us washed in his blood, interested in his obedience, and as members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Oh, how I love to realize my oneness with Christ! How blessed, how unspeakably blessed it is to be viewed of God, through Christ! Blessed Jesus, I do adore thee for personating me, for representing me to thy Father; nor less for personating thy Father, and representing thy Father to me! Lord, help me all through life, especially on the bed of sickness and death, to realize and say, "THROUGH CHRIST, I LOOK ON GOD; AND THROUGH CHRIST, GOD LOOKS ON ME.' Great God, from thee there's nought conceal'd, To thee I always stand reveal'd Since I can hardly therefore bear How vile and black must I appear, Most holy God, to thee! But since my Saviour stands between, Thus, tho' a sinner I am safe; He pleads before the throne, What wond'rous love, what mysteries "I AM AFRAID TO DO RIGHT.” "Good morning, Mary; what, still cast down ?" "Yes, sir; my soul is sad, very sad." "What makes you so sad ?" I cannot obtain an assurance of my salvation, nor exercise that confidence in Christ which I wish. Oh, if I was but sure that Jesus was my Saviour, what would I give !" "But what do you want to make you sure? Do you not believe that Christ is able to save you?" "Yes, I have no doubt of that." Are you willing to be saved by Christ ?" heart." "Well, does not Jesus say, ' Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out ?' " 66 "Yes, but I am afraid I do not come to him aright, for I seldom enjoy peace, nor can I feel confident that he has saved me." "As to coming to Christ aright, if you come to him as a poor, lost sinner, destitute of all goodness; and if you come to him to be saved by him, you cannot come wrong." But what is it to come to Christ ?" 66 66 It is for one who has heard the Gospel, and feels himself utterly lost, believing that the Son of God came into the world to save sinners, to go out to Christ in the exercise of the mind, and depend on Christ to save him." "But is it not necessary to have deep convictions, to be harassed with doubts and fears, and feel terrible distress of soul ?" 66 Nothing is necessary but to feel that you need to be saved, and are willing to be saved by Christ; and then putting your trust in Christ, you will be saved." "But if my heart is hard, if I do not feel any love to Christ, if I feel as if I must have something within me, beside Christ without me." "All this arises from a mistake; the state of your heart has nothing to do with your going to Christ for salvation; except that the harder your heart feels, and the worse you seem to be, the more reason there is for your going to Christ. As to your loving Christ, you are not expected to love him first, and be saved by him afterwards; but you are to be saved by Christ first, and then you will love him for saving you. And as to wanting something within you, beside Christ without you, this arises from a mistake also. Christ alone must save you; his blood procures your pardon, his blood made your peace; and his perfect work includes all that is necessary to secure your reconciliation to God, acceptance with God, and justification before God. When, therefore, you look to Christ alone for your entire salvation, and depend on Christ alone to do everything for you, and confer everything upon you, that i necessary for you, the work you want to feel within will be experienced but not before." "But must I not feel a change of heart, and experience a great alteration in my feelings, before I can be saved ?" 66 In coming to Christ for salvation, you have nothing to do with that; you must come to him as a sinner, only a sinner, and altogether a sinner. If you could experience what you wish, you would depend on the work of the Spirit within you, instead of depending on the work of Christ without you. Cast your soul on Jesus, place your entire confidence in him, and you must be saved; for it is written, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' Now to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is nothing more than to admit the truth of what the Gospel says of Christ, and to place our entire trust and confidence in Christ, that we may be saved by him, or for his sake alone." 66 Well, sir, I feely truly unhappy, for our minister preached on Sunday night from the Palmist's words, ' I made haste, and delayed not, to keep thy commandments;' (Psa. cxix. 60.); and he showed very clearly that all who believe in Christ should profess Christ, and walk in all the ordinances and commandments of Christ: that they should not delay, or frame excuses, but make haste to keep Christ's commandments. While he was speaking, it did seem right to me, that one who hopes to be saved by Jesus should profess Jesus; but now I feel afraid to do what appears to be right, lest I should do wrong. What do you think is my duty ?" 66 If you believe in Christ, you ought to confess it. If you depend on Christ to save you, renouncing all dependence on your own works, and even on your own feelings, then you should profess it. In making a profession of faith in Christ, you do not profess to have a full assurance of your personal salvation; but you profess that your dependence for life and salvation is on Christ alone." "Oh, I do wish I was sure that I am a believer in Christ! But these doubts and fears are so very distressing. If I should be wrong at last? The very thought is dreadful! I am afraid, after all, I do not know what it is to come to Christ-or, if I have come at all, I am afraid I have come wrong. I cannot feel sure-O that I could!" 66 Allow me to place before you the language of one who did come to Christ aright, and who lived and died happy in Christ. Mark these lines "Nothing in my hand I bring, |