Original.

LETTER FROM A FATHER TO A SON.


MY DEAR SON:--Seldom, if ever, have I perused a letter of
deeper interest to myself as a father, than the one you lately addressed
to your sister. Long had it been my daily 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