than others.  It is given only to those who, feeling that their sins have brought a curse on them which they cannot lift off, ‘look unto Jesus,’ as bearing all away.

“Now, my dear boy, I have no wish to weary you.  If you are anything like what I was, you will have yawned many a time already over this letter.  However, if the Lord deal graciously with you, and touch your young heart, as I pray He may, with a desire to be forgiven, and to be made a child of God, perhaps you will not take ill what I have written to you in much haste.  As this is the first time you have been away from home, perhaps you have not learned to write letters yet; but if you have, I would like to hear from you, how you come on—­what convictions you feel, if you feel any—­what difficulties, what parts of the Bible puzzle you, and then I would do my best to unravel them.  You read your Bible regularly, of course; but do try and understand it, and still more, to feel it.  Read more parts than one at a time.  For example, if you are reading Genesis, read a psalm also; or, if you are reading Matthew, read a small bit of an epistle also. Turn the Bible into prayer. Thus, if you were reading the 1st Psalm, spread the Bible on the chair before you, and kneel, and pray, ’O Lord, give me the blessedness of the man,’ etc.  ’Let me not stand in the counsel of the ungodly,’ etc.  This is the best way of knowing the meaning of the Bible, and of learning to pray.  In prayer confess your sins by name—­going over those of the past day, one by one.  Pray for your friends by name—­father, mother, etc. etc.  If you love them, surely you will pray for their souls.  I know well that there are prayers constantly ascending for you from your own house; and will you not pray for them back again?  Do this regularly.  If you pray sincerely for others, it will make you pray for yourself.

“But I must be done.  Good-bye, dear G. Remember me to your
brother kindly, and believe me your sincere friend,

“R.M.M.”

It is the shepherd’s duty (Ezek. 34:4), in visiting his flock, to discriminate; “strengthening the diseased, healing that which was sick, binding up that which was broken, bringing again that which was driven away, seeking that which was lost.”  This Mr. M’Cheyne tried to do.  In an after-letter to Mr. Somerville of Anderston, in reference to the people of these parishes, whom he had had means of knowing, he wrote, “Take more heed to the saints than ever I did.  Speak a word in season to S.M.  S.H. will drink in simple truth, but tell him to be humble-minded.  Cause L.H. to learn in silence; speak not of religion to her, but speak to her case always.  Teach A.M. to look simply at Jesus.  J.A. warn and teach.  Get worldliness from the B.’s, if you can.  Mrs. G. awake or keep awake.  Speak faithfully to the B.’s.  Tell me of M.C., if she is really a believer, and grows.  A.K., has the light visited her?  M.T.  I have had some doubts of.  M.G. lies sore upon my conscience; I did no good to that woman:  she always managed to speak of things about the truth.  Speak boldly.  What matter in eternity the slight awkwardnesses of time!”