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1765.

FIRST LETTER.

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under a slavish dread of wrath, whereby all our endeavours to avoid sin will proceed from a wrong principle, a principle of fear, instead of love and gratitude, and all our obedience will be the forced drudgery of a slave, and not the effect of the filial disposition of a child. This, I am convinced, is the case with many sincere people, and it is wholly owing to a lurking spirit of self-righteousness and unbelief, which prevents them from submitting to the righteousness of God, and closing with that full, free, all-sufficient salvation which the Gospel holds forth to guilty, helpless sinners, shewing them, that by the obedience of Christ unto death, the law is fulfilled, and Infinite Justice satisfied to the uttermost-that by his resurrection from the dead, God accepted the payment which he had made for his people, and discharged him from the prison of the grave in token of their full acquittal, and that he is now at the right hand of God, having entered the holy place as their head and forerunner, dispensing his gifts according to their various necessities, and making intercession for them, that where he is they may be also. Well, then, may we say with the apostle, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword-in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of

God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Many, I know, object against thus living wholly upon the blessed Redeemer, making him our all in all, our Alpha and Omega, as a doctrine that tends to licentiousness, and to the prejudice of morality and good works; and this is sometimes done even by those who pretend to mighty zeal for the interests of holiness, whilst they themselves are living after the course of this world. Whoever makes this objection, hereby plainly shews himself to have never received the grace of God in truth, and to be a stranger to the nature of justifying faith, and to the constraining power of Christ's love; for how is it possible that we should be one with Christ, and not endeavour to be like him? If we partake of his Spirit, will not the fruits of that Spirit appear in our lives and conversation? Can he that is brought into the marvellous light of God's dear Son, have any longer fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness? Can the head be holy, and the members unholy? Can he who is united to Christ be employed in the service of Satan? Can the new creature delight in the works of the old man? Certainly not. It is true, (as the Church of England observes in her 11th article), we are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort;' but then it is as true, that there can be no real faith which does not produce good works, for the tree is known by its fruits, and as faith is the root of works, so works are the fruit of faith. We do not then make void the law through faith. God forbid: but we establish the law; for although through our weakness we cannot be justified by it, yet it still

1765.

FIRST LETTER.

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remains as a rule of life to every justified believer. Besides, the real Christian does not only look upon holiness as his duty, but also as his privilege; for being vitally united to Christ by faith, he receives from him a new nature, being, as saith the apostle Peter, made partaker of a divine nature;' which nature as much inclines him to holiness, as the old corrupt nature does to sin. Thus, being regenerated and born again, he is transformed in the spirit of his mind, he has put on Christ, and is renewed in every faculty of his soul. But still let us remember, that we are but renewed in part; so long as we are in the body, we shall find a law in our members warring against the law in our mind; the old man will be still striving for the mastery, and if he must die, will die hard. May this consideration make us ever watchful against the first risings of sin, and may we be continually looking to Jesus for strength to check it in the bud. It is this Jesus, my dear friend, who has conquered the only enemies we had to fear; he has disarmed death of his sting-looking to him we may overcome all fear of its approach, for when he is our friend, death is no other than an advantage; if he is our life, we shall surely find death our gain. The following questions I have found useful to myself: if we are able to give a comfortable answer to them, death cannot be to us a king of terrors, but a messenger of peace. Have earthly or heavenly things the chief place in our thoughts and affections? Do we prize that great salvation which the gospel offers to sinners, beyond every thing else in the world? Are we crucified to the world, and the world to us? Are we dead to its pleasures, riches, honours, and esteem? Does the humble temper of the meek and lowly Jesus reign in us? Is his service our delight, is sin our burden? Are we hungering

and thirsting after righteousness? Are we taking up our cross daily, denying ourselves, and following Christ? Are we working out our own salvation with fear and trembling? Are we giving diligence to make our calling and election sure? Blessed indeed is the person who can say, I find this to be my case."

This letter, by the blessing of God, produced what was intended by Miss Hill, and what was desired by Lady Glenorchy. It was the means employed by the grace of God, to bring her out of the horrible pit and the miry clay of despondency, to set her feet on the Rock of Ages, to establish her goings, and to put a new song into her mouth, even praises unto God. It may now be said of Lady Glenorchy, Behold she prayeth.—She arose from her knees at Taymouth, as Saul of Tarsus did from the ground near Damascus, a wonderful monument of the power and grace of God. From that interesting moment, without hesitation or conferring with flesh and blood, she resolutely turned her back on the dissipated world, and without reserve devoted herself, and all that she could command and influence, to the service of Christ and the glory of God; and in this she invariably persisted to her latest breath. Her future path of life lay through evil report and through good report; in the midst of deep adversity and of high prosperity; of severe trials and strong temptations, both temporal and spiritual. But none of these things moved her from the steadfastness of her Christian profession. Although her road was often rough in the extreme, and her enemies cruel, strong, and numerous, yet on she went in her Christian course, never deviating to the right hand nor to the left, but ever pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

1765.

SPIRITUAL COMPLAINTS.

13

CHAPTER II.

Lady Glenorchy becomes sensible of her spiritual weakness-Miss Hill writes to her on this subject-Goes to London-Is afraid of being thereby diverted from serious subjects-Letter from Miss Hill endeavouring to strengthen her in her resolutions to resist the temptations there.

LADY GLENORCHY, like every other well informed Christian, very soon began to discover her spiritual weakness and infirmities. Of these, it seems, she complained to her friend Miss Hill, who accordingly wrote to her the following letter:

August 30. 1765.

"Ir gives me great concern to hear of your bad state of health. May that God, in whose hands you are, command a blessing on the means used for your recovery! or, if it should be his will that this sickness be a sickness unto death, may you, as you see the outward man decaying, see the inward man renewed day by day! The Lord has merciful intentions even in his most bitter dispensations. Whom he loveth he chasteneth; and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. May you, my dear friend, be enabled to see love in his rod, as well as justice in his dealings; and may the bitter cup which he has given you to drink be so mixed with sweet ingredients, that you may look forward with comfortable assurance that all shall work together for good! It is the Lord, he cannot mistake your interest; his will be done: if it is his will, most

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