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cleaves to the dust; "his treasure is in heaven," and there his heart is also: as he has received Christ Jesus the Lord, so he walks in him: His Name is as ointment poured forth; and, constrained by love to him, he is prepared alike for service or suffering. His faith purifies the heart and overcomes the world. And how pleasant and encouraging is it to behold the stedfastness with which the people of God have held their faith! The life they lived was by faith. By faith in the blood of Christ, in opposition to the works of the law, NewTestament believers have sought their justification; and hence their sanctification and consolation. They have lived by faith, in opposition to sense. The happiness they chose lay above the world, and beyond it their conversation was in heaven: they loved the Word of God as their food, and their feast, and their treasure; they loved the people of God, because they loved Christ, and were led by his Spirit; and they loved ordinances, because in them they could sometimes get a glimpse of heaven; and to crown all, they died in the faith. They had nothing to fear in death, nothing from sin, nothing from Satan, for body or soul. They had much to hope for beyond death: they had a faithful promise, from the Lord of life and death, of life and glory that should never end; and his rod, and his staff, that had sustained and directed them so often and so long, now afforded them peculiar support. Under these circumstances, they could loose from earth, in

cheerful confidence of gaining the end of their faith, the heaven of everlasting rest. How sweetly did they speak to surrounding friends, of "the Angel that redeemed them from all evil!" "I die, but God will be with you;" and then said, with a soul filled with the peace of God that passeth all understanding, "Into thine hands I commit my spirit." Precious faith! my very soul congratulates my dear children who "have obtained like precious faith." "Lord, increase our faith." What happiness when it shall be lost in vision! May this bear your hearts above the world, and sustain you under every burden!

LETTER IX.

TO MASTER B.

J. BOWDEN.

Tooting, Dec. 22, 1808.

MY DEAR GRANDSON,

I OFTEN think of you with tender affection, and of your dear brother; and you may suppose that I felt an increasing solicitude, when I heard of your late illness, from which I hope you are now recovered. It is an occasion of great satisfaction to me, that Providence has placed you where you are favoured with the most important advantages. In addition to these, I hope you have found it good

for you, to have been received by Him, "who teacheth as never man taught," into his school of affliction. I trust, his design was to awaken your attention, and cause you to think of that which relates to another world more seriously than ever. Probably, he was pleased to show you some of those things more clearly than you had ever seen them. You were struck with a conviction of the uncertainty of life, and the value of time: perhaps you had a more painful sense of the hatefulness of sin, and the desperate wickedness of your heart, than ever : you gazed at the "evil and bitter thing" till you were ashamed and confounded, and could not help groaning out a desire, that God would wash you thoroughly from your iniquity, and cleanse you from your sin and I hope that whatever had before thought of the world—what it could be to you or do for you-your mind was then diverted and entirely withdrawn from it, by something you saw, beyond whatever you had before seen, of the grace and preciousness of Christ, and the gracious manner in which he invites a sinful creature, and even a sinful child, to himself. I hope, you often recollect the thoughts and anxieties which then passed through your mind; that you feel a greater concern for your salvation than ever you did before; that you read the Bible and good books more; that you pray more, and are become more inward and spiritual in prayer, and watch your heart more in the performance of the duty. I mention

you

these things, because I know that your heart, like mine," is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked," and that however thoughtful you may be sometimes, and however great your advantages, you are still in danger of losing what you have gained, and of becoming as thoughtless and trifling as ever. I wish you to be afraid of your own heart; to be sensible that it must be renewed; to come to the Lord Jesus, and lament before him how false it is, and how full of sin, and earnestly beg of him, that he would "create within you a clean heart." I am encouraged to urge these things upon you, because of his own promise. (Ezek. xxxvi. 25.) It is one of the great promises, contained in the covenant, which was sealed in your baptism. Your dear parents then pleaded this promise on your behalf; and on the ground of it, affectionately and believingly gave you up to God. For God most graciously encouraged them to "east you upon him from the womb." He made them He made them "hope concerning you," when you hung on your "mother's breast." And, if you can but cry unto him, "My Father, thou art the guide of my youth!" and give your heart to him, you may be assured, he will grant you the great blessing, that was represented by the water then shed on you, "the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost:" he will put you among his dear children, and be your Father and your God for ever. My dear child, think seriously of this; think often what advantages you would

then possess in a dying hour, and through all eternity. Speak to your brother about it. Pray to partake of this grace; pray together for it: the Lord will not overlook your prayer, nor withhold his mercy from you. You know it is your mercy to have many praying friends on earth; and which is best of all, you have a praying Friend in heaven, who tenderly loves and cares for young children, and “whom the Father heareth always." Your advantages are very great; the Lord most graciously sought you, and claimed you as soon as you were born; your parents gave you to him, and engaged to train you up for him. And now he waits to be gracious to you: he calls, " My son, give me thy heart." Then, let him hear you say, and from day to day repeat it, Behold, I come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God."

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You are young, and I am old. I was once as you are; but the revolution of many years has taught me to regard the things of time and eternity

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