12.***° 
 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 The doubting Ch 
 Conf Pam 12mo #474 
 
FOURTH EDITION 
 
 THE 
 
 DOUBTING CHRISTIAN 
 
 _"E3IS"OOUH.A.<a-ElI> 
 
 BY THE LATE 
 
 K i\ REV. NICHOLAS H, C0BB8, D, D*, 
 
 Bishop of lite Diocese of Alabama. 
 
 — » «-«♦•-.« « 
 
 I MONTOWN, ALA: 
 
 i li M THE DATT.V HERALD BOOK ANT) Jug CFFlCE 
 
 1864. 
 
THE 
 
 WILLIAM R. PERKINS 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 DUKE UNIVERSITY 
 
 Rare Books 
 
R&& 
 
 THE 
 
 DOUBTING CHRISTIAN ENCOURAGED, 
 
 St. Mark, ix, 24. 
 ' And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said \\ith tear- 
 Lord, J believe; help thou mine unbelief.'' 
 
 These words of the text are a part of a very interesting 
 portion of the New Testament, and arc well calculated to 
 affect us with the liveliest sensibility. ; ' And one of the niulti 
 tude -answered and said. Master, I have brought unto thee my 
 son, which hath a dumb spirit ; and wheresoever he taketh 
 him, he teareth him : and he foameth and gnasheth with his 
 teeth, and pinetli away : and I spake to rhy disciples that 
 they should cast him out. and they could no*, lie answer - 
 eth and saith, faithless generation, how loDg shall I be 
 with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him onto 
 me. And they brought him uuto him ; and when he saw 
 him, straightway the spirit tear him, and he fell on the 
 ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, 
 how long is it ago since this came unto him ? And he said, 
 of a chikl. And oftentimes it hath cast him into the fire, 
 and into the waters, to destroy him ; but if thou canst do 
 any thing, have compassion on us and help us". And Jesus 
 said unto him, li\ thou canst believe, all things are possible 
 to him that believe th. And straightway the father of the 
 child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I hdieue : hel/> 
 mine v.ribellc ."' There is something very affecting in 
 the word of the father of the afflicted child. * He was in a 
 most painful struggle between hope and fear : — anxiously 
 solicitous for relief of his poor unfortunate child ; he felt 
 his fearful responsibility when told that the recovery of the 
 child depended upon the strength of his own faith. .Al- 
 though he was conscious of having faith in the power of 
 the Saviour to heal diseases in general ; yet there were cir- 
 cumstances in the case of his own child which excited his 
 fears. The disciples had tried to heal his child, and had 
 failed — and it might be that the efforts of the Saviour him- 
 self would prove equally unavailing. No wonder, then. 
 
that the tender heart of the father, sought relief in tears, 
 and that he should utter the pathetic exclamation of the 
 text, " Lord, I believe ; help thou mine unbelief." As much 
 as to say, " Lord, I do wish to believe — I do try to believe 
 — I think, indeed, that I do believe : yet I must confess that 
 T have many doubts and fears ; I am not certain that my 
 faith is sincere ; I may, after all, be deceived ; Lord wilt 
 thou be pleased to have mercy on my weakness, and help 
 me to believe, and heal my poor child, notwithstanding all 
 the defects of my faith.'' 
 
 In these words of the father of the child we see the exer- 
 cise of weak and doubting believers in the present day. 
 There are multitudes ready to exclaim, and even sometimes 
 with tears, " Lord, we believe, help thou our unbelief." In 
 speaking from these words of the text, we will enquire into 
 some of the causes of a weak and a doubting faith among 
 believers. For it is obvious that a large number of profes- 
 sors are laboring under a heavy hurden of doubts and fears 
 — that their spiritual prospects are often confused and over- 
 clouded, and that the calmness of a settled and prevailing 
 peace is a stranger to their bosoms. It is true that in many 
 cases these doubts and fears proceed from neglect of duty, 
 from the consciousness of transgressions, from worldly-mind- 
 edness, and from not attending upon the ordinances of the 
 gospel. In all such cases it is right and proper that profes- 
 sors should be distressed with doubts and fears ; it is a mer- 
 cy that they are so ; these doubts and fears may be the means 
 of their safety, the way by which they are to be brought to 
 self-examination, to repentance and reformation. Sad, in- 
 deed, would it be for such persons to be crying peace, peace, 
 when the scriptures and their own consciences tell them 
 '' there is no peace. 7 ' But yet there are numbers of humble, 
 sincere, conscientious and tender-hearted professors who are 
 often distressed with doubts and fears, and all proceeding 
 from the want of a clear view of the doctrines of the gospel. 
 It will therefore be the object of the present remarks, to 
 inquire why such persons are laboring under a weak and 
 doubting faith. 
 
 1. Some persons confound faith ivith assurance, and think 
 they cannot have a saving faith unless they are certain of 
 being converted and accepted. Some persons there are, who 
 tell you that they do wish to believe, that thcyare willing 
 lo go to the Lord Jesus Christ, and put all their trust and 
 eonhdence in his merits and mercy. But they are afraid 
 that Christ will not receive them ; they feel as though it 
 
would be presumption in them to claim an interest in his sal- 
 vation ; tLat although they do sometimes cherish a hope in 
 the Saviour, yet they neither know the time nor the place of 
 their conversion ; that they are not certain they have the 
 witness of the Holy Spirit, nor that God has pardoned their 
 •.in.:. Now, to these very common difficulties; experience.! 
 by humble and serious inquirers, we would say that faith is 
 a different tiling from assurance — from a cettfain oonjid 
 of being converted. Persons may be very confident o£ 
 being converted — may think to have an assurance of the 
 pardon of theireins, and yet have no true saving faith, no 
 vital religion. Indeed, it sometimes happens that those who 
 have the most confidence and assurance, have the least claim ■ 
 to true evangelical faith. 
 
 Faith is a looking to Christ; is an humble trusting 
 Christ, an acceptance of Christ : it is a belief in the word 
 and promise and power of Christ ; it is submission to hia 
 laws : it is the resting upon Christ of one's whole hope of 
 mercy and salvation : it is the embracing of Christ as he 
 is set forth in the gospel, as the way, the truth, and the life. 
 13 ut all this has nothing to do with a confidence that we are 
 converted, with an assurance that we are accepted. For 
 example, when the eunuch, after listening to the preachin;:; 
 of Philip, inquired to know ' : if he might not be baptised," 
 6r in other words make a profession of religion, Philip 
 answered, " If thou believest with all thine heart, thou 
 mayest •" to which the eunuch replied, " I believe that J 
 Christ is the Son of Cod f or in other words, " 1 accepl 
 the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of sinners. I accede 
 to the terms of salvation, as laid down in the gospel : I pul 
 nay whole trust and confidence in God's mercy, through J 
 Christ, and I am now willing to give the required sign of 
 my faith through the Sacraments of the Church." there- 
 upon Philip immediately baptized- him, and received him 
 into the Church of Christ. Again, when the frightened 
 jailor asked the apostles Paul and Silas, " what he must do 
 to be saved/' they did not tell him he could not be sa 
 unless he was confident of being pardoned and eouverferl, , 
 that he must be certain his sins were forgiven him : but 
 i hey told him, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou 
 shalt be saved." They taugnt him to look to Jesus, to ac- 
 cept him as a Savior, to put his whole trust and confidence 
 in hie* merits and mercy, if the jailor would do this in 
 cerity, and certify his faith through the Sacraments of the , 
 Church, the apostles knew that he would be saved 1 
 
because of any coniMonod or assurance derived from his 
 feelings, or notions or impressions • bat because of the prom- 
 ise of God's mercy cataiaed in the gospel. As to the doc- 
 trine sometimes taught, that we cannot be christians unless 
 we know the time and place of our conversion, we would 
 remark, that according to this standard of judging, we can- 
 not kno-.v taat we are alive, unless we can remember the 
 time and place of our natural birth ; that where this evi 
 deuce is wanting, we are dead, and have never been born 
 though we can eat and drink, and move, and work, and per, 
 form all the ofher functions and offices of life. And as re 
 gards the witness of the Holy Spirit, we must determine 
 that important fact, not from any glow or excitement, or 
 transport of feeling, not from notion, or fancy, or impres 
 sion fastening itself upon the mind, but. by calmly compar 
 ing our exercises, views, feelings, hopes, desires, and con- 
 duct, with the word of God as revealed in the gospel. 
 The written word of the" gospel is the formal, official test! 
 mony of the Holy Spirit spread upon record ; and in order 
 that wp i-j y know that we are under the guidance and 
 teaching of that .same Spirit, we must compare ourselves, 
 our exercises and conduct with the written word. In this 
 way we may ascertain, not from whim, or fancy, or trans- 
 ports, but from scripture, experience, and plain common 
 sense, whether we have the Holy Spirit bearing witness with 
 our spirits that we are the children of God. 
 
 2. Some persons labor under doubts and., fears from mis- 
 apprehending the whole }>irr~, 'of 'gospel saluation. Being 
 awakened to a knowledge of the trut1i< seeing themselves 
 T to be poor miserable, guilty sinners, these persons a'reafraii 
 to go to Christ, and to trust in him for mercy. Most gladly, 
 indeed, would they go to Christ, and embrace him as their 
 own friend and Saviour ; but they dare not, they feel too 
 unworthy, they are not good enough. The piteous cry of 
 each one of them is, ''Lord, I believe that thou art merci- 
 ful, and willing to save others, but I am afraid I am so 
 wicked and vile, that there is no mercy for me. My sin- 
 press heavily upon me ; and peace and oorrifor: are stran- 
 gers to my bosom. Others may have hope, r ..J peace and 
 joy, but with me all is darkness, and doubt, and Tear. In 
 the words of the hymn. 
 
 •' I hear. bn\ seem to hear in vain. 
 
 Insensible as steel; 
 If augi f is felt, 'tis only pain 
 
 To'fiuJ I cannot feel." 
 
Now, with these persons, the great difficulty is, that they 
 endeavor to justify themselves, and to become righteous 
 before they go to Christ, and make a profession of their 
 faith through the appointed Ordinances of the Church. 
 They forget the great doctrine of the gospel, that 4< Christ 
 came to save sinners," " to seek and to save that which was 
 lost/' " to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance," 
 " to invite not the self-righteous, but the poor in spirit, the 
 weary and heavy laden to come unto him." Christ has the 
 robes of salvation ; and instead of sewing up fig leaves to 
 make to themselves garments, they must go naked to 
 Christ, and be clothed of him in the robes of righteous- 
 ness. They must not wait to be filled, but must go hungry, 
 yea, starving, and be fed from the bountiful stores of Christ's 
 table. Theymust not wait to become clean, but as leprous, 
 polluted and unclean, they must go to Christ, and be wash- 
 ed in the purifying blood of the LamU They must not 
 hope to justify themselves by any efforts or services, but 
 they must go as guilty sinners, and be forgiven all their sins; 
 freely, because of the atonement and intercession of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. These persons will never go to Christ, 
 if thpy wait till they become fit, worthy, good enough ; if 
 they delay till they have repented enough, and believed 
 enough, and bee:* humbled enough to recommend them to 
 the favor of Christ, and to justify them in the sight of 
 God ; if they hope to find in themselves any reasons by 
 which they may think themselves entitled to claim the mercy 
 of God. We repeat it, therefore, these persons must go to 
 Christ as sinners, poor, lost, ruined sinners. They must 
 give themselves up to God through the Ordinances aud Sac- 
 raments of his Church, with a full consciousness of being- 
 altogether unworthy : tboy must place their whole trust and 
 confidence in the righteousness, and merits, and mercy of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. In this, wiy the painful conflict in their 
 breasts will be terminated, the burden of guilt will be re- 
 moved ; and as they humbly repose upon the simple but 
 sure promise of God's mercy in Christ Jesus, the dark 
 clouds will be dispersed from their spiritual horison, and 
 hope, aud peace, and comfort will be felt in their souls. 
 
 3. Another reason why persons labor under doubts and 
 fears, is, because they overlook one of the great objects of gos- 
 pel evelation, ivhich teas to certify us of God's good iviU to 
 men. Those persons think they are to determine whether 
 God is willing to have mercy upon them by some strange, 
 unnatural feeling, by some peculiar manifestation, by some 
 
extraordinary impression upon their minds, by some special 
 inward revelation of, God's grace and pardon. They gay 
 rhey do believe, at least they'try to believe, they are willing 
 to go to Christ as poor lost sinners, they do give -up and 
 put their whole dependence in the merits of the Saviour ; 
 but vet with them all is darkness, and doubt, and fear. No 
 light of hope, cheers their dreary prospects, no voice of 
 mercy greets their anxious ears, no evidence from' on high 
 has been received that their sins have been forgiven, that 
 they have been accepted of Go<J, and that Jesus Christ is 
 their individual friend.' their present Saviour, The mourn- 
 ful cry of each one of them is this, " Oh that I could know. 
 could be certain that God was willing, to have mercy upon 
 me } that Jesus Christ died for me, that my sins were nov: 
 pardoned, and that I might call Jesns Christ * u my Lord., 
 and my Goclr Now the difficulty with these persons is 
 this ; they disregard the settled testimony of God's word and 
 institutions, the plain simple purpose of the gospel revela- 
 tion, and look for an extraneous evidence which is vague 
 and indefinite, an evidence which can be subjected to no 
 fixed rules of examination, but which depends on frames 
 and feelings, upon impulses and fancies; in a word, they 
 overlook the evidence which God has established, and seek 
 after that which man imagines or invents. Now, if it is by 
 our frames and feelings alone that we are to determine 
 God's purposes towards us, if this is the only sure evidence 
 by which we are to determine whether or not God pardons 
 our sins, of what benefit is the gospel—of what use are the 
 institutions and Sacraments of the Church ? If it is yet to 
 be left to our frames and feelings, to individual illumina- 
 tion, to determine the momentous question of God's willing- 
 ness to save sinners, then indeed the gospel was given in 
 vain, and the angels of heaven were mistaken, when regard- 
 ing the birth of the Saviour as the great, conclusive, and 
 standing evidence of God's merciful purposes towards men, 
 they exclaimed, " glory to God in the highest, on earth 
 peace, good will towards men.*' If it is to be left to our 
 feelings and impulses alone to ascertain our adoption and 
 acceptance, how are we to ascertain these feelings, how to 
 distinguish the true from the false, the workings of the 
 spirit from the conceits ef the imagination ? Or are we, 
 without consulting the written word of the gospel, to take 
 it for granted that these impulses and feejings are the direct 
 witness of the Holy Spirit? If so, if there is no definite 
 standard by which these feelings are to be tried, then all 
 
tills boasted assurance derived alone from this" source is but 
 a blind leap in the dark, and is no assurance at all. Breth- 
 ren, the great question whether God is willing to have mer- 
 cy upon a sinner, is too important, too momentous to be 
 left to any frames or feelings of mortals. It was the ex- 
 press object of the gospel revalation to certify us of God's 
 willingness to save sinners, it was in order to place that 
 blessed truth beyond all donbt and controversy, that the 
 Lord Jesus Christ lived, and taught, and suffered, and died, 
 and rose again. It was for this purpose that a Church with 
 its Sacraments was established, and that a living ministry 
 was instituted to go abroad and proclaim the glad tidings 
 of salvation, to stand before men face to face, and as tin;, 
 rise up in successive generations to tell them the good news 
 that God is willing to save sinners. Wherefore, since Go4 
 has given us the inspired word of his gospel, and therein 
 made known to us the revelation of his will, it is nowour 
 duty and privilege to be guided by the gospel as a sure and 
 infalliable standard. By the gospel we are to determine 
 whether we repent of sin, whether we are willing to-aecep! 
 the pardoning mercy of God,- whether we are ready to ac 
 cede to the terms of salvation, and whether we have 
 I loly Spirit bearing witness with our spirits that we are the 
 children of God." In the gospel, God makes known his 
 will unto men, in the gospel the terms of salvation are 
 plainly laid down, therein the marks and evidences of con- 
 version and adoption are clearly specified, and all the frails 
 of the Holy Spirit distinctly enumerated. It is therefore 
 by the gospel that we arc to test the exercises of our he;: 
 our frames and feelings, and thus ascertain, in a* clear ami 
 satisfactory manner, " whether we are born of the Spirit." 
 and "arc become new creatures in Christ Jesus:" 
 
 4. Some persons arc filled with doiibts'aiM fear* hen < 
 of an injudicious comparison of (heir own religious exercises 
 with the exercises of others. They see others strong in the 
 faith, cheerful and happy in the enjoyment of religious com- 
 forts, apparently growing in grace and in the knowledge of 
 Christ ; whilst they themselves are weak and feeble, full of 
 doubts and fears, and groaning under a burden of sin and 
 corruption. They, therefore become discouraged, they sink 
 down in despondency, and often-times conclude that thej 
 knew nothing of religion, and ' : are aliens from the commoh- 
 wcaltli of Israel, having no hope anil jvithout God in the 
 world.'' Now these persons do not consider that tftough 
 
10 
 
 rt there is t'he same Spirit, there is a diversify of operations :'' 
 that some have one gift of the Spirit, and some another, and 
 that always, each one lias something peculiar to himself. 
 They should remember that all have their trials and diffi- 
 culties, their doubts and fears, their temptations and beset- 
 ting sins, their days of darkness and desertion ; and that 
 those who now seem so much to abound in faith and hope 
 and comfort, may ere long be weeping over the desolation 
 of their spiritual prospects, and in the bitterness of their 
 hearts may be asking '.' if the Lord has forgotten to be gra- 
 cious, and if his mercy is clean gone forever ?" These per- 
 sons should remember that though they find in their hearts. 
 so much sin and corruption, and think that surely none can 
 be so unworthy as they ; yet that all have to complain of 
 the plague of their hearts, and to confess and bewail * their 
 infirmities and sinfulness in the sight of heaven. It was 
 the complaint even of an apostle, that when " he would do 
 good., he found evil was present f " that though he delight- 
 ed in the law of God after the inward man,' 7 yet he saw 
 another law in his members, warring against the law of his 
 mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin in 
 his members." But in this state of mind, what was the re- 
 source of the apostle ? to whom did he look for deliverance 
 "from this body of death?" 'Hear him in his own'words, 
 "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." The apos- 
 tles hope was in Christ Jesus, and in him alone • he rested 
 simply upon the cross. And here too must be placed the 
 hopes of all believers ; the strong as well as the weak. 
 They must look to Jesus Christ, from first to last they must 
 go as sinners to the cross of Christ, and all their hopes of 
 acceptance with God, and of happiness in heaven, must rest 
 upon no merits nor works of their own, but altogether upon 
 God's mercy, vouchsafed to sinners through the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. The great anchor-hope of the Christian is this, 
 "That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.''' 
 To this he clings through all the doubts and fears and trials 
 of his toilsome pilgrimage ; and in his fearful struggle with 
 his last enemy, it is this that sustains his soul, and giving 
 him the victory, enables him to depart with the song of tri- 
 umph on his lips. 
 
 5. The great importance of the inlerpt at sialce, has a. 
 natural tendency to piycluce, in some persons, agitation. 
 rjiliiess ami alarm. Some persons from constitutional 
 ■ jterament are prone to look on the dark and unfavora- 
 ble side of objects*; they are predisposed to melancholy 
 
11 
 
 forebodings, and seek morbid -rati lira linns in creating and 
 cherishing a crowd of imaginary fears and evils. Now 
 when persons of this constitutional tendency become inter- 
 ested in the momentous truths of religion, and when they 
 find in themselves, after all their efforts, so much sin ami 
 corruption, they very naturally give way to -> and 
 
 melancholy; and ask it' it is possible that such as they can 
 be Christians; they think that ilioy must be strangers to 
 the converting and sanctifying power of grace, and that it 
 it is but the mockery, the profanation of holy things, for 
 them to claim to be the followers of the Saviour. And even 
 where there is no peculiar constitutional tendency to mel- 
 ancholy, the very magnitude of the interests involved will 
 cause in many persons,,apprehension, anxiety and agitation. 
 The startling question will sometimes press itself into no- 
 tice, " what, if they should be deceived?" What- if after 
 all their profession' of religion before men, they should at 
 last become cast away from the presence of I r.od, and in- 
 stead of gaining the joys of heaven, should be sentenced to 
 endure the torments of licll?" Being sincerely honest in 
 their religious purposes, and utterly abhorring all manner 
 of hypocraey, such persons often become greatly distressed 
 and alarmed', when they find in themselves so many repeated 
 and melancholy proofs " that the heart is deceitful and des- 
 perately wicked." The sad complaint of each one is this, 
 4i Lord, I sometimes believe, or rather hope that I am a 
 Christian, that I am converted and become a new man in 
 Christ Jesus. I do know it is my wish, my earnest prayer 
 and effort to be a Christian ; and that I would not willing- 
 ly appear before men to be what I am not in the sight of 
 God ; but alas ! I have a heart so wicked, and I so often 
 fall into sin and grieve the Holy Spirit, that *I am awfully 
 afraid I am yet a stranger to # tho sanctifying power of 
 grace." " Search me, Oh ! God, and know my heart ; try 
 me and know my thoughts, and sec if there be any wicked 
 way in me, and lead me in tbe way everlasting." i; Create 
 in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within 
 me." " Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not 
 thy Holy Spirit from me." Now to such persons we would 
 say, that those who have the deepest religious feelings, arc . 
 sometimes most doubtful of tbeir religious attainments : 
 that where there is much grace, there is commonly the most 
 humility ; that a weak faith may be as sincere and saving 
 as a 'strong one ; that these doubts and fears are incentive- 
 
1 
 
 to duly and watchfulness, anil barriers against sins and 
 temptations; thai those wrho-ha*vo the least confident and 
 make the least pretentions arc oftentimes the most faithful 
 in duty and the most persevering in well-doing; and that 
 thus it is with believers in general, sometimes in hope, him! 
 sometimes in fear; yet, by the grace of God, constantly 
 pressing onward, through manifold trials, temptations anil 
 difficulties, and notwithstanding all their discouragements, 
 defeats and falls, successfully reaching the kingdom of hea- 
 \en, and ultimately gaining a crown of life. It should be 
 remembered, too, that the Christian's life here below is a 
 state of warfare, and that no soldier can reasonably expect 
 always to enjoy ease and comfort. Trials and hardships 
 must be encountered, wearisome journeys, cold and hunger 
 must be his portion, and sometimes he must\ningle in the 
 fierce and deadly strife and clanger of Jbattle. Let then 
 these weak .and desponding believers go onward, notwith- 
 standing all their doubts and fears, "looking only" to Jesus 
 the author and finisher of their faith. Though the way 
 may be rough, and the difficulties may be great, and the 
 prospects may be dark, and their spirits may be sad, yet let 
 Lliein hold on to the promise ; yes, let them hold on to the 
 promise, diligently using all the means of grace provided in 
 the Church, and all will come right at last ; the hills wilf 
 recede, and the way will become more smooth ; the fury of 
 the storm will be hushed, the clouds will disperse, the birds 
 will resume their songs, the fields will look green and gay, 
 and the sun, which had been so long concealed, or faintly 
 seen at intervals, will shine forth in full-orbed glory, and 
 sink to rest without a cloud or speck to dim his disc. God 
 is faithful to his promise : like himself, his promise is the 
 same, " yesterday, to-day, and forever.''' Hear the exhorta- 
 iion of the pious Prophet of Israel, "who is among you 
 that fcareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, 
 that walketh in darkness, an»d hath no light ; let him trust 
 in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." And 
 hear from the same Prophet, the promise of God, "Fear 
 not, for I am with thee : be not dismayed, for I am thy God ; 
 I will strengthen thee ; yea, I will' help thee ; yea, I will 
 uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." 
 
 And here, in conclusion, we would remark, that the best 
 -remedy for all these doubts and fears, is humble' prayer to 
 God. This was the resort of the father of the afflicted child : 
 help, Lord : help thou mine unbelief; and prayer must be 
 our main* resource under all the imperfections of our faith. 
 
13 
 
 We should recollect that faith is the gift of God, and' we 
 should, therefore, pray to him to bestow upon us tbafcmost 
 precious gift, We must ask for the Holy Spirit, " to work 
 m us to will and to do," to enable us to believe, and to take 
 hold of the sweet promises of mercy. And we have every 
 encouragement to pray ; for God has promised to hear when 
 we call and to give wheii we ask ; and especially to "give 
 the Holy Spirit to them that ask him." Let us then day by 
 *hy lift up our hearts to God ; let us pour out to him the 
 wants and sorrows -of our souls : let it be our earnest cry 
 that the Lord would help us to believe, that he would give 
 us grace and strength to rise above all our fears, and to 
 claim the Saviour as our personal Friend and Redeemer 
 Let us "go forward in the strength of the fiord, making 
 mention of his righteousness and of his only," and we shall 
 hnd to our comfort, that our hearts, so long contracted by 
 doubts and fears, will be relaxed and softened; the affec- 
 tions of our souls will (low out and fasten themselves upon 
 the Miviour : the painful conflict in our bosoms will be tor- 
 minated ; and the blessed, " peace of God which passeth all 
 understanding/Will take the place of gritty and accusing 
 fears. We shall thus be strengthened with might by h 
 bpirit in the inner man; Christ will dwell in our hearts 1 
 ajtb : being rooted and grounded in love, wc shall be abie 
 o comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and 
 length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of 
 nnst, which passeth knowledge, and to be filled with all 
 the fulness of God." Xow unto him which is able to do 
 exceedingly above all that wc ask or think, -according to 
 the power hat workcth in us, unto him be glory in the 
 church- by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without 
 cihi. — Amen. 
 
 ns 
 
 >v 
 
 )1« 
 
Hollinger Corp. 
 pH 8.5