ily prayer that the Spirit of God
would impress you with the importance of becoming a Christian; from your
letter I infer that you are anxiously inquiring after the "great
salvation." It is all-important that you be guided aright. _What must
you do?_

The Bible should be our guide in matters involving our spiritual
interests, and we need not fear to follow its directions. The Bible
declares that in order to be saved the sinner must "_repent_." This is
the first step.

But what is it to repent? Let me tell you. Suppose, then, that a person
spreads a false and injurious report about another, by which his
character is wounded, his influence lessened, and his business
destroyed. This is wrong. Of this wrong, the injurer at length becoming
sensible, and deeply regretting it, repairs to the one whom he has
injured, confesses the wrong, seeks forgiveness, does all in his power
to make amends, and offends no more. This is repentance.

Now, when such sorrow is exercised toward God for wrong done to Him,
when that wrong is deeply deplored, is honestly confessed, and is
followed by a permanent reformation, that is repentance toward God. Such
repentance God requires; nor can one become a Christian who does not
exercise it. This is one unalterable condition of salvation. I do not
mean that the penitent sinner will never afterwards, in no instance, sin
again. He may sometimes, again, do wrong, for so long as he is in the
world imperfection will pertain to him; but the ruling power of sin will
be broken in his heart. He may sometimes sin; but whenever he does he
will lament it. He will retire to his closet, and while there alone with
God his tears will flow. Oh! how will he pray and wrestle that he may be
forgiven; and what solemn resolutions will he make to sin no more! This
he will continue to do month after month, and year after year, as long
as he lives, as long as he ever does any wrong. To forsake sin becomes a
principle of his life; to confess and forsake it, a habit of his soul.
Repentance, then, is the first step.

But the Bible adds, "Repent and _believe_ on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
thou shalt be saved." Belief, or faith, as it is called, is another
exercise required in order to be saved. What now is _faith_? Let me
illustrate this.

Suppose a person is standing on the branch of a tree. It appears to be
sufficiently firm to bear him, and he feels secure. But presently he
perceives that it is beginning to break, and i