COMPANIES MR. JONES.]

Nor would we intimate that none truly repent of their sins and obtain
forgiveness, under such circumstances. Though late repentance is seldom
genuine, yet, as Mr. Jay remarks, genuine repentance is never too late.
God can pardon the sins of a century as easily as those of a day. Our
friend was the means, in the hand of God, of leading many, when worn by
sickness and at the eleventh hour of life, to the Lamb of God. His
carefully kept diary records many such instances. We give one. He says,
'I remember one Sunday coming from Hessle with the Rev. C. Jones. Our
"hearts burned within us as we talked by the way," and when we got to
Coultam Street, a number of well-dressed young men overheard our
conversation, and began to shout after us and call us approbrious names.
Mr. J. talked with them, but to no purpose. Four months after, Mr. Jones
and myself went, as usual, to visit the inmates of the infirmary; Mr. J.
took one side and I the other, and when I came to a person who needed
special counsel and advice, I used to call my friend to my aid. Well, we
met with a young man who burst into a flood of tears, and casting an
imploring look towards Mr. Jones, he said, "O sir, do forgive me."
"Forgive you what?" said Mr. J. "what have you done that you should ask
_me_ to forgive you?" "Sir," said he, "I am one of those young men who
were so impertinent to you one Sunday when you were returning from
Hessle; do forgive me, sir." "I freely forgive you," replied my friend,
"you must ask God to forgive you, for it is against him you have
sinned." We then prayed with him, and asked God to forgive him. He was
suffering from a broken leg, and I often used to visit him after our
first interview. He obtained pardon, and rejoiced in Christ as his
Saviour. He was a brand plucked from the burning.'

[Sidenote: SICK-BED REPENTANCE.]

But Mr. Ellerthorpe also tells us that though he visited, during
twenty-five years, hundreds of persons who cried aloud for mercy and
professed to obtain forgiveness, on what was feared would be their
dying beds, yet, he did not remember more than five or six who, on
being restored to health, lived so as to prove their conversion genuine.
The rest returned 'like the dog to its vomit, and the sow that was
washed to her wallowing in the mire.' The Sabbath-breaker forgot his
vows and promises, and returned to his Sunday pleasures. The swearer
allowed his tongue to move as unchecked in insulting h