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Hoopers with great success, until a proposal was made for introducing a given topic to be discussed by the company.

Mary, who had previously spoken with her brother, handed him a paper, which he looked over and delivered to the Rector of Drayford, soliciting his assistance in elucidating the subject. The question was one of common inquiry, and settled between Mary and her brother as likely to tend to general usefulness: "In what way may a believer best withstand temptation, who feels the sin of his own heart, and the allurements of the world, drawing him aside from what is right?"

The old Rector smiled as he read the inquiry, and taking up the subject warmly, removed his spectacles, and looking towards the others, said, "This is a question upon which I feel more than common pleasure in being permitted to speak; for at my advanced age, with my eyes dwelling on another world, and my body bending towards the tomb, I may speak without fear of presumption, and give my experience without danger of being accused of having formed a hasty judgment, "In what way may a believer withstand temptation?" The wording of the inquiry seems to furnish us with an immediate

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and applicable reply, and to lead us to our gracious Saviour, who has himself pointed out the means:‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.' Now as we all know that sin is a means of separating us from God, and it is our misfortune to be assailed by it both within and without, we naturally look for some method by which to obtain pardon, and for some channel through which we may get free from sin, and approach God. There is none to be found but in Christ. Let us suppose ourselves attempting it in some other way; let us for a moment imagine that we can get rid of sin by our own endeavours. Is there a believer in this company who has made the attempt, who will not at once acknowledge that it is vain and hopeless? will he not confess that his best resolutions have failed, that his most strenuous exertions have been rendered abortive, that his most anxious desires have proved fruitless, that his highest aims have terminated in nothingness, that his best endeavours have fallen very short of his expectation. Will he not own that his prayers have been dead and cold when he wished them animated-that his repentance has been slight and unavailing-that his

meditation has been vain and light, and that the whole volume of self, with its capabilities, acquirements, habits, and constitution, has been found empty, trifling, useless, and worthless! I think there is no one amidst us who will not join me in this statement, and no one at all acquainted with his own heart, who will not say, that had his salvation in any degree depended on himself, he would long ago have lost all hope. But let us lift our eyes beyond this picture, and see the Ransom and the Righteousness provided. Jesus himself, is the way, and the life, to him the tempted and helpless sinner goes, (taught by the Spirit of God) and findeth life. Having found the way, he findeth life, and having found life, holiness and happiness and peace are the consequent fruits; he does not wait to make himself better before he goes to Christ, but approaches him as he is, weak, and sinful, and helpless, and worthless,for such as these the Saviour receives; he came not to call the righteous to repentance, but the sinners; not to heal the whole, but them. that are sick. Thus the believer, allured by the world, attacked by Satan, and harassed by indwelling sin, still looks to the Deliverer; he knows that he has no power to escape the snare, no strength to resist Satan, no fortitude

to bear up against trial, but he also knows that in Christ is his strength, his sufficiency, his courage, and waiting on him, without any expectation from self, he can thank God who giveth him the victory."

Mr. Forbes here apologized for the interruption, but begged to observe, that he trusted the remarks which had just been made were not intended to preclude personal exertions, otherwise he feared the doctrine would be liable to much mis-application.

"Personal exertion," continued the rector, "is certainly supposed, for we expect a man to ask for what he wants, and to attend upon the means, as well as to wait for the benefit to be conferred; we do not find much enjoyment of religion, much prosperity of soul, or much victory over our enemies, where the individual has not been diligent in the appointed means; but we surely look for these evidences where we think that the privileges have been carefully attended to; and so we expect to see that a man, who has been much in communion with his Lord, and diligent in searching the scriptures and in prayer, will have become more dead to the world, and more deeply interested in his Saviour's glory. We know that all our attention to appointed means, and observance of

necessary duties will not avail us one point, as to our acceptableness with God, for this we know to have been settled in Christ before we were made acquainted with our spiritual being in Him; but in order to our enjoyment of Christ— our glorifying Him-our own happiness-our own building up in the faith, we rejoice in being permitted to draw nigh unto God, and to receive of His fulness imparted to His waiting people."

"You exclude works then altogether," said Mr. Forbes, "as an evidence of faith?"

"To answer this question would involve more than our time or the nature of our meeting will admit. I would just remark, however, that I deny works altogether as a means of justification, and in so doing, I follow the opinion of the apostles and of our admirable church, which, in the Article of Justification says, 'We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works, or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification.' I also would mention the period of David's awful declension as a proof, that works cannot always be received

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