Mr. B- was seized with the fever in its most malignant form; for him, every genius was exerted, and the medical store ransacked for the healing balsam, but in vain. The Judge calls for the soul, and the body must, at his command, dislodge its tenant; how awful, if no surety was at hand, if he must stand naked-we know the rest; did I say, we know? O no; what can we know of that wrath which in the garden of Gethsemane, when no murderous hand was near, High Priest, Council nor Cross, wrung the blood through every pore of the pure, the innocent Lamb of God, supported by Godhead. ‘If such things were done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?'

TO THE SAME IN NEW-YORK.

Boston, August, 1800. I YESTERDAY received my dear J's letter, which gives fresh cause for thankfulness. The more my absence is lengthened, the less I am able to support the want of intelligence. Let us bless God together for all his mercies; among those which are temporal, health is the chief; and I believe to most mothers it is more valued in their children, than in their own persons. I rejoice with you over our restored J-y. O that our Covenant God may give the more important blessing of divine life. You had need to be importunate for this, after the importunity exercised for natural life. I thank God also for the alleviation of your own distress, for our dear D-'s restoration from complaints, less alarming so far as they existed, but which might have been the seeds of serious affliction. I could go on enumerating, for causes of thankfulness crowd into my mind: but all are swallowed up in the grand mercy, the distinguishing mercy of redeeming love to our souls. Salvation, not only to me, but to my house! Oh! all words fail here. Read over with me, sing with me, in your heart, the ciii. Psalm. O my God, dare I even sigh in thy presence, under any temporary pain, or hurt of body or mind, with such a Father, such a Christ, such a Comforter, such a richly furnished well-ordered Covenant, such a constitution of Grace and Providence; O such an

All in all, even all the fulness of God! My God and the God of my seed, the God of my house; yea, and the God of my prodigal, who shall in heaven, if never on earth, join the song, 'To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, be glory, honour, dominion, power, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen.' O shall a murmur ever pass these lips, shall this unthankful heart indulge even a sigh over any object but sin; shall I shrink from any cross with such a crown? Father, glorify thy name.

I have been to church; the subject, 'Be not weary in well, doing.' Many arguments for exertion, all just, but very little gospel furniture. O that my friends could hear our shepherd; he would sound his Master's voice more in unison with their own heart's experience, and views of new Covenant provision and Gospel motivès : except in the Baptist congregations, the Gospel is much mutilated here, and kept out of sight even by the few who are supposed to build upon it. It appears to me, only Dr. M.- declares boldly according to his views without keeping back; he is esteemed their only champion: I love him dearly, though he uses the word probation, and one or two others, which my dear, and first in my heart, as a pastor, J. M-likes not.

Sabbath next brings round your-I will add my Gospel feast. I will endeavour to meet you to-morrow evening, and to have you all on my heart, then and on the Sabbath, in that one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Spirit, one God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in all the redeemed to himself by Jesus Christ; and his sanctified by that one Spirit uniting all, What subjects! I cannot attain to the comprehension, but I experience their truth, and enjoy the comfort of them.

MY DEAR J—,

Belville, September 2, 1808.

You have indeed had a trying time, what with pain, what with circumstances. If ever you needed a friend, it was at such a time. I trust the time is not very distant, when you shall be blessed with your own dear hus

band, who will sooth your pains, and sweeten you cares, and lead you to cast them on the Lord, and lean where he himself leans.

a

is on

There is a rest prepared for the people of God even here, could we only enter in. No affliction for the present is joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, they yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them who are daily exercised by them. Every affliction has a language, and ought to be a searching, trying time, that it may not pass without profit. This has a particular language to me, as well as to you. Your husband's long absence drawing to a hopeful end; the days of anxious expectation arrived, when every hour will seem a day, and‘ hope deferred maketh the heart sick.' No nurse while sick. If ever a mother could be of use, it must be at such a time; yet is she absent from you in providence. You have Friend that sticketh closer than a brother;' though 'father and mother' might 'forsake you, the Lord will take you up.' That friend is ever near, no circumstances embarrass him, or prevent his attentions; his eye you every moment-he knows and feels your every pang. There is a need-be at times, that we be in heaviness, through manifold temptations; but the Lord knows how to work with us and them. O for the steady, abiding belief of this in my own soul! much I need the consolation which I offer. do believe that he will work, and none shall let. I do believe that the very hairs of our head are numbered, and a sparrow cannot fall without him; that he will work according to the counsel of his will, and none can turn aside his purpose, and that very fruitless is my anxiety. O to be able to say, in the full sense of the words, as given by our divine Teacher, Thy will be done on earth as it is in HeaThis is entering into rest; rest in the will of God. While I groan, I ought to sing: for my own particular soul, I have all and abound a throne of grace; an Advocate with the Father; no inconsiderable share of the spirit of prayer: The Spirit helping my infirmities with groanings which cannot be uttered.' A sense of pardoning love, some evidences of success in my spiritual warfare, assurance of final victory, my

ven.'

mansions in view, often very near; my blessed High Priest waiting me in Jordan, who will divide the waters, support my head and heart, and carry me safely through.

*

*

*

*

*

*

O world, world! much have I suffered for the court I have paid to thee! Let my children take warning; let them keep a jealous eye over their hearts. All without may be fair, may bring praise from men, yea, even from Christians; yet may the spouse of Jesus be living in adultery. O let them watch the lust of the eye, the Just of the flesh, and the pride of life.' Let them watch in respect to lawful things-idols were made of the very trees of Lebanon. If our purest blessings occupy that place in our affections, or that portion of our time which should be devoted to spiritual exercises: Oh, the loss! Our husband expects our company, (Oh! has he not wooed us with his very heart's blood?) private, secret, confidential communion, with bolted doors, all other objects excluded; his own gifts not excepted. He expects spiritual love, a whole heart. At such times he brings his spouse into the banqueting-house, and his banner over her is love; he stays her with flagons, and comforts her with apples while she is sick of love.'

I suffer my pen to run, because I know I write not mystery to you. You have tasted, you have felt, you have enjoyed all, and more than I can put in words. O my dear J-, I think the fault is ours, that we enjoy not oftener such seasons; we leave neither room nor time, nor do we use the means; neither do we follow out melting seasons. Read in this view the 5th of the Song; see also the invitation in the ii. and ix. to the end. O my J-! shall youthful prime, sensibility and ardour, be all expended on the very best of his creatures; or is it only in the time of espousals, that such seasons are experienced?

1040

TO MR. A. D—, Edinburgh.

New-York, 1793.

I HAVE just been reading over my dear friend's precious letters, and am refreshed anew by the same

truths, and uniform experience of every Christian; which all amounts to this, that the Lord is the portion of his people, and that whom he loves, he loves to the end. My soul melts with tenderness, when I recollect my fellow-travellers in the wilderness; those dear associates with whom I have so often taken sweet counsel; who so often comforted me with the same comforts which they themselves were comforted with. I am also led to recollect some who have finished their warfare; some whose trials were sharp and long; but who, through the same Grace in which we trust, were steadfast to the end; and now inherit a crown of life-the reward of Grace, not of debt. I feel strengthened and comforted. My dear G-, I should have thought it an honour to have dressed that clay out of what the Lord gave me, and with my own hands. O how bright does the soul now shine in that fine linen, clean and white! Many, many, were the tears she shed in the wilderness. She had a deep draught of the Redeemer's cup, because she was to be made very like him; and she is now like him, for she sees him as he is, and shares in his glory. Her lot here was humble, but her place now is not so the Lord will honour her humble sufferings, patience and love, as highly as those who moved in a higher sphere. I have often wished to be near her at her departure, but that honour was reserved for you. I rejoice to hear your children are promising; I think it is the greatest comfort a parent can enjoy in this world. I have a large share of it, in my three daughters; but my prodigal is not come to himself; he still feeds on husks, nor thinks of the plenty in his Father's house. I had great hopes last winter; I heard he had been very ill, in consequence of very severe treatment from his captain. The Lord has been emptying him from vessel to vessel, and I have been waiting the issue; but mine eyes almost fail, and my spirit frets, because I know the Lord can, and no other can. I have great hopes too, that God's time will come. I am also satisfied that it will be the best time; but still I cry, O how long! My dear friends, I think I would recommend it to you to keep your children about you. No other