Lord doeth;" "The world feeth me no more, but ye fee me; because I live, ye fhall live alfo," John xiv. 19. This fecret is with the righteous, and it is thofe that love him whom he causes to inherit fubftance; who with the heart believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth make confeffion unto falvation. 66 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness let the earth open, and let them bring forth falvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it," Ifa. xlv. 8. The kingdom ftands in power, and not in word; it is in righteousness, joy, and peace. "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself," 1 John v. 13. "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jefus Chrift: this is the true God and eternal life," 1 John v. 20. Paul fays that "No man knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God;" and the Saviour promises that he fhall teach us all things; "It is the Spirit that fearcheth all things, yea the deep things of God," "He shall glorify me," fays Chrift," for he fhall receive of mine, and fhall thew it unto you;" and this he does by revealing unto us his fulness and all-fufficiency, and his fuitableness as the Saviour of the loft, by leading our fouls to him, and revealing and making him known to us in all his covenant characters, and in all his undera takings in our behalf; "who of God is made unto us wisdom,, righteousness, fanctification, and redemption," that Chrift fhould be all in all; he teftifies of him, applies the benefits of his death, and gives us to feel our interest in his blood and righteousness. His blood cleanfeth from all fin, and in his righteousness we ftand complete before God. Thefe I believe are fome of the things which accompany salvation, and God has faid that "the path of the juft is as the fhining light, which shineth more and more unto perfect day," Prov. iv. 18. And I blefs the Lord that I find, as I go on, an increase of these things; fresh grace, light, and life, are communicated out of Chrift's fulness; and there is a growing up into him in all things; as it is written, "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift." Paul knew in whom he had believed, and John fays, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye alfo may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift," 1 John i. 3. And in what I have now written I may fay with David, "I have spoken of the things which I have made touching the King;" I am ftill exercised with many trials, and experience much tribulation; but this, faith our Lord, ye shall have. Nevertheless, in him I have peace; and, though my trials are as heavy as ever they were, I find this difference--they do not caft me down as they did in times paft; and though at times much perplexed, I am not in despair, for hope is as "an anchor of the foul, both fure and stedfast, which entereth into that which is within the veil, whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jefus," Heb. vi. 20. And I find throughout, that, after having suffered awhile, God is pleased to strengthen, establish, and fettle me, more and more;" "Wisdom and knowledge fhall be the ftability of thy times, and ftrength of falvation; the fear of the Lord is his treasure," Ifa. xxxiii. 6. A daily cross counterbalances the fpirit of this world; " Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit," John xv. 2. "The Lord's fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jeru falem," Ifa. xxxi. 9. Much furnace work caufes self-examination, and a fearching of things to the bottom; "He shall fit as a refiner and purifier of filver, and he shall purify the fons of Levi, and purge them as gold and filver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteoufnefs," Mala. iii. 3. Paul fays, "the fire shall try every man's work, of what fort it is," 1 Cor. iii. 13. And I find as I go on, that, although no chaftening for the present is joyous, but grievous, yet it has been profitable unto me, and afterwards has yielded the peaceable fruit of righteoufnefs; and, though I have had fharp work of it at times, and have felt much fear in time of trial, not knowing how the matter would end, yet "having therefore obtained help of God, I continue to this day," Acts xxv. 22; and am kept by his power; though fometimes I am in great heavinefs, through manifold temptations, ftill all works together for good; " O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my fpirit; fo wilt thou recover me, and caufe me to live," Ifa. xxxviii. 16. I have lately had a good deal of furnace work, being fharply tried with many fevere afflictions, which I think the Lord fhewed to me beforehand, in a dream I had fometime ago, which I fhould not have inferted here, but that whilft writing it has occurred fresh to my remembrance, and immediately these two scriptures came upon my mind, "He that hath a dream let him tell a dream," Jer. xxiii. 28. "For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not; in a dream, in a vifion of the night, when deep fleep falleth upon men, in flumbering upon the bed, then he openeth the ears of men, and fealeth their inftruction," Job xxxiii. 14, 15, 16. In the night of June the 10th, 1809, I dreamed that I was in the greatest trouble, perplexity, and distress, weighed down with grief, and my burden appeared more than I could bear; I was fo oppreffed that I laid myself down, and so weary that I was unable to get on; (what I laid upon feemed like a large couch.) While I was in this state a man came to me, and wished me to fing a hymn; I told him I was fo diftreffed that I could not fing; but he preffed me fo much, that looking at him, I said, if I fing a hymn, it must be this "Much we talk of Jesu's blood, That their weight is fully known." I could fing no more than this verfe, my mind |