Convictions, fastened by the Spirit of God, will hold the rebel fast at the bar of the law and of his own conscience, as guilty and condemned, in spite of every "Lo here and lo there;" in spite of all plaisters, daubers, kerchiefs, and false cries of "Peace, peace," until the Advocate's all-prevailing plea is attended with the atonement, with the imputed righteousness of Jesus, and until a sense of his discriminating and dying love is heard; against these no accusations can be heard, therefore it is the application of these things that will release him and let him go. A deep sense of the need of these things is felt under the quickening operations of the Spirit. And the same Spirit works a hope and expectation of these things; produces earnest prayers, and helps our infirmities in supplicating for them. He enlightens our eyes to see them held forth in the scriptures, and raises all our hopes to expect them from Christ, and the enjoyment of them from the revelation of Christ; in hope of whose manifestation to our souls he keeps us longing and desiring, till the desire be accomplished, and the tree of life springs up in our souls. Now, as this is the Spirit's quickening work, the prophet asks, "Wherefore doth a living man complain; a man for the And Christ, my dear Brother, must be faithful to him that appointed him: he came down from heaven not to do his own will (as man), but the will of him that sent him, that he might appear to all his family to be the faithful and true witness. To some he is not sent; he came not to call the righteous; the whole do not need the physician. Wo to the full; wo to the wise in their own eyes, and to the prudent in their own sight. Those who boast of the light of nature, and ask, "Are we blind also?" their sin remains. Those that say, "Stand by, I am holier than thou," are a smoke in his nose. those that purify themselves shall go to confusion together. They that trust in their own heart are fools, and those that trust in their own arm are cursed of God. They have nothing for Christ to do, nor is he sent to such; but to another sort of people, whom he must visit and save; for he came to do the will of him that sent him, and to finish his work, which is as follows: "He hath sent me to preach good tidings to the meek," who are debased, humbled and brought so low, that they cannot bear a hard or harsh word. "He hath given me the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in season to him that is of the house of Israel, and to the lost sheep among the Gentiles, which are not of that fold, and them 1 must bring, and they shall bear my voice." Lost ones are not only those that have strayed, but those that are so confused and confounded, that their faculties are impaired, their recollection, judgment, and understanding clean gone, quite bewildered in their minds, lost to the world, and lost in the world, and in their own apprehensions lost for ever, so as never to be either sought after, looked up, or found in Christ, nor by Christ, being (as they imagine) lost and undone for ever. He is "to bind up the broken hearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening the prison to them that are bound." Those that cry, under the killing sentence of the law, shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and live. Again, “And I will feed you, O poor of the flock," for " they shall come that were ready to perish." Hence it is that he blesses them that hunger and thirst after righteousness, and they shall be filled. But the fat and the strong he will feed with judgment. Forget not, my dear Brother, the language of the covenant: a must, and a shall, is ments. "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench; he shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." "He hath sent me to comfort all that mourn." "Blessed are they that weep, for they shall laugh; blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted," &c. O, Tommy, the work goes on, truth enters, and thy bands begin to fly; for every encouragement will enlarge thee more and more; they are harbingers and forerunners of the grand visitor, and are sent to keep us on our watch-tower, to raise hope and expectation, and to draw forth love to him, and earnest desires after him; but still remember, when he is least expected, and matters are at the worst, then he comes. But I know, by thy last letter, that his righteousness is near, and his salvation ready to be revealed; thou hast passed the line, my friend; the bond of the covenant is on thy right side, and not a few of its blessings are upon thee by the Spirit of God; and thou art alive for evermore, as sure as I live. O, how condescending is God, and how |