may understand the scripture; and the want of this makes even those very parts of the scripture which should be our comfort, be our terror.

Will. Indeed the young man told me so, but I did not do it.

Mist. What did he bid you do?

Will. When he gave me the book, I thanked him, and promised him to read it; but he said that was not all, I must pray to God to teach me to understand his word, and to show me my duty, and to guide my heart to do it. But I did not know that I should always do this when I read the Bible,

Mist. No doubt but you may pray very seasonably for that at all times, and he was a good child that taught thee to do so; but it must needs be more especially seasonable to pray so, when you are going to read the Bible, that you may be instructed to read comfort from God's word, and not terror only, as you have done.

Will. What comfort can I get from the scripture, when it speaks so dreadfully of my very case.

Mist. Why there lies your mistake. 1 say it is not your case, and therefore you may reap comfort from the scripture. Come, child, let us see and examine strictly what your real case is; it may be we may find reason even from this very book to make you hope that your case is not included, or spoken to, in any of these texts; and if it should appear so, would you not be very glad?

Will. Yes, I should be glad; but I believe that's impossible.

Mist. No, no, child, it is not impossible: the first part of your case is this, that you have been a great sinner. Will. As over was born in the world.

Mist. Well, suppose so, though that is not true, neither; for, poor child, you have not sinned against light, and against knowledge, and against conscience; for thou wast never taught to know God, or his ways, or instructed in thy duty. I am a worse sinner than thou a great deal.

But suppose all you say, suppose you are a great sinner; yet you say you are sorry; and if you thought God would forgive you, would it not rejoice your heart?

Will. Oh, if that were possible!

Mist. And are you as willing to go on wickedly as you were before?

Will. No, I abhor and abominate it.

[He weeps here again.]

Mist. And would you serve, and obey, and please God, if he would forgive you?

Will. Aye, with all my heart. Nay, whether he would forgive me or no. I would never be wicked again if I could help it; it is the abominablest life! I hate myself for it.

Mist. But if you were assured God would pardon you, what would you do?

Will. Oh, if that were possible!

Mist. Come, child, look then into this blessed book again. You are a sinner, but you are not an impenitent sinner; you say you abhor and abominate your sins, and hate yourself for them;-you say, you would not go on in wickedness, nay, though God should not forgive what is past;-you say you would serve, and please, and obey God with all your heart. If all this be true, then I will tell thee, child, not one of those terrible scriptures which have so discouraged thee, and so frighted thee, are spoken to thee, or meant of thee; no, not one of them.

Will. Why, my brother Tom said, all that was written in this book was said to me.

Mist. That is, child, if thou art so and so, as these scriptures describe; and if not, then they are spoken to give thee hope; otherwise the scriptures would contradict itself, and not be true, which is blasphemous to imagine. Will. I don't understand what you mean.

Mist. Why, child, look here, look upon the very text you have folded down; some of these explain themselves to be just what I say, Rom. ii. 5, 6-" After thy hardness

and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath," &c. Now, it is plain thou art not hardened and impenitent; but God has given thee a penitent repenting heart, I hope it is a sincere one; therefore, by the words themselves, thou art not one of them that "treasure up wrath against the day of wrath." So for that scripture, Isaiah vi. 10--Thine eyes are not shut, nor thy ears heavy, nor thy heart fat;" that is, rebellious, and contemning God; for that text is plainly spoken of such whom God judicially hardens, and of no other. In like manner, all the other texts, every one of them are expressions signifying the wrath and vengeance of God, against such as die in their sins, or continue perverse, hardened, and impenitent.

Will. How shall I be sure that it is so?

Mist. By comparing those scriptures, child, with such other texts as explain their meaning, and are given to encourage our returning to God, and contain his promises of pardon to those who repent.

Will. Where are they? I have read the whole book, and cannot find them.

Mist. Look here, child, 1 John i. 9-" If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Here it is plain, though you are a great sinner, yet, if you confess, he will forgive you. And you may observe, he does not say he is gracious and merciful to forgive, but just and faithful; implying, that having before, in his grace and mercy, passed to us his promise of forgiveness, it becomes, humbly speaking, a kind of demand; and as he is just and faithful, therefore he must and will, nay, he cannot fail to make good those promises to us.

Will. But where are those promises then? I can find none of them in the Bible.

Mist. O, the whole scripture is full of them, Prov. xxviii. 13-" He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy." Isaiah Iv. 7-"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the

unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have merey upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Will. That he told me of, but I cannot find it.

Mist. Here it is, child, in the prophecy of Isaiah.
Will. Is that the word of God too?

Mist. Yes, and that prophet is counted the most excollent of all the prophets for these things, and he is therefore, called the Evangelical prophet.

Will. But there are more in other places, are there not? Mist. Yes, child, especially in those places that speak of Christ in whom all are to be saved.

Will. Let me hear them; for I do not understand this being redeemed by Christ's death at all, though Tom said something of that to me.

Mist. You understand that you have been a wicked boy, a great sinner, and was born in sin, your father was a sinner before you.

Will. Yes, I understand that too well.

Mist. Well, Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, came into the world to save such as you, nay, and worse than you; and he died to bring this to pass: This you must believe.

Will. Does the scripture say this?

Mist. Yes, look here, Rom. v. 6-" For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." 1 Peter iii. 18-" For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." Acts v. 31-"Him hath God exalted with. his right hand, to be a Prince, and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission." 1 Tim. i. 15-" This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Matt. ix. 13-"I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Are not these things plain, child?

Will. But I am afraid.
Mist. Of what, child?

Will. That it is not for me, I am not one of them: else why was I not taught to know this before?

Mist. Here is a text for that too, child, Mark v. 36-"Be not afraid, only believe."

Will. What must I believe? and what if I do believe?

Mist. The scripture is plain, that we shall be saved by faith in him nothwithstanding all the terrible scriptures you have found out. Matt. i. 21-"His name is Jesus, for be shall save his people from their sins." Acts xiii. 39– By him all that believe are justified." John xx. 31"These things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name." John v. 24-" He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation." Rom, viii. 1"There is therefore no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus." Fold all these texts down, child, and remember to read them over, when you are tempted to be doubting of God's mercy in Christ..

Will. But will Christ receive me now?

Mist. Yes, yes, he has made a gracious promise to thee himself for that, John vi. 37-" Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out."

[The boy starts at these words.]

Mist. What do you start at, child?

Will. That's the blessed place that my dear teacher told me of, and that worked all; and now I can't find it.

Mist. Worked all what, child?

Will. That was the text that made my heart melt and tremble, and made me pray to God; and I have read over the whole book, and can't find it, though I made him turn down a leaf at it. I am sure it is not in the book.

Mist. Not in the book! God forbid! Why here it is, child; look at it, read it, and God give theo comfort

of it.

[The boy reads, and tears fall from his eyes for joy, as before for sorrow.]