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LETTER XXXVIII.

From Mrs. Worthington to Miss Neville.

DEAR MISS NEVILLE,

I RECEIVED your letter and that of my niece. My delay in writing proceeded from the hope that I should be able to give you the happy intelligence of the arrival of your sister, from whom however I have not at present heard.

I rejoice that the great truths of the gospel are not offensive to you; but it gives me still greater pleasure that you approve and embrace them.

I learn by my niece's letter that you have had Mr. Clifford with you. Poor man, he has long been enlisted under the banner of infidelity. We may perceive by the conversation he has had with my niece, how little it is that infidels have to say in defence of their rejection of divine revelation. Those truths which in his view are the most unreasonable and absurd, such as the dreadful threatenings to sinners, and the divinity of our dear Redeemer, she has shown to be as agreeable to right reason as they are to the Scriptures. Infidels talk of the absurdity of God's dwelling with men. Yet much of the heathen my thology is, I am persuaded, nothing but this truth in ruins. God's visiting the patriarchs seems to give but little uneasiness to unbelievers, whether Jews or Gentiles. To what can we attribute this, except that there was not that visible poverty in those appearances of the divine Majesty under the Old Testament which there is under the New.

You desire me to give you a description of a true Christian. It may not be improper previously to observe, that unregenerate persons may possess partially, and for a time, many of the marks of a servant of God. It is not improbable that our heavenly Father, who is wise in counsel, has left instances of those who have been almost Christians, that we may watch over ourselves and each other with a holy jealousy, and never think of laying down our arms, and making peace with our internal enemies, which he has determined that we shall expel under the conduct of the Captain of our salvation.

A Christian is one whose ears God has opened to hear

ken to his voice; whose understanding he has enlightened by his Spirit to discern the divine glory shining in the character of the despised Jesus of Nazareth; and who is convinced that the righteousness of the Redeemer is the only robe in which he can appear before God. Though a person should hold a number of errors, which to you or me may appear inconsistent with this fundamental truth; yet if this truth be held fast, his spot is but the spot of God's children. The plague of leprosy has affected nothing but the skin; the vitals are not touched: therefore the high priest of our profession will pronounce him clean. Wherever this faith is genuine, it will be productive of trust in the Redeemer, and the language of the soul will be like that of Habakkuk, Although the fig-tree shall not blessom, · neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. If a Christian be tempted to depart from Christ, he will say with Peter, Lord, to whom shall I go? thou hast the words of eternal life: and I believe and am sure that thou art that Christ, the son of the living God. And where faith and hope are genuine, they are always accompanied by love to God and to all his commandments. But upon this grace I intend to be more particular; because by works of love to God and our neighbour we glorify our heavenly Father in the sight of the world, and prove that we are neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. If we love God, the grand idol Selfis dethroned, and God reigns in our souls. Though sinful self-love and its brood of evils are constantly asking for admittance, they are denied it; and if they slip in unawares, they are turned out with detestation.

2. Meditation, prayer, and other religious duties, are not submitted to with reluctance, and merely as smaller evils; for God pours upon his people a spirit of prayer and supplication, and the most exalted happiness of the unconverted sinner will not bear to be compared with that joy and serenity which flow from reconciliation with God. Bibulus is afraid to neglect family prayer. If, therefore, he have spent the whole day in a tavern, he will call his children and servants to prayer at night, because he thinks none but wicked people neglect the worship of God in their

families.

But, Bibulus, if the love of Christ had any share in your devotion, there would be a greater uniformity in your conduct, and you would spend the day to his glory as well as the night.

3. If the love of the Supreme Being be our prevailing passion, we have imbibed the meek and humble spirit of his Son, who is the image of the invisible God. We are teachable, and childlike; every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; we do not love grandeur and magnificence, but condescend to men of low estate, and are content in the meanest station. We prefer that which our heavenly Father prefers, and are desirous that he should choose our portion for us. Clitus is zealous in his profession of religion; but wherever he comes, he must have the pre-eminence: he can bear neither superior nor equal. This temper renders his Christianity doubtful; for he who does not possess the spirit of Christ, and who has not learned of him to be meek and lowly, is none of his.

4. Our God being just and holy, if we do not abhor every thing which is unjust, or unholy, we do not love him. How can any one love the divine character who does not endeavour to imitate it? We see an eminent instance of this love of justice and holiness in Joseph. here is none greater, said he to his mistress, in this house than I; neither hath my master kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Neither does the Christian censure the conduct of the divine Being, because he has mercy on whom he will have mercy; because he hardened the heart of Pharoah; nor because he chose Jacob in preference to Esau before either of them was born. The whole world could not persuade him that the judge of all the earth will not do that which is right. He is well assured, that if, to preserve his justice from being violated, he spared not his own Son, he will on no account do any thing contrary to the purity of his nature.

5. The love of God will cause us to love those who bear his image, and in proportion as they appear to us to bear it. These, however they may be despised by the world, we shall esteem the excellent of the earth. And this love, where it is real, will not consist merely in an affection which we feel for them, much less in courteous behaviour, or kind speeches; but, as we have opportunity, we shall minister to them of our substance, pray for and instruct

them, or show our love to them in the best way we are able. A sinful self-love forms the basis of the character of every unregenerate man; for if he is induced to give all his goods to feed the poor, selfishness is the only motive. But the Christian is animated by nobler principles. His supreme affection is placed upon that great Being, whose holiness and goodness are beyond all comprehension, and infinitely beyond all bounds. It is bis habitual delight to be obedient to his commands, and he loves his image wherever he sees it impressed. This love to the servants of God is an essential part of the Christian character, and is that by which the sincerity of our faith will be tried at the grand assize. Christ will then say I was an hungered and ye gave me meat; not, My disciples were an hungered and ye gave them meat. The divine temper of love also shows itself, in meekly bearing and in mercifully forgiving injuries; for charity, or love, suffereth long for the sake of Christ, and yet is kind. Father, forgive them, said our suffering Saviour, for they know not what they do : and his martyr Stephen followed his example, crying out in his last moments, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.

6. If we love God, we shall prefer his favour to every thing which the world holds up to our view; yea, to life itself; and sin will consequently be accounted the greatest of evils, because it unavoidably tends to separate us from communion with him. Believers have sometimes been surprised into great sins. While they are in this wilderness, they carry a body of sin and death about with them; and the flesh, with its corrupt affections, lusteth against the spirit, or that new nature or mind which God hath given them. But sin is the object of their detestation; and even those sins which the world entirely overlook will appear exceedingly sinful to them, because they are contrary to him whom their soul loveth. Unrenewed persons may dislike sin on several accounts; as because it hurts their honour, or interest, or puts them in fear of condemnation: but they never hate it merely because God hates it, and because it is their meat and drink to do his will.

7. Love to God manifests itself in a childlike disposition. Because ye are sons, says Paul, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Adam when he lost the divine image, lost the temper of a child, and fled from God as a slave flees from his master. When we are adopted into God's family, then that child

like disposition returns, which is productive of the best consequence, no obedience being acceptable to him where it is wanting. Whoever therefore entertains a strong suspicion that he is not interested in the divine favour, may assure himself that his love to God is weak and languishing, if indeed it have any existence.

8. The knowledge of the true God always precedes the love of him. To love an unknown God is to love an idol of our own imagination. The true God has no bodily parts, but is the one pure eternal Mind, and can only be seen by us in his works. The works of creation are grand and magnificent, and would fill with amazement every rational being, were it not for that sottish stupidity which forms a part of original corruption; and they as well as the works of providence, display the divine goodness, wisdom, and power. But the works of redemption by the Son, and of sanctification by the Spirit, so far surpass them, that the sun itself is eclipsed by their more refulgent splendour. To be warmed and enlightened, to be fed and clothed, are great blessings, and call for gratitude to our Bene factor: but to be delivered from the wrath to come, and to be made partakers of eternal blessedness in the presence of God, are favours of such a nature, that no language can describe their worth. The heathen world, before the coming of Christ, are represented as lying in wickedness. Although they professed to know God, yet they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; that is, they did not love him. And the Jews who rejected the Messiah were truly told by him, that the love of God was not in them. Believers who lived under the Old Testament dispensation possessed this divine knowledge. They looked forwards to the Messiah who was to come. Abraham rejoiced to see his day; and he saw it, and was glad. David in spirit called him Lord. Isaiah saw his glory, and spake of him. Indeed all the prophets wrote concerning him for it is said, that beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. But we live under a dispensation of superior light. To us the son of righteousness has arisen. He has assumed our nature; God has dwelt with man upon the earth; that eternal life which was with the Father has been manifested unto us; he has been preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. We therefore cer

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