A CIRCULAE. BY ONE WnO WISHES ITO LEAKX SAINT JOIIX, N. V,. : BARNES & COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1872. ■V e-S^T^ SEP 2 6 1946 [From the Christian Visitor, Saint John, New Brunswick.] The following " Circular" was published in a series of articles on our first page, for several weeks in succession ; and were prepared by one who wishes to learn. Tliey may have excited the surprise of some and the curiosity of others. They may appear to a few of our readers to embody the temper and utterances of a sceptical mind. But that is far from the real state of the case. The writer is an honest inquirer. The difficulties presented and described have been felt to a painful degree by the author of those articles. Nor does he stand alone in the perplexing experience which he portrays. We frequently meet with the like, and have been greatly puzzled in our efforts to counsel and guide such inquirers. It is true, and will be easily seen by not a few of our readers, that the ''sick mati" presents his troubles with more skill and force than the ''minister'' presents his replies. Some of tlie '' sick nuiii's'' objections and difticulties are utterly destitute of a foundation in truth, and the " minister-" sliould have summarily demolished tliem. instead of trying to argue against them. We hope some one, who is competent for the task, will take up the ''sick man's'' troubles, sift out those that are groundless, and reply to those tiiat are real. The task is worthy of an effort, and if properly dealt witli, will do an immense amount of good. Many of the objections may i)e put to silence, if the objector cannot be aided in overcoming his difficulties. But in such a emr, divine grace and power must do a work which no human argument or appeal can accomplish. A CIRCULAR. NotwithstandinfT ' he numeroua relifrious books now in cut ,'ion, designed, and, in many respects, wt> iculatcd to lead a large proportion of thei . kders to Christ, there is a certain class of in4ui.'^rs (I vote myself tLeir representative) who are not reached by any of tliose books, inasmuch as they treat the whole unconverted portion of mankind as unwiUing to become Christians, being so much under the influence " of the world, the flesh, and the devil ;" whereas, in fact, there is a considerable per centage of inquirers who are more than AviLLixG, but "know not the way." The authors of the treatises referred to, making this their stand-point, very naturally are per- suasive only, and thereby ignore the class to which I allude, who, having been made to de- sire the " pearl of great price," earnestly ask what act (if any) must we perform, what de- sires (if any) must wc cultivate, and what thoughts (if any) must we entertain, in order to find the " pearl of great ]>rice ?" On what 1 consider valid ground, I think that real good may be accomplished by a ven- tilation of the spiritual difliculties of the class to which I allude ; for which purpose I most aftectioiiately solicit the prayers and kind aid of the Cliristian friends of experience to whom I address this circular. AVhile sympathv is readilyenlisted and unsparingly lavished on the dcephj convicted, it is most diflicult to excite it, and there is very little for, and that very little most reluctantly granted, to the class in (piestion. I shall, however, endeavor to enlist it at the very outstt by solemnhf declarinff, in the presence of a heart-smrchinxf God, that I trill present no difficulties hut suchas I havehad, do 71010 have, or have known others to feel to be really gigantic ones, and ))Ositively needing the aid and sympathy for which we plead. FiHiling it to be of so much importance that this statement should be deeply impressed on the minds of those to whom this circular is addressed, I beg to be allowed to repeat it : / solemnly declare, in the p.esence of a heart- searching God, that I will present no difficulties but such as I have had, do ?ioio have, or have knoion others to feel to be really gigantic ones. And in presenting them, I propose to do so in the simplest and plainest manner possible, en- tirely regardless of the oriticisms of any class into whose hands it may happen to -fall, and humbly averring that my only motive is to do good, and that with as " single eye" as I ever expect to be able to command while connected with this " body of sin." In proof of what I say in reference to many inquirers being treated as unwilling to become Christians, I will quote a few passages from some eminent preachers and authors, such as the following. (Most of the words in italics are so printed to bring out the point we are aiming to reach) : — " Will you say that it was a work above your power ? lou know that you cannot thus excuse your sin ; for if you had been but truly WILLING you might have done it. The ob- stacle lay in your obstinate unwiixingness. Are you willing this day, unfeignedly avil- LiNG, to turn to God ? If you are, you will i-eturn without delay." — Jiev. liichard Baxter. " Neither heathens nor devils ever aggra- vated their sins by artful refusing of such an appropriate oifer and only remedy." — Jiev. John Flavel. " If not saved, the blame will be on your own head. You will not believe ! You avill NOT come to Christ that He may give you life."— i?eu. J. 0. Ryle, A. 31. "There is nothing wanting to secure their salvation but a hearty consent of their wills to the terms of the gospel. All the complaints of Christ are on account of men's unwilling- ness," — FlaveVs Christ Knocking at the Door. " ' Whosoever will let him come.' W^hat wouldst thou have more ? The invitation cannot be plainer. If then thou art not saved, it is plain thou hast no avill for salvation ; for if thou hast a avill thou hast a Avarrant." — Usher. " I beseech you, excuse me if I am in earnest with you to entreat you. * * * Friends, I BESEECH you regard me now as you would do if I should come from the dead to you. * * * Well then I beseech you make en- quiry into your hearts. And avill you refuse to part with poison because it is sweet ? Have you no sense of shame, and no desire for im- 6 mortality ? Come then, O my friends ! liave yon all made n]) your minds to arise and go to yonr Fatlior ? Wliy linger here? Why persist? Wliy not go home at once? Which will yon resist after all? * * * Oh be reconciled to (jod tliis verij dnu ! AVhy would you turn by-and-by? J3ecause Christ be- seeches you? And does not he as much be- seech you now ? Why would you turn by- and-by ? Does not God now command you ? And are you not disobeying and defying Him by delaying." — Rev. 11. G. Gitmness. " Nothing doth or can hinder you but thine own WILFUL NKdLEOT and refusal. * * * If after all this the wicked will not turn, their own WILFULNESS is the cause of their own damnation, they tlierefore die, because they WILL DIE. * * * We carmot make you believ(! against your will. * * * Your destruction is owing to yourselves in that you resist. * * * if I could but get you to be AViLLiNG." — Alleitie's Adnion it ion. " And yet is so in love with his bondage, that he mill neither accept Christ or the re- demption he brings. * * * Christ has pre- l)ared the only remedy that can heal his wounds, and he will not suffer him to apply it." — Rev. John Flavel. " What say you ? Will you return to God or WILL you not ? I pray you lot your hearts make answers, yes or no. Will you return and be converted or will you not ? What say you ? Are you resolved to turn or are you not ? 3^0 not put me off with to-morrow or some other time hereafter, as if it were not time yet, or yon could not spare your sins yet. If you refuse this offer which God makes you now, are you sure you shall ever ha\ c anotlier ? God and His ministers persuade you to be converted, but year after year you are still the same, there is somethinir '—Rev. Richard .Baxter. " The one question I have to ask this morn- ing is, art thou willing ? if so Christ bids thee take the water of life. Art thou avilling ? if so be pardoned, be sanctified, be made whole. For if thou art willing, Christ isAViLLiXG too. * * *. This text has nothing to do with your lieart, it is witli your will. Are you willing ? Then be your heart hard as the nether mill- stone, if thou art willing to be saved I am bidden to invite thee, * * * art thou avilling ? Art thou willing to be saved ? There is no barrier between thee and Christ except thy stubborn will." — Rev. (J. II. Spimfeon. " If you perish, you will have only your- self TO I5LAME. If God is coustraiued to give you up at last, it will be under protest, calling upon heaven, earth, and hell, to bear witness, that it is YOUK own doing, and not His." — Ser/non by Udtnin F.IIat/ield,D.D.,New York. " It places salvation within the reach of the lowest and vilest simier, if he has but heart and WILL to receive it." — Jiev. J. C. Bi/le, A. M, We proceed to present our case. There are those in the business world, who, destitute of means, commence life with a de- sire to fiucceed in business, ])Ut forth the re- quisite exertions and acoraplish their purpose. There is another class, similarly circumstanced, who make as great, or even greater efforts for the accomplishment of the same object, but vet do not succeed ; and then there is a third class, destitute of any such ambition, conse- quently make no exertion, being quite content to live and die in poverty. Thus, I think, the world might religiously be divided into three classes. " The whole world is distinguishable into TiiiiEE classes of persons, (1), such as are/(»' from CiiuisT, (2), such as are not fau fro.m CiiuisT, and (.'5), such as are in Ciiiiist."— Rev. John Ilavel. The first class comprise those who, like Zacchens, sought and readily fpaat,ies. Talk to him of the wonders of the creation, show to him tiie many-colored arch that spans the sky, let hira behold the glories of a landscape, he is well able to see all these things ; but talk to him of the wonders of the covenant of giioe, speak to him ot the security of the believer in Christ, tell him of the beauties of the person of the Redeemer, he is quite deaf to all your descrip- tion ; you are as one that playeth a goodly tune, it is true ; but he regards not, he is deaf, he has no comprehension. Permit nie to show you wherein this inability of man really does lie. It lies deep in his nature. Through the fall, and through our own sin, the nature of man has become so debased, and depraved, and corrupt, that it is impossible for him to come to Christ without the assistance of God the Holy Spirit." — Jiev. C. II. Spurgeon. It appears to us as if God's word eonlained two classes of commands : the one requiring only *\\Q vrill, with a determiration to act in accordance with it, to obey them ; such for in- stance, as " N'ot slothful in business^'' " do good to them that hate you," " given, to hos^ntaUtg," " distributing io the necessities of the saints" etc. etc ; and the other class requiring a power altogether outside of ourselves, and beyond onr reach or control to obey ; such, for instance, as " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," " love Godtoith all your heart," "havefaiih in God,'" " love your enemies,''^ etc. Even the " great faith" of ^'faithful Abraham" was of the former class. The ability to slay his son was wholly within himself, and could, by a desper- ate resolve, be put forth at will, at any time, without any " drawing" of the " Father," which would be so absolutely necessary for the performance of the latter class, but which ujypears to be as influenced by any power that man can exert as the clouds which over his head. Says one : — "From the moral importance which the oracles of truth ascribe to man in his fallen 8 state, a certain class of divines were induced to divide moral and religious «luties into two CLASSES, natural and spiritual ; comprehending under the latter those which require spiritual or supernatural assistance to their performance, and under the former those which demand no such assistance. Agreeable to thic distinction, they conceived it to be the duty of all men to abstain from the outward acts of si i, to read the Scriptures, to frequent the wors'.ip of God, and to attend with serious assiduity to the means of grace ; but they supposed that re- pentance, faith in Christ, and the exercise of genuine internal devotion, were obligatory only on the regenerate. Hence their ministry consisted almost entirely of an exhibition of the peculiar mysteries of the gospel, with few or no addresses to the unconverted. They conceived themselves not warranted to urge them to repent and believe the gospel, those beir.g spiritual duties, from whose obligation they were released by the inability contracted by the fall,"— iiei'. Eobert Hall, Jr. If it is argued that tlie difficulties named in this circular thus foreshadowed, present only another phase of the old but vain endeavor to reconcile God's sovereignty with man's respon- sibility, about which so much has been written already, and therefore unworthy of notice, we make answer, that our solemn declaration that the difficulties are bona fide ones ought to be received, we submit, without question, and the information sought after cheerfully given. If the difficulties are such as really cannot be answered,, it will be a ersuaile you to yield to the light and be converted. Tho threatenings of the Scripture were before me, and these moved me to use so many persua- sions with you." — R''v. Richard Baxter. "This little book aiiitt's in the kntbkaty, poor sinners, and with all earnestness, plainness and affection, implores you to come to Jesus, come to Jesus, corac to Jesus. Jesus now stands with open arms. Come with all your sins and sorrows, come just as you art-, come . at once. He will iu no wise cast you uat. Come to Jesus, come to Jesus." — Rev. Newman Hall. " What is your decision ? Have you chosen or will you choose the way of life? * * * Choose then, I entreat you, the way of life. Peace attends it and happiness is its end. * * You may be happy ; and will you not ? Oh listen to the persuasions that have been ad- dressed to you ! Yield to God and be happy. — Rev. J. G. Pike, Derby, England. " Christ with his benefits is frequently ten- dered to men in the gospel ; they have been BESOUGHT to acccpt him ; these entreaties and persuasions have been urged by the greatest arguments, the commands of God, the love of Christ, the inconceivable ha})piness or misery which unavoidably follows the accept- ing or rejecting of these offers, and yet nothing will affect them. * * * AH arguments, all entreaties are unsuccessful. * * * They will rather perish to eternity than accept hini. The Author seems to have made use of every possible argument to win you." — Address to Reader in Alleine''s Solemn Warnings. "The doctrine naturally leads me to .an earnest persuasive unto all sinners." — Rev. John Flavel. " If God should send an angel from heaven to you to persuade you to be converted, would you harken to him and obey him ?" — Rev. Richard Baxter. " May we keep this one aim in view, namely, to jyersuade you to be Christians, * * * Q may God grant that many here may be at once jjersuaded to be Christians, for nothing but this will content me. * * * How will you excuse youself for resisting cogent, earnest, affectionate 2^ersuasions, all intended to lead you to be a Christian. * * * The Lord persuade you, I have done my best to do so." — Sjnirgeo?i''s Sermon. Now a minister attends the inquirer who is 10 sick and dying, and the following dialogue /S^jcyfc ?;«/?;.— Oh, Minister, I fear to appear before God with a heart unchanged, as mine evidently is. What shall I do ? Minister. — I can only point you to Christ. As Paul said to the jailor, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Sick man. — Which way did you point ? to- ward the north, south, east or west ? Minister.— I pointed neither to the right hand nor the left, but to " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Sick man. — Yoa ask me to look at an object invisible. Do explain. I have been told the same repeatedly. I know that I should look to Christ, but ho^o am I to do it? The two apostles on the road to Emmaus " could not see him,'^ though he was in the flesh, and walk- ing by their side, while their " eyes were holden" then how do you think I can " behold hini'^ in spirit while my " eyes are holden .^" When " their eyes tcere opened they knew him^^ So will I when mine are in like manner; and this is what I am asking of you, how to obtain this heavenly vision ? Minister. — I mean that you should look with an eye of faith. Sick man. — With "an, eye offdth" "with an eye of faith" " with an eye of faith.'''' What does it mean ? But where, oh where am I to get this " eye of faith"" to look with ? Do not torment me before my time by prescribing impossibilities. I had supposed from your preachiny, that a w'dUnyness to accept Christ was all that was required ; God knows that I am now willing, and yet I am unable to" fooA- and live." Jlinister. — There certainly is an incompre- hensible mystery about the workings of the Holy Spirit. Christ says : " Ye can not tell whence it cometh, and whither it yoeth, so is every one thid is horn of the Spirit.''^ Still, " the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin." Sick 7nan. — Oh, minister, I am so disap- pointed. Li iha palpit you have so often said that there was nothiny between a sinner and salvation but his unwillinyness " to accej>t what was so freely ojfered.'''' " The reason why any of us are not saved is then obvious. It must be our own fault in not yielding to the solicitation of divine mercy. lie tries the latch, ))ressing with merciful force against the barred door, to see if we are willing that he shouVi come in, but our love of the world and of sin is like a bolt barring the door fast. * * * If we were but willing to give up sin, if we only ceased striving against him, he would at once enter and shed abroad his love through our hearts. You alone stand in the way of your own salvation. You will not open your heart to God." — Mev. G. W. Bethune, D. D., New York. Well, then, I now find without a my-iterious soniethiny, which you can no more explam than I can comprehend, willingness really amounts to nothing. Finding, however, that I am in error as to willingness, I will now dismiss that at once from my mind in order that I may be better qualified to receive what other instruc- tion you may be pleased to impart. Nor can it be true that the blood of Christ cleanseth from ALL sin, because if it did, all must of necessity be saved. Minister. — All who believe will be saved by it. Sick man. — There it is again, " believe" " believe" " believe." Why, my dear minister, 1 have heard that word so often, that it ap- pears to me the most monotonous word in the English language. To be taught how to believe is the very purpose for which I have sent for you ; and I entreat you, if this is the condition (and not tcillingness which I had been led by your preaching to believe) of sal- vation, teach me how I may comply with it. What is it savingly to believe ? We are told that "the devils believe and tremble." Let us read what some good ministers have said. " It is a difficult thing to explain what it is TO BELIEVE. I suppose it is impossible. But when Jesus unveils his matchless beauty and gives you a sweet glimpse of his matchless face that was buffeted and spit upon, then the soul joyfully clings to him. This is believing, and joy and peace in believing. The truest, purest joy flows from a discovery of Jesus Christ. He is the hidSick man, — That I think I now do already, so far as the same class of truths is concerned. On the evidence of man's word I believe that Alexander the Great once lived on this earth, and on the evidence of OoiVs word I as firmly believe that Abraham once lived on this earth. Such parallel truths as these can be believed without any outside or spiritual aid ; but the belief which saves the soul, commences just where the belief in our fellow-creatures must necessarily/ terminate^ and we can proceed no further " on this line" of belief without an aid '■'■ not revealed hi/ flesh and blood.'''' For in- stance, I could run a race with some amphib- ious animal so long as the contest was kept up on dry land, but the moment my competitor betook itself to the water I would be obliged to abandon the contest. So in like manner, I can with equal ease believe God's word and man's word until I reach that mysterious boundary of that " holy ground" where God proclaims to impotent man, " Thus far shall thou come, but no further f^ 3Iinister. — You reason too much. Take Christ at his word, as the lame man did, who walked immediately on being commanded to do so. He did not stop to argue the matter, as to his ability to use his legs. Had he done .so, he never would have walked, and it would, moreover, have been dishonoring to Clirist to l)ave hesitated. 8ick man. — True, true, he did not argue the ])oint as I am now doing wiih you ; nor would I be found so doing under the same circum- stances. I do not consider the case at all analogous. It must ever be remembered that the command was given by him who once said, " Let there be lif/ht, and there was light.'''' The same voice, on another occasion, said to a dead man, " Xflfzarifs, come forth,^'' and "Ae came forth." Then again, some parties also were healed by Christ to whom he was unknown. It can not be be said of any of these, that they were healed on account of tiiat faith in Christ Avliich you are urging me to cvcrcise. The simple truth is, Almighti/ jwwer went forth with the command, which could no more be resisted than the stars to shine when they were commanded by the self-same authority to do so. No such power follows in the wake of Bible promises. Alas no. Minister. — Are you going to ignore all Christ's most precious promises? When Christ said : " Come vnto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give yourest^'' and " Whosoever cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out^'' '■^Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," " Whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved," " fl. is imrthy of all acceptation that Jesri» Chris', cat ue into the world to save sinners" " Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," what do you think is meant by these words V Are t^if^y words with- out any meaning ? Was God mocking " all" to whom they were addressed ? Sick man. — Could I have answered that question satisfactorily to myself, I would not have put you to the trouble of coming here, I will answer your question frankly, as I have endeavored to do all the rest. I feel thoroughly conscious that life eternal is contained within them; that thousands on thousands have al- ready found such life by virtue thereof*^ but in order to render them all efficacious, their spiritual essence must bo " applied" by the Holy Spirit " taking the things of Christ and revealing them unto us," " enabling" (a word often used in religious experience) the recipient to " lay hold" of the same. Says one : " While standing at the end of my father's house, and meditating on that precious passage which has brought peace to countless weary ones, " God so loved," &c., I was EXAHLED to take God at his word. My burden fell off from my back and I was saved." — Rev. Duncan Matheson, the Scottish Evan- gelist. " How joyful was that day which first con- veyed the sound of the gospel to our ears ! But more happy for us the hour in which we were exabled to believe in Christ for the sal- vation of our souls." — Rev. Thomas Scott, the Commentator. " I was enabled to realize, for the first time in my life, what Christ suffered, and for what a wret'jh he suffered." — Rev. E. Payson, D. D. Aug. 15. — "Was EXABLED to plead with fervency. April 10. — "God EXABLEn me to agonize in 1 prayer." ! April 21. — "God again enabled me to I wrestle for souls." April 28. — " ^Vas exabled more than ordi- narily to aganize for immortal souls." 12 May 1. — "I was enabled to cry to God witli fervency for ministerial qualification." March 10. — I was enabled to leave myself and all my concerns with God," ttc. »tc. &c. — Extracts from the Diary of D. Braunerd. A celebrated sculptor once remarked, on viewing a fine flawless block of stone, that " there was an angel in it." It would, how- ever, require a hand divine to chisel away the surplus stone by which his ideal angel was surrounded, consequently the angel statue has not been made, but remains still a myth. Minister. — And ever will. But you find the world full of Christians who are not myths, and those who are not Christians may become such if they icill only stoop down to God's terms as olTered in the Bible. SicJc man. — If you will only inform me hoio I am to " stoop down to God's terms," I shall, indeed, be thankful. Combe, in his Constitu- tion of Man, contends that all pain is the sole result of the violation of some organic law of our nat'ire. Suppose this to be true, the knowledge of it is of no practical use to us, inasmuch as it is out of our power to refrain from the violating of such laws. So I admit that the promises you have named contain eternal life, but avail me nothing, while unable to comply witii the condition on which only they can be " received," namely, belief, and with respect to them I would beg to ask two questions : First, Have I power within myself to extract this life from them ? and if I have, IIow am I to call it forth ? Secondly, If the fower is wholly in the hands of God,Ao?i7 am to ask for it agreeable to the will of the divine donor in order to obtain it ? There is no one I more envy than he who possesses this blessing. Minister. — You argue, and reason, and ap- rear sincere, yet you fail to comprehend that to have "joy in helievinf'' you have only to '''■helie^ie Goer s testimony.'''' Now suppose, for instance, you were informed that by the death of some very distant relative you had been left a legacy of ^50,000. Would you not im- mediately believe it without any effort to do so ? And would not the belief thereof fill you with joy ? You would not stop to reason the matter, as you do these religious matters. ^^^ick man. — I freely admit that the result would bo as you state under s«c/i circumstances, but I can not admit that the cases are at all analogous. That would be the announcement of a simple fact, which could not by any pos- sibility be afiected in anj'^ way, either by my belief or non-belief. Every dollar would com c in due course, even if I had studiously ridi- culed the report up to the moment I grasped the money in my hand. Now, suppose the legacy was conditional on my hating a lovable person, and loving a hateful one. I might en- deavor, for the sake of the legacy, to lash or coax my will into compliance, but it would most certainly be a failure. What may be called the first epoch in our race's history was- a conditional one, when Adam was placed ia the garden of Eden. He was then happy, but; his continued happiness was conditional on his abstaining from eating the fruit of a certain, tree ; failing in this, he fell, and with him his race. Thus was the second — an unconditional — epoch ushered in. Hereafter, it would not be those who did this, or failed to do that, would then become sinners, but all were abso- lutely sinners. This truth, with all its vast awfulness, is readily comprehended andl be- lieved, being unburdened with conditions. The third epoch was a conditional one. It was when Christ came into the world. To save " all?" no, but conditionally only those of the fallen race who " believed.'''' Had it been announced on the authority af God's word that all unconditionally would be saved on account of Christ's death, " cdr would have believed it as readily as " all" " believed'" that by Adam's transgression they fell. The ad- vantages of Christ's death are enjoyed con- ditionally, only on belief, and I am- pleading with you to instruct me how thus to comply. I do not object to the conditions as such, if I can only be " enabled" to comply with them. For instance, at the great Chicago fire, a carter asks $100 to carry two children to ai place of safety. The father, under the circumstances, does not object to the charge, but has not got that amount of property left from the fire to pay it. Then again, to believe such ci^ statement does not require the " mjfsterious loorkinys of the Holy Spirit''' of which s])ortly ago you told me, " Ye cannot tell lohence it cometh, and" whither it yoeth?'' Christ saiys that none can " come''' unless the " Father draxo him?' No such " drawing" is at all necessary to " receive" such a statement, consequently the analogy is nil. The parallel does not hold good in another respect. The moment such an an- nouncement of a legacy is- made, the whole matter can be as readily comprehended as at any subsequent time. Not so, however, Bible truths. Nearly all those who are converted have road the most precious promises scores of times " as idle taUs^'' luitil. their " cyeji were IS opened^'' after which they liave stood with the utmost astonishment to think that they had so long failed to see the " infinite love and wis- dom manifest in the simple way of salvation by belief in the Lord Jtsus Christ." No such iiddltioual and spiritual light is requisite to comprehend and believe the testimony of man. Yet, again : Suppose to secure this legacy it was necessary for me to advance *2,000, my Joy would be much marred, and I might not risk a Sl,000 certainty for a $50,000 uncer- tainty ; but I so thoroughly believe God's word, that I would give or do anything in my power to secure the blessings therein promised. This certainly proves that I have far more faith in God's word than man's. Would I, tliink you, " fwA;" and " seek'''' for any blesssing promised by man, as often and so long as I have been " seeking'''' and " asking''' for those promised by God ? Sick man. — We are now at a most import- ant point of my difficulties. Bear with me, while I endeavor to make it still more clear to you. God says, " While the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, daij and night shall not cease f and further still, we are informed that " He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and un- just.^' llere are distinct positive promises made to the whole human iiim'ily,uncondition- allg, on their being " good''' or " ewi7," "just''' or " unjust,''^ by Him who has said coxditiox- Ai.LY," Whosoever beltkvktu shall be saued." There being no conditions coupled with the former blessings, all rejoice in them, and ex- pect nothing else than to participate in them all the days of their lives. Were the promise of ETERNAL LIFE througli Christ made in the SAME LANGUAGE as thc jjromise of "seed time Hnd harvest,'''' and " rai/i,''^ &g., it would be just as natural for the one to be " believed''^ as the other, and rejoiced in more, because the blessings promised is infinitely more precious. Xot, however, stopping one moment to ques- tion the wisdom of the difference, or to ask of God a reason for it, I most readily desire to conform with the conditions named, and wish to comply in every particular with them. Here centres my whole difficulty. How can I comply? How can I reach forward to that belief, that \% far, far beyond the mere natural and theoretical? How can I place myself within the covenant of those to whom spiritual blessings are promised ? How am I to obtain bible, spiritual blessings on the terms offered in the bible? Here is my whole trcuble. 3 How is it tha^ I fail to enlist more of your sympathy? Minister. — The only proper answer to give to your main question is, " Believe on the Lo,«^ Jesus Christ." but you appear to have made up your mind not to be satisfied with such a suitable answer. Sick man. — I know it ought to be ? solution of my difficulty, but before Him '.vho " re- quireth truth in the inward parts" I am obliged to say that it does "iiot appear to joach my difficulty. Were I m prison for a debt of $5000, and had nothinj^ wh-itever to pay, and you were to tell me I could be velensed on payment of the debt, "bui failed to inform me how to obtain the amount, it would not release or aid me. You tell me the conditions (which I know), but do not tell me how these conditions are to be realized. I am not "satisfied," as you are pleased to term it, with your " suitable answer," because — as I have repeatedly said — I already know it, but how to comply with these well known conditions is the difficulty. Minister. — You are evidently stumbling at the SIMPLICITY of the way, like many others have done. As one has said, " 1 suppose it is almost impossible to explain what it is to come to Christ, it is so simple. It is just believing what God says about His Son. Ir THE Loud persuade you of the glory and power of Immanuel, you cannot but choose Him. It is like opening the shutters of a dark room ; that moment the sun shines in. So the eye that is opened to the testimony of God receives Christ that moment." — Rev, li. M. 3IcCheyne. Sick Man. — It may be just as impossible to stop at a. ^WGW fineline which I cannot discern as to jump over a twenty foot high wall. If I cannot " spiritually discern," I cannot. If you say none can thus spiritually discern " but such as are taught of the Spirit,'" and that the Spirit's aid is promised to those who ask, I make answer, that I can truthfully say that I have repeatedly asked therefor, and still my honest cry is, " Oh that Icoidd believe,^^ " Oh that I knew where I could find him." Jfinisttr. — The Rev. John A. James, in his " Anxious Inquirer,'''' illustrates, I think, this truth very nicely, by supposing a king to have issued a proclamation, offering a full pardon to certain of his subjects who were in rebellion against him, on condition of their laying down their arms and confessing their offence. " What" he then asks " in this case, is the state of mind and act required of those who would be saved ? Faith. They must believe tlio u proclamation." Does not that illustration strike you as very applicable ? Sick man. — It really does not, and I feci profOu.ndly astonished that you should think it does after what I have already said. With- out exaggeration I can say that I have read and heard of hundreds of illustrations whereby attempts have been made to present " par- allels" to scriptural faith, but to mo they all appear like the play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out, or an apple pie without the apples. The illustration from the ^^ Anxious Inquirer"' which you just now mentioned is as good as any of them. If such rebels were questioned as to their reasons (or the rebels of the Southern States of America) for not availing themselves of the offered pardon, they would tell you simply " that they did not choose to accept." Now suppose these very rebels, while fleeing from their country, found themselves in a sinking ship in mid-ocean, without any hope of succor, and a minister on board reads from the bible heaven's proclamation, " Who- soever believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved" would they, think you, assign the same reasons for not believing it ? Would not their agony of soul, as manifested by their heart-rending cries and anxious looks, convince to the contrary ? Would they not most un- hesitatingly accept the offer on any terms in their power ? Minister. — We are not saved because we believe, or for our faith. Belief or faith is l)ut in opposition to loork. We have really nothing whatever to do. " Christ has done it all, long, long ago." Suppose a man were in a boat just above a fall, and notwithstanding all his efforts with the oars, he was being drav.'n nearer and nearer the awful gulf. Just at this critical moment a rope "is thrown to him from the shore ; his safety, you will readily see, depends wholly on his throw- ing down his oars, grasping the rope, and pul- ling himself to land. In like manner you must throw away the oai-s of your ohu doing, and cling to Christ. l^ick man. — I have met with the same illus- tration time and agaiii before, but honestly declare to you that I fail to see wherein it illus- trates the " nothing to do" doctrine. Tlie man was evidently saved by his " doing." Fir.-;t, he threw down his oars (a verb to do). Secondly, he "(/ra-syje^r' the rope (a verb to do) ; and thirdly, he "-^ pulled himself to land" (a verb to do). Had he failed to do any one of these three things, he would have perished. Paul did not tell the jailer that he had nothing We have nothing to to do. He who commands •»» to " seek" "fw.?-," ^^ knock," and " strive," did not tell the " young man" who came to him that he had 7iothing to do. As dark as I am, I know that there is nothing to do bi/ way of merit or com- pensatio7i ; but I look on that as very different from the dogmatical, unqualifiecl statement, that :.iimer8 have got" nothing ivhatever" to do. Still, if you prefer the phrase, we will not waste time over it to the detriment of the main question. Minister. — I fear that you ai-e looking for feeling. You must not look inimtrd to self, but oiitward to Christ. do with feeling. Sick man. — Was there no '■\feeling" when Saul, " trembling and astonished," said, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?" or when he said, " I know whom I have believed.^" or Job, when he said, " / knoic that my Redeemer liveth f" Was David destitute of feeling when he said, " Tlie terrors of death are fallen xqwn me. Fearfulness and trembling are come itpon, me, and terror hath oven&hdmed mie ?'"' I well recollect hearing a minister, during a revival of religion in bis own church, warmly berate his unconverted hearers about " this feeling," as he rather contemptuously called it, but at the close of his address took each inquirer by the hand, and asked, " TZbio do^ ijou feel?" Is there no feeling in being "^ sick," " lost," " heavy laden," etc.? Were I now devoid of feeling, "would I have sent for you any more than a well i^erson woitld have sent for the doctor ? Did Christian have no feeling while the burden was on his back ? anid had ho no feeling when it fell off? Is the transition from "death" to "life" 6o trifling that it excites no feeling ? IMd Peter have no feeling when he felt himself sinking ? 3fi}iister. — You certainly must be looking for something not promised in the Bible. Perhaps you are like the Jews of old who would nott>e satisfied without they saw " some sign froni lieaven ?" Be assured C'hrist will no more gratify your whim than he did theirs, and it is absurel and decidedly wrong for you to exj)eet it. Sick man. — The Jews to which you allude asked Christ to be shewn with their natural eyes nothing more than thousands of their fellow-coiinti-ymen had very recently seen with theirs, ancliaif, and tho only possible way whereby he can be saved, yet the sinner is not, and cannot be in the least bene- fitted thereby — but his condemnation greatly increased — without a full belief that Christ so died for him individiai/ly. Thi? knowledge of the truths of the bible I have learnt by just the same faculties by which I have learnt the con- tents of any other book that I have read. This " letter killeth," while " the Spirit'" and the " Spirit''' only " giveth life." !N ow it ap- pears to me that the difference between such a mere theoretical knowledge of truth, and a " spikitual" and experimental one, to be just the difference there is between the belief of " devils" and the belief of " believers" and that is the difference between " death" and " LIFE," or between " hell" and "heaven." This is my most miserable condition, but you can readily make it still more miserable by telling me that this wicked unbelief of mine is I the greatest of all great sins, inasmuch as it ! makes God a liar, by wilfully refusing to be- j lieve His record of His Son, and that I am '■ '• condemned already," and deserve to be so, I because I so persistently refuse to believe. I Says J. A. James, in Anxious Enquirer: — I " Desponding sinner, doubt no longer. The ! greatest sin you can commit, is to disbelieve \ God's promise to forgive your other sins. Un- belief is the most heinous of all sins, ' He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar.' " And Spurgeon says : — i " I have otten been rebuked by certain men ! who have erred from the truth, for preaching the doctrine that is a sin in men, if they reject the people of Christ. I care not for even op- probrious titles. I am certain that I have the warrant of God's word in so preaching, and I do not believe that any man can be faithful to men's souls and clear of their blood, unless he bears his frequent and solemn testimony upon this vital subject." And another writes : — " And are you not deserving a curse, who have transgressed God's laws a thousand times, and delay and refuse to yield Him your heart ? While you will not love Him, will not serve Him, will not come to Christ, will not give up the world for Him who died for you upon the cross, do vou not deserve to be accursed." 18 ^Ptihfrr. — Notwitlistanding wlial you have said, I must bid you remember, that if you be- lieve not wliut (»od Jias said of His Son, you do " iiK kii him a liary Sir/,' >niiii. — I am most jiainfully conseions tliiit it (IOCS appear as if I were endeavoring to " iiiiiL-i- <>i(t (I <-(iK€ (i;/>iinst (iinjy Tins nmkes i me more reluctant to t>pen my mind to 7ium than i to (}(>il^ because He knows that it is as true | that I am irit/iont "si)iriliial discernment." As Ilagar did not see " n well of' v'Kfer^'' until ! " (iod ojH'Hcd Iter eyes /" and had the child j died, she could liave said truthfully, " I saic not tlip icdter icherehij to snce the chiUVs life,^^ ! (iod is an " answerer of ])rayer ;" still Paul j truthfully states that he "sought the Lord thrice," and liis jirayer was not answered. Was J'aul by this making God a liar? Jfinister. — Well, what do you want to prove by all this ? iSirk mail. — First, that it is not wrong or sinfid to make a tnithfid statement of my feel- ings, notwithstanding it appears io c\si&\\ with God's word ; and secondly, that I may be in- structed by you how all these erroneous views may be thoroughly eradicated, and scriptural and proper views substituted therefor. Minister. — IIow can I, when you will not love God or believe His word ? As one has said : — " If not saved, the blame will be on your own head. You will not believe ! You will not come to Christ that lie may give you life !" Sick man. — Please, sir, do not say will not, for I yet again solemnly declare to you that I cannot. Allow me to (juote Spnrgeon again : " I do not hesitate to affirm, that one of the iiAUOEST things for a sinner to understand is the way of salvation. It seems the plainest thing in the world. Nothing appears more easy than ' Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved !' But when the sin- ner is led to feel himself a sinner, he finds it not so easy to understand as he thought." You see what bodily pain I am in now ; do you think I would hesitate a moment in taking any medicine that would relieve me from it ? Minister. — No, I cannot think you would. Sickriutn. — Now I again declare to you, that my anguish of soul causes far more real suffer- ing than my pain of body. " I desire so to be saved from sin, that I would give ail I am and all I have, to say I am a child of God. Sir, God is my witness, I speak now what I mean, and the tear is in my eye while I say it, — If I had the whole world I would cheerfully give it up, if I might but know I am a child of God. Yes, I would live on bread anjl water, and be willing to be si;ut in a loathsome cell till death seized my frame, if I could but call Him mine. I should have but one desire, — ' Give me Christ, or else I die.' But if once I could say * My sins are forgiven,' — if I could but once say, 'He has loved me and given Himself for me," — I tliink the joy would be almost too great for my poor heart, and I shoidd die with excess of bliss." — Ree. C. H. Spurtjeon. And Vt't you tantalize me by saying, I will not relieve myself of the greater pain ! It is cruel of you. Milliliter. — It is out of my power to help you out of your difficulties. I cannot make you believe. Sirk man. — I will not stop to take objection to the word "Hu/^f." IIow very different is your preaching in that chair from what u 's in \\\& pulpit. In the pulpit, *^it is so very simple, it ix only look and live,'^ " no^c" etc. ; but in the chair, it is " too dijicull," " like the wind,'^ " in- comprehensible." etc. In the pulpit, it is all ;;«/•- saading to induce your hearers to become ^^ willimj ;" in the chair, willinr/ness is reallv nothing. Minister. — Perhaps after all you are not as willing as you imagine yourself to be. Sick luun. — Su]>posing it were possible for me to be deceived in this respect, I am sure that I desire to be made willing, even if against my will. How I am perplexed to be sure ! Who will deliver me from this prison-house? Minister. — Here is a promise just suited to your case, as you liave just stated it. Isaiah ixi. 1 : " He hath sent me to ])roclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Sick man. — I acknowledge that the " j)risou door" is wide open, and I would fain, with others, go out thereat into the " liberty where- with Christ makes his people free," but I feel myself chained to the floor of the prison. I eagerly listen to the many kind invitations to " Come out from among them ;" " Why will ye die ?" etc, ; and I feel confident that / am included in tiie general pressing invitation, as well as those who I see obeying it, that I for the moment forget my chains, and imagine that I have nothing to do but to walk out, when I am painfully reminded how fast I am chained to the lloor ! To extricate myself, I at times almost involuntarily struggle as a party who linds himself buried alive might bo supposed to do, but all to no purpose. A Job's comforter occasionally tells me that it's 19 all my own fault, and that I am " making God a liar," etc., because I will not believe. Minister. — Poor Buryan, I think, was troubled in a similar manner to you. Sick man. — If he was, he most signally failed by his Pilgrim's l^ogress, in giving any aid out ol such difficulties. Perhaps he intended the work of that name, now in circulation, to be the second volume, the first volume of which he was never able to write. Christian is intro- duced as a recent inhabitant of the City of Destruction; but in appearance he certainly does not look very like one, for he has a burden (his chief characteristic) on his back, while the inhabitants of that city have none. A French- man, fleeing from Paris, would not cease to be a Frenchman before he got out of sight of the city. Had Christian's countrymen Christian's burden, would they not h? /e taken Christian's method to have rid themselves of it ? How came Christian with the burden at all? Eun- yan does not commence at the root. Suppose there were thousands lost icithin the labyrinth of the catecombs, would it not be thought very singular if those who had been fortunate enough to find their way om/, should be furnished with ample prnited instruc- tions how to find their way home^ while no ef- fort was made to extricate those who were lost w/«Molumc of the Pilgrim's Progress.^ The volume published instructs how to rearti vine. The one yet to be published should instruct us how to obtain the seed. Minister. — Do you mean to contend that God has made some mistake in his plan of salvation ? Sick man. — IJy my sight, feeling, or any other sense, I would not believe that ihe world was round, or that the sun stood still, but I believe both in spite of my sight or feeling. Tuus 1 force myself to believe all God's word. To tell God that I saw myself just such a sin- ner as he represents me to be, and deserving I of " eternal damnation," would be to tell him j what he well knew would be a lie. I am, how- j ever, sure that his representation is correct, \ and mine falne., and am asking you, not to i bring God down to my views, or to alter his | own plans, but that you would teach me how I may be made to see " light in God's light." Minister. — If you pray in faith, God has promised to give wisdom. Sick man. — You continue to tell me what I already know, and refuse to tell me what I do not, notwithstanding \ jiloac^ .o earnestly and repeatedly, I know full well, tiiat " without faith, it is impossible to pleaso God ;'' and I know further, that " faith is the gift of God." It is thus evident that it requires faith to ob- tain faith. Now, the qnes'.ion is, IIow is this first germ of faith obtained ? Tn making the Niagara Suspension Bridge, i\-^ great difficul- ty was to get over the first wire ; when that was accomplished, all the other wires could be drawn over by it. I once heard a minister say in the pulpit that it was a physical impos- sibility for our God to take a second step un- til the first was taken. Now this first step is what I am labouring for. Rye and wheat when growing together in the early spring cannot possibly be distin- guished, the one from the other, but when the season has somewhat advanced, the rye out- strips the wheat in height three fold, and can easily be distinguished ; but it is as much rye at one time as the other. The reverse of this is the case with mankind. Believers are not like unbelievers only up to a certain age, un- til they become of an age to develope their characters ; but all, positively all, are equally sinners in the sight of God, and stand in the same position. The sinners who become chris- tians do not become so at some particular age, but at all ages. God no doubt could, if he saw fit, convert the whole by his ahnighty fiat, treating all as a mass of inert matter, but he has not seen fit to work this, but instead thereof, he has given us " His word,'^ in which " rt//'' are invited to " .vAare," and to ^^ accept'' " noio." Now there must of necessity be the FIRST STEPS in order to avail one-self of the " wieffn*." I once heard you say in the pulpit that the first step was out of self, aiui the SKCOND into Christ. Do take me by the hand and aid me to take this first step. Minister. — As often as I am thus cornered up, I will make the same answer. Believk. Sick man. — But can I believe without the aid of the Holy Spirit ? Minister. — This aid is most distinctly pro- mised to those who ask. Sick man. — Then am I to understand that in fact the first step is to ask lor this aid ? I understood you dift'erently just now. I have often asked it. w Minuter. — You evidently ask " amiis.'^ Sick man. — I know that I endeavour to ask aright. Am I to understand now that really the VERY FIRST Step is to be taught to ask aright, for the Spirit's aid, to savingly believe. Minister. — If you are properly in earnest you cannot but ask aright. Sick man. — Is it then the very first step to be made " properly ix earnest ?" If I am not, as you appear to think, snfticiently in earnest for the blessings asked, I am intensely in earnest to be made adequately in earnest to ask aright for the Holy Spirit's aid in order to savingly believe. Minister. — I cannot, I see, do you any good, 80 I will bid you good bye. Sick man. — When you were ordained to the ministry, you made a solemn declaration that you were " called of God^'' and " wo" to you if you " preached not the gosjieW'' This " good news''' which jou were thus commissioned from on high to proclaim, required, of course, attentive hearers in order that the contemplated results might flow from it, hearers who were willing to " accept'''' of the proffered salvation, on the terms offered. I profess to be intensely just such a hearer, and therefore ought not to be thus left by you, until you felt assured that I " who was once blind" did " now see ;" or else you should frankly acknowledge that the means at your disposal or the influence under your control were inadequate for the emer- gency. I know of no minister more able and willing than yourself " to preach the gospel" to me, yet the result does not follow. Do not, I pray, keep me in this painful suspense any longer. Am I to give up in despair? If you have not done all that it is in your power to do, you are acting very unkindly towards me. If you accuse me of " not giving heed" to the best of ray ability, you do me a cruel injustice, and if you say that the reason lies not with God, yourself, or myself, you tantalise me al- most beyond endurance. From my inmost soul I repeat my question, " What must I do to be saved ?" Minister.— 1 have said and done all I can, and really see nothing for it but that you patiently wait till God shall see fit to " reueal Himself" to you by " shining on you with the light of His reconciled countenance," which I trust He will soon do. Sick man. — That is just my own view of the case. What else can I think ! The words " strive" and " diligently seek" seem to imply as much. But this is so diametrically opposite to your vehement pulpit demands for " every one" " now" to believe. " He that is the same yester- day, to-day, and forever" say you, " is waiting to be gracious." " To morrow" " may be too late," " Eater tvhile there is room," " All things are now ready." Tell me, can you say all this in the pulpit without any mental reservation, and then come into this room and tell me, a dying man, that I must bide God's time ? Not only 80, but you have often told me that ^^ unbelief," in which you appear quite content to leave me for an indefinite period, is the very essence of sin, in magnitude swallowing up all other sins. Minister. — In saying what I do in the pulpit I do not go one step beyond my divine com- mission, any more than the prop'aet Ezekiel did his, when he prophesied to " the dry bones." Were the prophet Ezekiel here, would you dare take him to task for prophesying as he did ? He from whom I hold my commission " cannot lie" and He has told me to " preach" that " whosoever believeth shall be saved" and I do so, and I know it is true, and would suffer martyrdom sooner than deny it. Sick man. — Oh, how wearied I am in stating and re-stating that I believe as firmly as you possibly can, that all " believers" will assuredly be saved. Why do you so repeatedly contend for a truth admitted ? How am J to become such a " believer /" is the question of questions with wp, in fact the oxt.y question. IVrdon me for saying that I fail to see in this very trite " dry bone" illustration either any comfoit or ap- plicability. I cannot think that it was " the mind" of the " Holy Spirit" that from this vision should be learnt the doctrine you have stated, any more than the " two sticks" which " became one" in the prophet Ezekiel's hands teaches the doctrine that the sinner and C'hrist become " one" immediately on being brought together by the minister. If the " dry bonen" are intended to represent the unconverted, and Ezekiel the preacher of the gospel to them, as you state, then the same results should follow the preaching as the pro- phesying. If this interpretation is the true one, I contend that the failure must be laid at your door, inasmuch as the " dry bones" were ab- solutely inanimate, l»ut those to whom you are commanded tr, " preach" and " teach," animate. These " dry bones'" were not commanded to " believe" preparatory to their arrayment into the " exceeding great army." At the prophet's bidding every " bone cjme together, bone to bone." Had the same results followed the prophesying and your preaching, a '■''few" only of the bones would have come together, form- ing " ^ueer armv I This is the second time m you have introduced this " nothing whatever to do" doctrine. I make answer again that I am anxious to accept salvation on any terms or no terms. I am told that I have nothing whatever to do. Hear what Spurgeon says in one of his sermons : " To believe is as a man would do in a stream. It is said that if we were to fold our arms, and lie motionless, toe could not si'ni." I sometimes begin to think that I have found out the whole secret — I must " fold my arms" and lie still, but I no sooner com- pose myself thus than I am suddenly startled with the alarming cries, " Awake ! Awake ! ! thou sleeper" " Strive," " Flee to the City of Refuge!" '' Take it hy force!" &c. &c. How bewildered I am ! Once or twice I had hoped that I had got you to understand my position, atid you were about to instruct me how to take the first step out of the " broad way" towards the " narrow way" but have been doomed to disappointment ! Minister. — More than once your statements seem to imply that you attribute your state of mind to God withholding the influence of His Spirit. Now tell me candidly, could you meet God face to face and tell Ilim so ? Sick man. — Your question is a very searching one, and had it been casually asked me in ordinary conversation, I might have unthink- ingly answered it at once in the affirmative. I am, however, free to confess that underlying all my honest strugglings after truth and life, there is a still small voice that will not be wholly silent, that lays the responsibility at my own door. Still it does not annihilate the tact that I am needing just the information for which I ask. I cannot understand ! Minister. — You iiust not forget that God is a Sovereign, and as such has a right to " do what He will with His own." " My heart rose against it and accused God of exercising partiality with His creatures, not considering that He has a right to do what He will with His own. * * * j now saw that it would have been just in God had He left me to my own chosen way." — Rev. Jeremiah Hal lock. " And when at times, great distress began to rise on a sight of my vileness and inability to deliver myself from a Sovereign God. * * * I had strange projects, frll of atheism, con- triving to disappoint God's designs and de- crees concerning me, or to escape His notice and hide myself from Him. * * * Some- time belore, I had taken much pains, as I thought, to submit to the sovereignty of God ; vet I mistook the thing." — Rev. David Brainerd. " You should remember, sinner, that your j\Iaker sustains the character of a Sovereign and of a righteous Judge. Though everlasting damnation be ever so dreadful, yet it is what you have deserved, and what your injured Sovereign may inflict upon you, and be righteous, and holy, and glorious in it." — Rev. Abraham Booth. Sick man. — True, true. By virtue of this sovereignty, all Biblo-reaclers admit Go<"l has a " right," as you name, even to ' cast both soul and body into hell." But he has most graciously waived this " right" on bthalf of " all" those who ^^ believe" and will '■'■come to Him." I de- sire to derive the '>enefit flowim; from this covenant by the acceptance of the terms. This is positively all I want. I am no anti- nomian. Minister. — I fear that you are stumbling at God's decrees, as I have known many to do. In spiritual matters, as in temporal, your duty is simply to " use the means." When sick, you send for the doctor. Sick man. — How can "c?ry bones," to which you just now compared me, use " the means ?" In the temporal matter of ray health I " used the means" by sending for the doctor, but it has most signally failed. Do you mean to say that it is equally problematical in spiritual matters when " means are used ?" In my tvpiritual ailment I considered the best " means" for me to use was to send for you, but it has failed also. Minister. — In relation to spiritual blessing God says, " shall" and " will." None who have diligently used the right means have found them to fail. Sick man. — Am I now using the " right means," and if so, may it be hours, days, weeks or months before the blessing is received ? Minister. — You think then, I suppose, that God is dealing hardly with you ? Sick man. — I would very much rather you had not asked the question, but as you have done so, I must answer truthfully. It has that ap- pearance to me. Minister. — I can safely leave you in the hands of the Lord. He will do what is right by and for you. Sick man. — Of couree he will ; but that is poor consolation for me. I have no doubt but what the population of the bottomless pit will be obliged to acknowledge that the Lord has done right in sending them there. Do you mean to doubt my sincerity ? If I am not in earnest about my salvation, then it is impossible for me to be in earnest about anything. S2 Minister. — While I synipatliizc with you deeply, I am compelled to say, " Let God be true, and every man a liar." God njays, that " Whosoever calleth on ,,hc name of the Lord shall be savetl." Now, I believe it, notwith- standing all you or any other mortal may say to the contrary. Sick man. — Do not, I pray, get angry with me. I desire reverently to isay the same thing. I do not understand how I can possibly be a " liar" for saying what I fuel in my very conscience ia truth, though I do not understand it. We are now alone — permit me to enfa^e in a short prayer for this blessing : " O ford, we have just been reading in thy own Word, that whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved; give me, I beseech thee, every qualification of body, soul, and mind, which thou secst is requisite and necessary, in order that I may be enabled to ' call' in a way agreeable to thy will, in order that I may derive all the spiritual sweetness and strength and profit that thou didst design to flow from it, when, in infinite wisdom, thou didst most graciously put it in the Word which thou de- signed to be a ' lamp to our feet, and a guide to our way.' " I feel that I have now " called on the Lord" with all the praying powers with which I am endowed. Ar^i I now saved .^ 3[inister. — Well, but the Bible says further, that " none can call Josus Lord but by the Holy Ghost." If your's was such a "call" you are saved, and if it was not, you are not. Sick num. — Do you mean to deny that I used my best endeavor to " call" in the way you name? Minister. — No, I cannot deny that. Sick man. — You are now placed in the same dilemma as I was shortly ago. While you, with me, admit that God's word mmthQ true, you also admit that I am not a " //«?•," as you rather angrily called me a moment ago. We will, however, not waste precious time on mere argument or words. I desire God's promised blessings on God's own terms, and yet again entreat of you, as one of the ministers whom he has " called," to instruct me. How am I to reach up to, or come down to, the " only hope set before us in the gospel ?" Minister. — As I before said and repeat, the Holy Spirit, without which none 3an "come" to Christ, is most distinctly promised to those who ask. As Spurgeon says : " Take God at His word, and ask Him ' to do as He has said.' " Sick man. — Excuse me, if I again engage in prayer : " O Lord, here is another promise in thy own Word, which has been pointed out to me as the one best adapted to ray case. I pray that the same may be granted me, ac- cording to thy Word, that necessary aid may be vouclisafed to me, in order that I may have 'a spiritual discernment' of spiritual things, and thus become ' taught of God.' " I feel now that I have honestly endeavored to extract the spiritual nutriment which I know is con- tained in this promise, but I feel, also, that the blessing has been withheld. What next am I to do or say ? and how am I to do or say it? Minister. — You make me tremble. Sick man. — ^I do, too. But I would tremble still worse to state what would be untrue. I feel that there is a great disparity between my experience and God's word, and this is the very reason why I have sent for you. I know that I am wrong, and want you to instruct me rigfit. Minister. —Remember, " the heart is deceit- ful above all things." Examine minutely down deep into your own heart, and see if you are not claiming some degree of merit for all these honest, sincere endeavors of yours. I cannot sutficiently impress on your mind, that we are saved for Chrisfs sake alone. Sick man. — I frankly admit what you say to be God's wuy of salvation. Bear with me while I yet again engage in prayer : " O Loni, thy servant has drawn my attention to anoth n- important portion of thy Word, indeed an all- important one, made very manifest throughout all thy Word, namely, that we are saved for thy dear Son's sake. My desire is, thou knowest, to be sa, i in thine own way, and I pray that whatever I may be clmging to, or resting upon — either conscioitshj or uncon- sciously — other than thine own way, thou wilt sever and remove. Eradicate, I be- seech thee, every unscriptural view that I may be now entertaining of myself as a sinner, and of thee, the sinner's only Saviour, and substitute therefor scriptural and proper views of the same, making me willing and able to accept thine own promises on thine own terms. All of which I desire to ask (so far as I under- stand the import and meaning) for C'hrist's sake." Can you suggest any other promise for which I should plead as a sinner, in order to become a Christian ? or can you suggest any other way of pleading for them ? Minister. — You do greatly perplex me. Sick man. — It is you who perplex me. You have always represented the way of sal- vation as so very simple, "that its simplicity was its difficulty" — noio, it is nothing but a labyrinth of perplexing difficulties. »s Minister. — It is siuiplo enough to tliose " taiiffht of God:' Sick man. — That is what I already know ; but what I do not know is, how to nrocure this divine teaching. I have often askea " wisdom" of Ilira who has pronaised to '■'■give liberally,'" hut I have not received the coveted blessing. It must be because I have " asked amiss,'" Cannot you instruct me how to ask aright ? Minister. — Your question implies a doubt as to the sincerity of ray Master's word, and I will not sit here and listen to it. Sick man. — I feel that there is ffreat force in what you say, still I cannot admit that you have so much cause for indignation, inasmuch as " you, therefore, ichich believe^' and " obtain- ed like precious faith," there are especially to you left " exceeding great and precious pro- mises,'' yet you are continually deploring your utter inability to grasp those promises bequeathed to you. The Bible does not speak of first, second, third and fourth class Chris- tians, with a distinct and separate set of promises to each particular class, but the same '■'■Father," who is "no v'specter of persons" has left but the one set of promises. If I am fo be accused of questioning the sincerity of God's word, because I fail to obey God's com- mand to " believe," are not you Christians much more guilty in not accepting the more exalted blessings especi.iUy promised to"Je- lievers" in the same book by the same God ? I solemnly declare that I eagerly desire after the blessings promised and enjoyed by those who " believe." And surely my solemn declar- ation ought to be believeu The fourth class of Christians solemnly Q "iii'"e that they eagerly desire after tl>'» blessin promised and enjoyed by the firsi " Chr. "ans. Now, both admit that the prom., ''u ^d to their respective cases are to be lountl i. od's word, and both also admit that they fai i ability to appropriate them to their own use. They ap- pear to recede from them as they are approach- ed. Now, neither of those classes desires to represent that God's word is untrue, nor do they relish to be called "liars" because they truthfully represent their exact position. It appears to me as if God had graciously pro- vided a wide-spread grape-vine, the fruit of which was better the higher the clusters hang, and invited all equally to partake. These Christians who luxuriate on the middle clus- ters, censure ail those belo7€ them for eating such inferior grapes, when there are so much better where they, for the time being, happen to be. They are not only urged, but at times censured for not complying. Then, again, those in the middle branches are chided by those still higher than themselves. And the very highest see the very best clusters hopelessly beyond their reach. I have noticed that every Christian appears to thiiik it the easiest pos- sible thing for others to come up to their standard, while they frankly acknowledge their utter inability to advance to the standard of others who may be higher than them. God says, " Train up a child in the way ho shoold. go : and when he is old he will not depart from it." How many thousands of pious parents have tried and failed to grasp blessing from this promise. Christ says, " That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." How many a little prayer-meeting has " anreed" to " ask" that the preaching of the gospel might result in the conversion of sinners, (fee, but failed to grasp the promised blessing. Minister. — God says, " If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." What you want to prove by all this, I do not understand. Sick man. — It is very important that I should be understood here, "i ou keep telling me that in order to be saved I must " believe." I make answer that I am uxable to do so, but you apparently do not believe me, inasmuch as you again and again repeat the same command, and tell me that to believe is a very simple thing, so simple indeed that its simplicity is its difficulty, and that I am making God a liar, &c. &c. I answer by asking you, if you Christians do not stand under the same con- demnation in disobeying other parts of God's word, though you also plead inability ? On the authority of God's word you command me to believe. On the same authority I command you to "grow" to " ftdl assurance." See what glorious, bright and rapturous spiritual delights Slartyn, Rhodes and many others enjoyed, while good old Thogmarton never enjoyed a comfortable assurance in his life. Not only are there such Christians, but many, like Bunyan, Dr. Payson, D. Brainard, Cowper, Ilallock, and many others, were at times luxuri- ating in the higher branches of the vine, and at other times were obliged to eat the poorer fruit on the lowest branches, experiencing the keenest anguish of mind, fearing that they had never savingly believed ! They sing — " IIow tedious and tasteless the hours, Wlien Jesus no longer I see ! M Sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet flowers Have all lost their sweetness to me : The midsummer sun shines but dim ; The fields strive in vain to look gay ; But when I am happy in Him, December's as pleasant as May." 'Jj, Where is the blessedness I knew When first I saw the Lord ? Where is the soul-refreshing view Ot Jesus and His word ?" " What peaceful hours I then enjoyed ! How sweet their memory still I But now I find an aching void The world can never fill." Still it is equally true that by far the larger proportion of those who do " believe on the Lord Je»us (7Am<" do not enjoy this assur- ance ; not, however, because they desire it not, for they long for it, but because they lack, what we lack, that mysterious something to enable them to do so. Minister, — You ask me if I enjoy full assur- ance. I answer that I do not. Sick man. — Why ? Do you not desire it ? Mi7iister. — I certainly do. jSick man. — Wliy then do you not ? You surely do not stumble at the " simplicity''' of the promises ? Minister. — I confess my inabi , God, for some wise purpose, does not see fit to give to all the " same measure of fuith." Sick man. — Exactly so, exactly so I do not " believe,^'' not because I loill not, but can- not. You do not enjoy the blessing of '^^fuU assurance,'^ not because you tcill not, but be- cause you cannot. I will not, however, call you " a liar"" as you do me. Minister. — I do not see that good is to be accomplished by a continuation of this conver- sation. Sick man. — Nor do I. I thank you most kindly for your visit. Still I must be» frank with you, and state that I am greatly disap- pointed at the result of the interview. While, however, I have not been profited by what you have said, there is much food for thought in what has not been said. "When left alone I shall endeavor to meditate on it. I have heard it stated that what the Bible has not said was inspired equally with what it has said. Good bye.