Page:Sketches of conversations with James Wilson, alias M'Lusky.pdf/9

 guilt, the power, and the pollution of sin. And we be- lieve we are scripturally warranted to say, to every poor penitent," through this man (Christ Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that be-lieve are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses," Acts xiii. 38. As to the evidence of good works, confirming and proving the genuineness of the change, these are certainly im-portant, where they can be shewn, but in the case of a person incarcerated in a dungeon, we can have few of those external fruits of righteousness. Yet we can tell the altered language,—we can feel the warmth, and see the light of the renewed mind,—we can trace the opera-tions of the Spirit of God, in the somewhat singular and uncouth lispings of a child of grace. We think we can distinguish betwecn a heart smitten by natural grief and shame, yet retaining its close reservedness, and gropping its way to comfort, by a bare, and we fear, unwarrant-ed trust in the mercy of God; and one whose heart rolls its copious tide of penitential sorrow, in all the fulness and freeness of a flowing brook. James was simple as a child, and as far as we can judge by his spirit and tem-per, we believe that his heart was divinely smitten, and graciously healed; and we rejoice, “yea and will rc-joice,” in the hope that his awful punishment was over- ruled by the God of all grace, in bringing him to bow at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to close in with the offers of mercy.

Again, it is published at the request of poor James himself, in hope that it might operate as a warning to his companions in crime, and fellow-sinners. He wished them to know the deep sorrow he then felt, for having so long lived in rebellion against God, and in injuring his fellow-men. He was desirous of speaking to them from the verge of the grave, warning them against the misery into which had plunged himself, and to ponder well the paths of their feet, Test iniquity should prove their overthrow. You see that, by early habits of drunkenness, and debauchery, connected with Sabbath