152 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. " This poor man cried unto the Lord, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." If he did so, and had the blessed issue, why should not we do so also 1 The experiences of one are often pro- posed for the confirmation and establishment of others : "Come," says David, "and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul." Psalm 66 : 16. He contents not himself to remind them of the word, promises, and providence of God, which he does most frequently; but he gives them the encourage- ment and support of his own experience. So Paul tells us, " that he was comforted of God in all his tribulations, that he might be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort where- with he himself was comforted of God," 2 Cor. 1 : 4 ; that is, that he might be able to communicate to them his own experience of God's dealing with him, and the satis- faction and assurance he found therein. So also he pro- poses the example of God's dealing with him in the par- don of his sins, as a great motive to others to believe. 1 Tim. 1 : 13-16. And this mutual communication of satisfying experiences in the things of God, or of our spiritual sense and evidence of the power, efficacy, reali- ty of gospel-truths, being rightly improved, is of great benefit to all classes of believers. So the same great apostle acquaints us in his own example, " I long to sec you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established ; that is, that I may be com- forted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me." Rom. 1: 11, 12. He longed, not only to be instructing them in the pursuit of the work of the ministry committed to him, but to confer also with them about their mutual faith, and what experience of the peace of God in believing they had attained. We have before called in the testimony of the saints in heaven, with whom those on earth make up one fami-
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