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Saviour; neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Therefore merciful Father spare, for his sake, a detestable wretch that is completely miserable-glorify thy grace-thy Son-his work-his worthiness -in saving a criminal that deserves to perish. His blood cleanseth from all sin his righteousness justifieth from all iniquity: O help me to confide in him only-to ascribe to him all the glory of my deliverance from condemnation and from ruin. Suppress-for ever suppress the thought that would attempt to divide or diminish his praise. His own arm has brought salvationfrom henceforth, therefore, let me never lose sight for one moment of my own poverty and wretchedness, nor of the all-sufficiency of his atonement. This is the foundation of my trust, the ground of my confidence; that by which my faith is strengthened, my hope abounds, and by which I am encouraged to come daily with boldness into the holiest of all.

If the Lord have laid our iniquities upon Christ -if he have been made sin and a curse for us→→→ If he have indeed been wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities; and have really paid the price of our redemption-surely every attempt to obtain forgiveness in any other way must be highly offensive to the Majesty of heaven. Thus to act, is not to glorify his wisdom in providing this way of escape from ruin, nor the work of him who is styled emphatically the way but to disparage both the one and the other. It is, as the justly celebrated Owen expresses it, 'to take the work out of Christ's hands and ascribe salvation to other things-to repentance-to duties. Men do not say so, but they do

So.

The commutation they make, if they make

any, is with themselves. The work that Christ came to do in the world, was to bear our iniqui. ties, and to lay down his life a ransom for our sins. What greater dishonour then can be done to the Lord Jesus, than to ascribe this work to any thing else.'

The ever blessed God, who is perfectly acquainted with the malignant nature of sin, and with its natural tendency to generate in the human heart distrust of all that is said in reference to forgiveness; has mercifully left on record many exceeding great and precious promises adapted to counteract its pernicious influence, and to administer strong consolation to those that have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them in the gospel. What objection of unbelief has not divine goodness anticipated and completely answered? and yet how reluctant are we implicitly to regard these answers as affording incontestable proof that there is forgiveness with God, or at least of there being forgiveness for the notoriously profligate. What more common than to hear the awakened sinner reasoning thus: My sins are of so peculiar a nature-the circumstances attending them so aggravating-my guilt so complicated-nay, there is not a sin that I have not actually or intentionally committed-the Almighty, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, can never forgive such a detestable wretch, much less make him an inheritor of glory.

But what does the God of Israel say to such sinners and to such objections? Does he spurn them from his presence as filthy and loathsome, and consign them to the abodes of everlasting darkness and despair? No; the answer is astonishingly benign and infinitely gracious. Let the sinner hear-attentively hear aud rejoice—

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'Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool-I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins-O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me, for I have redeemed thee-The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found.'

This is the language of mercy and benevolence indeed! Surely we may say with the prophet, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea-Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein : for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.'

We are apt to forget that the grace of God in the promises is not made to such as deserve mercy, but, as one expresses it,' to such as want it; not to righteous persons, but to sinners; not to the whole, but to the sick. Such therefore who through the weakness of faith, or the violence of temptation, find it difficult to lay hold on the promises which respect the pardon of sin, and the attaining life and salvation, should remember that the root and principle from whence the promises spring, is not from any good within us, but wholly from grace without us-That from the

beginning to the end of our salvation, nothing is primarily active but free grace. All the promises of God are made in Christ, and derive their certainty and stability from him in whom they are made not from us to whom they are made: they are all ratified with the same oath, and purchased by the same blood, and are therefore sure to all the seed, and it is neither the magnitude nor the multitude of our sins that precludes hopes of forgiveness.':

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Turn therefore to Christ the strong hold, thou prisoner of hope! Why sayest thou, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint-The Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit-For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy RedeemerThe mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.' In patience therefore possess your soul: For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded;

for thy Maker is thy husband; the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.' I am, yours, &c.

LETTER VII.

Have angels sinn'd, and shall not man beware?
How shall a son of earth decline the care!
Not folded arms, and slackness of the mind,
Can promise for the safety of mankind:
None are supinely good: thro' care and pain,
And various arts, the steep ascent we gain.
This is the seat of combat, not of rest;
Man's is laborious happiness at best.

On this side death his dangers never cease,

His joys are joys of conquest not of peace.-Young.

THAT the Lord hath been to you, as the light

of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds,' affords me unspeakable pleasure, and for which I devoutly join with you in grateful acknowledgment to the Father of mercies. With you, it is no longer difficult to believe that, though weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning; nor that chas. tening, though grievous for the present, nevertheless afterward yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them which are exercised thereby. O how slow of heart are we to believe what prophets and apostles have said concerning the salvation of God; and even what he testified of it, who is the true and faithful witness, and who spoke as never man spoke.

Whether that peace of conscience you happily

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