Cross; but was afraid to hope for acceptance on that ground. He could not relinquish his hold of the Cross--but he could hardly see how it would avail on his own behalf. All was suspense and uncertainty in his soul—and yet all was solicitude!

In this situation the Minister found him. ADMATH welcomed him; but to the question, "Is all well, my brother?" he answered, "I AM GOING INTO ETERNITY IN THE DARK! I have examined and embraced the Gospel; it is glorious! it is the truth of God! its salvation is all my desire; but I know not how to obtain it for myself. For myself! oh, I am utterly unworthy of it! I dare neither hope nor despair; but I am going into eternity in the dark! I know not what will be the issue!"

"ADMATH," saith the Evangelist," it will be

peace,

if

you believe in Christ for the salvation

of Christ. His is a holy salvation."

"Yes! and for that I love it," said ADMATH. "Oh, yes; its holiness is its glory! Even to know it makes sin odious. I have hated sin since I loved salvation. But I am going into eternity in the dark! I may be unholy still!”

"Not whilst God is true, Admath: he that believeth shall never perish, but have eternal life; and you are quite sure that you believe all that God says of his Son."

"Yes, yes! but I do not feel as if I were safe."

My brother! how can you feel it before you BELIEVE it? He that would feel safe for eternity, must first believe that he is safe; and a believer in Christ is warranted to do so."

"Aye, there it is! I never saw it before. 'Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in

peace, for mine eyes have SEEN thy salvation.""

No. VIII.

DEVELOPMENTS BY STUDY.

It is a fact, equally remarkable and pleasing, that whenever the principles of Grace seat themselves in our minds, we not only "cease to do evil" as formerly; we also resolve and set ourselves to do well," almost instinctively. I mean, that even before we have time to study the Scriptural system of well doing, and before our own plan of improvement can be arranged, we begin to do better; not indeed without design, but almost without any other rule than the new tendencies of the heart itself. From the very moment it is melted or warmed by the glories of Salvation, it is willing to do better than formerly, and desirous to do well in future. This

fact has always appeared to me a decisive proof of the reality of the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart, as well as of the power of Divine Truth itself: for, let the persons thus awakened to the worth of their souls, belong to whatever class of society, and differ however much in knowledge or talent, each of them is equally intent, at first, upon well doing. Even a person who has hardly ever given a thought to the theory or the practice of holiness, until the very moment of his being arrested by some great truth of the Gospel, is, from that moment, as willing to do well, as the person who saw, before his conversion, something of the beauty of holiness. Yes; and both persons are equally afraid, at the time, lest any thing should prevent them from doing so well as they wish.

"Is not this the finger of God?" I readily allow that there is much general knowledge afloat, on the subject of what is right and pro

T

per.

Even those who have gone farthest astray in the paths of sin and folly, carried with them, and kept whilst there, some sense or convictions of their duty to both God and man. No man has every thing to learn on the subject of well doing, when he is converted, however ignorant or vicious he may have been before. No; the Spirit of God found some sense of good, as well as of evil, in the sinner's conscience: and, of course, all that sense, together with all his general knowledge of right and wrong, rallies and converges in one focus, which forms something like a law of duty, when concern for the eternal salvation of the soul comes home with power to the heart. But still, not all this, nor all that the best instructed or the best inclined in morals know, before their conversion, will account for the concern, the solicitude, the simple-hearted willingness to do well, which is felt and manifested when the grace of God touches the heart.