40 English miles, in order to improve to my flock, and the neighbourhood, the occasion afforded by her triumphant removal to the mansions of everlasting happiness, as well as to do honour to the beloved memory of her dear father. The Church, I may say, was over-crowded; and I believe that both high and low were in tears, for she was greatly beloved, and the sermon was peculiarly impressive. My MARIA's piety had shewed itself in her upostentatious charities of every description; and, in particular, like her dear mother, she was, while in health, a skilful and benevolent dispenser of medicine to the poor women of both my parishes; so that many had reason to lament her death.---She has left four children, and eight grand-children, to weep with me.

All the dears, of the old stock, are now gone home,―thyself, brother, excepted; so that thou art the only remaining descendant of a man, who, even from the days of CHARLES XII. (to whom he was first presented by his noble widowed mother in 1716,) but more particularly from the year 1724, when he turned his back upon worldly fame, and entered into Holy Orders, and up to the year 1764, when old age began to interrupt his active labours,-was esteemed one of the most learned, useful, and holy men, of whom SWEDEN, in his day, could boast. The subject invites me to cheer thee, Brother, by telling thee, that with my Bible in my hand, its precious promises as a mighty staff to lean upon, and the Christian course of this courageous Servant of JESUS CHRIST before my mind as an example, I also, through grace, have aimed, in my humble way, at following his firm footsteps towards counting all things but loss for the excellent honour of extolling the cross of CHRIST. Had the honours of this world been the object of his pursuit, he might have profited beyond most in his profession; for his own connexions in life, and more especially those of his mother, possessed rank and influence sufficient to have tempted many to go half shares at least with the world for its good things. But it was not so with him; for his glorying was, that, through living faith, he had obtained the better honour of an interest in the atoning blood of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST; and it was his sole aim to live a spiritual life, hid with GoD in Him; unceasingly devoting the eminent talents and mighty grace, which God had given him, to the promotion of the temporal and eternal good of the flock over which he had made him an overseer. Having obtained the Livings of Alrum and Flenninge, under the auspices of QUEEN ULRICA ELEONORA, the sister of CHARLES XII., as some compensation for the losses which his mother had sustained through her loyalty, when CHARLES's enemies invaded SWEDEN, he was, through grace, determined that his flock should have the benefit of his unwearied ministerial labours and prayers. He refused also, for their sakes, every higher dignity; and, as appears in his occasional Diary, his reply to his importunate relatives and friends for the course

will at once perceive, how inestimable such a Professor in Divinity must be in a University, where so many students, destined for Holy Orders, acquire their first theological views." (Extract of a letter from the Rev. Mr. W., a Swedish Clergyman, to the Translator.)

of almost forty years, was usually to this purpose :-"The crown of 66 my rejoicing are my parishioners:-to visit them from house to "house, to instruct the young and the old,-to hold prayer-meet❝ings with them from house to house,-to preach both to them, and "wherever else I go, faith in CHRIST crucified, and holiness of heart ❝ and life,-to cry, Behold the LAMB of GOD;'- Love him, for "he has first loved you;' To-day is the day of salvation;'-this, "this only, is worth living for. This I solemnly undertook, and also "vowed, when I obtained my spiritual eye-sight, and discovered that "CHRIST, his cross, and his crown, are worth more than all the "glories of this world, and therefore offered myself for ordination. "If I accept a higher station, my present heavenly work may be "marred. I have seen much of the world, and am afraid of bid"ding for its goods. You, my dear friends, propose to me short-lived "honours, but I am in pursuit of everlasting ones." It was said of him by all who knew him, that he walked daily with God in an humble, loving spirit; and that he lived habitually in a praying frame of mind, but yet was always cheerful. He died in triumphant faith in the 76th year of his age; and, when within a few honrs of his death, told an eminently pious person, who, in the presence of sorrowing relations and friends, enquired about the state of his mind, "That for the last thirty years of his life, he had not lived one day "without the perceptible witness of the SPIRIT OF GOD with his "spirit that he was a child of God; that he had therefore preached "that witness, as the privilege of every genuine believer, who walks "humbly and faithfully with GOD; but that he had never till then " mentioned how fully he himself had enjoyed it, lest others should "have thought better of him than he deserved, for he was but a worm, saved by grace, and kept through faith by the power of * CHRIST."

66

As I love you, my dear Brother, most sincerely, in the bowels of CHRIST, I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, lest you should live below any of your Christian privileges. I have, therefore, deemed it my duty thus to remind you of that excellent pattern in the Christian race, who is so near and dear to you, that you may follow his footsteps, for he followed CHRIST'S. O for a nearer approach to the fulness of the stature of CHRIST, before we go hence !-especially in love, in purity of heart, and in that humility which is so becoming in worms raised by divine grace to inherit everlasting glory. Thou, Brother, and I are not far from home; let us thus cleave closely to our LORD JESUS, so that like the dear relative whom I have mentioned, like my MARIA, and like BUNYAN's Faithful, we also may have sun-shine while passing the valley of the shadow of death, and in crossing Jordan's deep and black waters. I can have no hope of folding thee in my arms while upon earth; but I look for that happiness with my old Master in heaven.

My mourning children desire their sincerest love to thee, and to all thy dear family circle, to which I unite mine with all my heart, as does also Doctor and Professor HYLANDer.

ORIGINAL LETTER from MRS. RAY to MISS HURRELL, on FAITH in CHRIST.

(Communicated by MRS. MORTIMER.)

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Newington, Sept. 2, 1769.

By the tenour of your letter it appears to me, that the greatest want you suffer at present is that of FAITH. Else why do you see holiness at such a distance? Faith brings the promises near, realizes the substance of them to the soul, and capacitates it to feed upon the TREE of LIFE, and so to live now and for ever. It seems, also, that you have not sufficiently studied, or been enlightened in, the doctrine which MR. GILBERT So sweetly enforces, in his Treatise of Christian Perfection; viz. That JESUS himself is our Sanctification, as well as our Righteousness, and in truth our All: That in proportion as we are united to him by Faith, in the same measure we partake of his Divine Nature: That we cannot have the least degree of holiness, any more than the greatest, from CHRIST, but with him. "With himself he freely gives us all things,"-holiness, happiness, heaven. All good things come with him, and are his inseparable attendants; but none are separate from him. His intense love to our souls, and, if I may so speak, his desire of complacency, and union with us, will not suffer him to let us be happy without the enjoyment of himself. He knows, indeed, that we cannot. Happiness cannot be found out of him, even in his gifts either of nature or of grace. All falls short of the supreme good itself; and when the soul is truly tinctured with an esteem for, and love to, its great Original, its invariable language, in the possession of all, is, "This is not my God."-But I believe that, in general, we are a good while in the ways of religion, before we know that himself is all we want to make us happy and holy, and that he alone is our centre and place of rest. This is owing to the blindness of our understanding, and our extreme distance from GOD, in a state of nature. This ignorance of our want of him to make us happy, and the esteem we have of all his gifts rather than of himself, discover a depth in the Fall which is inexpressible. I have long laboured in this labyrinth; and therefore I speak of what I do know, and testify what I have seen and felt. And now, I can only answer my Friend's important query, "How she shall make the swiftest progress in the heavenly road," by touching on my own experience in the above-mentioned lessons in which JESUS hath graciously instructed me. You want holiness, because you want GOD. You cannot apprehend him, you cannot possess him here, but by FAITH. He is the eternal fulness that filleth heaven and earth; that surrounds you; that is in you by his SPIRIT. He tells you that he is the Salvation of his people; that his presence is Salvation; that the Word of Faith is nigh you, in your mouth, and in your heart. You already know him as your reconciled GOD in CHRIST, your Friend and Saviour. This Word of Faith consequently belongs to you, as it does to all believers, VOL. XLIV. MAY, 1821.

in a peculiar manner. Endeavour, therefore, with the utmost simplicity of Faith, to advert to his presence in you, around you, whereever you are, at every time and place. Believe him in you, near you: He is, you know, "bone of your bone, and flesh of your flesh; yea, nearer than that by far; for he that is joined to the LORD, is one spirit with him." Think of his immediate presence as often as you can. Speak to him in the simplest manner possible, as frequently as you can tell him all you want, all you can do, or cannot do; but, tell it as to a present Gon, a present Friend, who `is able and willing to help you. Do not behold him afar off, in heaven, only. He is here upon earth; or rather earth and all things are in him as DR. YOUNG says,

"Praise I a distant DEITY? He tunes

My heart, if tun'd; the nerve that writes, sustains.
Wrapt in his Being, I resound his praise."

Faith makes every place a Bethel; and you need not fear missing of holiness, if you seek it by the practice of Faith. For as JESUS is the spring and fountain of all purity, he will lead you, by his life-inspiring presence, to that perfect love of himself, that shall cast out of your soul all fear: By his loving presence, he will save you from the hand of all your enemies, and your heart, by this means, will be more endeared to his person than to his gifts: you will prize the Giver far beyond the gifts.

Study the Scriptures much; study them as being, what they really are, a transcript of the Divine Majesty. There is matter for the various and continual exercises of Faith, delivered by JEHOVAH himself. Observe his loving commands for this end. “Doth Gon take care of oxen?" "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and not one of them falls to the ground without" his knowledge? Does he that "toucheth his little ones, touch the apple of his eye?" Do the guardian angels of such little ones, while they attend the feeble believer, at the same time "behold the face of God?" How nearly, then, are heaven and earth connected! And does the LORD thus reign, and does he govern the world? Does he order all things in number, weight, and measure, to each individual? Can no crosses, trials, or temptations happen to his people but by his order? If this is thoroughly believed, then we shall no longer repine at the contradictions of others, or blame them, but quietly yield and submit our will to the will of our heavenly Father. Thus his sovereignty will take place in us and over us; and we shall live in the experimental knowledge of our SAVIOUR's kingly, as well as of his prophetic and priestly office.

I could add much more on this delightful subject; but my paper will not permit. If your heart do not rise against this simplicity of faith, I should wonder; for mine has done so, many and many a time. I would rather have been something to JESUS, than have him become thus all in all to me.

I shall be pleased to hear from you, whenever it is on your mind to write, and am yours in Him, ANN RAY.

ORIGINAL LETTER from the late REV. W. BULL, of NEWPORT-PAGNELL, to a CLERGYMAN going to NEW-SOUTH-WALES. (Communicated by MRS. MORTIMER.)

DEAR SIR,

Newport, Nov. 1, 1786. You are going almost to the ends of the earth; and my prayer for you is, that the LORD JESUS CHRIST may go with you, and that you may daily and hourly look up to him as your Guide, your Governor, and your Glory.

Give yourself unto prayer; and let your first petition in every prayer be, that JESUS CHRIST may keep you humble. The importance of your situation may prove a temptation to self-importance.Let your next petition be, that he may keep you from being fearful. Imagination may feed upon your dangers, till faith itself lose sight of JESUS, your only, your infallible security.-Again, pray that JESUS may always stand between you, and your zeal and your prudence; either of which, if left to yourself, may prove fatal to your comfort. Beg of the LORD to keep hold of both. Often think of the danger of too much or too little zeal; and of the equal danger of too much or too little prudence. Put the beam into his hands, by constant prayer; and he can, with infinite ease, keep an even balance. And he will do it, if you are not defective in committing the matter to him by humble and fervent prayer.-Again, pray that he may give you the hearts of the officers in the ship that go with you. They will prove a great trial or a great comfort to you. But, remember, the LORD has the hearts of all men in his hands, and he can give them a friendly temper towards you, without any criminal conformities in you to purchase their favour. Remember, your business is, to bear witness to the Person, the Death, and the Resurrection of JESUS, as the only Saviour of lost sinners. Keep to your text; and do not break out into speculations and addresses, that may be both above your ability, and besides the line of your duty. Pray to JESUS to give you in that hour what you shall say, and what you shall do, on every occasion, both in the desk and in the cabin. Your copper-coloured neighbours, and your copper-hearted companions when you get there, must have a Gospel of but few ideas and few words. They are lost sinners; JESUS is an Almighty Saviour; his SPIRIT alone can reconcile JESUS to them, and them to him; that SPIRIT works by repentance, faith, love, prayer, and humble obedience. The New Testament will be always in your hand. There are four Evangelists, ready to tell you every day what to say and do; and the Acts of the Apostles will now delight you more than ever. The travels and voyages of ST. PAUL will have superior weight; and you will feel comfort from them, and light into them, which you never felt before, nor ever could have felt but by experiencing something like them.

If JESUS should honour you with a crown of martyrdom, it will not be strange: he did the same for PAUL and PETER, before you were born. But it will be madness in you to risk your health, by going down into the hold of a ship, where the air must always be * 2 T2*