FAMILIAR LETTER TO YOU, A YOUNG CONVERT. FROM YOUR PASTOR. PHILADELPHIA: PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION. No. 821 CHESTNUT STREET. Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by THE TRUSTEES OF THE PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. STEREOTYPED BY WILLIAM W. HARDING. TO YOU TIHE SIEEP OF MY FLOCK, TO YOU TIE LAMBS OF MY FLOCK ESPECIALLY, T PDEDICATE TIIIS LITTLE WORK. YOUR PASTOR. CONTENTS. LETTER PAGE I. Introductory....................................... II. Dedication.......................................... 15 III. Growth...................................... 22 IV. Iabits............................................... 32 V. A Profession of Faith.......................... 45 VI. An Immediate Profession of Faith...... 56 VII. Holiness............................................. 65 VIII. Knowledge......................................... 76 IX. Usefulness.......................................... 86 1* PREFACE. THESE Letters to a Young Convert were written to supply a want I had long felt as the pastor of a church. Many books, great and small, have been written and given to the church for the use of young Christians: some of them excellent, and to be highly commended to those for whom they are intended. This little book is not designed to be put into comparison with, or to supersede, any of them. They have their work before them; let them do it: and may God's blessing go with them. But they do not supply a want I have felt as a pastor, and they do not do a work I have wished to see done for young converts: and hence this little book. It could easily have been made larger. It was designedly made small. In the form of familiar (and as if private) letters, it embodies the advice, counsel, and instruction I should wish to give to a young Christian convert, one of my own spiritual children, in a private, familiar, personal conversation. In all these letters, I have had, in 7 8 PREFACE. imagination, one (not one in particular, but one) person in view, alone with me in my study, to whom I was talking, of such subjects, and in such a way, as I should wish to talk to each one of my young converts, individually, personally, and privately. If I were having private conversations with a friend who had just become a Christian, or if I were writing private letters to such an one, they would differ but little, if at all, from these letters. So fully was I possessed with this feeling while writing them, that I almost forgot they were public, not private: and my wish is that every one of my flock who reads them, may read them as private, personal letters; and that all who read them of the flocks of my brother shepherds, may read them as private, personal letters to them from their pastors. There is nothing local, nothing exclusive, little, if anything, sectarian in these letters. In publishing them, I hoped that other pastors of my own church, and pastors of other churches, might use them to advantage by putting them into the hands of their young converts. For these reasons, and because of their personal character, I subscribe myself, YOUR PASTOR. FAMILIAR LETTERS. LETTER I. Introductory. You have become a Christian, and there is joy among the angels in heaven over your conversion, and I rejoice with them. And why should not I and the angels rejoice? The wonder of wonders to the angels is, the redemption of lost sinners by Jesus Christ, because of the magnificence of the glory it brings to the Godhead in all the persons of the Trinity, and because of the sweetness and fulness of the salvation it brings to the sinner saved. For God's sake, and for your sake, therefore, there is joy 9 10 FAMILIAR LETTERS. over your conversion among the angels in heaven. And I rejoice with them over you for the same reasons, and also for personal reasons, to wit: because I am your earthly shepherd, and see you, one of my sheep, safe from the jaws of that "roaring lion" who was seeking your destruction; because I am your spiritual father, and feel an interest in you as my child; and because I am your friend, and am pleased to see a blessing of Heaven coming down upon you. Why, then, should not I and the angels rejoice that you have become a Christian? We do rejoice over you. Aye, and if you will permit us, we will continue to rejoice over you with an ever-increasing joy. But there are dangers before youthere are temptations lying along your path, and I therefore fear for you, lest the temptations and dangers may be INTRODUCTORY. 11 too much for you, and so our rejoicing be turned to sorrow and shame. Suffer me, then, for the love I bear you, and for the interest I take in you, to give you some counsel while you are yet standing on the threshold of your new life. I have several things to say, that seem to me important and worthy of your heedful attention; and I will begin at the beginning, giving you counsel for the very first step you should take. But before speaking of these things, I wish you to meditate for a little while on the work that has been done for you; on the change that has been made in you; on the gift which has been given you-this, by the help of God, will prepare you for what I have to say. You stand here to-day a redeemed sinner; a disciple of Jesus Christ; a child of God; an heir of heaven. Yes 12 FAMILIAR LETTERS. terday, you were a lost sinner; a disciple of Satan; a child of the devil; an heir of hell. What a contrast! Can you look at it without a shudder of horror? without a thrill of joy? Whence came the change? and how was it brought about? The story is old, and is familiar to you, and I need not repeat it. But I would that you should bear it in mind, and meditate upon it. Think of your state of sin, and alienation of heart and will from God. Think of the bondage you were in to Satan. Think of the wages of sin you were receiving from him. Think of the road you were travelling; of the company travelling it with you; of the destiny awaiting you and them at its end. Think how entirely you deserved the everlasting condemnation God has pronounced against the wicked. And think how helpless you were to avert from INTRODUCTORY. 13 you the doom impending over you. Think also of this, that while thus sinning, rebelling, serving Satan, God loved you. And of this, that while thus helpless and lost, Jesus Christ came to save you. And of this, that while thus at enmity with him, and loving sin, the Holy Spirit took up his abode in your heart. And of this, that, against your will, you were arrested in your downward course; were convinced of sin; were drawn to the cross; were given penitence, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and a new heart. And of this, that Jesus received you as a disciple; that he washed away your sin in his atoning blood; that he justified you with his own righteousness, before the throne of God; that he gave you joy and peace in believing. And of this, that the Father welcomed you to his bosom as a prodigal returned; that he 14 FAMILIAR LETTERS. received you into his family as a beloved child; that he gave you the freedom of his house, to go and come at your pleasure; that he gave to you the keys of the store-house of his grace, to take at will of the treasures of his love; that he hath made you his heir, and a joint heir with his son Jesus, to an everlasting inheritance in heaven. Think of these things-of what and where you were yesterday-of what and where you are to-day. Meditate upon them;so, by God's help, you shall be prepared to receive the counsel I will now give you. YOUR PASTOR. DEDICATION. 15 LETTER II. Dedication. MY first counsel to you is, to dedicate yourself to God, in all the persons of the rinzity. Remember that your condition a little while ago was that of a slave to Satan; in bonds to him to do him service, to receive his shame, and to suffer with him the everlasting wrath of God. And remember, that while you were in this condition, without God and without hope, the Father sent his Son to provide for you a ransom in his own blood; that the Son came, and poured out his blood for your ransom; and that the Holy Spirit, in obedience to the Father and the Son, took this blood of ransom, and paid with it the price of 16 FAMILIAR LETTERS. your redemption, bringing you off a freeman, and out into the liberty of the children of God. Therefore, I say, dedicate yourself to God; and therefore I say also, dedicate yourself to God in all the persons of the Trinity. This is very important, as a simple duty you owe to God, and to escape a danger threatening you from Satan. Satan has matchless cunning and skill. As long as he could, he kept you from thinking of the allegiance you owed to God. When, you being moved by the Spirit of God, he could no longer keep you from such thoughts, he stirred you up to bitter opposition to God. And when your opposition was overcome by the Holy Spirit, and you bowed your knee in allegiance to God, then he began to plot against you to make you of as little account as possible as a Christian. He is busy with such plotting at DEDICATION. 17 this very time. He tells you you are now safe; that all danger is over; that henceforth the current of the divine life in which you are floating, will carry you on swiftly and safely toward heaven. He is trying to beguile you to a careless ease, of which he may take an advantage to harm you, and to rob God of a measure of the glory due him in your salvation. Thousands, tens and hundreds of thousands of young Christians are thus beguiled into careless ease and security by Satan at the very beginning of their Christian life; and a majority of them do not escape from the snare into which they have fallen so soon as long as they live; but with you, I trust, to be forewarned will be to be fore-armed. You have escaped from Satan, and you wish to be clear of him.4 That, indeed, vaou cannot be oi 1ie~ vot u,I,,, lav 18 FAMILIAR LETTERS. harass you, tempt you, assault you, till you get clean over Jordan. But you may keep clear of him many times, and may keep from being overcome by him, by giving timely heed to warnings of danger. I, who am not ignorant of Satan's devices, in God's name warn you of one great danger from him just here. If you would not that Satan should get an advantage over you in the very beginning of your Christian life-an advantage from which you may never fully recover-dedicate yourself to God. And it is a simple duty you owe to God to do this. You are not your own; you are bought with a price; and therefore you are in duty bound to glorify God in your body and spirit, which are his. But I cannot think that arguments are necessary to induce you to do this. The love of God is in your heart; and DEDICATION. 19 the desire of your heart goes out warm and full to him, to live to serve him, and to glorify his name. Take advantage of this flood-time of love, and let it bear you up on its bosom, and sweep you on toward that infinite ocean-fulness of love there is in God himself. It is always wise to do so; it is peculiarly wise to do so at this very time. Humble because so unworthy, penitent because so sinful, but trusting because you believe in such a faithful God, dedicate yourself to God the Father as his son, resolving that you will be obedient, that you will love him truly, that you will serve him faithfully, that you will live to glorify his name: to God the Son, your precious Saviour, your glorious Lord, your divine Teacher, your heavenly Mediator, purposing to love him, obey him, serve him, follow him, imitate him, witness for him: and to 20 FAMILIAR LETTERS. God the Holy Spirit, your regenerator, your sanctifier, your life and light-giver, determined that you will hearken to his voice, that you will heed his teachings, that you will follow his leadings, that you will make him the man of your counsel in all things. In the fulness and freshness of your first love, with a generous enthusiasm, dedicate yourself thus to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. If you feel that it would strengthen you, and help you to stand stronger in your purpose, write out your dedication, and sign your name to it, calling God and the angels to witness what you have done. Some have done this, and been blessed in it. But be chary of making many vows. You see I have not counselled you to make a single specific vow, and I will n.ot do so at this time. Vows are perilous ~" t i'!iang l< r i m so vwmp ~n i -~h ct_ DEDICATION. 21 Christian life as you are, to make. You need more light and knowledge than you now have, before you should venture to vow to God to do this thing, or not to do that thing, concerning many things. Be content now to dedicate yourself-body, mind, and spirit-to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the full, but general, way I have spoken of. And then, in the days to come, as your light increases, and as your knowledge grows, and as your weakness may demand the help, you may occasionally, with safety and benefit, make solemn specific vows to God. If your dedication is a true one, (and I cannot think you would make any other,) God will take you by the hand, as a father his little toddling, trusting child, and lead you along in his own safe and pleasant ways. YOUR PASTOR. 22 FAMILIAR LETTERS. LETTER III. Growth. BEFORE giving you some other counsels, I wish to say something about a certain truth, often overlooked, and much disregarded by Christians, of which it is important you should have some true apprehension, in order that you may receive and use the further counsels I have to give, to wit: Christian growth. I say this truth is often overlooked, and is much disregarded by Christians. Of course, in saying so, as I cannot read their hearts, I am judging them by their lives. For one of the very evident things is, that there is little or no Christian growth in many Christians. GROWTH. 23 And now, unless it can be shown that Christian growth is not in itself a good thing, (which no one will attempt to show); or that it is not according to the will of God, (which no one will pretend to affirm); or that it is' to the many a thing impossible, (which no one believes in his heart,) the truth stated must stand, that Christian growth is often overlooked, and is much disregarded by Christians. A little babe is a well-spring of joy. But why? In part, indeed, because of what it now is in itself, there is something touching, beautiful, that wins our love, in its very littleness, helplessness, and baby ignorance, and baby ways; but chiefly, in what it promises to become-a full-formed, noble man or lovely woman. Babyhood is for a little time, and for babes, not for all time, and for men and women. Should you 24 FAMILIAR LETTERS. wish your little baby brother or sister to be a babe always? in size, in strength, in knowledge? no larger, no stronger, knowing no more at eighteen or twentyone, at forty or fifty, than now? Ah, no! Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, are not glad and proud to have dwarfs in the family. The law of life is, that the babe shall grow, increasing in wisdom and stature, till it attains to perfect manhood or womanhood; and when that law is stayed in its working, and the babe becomes a dwarf, the result is inexpressible harm to it, and inexpressible sorrow to the father who begat it, to the mother who bore it, and to the brothers and sisters of whose blood it is. Now, what are you, dear-? According to the word of God, " A babe in Christ." Whose child are you? The child of your Father in heaven. Who is your GROWTH. 25 brother? Jesus Christ. VWhat is the law of your life? That you shall grow, increasing in spiritual wisdom and stature, till you reach your full-formed, perfect growth in the image of Jesus Christ. You are, indeed, now as a babe in Christ-a well-spring of joy. The Father rejoices over you, the Son rejoices over you, the holy angels rejoice over you, your Christian brothers and sisters rejoice over you. There is something touching, beautiful, that wins their love, in your very littleness, helplessness, and ignorance. But if you should continue to be a babe alwaysa Christian dwarf-the harm would be inexpressible to you, and the sorrow would be inexpressible to them. It is God's will, it is your good and glory, it is the law of your spiritual life, that you shall grow till you attain to the stature of perfection in Jesus Christ. 2n 26 FAMILIAR LETTERS. But to make my statement good, that "Christian growth is often overlooked, and is much disregarded by Christians," I must show that there is a difference between the growth of a babe in the flesh and a' babe in Christ Jesus." Little children are sometimes dwarfed almost from infancy; you know of several examples of such; and you know that the most nourishing food, the most healthful exercise, the utmost skill of physicians, the utmost anxiety of themselves, and parents, and friends, have not availed to quicken the law of growth for them-dwarfs they were, dwarfs they are, dwarfs they must continue to be. In fact, the physical size to which men and women shall grow, whether of dwarfs, or giants, or of any intermediate stature, does not depend upon the will of man, but upon the sovereign will of God. It was the Saviour him GROWTH. 27 self who asked this pertinent question: " Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit to his stature?" And depend upon it, if it rested with themselves, by " taking thought," there would be no dwarfs of men or women. There is not one of all these unfortunate sons and daughters of Adam but feels acutely this "thorn in the flesh," and would buy a few score pounds of flesh and a few feet of stature at the price of all the gold of California. But with the "babe in Christ" it is not so; it may remain a babe, or may grow to its full stature. Every dwarf Christian (and alas! there are many such) is a dwarf because he takes no thought to be anything else. And every large, growing Christian (and, blessed be God, there are some such,) is large, and is growing, because he takes thought to be what he is. 28 FAMILIAR LETTERS. Does this surprise and startle you? I am glad if it does; for I wish to startle you, and so arrest your attention to this very important truth. But is it the truth? Are there not dwarfish Christians who say they grieve that they are such? and that they wish to be other than they are? and that they try (but cannot succeed) to be other than they are? Yes, there are such Christians. And are they not to be believed in what they say? No, they are not to be believed; not that they wilfully and knowingly say that which is not true; but that their eyes are blind, their minds deceived, and that they do not know themselves, nor the truth concerning themselves. They see spiritual growth to be desirable and good, and they pray for it, and, in a certain sense, wish for it; but their prayers are not earnest, their wishes are not strong, their efforts are GROWTH. 29 not constant; and so they fail to attain that which is attainable, and prove that their failure to grow is not their misfortune, but their fault. "He that cometh after me," said Jesus, "must deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." The cross and the self-denial are too much for these Christians; and therefore it is not from any thing impossible that they do not follow after Jesus. Be sure of this, that, " where there is a will, there is a way" in spiritual growth-in the growth of a babe in Christ, in wisdom and stature, toward full perfection in Jesus Christ. For (1,) it is commanded, viz. " Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." And (2,) it glorifies God; and God, we may be sure, will hinder nothing that gives him glory in the scheme of redemption 3 * 30 FAMILIAR LETTERS. through Jesus Christ. " Herein," said Jesus, " is my Father glorified." And (3,) it is according to the " law of the spirit of life" given the penitent sinner when he becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus; and hence the command, viz. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." And (4,) the IHoly Spirit is at andc to give all needed help; as it is written, viz. " It is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Growth in grace is growth in holiness; and growth in holiness is growth in the image of Jesus Christ; and growth in the image of Jesus Christ is growth from a babe in Christ (in spiritual wisdom and stature) toward full perfection in Jesus Christ; and all this includes more and more knowledge of, more and more resemblance to, and more and more acquaintance with Jesus GROWTH. 31 Christ, the Christian's Saviour, Brother, Friend, Lord. Now, receive this truth in the love of it, as a truth of God, and as a truth of the highest importance to you: so shall you be prepared to start right in the new life you have just begun to live. Christians who overlook and disregard this truth are common enough; the church is full of them, to her disgrace, to God's sorrow, to the world's harm. But be you not like them. Resolve this day, that, God helping you, you will not be a common, but (what James Brainerd Taylor called) an "uncommon" Christian;-not a Christian dwarf, but a growing Christian. I have some counsels to give you to this end, that you will find it to your advantage to heed and follow. YOUR PASTOR, 32 FAMILIAR LETTERS. LETTER IV. Habits. FOLLOWING up what I have said about "Christian growth," the first counsel I have to give you is about habits. I think it very important, that at the beginning of your Christian life, you should form certain good Christian habits. Habits make or unmake the man and the Christian. We are all creatures of habit. Habits make us what we are. Lord Brougham, speaking for himself, spoke also for every truly successful man, when he said, "For my success in life I am indebted, under God, to the formation of good habits." And again he spoke for every mran when, speaking of his own experi HABITS. 33 ence, he said, " Form the habit of doing the right thing, and habit will make the doing of it both easy and pleasant." Your own experience will tell you that this is true. What things are (other things being equal) most difficult and unpleasant for you to do? Things you are not in the habit of doing. What things are most easy and pleasant for you to do? Things you are in the habit of doing. You know this to be true in one painful form of experience, to wit: for years you have been in the habit of sinning, of doing certain things offensive to God: now, as a Christian, you love God, see these things to be sinful, and wish not to do them; but the habit of doing them is so strong in you, and the ease of doing them is so great to you, that, as it sometimes seems to you, you must do them whether you will or not. I have 34 FAMILIAR LETTERS. known men who, before their conversion, had been in the habit of profanity, or of lying, or of speaking in an unclean manner, or of taking an advantage in trading, or of eating or drinking to excess, &c., who, after their conversion, on the slightest temptations, were in danger of committing these habitual sins, if indeed they did not actually commit them. As Christians, they hated them, and heartily wished to be free from them; but habit had made it so natural and easy for them to commit them, that when tempted and off their guard, it seemed to them almost as if they must sin, whether they would or not. They were to be both blamed and pitied-blamed, because they had bound themselves with the bonds of these sinful habits; and pitied, because the bonds were so strong when they would break them, and cease to sin. HABITS. 35 1 think it likely you yourself are in bonds to some sinful habit, for which you are to be both blamed and pitied; and that you feel you would do anything, give anything, suffer anything, to be free from it. You have the promise, " My grace is sufficient for thee." But to make this promise effectual, you must resist, and you must work for yourself. As the enemy has mined, you must countermine; as you have come into difficulty and danger through bad habits, you must now get out of difficulty and danger through good habits. And it is only through good habits, sternly formed and resolutely kept, that you can secure that necessary Christian growth of which I have spoken. Christians of eminent attainments in holiness, achieved their successes through good Christian habits, carefully and religiously formed, and 36 FAMILIAR LETTERS. carefully and religiously kept. And Christians not of eminent attainments in holiness, are what they are because they did not form habits of holiness, and did form habits of worldliness. Resolve then, now, that, God helping you, you will form good Christian habits, and that, when formed, you will adhere to them. 1. The habit of prayer. God has ordained prayer as a duty, and as a means to an end; and this ends all controversy concerning it. I do not, therefore, counsel you to pray-for, as a Christian. you will and must pray-but to form the habit of prayer; that is, to pray every day, to pray so many times a day, and (if possible) to pray at the sanme times every day. Of course I remember that the word of God cominands us to "pray without ceasing;" that is, to be ever in a spirit of prayer; HABITS. 37 to be ever ready to pray, and to be ever, in every emergency of need or danger, sending off ejaculatory prayers. But aside from this, or rather in accordance with the spirit of this, is the duty of daily stated times of prayer. I do not know where you can best go to be alone with God; but you know, and do you select the best place you have. And I do not know how oflen you can thus commune with God; but you know, and do you make your communion as often at least as twice a day-morning and evening. Of course, you will have temptations to give up the duty, and difficulties to overcome to do the duty; but, by the help of God, you can conquer every one of them. Seriously, and in the fear of God, form the habit of stated daily prayer; and having formed it, seriously, and in the fear of God, adhere to it. General Havelock, 4 38 FAMILIAR LETTERS. as you know, one of the noblest and best Christian heroes of all time, had this habit of stated prayer. If the marching hour were six, he rose at five, to have time for prayer; if five, he rose at four; if four, he rose at three; if three, he rose at two. No wonder he was the successful Christian hero, beloved of men, and honoured of God. Where there is a will, there is a way. Form now the habit of stated prayer, as often at least as twice a day; and steadily adhere to it, through all difficulties and temptations. 2. The habit of reading tlie Bible. Again I say, I do not counsel you to read tIe Bible, for this, of course, you will do; but I counsel you to form the habit of reading it; that is, of reading it daily, of reading it so many times a day, of reading it in order, and of readino i it i connection with prayer. A HABITS. 39 common defect in Christians is a lack of knowledge of God's word-a knowledge that can be acquired only through a habit of reading the word of God; and because of which they take up many heresies, come short in doing many duties, and commit many sins. Sanctification comes through knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. " Sanctify them thlroyugh the truth," prayed Jesus for his disciples; " tly word is truth." The word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, but only when we have it in our hands, and keep it trimmed and burning. Therefore I counsel you, dear, to form now the habit of reading God's holy word, daily, statedly, in order, and with prayer. 3. The habit of attecding on the umblic mecans of grace. Let me again remind you that I do not counsel you to attend 40 FAMILIAR LETTERS. on the public means of grace, for this you will do, but to form the habit of doing so; that is, of going to church always when there is preaching, and to the Sabbath-school and Bible class, and to the Wednesday lecture and prayermeeting, unless absolutely prevented. You expect me to preach twice on Sunday, whether it rains or shines, whether the walking be good or bad, whether I feel like preaching or keeping silence. But how shall I preach unless I have hearers? And if any should come to hear me, why should not you? And you expect the church to keep up the Sabbath-schools, and the Bible classes, and the lecture, and the prayer-meetingo; but how shall they be kept up without the attendance of you and others? And if others should be present, why should not you? Now, you and I both know that Christians are HABITS. 41 often detained from the public means of grace, ordained of God for their good and his glory, by causes that would not have a feather's weight to keep them from their places of business, or from places of amusement. Therefore I counsel you, dear, now to form the habit of attending always on all the public means of grace. My word for it, you will find your reward in so doing. And let no excuse cause you to break this habit even once, that would not stand the test of business or pleasure, or the scrutiny of the eye of God. 4. The habit of working. Of course, you will work for Christ, and for Christ's cause and church; but I counsel you to form the habit of working; that is, of expecting to work, of looking for work, of taking up any work, big or little, that comes to hand, and of becomingy skilful to work, so that work shall be 42 FAMILIAR LETTERS. both easy and pleasant to you. I can tell you there are (comparatively) few Christians in the church who have this habit of working; but be you an exception, an " uncommon" Christian, whose habit it is to work, whose pleasure it is to work, and whose glory it is to follow thus in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who went about doing good. 5. The habit of giving. Of course, too, as a Christian, you expect to give something something to do good in the church and in the world; but I mean more than this. I counsel you to form the habit of giving-that is, of giving often, giving freely, and giving as largely as you can to do good. It is as truly your duty to be in the habit of giving, and of giving freely and as largely as your means will allow, as to be in the habit of praying. Giving, like praying, and like working, is a HABITS. 43 means of grace. But how few Christians there are who give anything! How very few there are who give according to their means! How very, very few there are who give from a habit of giving! Be you an "uncommion" Christian in this thing also. Settle it in your mind here and now that you cannot be a growing Christian, nor a useful Christian, nor a Christ-like Christian, unless you are a giving Christian. Give much or give little, according to your means; but give; form the habit of giving; and the habit once formed, you will find giving one of the richest pleasures of your Christian life. Be sure that poor widow whom Jesus commended was in the habit of giving, else she had not gone so cheerfully to the treasury of the Lord, and cast into it all her living." Let this suffice concerning habits. I 44 FAMILIAR LETTERS. wish you, dear -, to be a growing Christian, and therefore it is that I have so solemnly counselled you to form the habits of prayer, reading the word of God, attending on the public means of grace, working, and giving. YOUR PASTOR. A PROFESSION OF FAITH. 45 LETTER V. A Profession of Faith. I WISH you, and I counsel you, dear, to make a profession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; that is, to unite with the visible church of Jesus Christ. As a Christian, you are now a member of the invisible church of Christ; you should now become a member of the visible church of Christ. Of course, I am conscientious in my preference for my own denomination, believing it to be in form and life most like the church of the Apostles; and of course, as your pastor, I wish you to believe as I do, and to unite with my church. But I wish you also to understand distinctly that I attach no su 46 FAMILIAR LETTERS. preme importance to this; that I believe other denominations to be true churches of Christ, (branches of the same vine to which we belong;) and that should your choice fall on some other church of Christ than mine, (while I should regret it,) I will not say you nay. Seeing the world to be what it is, and loving my Lord as I do, I could not, for his sake, nor for the world's sake, wish there were no other church denomination in the world than my own; for I truly believe, that while all the churches of Christ hold the unity of faith in Christ, fi7at faith is purer, and the zeal of the churches is warmer, because of Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational, Baptist, Episcopalian, and other denominational differences, than it would or could be, were all the churches of any one denomination. I believe my church to A PROFESSION OF FAITH. 47 be the truest, the purest, the best, of all the denominations; and so believing, I wish you, for your own sake, and for Christ's sake, to unite with it. But if you do not agree with me in this faith, then make your own selection of some other church; and may the best blessings of our common Lord go with you. But whether you stay with us, or go from us, I counsel you to make a public profession of your faith in Jesus Christ. There is more in this counsel than at first you may think. I do not know how it is with you; you may, or you may not be intending to do this very thing; and if it is your intention to do it, you may be surprised that I should think it necessary to counsel you to do it. A few words will explain all this. I have been preaching the gospel more than a dozen years; and a clear conclu 48 FAMILIAR LETTERS. sion I have come to, from a somewhat wide experience and observation, is that, taking the congregations of churches in which church membership is not a mere form, there are more sincere Christians out of the church, than there are hypocrites in it. Believing this to be true, and believing (for reasons I shall give you) that it is of the first importance that every Christian should be a member of the visible church, do you wonder that I counsel you to make a profession of your faith? If you knew what I know-what every pastor knows -you would rather wonder that there is so little said on the subject. A sinner becomes a Christian, but his light is not very clear, or his faith very strong; so he says, "I will not unite with the church yet; I will wait till I see my way more plainly." Another, whose sense of his unworthiness A PROFESSION OF FAITH. 49 and weakness is great, says, "I will not yet; I will wait till I am less unworthy, and till I feel stronger." Another, whose trouble is some doctrine, or some form, says, "Not yet; I will wait till I determine the truth concerning this thing." Another, whose confidence in the help of God is small, says, "Not yet; I will wait till I am sure God will not forsake me." Another, whose besetting sin is the fear of man, says, "Not yet; I will wait till the world cannot see anything in me to find fault with." Another, whose consecration is not of a high order, says, " Not yet; I will wait till I see if I cannot be as good a Christian out of the church as in it." Another, whose dread is of eating and drinking unworthily at the Lord's Supper, says, "Not yet; I will wait till I have assurance that I shall not come under this condemnation." 50 FAMILIAR LETTERS. So the excuses run, and they are nearly numberless; and so excusing themselves, thousands of true Christians, who are members of Christ's invisible church, and whom he commands -to profess his faith, and witness for him as members of his visible church, hesitate and delay, and end by remaining in the world. I say, "end by remaining in the world;" for, as the command of Jesus is, "Believe and be baptized," which, in one sense, means, "Believe and profess your faith;" and as faith and baptism, or a profession of faith, as he' ordained them, went hand in hand, one following right after the other; and as the excuses given for not obeying his command amount to just nothing at all in the face of his command, it follows, in almost every case, that they who make them remain just where theyv are, A PROFESSION OF FAITH. 51 in the world-getting no more light, no more strength, no more courage, no more holiness, no more assurance, no more fear of God, and, of course, never ready to make a public profession of their faith. There are thousands of such Christians outside of the visible church in the world-Christians who, as Christians, are worth nothing to Christ, or to the world, or to themselves. You cannot wonder, then, that I counsel yoe to make a profession of your faith. " But," you ask me, " how is it that one, if he is indeed a Christian, cannot get good himself, nor do good to others, nor glorify Christ, without making a public profession of his faith, by uniting with the church?" You have asked me three questions in one; I will answer them in their order. 52 FAMILIAR LETTERS. First. The Christian who, having no sufficient excuse, does not make a profession of his faith in Christ, disregards a positive command of the Saviour himself, interferes with the arrangement God has made for strengthening and extending the kingdom of Christ, and seems to say that he is ashamed of the Lord who redeemed him. These are sins, very great sins, in the light of eternity, and of the word of God; and, as sins committed and not repented of, they stand in the way as barriers to his further progress. Progress in holiness is a series of steps, one following another in a regular order; and the Christian cannot walk yonder till he has walked here; cannot mount the higher steps of the ladder, whose top reacheth unto heaven, till he has climbed the lower; cannot pass by a sin at the beginning, leaving it behind him, A PROFESSION OF FAITH. 53 to go on and do duties further along. The Christian who would advance in holiness must renounce every sin as he comes to it, and must do every duty as he comes to it, and must obey every command of God as he comes to it, and must take up every cross in the strait and narrow path, having his name on it, as he comes to it. A sin not renounced, a duty not done, a command not obeyed, a cross not taken up, is each an insurmountable obstacle to further progress in holiness. And besides this, God has ordained a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ, witnessing for him before the world, fellowship with the saints, and the sacrament of the Supper, to be means of grace, helps, nourishments to the young Christian, with which, by divine help, he may grow in grace; without which, he gives no promise of growth. These two rea5 * 54 FAMILIAR LETTERS. sons are sufficient to show you why a Christian who refuses to unite with the church of Jesus Christ may not expect to "get good himself." Secondly. The young Christian who refuses to make a public profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, by uniting with his church, according to his command, cannot "do good to others," because he is not a Christian growing in grace himself; because he is not known as a Christian, (or, if he is, is known as one living in disobedience to a positive command of God); and because, though his words may be good, his example is evil. Remember the proverb Jesus quoted: " Physician, heal thyself." And remember what Jesus said about trying to take a mote out of another's eye, while a beam is in our own eye. Thirdly. A profession of faith is necessary in order to "glorify Christ," A PROFESSION OF FAITH. 55 because Christ is glorified in having his commands obeyed, not otherwise; in being witnessed for before men, not otherwise; in growth in his image, not otherwise; in good done to others, not otherwise. But not one of these conditions is complied with, if the young Christian does not become a member of his visible church. I have something else to say about a profession of faith, but not now. YOUR PASTOR. 56 FAMILIAR LETTERS. LETTER VI. An Iminmediate Profession of Faith. I SAID, dear, that I had something more to say on the subject of a profession of your faith by uniting with the visible church of Jesus Christ. That something is this-I wish you to do this immediately; that is, as soon as the way is open for you to do it. There is a feeling with some, that a first profession of faith in Christ should be just preceding the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; and the custom in many churches is, to receive members into the church only on the Saturday next preceding the communion. This custom, however it may have originated, and however necessary it nmay be as a IMMEDIATE PROFESSION OF FAITH. 57 matter of convenience in some cases, has no warrant from the word of God, and, as I believe, no foundation in the fitness of things. If Christians should unite with Christ's visible church only just before the celebration of the sacrament of the Supper, why should they not be made members of Christ's invisible church by the renewing of the Holy Ghost only at that time? And if they are made members of his invisible church at all tines-just after the communion, or midway between two communions, why should they not unite with his visible church at these times, and at all times, whenever they receive the renewing of the Holy Ghost? I can see no possible necessary connection between the sacrament of the Supper and a profession of faith. And when I turn to the word of God, to the planting of the church in the Acts of 58 FAMILIAR LETTERS. the Apostles, I cannot see one single historical connection between them. In fact, I see there that a profession of faith had no actual connection of any sort with the sacrament of the Supper. And besides, the objection there lies always to making a necessary connection in our practice between things God has not necessarily connected in principle, there is this objection to this connection of these two things on the ground of expediency-to wit, that in the minds of many young converts, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is an ordinance so sacred, solemn, and fearful, that, knowing it will immediately follow a profession of their faith, they are thereby deterred, for the time, from making their profession. There are many young converts who would gladly profess their faith in Christ to-day, if it were not for the thought, that to-mor IMMEDIATE PROFESSION OF FAITH. 59 row they must sit down at the table of his mystic flesh and blood. Now it is true, that this objection of theirs arises from a false conception of the nature of the sacrament of the Supper; but I am speaking of things as they are. I hope it is not so with you; but it is so with many. Again, with others there is a feeling that quite a considerable interval of time should elapse between faith and a profession of faith, to tmake sure of one's self, and gain strength. In their own hearts they are sure a great and radical change has taken place-a change from death unto life-and the evidence of it is satisfactory to the pastor; or they and he have good grounds to hope that there has; but still, their feeling is, "I would not dare to profess my faith by uniting with the church till I am sure of myself, and am stronger." 60 FAMILIAR LETTERS. But what reasons are there for such a feeling? and what authority for it is there in the word of God? Suppose it is their duty to profess their faith, are they likely to get any stronger, or to feel any more sure of themselves as long as this duty is neglected? Strength and assurance come in and by the doing of our duty. And when I turn again to the word of God, I fail to find the least warrant there, in either precept or example, for such a delay. On the contrary, I find the command to be, " Believe, and be baptized;" which, in one sense, meant, " Believe, and profess your fatitl." And I find that, in every recorded case of conversion in the Apostolic church, baptism, or a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, followed inmediately after conversion. Writness the conversion and baptism of the three thousand on the day of Pentecost, IMMEDIATE PROFESSION OF FAITH. 61 the conversion and baptism of Paul, the conversion and baptism of Lydia, of the jailor at Philippi, of the Ethiopian eunuch. And it is no valid objection to the introduction of evidence such as this, that that was an age of great gifts of the Spirit, and that the Apostles were gifted to discern between the righteous and the wicked. For the greatness of the gift has nothing to do with the question; and the fact is, that in numberless instances, the Apostles did not discern between the righteous and the wicked, but admitted to the church many who were either hypocrites or self-deceived. Now, I am not arguing for an indiscriminate casting of the church net, and gathering into its communion both good and bad. But I am arguing for more promptness on the part of both ministers and new converts in obeying 62 FAMILIAR LETTERS. the Saviour's command to profess his faith. And I do believe ministers and church-sessions, some of theni, are far more strict and exacting in the matter of admitting members to the church, by a profession of their faith, than they have any warrant for in the Scriptures. I would not that there should be one hypocrite or deceived person in the church; and I would not that there should be one sincere Christian out of the church. And, on Scripture grounds, I say, better run the risk by an early admission of professed believers-of receiving into the church some who do not have faith-than take the responsibility, by counselling delay, of keeping out of the church any who have faith. Christ can take care of his church, and will; and we only offend him by putting our hands on the axle, to steady it when the oxen stumble. IMMEDIATE PROFESSION OF FAITH. 63 Furthermore, these very delays that some counsel and enforce, do, in many instances, have the effect to deaden zeal, and dim the evidences of faith. There are very many young converts who, by making an immediate profession of their faith in Christ, would start high, with noble impulses and bright hopes, after an enforced or encouraged delay, find their zeal diminished, their faith weakened, their love cooled, their hope beclouded. Some even lose their hope entirely, and conclude they are not Christians. And some become worldly, and encourage the doubt that they ever were Christians. That "tide in the affairs of man, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune," of which Shakspeare wrote, occurs to the Christian at the time of his conversion, when he is commanded to launch his barque, by a profession of his faith. If 64 FAMILIAR LETTERS. he obey this command, humbly trusting in God, he may confidently expect the tide to bear him on to fortune. If he obey not this command, (whether from impulses from within, or from counsels from without,) the tide will go out to sea without him, and he may remain on the beach, stranded through life. Believing, dear, that you are a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ; and believing it to be scriptural, expedient, and good to do so, I counsel you to make an immediate public profession of your faith in Christ, by uniting with his visible church. YOUR PASTOR. HOLINESS. 65 LETTER VII. Ioliiness. You are now, clear, one of the professed disciples of Jesus Christ. You have come out from among the ungodly, and taken your stand among God's people. True, you are with them yet in one sense; for God's will is, that his church shall be in the world, and that the members of the church shall live in, and with the world after the profession of their faith, very much as they did before. Christians are the " salt of the earth;" and this requires, as salt with meat, that they shall be diffused among the people of the earth. Christians are the " light of the world;" and this requires that they shall live in h * 66 FAMILIAR LETTERS. the world, as a candle in a candle-stick, to give light to the world. But in another sense, you have come out from the world, and are separated from it. In the face of the world, you have renounced its pleasures, its honours, its riches; and you have professed allegiance to Jesus Christ, and to find in him your true supreme pleasure, honour, and riches. And the church you have united with, and the world you have cut yourself off from, both have taken knowledge of the deed you have done, and both have fixed their eye on you, to watch the life you will live. Jesus Christ is the Head; the church is his body. Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom; the church is his bride. What the Head is, the body should be; what the Bridegroom is, the bride should be. If the Head is holy, the body should be holy; if the Bridegroom is holy, the HOLINESS. 67 bride should be holy. What Jesus Christ is, you know. Now, you are part of the body of Christ, part of the bride of Christ; and as Christ is holy, so should you be holy. Hence the command, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." The Christian is called unto holiness. Read over the passages of Scripture, especially in the Epistles to the Romans and Ephesians, that speak of the call, the election, the fore-ordination of the Christian, and see if you are not surprised to find that they are to holiness, rather than to happiness, or to eternal life. If I am not mistaken, most Christians think of their call, their election, their fore-ordination, as being to the bliss and glory of heaven. And so they are, but not primarily; primarily they are to holiness; and only secondarily to everlasting life. Our first election is to be Christians; that 68 FAMILIAR LETTERS. is, to be like Christ. Our second election is to be saved; that is, to be where Christ is. This is an important distinction which you should not overlook nor forget. Many do overlook it, or forget it; and hence we see them giving their chief thoughts and energies to getting safely to heaven, and only their secondary and subordinate care to becoming holy. Our call is to holiness; and if to that call we give our great concern, God will see to it that we get safe to heaven. Of course, you understand the distinction between holiness and righteousness. Do not forget it, and keep it ever clearly in mind. Holiness is from within; righteousness is from without. Holiness is personal to you; righteousness is personal to Jesus Christ. You can have no holiness but your own; you can have no righteous HOLINESS. 69 ness but Jesus Christ's. You cannot, here, be perfect in holiness. You may, here, be perfect in righteousness. If you could be perfect in holiness here, (as you shall be in heaven,) you would not need the righteousness of Jesus Christ; but as you cannot, as you do daily break the commandments of God, as offending in one point, you are guilty of all. You need all the time the imputed righteousness of Christ, and you need all the time to be striving to be holy, even as Christ is holy. I have spoken to you of "Christian growth"-growth in grace-as the law of your Christian life. Growth in grace is growth in holiness. And I remind you of that, that you may see what it is that is expected of you, and what it is that you may do. It is expected of you that you will be holy, and you may become holy, not perfectly holy, but 70 FAMILIAR LETTERS. more and more holy, more and more like Christ. You are not very Mioly now. Do not be startled or alarmed at this. You are but a babe in Christ. A babe in the flesh is but the beginning of a man. The elements, the faculties of a man, are in it; but as yet they are in but a very imperfect and undeveloped state. In the course of years, by the blessing of God, the babe will become a man; but it is not very much of a man just now, and it is no disparagement to it that it is not. You are but a babe in Christ. You are but the beginning of a Christ-like Christian. The elements, the faculties, of a Christ-like Christian are in you; but as yet they are in but a very imperfect and undeveloped state. In the course of months and years, by the help of God, you may become a truly Christ-like Christian; but you are not very much of such a HOLINESS. 71 Christian now, and it is no disparagement to you that you are not. It will be a disparagement to you, a sore condemnation, if you continue to be what you now are; but just now you are all that God has made you. There is a great work before you-a work running through your whole mortal life-a work increasing in magnitude and responsibility every day; and just so your size, strength, knowledge, and experience increase. This work you must take hold of with your infant hands now, and begin to do with the infantile strength and knowledge you have. The work equals, but does not exceed your capacity. Later, you will be stronger, and you will know more, and then your work will be greater; but it will never exceed your capacity. God exacts from us all that is his due, even to the last farthing; but he never exacts from us 72 FAMILIAR LETTERS. one farthing more than his due. He exacts from the babe in Christ the very utmost holiness of which it is capable; but he does not exact from it beyond its capacity. He expects you to be holy, but he does not expect you to be holy beyond your days-beyond your knowledge, your experience, and your strength. You will not misunderstand me, dear. You know I would not, and dare not, lead you to conclude that, because you are but a babe in Christ, therefore you can still be worldly, or live in the commission of any known sin. No. Might my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, before I should, by any word of mine, lead you to draw any such conclusion. But I wish to keep you from being discouraged, because of the magnitude of the work before you; and I wish to set before you HOLINESS. 73 the very work you have to do now. For I am persuaded that many a young Christian is discouraged and disheartened, aye, and unnerved and unfitted for the work actually given him to do, by setting before him, in all its dread array, the work of the more mature Christian, years older, and in advance of him. And yet I would not have you lose sight of such Christians, or of their works. Know yourself as you are, and know the work demanded of you now; but look also at others older in Christian experience, and contemplate their work; and bear in mind that you must pass on to where they are, and beyond them; and that you must then do the work they are now doing, and a still better and more advanced work. You are called unto holiness. Be holy. Be increasingly holy. Be eminently holy. Feel your weakness and 7 74 FAMILIAR LETTERS. unworthiness. Study your own heart. Scrutinize closely your motives. XWatch your life. Make yourself familiar with the standard of holiness in God's word. Do not measure yourself by yourself, nor by others; but by the standard of God's law. Humble yourself before God. Walk softly before him. Rely wholly on the grace of Christ. Ask counsel, and strength, and light, from the Holy Spirit. Live as seeing him who is invisible. Forsake every sin, and every thing you may reasonably conclude is sinful. Do every known duty. Deny self. Take up your cross. Follow close after Christ. Read the lives of eminent servants of Christ. I have heard of an eminent minister of the gospel, who had a portrait of Henry Martyn framed and hung up before him in his study, to stimulate hi m to be holy. " I can never look at it, be said, HOLINESS. 75 " but I have it saying to me,' Be faithftl; be faithful."' I know another minister who finds the same stimulus, and hears the same words, from the portrait of his mother, who was eminent for her holiness. Use all means, according to your knowledge, your experience, your opportunities, to be holy, and to increase in holiness. YOUR PASTOR. 76 FAMILIAR LETTERS. LETTER VIII. Knowledge. I WISH you, dear, to be an intelligent Christian. "Knowledge is power." And in nothing does this axiom hold more truly than in religion. There are many Christian men and women who are intelligent as men and women, but who are not intelligent as Christians; and who, therefore, as Christians, do not have much power. Other things being equal, the power of men is in proportion to their intelligence. The power of Christians is in proportion to their Christian intelligence. Many years ago I chanced upon an address, by Dr. Horace Bushnell, delivered in the city of Hartford, on the occasion, I KNOWLEDGE. 77 think, of the founding there of some literary institution, in which he presented the argument for the education of the people in a very happy and striking manner. In substance it was this: "Knowledge is power. Hartford has a population of so many thousand souls. Double the knowledge of the present inhabitants, and, in the increase of power, it would be equivalent to doubling the population of the city. Quadruple it, and it would be equivalent to quadrupling the population of the city. Besides, it costs no more to clothe and feed an intelligent man than an ignorant man. So that if you double or quadruple the intelligence of the inhabitants of this city, you get the power of double or quadruple the present inhabitants, and at one half or one fourth the cost for clothing and food of a doubling or quadrupling the population." There is good 78 FAMILIAR LETTERS. sense in this. Athens was but a small city. But Athens was a very intelligent city. And Athens, intellectually, was the mistress of Rome, at the time Rome was the mistress of the world. I have heard of a church in New York, whose pastor is now dead, that was not a large church, counting the members of its communion, or of its congregation; but that was second to no church of the city in power in the city and in the country, because of the rare intelligence of its pastor and people. These are illustrations of the truth I wish to impress upon you. I wish you to be intelligent in all respects. But I am not now speaking of this, of general intelligence, but of Christian intelligence. Be intelligent in the broadest sense, if you can; but if you can or cannot, be at any rate intelligent as a Christian. If you give good heed to KNOWLEDGE. 79 this counsel, in the increase of your power to do good, it will in time be equivalent to the addition to the church of two, four, perhaps a score, of Christians such as you now are. Be intelligent in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures-of the whole Scriptures, of both Testaments. There is much in the Bible. Of course there is. But I mean much of which you now have no conception and no suspicion. I have been a member of the church for more than twenty years. During all those years it has been my habit to read the Scriptures daily; during some of them to read them in their original tongues, to study them as a study, and to teach them. And I now say to you that they are to-day incomparably fresher to me, and fuller of new and wonderful things, than they were twenty years ago. Yes, dear, there is much in 80 FAMILIAR LETTERS. the Bible. And I wish you to be intelligent in the knowledge of it. Read it daily. Read it in course. Read it often on your knees. Read it by the help of holy and wise commentators upon it. Study it. Study it as a member of a Bible-class. Study it as a teacher in a Sabbath-school. Study it as teacher and scholar, with your will bound in lowly subjection to God's will. Study it with the light and help, sought and secured, of the Holy Spirit. Be intelligent in the knowledge of the doctrines of the church. When you were admitted to the church as a member of it, you were young in Christian knowledge, and the question was not asked you whether you believed the doctrines of Calvin or of Arminius. You were not supposed to know much concerning either of the systems of doctrine, save in a general way. In fact, the only KNOWLEDGE. 81 thing the church felt she had a right to inquire concerning, and to demand of you, was faith in Jesus Christ. If you had faith, you were a Christian, and had a right to the communion of the church; if you had not faith, you were not a Christian, and had not that right. You professed that faith, and the church received you, and asked no other question. But now, as a member of the church, you are expected to know more, and to be ever knowing more. You knew generally what the doctrines of the church were when you became a member of it; but now you are expected to know particularly. You should acquaint yourself with these doctrines by an examination of the standards of the church; by inquiries of your pastor or some other Christian; by reading books that discuss them; and by other, and all other means of 82 FAMILIAR LETTERS. obtaining knowledge at your command; and should diligently compare all your reading and inquiries with the teachings of the word of God. It will be a shame to you, if, after a reasonable time in which to obtain the knowledge, you should be found ignorant of the doctrines of the church of which you are a member. Be intelligent in the knowledge of the Christian literature of the church. I do not mean to counsel you to read all the Christian literature of your own church; nor to confine your reading exclusively to the Christian literature of your own church; for there is much in the writings of your own church that you need not know; and there is much in the writings of other churches that you should know; but generally to acquaint yourself, as well as you can, with the writings of the worthies of KNOWLEDGE. 83 your own faith and communion first, and then, as you have time and opportunity, to pass from them to others. There are biographies, histories, essays, dissertations, by writers of your own and other churches, that are Christian classics, (you can easily learn what they are by inquiry,) of which you should by no means remain ignorant. Such reading will refine, and elevate, and enlarge your mind wonderfully, and will, besides, greatly benefit your soul. And do not be discouraged at the seeming magnitude of the task. It will be no task to you when once you have heartily entered upon it. I had in my family, successively, as nurses of my children, two young English girls, sisters, of exceedingly quiet, gentle, and unobtrusive manners. They became Christians while living with me, and immediately entered on a 84 FAMILIAR LETTERS. course of religious and other reading; and, though I never knew them to neglect a duty of their office, and rarely saw them with a book in their hands, in the course of the few years they were with me, they read and digested a number of the largest and most valuable books in my library. When or how they did it, I never knew, and can hardly understand; but they did it. " Where there is a will, there is always a way." Be intelligent in the knowledge of whaat is doing in the Christian world, and in the world by Christians. To be this, you must read some weekly religious newspaper; and if you can, take one for yourself. You will take more interest in a paper of your own, than if it comes in the name of another. Without a religious paper, giving you weekly the news and views of the Christian KNOWLEDGE. 85 world, it is impossible that you should know what is doing in the Christian world, and by Christians in the world; and without this knowledge, it is impossible that you should either pray or work as you should. These, dear, are not all, but they are some of the principal ways in which you may increase your Christian knowledge, and through knowledge, your Christian power. God grant, for your sake, for my sake, for the church's sake, for Christ's sake, that you may be an intelligent Christian! YOUR PASTOR. 8 86 FAMILIAR LETTERS. LETTER IX. Usefulness. I HAVE spoken to you, dear, of a number of things of importance for you to know, or to have, or to do, as a young Christian; and now I would speak of one thing more-to wit, usefielness. You should be a useful Christian; and a useful Christian you may be. Likely enough you feel that there is little, if anything, you can do. Your very Christian humility may make you think so; but in this you are mistaken. There is certainly some good you may do; there is, probably, very much good you may do. If you are truly holy, and increasing in holiness, you will unldobltedly be a useful Christian. The USEFULNESS. 87 source of life-usefulness is heart-holiness, by the grace of God. Many of the most useful Christians the church has ever had, have not been men and women of great abilities, or of large opportunities, but of consistent and devoted holiness. You are called to holiness, and you are called to usefulness. And every increase in you of holiness is an increase of the means of usefulness. Keep this ever in mind. Holiness is your invested capital; and one with which, by the grace of Christ, you are to do business in the world. The idea that you can be a useful Christian, even if not a holy Christian, is one you should dismiss for ever from your mind. God may, indeed, overrule your inconsistency, as he overrules the wickedness of the wicked, and so use you as he uses them; but no thanks to you for this. This is not to be a useful 88 FAMILIAR LETTERS. Christian. Usefulness and holiness in the Christian are married, and are therefore no more twain, but one. One of the most effective ways of doing good in the world is by the witness of a consistent, holy, Christian life. Christian words and deeds may be suspected and disparaged, but a consistent, godly, holy life can neither be suspected nor disparaged; it is the ointment of the right hand-the odour of the violet, the fragrance of the rose, that betrayethl itself. And together with this, and growing out of it, will be the spirit and power to do good in the world by words spoken and deeds done. Some further things to be borne in mind by you, are these, to wit: 1. That there is something for you to do as a Christian. Something for the glory of Christ, something for the good of man. Jesus Christ is the Head, the USEFULNESS. 89 church is the body, individual Christians are the members. And Paul tells us that like as every member of the physical body has its place and its function, and is necessary and useful, so every member of the church has his place and his work, and is necessary and useful. This is true; and you are no exception. You, as one member of Christ's church, of Christ's spiritual body-no matter how humble or obscure you may be-have your place, your work, and are necessary and useful. You may settle it in your mind as an unquestionable truth, that the fact of your being a Christian, and a member of Christ's church, is evidence altogether conclusive that there is some good thing for you to do for the glory of Christ and the good of man. 2. Thait'yoll i ill so(ld ble, stlbject to C(hrist's wvill C(s to wqha(t yola shall do. 90 FAMILIAR LETTERS. Just here Christians are apt to mistake and to sin. They are apt to be anxious, restive, impatient, rebellious. They are apt to be dissatisfied with the work given them to do, and to be running or stretching out their hands to do some work that has not been given them. They are apt to feel that any work is better than the very work God puts into their hands. Be on your guard against this. God knows what work you can best do, what work it is best for you to do, and what work it will best serve him for you to do. Sometimes, though but rarely, he commands the Christian to stand still. When he does, then it is the Christian's duty to stand still; and then the Christian can serve him best by standing stock-still. God must be the judge of this; and we must have no will but to do his will. Several times it was God's will that USEFULNESS. 91 Paul should be arrested in the midst of his abundant good works, and thrown into prison; and when it was, Paul's duty was to lie still in prison, without one murmuring or anxious thought, till God should be pleased to open his prison-doors and set him at work again. Sometimes God commands the Christian to do some very humble work. When he does, the Christian should do this humble work without one word of repining or complaint. You remember the old and beautiful illustration of this truth. If God should call two angels to him, and send them, one to govern a kingrdom, the other to sweep the streets of the capital of that kingdom, they would hasten to obey with equal alacrity, and with equal pleasure. 3. That you shold be on the lool-out for 2!o1r'c to (o /fr.,sTs (O Chisf. This does not conflict with what was just 92 FAMILIAR LETTERS. said. It is not opposed to wishing to do just what God gives us to do; but it is opposed to listlessness, to indifference, to carelessness, to overlooking the work God would have us do. It has shrewdly been said, that "The secret of life is to know what to do in the meantmne." The Christian who is on the look-out for work to do for Christ, will not be much troubled to "know what to do in the meantime." In the Life of Jonathan Edwards, you will find a set of resolutions he adopted to promote his holiness and usefulness-one of the closing ones running as follows: " Resolved, That I will always be on the look-out for ways and means to promote the foregoing resolutions." One of Solomon's exhortations, in the Book of Ecclesiastes, is, "Whatsoever thy hand.findflhl to (o, do it with thy might." Now this may mean only, USEFULNESS. 93 "whatsoever cometh to thy hand, &c.," but it may mean also just what it says, "whatsoever thy hand findeth to do." And this implies search. Seek, and ye shall find. Seek not, and ye shall not find. Many Christians are not useful, because they are not seeking for work. The useful Christians are the Christians who are seeking for work, who are on the look-out for ways and means to do good. When we are not looking out for work, it is wonderful how many ways and means of doing good pass by us unseen, unheard, unfelt. And when we are on the lookout, it is wonderful how many ways and means of doing good discover themselves to us, importune us to take them in hand and do them. There is rarely, if ever, a void and idle " meantime" to the Christian who is on the look-out for some good thing to do. 94 FAMILIAR LETTERS. 4. That what your hands find to do, you should do with your might. It is possible to be busy, and yet do but little. There may be, there often is, a busy trifling. But this is not the way to work for Christ. We expect those who work for us to work with their might. And Christ expects us, when we work for him, to work with our might. Francis Powell Buxton said that he had observed that men did not differ so much in native gifts of mind, as in earnestness of purpose; that success depended mainly on earnestness. This is so. Before the earnest, determined man, doing what he does with his might, all things give way. There are so many listless, indifferent, half-hearted people in the world, that when men see one in earnest, whole-hearted, doing what he does with his might, they instinctively give USEFULNESS. 95 way before him and yield to him. And in nothing does the truth concerning earnestness shine more brightly than in religion. The Christian who does with his might what his hands find to do, is the Christian who does much for the glory of Christ and the good of man. 5. That you should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. The apostolic command is, " Whatsoever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." It is Christ for the Christian to live. He is in the world for Christ. He is in the church for Christ. He has means and opportunities of doing good for Christ. Paul counted all things but loss for Christ-so should every Christian. Paul determined not to know any thing but Jesus Christ and him crucified. Christ's word, Christ's cause, Christ's glory,-these are the 96 FAMILIAR LETTERS. things for which the Christian should live. It should be his pride and pleasure, his glory and his joy, to live and labour, to spend and be spent for Jesus Christ, his blessed Redeemer and his glorious Lord. May God help you, dear -, to so live. And may the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. YOUR PASTOR. THE END.