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acuteness as a reasoner. I first embraced, imputed, and denied imparted holiness; laughed at the new birth, and the Spirit's operations, opposed all Christian experience, and ended by entering the school of Winchester. At length I denied the existence of sin, since the death of Christ, while what I once allowed to be the worst of sins, secretly reigned over me?"

Will you secretly say, is thy brother "a dog" or an infidel?Do you expect that I shall go such a length in error and sin? God forbid! But Mr. J assured me, that he always engaged in a dispute without fear of himself being ensnared, while he perplexed the judgment of others. Take a few cautions. "Trust in the Lord," as revealed, "with all thy heart; and lean not to thine own understanding." "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." "He that trusteth (believeth) his own heart, is a fool." Receive an exhortation. Repent of your folly, levity, vanity, cruelty and presumption. Strengthen the weak. Beware, lest as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility," by disputing against the truth he believed, "So your mind should be corrupted, from the simplicity that is in Christ" Imitate your Master, whose words are not "yea and nay" but yea, and amen." Every Christian— much more a Christian Minister, should be "a Nathaniel, in whom is no guile."

I am, very sincerely your's,

J. COOK E.

LETTER LXXI.-TO A MINISTER UNKNOWN.

Dear Sir,

(A Conversation becoming the Gospel.)

SITTING at the table of our friend, with a large company the other day, a lady remarked, that you had all the fun at your end of the table; and as she was accustomed to your drollery, she appeared mortified that I did not so enliven our end of the table.

"Madam," said I," your complaint, although mortifying to you. is not so to me. I am prepared for useful conversation, but not fər fun. Here are three ministers of Christ, and our "conversation ought to be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ." If I wished

to laugh at conversation, half nonsense, and half falsehood, I would choose other company; but I am going to preach to you this evening, and I do not wish you to think I do not believe my own sermon. Your minister is witty at the expence of truth, duty, and usefulness. I wish to be cheerful, joyful, and grateful, in a manner corresponding to the love of Christ; the redemption of Christ; the Spirit, word, and salvation of Christ.

"Very true, Sir,” replied the lady, and joined me in conversing on better things. We gained the ears of the company. In a walk after dinner, a hearer at the table thanked me; especially as there were in the company, those who stumbled at the levity of their minister; and one who avowed his infidelity. A second remarked, with apparent grief, that his minister so trifled with truth out of the pulpit, that when in it, he doubted even the truth of God when it' came from his mouth. He added, Mr. E's ministry does little good, but his conversation does much injury. I endeavoured to impress my own soul with the importance of this visit, and to "be ready to every GOOD WORD." If "the mouth of a righteous man is a well of life," what should the mouth of a minister be? be "apt to teach :" able from study, and disposed by grace. With a humble sense of unfaithfulness, I am, kindly your's, J. COOKE.

May I

LETTER LXXII.-ON PRAYER.

At

THE spirit of prayer, my dear friend, is as distinct from, and su perior to the letter, as the soul to the body. It is a very serious, solemn business with God. I cannot express the degree in which it appears interesting, when I am enabled to exercise it. Religion then appears the only reality that is truly interesting to man. least, not any thing appears so without it. The principle of such prayer exalts the mind above worldly influence: I mean faith-faith in the PRESENCE of God, as gracious, faithful, all-sufficient, wise, and powerful. The warrant for this is divine truth. "Do not I fill heaven and earth? Whither can I go from his presence? Am not I a God at hand? Thy father is in secret, and SEES in secret. He is about my bed! The Lord is NIGH to all them that call upon

him in truth." Prayer is "coming to GoD, drawing near to GOD." And when, by faith, "I set the Lord before me, I SEE him, “though" invisible “to sense.

This is very different from the mere formality of repeating the Popish or English forms of prayer; and equally different from the mere repetition of words and phrases in a dissenting meeting, or a social prayer-meeting. Prayer to God, not a prayer for man's acceptance, is a prayer which contains a man's heart in it, which is often accompanied by an impression of a promise, corresponding to the earnest desire; and "whilst I am yet speaking," the blessed God, by raising faith and expectation, or inspiring the soul with peaceful resignation, virtually says, "here I am!"

In such prayer, I feel satisfied that it meets acceptance—that if consistent with the wisest love in the universe, the petition shall be answered for myself, my relative, my friend, or acquaintance.

It is also followed by a deep, delightful calm, and grateful RESIGNATION to the government of God in Christ, in the operations of his Spirit and providence.

I do not wonder at the resolution of that lovely man, Mr. Hervey, on the bed of illness, "If God shall spare my life, I will read less, and pray more." The business, the pleasure, the honour, the advantages of prayer press on my spirit, with increasing force, every day. I took my pen to express the glory that overshadowed my soul on the subject of prayer, but I cannot. If a better season occur, I will write again. Perhaps it is best that you should obtain it in a manner more satisfying,-I mean by an attempt to "pray in prayer." And may that assistance accompany the attempt, which shall prove to you that it is divine; and that its effect is " praying in the Holy Ghost," in you and your affectionate friend,

J. COOKE.

LETTER LXXIII.-TO A PERSON UNDER CONVICTIONS.

Dear Sir,

You have opened some of your gloomy thoughts on the most important doctrine of the Gospel-" the forgiveness of sins;" and I shall open more of them, that I may not appear to write “smooth

things and deceits;" but rather assist you in "thinking soberly as you ought to think " of your sins, yourself, and the grace of God. And being what you are, and where you are" a very great sinner, the very greatest sinner upon earth."-This is your judgment; and it may be false, or it may be true. I shall take the latter for granted, as possible, without allowing either you, myself, or any creature in the universe, a capacity to know this, without a special revelation from God.

"

If you are the greatest sinner on earth-because you are ON EARTH, and not in hell-your pardon, purification, and salvation, are possible. On earth, "" WONDERS of grace to God belong." Suppose a distressed soul were to apply to you, as you may to me, and say, he seriously and deliberately deemed himself to be the greatest sinner upon earth, and that hope would in him, be presumption! Would not you ask him whether, in cherishing despair of pardon, he was not committing the greatest sin, by limiting the mercy of God, the merit of Christ, and the grace of the Holy Spirit? "Thou that teachest another," that UNBELIEF in HIM, is a sin of the blackest hue, "teachest thou not thyself," that it is equally criminal in thyself? Why indulge this absurd and destructive “partiality?" Are you prepared to say, that your guilt "abounds much more than infinite grace, infinite merit, and infinite power? Suppose your guilt exceeds that of Adam, which ruined himself and all bis posterity? Cannot that "blood which cleanseth from ALL sin," cleanse you? Cannot that "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of THE WORLD," take away your sin? What! must you be lost, even if the Saviour should do" his uttermost to save" you? Is " the arm of the Lord shortened," that he cannot make "the righteousness of God" sufficiently powerful for your salvation? Realize the worst, the very worst of your sins; look at their number, their magnitude, their repetitions, their aggravations, and the length of time during which you have been aggravating them. Then turn to "the word of grace," which declares, that "where sin ABOUNDETH, grace does equally abound, "MORE abound! much more abound!" Then prostrate yourself at "the throne of grace" in dependence on the great atonement, and you will find, even you, that "God is able to do, exceeding abundantly, ABOVE ALL that you can ask, or even THINK!" It has been proved,

By your's, in real sympathy,

JOHN COOKE.

LETTER LXXIV.-TO THE SAME.

No, my distressed correspondent, I am not "weary in welldoing," if meeting your objections be such. I believe you to be" serious now at last," in seeking the life of your soul. You wish me to think "your case singular." I do admit it to be singular in reasoning with you, because you affirm it; but unless you knew the sins of others which have been pardoned, although "as scarlet and crimson," you cannot prove your sins to be greater than their sins. Surely what you know of your own sins, cannot be equal to the criminality which he who knoweth all things," knows of the criminality of millions whom he has pardoned: And be assured that God sees more of "the sinfulness of sin," in a single transgression, than you perceive in the sum total of your iniquities. But he also knows and teaches you, that "as the heavens exceed the earth" in height, extent, and grandeur, so his mercy exceeds your sins, your faith, and your utmost reach of thought. Witness,

JOHN COOKL

LETTER LXXV.-TO A PENITENT BACKSLIDER.

My dear Sir,

You form an exception against yourself, fearing that you are not a backslider, as that character you think applies to those, and those only, who are real believers; and suppose from the peculiarity d your sins, that you cannot be a partaker of the grace of God. This is founded in mistake, as the sin of backsliding is charged on the Israelites as a body; and many of them whose hearts were unrenewed, were guilty of backsliding from their principles, their ex ternal worship, their moral conduct, and their engagements, even to Idolatry: but they were all commanded “ to return.”

But even admitting that your profession has been hypocritical, that, in your best estate, you deceived yourself for years; are you therefore bound to despair, as one beyond the reach of mercy? The threatenings against the hypocrite alarm you. Be it so: is t not mercy that detects your hypocrisy, and awakens your concern. even now, to be saved from it? If you die under the power and

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