Hence the Holy Ghost goes on to speak of the amount of the above in Rom. v. after saying He (Christ) "rose again for our justification." "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God," &c. No peace can be enjoyed by the fact of Christ's rising again for our justification without faith which worketh by love," and that not of ourselves (either in principle or act), it is the gift of God," as is clearly set forth in Hosea xi. 4; no more than a dinner being prepared for a hungry man can satisfy his hunger by the bare knowledge of it. To this end he must eat. For myself I daily feel more and more my end drawing near, and the thought of appearing before God is proportionately weighty and solemn. At times the sinkings of soul in terror and dismay lest I should miss the mark of the prize are indescribable. On the other hand, when equally, or rather more heavily weighted with sensible consolations and joy of the Holy Ghost, accompanied at times with an agony of mind, as the thought that I must, if I live, come down from this altitude into darkness, sore conflicts, and doubts again, together with Satan's challenges as to the being of a God-of a Heaven or Hell-that the scriptures are true, and if these are realities, what proof have you of being one of His? What close corners has the enemy driven me into with these challengings, and then bragging that I could not answer him, which I have been obliged to admit before him at times. Once and again when the Lord (I trust) in mercy has brought this test again and again to my mind, and I have said, "Well, I do not know, Satan, that I am His, or that I am not His. But it is written: "The foundation of God standeth sure, having THIS SEAL, (it is the great seal of Heaven), the Lord knoweth them that are His." This is the secret evidence sealed; to which an open evidence is always appended and sealed to (viz.): "And let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from all iniquity." Such as do so indeed groan under sin daily, and lay their prayers before the Lord that they may turn away from their iniquity and understand, i.e., experience His truth, the Gospel of His Son, Daniel ix. 13. Hart defines a just man by this very thing truly and substantially

"The spirits of the Just,
Confin'd in bodies groan

(not those of the unjust),

'Till death consigns the corpse to dust,
And then the conflict's done."

G. STEDMAN.

To the above important letter a few remarks may be appended without detriment to it or to the excellent writer. Probably none, or few, have passed through more than we of "the terrorsof law and of God." But having experienced the power of deliverance, by the Holy Spirit's_application of the blood and righteousness of Christ, we would not have the Lord's people to gather from the above that

they are not to expect to live free from daily anxiety about death and their future eternal state. This would be misleading in the extreme. The confidence of the Apostle is what the Spirit can convey to all His people; and which he does convey to many: "I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." Also: "I am persuaded that neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Yet too true it is that, there are many who live on bare doctrine (sound and clear), who know nothing of its sweetness in the enjoyment of salvation by Christ and the smiles of the Lord, and whose bold and light conduct sets at defiance those precepts which relate to tender walking in the fear of the Lord. These characters we are exhorted to shun. Jesus is on their lips, but Satan in their lives and tempers. On the other hand, had it pleased the blessed Spirit more to favour our good brother, he would have hardly dwelt so much on the dark side, while none the less faithful in exposing "the child of fancy," as distinguished from "the living child." The Lord's people being, as Peter affirms, "called unto liberty," it behoves us to be careful, while probing and testing, not to lead into bondage and impose a legal yoke on those who are redeemed from the curse of the law by the precious blood of Christ,‚—a course of teaching which so exalts Mr. Hart as a gospel poet.

LETTER BY RUTH

BY RUTH BRYAN.
DROPS OF LATTER RAIN.

THE EDITOR

LESS the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy Name, that here the Spirit hath flowed as oil from vessel to vessel; and the Lord hath given the instructions of wisdom to His wayfaring pilgrims, though fools, and of the weaker sort, and the baser sort too. Thine, O Lord, is the power, and the glory, and the majesty. All this heavenly store cometh of Thee; and in pouring back praises, "of Thy own we give Thee." Thou art worthy O Lord. "Now, therefore, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name.'

Surely, again I met the King of Princes in His lowly garb this morning in the 3rd chapter of Lamentations. Oh, did He not say "Behold Me, behold Me!" "I am the Man that hath seen affliction by the rod of His wrath,"-not wrath against the precious person of His Son, but wrath against the sins of His people found on Him; because Himself had laid them there. "He hath laid on Him the iniquities of us all;" therefore the wrath descended upon Him to the uttermost that those sins merited; and therefore "He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him," because those huge sins were on that precious person. "He hath led Me (said He) and brought Me into darkness," &c. "Against Me (not you, My bride) is His hand turned. He hath led me into dark places, as they that be dead of old," &c.

O the depths! the depths of matchless love, which went to the depths of hell to save "His sister, spouse." Truly, "if I make

my bed in hell, Thou art there," to bring me up again; for no hell remains to those for whom He felt all this affliction of wrath. But

I need not go on. Read it; and if you have found Him therein, there is more dew in the deep yet couching beneath. How beautiful is verse 22; the "WE" comes in,-Christ and His bride. Not condemned in those fires of wrath where his humanity was. "The bush burning with fire and yet not consumed." Oh, may the Spirit turn us aside from all else to see this great sight. Truly it was of the Lord's covenant mercies that the fire was kindled on Him Who was strong to bear; while we in Him were safely housed from harm. He covered our head in that day of battle. He bore it all; and was unconsumed; and now because He lives we do and shall live also. He was cast off (see verse 31; see also Psalm lxxxix. 38, &c.; and Matthew xxvii., 43 to 46); but there is nearness for us. He had the frown that we might have eternal smile; and He was not cast off for ever, but has entered the Holy place for us; and we have entered in Him; and shall enter by Him, (Psalm xxiv, verse 3 to end; Hebrews ix. 12, and x. 19). Oh praise Him; praise the worthy Lamb. "Had we a thousand hearts to give; a thousand hearts should all be Thine; for Thou wouldst fill them all." now as you have passed by the great Him for the little him; pass by the little him for the great Him, who so filleth all things that possessing Him without any other object, there is no lack; and forsaking all for Him you shall find all in Him. What a satisfying portion is our heavenly Elkanah, Who ever loves His poor barren Hannah; and says, "Am I not better to thee than ten sons?" Yea, Thou art our Heaven above and below. "It was but a little I passed by them but I found Him.”

And

It has flowed out as it flowed in; and no man can retain the Spirit, but He can bring the bread up again "on the waters of the soul after many days," (Eccles. xi. 1; Psalm cxv. 1).

Ever yours,

RUTH.

LETTER BY THORPE SMITH.

8. Nichols-street, Humberstone-road, Leicester, April 6th, 1875. Dear Cousin,-I was agreeably surprised to receive a letter from you yesterday, and hope by its contents your soul is kept alive in famine; for in those places where the gospel is preached only a very few times in the year, it may be styled, in a certain sense, a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. It is, however, the sole prerogative of God to quicken and keep the souls of His people alive at any and all times; and this I have found, for 52 years past,

He generally does by the use of the rod and furnace. Both are in the hands of Infinite Wisdom, and my fool's back has oft required them. The last twelve months have been attended with more affliction on me than any year of my life, and I walk in much darkness; finding, as dear Hart says,

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my latter stages worse, And travel much by night."

I am often sorely tried to know the difference between nature wrought upon, and the operation of God's Spirit: for I am a man of very tender feelings, and cannot read an affecting narrative without being moved to tears. I have been much tried about these things for years, and am plagued with them still. I know that the comforting visitations of the Holy Spirit sink me in the dust of self-loathing and self-abasement, and lead me to exalt the Lamb of God above everything, and crown Him Lord of all. These visits, with me, are short, transient, and far between. I oft cry, Lord, suffer me not to be deceived; search me and know my heart, and see if there be in me any lurking sin indulged in; make it known, and purge it, by fresh applications of the blood of Christ to my conscience." I know believers are called to walk by faith and not by sight; yet I am like a child mourning after the breast. I have much enjoyed Bourne's Letters, and oft feel ashamed of myself when I read them; as I do those of our late dear pastor. I much enjoyed an hour with Mr. Wakefield a few weeks ago; found him a well-taught man of God. I have had. some sweet letters from the sons of dear Mrs. E. Shelbourn, late of Hough: two of them are, I believe, truly taught of God. She was one well taught. Few of my correspondents wrote more spiritual letters than she. I hope her husband is a man taught of God. O, what a pitiful, paltry, false profession is the great bulk of the profession of this day. It tends to lead me to dig deep; to heartsearching; coming to the light daily, dreading the thought of being deceived.

If you come to the Conference, you can have nice and comfortable lodgings with Mrs. Lee, a widow with one daughter; a good woman, I believe; a niece of the late Mr. Poyson's (who married a Shaw from Grantham-the Royal Oak). She was a widow of Hilton's, of Stathern. Mrs. Lee lives in Erskine-street, nearly opposite to Zion Chapel (Mr. Hazelrigg's). I expect to come home from Donnington on the Thursday, and shall not be able to get to the first morning's meeting, but hope to be at home for tea, and in good time for the evening meeting, and Friday too all day. I shall be glad to see you and yours, and treat you at my lodgings. If you come before I arrive home take a cab from

*Mr. Joseph Chamberlain.

the station, and tell cabby to drive you to Mrs. Lee's, Erskine-street, just by Zion Chapel! She will direct you in all you require I doubt not; you can drop her a line if you think well. I have seen her and spoken to her about you and your girl if you come; and she at once said, I can lodge them! I don't live more than six minutes' walk from her. Give my love to all your dear fatherless off-spring, and all my relations and friends around you. When last at G I called on Mr. Ogden, Mrs. Whittaker, and Mrs. Nixon. Death has been busy amongst us here, and amongst our Newark hearers. The Lord bless, guide, teach, and keep you and yours, me and mine, evermore, from all evil, to His kingdom and glory. I remain, thine truly in Jesus, my only hope,

THORPE SMITH.

PURE GOLD FROM PURITAN AND OTHER MINES.

INFIDELITY IS a poisonous tree, growing on the dunghill of a depraved heart, and is known by its variegated foliage, its deadly fruits, and its baneful influence. Its foliage (public pretensions) exhabits specious colours, such as reason, liberty, and pleasure, which appear on the face, but madness, slavery, and desperation, are underneath the leaf.

Its fruits are brought forth in abundance, producing the most destructive effects. Arrogance, selfishness, revenge, and licentiousness, are among its prominent productions, and appear conspicuous in the lives of many of its abettors; others (yea, the worst of infidels) assume the name of Christianity, while they blasphemously deny all its distinguishing glories, and treacherously attempt to tear out its vitals, by disputing the Godhead of Christ. These have eaten of the pharisaical pride which grows on the same poisonous tree, the very juices of which are enmity against God.

The baneful influence of Infidelity, whether openly professed, or hidden under the name of rational religion, is seen and felt in society, in the social circle, and sooner or later in the sinner's awful case. In society, it is the demon of anarchy-in the social circle, it is the assassin of happiness-and in the sinner's awful case, it is the seed of depair. It robs man of everything dear, and gives him nothing in exchange-it blinds his eyes, shuts his ears, and hardens his heart; it opens the door to every vice-sears the consciencegives a licence to base passions, and, at last, plunges its mad victims into everlasting torment. O Reader! beware of this pestilential effluvia, which is spreading all around you, and against which there is no antidote but the grand realities of the religion of Jesus, which have been counterfeited in various ways, subjecting them to the sneers of infidels. J. IRONS.