‘When I came, the man told me plainly the general was a professed infidel. I went in, and after a short compliment said, “I am told, my lord, your life is near an end; therefore I presume, without any ceremony, to ask you one plain question: Is the state of your soul such that you can entertain a solid hope of salvation?” He answered, “Yes.” “On what do you ground this hope?” He replied, “I never committed any wilful sin. I have been liable to frailties; but I trust in God’s mercy, and the merits of His Son, that He will have mercy upon me.” These words he uttered very slowly, especially “the merits of His Son.” I made the following reply: “I am apt to believe you are not tainted with the grosser vices, but I fear you a little too presumptuously boast of never having committed wilful sin. If you would be saved, you must acknowledge your being utterly corrupted by sin, and consequently deserving the curse of God, and eternal damnation. As for your hoping for God’s mercy, through the merits of His Son, I beg leave to ask, do you believe God has a Son; that His Son assumed our nature, in order to be our Saviour; that in the execution of His office He was humbled unto death, even the death upon the cross; and that hereby He has given an ample satisfaction for us, and recovered our title to heaven?” He answered, “I cannot now avoid a more minute description of the state of my soul. Let me tell you, doctor, I have some knowledge of philosophy, by which I have chosen for myself a way of salvation. I have always endeavoured to live a sober life to the uttermost of my 207power, not doubting but that the Being of all beings would graciously accept me. In this way I stood in no need of Christ, and therefore did not believe on Him. But if I take the Scriptures to be a divine revelation, this way of mine, I perceive, is not the right one. I must believe in Christ, and through Him come to God.” I replied, “You say, if you take the Scriptures to be a Divine revelation.” He fetched a deep sigh, and said, “O God, thou wilt make me say, Because I take the Scriptures to be Thy word.” I said, “There are grounds and reasons enough to demonstrate the Divine origin of Christianity, as I could show from its most essential principles, were not the period of your life so short: but we need not now that diffusive method, faith being the gift of God. A poor sinner, tottering on the brink of eternity, has not time to inquire about grounds and reasons: rather betake yourself to earnest prayer for faith; which if you do, I doubt not but God will give it you.” I had no sooner spoken these words, than pulling off his cap, and lifting up his eyes and hands, he cried out, “O Almighty God, I am a poor cursed sinner, worthy of damnation; but, Lord Jesus, eternal Son of God, Thou diedst for my sins also! It is through Thee alone I can be saved! 0 give me faith, and strengthen that faith!” Being extremely weak, he was obliged to stop here. A little