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faithful and just to forgive us our sins."1 For since "Christ once suffered, the just for the unjust "-since He "bore our sins in his own body on the tree" 2-if we believe on Him, and lay hold on his salvation, justice itself cannot but acquit us. It cannot be, that Jesus should lay down His life, and that then God should require ours. It cannot be, that, when Jesus has paid the dreadful debt to the very uttermost farthing, we should be called upon to pay it once again. No. As God is a faithful God, He must fulfil the promises He has made, that not one of all those who come to Him through Jesus, shall ever perish. As He is a just God, He will not punish us and our Surety toowill not demand a twice told reckoning. If indeed the atonement of Jesus were not perfect, if He had not suffered all, not paid all, we might tremble. But Almighty Justice declared itself satisfied, when our Surety was released from the prison of the tomb, when he sat down on the right hand of God, and took possession in our name of the inheritance He had purchased for us; and therefore it is said, that He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." By His death He laid down the price of our salvation; by His rising again He declared that the price was accepted-the salvation complete.

to me the great display of God's

And this seems wisdom in the

cross of Christ, that the Just should be able to

2 1 Peter iii. 18. ii. 24. 3 Rom. iv. 25.

justify the ungodly without deviating one tittle from His justice-" that He should be just, and yet the Justifier of him which believeth on Jesus." But we find these two things inseparably united in scripture-holiness and salvation, as I saw it well expressed in some little work I was reading the other day: No salvation by works; and yet no salvation without works.' "Christ hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins." If then we follow and obey Him not as our Prince, He is as yet no Saviour to us. If He had not given us repentance, we must not suppose that he has given us remission. But, dear let us bear in mind, that both are gifts. Repentance is as much a gift, and as little a merit, as pardon. I fear I have been very tedious; but the subject has led me farther than I intended. We are sinners seeking a common Saviour; and therefore I trust that nothing we can say of Him, can be wearisome.'

The practical view of this statement is more fully developed in a subsequent letter to the same correspondent-one of the last she ever wrote:

September, 1830.

Far from thinking it presumption to write as you have done, my dear friend, I think we ought not to be ashamed of owning what God has done 2 Acts v. 31.

1 Rom. iii. 26.

for our souls. We know that it is solely "by the grace of God"—His free, unmerited favour— that we 66 are what we are ;" and that in our lips, and above all, in our lives, we are bound to shew, that "the grace of God was not bestowed upon us in vain."1

'Dear

it has indeed pleased God to "call us to His kingdom and glory; " let us (in His strength)" walk worthy of the high vocation wherewith we are called." "Let us exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day; let us provoke one another to love and good works;" 2 and above all-let us pray for one another-and that fervently and unceasingly. We have need not only to pray, but to "watch unto prayer ; "3 for it is only as long as we maintain this watchful spirit, that we can hope to enjoy any of the comforts of religion. Let me intreat you-not as one whose freedom from these sins gives her a right to exhort others-but as one who has herself felt by mournful experience what "an evil and bitter thing it is" to depart from the God of our salvation; as a backslider, whose backslidings have been healed by the inexpressible mercy of a long-suffering God, let me most earnestly and affectionately entreat you to guard against the least declension from holiness-the least relaxation in that close and

2 Eph. iv. 1.

Heb. iii. 13. x. 24.

4 Jer. ii. 19.

1 1 Cor. xv. 10.
31 Peter iv. 7.

humble walking with God, which alone can keep you peaceful and happy. Works cannot justify us before God; but we are said to be justified by works in one part of scripture 1-that is, they are the only evidence of our justification that we can offer to our fellow-creatures. "Ye shall know them by their fruits."2 And what are "the fruits of the Spirit?" Forgive me, if I record them here. The description is so lovely, that we cannot remind one another of it too often. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."3 Let us examine ourselves by this, dearest Let us see whether

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we bring forth this fruit, and whether we "bring forth much fruit-so shall we be His disciples.' My course is perhaps almost ended. I have reason to hope, that it will not be very long, ere I enter into that rest, which Jesus has purchased for me with His blood. Oh! that I had walked more to His glory, "who loved me, and gave Himself for me!" But your course (as a Christian) is but lately begun, and may, if the Lord please, be continued for many years. O then let it be indeed "the path of the just, which is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto unto the perfect

1 James ii. 21, 22, 24.
3 Gal. v. 22-24.

2 Matt. vii. 16.
4 John xv. 8.

day." "Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in purity. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. Be clothed with humility;" for as you are of an humble and " contrite spirit, and tremble at God's word," so will "the High and Lofty One who inhabiteth eternity," delight to dwell in your heart, to bless you with His refreshing and sanctifying presence. And now, dearest "may the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God, your whole body, and soul, and spirit, be preserved blameless unto the coming of Jesus Christ." To Him may we with one heart and voice, give glory both now and for evermore! Amen.'

3

The following letter however, carefully separates the fruits of faith from any ground of dependence. The application of the subject for Christian consolation will be interesting.

Stoke, Feb. 21, 1827. The chapter you mention (Matt. xxv.) is particularly delightful, as holding out a lovely picture of the people of Christ. But let us mark, that it is not the action, but the motive, which meets with such high commendation. It is not

1 Prov. iv. 18.

2 1 Tim. iv. 12. 1 John ii. 15.
3 Isa. lxvi. 2. lvii. 15.

1 Peter v. 5. 4 1 Thes. v. 23.