53 PEERLESS WORTH. "What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard Him, and observed Him." HOSEA XIV. 8. HAST thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him? Is not thine a captured heart? Joyful choose the better part. Idols once they won thee, charmed thee, What has stript the seeming beauty Not the crushing of those idols, Who extinguishes their taper "Tis that look that melted Peter, Draw, and win, and fill completely, CORRESPONDENCE. 4. "M. H.,' ," St. Kilda, Victoria. We have read, with very deep interest and thankfulness, your most kind and encouraging letter. The Lord be praised for all you can tell of His great goodness to you! We deeply feel your kindness in writing. May the Lord greatly bless you! May He pour into your precious soul the rich consolations of His love, and fill you with all joy and peace in believing. We feel for you in your isolation; but Christ is with you and He is enough. You will be sorry to hear that our beloved friend Dr. Mackern, to whom you refer, is no longer with us. He fell asleep, in November, 1874. 5. “T. A. T.," London. There is a very lovely passage at the close of the book of Revelation, to which you have not referred. "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Rev. xxii. 17.) This is but one of a large number of passages which give us the other side of the subject. Your letter is entirely one sided. The writer of the article to which you call our attention, rejects utterly the notion of man's free will. He believes that man is perfectly powerless; and not only so, but in a state of positive enmity against God, so that, if left to himself, he never would come to Christ. All who come to the supper are compelled to come, else they never would be there. Moreover he most fully believes in the sovereignty of God; and that themes of all who are saved were written in the Lamb's book of life, before the foundation of the world. But then, on the other side-for we must take both sides let us ponder such words as these: "I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 1 Timothy ii. 1-6. And again, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter iii. 2. Now, if it be said, that, in the above scriptures, the words" any and "all "refer to the elect, we reply that this is an unwarrantable liberty to take with the word of God. If the inspired writer had meant, “any of the elect," or "all of the elect," he would, most assuredly, have said so. But he says nothing of the kind. It is not according to the desire of the heart of God that any should perish. But man is a responsible being; although your letter is totally silent on this very important question. In short, you seem to lose sight altogether of two weighty truths: first, the largeness of the heart of God-the fulness and freeness of His grace-the wide aspect of His salvation-that His righteousness is unto all—that the gospel is to be preached to every creature-that God commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Mark xvi. 15; Acts xvii. 30; Romans iii. 22. And, secondly, man's responsibility. Is the sinner responsible or is he not? If he be not responsible, then what mean such words as these-" Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels; in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power?" And again, "For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians i. 6-9; ii. 11, 12. Are men responsible to believe the gospel? Yes, verily, inasmuch as they shall be punished with everlasting destruction for rejecting it. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? People find difficulty in reconciling man's powerlessness with his responsibility. It is none of our business to reconcile things that are revealed in holy scripture. It is ours to believe. They are reconciled, inasmuch as they are distinctly taught in the word of God. It is remarkable that we do not see the same difficulty in reference to the things of this life. Suppose a man owes you a thousand pounds; but he has by unprincipled extravagance, rendered himself wholly unable to pay you. He is quite powerless. Is he responsible? And are you not perfectly justified, according to worldly principles, in taking legal proceedings against him? How much more will God be justified in His judgment of all those who reject the glad tidings of a full and free salvation sent to them on the ground of the atoning death of His only begotten Son! 6. "R. G.," Ireland. Your poem has come to hand. It is too long for our limited space. Thanks for your kind note. 7. "J. P.," Sale. We cannot conceive how any true Christian could engage in such a practice as cardplaying. We consider it perfectly shocking. must confess your letter surprises us. We 8. "M. B.," Dawlish. Your truly kind and interesting letter has come to hand. We are very thankful for the help you have received from the article on Hebrews vi. The Lord bless you! 9. “W. L.,” Illinois, U.S. 1 Corinthians i. 17 gives you a divine reply to your. inquiry. May the Great Shepherd and Bishop of souls keep you ever in the holy shelter of His own blessed presence! CONVERSION: WHAT IS IT? PART III. greatly to be now-a-days, for Many so-called HAVING thus far, seen the absolute necessity, in every case, of conversion, and having, in some measure, sought to point out what conversion is not, we have now to inquire what it is. And here we must keep close to the veritable teaching of holy scripture. We can accept nothing less, nothing different. It is feared that very much of what passes, conversion is not conversion at all. cases of conversion are published and talked of, which cannot stand the test of the word of God. Many profess to be converted, and are accredited as such, who prove to be merely stony-ground hearers. There is no depth of spiritual work in the heart, no real action of the truth of God on the conscience, no thorough breaking with the world. It may be the feelings are wrought upon by human influence, and certain evangelical sentiments take possession of the mind; but self is not judged; there is a clinging to earth and nature; a lack of that deep-toned earnestness and genuine reality which so remarkably characterise the conversions recorded in the New Testament, and for which we may always look where the work of conversion is divine. We do not here attempt to account for all these superficial cases; we merely refer to them in order that all who are engaged in the blessed work of evangelisation may be led to consider the matter in the light of holy scripture, and to see how far their own |