d,
Far, far beyond the arching sky.
CLOSING EXHORTATION.
God has forgiven you all your sins; he has sanctified you wholly. You
stand to-day in the way of life; you are fully out upon the Christian
way. You have on the whole armor of God. You possess the power of God's
Spirit in your soul, the love of God is in your heart as a burning
flame. You are tasting the sweet joys that flow from heaven's throne. In
your soul is imprinted the image of Jesus. Your heart is a garden of
opening buds, which emit the sweet fragrance of heaven. But,
notwithstanding all this blessedness of experience, I want you to
remember you are just starting on the pilgrim's way.
I thought of bringing this little work to a close with the preceding
letter, but it seems that I am loath to say the last word. I wonder if
there is one word more I can say to help you in your Christian race. It
is impossible for me to express how my heart yearns in love and
tenderness for you.
God wants to use your life on earth to his glory. He wants you so to
shine in the glory and splendor of his grace that you may light others
in the way. He wants the opening buds of grace in your soul to burst
into full bloom. He wants to lead you higher up the mountain of joy, to
the very fount of blessings. He wants to lead you down into the lowly
vale where there are greater riches than gold. He wants his image in
your heart to stand out in greater beauty and perfection; the features
are yet too dim.
While in this life your immortal soul is wrapped about with a veil of
mortality; but God wants to shine such a radiant light and amaranthine
glory into your soul that the veil of mortality will not be able wholly
to obscure it. It will shine out through the material part and glow in
transparent beauty upon the surface.
If you will follow where he leads, he will lead you on from virtue to
deeper, truer virtue; he will lead you on to fountains of sweeter joy.
It may be through the vale of sorrow; but never fear nor distrust, and
you will find your joy rising higher in the cup. If you will follow, he
will lead you from peace on to broader, deeper rivers of peace. It may
be through angry billows and past rough rocks; but if you trust him and
follow on, he will bring you to yet calmer and more peaceful waters. If
you will stay in his presence, he will impart unto you his own lovely
character, and you will grow up into a holier life, into sweeter
fellowship with God, i
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