we join the church above. It will be a glorious meeting. Jesus bless you! Amen! Amen. I am for his sake, your faithful friend,

W. R.

LETTER XVIII.

November 25, 1765.

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MY DEAR FRIEND,

HAVE much to tell you-of that ever dear and precious Lover your best friend and mine. I had a token of his goodness in your last, for which I thank Lady M-t, but above all, her Lord and mine. I have a tail to relate of his free and kind heart, which will last longer than this world. It is really heaven to be relating it - and I cannot hold my tongue. He makes himself so lovely, by continual favours, that my heart is quite won; and, by his sweet constraint, is now fixed upon him. I would turn to other LOVERS, but sweet

Jesus will not let nie. O, the boundless grace of his most amiable breast! Finite nature cannot tell, (how should it?) his infinite love. But as we get emptied of SELF, we know and experience more of his love. This I wish you, and my very dear Miss, growth in grace, that is self-abasement, and growth in the knowledge of God our Saviour-nay he ewpty you of SELF, and fill you with more of his good things. We have very much of his presence and glory in our assemblies this winter, more than ever. His work revivesamongst us: and cold and frosty as the weather is, our hearts burn within us. Last night St. Dunstan's was a very Bethel; it was like the dedication of the Temple, when the glory of Jehovah came down and filled the house. I was preaching on these words-My meditation of him shall be sweet. And so it was indeed. When I was setting forth his undertakings, his suitableness to fulfil them, as God-man-his actual fulfilling of them, his power to apply and to make them effectual, how he does this by his word preached, in the hand of the Spirit made the means of working faith in the heart, and of producing the fruits of faith in fellowship with Jesus and his fulness, by which Jesus grows sweeter and sweeter, and so brings us to the end of our meditation; the sweet

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est of all, even of divine sweets, the enjoyment of Jesus in his kingdom of glory. O! what a seal did he set to this preached gospel. He made it the power of God. The meditation of his goodness yesterday, has still a relish and delightful savor! to-day it is sweet, very, very sweet indeed. Pray, mind, I do not make this my salvationNo, but these sweet streams lead me to the fountain-I do not rest in them, but if these be so sweet, what must the fountain be? If little faith. finds Jesus so precious, what must precious Jesusbe, when faith yields to sight and sense? My dear, dear friend, prize this pearl; it is inestimable. Two things I would beg your notice of. I know you have received him. The

First is, press for more knowledge-read, pray, hear, to be made more teachable and humble, that Jesus may have the glory of such discoveries as he makes of his person and of his work. And do not stop; press on, as long as you live; sit very low, very low, at Christ's feet, to hear his words. The

Second is, make use of his fulness, you are welcome, you cannot use it too much. Hence comes sweet fellowship, and by it all things will do you good. Carry them to that best friend, pour them into his loving, bosom. He delights in familiarity.

You have been ill, that is the best for you; live by faith, and Jesus will make it plain to you. Yours, in that incomparable Lover,

LETTER XIX.

W. R.

LAMBETH, Jan. 16, 1766.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

HAVE several reasons for writing to you at this time. The first is, that ever so long ago I wrote you an huge scribble. To which having received no answer, I thought it was high time I should get a little out of your debt, and pay off some of my old score with these scraps of paper. I hope you will take them according to the American phrase, for paper currency. Put every letter to account, and having rated them just what you please, make me creditor for it.

My second reason for writing is, to enquire af

tér you. How can I help being concerned for those whom I love, especially in the Lord? Such friends I have at It would be a real pleasure to me, and a profit to yourself, if I knew what to ask for you, when I go to Court. How is your bodily health? I know you are generally weak and low, and I know it is good for you, yea the best of all for you. The physician, who never mistook a case, prescribes to a tender constitution. His prescription is perfect love. He could not bring about his gracious designs any other way: he wants to wean you from a life of sense, therefore, in infinite mercy he takes away sensible enjoyments. He would have you to go on from faith to faith; but how could faith grow so fast, as by keeping you from those things which are its very bane and destruction. He is bringing you to more fellowship with him, than you have had, therefore, you must have less fellowship with the world. Fewer outward comforts will certainly make you experience more spiritual comforts. This is our Physician's fixed practice-he never varies from it, not in one instance; mind, one of his favourite patients, THY ROD, AND THY STAFF COMFORT ME: the afflicting rod could not comfort, pain could not be pleasure, no chastening can be, in itself, joyous: but the staff, the