favourable acceptance of them, if alone, might I hope I do not write too late to meet you have the latter effect; but alas! I feel myself at Bath. I pray that your health may be so very defective in those things, the import-benefited by the waters, and your soul com ance of which I endeavoured to point out to forted by the Lord's blessing upon the ordiothers, that I almost appear to myself to be nances, and the converse of his children. If one of those who say, but do not. I find it any of the friends you expected to see are much easier to speak to the hearts of others still there, to whom we are known, and my than to my own. Yet I have cause beyond name should be mentioned, I beg you to say, many to bless God, that he has given me some we desire to be respectfully remembered to idea of what a christian ought to be, and I them. Had I wings, I would fly to Bath hope a real desire of being one myself; but while you are there. As it is, I endeavour to verily I have attained but a very little way. be with you in spirit. There certainly is a A friend hinted to me, that the character I real, though secret, a sweet, though myster have given of C, or Grace in the full ear, ous communion of saints, by virtue of their must be from my own experience, or I could common union with Jesus. Feeding upon not have written it. To myself, however, it the same bread, drinking of the same fountain, appears otherwise; but I am well convinced, waiting at the same mercy-seat, and aiming that the state of C is attainable, and more to at the same ends, they have fellowship one be desired than mountains of gold and silver. with another, though at a distance. Who But I find you complain likewise; though it can tell how often the Holy Spirit, who is appears to me, and I believe to all who know equally present with them all, touches the you, that the Lord has been peculiarly gra- hearts of two or more of his children at the cious to you, in giving you much of the spirit same instant, so as to excite a sympathy of in which he delights, and by which his name pleasure, prayer, or praise, on each other's and the power of his gospel are glorified. account? It revives me sometimes in a dull It seems, therefore, that we are not competent and dark hour to reflect, that the Lord has in judges either of ourselves or of others. I mercy given me a place in the hearts of take it for granted, that they are the most many of his people; and perhaps some of excellent christians who are most abased in them may be speaking to him on my behalf. their own eyes: but lest you think upon this when I have hardly power to utter a word ground that I am something, because I can for myself. For kind services of this sort, I say so many humiliating things of myself, I persuade myself I am often indebted to you. must prevent your over-rating me, by assur-O that I were enabled more fervently to ing you, that my confessions rather express repay you in the same way! I can say, that what I know I ought to think of myself, than I attempt it; I love and honour you greatly, what I actually do. Naturalists suppose, and your concernments are often upon my that if the matter of which the earth is mind. formed were condensed as much as it is capable of, it would occupy but a very small space; in proof of which they observe, that a cubical pane of glass, which appears smooth and impervious to us, must be exceedingly porous in itself; since in every assignable point it receives and transmits the rays of light; and yet gold, which is the most solid substance we are acquainted with, is but about eight times heavier than glass which is made up (if I may say so) of nothing but pores. In like manner, I conceive, that inherent grace, when it is dilated, and appears to the greatest advantage in a sinner, would be found to be very small and inconsiderable, if it were condensed, and absolutely separated from every mixture. The highest attainments in this life are very inconsiderable, compared with what should properly result from our relation and obligations to a God of infinite holiness. The nearer we approach to him, the more we are sensible of this. While we only hear of God as it were by the ear, we seem to be something; but when, as in the case of Job, he discovers himself more sensibly to us, Job's language becomes ours, and the height of our attainment is, to abhor ourselves in dust and ashes.

We spent most of a week with Mr. B since we returned from London, and he has been once here. We have reason to be very thankful for his connexion; I find but few like-minded with him, and his family is filled with the grace and peace of the gospel. I never visit them but I meet with something to humble, quicken, and edify me. Oh! what will heaven be, where there shall be all who love the Lord Jesus, and they only; where all imperfection, and whatever now abates or interrupts their joy in their Lord and in each other, shall cease for ever. There at least I hope to meet you, and spend an eternity with you, in admiring the riches and glory of redeeming love.

We join in a tender of the most affectionate respects.-I am, &c.

LETTER IV.

October 28, 1777. MY DEAR MADAM,-What can I say for myself, to let your obliging letter remain so long unanswered, when your kind solicitude for you to write? I am ashamed

of the delay. You would have heard from | cause we are not perfect, then he fights, not me immediately, had I been at home. But only against our peace, but against the hoI have reason to be thankful that we were nour and faithfulness of our dear Lord. Our providentially called to London a few days righteousness is in him, and our hope debefore the fire; so that Mrs. was mer-pends, not upon the exercise of grace in us, but upon the fulness of grace and love in him, and upon his obedience unto death.

There is, my dear madam, a difference be

cifully preserved from the alarm and shock she must have felt, had she been upon the spot. Your letter followed me hither, and was in my possession more than a week between the holiness of a sinner and that of an fore my return. I purposed writing every day, but indeed I was much hurried and engaged. Yet I am not excused: I ought to have saved time from my meals or my sleep, rather than appear negligent or ungrateful. I now seize the first post I could write by since I came home. The fire devoured twelve houses; and it was a mercy, and almost a miracle, that the whole town was not destroyed, which must, humanly speaking, have been the case, had not the night been calm, as two thirds of the buildings were thatched. No lives were lost, no person considerably hurt, and I believe the contributions of the benevolent will prevent the loss from being greatly felt. It was at the the distance of a quarter of a mile from my house.

angel. The angels have never sinned, nor have they tasted of redeeming love; they have no inward conflicts, no law of sin warring in their members; their obedience is perfect; their happiness is complete. Yet if I be found among redeemed sinners, I need not wish to be an angel. Perhaps God is not less glorified by your obedience, and, not to shock you, I will add by mine, than by Gabriel's. It is a mighty manifestation of his grace indeed, when it can live, and act, and conquer in such hearts as ours; when, in defiance of an evil nature and an evil world, and all the force and subtilty of Satan, a weak worm is still upheld, and enabled not only to climb, but to thresh the mountains; when a small spark is preserved through storms and floods. In these circumstances, the work of grace is to be estimated, not merely from its imperfect appearance, but from the difficulties it has to struggle with and overcome; and therefore our holiness does not consist in great attainments, but in

and mournings; in humiliation of heart, poverty of spirit, submission, meekness; in cordial admiring thoughts of Jesus, and dependence upon him alone for all we want. Indeed these may be said to be great attainments; but they who have most of them are most sensible that they, in and of themselves, are nothing, have nothing, can do nothing, and see daily cause for abhorring themselves, and repenting in dust and ashes.

Your command limits my attention at present to a part of your letter, and points me out a subject. Yet, at the same time, you lay me under a difficulty. I would not willingly offend you, and I hope the Lord has taught me not to aim at saying hand-spiritual desires, in hungerings, thirstings, some things. I deal not in compliments, and religious compliments are the most unseemly of any. But why might I not express my sense of the grace of God manifested in you as well as in another? I believe our hearts are all alike destitute of every good, and prone to every evil. Like money from the same mint, they bear the same impression of total depravity; but grace makes a difference, and grace deserves the praise. Perhaps it ought not greatly to displease you, that others do, and must, and will think better of you than you do of yourself. If I do, how can I help it, when I form my judgment entirely from what you say and write? I cannot consent that you should seriously appoint me to examine and judge of your state. I thought you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, what your views and desires are; yea, you express them in your letter, in full agreement with what the scriptures declare of the principles, desires, and feelings of a christian. It is true that you feel contrary principles, that you are conscious of defects and defilements; but it is equally true that you could not be right if you did not feel these things. To be conscious of them, and humbled for them, is one of the surest marks of grace; and to be more deeply sensible of them than formerly is the best evidence of growth in grace. But when the enemy would tempt us to doubt and distrust, be

Our view of death will not always be alike, but in proportion to the degree in which the Holy Spirit is pleased to communicate his sensible influence. We may anticipate the moment of dissolution with pleasure and desire in the morning, and be ready to shrink from the thought of it before night. But though our frames and perceptions vary, the report of faith concerning it is the same. The Lord usually reserves dying strength for a dying hour. When Israel was to pass Jordan, the ark was in the river; and though the rear of the host could not see it, yet as they successively came forward and approached the banks, they all beheld the ark, and all went safely over. As you are not weary of living, if it be the Lord's pleasure, so I hope, for the sake of your friends and the people whom you love, he will spare you amongst us a little longer; but when the time shall arrive which he has appointed for your dismission, I make no doubt but he will

LETTERS

TO MR.

passion for poor sinners, is ready to prompt
us to break out too soon;-but he that be-
lieveth, shall not make haste. I was about
five years under this constraint: sometimes
I thought I must preach, though it was in
the streets. I listened to every thing that
seemed plausible, and to many things which
were not so. But the Lord graciously, and
as it were insensibly, hedged up my way
with thorns; otherwise, if I had been left to
my own spirit, I should have put it quite out
of my power to have been brought into such
a sphere of usefulness, as he in good time
has been pleased to lead me to.
And I can
now see clearly, that at the time I would first
have gone out, though my intention was, I
hope, good in the main, yet I overrated my-
self, and had not that spiritual judgment and
experience, which are requisite for so great a
service. I wish you therefore to take time;
and if you have a desire to enter into the es-
tablished church, endeavour to keep your zeal
within moderate bounds, and avoid every thing
that might unnecessarily clog your admission
with difficulties. I would not have you hide
your profession, or to be backward to speak
for God; but avoid what looks like preach-
ing, and be content with being a learner in
the school of Christ for some years. The de-
lay will not be lost time; you will be so much
the more acquainted with the gospel, with
your own heart, and with human nature: the
last is a necessary branch of a minister's
knowledge, and can only be acquired by
comparing what passes within us, and
around us, with what we read in the word
of God.

my power. As I have trod exactly the pati. you seem to be setting out in, I might so far perhaps, be more serviceable than those who are in other respects much better qualified to assist you. I doubt not but in this, and every other step, you will intreat the Lord's direction; and I hope you will not forget to pray for, Sir,-Your affectionate friend, &c.

LETTER II.

January 7, 1767. DEAR SIR,-I must beg you once for all, to release me from any constraint about the length or frequency of my letters. Believe that I think of you, and pray for you when you do not hear from me. Your correspondence is not quite so large as mine, therefore you may write the oftener. Your letters will be always welcome; and I will write to you when I find a leisure hour, and have any thing upon my mind to offer.

You seem sensible where your most observ able failing lies, and to take reproof and admonition concerning it in good part; I there fore hope and believe the Lord will give you a growing victory over it. You must not expect habits and tempers will be eradicated instantaneously; but by perseverance in prayer, and observation upon the experience of every day, much may be done in time. Now and then you will (as is usual in the course of war) lose a battle; but be not discouraged, but rally your forces, and return to the fight. There is a comfortable word, a leaf of the tree I am glad to find you have a distaste both of life, for healing the wounds we receive, in for Arminian and Antinomian doctrines; but 1 John ii. 1. If the enemy surprises you, let not the mistakes of others sit too heavy and your heart smites you, do not stand asupon you. Be thankful for the grace that tonished as if there was no help, nor give way has made you to differ; be ready to give a to sorrow, as if there was no hope, nor atreason of the hope that is in you with meek-tempt to heal yourself; but away immediately ness and fear; but beware of engaging in dis- to the throne of grace, to the great physician, putes without evident necessity, and some probable hope of usefulness. They tend to eat out the life and savour of religion, and to make the soul lean and dry. Where God has begun a real work of grace, incidental mistakes will be lessened by time and expe-ience; where he has not, it is of little signification what sentiments people hold, or whether they call themselves Arminians or Calvinists.

I agree with you, it is time enough for you to think of Oxford yet; and that if your purpose is fixed, and all circumstances render it prudent and proper to devote yourself to the ministry, you will do well to spend a year or two in private studies. It would be further helpful, in this view, to place yourself where there is gospel-preaching, and a lively people. If your favourable opinion of this place should induce you to come here, I shall be very ready to give you every assistance in

to the compassionate High-priest, and teli him all. Satan knows, that if he can keep us from confession, our wounds will rankle; but do you profit by David's experience, Psalm xxxii. 3-5. When we are simple and openhearted in abasing ourselves before the Lord, though we have acted foolishly and ungratefully, he will seldom let us remain long, without affording us a sense of his compassion; for he is gracious; he knows our frame, and how to bear with us, though we can hardly bear with ourselves or with one another.

The main thing is to have the heart right with God; this will bring us in the end safely through many mistakes and blunders; but a double mind, a selfish spirit, that would halve things between God and the world, the Lord abhors. Though I have not yet had many opportunities of commending your prudence, I have always had a good opinion of your