an egregious sinner as you felt your self to be? and if ten thousand worlds had laid at your disposal, they would all have gone, could that have obtained it. Tell me the truth; Was it not so?

Oh what pen is competent to describe the keen and bitter feelings of a pour, lost, sensible sinner, when his eyes are opened. By and by a little hope dawns upon, or rather springs up in the soul, and the question then is, Who can tell if God will be gracious. There is an intense desire and looking for it, more than they that watch for the morning. And then that dear, that precious Christ of God, in his bloody hue and suffering form, discovers himself with those more than heavenly words, "I am thy salvation; I have blotted out, &c. ; I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt; Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it; I will be merciful to thy unrighteousness, thy sins and thy iniquities will I remember no more.'

I well remember the time and place where I fell prostrate before the Lord with my cup running over. My soul was filled with unutterable feelings of wonder, love, and praise, that the Lord should be gracious to one so ruined, so utterly undone and unworthy. At moments I was bursting with rapture, all divine, whilst his sweet forgiving love was all my theme. The dear Spirit bore his divine testimony, and my before restless soul felt immediate ease. The burden fell off, and I experimentally knew the import of that precious portion, "The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect quietness and assurance for ever." I could see, yea feel my interest, and knew that my beloved was mine and

I

was his.

Can you not travel so far with me? Yea I believe you know something of this. All hail, beloved, his secret is only with them that fear him.

But for the moment I can proceed no further, time and paper fails, but

W. BIDDER.

at

IS ANYTHING TO HARD FOR THE LORD! THE receipt of your letter, my dear brother, reminded me of an old pro verb, Long looked for, come last;" I have often blained you for your apparent neglect; little imagin ing the cause of delay; however, the subject matter of your communica. tion brought to my recollection the saying of the wise man, "Every heart knoweth its own bitterness, and a stranger intermeddleth not with its joy." I can truly sympathize with you in the long detail of painful exercises through which you have passed in your person, family, and the church of Christ, to which you are united.

Your unconverted wife still continues to be a source of unabated sorrow, and not only so, your chil dren as they advance in life, they discover the same innate depravity as the root from whence they sprung, and evince the same determination to tread in her footsteps.

You have had now for many years to bear this daily cross, and have often concluded, in a spirit of unbelief, the blessing you have so ear nestly sought on her behalf, will never be realized. Remember, mý brother, that all things are possible to him that believeth; and never indulge the thought that she is beyond the boundary of discriminating grace and unmerited mercy. Call tó remembrance the former days of your

ignorance; the many years that was spent in open rebellion against the authority of God, and how determined you were to ruin your neverdying soul, by filling up the measure of your iniquity by a course of impiety and oft repeated transgression. It is true that now, by the rich grace of a covenant-keeping God, in Christ Jesus, your lips are employed, by prayer and thanksgiving, in setting forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; but I am sure you can never forget the fact, that once you stood foremost in the ranks of the ungodly, and that no one was more ready to fulfil the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and thus proving that you were an enemy to God by wicked works. I would employ this circumstance as an argument for you still to press your suit at the heavenly court, reminding you, also, that you yourself hath been delivered from death, your eyes from tears, and your feet from falling into the pit of endless despair, so that you know assuredly that he is able to do exceedingly abundant, above all that you can ask or think, and to grant you the full desire of your heart, even the salvation of your beloved wife.

It is true you have often said, occasioned by painful delay, " Hope deferred maketh the heart faint;" but who can tell but her name also is entered into the book of life, and that in due time it will be manifested that she was blest with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly things by Christ Jesus, to the praise and glory of God the Father. Bear in mind, my brother, the inventory of soveeign mercy contained the name of Mary Magdalene, out of whom the Son of God, by the expression of his lips, cast out seven devils; and think ye not, there was not joy in the presence of the angels in glory, when they witnessed her station at the Saviour's feet? And sure I am, this dear object of eternal love, will shine

as one of the brightest gems in his mediatoral crown for ever and for ever. I cannot pass by, also, the woman of Samaria, whom Jesus by his secret and invincible power, made feel the evil and bitterness of her sin, and who in one moment imparted to her polluted soul life, light, and eternal glory.

Once as the Friend of sinner's dear,
A Man of Sorrows sojourned here;
Eternal love ordained it so,
That through Samaria he must go.

There wandering from the fold of God,
He saw the purchase of his blood;
And o'er this wretch, to lust a slave,
Did sovereign grace her banner wave.
Herein discriminating grace,

Shone with a bright refulgent blaze;
While dead in sin ten thousand lie
Grace brought this rebel harlot nigh.

Glory to God, till this takes place,
Bulwarks of fire, and walls of grace,
Keep all the blood-bought flock secure,
Till calling proves election sure.

I know my dear friend would gladly believe all I have stated in reference to the willingness of the Saviour to save the chief of sinners, yet fear to indulge the hope that it will ever be realized in the experience of his wife, still I would endeavour again to check the influence of such a feeling, for who can tell but what the command is already gone forth, and Satan himself knows it, "Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it."

I have sometimes thought that the knowledge of the prince of darkness, hath in some instance extended to the heirs of promise, even before they have been called out of darkness into God's marvellous light. Perhaps he has known this by the body guard of angels that have attended them; by the many deliverances from imminent peril, when dead in trespasses and sins; by the long forbearance of the execution of deserved judgment; by the many checks of inward conviction of the evil of sin; and, by the

restlessness of their feelings in the pursuit of objects to satisfy the cravings of the immortal spirit. This is the reason, at least I presume so, why many of the heirs of salvation are driven into such excess of rioting, depravity, and guilt, in the days of their unregenercy; but, the wonders of redeeming mercy! the glory and the fulness of that salvation which is in Christ Jesus, embraces within its bosom and confers upon the most wretched of Adam's apostate race an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for those who are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto eternal salvation.

If, my brother, you desire to have exalted views of the doing and dying of the Lord Jesus, consider, in connection with your own depravity, the awful criminality that marks the character of many of the saints, as recorded in the sacred word, and I am sure you will have cause to exclaim, Oh the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God; how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out.

66

Sing, O ye sinner bought with blood,

Hail the great Three in One;
Tell how secure the covenant stood,
Ere time its race begun.

Ne'er had ye felt the guilt of sin,

Nor sweets of pardoning love; Unless your worthless name had been. Enroll'd to life above.

Thus, my dear brother, I have refered to these scripture cases, with a view of removing your desponding and despairing conclusion, and that you may still live to see your unhappy wife walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost. If time and paper would allow, I would employ my pen until midnight upon this interesting subject; but let the Saviour's own words suffice, "I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

Even such as Saul of Tarsus, who wasted the church of Christ; or a cruel and murderous Manasseh, who caused the streets of Jerusalem to run down with innocent blood; and then say whether it was not to make unto himself an everlasting name.

Surely then, my brother, you have no cause as yet to despair of the conversion of your Christ-despising, and as it regards other matters, beloved wife; the time may come, cherish the thought, when you may be both engaged in pouring out your hearts before the Lord, at the family altar, and become a mutual blessing to each other, for thus saith the Lord, My thoughts are not as your thoughts, neither are my ways as your ways; for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts."

venture to say, they have been blessed to the conveying of light and liberty to my soul; and although only a babe in the knowledge of the things of the kingdom of Christ, I have nevertheless dared to assert my views of the doc trines of grace in the hearing of Mr. and he expressed himself very sorry that I should have fallen into so gross an error, as to believe that the atonement of Christ was ONLY for those who were given to him in the eternal purpose of God before the foundation of the world; as he himself believes it to be for the whole of Adam's posterity, if they will but come and receive of its benefits and blessings.

"

I now find comfort at times under the ministry and addresses of Mr. H-, who some time since came here, as also of other ministers whom I now account to preach the whole truth, as it is revealed in the word of God. Some time since we had a conference meeting, and Mr. Hproposed for our consideration 1 John ii. 1, 2; and I found much pleasure in the manner he set forth" the whole world," as being an expression including only the world of the elect people of God: or, as he said, the sheep of Christ," and not goats; or the remnant according to the election of grace." Mr. was sadly annoyed at his boldness, and seemed as if he would rather he should not preach again, than set forth, as he termed these things, "another gospel." But he does still continue, and I bless God for it; and he says he means to continue, if it be only to comfort the sheep of Christ a little now and then and they are all glad to hear him in his plain way exalt the Saviour and abase the creature.

:

I have been induced by Mr. Hto take in the Spiritual Magazine, and I have been much pleased with it; and I should be glad if you would get some person who corresponds with you, to write a paper on the subject mentioned, or answer this question

THE MYSTERY OF THE APPLE TREE.

Dear Sir, I herewith return your book-Mr. Barry's Mystery of the Apple Tree and heartily thank you for the loan of it, for the Lord has greatly blessed the reading of it to my soul. Permit me to beg your acceptance of the following lines by way of grateful return.

The blessed Jesus has revealed,
Himself to worthless me;
Under that sweet delightful form
The mystic Apple Tree.

The bud holds forth the secret hope,
Which long upheld my soul;
While lingering at mount Sinai's foot,
I heard its thunders roll.

The blossom white and red displayed
Each colour suits my case;
The white holds forth his righteousness,
The red proclaims my peace.

The very leaves have power to heal,
Oh! spread his glorious fame;
My wounded soul has felt the cure,
Thrice blessed be his name.

Its luscious fruit for taste and smell;
Transcends Arabian spice;
Nor can the blood of grapes excel,
Its soul reviving juice.

Here blessed Lord indulge me oft,
To set and feast with thee;
On pardon peace and love divine,
Made manifest to me.

Whenever my poor heedless soul,
Has stumbled into sin;

And caused my God to hide his face;
And draw a veil between,

Under this sacred shade I fled,

And found his wrath remove;

For Jesus' sake he was well pleased;
And here renewed his love.

Should ratlings storms and tempests rise,
From Satan, earth, and sin;
Beneath this apple tree I'd sit ;
Enjoying peace within.

Under its shade my soul has sat,
With pleasure and delight;

Nor feared the force of earth combined, With Satan's hellish spite.

Away with busy restless care,

I've had enough of thee;
My soul would now recline itself,
Beneath this apple tree.

Here blessed Saviour, here I'd sit,
From sin and self set free;
My shelter and my food I find,
Beneath the apple tree.

And ah! how mean all fruitless trees,
Appear amidst the wood;

This apple tree exceeds them all,
Affording shade and food.

Thus my beloved 'mongst the sons,
For ages past has stood;

Confessed more beauteous than them all
For he's the Son of God.