Page:Life of the honourable Col. James Gardiner (1).pdf/15

 declare his righteousness for the remission of sins—that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus,” He had used to imagine, that the justice of God required the damnation of so enormous a sinner, as he saw himself to be! but now he was made sensible that the divine justice might be not only vindicated, but glorified, in saving him by the blood of Jesus, even that blood which cleanseth from all sin. He was led to see and feel the riches of redeeming love and grace, in such a manner, as not only engaged him, with the utmost pleasure and confidence, to venture his soul upon them; but even swallowed up (as it were) his whole heart in the returns of love, which, from that blessed time, became the genuine and delightful principle of obedience, and animated him with an enlarged heart to run the ways of God’s commandments. Thas God was pleased, (as he himself used to speak,) in an hour, to turn his captivity. All the terrors of his former state were turned into unutterable joy. And tho’ the first extasies of it afterwards subsided into a more calm and composed delight; yet were the impressions so deep and so permanent, that he declared, on the word of a Christian and a friend, wonderful as it might seem, that for about seven years after this he enjoyed nearly a heaven upon earth. His soul was almost continually filled with a sense of the love of God in Christ: so that from the time of his waking in the morning, his heart was rising to God, and triumphing in him; and these thoughts attended him through all the day, till he lay down on his bed again, and a short parenthesis of sleep (for it was but a very short one that he allowed himself) invigorated his animal powers for renewing those thoughts with greater intenseness and sensibility.

A life, any thing like this, could not be entered upon, in the midst of such company, as he was obliged to keep without great opposition. He, however, early began practice, which, to the last day of his life he retained, of reproving vice and profaneness; and was never afraid