in many respects of late. I know not where to begin to recount his goodness. My dear Sally is much better, and seems to gather strength beyond expectation. On Sunday night last I was led to make a fresh dedication of my all to God; and he showed me I was to confide alone in him. I fear much for my dear friend, but I am not called to hinder her in any thing, but commit all to the Lord, for I have given up all into his hand.

"The

June 28.-Blessed be God, I do feel an increase of union, and a recollected posture of mind. Reading that line to-day in one of Mr. Wesley's letters, "Entire resignation implies entire love. Give him your will, and you give him your heart," I felt a spring of satisfaction arise in my mind. I am sure I do feel an increasing resignation, and that not in theory, but in practice. My most near and tender feelings have been touched of late. I live under those trials at this time, not only in the continued illness of my dear Sally, who still seems consumptive, but other circumstances besides. I can feelingly say, Lord liveth, and blessed be my Rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation." There appears to be one design in all the Lord's dispensations toward us, viz., the bringing us to lose our wills perfectly in his adorable will; and I find nothing so helpful as to be quite still in his hand. Committing all to the Lord, however difficult things may appear, I am to stand still, and the Lord makes a way through in his own time, and often the trial is only a shadow. Like Abraham, we all are called to offer our Isaac, and then the cross is remoued. We have had peculiar expenses of late, and my gracious Father hath provided for that. A few days since, I received a letter from my eldest brother's wife, in which she sent me a present of twenty pounds. Lord, didst thou not tell me, I will bless them that bless thee? Let this kindness be so returned, O Lord, in spiritual and temporal blessings !

July 20.-Lord, thou art good! I feel thine arm does support me. O teach me the "way of faith more perfectly!" My dear child grows worse. She coughs almost continually. I feel it as a knife in my heart. She is my earthly all; and in the whole universe there is but one thing I love more than her, that is, "the will of my God." To that I do, I must, I will refer every thing!

August 6. Having been called to take a little journey of thirty miles, I have found it a good deal disorder my body, as, of late years, travelling always does: and with the continued illness of my dear friend, I have little time for writing, except the letters I have to answer. But, blessed be the Lord! I have been carried through all my weekly meetings with a peculiar sense of the presence of God. Last Tuesday, in our intercession, we laid her case again before the Lord, with much freedom, and I think she has been better since. We are called to hang on Jesus, and cleave to his will. My dear child is kept in much peace, and she prays that the trial may answer all that the Lord intends before it is removed. Lord, I add my prayers to hers; so let it be! I shall certainly feel her loss severely. With her I can consult about every circumstance. To her I can tell every temptation; and her watchful attention over each infirmity of my body is uncommon. Her skill in managing all the affairs of my family is very great; she takes off all burdens from me, and leaves me wholly free. Her help in the work of God also is unspeakable. She assists me in memory, in speak. ing to the people, in judging concerning them, in reproving and exhorting; and I do nothing in the Church affairs but with her counsel. In her own meetings, a few of which she still will keep up, her word is clothed with power; and many, very many, are weeping through fear of her loss. I feel the Lord requires me to keep looking to him alone, and living only the present hour, with a continual Abraham-like spirit, holding my sacrifice before the Lord, to whom my more than all is due.

August 14.-I have been renewing my covenant with the Lord this day-to abandon all my whole cause, both of soul and body, into his hand! and to offer afresh to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. Fourteen years of widowhood I have this day completed. And now it seems as if my last, my only remaining friend and comfort was called for! And I have been pleading with the Lord that I may cling to his dear will. Yesterday morning I had a sweet refreshing gale from Sion's top, and such confidence I felt in the all-sufficiency of the Saviour, that I could lean all my weight of care on the Lord, and saw his arm was under both my friend and me. It lifted off

my care, and healed my suffering mind. This morning I have strove to humble myself before the Lord, and to inquire whether I may ask the healing of my child! It seemed as if I was led to stand still; for though no trial of the kind could be so near my heart, yet I feel my dearest concern is the glory of God. And therefore I can only say, Thy will be done! But if the cup may pass from me! Lord, let silence plead my cause! I will not ask any thing, but such a gracious conduct toward us, as will bring most glory to thee, and for which we shall most praise thee in eternity.

August 30. This has been a day of searching into my heart. I see there is great need of the Lord to lay to his hand. I want a deliverance I do not yet feel. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of illumination. That I in a low degree feel. I have a light which increases in reading the Scriptures; and some fresh views of the amazing glory of redemption are given to me. Secondly, The Spirit of God is a spirit of "prayer, of groans unutterable. A little of this I feel, but out of seven times a day in prayer, often I have not what I call the spirit of prayer, above three or four times. Thirdly, The Spirit of God is a spirit of humiliation. Surely I may say I have this mark; but I do not love humiliation, at least till I have had time to reflect. I do not run to embrace it,* nor pick it up as I would a jewel. Fourthly, The Spirit of God is a spirit of sanctification, purifying the heart. I do feel it is working that in me. Yet I am not free from reptile thoughts, those which crawl on the earth. They do not, it is true, carry the stamp of sin upon them, yet they hinder prayer. Fifthly, The Spirit of God is the spirit of love. What shall I say to this? My love to God does increase: I can say, O God! my chief joy!—but I can very seldom say, O God! my exceeding joy! My love seems faint and dim, and that to my neighbour keeps pace with it. I deny myself for their sake, but that is nothing. The pleasure I feel in helping the distressed,

Is not this too strong? Ought we to run to meet that which must be sin to others? We must indeed be conformed to the Son of God; and we should bear his reproach, not only with patience, but with joy. In a mind so devoted as Mrs. Fletcher's, the meaning must be good, but there may be some danger to others in this strong way of expressing it.-ED.

is greater than that which I deny myself in. Indeed, if I did not do so, I should know "the love of the Father was not in me." But I cannot rest till I feel a greater measure of that love which brought my Saviour from heaven to earth, to take on him the iniquity of us all. O Jesus, let that mind be in me that was in thee! I ask it in thy name!

September 12.-I am this day threescore. My dear husband would have been seventy. But he has had fourteen years in glory. Lord, prepare me for all prepared for me! O let me live my last days to thy glory as I have never done! Yesterday the Lord gave me that word, "When thou goest through the waters, they shall not overflow thee." I asked if I might pray for my dearest comfort to be spared. That text seemed an answer: "Be careful for nothing, but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, make your requests known unto God." For some days her cough has been more strong, and more frequent. I feel the will of God my sure defence. If he please, he can yet raise my dear friend; but if he have otherwise determined, It is the Lord. He cannot err: I will not choose.

October 7.-We have had the comfort to hear of the happy death of Miss Styche. She told me the conviction she got while at Mrs. Micklewright's school, abode with her for some time. But, said she, afterward when I got into the world, all you had said seemed wiped away. Then the Lord laid his hand on me by this illness. A blessed illness it has been to me, for it hath brought me to seek him. But now I fear he will never receive, nor forgive me. When we told her of the great atonement and perfect righteousness of the Saviour, she seemed as if she would swallow every word. She then said, When Mr. Walter visits me I often feel comforted; but I cannot retain it; and I feel my heart full of sin. At this time she was torn with evil tempers, unable to live, and afraid to die suffering much, and having no comfort; so that nothing seemed to please or satisfy her. Yet she struggled hard to obtain not only consolation, but the mind that was in Christ. One day, as a few of us were at prayer with her, she received such a lift of faith as delivered her from all her bonds. From that hour all about her were

amazed at the change. She was all the lamb, and the dove! The new creature shone clear indeed. When my Sally was saying, Shortly you will come to the blessed moment, when, "ready winged for the flight," you shall sce the chariot of Israel come for you, her eyes sparkled with delight, and she said, "I am so happy as I cannot express. Sometimes I have fiery darts; but I look to Jesus, and he turns them away. He is always with me." She continued thus to the last. A few hours before she died, she seemed to have much of the presence of God, repeating with great delight, "Ready winged, ready winged!" She then begged her young sister to turn to God, saying, "You must cleave to those who have done me so much good. You see how I am, and I would not be otherwise; I would not live for a thousand worlds. I have such a prospect-so clear into eternity. Jesus hath saved me! He hath washed me from my sins in his own blood. He hath put on me the white robe, and I see my way clear. O cleave to the people that have been so blessed to me." Soon after she said, " Molly, Molly, look! do not you see these sweet creatures?" Her sister replied, "No, I do not." To which Miss Styche said, "But I do, they are come for me." Molly asked, What are they like? She replied, "They are glorified spirits! they are virgins--they are come for me! Yes, they are come for me!" And immediately,

"She clap'd the glad wing, and tower'd away,

To mingle with the blaze of day!"

She died October the 4th, in her twenty-first year.

November 12.-Many solemn thoughts, yet such as have led to God, have occupied my mind to-day. When I look back eighteen years, it gives me pleasure to recollect that my dear love and I agreed that we would not limit our union by that word, "Till death us doth part," but that we would consider our covenant as eternal. Not that we meant to tie each other from a future marriage; but that our union of soul was never to be broken. Often when we have been speaking together of this, he would say, "Well, Polly, then our spiritual as well as our temporal mercies are mutual." From this recollection, I was led to consider that text, "He hath made us meet to partake of the inheritance of the saints in light," and