scourged with the guilt of my sins, with the plague of my heart, almost sufficient to smother me with its filth and impurity; then would unbelief step forward and suggest, "The word of God condemns you altogether: you have neither his Spirit, light, nor life, neither can you be righteous." Such are the temptations of Satan, and I am well aware that my faith was not in exercise at such times on my Surety, Here all is immediately answered. In Him I am both righteous and clean. And when the Spirit comes he removes the veil which covered the sight, difficulties vanish, hope revives, and joy returns. Perhaps you will say, "How is it you are not more established in the knowledge and ways of God, after so long a profession?" I will answer

in the words of the great apostle-“not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend, that for which I am also apprehended of Christ Jesus." And his word is made good in my experience, "From all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea, I will betroth thee in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies."

When in secret whispers he speaks to my poor soul, it never fails to bring a full tide of peace and plenty—a handful from the harvest, a pledge of his love, and a foretaste of heavenly bliss; and such pantings and longings are produced as can never be satisfied without drinking of that river of the water of life, clear as crystal; or until I awake up in the perfect likeness of God my Saviour. I need daily cleansing, to be purged from heart idolatry, to worship the Great Three One in spirit and in truth.

The day of the Lord is at hand, when all these things will be made clear as the noon-day sun. "Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments clean."

Now, my dear Children, our prayer is that from henceforth you may live under continual subjection to Christ, having unstained garments; and remember what I have heard was the dying saying of your late pastor-" All is straight before us." Now Jesus, who is the truth itself, says, "I am the door; by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture." Plymouth, Jan. 14th, 1822.

LETTER XXV.

THE Lord has declared in his word, "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond; it is graven upon the table of the heart." Jer. xvii. 1.

The engraving then must be deeply impressed indeed, and, alas! it is awfully legible in us; we are torn and broken for our own vile idolatry. Perfidious and inconstant, I have often been like those who never had a pledge or promise from a faithful God; but who hath never in one instance (as I have before declared) failed of performing his promise to me in every time of need. But, although humiliating, I trust I have discovered by the light of the Holy Ghost, that I have been a transgressor from the womb, a worshipper of idols; as soon as one was removed another was set up in my heart. I loved my little ones to excess, and, perhaps, gave them more than necessary attention; so as to cause an omission of spiritual duties, for which I have often been chastened with

merciful but painful rebukes. The bitter enmity and deceitfulness of my nature was then but partially revealed, as by experience I have since proved.

It was all infinite mercy that put me into "the refining-pot," and into the furnace of affliction. Blessed be the Lord, he has done it for his own sake, because he will not give his glory to another, nor his praise to graven images. When my dear infant son, Daniel John, had just breathed his last, I almost fell into despair, and grasped at the word of God to find some relief for my agonized mind; but what was it I opened to at that critical moment? The abominations of the image of jealousy, and the chambers of imagery shown to Ezekiel (see chapter 8.) I saw the like in my own heart, which made me humble; I was convicted and condemned by my inmost thoughts, even for things which in themselves are quite lawful. I saw that I had sought pleasure in that that was not God. I knew that I had not witnessed the loss of one of my children (and I have had four taken from me) without being overwhelmed with sorrow. It is hard work to yield them up in submission to the same divine hand

which gave them; too much for mortal weakness

to say:

"Good when he gives, supremely good,

Nor less when he denies."

I wish you to know how that the Lord has given me lessons never to be forgotten, when under affliction, and, as it were, in irons. It is then that he revealeth the secrets of his word, breaks the gates of brass, and cuts the bars of iron asunder. And, blessings for ever on our dear Lord, he is the great physician, who heals both soul and body at once; for instance, "Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are all forgiven thee," and then, "Arise, take up thy bed and walk."

I may well love the adorable, everlasting, and Holy One, and this love I receive from himself; and it reverberates back to him again, supernatural and spiritual: I had almost said without mixture or alloy. And now surely shall I say, "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength." "He is my strength and my song, he is also my salvation." Hannah's song was, "There is none holy as the Lord, for there is none beside thee; neither is there any rock like our God." And