or with escaping it if it comes: I tell you he has no more courage than other people : but I think he is stupid. . . . He knows nothing of that happy condition you speak of, nor I neither you are in a better state than any of us. S. Dear brother, do not say so of me: you grieve me extremely. I that am the worst creature alive, what state can I be in ? I hope too you are wrong in the case of my brother and yourself. B. This is not a time, sister, to flatter or compliment the judgments of God are coming upon us: what must be done? What is our work? What is our duty? S. We talk of preparations, and some preach up early preparations: I know nothing we can do, but learn to die at the feet of Christ, as miserable penitents, this is all I can come to.1 B. Oh sister, if I could do that, I should think myself safe. 1 Here the reader will find the more favourable construction justified, which was put on the defective or objectionable language of p. 79, 80. S. He will accept all that come unto God by him. B. But I should have come before: to talk of it now is nothing; we cannot now be said to come, we are driven. S. That is true; but so his goodness is pleased to act with us, that he will accept those who are persuaded by the terrors of the Lord, as well as those who are drawn by his love. B. There is no sincerity in coming now. B. It is hard work to repent under distress; and it is hard to be satisfied of our own sincerity under such circumstances. How shall I prepare now, that have not gone about it till the judgments of God are upon us; and I am driven to it, as it were, in the terrors of death? S. Do not discourage me, brother, while you discourage yourself. The judgment of God is begun, and we are to prepare for it ; that is to say, to be ready to meet him with our souls prostrate at his feet. We are to say, It is the Lord, seemeth him good. let him do with us what And this is a work proper to go about, even now: I am sure I must go about it now as well as you. I entreat you do not discourage me; I want all the helps to it possible. B. I do not discourage you, sister: you have been before-hand with the work; you have led a life of preparation a great while; I have lost all the time past, and that doubles the work for the time to come. S. I have done nothing, and can do nothing; neither can any of us do any thing, but submit and be resigned. B. We must submit and be resigned as to God's disposing of us; but I speak of another work, sister, that lies hard and heavy upon my spirits. I have a long misspent life to look back upon: I have an ocean of crimes to launch through, a weight that sinks the soul, and, without God's infinite mercy, will sink it for ever. What is resigning to God's disposal to this? No man can resign to be eternally lost; no man can say he submits to be rejected of God. I could cheerfully submit to whatever it pleases God to do with me here, whether to die or to live; but I must be pardoned, sin must be done away, or I am lost and undone it cannot be said I can resign that point.1 S. No, brother, I did not mean So: we must resign our bodies, but we are allowed to be humbly importunate for the pardon of our sins, the sanctifying of our hearts, and the saving of our souls and then we shall do the other with cheerfulness and satisfaction. B. Well, sister, now you come to my case. This pardon is not to be obtained but upon a sincere repentance, and a firm faith in Christ; and this the work, I say, Well indeed is it when the solemn sense of eternity, of the worth of the soul, of the evil of sin, and of danger by sin, thus presses on the mind. It proceeds from the Spirit of God, amid whatever remaining darkness it may exist; and it may be expected, therefore, to have a happy issue. O how widely does it differ from the natural insensibility to such subjects which commonly prevails! I have still to do, and that you have not neglected as I have done.1 S. Oh, brother, I have done little; I have it every day to do, as well as you; and it is a work that must be renewed every day I desire to be every day applying to it with all my power, and I hope you do so too; for we make fresh work for repentance every day.2 : 1 All this is a work," and a most serious and important work, calling for the greatest pains and diligence. Faith itself is a "work," or an act and operation of the mind; (John vi. 27-29;) though it is not as a work of ours that it saves us, but simply as connecting us with Christ, giving us an interest in him, by whose merits and grace alone we are saved. Nor are we left to perform these important works by our own power: much less, when we do perform them are we to bring them as an offering to God, to procure us the further blessings which we need. No; they are his gifts to us, his works in us, though we have duties to perform respecting them. "A new heart will I give you;' "I will take away the heart of stone, and give you the heart of flesh." Repentance is his gift; Faith is his gift; though we are to exercise both one and the other; and though the exercise of them leads the way, and is requisite, to the attainment of other gifts consequent upon these. Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26, &c.; Acts v. 31; Eph. ii. 8, &c. 2 This is all true; but let it still be borne constantly in mind, that The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth"-daily, hourly, cleanseth-" from all sin," all them who thus come |