THE GOSPEL MESSENGER-September 1891.

OPELIKA, ALA., July 28, 1891.

Dear Bro. Respess: I have received a letter from a man who was once a member with the Primitive Baptists, but for disorderly conduct was cut off from fellowship several years ago. He writes me now in seeming penitence and distress; and as I trust it is the Lord's dealings to bring him home to his friends, I have felt inclined to write him, not for his benefit alone, but for others, also, who are in similar condition and have requested that I write them. And as time and strength are limited I have chosen to write through the MESSENGER, with a hope that all concerned may regard it as an answer to them, without writing private letters to each individually. I send you copy of what is written to one (omitting his name), as follows:

DEAR BROTHER: Since receiving your kind letter of July 19, I have not had opportunity of replying till now; and even now I fear I shall not be able to say much of interest or comfort to you, though I would gladly do so.

I am glad to know that you still have me and other brethren in remembrance, even as we often think of you and pray the Lord to help and instruct you; and I have hope that the good Lord is instructing you, even though it be in some degree by trials and sore bereavements and death of your tender and lovely little ones. By these things we learn that God rules in righteousness, and that we are poor, dependant creatures upon him and cannot always have things our own way. Indeed, it is not best for us that we should, for we do not know what is for our good or for God's glory. But if we love God, we have assurance that all things work together for good.

You seem to greatly appreciate the Lord's gift in giving you a good wife, and this should be a token to you of the Lord's care for you. But while there are many things which we regard as comforting and good for us, there are also many bitter herbs which we regard as evil. But remember the .resigned and humble spirit of patient Job when he said, 'Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil'-Job ii. 10. The same kind hand that deals out that which we regard as good for us, deals out also that which we regard as evil, and designs that both the evil and the good shall work together for good to them that love God, and to them who are the called according to his purpose of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

If we never had sorrow we never would need comfort, and if we had neither appetite or hunger we could never know how kind our God is in providing food for us; and if we never had natural thirst for water we could never desire it, or know how to appreciate God's blessing in providing water for us. So, also, if we had been born blind we could never have known darkness, nor would we ever have mourned over the absence of light. If we do not know the evil we cannot know the good. The law of God is good, and holy and pure, and it makes manifest that which is bad, impure and unholy in ourselves. And now I specially ask that you apply this, in a religious sense, to your own case. If you had never known the love of God in your own heart, would you ever grieve over its absence or mourn over, your sins? If the Lord had never shown you your blindness and sinfulness, would you ever have desired his Spirit to give you light, or his grace to put away your sins? And if he had not given you a little hope in his mercy, would you ever have faith to pray to him for mercy?

You speak of a certain distress of mind coming upon you soon after you were married, and how that distress drove you to a throne of grace to ask the Lord, in the humblest manner you knew how, for help and deliverance. But deliverance never come with joy to you till first your own strength was gone and you thought even death was upon you; but unexpectedly the Lord gave you such comfort and joy that you have felt ever since to be at a loss for words to speak forth his praise and glory. But why all this joy? Ah! it was simply because you had one more evidence that the Lord loved and cared for you, and that he had heard and answered your prayers. But why, my brother, does the great God ever hear and answer the prayers of such poor, vile and worthless sinners as we are? Surely it is not because we either deserve or have merit to be heard and answered by him; but it is because of the riches of his mercy, through the merits of Jesus Christ. He has died to save sinners from their sins, and we ask God, for Christ's sake, to deliver us from sin and trouble, and the gracious Father, for Christ's sake, forgives sin. And it is worthy of our consideration, also, that God, for Christ's sake, gives his poor, ignorant and erring children repentance for their sins, so that they desire to confess and forsake them. And is not this a great mercy, that the Lord has proclaimed to the poor penitent that, "He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy." This is God's method of forgiveness, and He would have his church and people to go and do likewise one to another. And if they are living Godly in their church relations and acting in a Godlike manner one to another, they will show that mercy and forgiveness to their erring brother when he confesses and forsakes his sins, that God for Christ's sake has shown unto them. This their Heavenly Father commands them and works in them by his Spirit both to will and to do the things he has thus commanded. 

Now, when we confess and forsake our sins by the promptings of the Spirit of the Lord, we then do the will of God from the heart. This is Godliness, because it is Godlike, that is, it is prompted by His Spirit. And now I must close this hastily written letter. Hope it may find you enjoying some tokens of the Lord's blessings, and desiring in heart to worship and serve him all your days. Remember, that the Lord bath said to his Israel, "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding."-Jeremiah iii. 22. Here is a gracious and merciful promise from the Lord to heal all the backsliding of His children, and I trust that you and all others who are embraced in this promise, may be enabled to feel its heavenly healing power and to say in your hearts, as these backsliding children did, "Lord, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God."-Jeremiah iii. 22. Regards to your wife, though a stranger to me. Hope to hear from you again.

Affectionately yours,
W.M. MITCHELL