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a simple apprehension of Christ. It is not merely believing that He is the Saviour of the world; but it is believing in Him as peculiarly suited to our own individual cases. is not the saying, Oh, now I see I am to be saved in this way, or in that way; this, so far as it goes, is very well; but the Gospel simply declares, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'

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"What, Sir, do you consider the principal mark of regeneration?"

"The very first and indispensable sign is self-loathing and abhorrence. Nothing short of this can be admitted as an evidence of a real change. Some persons inquire, 'Do you hate what you once loved, and love what you once hated?' But even this mark cannot be so surely relied upon as the other. I have constantly pressed this subject upon my Congregation, and it has been the characteristic of my Ministry. I want to see more of this humble, contrite, broken spirit amongst us. It is the very spirit that belongs to self-condemned sinners. Permit me to lay this matter near your hearts. Take home with you this passage, Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations;' (Ezek. xxxvi. 31,) and to-night on your beds, or in the morning, meditate thus within yourselves; Loathe ?-why if I loathe and abhor anything, I cannot look upon it without disgust. The very sight of it gives me great pain and uneasiness. I turn away from it as from something abominable and hateful. Have I ever thus loathed and abhorred myself, at the remembrance of my iniquities and abominations? This sitting in the dust is most pleasing to God. When we carry our thoughts to heaven, and consider what is going on in that blessed region, we behold angels and archangels casting their crowns at the feet of Him that sitteth upon the throne, in whose presence the cherubim veil their faces with their wings. I have been in the company of religious professors, and have heard many words about religion: but give me to be with a broken-hearted Christian, and I prefer his society to that of all the rest. In these days there is too much of talking about religion, and too little of religion itself. On this sub

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ject, I remember having read a passage in the life of a pious man, who observed on his death-bed, I have met with many who can talk about religion-with few whose experience keeps pace with their talking.' Permit me again to lay this important subject before your consideration. And that you

may be able the better to pursue it, and properly to enter into it, allow me to state to you what have sometimes been my feelings while seated in this chair by myself, shut in with God from the world around me. I have thought thus within myself in my retirement-I now look around me, and behold this apartment. I see all is comfort and peace about me. I find myself with my God, instead of being shut up in an apartment in hell, although a hell-deserving sinner. Had I suffered my deserts, I should have been in those dark abodes of despair and anguish. There I should have thought of eternity, eternity! without hope of escape or release. From all this I am delivered by the grace of God, though I might have been cut off in my sins, fifty-four years ago. While engaged in these thoughts they sometimes overpower me. Were I now addressing to you my dying words, I should say nothing else but what I have just said. Try to live in this spirit of self-abhorrence, and let it habitually mark your life and conduct."

"Sir, will you be so kind as to explain Matthew xi. 25?"

"The revelation which God has given to man is precisely such as he required; it is not intended to be a subject of speculation; nor does it admit any scope for the exercise of an ungoverned imagination. Faith apprehends what reason cannot comprehend. The distinguishing mark of the religion of Christ is its simplicity, and its suitableness to the condition of all men, whether rich or poor, wise or unlearned. At the same time, its humbling truths are offensive to the wise in their own conceits. These may be able to talk about it, and write about it, and lay down an exact system of religion; but still their conceptions of it are confused and indistinct. It is just like giving a person a fine and laboured description of some beautiful scenery, or of some magnificent building, King's College, for instance,—and filling his imagination with crude ideas. Such a person, be he ever so

learned and clever, cannot comprehend the object so clearly as the poor ignorant man who has it placed immediately before his eyes. Were an angel from heaven to describe the properties of honey to an individual who had never seen or tasted anything like it, this individual would not conceive of it so justly as the little child who has tasted it: although the child might be quite unable to communicate to others what it tasted like. Bring a wise man and an ignorant man into this room, and tell them both that the house is on fire; I trow the ignorant man would know how to make his escape quite as well as the wise man. It is just the same in matters of religion. We must all forsake our own wisdom and conceit, and stoop to enter in at the strait gate; we must become as little babes, if we would be saved. Many are the ways in which men endeavour to avoid this humility of heart, by substituting in its place some outward act of voluntary humility. The poor Hindoo thinks that the idol whom he serves is appeased by his walking over fifty miles, and counting the number of his paces. The Papist imagines that God is well pleased with his works of supererogation and his penances. Others, with the same notion of gaining the favour of the Deity, have undertaken long and dangerous pilgrimages. But there is nothing in all this to gain for guilty sinners acceptance and reconciliation with God. The plain and simple way is unfolded in the Gospel. Our salvation is procured with the blood of Christ; and by coming to God through Him, with lowliness of mind and deep selfabasement, we receive the benefit of His death and resurrection."

"What is the way to maintain a close walk with God?" "By constantly meditating on the goodness of God and on our great deliverance from that punishment which our sins have deserved, we are brought to feel our vileness and utter unworthiness; and while we continue in this spirit of self-degradation, everything else will go on easily. We shall find ourselves advancing in one course; we shall feel the presence of God; we shall experience His love; we shall live in the enjoyment of His favour, and in the hope of His glory. Meditation is the grand means of our growth in grace without it, prayer itself is an empty service. Y

often feel that your prayers scarcely reach the ceiling: but oh, get into this humble spirit by considering how good the Lord is, and how evil you all are, and then prayer will mount on wings of faith to heaven. The sigh, the groan of a broken heart, will soon go through the ceiling up to heaven, aye, into the very bosom of God. Without this habitual experience of our sinfulness and natural depravity, even an active religion is a vain thing. I insist upon this point so earnestly, because I feel it to be so exactly in accordance with the will of God. I have found it to be a good state for my own soul, when I have known what it is to loathe and abhor myself. I was once brought very low before God, when mine eyes were first opened to see my real state. A passage which I found in a book was the means of giving me deliverance from my bondage: I read that the Israelites believed that their iniquities were forgiven and taken away, by being placed upon the head of the victim that was sacrificed according to the ceremonial law. I thought of this, compared their state with my own, saw that Christ was sacrificed for me, took Him as my Saviour, and was determined that the burden should not remain upon my conscience another hour: and I am confident it did not remain another hour.....

"I cannot help trusting that I shall see a kind of revival amongst us before I am taken away. I have been prevented from going to London to attend the Jews' Society by indisposition. Who knows whether good may not come even of this? Who can tell but what God may have so ordered it, that something I have said this evening may fix in some of your hearts, to bring forth fruit to His glory? For this I would willingly be laid up with ten gouts, yea, suffer death itself."

LETTERS-ON

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE TREATMENT OF JEWISH CONVERTS-TO MISS E. ELLIOTT ON THE STUDY OF PROPHECY-THE ARCHBISHOP OF TUAM TO MR. SIMEON RESPECTING ANTINOMIAN MINISTERSMR. SIMEON'S REMARKS-THE ARCHBISHOP'S REPLY-TO THE REV. DANIEL WILSON ON THE STATE OF HIS HEALTH-TO THE SAME ON WRITING WITH CLEARNESS AND FORCE-TO A CLERGYMAN ON PROMISING HIM PECUNIARY AID-TO A LAWYER ABOUT AN EXORBITANT BILL-MR. SIMEON'S CARE IN KEEPING HIS ACCOUNTS MEMORANDA BY J. J. GURNEY, ESQ. OF AN EVENING'S CONVERSATION AT MR. SIMEON'S ROOMS-HINTS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE VOICE IN READING.

1830-1831.

CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

To a Friend, on the treatment of Jewish Converts.

"Jan. 28, 1830.

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"I beg leave to return you my best thanks for your report respecting the state and progress of your Institution. In reference to the work of God there, I would exercise the charity, which hopeth all things, and believeth all things;' yet I cannot but think, that the utmost possible care should be taken to prevent imposition. We all know what advantage the opposers of religion have formerly derived from the dishonesty of some pretended converts to Christianity, and from the instability of others; and on this account I think we shall do well to be cautious. Our caution, it is true, may for a season keep back some who are sincere, but this

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