God shall stand. I plead only for that union which has God for its source; and I think it will not be hard to prove, that what God hath joined together, death cannot put asunder. To that question therefore-Is it not the design of God that death should divide us? I answer, division comes not from God, but from the devil. God, both in his nature and works, is perfect unity: and his original design for our first parents was not sorrow, consequently not separation. If we suppose their friendship was not to have been immortal, we must suppose pain to be in Paradise; for Adam could not without pain inform Eve of such an awful secret, that when they had praised God together for a certain time, they must eternally forget each other! That he should no longer remember he was formed out of the dust, nor Eve her miraculous and near relation to him! Would not this information have been a bitter draught even in Paradise? Or suppose he had said, though we shall have a bare remembrance of each transaction, nevertheless that close union, that endearing oneness of soul, of which the love of God is the foundation,—that very union hereafter the love of God is to dissolve. This would indeed have been in itself exceeding bitter, and therefore never was the original design of love. It was sin that brought in separation. It was owing to the hardness of our heart, for in the beginning it was not so; for God created one man and one woman. Well may we, therefore, mourn for the sepation death occasions; and our sorrow is countenanced by Jesus himself, who wept over the ravage of this dreadful enemy, when he saw the consequences of it in Martha's and Mary's tears. I allow that it is true most unions on earth are dissolved by death, because the friendships of the world are oft confederates of vice, or leagues of pleasure; and few can add,

"Ours hath severest virtue for its basis,

And such a friendship ends not but with life."

The Christian can say more; it ends not even with life. In the church below, we are commanded to love

our neighbour as ourselves, and to consider our fellowChristians as members of one body; but does this obligation prevent particular unions? Let that soul be the judge who hath felt most of the love of God and his neighbour. For otherwise there is, indeed, a love of propriety, or, in other words, self-love reflected, which purity of heart will remove. But as similitude joins, and dissimilitude separates, so those spirits who are joined by their similitude of love and pure worship, who having been led in one path, (and probably prepared for one mansion,) can as easily retain a peculiar union without any diminution of their love to others, as a married couple can retain their love to each other, notwithstanding they have a dozen children to share it with them. My experience in the love of God is very shallow, yet I have felt enough to satisfy me, that the more our love to God increases, the nearer will be our love to each other, and the more indissoluble the tie: and the stronger this union, the more it will reflect on all around; and turning to its source, the love of Jesus will reflect back again with a perpetual increasing purity.

But I build my strongest argument on those wordsO death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? If death can eternally separate kindred spirits, it hath eternally a sting! And if the grave can eternally retain the body, it would have an eternal victory. But there is a covenant made with our dust. His elect shall be gathered from the four winds. Bone shall come to its bone, and not one forget its socket. And shall nothing be lost but our spiritual union? Shall the grand enemy still have that one trophy left to glory in, and to insult over the saints of God? Shall we believe him when he says, "A day is coming in which your closest unions, your purest ties of friendship, shall be no more! All that wonderful chain of providences, in which angels were employed in bringing you together, shall be sunk in eternal oblivion ! Indeed, this was not the original design of the Almighty, but I have overturned this one great design of love, and

that so effectually, that the Saviour himself could not restore it; and instead of having abolished all the consequences of death, it leaves the scar of separation for ever! Now I am the father of death, and have so far conquered, that what God hath in design eternally joined together, I have eternally put asunder!"—Ah no, glory be to our victorious Conqueror. Death shall be for ever swallowed up in complete victory! He hath abolished it with all its consequences, and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel.-He hath broken down the wall, removed the vail: and through him we are come to the church of the first-born, to the spirits of just men made perfect. We are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God! And having overcome the sharpness of death, he hath already opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Perhaps some may say, but if it be thus, why do not the Scriptures plainly tell us, death is no division but on our side; and that our friends still see, hear, and are about us? I answer,-There may be many reasons why a vail should be drawn over this heavenly secret. It is probable the primitive church knew it more perfectly; but what was the consequence ? When they left their first love, they no longer held the head, but ran into the false humility of the worship of angels, instead of worshipping God only, and adoring Him for the angelic ministry. Perhaps some communion with departed spirits caused the first step into the egregious errors of the Papists; and man, ever prone to extremes, knew not how to throw away the abuse, without throwing away the use of this heavenly secret. Nevertheless, "the secret of the Lord is still with the righteous, and His ear is open to their prayers. He will manifest himself to them, though not unto the world:" and He will grant to heavenly minds, when he sees good, a heavenly communication with the church triumphant.

About this time I had a letter from my brother-in-law, De la Flechere, in Switzerland, letting me know that his

son was coming to England, and he wished him to spend some time with me; hoping the sight of the place on which his dear uncle had spent so many years' labour, might, with the blessing of God, raise some thoughts in his mind of the importance of a religious life. I laid the matter before the Lord, believing He would order all right for ever since the removal of my beloved husband, I have so experienced the effects of his last prayer, "Head of the church, be Head to my wife," that I was not permitted to doubt that all concerning me was under the Lord's immediate direction. And though my state was not for the present joyous, yet, through all, I inwardly believed the hairs of my head were numbered. Some particular circumstances, however, caused me to think it was the order of God I should go to Bristol, Bath, and some other places, and that now was the time; for after my return, it might be that the Lord had something for me to do or to suffer here.

Since my marriage I had travelled a good deal with my dear Mr. Fletcher, and in these journeys had often suffered much through needless fears; the most predominant passion of my soul by nature. And what, thought I, should such a poor creature as me do with only Sally, and under some disadvantages I had not then? But still I believed it to be the call of God.

At the time I had appointed to set out, there was an appearance of much snow, which caused my friends to advise me to put off my journey a little longer; but as this would have deranged some plans, I thought it better to follow the course which I had fixed.-When all was ready, and I was waiting for the carriage, I cast my eyes on the Bible, which lay open before me, at the 34th Psalm. Much of it was applied to my heart; in particular these words; O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Faith sprung up in my heart! I said, it shall be fulfilled and from that

:

hour, I have felt such a change, in regard to fear, as I can give no one an idea of, unless they should have suffered as I have done, from the same infirmity.

All the way as I went through various things, which would once have been very painful, I could feel those words my own, which, for so many years I had longed after, viz. that " Resignation left me no room for fear.” No, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”

Many providences I met with in my journey, and very clearly did I see the hand of the Lord in various places and things. While I was at Bristol, in the house of my kind and affectionate friend, sister Johnson, I was agreeably surprised with the sight of Mr. H***, who had left his native place, and was just come to settle at Bristol, because he believed it most profitable for his soul. He presented to me his wife, a serious woman, saying, My dear, this is your mother also, for she is mine; and both assured me of their determination to be entirely devoted to God. As there was something singular in this affair, I will mention the particulars. In the journey which I took with sister Ryan to Clifton, for her health, when I was about the age of twenty-seven, we lodged in a house where the family were very ungodly. There was only my sick friend, myself, and the nurse; and our whole apartments consisted of two chambers. After we had been there two or three days, we observed some things which we did not like very well. One night there was a strange noise below stairs, as of very rattling, wild company. It may be supposed, it did not well agree with my sorrowful heart; for at that season I had nothing to expect (humanly speaking) but to bury my dear friend there, or carry her back in a coffin-only she had various promises to the contrary, which sometimes I believed, and sometimes doubted. On inquiring next morning, they informed us that "Mr. H*** was come, and now they should be all alive." I had before asked the family.