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ON FORGIVING INJURIES.

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than a spark to the noon-day sun, or a speck of dust to the vast world?

§ 22. Is the person who has injured you a Christian brother? Do you believe, that, notwithstanding the conduct you condemn, he is indeed an heir of heaven? Surely then you should cheerfully forgive. Do you believe that God forgives him? that the blood of Jesus has washed away his stains? Do you hope to meet him as a friend, where no dissensions arise ? where an eternal day will be one day of harmony and love? Are these your hopes? Ah, what is there by the way that should render those at discord here, who hope to be friends to all eternity? Or view the subject of dispute as you will, view it from the edge of the grave, or from eternity: "I never," says one of the best of uninspired writers, " heard of any that stole his winding sheet, or fought for his coffin, or went to law for his grave." And when you are thus near eternity, and going to wear that last suit-a shroud, in that last earthly abode-a grave, how insignificant will those things appear, that now, perhaps, divide your affections from those you should love as fellow-travellers to the world of peace.

But, perhaps, some have wronged you greatly, who are utter strangers to the grace of God. Surely you should rather view them with pity, than with anger. Oh, think of their deplorable estate! They have souls immortal as your own; but these are perishing in sin. The blood of Jesus has washed none of their stains away. No hope for eternity is theirs. Your hope blooms with immortality; but darkness and despair are their probable future portion. They are the enemies of God; and all before them, in the endless world, is weeping, and lamentation, and woe. How pitiable a condition! Should you not rather pray for them, than indulge resentment against poor fellow-creatures, in so miserable a state! surely they have long enough to mourn. If they will seek nothing higher, let them enjoy their short-lived triumph. It is all they ever can enjoy. Repine not at their prosperity, when it is all confined to a few moments, and they have to mourn and weep for ever.

CHAPTER XVII.

ON THE SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS AND SORROWS OF THE
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST.

§ 1.

THE

Christian's path to heaven is a chequered path. Many are the sacred pleasures of the followers of the Lamb; but they have also pains and trials peculiar to themselves.

"Much in sorrow, much in woe,
"Onward, Christians, onward go!
"Fight the fight, and, worn with strife,
"Steep with tears the bread of life.
"Onward, Christians, onward go!
Join the war, and face the foe."

Every disciple of Jesus will find that the Christian life is truly a warfare. Would you behold those who have no foes without, no foe within; whom no fears distract, no dangers threaten; you may, but it must be when you join them in the upper world; and if you ever join them there, assisted from above, you must persevere in the warfare, which they have triumphantly ended.

Perhaps you reply, Is it not said, that The ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness; and that all her paths are peace? It is so yet the Christian's happiness in this world is not perfect happiness. There is true pleasure in the ways of religion; more pleasure in the Christian's tears of penitential sorrow, than in the loud laughter of the world; yet,

"Life is the scene of conflict, not of rest;
"Man's is laborious happiness at best;
"On this side death his dangers never cease,
"His joys are joys of conquest, not of peace."

§ 2. The spiritual sorrows and conflicts, which the Christian has to endure, are of various kinds.

Many of the Christian's trials proceed from within. He feels the correctness of the statement made in the word of truth. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye do not the things which ye would." By the ex

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THE CHRISTIAN LIFE A WARFARE.

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pression, the flesh, in the Scriptures, appears frequently to be meant human corruption, or those remains of this depravity, with which the believer has to struggle, and which, perhaps, have their seat in the flesh. This is one of the Christian's principal enemies. The world occasionally allures by its charms, or alarms by its terrors. The assaults of Satan take place at times, but are not constantly continued; but the flesh is like a body of death, with which the Christian is perpetually burthened. The Scriptures represent the conquest and destruction of this constant enemy, as a painful and difficult achievement. It is not described as dying by a sudden wound, but by a slow and lingering death. "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts." Crucifixion was a lingering and tormenting death. The sufferer passed through many hours of agony.

The young Christian commencing his course, full of joy and hope, may for a while be comparatively insensible to the presence of this constant enemy; but soon he will find that he has to struggle with an evil heart, and has need to crucify the flesh with its affections and desires.

§3. In every nation, in every age, this has been the experience of the followers of the Lamb. The eminent martyr, Bradford, on one occasion observed, "O Lord! sometimes methinks I feel it so with me, as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked. I have as blind a mind as they; as stout, stubborn, rebellious, and hard heart as they." Henry Martyn, so distinguished for piety, wrote in his journal, "What a dark atheistical state do I live. in! Alas, that this creation should so engross my mind, and the Author of it be so slightly and coldly regarded! Amazing patience! he bears with this faithless, foolish heart!" Yet he who uttered these complaints, when breathing forth the pious feelings of his soul, could say, "Let me praise God, for having turned me from a life of woe to the enjoyment of peace and hope. The work is real. I can no more doubt it than I can doubt my existence; the whole current of my desires is altered-I am walking quite another way, though I am incessantly stumbling in that way-I had a most blessed view of God and divine things. I looked forward to complete conformity to him, as the great end of my existence, and my assurance was full-I said, almost with tears, Who shall se

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THE CHRISTIAN'S CONFLICTS

parate us from the love of Christ.' This is my bliss, the Christ is all. Upheld by him, I smile at death. O what have I to do but labour, and pray, and fast, and watch for the salvation of my soul, and those of the heathen world."

Similar to the experience of these and other bright ornaments of the Christian church, has been that of the least distinguished disciples of the Saviour. The illiterate and uncivilized heathen, when truly brought to embrace the gospel, has felt similar sorrows, and uttered similar complaints. A missionary, referring to negro converts, wrote, “I was much delighted to hear about twenty of them give a simple but affecting account of the state of their minds. They seem to labour under trials from without and from within-from their own country-people, and from the temptations of Satan, and the struggles of a depraved heart. They speak strongly as to their good and their bad hearts, the one opposing the other, so that they cannot do the things that they would." One said, "Trouble too much live in my heart. Me be poor sinner. Me no see, me no feel, till God open my heart. Now my heart trouble me too much. Me think me have two hearts; one good, one bad. Good heart tell me pray-bad heart tell me no pray. I try pray God—my bad heart trouble me he speak he say, No pray go work.' "Another said to him, Wicked thing trouble me too much. Me want to do good, but me wicked heart can't let me. Me heart run away all this week—run all about.'— Suppose me pray, my heart run to my country-to Sierra Leone all about. Sometimes them things me no want to remember come in my heart; and then me can't say no more, but Jesus Christ have mercy upon me, poor thing! Me fraid me no love Jesus Christ yet. Me want to love and serve him too much: but me bad heart! Me think sometimes me have two hearts-one want do good: that other always want do bad. O Jesus! have mercy upon me, poor sinner!'

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"Another complained, 'My heart too wicked. Me can't love Jesus Christ. Me want to love him, but my wicked heart won't let me. When I pray, my heart tell me, What you pray for? Jesus Christ no hear your prayer! You too bad! May Jesus Christ give me a better heart! for my heart bad past all hearts!'"

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Such is recorded as the simple and expressive language of these illiterate disciples of the Saviour.

§ 4. Perhaps the feelings of your heart have often resembled theirs. Have you not been cast down, and perhaps tempted to despair, because of the corruption which you felt within ? What has been the cause of your sorrow?

Perhaps you mourn an evil heart of unbelief. The graces that exist in your soul, are so opposed and weakened by powerful corruptions, that they seem like light struggling with darkness. In some happy moments you think you do trust and will trust the Saviour with your all; but these moments too soon depart, and you feel as if you had no trust in him. Sometimes you are ready to conclude, that you do indeed believe on the Saviour of the lost; but soon you feel faith so weak, hope so dull, love so cold, that you doubt whether you possess any faith, or hope, or love. You are ready to exclaim, Can it be that such a cold dull creature as I am, believes in the Lord Jesus Christ? Can this be the faith to which so much is promised? Do I indeed believe that Jesus died for me, and yet love him no more? Do I indeed believe that sin is so mischievous, and hate it so little? Do I believe that heaven is so desirable? why then these cold affections? these languid desires? And do I believe that God will order all things for good? whence then my fears? whence my rebellious will? Surely I cannot be a believer: if I am, Lord, help my unbelief!

You must not infer that you have no faith, because faith is weak, or because you feel within you an evil heart of unbelief. What servant of God, whose piety his word records, did not at some times feel the same? Jacob said, "All these things are against me."a Job wished he had never been born.b Asaph repined at the prosperity of the ungodly, and was tempted to think a pious life vain.c David expressed fear that God had cast him off for ever. Peter when ordered by his Lord to walk upon the water, through want of faith began to sink. "O thou," said his Lord, "of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt."e Often had the Saviour to reprove his apostles for their unbelief. They had to pray, "Lord, increase our faith;" and he represented what they had as hardly equal to a grain

(a) Gen. xlii, 36.
(d) Ps. lxxvii.

(b) Job iii. 1.

(c) Ps. lxxiii. (e) Matt. xiv. 31.

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