"His purposes will ripen fast, The bud may have a bitter taste, The least we can do is to submit ; we ought to approve and acquiesce. True, many things are very painful to flesh and blood, and are very trying to faith and patience; but we have only to give God time to explain himself, and all will be made clear and plain. Then we shall see why it was that we were robbed of our property, bereaved of our children, separated from our friends, deprived of our health, and persecuted by the world. "The day shall declare it," and we shall see what we now profess to believe, that God is too wise to err, and too good to be unkind. Oh, Christian, you should prefer God's wisdom, way, and work, to your own! Whatever he does, he does well; in all he does, he keeps your good and his own glory in view; and, therefore, when you are displeased with any of his dispensations, he asks you, "SHOULD IT BE ACCORDING TO THY MIND ?" Sinner, God has devised and revealed a way of salvation, in which he can save you, and if you submit he will save you, but only in his own way, which is entirely of grace. Your own works stand for nothing, Neither your prayers, nor tears, nor efforts, will tell at all in the matter; it is all of grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Against this, your proud heart will rise, to it you will perhaps raise many objections, but if you do, God's question to you, is, "Should it be according to thy mind?" Whose will is to be consulted-the will of the Saviour, or of those who need to be saved by him? He has devised a way in infinite wisdom, he has determined to save in that way, though it cost him the life of his only begotten Son, and he is willing and able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him. Are you anxious to be saved by him? to be delivered from the wrath to come, to be entitled to and prepared for heaven? If so, God is willing to save you, and to you he says at this moment, "BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED. HE THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED; BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HATH NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY 66 BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. HE THAT BESIEVETH ON THE SON HATH EVERLASTING LIFE; AND HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT THE SON SHALL NOT SEE LIFE; BUT THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM. "ARE YOU ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR SOUL." 66 66 JOHN," said a gentleman the other day to a labouring man, ARE YOU ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR SOUL?" The speaker knew the value of the soul, and had secured the salvation of his own by faith in Christ. Being saved himself, he was anxious that others should be saved too, and therefore he put the ques tion. Just so the writer of this, having obtained mercy myself, and having enjoyed the happiness of real religion, my heart's desire is, that others may obtain mercy, and be made as happy as I have been. The Lord Jesus can make any sinner happy, for he has all the sinner needs to impart; and he is quite willing to do so, if the sinner is willing to be made happy by him. READER, ARE YOU ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR SOUL? Unless it is safe in Christ, you ought to be, for God has said, "The soul that sinneth it shall die." Now you have sinned, you are therefore doomed to die. The death threatened is most fearful, for it is eternal. It consists in banishment from God, exclusion from heaven, being associated with devils, and being shut up in hell for ever. The lost soul will suffer the most dreadful agonies, be true. He and will suffer them for ever. The body will suffer with the soul, and be its companion in the most bitter torments to all eternity. Now this must be the case, for God must keep his word. It is no use to talk of God's being merciful, for he cannot be merciful at the expense of his word. He must He must do as he has said. always has. He said he would drown the world, and he did drown it. He said he would destroy the seven nations of Canaan, and he did destroy them. He said he would punish the Jews, and for eighteen hundred years he has punished them. Yes, God will keep his word. Many find this out when it is too late. Millions are in hell proving this now, and we fear that millions more will go there to prove it yet. We fear you may, and therefore hoping to prevent it, we ask you, "ARE YOU ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR SOUL ?" But if you are anxious, can you avoid God's threatening, and escape from God's wrath? Yes, oh, yes! But only in one way. You must have a Substitute to bear the penalty for you. Some one must die in your stead. God must punish some one instead of you. Thus, and only thus, you may go free. Now the Lord Jesus is willing to stand as your Substitute. He is willing to pay the penalty. He suffered for sinners. He died the just for the unjust. Having done so, he sends his gospel to inform you to you. of it, to invite you to come to him, to commit your soul to him, and to be saved by him. If as a poor, lost, ruined sinner you come to Jesus,if you commit your soul to him, if you trust alone in him,-if you place your entire dependence on him, he will transfer the merit of his life and death His Father will place all he did and suffered to your account; and because he died, you shall never die; because he suffered for you, you will never be punished in hell. Jesus will stand for you, answer for you, advocate your cause, and so save you with an everlasting salvation. His person will be accepted instead of your person, his sufferings instead of your suffering, his blood instead of your blood, his obedience instead of your obedience, and his life instead of your life. Thus you may be saved, but only thus. Thus you may be saved immediately, there is no cause for one moment's delay, for the Bible speaks to you when it says, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." You see there is no doubt about it. 66 There are no difficulties in the way. Only believe in Jesus, believe in Jesus this moment, and this moment thou shalt be saved. 66 ARE YOU ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR SOUL ?" Ought you not to be? Will you not wish by and bye that you had been? Yes, yes, you will. Let me beseech you, then, to lay |