lion. What is the glare of the most flattering prose pects, when compared with the peace of God, resulting from the testimony of his Spirit with our spirit! We cannot wonder, if flesh and blood should groan complaints, amidst pains and griefs; but we should walk by faith, not by sight or sense. Faith sees the rod in a Father's hand; Faith sees and believes the love of his heart in precious promises; Faith reviews the records of surprising mercies in past experience: the troubled soul breathes, "It is well." If the means are painful, it is if need be." The Lord doth not afflict willingly: his ways are all judgment, and his heart is love; "let him do with me as seemeth good unto him." Much is to be done, perhaps much more than I had thought of, before this polluted soul can be associated with the spirits of just men made perfect. And why should I wonder that the cutting off a right hand, or the plucking out a right eye, should occasion suffering? Let me estimate the love of God, not by the measures he adopts, but by the benefit he confers or intends. "No affliction for the present is joyous, but grievous; yet afterwards, it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness." God has prevented you, my friend, with the blessings of his goodness: he was found of you when you sought him not. Of his own sovereign pleasure he chose and ordained, that you should go and bring forth fruit: nay, he set you apart for himself, to shew in you the exceeding riches of his grace. Wonder not at days and months of purification before you can be brought unto the King. Wonder not that he should allure you, and bring you into the wilderness. You might wonder, indeed, if he left you there; if he were not to speak comfortably to you. there; if he were not to entertain you with meat indeed, and drink indeed; if he were not to press into your cup the clusters of Eschol, and draw aside the vail, and shew you his glory. We have no reason to expect a smooth and flowery path through the wilderness; we would not stipulate for an exemption from affliction and conflict: it is enough that he hath said, "As thy day, so thy strength shall be. My presence shall go with thee." And is not this enough to inspire courage, and help the pilgrim on his way? Far less than this carries the soldier fearless into the bloody field, and emboldens the mariner and the merchant to encounter waves and storms. Yet their hope rises no higher than a corruptible crown, perishing riches. But "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory:" "which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and stedfast:" it "entereth into that within the veil."The eternal word of the eternal God! The believer gets a glimpse of the delights of Canaan, and returns fired with the prospect: filled with joy and peace in believing, he cries with holy zeal, "Let us go up and possess it, for we are able to overcome in the name of the Lord." I do not wonder that you should 1 long to renew your labour of love: perhaps that de sire is granted before this time. However, God will fulfil in you all the good pleasure of his goodness, and that will be found abundantly to exceed all that you could even ask or think. Nature is desirous of bodily ease; yet, health may not be found in the grant made to you of fatherly grace; but if the plants of Paradise, although watered by tears, appear flourishing and fruitful, and your soul prosper and be in health, you will not have cause to complain. God's thoughts are not as our thoughts: he can take care of his own cause, though he hide his most honoured instruments in the sick chamber or the grave. He can cause your dear sisters to increase, while you decrease; and because it was in your heart to serve him, in building him an house, he can put honour upon you in one way, and upon them in another way. However, it is of his own that any of us give him. It is great honour to a poor feeble worm, to be entrusted with one talent or more; and greater mercy still, to have a heart to use it: but the honour and the joy will be greatest of all, to return it with increase, and to have it received with an approving smile and most gracious testimony. Then, what songs will be heard, of rich, free, sovereign grace! what sweet congratulations between the Saviour and the dear purchase of his precious blood! With what inexpressible delight will the blessed Jesus survey those myriads of precious souls washed and sanctified, and dressed in robes of glory! How changed the scene to his loving, suffering humanity, since darkness at his crucifixion spread its horrors over his soul! What a harvest from the corn of wheat which then fell into the ground! Let us think of Jesus, and the sharp sorrows he endured; and think less of the transient sorrows of the present life. What a mercy, to be able to gather from the secret whisper of the Holy Spirit, any sound like this; "Beloved, now are ye the sons of God!" Be it your happiness to enjoy this testimony distinct and unclouded. Let us be content, though under restraint: jubilee is advancing: the year of release is at hand. I am, &c. &c. LETTER LI. TO MISS B J. BOWDEN. MY DEAR FRIEND, THE period of my reply has been unavoidably prolonged;-in part, by the particular attention which our late dear Mrs. L-'s state of mind required. That is now passed: the scene is changed, and the awful cloud has given place to the lustre of Divine Truth and Grace. While I greatly rejoice over you, my friend, as by unmerited and surprising mercy brought nigh to God, and.sweetly encouraged to hold fast the profession of your faith by his fatherly voice, in many an exceeding great and precious promise; still I remember, you are yet in the body, and therefore liable to very serious conflicts, and many a trying change in frames and feelings. I perceive, you are not a stranger to such vicissitudes, or to alarms occasioned by them. However, all that I might have offered with a view to establish, strengthen, and settle you, is now suppressed by that which, by the blessing of God, may more abundantly confirm your faith and enliven your joy, as it has mine: I mean, the opening of that dispensation relating to our late suffering friend. Mrs. L-, though not always equally oppressed with darkness and distress, yet never, until the near approach of death, did express any pleasant expectation. While the characters of a Divine work on her heart were to her friends satisfactorily evident, no means of comfort afforded her relief; her soul refused to be comforted, and, by a strange dexterity, extracted the very gall of bitterness from the richest cordials. Her habitual hatred of sin, and earnest desire of salva tion, were manifest. Several times she repeated, "Thou, O Christ, art all I want!" while yet she concluded that her case was hopeless. Whenever an opportunity offered of aiding the spread of the Gospel, horror would seize her; because she thought, for her to pretend to assist in so great a cause, would be to act the hypocrite. The sight, or hear |