iven to any because they
are less wicked 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 af