73. “Ε. J.,” Folkestone. If you can lay your hand on the twelfth volume of “Things New and Old,” you will find a series of papers entitled, “The Work of God in the Soul,” which may help you. There are three ways in which the Spirit of God works in the soul; in some cases He produces a deep sense of guilt; in others, a dread of wrath;, in others, a sense of the utter vanity and instability of all human things. It is impossible to lay down any rule. The Holy Spirit works variously according to His own sovereign will. But we deem it of the very last importance that there be a deep work of God’s Spirit in the heart, not only in breaking up the fallow ground, but also in giving a true sense of the love of God and the preciousness of Christ. There is a vast amount of mere evangelical profession abroad; and souls are in great danger of mistaking the mere assent of the mind to certain gospel truths, for that living faith of the heart which, being divine, connects the soul with God, and exerts a purifying influence over the whole life and character. We must say, we long to see a deep work of God’s Spirit in the conscience. We invariably find that those who go through the deepest ploughings at the first, make the most solid Christians afterward. We dread a mere lip profession—an intellectual faith—a mere surface work. We desire to see the kingdom of God established on a broad and solid basis in the hearts of all those who profess faith in Christ.
74. “B. C.” We agree in the main with your remarks; but we do not deem them exactly suited for insertion in bur pages. It seems to us they would come better through the medium of the living voice than through the press. Your query, too, is out of our line.
75. “Smethwick.” Accept our thanks for your letter. We should be most happy to aid you in your truly laudable object; but we never purchase this either in prose or verse. The conductors of this magazine, and all who contribute to its pages, are only too thankful to lay their services as a free will offering at the feet of their Lord. We have not the interest of a farthing in any of our publications; we never have had; and, by the grace of God, we never shall.
76. “M. C. W.” Your letter has drawn forth our fervent praise to the God of all grace. Accept our best thanks. Go on, dear Mend, in your blessed work. Count largely on God. Wait on Him. Trust Him fully, and He will grant thee the desire of thine heart. Be instant in season and out of season; and may you have many precious souls for your crown of joy in the day of Christ’s appearing. We do most heartily commend you to God and the word of His grace.
77. “C. Η. Μ. N.” It would be impossible for us to reply to your letter in our pages. May God help you!
78. “E. S. K,” Brixton. We look upon the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart as the judicial consequence of his having persisted in acting against the light. (Compare Jer. 13:1616Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. (Jeremiah 13:16); 2 Thess. 2:10-1210And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:10‑12).) It is a terrible thing to sin against light.
79. “E. W.,” Folkestone. We believe the midnight cry has gone forth. We cannot but recognize the result of that cry in the large measure of attention which has been given during the last forty years to the glorious truth of the Lord’s coming. For centuries, not a sound was heard about the Bridegroom’s return. “My lord delayeth his coming,” was the plain language of the professing church. Christendom was asleep. But, through the mercy of God, the cry has gone forth—that soul-stirring cry—“Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” Are we ready? Have we got the oil in our vessels—the true grace of God’s Spirit in our hearts? Solemn inquiry! They that are “ready” shall go in with the Bridegroom. The rest shall be shut out into outer darkness—the awful region of weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth—that place where hope can never come—where not one single ray of light can ever shine in upon the gloom of eternity. Oh! may God’s Spirit stir up all our hearts, and make us thoroughly in earnest! May we be seen with girded loins and burning lights, as men who are really waiting for their Lord! May we seek to sound a warning note in the ears of our fellow men, as we pass along, from day to day. Lord, make us serious!