_your_ Saviour; you must know that His blood was shed for _you
individually_, and acknowledge His great love for you, which brought Him
down from the glories of heaven to suffer on the cross, and that love
must create a love in your hearts, and make you desirous of imitating
Him and serving Him. You must turn from your sins and strive to hate
sin, and in this you will have the all-sufficient aid of His Holy
Spirit. Thus, though as I have said, in yourselves unrighteous, sinful,
impure and doing things that you would not, yet, washed in the blood of
Jesus, God no longer looks on your iniquities. He blots your sins out
of remembrance. He puts them away as far as the east is from the west
He imputes Christ's righteousness to you. He clothes you in Christ's
pure and spotless garments. He declares you to be `holy as He is
holy.'"

Some of the young men he addressed hung down their heads, and others
tried to make their escape, but two or three fixed their eyes earnestly
on the speaker, whose manner was so kind and gentle that none could be
offended, however little they might have been disposed to agree with the
doctrine he enunciated. Among the latter was Donald Morrison. He had
heard many excellent sermons; he had listened respectfully to the
religious instruction which Janet, according to the light within her,
attempted to give him, but he had seldom heard the truth so plainly and
earnestly put before him, or at all events he had never so clearly
comprehended it.

Finding several of the party inclined to listen, Mr Skinner continued
his address, urging his hearers at once to accept the merciful offers of
salvation so freely made. As is generally the case where the gospel is
preached, some were inclined to side with the preacher, while others
were stirred by the natural depravity of the human heart, instigated by
Satan to more determined opposition.

Donald was induced from what he heard to examine his own heart. He had
not before been aware that it was depraved by nature and prone to evil;
that it must be renewed before he could love and truly serve Christ. He
had been trusting to his own good principles, to his desire to do right;
and he had been prepared to go forward and fight the battle of life,
relying on his own strength. Happy are those who make the important
discovery he did before the strife commences, before temptation comes in
their way, or an overthrow, often a fatal one, is certain. Donald had