To Mr. L——

Witness of holiness lost — Unholy class leaders responsible for lowness of piety in the membership — The faithfulness of God proved when the blessing was lost — A light may be extinguished — Gifts derived from God must be diffused — Necessity of coming baclc — Promises may not be appropriated until the conditions are met — In what a state of holiness consists.

And now, dear brother, I have been presenting you before God in the arms of faith and prayer. I very much regret that you have lost the witness of holiness. Do try, through the merits of your Saviour, to get so near the throne of light, that you may discoyev just how you lost the blessing. You know God hath said, “If in anything you be otherwise minded, he will reveal even this imto you.” And will he not reveal that which so vastly concerns, not only your own eternal well-being, but also that of those intrusted to your care, those whom, by the great Shepherd’s appointment, you are over in the Lord?

Can you, dear brother, urge the present attainment of holiness, with the same point, and power, upon the members of your class, as though you were in the enjoyment of the blessing? If not, may you not have their dwarfishness in religion, or even their backslidings, measurably to answer for. Do you, as their leader, expect them to go in advance of you in faith and practice? God called you out to occupy this prominent position. Did

A Leader should be an Example in Experience.

he intend to fix the eyes of others upon you thus, without empowering you to be an example in experience as well as an instructor in word and doctrine? The sentiment dishonors God, and I am

sure brother L will not indulge the thought,

but will recognize the responsibility that rests upon him, not to gwo. currency to it, in the minds of others, by his own example of deficiency in experience. I do not wish to upbraid one I so much respect and love, but if Tijuth reproves, surely you will not deem me unkind.

Of late my contemplations have been more than usually on the character of the Eternal, in his unchangeahleness and truth. I should love, dear brother, to lay open my whole heart to you on this subject. The immutable Jehovah has been teaching me gracious lessons, which, to the praise of his grace, are daily becoming more established into settled principles. I dare not do otherwise than let my “yea be yea, and my nay, nay.” My mind is continually confirming in the assurance, that whatsoever is more than this, cometh of evil. Sui’ely, brother, when we practice to the contrary, we exhibit that which is so imlike the character of God, that we greatly grieve and dishonor him.

You know the design of redemption is not fully answered unless the image of God be restored to the soul. How unlike conformity to the eternally

The Offering sanctified. Cautious in professing.

Faithful and Tnie are we, if we are continually vacillating in our faith and purposes! With God there is neither variableness nor sJmdow of turning. More than once has God given you the witness that you were wholly his. God was faithful. The very moment you laid all upon the altar, that moment the altar sanctified the gift. All, for some time previous to this, seemed laid upon the altar, with the exception of your will, which required signs and wonders; but your will was at last given up also. The sacrifice met the divine requirement, and was at once sanctified.

You continued to prove the faithfulness of God. So long as you Tcept all upon the altar, the promised results followed. Yes, you were sanctified. And when you lost the blessing, you also proved the faithfulness of the Lord Jehovah. You were warranted from his word in anticipating just the loss you sustained. It was the necessary result of the course you pursued. To use your o-wn language, you became ^’cautious in iwofessing the blessing.” You ceased to pom* out io others, and to the degree you did so, God ceased to pour into your own soul. You know it is said, “Give and it shall be given you.” Now when you ceased to comply with the condition, by withholding from those around you the testimony of the great salvation God had imparted — yes, hid the righteousness of God within your heai-t — and did not Tvith David

A Light extinguished. What a Loser!

abundantly utter the memoiy of his great goodness — ceased to declare it, as you will remember you at first resolved on doing, to the great congregation, why wonder that to just the degree you indulged in this, your evidence should become darkened? And when at last, as you acknowledge, you ceased to speak of it at all — hid your light altogether under a bushel — why wonder that it should be extinguished? Was it not just what you might have expected? How could God have been unchangeable in his purpose, and have awarded you a different experience?

You say you “could not have told at the time, nor have you been able to discover since, the occasion of your declension,” If I have judged correctly, you lost it by degrees, in precisely the ratio you became cautious in professing it. And this doubtless is the way in which hundreds lose the blessing. God does not impai’t his blessings to us for our own exclusive enjoyment. It is his design that we should be vessels sanctified to his use, through which he may communicate to the perishing around us the knowledge of his great salvation. It was his purpose that you should have been used as a channel, through which should flow out to the greatest possible number a knowledge of full salvation — a redemption from all iniquity. Only see how you have disappointed the expectations of his mercy. And what a loser you have been! How

Come back, God’s Work. Man must act.

many stars might you have had in the crown of your rejoicing, had you persevered!

Now brother, you see the point from which you have wandered. The changeableness has been wholly on yom* own part. Will you not come directly back? This may be humbling to your spirit, but I am sure you will have to come to this decision. You need not expect any more light until you make use of that which you already have. Come, brother, let those who are following your faith, know that you apprehend Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Lay all upon the altar just now, resolved that you will now believe upon the bare declaration that God has given in his word. Here is a solid foundation. Heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or tittle shall fail. Restmg thus upon God’s eternal truth as the only foundation of your faith — in-espective of frames and feelings, your goings will become established. And thus in your degree, you will be continually deri4ng power to perfect holiness. Do you observe that it is present grace that flows out to you on condition of a present act on your part? God will not perform your part of the work, but gives you the power. He worketh in you to will, and now he requires that you should do his good pleasure. I need not say that he stands ready and infinitely desirous for the performance of the work vow. You henr him saving”.

When we have a Right to the Promises. Fruits of Faith.

“Come, for all things are now ready.” Do not forget that it is a present salvation received mo- ^jientarily from above. In view of the conditions being complied with on yom- part, He says, “I will receive you.” Comply, and then you have a right to lay hold upon the promise; and upon the bare authority of the immutable Word it is your duty to say, “Thou dost receive me.” The blood of Jesus cUanseth from all unrighteousness. 0 dear brother, leave your feelings out of the question, and iioAV begin to live, not for an hour, or a day; but begin to live a life of faith on the Son of God, for the just shall live by faith; and I pray you no more proportion faith to feeling, for here has been your error. Joy, peace, love, &c., are the fruits of faith, and must necessarily /oZ/oifr, not 2wecede. Surely my dear brother will not regard it as optional with himself whether he will live in the enjoyment of this salvation or not. If holiness is a state of soul in which all the powers of the body and mind are wholly given up to God, the duty of living in the possession of it is most obldous. And this consideration will — yes, must settle the matter with you. Now, to him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both noAV and ever. Amen, Yours, in the fellowship of the gospel.

I have no greater Joy.” A Mother’s Solicitude,