied with any outward acts, any mere works, but that he demands the whole of a holy life. A law would be no longer a law, if it was allowed to be fulfilled only partially." "What! are you glad? Why if you are right, and my conscience, I own, agrees with you, I am lost! for nothing of my life remains, and now on the borders of the grave, I cannot recall it." "That is true. And I must add that were you now as young as I am, and were you to live without sin to the advanced age you have attained, that could not atone to God for the least of your past sins. All the powers of the universe cannot undo that which is done already, and sin once committed can never cease to be sin in the sight of God." "But how then can we be saved? How can I myself be saved. I see clearly that I cannot offer to God the good qualities which have always been praised in me; they are the results of my natural disposition; I have never done anything for God; I have never kept his law. What can I offer him?" "Offer him the merits and perfect obedience of his Son, nothing else can save you." "I do not understand you, will you explain yourself?" 66 Do you not know that God has himself prepared for, and accomplished the salvation of the sinners whom the law condemns?" Here the pastor explained to the old man the good news of redemption by Jesus Christ; he read and explained to him Luke xxii. 39, and following verses, and then spoke to him of the ministry of reconciliation with God from 2 Cor. v. 14-21. This doctrine, or rather these astonishing proofs of the love of God towards rebellious and ruined creatures, entered the troubled conscience of the invalid, and reached his heart, tormented with doubt, like balm to a burning wound, or like a soft light amidst thick darkness. These words of eternal life spoke peace to the anxious heart of the attentive listener, as powerfully as the words of the law had roused his conscience, till after a long and solemn silence, he exclaimed, as if a new world had unveiled itself to his soul, "Yes! that is good news which you have brought me! But," he added in a sorrowful tone, "I do not know that it is for me, for how can I believe in Jesus Christ so as to be sure that God will pardon my sins for his sake?" "It is only by the power of God that you can believe on Him whom he has sent. But why do you not consider as his work all that has been passing in your mind while we have been talking? It has not been my work, nor yours either; had not God roused you, you would still be in that fatal security in which you have lived so many years.” "I believe that. 66 But-" Do not make things more difficult than they are. God offers you now by his word (and he cannot deceive you) pardon, free salvation purchased by the Saviour. Pray that he would give you assurance of it; that faith which lays hold on salvation." 66 Pray! I do not know how to pray. I have never prayed." 66 Excuse me, sir, you can pray. As the man who is dying with hunger or parched with thirst can ask for a little bread or water, so can you cry to God from the depths of your distress, and that is prayer. God does not wait till you have composed beautiful language before he relieves you. He waits only for the cry of the heart. But now if you like we will pray together." The sick man consented, and the pastor, after having pleaded with the Saviour his own promise, Matt. xix. 26, poured out his soul before God in the spirit of faith and love, nor did God withhold the manifestation of his grace. The invalid, who at first followed in silence the intercession of the minister of Christ, afterwards repeated in a loud voice each petition as it fell from his lips, till his softened heart, quite overwhelmed, could only relieve itself in sighs, whilst his friend could no longer refrain from weeping with him. He took leave in the full hope that this was a redeemed soul. The next morning the doctor's servant was early at the pastor's door, and mentioned, with many tears, the wonderful change in his master. 66 Usually," he said, "he has no rest at night and does nothing but ring, scold, and swear. But last night he was so kind to us! he wished us to go to bed because, he said, he wanted to sleep himself; and the housekeeper whose chamber is near that of her master, heard him praying, and reading his Bible aloud, and at last he slept quietly. This morning he seems very happy, and his first order has been to send me for you, sir." The Christian minister found the sick man in a more tranquil state of mind, believing on Jesus as his only Saviour, but yet imagining that he did not believe, because there were many very important points upon which he was still in ignorance and doubt. All these points became the subject of questions which he addressed to the pastor, who replied to them from the Scriptures. The old man listened as his friend repeated portions of the Psalms that he deemed consolatory and instructive for him, and wished himself to learn by heart many verses that he found useful, that he might be able to think of them when alone, during the silence of his Long nights. From that time he employed himself in gaining greater knowledge of the Scriptures, both by his own reading and the explanations which he every day sought from the minister of God. He received at length the sweet assurance of hope, the feeling of peace with God through the perfect merits of his Saviour, and henceforth his remaining weeks were filled with praise and thankfulness. One day, it was the sabbath, the old man received his young friend with more than ordinary affection, and said, as he gave his hand, "To day I think I shall go hence." The pastor prayed with him, and in taking leave, heard him recite with a feeble voice the commencement of that beautiful hymn, "The rock on which I lean, &s.' On his return from Divine service, he learned that the doctor had departed without further suffering. Parents! who have at heart the salvation of your children, who pray for them, and give the word of life, take encouragement, never suffer yourselves to despair even when for a long time you may perhaps have the grief of seeing them walk in error. SUSAN ELLIS. SUSAN ELLIS was a scholar in the Sunday school con nected with the Independent Chapel St. Columb; she was naturally of a grave and thoughtful disposition, possessed considerable intellect, and early evinced great aptitude for learning. Hymns, chapters, and catechisms were readily learned by her, and faithfully treasured in her memory. But although generally attentive to the religious instruction given in the school, it was not until she was seized by the disorder which removed her from earth, that she showed any decided concern for her eternal welfare. The day before her death, (for her illness was of very short continuance,) she requested to see her minister. Just before this request was made, she had said to a religious friend who attended her, "I am afraid to die," and on my approaching her bed side, she repeated the same words to me. I then referred her to what she had been taught concerning Jesus Christ and the way of salvation through him, to which she replied, Oh, sir, I have been very, very naughty, and have many times told stories." On my observing that although her conduct in doing so, had been very sinful and must be repented of, yet, "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." Yes," she replied, "but then I have trifled and played at chapel while you have been speaking of these things, and now what shall I do?" After conversing some 66 time, I prayed with her and left. During my absence, some female friends, one of them the superintendent of her class, read to her and spoke of the compassion of the Saviour, urging her to pray to him. She did pray, employing the language of the publican, God be merciful to me a sinner." Some time after this, on her expressing some degree of hope of pardon, she was questioned concerning the ground of that hope, to which she replied, "I hope alone in Jesus, I can rely on him." After an interval of a few hours, I again visited her, and on finding her more composed, I enlarged on the power and grace of Jesus. The case of the dying thief being mentioned, and the fountain in which he was cleansed, she said with great emotion, "Oh may I there, though vile as he, On being asked if she felt Christ precious, she answered, "I do, I do." The words of David in the 23d Psalm were cited, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death," &c. When questioned whether she knew any thing of the support of which David speaks. She replied in the affirmative, and clasping her little hands together, added, "Yes, he is with me, I feel that he is." It was now apparent that the last struggle was at hand, and looking around the room as if she found some one wanting, she expressed a wish that her parents and brothers and sisters might be called in. On their approaching her bed-side she took an affectionate leave of them separately. Her parents were much affected, perceiving which, she said, "Do not weep for me, I am going to glory, and you will, I hope, endeavour to meet me there." She also requested to see certain of her companions and schoolmates, and bidding them farewell, she charged them to be sure to meet her in heaven. The scene at this time was deeply impressive and melting, and the kind doctor who had been in attendance, turning to me, said, with the tears glistening in his eyes, "I have, I suppose, in the course of my practice, witnessed the departure of about a thousand persons, but I never beheld anything like this." The hand of death was now evident on the countenance of little Susan, and her sufferings were extremely great. At intervals she said, "No tongue can utter what I now endure, but I do not mind these sufferings now, I shall soon be in heaven and there will be no suffering there." She often repeated the lines of the hymn, "Guide me, O thou great Jehovah." In this way she continued, until about two hours previous to her departure. At the time of her death, July 1838, she had just completed the twelfth year of her age. MORDECAI HONOURED BY HAMAN. HAD not the working providence of the Almighty directed events, beyond all hopes, all conceits, Mordecai had been despatched ere Esther's second banquet. "To-morrow" was the day pitched for both their designs. Had not the stream been unexpectedly turned, in vain had the queen blamed her delays. Mordecai's breakfast had prevented Esther's dinner; for certainly he that had given to Haman so many thousand lives, would never have failed on the same suit, to anticipate one of those whom he had condemned to the slaughter. But God meant better things to his church; and fetched about all his holy purposes, after a wonderful fashion, in the very instant of opportunity: "He, that keepeth Israel, and neither slumbereth nor sleepeth," caused sleep that night to depart from him that had decreed to root out Israel. Great Ahasuerus, that commanded a hundred and seven and twenty provinces, cannot command an hour's sleep! Poverty is rather blessed with the freedom of rest, than wealth and power. Cares and surfeit withhold that from the great, which attends on the spare diet and labour of the meanest. Nothing is more tedious than an eager pursuit of denied sleep; which, like to a shadow, flies away so much faster as it is more followed. Experience tells us, that this benefit is best solicited by neglect, and soonest found when we have forgotten to seek it. Whether to deceive the time, or to bestow it well, TRACT MAGAZINE, NO. 72. DECEMBER, 1839. N |