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 fP« 
 
 IH vision 
 Section 
 
 
^ Kirs. Ar>n«JKIlu-(-4-ori 
 
 LETT 
 
 O N 
 
 Spiritual Sub 
 
 AND 
 
 Divers Occafions, 
 
 Sent to the Reverend 
 
 Mr. George Whitefield^ 
 
 And others of his 
 
 Friends and Acquaintance. 
 
 To which is added, 
 
 A LETTER on the Being and Working of 
 Sin, in the Soul of 2ijujlify^d Man, as confifteni: 
 with his State of Juftification ia Christ, and 
 Sandlification through Him : With the Nature of 
 his Obedience, and of his Comfort, confider'd: 
 As the one is from God, and the other to Him-, 
 notwithflanding his Corruptions may be great^ and 
 his GrsiCtsfmall in his own Sight. 
 As alfo, 
 
 A LETTER on the Duty and Privilege 
 of a Believer, To live by Faith, and to improve 
 his Faith unto Holiness. 
 
 ■^»*— " ' ■■^■^•■^^^■•—•■■^Mi— I III ■ 
 
 By One who has tafted that the LORD is Gracious. 
 
 Wherefore comfort yourfel'ves together, and edify one another y e-ven 
 as alfo ye do, I Thef. v. 1 1 . 
 
 I ■ ' ■ ■ ' ... 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 printed by J. Hart, in Popping s-Court, Fleet frect : And Sold by 
 J. Lewis, in Bartholome^-Clofe, near Weji-S?nithfield \ and 
 E.Gardner, at Milton s-Head, near Jldgatc. 1745.- 
 [Price llitch'd One Shilling and Three-pence] 
 
[3 ] 
 
 LETTERS 
 
 O N 
 
 Spiritual Subjeds, &c. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 To Mr.W d. 
 
 V^ry dear and reverend Sir, 
 
 YOUR lad fweet Letter was very favoury 
 to my Tafte. It brought God to my 
 Soul. I feel much Heart- Union with 
 you. I thank you for all the kind Expreffions 
 of your increasing Love. May the Lord r^- 
 ward you an Hundred-fold in this Worlds and in 
 that to come ! Oh what a blefled Inftrument of 
 much Good, has the Lord made you to my 
 poor Soul ! 
 
 My deareft Brother, you was on the Mount, 
 when you wrote laft. Don't wonder, if your 
 wife and gracious Leader, fhould again bring 
 you into the Valley, The Lord prepares us by 
 great Comforts, for great Trials : And by fore 
 A 2 Trials, 
 
[4] 
 
 Trials^ for Jlrofig Confolations, Which Way 
 foever he deals with us, it is in infinite Love 
 and Wifdom. — I rejoiced in your Joy ; and 
 that under the Apprehenfion of an approaching 
 Trial, your Spirit flow'd fweetly into the WiU 
 of God : Not only with humble Submiffion, 
 but v/ith joyful Acquiefcence. With Pleafure 
 I faw, how the Love of God, drew your Soul 
 to love Him ; and I long'd to be Like-minded. 
 When the Lord winds up the Love of his Chil- 
 dren to an high Pitchy He delights to try it. 
 And try us he will in our Ifaacs^ in that which 
 is moft near and dear to us. And if thus the 
 Lord fhould try you, my dear Brother, give him 
 Leave to do what He pleafeth. Call nothing 
 your own, but God's Great S'ei.tI Have no 
 IVill but H/j; and then your JViJ^ cannot be 
 croji. God call'd Abraham to oj^er up his Son^ 
 his only Son Ifaac, whom he loved. He readily 
 they'd', and he was called^ The Friend of GO D. 
 And the Lord grant you Grace^ to offer up all 
 that He calls for, in a Flame of Love to Him ! 
 And He will record your Kindnefs, what a 
 Friend you was to Him : And bring it forth 
 unto Praife^ and Honour ^ and Glory at Chrijl's 
 Appearing ! — Into the Arms of Jesus, I com- 
 mit you, and am with the deareft Love, 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 Tour humble Servant in the Lord, 
 
 LET- 
 
[ 5 ] 
 LETTER II. 
 
 To Mr.W d. 
 
 Reverend and very dear Sir, 
 
 GLAD fhould I be of a Line from you^ 
 But dear, very dear are you to me for 
 Jesu's Sake, whether you have Time to write 
 to worthlefs me, or not. I hope our dear Lord 
 will ftill give me a Place in your Heart, and 
 that you will not forget me before HiM; if 
 thro' your abundant Work, you muft forget 
 me in Letter. — I remember you at the Throne 
 of Grace, and do all I can to hold up your Hands 
 in your great Master's Work. Much I rejoice 
 with you, -for the rich abundant Grace, which is 
 conftantly extended towards you. Oh my dear 
 dear Brother, how good is your Master 
 Christ unto you! How doth He honour yoa 
 with his Service, fpirit you for it, and own you 
 in it! I know you give Him all the Glory. 
 That you feel your Infufficiency, rejoice in 
 Christ's All-fufiiciency, and go on in his 
 Work, as able to do all Thing's thro' Christ 
 ftrengthening you. — Greatly I rejoice in the 
 Wonders of Love fliewn you in fVales, Glou- 
 cefter^ &c. May London feel the happy Influence 
 ofboundlefs Grace^ poured out through Christ, 
 upon and by you^ during this your prefent Stay 
 in it^ more than ever ! — Oh my dear Brother, 
 now is your Salvation nearer than when you firft 
 believed. A little more Labour, a few more 
 
 A 3 Tiiah; 
 
[6] 
 
 Trials ; and then comes on your eternal Reft, 
 your incorruptible Crown ! The Bofom of 
 Christ awaits you. Yet a little while, and 
 you (hall fee him Him Face to Face ! Without 
 a Veil between, without an intervening Cloud, 
 to the Days of Eternity! — Oh love and 
 work for Jesus now, this little Moment of 
 Time ! Glad you will be to have done much for 
 Christ in your Day, when the Night comes, 
 
 and you can do no more for Him. Oh my 
 
 Brother, I tell you of a I<light, wherein you can 
 do no more for Christ : Methinks I hear you 
 fay, ' Then 'twill be Day, eternal Day, in 
 
 * which I (hall ferve Him more than ever! I 
 ' long for Immortality, to drop weak, fmful 
 ' Flefh, that in pcrfcdl Praifes, and ceafelefs 
 
 * Son2;s, I may adore God and the Lamb for 
 
 * evei-^r' True, my Brother, when the Night of 
 Death approaches, then comes on the Day of 
 eternal Life : The Day you have fo long de- 
 fir*d ', wherein you (hall know, love and ferve 
 the Lord perfeBlyy among the flaming Glories 
 of tlie upper World, the Saints and Seraphs 
 round the Throne! But then, you cannot ferve 
 Christ on the Earth. Wherefore prize your 
 
 Time for that Service 7iow. A Thought of 
 
 that Eternity of Glory which awaits rne with 
 my Lord, when the happy Profpedl ftrikes my 
 Eyes, fets my Soul on Fire, to do fomething for 
 his Glory in the prefent Time. — And is it not 
 thus with pu, my Brother f Would you not 
 
 be 
 
[7] 
 
 be glad to fpend your Life m Telling out the 
 Glories of CHR I STy whofe Glory can never 
 be told! Are you not willing to woo and win a 
 few more Souls to Christ, aye, many Thou- 
 fands and Tens of Thcufands, to be the Bride 
 the Lamb's Wife, and your Companions in 
 the heavenly World, before you leave this earthly 
 Globe ? — - Oh why do I afk^ I fee you fpend 
 your Life, your Strength, your AH, your Body, 
 
 your Soul in this hlejjed Work ! Only then, 
 
 dear Sir, permit me to//r up your pure Mind by 
 way of Remembrance^ and to fay, O dear Man 
 of GOD! Continue to make full Proof of 
 your Miniftry. That to the laft Moment of 
 your Life, for you to live, may be Christ : 
 And then to die, will be your Ineffable Gain ! 
 My Soul rejokcth in the Lord, and with 
 you magnifies God our Saviour, for his late 
 kind Vifit to your dear Family, for that rich 
 Diftillation of the heavenly Dew, which has 
 fallen upon them, in Georgians defart Land. I 
 doubt not, it is an Anfwer of your, and your 
 Brethren's Prayers. And truly I can fay, it is 
 an Anfwer of mine. Many a Time have I in- 
 treated the Lord to vifit them Himfelf and 
 make their Hearts glad, under the prefent Trial 
 oi your being detained from them, by the Work 
 He has aflign'd you in England and M^ales. 
 And now, to my Joy, I fee He is come to 
 dwell in the midft of them. Oh happy Family, 
 where God dwells! Lord let thy Reign be 
 
 A 4 glorious 
 
[ 8 ] 
 
 glorious there! Thy Subjefts increafe! Thy 
 Servants fupply'd with all Good^ and defended 
 
 from all E'vil! Amen, and Amen ! — Into the 
 
 Arms of Jesus I commit you: and am. 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 Tours mofi affe£iionately in Him, 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 To Mr, W d. 
 
 Reverend and very dear Brother ^ 
 
 I Humbly thank you for your kind Prefent of 
 the Books. Your Sermons have been made 
 very fvvcet and precious to my Qoul, I rejoice 
 for the Grace beftow'd on you -, for that abun- 
 dant Growth which the Lord hath given you, 
 and th.it brave Teftimony which He hath ena- 
 bled you to bear for the precious Truths of his 
 glorious Gofpel. — May the Bleffing of Heaven 
 reft upon you, and all your Labours for the 
 Advancement of the Redeemer's Glory, and the 
 
 Good of his dear Children ! 1 long to hear 
 
 from you, and to know your State. 1 doubt 
 
 not our Lord is with you, and makes your Heart 
 glad in Him and his Work, 
 
 I know you muft have Trials^ from within 
 and without. Much Difficulty, will many 
 Times be caft in the Way of your ferving the 
 
 dear 
 
1 9] 
 
 dear Lord Jefus. — But, my dear Brother, prefs 
 thro' all. The Strength of Chrift jfhall be made 
 perfedt in your Weaknefs ; and to him that over^ 
 Cometh^ our Lord will grant to Jit with Him in 
 his Throne^ even as he alfo overcame^ and is fet 
 down with the Father in his T'hrone, If we 
 were not to meet with Difficulties, Difcourage- 
 ments and Oppofitions, in the Courfe of our 
 walking with God, and working for Christ; 
 how could we be crown'd as Overcomers ? ■ 
 
 Let us therefore prefs forward, when our Hearts 
 are weak, and our Burdens great, for thro' the 
 Power of Christ refling upon us, we fhall- 
 furmount all Difficulties, Run and not be weary ^ 
 walk and not faint ^ yea, go from Strength 
 to Strength^ until we appear before GOD in 
 
 Zion, If now and then our dear Lord calls 
 
 us to walk, to run with Loads upon our Backs; 
 
 He will not always try us thus. — He will take 
 
 off our Burdens, make us leap for foy^ and as 
 
 light of Foot as a wild Roe in his Service. — For 
 
 He is a God of boundlefs Compaffions! He 
 
 knows our Frame ^ and remembers that we are 
 
 Dujl, — Our dear Lord Jefus, was tempted in 
 
 all Points like unto uSy that He might be able 
 
 to fiiccour them that are tempted. That from 
 
 his own Experience, as having been in the fame 
 
 Trials, He might have an Ability of Sympathy 
 
 with us in all ' our Diftrefles ; and that from an 
 
 inward Fellow-feeling, an inexpreffihle Tender- 
 
 nefs towards us, He might fend us fuitable, and 
 
 feafonable 
 
[ 10 ] 
 
 feafonable Relief, in all the Times and Cafes of 
 our Need. We have a Saviour, that is our 
 Brother, that hath a Brother's Heart towards 
 
 us. This v^as the Will of our heavenly 
 
 Father. He well knew, that we fliould be fuch 
 miferable Children^ that we fliould need Abun- 
 dance of Sympathy ; and therefore He gave his 
 Son, his own Son, to take our Nature^ to be- 
 come our Brother, our near Kinfman ; that fo 
 the infinite Bowels of the Son of God, clothed 
 with theCompaffions of our Nature, might be- 
 come an inexhauftible, eternal Flow, of kindly 
 Sympathy with us, and Salvation to us. And 
 fuch was the infinite Love of God our Father, 
 that He gave his Son, not only to take our 
 Nature, but to take it in all its finlefs Infirmi^ 
 ties, to be made in the Likenefs of finful Flefli! 
 And fuch was the boandlefs Grace of the Lord 
 our Redeemer, that he humbled himfelf, and 
 became Itke unto his Brethren in all Things, Sin 
 only excepted! 
 
 Our Lord ^ivas to be try'd, would be try'd, 
 with all the Temptations which attend us in 
 our prefent State. With the World, the Flefh, 
 and the Devil, was our Jesus tried-, yea, with 
 the moll: fevere Trials from his ov/n God and 
 Father, was he exercised. Our Lord, our Lo- 
 ver, for us was try'd with the Weakncfi of our 
 Nature, and witli the Sinfulnefi of it too. For 
 tho' He had no Sin of his own, yet was He 
 try'd with the Sins oi others. He was infinitely 
 
 more 
 
[ II ] 
 
 more try'd with the Being and Power, with 
 
 the Guilt and Filth of Sin in others^ than any 
 
 of us are, with all thefe in ourfelves : By reafori 
 
 of the fpotlefs Purity, and infinite Holinefs of 
 
 his Perfon,when he condefcended to dwell among 
 
 us, in the midft of our Uncleannefs. He was 
 
 try'd with the Sins of his Brethren, and with 
 
 the Sins of the World, with the Sins of Friends, 
 
 and with the Sins of Enemies. And oh, how was 
 
 our Jesus try'd with Sin, and all the woful Effects 
 
 of it, when the Lord laid upon him the Iniquity 
 
 of us all ! when his own God and Father, made 
 
 him^ who knew no Sin, to be Sin for us, that we 
 
 Sinners, might be made the Righteoufnefs of 
 
 God in Him ! Oh how near did the Spotlefs 
 
 Lamb of God, come xxnto \is> Sinners, when 
 
 He by Imputation, became all that, which we 
 
 were by Perpetration ! When He took all our 
 
 Uncleannefs upon him, and to fanSify us with 
 
 his own Blood, fujfer'd without the Gate ! — — . 
 
 Oh my dear Brother, our glorious Lover Jesus, 
 
 was made fo like unto us Sinners, in his Trial of 
 
 imputed Sin, that He well knows how to fym- 
 
 pathize with us, in our Trial of inherent Sin : 
 
 and from an Infinity of Bowels, will He fuc- 
 
 courusin it, and fave us from it! Our merciful 
 
 High Prieft, well knows how to pity us, under 
 
 all that Weaknefs, and Indifpofednefs for divine 
 
 Service, wdiich we at any time feel, by reafon 
 
 of Sin ; and He can have Compafllon according 
 
 to the Meafure of our Diftrefs. He well 
 
 knows 
 
[ 12 ] 
 
 knows what it is to be tempted in all Refpedls by 
 Batan^ to be both flatter'd and reproached by the 
 World, reviled by Profejors, flighted by Country- 
 7nen, defpis'd by Relations, betray'd by profejfed 
 Friends, opposed and difregarded by real Ofies^ 
 
 yea, and to be try'd by God Himfelf! 1 
 
 And having gone thro' all our Trials, He hath 
 took away \ht Curje o? ihtm, fanB iff d them 
 to us, is well prepared in all Refpeds to^^r^^^^^r 
 us, and ever liveth to fave us to the uttermofl, 
 • Let us therefore hope in Him, wait for Him, 
 and in the Way of our Duty, prefs forward to 
 ferve and glorify Him -, being fully perfwaded, 
 that the Grace of Christ is fufficient for us. 
 Sufficient to /i?-engt hen us for our Work, to pity 
 our Weakncfs therein, to pardon the Sin that 
 cleaves to us in it, to accent our imperfed: Ser- 
 vices, to prejent them in his own Perfedlions, a 
 Sacrifice well-pleafing to his and our Father, to 
 blejs our weak Labours for the Good of his Peo- 
 ple here, and to crown them with endlefs Glory 
 hereafter ! 
 
 And oh the fuitable, feafonable, fufficient 
 Help, that our compaffionate High Fried above, 
 fends down to his labouring, forrowing, fuffer- 
 ing People below? Great \% owx Help, and full 
 is our y^jy, when kind Succours come from our 
 dear Lord's Hand ! And our Joy would ht full 
 indeed, if in all the Succour afforded by our 
 Lord's Hand, we believ'd the infinite Grace of 
 his Hearty and the kind Offices of Love ^ which 
 
 He 
 
C »3 ] 
 
 Ke performs for us, in his all-prevailing Advo- 
 cacy, and Interceffion with the Fcther ; whence 
 every Kind and Degree of our Help cometh 1 
 
 Oh what a compajfionate Saviour, is our 
 Jesus! Oh what a gracious Master do wq 
 ferve ! How eafy is his Yoke, all overfpread with 
 his infinite Love! how light is his Burden, all- 
 fupported by his Omnipotent Arm I — Oh wh§ 
 would not love and ferve the Prince of Grace ; 
 who hath loaned us^ and wa/hed us from our Sins 
 in his own Bloody and hath made us Kin^s and 
 Prie/ls unto God and his Father I To HIM be 
 Glory and Dominion, for ever and ever d-~ 
 MEN! 
 
 That the Grace of Christ may be with 
 your Spirit, and his Hand with you in all the 
 Work He calls you to -, that your Stay in 
 England may be a rich Bleffing to Thoufands ; 
 a Joy to your own Soul, and to all the Saints- 
 and to the Glory of our renowned Prince 
 Emanuel : is the hearty Defire oi^ 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 Tour mo ft AffeBionate Humble Servant, 
 
 In our own LORD JESUS, 
 
 LET. 
 
[14] 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 To Mr. W d. 
 
 Mi *oery Dear and Reverend Brother^ 
 
 MEthinks, it's an Age fince I heard from 
 you. Has my dear Brother quite forgot 
 me ? I confefs, I am unworthy you fliould ever 
 fpend a Thought upon, or fend a Line to me. Yet 
 will I perfuade myfelf you love me, for the Sake 
 of my worthy Lord, and as a Fellow-Member 
 with you^ of that Body, of which He is the 
 Head. Our Communion here, is imperfedl, 
 interrupted, inconftant. In Heaven, it will be 
 perfedt, uninterrupted, and eternal. We fhall 
 foon fee Jesus, and be both with him for 
 ever. — Oh to do a little more Work^ for Hiivr 
 that liv'd and dy'd for m ! And then, come^ 
 Lord JeJiiSy and take us into thy own Bofom ! 
 I doubt not, my dear Brother, you love your 
 Matter's Service as much as ever, and labour in 
 it to your uttermoft. Go on, fweet Soul ! 'tis 
 Heaven to work for Christ, as well as rejl 
 with Him. Oh, the ineffable Sweets of ferving 
 the Lord the Lamb ! Well doth your dear 
 Soul knov/, what a Heaven this is : And fhort- 
 ly you fliall be taken up to your Heaven of Reji^ 
 in the immediate Vifion of God and^the Lamb 
 for ever, But oh, the infinite Glories of that 
 Fcaft, your Lord will make for you, when 
 ycur Labours for him arc finifl)*d ! Oh, the in- 
 conceivable 
 
[ 15 ] 
 
 conceivable Joys of that Heaven which awaits 
 you! One Hour's Reft at God's Right-Hand^ 
 will infinitely reward all the Toil and Labour 
 you have been at, in your Way thither. To 
 deny one's felf for Christ, to crofs the In- 
 tereft of finful Self, and wear out natural Self 
 for Jesus, hath a peculiar Sweetnefs in it, a; 
 yoy which a Stranger intermeddles not with. And 
 if the Crofs is (ofweet^ has fuch a Sweetnefs caft 
 into it by our Lord's own Hand, what will the 
 Crown be, when He fets it upon our Heads ! 
 Oh! worthy is the Lamb, to be lov'd, ador'd, 
 and ferved for ever. Such is the infinite Glory 
 of his Perfon, the Excellency of his Work, and 
 the Immenfity of his Love to us ; that had we 
 ten thoufand Souls^ they would all be due to 
 Him, and well employ 'd in his moft glorious 
 Service, And had we ten thoufand Lives to 
 praife Emanuel in, they would all be but as a 
 Drop of Duty^ caft into the boundlefs, bottomlefs 
 Ocean, oihis Love and Glory ! Oh hoyN happy ^ how 
 ineffably happy, are thofe bleffed Souls, that love 
 and ferve Jesus here! And if thQ Service of 
 Christ is fo fweety oh, what will the Enjoy-- 
 ment of him be ! If now and then a Glimpfe of 
 our Lord's Love and Glory, is fo tranjporting 
 while he fhews himfelf thro' the Lattefs ; Oh* 
 what Raptures ihall v^tfeel^ when we (hall fee 
 
 HiM as He is, without a Vail between! 
 
 Oh ! my Brother, Jesus, the Son of God, 
 loves you. He lov'd you antiently, he loves you in- 
 finitely 
 
[ i6 ] 
 
 finitely and unchangeably, and will love you 
 eternally. He gave himfelf for you^ he gives 
 himfelf to you, and lives to ferve you at his Fa- 
 ther's Right-Hand. — Oh ! give him yourfelf in 
 Love, and all the Service you are capable of. I 
 know you do, I knov^ you will, and think all 
 too little, far, far too little, for your loving^ 
 lovely, worthy Lord. But fufter me to fay, 
 love Jesus. Oh my* Brother, little do you 
 think how kindly he will take it, and how 
 much he will make of it. Did you know how 
 much your Service glads Christ's Heart now^ 
 your Soul would be refrefh*d as with new Wirie, 
 and nimbly would you fpring thro' your Work, 
 as a Giant to run a Raco. And think, my 
 dear Brother, when Christ and you meety and 
 he recounts all your Services, what an incon- 
 ceiveable Joy it will be to hear him fay, / was 
 an hundred, and you gave me Meat : Thir/ty, and 
 •^ou gave me Drink : Naked, and you cloathed 
 "me: Sick and in Prifon, and you mini jlred unto 
 
 fjje, Come, you blejfed of my Father, inherit the 
 
 Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of 
 the World! Then, dear Sir, as Christ's good 
 andfaithfil Servant, he will bid you, enter into 
 the Joy of your Lord, And what the Great- 
 nefs^of that Glory will be, is yet to be reveaN. 
 
 Crrcnt Grace be with you and yours ! I am. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 Tour viofl AfcBionate humble Servant, 
 
 LETTER 
 
[ I? ] 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 To Mr. VI d. 
 
 My "very dear, and reverend Brother ^ 
 
 TH E acceptable Favour of your laji, gave 
 me much Pleafure ; for which I give 
 humble Thanks. Indeed I long'd to hear from 
 you ; but I knew your Work too well, to con- 
 ceive any Offence given in that you wrote no 
 fooner. I am exceeding unworthy of your No- 
 tice, and efteem it a peculiar Favour, that God 
 puts it into your Heart ever to remember me. 
 Christ takes it kindly, my dear Brother, 
 that you now and then caft a Glance of Favour 
 upon the leaft of his. He well knows, with 
 what Difficulty you redeem Time for that Ser- 
 vice. He knows, not only your Love to him 
 and his, but the Labour of it alfo ; and not 
 only your Worhy but the Labour you are at to 
 perform them. And none of your Labour of 
 Love, even to the leaft Part of it, fhall in any 
 wife lofe its Reward. Christ v^^ill lofe no- 
 thing, none of your Service, but a full Rewani 
 {hall be given you of the Prince of Love, accord- 
 ing to his abundant Grace. — It much delights 
 our dear Lord, to fee us love one ajiother. He 
 fees with Pleafure, the Union and Communion 
 of Saints, as the Fruit of 'his Blood. He dy'd 
 to make us one with himfclf, and with each 
 other. And if we are "Twain, if we don't love 
 
 B as 
 
[ i8 ] 
 
 as Brethren, as united in the Lamb's Blood, we 
 don't walk as the Redeemed of the Lord. Oh, 
 the Glory of that Unity, we (hall one Day enjoy, 
 when we are made perfectly one with the innu- 
 merable Multitude of the ^Ji;^^ (?w^j, and one in 
 the Son, and in the Father, by one and the Self 
 fame Spirit ! No more Difcord then among the 
 Saints, no more feperate Intereft, no more Di- 
 verfity of Worfliip, nor Diftance of Place. But 
 all the vaft Number of the whole Eleft, gathered 
 together from the four Winds, brought up in 
 the Unity of the Faith ^ and the Knowledge of the 
 Son of God, unto a perfect Man ; fliall toge- 
 ther in one auguft Aflembly, in one living 
 Temple, under one and the fame Difplay of Di- 
 vine Glory, with one Heart, Soul and Voice, 
 worfhip one God, as their all in all, unto 
 Ages without End 1 
 
 *' They all are one, in one they all agree : 
 
 ** On e is their all, which makes all one to be'' 
 
 Lord, haften that Glory-Day ! It comes, it 
 comes, my Brother ! Don't you fee the Day 
 dawn ? The Morning- Star appear ? What la- 
 bour you fo hard for in Chr ist's Gojpel? Is it 
 not to wake ready a People prepared Jor the Lord? 
 Is it not to efpoiife many unto one Hufband? whom 
 you mas prefent as a chajte Virgin unto Chrifl ? 
 Oh glorious Work ! And don't you y^^ how the 
 Bridegroom cometh ? What Hafte he makes P 
 what mighty Steps he takes ? — Behold, he comes 
 
 2 quickly 
 
[ 19 ] 
 
 quickly ! Leapwg on the Mountains^ and Jkipping 
 on the Hills ! He poeweth him felf thro' the Lattefs : 
 By and by we fhall fee his Face, and be bleft 
 with the full, and eternal Vifion of his Glory ! 
 
 Mean Time, Labour hard in the Lord's 
 Work ; do all you can, according to his Work- 
 ing, to get the Bride ready for the Marriage- 
 Glory with her Royal Bridegroom. Oh dear 
 Man of God ! the Attendance you give to this 
 Work, and the Diligence you fliew in it, doth 
 as it were forbid me to prefs you forward, to bid 
 a winged Flame, fly I But Christ ;?/>i, and 
 You mujifly. The winged Flame of his Love, 
 brings him fweetly, fwiftly, glorioufly to favc 
 his Bride ! Enkindled then with this Fire of 
 God, this Flame of Jehovah, fly after him j 
 the Lord is gone out before you 5 wing the Way ; 
 run through Oppofition 5 lick up the Wa- 
 ters of AfBiftion, and always abowid in the 
 Work of the Lord 5 forafmuch as you knoWy 
 that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. 
 Amongft his Children, he has chofen you^ that 
 Multitudes by your Mouth (hould hear the IFord 
 oj the Gofpely and believe, I know you fay, 
 why ;;;^, Lord! Indeed it is all of Grace, 
 And, behold how he loved you ! He lov'd you 
 antiently, freely, richly, and will love you 
 eternally ! 
 
 The Wonders of God's Love, which daily 
 open to your View, with a new amazing Glory, 
 are no new Things unto God^ but the new Fruits 
 
 B 2 of 
 
t 20 ] 
 
 of his old Love, or the new Difplays of his ever- 
 la/ling T'hozights of Grace towards you /« Ch r ist ! 
 The God of all Grace, call'd a Council in him- 
 self before the World was, how ht might lay 
 out his Grace upon you, to the Glory of its ex- 
 ceeding Riches. And according to the infinity 
 of his Wifdom, he then refolvy to be thus SinA 
 thus gracious unto you ! When therefore, you 
 fee God, even your Father, pouring out new 
 Bleffings upon you daily thro' Chrift 5 Oh, trace 
 the Streams unto the Fountain-Head, to that 
 ALL of fpiritual BleJJings, whetewith he hle^ 
 you in Chrijl, before the Foundation of the Worlds 
 and, to that eternal, boundlefs Love, which is 
 the Source of all your Blifs ! For God's Difpen- 
 fations of Grace in Time towards the Heirs of 
 Salvation, are biit the Tranfcript of his^ eternal 
 Decrees, the opening, or unfolding of his mani- 
 fold Wifdom and Grace, in the eternal Counfel 
 of his Will concerning them. And think, my 
 dear Brother, when the eternal, omnifcient 
 God, with one View beheld all the Creatures 
 he refolv'd to make, in the Glafs of his own 
 Decrees 3 how jreely he lov'd you, in that he 
 chofe you unto eternal Life, and to fuch emi- 
 nent Service, while thoufands were pafled by ! 
 This was Free-love indeed ! And behold, it is as 
 rich as \x!sfree I Oh, can you count up a thou- 
 fandth Part of thofe exceeding Riches <f Grace, 
 whicli God's free Love has laid out upon you 
 thro' fcfus Chrift ! Are not Love's Riches, un- 
 
 Jearchable I 
 
[ 21 ] 
 
 fenrchablet Oh how great is that Goodnefs 
 which He has laid out upon you I And yet, be- 
 hold, He has Goodnefs, an Immenfity, and an 
 Eternity of Goodnefs laid up for you! God's 
 Love, like Himself, knows no Decay, Change 
 or End! And this Love of God, this God of 
 Love, thro' the once-bleeding Lamb, will be 
 an exuberant, inexhauftible, and eternal Sea 
 of Blifs unto you ! 01i», Love the LORD there- 
 fore ! You have nothing elfe to do^ but to love 
 Him. Love him in doi7ig^ love him in /uffering, 
 You fee He loves ^a^^ into, and thro' both 5 and 
 every Way crowns you with Loving-kindnefs! 
 How goodly, is your Heritage ? how pleafant is 
 your Place ? how extenfive is your Border ? how 
 doth it pafs on from one Place to another? 
 from Privilege to Privilege? And oh, the Im- 
 menfity of that Love^ which drew the Line of 
 it! Verily your Time- Lot, is exceeding large ! 
 and your eternal Lot, Ineffable! 
 
 O Man greatly beloved! my Heart rejoice th 
 with you in all your Joy. I rejoice to hear^ 
 while you fee fuch glorious Days of the Son of 
 Man. Oh may you pafs on from Glory to Glo- 
 ry, and Hill fee greater things than thefe ! 
 
 And fince you are fo highly favoured^ don't 
 think it a ftrange Thing, to meet Oppofition 
 from every Quarter. If you are for Christ, 
 you muft have Earth and Hell againfl you. 
 Never was any great Work done for God, but 
 //, and its Inftruments met with great Oppofition : 
 
 B 3 Which 
 
[ 22 3^ 
 
 Which only ferv*d as a Foil, to illuftrate the 
 Glory of that Power, which bears down all be- 
 fore it. In vain the Heathen rage^ the Kings 
 of the Earthy fet themfehes, and the Rulers take 
 Counfel together againjl the LORD^ and againjl 
 his Anointed, For yet He has fet his King upon 
 his holy Hill of Zion. Since the Strength of 
 Jesus is yours -, fear no adverfe Power. None 
 of the Powers of Darknefs, are a Match for 
 Omnipotence, The Lord is on your Side : Live 
 in Him, and to Him; and fear not what Men, 
 or Devils can do unto you. T^he LORD on 
 high is mightier than the Noife of many Waters^ 
 than the mighty Waves of the Sea, — Since you 
 have glorious Conflations^ you muft have clofe 
 ^frials. They are needful and advantageous. 
 The LORD maketh the Weight for the Winds, 
 and weigheth the Waters by Meafure, You muft 
 have Trials to poize you. A Thorn in the Flep 
 is given you^ the Mcjfnger of Satan to buffet you ; 
 Icjl you Jhould be exalted above Meafure, But 
 the Grace of Christ \s fufjicient for you, and 
 his Power Ihall reft upon you. — Into his Arms 
 I commit you. Forget me not before him. 
 In Him, dear Sir, I am 
 
 Tour moft affectionate. 
 
 Humble Servant, 
 
 LET- 
 
[ 23 ] 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 To Mr. W d. 
 
 Reverend and wry dear Sir, 
 
 YOUR laftvery kind Letter, I thankfully 
 receiv'd, and embrace the firft Opportu- 
 nity to anfwer it. Your abundant Love expreft 
 in your ia/l, your Heart-union with me, and 
 efpecially your Prayers for a Bleffing upon^nny 
 weak Endeavours, to lifpe out the Praifes of the 
 Strong J AH, refrefti'd and delighted me much. 
 The Lord reward all your Kindnefs to worthlefs 
 me, an Hundred-fold!— I have juft now been read- 
 ing the Letter with Pleafure. But when I came to 
 that Claufe, " I think our dear Lord -will employ 
 " you more and more :" Being preffed with a Senfe 
 of my own Vilenefs, I had fome Fears that He 
 •would not. But fweetly He fpoke to my Heart 
 in that Word, Ihiow the Thoughts which 1 think 
 towards you, Thoughts of Peace, and not of Evil 
 to give you an expeBed End. Which revived, 
 humbled, and melted me. Oh my Brother. I 
 wonder at the infinite Grace and Long-fufFenng 
 of my God, that He Qiould not cajl me oj ! 
 That He Ihould have Thoughts of Peace towards 
 me flill! Indeed, my Brother, I have multi- 
 plied my Tranfgreflions againft Him. As Figures 
 in Arithmetick increafe the Number, fo have I 
 have multiply'd to Sin, added Stn to Stn. Oh 
 lamentable! — But behold, my giacicms G O P, 
 the God of Peace, thro' the Blood of JbbUb, 
 
 B 4 multiplies 
 
[ 24 ] 
 
 muhiplies to pardon, abundantly pardons ! Grace 
 and Peace, is multiplied towards me daily : Ex- 
 tended like a River, a fall, free, flowing Ri- 
 ver, that prevails over all my Sins 1 
 
 t rejoice before God, for His afkoniOiing 
 Kindnels towards you, continually. For the 
 Light of his Countenance, and the Joy of hisi : 
 Salvation, with which your Soul is blefs'd; and ' 
 for the Wonders of his Love, in your abundant 
 Ufefulnefs. Oh how great, free, and diftin- 
 guifliing has God's Loving- kindnefs been unto 
 yon, my dear Brother ! The Lord continue 
 and increafe it ! and make-you more and more 
 humble, that you may give Him the Glory of 
 all his Grace. — Sin, Satan, and the World 
 will flioot at you, that you may fall. The 
 Lord hold you up continually, by his Almigh- 
 ty Hand ! And make you an Iron Pillar, and a 
 Brafen Wall, that they which fight againft you 
 may never prevail ! Your Enemies are very 
 potent, and your Strength, mere Weaknefs ; but 
 the Grace of CHRIST is fufficlent for you. 
 His Power (hall reft upon yon, and the Arms 
 of your Hands be made jlrong^ by the mighty God 
 of "Jacob, Go on, dear Sir, in your Great 
 MASTER'S Work, in His great Strength, 
 fcarlefs of all your Adverfaries, tho* ten Thou- 
 find fliould fet themfelves againft you round 
 about. For, Jlronger is He that is in you^ than 
 he ^cohlcb is in them, The LORD your 
 G O D, "ii'ill not fail you , 7ior for fake you. 
 
 Wherefore 
 
[ 25 ] 
 
 Wherefore, be lirong^ and of a good Courage, — 
 I bear you on my Heart before the Lord. He 
 enables me to pray for you. And I believe, 
 as you fay, '' That the Lord will hear, and 
 " blefs me therein." The LORD is with 
 them that help you, and will blefs thofe that 
 blefs you, "and curfe the Wicked that curfe you. 
 And feverely rebuke his own Children, that op- 
 pofe or flight you. Your Name is exceeding 
 precious to your dear MASTER; none can 
 touch you therein, but they touch the Apple of 
 his Ey^. He takes all the Affronts you meet 
 with, as given to Himfelf. And from his in- 
 finite Love to your Perfon, and Zeal for your 
 Honour, as a dear Servant of his, called to emi- 
 nent Service, He will plead your Caufe^ and ex- 
 ecute judgment j or you, I know your loving 
 Soul, like your LORD, fays. Father^ forgive 
 them] for they know not what they do, i\nd fo 
 go on to fhew the Meeknefs and Gentlenefs 
 of Chrift towards all Men, committing yourfelf 
 and Caufe unto Him that judgeth righteoufly : 
 And the End will be glorious ! — 
 
 And now, Sir, as your glorious Master is 
 calling you from us^ to proclaim his Gofpel, 
 and ferve his Caufe and People in other Parts of 
 the World ; I mufl for myfelf, and I think may 
 for Thoufands more fay, we are grieved to 
 part with you. And yet we cheerfully refgn 
 you up to the Lord and his Work. Praying 
 his Prefence may be with, and his Blefllng upon 
 
 you. 
 
[ 26 ] 
 
 you. That He will make you a begetting, and 
 a nurfing Father unto Thoufands, while abfent 
 from us ; and in his good Time return you to 
 his People hcre^ as a greater Bleffing than ever. 
 O dear Man of God ! What great Things hatb 
 the LORD done for you^ fince you vifited us 
 Lift ! How richly has he crown'd you with Lo- 
 ving-kindnefs in thefe Lands ! What a Reaping- 
 time, what a glorious Harveft of Souls have 
 you had in England and Scotlatid, who fliall be 
 your Joy and Crown in the Day of the Lord Je-- 
 fus! Blefled be God, who always caufeth you to 
 'triumph in CHRIST! And maketh tnanifejl 
 by you the Savour of his Knowledge in every 
 
 Place I Go then, thrice happy Soul ! with 
 
 the Lord, and for Him ; vifit America, vifit 
 Georgia, and fee how your Brethren do. Go over 
 the Places again where you have been preach- 
 in^ the Word, give the Brethren much Exhor- 
 tation, and confirm the Souls of the Difciples, 
 by telling them, that through much Tribulation 
 we mujl enter into the Kingdom. Yea, Go in 
 your great Lord's Name, feck up his lojl Sheep^ 
 and bring them to his Fold. And tho* you 
 iliould go forth weeping, in Labours, Sorrows 
 and Trials of all Kinds, yet, bearing precious 
 Seed, the immortal Seed of Chrift's Gofpel ; 
 vou lliall doubtlefs come again rejoicing, bring- 
 ing your Sheaves with you. We fliall wait 
 and prav, dear Sir, for your happy Return to 
 England, and hope to rejoice with you in the 
 
 glorious 
 
[ 27] 
 
 glorious Fruits of your diftant Labours, 
 
 But with what Joy will you return to your 
 Great Master, when the whole Courfe of 
 your minifterial Service, and Sufferings are fi- 
 nifli*d ! And v/hat a glorious Number of 
 Sheaves will you have to rejoice in at our Lord's 
 Appearing? What a Multitude of precious Souls, 
 will you have the Honour in that Day, to pre- 
 fent as a chap Virgin to CHRIST! And 
 how great, how exceeding great will be your 
 Joy, while you with them, and they with you, 
 together with the whole Number of GOD' s 
 Ele5iy in, one complete Body, one glorious 
 Church, a meet Bride for the Lord the Lamb, 
 {hall by him as fuch, be pre fent ed fault lefs before 
 
 the Prefence of his FATHERs Glory! 
 
 This glorious Day hajlens. The intervening 
 Time is Jhort : And therefore we weep^ as tho' 
 we wept not. We meet and part now. But 
 
 then we {hall meet, never to part more ! 
 
 At prefent, dear Sir, committing you into the 
 Hands of Christ, I mofl heartily bid you 
 Farewel in the L O R D ! Pray for. 
 
 Reverend Sir^ 
 
 Tours 7nojl Affe5iionately in our 
 
 Sweet JESUS, 
 
 LET. 
 
t 28 ] 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 Tb Mr. H 11 H s, Mr. R- d, and 
 
 the reji of the Brethren that help with them and 
 labour in the Gofpel of Christ, in Wales, 
 
 Much Honoured and Beloved Brethren, 
 
 PErmit the leaft of your Father's Houfe, un- 
 known to you in the Flefli, to rejoice with 
 you in the Spirit, and to congratulate your Hap* 
 pinefs, in that Fulnefs of Work which^ the 
 Lord of the Harveft hath call'd you to, that 
 rich Afliftance He hath given you, and that 
 glorious Succefs with which He crowns your La- 
 bours. Oh my Brethren, what a bright Dif- 
 play of glorious Grace is //6/V, That God is 
 come down to dwell in poor Wales? That 
 King JESUS eredls his Throne there I And 
 that HE hath chofen you to be his Servants, 
 t^nd each oi you to your particular Employment, 
 in a Work that is furpaffingly glorious ! — Some 
 of you, my Brethren, I doubt not, have long 
 piay*d for thefe blefled Days of the R E- 
 DEEMER's Kingdom in Wales, And now 
 it comes with Power and great Glory, for you 
 his People that have fought H I M. Your 
 Prayer-hearing GOD, has m^dc youv Wilder- 
 ncfs like Edcn^ and your Dcfart like the Garden 
 of the LORD! Thus riclily doth your hea- 
 venly Father reward you ope?jl\\ that have pray*d 
 in Secret for thcfc Daxs of the Son of Man ! — 
 
 And 
 
[ 29 ] 
 
 And perhaps there are others of you, my Bre- 
 thren, that have been fweetly furpriz'd by un- 
 thought of, and unfought for Grace. The 
 LORD has been found of you that fought 
 him not. The Kingdom of GOD has come 
 into your dear Souls, and unto and among your 
 People, with an irrefiftable Power, an ineffable 
 Swectnefs, and an all-enlightning Glory, ere 
 you were aware ! — Which Way foever it be, 
 my Brethren, whether you have fought the 
 LORD, or noty in the Exuberance of his 
 Grace, H E is come^ H E is come to dwell in the 
 midfl of you ! Wherefore, Rejoice greatly in 
 your happy Lot. — We in England will join the 
 Joy, and affift the Praife, together with all the 
 Saints in every Place, unto Vv^hom thefe joyful 
 Tidings, this bleffed News fhall come. We^ 
 my Brethren, are Partakers oi your Joy ^ we 
 join your Hofan?2a^s ; and with you pray, That 
 the REDEEM E R's Kingdom may rife and 
 ftiine in IVales^ and the Glories of his Reign 
 fll the whole Earth I To which all the Friends 
 of the Bridegroom will fay. Even fo come LORD 
 JESUS, ^men, and Amen ! 
 
 My dear and honoured Brethren, will you 
 fuffer one that is lefs than the leaft of all Saints, 
 to point your Eye to the Glories of your KING, 
 the Glories of his Wbrh^ and the Glories of his 
 
 Reward'? C H R I S T, mv Brethren, your 
 
 Royal MASTER CHRIST, hath all the 
 Glories of the GODHEAD in Him! H E^ 
 
 hach 
 
[ 30 ] 
 hath all the Glories of a Mediator and Sa- 
 viour of Sinners in Him ! Oh what a /?/, what 
 an ahle^ what a glorious Saviour is your Prince 
 EMANUEL! With regard to his great Per- 
 Jon^ in which both the Divine and Human Na- 
 tures, are hypoftatically united! With regard to 
 his glorious Offices, as Prophet, Prieft and King ! 
 With regard to his infinite Fulnefs of the Spirit^ 
 and all Grace and Glory ! With regard to his 
 Authority, as having the Broad Seal of Heaven ! 
 And with regard to the Eternity of his Life, 
 to fave Sinners to the uttermoft ! — How great 
 then is your Honour, my Brethren, as call'd of 
 GOD, to be Amlafjadors to this mighty Prince! 
 As fent with an Ambafly of Peace to poor re- 
 bellious Sinners, to pray them in C H R I S T's 
 ftead to be reconciled unto GOD ! How great are 
 the Glories of this IVork, which are put upon Mor- 
 tal, finful Worms! — And howgreat, my Brethren, 
 are the Glories of your LORD'S Reward, of 
 that prefent Reward, which he makes your very 
 TVork to be, to your dear Souls ! Of that Re- 
 ward, which He gives you in the glorious Sue- 
 cefs of your happy Labours ! And oh the Ful- 
 refs, the Glory of that exceeding great Reward, 
 which awaits you at CHRIST'S Appearing ! — 
 Wh.rrefore, my dear Brethren, go on with an 
 holy Bolonefs, and heavenly Greatnefs of Spirit, 
 to proclaim the Gloi ies of your LORD before 
 all; alwi^ys abound in his glorious /For/^ ; and 
 frequently look to his glorious Reward, That 
 
 exceeding 
 
[ 31 ] 
 exceeding great Reward of all your Labours, 
 which the Prince of Love will confer upon you' 
 of the freeft Grace, both in this World, and in 
 that to come. So fliall your Hands be flrong, 
 and your Hearts rejoice in the LORD and 
 his Work. 
 
 And tho' you muft expect that the Powers 
 of Darknefs will be in a Rage againft you, yet 
 fear not : For your great MASTER, the Prince 
 of Light, arifing in his Glory, will put them 
 all to Flight. CHRI5Twill maintain the 
 Field, ^ Cover your Heads in the Day of Battle. 
 And ride on in the Vidories of his Love, to fave 
 his People, and in the Triumphs of his Power, 
 to deflroy his Enemies. 
 
 And you his dear Servants, that are at work 
 for^ur LORD now, fhall ere long be calPd 
 to enter into his Reji, to // down to Meat, to 
 eat and drink with HIM, at his 7 able iii his 
 Kingdom, And fuch are the Glories of that 
 Feaft, my Brethren, which your royal MA- 
 STER will make for you, when your Work 
 is done, that Eye hath not feen, nor Ear heard, 
 nor have they entred into the Heart of Man, of 
 any fpiritual Man, to conceive a thotifandth Part 
 of them! CHRIST will make a Feall for you, 
 my Brethren, according to his own Greatnefs' 
 his State, his Majedy, as the LORD and 
 KING of GLORY! Think then, how 
 gy-eat, how giorious, ycmv ever lajiing Feafi your 
 eternal RrJ} will be ! And like nimile Flames, 
 
 fir'd 
 
[ 32 ] 
 fir'd with the Love^ and fiU'd with the Strength 
 of J E.S U S, run thro* your prefe^it Labours^ 
 reioicing in Hope of the Glory of G O D. For to 
 you, my Brethren^ to you as Overcomers, as 
 vidorious Princes, thro' the LAM B*s Love, 
 Blood and Strength, will H E grant, to fit with 
 HIM in his Throne, even as HE alfo over- 
 came, and is fet down with his FATHER 
 in his Throne, A wonderful Grant, my Bre- 
 thren ! Oh, who would not love and ferve the 
 Prince of Grace, who thus loves, rewards, and 
 exalts his Servants ! The Poor from the Dufl^ 
 and the Beggar from the Dunghil, to fet them 
 among Princes, to make them inherit the Throne 
 of Glory, Yea, to fit with H IM the KING 
 
 of G L O RY, even in his Throne I That 
 
 great Grace may be upon you all, the Lord's 
 Hand with you in your Work, many believe^ and 
 turn unto the Lord^ and all Oppofiiion ffoall fall 
 before him \ while CHRIST glorifies himfelf 
 in you, and you in HIM: is the hearty Prayer 
 of, my dear and honoured Brethren, 
 
 Tours mofl Humbly and JffeBionately, 
 
 In our own LORD JESUS, 
 
 LET^ 
 
[ 33 ] 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 "To Mr, C r. 
 
 Reverend and very dear Brother, 
 T Rejoice, that the Spirit of Grace and of Sup- 
 /^ plication, is pour'd down upon yon, that 
 you lament after the LOR D, earnefily feek 
 the Good of Sion^ and the Advancement of 
 the Redeemer's Kingdom, in the Increafe of his 
 willing Subjedls in Carolina, BleJJed are they 
 that fo mourn : for they JJjall be comforted, I am 
 perfwaded, that the Lord W// turn your Mourn- 
 ing into Joy^ will comfort you^ and make you re- 
 joice from your Sorrow, Yea, fatisfy you with 
 his great Goodnefs. Leave the Way and Time, 
 wholly with GOD: Who will work in both 
 RefpeSs, as fhall be moft for his Glory. It 
 is God's ordinary Way, to fet his People a cry- 
 ing for thofe Mercies, which He defigns to be- 
 fiow upon them. And therefore prize the Spi- 
 rit of Supplication which is given you, and im- 
 prove it to the utmoft. Open your Mouth wide ; 
 for God will fll it : Your Prayers fhall be 
 fully anfwer'd, to your Satisfaction and Admi- 
 ration, facoi's God, hath not faid unto the 
 Seed of Jacob, feek ye ME in vain. Exped: 
 an Anfwer of your Prayers, either immediate, 
 or remote. 
 
 Firjl, Immediate. Look for the Lord's Ap- 
 pearance with you. Perhaps Fie will furprize 
 
 C you 
 
[34] 
 
 you with his Kindnefs •, and pour you out a 
 Blefllng, that there fliall not be Room enough 
 to receive it. It is GO D*s Way to do for his 
 People, exceeding ahmdantly above all that we 
 ajk or thi7ik. We afk for Tens ; He gives us 
 Hundreds, We afk according to our own i/V- 
 tlenefs, our narrow, (hallow Apprehenfions : Our 
 GOD gives us according to his own infinite 
 Greatnefsy and the deep, extenfive Thoughts of 
 his boundlefs, bottomlefs Love. Our GOD, 
 gives like HIMSELF; and according to the 
 great, the innumerable Thoughts of his Heart, 
 which have been ever of old. To make a Shew, 
 a bright, a foul-affedling, and foul-attradling 
 Difplay, of the exceeding Riches of his Grace, 
 in his Kindnefs towards us thro' Chrifi Jefus. 
 To work Wonders, to do Marvels ; is G O D's 
 Covenant with his People. He hath wrought 
 Wonders of Love for me, my Brother, for you, 
 for all that call upon his Name. And ftill He 
 will (hew us greater Things than thefe. Wait 
 you therefore for your own GOD; you (hall 
 not be afliamed. — And if for his Glory, and 
 your'Good, He fliould try your Faith, by defer- 
 ing, or not granting that immediate Anfwer of 
 your Requefts which you defire ; then look for 
 an Anfwer, which will be, 
 
 Secondly, Remote, If you fliould not fee at 
 prefcnt, the Glory of Chrift's Kingdom with 
 you, as your Soul dcfires ; your Prayers (hall 
 bring on the Glory of the Church elfewhere, and 
 
 upon 
 
[ 35 ] 
 upon your Part of Sion'^ Wlldernefs, in the 
 Lord's Time. Yet a little while, and Cod will 
 have his univerfal Church glorious. All Sion'^ 
 wafte Places fhall be comforted : Her Wilder-^ 
 nefs ^oall be as Eden, and her Dcfart like the 
 Garden of the LORD. And the Prayers of the 
 Saints for the Glory of the Church, in general, 
 or particular, in their Prevalency with God, 
 are caft into the general Treafury of the 
 Church's Glory. And thofe Prayers for the 
 Glory of Sion in her particular Apartments, 
 which are not immediately and diredly granted -^ 
 fhall be fully anfwer'd in the general Glory of 
 the univerfal Church. When the Glory of the 
 Church in fome particular Places, and under 
 fome particular Difpenfations, is reduced to fo 
 low an Ebb, that it feems to be almofi: quite 
 dejtrofd: Yet fliall it live^ as the Plant in its 
 Seed, in thofe few that feek God, and again 
 take Root, revive and flourifli, in other Places, 
 or in the fame Places, under other Difpenfa- 
 tions. God will have the Glory, the Excel- 
 lency of Sharon^ and the Verdure and Green- 
 nefs of the Valley of Achor come unto his 
 Church. " And Sharon^ fliall be a Fold of 
 Flocks, and the Valley oi Achor a Place for 
 the Herds to lie down in, for his People that 
 h2ivt fought Him.'' Oh, in no wife, will the Lord 
 forget, or negledt to hear the Prayers of his Peo- 
 ple. Hemaydefer, or tranfpofehisAnfwers. De^ 
 fer his Anfwers to their Requefts for the Glory of 
 
 C z Sion, 
 
[ 36 ] 
 
 Sion, in particular Places and Times ; or tranfpofe 
 his Anfwers unto other Places or Times ; or cajl 
 his Anfwers into the general Glory of the 
 Church, at the Times of refrefhing promised : 
 But in no wife, fliall the Seed <?/' Jacob, for the 
 Glory of Sion^ feek their GOD in njain. 
 
 Let this then, my dear Brother, be the Con- 
 fidence that we have in Him, That if we ajk 
 any Thing according to his Will^ (as we always 
 do, when we pray for the Advancement of our 
 Lord's Kingdom and Glory) that we have the 
 Petitions that we ajked of Hi?n, That we have 
 the Anfwers of our Requefts for Sion's Glory, 
 in the Grant, and fliall have the Enjoyment of 
 them, in that Way, Time and Meafure, which 
 fliall be moft for the Glory of God, the Good 
 of his Church, and our own Joy, And ac- 
 cordingly, let us go on^ to pour out our Hearts 
 before the Lord, and fay with the Pfalmift, 
 for the Glory of God, and the Good of the 
 Church, in general and particular, Peace be 
 within thy Walls 5 and Profperity within tJjy Pa^ 
 laces. For my Brethren and Companions Sake 5^ 
 I will now fay^ Peace be within Thee. Becauje 
 of the Houfe of the LORD our God, I will feek 
 thy Good, 
 
 I rejoice, dear Sir, that the Lord gives you 
 fuch Bowels for Souls, and fpirits you to preach 
 the Gofpel to the poor Negroes, May the 
 Hand of the Lord be with you^ and many believe 
 and turn unto the Lord I May the Lord make 
 
 you 
 
[37] 
 
 you a Father of many Children, who fliall be 
 your 'Joy and Crowji^ in the Day of the Lord 
 Jefus ! Oh my Brother, do your utmoft in the 
 Service of your dear Master. His Work is 
 exceeding fweet; and his Reward, is and will 
 be ineffably glorious ! Little do you think, how 
 kindly Jefus Chrift will take every Word you 
 fay of, or for Him, to poor Sinners, to win 
 them to his Obedience. Nor how much He 
 will commend your Service, in gathering, and 
 feeding his Houfhold, when He comes to take 
 Account of his Serva?its, and to give them Re^ 
 wards according to their Works, I know my 
 Brother, that the Love of Chrift, his great, free, 
 and unchangeable Love to you, conftrains you to 
 ferve Him. And that your minifterial Work, 
 is caft upon you, as a rich Donation of infinite 
 Grace. Neverthelefs, that fame Grace, which 
 chofe you to eternal Life, and unto this Service, 
 which affifts you in, and accepts every Part 
 of it ; will richly reward all your Obedience, 
 with immortal Glory! Christ doth all, in 
 us and by us ; worketh in us, both to will, 
 and to do of his own good Pleafure, and fuc- 
 ceeds our Labours with his own Hand. And 
 then he fays, We have done this and that Piece 
 of Service. That we have fed his Hungry, 
 cloth'd his Naked, minifter'd to his fick and 
 imprifon'd Brethren, G?r. And as the bleffed 
 of his Father, as his obedient Children, as hi* 
 good and faithful Servants, will call us to in- 
 
 C 3 herlt 
 
[38] 
 
 herit that Kingdom of Glory, which was pre- 
 pared for us, by free, infinite Grace, from the 
 Foundation of the World. Oh never was fuch 
 a Master, as Jesus Christ ! Never was 
 flich a Lover, as the Son of God! Come my 
 Brother, let us go on to love -^ndferve Him. In 
 his Strength, wafh'd in his Blood, cloth'd with 
 his Righteoufnefs, accepted in his Perfedtions, 
 and looking for his Glory, which fliall be re- 
 vealed in us 5 let us go o??, in all holy Obedience 
 continually, fearlefs of a thoafand Difficulties 
 which may be in our Way. We fliall be more 
 than Conquerors thro' HIM that hath loved 
 us. 
 
 You will want to know, my Brother, how 
 
 it is with me. 1 rejoice to tell you. That 
 
 I live r.nder great Grace ^ tho' a great Sinner ; 
 and find my Lord's Strength, daily made per- 
 fed: in my Weaknefs. I fee and feel more of 
 my own Emptinefs and Vilenefs; and rejoice 
 greatly in the All-cleanfing Blood, and All-fuf- 
 flcient Fulnefs, of my own dear Lord Jcfus, 
 Christ loves wd* infinitely ! I love HiiM, tho* 
 •alas ! but weakly. He pities and pardons me 
 continually. He renews my Strength daily. 
 And yet, Oh yef^ He hath not cafi me of\ for 
 all that I have done / In a Word, 7ny Beloved is 
 viinc^ and I am His : He dwells in and with 
 7ne here -, and fliortly will make nie perfedly 
 like Him, and take me up to dwell with Him 
 for ever v/here He is. Oh pray, that I may 
 
 love. 
 
r 39 ] 
 
 love and ferve Chrift more ; who am under fuch 
 infinite Obligations ! And praife Him on my 
 
 Account. Great Grace te with you! 
 
 I am. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Tours for ever in JE S US, 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 To Mr. B r. 
 
 Reverend and very dear Brother, 
 Grace unto you, and Peace be multiplied, 
 
 YOUR very kind Letters, I joyfully re- 
 ceived. I blefs God for them both, and 
 return you a thoufand Thanks. The kind Ex- 
 preffions of your Love to unworthy me, affedl 
 my Soul. I wonder that the Lord fhould give 
 fuch a vile Sinner, fo much Room in your 
 Heart, and in the Hearts of his dear Children 
 with you. But all is oi Grace : And let Free- 
 Grace have all the Glory ! I aflure you, my ho- 
 noured Brother, I accept your Love, with fweet 
 Surprize. The God of Love reward you a 
 Hundred-fold ! I am very unworthy of Love 
 from you, dear Sir, and the dear Saints with 
 you ; and much more to be honoured by you* 
 But if Chrift's Father, and my Father, will 
 caft Honour upon fo defpicable a Worm, in 
 my feeble Attempts to ferve Him, as a rich Do- 
 
 C 4= n-^tion 
 
[ 40 ] 
 nation of infinite Grace ; I cart my Crown down 
 at his Feet, and fay, Salvation and Glory ^ and 
 Honour and Bleffing^ be unto GO Dy and to the 
 LAMB for ever I 
 
 And now, my dear Brother, you will think, 
 if I lov'd you, why did I not anfwer yoar firft 
 Letter fooner ? x^Uow me to fay, dear Sir, my 
 Soul loveth you, is knit to you in the Lord, 
 and much I defir'd to fend you a Line in Tefli- 
 mony hereof. But indeed my Brother, I have 
 been prevented from Time to Time, and could 
 get no Leifure until now. When I received 
 your firft Letter, &c. there were fent me divers 
 Letters from L — ;;, which required fpeedy An- 
 fwers of fome Length. This, with other Work, 
 which my dear Lord fucceffively call'd me to, 
 prevented my writing unto w/. I believe yoa 
 will excufe me. Yea, and be induced to praife 
 the Lord with me, if I tell you, That by one 
 of my poor Letters, wrote upon Requeft to a 
 young Man in L — «, who was in Darknefs and 
 Perplexity about the State of his Soul, the Lord 
 brought him out into glorious Light, Liberty 
 and Joy. So that he now tells me, " He feeds 
 *' no more on Hiijks, but on heavenly Manna ^ 
 ^^ and can't help declaring to all, what great 
 '* Things God hath done for his Soul!" He tells 
 me likewife, '' That the Reading of my Works, 
 '* (poor as they are) was a Means under God, 
 V* of awakening him to adore Free-Grace, and 
 " the Myftery of Ele^ing Love. Tho' at firft 
 
 (he 
 
[ 41 ] 
 *' (he fays) he was much confus'd about it, 
 " while carnal Reafon, Self-Righteoufnefs, and 
 " the Favour of the World were in Oppofition 
 " to it. But now, (fays he) all thofe thick 
 ** Clouds are difperfed.'* He enjoys fweet Free- 
 dom in the Lord, is joined in Society at the 
 Tabernacle, lives joyfully under the bright Shine 
 of a Gofpel Miniflry, and is become a glorious 
 Soul. — Brother L — s, writing to me of him, 
 fays, *' Oh I have brave News to tell you. Glory 
 '* be to our dear Emanuel for your Writings ! 
 *' Fpr they have been the Means of awakening 
 " dear Brother C — ns. Indeed he is become a 
 ** fweet Soul, a Champion for the Lord of 
 *' Hofts; and walks fweetly with our Saviour 
 « Day by Day."— 
 
 Oh this was brave News indeed to my poor 
 Soul ! And the Lord fent it at a feafonable Time. 
 When but the Night before, Satan had raised 
 up one of our Lord's Servants, to be his Inftru- 
 ment, to diflwade me from Writing for Chrift. 
 This wounded me at Heart, till recolleding 
 myfelf, I knew it was the Enemy's Voice, in 
 that of my Friend's, to hinder me in my Lord's 
 Service: Upon which I got frefh Strength. — 
 And lo, the next Morning, my kind Lord, to 
 Comfort my poor Heart, fent me the above 
 News!— -Oh then, I had Reward enough, of 
 all my weak Labour. I thought it well worth 
 the while, to fpend my whole Life in writing 
 Sfor Chrifl:, were it to a Methufalab"% Age, to win 
 
 one 
 
C 42 3 
 
 one Soul to JESUS to adore Free-Gracein Him I 
 Another Inftaace of divine Kindnefs. I may 
 add. Soaie Montiis ago, a dear young Woman 
 told me, " That in Reading my Letter to the 
 " Negroes^ the Lord overcome her Soul w^ith 
 " the Love of Chrift to poor Sinners, gave her 
 *' to fee her Mifery without Him, to mourn for 
 *' all her paft Negledl of Him, and to feek Him 
 *' moft earneflly: (She has now found Him; 
 *' Altho* before (he was quite carelefs about at- 
 " tending upon the Worfhip of God, and with- 
 *^ out Concern for her poor Soul." 
 
 Thefe Things are the Lord's Doings^ and are 
 tjmrvellous in tny Eyes! Oh that you, and all 
 the Saints wuth you, would praife the Lord 
 with me, for this his wondrous Kindnefs to the 
 Chief of Sinners ! — I fliould not have took up 
 your Time, my dear Brother in telling thefe 
 Stories, but to get my Lord fome Glory ; as I 
 am confident you will rejoice with the Bride^ 
 groom, to fee Him have the Bride ; and with 
 the lead of his Friends^ (that deferves not the 
 Name) who, in boundlefs Grace, He has made 
 of any Ufe, to win fome of his Enemies. 
 
 Once more, let me add, all the wondrous 
 Grace, which the Lord hath {l:iewn to his vile 
 and worthlefs Worm, in making me of Ufe to 
 any, (I would humbly fay by Way of Wonder 
 at his Love, to many) of his dear called Chil- 
 dren, to help their Faith and Joy ! And then 
 let me fay, Oh praife the LORD with me, and 
 
 let 
 
[ 43 ] 
 let us exalt his Name together ! — Oh my dear 
 Brother, I hint not thefe Things, as if I had 
 done any thing for Chrijl^ but to (hew yoa what 
 great Things he hath done for me. For my own 
 Part, I He down in my Shame, and Confufion 
 Covers me, at my Vilenefs and Unprofitablenels, 
 under fuch bright Difplays of infinite Favour. 
 And as enabled, cry, Grace^ Grace ! 
 
 I thank you, my dear Brother, that you, and' 
 the Saints with you, blefs the Lord on my Ac- 
 count, and remember me in your Prayers. I 
 thank you likewife, that you put me in Remem- 
 brance of the Lord's loving Kindnefs towards me. 
 He bleft it to raife my Wonder at infinite Grace, 
 to excite my Praifes, and to humble me for all 
 my Infenfibility and Unthankfulnefs. This Ex- 
 preffion of yours, broke my Heart : '' Indeed, 
 ** my dear Sifter, I muft tell you, that I think, 
 " you ought to love your Lord much-, having 
 " not only xnwch Jorgiven^ but alfo vanch given 
 " you'' I could read no further, but fell down 
 before the Lord, was melted into Tears of Love, 
 Joy and Humiliation, ador'd his infinite Love 
 to me, and bewailed my little Love to Him, I 
 told Him then, and oft fince, what his dear 
 Servant faid to me. I acknowledged that I 
 ought to love Him much, I lamented that I 
 lov'd Him littky and pray*d Him to baptize mt 
 'With Fire, Oh my Brother, if you knew what 
 a vile, wretched, ungrateful Creature I am, a/id 
 how little I love the Lord^ for his great Love 
 
 to 
 
[ 44 ] 
 
 to me, you would be aftoniflied ! No Love, but 
 that which has the Fulnefs, the Strength, the 
 Unchangeablenefs and Eternity of the Godhead 
 in it, could bear with my Ingratitude and Pro- 
 vocations! Bat oh! our Jehovah, can love 
 whom He w///, be gracious unto whom He 
 'will, and have Mercy upon whom He will, 
 tho' the very Chief of Sinners 1 All his Dealings 
 with vile, ungrateful me, convince me more 
 and more, of the infinite Greatnefs and Free- 
 nefs of his Love. Herein is Love, notjhat I 
 kved GOD, but that HE loved me ! Not that 
 I love God, but that He loves me ! 
 
 I dare not fay, That the Love of God, doth 
 not engage me to love Him. For from bleffed 
 Experience, I muft fay, / love Hifn, becaufe 
 He fir ft loved fjie. But my Love to God, is fo 
 little, to what it ought to be, and to what I 
 carneftly deiire it (hould be, that it feems as 
 nothing in my own Sight, I fee fuch Heart- 
 Enmity againft God, and fuch woful Fruits of 
 it in my poor Soul, that pains my Heart exceed- 
 ingly. Oh ! my Love to Chrift is fo weak, fo 
 inconftant a Flame, or rather, fo fmall a Spark, 
 fo oft wrapped up in Aflies, that I {hould ut- 
 terly fink and faint, under the Weight of my 
 Ingratitude, if his free, infinite Love to me, his 
 ftrong Love, to change me into his own Image, 
 did not fupport and revive me. 
 
 And fometimes I am tempted, *' To do no 
 more for Chrift, unlefs I lov'd Him more" 
 
 " That 
 
[45 3 
 
 *< That all the Labour of my Hands will be in 
 vain, of no Account with the Lord Jefus, at 
 the great Day, unlefs He had my Heart in it.** 
 Yea, " That all that I have done and faid to ex- 
 cite others to love Chrift, will rife up in Judg- 
 ment againft me, unlefs I lov'd Him more 
 myfelf/* 
 
 But then my poor Soul is help'd to fay, 
 " Well, my Lord forgives my little Love ; and 
 therefore I'll love Him as I can.** " If my La- 
 bour {hould be in vain at la ft, if my Lord 
 fhould take no Notice of any Thing I ever aim'd 
 to do for Him, when He comes to give Re- 
 wards unto his Servants according to their 
 Works, becaufe He hath fo little of my Heart 
 in the Labour of my Hands ; yet if Chrift may 
 be glorify*d in me, and his Children comforted 
 and" ftrengthened in the prefent State ; 1*11 go on 
 to ferve Him and His to the utmoft of my 
 Power.** And tho* all that I have ever faid a- 
 bout Chrift, (hould in fome fort, rife up in 
 Judgment againft me, becaufe I love Him no 
 more ; yet if thereby I may win other Souls to 
 love Him, and bring Glory to Him, and Hap- 
 pirtefs to them, that Wayj 1*11 fubmit to my 
 own Shame, and endure all Things for Chrift 
 and His.** Yea, I fometimes think, *' If I was 
 ** to go to Hell at laft, as I know, thro' Grace, 
 *' I ftiall not, I would do all I could, to ferve 
 ** Chrift and his People now : Efteeming it my 
 " unfpeakable Happinefs, and Matter of my Joy 
 
 " and 
 
[ 46 ] 
 *^ and Thankfgiving, to glorify Chrift, and ferve 
 " his People." — Oh how do I love the Glory 
 of Chrift, at Times ! And how doth my Heart 
 rejoice, if by any Means, I may comfort and 
 llrengthcn his dear Children ! If my Lord by 
 me, will fend them any Refrefhment in this 
 weary Wildernefs ! 
 
 But dear Sir, I know why I thus write to 
 you. In the greateft Part of this Letter, I have 
 been carried quite beyond my firft Intention. 
 Oh help me by your Prayers ! Certain it is, that 
 I love my lovely, loving Lord but little. Pray 
 that my Love to Him, may be a pure, keen, 
 folid, lafting Flame. That He would make me 
 like his Seraphims, in flaming Love to Him, 
 Zeal for his Service, and quick Difpatch of his 
 Work. But oh, what do I afk ? Can a Worm 
 of the Earth, a Sin-burden'd Worm, ferve the 
 Son of God like the heavenly Hoft, thofe pure, 
 thofe winged Flames in the Love and Service 
 of Jesus ? No! — Angels fly : IVorrm creep. But 
 oh that my Love was fublimated ! That in my 
 little Meafure, I might be made a Creature, a- 
 kin as it were to Angels ! Oh methinks, if I 
 had all the Love to Chrift, that ever poffeis'd 
 any created Mind, in my little Soul-, I would 
 pour it out upon God's Beloved, upon my Be- 
 loved at Jesus* Feet, that ineffable y^/r, that 
 altogether lovely ONE! But oh my narrow 
 Soul, my little Love to fo great an Objedt ! Oh 
 
 my 
 
[ 47 ] 
 my great Ingratitude to fo glorious a Lover, as 
 the Son of God, my dear Lord Jesus! 
 
 Neverthelefs, my Brother, fuch is the bound- 
 lefs Love of Christ to me, that He will call 
 me his Love^ his Dove^ his Vndefiled I He will 
 fay of me, "Thou haft Dove's Eyes. How fair is 
 thy Love, my Sifter , my Spoiife ! how much bet-- 
 ter is thy Love than Wine I and the Smell of 
 thine Ointments than all Spices! My Jesus, 
 will not lofe my weak Service, becaufc of my 
 little Love-, but wafh away its Impurity in his 
 own Blood, perfume it with his much Incenfe, 
 and prefent it in his own Perfedions, unto his 
 and my Father, Holiness to the Lord : 
 And will find it unto Praife, and Honour, and 
 Glory at his Appearing. He will not fo notice 
 my Want of Love, as to forget my weak At- 
 tempts to draw others to love Him ; but call 
 even that. My Kindnefs -, and pardon all that 
 was lacking in myfelf. Yea, wrap me up for 
 ever in the Arms of his infinite Love, and 
 
 crown me with endlefs Glory! Oh my 
 
 Brother, who would not love fuch a Bridegroom ! 
 Who would not Jerve fuch a Mafter, what- 
 ever Temptations one may have to the contra- 
 ry ! And lo. He will give us the Vidory over 
 theje, and then crown us as Overcomers. Yea, 
 heighten our Glory fo much the more, than 
 if we had met with no Oppofition. Our Lord 
 will fay of us, in our abiding with Him in the 
 Service He calls us to now, amidft all the Temp- 
 tations 
 
[ 48 ] 
 tations we meet wiih to the contrary, as of his 
 Difciples of old, Te are they which have conti- 
 nued with Me in my 'Temptations : And I appoint 
 unto you a Kingdom^ as my Father hath appoifited 
 
 unto me. Oh this is the LORD I This is 
 
 cur GOD! Thefe are Parts of his JVays : But 
 how Utile a Portion is heard of HIM! — But 
 to return. 
 
 The Whole of your Letter was fweet and 
 favoury to my Tafte, refrefli'd my Bowels in 
 the Lord, and ftrengthened my Hands in his 
 Work. And with you, and the dear Family, 
 I rejoice and give Thanks, for the late won- 
 derful Appearances of the Lord, for and with 
 you. And the more, as the fame is an Anfwer 
 of my poor Prayers. Much I was concerned, 
 
 when I heard, that dear Mr. IV d was 
 
 prevented coming to you at the Time he in- 
 tended. Not but I rejoiced for his Stay in Eng-^ 
 land, where he is much wanted. But I was 
 grieved ior you ^ knowing how much you long'd 
 to fee Him, and fearing his further Abfencc 
 from you would difcourage your Hearts. And 
 earneftly I pray'd, that the Lord would vifit 
 you llimfelf^ and make you glad with his Pre- 
 fence. And vv^hen I received the News of it, 
 much I rejoiced. 
 
 Your laft Letter, my dear Brother, is a Means 
 of renewing my Joy, and further exciting my 
 Thanks and Praife, to your God and mine, 
 who has dealt fo gracioufly with us both. I 
 
 thank 
 
[49 ] 
 
 thank you for putting me in Mind of the great 
 Goodnefs of our own God, in granting unto 
 you the great Bleffings, which I was perfwaded 
 He had in Store for you, (that you as his e- 
 fcaped Remnant, fhould yet take Root down- 
 ward, and bear Fruit upward) and in anfwering 
 my Defires therein. Doubtlefs our God, lofeth 
 much of his Glory, as a God hearing Prayer, 
 for want of our particular Notice of the Peti- 
 tions we put up to Him, and the Anfwers we 
 receive from Him, And we alfo, much of that 
 Encouragement to feek Him, and Confidence 
 which we ihould otherwife have in Him. 
 
 Fear not, my dear Brother, your taking up 
 too much of my Time, in reading, or anfwer- 
 ing your Letters from Bcthefda, If the fove- 
 reign Lord of all, will pleafe to indulge un- 
 worthy mBy with fuch great Favours, and make 
 any thing fo poor a Worm may write, of Ufe 
 to your dear Souls ; I give Him the Glory, and 
 rejoice over you^ with exceeding great Joy. Oh 
 how gladly would I be a Servant of you all, if 
 the Lord would pleafe fo to honour me ! / 
 live^ if you ftandfajl in the Lord, Sweet were 
 your Words to me, and well might you fay, 
 " If our Redeemer has received this Gift, and 
 *' beftowM it on you freely for us, you are 
 " happy in ufing it for Him and us." — Hap- 
 py indeed^ my Brother. Oh who am 7, and what 
 is my Father's Houfe^ that the Lord fliould 
 bring me hitherto ? That he fliould make io 
 
 D unworthy 
 
[ 50 ] 
 
 unworthy a Worm, of any Ufe to his dear Family 
 at Beihefda ! Is this after the Marnier of Men ^ O 
 LORD God ! According to thine own Hearty 
 and for thy Word's Sake^ hajl Thou done all tbefe 
 great Things^ to make thy Worm know them /-^ 
 Indeed my Brother, I look upon every Part of 
 my Work for Chrift, as a Part of my Inheri- 
 tance. I fee with Joy, Wonder and Praife, my 
 Border pafs on from Letter, to Letter, from 
 Anfwer to Anfwer, according to the Line of my 
 great Inheritance, in my Time- State, which 
 was cad for me, by infinite Wifdom and Grace, 
 from Eternity. 
 
 Fear not tronblijig me, my dear Brother, with 
 your Complaints, nor that any of the dear Chil- 
 dren of God fliould do fo. It is our Privilege, 
 a Part of the Communion of Saints, to unbofom 
 our Souls to each other, to bear each other's 
 Burdens, to feek each other's Good, to rejoice 
 with them that rejoice, and to moarn with 
 them that mourn. The more free you are 
 with me, the more kindly I take it, the more 
 my Spirit nans into yours, and interefls itfelf in 
 your Concerns. God grant me a Bofom large 
 enough, to embrace all his Children, and to 
 receive all their Cafes with the greateft Sym- 
 pathy ! 
 
 As for yourfelf, my dear Brother, Jesus has 
 the Care both of you, and your Work. He 
 bears your Name, your Perfon, and your Judg- 
 ment, continually upon bis Heart and Arm, 
 
 before 
 
_[ 5t ] 
 
 before his and your' Father. Doubt not of the 
 Lord's having Work for you to do, of one Kind 
 or other, in one Place or other, fo long as He 
 continues you in this World, Do the Work of 
 the Day, and take no anxious Thought about 
 what you fliall do To-morrow. Your Mafter 
 will flbew you your Work, as your every Day's 
 Employment comes up before Him. And lo, 
 for all your Work, you have a Sufficiency of 
 Strength, in the Lord, your great Magazine, 
 your glorious Store- Houfe, in whom all Fulnefs 
 dwells. It is the Glory of the Gofpel, that it 
 is The Minijlration of the Spirit -, and of Gofpel 
 Minifters, That they arc to preach the Gofpel 
 with the Holy Ghoji ftnt down from Heaven. 
 Wifdom and Strength, Boldnefs and Utterance, 
 for every Thing you are to fay or do for Chrift, 
 is provided for you, and {hall be given you at 
 the appointed Hour, When your Lord calls 
 you to any Piece of Work for Him ; in his 
 Strength, and cloth'd with his Majefty, go 
 forth, fearlefs of the Faces of Men. He will 
 give you a Mouth and Wifdom^ that your Adver- 
 faries flmll not be able to gain jay ^ nor re/ijl, Ob, 
 no Mouthy like that of Chrtji's giving ! No Wif- 
 dom^ like that of his bellowing 1 A^^ Strength^ 
 like that immediately, and continually received 
 from Him! Oh *tis brave faying and doing, 
 walking and running for Christ, under fuch 
 AJJi/lance. — That we run not before the Lord 
 fends us J we muft wait till we fee onr Call 
 
 D 2 clear. 
 
[ 52 ] 
 
 clear, before we attempt any Thing our Minds 
 incline to, or are exercised about. — And that 
 we be not negligent in following Him 3 as foon 
 as we know the Lord's Mind about any Piece 
 of Service, we muft attempt it immediately, 
 without conferring with Flefh and Blood. 
 
 As to your leaving Bethefda for a while, I 
 would be very tender, dear Sir, of faying any 
 Thing to diffwade you from it, if your Mind 
 inclines thereto. Not knowing, but the Lord 
 has Work for you to do elfewhere. And I know 
 the Lord can raife up another, to feed and watch 
 over his dear Sheep and Lambs, of which you 
 have now the Charge. But I confefs, whether 
 from my Weaknefs, or not, the Thing feems 
 grievous to me. Clear was your Call to Be- 
 thefda ; wonderful the Lord's Loving-kindnefs, 
 in giving fuch a dear Shepherd to his little 
 Flock 'y great is the Work the Lord has enabled 
 you to do for Him there, great the Affiftance 
 and Succefs afforded ; and great the Privileges 
 precious Souls have enjoy'd under your Mini- 
 flry. Yea, great is the Delight your Lord has 
 taken in your Service there; and great fliall be^ 
 your Crown of Glory, when He appears. Great' 
 then (Lould your Satisfadtion be, that it is the 
 Lord's Mind you Quould depart; before you 
 leave his dear Flock, and fo important a Truft 
 which He has put into your Hands. — And if 
 you m/fi go: The Lord go with you ! And may 
 the GOD of the Spirits of all Flefo, fet a Man, 
 
 fiird 
 
[ 53 ] 
 fiird with Wifdom and Grace, over his Congre- 
 gation at Bethefda. 
 
 Dear Sir^ 
 
 Ever Tours, 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 To Mrs. B r. 
 
 My dear and honoured Sijler in Chrijt, 
 
 I Kindly thank you for your Letter. The 
 Account you give me of the Lord's graci- 
 ous Dealings with your Soul, rejoiceth mine. 
 I fee you are Christ's own. And believe it. 
 He will love you unto the End, His LoVe to- 
 wards j?o//, was from of Old, from everlafting. 
 His manifefted Love, when you knew him 
 not, nor the Way of his Dealings with thofe 
 on whom his Heart is fix'd, was a Light-giving, 
 a Life-breathing, a Soul-attradting Difcovery, 
 made at the appointed Time. And lince that 
 Day of Power, everlafting Love has followed 
 you, has highly favoured you, with the Holy 
 Spirit's Witnefs with your Spirit, that you are 
 a Child of God^ has reftor'd your Soul, 
 after Backflidings, and made your renewed Life, 
 
 a Means to quicken others. Great and di^ 
 
 ftinguiJJjing Favours indeed! And yet thefe^ my 
 dear Sifter, are but the Beginnings of Love's 
 
 D 3 Difplays 
 
[ 54] 
 Diiplays towards you. To the End of Time, 
 and to a never-ending Eternity, will the Lord 
 your Lover, follow you, with bright and in- 
 creafing Shines, of his infinite, free, everlafting 
 Kindnefs. — Oh! If God loves-. He will love 
 like Himself I If God loves as a Saviour; 
 
 He will fave like God ; How full j how 
 
 great, how glorious then, mufl your Salvation 
 be; if therein the infinite Glory of Jehovah, 
 as the God of Love, is for ever to {hine ! What 
 Depths, will infinite Love fave you froai ! 
 What Heights, will it fave you to ! What Sins, 
 will it not forgive ! What Provocations, will 
 it not pafs by! What Iniquities, will it not 
 fubdue ! What Enemies, will it not conquer ! 
 What Succours, will it not affbrd! What Sup- 
 plies, will it not grant ! What Vidories will 
 it not give ! What Graces, will it not work ! 
 
 And what Glories, will it not beftow ! 
 
 Oh my Sifter, you are under the Love ofG O D ! 
 Which as an infinite Sun, will cafl: upon you 
 the refplendent Rays, of its immenfe and un- 
 changeable Glory, thro' Time, and to Eternity ! 
 
 And tho* in the prefent State you muft meet 
 with Vicifiitudes, a thoufand Variations of your 
 Frames and Circumfcances , yet all thefe are un- 
 der Love's Management, When Clouds and 
 Darknefs cover you, they are but to commend, 
 and fet off Love's Glors\ fo much the more, in 
 its Darknefs-difijpating Shines. After dark 
 Nights, you lliall have bright Days, After a 
 
 cold;, 
 
[ 55 1 
 cold, barren Winter, you fliall have a reviving 
 Spring, and a v^arm and fruitful Summer. Love's 
 Eve will look you out of Darknefs, Sorrow and 
 Death, into Light, Life, Joy and Glory. And 
 by every of its renewed Shines, will further dif- 
 play its unfearchable Riches, its bright and im- 
 menfe Glories ! 
 
 And lo, my dear Sifter, Love has the Care of 
 you, when Darknefs covers you. Amidft dark- 
 eft Difpenfations, blackeft Apprehenfions, great- 
 eft Defertions, foreft Temptations, ftrongeft Cor- 
 ruptions, and in all your moft weak, cold, and 
 contracted Frames, Love is at work for you ; 
 tho' then, in a great Meafure imperceptibly to 
 your Sight. By thefe. Love will humble, and 
 empty you, in order to fill and exalt you. 
 By thefe Love will ftiew you more of your 
 exceeding Blacknefs, your Ill-defervings, and 
 Hell - defervings ; in order to raviih your 
 Heart with its own infinite Brightnefs, as a Sin- 
 pardoning, Grace-giving, All-conquering, and 
 All-enriching Flow, of Immcnfely Free and 
 Sovereign, unchangeable and everlafting Favour! 
 Thus Love prepares you, by Darknefs, for Light j 
 by Night, for Day ; by Winter, for Summer. 
 
 And left you ftiould utterly lofe Sight of 
 Love's Glory, and your Spirit fail for want of its 
 native Difplays, and fenfible Operations; your 
 Night, your Winter-Seafons, (hall not be too 
 long, Swift-wing'd Love^ will hafte, to look 
 your Darknefs, into Day, your Winter, into 
 
 D 4 Siunmer, 
 
[ 56 ] 
 Summer, by its radiant Beams, its quickening 
 Influences ; to fill you with the Joy of Senje^ 
 after it hath try'd your Faith, 
 
 Thus, my dear Sifter, (hall you be car'd for 
 and comforted, humbled and raised, and every 
 Way fav*d by infinite Love, thro* a Succeflion of 
 Days and Nights; until Night and Darknefs, 
 are fwallow'd up in eternal DAY. Until 
 Winter is paji and gone^ and an everlafting 
 Spring, an eternal Summer comes on. When 
 you fliall live for ever, under the bright, im- 
 mediate, uninterrupted &hine of infinite Love^ 
 darting out all its immenfe Glories upon you, 
 unto Blifs and Joy, Endlefs and Unknown I 
 Then lo, Tour Sun fijall no more go down ; but 
 the LORDyZW/ be your everlafting Light, 
 and your GOD your Glory! 
 
 Mean Time, my dear Sifter, y^^ what a Refuge 
 you have in God ! what a Covert under the Sha- 
 dow of Jehovah's Wings ; whereunto you may 
 continually refort, in every Time of Trial and 
 Diftrefs ! Infinite Love, will never wax weary, 
 of keeping and defending you, of fuccouring and 
 faving you. Love will pity and pardon, ftreng* 
 then and comfort you ; fubdue your Iniquities, 
 incrcafe your Graces, prevent your Fears, and 
 p^rant your Defires ; and in a full and everlafting 
 Salvation, will do for you exceeding abundantly^ 
 above all that you can ask or think I Oh come, 
 reft your weary Soul in Love's Bofom, Caft 
 yourfelf, with all your Heart-Griefs, Miferies, 
 
 and 
 
f 57 ] 
 and Wants, into Love's Arms, They ftand 
 wide open to receive and embrace you, and are 
 well prepared, to eafe, comfort, and fave you 
 to the utterm-oft. Caft all the Care of your Sal- 
 vation upon the GOD of Love, who careth 
 for you. And only be careful in every Path of 
 Duty, to love HI My v/hojirj loved you. Love 
 Him 'as you can, my Sifter. I know you are 
 griev'd at your little Love. But the GOD of 
 Love, forgives you, calls for your Heart, and 
 will not defpife the leaft Breathing of your 
 Soul towards Him ; but delight in it thro' his 
 dear Son, in whom He accepts, both your Per- 
 fon and Obedience. He fees with infinite Plea- 
 fure, your myftical Completenefs in Chrift now ; 
 and that perfonal Completenefs thro' Him, 
 which you fhall have ere long-, which Glory 
 you (hall grow up to, thro' the Influences of 
 his own Grace. And as a Father, you have 
 his Heart. Therefore walk before him in 
 Love, as his dear Child, unfpeakably dear to 
 Him in the Beloved of his Soul. Oh kifs 
 and embrace your Father, like a fond Child. 
 Infinite Love permits it, allows you a holy Fa- 
 miliarity with GOD in CHRIST. Oh ftand 
 not at a Bijlance, fince you are made /2> nigh ! 
 You may have Accefs with Boldnefs thro' the 
 Blood of JESUS, unto His and your Father. 
 And when you can't vent the Love of your Heart 
 in clafping about Him, in praifing and adoring 
 Him y Oh fall down at his Feet and mourn, 
 
 that 
 
[ 58 ] 
 
 that you can love Him no more^ and pray Him 
 to enkindle you with Hh Fire, One Way or 
 other, or rather both Ways, let the Love of 
 your Soul, your Soul in Love, be caft as a 
 Imall Drop, into the unflithomable Ocean of the 
 Liove of God, into the God of Love ! Unto who7n 
 be Glory thro' J ejus Chrijl^ World without End, 
 Amen. 
 
 Indeed, my dear Sifter, The Lord's breaking 
 in upon your Spirit, and enlarging your Heart 
 to blefs Him, when He took away your Child ; 
 notwithftanding the contraded Frame you was 
 in, the Depth of your Dejedion , and the 
 Strength of your AfFedion towards a dying 
 Comfort ; was a wonderful Appearance of GOD 
 for you. From whence you may learn : The 
 Freenefs of his Love; the Greatnefs of his 
 Care ; the Omnipotence of his Power; and the 
 infinite AU-fufticiency of your oijon GOD, to 
 give you in Himself, a full and complete 
 Happinefs, tho' all Creatures and Things fliould 
 be taken from you, and your ov/n Heart and 
 Flefli fail you. GOD, who was then the 
 Strength of your Hearty is and will be your 
 Portion for ever ; your piefent and eternal ALL! 
 Wherefore cleave unto Him, and live upon 
 
 Him ?iS fuch. Lito the fweet ftrong Arms of 
 
 £ver la/ling Love, I commit you : To be car- 
 ried i3y Grace, into Glory, Where fliortly I 
 liope to meet yon, and join with you, and the 
 jiinumeiable Multitude of Saints and Angeh 
 
 j-Qiind 
 
[ 59 ] 
 
 round the Throne, in finging Hallelujahs unto 
 
 GOD and the LAMB for ever. Pray 
 
 and give Thanks for me, who am 
 
 Tours Affe5lionately m our Sweet 
 
 LORD JESUS, 
 
 LETTER XL 
 
 To Mr, H m. 
 
 My Dear and Honoured Brother in Chrifl^ 
 
 WH AT fhall I fay to my dear Brother^ 
 whom JESUS loves, whom I love? 
 ril put you in Mind of your Bleffednefs^ de- 
 clared by our Lord's own Mouth, Matt, v. 3. 
 Blejfed are the Poor in Spirit : for theirs is the 
 Kingdom of Heaven, Oh my Brother, little 
 do you think, how great that Grace is^ which 
 has made you poor in Spirit. An Infinity of 
 Grace, in the Forgivenefs of all your Sins, was 
 laid as the Foundation of that great Work of 
 God upon your Soul, in (hewing you your owa 
 Poverty. Upon which all the exceeding Riches 
 of JEHOVAH*s Grace were to be expended, 
 (difplay'd, not exhaufted) in raifing up the rich 
 and {lately Struflure, of your endlefs Glory. If 
 Grace^ and Immenfity of Grace, had not been 
 prepar'd for you in Chrift, before the World be- 
 gan y you had never been prepar'd for //, in the 
 
 prefent 
 
[ 6o] 
 
 prefent Time. — And how prepared? Not by 
 your own Goodnefs, but by a Difcovery of your 
 own Wretchednefs. Of your exceeding Sinful- 
 nefs ', of the overfpreading Pollution of your 
 whole Nature. Of your exceeding Weaknefs ; 
 of your utter Infufficiency to do any Good, to 
 do any Good towards your own Salvation, to 
 make yourfelf righteous before, or accepted 
 with God ; or to fubdue Sin, and fanftify your 
 Nature. — Are you fo poor, that in yourfelf, 
 you neither have any Thing, nor can do any 
 Thing, that is truly good? Are you nothing 
 in yourfelf, but an Heap of Miferies, Weak- 
 nefles, and Wants? Do yow fee this to be 
 
 your Cafe, and groa?i under it ? Oh happy ^ 
 
 thrice happy Soul! yoviV Blejfednefs, is beyond the 
 Expreffion of an Angel's Tongue ! Tours is the 
 Kingdom of Heaven ! The Kingdom of Grace 
 here, and of Glory hereafter! Free, rich, 
 reigning Grace, will do all for you, that 
 can do nothing for yourfelf. Grace Vv'ill forgive 
 your innumerable Tranfgreflions ; will follow 
 you, even to your Life's End, with frefli Ap- 
 plications, and renewed Manifeftations of free, 
 abundant Pardon. Grace, will fubdue all your 
 Iniquities, will bruife all your fpiritual Enemies, 
 under its mighty Feet, and caufe you to fet your 
 Feet upon the Necks of them. Grace \vill 
 break all your Bands and Fetters from off you, 
 will deliver you from every Snare, reftore your 
 Soul, renew your Grace?, increafc your Com- 
 forts. 
 
[ 61 3 
 
 orts, fupply your Wants, heal your Backflid- 
 ings, and love you freely : Yea, love you into 
 Light, Life, Liberty, Joy and Glory, perfect 
 and eternal ! — You have Happinefs enough^ 
 my Brother, a boundlefs, endlefs Store, in that 
 you are tinder the Reign of Grace, Grace ^ will 
 never quit its Throne, nor caft off its Subjedls, 
 nor wax weary of difplaying its Glories, and 
 carting Abroad its Riches upon them, with an 
 holy Profufenefs, according to the Liberality of 
 a G O D ! of the G O D of all Grace ! And 
 this from an Infinity, an Eternity of Love to^ 
 ivards them ! Come, my Brother, lie down and 
 reft by Faith^ in the Bofom of that Grace^ 
 which reigns thro^ Kighteoufnefs unto eternal 
 Life^ by Jefus Chrijl our Lord. For Thoufands, 
 and ten Thoufands of Sins, of Provocations, of 
 Weaknefles in you ; fliall but make Room for the 
 more abundant Difplays of reigning Grace^ in 
 the Variety, and Immenfity of its infinite 
 Glories ! — That you may daily live, as a Sub- 
 je<^ of the Kingdom of Grace ^ under its Soul- 
 overcoming, its Heart-changing, and Life-tranf- 
 forming Shines -, until you are bleft with the 
 Kingdom of Glory which awaits you; is the 
 hearty Defire of, Dear Sir, 
 
 I^our mojl AffeBionate^ tho' unworthy 
 Servant^ in ourfaireft^ deareft^ 
 fweetiji LORD JESUS, 
 
 LETTER 
 
[ 62 ] 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 To Mr.'? m. 
 
 My dear and honour d Brother in Chri/t^ 
 
 UNTO you at this Time, I thought not 
 of writing. But not knowing but you 
 might be in an unbelieving Frame, a diftcmper'd 
 Child ; and looking upon you as a beloved 
 Child, unfpeakably dear to Chri/i ; you was dear 
 to me. Mine Heart was turned within me, and 
 write I ?7iuji. And our Lord's Dealings with 
 Thomas, encourag'd me hereto. 
 
 What then {hall I fay to you, my dear Bro- 
 ther ? I tell you, JESUS loves you. Has 
 lov'd you anciently, loves you infinitely, and 
 will love you eternally. He lov'd, and liv*d, 
 lov'd, and dy'd, lov'd, and rofe, lov'd, and 
 flfcendcd, loves, and fits in Heaven for you. To 
 fave you to the uttermofl, to bring you up to fit 
 with Him in Glory. 
 
 'Twas this Love^ that laid hold on you, when 
 dead in Sins, porting on to Deftrudion ; and 
 gave fuch a mighty Turn to your Mind, that 
 fet your Face Sio?2-wardy to feek, and follow 
 hard after JESUS," a naked CHRIST, altho^ 
 in Nakedncf?, or thro' a thoufand Difiiculties 
 that might be cafi: in your Way, to that Land 
 where JESUS is. — Oh my Brother, \i Chrijl 
 had not fii ft left all, his great Jlll, for you, you 
 had never been made willing to leave jC2/r little 
 jlll for him. The J Tor Id ^ would have held you, 
 
 as 
 
C 63 ] 
 
 as It doth Thoufands, to their eternal Ruin ; If 
 Ckrifty that left his Glory for you, had not 
 drew your Heart off, from all the empty Shews 
 of this World's Glories. Sin and Satan^ would 
 have held you faft, and forever have refused to 
 let you go ; if He who knew no Sin, had not 
 been made Sin hv you, \i He who is the Prince 
 of Life, by his own Death for you, had not de- 
 ftroy'd the Deftroyer, and delivered you from the 
 Power of Darknefs, from the Soul-killing Reign 
 of Sin and Satan. Oh the infinite Grace, the 
 Almighty Power that fet you free! You was 
 drawn with the Cords of the Man Chriji, with 
 the Bands of his Love, when you firft began to 
 love and feek JESUS. Many are caWd ; are 
 left to make Excufes, go their "Way, and Chrill 
 hears no more of them. But you was drawn, 
 Chrift would not, could not, be without you. 
 And you, under the All-attra<Sing Influence of 
 his Love and Lovelinefs, could not, would not, 
 be without Hi?n, CHRIST, CHRIST, 
 none but C H R I S T ! a thoufand Worlds, are 
 nothing to me^ without JESUS! Thus your 
 Soul ran on crying, feeking Him, who was then 
 feeking jv^^/. And oh ! When CHRIST and 
 you met, in the firft Manifeftations of his Love, 
 and Exprefllons of yours, how fweet was that 
 Meeting ! You met, never to pari more. Of 
 twain, you became one, infeperably, and eter- 
 nally (j;?^. CHRIST gave himfelf toj'C^, in 
 an everlafting Covenant ; you gave yourfelf to 
 
[ 64 ] 
 Him, to be His forever. CHRIST took 
 you^ for better, for worfe, to nourifli and che- 
 riflb you, to love you invariably, thro* ten thou- 
 fand Variations in your Frames, and Behaviour 
 tovt^ards Him : Yea, to love you into perfedl and 
 unchangeable Glory, and unto the endlefs Ages 
 of Eternity ! You took CHRIST, v^ith his 
 Crofs^ as well as his Crown ; yea, efteem'd that^ 
 a Crovv^n unto you ; refolving thro' his Grace 
 to follow him, thro* evil Report, and good Re- 
 port, thro* Joys, and Sorrows ; yea, tho* it 
 fliould be, thro* much T!ribulatio7i ; until you 
 reached Glory with Him. A Fig for the 
 World, then! CHRIST was All to you I 
 and you all for Him ! The Marriage was made 
 between Chrift and you. Your beloved was 
 yours, and you His. And that was enough : 
 You needed no more, to make your Joy 
 full. 
 
 And tho', my Brother, fince then, you may 
 have Caufe to lament the Lofs of your firjl 
 hove ; your Maker, your Hufband, has not loft 
 his firjl, his great, \m m'^viix.^ Love to you I He 
 hicw that you would deal very treacheroujly. And 
 yet, in the Kindnefs, in the Faithfulnefs of a 
 GOD, of J E H O V A H, He betrothed you 
 unto himfelf for ever. He refts in his Love to- 
 wards you. His whole Soul is at Reft, in his 
 Love- Delights vsxyou. And He will never feek 
 another Objedl of his Complacency, inftead of 
 v^//, for all your Unkindnefs to Him, No, He 
 
 reJU 
 
[ 65 ] 
 
 rejis iindifiurb'd^ in his deep, flill, immeafur* 
 able Love I Saying, Here will I d^i^ell for ever, 
 (this Soul (hall be the Objedl of my eternal 
 hove) for I have defred it, — And lo, my Bro- 
 ther, He will h^Jilent, becaufe of his Love. He 
 will not, in vindidive Wrath, make mention of 
 your Sins, nor rebuke you for them ; but bury 
 them all in the infinite Depths of his Grace, 
 and the Merits of his Blood. The LORD 
 your Hufband, hateth putting away. He will 
 not caji '^ou of\ for all that you have done. But by 
 the frefh Difplays of his infinite Love to you^ 
 will draw you into the frefh Exercife of Love to 
 Him, Yea, increafe the fame, until you are 
 made perfedi in Love, a glorious Soul, all-en- 
 larg'd, and meet for the Marriage- Glory with 
 your Royal Bridegroom, in the heavenly World. 
 Where, as one well faith, '"CHRIST fhall 
 *' enjoy his Bride, without any Reludancy, or 
 " Unfuitablenefs in her ; and fhe enjoy her 
 " Bridegroom, without any Vail upon his Face. 
 " Love fhall have its full Vent, on both Sides. 
 " The mutual Yerning of Bowels, (hall be fa- 
 *' tisfy'd ', and the Voice of Come, from FI I M 
 " above, and from her below, fliall period it- 
 " felf, in one eternal, infeperable Meeiingy 
 Let me add, in Love-Enjoyment, in Glory- 
 Communion of an endlefs Duration ! 
 
 Mean Time, my Brother, C H R I S T re^ 
 members )'02^, (and oh, with what Delight !) the 
 Kindnefs of your Youth, the Love oj your Efpou-- 
 
 E fcih. 
 
[ 66 ] 
 
 fals^ whe7i you went after HIM in the Wilder'^ 
 nefs^ in a Land that was not fown. When, for- 
 faking the Pleafures of Senjfe, you followed a 
 naked Chrift by Faith^ in fuch thorny Ways, 
 as no natural Man will walk in. And you that 
 have borne the Cro/s, (hall (hortly wear the 
 Crown. You have your Lord's Word for it. 
 That you that have forfaken all^ and followed 
 Him ; fi)all have an Hundred-fold in this World j 
 and in the World to come^ Lije everlafting ! 
 
 What fay you now ? Do you believe 
 C H R I S T's Love ? If you doubt it ; reach out. 
 the Hand of your Faith, and thruft it into his 
 Side^ pierc'd by your Sin of Unbelief. And put 
 your Fingers into the Print of the Nailsy the 
 Wounds which your Sins did make in your cruci- 
 fied Lover, thofe indelible Characters of his 
 Love I And be not Faithlefs^ but believing. Let 
 Faith and Love, clafp about your once dying, 
 your now living SAVIOUR, and fay with 
 'Thomas, My Lord, and my God I — Wijhing all 
 Grace and Peace, may abound towards you, 
 like a River ; and requefting your Prayers and 
 Thankfgivings for me ; I remain. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 7 ours, mojl AffeSlionately in JESUS, 
 
 LETTER 
 
[ 67 ] 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 To Mrs. P m. 
 
 My dear and honoured Sifter in the Lord^ 
 
 I Thank you for your kind Letter. I love you 
 in the Bowels of Chrift. Glad fhould I be 
 to ferve your Faith, and help your Joy in the 
 Lord. Great is the Grace fhewn to me^ and 
 much I rejoyce over you^ in that the Lord has 
 b^en pleas'd to make any Thing of mine, of Ufe 
 to your precious Soul. I fympathize with you 
 in your Temptations, by which you have been 
 hinder'd from Writing. Yet a little while, and 
 our Communion will be free and full, uninter- 
 rupted and eternal. Shortly, we (hall be with 
 Chrift ; and no more troubled with Sin and 
 Satan. — No more Difcord, Difaifedlion, or 
 Dif-efteem among Saints then. We fliall be 
 made perfeB in one. In one Body, in one Love- 
 Glory. We (hall love and honour one another 
 then,4|^s Fellow-Members of Chrift, our glori- 
 ous Head. Yea, love and honour Chrift, in 
 each other. His Image being perfefted in us, 
 and his Glories caft upon us, we ftiall ftiine 
 in each others Sight, to oar mutual and eter- 
 nal Endearment, like fo many Suns in the 
 Kingdom of our Father : And his infinite, all- 
 furpaffing Brightnefs, which cafts our Luftre, be 
 admir'd and adored, in and by all. — So perfedt 
 fhall be the Love-Unity of all the Saints ! So 
 great the Glory of that Onenefs among themjehes^ 
 
 E 2 which 
 
[ 68 ] 
 
 which our Lord has pray'd for ! Yea, we fliall 
 be one \\\ the Son^ and in the Father. There 
 will be fuch a Love- Union and Communion, be- 
 tween GOD and us in CHRIST, fuch dif- 
 playing, and enjoying of infinite Glories, fuch a 
 Delight in the infinite JEHOVAH, to make 
 us blefled, and in m^ to blefs and adore Him for 
 ever ; that will raife our Glory high, far above 
 all our prefent Thought ! 
 
 And to this Glory, my dear Sifter, you are 
 growing up, as a Child, and Heir of GOD, 
 and a Joint-Heir with CHRIST; notwith- 
 llanding all your prefent Weaknefs, and exceed- 
 ing Sinfulnefs. JESUS has the Care of your 
 Growth. And increafe you {hall, with all the 
 Increafes of GOD, even by thofe very Things 
 and Times, wherein you feem to decreafe, T^he 
 LORD is your Shepherd : Tou Jhall not want : 
 Feeding, healing, thriving. He has laid down 
 his Life for Thefe ; and his Power, Grace and 
 Faithfulnefs, is engaged to beftow them. The 
 Care of our Growth, in a Way of Duty, is ours-, 
 in the Way of Privilege, G O D's. We have 
 fuch a Shepherd, that loves and cares for us in- 
 finitely; and that one Way or other, will increafe 
 us continually. And to his all-wife, and all- 
 gracious Con'dud, we may, we ought, to com- 
 mit ourfelves joyfully. 
 
 The Heart, my dear Sifter, yours and mine,' 
 
 our old Heart, is deceitful above all Things, and 
 
 Jrjperately wicked. We don't know a thou- 
 
 fandth 
 
[ 69 1 
 fandth Part of that Depth of Sin, of that Hell 
 of Iniquity, which is in our corrupt Nature. 
 None but the great JEHOVAH, hath 
 fearch'd this vaft Abyfs ! And unto H I M, its 
 amazing Depths, are all naked and bare. — And 
 yet from a Depth of Love in his Hearty infinite- 
 ly greater, he hath took up a fovereign Refolve, 
 to be gracious unto us, vile Sinners, merely be- 
 caufe he will be gracious. — And how wonder- 
 ful is it, that to be gracious unto us, to pardon 
 all our Heart, Lip, and Life-Wickednefs, to 
 pity us under it, and fave us from it ; God the 
 Father, fhould lay it upon his own Son I Should 
 make HIM Sin for us, that we might be 
 made the Righteoufnefs of God in Him ! 
 
 Oh my Sifter, God the Father, looks upon 
 us in his Son, thro' his infinite Satisfaction, and 
 glorious Perfedions, as All-fair, and without a 
 Spot y notwithftanding all the Spots and De- 
 formities which are in us ! He hath removed our 
 Iniquities as far from us, as the Eaf is from the 
 Weji, Thofe diftant Poles, may fooner meet, 
 than our Sins be judicially charg'd upon us. 
 When the Iniquity of Ifrael is fought for, there 
 foall be none, and the Sins of Judah, they fiall 
 not be found: Becaufe the Lord hath pardon d 
 them. As God looks upon us in his crucify 'd 
 Son, he hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob ; neither 
 hath he feen Perverfcnefs in Ifrael. Our Sins are 
 cover'd with an infinite Satisfadion, and remov'd 
 by an infinite Difcharge. God, with the Eye 
 
 E 3 of 
 
[ 7° J 
 
 of his Jujiice, fees no Sin in us, as he beholds us 
 in Chriji ; even while, with the Eye of his 
 Omnifcience^ he fees us in our [elves, in all our 
 amazing Vilenefs, as chief Sinners, — And hav- 
 ing imputed our Sins unto Chriji, and his Righ- 
 teoufnefs unto us^ and freely pardoned and jufti- 
 fy'd us, thro' his adive and paffive Obedience ; 
 he will remove Sin out of our Nature, It (halt 
 be dei1:roy*d in us perfonally, as it was deftroy*d 
 in Chrift myftically. From the infinite Merit 
 of Chrift*s Satisfadlon, and the infinite Virtue of 
 his Difcharge ; Sin (hall be deftroy'd by an in- 
 finite Power, from out of us, both Root and 
 Branch. For, 
 
 As our Lord is made unto us Righteoufnefs -, fo 
 likewife, SanBijication, Chrift has a pure Heart 
 for us, to anfwer all the Impurity of ours, and 
 make us fuch holy Creatures, reprefentatively in 
 Himfcif, as a Holy GOD can delight in. And 
 as the inherent Purity of Chrifi's Nature, as the 
 Man JESUS was perfonally, and immeafur- 
 ably fiird with the Holy Ghoft, is made ours 
 to reprefent us, fo from his communicable Ful- 
 ncfs of the Spirit of Grace, (hall our Natures be 
 made pure and clean. As we are perfedly holy 
 in Chriji reprefentatively, we muft be made fo 
 in our own Perjms influentially. God the Fa- 
 ther, hath predeftinated us to be conform' d un^ 
 to the Image of his Son, And the Lord the 
 Holy Ghoft, has begun, and will compleat this 
 good IVork in us, and bring us up ftiortly, in our 
 
 own 
 
[71 1 
 
 own Perfons, to that Pattern-Glory, which we 
 now have in Chrijl, 
 
 Mean Time, we muft live by Faith ; and 
 reckon ourfelves to be dead indeed unto Sin, and 
 alive unto God, perfedlly fo, in Chriji Jefus our 
 l^ord, myftically : That we may enter into the 
 Rejl of an affured Perfwafion, that we ftmll be 
 fo perfonally. The one being the Foundation of 
 the other, the Spring and Source of our defired 
 Perfeftion, 
 
 Again, we may reft by Faith, in affured 
 Hope of perfedt perfonal Holinefs thro' Chrift, 
 from that Omnipotence of Power, which has 
 been already difplay'd, in the begun Work of 
 Grace in our Souls, and which ftands engagd to 
 perfedt it. Alas ! our own Strength, is much 
 too weak, to mortify the leaft Sin, or to add to 
 the leaft Grace in our poor Souls. But the AU 
 mightinefs ?/* J E H O V A H, the Omnipotence 
 of an injinite Arm, is engaged for us in both. 
 — Let us then, my dear Sifter, in the Way of 
 our Duty, wait for Divine Influence. In well- 
 doing, let us continually, commit the Keeping of 
 our Souh into the Hands of our own GOD, as 
 unto a faithful Creator, Who having created^s 
 anew in Chrift Jefus ; will maintain and perfed: 
 our new Life, until all Sin and Death, is fwal- 
 lowed up in Vidlory, and we appear with Chriji 
 in Glory, 
 
 And from that compleat Salvation, my dear 
 Sifter, which you now have in Chriji, and fl>all 
 
 E 4 Ihortly 
 
[ 72 ] 
 
 fhortly have thro' Him ; lay out yourfelf, your 
 Time and all, to love and ferve your SA- 
 VIOUR. Who fo inexpreffibly lov'd, doth 
 and will love you I Who tho* he was Lordofall^ 
 emptied himfelf of all his Glory, took upon him 
 the Form of a Servant^ and ferved on Earth for 
 you ; to fet you with Him^ on his own Throne 
 in Heaven \ Oh, never was fuch a Lover ^ as our 
 dear LORD JESUS! Never was fuch 5^r- 
 vice, as the Lord of Glory, performed for m I 
 In Love imknown, he ferved for his Bride, fpent 
 his whole Life, yea, dfd on the Crofs, in her 
 Service ! Was made a Curfe, to make her blef 
 fed I Endured her Hell, that foe might have his 
 Heaven ! Took upon his Holy SELF, all her 
 Vncleannefs ; that with his own Blood, he might 
 waOi her from all her Impurity, array her with 
 his own Beauties, and marry a vile Beggar to 
 himfelf, to inherit with H 1 M, the Throne of 
 immortal Glory I — And fliall we not love him ? 
 Shall we not fay, in all holy Obedience, Worthy 
 is the LAMB that was fain, to receive Blef 
 fing, and Honour, and Glory, and Dominion -, 
 for ever and ever. Amen I — Great Grace be with 
 ym! — With dear Love, I am. 
 
 Tours in CHRIST for ever. 
 
 LETTER 
 
[73 ] 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 7(? Mr. G 1. 
 
 My 'verj dear and honour d Brother^ in our 
 fweet JESUS, 
 
 YOUR moft acceptable Favours, I receiv'd. 
 The Lord reward your Labour of Love an 
 hundred-fold I I am moft unworthy of the leaft 
 Regard from any of the King's Sons, Free 
 Grace, has put me among the Children. But 
 furely I may, I muft fay, I am the leaji and laji^ 
 the vtlejl and moft unworthy of them all. If the 
 Grace of the King our Father, was not infinite 
 and unchangeable, immenfely free-and fovereign, 
 he would not fufter vile me, to abide in his Houfe, 
 nor to be looked at with an Eye of Favour, by 
 any of the Princes of his Family. But oh, by 
 Grace unknown ! He waflies away my Impurity, 
 hides my Deformity, arrays me with his own 
 Beauty, cafts upon me fome fparkling Rays of 
 his own Brightnefs, and lets many of his better 
 Children love me ! And, oh furpafling Wonder! 
 HIMSELF loves me ; notwithftanding all that 
 Unlovelinefs, and vile Ingratitude which his 
 Holy Eye fees in me ! Me, my Father loves ^ 
 my elder Brother loves, my glorious Comforter 
 loves ; me, not my Vilenefs ; but yet it's me, 
 with a neverthelefs, with a notwithfianding all 
 my exceeding Sjnfulnefs! Oh Grace, infinitely 
 rich, free and fuperabounding ! Oh h^jvc^ infinitely 
 higher than the Heights of my Provocations ! 
 
 Broader 
 
[ 74 ] 
 Broader than the Breadth of my overfpreading 
 Pollutions ! Deeper than the Depths of my Vile- 
 nefs and Ingratitude ! Longer than Time ! Long 
 as Eternity, paft and to come ! Oh Sin-pardon- 
 ing, Sin-fubduing, Grace-giving, Glory-beftow- 
 ing Love I Oh Love^ that will love me into its 
 own Image ! Into as great a Purity and Holinefs, 
 as if Sifi had never entred ! Yea, into a higher 
 Life and Glory, than perfe^: Adajn was poffefs'd 
 oft ! ' Oh free, infinite, eternal and unchange- 
 
 * able Love, in thee my little, vile, weak Soul 
 
 * rejls ! Work all thy Wonders for and upon 
 
 * me, until thou haft made mt perfeB in Love^ 
 
 * a glorioles Piece of thy great Worhnanftnp ! 
 ' And then all my By-paft Blacknefs, fhall for 
 
 * ever commend, and fet oft' thine infinite 
 
 * Brigbtne/s, ferve to enhance thy Glories, and 
 
 * to exalt thy PraifcSy unto ylges without End ! 
 
 * Then as a Drop, receiving all my Blifs from 
 
 * thee, into thee I'll flow, with all the Praife, the 
 f unfathomable Ocean of my endlefs Glory. 
 
 Moft kindly I thank you, my dear Brother, 
 for the Account you gave me in your Letter, of 
 the Lord's gracious Dealings iviib you, I read 
 it with Tears of Joy. I adore the Grace that 
 has fiv'd your dear Soul, that has pluck'd you, 
 as a Brand out of the Burning, and fnatch'd you 
 as a Prey, out of the Jaws of the Devourer. 
 Oil Grace, Grace I Take the Praife from us, 
 and all the Saints and Angels, World without 
 E'uL yfjien. Oh my Brother, you are Love's 
 
 Prey. 
 
[ 75 ] 
 Trey. Infinite Love hath refcu'd you, from 
 thofe infinite Depths of Woe, you was juft upon 
 the Brink of. And which Way did Love do it ? 
 It did it by Covenant-Engagements from Ever- 
 lajlingy and by Covenant-Performances in the 
 Fulnefs of Time. It did it by Price^ in order to 
 do it by Power. 
 
 Think, Oh think, what Love it was in the F^- 
 ther^ to lay all your Iniquity upon his own Son ! 
 To refolve from Ever Ia/ii?tg, Not to impute your 
 Trcfpafles unto you^ but unto H/M/— What Love 
 was it in the Son, to tsike your Load, (that would 
 have funk you into eternal Perdition) upon his 
 Back ! Your vaft Debt upon Himfelf, and engage 
 as your Surety, to pay it to the very laft Mite ! — 
 And what Love was it in. the Holy Spirit, to 
 become the Undtion, the Anointing, to qualify 
 the Man JESUS, with all Gifts and Graces, 
 for his Work of Saving you ! And thus to 
 refolve. To fit Him for it, and carry Him 
 thro* it, for you, before the World began ! Yea^ 
 and in Confequence hereof, to engage to be- 
 come your Sandtifier, Indweller and Comforter: 
 Notwithftanding He forefaw all your Vilenefs 
 and Ingratitude, even after his begun Work up- 
 on you, and gracious Abode in you ! - — Oh don't 
 you (brink to Nothing as it were, under a Senfe 
 of your own Littlenefs and Vilenefs, before the 
 Majefty of infinite Love : While you fee your- 
 felf thus taken up into the Thoughts of the 
 Three-one God, before the Mountains had a 
 2 Births 
 
[76 I 
 
 Birth, or the World's Foundcitloa was laid ! 
 Oh what wasj{?z/, what was /, little, vile, def-- 
 picable Worms^ that we (hould be thought on in 
 great Grace, by the Great Jehovah, before 
 'lime began! Aye, God-provoking, Hell-de- 
 ierving Wretches^ that we {hould be fo loved ! 
 We that were Enemies, Rebels, Traitors. Surely 
 we may fay, with amazing delightful Wonder, 
 Herein is Love, not that we loved GO D^ but 
 that He loved us ! 
 
 Think again. What Love it was in the Fa^ 
 ther^ actually to give his Son iov yoUy in the Ful- 
 nefs of T'tme ! To charge all your Sins upon 
 Him, and wound the Darling of his Soul for 
 you! Oh, when it came to the Trial, God the 
 Father fo loved you, that He withheld not his 
 cnly So7t, but deliver'd Him up to Death for vow / 
 It pleafed the Lord to bruife Him, to //// Him 
 to Grief, to lay the Chajiijeme?2t of your Sin, 
 that procur'd your Peace, upon Him : That with 
 his Stripes you might be healed I — What Love 
 was it in the Son, adlually to take upon his In- 
 nocent, Holy Self, all your Guilt and Un- 
 clcanncfs, to ftand charg'd with all your Crimes, 
 to drink the Cup of Wrath, that amazing Cup 
 of Indignation, and give up his Life a Sacrifice, 
 in your Soul's (lead! That when it came to the 
 Trial, that He mufl die, or you perifli, when 
 He began io feel that dreadful Shower of Divine 
 \'engeance to be poured down upon Him, 
 which made his Soul cxceedi7?g Sorrowful, even 
 u}Uo Death ; that then He fliould not turn back, 
 
 nor 
 
[ 71 ] 
 nor repent what He had engag'd to do, but 
 with infinite Refolution, endure the Crofs, and 
 defpife the Shame for you ! When no lefs a Price 
 than his own Life, who was an infinite Perfon, 
 could be your Redemption ! — And what Love 
 was it mxhQ eternal Spirit, to /irengthen the 
 Man Jesus, to off'er up Himfelf a Samfice for 
 you I To fet the Joy of his Father's Glory in 
 your Salvation, before Him, for which He en- 
 dured the Crofs, and obtained for you eternal 
 Redemption ! Oh what Love was it in the 
 T'hree-one GOD, thus to redeem you by Price, 
 in order to redeem you by Power ! 
 
 And when that Day of Power came on, 
 wherein you was to be refcu'd as a Prey, out 
 of the Teeth of the devouring Lion ; Oh what 
 a miferable Cafe did Love find you in ! What 
 a willing Slave to Sin and Satan ? What a 
 Heart-Enemy to God ? What a loathfom Crea- 
 ture was you then, in the Eyes of infinite Puri- 
 ty ? And yet, with what an out-ftretched Arm, 
 did infinite Love y^T'(? you! How were the 
 Flood-gates of infinite Mercy puli'd up, the 
 Sluices of infinite Grace ope?fd, thro' the 
 Wounds of your dear Redeemer: And like an 
 All-overflowing Flood, or rather a boundlefs 
 Ocean, fwallow'd up all your Mountainous Stns 
 in its unfithomable Depths I And fav'd your 
 Soul unto Joy and Blifs, in the Right and Ti- 
 tle, Firft-Fruits and Earneft, of immeafurable 
 Heights! Surely, my dear Brother, you may 
 well fay of your Redemption, both by Price 
 
 aiid 
 
178] 
 and Power, " 1 am Love's Prey. Infinite Love 
 hath bought^ hath refcu'd me, from endkfs 
 Mifery and Death, unto eternal Life and Glo- 
 ry!" 
 
 And tho' your Redemption by Power ^ is at 
 prefent but partial and initial; it (hall (hortly 
 be compleat and total. Becaufe that fame in- 
 finite Love which began it, is engaged to finifli 
 it. Being confident (fays the Apoftle) of this 
 very Tubing, that He which hath begun a good 
 Work in ycu^ will perform it until the Day of 
 Jefus Chrift, Phil. i. 2. From this Word, per- 
 form it, we may learn. That when Chrifl by 
 his Spirit apprehends us in Grace, it is to per- 
 feB us in Glory. To make us as perfedl as 
 we fliall be at the Day of Chrift. When our 
 Souls fliall be perfectly conformed to his Image, to 
 the Glories of his Soul, and our Bodies faflaion'd 
 like unto his glorious Body. Grace^ and Glory ^ 
 are but two different Parts of the frme good 
 Work, as comprehenfively taken. Grace, is 
 Glory begun ; And Glory, is Grace made perfeB, 
 And therefore He that hath wrought the"VV"ork 
 of Grace in us, is faid to have begun the good 
 Work ; and in maintaining and raifing it into 
 Glory, to perform it. And that fame Almigh- 
 ty He, who began our new Life, will perform 
 the begun Work of his Hands, and perfedt the 
 Defign of his Heart concerning us ; from that 
 fame Infinity of Love, Power and Faithfulnefs, 
 in which it was begun. And for this we arc 
 call'd to live by Faith. 
 
 Hence 
 
[ 79 ] 
 
 Hence then, my dear Brother, in the Way 
 of your Duty\ in all appointed Means for the 
 Mortification of Sin, and Growth of Grace, 
 wait you continually for Divine Influence, And 
 efpccially live by Faith on Chrift, for every 
 Dafs Supply of all Grace. Commit your weak 
 Soul daily, into the Hands of your Almighty 
 Saviour, to be kept from all Evil, and 
 ftrengthened unto every good Work, to the Ex- 
 ercife of all Grace, and the Denial of all Un- 
 godlinefe. And thus by Faith, lie down and 
 refty in the Bofom of infinite Love, Power and 
 Faithfulnefs ; and take an holy Eaje^ from all 
 anxious Cares and perplexing Fears, about your 
 Growth in SanBtfication. For the God of 
 Peace will fariBify you wholly, in Spirit^ Soul 
 and Body. Faithful is HE that bath called 
 you ; who alfo will do it, 
 
 I fhould now, my dear Brother, attempt an 
 Anfwer to your laft kind Letter. But have left 
 myfelf but little Room, and by the few laft 
 Hints above, have glanc'd at fome Parts of it. 
 I rejoice that the Manifeftation of God's free 
 Love^ fets your Heart againfl Sin, and engageth 
 you lojlrive againfl it. In which good Work, 
 I pray you to continue unto the End. Our 
 Lord will have us firive -againfl: Sin in a Way of 
 Duty : And when we fee our own JVeaknefs, 
 will therein make his Stt^ength perfedi, and 
 crown our Endeavours in a Way of Mercy. — 
 Natural Violence, is not God's JVay of mortify- 
 ing Sin. This is to be done, only thro' the 
 
 Spirit 
 
[ 8o ] 
 
 Spirit of Chriji^ and Faith in the Redeemer's 
 Blood, Yea, let me fay, It is the Redeemer's 
 Arm alone^ that can and will do this Work for 
 us Efficiently ; tho' under his Influence, He calls 
 us to attempt it Injlrumentally. And, He that 
 believeth^ JJmll not make hajle : To leave the 
 Path of Duty appointed for him to walk in, 
 nor to flep out into By-paths of his own In- 
 vention ; but fhall quietly wait for God's Sal- 
 vation. It glorifies our Lord, He accounts it 
 a Bowing, a Siibmiting to Him, an Exalting of 
 Him as the great Saviour ; to fay in Faith, 
 under the deepeft Feeling of our own Weak- 
 nefs, unto allured Confidence and Soul-Reft, In 
 the LORD have I Strength : And to glory in 
 Him thereupon. And tho' my dear Bro- 
 ther, you are fometimes yo//^^; Thro' Chrift's 
 Conqueft for, and in you, you fhall be more 
 than a Conqueror, Tho' a Troop JJjoidd over» 
 come you, youJJ:aIl overcome at the lajl. In Pa- 
 tience then pojjejs your Soul -^ Give not out the 
 Fight, but endure Hardnefs as a good Soldier of 
 "J ejus Chrijl. 
 
 And to encourage you hereto, confider, God, 
 your own God, is always the God of Peace, 
 unto you in Christ. He forgives your Ini- 
 guities, and iz'ill reme??iber your Sins Jio more. 
 His Heart is in an infinite Flame of Love to- 
 wards you, when yours is the coldeft towards 
 ////;;. Yea, let mc fay. He look^ upon you 
 under all your Dlfeafes, with an infinite Pity ; 
 and from his infinite Grace, will heal all your 
 
 Backjlidings^ 
 
[ 8i ] 
 
 BackJlidingSy mid love you freely. Wherefore 
 return unto Him continually, confefs your Ini^ 
 quity, believe his Grace, and fet about your 
 Work, of perfeBlng Holinefs, chearfully. God 
 the Father is well plea fed with you in Chrijl : 
 He views you compleai in his fpotlefs Son^ even 
 now^ lacking nothing. And with infinite De- 
 light, refts in his Love^ rejoicing over you with 
 Singing, In Chrift then, by Faith ^ view your- 
 felf a fpotlefs Beauty^ an Objedl of God's Com- 
 placency, There's no Deadnefs, Forgetfulnefs 
 of God, or Indifferency towards Him, sippears 
 in you^ as you ftand in Chrijl. You are every 
 Way fuch a One, as you ftand in Christ, even 
 in refpedl oi SanBificatiori^ as God can delight 
 in. You are dead to Sin^ and alive unto G D,- 
 perfedlly fo, in Christ. And the more you 
 view this by Faith, the greater Freedom of Ac- 
 cefs will you have to God, thro' his holy Son, 
 the more Strength againft Sin, and Encourage- 
 ment to perfonal Holinefs. • — You afk me, my 
 dear Brother, 
 
 *' How a Soul, after fweet Manifeftations of 
 " God's Love, can account for its, not only 
 " lofmg the Senfe of them, but alfo its falling 
 *' into a light and forgetful Frame of Mind, 
 " concerning God's manifefting Himfelf unto 
 " it ?" I anfwer : 
 
 Fir/l. Our fweet Se?7fation of divine Love, 
 that which is more immediate and efficacious, 
 depends upon the immediate Shi?2e of it on the 
 
 F S0ul ^ 
 
[82 ] 
 
 Soul ; and is loft by hitervening Clouds, when 
 glorioas Love, is vailed from our Sight, and 
 its bright, warming Beams, which had wont 
 to be caft upon us, are intercepted. Juft as our 
 pleafant Feeling of the Heat of the Sun, de- 
 pends upon its immediate Shine-, and is loft 
 when its warming Rays are withdrawn. 
 
 Secondly. Our falling into a light and forget- 
 ful Frame, concerning God's manifefting Him- 
 felf unto us ; proceeds from our Mind*s being 
 diverted unto other Objeas, which engrofs our 
 Attention, or fnatch away our Thoughts from 
 thofe divine Manifeftations, on which they were 
 once intenfely fix'd. 
 
 Our lofing our fweet Senfatlon of divine Love, 
 thro' the Withdraw of its Shine j may be ac- 
 counted for, either, 
 
 L From ihQ /over eign Pleafure of Jehovah : 
 Who in infinite Wifdom, for his own Glory 
 and our Good, oft fees it meet to hide his Face 
 from his deareft Favourites. And, If He hideth 
 I-Iimfelf, who can behold Hi?n ? Or, 
 
 2. From our provoking the Lord, to with- 
 draw from us : Our Sins having hid his Face, 
 ani feperated between us and (fur God. And, 
 
 Our falling into a light, and forgetful Frame, 
 concerning the Lord's manifefting of Himfclf 
 unto us, thro' our Mind's being diverted to o- 
 ther Objeds, which engrofs our Attention -, may 
 be accounted for, 
 
 I. From our exceeding Sinfulnefs, our mtu- 
 
 ral 
 
t^3] 
 
 ral Bent to backflide from God, to forfake the 
 Lord our Hufband, and go after other Lo- 
 vers. And, 
 
 2. From the many temptations and Snaret 
 which are laid for our taking, by the Enemy of 
 Souls, thro' the various Occurrences of this pre- 
 fent Life : By which we, fmfully yielding^ are 
 drawn off from God^ and lofe the quick Re- 
 membrance of Himy e'er we are aware ; yea^ 
 are loft as in a Wood, among Creature- Vani- 
 ties and Vexations. 
 
 And fad, my dear Brother, lamentable it is^ 
 v/hen this is our Cafe* And yet too too often, is 
 
 . this the Cafe with God's own People, Can d 
 Maid forget her Ornaments^ (faith the Lord) 
 or a Bride her Attire ? Tet my People have/or^ 
 gotten ME Days without Number^ Jer. ii. 23* 
 Oh horrid Ingratitude! What, God^s People^ 
 whom He chofe to be his peculiar Treafure^ 
 V^hom He redeemed with an out-ftretched Arm i 
 
 forget Him, their Ornament^ their Glory ^ and 
 his manifefting Himfelf to them as fuch in in^ 
 
 finite Love! And that, Days without Number! Ob 
 
 foolijh People andunwife^ thus evilly to requite the 
 Lord for his great Goodnefs, his diftinguithing, 
 
 boundlefs Grace ! And will He yet fay of 
 
 them. They are my People ? Oh Heart- meltings 
 Soul-humbling, All-attrafting Love! Oh infe- 
 perable Love ! What, will not the Lord cafl off 
 his People^ for all that they have done f Oh, 
 np^ He will not, for his great Name's Sake : 
 F 2 Becaufe 
 
[ 84 ] 
 
 Bccaufe it pleafcd the Lord to 7}iake them 
 bis People. And will Pie ft ill love fuch an adul- 
 terous Bride P Oh, yes^ He will : Becaufe his 
 Love is infinitely great, free and unchangeable ! 
 The Love of the LORD! And by his All- 
 overcoming Love, will He bring her again into 
 conjugal Love and Duty to Himfelf. And tho* 
 He fliould chajlife^ it fhall be in Mercy : It 
 fiiall fpring from Love, and end in Love. She 
 njcent after her Lovers^ and for gat ME^ faith 
 the LORD. Therefore behold I will allure her^ 
 and bring her into the Wildernefs^ and fpeak com- 
 fort ably to her. And I will give her her Vine^ 
 yards Jrom thence^ and the Valley of Achor for 
 a Door of Hope ^ and f:e fJjall fmg there ^ as in 
 the Days of her Toiith^ and as in the Day when 
 P:e came up out of the Land of Egypt, And 
 it JJ?all come to pafs at that Day, faith the 
 LORD, that thou f:alt call me IJhi : — (my 
 Ilufband) And I will betroth thee unto Me for 
 ever, Hof. ii. 13, c^r. Oh infinite, ^itrvA Love ! 
 How mighty is its Efficacy on the Soul, when 
 flied abroad in the Heart by the Holy Ghofi ! 
 This is our God ! my Brother. This is his 
 Love ! Which will favej^^/, will fave Me, and 
 all his Chofen, from the deepeft: Mifery, to the 
 
 higheft Glory ! 
 
 In tlie Heart and Arms of your own God, 
 the God of Loi;^, I leave you. Wifhing abun- 
 dant Life and Liberty, from the Lord your 
 Life^ who w-as bound, to fet you free :. And a 
 
 joyful 
 
 i 
 
[ 85 ] • 
 joyful taking up of his fiveet Crofs, who endui'd 
 a bitter Crofs for you, until you are crown d in 
 Glory with Him: I remain, Dear Sir, with 
 great AfFedion, 
 
 Tours in CHRIST for ever. 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 To Mrs. R r. 
 
 My dear and honour d Sijler in the Lord^ 
 
 I Thank you for your Letter. I am glad 
 you got the Vidory over Self and Satan, to 
 write to one of your Fellow- Members in the 
 Body of Chrifl. Your thinking of we above what 
 is meet, hindred that free Communion which 
 ought to be between Members of the fame 
 Body. TVe are nothing-, Christ \% All, and 
 in all. He is our Head, we are his Members 5 
 He is our Father, and we are his Children. Let 
 us love, and converfe familiarly with each other, 
 as fuch. 
 
 I rejoice in the Wonders of God's Love towards 
 you, and praife Him on your Account. Oh my 
 Sifter, you and I, tho' far diftant in Place, and 
 born in divers Nations, are of that Number, wlio 
 were gathered into one inChrifl, by God*s eledling 
 Love. That were chofen in Him and given to 
 Him, as his Body, as his Bride and Spoufe, 
 before the Foundation of the World, We are 
 
 F 3 of 
 
[ 86 ] 
 
 of that Churchy that Univerfal Church of God*s 
 Chofen, which Ghrifl: loved^ and gaije Himfelf 
 for : That He might fanBify and cleanfe it^ by 
 the Wajhing of Water ^ by the Word^ T^hat He 
 might pre fent it to Him fe fa glorious Church, not 
 having Spot or Wrinkle, or any fuch Thing -^ 
 but that it JJjould be Holy, and without Ble^ 
 mijh. 
 
 Hence it was, my dear Sifter, from our being 
 gathered into Chrift by Eleftion, from our being 
 gathered into one in Him, by Redemption; 
 that we are gather'd into Chrift by efficacious 
 Grace, in fpecial Vocation. That ijoe, who 
 were once afar off, are made nigh by the Bloo4 
 of Chrijl, and are 720 more Strangers and Fo- 
 rei goners, but Fellow-Citizens with the Saints^ and 
 of)heHouJljoldofGod, Oh how high are our 
 Privileges ! How great were the Miferies we are 
 fiivzdfrom I Hov^ great are the Glories we are 
 faved to I That we have at prefent in Grant, 
 Firft-fruits and Earneft; and ft^all have ere- 
 long, in full Pofleffion ! Oh the Glory of that 
 City, which our God hath prepared for us! 
 There f:all in no wife enter into it any Thing 
 that de filet h, nor that worketh Abomination. 
 Its Inhabitants fliall be all Holy. The City 
 hath no need of the Sun, nor of the Moon to 
 (Jiinc in it : for the Glory of GOD fl^all lighten 
 it, and the LAMB ftiall be the Light thereof 
 What do you think of it, my Sifter ? Little do 
 vQU think, what great Glories, your own Goq 
 r ' has 
 
[ 87 ] 
 
 prepar'd for you. They are fo great, that his 
 
 own Greatnefs, and Goodnefs as God, and as 
 
 your God, is for ever to fhine forth therein ! 
 
 The Grace by which you are faved, is great 
 
 Grace. And great is the Glory, which this 
 
 Grace will beftow. // doth not yet appear what 
 
 you Jhall be. But when CHRIST who is 
 
 your Life Jhall appear, you alfo Jhall appear with 
 
 Him in Glory. So great, that Eye hath not feeriy 
 
 nor Ear heard, neither hath it entered into the 
 
 Heart of Man to conceive a Thoufandth Part 
 
 of its Brightnefs! God fet his Heart upon you 
 
 of Old, and for his ^r^^/Loi;^ wherewith He 
 
 loved you, even v/hen dead in Sins, in his rich 
 
 Mercy, forgave you all Trefpafles ; and quick- 
 
 ened you together with CHRIST', both my- 
 
 ftically and influentially : That in the Ages to 
 
 come, to the endlefs Ages of Eternity, He might 
 
 Jhew the exceeding Riches of his Grace, in Kind- 
 
 nefs towards you thro" Chrijl Jefus. Think, oh 
 
 you Heir of GOD, you Joint -Heir with 
 
 CHRIST, of yom great, yom glorious Inhe- 
 
 ritance I You rejoice in the Earnefl of it. 
 
 Well you may : It is God's Earneft, a Part 
 given you of the Whole. Remember likewife, 
 that the whole of your Inheritance, is given you 
 in the Right of it, by an abfolute irreverfible 
 Grant. You have eternal Life in its Greatnefs, 
 Fulnefs and Glory, in the Right of it, as a Be- 
 liever in the Son of God. And you have the 
 begun Poffeffion of it, by the Holy Spirit as an 
 
 F 4 Earneft. 
 
[ 8S ] 
 Earned. Free-Grace, has made you a Child, 
 an Heir <?/ G O D thro' CHRIST. You are 
 brought into a Family, where Grace reigns to 
 eternal Life, No more to go out, to lofe your 
 Sonfliip, and become a Servant, a Stranger, a 
 Foreigner-, but to abide in the Houfe forever, 
 among the free Children by Grace, and Heirs 
 of imniortal Glory. 
 
 Good, my dear Sifter, has it been for you, 
 that you have been affliEled, Your Afflidions were 
 to bring you to the Houfe of Mercy, \vhcvQfpecial 
 Mercy was to be lliewn to your precious Soul. Oh 
 }t was free Mercy, rich, everlafting Mercy, that 
 convinc'd you of your own Mifery by Sin, and 
 Defert of eternal Vengeance. That fhew^d you 
 the Ranfom of God's finding, and delivered your 
 Soul from going down to the Pit. Glorious was 
 the Exchange indeed, when you loji your Hif 
 hand, a Creature, a dying Worm of the Earth ; 
 that the LORD of Hofts, your Maker, your 
 Redeemer fliould become your Hufhand, That 
 v/hen you lod your Son -, the Son of G O D 
 lliould be given you. That when you lofl your 
 earthly lnherita72ce -, the heavenly Inheritance 
 iliould be beflow'd, Neyer, never will you be 
 able to tell out the Glories of this Exchange! 
 You inuft for ever delightfully enjoy, but can 
 never fully exprefs them. It's a Tail too great 
 for an Angel's Tongue, to count up thofe vaft 
 Treafures of Grace and Glory, which you have 
 In GOD! His ov/n Immenfity, is known to 
 
 pone 
 
s 
 
 [ 89 ] 
 
 none but H I M S E L F. And all the imnnenfe 
 Glories of J E H O V A H, in the Gift of him- 
 felf unto you in Chrift, as your GOD and Por- 
 tion, are made over to you^ for your Blifs and 
 Enjoyment 5 to make you happy, to the utmofh 
 of your Creature-Capacity ! Infinite Love, made 
 All in GOD, yours ; laid up all the Treafures 
 of Grace and Glory, for you in C H R 1ST, ac- 
 cording to the Infinity of J E H O V A H's 
 Wifdom ! And from thence they fhall be hand- 
 ed downimto you continually, thro' Time, and to 
 Eternity, "infinite Love, my dear Sifter, the 
 Streams of rich, free Grace, thro' a crucify'd 
 
 klJESUS, will follow you all along thro' the 
 Wildernefs,- until you reach Canaan^ Land \ 
 when you (hall be fwallow'd up in Love's Ocean, 
 and live am id ft the Pleafures, the full Joys, 
 which are at GOD's Right HandfOr evermore, 
 
 I rejoyce, my dear Sifter, that you have had 
 precious Experience of the ftreaming Love of 
 GOD towards you ; that it has foUow'd you, 
 even into thofe Depths of Diftrefs, which you 
 had brought upon yourfelf by Sin. That the 
 LORD, your Lover, who will never ^ never 
 leave^ nor Jorfake you^ forgave your Iniquity^ 
 heal d your BackfJdings, and lov'd you freel)\ 
 And that from hence, your Heart was diredled 
 into the Love of GOY>, in its Sovereignty, In- 
 dependency, Unchangeablencfs and Eternity. The 
 Vaith hereof, is a mighty Bulwark againft Fears^ 
 ^ glorious Cordial againft Paintings^ a fweet Al- 
 lurement, 
 
[ 90 ] 
 
 luremcnt, and ftrengthning Encouragement to 
 follow //&^ L A M B, even ivbitherfoever he goeth, 
 — And if the Lord calls you, my dear Sifter, to 
 follow hard after him in the Dark, and enables 
 you then to irujl in him^ and to flay yourfelj up- 
 on your own GOD; much will this be for the 
 Glory of his great Name, for your prefent Ad- 
 vantage, and for the Enhancement of your 
 future Crown. Here we muft live by Faith : 
 Hereafter, we fliall live by Sight ! — I commit 
 you as a tender Lamb of C H R I S T*s Fold, to 
 the Love and Care of your great Shepherd j 
 who loves you infinitely, and will fave you fully 
 and eternally. May his Grace be with your Spi- 
 rit ! And you increafe with all the Increafes of 
 GOD! — So prays, my dear Sifter, 
 
 Tour mofl AffeBionate Friend^ 
 
 who would gladly be your Servant^ 
 
 for JESUS' Sake, 
 
 LETTER 
 
[ 91 ] 
 LETTER XVL 
 
 Feb. 28, 1743. 
 
 To the dear Family at Bethefda ; aflembled by 
 
 the Father of Mercies, to be his Care, his 
 Delight, his Habitation, 
 
 Grace and Peace be multiplied. 
 
 Honoured Brethren^ 
 
 I Thank you for your kind Acceptance of the 
 feeble Lines I fent you, and for your kind 
 Anfwer by that dear Servant of Chrift, and 
 
 ^our Minifter, Mr. B r. I rejoyce and 
 
 glory with you, for the great Goodnefs of God^ 
 towards ^'cw, the Beloved of his Soul, in the late 
 glorious Vifitations with which you have been 
 favoured. 
 
 You have feen, my dear Brethren, the Won- 
 ders of God's Love and Power, in your Deliver- 
 ance from cruel EnemieSy that fought your Lives.* 
 ! — Oh, why did he not give you up into the 
 Hands of them that hated you ? Who faid in 
 their Hearts as proud Pharoah, Iwillpurfue, I 
 will overtake, I will divide the Spoil: My Ltijl 
 
 * The Spaniards who invzded Georgia y in the Year 1742, and 
 defign'd to cut off the Family at Betkefda, Root and Branch. But 
 (God defeated the proud Enemy, who came in with 5000, by a 
 ftiv of the Ertglijh Forces, who were in all, but 900. Of the ^>/^, 
 niards, there were 200 (lain and taken ; and h\i\.fi^e of the Engli/\ 
 The Particulars of the Invafion and Deliverance, were fo wonder- 
 ful, that it is faid, " The like is hardly to be parallel'd in late 
 
 "^'"°'^-" AW/ 
 
[ 92 ] 
 
 f^all bejattsfyd upon them, 1 will draw my Sword, 
 my Hand Jh.all de/lroy them. Oh ye Children of 
 the living God, why did not your heavenly F^i- 
 thcr give you up ? Was it becaufe you were fuch 
 obedient Children, that had not provok'd the 
 Eyes of his Glory ? Were there not Thoufands 
 of Provocations in the holieft of you all ? I know 
 you will fay, " Not for our Goodnefs, did our 
 "GOD deliver us." No, my Brethren, he 
 wrought for his Name's Sake, In the Infinity 
 of his Love, he faid concerning you, How /hall 
 I give thee up^ Ephraim ? how fJjall I deliver 
 thee, (into the Enemy's Hands) Ifrael? Howfiall 
 1 make thee as Adm'ah ? Shall 1 fa thee as Ze- 
 boim? (As the People of my 'Wrath) Mine 
 Heart is turned within ?ne, my Repentings are 
 kindled together, I will iwt execute the Fierce^ 
 nefs of mine Anger, I will not return to defiroy 
 Ephraim -, Jor 1 am GOD, and not Man, the Holy 
 One in the midfi of t bee, and I will 77ot enter in- 
 to the City. No, my Brethren, the LORD 
 your own God, did not enter in amongfl you, as 
 aDeftroyer,wiih his fore Judgments; but accord- 
 ing to his Promife, became a Wall of Fire round 
 about you, to defend ;w/, and deftroy your Ene- 
 mies : And H E has fince appear'd, as the Glory 
 in the midjl of you. Oh my Brethren, the Right 
 Hand cf the L O R D, is become glorious in 
 Fower,^ the Right Hand of the L OR D, hath 
 dafljed in Pieces the Enemy. And you to your 
 Bcthcfda, ihc Father of xMercies brought in 
 
 Safety, 
 
[ 93 ] 
 Safetyj after your Flight for Fear of the Enemy* 
 Where, fecure and joyful, under the Shadow of 
 his Wings, you have abode ever fince. 
 
 And lo, my Brethren, not only did the Lord 
 do you Good, but he rejoyced over you herein, 
 with his whole Heart, and with his whole Soul. 
 And as a Teflimony hereof, he call'd you to re- 
 joyce with hi?n. The great Mafier of the Fa- 
 mily, returned with you, return 'd to you with 
 Mercies. He made a Feaft for his dear Servants, 
 his Children, his Bride and Spoufe, that he and 
 you might mutually rejoyce together. 
 
 And may I not fay. That this was an E/;/- 
 blem, a faint Refernblance, of that glorious Feajl, 
 which the L O R D of Hofts will make for his 
 People, after all their Dangers, Difficulties, and 
 Travels in the Wildernefs are over; and he brings 
 them home to his Houfe, his Palace Royal in 
 Heaven ? Oh the ineffable Glories of that Feaft ! 
 The Joys, the Triumphs oithat Day, when all 
 the Enemies of God's People, are v/holly and 
 for ever overcome ! When the Children of his 
 eternal Love, thro' a thoufand Deaths and Dan- 
 gers, are brought fafe into their Father's Arms I 
 When the Bride, the Lamb's Wije, the Pur- 
 chafe of his precious Blood, the Conqueil of his 
 Love- Power, array 'd with her Bridegroom's 
 Glories, and made the PcrfeBion of Beauty, (liall 
 be brought by him, into his immediate Em- 
 braces, and prefented to himjelf, and before the 
 Prefence of bis Father s Glory I Oh, it will be* 
 
 with 
 
[ 94 ] 
 
 with exceeding Joy! Exceeding far, all our 
 prefent Conception j^ or Expreffion. The whole 
 Court will ring for Joy. GOD, the Father, 
 Son and Spirit, will rejoyce over us, and in our 
 Salvation, with finging. And iioe the faved 
 Ones, fliall rejoyce in faving Love, and in the 
 G O D of our Salvation, each one for ourfelves 
 diftindly, and jointly with, and for each other, 
 (hout forth Hallelujahs. While Myriads of 
 wondring Angels on every Side, aflirt: the Joy, 
 and join the Praife with their loud Amens, Oh 
 my Brethren, what a joyful, what a glorious 
 Feaft will the Marriage-fupptr of the LAMB 
 be! How will the bright Sun oi eternal Love^ 
 cafl: upon us its diredt and immediate Rays! 
 How will the Glory of GOD and of the 
 LAMB, Ihine round about us, into us, and thro* 
 us on everySide ! What rich Dainties, what Deli- 
 cates of Love's preparing, what mingled Wine, 
 what Royal Wine in Abundance, referv'd for 
 that Day, {hall then be brought out, and fet 
 before us : When our Lord makes us fit down 
 to Meat, to eat and drink ivith him at his liable 
 in his Kingdom ! And, oh, aftonifhing Love ! 
 HIMSELF the King of Glory, will fcrve 
 us ! Will carve all our Portions with his own 
 Hand, and put the Cup of Confolation into 
 curs ; that fwect, that exhilarating Cup of Joy 
 and Life, procured and prepared for us, by his 
 or.ce drinking the bitter Cup in our Stead, the 
 Cip of Sorrow and Death ! Then we fhall fit 
 
 down 
 
[ 95 ]. 
 
 down to Meat, never to rife up from Table 
 more ! Oh my Friends, little do you think, 
 how welcome the King of Glory will make you, 
 when he fets you as fo many Princes around his 
 Royal Board ! Oh then, he will open all his 
 Heart to you, and tell you fuch Stories oi Love^ 
 as you never before heard! Then, he'll fliew 
 you all the Way he led you thro* the Wildernefs^ 
 in all it's various Windings and Turnings, that 
 it was all right. Then, in infinite Grace, he 
 will recount all your Services^ and fay fo much 
 of all that you have thought, faid or done for 
 HIM, that you cannot think. The Greatnefs 
 of his Love herein, v/as much of it to be let out 
 upon your Spirits here, is fuch^ that it would 
 diffolve your earthly Tabernacles, and make the 
 Frame of Nature fly in Pieces. But when the 
 King of Glory, fets you at his Love-Board, you 
 (hall be firong to bear Love's Weighty its frefii 
 jand conftant FlowSy without daggering, or 
 reeling at its infinite Greatnefs I Never was iuch 
 TableXonfere72ce, as fliall be between CHRIST 
 and you^ then. Oh my Brethren, you fliall all 
 lean on JESUS' Brea/i at Supper -Time, at 
 this his Love Feafi, of endlefs Duration ! You 
 (hall fee your Lord as HE is, without a Vail 
 upon his Face, be made perfedly like him, and 
 folded up in his fweet Embraces, to the Days of 
 Eternity /GOD pall wipe all Tears from your 
 Eyes: And there pall be no more Death, (in 
 Soul, nor Body j no more Diftance from GOD, 
 
 no 
 
_ [ 96 ] 
 no more Tnadivity, or Dulnefs in His Service) 
 neither Sorrow^ mr Crying^ neither (loall there be 
 any more Pain : For thefe, as former Things^ 
 Jhall be wholly pajs'd away. 
 
 What then (liall I fay to you, oh you Chil- 
 dren^ you Heirs of GOD, that will fhortly be the 
 Peers of Heaven ? Will you not love the LORD 
 Z/:?^ L A M B ; who hath loved yoii^ and waP.^ed 
 you from your Sins in his own Bloody and made 
 you Kin^s and Priefts unto GOD and his Fa^ 
 ther? Will you not all, jointly, and particular- 
 ly, in all the Service he calls you to, pour out 
 your Souls in Love, into the Bofom oi your Be- 
 loved? For the Honour of H I M, who endur'd 
 the Crofs, to crown you ? Come my Brethren 
 and Sifters, the LORD the LAMB, for- 
 gives all the Imperfedion of your Obedience^ 
 buries your Sins in the Depths of the Sea, re- 
 cords all your Services, and will bring them 
 forth before Men and Angels, unto Praife, Ho- 
 nour, and Glory at his appearing. Wherefore 
 gird up the Loyns of your Minds, be fober and 
 hope to the End, for the Grace that is to be 
 brought unto you at the Revelation of yefus 
 Chrift, In every Thing give Thanks -, Rejoyce 
 evermore ; Pray without ceafing. Be frong, and 
 wcrk ; for the LORD is, and will be with 
 you. — Excufe this long Digreffion. May the 
 Lord make it of fome Ufe ! 
 
 Again, my dear Brethren, being returned to 
 Bethefda, your G O D, not only rejoyc'd your 
 
 Hcaj^t^ 
 
[97] 
 Hearts with his Love, who before were gathered 
 unto Chri/i 'y but alfo gathered other Souls, 
 unto HIM, the Sent SAVIOUR; to your, 
 
 and their Glory and Joy. May the 
 
 Lord ftill blefs, and increafe you, even into 
 a Multitude-, like as He did his People in 
 Egypt I 
 
 And now my honoured Brethren, fince the 
 Lord has appeared fo fignally for and amongft 
 you ; I befeech you to walk worthy of HI M, 
 as your own GOD,- To truft in Him, if He 
 fhould feem to flay you. To fubmit to his 
 holy Will, if he fhould cover you with Clouds 
 and Darknefs, as a Family, or as particular 
 Perfons. To adore and blefs Him, in and for 
 all his Dealings with you. And to wait and 
 pray for his promised Grace, when He will 
 agai?i bring you forth to the Lights and you JJoall 
 behold his Right eoufnefs. His Faithful nefs to his 
 Covenant- Engagements, to be, to appear to be, 
 your God ; and in owning you for his People^ 
 and dwelling with you as fuch, by the vifible 
 Tokens of his Prefence. — You remember, my 
 dear Friends, that before your late bright Days, 
 it was a Time of Darknefs with you. That 
 then you waited for your God ; and He did not 
 difappoint your Expedations, but appeared a- 
 mong you in his Glory, to your great Joy, and 
 fweet Surprize. And now He has given you 
 fach a Lump of Senfe^ to help your Faith ; will 
 you not believe in the Dark^ if the Lord fnould 
 
 G call 
 
[ 98 ] 
 
 call you to It ? Let me fay, The Lord experts 
 you (hould truft Him now. Oh my Brethren, 
 your God is not gone, when you lofe the Sight 
 and Feeling of his Prefence. He dwells in the 
 midft of you, as the Lord your God, as mighty 
 to fave, refting in his unchangeable Love to- 
 wards you, and waiting for the fit Seafon to de- 
 liver you ; even when He clothes Himfelf with 
 fuch thick Darknejs, that you cannot fee Him, 
 nor your Prayers pafs thro' it, to your Percep- 
 tion. And if you love the Lord, if you would 
 honour Him at fuch Seafons ; Oh, believe. Be- 
 lieve Him to be your own GOD, that will 
 work all Things together for his Glory, and 
 your Good. Lie at Anchor in the Bofom of 
 infinite Love and Faithful nefs, when roughefl 
 ^empefls beat upon you. Cry unto the LORD 
 in your T'rouble, and He will bring you out of 
 your Dijlrefjes, He will make the Storm a Calm ; 
 and bring you to your de fired Haven, And 
 then you fliall praife Him for his great Good- 
 nefs, and for his wonderful Works towards you. 
 And are there any of you that groan under 
 your Unbelief, Impatience, Unthankfulnefs, and 
 unfuitable Returns to the Lord, for his great 
 Goodnefs ? Oh my Brethren, your Heavenly 
 Father forgives you, is the God of Peace to- 
 wards you, and from an Infinity of Love and 
 Bowels, pities you under all your WeaknefTes, 
 Temptations and Diflrcfles. He will turn again. 
 Hi' will have Compafjion upon you : He will fub- 
 
 2 due 
 
[99] 
 
 due your Iniquities : And He will cafl all your 
 Sins into the Depths of the Sea. — And be not 
 difcourag'd my dear dear Brethren, at any of 
 your Trials : All fhall be well, AH (hall end 
 in God's Glory, and turn to your Salvation. 
 And fear not, if the Lord fhould lead you, even 
 you that have believ'd thro* Grace, in Paths 
 that you have not known. For lo, He is with 
 you, and will make Darknefs Light bejore you^ 
 and crooked Things ftraight. Thefe Things will 
 He do unto you y and not forfake you. 
 
 And npw my dear little Children^ you tender 
 Lambs of Chrift's Fold, that have lately been ga- 
 thered by your great Shepherds Arm ; what (hall 
 I fay Koyou f I'll tell you of your Father's Love. 
 Little Children^ your Sins are forgiven you jor 
 Chrift's Name's Sake, You are pajfed from 
 Death to Life^ and Jhall not come into Con^ , 
 demnation, God has made an everlafting Cove- 
 nant with you in Chrift, That He will not turn 
 away from doing you good. He hath promifed 
 to be unto you a Father ^ and that you fhall be 
 ^ bis Sons and Daughters, Oh my little Children, 
 you are born^ new born. To an Inheritance in- 
 corruptible ^ and undefiledy and that jadeth not a- 
 wayy referved in Heaven for you. And lo, you 
 are kept^ and {hall be, by the Power cj God thro* 
 Faith unto Salvation, The Lord that hath 
 caird you by Grace, will bring you into Glory, 
 None of your Soul-Enemies fhall deflroy yon, 
 (hall ever pluck you out of JESUS' Hands. 
 
 G 2 You 
 
[ loo ] 
 
 You are not, fliall not be left alone, in your 
 own Strength, which is but Weaknefs, to grap- 
 ple with Corruption and Temptation, and to 
 get to Heaven as you can. No, you tender 
 Lambsy JESUS your Shepherd hath an Arm 
 to gather you from all your Wandrings, to 
 fupport and comfort you under all your Paint- 
 ings, and to defend you from all your Enemies. 
 He laill gather you with his Arm^ and carry you 
 in his Bofoni'y will feed, guide and keep you 
 all along thro' this Wildernefs, until he has 
 brought you to the Heavenly Canaan^ that Land 
 
 of Reft which your Souls defire. And the* 
 
 you {hou'd lofe your Comforts^ my dear Chil- 
 dren, thofe Joys of God*s Favour, which at 
 firft fiird your Hearts; don't think you have, 
 or (ball lofe your God -, or your Intereft in your 
 Dear Lord J^fas. No, my little Children, 
 Whom the Lord loveth^ He loveth unto the 
 E?idy for ever. He that at firft manifefted his 
 Love to you, will always abide the Same^ the 
 very Same in his infinite Grace to you, as He 
 faid unto you at the Beginning, The LORD 
 loves you freely -, not for your Goodnefs, but be- 
 caufe He will love you. He forefaw all your 
 Sins, and UnkindneflTes to Him ; and if He had 
 TiOt had Love enough in his Heart, to pardon 
 and p.ifs by all \ He would never have told you 
 oj his Love : He would not have begun to love 
 you, if lie had not defign'd to love you unto 
 tlie End. And God's Love will not only par- 
 don 
 
[ lOI ] 
 
 don all your Sins, but alfo fubdue, and deftroy 
 them for you. By little and little^ He will drive 
 out all your fpiritual Enemies from before you, 
 until you be increafed in Grace, and made per- 
 fed: in Holinefs. For which End the Holy 
 Spirit of God, is given to dwell in you^ and a^ 
 bide with you Jor ever. And remember , 
 Christ is your Righteoufnefs before GOD. 
 He waflies away all your Sins in his own 
 Blood, and clothes your naked Souls with his 
 Obedience. Which is a glorious Robe, without 
 a Spot ; and it covers you all over, from Head 
 to Foot, and makes you appear exceeding beau- 
 tiful in the Sight of God. God loves you in 
 Chrifi ; and delights to fee you draw nigh to 
 Him as a Father, thro' his Dear Son. You are 
 imperfedi in yourfelves 5 but complete in Chrift. 
 Tou have a Thoufand Wants ; but Chrift: has all 
 TulnefSy treafur'd up in Him for you, to be given 
 you in every Time of Need. — Wherefore, Oh 
 you new-born Babes , who have tajied that the 
 Lord k gracious, dejire the fine ere Milk of the 
 Wordy that you may grow thereby. Pray, read, 
 hear, and meditate on the Word of God. Lay 
 the Mouth of your Faith to the Free Promifes, 
 thofe Breads of Confolation. For God has de- 
 clared. You Jhallmilk out, and be delighted with 
 the Abundance of that Glory, which He has pre- 
 pared for you. And fo fhall you, little Children^ 
 increafe in Grace, until Grace is made perfed: in 
 Glory. Commit the Keeping of your Souls to JE- 
 
 G 3 SUS. 
 
I 102 ] 
 SUS. And HE1I preferve sou fafe unto his 
 Heavenly Kingdom, His Grace be with your 
 Spirits! Amen. 
 
 And (hall I not fay a Word to you of the dear 
 Family; who are yet unconverted? My Bowels 
 yern towards you. Oh poor Souls! you muft 
 perijh, if you are not born again. If you flee 
 not by Faith to Chrifl: 3 the Deluge of God's 
 Wrath, will certainly deftroy you. Oh you 
 perilling Sinners, What think you of our J E- 
 S U S ? He is able to fa've you to the utter- 
 inojl. Will you not feek Him while He may be 
 found? Are you willing to perijh out of Bethef- 
 da, where fo many Souls find Mercy ? Oh cry 
 unto the Lord Day and Night, and give Him 
 no Reft until you are among that happy Num- 
 ber. Our GOD, keepeth Mercy for Tlhoufands ![ 
 And who knows but it may be (or you? God 
 has caird many of late among you, out of Dark- 
 nefs into his marvellous Light; has Ark*d them 
 in CHRIST, before the Waters of his Indigna- 
 tion come down upon the ungodly World. 
 And lo, in our JESUS, there is yet Room for 
 Thoufands! And you are call'd to come in. 
 Oh may God's compelling Power reach your 
 Hearts ! And then you'll come freely. Who 
 knows, perhaps fome, or all of you, may be the 
 nrxt that Jefus Chrift may fave at Bethefda. 
 Thereforjg^ P''^y> ^"^ w^it fo^ l^is Salvation. 
 And the Lord prevent {ecnre Souls, and fatisfy 
 longing Souls, early with his Mercy I That for 
 
 your 
 
T ^03 J 
 
 your Converfion, Bethefda may be again a Houfe 
 of Joy, a Houfe of Glory. 
 
 I return now, to take Leave of you, my dear 
 Brethren and Sifters, who already believe in 
 JESUS, and have Lije thro' his Name, And 
 unto you let me fay, Be perfeB, (Labour after 
 a growing Conformity to Chrift, in Heart, Lip 
 and Life) be of good Comfort, be of one Mind, 
 live in Peace -, and the GOD of Love and 
 Fence Jhall be with you. — The Lord haih done 
 great Things in England and Scotland by your 
 
 dear Mr. W d. And ftill he has much 
 
 Work to do here. All Grace abounds towards 
 him. " Tho' fet in the Front of the Battle, he 
 *' tells me, he is ftill more than a Conqueror 
 " thro' Emanuet% Love." When his Mafter gives 
 him Leave, he'll come to you again. In Pa- 
 tience poflefs your Souls, and believe it will be 
 
 in the beft Time. Great Grace be with, 
 
 and upon you all! — Pray, and give Thanks for 
 me, who am. 
 
 Tours mojl Aff'ediionately in our 
 In our dear LORD the LAMB. 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 To Mr. W d. 
 
 Reverend and very dear Sir, 
 
 MOST humbly I thank you for your 
 kind Letter from Biddiford, It re- 
 frefh'd my Spirit. The Lord reward all your 
 
 G 4 great 
 
[ 104 1 
 great Kindnefs to little me^ every Way like his 
 Great SELF! — I rejoyce to hear, that the 
 Lord's Hand was with you in your Work^ even 
 to the lafl: of your Stay in "England, From the 
 Beginning of your laft Vifit to thefe Lands, even 
 to the End of your Stay with us, hath the 
 Lord in a fingular Manner own'd and bleft you. 
 — I rejoice and give Thanks, for that marvel- 
 lous Deliverance which God wrought for you, 
 when your Life was in fuch imminent Danger ; 
 and that the cruel AlTault was over-rul'd for the 
 Furtherance of the Gofpel. Your Life^ my 
 dear Brother, is in the Lord's Hand ^^ and none 
 of your Enemies fhall take it from you, before 
 the Lord's H??ie, to love your Spirit Home into 
 his own Bofom. You count not your Life dear 
 unto yourfelf that you may finifh your Courfe 
 with Joy, to teftify to all, the Gofpel of the 
 Grace of God. But precious is your Life in the 
 Sight of the LORD. And fo will your Death 
 be, if J E S U b fliould call you to die a Martyr, 
 and be ficrificed for his Truth and Caufe ; to 
 ferve the Faith of Saints, and in Love to poor 
 vSinners. — Oh my honoured Brother, faint not 
 at your 'Tribulations for lis, they are your, they 
 are%;/r Glory. But rejoyce to be a Partaker of 
 the yJfliBions of the Gofpel, according to the 
 Power oj God. Of which you have had fuch 
 abundant Experience, in feafonable Succours, 
 Supports, and Affiftances, in all your Times of 
 Need hitherto. And ftill, oh flill, the Grace of 
 
 CHRIST 
 
[. I05 ] 
 
 CHRIST is fiifficient for you, and his Power 
 /hall reft upon you. Affiidlions, and the Gofpel^ 
 are infeparable. Not a Soul that knows, and 
 bears Witnefs to the Gofpel, in the Life and 
 \ Spirit of it, but muft endure AfBi<^ions, in a 
 >ti^ Degree proportionable to his Appearance for 
 Chrift, and Labours in his Gofpel. Oppofition 
 from the prophane World, from carnal Pro- 
 feffors, aye, and from Believers themfelves, un- 
 der one Prejudice or other, caft into their Minds 
 by the Prince of Darknefs, muft the Witnefles 
 of CHRIST, his Gofpel-Labourers meet with, 
 — But fo great is the Grace of the Gofpel, to 
 fupport us, that the Affiidiions of the Gofpel 
 will not fink us. So great is our Reward in the 
 Work of the Gofpel, in the happy Fruit thereof, 
 to our Lord*s Honour in the Salvation of precious 
 Souls, and in that Crown of Right eoufnefs which 
 awaits the Labourers in Chrift's Gofpel, at his 
 appearing j that we may well reckon with the 
 Apoftle, that the Sufferings of this prejent Time^ 
 are not worthy to be compared with the Glory 
 which /hall be reveal' d in us. Sweet was this 
 Word to me^ with refped to you ^ *' With Per- 
 ** fecutions." Your Perfecutions, my Brother, 
 are Part of your Reward, of that Reward which 
 our Lord gives you, in forfaking all, to ferve 
 him and his. They are your Glory now, and 
 refplendently will appear to be fo, in the Day of 
 CHRIS T. — Labour, and fuffer then, O dear 
 Man of GOD, for the dear LAMB, who 
 
 has 
 
[ io6 ] 
 has Iov*d, and bought you with his Blood ; and 
 like him, your great Pattern, for the Joy that is 
 Jet before you, endure the Crojs, until you are 
 crowfid in Glory with him, — Th^it all Grace 
 may abound towards you, and by you to Thou- 
 fands of Souls in America ; that you may ride 
 in Triumph as it were, to your dear Family, and 
 fee their Faces as the Face of G O D, and mu- 
 tually tell of the Wonders his Love hath wrought 
 for you, to the Glory of God by Chri/i, and to 
 your exceeding Joy thro' him -, is the earneft De- 
 fire of the leafi of Chrift^s, who with a Heart 
 brimful of Love to you for JESUS* Sake, 
 fubfcribes, 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 Tour mof Affedlionate 
 Humble Servant^ 
 
LETTER 
 
 O N T H E 
 
 Being and Working 
 
 O F 
 
 S I N, 
 
 In the Soul of a jufitfied Mariy as con- 
 liftent with his State of Juftification 
 in CHRIST, and Sandification 
 through HIM: 
 
 WITH THE 
 
 Nature of his Obedience, and of hisi 
 Comfort, conlider'd : As the one \% from 
 GOD, and the other to HIM; notwith- 
 (landing his Corruptions may be great ^ and 
 his Graces fmall in his own Sight. 
 
I m 3 
 
 Epistle to the READER. 
 
 Chriftian Reader, 
 
 y/S our dear SAVIOUR has blejfed the 
 -^^ following LETTER to my Soul, t9 
 whom it was fir/i fent ; and as the pious and ufe-^ 
 ful Author (not doubting but it will be blefs'd tQ 
 others alfo) has been dire died topublijh it : I humblf 
 beg Leave to recommend it : As it may be a 
 Means of ejiabli/hing them in our SAFlOUR's 
 freey and unchangeable Love to Sinners. — And 
 that it may be render d profitable, may the Lord 
 Jcfus /pr inkle it with his own Blood, and fay to 
 it^ Go and profper exceedingly. 
 
 / alfo take Liberty to acquaint yoUy my Chri- 
 ftian Friend^ and Fellow-Sinner^ (to the Glory of 
 God our Saviour) that the Lord was pleas' d at 
 fix ft to open my Eyes,- in reading the Writings 
 of the Author, The only Thing that feem'd 
 to induce me to read them^ waSy their being 
 wrote by a Woman : Which made me have 
 them in fome Efleem^ tho' ignorant of what 
 they contained. But at lengthy the LORD made 
 them a great Bleffing to me^ and I gladly em- 
 hrac'd every Opportunity of perufing the fame. 
 And thro' them was convinced of thefe great 
 Truths : *^ That I was faved freely by Grace ^ 
 
 " thrQ' 
 
[ no ] 
 
 " thro' Faithr And, " "That the Righteouf 
 ^* nefs ofChriJiy was imputed to all that believe 
 ^^ in his Name: &c." — That they may have 
 {through the eternal Spirit) a Jiill greater 
 Bleffing attending them ; and if they contain 
 any Thing contrary to his Mind and Will, may 
 he Hot it out ; and whatever is agreeable, may 
 he feal it with his Blood upon the Reader' i 
 Heart ! 
 
 So prays the Vilejl, but one of the LOR D's 
 Redeemed, and your very happy Brother in the 
 Knowledge of the LAME s Death afid Smart, 
 
 William Collins. 
 
 THE 
 
[ III ] 
 
 THE 
 BEING and WORKING 
 
 O F 
 
 S I N, . 
 
 In the Soul of a jiijiiffd Man, conGftent with 
 his State of Juftification in C H R I S T, and 
 Sandtification thro' HIM, &c. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 THROUGH the Goodnefs of G O D, 
 I had the Privilege and Pleafure of re- 
 ceiving from my dear Friend, Mr. 
 
 H /, a Letter of yours wrote to him^ 
 
 wherein you gave fo me Account of your Expe- 
 rience, and defir'd his Thoughts about the State 
 oj your Sold : Which he defired me to anfwer. 
 And gladly, dear Sir, I embrace the firft Mo- 
 ment's Leifure for this Service. May our dear 
 Lord, by me, the Chief of Sinners, fend you 
 an Anfwer of Peace ! 
 
 Glad am I, denr Sir, that you have a painful 
 ^* Senfe, of your mifcrable Condition by Nature, 
 
 "• and 
 
[ 112 ] 
 
 •' and that you are fully fenfible^ that none but 
 *-' CHRIST, the great Phyfician of Souls, 
 ** can bring you Health and Cure/* A Senfe 
 of thefe Things, Sir, are peculiar to thofe that 
 are New-born, It is the New Creature's Senfa^ 
 iipn of what is contrary to it, under which it 
 groans, and of what is agreeable, for which it 
 longs. You may read your own Experience in 
 that of the Apoftle Pauh, Rom. vii. from ver. 
 1*5. to the End; and take the Lord's own 
 Word for it, as to your State, that you are a 
 Man in Cbri/l, and that there is no Condemnation 
 to you, tho* there is fo much Sin in you, feen, 
 felt, and groan'd under by you, chap. iii. i. 
 
 In anfwering your Letter, Sir, I {hall con- 
 fider, I. Your Complaints of the Being and 
 Working of Sin. 2. Your Defire after filial 
 Obedience. 3. Your Comfort in CHRIST. 
 4. Your Fear that it is not right. And 5. Con- 
 clude with a Word of Advice. I begin with, 
 
 I. Your Complaints of the Being and Work- 
 ing of Sin. And as to your being *' Vile, Sir, 
 " full of Evil, dead to every good Word and 
 " Work, ferving God with your Mouth, while 
 " your Heart is far from him, and in a Word, 
 " vile as the Devil himfelf :*' All this is very con- 
 fident with the yn/li/ication of your Perfon, 
 thro' the Blood and Righteoufncfs of Chrift, and 
 with the SanBification of your Nature, by his 
 Holy Spirit, or your being a rcnew'd Man, in 
 all the Powers and Faculties of your Soul, unto 
 
 Influence 
 
[ "3 ] 
 
 Influence s^xtendlng to all the Members of your 
 Body, and to the Whole of your Converfation* 
 — ' If you afk, how ? 1 anjwer : 
 
 The opening to you the Plague of your own 
 Heart, is from a fpecial Work of the Holy Spi- 
 rit of God upon your Soul, in quickning you 
 influentially through Chrift, upon the Bottom 
 of your being quickned in and with him myfti- 
 Gally. It is from your being cut off from your 
 old Stockj the firft Adaniy and grafFed into Chrijty 
 the fecond Adam^ that this Life, of Senfation of 
 your own Death, fprings into your Souh It is 
 from the New- Creation Work of God upon 
 your Soul, from his commanding the Light to 
 fhine into your Hearty from his making you a 
 new Creature in Chriji^ that you difcover your 
 own Darknefs, as an old Creature in and from 
 Adam, — And the Difcovery of your own Mifery 
 and Wretched nefSj from the overfpreading of 
 that unfathomable Depth of Sin, that Hell of 
 Iniquity, which is in your vile Heart, is the 
 LOR D's killing you fenftbly^ in order to make 
 yow fetijibly alive. It is God's bringing the Com^ 
 mandment home to your Soul^ in its Spirituality, 
 that you thro^ the Law\ might die to the Law^ 
 or die to all Hopes of Life by your own Obe- 
 dience. In a Word, it is God's making you fick^ 
 Heart-Jick^ his giving you a deep, felt Senfe of 
 your Sicknefs, of your deadly Difeafe^ that you 
 might fee your Need of the great Phyficiany and 
 look to H I M for healing. — And by the lame 
 
 H ' Grace 
 
[ "4] 
 
 Grace that fliews you your Mifery, you have ai 
 Difcovery of the Remedy. Such a Difcovery of 
 the Excellency and Suitablenefs of C H R I S T, 
 as an All-fufficient SAVIOUR, that ftrong- 
 ly attrads your Heart after him, and fweetly 
 allures you to put your Truft in a crucify'd 
 JESUS, to look to, and depend upon his O- 
 bedicnce alone, for. all your Righteoufnefs be- 
 fore, and Acceptance with God. — And as 
 a guilty Sinner's trufling in the crucify'd S A- 
 V I O U R, looking to, and depending upon the 
 Obedience of that O N E, by whom all the 
 many that (hall be faved, are and (hall be made 
 righteous y for his own Juftification and Life in 
 particular ; is believing : So God imputes the 
 Righteoufnefs of his Son, unto all the Ends of 
 Grace, unto that Soul. For, by him all that 
 believe are juflijied from all Ihings^ from which 
 tb€y could not be juflified by the Law of Mo- 
 yJl, Adts xiii. 39. — And this Juftification, is 
 Jujlification of Life. The juftify'd Soul, is 
 not only delivered from all the Curfes of God's 
 Law, from all Wrath and Death in the Law's 
 Sentence ; but hath alfo a Right given him to 
 all the Blejings, both of the Law and Gofpel ; 
 to all Bleflings, of Nature, Grace and Glory. 
 And receiving Abu?idance of Grace, thro' the 
 Gift cf Righteoufnefs y jhall reign in Life by 
 Cbri/i Jefus ; notwithftanding all that Sin and 
 Death which works in him, and is painfully 
 
 felt 
 
felt by him. — And as God in juflifying a Sin- 
 ner thro' his dear Son, doth not confider him in 
 himfelf as righteous, but as ungodly -y and as the 
 Sout-that beheves on Chrijfl: for Juftification, in 
 that Adt of Faith, doth not look on his own 
 Right eoufnefSy but upon his Ungodlinefs, to be 
 juftify'd and fav'd from it -, and as the whole of 
 God's Salvation, in the Right of it by his free 
 Promife, belongs to that Soul, notwithftanding 
 its Ungodlinefs : So, dear Sir, the Jujlification 
 of your Perfon, thro' the Blood and Righteouf- 
 nefs of CHRIST, is and may be very con- 
 fiftent with that x^bundance of Sin^ with thofe 
 Aboundings of Iniquity^ which you fee and feel 
 in your corrupt Heart. 
 
 Again, dear Sir, the SanBification of your 
 Nature, by the Holy Spirit, or your being a re- 
 newed Man, in all the Powers and Faculties of 
 your Soul, unto Influence extending to all the 
 Members of your Body, and to the whole of 
 your Converfation ; is and may be very confifient 
 with your moil grievous Complaints of the Being 
 and Working of aS/;/, in Heart, Lip and Life. 
 Becaufe, the fandifying Work of the Spirit, 
 tho' it is perfect with refpedl to Parts, as every 
 Part and Power of the Soul \% JanBify d -, is yet 
 imperfe6f with refpe^fl to Degrees, there being no 
 Part or Power of the Soul, that is fandify'd 
 throughout. And fo, tho' all the Members of 
 the Body of a fandlified Man, are yielded as In- 
 Jirumejits of Righteoujnefs unto HoUnefs, juil fo 
 
 H 2 ' far. 
 
[ ii6 ] 
 
 £ir, and lb long as they are under the fandlify- 
 ing Influences of the Holy Ghoft ; yet as the 
 Being of Sifi^ remains in the Soul that adls thofe 
 Members, fo when that prevails, the Members 
 of a holy Man's Body, may be fadly abus'd 
 to be Servants unto Liiqiiity. And thus, tho' a 
 fandtify'd Man, is holy in all Manner of Conver- 
 fation, as Holinefs is the general Scope of his 
 Adions ; yet thro' the Prevalency of indwelling 
 Sin, he may at Times be hurried away, and 
 carry 'd Captive as it w^ere, into fome particular 
 Adtions that are fmJuL And moft certain it is, 
 the bert Adlions of the holieft of Men, are wo- 
 fiilly 7nix'd with Sin ; fo that all the Saints while 
 in this mortal State, are very for from Perfec- 
 tion in Holinefs. And yet, as all the Powers of 
 their Souls are in Part JanBiffd-y as all the 
 Members of their Bodies, fo for as under the In- 
 fluence of Grace, are yielded unto God -y and as 
 the whole of their Converfation, in their general 
 Courfe, is Holinefs to the LORD: So they are, 
 and VA'.\y be properly faid to be Holy Men, and 
 fo the Lord Himfelf ilyles them in his Word, 
 notwithdanding all that Unholinefs which re- 
 mains in them, in Heart, Lip and Life. — 
 Hence the Saints, who are foid to be the Temples 
 of the living God, in whom God dwells and 
 TcalhSy and to whom he is and will be a Father 
 in Chrlft, are exhorted to clcanfe them [elves from 
 all Filthinefs of the Ftejh and Spirit , and thus to 
 go on, perfcling Holinefs in the Fear of God, 
 
 2 Cor. 
 
2 Cor. vi. 1 6, — 1 8. and vii. i. — See then, 
 dear Sir, how coniiftent all your grievous Com- 
 plaints of Sifd are, v/ith the Safety and Blefled- 
 nefs of your State^ as juftify'd, and fandify'd in 
 and thro' CHRIST.— Again, The Happi- 
 nefs of your State^ Sir, doth further appear, 
 from, 
 
 II. Your Dejire after filial Obedience : '* To 
 " ferve the Lord, not out oiFear^ thro' a Dread 
 " of Punifhment; bat out of Love^ from his in- 
 " finite Love and Grace to Hell-defcrving Sin- 
 " ners." This, dear Sir, is an Evidence, that 
 the Love of Chrift ftrikes your Heart, and forms 
 its ov^n Image there. T'he Defre of a Man is 
 his Kindnefs, Prov. xix. 22. And that fame 
 Grace, which has wrought this Defire in your 
 Heart, and maintains it in all your Services, will 
 call your Obedience, the Obedience of Love : 
 However weak it be. The Spirit of Adoption, 
 is at the Bottom of this Defire ; and the Difpo- 
 fition of a 6/&//^, is manifefted thereby. Which 
 is proper to a Man that is in Cbrijl, a New 
 Creature, See how the Apoflle defcribes fuch, 
 by giving an Account of his own Experience, and 
 that of all the Saints in this Regard, 2 Cor. v. 
 14, 15. For the Love of Chrifi conftraijieth usy 
 becaufe we thus judge, that if one died for all, 
 then were all dead : And that He died for all, 
 that they ^n^hich live, (that are made fpiritually 
 alive, juftify'd and fandify'd thro' the Death and 
 Refurredion of Chriil:) floauld 7iot henceforth live 
 
 H 3 iiniQ 
 
[ ii8 ] 
 
 unto themfehesy but unto Him which died jor 
 them, and rofe again. There is not a Perfon in 
 the World, that is conftrain'd by the Love of 
 Chrift, to ferve him ; but hath had the Love of 
 God (lied Abroad in his Heart by the Holy 
 Ghofl: ; but hath had a Principle of Love to 
 Chrift, wrought in his Soul, by the transform- 
 ing Influence of his firft Love ; but hath the 
 Spirit of Sandification dwelling in him, to prepare 
 him as a Veffel of Mercy for future Glory, 
 This is the grand Difference, between ^jujiify^d^ 
 and an iinjujliffd Man, between a regenerate ^ 
 and an unregenerate Soul : The one, doth all he 
 doth in Religion, from a predominant Principle 
 of Sc/f'.Lovey under the Influence of /lavijb 
 Fear j the other, doth all, from a predominant 
 Principle of Love to Chriji, under the Influence 
 of Child-like Freedom, — Hence thofe that are 
 fpiritually alive, are faid to be dead to the Law, 
 (to their own Obedience for Life) by the Body of 
 Chrift ; (who fulfiU'd the Law's Precept, en- 
 dur'd its Penalty, took up their full Difcharge, 
 and was publickly juftify'd in their Name and 
 Pvoom) that they fiould be married unto Him, 
 as raifed from the Dead, that they might brijzg 
 forth Fruit unto God, Rom. vii. 4. And thus 
 alfo, they are faid to be, no more Servants, but 
 Sons, and Heirs of God through Chrift, Gal. iv. 7. 
 And to be Free-Children ^ not of the Covenant of 
 Works, but of the Covenant of Grace, Ver. 3 r. 
 And tho* dear Sir, you complain of bafe 
 
 Scffmcfe 
 
[ 119 ] 
 Selfijhnefs in your Obfervance of religious Duties ; 
 as " a Defire after the Praife of Men, and a 
 *' Fondnefs to be thought religious by others :" 
 Yet is not Self, the fole Motive, whence your 
 religious Performances fpring. This is incon- 
 fiftent with your Defire after Child-like Obedi- 
 ence, of ferving God out oi Love to Him. And 
 therefore you err, in faying, Self is the fole 
 Motive of your Obedience, and in calling con- 
 trary Thoughts, Self Flattery, For, bleffed be 
 God, there is good Ground for that great VnwiU 
 lingnefs, which you find in your Heart at Times, 
 to think that Self, is the fole Motive of your 
 adling according to your Duty. — For tho' there 
 is much of the Pharifee in the Chriflian, yet is 
 not the Chriftian a Pharifee in Religion -, tho' 
 there is much of Hypocrify in the truly gracious 
 Soul, yet is not the gracious Soul a Hypocrite ; 
 tho* there is much of Selfifhnefs, in a Man that 
 loves God above all, yet is not Self, the pre- 
 dominant Principle of fuch a Man's Adion? in 
 Religion. — You fay. Sir, *' The Glory of 
 '' God, hath the leafl Room in your Heart.** 
 And what if I fliould fay, it hath the greats 
 eft Room there ? And what if both (liould be 
 true, at different Times, and in different 
 Senfes ? The Glory of God, hath the leaft 
 Room in your Heart, confider'd as corrupt, 
 and when Corruption prevails. And yet, the 
 Glory of God, hath the greateft Room in your 
 Heart, confider'd as fanBiffdy and when the 
 
 H 4 New 
 
[ I20 ] 
 
 New-Creature hife in your Soul, hath Liberty 
 to adt according to its own Nature, 
 
 Be intreated then, to view yourfelf in a com^ 
 flex Confideration -, as having two Natures ip 
 your Soul, Sin and Grace ; which are direct- 
 ly contrary to, and alternately prevail again ft 
 each other. — Confider likewife, that the Life 
 of Grace in your Soul, hath not Liberty to adt 
 y?;;^/y and purely ; by reafon of that Body of 
 Death, which you always bear about with you, 
 by reafon of indwelling Sin, which cleaves to, 
 and blends itfelf with yonr nioft religious Adions : 
 So that your beft Right eoufnej/es are as filthy 
 Uags, — And again, confider, That as a New 
 Creature in Chrift, the New-Life in your Soul, 
 is the reig72i?ig Principle^ from whence all your 
 religious Performances^r/;?^ : And that accord- 
 ing to this holy Principle^ your religious Adlioqs 
 t^Te denominated Holy \ notwithftanding all that 
 Uncleannefs, which continually adheres to them, 
 from that Sea of Sin, that overflowing Fountain 
 of Corruption, which ftill abides and works in 
 your Soul, — So that, tho' bafe SelfiJJmefs cleaves 
 to your holy Adions, in a greater or lefler De- 
 2,rce, more difcernibly, or indifcernibly ; yet are 
 yea not OLfelf- feeling Hypocrite^ nor is Self^ but 
 the Ghry of Qod^ thq Principle of your religious 
 Performances. 
 
 For I humbly think, that thofe felfifli 
 Thoughts, which croud in upon the Minds of 
 God's Children, when they are about to do any 
 Thing for God, do rather follow ajter^ than go 
 
 hcjort 
 
[ 121 ] 
 
 before 2. religious Perfon, in his religious Per- 
 formances. According to Rom, vii. 21. I find 
 then a Law^ that when I would do Good^ Evil is 
 prefent with me. When I would do Good: 
 There's Grace in the Soul, aiming at the 
 Glory of God. Evil is prefent with me : 
 There's Sin, aiming at Self-Gratifications ; that 
 follows hard upon the Heels of Grace, and 
 as it were comes up with it, either to hinder 
 a religious AcStion, or to fpoil it, by endea- 
 vouring to dired: it to a wrong End. For 
 I delight in the Law of God, fays the Apoftle, 
 after the inward Man, Ver. 22. There's the 
 New Nature in the Soul, the main Spring of a 
 New Creature's Adions. But I fee another Law 
 in my Members, warri?jg agai?ijl the Law of ms 
 Mind, and bringing me into Captivity to the Law 
 of Sin, which is in my Members, Ver. 23. There's 
 the old, corrupt Nature, that dwells in the fame 
 Soul ; the Power of Sin, that working in the 
 feveral Members of that Body of Death, make? 
 War againft the Power of Grace in the Heart ; 
 and too often prevails, to bring the Man, as a 
 New Creature, into Captivity to the Law cfSin^ 
 •which is in his old, corrupt Nature. And when 
 this is the Cafe, either more inv/ardly or out- 
 wardly, if it is but for a Moment, the renewed 
 Soul groans, and bewails its Mifery, with an 
 O wretched Man that I am, who fJjall deliver ve 
 from the Body of this Death I Ver. 24. Until^ 
 turning its Eye unto God its Saviour, it fpie? faf- 
 fipent Help, and full Redemption prepar'd for 
 
[ 122 ] 
 
 it ; and again proceeds in its Courfe of Obedi- 
 ence tb God, from a native Love to, and De- 
 light In his Law. And happy is that Man, who 
 blcft with fpiritual Wifdom, can form a right 
 Judgment of hi^ own Experience in thefe Re- 
 gards": And diftinguifhing hijufelf^ from him^ 
 felf^ himfelf as corrupt ^ from himfcif as fanBi- 
 ffdy draws up that juft Conclufion concerning 
 Kimfelf m both Refpedls, as the Apoftle doth : 
 CO then icith the Mind (the new Nature) 1 my- 
 felf fer^ce ■ the Law of God \ but ifoith the Fiefd 
 (the old Nature) the Law of Sin, Ver. 25. 
 
 But whether vile, felfifli Thoughts^ prcfs in 
 npon the Mind of one that loves God fupremcly, 
 before he engageth in any religious Duty, or af'^ 
 ier he is engaged therein ; they are equally hate- 
 ful to a godly Man, to the new Nature in his 
 Soul, which denies, and oppofeth them as Parts 
 of Ungodlincfs, and prefieth forward in ho'iy 
 Obedience, with a Defifc after the Glory of God 
 in all. Whence it is evident, that the Principle 
 of Grace in a regenerate Man, is the leading 
 'Principle of his religious Adlions. 
 
 Now then, dear Sir, let me afk you, when- 
 ever bafe, felfifh Thoughts prefent themfclvcs to 
 your Mind, tho' at firil they may have fome 
 jv.eafing Influence upon the corrupt Part of the 
 Will ; yet as foon as you have the Liberty of 
 Refledion, and the Will as an entire Faculty, 
 bath Freedom to a6t : Do you like, or diflikc 
 them ? Do you aUoiv^ or difallow them ? Arc 
 
 thev 
 
[ 123 ] 
 they your Dejire^ or your Grief? — If the Laf- 
 ter ; be affur^d, that there is a true Principle of 
 Love to God^ wrought in your Soul, that fu- 
 premely aims at his Glory in your religious Per- 
 formances. And that thefe vile Thoughts, are 
 the War that Sin makes againft Grace, which 
 hath the Thro?ie in your Heart, the Oppo/ition 
 that you meet with from your Lord's Enemies, 
 while your labouring Spirit, with its Weights 
 upon its Back, ftrives to get forward in the Ser- 
 vice of H I M whom your Soul loveth. 
 
 And lo, as felfifh Thoughts are your Weak- 
 neffes, your Difeafes, your Heart-griefs -, your 
 heavenly Father will not look upon you under 
 nefe^ with a wrathful Eye. He will not lay 
 thefe your Iniquities unto your Charge, but in 
 infinite Love to your Soul, He will caft all your 
 Silts behind his Back, And in boundlefs Com- 
 paffion, will He pity your difeafed Soul, as a 
 Father pitieth his Children^ and fpare you, as a 
 Man fpareth his Son that ferveth him. For, 
 Who is a God like unto him that pardoneth Iniqui- 
 ty, and pajjeth by the Tranfgrejfion of the Rem- ' 
 nant of his Heritage ? Wherefore go on to fervc 
 Him with Chearfulnefsj for He will fubdue 
 your Iniquities, and caft all your Sins into the 
 Depths of the Sea. And fuch is the infinite 
 Grace of our glorious Mafter, CHRIST, that 
 He will call that. Service^ which by Reafon of 
 its ImperfeBion, deferves not the Name, And 
 our Love therein, Fair, notwithftanding all the 
 
 Spots 
 
[ 124 ] 
 spots and Blemlflics with which it is attended. 
 Our Dear Lord, from the Infinity of his Love, 
 well knows how to cleanfe both our Perfons 
 and Services in his own Blood, to array us 
 with his own Beauties, and' then to call us All- 
 fair. Yea, Hephzi-bah, the LORD^s Delight! 
 — I come now. Sir, to confider, 
 
 IIL Your ^^ Co?nfort in Christ: Which 
 " you have at Times, and want to know from 
 *' what Spirit it proceeds." And I am bold to 
 fay. That your glorious Comfort, proceeds from 
 the Hcly Ghoft^ the glorious Comforter, who 
 dwells in your Heaven-born Soul. It is HE, 
 who undertook the Whole of your Salvation, 
 in the Application-part of it, that has fliewn* 
 you your own Mifery by Sin, that fliews you 
 the Glory of CHRIST, the great S x\V I- 
 OUR, and gives you gracious Hints, ** That 
 "HE will have Compaffion on you, and 
 ** lead you out of the Vale of Sin, into the 
 ** Light of glorious Grace." From whence 
 the Language of your Soul is, / know that my 
 Redeemer livcth, &c. No Spirit, dear Sir, but 
 the Spirit of CHRIST, gives fuch Comfort 
 to any one SouL And you may know that this 
 your Comfort is from the Divine Spirit, both 
 from the Matter and P2ffc6l of it. 
 
 I. From the Matter of it, which is CHRIST, 
 reveal'd in your Soul, as an All-fufficient S A- 
 VI OUR. This is the Work, the pecuhar 
 Work of the Holy GhoH: the Comfjrtcr, as 
 
 icnt 
 
[ 1^5 ] 
 fent from the afcended S A V I O U R, into the 
 Hearts of the faved ones. For which fee Joh. 
 xvi. 14. HE ihTiW Jhall glorify 1,1^, (laith 
 our Lord) jor He JImII receive of miue, and 
 JJjall/Jjew it unto you. That Spirit that gloria 
 Jies CHRIST, that fhews the SAVIOUR's 
 Glories to a Sin-benighted Soul; is no other 
 than the Spirit of CHRIST, the Holy 
 Ghoft, the promifed Comforter. The Perfon 
 of the Comforter is known, by the promised 
 Comfort which He affords. — Again, dear Sir, 
 This may be known, 
 
 2. From the Effe5i of it : Which is Faith, 
 produced in your Heart : Whence you are ena- 
 bled to fay, 1 kjiow that my Redeemer liveth, 6cc. 
 Which includes in it, i. A K?iowledge of your 
 own Captivity to Sin. 2. A Convidiion of your 
 own Inability to deliver yourfclf from your fore 
 Bondage. 3.- A Di/covery of an All-fufficient 
 Help, a Pvcdeemer of God's providing, for loft 
 Sinners. 4. A Looki?2g unto Him alone, for 
 your full Redemption. And 5. Some Degree 
 of Perfiiafion of Intereft in Him : That He is 
 your Gody your near Kinjhuin^ who afluredly 
 will perform the Kinfman's Fart^ in redeeming 
 you from all Mifery, unto all Glory. — : — And 
 this is true, living K?/V/j, the Faith cj God's Eletl, 
 which is wrought in none but thofe, who f: all 
 he faved in the LORD, isoitb an everlafinrr 
 Salvation. ^ Thus the Old Teftam.ent Saints^, 
 who all died in Faith ^ vot having received the 
 
 Promifcs, 
 
t 1^-6 ] 
 Profnifes, (in their Fulfilment by the Incarnation 
 of our Saviour ; as you now, have not receiv'd 
 the Fulfilment of the Promifes, of your coniplete 
 Redemption thro' Him) faw them afar off\ atid 
 u^ere perfuacUd of tbejTi, and embraced them, Heb. 
 ixi. 13. Faith then, being the EfFed: of your 
 "Confobtion; be affur'd, dear Sir, that your Coni- 
 fort proceeds from the Spirit of God. That Spi- 
 rit, that works Faith in C H R I S T, by his 
 coHiforting Operations on the Soul ; is indeed the 
 Spirit p/ C H R I S T. Hence the Holy Spirit 
 is ftird, The Spirit of Faith, 2 Cor. iv. 13.^ JVe 
 having the fame Spirit of Faith, And He is fo, 
 I. As He works a Principle of Faith. 2. As 
 H^ prefents the O^yV^ of Faith. And 3. As 
 He enables the Soul to adl Faith. And thus, 
 Faith is faid to be a Fruit of the Spirit, Gal. v. 
 22. A Principle of Faith, an Eye to fee 
 CHRIST, the Spirit of Faith hath wrought 
 in your Soul : The Objea: of Faith, when He 
 comforts you, He prefents to the Eye of Faith: 
 And by his own Strength, and in his own Light, 
 v/hile refting" on, and f]:iining into your Soul, 
 
 He enables you to put forth Ads of Faith. 
 
 Thus, Faith being the Effedt of your Comfort; 
 it is an undeniable Evidence, that the Holy 
 Ghoft, the Comforter, is the Author of it. 
 
 Well, dear Sir, may you ftyle your Comfort, 
 
 ^^ Glorious Comfort r For while you ars favour'd 
 
 with it, you nfjice -mth Joy iinfpcakable, and 
 
 full of Glor^\ Hlmvcu, as it were comes down 
 
 to 
 
[ ^27 } 
 
 to meet you, and you have a fweet Foretafle of 
 the Fruits of that good Land. Which is an 
 affuring Pledge, that you fliall one Day enjoy 
 the Glories of that Kingdom, which was prepared 
 for you from the Foundation of the World. 
 Hence the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, in his 
 comforting Operations, (which tranfport the Soul, 
 as it were, from Earth to Heaven, and fet it a 
 longing for immortal Glory) is faid to be an 
 Earneji, 2 Cor. v. 5. And the Saints in the En- 
 joyment thereof, are faid to have the FirJ}-. 
 Fruits of the Spirit, Rom. viii. 23. 
 
 And wonder not, dear Sir, That this your 
 tranfporting Comfort, is but " Momentary^ tran-- 
 ''ftory, vifonary:, that it no fooner dXmo?iafcas 
 " you, than it leaves you." For fuch are the 
 Comforts of the Holy Ghcft, which the Saints 
 enjoy, while in this ¥/orld. — Vifionary, indeed 
 they are, that is, to Faith : Becaufc Faith re- 
 ceives, thofe glorious Glances, which the H0I7 
 Spirit prefents. Whence it is faid to be The 
 Evidence of Things not feen, by an Eye of Senfe,. 
 
 Heb,x\. I. Momentary, and tranfitory hke-"^ 
 
 wife, the Comforts of the Holy Spirit are, which 
 He affords his People in the prefent State. Elfe 
 the Condition of the Saints while in the Body, 
 could not fo fitly be flyl'd, a State oi Ab fence 
 from the Lord, and they faid to n^alk by Faith^ 
 not by Sight, 2 Cor. v. 6, 7. When the Holy 
 Ghoft fhines in upon our Souls with a Ray 
 of glorious Comfort, and v/e are taken to 
 
 the 
 
t .28 ] 
 the Mount of Vifion, and bleft with the tranf^ 
 porting Glances of the Glory of CHRIST) 
 it fares with us, as with the Difciples when 
 in the Mount, while they were faying, Lord, it 
 is good for us to be here : — Det us make Taberna- 
 cles^ — a Cloud overjlmdow'd them. Mat. xvii. 4,5. 
 And as it was with tht Difciples, even fo it fares 
 with us : When they were going to E^mnaus^ 
 and "Jefus dreu- Jiear, and made their Hearts burn 
 ^within them, while He talked with them kj the 
 Way, and opened to them the Scriptures ; no foon- 
 cr almoft were their Eyes opened, that they knew 
 Him ', but He vanifJjed out of their Sight, Luke 
 
 xxiv. 31. Indeed the Lord is a Sovereign, 
 
 and ads as fuch in comforting his People. While 
 his comforting Influences upon fome Souls, are 
 of a fliorter, and upon others, of a longer Du- 
 ration ; and fo like wife are experienced by the 
 fame Soul, at different Times. But extraordi- 
 nary Comforts, do not ordinarily lafl long), ei- 
 ther as to the prefent Vifion of the Glories pre- 
 fented to our View, or to that Degree of Influ- 
 ence, with which the glorious Profpeds were at- 
 tended. Though there ever after, remains a 
 precious Remembrance of the infinite Glories 
 we have feen, and at Times, a precious Savour 
 of the ineffable Sweets we have tafl:ed ; unto 
 an anfwerable Degree of Influence, which ex- 
 tends to the Whole of our Converfation. 
 
 But, however (hort, the comforting Influences 
 of the Holy Ghofl may be, if they lafl but for 
 
 a Mo- 
 
[ ^29 ] 
 
 a Msment^ as to their immediate Emanations on 
 the Soul ; the Comfort conveyed thereby, is 
 everlafting. Not in the Subjeii, in us, whofe 
 Frames vary ; but in the ObjeEl, in the God of 
 all Confolation, who is unchangeably the fame, 
 and whofe infinite Glories are then prefented to 
 our View. ^ The Holy Ghoft, in thofe Mo- 
 ments of Difcovery, fhews us Things as they are. 
 Where our Help lies, tho* wc have deftroy'd 
 ourfclves ; and that Sufficiency of Help which is 
 provided for us, and which will bring all Salva- 
 tion to us. And thus, our Lord Jefus Chrijl 
 himfelf^ and God even our Father^ which hath 
 loved U5^ are faid to have given us everlafting 
 Confolation, and good Hope thro" Grace, Whence 
 the^ Apoftle pray'd for the Thejjalonians, that 
 their Hearts might be comforted, (further com- 
 forted, under renewed Influences) and fo they 
 Jlablijhed in every good Word and Work, 2 Thef. 
 ii. 16, 17. 
 
 And tho' the Moments of our Comfort may 
 be but Jhort ; they are exceeding fisoeet. One 
 Moment's Enjoyment of CHRIST, and of 
 G O D in him, is far preferable, to an Age 
 fpent^ in Creature-Delights ! Hence the Pfalmift 
 David cries out, ipeaking the Language of the 
 Saints, and their different Experience from that 
 of Senfualifts, LORD, lift thou up the Light 
 of thy Countenance upon us. THOU hajl put 
 Gladnefs in my Heart, more than in the Time 
 when their Corn, ajid their Wine increafed, PfaL 
 
 I iv. 
 
[ 130 ] 
 iv. 6, 7. And, Whom (fays Afaph) have I in 
 Heaven but THEE? and there is none upon 
 Earth that I defire befides THEE, Pfal. 
 Ixxiii. 25. 
 
 Again, though the comforting Influences of 
 the Holy Ghoft, are but as it were for a M?- 
 ment -, yet are thofe happy Moments frequently 
 repeated to the dear Favourites of Heaven, in 
 whom the Lord the Comforter dwells, and 
 whofe Confolation, he hath engaged to main- 
 tain. If our Lord withdraws from us, as to his 
 comforting Prefence by the bleffed Spirit, he 
 will not leave us always, nor long without Com- 
 fort. He will fee us again, and our Hearts Jhall 
 rejoyce, and our Joy^ no Man JJoall takefro?n us, 
 John xvi. 16,— 22. The Holy Ghoft, in his 
 comforting Operations, is that River, that full, 
 free, flowing River of Life, the Streams whereof, 
 Jhall make glad the City of GOD, and every 
 Citizen of Mount Sion, Pfal. xlvi. 4. Whofoever 
 drinketh of the Water that I pall give him, faith 
 our Lord, Jhall never thirjl -, but the Water that 
 Ifiall give him, (the Holy Ghoft, in his fandti- 
 fying and comforting Influences) Jhall be in him 
 a Well of Water, fpringing up into everlajiing 
 Life, John iv. 14. — Oh dear Sir, your Confo- 
 lation fliall never fail 5 becaufe the Comforter 
 fhall never be taken away from you. He that 
 dwells in you, Jloall abide with you for ever. And 
 renew and increafe your Confolation here 5 until 
 it rifes hereafter, to be a River iofwim in : IJn^ 
 3 til 
 
[ '31 ] 
 
 til you are bleft with the full and immediate Vifion 
 of your own GOD in CHRIST, in whofe 
 Prefence is Fulnefs of Joy^ and at whofe Right 
 Handy there are Pleafures for evermore I — In 
 the next Place, Sir, I am to confider, 
 
 IV. Your Fear that your Comfort is not 
 right : " Becaufe it leaves you to a Heart cor- 
 ^^ rupt and abominable ; that there is no A- 
 " mendment in your Hearty that that is the 
 " fame as it always was, if any Difference, 
 " worfe 'y tho' a formal Amendment be produced 
 ** in your Lije'" From hence, Sir, you are at 
 a Lofs, whence your Comfort proceeds, and 
 fear it is not from the Spirit oj God, but from 
 Satafty transforming himfelf into an Angel of 
 Light, to deceive your Soul. " Becaufe your 
 *' Comfort, doth not produce thofe Graces in 
 " your Heart, which are mentioned in the 
 '' Word of God, as Fruits of the Spirit:' — 
 Your Cornfort, dear Sir, I am well fatisfy'd, is 
 from the Spirit of God, For no fuch Comfort 
 can Satan give, that makes the Redeemer pre- 
 cious y tho' it were but for one Moment y to any 
 one Soul. Your Comfort arifes from gracious 
 Hints, that the SAVIOUR will have Com- 
 paflion on you, and fave you from Sin -y not 
 only in its Guilt, but alfo in its Filth, Power 
 and Being. Which is an Evidence, that a holy 
 Nature is wrought in your Soul, which groans 
 under your own Sinfulnefs, and thirlls after Ho- 
 linefs : And likewife, that your Comfort is from 
 
 I 2 God'y 
 
[ 132 ] 
 
 God', becaufe God's Salvation, in all its Parts, 
 comforts you. Such Comfort, can no unrege- 
 nerate Soul receive, nor Satan give. It comes 
 down from God our Father, thro* Jefus Chrift, 
 by the Spirit of Grace into your Soul. — And no 
 reafon have you to fear, that it is not from God^ 
 becaufe you don't find your Heart to be amended 
 thereby, but that it is rather worfe. For it is 
 Light, that difcovers Darknefs. It is God's 
 Light, fliining into your Heart, that (hews you 
 the Blacknefs and Vilenefs of your own Nature. 
 Hence you think your Heart to be worfe^ be- 
 caufe you fee greater, and greater Abominations, 
 in that All-Fulnefs of Sin, that unfearchable 
 Depth of Iniquity which lurks there. — But to 
 anfwer this Part of your Letter, more diftinftly, 
 and fhew you In what Senfe, your Heart is made 
 better by youf Comfort, and in what not ; I 
 mull; have Recourfe to the Diftinftion which I 
 have already made. 
 
 Know then, dear Sir, that you are to diftin- 
 gmih yourfelf, from your fe If, youvklf -ds corrupt, 
 from yourfelf as fan6iiffd. And fo, you have 
 in you, both a new Heart, and an old : Grace 
 and Sin, both dwell together in the fame Soul,^ 
 yea, in the fame Faculties. Your old Heart, 
 the Corruption of Nature, is not to be mended, 
 or made better by your Comforts, but to be de- 
 ftroyd. According to Rom, vi. 6. Knowing this, 
 that our old Man is cruciffd with hi?n, that the 
 Body of Sin might be dejlroy'd, that henceforth 
 
 we 
 
[ 133 ] 
 
 we Jfmdd not ferve Sin, And the Body of Sin is 
 not deflroy'd at once^ but by Degrees, By little 
 and little will the LORD our God, drive out 
 thefe Enemies, our Corruptions, from before 
 us ; until we be increafed, under the renewed 
 Comforts of the Holy Ghoft, to inherit the 
 promised Glory. And the Difcovery of Sin, 
 fuch a Difcovery thereof, that makes it loath- 
 fome to the Soul, and puts it upon looking to 
 Chrift for Deliverance, and breathing after the 
 fame ; is no fmall Part of the DeJlruBionoi Sm, 
 It is the Deftrudion of its Reign ; and an Evi- 
 dence, that Grace hath the Throne in the Heart. 
 And where the Reign of Sin is deftroy'd in the 
 Hearty it {hall not reign in the Life. How- 
 ever turbulent and troublefome it may be at 
 Times, either in Heart or Life ^ it is an Ufurper 
 upon the New-born Soul, and is not yielded to 
 by it, as fuch, as its approved, rightful Sove- 
 reign. But fubdu'd and dejlrofd it (hall be, by 
 auxiliary Supplies of Grace and Strength, out of 
 Chrift's Fulnefs, as the King and Saviour of the 
 New-born Soul. — And as for your new Hearty 
 your Soul as renewed, that fhall be made better^ 
 by the glorious Confolation which is given you. 
 The Exercife and Increafe of every Grace, be- 
 ing the diredt Tendency, and blefled Effed, of 
 all the Comforts of the Holy Ghoft. — To this 
 you'll reply : 
 
 Aye, but this is that which ftumbles me, and 
 is the Caufe of my Fear : I do not find that my 
 
 1 3 Graces 
 
[ 134 ] 
 Graces are increafed by my Comfort. — To this, 
 let me fay, 
 
 If you would fee the Fruit of your Comfort, 
 in the Increafe of your Graces ^ look for it juft 
 when you are comforted, and fo long as your Con- 
 folatioa abides. To look for Fruits of Comfort, 
 immediate inward Fruits, when comforting In- 
 fluences are withdrawn j is juft like looking for 
 the bright Beams of the Sun, when it don't 
 fhine, but is vail'd with a Cloud : Or, like look- 
 ing for Summer-Fruits, in the Winter Seafon. 
 
 — How is it then with you, dear Sir, in thofe 
 happy Moments, when glorious Comfort breaks 
 in upon your Heart ? Don't you then find. Faith 
 and Love, Hope and Joy, Humility and Self- 
 Denial, Zeal for God's Glory, and Gofpel-Re- 
 pentance, fome or all of thefe Graces, at one 
 Time or other, to be upon the Flow^ juft when 
 the Confolations of God Jlow in to your Spirit, 
 and while they abide with your Soul ? Is not 
 CHRIST precious to you 7i\. fuch Seafons ? Is 
 not Sin loathfome and grievous ? Are you not 
 then willing to take up your Crofs, and follow 
 the Lamby whitherfoever he goeih ? And don't 
 you then long to glorify God upon the Earth ? 
 If /c>, your glorious Comfort^ hath glorious Fruits, 
 
 — And from thefe immediate Fruits thereof in 
 your Fleart^ there are more remote Fruits of it 
 in your Life^ in a Gofpel-Converfation. Which 
 you unfitly call, '* A formal Amendment of 
 *' Lify Becaufe you fee the Corruptions of 
 your Heart, to be as great as ever, and the 
 
 Graces 
 
[ 135] 
 
 Graces of your Soul, appear (6 fma/lm your own 
 Sight. — But be of good Cheer, Sir, your Com- 
 fort is from GOD, and is attended with thofe 
 blefled Fruits^ which in the Divine Word, are 
 faid to be Fruits of the Spirit, And under fur- 
 ther and greater Confolations, you (hall fee fur- 
 ther and greater Fruits unto Holinefs. Your 
 old Hearty your Iniquities, {h^Whtfiibdu'd^ and 
 your new Hearty your Graces, (hdMheJlrengthned. 
 Becaufe CHRIST liv€Sy you /hall live alfo, 
 Joh. xiv. 19. — In the laft Place, Sir, I fliall, 
 
 V. Conclude with a Word of Advice. And 
 briefly, let me fay. Make CURIST your ALL. 
 Look toYilM for all. And wait upon HIM, 
 till all Salvation is brought unto you. 
 
 1. Make CHRIST your ALL. That 
 is, ejleem Chrift to be, all that God the Fa- 
 ther has made him unto you, Wifdom^ to dired: 
 you; RighteoufiefSy to juftify you ; Sandlifica- 
 tiony to make you holy ; and Redemption, to de- 
 liver you from all Bondage, and to bring you in- 
 to the full and glorious Liberty of the Sons of 
 God. — You fee, my dear Brother, how im- 
 perfeB you are in yourfelf But your JESUS, 
 is all PerfeBion unto you. Tou are all Wants j 
 but CHRIST is all Fulnefs. And you are com- 
 plete in HIM : Lacki?i.g Nothing, Even now ; 
 tho' Jo incomplete in yourfelf. — And therefore, 
 
 2. Look to CHRIST for all. For HE is 
 your All to GOD, and your All to you. Your 
 all to GOD. In that He continually prefents 
 your Perfon and Services, before the Father, 
 
 I 4 without 
 
[ 136 ] 
 vvithout a Spot : Holy, unblameable, and unre- 
 proveable in his Sight, unto all fkafmg. Or, 
 renders you an Objedt of God's Delight ; as 
 wafli'd in his Blood, cloth'd with his Righteouf- 
 nefs, and adorn'd with his Perfedions. And fo 
 your Beauty is perfect, thro' his Comelinefs which 
 he hath put upon you, — And the more you view 
 your Compleatnefs in Chrid myflically, the more 
 will your perfonal Holinefs increafe. The more 
 you look upon yourfelf to be dead indeed unto 
 Sin, myjtically in Chrift, the more will you die 
 to Sin perfonally. The more you reckon your- 
 felf to be alive unto God, in Chri/l, to be pre^ 
 fented fo, in the Fulnefs of his Life-, the more 
 fpiritual Life will you feel in your own Soul. 
 And the more you view the Iniquity of your 
 Holy T'hings, continually borne away by your 
 great High Priejl above, and they prefented in 
 his fliining Perfedions, Holiness to the 
 Lord, the more holy will your Services be. 
 For a glorious Influence, from the Death of 
 Chrift, beheld by Faith, flows into the Soul, 
 for the Mortification of Sin: From the Life of 
 Chrift, to increafe Life in us : And from the 
 Acceptance of our Services in Chrift's Perfeftions, 
 to make our religious Performances, more per- 
 fea. — Look then to CHRIST for all, for 
 all your Compleatnefs, as H E is your All to 
 GOD, reprefentatively. 
 
 Again, Look to CHRIST for all, as HE 
 is your All to Tou, in fluent i ally. For in your 
 
 JESUS, 
 
[ n? ] 
 
 JESUS, there is all Fulnefs ^ not only for 
 Reprefentation, but alfo for Communication, 
 Oh dear Sir, CHRIST, that has begun to de- 
 ftroy Sin in your Soul, that has given it its 
 Death's Wound, will never leave^ till He has 
 quite fubda'd it under your Feet, and deftroy'd 
 the very Being of it out of your Nature. J E- 
 SUS, that has begun to make you alive to God, 
 that has begun this good Work in you, will 
 continually flow out upon your Soul, with frejb 
 quickening Influences , until all that Death 
 which now works in you, {hall be fwallowed 
 up of perfeB Life, and immortal Glory, The 
 LAMB that hath bought you with his Blood, 
 and conquer'd you by his Power, that hath gi- 
 ven you a Heart, a Defire to ferve Him; v/ill 
 enable you to ferve Him more and better, until 
 that which is in Fart fliall be done away, by 
 the Coming of that which is FerfeB. And 
 then you {hall fee his Face, his Name fjjall 
 be in your Forehead, and under the everlafling 
 Flows of reigning Grace , you (hall ferve Him 
 perfedlly and eternally, among the Saints and 
 Seraphs that are round his Throne. — . And 
 therefore, 
 
 3 . Wait upon HIM, till all Salvation is 
 brought unto you. All Salvation is laid up in 
 CHRIST for you, and (hall by Him, moft 
 afluredly be brought unto you» Wait upon Him, 
 then, dear Sir, Wait, I fay, upon the LORD: 
 And Hejhalljlrengthen your Hearty andfaveyotc 
 
 to 
 
[ 138 ] 
 
 to the titfermoji. — Wait upon him in the Ufe 
 of all the Alcans of Grace ; and fo fhall the 
 Grace of the Means flow down upon your Soul. 
 The more diligent you are in all Refpeds, in 
 feeking thel^OKT) r, the more abundantly (hall 
 you Jind Him^ as the God of all Salvation unto 
 you. For, He hath not [aid unto the Seed of Ja- 
 cob, feek ^j*^ M E in vain. The moft diligent 
 Chriftians, have the moft thrivijtg Souls, Be- 
 caufe God's Free- Grace, which bringeth Salva- 
 tion, calls for our Diligence, and delights to 
 croii)n it. 
 
 Abide in CHRIST by Faith, and come 
 unto Him daily, as an empty, helplefs Creature 
 in yourfelf, to receive Supplies of Grace, out of 
 his Fulnefs. And upon every new Difcovery of 
 Want^ fit not down in wretched Self, mourning 
 and difcourag'd ; but inftantly attempt your 
 Duty, to go out of yourfelf to CHRIST, by a 
 frefli A(5t of Faith, for all the Supply you need. 
 When Water in the Stream, Grace \nyou, fails; 
 the Fountain, CHRIST, is always full and 
 free. One great Reafon, why we have io little 
 Grace in us, is, Becaufe we abide fo 7nuch at 
 Home, in ourfehes, feeking to live upon our 
 own Stock ; inftead of going out to C H R I ST, 
 to live in, and receive from, His inexhauftible 
 Fulnefs, continually. The greateft Strength of 
 inherent Grace, is not fufficient to uphold the 
 Soul one Moment, without renewed Influences 
 from CHRIST. The Touth, young Men 
 
 that 
 
[ 139 ] 
 that are ftrong in Grace, that live upon their in- 
 herent Stock, (hall faint, yea, fliall utterly falL 
 But they that wait on the LOR D, /J:all renew 
 their Strength : Tho' the weakefl Souls, they 
 fiall mount up with Wings as Eagles^ they fjall 
 run and not be weary ^ they Jhall walk and not 
 faint, Becaufe the evei'lafting God^ the LOR D, 
 the Creator of the Ends of the Earthy who faint - 
 eth not^ neither is weary\ giveth Power to the 
 Painty and to them that have no Mighty H E /«- 
 creafeth Strength^ Ifa. xl. 29, ^c. 
 
 And abiding in C H R I S T by Faith, go on 
 to ferve Him in Love^ having Refped; unto all 
 his Commandments. — Keep your Heart with all 
 Diligence, Watch your Thoughts, that they 
 run not out from GOD, to needlefs Things, 
 and finful Objedls. And whenever they attempt 
 it, in the Name and Strength of the L O R D, 
 call them back inftantly, that at his Require- 
 ment, you may give him your Heart, — Main- 
 tain a due Care of your Words, that no corrupt 
 Communication proceed out of your Mouth, but 
 fuch that is good to the life of edifying. — And in 
 the whole of your Converfation, make it your 
 Bufinefs continually, under the Teachings of 
 Divine Grace, to deny Ungodlinefs a^id worldly 
 Lujis, (to deny them in their firft Rife in your 
 Heart, in order to a Denial of them in your 
 ISxk) and to live foberly, righteoufly and godly in 
 this prefent World. — Delight in the precious 
 Word of God 'j read, hear, and meditate there- 
 on. 
 
[ I40 ] 
 
 on. — Be as frequent as may be in Prayer^ if 
 you can fpend but a few Minutes at a Time ; 
 and labour to keep your Heart always in a pray- 
 ing Frame. — Let the SaintSy the Excellent of 
 the Earthy be your Companions. — Redeem the 
 ^ime, it is very precious : And labour to im- 
 prove it all, fome Way or other, for the Glory 
 of God, and your own, and others Advantage. 
 — ' And whenever your Hands and Feet are 
 dejiledy (as Defilement will continually cleave to 
 your Works and Walk) wafj by Faithy in the 
 Fountain fet open for Sin, and for UncleannefSy in 
 the Blood of Chrijly that cleanfeth from all Sin. 
 That fo, having your Confcie nee purged from dead 
 Worhy you may go on to ferve the living God^ 
 perfeBing Holinef in his Fear. — Labour to do 
 as much, as if you was to htfaved by your Z)^- 
 ifig^ — And when you have done all, fay you 
 are an unprofitable Servant ; and expe(fl all your 
 Salvation to be, as indeed it is, of pure, free, 
 infinite Grace, Lay all your Obedience joyfully 
 dowHy at the Feet of C H R I S T, who obey'd 
 and dy'd for you: And defire to be found in 
 HIM, and his Righteoufnefs alone, for all your 
 Acceptance with GOD, both here and hereafter. 
 — Thus, make CHRIST your ALL j look to 
 HIM for All', and wait upon HIM con- 
 tinually, by Faith and Love, in Hope of his 
 Salvation : And H E the great SAVIOUR, 
 will bring all Salvation unto you ; for Soul and 
 Body, for Time and for Eternity. 
 
 You 
 
[ HI ] 
 
 You feem to be at a hofs^ Sir, by what you 
 add towards the Clofe of your Letter, " Whe- 
 " ther your want of Amendment of Heart, is 
 " for want of a right Application of your Com- 
 *' fort." And to this, I would juft give a Hint 
 or two. In the Application of Chrift, and the 
 Joys of his Salvation to us, there is to be con- 
 fider'd, both, the Work of the Holy Spirit -, 
 and our ABs of Faith. 
 
 1. The Work of the Holy Spirit : Or, his re- 
 vealing Chrift and his Salvation to our Souls, un- 
 to fome Degree of Affurance of Intereft, and a 
 proportionable Meafure of fandlifying Influence, 
 And in this^ there can be nothing amifs. The 
 Holy Ghoft, always applies right. But as the 
 Work of Sandification, in the Mortification of 
 Sin, and quickning us to live unto God, is to be 
 carry 'd on by Degrees j we muft not expedl it at 
 oncey upon our firft Comforts ; but to advance 
 continually with our renewed Confolations, un-^ 
 der gracious Influences of the Holy Ghoft the 
 Comforter. — Again, In the Application of 
 Chrift, and the Joys of his Salvation to us, 
 there is to be confider*d, 
 
 2. Our ABs of Faith : Or, our receiving by 
 Faith, what the Holy Ghoft reveals, and im- 
 proving the fame, unto the Mortification of Sin, 
 and quickning us to Holinefs. And in this^ 
 our Obedience of Faith, there is much amifs. 
 Not that Faith, fo far as it applies, doth not 
 apply right. But there is much lading in our 
 
 Faith. 
 
[ 142 ] 
 
 Faith, We are Jlow of Heart to believe^ to re- 
 ceive the Confolations, which the Holy Ghoft 
 gives, according to the Meafure of the Spirit's 
 Revelation. We either put them away from us, 
 and refuje to be comforted-, or fuffer our Com- 
 forts to be wrefted out of our Hands by Satan 
 and Unbelief, as if they did not belong to us, by 
 Reafon of our great Sinfulnefs. And fo our Love 
 to God, and Zeal for his Glory, our Hatred of 
 Evil, and Strength to oppofe it, are weakned. 
 For we love God, becaife he firjl loved us -, and 
 juft fo far as we believe his Love, And this is the 
 Vidfory that overcometh the World, and all our 
 ipiritual Enemies, even our Faith, i John v. 4. 
 If then, dear Sir, you would apply Chrift, 
 and the Joys of his Salvation aright j come to 
 the SAVIOUR daily, as a poor Sinner, with 
 all your Miferies and Wants. Come upon the 
 Gofpel-Call, which is, to whofoever will. And 
 being come, take the Water oj Life, receive 
 C H R I S T and all his Grace, freely. As exhi- 
 bited to your Faith, by the Word and Spirit of 
 God : Without flaying for a Sight of your own 
 Goodnefs, before you believe the Grace of the 
 Gofpel is for yc?/. And fo will your Sandlifica- 
 tion increafe continually. For as the Salvation 
 of G O D in CHRIST, is for Simiers -, and 
 in all its Parts, is of one pure Piece, of free, in- 
 finite, fovereign Grace : So the more we believe 
 it ^s fuch, the more we receive the flrong Con- 
 folation, which a G O D that cannot lie, hath 
 
 given 
 
[ 143 ] 
 given us, even to every poor Sinner that flees to 
 CHRIST for Refuge ; the more (hall we in- 
 creafe in Holinefs^ the greater Saints Ihall we 
 
 be. 
 
 And now, dear Sir, that the Grace of 
 CHRIST may be with your Spirit 5 that you 
 may increafe with all the Increafes of GOD ; that 
 the Lord may diredt your Heart into the Love of 
 GOD, and into the patient Waiting for 
 CHRIST: Until all Salvation is brought unto 
 yoUy from all Mifery, unto all Glory 5 is the 
 hearty Prayer of, 
 
 Dear Sir^ 
 
 Tour Friend that loves you 
 
 In the Bowels of JESUS CHRIST, 
 
 A LET- 
 
[ 144 3 
 
 LETTER 
 
 ON THE 
 
 Duty and Privilege of a 
 Believer, to live by Faith, 
 and to improve his Faith, 
 unto Holiness. 
 
 To the Society at the Tabernacle^ in Lon- 
 don, a Frie?id and Servant of theirs, 
 ^Iffjeth Grace and Peace, from God 
 our Father, and from the Lord Jefus 
 Chrift. 
 
 My dear and honour d Brethren, 
 
 I Rejoice to hear, that Ibme of your deaf 
 Souls, begin to tafte the ineffable Sweet- 
 nefs of a Life of Faith on the Son of God, 
 even when you have not the Delights of fpiritual 
 Senfe. That, my dear Brethren, is mod pro- 
 perly 
 
[ H5 ] ^ 
 
 perly a Life o£ Faifh^ which is not founded on 
 fpiritual Senfe, That Perfuafion of Intereft in 
 Chrift and all his Fulnefs, which is not built up- 
 on gracious Frames and inward Feelings ; but 
 upon the Promifes and Declarations of Grace 
 made to Believers in the Book of God, upon the 
 Word and Oath of a God that cannot lie ; is Faith 
 indeedy or that which by Way of Eminence, 
 may be ftyl'd Faith, Permit me then, my 
 dear Brethren, to give you a Hint, 
 
 I. That it is the Duty and Privilege of a Be- 
 liever, to live by Faith. And, 
 
 II. To improve his Faith unto Holinefs* 
 Firfi^ That it is the Duty and Privilege of a 
 
 Believer to live by Faith^ is evident ; in that 
 this is God's Commandment ^ that we (J^ould be^ 
 lieve on the Name of his Son J ejus Chriji^ i Job. 
 lii. 23. That we fliould believe his infinite AU- 
 fufficiency, his Ability and Willingnefs to fave 5 
 his being call'd of God to this Work, to fave 
 Sinners to the uttermoft ; and his infinite Faith- 
 fulnefs to God that appointed him, and to his 
 own Promife, to give Re/f, prefent and eternal 
 Reft, eternal Life and Salvation, to every weary, 
 heavy-laden Soul, that believes on him, or 
 comes unto him at his Call, Matt. xi. 28. It is 
 our Duty, not only to believe on the Son of God ^ 
 or to come to him as poor perifhing Sinners in 
 ourfelves, for eternal Life 5 but alfo to be per- 
 fuaded, that believing^ we have Life thro' his 
 Name^ or eternal Life in him, according to his^ 
 
 K and 
 
[ 146 ] 
 
 and his Father's Promife, And to hold faft this 
 our Confidence, notwithftanding all our Vilenefs 
 and Unworthinefs. We ought to believe, that 
 we have eternal Life in Chrifty in the Right of 
 it, by the full, free and irreverfible Grant of a 
 GOD that cannot lie ; amidfl all the Variations 
 of our own Frames : And that we fhall have 
 the complete Enjoyment of it thro' Chrifty even 
 when we fee or feel but little of its glorious Be- 
 ginnings in ourfelves. That having believed on 
 Chriftyir //, we have it in him, and (hall en- 
 joy it thro* him. And to doubt it, becaufe of 
 our own Sinfulnefs and Unworthinefs ; cafts a 
 very great Difhonour upon the infinite Grace and 
 Faithfulnefs of GOD. For, He that believeth 
 not God, hath made him a Liar, becaufe he be^ 
 lieveth not the Record that God gave of his Son. 
 And this is the Record, that God hath given to 
 us eternal Life : Atd this Life is in his Son, 
 I John V. lo, II. Oh the horrid Nature of 
 Vnbeliej^ of this eafih befetting Sin ! How often 
 doth /V, and we thereby, give the Lye to a 
 GOD of infinite Faithfulnefs! He that hath 
 the Son, faith the Apoftle, hath Life ; and he 
 that hath not the Son of Gody hath not Life. 
 Thefe Ihings have 1 written unto you that believe 
 en the Son of God ; that ye may know ye have 
 eternal Life, a?id that ye may believe on the Name 
 tf the Son of God, Ver. 12, 13. The Apoftle's 
 Scope in thefe Verfes is, i . To fliew that Dif- 
 ference of Statey which is between a Believer^ 
 
 and 
 
C H7 ] 
 
 and an Unbeliever. A Believer hath the So?t ; 
 an Unbeliever hath not the Son. A Believer 
 hath Life in the Sons an Unbeliever, not 
 having the Son, hath not Life. And 2. To 
 excite Believers to their Duty^ of believing their 
 Interefl in Chrift, and their Right to eternal Life 
 in him. T!hefe Tubings have I written unto you 
 that believe on the Son of God, that ye inay know 
 (or have a full Affiirance) that ye have eternal 
 Life, and that ye may believe on the Son of God. 
 Or hold faft this your Confidence, amidft a 
 thoufand Difcouragements, from within and 
 without. — Thus it appears to be the Dutv of 
 a Believer to live by Faith^ or fteadily to believe 
 his Interefl in Chrift, his Right to eternal Life, 
 and that he (hall have the full Enjoyment of it 
 thro' him j even when he hath not fpiritual 
 Senfe^ or a joyful Feeling of the Increafe of fpi- 
 ritual Life in himfelf. And as it is his Duty; 
 fo his Privilege. For, while a Believer lives by 
 Faith^ and fo far as he is in the Exercife there- 
 of, his Soul hath Refl^ and is filled with Peace 
 and Joy, Thus, Heb, iv. 3. For we that have 
 believed^ do enter into Reft. And i Pet, i. 8, 9. 
 Whom having not feen^ ye love ; in whom^ tho" 
 now ye fee him not^ yet believing, ye rejoyce 
 with Joy unfpeakable, and full of Glory. Re- 
 ceiving (by a full Perfuafion in yourfelves, from 
 the Witnefs of God in his Word) the End of 
 your Faith, the Salvation of your Souls, Oh the 
 Reft, the Peace and Joy, that fill the Soul is the 
 
 K 2 Exercife 
 
[ hS ] 
 
 Exercife of Faith ! Unbelief, my dear Brethren, 
 lb far as we yield to it for want of Sight ; not 
 only difhonours GOD, but ftraightway brings 
 7!s into Darknefs, Weaknefs and Bondage. But 
 Faith, pure Faith, on Things not Jeen, gives 
 Light in Darknefs, Strength in Weaknefs, and 
 Liberty in Confinement. 
 
 To beget all fpiritual Faith, there muft be 
 a {^'mtudX Evidence given. The Objedl of Faith, 
 mud: be prefcnted to the Eye of Faith, in fuch 
 a Manner a? is fuited to draw out the A61 of 
 Faith, to receive its Objecft : Either, i. Singly 
 and purely, according to its own Nature, which 
 is to credit Things 7iot fcen. Or, 2. Li a mix'd 
 Way, as the fame Things are clothed with fenfi- 
 ble EffeBs, perceptible to Sight. 
 
 We have both thefe exemplify'd in the Refur^ 
 rcBion of Chrift, and in his Appearance to his 
 Difciples. In the Word which our Lord gave 
 to them before his Death, that the Son of Man 
 rnufl be killed, and ajter three Days be raijed a- 
 gain Jrom the Dead, Mat. xvi. 21. In the fame 
 Word whicli his Angel ^^2^^. the Women in Mind 
 of that fought him at the Sepulchre, and at our 
 Lord*s Command bid them, go tell his Difciples, 
 that he was rifen, went before them into Galilee, 
 and that there they fimild fee him as he /aid unto 
 them. Mar. xvi. 5, i5c. And in the fune Mef- 
 figc, which "^fejus himfclf fent the Women with 
 to his Briihrcn, Matt, xxviii. 10. — Which 
 wasEvida^ce fudiclent for tb.em to have believed 
 
 his 
 
[ H9 ] 
 
 his Refurreftion upon. Whence, as they did ' 
 not ; our Lord upbraided them with their Vn- 
 belief and Hardnefs of Hearty Mark xvi. 14. 
 Luke xxiv. 25. — They wanted Senfe to help 
 their Faith, To fee a rifen Jefus, before they 
 beiiev'd his Refurredion. Our Lord indulged 
 them ; He appeared to them, and fhew'd them 
 his Hands and his Side^ John xx. 19, 20. But 
 Thomas was not with them when Jefus came. 
 And when the other Difciples told him they had 
 feen the Lord-, he reiolutely faid in Unbelief, 
 Except 1 pall fee in his Hands the Print of the 
 Nails^ and put my Finger into the Print of the 
 Nails^ and tbriifl my Hand into his Side^ I will 
 not believe, Ver. 24, 25. J^fos therefore, when 
 h-e appeared again to his Dijciples, Thomas be- 
 ing with them ; aflfoon as he had faluted them 
 all with Peace be unto you : He inftantly, in 
 boundlefs Compaffion and infinite Condefcen- 
 fion, thus addrefs'd his unbelieving Thomas : 
 Reach hither thy Finger^ and behold my Hands ; 
 and reach hither thy Handy and tbruji it into my 
 Side ; and be not Faithlefs, but believing. Up- 
 on which, Thomas in the Language of Faith 
 cry'd out, My Lord^ and my God, A Flood of 
 joyful Senfe^ being let in upon his Soul ; it fee 
 Faith upon the Flow : Out it went unto its 
 ObjeBy claimed its Interefi: My Lord, and my 
 God I Then fud Jefis to his believing T'homas, 
 B^caufe thou ha/l feen me^ thou baft believ'd : 
 
 K3 BleJJed 
 
[ I50 ] 
 
 Ble[fed are they that have not feen, and yet have 
 believed, Ver. 26, &c. 
 
 Our Lord here, ftates the Difference, be- 
 tween believing without^ and upon Sight, and 
 pronounceth a peculiar Bleffednefs upon the 
 latter^ or declares thofe to be eminently blejfed^ 
 who had believed^ and had not feen. — By which 
 perhaps our Lord might refpedl the Faith of 
 thofe Women^ who believed his Refurredion up- 
 on the Credit of his own Word given them be- 
 fore his Death, which they remembred when put 
 in Mind of it by the Angels at the Sepulchre^ 
 who declared to them that he was rifen, as he 
 faid unto them, Luke xxiv. 6, 7, 8. Upon 
 which they returned to brmg his Difciples Word. 
 And that they believed his Refurredlion, is evi- 
 dent, in that they departed quickly from the 
 Sepulchre, with Fear, (or Reverence) of this 
 wondrous Work of God) and great Joy, Matt. 
 xxviii. 8. Their great Joy, fprang from that 
 full Perfuqfion which they had upon the Credit 
 of the Lord's Word, that he was rifen. They 
 remembred his Word, when put in Mind of 
 it by the Angels, and believed the Fulfilment 
 thereof, which they acquainted them with. And 
 hence with great Joy, they ran to tell his Dif- 
 ciples ; even before they had Jeen Jefus himfelf 
 For, As they went, Jefus met them, Jaying, All 
 Hail. And they came and held him by the Feet, 
 and worfjifd him : 'then faid J ejus unto them. 
 
 Be 
 
[ 151 ] 
 
 Be 770t afraid : Go tell my Brethren, that they 
 go into Galilee, and there Jloall they fee me, Ver. 
 g^ 10. — Bat when they told his Difciples all 
 thefe Things, (what Jefus had faid to them a- 
 bout his Refurredion before his Death ; what 
 the Angels had told them as to the Fulfilment 
 thereof 3 and that Jefus himfelf had fent them 
 to acquaint them herewith, and that they (hould 
 fliortly fee him) their Words feemed to them as 
 idle Tales, and they believed them not, Luk. xxiv. 
 II. — Thus the Difcipks would fee Jefus, be- 
 fore they believed his Refurredtion. And when 
 he appeared unto them, faid, Peace be unto you : 
 And Jloew'd them his Hands and his Side : Then 
 were the Difcipks glad when they faw the Lord, 
 John XX. 19, 20. When thefe Difcipks faw 
 their rifen Lord, their Faith in his Refurredion 
 according to hi^ Word, fprang : As did the 
 Faith of poor Thomas, when the Lord appeared 
 unto him. — But the Women, believed his Re- 
 furredion according to his Word, before they 
 had feen the rifen SAVIOUR. The one be- 
 lieved without, the other upon Sight. — And un- 
 to this our Lord might have Refpeft, when he 
 faid to Thom.as, Becaufe thou hajl feen me, thou 
 hafl believed : Bleffed are they that have not feen ^ 
 and yet have believed. As well as to the Faith 
 of the Old Teftament Saints, who faw the 
 Promifes afar off, were perfuaded of them and 
 embraced them -, and died in the Faith of them, 
 altho' they had not received the Fulfilment of 
 
 K 4 them. 
 
[ 152] 
 
 them, or feen the Truth of God's Word^ clothed 
 with vifible EfeSis. 
 
 And there is, as hath been hinted, a peculiar 
 Blejfednefs in believing without Sight. In that, 
 I. It gives more Glory unto God, for the Soul 
 to credit his naked Word, before it fees it array'd 
 in anfwerable Effects, To believe what God 
 hath faid, merely becaufe H E hath fpoken it, 
 and thence to expert the Performance thereof, 
 in the Face of a thoufand Difficulties; brings 
 much Glory to God, And 2. To believe with- 
 out Sight, gives Refl and Joy to the Soid, in a 
 flable Promife, an All-producing Word, before 
 the bkffed Effeds of it, fpring to the Joy of 
 Scnfe ; and frees the Soul from that Perplexity^ 
 which otherwife fills the Mind, between the 
 giving and fulfilling of a Promife, when there 
 aie Deaths pafs over it. Thus of Abraham it is 
 faid. And being not ijoeak in Faith, he confide rd 
 not his own Body now dead, when he was about 
 {in hundred Tears old^ nor yet the Deadnefs of 
 Sarah'i Womb, He Jlaggered not at the Promife 
 of God thro' Unbelief ; but was jlrong in Faith ^ 
 giving Glory to God, And being jully perfuaded^ 
 that what he had promifed, he was able alfo to 
 perform, Rom. iv. 19, 20, 21. And, IVe that 
 have beiiev'd, faith the Apoftle, do enter into 
 Refi, Heb. iv. 3. Into the prefent Refl of 
 Faith, in AfTurance of future Glory ; before we 
 enter into the |left of Vifion, in the Enjoyment 
 
 thereof. 
 
 This 
 
[ 153 ] 
 
 This then, my dear Brethren, fhews us the 
 Excellency of a Life of pure Faith, of helieving 
 without Sight, when we have not gracious 
 Frames and inward Feelings, or the Prop of 
 fpiritual Senfe to affift our Faith. — Unto every 
 one who hath feen his Mifery by Sin, and his 
 Danger of God's eternal Wrath, if he abides in 
 a State oi Unbelief -, who hath had a Difcovery 
 of Chrift the great SAVIOUR, the only 
 Refuge which God hath provided for poor Sin- 
 ners, and ha^ been enabled to flee unto Him by 
 Faith: Unto that Soul, God hath given an 
 everlafting Security, That he JJjall not perijh^ 
 but have everlafting Lije, The Soul that at 
 the Gofpel-Call, has run into Chrift by Faith, 
 as an Hiding-place jrom the Wind^ and a Covert 
 from the Storm, is eternally fecur'd in Him, 
 from endlefs Mifery, unto endlefs Glory. Unto 
 every and all of thofe, who have fed to Chrijl 
 for "Refuge^ to lay hold on this Hope fet before 
 them^ the LORD hath given hh Word and 
 Oath, that by thefe two immutable Things, in 
 ivhich it was impqffible for GOD to lie, thefe 
 Heirs of Promife fnight have afrong Confolation^ 
 Heb. vi. 17, 18. Oh my Brethren, when the 
 SAVIOUR receiv'd you as perifliing Sinners, 
 to fave you to the uttermoft 5 God gave you his 
 Word of Promife, his great unchanging Word, 
 as it ftands in his Book, for your Salvation. Yea, 
 did he not apply fome Promife or other to your 
 Hearts, and perfuade you thereby, of your ever- 
 lafting 
 
[ 154] 
 
 lafting Security in JESUS? — And tho' that 
 Life and Power, that Savour and Sweetnefs, 
 which attended the Moments of Apphcation, 
 may be worn off your Spirits 3 yet thofe Grants 
 and Bequeathments made by the Promife, as it 
 flands in God's Book^ and when apply'd unto 
 you, are invariably the fame. The Promife^ 
 yea, all the Promifes of God to you, are Tea^ 
 and Amen in Chrijl, 2 Cor. i. 20. A conftant 
 Tea, a fixed Amen, The Gifts and Calling oj 
 God are without Repentance, Rom. xi. 29. Re- 
 member, that all the Promifes oj God to you, 
 are made in Chrijl : In Him w4io is your ALL. 
 Whom God hath made unto you, Wijdom and 
 Righteoiijhefs, and SanBification, and Redemp^ 
 tion, I Cor. i. 30. They are made in the un- 
 tliangeable JESUS, who hath for you an 
 luichangeable Fulnefs : By Virtue of which you 
 are and (hall be rendred for ever, the Objedls of 
 God's Ddight. They are made by the LORD 
 Jehovahy who changeth not. They are made 
 lor your Security , they are made for your Con^ 
 folation. And that your Security might be double, 
 and your Confolation/ro;?^; to God's unchang- 
 ing Word, he hath added his inviolable Oath. 
 And, becaufe he could fwear by no greater, he 
 hath fworn by himftlf : That in Bh fling he will 
 blcfs you. In which is included, the Forgivenefs 
 of all your Sins ; the Juftification of your Per- 
 fons ; the wondrous Privilege of your becoming 
 the Sons of God ; your Right to Grace and 
 
 Glory, 
 
[ 155 ] 
 Glory, and to all good Things ; the Sandifica- 
 tion of your Natures, by the Word and Spirit, 
 thro' all the Changes which pafs over you -, and 
 the complete Glory of your whole Perfons, or 
 your being rais'd up in Conformity to Chrift, 
 unto the Enjoyment of eternal Life with Him, 
 What a wondrous A L L of Bleffings then, is 
 comprised in the Word and Oath of GOD, 
 which are given unto you in CHRIST! 
 The Promife is the Expreffion of God's Mind^ 
 of the 'Thoughts of his Heart towards you in his 
 dear Son ^ which jland jaji unto all Generations^ 
 And the LORD having given you his great 
 Word ; the infinite Truth and Faithfulnefs of 
 Jehovah, are engaged to make it good. And 
 as in infinite Condefcenfion and amazing Good- 
 nefs, the LORD hath added his folemn Oath 
 to his great Word 5 how ftrongly hath He bound 
 himfelf to fave you ? A Word fo great, cannot 
 be broken. An Oath (o folemn, cannot be vio- 
 lated. And fo great a Being, fo ftrongly en- 
 gaged, will not, cannot lie. It is impojjible that 
 he fhould, both with regard to his immutable 
 Nature, and to his folemn Engagements. The 
 Promife, the Word that is gone out of his 
 Mouth, ftands for ever faft upon the folid Bafis 
 of the great unchanging Purpofe of his Heart. 
 And the Oath of G O D, ftands in Himfelf, as 
 firm as Himfelf. For the LORD, in fwearing 
 by HIMSELF, by all that is in HIM, hath en- 
 gaged all his infinite Perfedions to perform it, to 
 
 fave 
 
f 156 ] 
 
 fave his People to the uttcrmofl:. And both the 
 Word and Oath of GOD, being given us, not 
 only for our Security, but alfo for our Confola- 
 tion, and for this End in Particular, as is fpecify'd. 
 That we who have fled for Refuge to lay hold 
 on the Hope fet before us, might have a jlrong 
 Conjolation : How great is our Unbeliefs when 
 we receive not fo great a JVitnefs ? And how 
 great is our Folly ^ when we refufe to be com- 
 forted with fo great a Conjolation, as the Great 
 JEHOVAH hath given us ? 
 
 The Word and Oath of G O D, given to £^- 
 lievers in CHRIST, being the folid everlaft- 
 ing Ground of Faith -, Here Faith (hould re/l^ 
 when it han't the Prop of fpiritual Senfe to lean 
 on, — Moil: kindly our Lord at firfl, indulges 
 his weak Children, applies his Prowifes with 
 glorious Power to their Hearts, and clothes them 
 with fuch great and fenfible EffeBs upon the Soul, 
 that bear down Unbelief and draw out Faithy 
 to claim its Intereft in the Promife, in the pro- 
 mised SAVIOUR, and in his Salvation. And 
 the New-born Babe in Chrift, finding itfelf by 
 the Promife, to be brought forth as it were into 
 a new World ; from Darknefs and Death, 
 Weaknefs and Bondage, Sin and Sorrow, into 
 Light and Life, Liberty and Strength, Joy and 
 Holinefs ; is apt to think, that thefe blclled and 
 fenfible Effects of the Promife, will always abide 
 upon its Heart. — But the Lord defigns to learn 
 kis Child to walk by Faitl\ wlien it han't the 
 
 Supports 
 
[ ^57 ] 
 
 Supports of fpiritual Senfe to bear it up. And 
 for this Reafon among others, withdraws his 
 Sun-hkc Face, and calls the Soul when it walks 
 in Darknefs, and hath no hight of Senfe to go 
 by, to tru/i in the LOR D, a72d to ft ay himfetf 
 upon his God. — But oh, the Soul being inured 
 to a Prop, knows not how at firft to go alone, 
 Senfe being gone, its Faith begins to fail, Be- 
 caufe the Soul believ'd the Promife^ as to its 
 own Intereft in it, rather upon thofe gracious 
 EffeBs of it, which it once faw and felt in itfelf 
 than upon the infinite Grace, the Almighty 
 Power, and unchangeable Truth and Faithful- 
 nefs of GOD the Promifer. It is true, the 
 Faith of a Believer, uhimately centers in thefe^ 
 and the Soul don't know at firfl, that it leans 
 too much to Senfe, and goes thro' gracious Ef- 
 feBs, to take up the Promife of Grace. But It 
 is manifeft that it doth ; in that when the Pro- 
 mife is as it were f ripped of prefent fenfible 
 Effeds on the Heart, the Soul finds it a hard 
 Tafk, to believe a naked Prcmife, to truft in a 
 naked Word, merely upon the Credit of the Pro- 
 mifer, Without are Fightings, and within are 
 Tears. Satan, by his Temptations, with all 
 his Power, onpofes the SouFs believing without 
 Sight. An unbelieving Heart, raifes a thoufand 
 Objedlions ; and the Soul ftands trembling, and 
 knov/s not how to fct one Foot forward by Faith, 
 when Senfe is gone. — And utterly would it cajl a- 
 wayitsConfdcnce^ \^ ever lafing Arms were not^;?- 
 
 derneath^ 
 
[ I5S ] 
 
 derneathy to fapport the Soul, and flrengthen k 
 for Ads of Faith without Sight ; to trtiji in the 
 LORD, even when he feems to Jlay it^ and to 
 hope in his Word, even againjl Hope^ or in the 
 Face of a thoufand Difficulties and Difcourage- 
 ments. — And then, the Soul having found a 
 folid Bafis to reft on, an Anchor-hold in Storms, 
 and being enabled by Faith to honour GOD; 
 God will honour Faith, and break forth again 
 upon the Soul with further Shines of his infinite 
 Kindnefs, thro' the frefh Application of the 
 Promifes, to comfort and flrengthen the Soul 
 after its Conflidl. — And thus the LORD 
 teacheth his Children to truft in Him, when He 
 hides Himfelf from the Houfe of Jacob, and to 
 ftay upon their God, when they walk in the 
 Dark 3 and alfo, to look and long for the Light 
 of his Countenance, to turn Night into Day, and 
 Winter into Summer. And thus to walk on 
 with God in the Faith of his promised Grace, 
 thro* various Changes inward and outward, in 
 the prefcnt Time, until the unchangeable State 
 of their promised Glory, their eternal Glory 
 comes. 
 
 Are there any of you then, my Brethren, 
 tliat have not yet been taught a Life of pure 
 Faith, of trufting in, and refting on the Pro- 
 mife of God's Grace, v/hen you don't fee the 
 gracious Effcds thereof in your own Hearts r 
 What fluill I fay to you ? Oh dear Souls, you 
 forget tlic glorious Pcrfon in whom the Promife 
 
 was 
 
[ 159 ] 
 
 was made, and thro* whom it is to be fuliiird 
 unto you. Hath God promifed you eternal 
 Life, as Believers in Chriji f Is this the Voice 
 of his Promife, as it ftands in his Book ? Was 
 this its Voice when apply*d by the Spirit unto 
 your Hearts? Oh confider, it was made in 
 CHRIST 5 in him who of God is made imto yoic^ 
 JVifdom^ afid Righteoiifnefs, and Sandfifcafion, 
 a72d Redemption, — What, doubt the Promife^ 
 becaufe you fee your own Folly ? Oh remember, 
 CHRIST is your Wifdom. Made fo of G O D, 
 by Conftitution, by Appointment. Your Wif- 
 dom, to reprefent you wife^ without the leafl 
 Spot of Folly before God. Your Wifdom, to 
 be communicated, to make you wife inherentk^ 
 unto increafing Degrees, until a Perfedion of 
 Wifdom be given you. — What, afraid the 
 Promife don't belong to you ^ becaufe of your Vn^ 
 righteoufnefs ? Oh confider, C H R I S T is your 
 Righteoitjnefs, His complete Obedience is im- 
 puted to you, and you accounted by God, and 
 prefented to Him, completely righteous therein. 
 — What, refufe to be comforted by the Promife^ 
 becaufe of your Unholinefs, becaufe of your re- 
 maining Corruptions, and the Imperfedion of 
 your Graces ? CHRIST is your SanBijication. 
 In his perfedl perfonal Holinefs, as your Head, 
 you as Members of his Body, as Branches in 
 him your holy Root, are prefented completely holy 
 unto God, And in him your Trcafury, your 
 Store-Houfe of all Grace and Glory, you have a 
 
 Fulnefs 
 
[ i6o ] 
 
 fulnefs to be communicated^ in further Mea- 
 fures, unto higher Degrees, until you are fully 
 wrought up into a complete Conformity to Chriji^ 
 to God's Firjl-bom, your glorious Pattern and 
 Exemplar. — What, think you are not the 
 Lord's Free- Men, according to Promife^ becaufe 
 you are ftill in fome Degree, bound by Sin and 
 Satan, overcome by thefe Enemies, and brought 
 into Captivity ; and thereby, into Bondage- 
 Frames ? Oh fee, CHRIST is your Redemp^ 
 tion ? In him your Redemption is complete. As 
 you ftand before God in a rifen JESUS, Sin 
 hath no more Dominion over you ; Satan's 
 Power is quite deftroy'd ; and i\-\Q Law is per- 
 feaiy fulfiird. In Chrift, you are Free-Men 
 indeed : Completely redeemed from all Slavery, 
 into full and glorious Liberty. In him the 
 Work is completely and for ever done. And by 
 Virtue of that complete Redemption by Price, 
 which you now have in Chrift ; you fliall ere- 
 long be completely redeemed by Power, in all 
 Refpc6l?, in your own Perfons, from all Mifery, 
 unto all Glory. — Oh doubt not your Intereft in 
 the Promifes of GOT), becaufe of your own 
 IVants and Emptinefs ; fince they are made un- 
 to you in CHRIST, who is All Fulnefs, and 
 your ALL. And ye (laith the Holy Ghoft) are 
 compkat in Him, Col. ii. 20. Not ytJJ:all be^ 
 tho' that is a Truth contained in other Texts ; 
 but ye /2r^ complete in Him. Your Ccmplete- 
 nefs in Chrift, my Brethren, is fo full, fo un- 
 changeably 
 
f i6i ] 
 changeably perfecfl, that nothing can be taken 
 from it, nor added to it. It rifes not with your 
 holy Frames, nor finks when they fall. Go4 
 hath given you a complete Head, a full Com- 
 pletenefs in him, and an everlafting Acceptance 
 in the Beloved. In Him, you are every Way 
 fjch as God can delight in. And all the Pro- 
 mifes being made unto you /;; Chriji^ m Him 
 your perfed:, your acceptable K"^^; there are 
 none of -your perfonal Imperfections, that can, or 
 fhall, hinder the Performance thereof unto you, 
 through Him. And as the Promife is the Ex- 
 prefTion of God's Hearty of the fovereign Re- 
 folve of his Will, to be gracious unto you in 
 and thro' his dear Son; It ftands in the infinite, 
 immutable Grace of J E H O VA H's Nature\ 
 quite independent on your Goodnefs, and can 
 never fail, fo long as G O D endures. Oh 
 my Brethren, you little Things, What, doubt 
 the Love of God, and the Promife of his Grace, 
 becaufe you fee no Worthinefs, no Lovelinefsm 
 yourfelves .? Little do you think, How freely, 
 how greatly GOD loves you ! He loves you 
 like his Great -SELF! yea, the Love of God 
 to you, is HIMSELF loving you ! And can 
 you meafure the Heighth, the Depth , the 
 Breadths and Lengths of infinite Love^ No ; 
 it pajeth Knowledge I is far beyond the Search 
 of finite Underftanding ! None but GOD 
 himfelf, perfedly kiiows the infinite Glories, 
 
 L the 
 
[ l62 ] 
 
 the Freenefs, the Sovereignty, the Strength, the 
 Greatnefs, the vaft Infinity and Eternity of his 
 Love unto you. All the Fulnefs of GOD, is 
 comprised in his Love, The Promife ftands in 
 infinite Love^ as well as in an infinite P erf on, infi- 
 nitely beloved 'y and from thence, thro* Chrijl^ 
 fhall have a glorious Fulfilment, to the moll un- 
 lovely, unworthy, poor, and needy Souls^ that 
 hang upon the Promife of Grace held forth to 
 Sinners, in the Word of the Gofpel. Oh my 
 Brethren, The LORD your GOD (thro' the 
 once-bleeding, now rifen, interceding, and reign- 
 ing Lx^MB) in the Midjl of you is mighty-, 
 Hewillfave^ he will rejoice over you with foy : 
 He will reft in his Love ^ he will joy over you with 
 Singing, Zt^\i. 'ill. I J. Doth GOD refl^ com- 
 placently and continually reft in his Love towards 
 you in C H R I S T : And will not you refl in it ? 
 Is it the infinite Refolve of G O D's Heart, to 
 fave you thro' CHRIST: And will you not 
 believe it ? Will God rejoice over yoUy to do you 
 Good with his whole Heart;, and with his whole 
 Soul, and joy over you therein with Singing : 
 And (liall not your Hearts and Souls, ftng and 
 rejoice, in and with Him ? Oh hearken to your 
 Lord's Voice, even you who are the weakeft 
 Lambs of Chrift's Fold : For unto you he faith. 
 Rejoice in the Lord alway : And again Ifay^ 
 Rejoice, Phil, iv, 4,— And hence, my Brethren, 
 
 While 
 
{ 1^3 ] 
 
 While you live and walk by Faith, I would 
 give a Hint, 
 
 Secondly^ That it is the Duty and Privilege of 
 a Believer^ to improve his Faith, unto Holt" 
 nefs. Abide in me^ faith our Lord, and I in 
 you. As the Branch cannot bear Fruit of itjelf^ 
 except it abide in the Vine : No more can ye, ex^ 
 cept ye abide in me. I am the Vine, ye are 
 the Branches : He that abideth in me, and 
 I in Him, the fame bringeth forth much Fruit : 
 for without me^ ye can do nothing, John xv. 
 4, 5. Believing our Intereft in JESUS, it 
 is our Duty, to go out of our empty needy 
 Selves, unto the Fulnefs of Chrift by Faith, 
 to derive Life and Strength from Him con- 
 tinually, to maintain and increafe our Graces, 
 and to enable us for all holy Duties. And 
 the more we improve our Faith of Intereft 
 in Chrift, to abide in Him as our Root of In- 
 fluence ', the more Sap and Nourifhment fhall 
 we derive from Him, to enable us to bring 
 forth Fruit unto God. The more will our dear 
 Lord, and His, and our Father, be glorify'd in 
 us, if we bear much Fruit. And the greater 
 our Obedience of Faith and Love is ; the greater 
 will be our Lord's Joy in us, as obedient Chil- 
 dren to Him, as fruitful Branches in Him ; 
 and the more abundant will be our own Joy. 
 As, Ver. 8, — it. Herein is my Father glorified^ 
 that ye bear much Fruit, fo J}:all ye be my Dif- 
 
 L 2 ciples. 
 
[ i64 ] 
 
 dpks, Thefe Things have I fpoken unto you^ 
 that my Joy might reinain in you^ and that ycur 
 Joy might be full, Thofe are fruitful Chriftians, 
 glorious Souls, who improve their Faith of In- 
 tereft in Chrift, unto abiding in Him, and de- 
 riving from Him continually ; in Order to their 
 walking with Him clofely, in the white Gar- 
 ments of a Gofpel-Converfation, or in all Maii^ 
 Tier cf holy Converfation and Godlinefs, Faith 
 and Holinefs, are clofely conne^fed in the Gof- 
 pel of Chrift. And having an High Prie/i over 
 the Houfe of God : Says the Apoftle, Let us 
 draw near with a true Hearty in full Afjurance 
 of Faith ^ having our Hearts fprinkled from an 
 evil Conjcience^ and our Bodies wajhed with pure 
 Wc, t r. Let us hold fafl the Profefjion of our 
 Faith without waverings (for He is faithful that 
 hath promifed) And let us cmfidtr one another to 
 provoke unto Love, and to good Works, Heb. x. 
 2 1, 22, 23. And thus he addreffes the Saints, 
 2 Cor. vii. I. Having therefore thefe Promifes^ 
 (dearly beloved) let us cleanfe ourf elves from all 
 Filthinefs of the Fle/I: and Spirit, perfe&ing Ho- 
 linefs in the Fear of God, The Lord that was 
 Hie Author, will be the Finijf^ier of our Faith : 
 And yet we are exhorted to hold fafl our Confi- 
 dence, The God of Peace will fmolify us wholly : 
 And yet we are exhorted to Cleanfe ourfelves, and 
 to perfe5i Hclinefs in his Fear. Which flievvs us. 
 That the fame Work, which is God's efiicienth\ 
 
 is 
 
[ i65 ] 
 K ours tnllrimentally : Or, that God will do it 
 for us, in the Ufe of thofe Mea;2s which He 
 hath appointed. And as ho/Ji?2g fafi the Pro- 
 fejfion of our Faith without Waverifjg^ we are 
 exhorted to provoke one another unto Love^ and 
 to good Works : And as having thefe Promifcs, 
 we are exhorted to Clea?jfe ourfelves, &;c. It 
 ftiews us, That Faith and full jjjurance of Faith, 
 hath a glorious Influence into Holinefs^ and is a 
 ftrong Motive thereunto. And therefore the 
 Apoftle John, when he fays, in the full AfTu- 
 ranee of Faith, Beloved, now are we the Sons 
 of God, and it doth not yet appear what we 
 Jhall be : but we know, that when He fljall ap^ 
 pear, we Jhall be like Him-, for we /hall fee Hint 
 as He is, i John iii. 2. He adds, And every 
 Man that hath this Hope in him, purifieth himfelf, 
 even as He is pure, Ver. 3. And, He that faith 
 he abide th in Him, ought himfelf alfo fo to walk, 
 even as He alfo walked. Chap. ii. 6. — Thus it 
 appears to be the Duty of a Believer, to improve 
 his Faith, unto Holinefs, As we ought to take 
 up^ our Faith of Intereft in Chrift and his Sal- 
 vation, firft and principally, upon the Credit 
 of the free and faithful Promife of a G O D 
 that cannot lie, made in his Book, and apply^d 
 to the Heart of every one that believeth in JE- 
 SUS; and to hold this faft in the Face of a 
 thoufand Difcouragements from the Strength 
 of remaining Corruptions, and the Weaknefs 
 
 L 3 of 
 
[ i66 ] 
 
 of our Graces : So likewife, for the Glory of 
 God^ we ought to improve Faith, unto Holt- 
 nefs. And as this is cur Duty ; fo our Pri- 
 vilege, For ' our own Comfort too, ought we 
 thus to put Faith out to life, Inafmuch as 
 when Faith at God's Command, goes out 
 diredly to its ObjeB ; Senfe by his Appoint- 
 ment, comes in, in an orderly Way, to cor- 
 roborate and ftrengthen Faith's Teflimony, And 
 therefore faith this Apoflle ^ohn^ And hereby 
 we do know that we know hinty if we keep 
 his Commandment s^^ i John ii. 3. And thus 
 the Apoflle Pauly And we defire that every 
 one of you do Jloew the fame Diligence^ unto 
 the full AfTurance of Hope unto the End, Heb. 
 vi. II. And as, my Brethren, our Growth 
 in Grace, and in the Knowledge of Chrifl, 
 will be proportionable to our Diligence in 
 the Ufe of Means ; as God's manifeflative 
 Glory and our prefent Comfort are greatly 
 concerned herein ; So hkewife is our future 
 Crown of Righteoujnefs, that Reward of good 
 Works, which of the freeft Grace, awaits 
 Believers at Chrift's Appearing. As i Cor, iii. 
 1.3, 14. And thus the Apoflle Peter exhorts 
 the Saints, unto whom are given exceeding 
 great and precious Promifes, that by thefe the^ 
 might be Partakers of the Divine 'Nature^ ha- 
 ving efcaped the Pollution which is in the World 
 tbrough Lujl : Giving all Dilige?ice, add to 
 
 jour 
 
r '67 ] 
 
 your Faith, Virtue 5 and to Virtue, Knowledge ; 
 and to Knowledge, Temperance-, and to Tem^ 
 perancey Patience ; and to Patience, Godli- 
 nefs ; and to Godlinefs, brotherly Kindnejs ; and 
 to brotherly Kindnefs, Charity, For (faith he) 
 ;/ thefe 'Things be in you, and abound, they 
 make you that ye fldall neither be barren nor 
 unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jefus 
 Chrijl, But he that lacketh thefe Things,^ is 
 blind, and cannot fee far of, and ^ hath for- 
 gotten that he was purged from his old Sifis. 
 (The Believer, that don't give all Diligence, 
 to add to his Faith, Holinefs; weakens his 
 Confidence in the Forgivenefs of Sins, and 
 raifes Mifts of Darknefs, to obfcure the Glory 
 thereof from his View) Wherefore the rather. 
 Brethren, give Diligence to make your Calling 
 and EleBion fure ; (To make it (land forth 
 to be feen in the Fruits of it, to the Glory 
 of God, as it were unfhaken before all ; that 
 by contrary walking, your Intereft in elediing 
 and calling Grace may not feem to totter, 
 or fall, to the View of others, nor yet appear 
 tincertain in your own Sight) For if ye do 
 thefe Things, faith the Apoftle, ye fiall never 
 fall. (From your own Stedfaftnefs in Faith 
 and Holinefs, while another outruns you, 
 and takes your Crown) For fo an Entrance 
 fiall be minifired unto you abundantly (as rich 
 Heirs of Glory, filled with the Fruits of 
 
 L 4 Righ- 
 
[ i68 ] 
 
 Righteoufnefs) into the everlajling Kingdom 
 of our Lord and Saviour Jejus Chrifl^ 2 Pet. 
 
 i. 4, £?^. — 
 
 Unto you then, my dear Brethren, who are 
 enabled to live by Faith^ when you have not 
 fplritual Se?ife^ gracious Frames, and joyful 
 inward Feelings to reft on ; unto you let me 
 lay, As you are hleft with the Faith of your 
 Completenefs in Chrijl-y -Follow on to know 
 HIM, the Felhwfiip of his Sufferings, and 
 the Power of his Refurredtion more and more 
 in your own Souls daily. You are now com- 
 plete in Chrifl, You are {hortly to be fo thro' 
 Him, in your o%vn Perfons, Oh, Abiding in 
 Chrift by Faith, haften on, in the Ufe of all 
 the Means of Grace, unto that Day's Glory! 
 I know that the Love of Chrift, and of God 
 in Him, will conflrain you-, that Aflurancc 
 of Faith, hath a glorious Influence into all 
 holy Pradice. But yet, my Brethren, the 
 Lord fees we need, and we ought to fjffer, 
 T^he Word of Exhortation, For as Satan tempts 
 us to Unbelief from our Incompletenefs in 
 ourfelves, while we look for fpiritual Senfe 
 to affift our Faith, for perfonal Holinefs, to 
 help u8 to believe the Promifes, or iirft and 
 primarily to take up our Faith of Intereft in 
 them from thence : So when we are bleft 
 with the Faitli of our Completenefs in Chrifl, 
 when the glorious Influence which attends 
 
 the 
 
[ i6g] 
 
 the Moments of Difcovery, is worn off our 
 Spirits; Satan may tempt us to carnal Se^ 
 curity. And our own flothful Hearts, may 
 infenfibly fink into fpiritual Lazinefs^ and 
 a Negledl of that vigorous Purfuit after per- 
 
 final Holinefs, which is call'd for of thofe 
 who believe their Completenefs in JESUS. 
 As on the one Hand, being tempted, we ad- 
 here too much to Senje^ before we wil^ believe : 
 So on the other Hand, it is poffible that we 
 may be tempted, when we begin to go by 
 Faith, to have too great a Difregard of fpiri- 
 tual Senfe. — I fpeak not thus, my honoured 
 Brethren, as if I knew, or thought, that this 
 was the Cafe with any of you. But I only 
 
 ^give a Hint, that in this Refpecfl, as well as 
 in others, we all ought to beware oi Satan's 
 Devices ; who at all Times, and by all Ways, 
 feeks to hinder our Faith and Holinefs. And 
 alfo to keep up an holy Watch over our own 
 wicked Hearts^ which are naturally bent to 
 Backfliding from God. Let us firjl be con- 
 cern'd about our Duty, and to enjoy our Privi- 
 lege, of Believing without Sight, of Believing 
 our Intereft in Chrift, and his Salvation, mere- 
 ly upon the Credit of the free Promife of the 
 faithful and unchanging God, amidft a thoufand 
 Changes in oufelves: And next, let us mod 
 earneftly labour after Senfe, or the fenfible En- 
 joyment of God, and an entire Dedication to 
 
 Him, 
 
t 170 ] 
 Him. If we duly regard the former^ we can't 
 be too much in earneft about the latter. Senfc 
 is an unfpeakable Privilege, when it is added to 
 Faith. When Senfe is kept in a due Subordina- 
 tion to Faith, and follows it in its appointed 
 Order ; it is like adding another Sail to a Ship, 
 to make its Motion more fwift. Let Faith be 
 the main Top- fail ; and Senfe as a lower Sail^ 
 will be of vaft Advantage. When Faith and 
 Senfe ^vg join' d,- or: Faith and all the other Graces 
 are in Exercife^ in the Duties and Beauties of 
 Holinefs j when all Sails are up^ when all Sails are 
 Jill*d with the glorious Gales of the Holy Ghojl ; 
 That Soul hath full AJfurance^ or in full Sail 
 of Faith, runs fwectly and fwiftly, as it were 
 diredly before the Heavenly Wind, unto its de- 
 fired Haven of eternal Glory, Thofe are glo- 
 rious Chriftians, who in an unfliaken Faith of 
 their Intereft in Chrift, and in God thro' Him, 
 are Men : And yet in their Defires after Conl- 
 munion with God in Love, or a frequent ta/f^ 
 ing that the Lord is gracious, to influence their 
 Souls into all gracious Pra6lice, are like nei,v^ 
 born Babes. Oh my Brethren, our Lord, our 
 God, is a Lover : And He takes an infinite 
 Pleafure in his People's Love, In our loving 
 of Him, who firfl loved us. Our loving Lord, 
 delights to have us Y\kQfo7id Children, that want 
 always to hang on the Breaft, and be dandled 
 on the Knee^ and that can't endure their Pa- 
 rent's 
 
[ 171 ] 
 
 rent's Ahfence, Highly our Lord commend- 
 ed the Church at Ephefus for her Obedience, 
 i^^i;. ii. 2, 3. Neverthelefs, faith he, / have 
 fomewhat againft theCy becaufe thou haft left 
 thy firft Love, Ver. 4. We fhould have more 
 of our Lord's Prefence, if we could not be 
 contented without it, if we did not let Trifles 
 and Creature- Vanities run away with our Hearts. 
 TChcrefore (faith the Prophet) 7hou ha/l for^ 
 faken thy People^ the Hozife ^/ Jacob, becaufe 
 they be replentJJoed from the Eaft, — aJtd they 
 pleafe them/elves in the Children of Strangers, 
 Ifa. ii. 6. It was well faid by a dear Servant of 
 Chrift, " Faith carries it above all the Graces, 
 " in Point oi Juftijication : But Love above all, 
 *' in Point of Chrift's Manifejlation of Hi?njelf. 
 " Chrift knows what it is to love ; and no Soul 
 " fhall die for the Love of Him'" Fond Souls^ 
 that love the Enjoyment of Chrift, and are ear- 
 neft to (hew their Love to Him in keeping his : 
 Commandments ; fliall be eminently bleffed with 
 his, and with his Father s Prefe?ice. Accord- 
 ing to his Promife, John xiv. 21, 23. He that 
 hath my Commandments, and keepetb them. He 
 it is that loveth me : And he that loveth me, 
 P^all be loved of my Father, and I will love him, 
 
 and will manifeft myfelf unto him, And 
 
 we will come unto him, and make our Abode 
 
 with him. Come then, my Brethren, you 
 
 that are bleft with the Views of your Complete- 
 
 nefs 
 
/ 
 
 f ^72 ] 
 
 mfs in Chrijl and with the Faith oUntercflm 
 God s eternal and unchangeable Love thro' him; 
 with this ftrong Wine of the Gofpel, refrefli'd 
 T^ Giants, rejoice to run the Race that is fet 
 b3fore you in all holy Obedience. Oh. none 
 have filch Furniture for Holinefs, and are under 
 fuel, high Obhgations to this glorious Liberty 
 as thofe Chnfiiins, who are blefl with the Faith 
 of Affurance, with the Views of their un- 
 changeable Completenefs in Chrift, amidft all 
 the Variations of their own Frames. Come 
 my Brethren, look to Christ, your glorious 
 I'attern: See you not, how perfcftly dead you 
 are to Sw, and alive unto God in Chrijl ? Rom 
 VI. II. See you not the complete Glory of the 
 fecond Mam, and your Completenefs in Him ? 
 Oh remember, that as is the Head, Co muft 
 be the Members. As is the Heavenly Man fo 
 muft thofe be that are Heavenly. Such they 
 are in a begun Meafure ; fuch they ffjaine in 
 the higheft Perfedion, , Cor. xv. 48. Are you 
 dead to Sin in Chrijl? Oh, Let not Sin live and 
 reign tn your mortal Body, that you (hould obey it 
 m the Lujli thereof, Rom. vi. 12. Are you 
 iihve unto God in Chrifl? Oh reft not in dead 
 Irfelefi Frames; but feek renewed ancknin<rs 
 from Chrift your living Head, from Him the 
 fecond Adam, who is to you, a quickning Spi- 
 
 '/' \ ^°''' ^''- "^^^ ^^ y"""" ^''"'^ ^nto God, 
 found in Chrijl, your green Fir-Tree ? Oh reft 
 
 not 
 
[ 173 ] 
 
 not In a barren^ fruitlefs Conditicn m your own 
 Souls ; but in the Ufe of all appointed Means, 
 feek for frefh divine Influences, that you may 
 have your Fruit unto Holifiefs -, the E72d where- 
 of w^ill be Everlafiing Life, Rom. vi. 22. Are 
 you made nigh unto God in Cbrijl, admitted 
 into the higheft Favour and Fellowfliip? Oh 
 endure not Dijlance from God in your own 
 Souls ; you are called into FellowJJoip with the 
 Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift : Draw 
 nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you^ 
 
 Jam. iv. 8. Oh my Brethren, May we 
 
 not blame ourfelves for our own Deadnefs, Un- 
 fruitfulnefs, and Diftance from God ? Hath He 
 ever [aid to the Seed of Jacob, feek ye ME in 
 I'ain ? Do we not rather lie down upon a Bed 
 of Sloth, when our J5^/cw^ withdraws himfelfj 
 then arife to feek Him in the Ufe of Means, 
 till the Grace of the Means flows down upon 
 us, and quickens us to a holy Earneftnefs, and 
 Refllefnefs of Spirit, until we fnd him whom 
 our Souls love ? In a Word, my Brethren, Are 
 we complete in Chrift ? Do we believe it, and fo 
 enter into Refi by Faith? Never let us reji 
 from Duty,^ till in conformity to him, we 
 are compleat in ourfelves. Let us not think. 
 That we have already attained, or that we, 
 are already perfeB : but let us follow after^ 
 if that we may apprehend that (perfed: Holinefs 
 and Glory) fr which alfo we are apprehended 
 
 of 
 
) 
 
 [ ^74 3 
 
 Chrijl Jefus^ Phil. iii. 12. -And now, 
 
 my dear Brethren, That the God of Peace^ may 
 Jill you ally with all jfoy and Peace in Believing-, 
 JanBify you wholly in Spirit, Soul and Body : 
 j^nd preferve you blamelefs unto the Coming 
 of our Lord Jefus Chrijl : Is the hearty De- 
 fire of, 
 
 My Honoured Brethren, 
 
 Tour mojl AfeBionate Friend 
 
 And humble Servant, 
 
 In our glorious LORD, 
 
 The once Slain, now 
 
 Reigning LAMB, 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 E R R J r J. 
 
 PAGE 30, Line i, for /z Mediator, read />^f Mediator. 
 p. 32, 1. ig, blot out Jh<7//. p. 46, 1. 28, for ineffable, r. 
 ineffably, p. 59, 1. 24, for andy r. an. p. 60, 1. 7. for Good, 
 r. Taking. p. 74, 1. 10, for offy r. of. p. 103, 1. 23, blot out 
 in our. p. 125, 1. 24, for God, r. Gocl. p. 1 40, 1. 1 7, for 
 Doingy r. Doings, p. 147, 1. 31, for /V, i, in. 
 
1 
 
 ¥ 
 
^ 
 
 W: 
 
w- ■ f^^^p^|p^*^pi'^^^!ii^/|. 
 
 7. '