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bears long with you-because he does not seem to answer Your prayers are not lost. When the merchant sends his ships to distant shores, he does not expect them to come back richly laden in a single day—he has long patience. "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." Perhaps your prayers will come back, like the ships of the merchant, all the more heavily laden with blessings, because of the delay. Third, God often answers prayer by terrible things. So David says, in Psalm lxv., " By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation." And all of you who are God's children have found it true. Some of you have experienced what John Newton did when he wrote that beautiful hymn, " I asked the Lord that I might grow.*" You prayed with all your heart, "Lord, increase my faith." In answer to this, God has shewn you the misery of your connection with Adam. He has revealed the hell that is in your heart. You are amazed, confounded, abashed. You cry, "Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?" You cleave to a Saviour God with a thousand times greater anxiety. Your faith is increased. Your prayer is answered by terrible things. Some of us prayed for a praying spirit, "Lord, teach us to pray." God has laid affliction upon us. Waves and billows go over us. We cry out of the depths. Being afflicted, we pray. He has granted our heart's desire. Our prayer is answered by terrible things.

Fourth, God sometimes answers prayer by giving something better than we ask. An affectionate father on earth often does this. The child says, Father, give me this fruit. No, my child (the father replies), but here is bread, which is better for you. So the Lord Jesus dealt with his beloved Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 7-9. There was given to Paul a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him. In bitterness of heart, he cried, "Lord, let this depart from me." No answer came. Again he prayed the same words.

No an

swer still. A third time he knelt, and now the answer came, not as he expected. The thorn is not plucked away—the messenger of Satan is not driven back to hell; but Jesus opens wide his more loving breast, and says, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Oh this is something exceeding abundant above all

* Olney Hymns, book iii. hymn 36.

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that he asked, and all that he thought. Ah, this is something better than he asked, and better than he thought. Surely God is able to do "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." Ephes. iii. 20. Dear praying believers, be of good cheer. God will either give you what you ask, or something far better. Are you not quite willing that he should choose for you and me ? You remember that even Jesus prayed, "Oh, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." That desire was not granted, but there appeared unto him an angel from heaven strengthening him. Luke xxii. 43. He received what was far better, strength to drink the cup of vengeance. Some of you, my dear believing flock, have been praying, that, if it be God's will, I might be speedily restored to you, that God's name might be glorified; and I have been praying the same. Do not be surprised if he should answer our prayers by giving us something above what we imagined. Perhaps he may glorify himself by us in another way than we thought. "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To whom be glory for ever.

Amen."

These things I have written that you may come boldly to the throne of grace. The Lord make you a praying people. "Strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making request with joy."

Now, the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus. "The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing;" and the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

FIFTH PASTORAL LETTER.

What God has done, and the returns made.-Isaiah v. 4.

EDINBURGH, February 27. 1839.

To all of you, my dear flock, who are washed, and sanctified, and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God, your pastor again wishes grace, mercy, and

peace.

This is now the fifth time I am permitted by God to write to you. If you are not wearied, it is pleasant and refreshing

to me. I wish to be like Epaphras, Coloss. iv. 12—“ Always labouring fervently for you in prayer, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." When I am hindered by God from labouring for you in any other way, it is my heart's joy to labour for you thus. When Dr Scott of Greenock, a good and holy minister, was laid aside by old age from preaching for some years before his death, he used to say-" I can do nothing for my people now but pray for them, and sometimes I feel that I can do that." This is what I also love to feel. Often I am like Amelia Geddie, who lived in the time of the Covenanters, and of whom I used to tell you. The great part of my time is taken up with bringing my heart into tune for prayer; but when the blessed Spirit does help my infirmities, it is my greatest joy to lay myself and you, my flock, in his hand, and to pray that God may yet make " the vine to flourish and the granate to bud."

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If you turn to Isaiah v. 4, you will find these affecting words" What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes.'

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Consider these words, my dear people, and may the Spirit breathe over them that they may savingly impress your souls. These words are God's pathetic lamentation over his ancient people, when he thought of all that he had done for them, and of the sad return which they made to him. We have come into the place of Israel; the natural branches of the good olive tree have been broken off, and we have been grafted in. All the advantages God gave to Israel are now enjoyed by us; and ah! has not God occasion to take up the same lamentation over us, that we have brought forth only wild grapes? I would wish every one of you seriously to consider what more God could have done to save your soul that he has not done. But, ah! consider again whether you have borne grapes, or only wild grapes.

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First, Consider how much God has done to save your souls. He has provided a great Saviour, and a great salvation. He did not give man or angel, but the Creator of all, to be the substitute of sinners. His blood is precious blood. righteousness is the righteousness of God; and now "to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted to him for righteousness," Romans iv. 5. Most precious word! Give up your toil, self-justifying soul. You have gone from mountain to hill-you have

forgotten your resting-place-change your plan. Work not, but believe on him that justifieth the ungodly. Believe the record that God hath given concerning his son. A glorious, all perfect, all divine surety is laid down at your feet. He is within your reach-he is nigh thee-take him and live; refuse him and perish! "What could have been done more for my vineyard, that I have not done in it ?"

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Second, Again, consider the ordinances God has given you. He has made you into a vineyard. Scotland is the likest of all lands to God's ancient Israel. How wonderfully has God planted and maintained godly ministers in his land, from the time of Knox to the present day! He has divided the whole land into parishes; even on the barren hills of our country he has planted the choicest vine. Hundreds of godly labourers he has sent to gather out the stones of it. God has done this for you also. He has built a tower in the midst of Have you not seen his own hand fencing you round-building a gospel tower in the midst of you, and a gospel vine-press therein? And has he not sent me among you, who am less than the least of all the members of Christ, and yet " determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified?" Has not the Spirit of God been sometimes present in our sanctuary-have not some hearts been filled there with gladness more than in the time that their corn and wine increased ? Have not some hearts tasted there the "love that is better than wine ?" "What could have been done more for my vineyard that I have not done in it ?" Now, let me ask, what fruit have we borne-grapes or wild grapes ? Ah! I fear the most can show nothing but wild grapes. If God looks down upon us as a parish, what does he see? Are there not still a thousand souls utter strangers to the house of God? How many does his holy eye now rest upon who are seldom in the house of prayer, who neglect it in the forenoon? How many who frequent the tavern on the Sabbath-day? Oh! why do they bring forth wild grapes? If God looks upon you as families, what does he see ? How many prayerless families? How often, as I passed your windows, late at eve or at early dawn, have I listened for the melody of psalmis, and listened all in vain? God also has listened, but still in vain. How many careless parents does his pure eye see among you, who will one day, if you turn not, meet your neglected children in an eternal hell? How many undutiful children? How many unfaithful servants? Ah! why such a vineyard of wild grapes? If God looks on

you as individual souls, how many does he see that were never awakened to real concern about your souls? How many that never shed a tear for your perishing soul? How many that were never driven to pray? How many that know not what it is to bend the knee? How many that have no uptaking of Christ, and are yet cold-hearted and at ease? How many does God know among you that have never laid hold of the only sure covenant? How many that have no " peace in believing," and yet cry, "peace, peace, when there is no peace?" Jer. viii. 11. How many does God see among you who have no change of heart and life, who are given up to the sins of the flesh and of the mind? and yet you "bless yourself in your heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst." Deut. xxix. 19. Ah! why do you thus bring forth wild grapes? "Your vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: your grapes are grapes of gall: your clusters are bitter." Deut. xxxii. 32. Ah! remember you will blame yourselves to all eternity for your own undoing. God washes his hands of your destruction. What could have been done more for you that God has not done? I take you all to record this day, if I should never speak to you again, that I am pure from the blood of you all. O barren fig trees, planted in God's vineyard, the Lord has been digging at your roots; and if ye bear fruit, well; if not, then ye shall be cut down!

Luke xiii. 6-9.

Now, I turn for a moment to you who are God's children. I am persuaded better things of you, my dearly beloved, and things that accompany salvation, though I thus speak. Yet, what need is there in these trying times, to search your heart and life, and ask, what fruit does God find in me?

What fruit of self abasement is there in you? Have you found out the evil of your connection with the first Adam? Rom. v. 19. Do you know the plagues of your own heart? 1 Kings viii. 38. The hell of corruption that is there? Jer. xvii. 9. Do you feel you have never lived one moment to his glory? Rom iii. 25. Do you feel that to all eternity you never can be justified by anything in yourself? Rev. vii. 14.

Consider, again, what fruit there is of believing, in you. Have you really and fully uptaken Christ as the gospel lays him down? John v. 12. Do you cleave to him as a sinner? 1 Tim. i. 15. Do you count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of him? Mat. ix. 9. Do you

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