I or 
 
 I THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, | 
 * Princeton, N. J. 
 
 BX5037 .R654 1830 
 Romaine, William, 1714-1795 
 Select letters of the Rev. 
 William Romaine 
 
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0 
 
 4 
 
SELECT LETTERS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 REV. WILLIAM ROMAINE, A. M. 
 
 WITH 
 
 AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY, 
 
 BY 
 
 THOMAS CHALMERS, D.D. 
 
 PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH. 
 
 GLASGOW: 
 
 PRINTED FOR WILLIAM COLLINS; 
 
 OLIVER & BOYD, WM. WHYTE & CO. AND ^VM. OLIPHANT, EDINBURGH 
 W. F. WAKEMAN, AND WM. CURRY, JUN. & tO. DUBLIN ; 
 WHITTAKEB, TREACHER, & ABNOT ; HAMILTON, ADAMS, & CO. 
 SIMPKIN & MARSHALL ; BALDWIN & CRADOCK ; 
 AND HUBST, CHANCE, & CO. LONDON. 
 
 MDCCCXXX. 
 
Printed by W. Collins fc Co. 
 Glasgow. 
 
INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 
 
 In our former Essay to Mr. Romaine's Treatises on 
 the Life, Walk, and Triumph of Faith, we observed, 
 that the great and unceasing topics on which he de- 
 lighted to expatiate were, the atoning blood and per- 
 fect righteousness of Christ, as forming the great 
 and only foundation of his hope and of his confi- 
 dence towards God. These important doctrines of 
 the Christian faith, form the no less favourite and 
 oft-recurring theme which pervades, and is diffused 
 through the whole texture of the excellent Letters 
 of which the present Volume is composed. And 
 though they may not be fitted to stimulate the un- 
 derstanding, or to regale the fancy of the merely 
 intellectual reader; yet, to the simple-hearted and 
 spiritually-minded Christian, these precious and con- 
 soling truths, however frequently presented, will be 
 felt in all the freshness and power of their peace- 
 speaking, holy, and regenerating influence. In this 
 respect, he imitated the example of the great Apostle 
 of the Gentiles, vvho expressed his determination to 
 know nothing among his people " save Jesus Christ 
 and hira crucified." 
 
vi 
 
 We have frequently insisted on one great claim that 
 the doctrine of Christ crucified has upon our attention ; 
 namely, that, by the knowledge of it, we obtain de- 
 liverance from the greatest calamity which hangs over 
 our species ; and that is, the curse of God's violated 
 law, with all the pains and penalties which are con- 
 sequent thereupon. We shall, in our following ob- 
 servations, advert to another mighty claim which the 
 same doctrine has upon our attention ; namely, that, 
 by the knowledge of it, we farther obtain the meri- 
 torious, or the rightful possession of God's favour; 
 so that we do not simply enter upon the bliss of eter- 
 nity as having become ours in fact, and by a mere 
 deed of generosity, but we enter upon it as hav- 
 ing become ours in equity, and by a deed of justice. 
 Through Christ crucified we acquire a title to heaven 
 as our reward, and that as much as if we ourselves 
 had done that stipulated work, for which heaven was 
 rendered to us as the stipulated wages : and this is a 
 very different footing from that of the bare convey- 
 ance of a gift, for it is a conveyance that is secured 
 and shielded by the guarantees of a covenant ; so as to 
 make it, not a mere act of mercy, but an act of right- 
 eousness for God to bestow ; and we, in receiving, 
 lay hold not merely of a donative, but also of our 
 due. 
 
 Now, there are many who do not perceive that 
 this second privilege, of being instated, through 
 Christ crucified, in a righteousness before God, is 
 essentially distinct from the former privilege, that 
 of being delivered from guilt. They contemplate 
 the whole of a sinner's reconciliation with God, as 
 one general benefit coming out of the atonement 
 
vii 
 
 that has been rendered for him on the cross, and 
 which does not admit of being severed into parts, as 
 has been done by the adepts of an artificial and 
 scholastic theology. They are not disposed to look 
 separately to our being freed from condemnation, and 
 so rescued from hell ; and to our being vested with a 
 positive righteousness, and so made the rightful heirs 
 and expectants of heaven. They would rather abide 
 by their habit of viewing the gift that is by Jesus 
 Christ as one and indivisible ; and regard the attempt 
 to decompose it into ingredients, more as a subtilty 
 of human invention, than as the dictate of a mind 
 that has been soundly and scripturally informed. 
 And thus would they treat lightly the distinction 
 that has been so much urged by some theologians, 
 between the passive and the active obedience of 
 Christ; or between the efficacy of the one to redeem 
 from the incurred penalty, and the eflBcacy of the 
 other to reinstate in the forfeited reward ; between 
 the tendency of his sufferings to avert all the wrath 
 of the Divinity, and so to turn away from us the dis- 
 pleasure under which we lay, and the tendency of 
 his services to restore to us the forfeited reward, 
 and so transfer to us, for whom these services were 
 undertaken, God's favour and kindness, as much 
 as if they had been rendered in our own person and 
 by our own performances. This attempt to mark 
 off the mediatorship of Christ into two great de- 
 partments, has been branded as an attempt to be 
 wise above that which is written; and, when pursued 
 into the still greater nicety of endeavouring to trace 
 and to follow it throughout the line of demarcation 
 that is betwixt them, then has the whole speculation 
 
viii 
 
 been denounced as one that ministers questions of 
 strife rather than of godly edifying, and to which we 
 cannot turn aside, without being involved in perverse 
 disputings, and the jangling of vain controversy. 
 
 Now, we fully participate in this dislike at all such 
 metaphysics of theology, as minister nothing in the 
 way of comfort, or of direction, or of salutary influ- 
 ence to the plain mind of a plain and practical in- 
 quirer. And therefore we shall attempt nothing at 
 present that is not quite broad and palpable, and 
 shall avoid every thing that would require an eye of 
 very minute or microscopic discrimination. It may 
 be a matter of no great usefulness so to arrange and 
 to classify the privileges of a believer, as accurately 
 to refer each to the distinct services by which Christ 
 hath insured it for those who put their trust in him. 
 But surely it is of importance to know what these 
 privileges are, and for this purpose to make them the 
 objects, if not of any acute or subtile exercise of the 
 understanding, at least of simple enumeration. And 
 we should feel as if much had been left untold, were 
 we not made to know that Christ hath brought in an 
 everlasting righteousness, as well as finished trans- 
 gressions and made an end of sins — that he hath won 
 for us the reward of heaven, as well as averted from us 
 the vengeance of hell — that he hath not only re- 
 deemed us from the sentence of death, but hath built 
 up for us a title unto life everlasting — that, besides 
 expunging our name from the book of condemnation, 
 he hath graven it in the book of life — that, instead 
 of standing before God simply as acquitted creatures, 
 and therefore preserved from the place of condemna- 
 tion, we stand before him in the robe of another's 
 
ix 
 
 righteousness, and therefore with the investiture of 
 such an order of merit, as makes it fit that we should 
 be translated to a high place of favour and of dig- 
 nity. We want not to probe and to penetrate into 
 the hidden intricacies of the question. But surely, 
 if to be simply dismissed from the bar at which we 
 stood as arraigned criminals be one thing, and it be 
 another to be thence preferred to a title of renown, or 
 to some station wherewith happiness and honour 
 await us near the palace of our sovereign, then it 
 concerns us to know that there is a justification as 
 well as an atonement; that there is a righteousness 
 as well as a redemption ; that Christ hath done more 
 than advance us to the negative or midway condition 
 of mere innocence; that he hath wrought out for us 
 a mightier transition than to a state of exemption 
 from the torments of the accursed ; that he hath not 
 only retrieved our condition, but hath reversed it, 
 utterly changing the character of our eternity, and 
 turning it from an eternity of torment to an eternity 
 of triumph — having both borne the full weight of our 
 sufferings by taking on himself the guilt of our sins, 
 and having given us of his own righteousness, as our 
 passport and title-deed to the glories of paradise. 
 
 And this view is not without warrant and autho- 
 rity from Scripture. The redemption which is 
 through the blood of Christ is the forgiveness of 
 sins. The righteousness of Christ, ivhich is made 
 to rest on all who believe, brings along with it a title 
 to positive favour, which is something more than for- 
 giveness. The creditor who cancels our debt, does 
 us a distinct and additional good, when, furthermore, 
 he puts the deeds or the documents into our hands 
 
 A3 
 
X 
 
 by which we are constituted the rightful claimants of 
 any given property. And so Christ, in one place, 
 is represented as a surety for the sins of those who 
 believe in him ; and in another, as having purchased 
 for them an inheritance, to which they, and they 
 alone, have the right of entry and of possession. 
 Moreover, we read of Christ being " delivered for 
 our offences, and raised again for our justification ;" 
 or, that by his death he made atonement for sin ; and 
 by his resurrection he re-entered heaven, and is there 
 employed in preparing those mansions by which are 
 rewarded the righteousness of those who believe in 
 him. One fruit of the mediation of Christ is said to 
 be peace with God. But not only so, writes the 
 Apostle ; in addition to having drawn back his hosti- 
 lity, he sends forth upon us his loving-kindness. 
 And hence another fruit of the mediation is, that we 
 have access to the grace wherein we stand. Yet it 
 must be owned, that, notwithstanding the real dis- 
 tinction which there is between release from a pen- 
 alty and admittance to a positive reward, and the cor- 
 responding distinction that has been made by theolo- 
 gians, between the passive obedience of Christ, by 
 which it is held that the one has been averted, and 
 the active obedience of Christ, by which it is held 
 that the other has been rightfully earned for us, — it 
 must be owned, we say, notwithstanding, that it is the 
 obedience of Christ unto the death which seems to 
 have formed the main price, not only of all the im- 
 munities, but of all the privileges that believers en- 
 joy. It was from his death that the incense of a 
 sweet-smelling savour arose unto God. It was be- 
 cause of his death that God highly exalted him, and 
 
xi 
 
 gave him a name above every name. It was from 
 the grave that he ascended, rich in the spoils of a su- 
 perabundant merit, wherewith he decks and dignifies 
 all his followers. And thus there is not only a re- 
 mission, but a righteousness that has been wrought 
 out by the expiation on the cross. It was there that 
 he became sin for us, though he knew no sin ; and it 
 was also in virtue of what has been done there, that 
 we are made the righteousness of God in him. The 
 hope of our glory, as well as the price of our deliver- 
 ance, stands connected with the knowledge of Jesus 
 Christ and him crucified. 
 
 We afBrm it to be of the very essence of gospel 
 mercy, that, instead of a mere demonstration of 
 Heaven's love, there went along with it a full de- 
 monstration of Heaven's righteousness — that it ren- 
 dered glory to the law, and by the very act where- 
 with it rendered grace unto those who had trampled 
 on the law. The forgiveness that is unto the sinner 
 under this dispensation, bears upon it an awful char- 
 acter of sacredness and majesty — seeing that it never 
 could have issued on a guilty world but through the 
 channel of a consecrated priesthood, and with the 
 blood of a divine expiation. There is pity on high 
 to the children of men — but it is pity enshrined in 
 holiness, and to which there is no other way of ac- 
 cess than by the safeguards of a government that 
 is unchangeable. We cannot come unto the throne 
 of grace but through a mediatorship, where at once 
 may be seen the manifested truth and vindicated 
 justice of the Godhead — nor can we obtain the com- 
 passion of our offended Lawgiver, without knocking 
 at the door of a sanctuary, where dwell, in still un- 
 
XII 
 
 violated purity and greatness, all the wondrous attri- 
 butes that belong to him. 
 
 Now, this is what we hold to be the leading and 
 the characteristic peculiarity of the dispensation un- 
 der which we live. All that we receive is, doubtless^ 
 in the way of a gift — and yet it is a gift for which 
 a price has been rendered, so as to make it legally 
 and rightfully ours. The penalty is remitted to us, 
 but not till it was paid down, as it were, by another's 
 sufferings. Heaven has been granted to us, but 
 not till it was purchased by another's services. So 
 that the believer has not merely privileges simply 
 and gratuitously conferred upon him ; but he is in- 
 vested with a right to these privileges. He can lay 
 claim to them as a thing of obligation — not in virtue 
 of any equivalent that has been rendered by himself, 
 but in virtue of a full equivalent that has been ren- 
 dered by another. When eternal life is bestowed 
 upon us, it is not in the shape of a bare donative, 
 the fruit of a movement of generosity alone. It is 
 a reward granted to us on consideration of a right- 
 eousness, although that righteousness is not properly 
 and personally ours. Still, it is the fulfilment of a 
 stipulation — the implementing of a contract or a cove- 
 nant between parties; and when man enters upon 
 his blissful eternity, he only takes possession of that 
 which is his due, and which God hath bound him- 
 self, as by the conditions of a treaty, to award unto 
 him. 
 
 And here it is of importance to mark — how 
 much more secure our hope of heaven is, when laid 
 upon such a foundation. Had the sinner nothing 
 else to build upon than the single attribute of mercy, 
 
xiii 
 
 well might he dread the outbreaking upon his per- 
 son of the other attributes, and feel the perpetual 
 disturbance of fears and of jealousies in his bosom, 
 as he bethought him of the majesty of God, and 
 the unchangeable recoil of a nature that could hold 
 no fellowship with evil. Now, how it must over- 
 rule these terrors, when, with the righteousness of 
 Christ as a plea put into his hand, he now finds 
 even the most menacing attributes of the Divinity en- 
 listed on the side of his salvation. Were his hopes 
 suspended singly on the pity of God, while the ques- 
 tion of all his other perfections was yet undisposed 
 of, there would still be room in the sinner's heart 
 for many doubts and many disquietudes. But how 
 it must allay all these, and what firmness it must 
 give to his anticipations of heaven, when, instead of 
 vaguely trusting for it to the indulgence of God, he 
 in Christ hath acquired a distinct and a well-defined 
 right to it. He is like the man who at first eyed 
 some beautiful estate with fond and foolish expecta- 
 tion, because of the reported generosity of him who 
 owned it — but who afterwards had the title-deed put 
 into his hand, on which he might challenge the pro- 
 perty as his own, and step into the secure and un- 
 disputed possession of it. And thus may a Chris- 
 tian look forward to heaven. He can plead a right 
 for it. He can argue in his behalf a purchase-money 
 that is commensurate to the purchase. He can 
 speak of a value that has been given, and which is 
 adequate to the value that he expects. And he lives 
 beneath his privileges — he is insensible to the whole 
 worth and security of his condition, if his spirit do 
 not rest and be at ease among the guarantees of a. 
 
xiv 
 
 sure and a well-ordered covenant — and if, while he 
 rejoices in the gift of his coming inheritance, he do 
 not fortify his trust by thinking well of the sound- 
 ness and the equity of his claim to it. 
 
 But while we like to say every thing to a believer 
 that should minister to the stability of his confidence, 
 we would say nothing that could minister to his 
 pride, or excite a sense of haughty independence in 
 his bosom. It is not as if he defied God, and entered 
 with him on a field of litigation. It is not as if he 
 challenged, and with a tone of resolute assertion, 
 that which he felt to be rightfully his own, and de- 
 manded it accordingly. What might disarm fiim 
 of this spirit altogether is, that though now pos- 
 sessed of a right to the citizenship of heaven, the 
 right was not won by himself, but conferred upon 
 him by a Mediator. It is not an inherent, but a 
 derived privilege, and for which he stands indebted 
 to another's bounty. What, we ask, are the suitable 
 feelings with which he ought to prosecute his claim 
 upon God, when, in fact, God was the Being who 
 furnished him with this claim against himself? God 
 so loved the world, as to send his Son into it, that 
 he might legalize a place and a possession in heaven 
 for all who believe on him. Should the lordly 
 proprietor make over to a tenant at will the privilege 
 of a perpetual occupation, and give him secure and 
 rightful possession of all the requisite title-deeds, 
 and furnish him out of his own hand with the mate- 
 rials of such a plea or legal argument as might in- 
 sure him against all opposition ; all this goes to vest 
 him with the power of challenging for his own, that 
 which has been conferred upon him by another. But 
 
XV 
 
 this, so far from impairing the character of what he 
 has gotten as a gift, only serves to complete and to 
 enhance it, and should humble him the more into 
 the gratitude and admiration of so noble a bene- 
 factor. And so of all that we obtain by the Gospel. 
 It is a gift all over; and though it includes titles as 
 well as benefits, let it ever be remembered, that they 
 are not titles that we have earned, but titles that 
 have been bestowed upon us. It is the thought of 
 this that should rectify our carriage towards God. 
 It is true, that by the economy of the New Testa- 
 ment, they who believe have a right to the honours 
 of immortality. But the right has been given. It has 
 generously and gratuitously descended from above; 
 and they on whom it hath alighted, while they re- 
 joice in the security thereof, still walk before God 
 with the modesty of his gifted dependants. So far 
 from being arrogant, because of the claim wherewith 
 they have been invested, it only serves as another 
 topic of humility and thankfulness. They appear 
 before God in a robe of righteousness, but they know 
 that it is a robe of his putting on. In his presence 
 they wear an order of merit, but what they wear 
 another hath won — the meed of another's services — 
 the fruit of the travail of another's soul. They feel 
 the whole security of an unquestionable right with- 
 out its arrogance, and are at once high in the con- 
 scious possession of their great prerogative, and hum- 
 ble under the feeling that they are debtors for it all. 
 The reward is a gift; for the righteousness which 
 bath earned the reward is a gift also. Heaven may 
 at first be thought of, not as a present but as a pur- 
 chase ; but it is the more emphatically a present, that 
 
xvi 
 
 by another's purchase it has become justly and legally 
 theirs. It is this which gives its specific character to 
 the economy of the Gospel. It is free in the distri- 
 bution of its blessings; yet, ere the blessings are 
 granted, there must be granted a right to the pos- 
 session of them — and the sinner, having no sucii 
 right in his own person, must derive it from abroad, 
 and owe that to another, which in himself it is im- 
 possible to acquire. Heaven becomes his, not merely 
 in love, but in law ; and in consideration of him who 
 hath fulfilled the law, the bliss of eternity is as much 
 awarded to him by a God of judgment, as it is made 
 over to him by a God of mercy. Yet the law does 
 not obliterate the love, but only makes it more pro- 
 minent. For it was in love that God sent his Son 
 into the world, and in love for the guilty did the Son, 
 in their stead, obey all the precepts, and suffer all the 
 penalties ; and though without a righteousness none 
 shall enter into paradise, yet was it love that provided 
 the righteousness, and now presses it on the accep- 
 tance of us all. None shall be admitted into heaven 
 but from the vantage ground of a finished obedience ; 
 but it was God himself who reared the vantage 
 ground, and who placed the believer thereupon. The 
 whole security of a righteousness is his, the whole glory 
 of it is another's. That he shall have a righteous- 
 ness is indispensable. For this there seems to have 
 been some deep and awful necessity in the divine 
 jurisprudence ; and it has been so provided for, that 
 now the sinner can rightfully claim, and God, with- 
 out the compromise of h?s character as a judge, can 
 rightfully bestow. But the very thing which has 
 established the sinner's plea, has deepened the sinner's 
 
XVll 
 
 obligations ; and, in very proportion to the triutnpk 
 which he feels because of the validity of his right, are 
 both the gratitude and the self-renunciation where- 
 with, in the language of the Prophet, he makes the 
 declaration — " In the Lord have I righteousness." 
 
 We shall close our remarks by adverting to a 
 phrase that we often hear uttered, in the act of 
 combating the resistance of man to the overtures of 
 the Gospel ; and that is, the legal spirit. Now, if 
 by this be meant the demand that nature has for a 
 righteousness wherein to appear before God — this 
 is just as it should be. There is, and there ought 
 to be, a secret misgiving of the heart, when nothing 
 but the general mercy of God is before us, on 
 which to build our reliance. The thought of God's 
 other attributes will intrude and mar the soul's 
 attempt to tranquillize itself. The sense of a holy 
 and unalterable law, whose demands must be met 
 in one way or other, is ever present to the con- 
 science; and, without some adjustment in which it 
 can repose, will leave it unsatisfied. There is a 
 longing for the bliss of eternity, but at the same 
 time a certain unutterable sense upon the heart, that 
 without a something whereby the justice of God might 
 be propitiated, and a homage might be done to the 
 principles of a government that is lofty and unchange- 
 able, this bliss can never be arrived at. We feel, 
 that ere we can enter upon life everlasting, every 
 legal penalty must be done away, and a sufiBcient 
 legal plea be established on which to found our right 
 of admittance before the throne of God. The no- 
 tions and the feelings of jurisprudence are mixed up 
 with our every speculation on the road to heaven ; and 
 
XVIU 
 
 it is the inextinguishable sentiment of every bosom, 
 that, in order to man being inducted there, a some- 
 thing must be done upon which God might hold him 
 to be righteous, and deal with him accordingly. A 
 sense of the need of such a righteousness is univer- 
 sal, and is historically marked both by the sacriBces 
 of heathenism, and by the manifold labours and for- 
 malities of superstitions both in and out of Christen- 
 dom. There is the unexcepted sense of a great 
 moral jurisdiction on the part of God over his crea- 
 tures, and of a law which they are bound to observe 
 — and of the need that there is, if men shall obtain 
 the rewards and preferments of eternity at all, that 
 the law shall give the authority of its consent, so 
 that they may be legally and rightfully conveyed to 
 him. Hence, under all the disguises of all the 
 superstitions upon earth, the universal cry of man for 
 a righteousness in order to find acceptance with his 
 God — a cry which the Bible does not resist, but to 
 which it fully and explicitly responds, when it affirms 
 of the sanctions of the law, that they are irreversible, 
 and that heaven and earth must pass away rather 
 than that one jot or one tittle of the law shall fail. 
 
 Now, it may serve to guide us out of all our 
 perplexitie.-, and to establish us on the right land- 
 ing-place, did we see what is right, and accurately 
 distinguish it from what is wrong in this legal spirit. 
 In so far then, as the legal spirit prompts him by 
 whom it is actuated, to seek for a legal right of ad- 
 mittance into heaven, we have nothing to say against 
 it. It seems the general apprehension of nature, 
 in all countries and in all ages, that there is no 
 reaching a habitation of bliss and of divine favour 
 
xix 
 
 through eternity, but by the stepping-stone of a 
 righteousness — and this apprehension we hold to be 
 a sound one. The error Has not in seeking such a 
 righteousness, but in seeking it from the wrong 
 quarter. The capital delusion is in attempting to 
 build up a righteousness out of our own doings, in- 
 stead of fleeing for shelter under the offered right- 
 eousness that has already been built up out of the 
 doings of another. This is all that we hold to be 
 wrong in the legal spirit ; for, in as far as the mere 
 attempt to make up a title-deed is concerned — in as 
 far as the wish is felt to have a right of entry to the 
 inheritance that is above put into our hands, which 
 may be examined at the court of heaven's judicatory, 
 and be there sustained as in every way valid and con- 
 stitutional, — this, for which nature every where has 
 so strong an appetite, so far from being denounced 
 as wrong in Scripture, it is the great design of the 
 Gospel to meet and to satisfy. The object in the 
 general is not wrong — though it is very possible that 
 we may go miserably astray, by looking for it in a 
 wrong direction. It is by looking for it in ourselves 
 that we err so grievously, when we should look unto 
 Jesus Christ, and say, in the words of the Prophet, 
 " In the Lord have I righteousness." The errand 
 upon which he came, was to bring a righteousness into 
 the world, that each sinner who would, might lay hold 
 of as his sacred and available plea for admittance into 
 heaven. This is the righteousness that God hath 
 ordained as the channel of approach, by which even 
 the worst of transgressors may draw nigh ; of which 
 they are all invited to make confident mention in 
 their prayers for acceptance ^ and on account of which 
 
3£X 
 
 God stands pledged to accept and to reward them 
 accordingly. In the New Testament it is called the 
 righteousness of God. It is not because of our de- 
 sire for a righteousness that we are on the wrong 
 path to heaven ; but because, instead of submitting 
 to this righteousness of God, we seek to establish 
 one of our own. In a word, it is self-righteousness 
 that is the great stumbling-block in our way. It is 
 the vain enterprise of working an adequate and a 
 satisfying merit out of our own obedience. It is chal- 
 lenging the inspection of our almighty Lawgiver, on 
 a heart that has deeply revolted against him, and 
 on a history deformed by transgressions innumer- 
 able — and bidding him look thereupon with com- 
 placency. It is labouring to arrive at rest by 
 means of a degraded law, brought down to the stan- 
 dard of our own weak and worthless compliances — 
 and without homage to the purity and the unchange- 
 ableness of heaven's government, — it is arrogating 
 the rewards of heaven for our own polluted righteous- 
 ness, as being in itself good enough for God. Now 
 this is the tendency of nature against which the 
 Gospel hath set itself — not to thwart our demand 
 for a righteousness, but to lay in the dust all confi- 
 dence in a righteousness of our own, — and after 
 having asserted the prerogatives of an outraged law, 
 by laying the whole burden of its atonement and 
 obedience on Him who hath suffered in our stead, and 
 in our stead hath fulfilled all righteousness ; to make 
 open proclamation to our world, that all are welcome 
 unto God — that now there is a way of access unto 
 him, even for the most grievous of offenders, — but 
 that this way is, and must be, under the cover of the 
 
xxi 
 
 great Mediatorship. You will breathe a new air, you 
 will break forth on a scene of freedom and enlarge- 
 ment; all will be light, and love, and liberty, the 
 moment that you can say, with the concurrence of 
 your faith, "In the Lord have I righteousness:" 
 and, feeling that nothing else will avail for Heaven's 
 approbation, you can join the Apostle in his sentiment, 
 that, for the meritorious favour of God, I desire to 
 count as nothing my own services : I desire and am 
 determined " to know nothing else save Jesus Christ 
 and him crucified." 
 
 We know of no Treatise better fitted to banish 
 the legal spirit, or to dispossess the mind of its na- 
 tural tendencies to establish a righteousness of our 
 own, than the excellent Letters of Mr. Romaine 
 which we have given in the present selection. The 
 Letters were all addressed to friends, for whose spiri- 
 tual welfare the Author cherished a deep interest; 
 and they were therefore designed to communicate 
 comfort, or counsel, or direction, for resolving the 
 doubts, or relieving the perplexities to which the 
 Christian is exposed. To dissipate these doubts 
 and perplexities, which he well knew originated most 
 frequently in a self-righteous spirit, he continually 
 directs their believing view to Jesus Christ. And 
 well knowing that the manifestations of the love and 
 grace of our heavenly Father, revealed to the soul by 
 the blessed Saviour, could alone dispel the fears and 
 the jealousies of nature, his constant aim was to point 
 their eye, and direct their steps, to " the Lamb of 
 God, who taketh away the sins of the world." And 
 thus, by the simple reliance of faith on the all-suffi- 
 cient atonement and perfect righteousness of Christ, 
 he directed them to find that peace and hope which 
 
XXll 
 
 could alone sustain their souls in the serenity of their 
 confidence towards God, and to obtain those spiritual 
 communications of grace, which could alone nourish 
 the divine life within them, and carry them forward 
 in a progressive courseof sanctification and holiness, to 
 render them meet for heaven. Richly experiencing 
 these consolations and hopes in his own soul, and 
 knowing the alone source from whence they were 
 derived, the doctrine of the cross became the subject 
 of his constant meditation, and the name of Jesus 
 the much-loved theme on which he delighted to ex- 
 patiate. Amidst all his difficulties and perplexities, 
 his confidence was stayed with the assurance that 
 "the Lord reigneth;" and, by judging Him faithful 
 who had promised, he maintained in his soul a re- 
 joicing hope of eternal life, through his Lord and 
 Saviour Jesus Christ. It was thus that he main- 
 tained a perennial and unfading communion with 
 God — that he daily and habitually rejoiced in the 
 light of his reconciled countenance — that his grati- 
 tude and love were sustained in a strong and invari- 
 able glow — and that his sanctification and holiness 
 were promoted. And no one can peruse the following 
 Letters, without perceiving that the doctrines of free 
 grace are doctrines according to godliness — that they 
 served no less to aliment the love and the obedience, 
 than the peace and the joy of the believer — and that 
 justification by faith in the Saviour's righteousness 
 alone, forms not only the surest ground of hope, but 
 the best security for an humble and holy devoted- 
 ness of life to God. 
 
 T. C. 
 
 Edinburgh, July, 1830. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 FORTY-ONE LETTERS TO A FRIEND, . . 27 
 THIRTY LETTERS TO A SISTER, ... 153 
 TWENTY-SEVEN LETTERS TO W. TAYLOR, Esq. 203 
 FIFTY-ONE LETTERS TO VARIOUS FRIENDS, 261 
 
PREFACE 
 
 10 
 
 LETTERS TO A FRIEND. 
 
 The following Letters, it is presumed, need no con- 
 firmation of their authenticity, nor any recommenda- 
 tion of their invaluable contents, to those who knew 
 and esteemed their late excellent Author. The 
 manner and style, almost peculiar to himself, of 
 making Christ the All in All, in the glory of his 
 person, the eflBcacy of his blood and righteousness, 
 and the fulness of his salvation, proclaim aloud these 
 were written by no other than Mr. Romaine : they 
 prove also, to a demonstration, that Jesus was his 
 darling theme, in his closet as well as in the pulpit, in 
 his private correspondence as in his public discourses; 
 nor, indeed, was this holy man of God ever in his 
 element but when he was making mention of his 
 divine Master's name and righteousness only, of 
 which it might be literally said he knew no end. 
 
 The Editor flatters himself he is bringing glory to 
 his adorable Lord, as well as rendering an essential ser- 
 vice to the church, by preserving this invaluable trea- 
 sure from oblivion, which God in his providence hath 
 thus put into his hands, he trusts, for this very pur- 
 pose, and is not to be found in any other publication. 
 
 B 54 
 
26 
 
 Nor will his prayers be wanting, — that every reader 
 of this precious collection may, by the divine bless- 
 ing, reap the greatest benefit from its perusal, and 
 have cause to glorify the great Head of the church, 
 who had so abundantly blessed this incomparable 
 minister's labours in his life, for accompanying with 
 the unction of the Spirit these his posthumous Let- 
 ters, by which, though dead, he yet speaketh. 
 
 Finally, he humbly hopes that, as the deceased 
 blessed Author of these epistles had treated the re- 
 ligious world frequently with various other Treatises 
 and Sermons, the novelty of this little work, sanc- 
 tioned too by its own intrinsic excellence, will still 
 render it doubly acceptable to the church of God ; 
 especially as every thing is omitted of a personal na- 
 ture respecting the friend to whom these Letters 
 were immediately addressed ; and what is here pub- 
 lished is presumed to be of equal concern to every 
 other individual believer. 
 
 For their service, therefore, and with this view, is 
 this mite humbly cast into the Lord's treasury, by a 
 willing, though unworthy servant of Christ, 
 
 THE EDITOR. 
 
LETTERS. 
 
 LETTERS TO A FRIEND. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 Dec. 2Sth, 1762. 
 My dear Friend, — I do not forget you nor your 
 last favour. Till memory fail me, I hope in a grate- 
 ful mind to retain a sweet sense of your kindness to 
 me. Blessed be his name ! I have a desire put into 
 my heart by my heavenly lover, to spread his fame 
 and glory as far as ray tongue can reach : and for 
 what else do I take up my pen but to make mention 
 of him, even of him only ? the favourite theme of 
 his redeemed on earth ; the triumph of the same re- 
 deemed, when they come to Sion with everlasting 
 joy upon their heads, and in their hearts. My me- 
 ditation of him is now sweet: in one single point of 
 view I am beholding him, and in that he is all-glo- 
 rious. O that the faithful witness for him may give 
 you to feel what I have felt of his incarnate love ! 
 May the Spirit glorify, in your soul, that greatest, 
 that standing miracle of Jehovah's everlasting grace, 
 by letting you know, that for you a child was born, 
 B 2 
 
28 
 
 for you a son was given, even Emmanuel himself — 
 God with us, and God for us. I will try to lead 
 you, by the light of revelation, into some of the won- 
 ders of this transaction, as they have been manifested 
 with life and power unto my own heart. 
 
 The Scripture is a full description of the purposes 
 of the divine will from eternity to eternity. Therein 
 we find a council held, before all worlds, between 
 the holy Trinity, and the decrees of this council 
 confirmed by the covenant and oath of each of the 
 divine persons. This was the great contrivance of 
 heaven, and it lay in the bosom of Jehovah with in- 
 finite delight. He viewed it as the richest display 
 of all his divine perfections, in which, and for which, 
 his glory would be admired and enjoyed by his crea- 
 tures for ever and for ever. Emmanuel was the centre 
 of this covenant — his becoming surety for his people 
 — taking flesh for them — living and dying, that the 
 divine honours of the holiness, and truth, and justice 
 of the Godhead might shine forth in full-orbed glory, 
 for showing mercy to poor sinners; — this was, this 
 is, this will be the eternal subject of praise. Hear 
 how the Father triumphs in the Son of his love : 
 " Behold my servant, whom I uphold ; mine elect, 
 in whom my soul dehghteth." And again, with a 
 voice from heaven, " This is my beloved Son, in 
 whom I am well pleased." All the counsels, de- 
 crees, and works of Jehovah terminate, yea, begin 
 and end, in this blessed Emmanuel ; and therefore, 
 when the angels were created, the purpose of Jeho- 
 vah's taking flesh was manifested to them ; and pro- 
 clamation was made — " Let all the angels of God 
 worship him." Pride arose in the heart of Lucifer 
 
29 
 
 and his companions : their will opposed the will of 
 the Eternal Three in this matter, for which they 
 were cast out of heaven, and have opposed Christ 
 and his people ever since. 
 
 Then this world was created for the carrying into 
 execution the purposes of the everlasting covenant, 
 Man, the object of the Deity's delight, as made in 
 the image of God — part of two worlds — a body of 
 earth, an immortal spirit — by the one connected to 
 matter and sense, by the other to God, the Father of 
 spirits. The enemy of Jesus attacked Eve, and 
 beguiled her through his subtlety. Adam was not 
 deceived, but fell by listening to his material and sen- 
 sual part. He preferred his wife to God, and so lost 
 his image, knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. 
 
 Upon this the revelation of the covenant was 
 made, and the incarnation of Jehovah was made 
 known, as the ground of faith and hope, and of re- 
 turn again to God in the way of love and gratitude. 
 As clear as words can speak and signs declare, the 
 promised seed of the woman was to attack Satan, and 
 was to bruise his head, where his poison lies, and 
 thereby to deliver his people. For this purpose the 
 Father sent him into the world, that he might de- 
 liver us from the power of darkness, and translate us 
 into the kingdom of his dear Son. I believe, from 
 the evidence of Scripture, that Adam, and all be- 
 lievers downwards, had as clear a view of the incar- 
 nation of Jehovah, and of the reasons for his taking 
 flesh, as you and I have ; and with as warm hearts 
 as we can, have they rejoiced in the God of their 
 salvation. Hear one of them, how he stands amazed 
 at this miracle of mercy : " But will God indeed 
 
30 
 
 dwell with men on the earth ?" And mind the pious 
 breathings of his holy father — how he longed for 
 Christ ! "O that the salvation was come unto Israel 
 out of Zion ! O that the Lord would deliver his peo- 
 ple out of captivity ! Then shall Jacob rejoice, and 
 Israel shall be glad." That he would come, was 
 the ground of hope to all believers in every age; and 
 there were many of them waiting when he came, who 
 blessed God for letting them see with their eyes his 
 great salvation. At the fixed moment, when the 
 fulness of time was come, there was a chosen vessel 
 most graciously fitted and humbled for this miracu- 
 lous conception. She was highly favoured, high in 
 grace, meek and lowly in heart; and of her, by the 
 power of the Holy Ghost, was that holy child con- 
 ceived — of her, the virgin mother, was he born — a 
 babe, helpless as we are. Here is love ! O what a 
 miracle — God incarnate ! And yet like us in all 
 things — an infant. Be astonished, ye heavens ! and 
 adore, thou earth ! this miracle of miracles ! 
 
 He is born among us; grows up as we do ; a 
 child, a youth, a man — true and very man. But O 
 the rapturous thought ! he is Jehovah. Think, O 
 think what that blessed woman felt, when she broke 
 out into this sweet hymn : — " My soul doth magnify 
 the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my 
 Saviour." There is my honour, — not that he is my 
 son, but that he is God my Saviour, He took my 
 nature, that I might take his : he lived for me, that 
 by his obedience I might be made righteous: he 
 suffered my punishment, that I might never suffer it : 
 he bore ray curse, to redeem me from the curse of 
 the law : he veas forsaken of God his Father, that I 
 
31 
 
 might never be forsaken : he died to give me life : 
 he rose again, to take possession of life for me : he 
 ascended in our nature, and is glorified in it : what 
 he has, I shall have: his honours, his crown and 
 dignity, his fulness of joy and bliss — all, all are 
 mine : what he is, what he was, is for me ; for he is 
 God my Saviour. Happy, thrice happy Mary, vir- 
 gin mother ! Yea, happy, thrice happy too, Mrs. 
 
 . Is not the new-born King your King ? Is 
 
 not the child Jesus your God ? He is, he is ! you 
 cannot deny it. O come then, ray dear friend, let 
 us praise his precious name, and let us magnify his 
 love together. Soon, yet a very little while, and we 
 shall be with him — we shall be like him. O what 
 a thought is that — like him ! Yes, when we come 
 where he is, the glory of that Sun of righteousness 
 will shine upon us, yea, will shine into us, and he will 
 make us what he is. We shall then be happy par- 
 takers of all that was with delight in the breast of 
 Jehovah from eternity; all will be fulfilled. The 
 Father's richest love, the most exalted grace of the 
 Spirit, will flow, through the infinitely blessed Em- 
 manuel, into all his glorified members. This is the 
 accomplishment of the everlasting covenant. In this 
 the Eternal Three will take eternal delight. Jehovah 
 will rest in his love. And through that God-man 
 will the Godhead have full, perfect, and everlasting 
 glory, honour, worship, blessing, and praise, from 
 the full choir. You will sing aloud, in as high a key 
 as any one of them all. Complain you may, and of 
 yourself you ought ; but then it will be all praise — 
 all wonder — that you should be chosen, elect of 
 God, partaker of his covenant-love : this distinguish- 
 
32 
 
 ing grace will make you a happy, willing debtor to 
 Emmanuel, for ever and ever. 
 
 Thus, looking backward or forward, I see all the 
 purposes and works of God bearing respect to this 
 wonderful person. He was set up from everlasting as 
 the Alpha, and he will be to everlasting the Omega; 
 for in all things he must have the pre-eminence. He 
 has it above : O that we may ascribe more of it to 
 him below ! And you will, if you can pierce with 
 the eagle-eye of faith within the vail. There you 
 will behold Emmanuel enthroned, and all the host of 
 heaven worshipping at his feet, admiring and adoring, 
 because sharing in, his divine excellencies. The 
 beauty of this sight makes an eternal heaven. Then, 
 if your faith has any ears to hear, listen. O what 
 melody do they make ! — what notes do these golden 
 harps strike ! — what voices accompany them ! — what a 
 harmony ! The words I understand — they are singing 
 " salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, 
 and to the Lamb, for ever." But their manner of 
 singing is peculiar to the place. The air can form 
 no such sounds: they can be only in the element of 
 heaven. When your faith comes down from this 
 high flight, and it is not capable of being long there, 
 then look around you ; and whatever object your eyes 
 first fix upon, if they be spiritually exercised, you 
 will see some ray of our Emmanuel's glory. The 
 book of nature is the outward record of his fame. 
 Some of his great achievements are engraved in every 
 part of the creation. The sun, moon, and stars, the 
 earth, with all its productions, in full concert join the 
 choir above, and in perfect unison sound forth the 
 glory of our Emmanuel. And suppose I direct your 
 
33 
 
 eye to an object which I know you do not like to look 
 at — YOURSELF, even there I can find (O that you 
 may !) as great a proof of the Redeemer's glory as 
 any where else upon earth. For what are you ? 
 Are you not a poor, miserable, helpless sinner ? His 
 crown depends upon his saving such. What do you 
 feel within you ? — tell all your complaints. These 
 just fit you to Hve upon the Saviour's fulness. Look 
 at your outward estate : tell me that part of it which 
 does not display the Saviour's glory. What does 
 fortune say, and health, and friends? (I put myself 
 in.) Let me be their mouth : " We are all the 
 gifts of Jesus' rich love — love him for bestowing us 
 upon you ; and the more you have, love him more." 
 And mind you cannot, you never will, love him too 
 much. Try — put forth all your strength ; he will 
 still be above your aflPection, the best, the utmost of 
 it. I wish you much of his company this Christmas 
 — many a sweet visit from him. When you are 
 very familiar, put a word in for me. O how I long 
 to be more intimate with him ! But he is kind in- 
 deed, exceedingly kind. Dearest, dearest Jesus ! — 
 May he never leave you without some token of his 
 love ! Farewell. W. R. 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Lambeth, Jan. 18, 1763. 
 My dear Friend, — I often remember you in the 
 best place, and for the best purposes, but cannot 
 bring myself to love writing of letters. Yet I have 
 again taken up my pen, to wish you every spiritual 
 B 3 
 
34 
 
 blessing purchased by the life and death of our incar- 
 nate God ; and that will make you as happy as you 
 can be on this side of heaven. In this new year, 
 may you grow in the knowledge of the excellency 
 of his most adorable person, of his complete finished 
 salvation, and of your own particular interest in it ! 
 and, having these believing views, may you glorify 
 him by living happily upon his fulness ! I know a 
 little of these matters, and but little; yet I am 
 sitting, abashed at my ignorance, at my Master's 
 feet. He has made me willing to hear his words; 
 and I find his lips so full of grace, that I cannot spare 
 a moment for my Homer or Virgil, my favourite 
 Tully or Demosthenes. Adieu for ever to all the 
 classics. I see a heavenly life, as well as a match- 
 less beauty, in my Lord's words ; and though I am 
 a dull scholar, yet he is a blessed Master. He keeps 
 me waiting upon him day by day, trusting nothing 
 to my own understanding, but listening continually 
 to his instruction ; so he gets all the glory of making 
 me wise unto salvation. To this great Prophet may 
 you repair for instruction all this year ! He teaches 
 as never man taught. His doctrine is with power 
 and demonstration of the Spirit. He can so humble 
 your pride, that you shall be as dependent upon him 
 as a new-born babe ; and then, having emptied you 
 of your own carnal reason and false wisdom, he will 
 enlighten you, by his word and Spirit, with saving 
 truth. Here the humblest scholar learns the most ; 
 indeed he has learned the most : for our highest les- 
 son is to learn how to live upon him, who was made 
 of God unto us wisdom ; and he who relies most 
 upon him for that wisdom, will certainly be the wisest. 
 
35 
 
 If the whole world was mine, and I could purchase 
 what I would with it, I would give it all to be a 
 scholar made poor in spirit at Christ's feet. And 
 what then can I wish my dear friend better than to 
 be one of his little children, whom he teaches his 
 mind and will? Only I could wish you more hum- 
 bled, that you may more perfectly learn the two 
 blessed truths which he is exalted to teach his people ; 
 namely, to believe in his blood and righteousness, 
 and to live upon his grace and power. 
 
 His prophetical office is to teach us how to be 
 always safe by believing in him, and always happy 
 by living upon him. He has the residue of the 
 Spirit with him, and he sends him into the believer's 
 heart, to be always preaching this most comfortable 
 doctrine, that whatever he wants for his acceptance 
 at the bar of justice, it is perfectly to be had, and 
 freely in the fulness of the Lord Christ. Sins as 
 red as scarlet, sins as numerous as the stars, or as 
 the sands upon the sea-shore innumerable, and na- 
 ture as black as hell, a heart as wicked as the devil, 
 the divine and eternally precious blood of Jesus can 
 so cleanse and purify, that not one spot shall remain ; 
 for he is Almighty. He has all power in heaven 
 and earth to pardon sin. If I had been guilty of all 
 the sins of Adam and Eve, and of all their descen- 
 dants to this day, yet believing in him I should be 
 safe, because his blood cleanseth from all sin. And 
 in Christ the believer has a better righteousness than 
 that of the angels; theirs is finite, his is infinite: a 
 better righteousness than that of our first parents in 
 paradise ; theirs was the righteousness of a creature, 
 and they lost it ; this is the righteousness of God, 
 
36 
 
 and it is an everlasting righteousness, never to be 
 lost. It is the righteousness in which the saints 
 stand before God for ever and ever. When the 
 Holy Spirit takes of these things of Christ, and 
 preaches them to the heart, O what a sweet peace 
 follows ! For the believer then finds himself saved 
 from all the miseries of sin, and entitled to all the 
 blessings of eternal glory ; and, being thus persuaded 
 of his safety, by believing in the atoning blood of our 
 great High Priest, then the Holy Spirit teaches him 
 how to live upon Christ, and how to make use of 
 Christ's fulness. On our learning this lesson de- 
 pends our comfortable walk heavenwards ; for Christ 
 does not give us a stock of grace, and expect us to 
 improve it by being faithful to grace given. No, no ; 
 that is not his way. Our souls must depend upon 
 him, as our bodies do upon the elements of this 
 world. Every moment we must live by faith upon 
 his fulness, and be every moment receiving out of it 
 grace for grace. And this is our happiness — to 
 have all in Christ. A beggar in myself, but rich with 
 unsearchable eternal riches in him. Ignorant still in 
 myself, but led and taught by his unerring wisdom. 
 A sinner still, but believing in his blood and right- 
 eousness. Weak and helpless still, but kept by his 
 almighty love. Nothing but sorrow in myself, no- 
 thing but joy in him. O this is a blessed life ! No 
 tongue can tell what a heaven it is thus to live by 
 faith upon the Son of God. Thanks be to him, I 
 know a little of it ; and I cannot but heartily pray 
 that you may know more of it this year than you 
 ever did. Surely I could not have thought, some 
 years ago, that there was such a heaven upon earth 
 
37 
 
 as I now find. — Blessings for ever on the Lamb ! 
 May you find it more and more ! Sweet Jesus keep 
 you, ray dear friend ! W. R. 
 
 LETTER IIL 
 
 Lambeth, March 26, J 763. 
 
 Thanks to my dear friend for her kind letter 
 this morning. The subject inquired after is what I 
 have been long exercised about, both in my own soul 
 and in my ministry. And for the sake of weak be- 
 lievers, and to save myself great trouble in continually 
 conversing with these persons, I resolved to write a 
 little treatise upon the subject. I trust my time and 
 strength, what I have and am, is now the Lord's. I 
 wish he may use me as he pleases, for his own glory. 
 My writings are to set forth his praise, and to exalt 
 his salvation. The inclosed plan will show you what 
 I propose : and, to make it more easy to be under- 
 stood, I shall relate it by way of experience, giving 
 an account of the Life of Faith, as it was begun in 
 one of my acquaintance, and carried on to this day, 
 he being now a father in Christ; and I shall make 
 remarks upon it as I go on. The subject is but 
 little known. I pray you, my dear friend, forget 
 not me nor my book. Beg of the Lord Christ to 
 bless it. If he smile upon it, it will be useful to 
 his people. That is my highest wish. May it be 
 profitable and useful to your soul ! 
 
 To a precious Jesus I commend you. To his 
 love and to his power leave all your matters. What 
 cannot, what will not he do for you, if you do but 
 
38 
 
 trust him ? Are they not all happy in heaven? It 
 is his happiness. They have it from him. Trust 
 him, and he will not only bring you safe there, but 
 also make you happy by the way. O what a savour 
 is there in his name ! I did but just mention him, 
 and I can scarce stop my pen, his love so warms my 
 heart. Dear, precious Jesus ! thou art above all 
 blessing and praise : fill my friend's heart with thy 
 love, and make her rejoice in thy finished salvation. 
 
 My kind respects to Miss : and pray tell her 
 
 she cannot possibly think too highly of Christ, nor 
 love him too much, nor live too much by faith upon 
 hira. His salvation is infinite and eternal : the 
 love of him for his salvation is heaven upon earth ; 
 and living by faith upon him for the present graces 
 and the future glories of this salvation, is getting 
 every moment fresh tokens of his love to us, and ex- 
 citing fresh love to him. In short, I wish she may 
 be married to Christ ; and then, his person being 
 hers, his honours, his estate, and all he has, will be 
 hers also. Once more, to that dearest of all names, 
 Jesus, I commend you ; and am yours unfeignedly 
 for his sake, W. R. 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Lambeth, May 14, 1763. 
 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Je- 
 sus Christ, who hath blessed you with so many bless- 
 ings already, and who, having begun, will not cease 
 to bless you in life and death, and for evermore ! 
 Your letter of May 2d puts me in mind of his good- 
 
39 
 
 ness, as I wish all things may. It rejoices my very 
 heart to see him displaying the glories of his grace 
 far and wide. From London through Europe, from 
 Europe to America, yea, as far as the sun travels, his 
 fame is spread. And does he not deserve it ? O, 
 my friend, what have we to tell of, but the loving- 
 kindness of Jesus ? and what to praise, but his won- 
 ders in saving such as we are, and in saving so many 
 of us ? Blessings for ever on the Lamb I May we 
 glorify him by resting upon him for righteousness 
 and strength, and by living wholly upon him for grace 
 and glory. Then all goes well, when 
 
 On all besides his precious blood, 
 On all besides the Son of God, 
 We trample boldly, and disclaim 
 All other saviours but the Lamb. 
 
 As to what you write about, I know not what to 
 say. It is in the best hands. He knows what to do. 
 Let him alone. Remember he is the Head of the 
 church, and he will look after his own matters, and 
 well too. At present I see not my way clearly from 
 London. Here my Master fixes me, and here I must 
 stay till he call me to some other place. When he 
 would have me to move, he will let me know his will. 
 Besides, what am I ? what does it signify where I 
 am ? A poor dumb dog, the vilest, the basest of 
 all the servants of my Lord. If you could see what 
 is passing for any one hour in my heart, you would 
 not think any thing of me : you would only admire 
 and extol the riches of Jesus' love. Wonderful it 
 is that he should set his heart upon such a very in- 
 carnate devil, and humble me so as to make me will- 
 ing to be saved by his sovereign grace ; and that he 
 
40 
 
 should send such a one to preach his gospel, and bless 
 it too to many, many souls, (while every sermon covers 
 me with shame and confusion.) O this is wonder- 
 ful, wonderful, eternally to be admired grace ! What 
 cannot he do, who can form a preacher out of such 
 a dry rotten stick, fit for nothing but the fire of hell ? 
 Glory, glory be to him alone, and for ever, and for 
 evermore. All the tongues in heaven and in earth, 
 men and angels, throughout eternity, cannot praise 
 him enough for what he has already done for my 
 soul ; and therefore I am, and I am content to be, a 
 poor broken bankrupt debtor for ever. Hereby I 
 shall be enabled for ever to exalt him, and to put 
 the crown upon his head, and that is all I want. It 
 will be heaven enough to join that blessed company, 
 who are crying, " Worthy is the Lamb (but none 
 else) to receive blessing and glory," &c. Nothing 
 is mentioned among them but Jesus* goodness, and 
 he does not leave himself without witness among us 
 poor sinners. I am yours in Jesus, W. R. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 My dear Madam, — I cannot resist the oppor- 
 tunity, though I can write but two or three lines, to 
 thank you for your last letter, and for your kindness 
 to me expressed in it. I thank God for the contents. 
 What you say of yourself is to me very comfortable, 
 because I see how the Spirit of God is leading you. 
 He is taking you up into the highest form in the 
 school of Christ, and is teaching you an experience 
 which is not only next to glory, but is also glory 
 
41 
 
 begun. This being the hardest to learn, no wonder 
 you should complain. I take notice of your account 
 of your present state, of your trials, and of the ex- 
 ercises of your faith. A great part of your letter is 
 upon these points, describing your self-abasement 
 and loathing at the sight and sense of what you are 
 in yourself, and wondering that such a one as you 
 should be brought to know, to believe in, and to love 
 our Jesus. 
 
 Now, my good friend, I must tell you, if you had 
 written to me, and desired me to give you the char- 
 acter of a true Christian, I should have copied it 
 from your letter. I could not have left one circum- 
 stance out. All that you mention of your being 
 tried, afflicted in body and mind, brought low, and 
 kept low; sometimes mourning at the strength of 
 corruption, and at the weakness of your graces ; at 
 your love to earthly relations, and at your love to 
 our Jesus — one so strong, the other so weak ; your 
 trials on these, and many other such like accounts, 
 are such as no true disciple of Christ, in your cir- 
 cumstances, could be without. My answer should 
 
 have been, " He is exactly what Mrs. says 
 
 she is." For in reading the Scripture I can find but 
 these two things spoken of the office of the Holy 
 Spirit : He first enables the sinner to receive Christ 
 by faith; and then to live upon him, so received, for 
 all things. If you examine these two rules carefully, 
 you will see that all the teachings of the Holy Spi- 
 rit may be reduced to them ; and if you examine 
 yourself by the light of the word, you will have no 
 doubt but that you are among them to whom the 
 promise was made : " All thy children shall be taught 
 
42 
 
 of God." For, have you not renounced your right- 
 eousness as well as your sins ? Have you no more 
 dependence on your good works than on your bad 
 works ? Is not the holy nature of our Emmanuel, 
 his infinitely holy life, his everlastingly precious 
 death — is not this complete work of his the only 
 ground of your hope ? " O yes," say you, " on this 
 rock I lay my foundation, I build all on it for time 
 and for eternity." Very well! then certain it is, the 
 Holy Spirit has done his first work in you. He has 
 enabled you to receive Christ; now he is carrying on 
 his work, the second part of the same lesson, which 
 is enabling you to live upon Christ received. This is 
 very hard to learn ; it is against nature ; against our 
 natural love for law and works, our legal lookings at 
 self, our foolish hope. If I live longer I shall be 
 better. O it is hard, I find it to this hour, like 
 leaping overboard in a storm, to cast myself simply 
 on Jesus for every thing; but it must be done. The 
 Spirit abides with you for this purpose — " that he 
 may take of the things of Christ, and show them to 
 you, and so glorify him." When he is teaching this 
 heavenly truth, we kick against it, we pervert it. 
 When we go on the best, we think we' are at the 
 worst. But he abides, to conquer our opposition, 
 to set right what we pervert, and to convince us all 
 is and shall be well. May he thus bless a word 
 spoken to the Saviour's glory ! 
 
 My dear friend, you know it pleased the Father 
 that all fulness should dwell in our Jesus : it pleases 
 the Spirit to witness of it, and to glorify it. How ? 
 in what way? — why, just as he is teaching you. 
 He is bringing you to live out of yourself upon the 
 
43 
 
 fulness of Jesus. Mind how he does it. He shows 
 you, first, that you want such a thing ; tlien, that 
 you cannot get it any where but from Jesus ; and 
 then he leads you to think, that, trusting to his faith- 
 ful word, you may experience how ready his heart, 
 how able his hand, is to supply all your need. This 
 is a beggar's life ; here is nothing but alms. We 
 do not like it. We want some stock ; if we could 
 get it, we should like an independent fortune. But 
 it cannot be. The Spirit of Jesus will witness of 
 nothing, and glorify nothing but the Saviour's all- 
 sufficient grace; and therefore he sets himself against 
 all our greatness and goodness — that he who glo- 
 rieth may glory only in the Lord Christ. And 
 when he is bringing us to this true glorifying of the 
 Lord, we mistake, we pervert his lessons; I know 
 I do, and I think you do. We both fail in our ex- 
 perience, as your letter clearly proves to me. 
 
 If you ask me how youmay become abetter scholar? 
 as I have been taught, I would gladly inform you. 
 
 Read and pray for more self-knowledge : God's 
 word and Spirit will teach you nothing about your- 
 self but what will humble you to the dust, and keep 
 you there. Read and pray for more knowledge of 
 Jesus, of his person God-man — his salvation-work 
 infinitely and everlastingly perfect : he is yours, now 
 he is received ; and all he has, and all he is, as Jesus, 
 yours in title ; and, so far as you believe, yours now 
 in possession. 
 
 Read and pray for more faith, that what you have 
 a title to, you may take possession of, and so make 
 constant use of it. Your estate is great, immensely 
 great. Use it and live up to it : as you do in tem- 
 
44 
 
 porals, so do in spirituals. Your money, your land, 
 your air, your light, your meat and drink, and house 
 and clothing, these you use: but you have not them 
 in you ; only, being yours, they are used by you. 
 So do by Christ. When the Spirit would glorify 
 Jesus, he humbles you ; when he would glorify his 
 fulness, he makes you feel your emptiness; when 
 he would bring you to rely on his strength, he con- 
 vinces you of your weakness; when he would mag- 
 nify the comforts of Jesus, he makes you sensible 
 of your misery; when he would fix your heart on 
 his heaven, he makes you feel you deserved hell; 
 when he would exalt his righteousness, you find 
 you are a poor miserable sinner. Can you, my 
 friend, practise this ? let nothing keep you from 
 Jesus. Whatever you need, whatever you feel wrong, 
 may it bring you to the Saviour's fulness ! O that all 
 things may help forward your acquaintance with him f 
 I except nothing, neither sin nor sorrow; I would 
 carry all to him, as one great lump of sin, and receive 
 all good from him, as the only storehouse of good 
 for wretched sinners. In this communion 1 desire 
 to grow ; for this I desire to live. O that you and 
 I may learn it more, and get every day nearer fellow- 
 ship with our sweet Jesus — growing up into him in 
 all things. 
 
 See how my pen runs on as fast as I can write. 
 My very heart and soul are enamoured with him ! I 
 love his name ; I adore his person : he is my heaven. 
 O what treasures are there in our Jesus ! May his 
 glorious Spirit witness for him to your heart. Be- 
 lieve me your very sincere friend, a well-wisher in 
 that matchless lover of sinners, and of one of the 
 chief of them. W. R, 
 
45 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Brighthelmstone, Sept. 1, 1763. 
 I HAVE at last got a spare hour to write to my 
 
 dear friends at , and to tell them how much I 
 
 wish all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus may be 
 theirs. 
 
 Since I left you, all has been hurry, travelling 
 from place to place, till kind Providence has brought 
 me to Brighthelmstone, where I hope for a little rest 
 — not so much to my soul; blessed be the grace of 
 sweet Jesus, I have that — but rest from distraction, 
 hurry, dust, heat, and want of sleep. This is a 
 kind of haven after a storm. Not that I expect a 
 continual calm here : it would be a sad place indeed 
 if there were no enemies, no warfare, no trials and 
 troubles in it. These I must have wherever I go ; 
 because they grow in my constitution, and are nou- 
 rished in the body of sin — and because without them 
 I should not know how to prize Christ. But I find 
 ray retired and private times are the best for my own 
 soul, as more public times are for others : and yet 
 that sweetest blessed Jesus, when I am in his work, 
 takes care of me ; and when I am watering others, 
 he does not leave me unwatered myself. I am a 
 witness for him. I have been preaching of his sal- 
 vation many years in the midst of a crowd, living all 
 the time in a great hurry ; and yet I gain every year 
 some fresh knowledge of myself, some more know- 
 ledge of my incarnate God, and some steadier trust 
 and dependence upon him ; and I can say it is good 
 
46 
 
 for me that I have been a poor despised preacher of 
 Christ Jesus. 
 
 Now, what can I wish, my dear friend, more for 
 her peace and blessedness, than that the dear Saviour 
 may do for her what he has done for me, only in a 
 greater degree ? for I am sure it is a growing thing. 
 In the knowledge of ourselves we may certainly in- 
 crease. There is a mystery of iniquity in us, which 
 we shall not perfectly comprehend so long as we live. 
 But as we make fresh discoveries of it, we shall see 
 our want more of Christ, and thereby get more know- 
 ledge of the great mystery of godliness. The sense 
 of our manifold wants will magnify the riches of his 
 grace in supplying them. So, the lower man is 
 abased, the higher is the Saviour exalted. And this 
 will of course bring us to make more use of him, to 
 trust him more, and to live more upon him, which is 
 the blessedness of faith. When I feel the depth 
 of my distress and wants, and the infinite riches of 
 Jesus' grace to supply them, then faith does its office 
 aright, when it is not discouraged by a sense of 
 many increasing wants, but is thereby made to cleave 
 closer to Jesus, and to prize him more. This is my 
 present state; and in it I have at times a pleasure 
 which cannot be described. The height of Jesus' 
 grace is so exactly suited to the depth of my distress, 
 that I am ready to glory in it. I would not he 
 without one single want. My wants are my happi- 
 ness. They make Christ so exceedingly desirable, 
 that fresh wants add to him in my eyes fresh beauty. 
 It is a pleasure to be in his debt — yea, the greatest 
 I know of. I would not have inherent righteous- 
 ness, if I could get it for nothing. I would not be 
 
47 
 
 rich, and increase in goods, and have need of nothing 
 from him, if it was possible. His glory is my heart's 
 delight ; and therefore I love to glorify him, by liv- 
 ing upon his fulness. I nothing — He all in all. 
 When it is thus with me, I am safe and happy. I 
 am the greatest fool that ever lived — I feel it ; and 
 that makes his wisdom so precious. I am the chief 
 of sinners — I find it daily ; and that makes his blood 
 and righteousness my continual delight. I have as 
 many evil tempers as the devil : O how they stir 
 and fight against the Spirit ! But Jesus is my sanc- 
 tification. He has given them their death's wound; 
 and by and by they will expire, and be no more. 
 In myself I deserve hell every moment; but Jesus 
 is my redemption, my eternal redemption. O how 
 my heart loves him ! He knows it well. And if 
 I am ever vouchsafed (why should I doubt it?) to 
 see him face to face, I will acknowledge him to be 
 all in all, and rejoice to acknowledge it for ever. 
 And it will be the very heaven of heavens (truly I 
 taste something of heaven in thinking of it,) to give 
 him the glory of my crown, and to lay it low at his 
 feet. " Worthy is the Lamb." Thanks be to 
 him, 1 can sing this song now but in a poor strain to 
 what I hope to do soon. Sweet Jesus bring you 
 and me safe to the eternal enjoyment of him and his 
 glory. W. R. 
 
 LETTER VH. 
 
 Brighthelmstone, Sept.26, 1763. 
 The presence of dear Jesus be with my dear 
 friend — that presence which turns darkness into light, 
 
48 
 
 sin into righteousness, misery into heaven. What 
 can you want if he be with you ? He has such a 
 miraculous virtue, that he can turn your weakness 
 into strength, your mourning into joy, your death into 
 life ; so that there is not in you any evil effect of sin, 
 but his almighty grace can make it work under him 
 for his glory, and for your good. O may this pre- 
 sence be with you as long as you are in this state of 
 weakness, and mourning, and death ! Sweet Jesus 
 keep you ; nay, I know he will. His tender, loving 
 heart loves to the end. O, my friend, what a Sa- 
 viour is he ! O how I love him ! He knows I do ; 
 and yet I am ashamed to think how far below his 
 deserts. By and by I shall do better, when you 
 
 and I meet before his throne ; then, then — But 
 
 I stop. 
 
 Would be taorthy my acceptance ? The worth 
 
 of it does not come before me, but what my Master 
 expects of me. His will must be my rule; and it 
 has been a long time as plain to me as that two and 
 two make four. I am stationed by myself. I am 
 alone in London : and while he keeps me there, I 
 dare not move; as, when he has a mind to remove 
 me, my way will be as plain from London as it is 
 now to abide in it. If I hearkened to self, and 
 wanted to run away from the cross, I know of no 
 
 place so snug as ; but would you have me such 
 
 a coward as to fly, and such a one to stand by me — 
 one who has kept me in many battles, and one who, 
 I trust, will presently make me more than conqueror. 
 
 I have not time to answer your letter in other 
 points. Only be assured of my prayers (such as 
 they are) for your reading the Bible. Remember 
 
49 
 
 again, Christ is the sum and substance of it all. May 
 his Spirit breathe upon it as you read, and lead you 
 beyond the letter to the life-giving sense. 
 
 I have great faith about . You wiU he 
 
 taken care of. Do not doubt it. The government 
 is on Christ's shoulders, and he does all things well. 
 Leave it to him. But -he does use means ; there- 
 fore pray write as soon as you have fixed on a proper 
 
 person. My kind love to dear Mr. . I wish 
 
 him as happy as ray Master can make him, and then 
 he will be one of the happiest men in this world. 
 Our friends with you have my hearty good wishes 
 for their better acquaintance with the precious Lord 
 Jesus, and more faith to get more out of his fulness. 
 To him I commend you all, and your present case at 
 
 ; and am, with my wife's respects, for his sake, 
 
 your faithful friend and servant, W. R. 
 
 LETTER VIIL 
 
 Lambeth, April 17, 1764. 
 My dear Friend, — I have just now received your 
 letter, and thank you for the kindness you express 
 in it to me. I am pretty well in health, and loaded 
 with benefits, — nothing but mercy, rich mercy, every 
 day. All the dealings of my most precious Jesus 
 with my soul are grace and love. He not only pro- 
 mises, and, by faith, makes me rely upon him for hea- 
 ven, but now, even now, I am as it were in heaven; 
 for I live upon his heavenly blessings. Vile and 
 base as I am, yet he lets me approach him, and con- 
 verse with him freely ! He vouchsafes to admit me 
 C oi 
 
50 
 
 into fellowship with him : and he opens his treasures, 
 and says, ' All these are thine ; I bought them for 
 thee with the price of my blood, but I give them to 
 thee as a free gift. Take this for the earnest— ac- 
 cept this for the pledge of all the rest ; and all mine 
 are thine.' Yes, Lord, I believe it ; on thy word 
 do I trust, and I rely upon thy faithfulness to make 
 it good to me. I desire to glorify thee amidst all 
 my wants, and sins, and miseries, by living out of 
 myself upon thine infinite fulness. Empty me still 
 more, blessed Lord ! by daily emptying me more, 
 that I may be capable of holding more of thy good 
 things. What do you think of this? is it not hea- 
 ven begun ? What is heaven but the perfection of 
 this life of grace ? Believers now live with Christ ; 
 they now live upon Christ. Christ is their all ; for 
 the life which they now live in the flesh, they live 
 by the faith of the Son of God : and what a blessed 
 life this is I have in some small degree experienced ; 
 and what the Lord has taught me I have endeavoured 
 to set forth, and make public, for his glory, and the 
 comfort of weak believers. The little book is fin- 
 ished. May my ever dear Jesus shine upon every 
 page as you read it, and strengthen your faith, and 
 warm your heart with his heavenly love. I beg 
 your prayers for a blessing on this book; I beseech 
 you do not forget it, for your own sakes and mine, 
 and all the household of faith. To Jesus* love I 
 
 commend you and Mr. ; and am, by many 
 
 ties, your servant in the gospel, W. R. 
 
51 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 July 3, 1764. 
 
 I HAVE ray dear friend's letter of the 19th of 
 June by me, and thank you for it. You may be 
 sure I am glad to hear the little book agrees with 
 what God has taught you ; not glad for the author's 
 sake, but for Christ's sake, and for yours. — For 
 Christ's sake, because I live, and preach, and write, 
 to exalt that royal Saviour. Oh ! how my heart 
 longs to see him crowned in your soul ; when you 
 will go forth, as the command is, and see king So- 
 lomon with the crown of grace and glory on his 
 head, " wherewith his mother crowned him in the day 
 of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of 
 his heart :" then all within you will gladly bow to 
 his sceptre. And for your sake, because he is be- 
 gun to be crowned, since you say you have experi- 
 enced some of the things in this little book. I wish 
 I may help you, God helping me, to experience 
 more of the glorious majesty of our King of kings, 
 
 when I come down and preach at , upon that 
 
 text : and when I am setting forth that sovereign 
 Prince and Saviour, may his Spirit then crown him 
 in your conscience, and enthrone him in your heart. 
 But I cannot come the day you mention, because it 
 is ray last Sunday at St. Dunstan's; and the week 
 after, I go down to Brighthelmstone, and shall be 
 there for a fortnight, and then set out for your place. 
 
 Till that time come, I will be wishing you what I 
 am always desiring for rayself, a stronger sense and 
 c2 
 
52 
 
 clearer feeling of my wants, and more faith to live upon 
 Jesus for the supply of them. When you have no- 
 thing in yourself to be pleased with, all wretchedness 
 and helplessness, then should Jesus be most precious 
 — he being the Almighty Saviour of such a wretched 
 helpless creature. A man that has a plentiful table, 
 thinks it a happiness that he sits down hungry and 
 thirsty: so should you, when every thing within you 
 is saying, ' Here you can do nothing — there you 
 can do nothing, without Christ.' Then faith should 
 say, ' It is true, I cannot; but he has in him that 
 very thing which I want, and he has promised to 
 give it me, and on him I depend for it.' Such a 
 dependence is heaven upon earth. I find it so; nor 
 would I have it otherwise. What would become of 
 me, if I was rich and increased with goods, and 
 found no need of any thing? Why, then I should 
 not feel my want of Christ : I could not live upon 
 him, and so should become comfortless. My dear 
 friend, believe me, I have been trying all ways to 
 happiness, but all have failed me till this one; and 
 here I am settled. I want nothing but Christ. 
 People tell me, I must submit to this ordinance, and 
 be joined to such a church, and come under church- 
 discipline, and must be dipped, &c. &c. I have 
 Christ — I want no more. This is making Christ 
 of him. And this saves us from ten thousand thou- 
 sand snares and troubles in life. I assure you it 
 has brought me such peace, as I scarce thought it 
 possible to have in this world. Excuse me, then, 
 when I wish you poorer and poorer every day, that 
 you may be richer in Christ. I shall not cease to 
 remember you as above, till you hear further from 
 
53 
 
 yours in that most sweet and lovely Christ, the fair- 
 est, yea, the very beauty itself, of all the fair ! O 
 how I love him, and he loves a poor wretch ! 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Hartlepool, Aug. 7, 1764. 
 I RECEIVED my dear friend's letter, and think she 
 overlooks our ever adorable Jesus, in setting any 
 value upon a poor dirty worm. If his grace raise it 
 from a dunghill, and set it upon a throne with his 
 princes, who shall have the glory — the worm, or Je- 
 sus? Shall any of his due praise be given to it ? 
 God forbid ! There ought to be a holy jealousy in 
 you and me, that we rob not our God of his glory. 
 If we do rob him of ever so little, he will wither all 
 our comforts and graces; but if we give him all the 
 glory, which we cannot do unless he be all, and we 
 be nothing, then every thing will go well with us. 
 We get exalted as we are humbled. The lowest is 
 the highest; which makes me fear to look at any 
 good in myself, unless the kind hand which gave it 
 me be seen at the same time; and afraid to hear of 
 any thing good in myself'', unless I am sure my Mas- 
 ter has all the praise. The plan upon which I act 
 herein is this, (long experience and many humblings 
 have brought me to it,) — I have grieved to see how 
 much of my time ran to waste, partly for want of 
 knowing what to do, and partly through perplexity 
 about what was done, lest it was not done aright; 
 and therefore, I was led to endeavour to bring the 
 
64> 
 
 business of every day into a little compass, that, at 
 one view, I might satisfy myself whether I had an- 
 swered the end of living another day. 
 
 There is no doubt left about my belonging to 
 Christ; so that this matter is not to be brought into 
 court again. It has been tried and determined, and 
 is now a settled point. What have I then to do? 
 What is the work of every day? Why, it is to be 
 living still in a constant dependence upon the Lord 
 Christ, and to be growing every day in the know- 
 ledge and experience of that dependence. 
 
 The dependence is thus expressed, " The just 
 shall live by his faith :" being justified, or made just, 
 he shall not live by any works, by any stock of grace, 
 by being faithful to any talents received ; but he shall 
 live upon the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, receiving 
 from him continually grace for grace. 
 
 The believer's growth in this his dependence is 
 thus spoken of : " Grow in grace, and in the know- 
 ledge and love of God our Saviour." Grace is the 
 free love of God to poor sinners, in the whole plan 
 of salvation ; from first to last all is of grace : and in 
 the knowledge and experience of this there is a 
 growth. The believer learns more clearly that all 
 is of grace, and that he has no hand in saving him- 
 self, but an empty receiving hand. Grace comes to 
 pull him down, and to set Christ up. When the 
 heart is established with grace, the creature is stripped 
 quite bare, without a rag to put on, or money to buy 
 any, or wisdom to know where to get it. Grace 
 pulls down all high things, levels all distinctions, and 
 leaves the poor creature nothing at all to trust in, or 
 to boast of} but to live upon Christ's alms : so that 
 
55 
 
 the sense of our lost, guilty, helpless state, is the 
 only thing which can make us willing to receive a 
 whole Christ; and the abiding sense of this will keep 
 us willing to live upon a whole Christ. And while 
 a believer lives thus, how can he grow in grace, if 
 he be not discovering every day more of the depth 
 of iniquity which is in him ? Grace cannot be mag- 
 nified, unless nature be humbled. Jesus Christ 
 cannot become more precious, unless self becomes 
 more vile. As the believer sinks in his own eyes, 
 Christ rises in his esteem. And th is, in my opinion, 
 is growing in grace. Growing in the sense of our 
 weakness, magnifies Christ's strength — our sinful- 
 ness his righteousness — our folly his wisdom — our 
 misery his happiness — our outward sorrowful state, 
 his inward peace and joy. Thus the growth in the 
 knowledge of Christ is closely connected with the 
 knowledge of self. And that makes me afraid of 
 any thing which tends to weaken this view of things ; 
 because it would weaken my dependence upon Christ. 
 I should not see nor feel my want of him so much, 
 which would stop the working of faith, and thereby 
 eclipse the glory of Jesus. You see my jealousy. 
 And, indeed, I have great reason for it. After all 
 my experience, which you have read in the ' Life of 
 Faith,' I have a revolting heart. Still I would turn 
 from, and live without Christ, if I could. Pride 
 puts me upon it. O it is the very devil, that pride ! 
 It attacks not the heel, but the heart of Christ, and 
 wants to rob him of his crown. And I have so 
 smarted for it, that the most distant approach is ter- 
 rible to me. Think what you will of me, but never 
 mention rae, without mentioning the grace of my 
 
56 
 
 dearest Lord, who has made me all that I ever shall 
 be, but sin aud misery. 
 
 My sweet Jesus hath contrived so much work for 
 me in these parts, and he is so evidently and power- 
 fully with us, that I cannot leave my neighbours, who 
 crowd to hear far more than ever, and they are to 
 me as my own soul. We are, beyond all description, 
 happy in our loving, lovely Lord. Such meetings I 
 never knew — and twice a day — and many churches 
 open. O that I could but stay ! I am so knit 
 in heart to my neighbours, and the most of them 
 come and sit quietly to hear, that I know not how 
 to leave them. But it must be. Adieu, my friend ; 
 remember yours in our precious Emmanuel, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XL 
 
 Bee. 29, 1764. 
 All the blessings of this good season be with my 
 dear friend. That man, for whom Christ was born, 
 is the greatest, richest prince upon earth : his reve- 
 nues, his honours, his mighty allies, his everlasting 
 kingdom, are beyond all conception. Compared to 
 what he is and has, crowns and empires are but 
 playthings for little children. And he comes to all 
 his dignity by Jehovah's taking flesh ; through which 
 wonderful event he can be made one spirit with him. 
 He took our flesh, that we might take his Spirit; 
 he was born on earth, that we might have a new 
 birth from heaven ; he took our sins, that we might 
 take his righteousness; and our miseries, that we 
 might be heirs with him of his happiness. O what 
 
57 
 
 an astonishing transaction is this ! How full of the 
 richest grace, flowing over with everlasting love ! 
 This great and blessed event lay in the breast of 
 Jehovah in eternity. He ever had it in his heart; 
 it was his beloved plan and purpose that he would 
 take flesh, and display all the glories of his Godhead 
 in the person of Jesus Christ. This was his gra- 
 cious will and everlasting counsel, to which all his 
 works have tended, and for the executing of which, 
 ill its full perfection, all things are now working to- 
 gether. When the fulness of time was come, O 
 what joy was there in heaven among the angels who 
 kept their first estate ! They thought it a very 
 high honour to be the messengers of it, even to poor 
 shepherds, with whom they could rejoice that their 
 God and our God was become incarnate : " Behold 
 I bring you glad tidings of great joy." Glad tidings 
 indeed ! for they include all the good which infinite 
 mercy has to give, and the sinner can receive. 
 Hereby light comes to them who are sitting in dark- 
 ness, and life to them who are in the shadow of 
 death — pardon to the guilty — comfort to the mourn- 
 ing — liberty to the captives — strength to the help- 
 less — and heaven to the miserable. How blessed a 
 change do they experience, when by faith they know, 
 and can say, " Unto us a child is born; unto us a 
 son is given?" For this is the saving truth, " Je- 
 sus is the Christ;" the man is Jqhovah, God and 
 man in one Christ; the child born is the mighty 
 God, and the son given is the everlasting Father, — 
 the virgin's son is Emmanuel, God with us, and her 
 infant babe is her eternal Saviour. Except she had 
 believed this, she could not have been saved, nor can 
 c3 
 
58 
 
 we ; and yet it is a truth so far out of the reach of 
 man's understanding, that he could never have 
 thought of it, unless it had been revealed ; nor can 
 he now comprehend it, unless he be taught it of God; 
 for no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, is Jehovah, 
 but by the Holy Ghost. Here then, my dear 
 friend, is matter of thankfulness to you and me, 
 that we are taught this of God. Happy Christmas 
 to us ! since we have lived to hear and understand 
 the great mystery of godliness — " God manifest in 
 the flesh." Happier still, that we believe it ; for 
 whomsoever the Holy Ghost enlightens with the 
 knowledge of this saving truth, he also gives faith to 
 receive it — to trust in Christ as God — to depend 
 upon him as the Almighty Saviour — to rely upon his 
 finished work — and to lay no other foundation for 
 any grace or glory, but the life and death of this 
 ever-blessed God-man. This is the way in which 
 the Holy Ghost glorifies Jesus, he gives the believer 
 such views of the infinite fulness, and everlasting suf- 
 ficiency of Emmanuel, that he is quite satisfied with 
 him. His conscience is brought into sweet peace, 
 through the sprinkling of the blood of the Lamb of 
 God : and when guilt would arise, and unbelieving 
 fears disturb, he is enabled through faith in Jesus to 
 maintain his peace ; because, whatever rendered him 
 hateful to God, he sees it removed by his adorable 
 Surety ; and whatever God could love him for, he 
 finds himself interested in it, through the infinitely 
 precious obedience of the Lord our righteousness. 
 Thus he enters into the promised rest; thus he 
 maintains himself in it. He can desire nothing, 
 but the Saviour has it ; and when he asks, he receives 
 
59 
 
 it from him : so that the Saviour more than fills up 
 all his wants — for he satisfies all his wishes : he says, 
 by sweet experience, " This is all my salvation, and 
 all my desire." 
 
 And what greatly adds still to this happiness is, 
 that it is ever, ever growing — may you and I find 
 it 80 ! As the believer is made to see his absolute 
 safety in Jesus, so does he partake more of his graces 
 and blessings. In hearing and reading the descrip- 
 tions of the Lord Christ in his divine person, and 
 in his most gracious oflBces, the Holy Spirit sets in 
 with those descriptions, and presents the inestimably 
 glorious Saviour before the eye of faith with the 
 most attracting loveliness. All the sweets, and 
 beauties, and joys scattered throughout the universe, 
 are only Httle drops out of the ocean of Jesus' ful- 
 ness. There is not any object made to gratify any 
 sense, but the Holy Spirit shows the believer that 
 very thing in its highest perfection in the infinitely 
 rich Saviour, and gives him a delightful earnest, and 
 by faith a foretaste of it. By which means his 
 whole heart and soul grow entirely in love with that 
 beauty of all beauties, and he says, and it is heaven 
 to feel it, " This is my beloved, and this is my friend." 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER Xn. 
 
 Feb. 14, 1765. 
 My dear Friend, — I shall be filling up this paper 
 with — . First, Thanking my dear Master for 
 his great kindness to you. From my heart I praise 
 him — may you and yours give him the whole glory 
 of his temporal and spiritual blessings. 
 
60 
 
 Secondly, I pray him to continue his kindness to 
 you — a thankful temper always has fresh matter for 
 thankfulness. To praise him for the past, is the 
 sure way to secure future mercies. Prayer and 
 praise live and die together. 
 
 Thirdly, I tell you of his goodness to me. I am 
 nothing but a miracle of his goodness — the most 
 astonishing that ever was ! All, all from my first 
 breath to this I am now drawing is mere mercy and 
 grace, and so it will be for ever and for ever. My 
 ministry is wonderful, that such a dumb dog should 
 speak — such a very devil in flesh should feel what 
 he says of that eternally precious Jesus, and be the 
 means of making others feel it, and should have no 
 doubt of feeling it blessedly to eternity. O what 
 delightful views do these things give me of my 
 sweetest Lord and dearest Jesus ! He seems willing 
 I should preach more, and have a church in the city: 
 but he will not let it come too easily, lest we should 
 have whereof to glory. We are at law about it, and 
 are like to be a great while, but in the meantime he 
 is doing all things well. The very moment all things 
 are ready, the church will be opened: and if it never 
 is, he does not want me there, with which I am 
 satisfied. 
 
 Fourthly, Does all this teach you and me to trust 
 this dear Lamb of God ? It should teach us, I hope 
 it does. How safely may we trust his faithfulness ; 
 how happily rest upon his almighty love ! All things 
 for the good of soul and body are promised to him 
 that believeth. O that the Lord may increase your 
 faith and mine ! In an hour of need may you find 
 him very, very near to your heart, and filling you 
 with joy and peace in believing. 
 
61 
 
 To Jesus I commend you and yours most heartily, 
 being tied to you in him by the bonds of his ever- 
 lasting love. Jesus bless you. Amen. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 May 25, 1765. 
 My dear Friend, — Having an opportunity of 
 
 sending a note by dear Mr. , I could not 
 
 withhold my pen. What thanks ought we to give 
 to our gracious Lord for his mercies to you ! What 
 ought you yourself to give ! Can you look back 
 upon any part of your life, especially the last part of 
 it, and is there any thing upon which you cannot 
 write, " This is mercy ?" O, it is all, from first to 
 last, to them who are chosen, and called, and believe, 
 and live by faith of the Son of God, mercy — from 
 everlasting to everlasting ! A mercy before time, a 
 mercy in time, a mercy beyond time ! Where is 
 the fountain-head, the spring of this mercy? In 
 the covenant of the eternal Three. What gives rise 
 to it? Nothing but the mere grace and free love of 
 the divine Persons. A motive cannot rise but in the 
 purpose and breast of God himself. But on whom 
 do the streams of this fountain flow with their quick- 
 ening, comforting, sanctifying, glorifying streams? 
 On the miserable, and none else; for none else are 
 the objects of mercy. On such as you and me. 
 Mercy has made a rich provision to supply all our 
 wants, to pardon all our sins, to save us from all 
 misery, to entitle us to all glory. And what ! is 
 mercy chiefly glorious in reserving all its blessings 
 
62 
 
 to another world ? the greatest it does, but not all. 
 All are now enjoyed in reversion by faith ; and all 
 things are working together in Jesus' hands to bring 
 about the full and final enjoyment — that the mercy 
 which is above all the works of God may have for 
 ever and ever all the glory. 
 
 So far I wrote on Saturday night, on Mr. 
 
 sending me word he should go on Monday. 
 
 Sunday Morning. 
 "What a mercy does this day call to our remem- 
 brance ! The Saviour, risen and ascended, sends 
 down the divine and faithful witness for himself — 
 " He shall testify of me" — bear witness to my per- 
 son, to my work, that they are both divine — my 
 person, Jehovah self-existent — my work, as perfect 
 as Jehovah could make it. He shall testify of my 
 grace, how free it is, how full it is, and shall enable 
 the sinner, any poor wretch, however vile in his own 
 eyes, to trust his soul in the hands of Jesus. And 
 having enabled the sinner to do this, then he will 
 testify of Jesus, that he has received him, that he is 
 safe in the arms, and may be happy in the enjoyment 
 of Jesus' love. Thus he will make the soul ena- 
 moured with Jesus ; there will appear such consum- 
 mate beauty, such infinite loveliness in his precious 
 person, as will eclipse the glory of all other lovers. 
 There will appear such true happiness in fellowship 
 with him, as will quite dethrone the former idols. 
 And when the foolish heart would depart, he will 
 not let it. Then will he testify of Jesus, " To 
 whom wouldst thou go? Who has eternal life to 
 give, but him ? Turn, turn again to thy rest, O 
 my soul !" 
 
63 
 
 If the soul is mourning — He will testify of the 
 joy that is in Jesus. If the soul be burdened — Cast 
 the burden, says he, on thy Lord. If the soul has 
 lost any creature-comfort — Let it go, says he, Jesus 
 is still thy salvation, and thy great reward. If the 
 soul be grieved with indwelHng sin — It is pardoned, 
 says he, and the Spirit of life, which is in Christ 
 Jesus, hath made thee free from the law of sin and 
 of death. 
 
 Whatever the wants of the believer are, the Spi- 
 rit's office is to testify of Jesus, there is the thing you 
 want ; and to glorify Jesus, there you have it freely. 
 
 My friend, what mercy is this ! The Spirit Je- 
 hovah abides with you, to testify of Jesus and his 
 perfect salvation ; and to glorify Jesus, by enabling 
 you to live safe and blessed upon him, making him 
 not only all, but also all in all. And when he has 
 taught you thus to glorify Jesus, he will keep you 
 (Oh, that is sweet !) by his almighty power, till he 
 bring you to the heaven of heavens — the sight and 
 enjoyment of dear Jesus, eternally dear and lovely 
 Jesus. 
 
 Is it indeed so ? Why, then, commit yourself to 
 this glorious Emmanuel. Wait for the Spirit's teach- 
 ing you all his ways, and showing you all are well. 
 Remember, he has lent you your chief earthly com- 
 fort, only just so long as he pleases. When he 
 takes it, hush, not a sigh : " Be still, and know that 
 I am God, a sovereign" — This commands resigna- 
 tion: but the Lamb's voice is all love. I take it 
 away, that you may love me more, and be happier 
 in my love. Let it be so, my dear Lord ; be thou 
 but present, all is well. The Lord bless you and 
 yours, W. R. 
 
64. 
 
 LETTER -XIV. 
 
 Nov. 1, 1765. 
 
 What am I, the very vilest of the vile, that any 
 of the Lord's people should look on me ! But to 
 think of his looking on me, whose eyes are a flame 
 of fire, and yet to look with love ; O what an hum- 
 bling thought is that ! I declare, the more I daily 
 learn of myself, I grow more amazed how Jesus 
 should love such a one. But he is all grace, or 
 rather grace is Jesus — not something distinct from 
 him, but he himself — his name, because it is his 
 nature. Unto him be the praise of your kindness 
 to one who has not a single thing to recommend hira 
 to your regard but what Jesus' free grace has most 
 marvellously bestowed upon him. Let him have the 
 glory ; for he richly deserves it all. Whatever good 
 I receive in this world, spiritual or temporal, I am 
 indebted for it to his mere bounty — I crown him for 
 it. Take it off my head, and put it upon his. This 
 is heaven below ; for they are doing the same in 
 heaven above. As we throw the crown of grace at 
 bis feet, so do they the crown of glory. Thus 
 through him I thank you for your letter, and for all 
 your favours. 
 
 As to what you write about my not calling on 
 you in my journey, your disappointment was not, 
 could not be greater than mine. I learned from it 
 a good lesson. It is very profitable to take notice 
 of what providences say : they have a tongue, and 
 speak loudly ; and the spiritual ear hears, and receives 
 
65 
 
 instruction. You see what man is, and what de- 
 pendence is to be laid upon him. As I was going 
 along the road, I heard a voice saying, " Cease ye 
 from man," from yourself, from others : put no con- 
 fidence in them, in your own good, in their good, or 
 in any good to be received from them. The com- 
 mand is, Put not your trust in princes, nor in any 
 child of man, be he wise, or great, or esteemed good. 
 Nay, look not at them, but with a single eye look 
 unto Jesus. In him you will see every thing to put 
 your confidence in — Grace, matchless grace in his 
 heart and lips, beauty beyond compare, riches un- 
 searchable, honour infinite, righteousness everlasting, 
 holiness holy making, and that for ever. And all 
 these he has to give, freely to give, to the unworthy. 
 Look at him, believing, and he is yours, and all he 
 has and is. The sight will change you into his 
 image. As the sun shining puts his glory upon 
 every object, so does Jesus. O cease then from 
 man — look not at blind man, dark and benighted- 
 look not at this heavy thick earth, nor at any of its 
 glittering toys : they shine only as shined upon. 
 Cease from them all, and look to Jesus. The good 
 Spirit direct and fix your eyes and mine upon him, 
 till we see heaven in his face. 
 
 The same voice still pursuing me, I perceived that 
 I was not only to cease from looking to man and all 
 human things, but also to cease from depending on 
 them. I was not to live upon them. I could, as 
 it were, hear a voice, " Live not upon us, but live 
 upon the Prince of Life." He is a never-failing 
 fountain of life — He speaks, and the dead live — 
 His voice makes and keeps alive. We live by him, 
 
66 
 
 and live on him, and in him. All other persons and 
 things but him, concern only the perishing, dying 
 life of the body ; but the life which he gives is his 
 own spiritual, divine, eternal life. I cannot wish 
 you a greater blessing than to hear with power, and 
 to find what I did in ray journey — Cease ye from 
 living upon man^ and live upon me. So we do. 
 Lord Christ ; the life which we now live in the flesh 
 we live by the faith of the Son of God. 
 
 From hence I was led to see the necessity of 
 ceasing to hope for happiness from all these things 
 about us. They have it not to give. It grows not 
 out of that earth which lieth in wickedness, nor can 
 it be increased by any good under the sun ; because it 
 is one of the perfect gifts which cometh down from the 
 Father of lights. And when it is given by his grace, 
 and received by faith, then this true philosopher's 
 stone turns all things into gold. Faith living upon 
 Jesus can turn those things into happiness, which in 
 their own nature could produce nothing but misery. 
 Wonderful transmutation ! it changes darkness into 
 light, death into life, weakness into strength, sin into 
 righteousness, mourning into joy, hell into heaven. 
 By this faith we have Christ in us, the hope of glory. 
 Christ dwelling in the heart; and where he is, there 
 all he has is. All things are ours : salvation from all 
 evil, a title to the love of God, and to the glory of 
 God, and a fitness also and meetness for the eternal 
 enjoyment of God in his love and glory. Cease ye 
 from man, then, and all is yours. O may you and I 
 learn to cease from all schemes of happiness in any 
 object, but in Jesus. The more we live to him, the 
 more dead he will make us to every thing else. He 
 
67 
 
 will let you love your relations, nay, he commands 
 you to love them ; but then you must take them 
 from him as his bounty, and use them as his gifts, 
 dependent on his sovereign will, free to give, free to 
 take away, when and what he pleases. When your 
 will can be made thus really resigned to his will, then 
 he will make you happy, and you will feel something 
 of their blessed oneness with him, who have no will 
 but his, and therefore follow the Lamb whitherso- 
 ever he goeth. I mark what you say upon that 
 point. A resigned will is not where there is no 
 rising of the flesh against God's will, but where there 
 is victory over the will of the flesh. Pray take 
 notice of this ; and try whether you have not this 
 evidence of your adoption, that you desire the Fa- 
 ther's will, and not yours, may be done. 
 
 I am labouring at Brighthelmstone among a 
 sweet people, with whom I am exceedingly happy. 
 The work of dear Jesus prospers among us. His 
 person grows more beloved. His work more pre- 
 cious. Fellowship with him more close and inti- 
 mate, and therefore more happy. Our hearts warmed 
 with his love, are warm with brotherly love, stirring 
 up one another to press forward for the prize of our 
 high calling, that is, to win Christ, and be found in 
 him at the hour of death, and at the day of judg- 
 ment. May the same Lord Christ grow dearer to 
 you and yours every day ! 
 
 I am always bound to pray for your welfare, being 
 by many ties yours, W. R. 
 
68 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 All spiritual blessings be on my dear friend ! 
 whatever the tender heart, or the ahnighty arm of 
 the loving Jesus has to bestow, may it be all yours ! 
 
 What a life is this ! hurry, hurry, hurry, from 
 place to place, from this object to that ; — weary with 
 seeking, but never finding rest. Happy Christian, 
 who is fixed to a point ! Go where he will, ONE 
 object is his all. The crucified Saviour is his hap- 
 piness, his perfect, everlasting happiness; and this 
 heaven he carries about with him. No time, no 
 place, no circumstances make any change. He has 
 one Lord, one faith, the same yesterday, to-day, 
 and for ever. Come pain, sickness, poverty, death, 
 the Saviour's love and power bear him up. Come 
 temptations of all kinds, I will be with thee in the 
 hour of temptation, says the Lord God. Where he 
 is, nothing need be feared, because nothing can hurt. 
 
 0 my friend, the true knowledge of Jesus Christ is 
 an infallible cure for all the miseries which come into 
 the world by sin. There is no evil of mind or body, 
 temporal or eternal, but our precious dear Lord is by 
 ofiice engaged to remove it. And shall not you and 
 
 1 value and love him ? What can we set our hearts 
 upon, what can bid so high for them as this adorable 
 Saviour ? May he enable us to give them to him, 
 and then he will sanctify all their inferior loves ; will 
 let us love them as flowing from his grace ; so that 
 this love will make us love him more. This love is 
 heaven. All joy and glory is in it. And as for the 
 
69 
 
 happiness of his redeemed people, we shall never 
 know how great it is till we join the church above. 
 It will be a glorious meeting. Jesus bless you ! 
 Amen, amen ! I am, for his sake, your faithful 
 friend, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XVI. 
 
 Nov. 25, 1765. 
 My dear Friend, — I have much to tell you of that 
 ever-dear and precious Lover, your best friend and 
 mine. I had a token of his goodness in your last, 
 
 for which I thank Lady M ; but, above all, her 
 
 Lord and mine. I have a tale to relate of his free 
 and kind heart, which will last longer than this 
 world. It is really heaven to be relating it, and I 
 cannot hold my tongue. He makes himself so lovely 
 by continual favours, that my heart is quite won, and 
 by his sweet constraint is now fixed upon him. I 
 would turn to other lovers, but sweet Jesus will not 
 let me. O the boundless grace of his most amiable 
 breast! Finite nature cannot tell (how should it?) 
 his infinite love. But as we get emptied of self, we 
 know and experience more of his love. This I wish 
 
 you and my very dear Miss : growth in grace, 
 
 that is, self-abasement ; and growth in the knowledge 
 of God our Saviour. May he empty you of self, and 
 fill you with more of his good things. We have 
 very much of his presence and glory in our assemblies 
 this winter : more than ever. His work revives 
 amongst us ; and, cold and frosty as the weather is, 
 our hearts burn within us. Last night St. Dun- 
 
70 
 
 Stan's was a very Bethel : it was like the dedication 
 of the temple, when the glory of Jehovah came down 
 and filled the house. I was preaching on these words, 
 *' My meditation of him shall be sweet." And so it 
 was indeed. When I was setting forth his under- 
 takings, his suitableness to fulfil them as God-man, 
 his actual fulfilling of them, his power to apply and 
 to make them effectual; how he does this by his 
 word preached, in the hand of the Spirit made the 
 means of working faith in the heart, and of produc- 
 ing the fruits of faith in fellowship with Jesus and his 
 fulness, by which Jesus grows sweeter and sweeter, 
 and so brings us to the end of our meditation, the 
 sweetest of all, even of divine sweets, the enjoyment of 
 Jesus in his kingdom of glory ; O what a seal did he 
 set to this preached gospel ! — he made it the power 
 of God. The meditation of his goodness yesterday 
 has still a relish and delightful savour ; to-day it is 
 sweet, very, very sweet indeed. Pray, mind I do 
 not make this my salvation. No; but these sweet 
 streams lead me to the fountain. I do not rest in 
 them : but if these be so sweet, what must the foun- 
 tain be ? If little faith finds Jesus so precious, what 
 must precious Jesus be, when faith yields to sight and 
 sense ? My dear, dear friend, prize this pearl, it is 
 inestimable. Two things I would beg your notice 
 of — I know you have received him : 
 
 The first is, Press for more knowledge. Read, 
 pray, hear, to be made more teachable and humble, 
 that Jesus may have the glory of such discoveries as 
 he makes of his person and of his work. And do not 
 stop : press on as long as you hve ; sit very low, very 
 low at Christ's feet, to hear his words. 
 
71 
 
 The second is, Make use of his fulness. You 
 are welcome ; you cannot use it too much. Hence 
 comes sweet fellowship, and by it all things will do 
 you good. Carry them to that best friend, pour 
 them out into his loving bosom. He delights in 
 famiharity. You have been ill; that is the best for 
 you: live by faith, and Jesus will make it plain to 
 you. Yours in that incomparable Lover, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XVn. 
 
 Lambeth, Jan. 16, 1766. 
 My reason for writing is to inquire after you. 
 How can I help being concerned for those whom 
 I love, especially in the Lord ? Such friends I 
 
 have at . It would be a real pleasure to 
 
 me, and a profit to yourself, if I knew what to ask 
 for you when I go to court. How is your bodily 
 health? I know you are generally weak and low, 
 and I know it is good for you, yea, the best of all 
 for you. The Physician who never mistook a case, 
 prescribes to your tender constitution. His prescrip- 
 tion is perfect love. He could not bring about his 
 gracious designs any other way: he wants to wean 
 you from a life of sense, therefore in infinite mercy 
 he takes away sensible enjoyments. He would have 
 you to go on from faith to faith ; but how could faith 
 grow so fast, as by keeping you from those things 
 which are its very bane and destruction ? He is 
 bringing you to more fellowship with him than you 
 have had ; therefore you must have less fellowship 
 with the world. Fewer outward comforts will cer- 
 
72 
 
 tainly make you experience more spiritual comforts. 
 This is our Physician's 6xed practice ; he never va- 
 ries from it, not in one instance. Mind one of his 
 favourite patients — " Thy rod and thy staff comfort 
 me." The afflicting rod could not comfort, pain 
 could not be pleasure, no chastening can be in itself 
 joyous : but the staff, the being supported under the 
 rod, and the feeling of that support, he found faith 
 and patience bear him up under the rod, which 
 brought him to such close communion with his gra- 
 cious Saviour, that he was comforted under the cross. 
 This is also the experience of one highly favoured, as 
 you may read, Rom. v. 3 — 5. Let me know, then, 
 how your soul prospereth under Jesus' care. 
 
 I have another reason for writing, which is to 
 wish you a happy new year, the happiest of all you 
 ever saw ; and therefore I wish you more, still more 
 enjoyment, of our infinitely rich, everlastingly pre- 
 cious Jesus. You will live to a blessed purpose, if 
 every day of this new year you get more out of self, 
 and live more i?i and on Jesus. We have had a 
 most remarkable time this Christmas of his grace and 
 love. I have scarce an acquaintance who has not 
 been favoured with blessed visits from him. O how 
 great is his goodness ! how great is his beauty ! in- 
 comparable both ! May your dear heart, my friend, 
 feel what I did at the Lock on Innocents' day, when 
 I was preaching on these words of Psalm Ixxxvii. 
 " All my springs are in thee." I gave them first a 
 translation of the psalm, then a paraphrase, then ap- 
 plication. The substance of the two first I send you. 
 The psalm, literally rendered, runs thus : — 
 
 The title is — " For the sons of miserable man a 
 psalm to be sung." 
 
73 
 
 Ver. 1. * He is to be established in the moun- 
 tains of his Holy One.' — Mind how sweetly the 
 Holy Spirit begins : he mentions not who this He 
 that was to be established is, for all who are under his 
 teaching know. 
 
 Ver. 2. ' Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion more 
 than all the dwellings of Jacob.' 
 
 Ver. 3. ' Weighty things are spoken of thee, 
 thou city of Alehim. Selah,' attend to this. — 
 What this love in ver. 2. was for, what these weighty 
 things in ver. 3. were, the next words show, where 
 God the Father is introduced speaking: 
 
 Ver. 4. ' I will cause it to be remembered by 
 them who knew me in Rahab and Babylon : behold 
 Philistia, and Tyre, the people of Ethiopia; here 
 ivas the name horri' — born in Zion, to be the Savi- 
 our of Rahab and Babylon, Philistia and Tyre, and 
 Ethiopia, even as many as the Lord our God shall 
 call in these countries. 
 
 David, speaking by the Holy Ghost, adds, in 
 
 Ver. 5. ' And of Zion it shall be said, A person 
 and a person (God and man) shall be born in her; 
 and he himself, the Most High, shall perfectly estab- 
 lish her :' namely, the church founded upon the in- 
 carnate God, against which, he says himself, " the 
 gates of hell shall not prevail." 
 
 Ver. 6. ' Jehovah shall record it, when he is de- 
 scribing the people, tha' here "was the name born' 
 — that divine name in which alone there is salvation, 
 and from which all true joy both in heaven and earth 
 ariseth, as the saints sung in the Old Testament, as 
 the angels sung at his birth, and as the redeemed of 
 the Lord will sing for ever. 
 
 D 54 
 
74 
 
 Ver. 7. 'And the singers, as well as the players 
 on instruments, shall say. All my springs are in thee,' 
 (all, all the springs of grace, of glory, all arise from 
 Jehovah manifest in the flesh.) O that such a 
 spring as we had at the opening of these words may 
 flow into and refresh your heart quite through the 
 wilderness till you come to the fountain-head; may 
 you still drink of the water which flows through the 
 rock Christ, till you drink of that which flows from 
 the throne of the Lamb. And so it will be: the 
 Rock will follow you, and you will have the comfort 
 of it, if you keep in mind that little word in, " All my 
 springs are in thee," not only from thee, through thee, 
 (which is true,) but in thee. If faith fix here, all 
 vill be well. For if at any time the stream fail, 
 then you may go up to the fountain-head, making 
 up your happiness in Jesus. Get you whatever it be, 
 little or much, in present comfort out of his fulness, 
 yet still he, and all he is and has, is yours. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XVIIL 
 
 Lambeth, Feb. 4, 1766. 
 All the blessings of Jesus' love be with dear 
 
 . I was not in a hurry to answer your letter, 
 
 because the time was at hand when my lord chancel- 
 lor declared he would end the affair of Blackfriars. 
 You have heard of the event. My friends are re- 
 joicing all around me, and wishing me that joy which 
 I cannot take. It is my Master's will, and I sub- 
 mit. He knows what is best, both for his own glory, 
 
75 
 
 and his people's good. And I am certain he makes 
 no mistake in either of these points. But my head 
 hangs down upon the occasion, through the awful 
 apprehensions which I ever had of the cure of souls. 
 I am frightened to think of watching over two or 
 three thousand, when it is work enough to watch 
 over one. The plague of my own heart almost 
 wearies me to death ; what can I do with such a vast 
 number? Besides, I had promised myself a Httle 
 rest and retirement in the evening of life, and had 
 already sat down with a " soul, take thine ease." 
 And, lo ! my fine plan is broke all to pieces. I am 
 called into a public station, and to the sharpest en- 
 gagement, just as I had got into winter quarters — 
 an engagement, too, for life. I can see nothing be- 
 fore me, so long as the breath is in my body, but war 
 —and that with unreasonable men — a divided par- 
 ish, an angry clergy, a wicked Sodom, and a wicked 
 world ; all to be resisted and overcome : besides all 
 these a sworn enemy, subtle and cruel, with whom I 
 can make no peace, no, not a moment's truce, night 
 and day, with all his children, and his host, is aim- 
 ing at my destruction. When I take counsel of the 
 flesh, I begin to faint. But when I go to the sanc- 
 tuary, I see my cause good, and my Master is al- 
 mighty — a tried friend, and then he makes my cour- 
 age revive. Although I am no way fit for the work, 
 yet he called me to it, and on him I depend for 
 strength to do it, and for success to crown it. I 
 utterly despair of doing any thing as of myself, and 
 therefore the more I have to do, I shall be forced to 
 live more by faith upon him. In this view 1 hope 
 to get a great income by my living. I shall want 
 D 2 
 
76 
 
 my Jesus more, and shall get closer to him. As he 
 has made my application to him more necessary and 
 more constant, he has given me stronger tokens of 
 his love. Methinks I can hear his sweet voice,— 
 " Come closer, come closer, soul; nearer yet; I will 
 bring you into circumstances that you cannot do one 
 moment without me." O that you could always 
 hear that voice, it would be your heaven ! and in- 
 deed it is his language — nothing but love is on his 
 tongue ; but the noise of the flesh sometimes drowns 
 his small still voice. Comfort would flow into your 
 heart like a river, if the ears of faith were but open 
 to attend to the endearments of Jesus. " Soul, thou 
 shalt not live at a distance from me; I bought thee 
 with a great price : thou art mine. When I aflBict, 
 it is to bring thee nearer to myself; to make thee 
 glad in me; to bring thy heart to me. Thou shalt 
 not make up thy comforts in the streams ; come, 
 come up nearer, nearer still, to the fountain-head. 
 To make thee, to force thee to live happy in my ful- 
 ness, I will dry up the streams, and so will I teach 
 thee to make me all in all." The infinitely lovely 
 Lamb of God teach you this lesson I All his word 
 preaches it, all his providences proclaim it. Every 
 cross says, Go to Jesus, live near his bleeding 
 heart, or else I shall break the back of your patience. 
 Every difficulty says, Go to Jesus, and he will make 
 you strong in the power of his might to overcome. 
 The world, and all the things in it, say, and the be- 
 liever has ears to hear, Go to Jesus, there is no good 
 in us — it is all in him. Whatever comes, I go to 
 Jesus with it, and all is well; his smiles are humbling, 
 his rod is sanctifying ; in all his dealings he is good, 
 and doeth good. 
 
77 
 
 I know these things as well in theory, as I see 
 the vvords upon the paper. But to practise them is 
 indeed hard, except in his strength, to whom all 
 things are possible : in it and by it all the things we 
 meet with will not only bring us to live more upon 
 Christ, but will also bring us to live more to Christ. 
 By doing the one, we do the other. He that makes 
 him all, shows forth most of his praise. What can 
 glorify Christ like that believer who attempts nothing 
 without consulting him, undertakes no work or duty 
 but in his strength, rejoices in nothing but in Jesus, 
 and in his salvation ? O that you may learn, my 
 dear friend, thus to exalt King Jesus ! I would have 
 you to be ever bringing some honour to him, by 
 making him your all in deed and in truth. Praise 
 his fulness by living always upon it, and then he will 
 make you always happy. Let him be all your sal- 
 vation, and all your desire : all your salvation, as to 
 the merit of it; all your desire, as to the efficacy of 
 it ; all your salvation in purchase ; all your desire in 
 enjoyment. So he is in heaven : O that we could 
 make him so upon earth ! 
 
 I have one favour to beg of you. Do not refuse 
 me. You see my station — you hear my difficulties. 
 Will you remember me to Hira who calleth the 
 things that be not as though they were. He can 
 send to war at his cost, and for his glory. If you 
 love me, make mention of me when you go to court. 
 Pray for usefulness and for humility. I cease not 
 to mention you. . W. R. 
 
78 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 Jidy 22, 1766. 
 
 My very dear Friend, — I am wishing for your 
 prosperity in body and soul, but above all, that your 
 soul may prosper: and it is in the most thriving state 
 when you are lowest and vilest in your own eyes, and 
 Jesus alone is eyed and esteemed. This is growth. 
 And self is kept down, so Jesus is exalted. O 
 what views have I of this manner of growing in 
 grace ! Let me talk to you freely of it at our next 
 meeting, as I have learned it not from books, but 
 from God's word, and God's teaching. 
 
 I am learning, though dull, how to eye him in all 
 things : as it is my privilege, so I find it my happi- 
 ness; but, alas! alas! I am a miserable learner. 
 However, I set out afresh, and resolve not to give 
 over aiming at my lesson. Do ever so well, I would 
 do better, for I see in him worlds of beauty and 
 glory, which will take up a long eternity to study, 
 and, what is best of all, to enjoy. To my dear, 
 dearest Jesus, I commend you and all yours. I am, 
 very sincerely, yours in our common Lord, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 Lambeth, Nov. 15, 1766. 
 I AM indebted much to my dear friend, but among 
 other things I owe you a note of hand, which I am 
 now ready to pay. I wanted to talk with you at 
 
79 
 
 ■ upon the temper and disposition of a true be- 
 liever; but, being prevented there, I promised to 
 send you my thoughts upon this subject, which I am 
 the more ready to do to-day, because the reason of 
 my making the promise not only still subsists, but is 
 also increasing. A temper directly contrary to the 
 Christian is spreading among professors. I see the 
 delusion grow, and I am a witness to the baneful 
 effects of it. How many have you and I heard of 
 who want to be something in themselves, and, rather 
 than not be so, will be beholden to Christ to set 
 them up with a stock of grace ! They would gladly 
 receive a talent from him, that, by being faithful to 
 grace given, and trading well with it, they may look 
 with delight on their improvements, and thereby 
 hope to get more grace and more glory. This is 
 the Popish plan, the Arminian — very flattering to 
 nature, exceedingly pleasing to self-righteousness, 
 very exalting, yea, it is crowning free will, and de- 
 basing King Jesus. I would be more jealous than 
 I am over you in this matter, if I had not seen how 
 the Lord teaches you, and warns you of this rock. 
 Your frequent indispositions are his sweet lessons, 
 by which he would bring you to the true gospel- 
 frame of spirit, which is this: — It is the proper work 
 of the grace of Jesus, to humble the proud sinner, 
 to make him and to keep him sensible of his wants, 
 convinced always that he has not any good of his 
 own, and cannot possibly of himself obtain any, either 
 in earth or heaven, but what he must be receiving 
 every moment out of the fulness of Jesus. 
 
 The devil fell by pride, and he drew man into the 
 same crime. He promised him independence, and 
 
80 
 
 he still persuades deceived man to set up for himself. 
 That is the scheme of all unawakened men — they 
 are resolved to be happy in spite of God. The 
 Spirit of Jesus is sent to humble this proud sinner, 
 which he does, by giving him a view of God's holy 
 nature, and God's holy law. This makes sin, and 
 consequently the sinner, hateful; discovers his guilt 
 and his danger: if he attempts to do any thing to 
 make God love him, the Holy Spirit humbles him 
 for that very thing, by showing him the sinfulness 
 of his motives, and the imperfection of the action. 
 AVhatever he seeks to rest in, the Spirit of Jesus 
 detects the false foundation, till he leaves him no re- 
 source but to believe in the only-begotten Son of 
 God. So that when he comes to Jesus he is stripped 
 of all, quite naked and blind, moneyless and friend- 
 less, empty of good as the devil and sin could make 
 him. This is all the fitness and preparation for 
 Christ which I know of. And when Christ is thus 
 received, the same Spirit which would let him, the 
 sinner, bring nothing to Christ, will now make hira 
 bring all from Christ, and so keep him sensible of 
 his wants. He will teach the believer more daily of 
 his poverty, weakness, unworthiness, vileness, igno- 
 rance, &c. that he may be kept humble, without any 
 good but what he is forced to fetch out of the fulness 
 of Jesus. And when he would go any where else 
 for comfort, to duties, frames, gifts, and graces, (for 
 pride will live, and thrive too, upon any thing but 
 Jesus,) his Spirit makes them dry and lean, and 
 will not let him stop short of the fountain-head of all 
 true comfort. In short, he will glorify nothing but 
 Jesus. He will stain the pride of all greatness, and 
 
81 
 
 of all goodness, excepting what is derived from the 
 fulness of the incarnate God. 
 
 I know one who learned this very slowly, but has 
 had much pains taken with him ; and to make what 
 I have been saying more plain, I would illustrate it 
 by his experience. He was a very, very vain, proud 
 young man : knew almost every thing but himself, 
 and therefore was mighty fond of himself. He met 
 with many disappointments to his pride, which only 
 made him prouder, till the Lord was pleased to let 
 him see and feel the plague of his own heart. At 
 this time my acquaintance with him began. He 
 tried every method that can be tried to get peace, 
 but found none. In his despair of all things else, 
 he betook himself to Jesus, and was most kindly re- 
 ceived. He trusted the word of promise, and ex- 
 perienced the sweetness in the promise. After this 
 he went through various frames and trials of faith, 
 too many to mention, and he is now got, where may 
 Mrs. , your dear sister, get, and as far be- 
 yond it as you can. 
 
 First, He has been brought to a clear conviction, 
 that all fulness of good is in Jesus, as clear, as that 
 all the sap in the branch is from the stock on which 
 it grows, as that all the nourishment in the member 
 is from the body. What has the branch or the 
 member, except what they receive ? Now this con- 
 tinual receiving from Jesus, every thing saying, 
 " You must go to him, you must go to him," is a 
 most humbling lesson. And my friend says, it is 
 nothing but this which crucifies his pride; he has 
 been attempting for many years to be something, to 
 do something of himself, but could not succeed ; dis- 
 D 3 
 
82 
 
 appointed again and again, yet he would not give it 
 up, till God made him feel, in him, that is, in his 
 flesh, dwelled no good thing: and now he writes 
 folly, weakness, sin, on all that is his own ; not only 
 clearly convinced that all fulness of good is in Jesus, 
 but is also, in the second place, content it should be 
 in him. " It pleased the Father that in him should 
 all fulness dwell." It pleases the Holy Spirit to tes- 
 tify of his fulness, and to glorify nothing but it : and 
 by his teaching it, pleases the believer. He is made 
 quite satisfied that all fulness should dwell in that 
 dear God-man : content to have nothing but what he 
 must go to him for; yea, happy to go to Jesus for 
 those very things of which he himself is empty, and 
 which he cannot have any where else. My friend's 
 heart glows, and his very countenance brightens up, 
 and one catches fire at his words, when he is talking 
 upon this subject. " O," says he, " that you did but 
 know what I experience in living upon the fulness of 
 Jesus ! — God's will and mine are one in this matter 
 — this subjection to his will is heaven regained; so 
 I find it. I rest perfectly on the fulness, and I en- 
 joy most sweetly what God has laid up in it for ray 
 use. My conscience has a peace that passeth all 
 understanding, through faith in the blood of the 
 Lamb. I see myself in him perfectly accepted, per- 
 fectly justified, perfectly comely in his comeliness, 
 perfectly happy in his love — all the desire of the soul 
 satisfied with Jesus' person, and Jesus' work. This, 
 this is the death of pride. Here free-will, self- 
 righteousness, a legal spirit cannot work. The spi- 
 rit and power of Jesus in this his glory makes them 
 hide their heads." 
 
83 
 
 This is living like a Christian. It is a life, in 
 one respect, only below an angel's ; and yet great 
 and blessed as it is, I have heard ray friend talk in 
 a very uncommon strain upon a state even beyond 
 this, which he calls heaven enjoyed, and that is, 
 
 Thirdly, He is thankful that all fulness dwells in 
 Jesus — not only is convinced of it, and content with 
 it, but also blesses God for it being in Jesus. This 
 is all they do in the highest heaven, and he has most 
 of heaven who does this most like them. My friend 
 describes his meaning thus: " I live out of myself 
 — I nothing have, I nothing am, but folly and sin — 
 Jesus is my life; in him is the fulness of its being, 
 and of its comforts : whatever I want, I find it in 
 him. I experience day by day the kindness of his 
 heart, and the bounty of his hand. Blessings on 
 him, my heart enjoys what no tongue can describe. 
 Whatever I go to him for, he always sends me away 
 with matter of thankfulness. Constant fellowship 
 with him endears to me his person more and more. 
 Communion with him in his offices makes him in- 
 finitely lovely. Partaking of his overflowing love, 
 makes it everlastingly precious. And living upon 
 the fulness of these, is the fulness of joy. Glory, 
 glory be to God-Jesus for ever and ever : Heaven 
 and earth say with my heart. Amen." 
 
 Thus does mj friend illustrate the definition which 
 I give you of the true gospel frame of spirit. I hope 
 we shall live to talk of it, and live to enjoy it more. 
 Nothing else is worth living for. All means of grace 
 are only useful as they help us to live thus. All 
 providences, sicknesses, losses, successes, are only so 
 far blessings, as they lead us more out of ourselves 
 
84i 
 
 into the fulness of Jesus. My dear Mrs. — — , I 
 can write to-day upon nothing else. I hope I write 
 seasonably. When you open this letter, you will 
 want this lesson. I am sure you will, and God bless 
 it to you. I follow it with my prayers, and I can do 
 no more; but our common Lord will hear, I know 
 he will ; and will accompany my poor words with his 
 presence. To the care of his dear loving heart I 
 commend you and yours. Wonder not I have not 
 written before ; I have been in a more preaching way 
 this summer than I ever was in my life, and travelled 
 much more, and have had with me a sweet savour of 
 Jesus' dear name. O he is precious to my soul; 
 how much, even now, I shall want time in eternity 
 to tell : so precious, that I think I have not long to 
 be here, or else the matchless Lover will make this 
 earth a very heaven. But I say, I the vilest worm 
 that ever crawled or escaped hell, not to set me up, 
 but him, the high exalted worthy Saviour. Again 
 to him I commend you. Yours truly in him, 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXL 
 
 Lambeth, Jan. 24, 1767. 
 My very dear Friend, — I have .waited till I am 
 quite wearied out. No tidings could I get, till Mr. 
 
 told me of your state. Pray give me some 
 
 account, for indeed I long to know about these mat- 
 ters. The letter was upon a subject that I scarce 
 ever mentioned before to any body ; it was my own 
 experience ; and I would not have it lost for a great 
 
85 
 
 deal. I have been trying it by Scripture, and I 
 could give you infallible proofs of its being agreeable 
 to the word of God ; and perhaps may, when I hear 
 from you next. It will be some satisfaction to me 
 (as I never take copies of any thing) to read my own 
 
 history at . Before that time I may have got 
 
 a little lower, and have drank deeper into the know- 
 ledge of Jesus. That seems to be the end of living, 
 to have self abased, and Jesus exalted; and these 
 two are inseparable. As self sinks in esteem, Jesus 
 rises. When self is nothing but sin, then Jesus is 
 a glorified Saviour. When self is nothing but 
 misery, then Jesus is all heaven. I have been led to 
 take particular notice of this lately from these views: 
 
 First, The person of Jesus; he was Jehovah. 
 All the glory of the Godhead was in the man Jesus. 
 And what was his appearance? mean, to the last 
 degree. A worm, and no man, the very scorn of 
 men, and the outcast of the people. What was his 
 form ? a servant, a poor servant. What were his 
 tempers ? meek and lowly, yea, meekness and lowli- 
 ness itself; a perfect original, of whom all his disci- 
 ples may learn to be meek and lowly. His way to 
 glory was humility ; so is ours. His glory, indeed, 
 was his humility; so is ours. He that humbleth 
 himself shall be exalted, was true of the head as well 
 as of the members. O that you and 1 may be in 
 this conformed to him ! because herein, 
 
 Secondly, Our fellowship with him consists. What- 
 ever a man sees in himself great or good, is an abso- 
 lute hinderance to the enjoyment of Jesus. What- 
 ever he sees vile and wicked, therein (if he has faith) 
 he will enjoy the Saviour. The more he sees, the 
 
86 
 
 more enjoyment : for that which humbles the sinner 
 brings him nearer to the Saviour. The humblest 
 sinner is capable of the closest communion, and is 
 thereby fitted for the largest communications of Jesus* 
 love. The emptiest hold the most, and the emptiest 
 receive the most. O for daily emptying ! This self, 
 this full self, what reasonings, what legality, what 
 self-righteousness has it, and all to keep us from 
 being filled with the fulness of Christ ! this is your 
 grand enemy, that idol self. The Lord crucify it 
 by his own almighty grace ! and to induce you to 
 apply to him for this power, I would recommend it 
 to you. 
 
 Thirdly, In reading the Bible, take notice of the 
 persons to whom the promises are made. Their 
 character is always one and the same : the poor in 
 spirit ; the contrite and broken in heart ; the hungry, 
 the thirsty, the meek and lowly. Take this general 
 promise as an instance, " God giveth grace to the 
 humble," and with grace he gives ail things. See 
 how I get writing on without intending it: I only 
 sat down to inquire about you, and all our dear 
 
 friends; Miss at the head of them. Lo ! 
 
 here is a long scroll started up. In love remember 
 me to all friends, and, if you please, with my hearty 
 
 prayers for their welfare at . Mine eyes have 
 
 tears for them. Dear Jesus reveal himself so to you 
 in his glory, as to eclipse all created good, and your- 
 self especially. So prays a poor sinner. 
 
 W. R. 
 
87 
 
 LETTER XXII. 
 
 March 21, 1767. 
 My dear Friend, — I begin with telling you how 
 your last refreshed me. It was a seasonable feast ; 
 for I was in a sad taking about the account which I 
 had sent you of myself, having never found any 
 freedom to do it to any body living before; and I 
 feared either it should be lost, or fall into any other 
 person's hand. I am glad it is in yours. Now you 
 know whereabouts I am, and what my present state 
 is, it may be of some use to you to be informed how 
 I was brought into it. God's dealings with me 
 have been wonderful, not only for the royal sove- 
 reignty of his richest grace, but also for the manner 
 of his teaching, on which I cannot look back with- 
 out adoring my meek and lowly Prophet. He would 
 have all the honour (and he well deserves it) of work- 
 ing out, and also of applying his glorious salvation. 
 When I was in trouble and soul-concern, he would 
 not let me learn of man. I went every where to 
 hear, but nobody was suflPered to speak to my case. 
 The reason of this I could not tell then, but I know 
 it now. The Arminian methodists flocked about 
 me, and courted my acquaintance, which became a 
 great snare unto me. By their means I was brought 
 into a difficulty, which distressed me several years. 
 " I was made to believe that part of my title to sal- 
 vation was to be inherent — something called holiness 
 in myself, which the grace of God was to help rae 
 to. And 1 was to get it by watchfulness, prayer, 
 
88 
 
 fasting, hearing, reading, sacraments, &c. so that after 
 much and long attendance in those means, I might 
 be able to look inward, and be pleased with ray own 
 improvement, finding I was grown in grace a great 
 deal holier, and more deserving of heaven than I had 
 been." I do not wonder now that I received this 
 doctrine. It was sweet food to a proud heart. I 
 feasted on it, and to work I went. It was hard 
 labour and sad bondage, but the hopes of having 
 something to glory in of my own kept up ray spirits. 
 I went on, day after day, striving, agonizing, (as they 
 called it,) but still I found myself not a bit better. 
 I thought this was the fault, or that, which being 
 amended, I should certainly succeed; and therefore 
 set out afresh, but still came to the same place. No 
 galley-slave worked harder, or to less purpose. 
 Sometimes 1 was quite discouraged, and ready to 
 give all up ; but the discovery of some supposed hin- 
 derance set me to work again. Then I would re- 
 double my diligence, and exert all my strength. Still 
 I got no ground. This made me often wonder; 
 and still more, when I found at last that I was go- 
 ing backward. Methought I grew worse. I saw 
 more sin in myself instead of more holiness, which 
 made my bondage very hard, and my heart very 
 heavy. The thing I wanted, the more I pursued it, 
 flew farther and farther from me. I had no notion 
 that this was divine teaching, and that God was de- 
 livering me from my mistake in this way : so that 
 the discoveries of my growing worse were dreadful 
 arguments against myself, until now and then a little 
 light would break in and show me something of the 
 glory of Jesus ; but it was a glimpse only — gone in 
 
89 
 
 a moment. As I saw more of my heart, and began 
 to feel more of my corrupt nature, I got clearer views 
 of gospel-grace ; and in proportion as I came to know 
 myself, I advanced in the knowledge of Christ Jesus. 
 But this was very slow work : the old leaven of self- 
 righteousness, new christened holiness^ stuck close to 
 me still, and made me a very dull scholar in the 
 school of Christ. But I kept on, making a little 
 progress ; and as I was forced to give up one thing 
 and another on which I had some dependence, I was 
 left at last stripped of all, and neither had, nor could 
 see where I could have, aught to rest my hopes, that 
 I could call my own. This made way for blessed 
 views of Jesus. Being now led to very deep dis- 
 coveries of my own legal heart, of the dishonour 
 which I had put upon the Saviour, of the despite I 
 had done to the Spirit of his grace, by resisting and 
 perverting the workings of his love, these things 
 humbled me. I became very vile in mine own eyes ; 
 I gave over striving ; the pride of free will, the boast 
 of mine own works, were laid low. And as self was 
 debased, the Scriptures became an open book, and 
 every page presented the Saviour in new glory. 
 Then were explained to me these truths, which are 
 now the very joy and life of my soul. Such as, 
 
 First, The plan of salvation, contrived by the 
 wisdom of Jehovah Alehim, fulfilled in the divine 
 person and work of Jesus, and applied by the Spirit 
 of Jesus. The whole was so ordered from first to 
 last, that all the glory of it might be secured to the 
 persons in Jehovah. The devil fell by pride; he 
 tempted and seduced man into pride : therefore the 
 Lord, to hide pride from man, has so contrived his 
 
90 
 
 salvation, that he who glorieth should have nothing 
 to glory in but the Lord. 
 
 Secondly, The benefits of salvation are all the 
 free gifts of free grace, conferred without any regard 
 to what the receiver of them is ; nothing being 
 looked at by the Giver but his own sovereign glory. 
 Therefore the receivers are the ungodly, the worst 
 of them, the unworthy, the chief of sinners; such 
 are saved freely by grace through faith, and that not 
 of themselves: it (namely, salvation by faith) is the 
 gift of God : not of works, lest any man should boast. 
 
 Thirdly, When I considered these benefits one 
 by one, it was the very death of self-righteousness and 
 self-complacency; for when I looked at the empty 
 hand which faith puts forth to receive them, whence 
 was the hand emptied — whence came faith — whence 
 the power to put forth the empty hand — and whence 
 the benefits received upon putting it forth ? All is 
 of God : he humbles us, that we may be willing to 
 receive Christ; he keeps us humble, that we may be 
 willing to live by faith upon Christ received : and as 
 it is a great benefit to have this faith, so it is. 
 
 Fourthly, A great, inestimably great benefit to 
 live by faith ; for this is a life in every act of it de- 
 pendent upon another. Self is renounced, so far as 
 Christ is lived upon. And faith is the most empty- 
 ing, pulling down grace; most emptying, because it 
 says, and proves it too. " In me, that is, in my flesh, 
 dwelleth no good thing;" and therefore it will not 
 let a man see aught good in himself, but pulls down 
 every high thought, and lays it low in subjection to 
 Jesus. It is called " the faith of the Son of God," 
 because he is the author and the finisher of it: he gives 
 
91 
 
 it; he gives to live by it ; he gives the benefits re- 
 ceived by it; he gives the glory laid up for it: so 
 that if I live to God, and in any act have living com- 
 munion with God, it is by nothing in myself, but 
 wholly by the faith of the Son of God. When I 
 wanted to do any thing commanded, (what they call 
 duties,) I found. 
 
 Fifthly, A continual matter of humiliation. I 
 was forced to be dependent for the will and for the 
 power, and, having done my best, I could not pre- 
 sent it to God but upon the golden altar that sancti- 
 fieth the gifts; not the worthiness, not the goodness 
 of the gifts, but the sanctifying grace of the great 
 High Priest alone, can make them holy and accep- 
 table. How low did this lay the pride of good works; 
 since, after all, they were viler than dung, unless 
 perfumed with the sweet incense of Jesus' blood and 
 righteousness ! Here I learned to eye him in all my 
 works and duties, the alpha and omega of them; the 
 life and spirit of all my prayers, and sermons, and 
 hearing, and reading, and ordinances; they are all 
 dead works, unless done in and by faith of the Son of 
 God. Against this blessed truth, of which I am as 
 certain as that I am alive, I find my nature kick. 
 To this hour, a legal heart will be creeping into 
 duties, to get between me and my dear Jesus, whom 
 I go to meet in them. But he soon recovers me 
 from the temptation, makes me loathe myself for it, 
 and gets fresh glory to his sovereign grace ; and as 
 all the great and good things ever done in the world 
 were done by faith, so all the crosses ever endured 
 with patience were from the same cause ; which is, 
 
 Sixthly, Another humbling lesson. I find to 
 
92 
 
 this moment so much unbelief and impatience in my- 
 self, that if God was to leave me to be tried with 
 any thing that crossed my will, if it was but a feather, 
 it would break my back. Nothing tends to keep me 
 vile in my own eyes like this fretting, and murmur- 
 ing, and heart-burning, when the will of God in the 
 least thwarts my will. I read the trial of your faith 
 worketh patience ; the trial of mine, the direct con- 
 trary. Instead of patient submission, I want to have 
 mine own way, to take very little physic, and that 
 very sweet : so the flesh lusteth. But the Physician 
 knows better. He knows when and what to pre- 
 scribe. May every portion purge out this impatient, 
 proud, unbeHeving temper, so that faith may render 
 healthful to the soul what is painful to the flesh. 
 And as no cross can be endured without the faith of 
 the Son of God, so, 
 
 Seventhly, and lastly, There is no comfortable 
 view of leaving the world, but by the same faith. 
 These all, who had obtained a good report in every 
 age, died in faith. On their death-bed they did not 
 look for present peace and future glory, but to the 
 Lamb of God. Their great works, their eminent 
 services, their various sufferings, all were cast behind 
 their backs, and they died as they lived, looking at 
 nothing but Jesus. He was their antidote against 
 the fear, and against the power of death. They 
 feared not the cold death-sweat ; Jesus' bloody sweat 
 was their dependence. The dart lost its force on 
 Jesus' side. The sting was lost in his corpse. 
 Death stung itself to death, when it killed him. 
 There is life, life in its highest exaltation and glory, 
 in not breathing the air of this world. This life, 
 
93 
 
 through death, Jesus entered on, and we enter on it 
 now by faith ; and when our breath is stopped, we 
 have this hfe as he has it, pure, spiritual, and divine. 
 Because he lives it, we shall live it also. Yes, my 
 dear friend, we, and you, and I, after we have lived 
 a little longer, to empty us more, to bring us more 
 out of ourselves, that we may be humbled, and Jesus 
 exalted more, we shall fall asleep in Jesus ; not die, 
 but sleep; not see, not taste death, so he promises 
 us; but in his dear arms sweetly go to rest in our 
 wearied bodies, when our souls shall be with the 
 Lord. And then we shall be perfect in that lesson, 
 which we learn so very slow in this present world, 
 namely, that from him, and of him, and to him, are 
 all things : to whom be all the glory, for ever and 
 ever. Amen. 
 
 These are the things which God himself has 
 taught me. Man had no hand at all in it. No 
 person in the world, not 1 myself; for I fought 
 against them as long as I could ; so that my present 
 possession of them, with all the rich blessings which 
 they contain, is from my heavenly Teacher alone. 
 And I have not learned them, as we do mathematics, 
 to keep them in memory, and to make use of them 
 when I please : no, I find in me to this moment an 
 opposition to every gospel-truth, both to the belief 
 of it in my head, and to the comfort of it in my heart. 
 I am still a poor dependent creature, sitting very low 
 at the feet of my dear Teacher, and learning to ad- 
 mire that love of his, which brought me down, and 
 keeps me down at his feet. There be my seat, till 
 I learn my lesson perfectly. That will soon be. 
 There is nothing in his presence but what is like 
 
94 
 
 himself. In heaven all is perfection. The saints 
 are as humble as they are happy. Clothed with 
 glory, and clothed with humility, with one heart and 
 one voice they cry, " Worthy is the Lamb." They 
 look not at, they praise not one another ; but the 
 Lamb is glorified in his saints, and will have from 
 them never ending praise and glory for the glory 
 which his sovereign grace has bestowed upon them. 
 In a measure I now feel what they do. My heart 
 is in tune, and I can join that blessed hymn — looking 
 at him as the Giver of grace, (and grace is glory be- 
 gun, nota bene,) as they look at him the Giver of 
 glory. I can take the crown most gladly from the 
 head of all my graces, as they do from the head of 
 their glory, and cast it down at his loving feet : 
 " Worthy is the Lamb." He is — he is — blessings 
 on him for ever and ever ! 
 
 Ought not I to say so, indebted as I am to that pre- 
 cious Lamb of God ? You see how he has dealt with 
 me — the kindness, the gentleness of his ways — his 
 royal bounty — the magnificence of his love. Adore 
 and praise him with me and for me. And learn, 
 my dear friend, from what I have here related, to 
 trust him more. When he shows you your vile 
 lieart, your poor works, when dreadful corruptions 
 stir, and are ready to break out, go to him freely, 
 boldly; stop not a moment to reason with your own 
 proud spirit, but fall down at his footstool. Tell 
 him just what you feel. He loves to hear our com- 
 plaints poured with confidence into his bosom. And 
 never, never on earth, will you get such fellowship 
 with him, so close, so blessed, as when you converse 
 with him in this poverty of spirit. Let nothing 
 
95 
 
 keep you from him ; whatever you meet with, let it 
 drive you to him; for all good is from him, and all 
 evil is turned into good by him. O wondrous Sa- 
 viour ! Here I was going on, and I hope in this 
 
 theme never to stop — but the Rev. Mr. is 
 
 come in — one just ordained. I do not leave Jesus 
 to talk to him, but I am going to talk to him of sweet 
 Jesus. To him I commend you and yours. Be- 
 lieve me very truly yours, in that most lovely Lord 
 Christ, most precious Jesus, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXin. 
 
 Lambeth, Sept. 27, 1767. 
 My very dear Friend, — I have been waiting for 
 good news, but in vain. I wanted some satisfactory 
 answer to your last, and though 1 can give you none, 
 yet I take up my pen to make an apology for the 
 great Lord, (who will not send you a minister,) lest 
 you should begin to think hardly of him, and of me 
 too, his poor servant. I would have you to remem- 
 ber, that the government is upon his shoulders — 
 the government of heaven and earth. His church 
 is the object of his special government. It is his 
 bodi/ — bought with his blood, quickened by his 
 Spirit, kept by his power, blest with his love. All 
 its concerns are upon his heart : his eyes are upon 
 : he sees his people there with perfect com- 
 placency; and they shall want nothing that he has 
 to give. Among the rest he beholds you and yours, 
 and is managing all for your good. All shall be blessed 
 to you — your relations, your house, your substance, 
 
96 
 
 your state of body and of mind, your life and death, 
 things temporal and spiritual. He will turn all 
 things into blessings; for he does all things well. 
 He does not, he cannot make one mistake in his 
 government ; no, not the least. He is wisdom, he 
 is love, he is power itself. Infinite wisdom directs 
 his love, and sets it to work ; and, being almighty, 
 he makes all things work together for the best to his 
 
 dear people. You are as dear to him at , as 
 
 we are at London. When he knows it to be right, 
 he will send you a pastor after his own heart : and 
 when he does not want one there, you cannot get 
 one. When it is right you should be comforted, 
 you shall be humbled, and then your consolations 
 shall abound : and when it is right you should be 
 low and mourning, he will bring good, yea, joy out 
 of heaviness. Think of all that his power can do; 
 his love disposes, his covenant binds him, to do it for 
 his people. 
 
 O blessed Mrs. — - ! what a happy woman 
 are you ! Jesus is yours. All he is, all he has, (and 
 mind he is Lord of all things,) is yours. Who is 
 like unto your Jesus ? None, none in heaven or earth : 
 for your friend has all power in heaven and earth, 
 and he will use it for your good, to keep you, to 
 guide you, to give you what is best, what he knows 
 to be best; and has, as such, appointed for you in 
 his wise counsel, and purpose of grace. Leave your- 
 self, then, to his care and management ; yourself and 
 yours. Trust him for a pastor. Faith is the best 
 way to get one. Ask of him, beHeving, and Mr. 
 
 ., or some you never heard of, shall be sent. 
 Beheve for your mercies, and you cannot want your 
 
97 
 
 mercies. If you take notice of God's dealings, you 
 will find that God never takes away what you are 
 enjoying by faith. All things are possible, both to 
 get and to keep, to him that believeth. And when 
 belief goes, all goes. And well it is so : for that 
 which is not enjoyed by faith, is not worth enjoying. 
 It can bring no real good to us, and no glory to God ; 
 therefore we had better be without it. In this holy 
 art of believing for our blessings, I wish you most 
 heartily a great proficient. Faith alone makes the 
 difference. I would have you daily to practise it for 
 every earthly good thing you enjoy; then shall it 
 produce a gladness of heart: but without faith it 
 will not be to your true solid comfort, because not 
 sanctified. You see how open I write, my very 
 heart appears. For I know your weak side. There 
 I fear for you ; and my fear is a holy fear. I fear 
 for God's glory, in the use of a comfort so near your 
 very soul, and I know of no way but what I now tell 
 you — Believe for your mercies. That will secure 
 God's honour, and your comfort. To the sweet arms 
 of the divine Lover I commend you and yours, that 
 he would give you grace to trust all your earthly 
 comforts daily in the Saviour's care. This I shall 
 entreat for you, being very heartily yours in that 
 loveliest of all loves, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXIV. 
 
 BlacJcfriars, Oct. 27, 1769. 
 My dear Friend, — Finding the cover of this let- 
 ter yesterday, it put me in mind of our past corre- 
 E 5i 
 
98 
 
 spondence, and brought back into pleasing reflection 
 many agreeable interviews with you and yours. I 
 was resolved therefore to make use of this cover. 
 Providence, I thought, had put in my way. It is 
 to be sent as directed, to be a witness for me of my 
 constant attachment to you and your family, as of 
 my uninterrupted affection. Go, letter, and say so. 
 Assure them that I am still the same in heart, in 
 deed, wishing and praying to approve myself to be 
 unfeignedly theirs. And tell them my reason : it 
 is because, through grace, I am the same in heart, 
 in deed, to my spiritual Friend; wishing and pray- 
 ing to approve myself to be unfeignedly his in all 
 things. Upon better acquaintance I am become 
 settled in my love, and rest in it. I have some little 
 intimacy with the Friend of sinners, and what he 
 manifests to me of himself increases affection. He 
 teaches me to loathe myself ; every day he lets me see 
 and feel the total ruin of this body of sin and death, 
 and will not let me look at any thing in or of myself, 
 from whence I may draw one moment's comfort. 
 Thus he makes himself more lovely. Self-loathing 
 renders him precious. The more we get out of 
 self, the more we grow into Jesus. Tired of our 
 works and duties, we learn to value his righteous- 
 ness. Feeling we cannot keep ourselves, we know 
 how to trust his faithfulness, who hath undertaken 
 to keep his people unto the end. O what a friend 
 is this ! whose love is like himself; the same yester- 
 day, to-day, and for ever. This sense of his love 
 makes his people loving. And his love to them is the 
 bond of all their holy love to one another. Having 
 put on Christ, they put on with him kindness, bro- 
 
w 
 
 therly love, bowels of mercy, &c. Some of these, 
 but 1 do not boast, I feel to you, and my dear friends 
 with you. May our love be mutual, increasing con- 
 tinually in every sweet and holy affection. The love 
 of Christ will constrain to this; it spreads like lea- 
 ven. Every act not only brings forth, but also dif- 
 fuses its sweet influence. Whenever I remember 
 you, and make mention of you at our court, the 
 King not only hears, but approves, and makes the 
 love expressed to be love abounding. The holy 
 flame spreads as it burns ; so that every affection, as 
 it increases in its attachment to our glorious Head, 
 makes us more truly loving to all his members. 
 
 My dear friend, I wish you was more intimate 
 with this loving Jesus. And why not? what has 
 he done to make you shy of him ? all your complaints 
 about yourself are no bar : they are so many ties and 
 bonds, constraining you to love him ; yea, he will 
 love to hear them from you, as matters of faith. 
 Whatever you are, or feel of sin, misery, helpless- 
 ness, &c. if rightly managed, should increase your 
 knowledge of, and dependence on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. Indeed, all that you meet with, till you 
 meet him face to face, should bring you into more 
 experience of his perfect salvation, and of his free 
 love to bestow it on such as you. By which means 
 you would be growing daily in the excellency of the 
 knowledge of your Lord, and would be more con- 
 formed to his image and example. May you and I 
 increase daily in this heavenly friendship, and love 
 him in our measure as he loved us. I am just re- 
 turned from a journey of seven hundred miles; 
 ashamed and confounded at his mercies to me and 
 E 2 
 
100 
 
 mine; and yet to pour my praises to liis grace, so 
 mean my services in his own work, that I am forced 
 to cry for mercy on my best sermons and labours. 
 I am returned home self-abased, carrying this truth 
 written on my heart, and desiring to manifest it in 
 outward conversation : Let him that glorieth, glory 
 only in the Lord Jesus. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 
 May, 1768. 
 
 Thank you, my good friend, for remembering 
 me. I began to have some hard thoughts of you, 
 but they are gone : time has taught me that old 
 friends are better than new, and grace has improved 
 this experience ; for friends in Christ will be so for 
 ever. We may part, but only to meet agahi. Love 
 
 can reach from London to ; yes, a great way 
 
 farther. I feel my heart just now united to , 
 
 and rejoice from my soul that Jesus has taken her 
 up to himself: thanks be to him for the grace she 
 had, and the glory she had received out of his ful- 
 ness. Blessings on him that we are going the same 
 way, to meet our best friend, and all our friends ; 
 and to be with him, our heaven-making Jesus, and 
 to be with them for evermore. I was led, from 
 reading your letter, to a very comfortable view of the 
 Prince of Life. 1 thought I saw him in that char- 
 acter, exceedingly amiable and glorious ; and the more 
 I considered it, the more lovely it grew to the eye of 
 faith. For it seemed to me that sin and death came 
 into the world, with all their train of evils, that the 
 
101 
 
 Son of God might be glorified thereby. Wonder- 
 ful is his name, who can bring righteousness out of 
 sin. What a miracle-working Jesus is he, who can 
 make life out of death ! Indeed, all he does is in 
 this strange way, peculiar to himself, that his might 
 be the crown of crowns. As a Jesus, he not only 
 saves from the evil of sin and death — this is the least 
 part of his matchless work, — but he also, in the free 
 gift of his sovereignty, bestows righteousness and 
 life; and, to the everlasting praise of his sovereignty, 
 bestows them on the most unrighteous, and on the 
 most dead in sin. In this praise, how glorious is our 
 Jesus ! My heart is now captivated with this inimi- 
 table loveliness, although I see him through a glass 
 darkly : what must he be in full and open view, 
 when the display of his beauty will make an eternal 
 heaven ! I knew one who was admitted as that 
 happy soul was, (Cant. ii. 9.) to see the divine Lover 
 looking forth at the window, and showing himself, 
 (or, as it is in the ma.xgm,Jlourishing,) opening and 
 expanding, like a flower, his beauties and fragrance 
 through the lattice window. It was a ravishing 
 sight. If the eye and senses of faith can be thus 
 highly delighted, what will it be to see him face to 
 face, and to enjoy his fulness of glory ! Since he 
 thus, by the death of our friends, can let us behold 
 some fresh discovery of his life-giving charms — 
 what, O what will it be to us, when mortality shall 
 be swallowed up of life ! Yet a little, a very little 
 while, and this shall be. In the meantime, may you 
 and I be growing in the knowledge and love of the 
 Prince of Life. I got a good advancement by the 
 death of Lady M— — t, and was led into a sweet path 
 
102 
 
 of meditation, in which I went on meditating and 
 contemplating till my heart burned within me. Me- 
 thought he had given a noble display of the riches of 
 grace in his dealings with her, and had made her a 
 happy partaker of that life which he came to give 
 unto his world. You can witness that he had re- 
 pealed the sentence of death. She was freed from 
 condemnation, and was passed from death unto life. 
 He gave her to know it, to enjoy it. Many a time 
 my spirit has been refreshed with hearing her relate, 
 simply and feelingly, how Jesus was her life. And 
 in consequence of this, having peace with God, 
 through Jesus Christ her Lord, she had an attach- 
 ment to his person. You can tell better than I can 
 how she showed this. She was certainly spiritually 
 alive; and he who made her so kept her so, to as 
 great manifesting of his power as if he had preserved 
 the burning bush in Horeb in flames, and yet unhurt, 
 from Moses to this day. This spiritual life bodily 
 death cannot touch, because it is rooted and grounded 
 into the divine life. And the keeping of it is laid 
 up with Christ in God, safe, happy, out of the reach 
 of storms and enemies. What did I say? — bodily 
 death cannot touch it? I retract that word. Bo- 
 dily death does what the angel did to Peter in prison 
 — knocks ofFhis fetters, and sets him at liberty. The 
 angel of life takes down the mortal that he may 
 perfect the immortal life: and so we die to live; die 
 to the world to live with him ; die to time to live for 
 ever; yea, die in faith, that this body of death which 
 we leave behind us shall soon be raised to life and 
 immortality. Is death our enemy ? what has he done 
 to hurt ? Only fulfilled the kind will of Jesus, who 
 
103 
 
 wanted her company, and would have her with him, 
 
 to live as he does in his life of glory. Blessed death ! 
 heavenly comforter ! thou art a loving friend indeed 
 to Jesus' friends. Your letter was the means of ray 
 entering on this meditation, and blessed it was. O 
 what a sight and sense had I of the incomparable 
 grace of life-giving Jesus ! While I am writing, he 
 makes himself, beyond what any words can describe, 
 lovely to my eyes, and precious to my heart. He is 
 my life ; I find it, enjoy it in him. And let me speak, 
 my dear friend, a word for him to you : for him, as 
 I am in duty bound, — to you, as love constrains me. 
 For him, I speak a most complete, absolutely and eter- 
 nally perfect Saviour. His person, his work, pos- 
 sessed of all the glories of the Godhead. What he 
 did and suffered, in order that he might save to the 
 uttermost, admits of no addition. It was once done 
 and perfected for ever. My friend, have you the 
 benefit of this? Do you enjoy it in your conscience, 
 and there read, and there maintain, a full and ever- 
 lasting repeal from the sentence of death ? This is 
 the honour Jesus claims of you. And it is the high- 
 est you can pay him. You can do him no greater 
 homage, nor more acceptable worship, than to put 
 your entire dependence, without any the least drawing 
 back or wavering, on his life and death, as your whole 
 deliverance from sin and death, as your clear title to 
 heaven and glory. When faith shows you the divine 
 majesty of Mary's son, and the everlasting honours 
 of his obedience unto death, then will the peace of 
 God rule in your heart, and thereby you will glorify 
 the blood and the righteousness of the Redeemer, 
 more than any angel, more than any happy spirit 
 around his throne. 
 
104 
 
 The enemy long, too — too long kept me from 
 that enjoyment by wiles and snares, chiefly legal 
 views and self-righteous plans. Still he now and 
 then gets an advantage of me. But I beg, my 
 friend, you would beware of his devices. Are you 
 resting upon Jesus? and do you find the sentence of 
 death is no longer in force against you ? Read, study 
 your Bible, pray and beg for an increase of faith. 
 This is the use of all means. May the Lord the 
 Spirit bless them to you ! Faith is your shield 
 against the accuser of the brethren, and against your 
 own legal workings. If you grow in this experience, 
 you will grow more and more alive to God; you will 
 believe, and find more of the love of a reconciled 
 Father. The more you rest on the finished salva- 
 tion, you will certainly abound more in the blessed 
 fruits of it: such as, seeing yourself perfectly saved, 
 your hopes will all cast anchor within the vail, your 
 aftections will get fixed on their everlasting object, and 
 you will come under the sweet government of King 
 Jesus. Thus living in him, you will live to him; 
 which is not only spiritual life, but is also, indeed, 
 spiritual liveliness. And if you ever find this decay 
 after you once had it, mind and attend to the cause 
 of its decay, and you will see this was the only cause ; 
 namely, your faith was therefore not lively, because 
 you was not resting perfectly upon Jesus, as your 
 Saviour from the sentence of death. This was the 
 worm which eat into the gourd, and made it wither. 
 Keep this out: it will flourish and grow as long as 
 you have any need of faith for protection or for hap- 
 piness, and when the time comes that faith is to be 
 no more. What is dying ? Is it not in the hand 
 
i05 
 
 of Jesus? Does not he appoint it, fix it, send it? 
 Has not he promised to be with you in the hour of 
 death, to keep you from the fear and from the power 
 of it? Is not he faithful, almighty, all-loving? His 
 love wants no power to make his promises good to 
 his dying friends ; yea, he does make them good 
 every day. He will to you, doubt it not. I have 
 written till my time is up. You are sure my subject 
 is not exhausted ; no, never will be. But I am forced 
 to stop. My dear friend, pray for me. You know 
 my profession of love for your soul. God knows 
 my heart. Adieu. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXVI. 
 
 June 11. 
 
 Thanks to my dear friend for her last. It was 
 a great refreshment to me. O how does my spirit 
 rejoice to see the blessed Jesus crowned and exalted 
 in your soul, and no other name mentioned in your 
 lips, no dependence upon any being or thing in your 
 heart or life, but that God-man ! This is the point. 
 Here may we fix. But, alas ! although I would fix, 
 and never so much as turn my eye from hence, I find 
 so many enemies within and without, that it is hard 
 keeping our hold, and never letting it go. In this 
 warfare the flesh and the Spirit fight without ceas- 
 ing: the flesh against Christ's sufficiency, and the 
 Spirit for him. But, thanks be to his grace, the 
 Spirit is almighty ; and he has given the flesh, in all 
 believers, a mortal wound, of which it will ere long 
 bleed to death. And then — O blessed prospect ! — 
 E 3 
 
106 
 
 we shall see the Captain of our salvation, through 
 ■whom we conquered, face to face. That is enough. 
 There is heaven. May you and I, till we get there, 
 learn daily to make more use of Christ. Our dear 
 
 fellow-soldier, Lady H n, fights bravely. She 
 
 went to Brighthelmstone this day se'nnight. I had 
 a sweet letter from her this morning. She is happy 
 in the adorable Emmanuel, and lives to him and for 
 him. Her only view in Sussex is to carry his glad 
 tidings to a wretched ignorant people. He has hith- 
 erto prospered her design ; and, while he smiles upon 
 it, I believe she will not give it up. — Your faithful 
 friend and servant, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXVn. 
 
 Black/liars, May 2, 1769. 
 
 I WROTE to ray good friend at Christmas, and got 
 an answer at Easter. Indeed I began to think you 
 had dropped me; for I make myself sure of nothing 
 but of my dear Lord's unchangeable love. Yet I 
 corrected myself for thinking so of you : but I was 
 tempted, and I have combustible enough to feed any, 
 yea, every temptation. The Lord keep me from 
 others, as he did from this. 
 
 You ask my opinion of inoculation. People who 
 reason upon worldly motives may do as they please. 
 To others I would relate the case of a great doctor 
 in divinity, and a great Christian, who had an only 
 son. His wife was for, the doctor was against ino- 
 culation. They had many disputes about it. The 
 doctor said he could not do it in faith ; the wife said 
 
107 
 
 she could do it, because she believed it to be for the 
 best. Neither side would yield : so they agreed to 
 put it off till the one or the other should give up 
 their opinion, and both be of one mind. The child 
 was thus left in God's hand : he got the small-pox 
 in the natural way, and did well. 
 
 I attend to your complaints of yourself. They are 
 true. You might make a thousand more, and alike 
 true. But, my dear friend, what of all this? Is not 
 Jesus the Saviour of such sinners as you are ? Pray 
 take heed of getting into a complaining temper, and 
 contracting a habit of it ; for there is no greater ene- 
 my to Jesus, to the growth of your communion with 
 him, and to the liveliness of your heart towards him. 
 I would have you sensible of all your causes of com- 
 plaint, but satisfied under them, and wiUing to be 
 just what you are. In this poverty of spirit, needy, 
 sinful, helpless, dependent temper, consists the very 
 life of faith : for while you feel thus, every thing in 
 you and about you says, " You must go to Jesus 
 — you can do nothing without him — he must coun- 
 sel, and strengthen, and comfort — he must save — 
 he must be a Jesus to you every moment, and in 
 every thing." What reply does the believer make ? 
 " It is true, without him I can do nothing; I am 
 helpless, and his strength is perfected in my utter 
 weakness. Most gladly therefore do I glory in my 
 weakness, that the strength of Christ may rest upon 
 me." O for more of Paul's happy experience ! He 
 had no such gladness as that which arose from com- 
 munion with Jesus; and he gloried in that which 
 helped him to this communion, by making it abso- 
 lutely necessary for him. He did not commit sin on 
 
108 
 
 purpose; but, being a sinner, he did not wish not to 
 be one in himself : it was his joy, yea, his crown of 
 rejoicing, that God-Jesus and sinful Paul were one. 
 Here he found his heaven: Jesus was united to the 
 sinner, as meat is to the hungry; and Paul lived 
 upon him, feasted on him, enjoyed Jesus, as the 
 hungry do their meat. It was such a feast, that 
 Paul would not wish to have no appetite, but rather 
 to have it enlarged, that he might live more upon the 
 bread of God, and grow up more into Christ Jesus. 
 
 What ! must I always be this poor needy sinner ? 
 Yes, always till you get into heaven. And then you 
 will be perfectly humbled, and have nothing within 
 you to rob Jesus of any part of his glory. All your 
 salvation, from the counsels of eternity to the eternal 
 fulfilment of them, will then be made plain : you will 
 see, confess, and be happy in confessing, that sove- 
 reign grace did all for you, and in yon. And in the 
 perfect sense of this you will triumph in being a sin- 
 ner saved, and in this you will triumph as long as 
 heaven is heaven. 
 
 But thus you keep on complaining: " I find my- 
 self too often poring over my own inward sinfulness 
 and misery, and consequently giving way to unbelief, 
 whenever my poor reason tells me I should be rejoic- 
 ing in the God of my salvation." And what then, 
 unbelief is in you, felt or not ; and unbelief given 
 way to, is your burden : this makes for you. And 
 it only proves that you are still at school, learning 
 your second lesson ; and that is, how the God of your 
 salvation, being received, is to be enjoyed. You own 
 he is received. You call him the God of my salva- 
 tion. Observe, my dear friend, now this Jesus is 
 
109 
 
 yours, all is yours. You have an undoubted right 
 and title to him and to his : improve it then, and 
 make use of his fulness. Your estate is clear and 
 boundless; you have only to receive the income of it 
 in grace, as well as in glory. I pray you, ray dear 
 friend, to study this lesson ; and if the Lord the Spi- 
 rit help you to learn it well, it will save you from 
 many an aching heart. Observe, Jesus is yours: 
 after this you are not to seek for any new title to any 
 part of salvation. This is also secured : biit you are 
 called upon to enjoy the purchased salvation, and to 
 be a happy receiver out of the Saviour's fulness. 
 Suppose you live thus ever so well, receive ever so 
 much, what you enjoy in Christ is no part of your 
 title to Christ. What you receive from Christ is 
 not your title to pardon, to righteousness, or to holi- 
 ness. He is received for these purposes — He, Christ 
 himself; and your enjoying him for these purposes 
 is not your title to pardon, &c. What Christ does 
 for you, or in you, or by you, is not to be looked at 
 so as not to look still simply at Christ himself. What 
 he is, and what he did for you — here is all your sal- 
 vation. What he does in you, or by you — here is 
 the enjoyment of this salvation in its fruits and ef- 
 fects : but these fruits and effects do not make you 
 holy. O no ! the poor beggars who are fed at our 
 King's table will never say. We pay the King for 
 our meat by eating a great deal ; or. His meat feeds 
 us, and therefore we make ourselves strong ; or, His 
 grace nourishes us, and therefore we make ourselves 
 holy. No, no; they are taught better. They will 
 always acknowledge, The more we receive out of the 
 fulness of Jesus, we find ourselves more happy; and 
 
110 
 
 the fruits of our interest in him are more abundant 
 to our comfort and to his glory : but our debt in- 
 creases ; and the better we are fed, and clothed, and 
 kept up with his royal bounty, he leaves us nothing 
 to glory in except his overflowing grace. In this spirit 
 his people hear, and read, and pray, and attend means 
 and ordinances. They do not seek holiness in these — 
 not to be made holy by them — but they do attend in 
 faith, sanctified first by the faith that is in Jesus, and 
 in that faith enjoying hira in all they do. Christ is my 
 sanctification before I can do any thing aright; and 
 what I do aright does not make me holy, but shows 
 that I am holy. Every living branch is ingrafted 
 into the root and stock of holiness, and its leaves 
 and fruit do not make it to be in the vine, but only 
 prove that it is in it. A member is not made living 
 by doing its office. The eye does not live by see- 
 ing, but it is a living eye, and therefore sees. You 
 must be a living member in the mystical body, before 
 you can do your office in it. Doing your office does 
 not make you, but only shows that you are a living 
 member. My dear friend, weigh these things well. 
 I verily believe the Holy Spirit is now teaching you 
 this lesson ; for I see you cannot be content with 
 yourself, nor your graces, nor gifts : improve this 
 divine teaching, and learn to build all your hopes of 
 holiness on Christ, made of God sanctification for 
 you. And the more clearly you believe this, you 
 will love the God of your salvation more; your spi- 
 ritual enemies will be more subdued, and in heart 
 and life you will be more devoted to God, to his 
 ways and will. I give you this advice from my own 
 knowledge. Give me credit, and try, and you will 
 soon find cause to give God his glory. 
 
Ill 
 
 I hope to look upon you, and say on this subject 
 more than I can on paper. Remember me in love 
 and respect. The good-will of your unchangeable 
 Friend be with you and yours, and me and mine. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXVIII. 
 
 Brighthelmstone, July 20. 
 Jesus be yours, all he is, and all he has. Then 
 you will be as rich as an archangel. We go on 
 sweetly in this place. Christ is indeed exalted, and 
 reigns glorious in many a heart, as I wish he may in 
 yours. He does — but not as you could wish. May 
 he captivate you more with his infinite beauty, and 
 enable you to live more blessed upon his infinite ful- 
 ness, that he may keep his royal court in your soul 1 
 The more you are acquainted with him, you will 
 grow in love ; for he is aUogether lovely ; an im- 
 mense ocean of everlasting love. The whole world 
 is but a drop of his love — what must heaven be, 
 where his love is to be glorified and enjoyed for 
 ever ! There we shall see him : oh, for that day ! 
 But even, by the way, as he walks with us, he makes 
 our hearts burn within us. These sweet foretastes 
 of his love draw us on, and whet an appetite. A 
 few more of these, and we shall get to the fountain- 
 head, and drink rivers of pleasure for evermore. To 
 his precious dear heart's love I commend you and 
 yours, and am, for his sake, vour friend and servant, 
 
 W. R. 
 
112 
 
 LETTER XXIX. 
 
 Blachfriars, March 5, 1770. 
 
 My very dear Friend, — I waited on , and 
 
 lie told me he was to call at in his way home. 
 
 I could not resist the opportunity of sending in writ- 
 ing my thanks for your last kind letter. My heart 
 rejoices, and is thankful for many things which you 
 say in it, of your dependence on the finished salva- 
 tion of Jesus, and of your desire to experience more 
 of his graces and blessings. I see what stops you; 
 the very same that stops me. And I would lay be- 
 fore you the gospel motives and encouragements to 
 get on, revealed in the word, and J hope in some 
 measure made useful to me by the Spirit of God. 
 
 I have remarked in conversing with you, and in 
 all your letters, the workings of a legal and self- 
 righteous temper, apt to nurse guilty fears, and to 
 cherish misgivings and suspicions of your interest in 
 the great salvation. The same are daily disturbing 
 my peace, and are the very plague of my life. The 
 only remedy against them is to look well to the con- 
 science, where they have their rise, and to use all 
 appointed means for establishing it in the peace of 
 God. This is the main point. A holy walk, and 
 successful warfare, depend entirely on the testimony 
 of conscience. The believer's chief business is to 
 learn to resist and to overcome guilt, fear, and un- 
 belief, that these being kept out of his conscience, 
 the peace of God may rule there always, and by all 
 means. Then it will be what the Scripture calls a 
 
lis 
 
 good conscience. And when this is good, all goes 
 on well. Now, that is a good conscience which wit- 
 nesses to the truth as it is in Jesus. Conscience, I 
 suppose, is that faculty of the soul, which, under the 
 teaching of the Holy Ghost, compares the sinner's 
 heart and life with the holy law of God, brings him 
 in guilty for transgressing its precepts, and leaves 
 him under guilt and concc ination, to suffer its just 
 penalties. The gospel sets forth to him an infinitely 
 perfect righteousness to satisfy the precepts; and an 
 everlastingly sufficient atonement, even the sacrifice 
 of Jehovah Jesus, to satisfy the penalties of the law. 
 When he is enabled to believe in this righteousness 
 and in this atonement, his conscience is saved from 
 guilt and condemnation; yea, it acquits and justifies 
 the sinner, and brings in a true verdict for him. It 
 says the same that God himself does : pleads its dis- 
 charge from the express words of the great charter 
 of grace, under the broad seal of heaven. With the 
 royal grants and immunities therein graciously vouch- 
 safed, it stops the mouth of unbelief : " Thou art 
 freely forgiven all trespasses; thou art justified from 
 all things; thou art a son of my love, and shalt be 
 an heir of my glory : I, even I, the Lord God, am 
 thine, and thou shalt be mine for ever." Here the 
 beHever triumphs; and why may not you and I too? 
 I do, thanks be to infinite grace. I believe these 
 words on the testimony of God, as spoken to me. 
 My conscience bears witness to the truth of the 
 divine record. It is now a good conscience: it 
 agrees with God, and looks upon him as reconciled 
 perfectly ; it fears to dishonour him, by calling in 
 question the infinite value of Christ's righteousness 
 
114 
 
 and atonement, or by doubting of their being mine, 
 while I feel my want of them, and have any depen- 
 dence upon them. Thus the peace of God rules, 
 takes the lead in the conscience, and subdues guilty 
 fears; rules always. The covenant is like the divine 
 covenanters in the Godhead, always the same: the 
 free grant of the righteousness and atonement of 
 Emmanuel always the same; my want of them al- 
 ways the same; and mine interest, though not in my 
 sense, yet in God's purpose, always the same. 
 These gospel-motives should teach you and me to 
 maintain this peace always, and by all means. Every 
 thing should help to promote it. Corruptions, ene- 
 mies, temptations from every quarter, should, by all 
 means, establish our hearts in the peace of God : we 
 should be trying at it, fighting for it; and, as it is 
 our privilege, we should never yield, but fight bard 
 to keep a conscience void of olFence. This is warring 
 a good warfare, when we hold the mystery of faith in 
 a pure conscience. 
 
 Believe me, my dear friend, the management of 
 your conscience is the first and great lesson in the 
 school of Christ. And your chief mistakes and falls 
 come from its not being governed by the word and 
 Spirit of God. Look to it, then, and hear, and 
 read, and pray, and walk; that the testimony ol 
 your conscience may be agreeable to the truth as it 
 is in Jesus. Insomuch, that when you feel any 
 thing wrong, when you are low in spirits, your sins 
 displease, your duties cannot please you, you should 
 remember that these very things, rightly managed, 
 will establish your conscience in the peace of God ; 
 because they will bring you to live entirely by the 
 
115 
 
 faith of the Son of God. Every new day you live 
 to learn from thera, that you have nothing to trust 
 to but the righteousness and the atonement of Jesus ; 
 and, therefore, depending on this sure foundation, 
 you may safely build your hopes of God's being in 
 friendship with you, yea, in an unchangeable and 
 everlasting friendship. O that your heart may be 
 sprinkled from an evil conscience ; and mind, that is 
 an evil one, which, through unbelief, refuses to build 
 its peace upon the life and death of Emmanuel. 
 And that is a good conscience, which has peace with 
 God through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, and 
 expects all the love of the Father to come freely 
 through his Son. This is the second lesson in the 
 school of Christ — " How shall the heart be made 
 and kept happy in the love of God ?" I answer, by 
 believing that he is perfectly reconciled, and loves 
 you. While there is guilt in the conscience, and 
 you look upon the law broken, the punishment de- 
 served, and the almighty Judge engaged to inflict it, 
 you can no more love God than you can love pain. 
 But when you hear the gospel preaching peace by 
 Jesus Christ, and can mix faith with it, then God is 
 discovered as related to you in the closest bond of 
 love, even your dearest friend, your most loving Fa- 
 ther; which will draw out the affections of your 
 heart to him : " For we love him, because he first 
 loved us." His love is first, yours is second : his is 
 the cause, yours is the effect. He enables you to 
 believe his love to you, and that excites your love to 
 him. 
 
 You see, then, how much depends upon the testi- 
 mony of the conscience. When this is on Christ's 
 
116 
 
 side, and bears a faithful witness for him, then your 
 heart will be happy; you will have joy and peace in 
 believing: "God is reconciled to me; he is my 
 God; we are agreed, and now we walk together. 
 He bids me call him Father; and I know he has 
 bowels of love and fatherly affection for me : he sees 
 me, accepts me in Jesus, and rests in his love to me. 
 My title is clear to all spiritual blessings; because, 
 God being my God and Father, all things are mine." 
 
 If you live like a Christian, these should be the 
 constant breathings of your heart. Your happy 
 walk depends entirely on the belief of God's being 
 perfectly reconciled to you in his Son. And there- 
 fore, you should not be aiming at getting any new 
 title to your heavenly Father's love, but at new en- 
 joyment. All is yours in title; but you are to seek 
 for more, still more possession : every day you should 
 be seeking to believe more, to enjoy more of the 
 riches of your Father's love in Jesus. And nothing 
 will stop your growing enjoyment, if the peace of 
 God rule in your heart always, and by all means. 
 
 My dear friend, attend closely to this : for want 
 of it, O what sad mistakes have I made ! You will 
 always find, when your heart departs from the Lord, 
 that there has been some guilt lying upon the con- 
 science, and representing God to you in some other 
 light than as your most loving Father. But pray 
 mind, he has always the affection, as well as the 
 name. He changeth not in his love. He is to all 
 his children ever of one mind. And therefore, when 
 you desire to enjoy his love, and in the enjoyment of 
 it to find your heart happy, look at nothing to bring 
 you to the Father but the Son. Read your share 
 
117 
 
 in his love, take possession of it, for nothing done in 
 you, or by you, now, or at any time, but only in and 
 for the salvation of Jesus, in whom his Father is 
 your Father. Thus walk with him ; making Christ 
 your way, and Christ your end. Keep walking on, 
 leaning upon Christ every step for strength, for vic- 
 tory over all corruptions and over all enemies, which 
 would try to stop you from the enjoyment of your 
 Father's love. Trust in Christ for all the blessings 
 of it, for every thing that can keep you safe, and 
 make you happy all your way : and depend upon it, 
 through Christ, you will find the company and pre- 
 sence of your God and Father a very heaven here, 
 as well as in glory. 
 
 Mrs. , would you daily walk with a happy 
 
 heart? Then you must learn to make up all your 
 happiness in the love which the Father bears to you 
 in his dear Son. This is to be all your salvation, 
 and all your degire. You must look quite away from 
 your graces, your gifts, your duties. God does not 
 love you for these: he loves you in his Son; and 
 you, in believing this, are to exercise your graces 
 and gifts, and to be found in the way of duty, that 
 you may have fellowship with him in his love. 
 
 This is the hardest task of all. I find it so to 
 this day, and I know your temptations ; therefore, I 
 would finish this long scrawl with an account of the 
 influence of the former truths. Get a ready answer 
 to this question, " How are my tempers to be regu- 
 lated, and my conversation to be so ordered, that I 
 may night and day enjoy the peace and the love of 
 my reconciled God and Father?" The way is, to 
 " walk humbly with your God." Do not disown 
 
118 
 
 what the Holy Spirit has taught you : give him the 
 honour of his own grace: he has, indeed he has, 
 learned you to say, " Abba, Father," God is your 
 Father in Jesus. Walk humbly with him, as such ; 
 so will you enjoy his sweet peace, and partake of his 
 happy love. While these rule in the conscience and 
 in the heart, the tempers opposite to them will be 
 resisted and overcome. The divine Teacher will 
 discover the secret workings of guilt and unbelief, 
 and keep them from destroying the peace of con- 
 science. By his almighty grace he will mortify car- 
 nal affections, and crucify every idol-love : he will 
 preserve the heart, as a chaste virgin, for its heavenly 
 Lover. Rebel nature will resist, yea, always ; but 
 it cannot overcome the Lord God omnipotent; he 
 will bring all things into subjection to himself. He 
 will; nay, let me say, he has. I appeal to yourself. 
 Speak out for God. Does not your conscience say, 
 " I will have nothing to do with any pretensions to 
 be my own saviour; the righteousness of Jesus and 
 his atonement on the tree, are all my salvation ?" 
 Does not your heart say, (I am sure I have heard 
 you say,) " This is all my desire?" Do not your 
 hopes say, " We have cast our anchor upon Jesus ; 
 thank God we can never be disappointed ?" Do 
 not your fears say, " 1 would not for the world do 
 any thing to displease my God and Father. Blessed 
 Spirit, rule in me, rule over me, mortify the old man, 
 and quicken the new man day by day ?" 
 
 Since God has done all this for you, O do not 
 dishonour his work by hearkening to proud self, the 
 old man of sin, who is ever reasoning within you 
 against the glory of divine grace. He would have 
 
119 
 
 you to look at yourself, and to draw your safety and 
 happiness from some pleasing views of your owu 
 goodness. He will be always tempting you to this : 
 but remember that you are not to look at, or to 
 depend in the least upon, yourself, but wholly upon 
 God reconciled in Jesus. Whatever is your own, 
 and comes from self, is to show you the necessity of 
 " walking humbly with your God." Do not you 
 feel to this hour, that self is made up of sinfulness, 
 wants, temptations, and miseries? None of these 
 should stop you, but each should help to make you 
 walk more humbly with your God. They are to 
 show you your constant need of salvation, and to 
 keep you always dependent on God for it. No fail- 
 ings in duty, no sense of indwelling sin, no weak- 
 ness, no opposition, should separate you in conscience 
 or heart from your reconciled God, but should bring 
 you to walk in nearer fellowship with him : by which 
 alone you will enjoy more conformity to him. Pride 
 will be hid from you. Every high thought will be 
 brought down : grace, sovereign grace, will reign. 
 And the Lord will receive all, I am sure it is his due, 
 all the glory. 
 
 Here is a wide field before me : but I stop. 
 When you send me word that you have learned so to 
 manage the weapons of your warfare as to be able to 
 maintain peace in your conscience, and happiness in 
 your heart, and victory in your tempers and walk, 
 then I will take up the subject where I leave off, and 
 go on with it. In the meantime, remember this 
 great truth, God is your Father in Jesus ; you know 
 it by faith; yea, you enjoy the comforts of it; and 
 therefore, the end of your walk is not to procure a 
 
120 
 
 title to your Father's love, but to maintain the en- 
 joyment of it. May the Lord the Spirit make you 
 a happy partaker of" it every day more abundantly. 
 
 I hear of the goodness of our dear Lord to . 
 
 I bless him from my heart for her. May she never { 
 want his rich cordials to comfort her soul as long as , 
 she has a body of sin and death to struggle with. ! 
 My respects to all that family. May God sanctify 
 the present dispensation to every one of them. 
 
 My kind love to Mr. , and to Mr. John, 
 
 and every good wish for that favourite child. He 
 grows a fine boy, and says many pretty things. 
 Take care, my friends, of your hearts ; he has rather 
 too much room in them. Grow in love to the Giver 
 as you grow in love to him, and all will be well. 
 
 W. R. I 
 
 LETTER XXX. 
 
 My good Friend, — I have many reasons to re- 
 member your being last year at Bath. Among other 
 things, 1 sent you down the first lesson which the 
 great and good Master teaches all his scholars. I 
 cannot tell how well you learned it. But I under- 
 stand he is very kind to you, and is taking a great 
 deal of pains to make you a proficient. He sees 
 how desirous you are of going to heaven, with this 
 and the other comfort by the way: you are apt to 
 think, as I do, that being such an infinitely loving H 
 Lord, he might very well spare it you — you might 
 keep it, and yet keep his love. But herein we form 
 a wrong judgment of him. For he does all things 
 
121 
 
 well ; yea, he intends to do better for you, far better 
 than you can even imagine. He loves you more 
 than you can possibly love yourself; and he will send 
 you nothing but what is for your real and best in- 
 terest, and he will let you find it so. His love is 
 almighty, and it is unchangeable. What cannot he 
 do, what will he not do, when his heart is set upon 
 blessing his people? It is a common thing with him 
 to bring spiritual good out of temporal evil : he can 
 extract pleasure out of pain ; yea, he can enrich by 
 impoverishing, and turn losses into gain. Unto you 
 it is now given, as a matter of his choice favour, 
 not only to believe on him, but also to be conformed 
 to him by bearing his cross. This he is aiming at. 
 He is going to advance you to great honour, and to 
 make you comforted on every side. At this very 
 time he is training you up for it. He is now going 
 to confer some of his special mercies, some of the 
 greatest blessings he has to give on earth : which he 
 bestows in so certain and fixed a way, tliat I know 
 his mind and will concerning you, as plainly here in 
 
 London as if I was with you at , and you were 
 
 to tell me all your thoughts : for, indeed, our Jesus 
 is very communicative. He keeps nothing from his 
 friends — " And the Lord said, Shall I hide from 
 Abraham that thing which I do?" &c. Gen. xviii. 
 17, 18, &c. No: he is of my court, and I will make 
 him of my cabinet: Abraham shall be my privy 
 counsellor. And the same Lord has raised you and 
 me to the same dignity. Thus our patent runs: 
 " Henceforth I call you not servants; for the ser- 
 vant knoweth not what his Lord doeth : but I have 
 called you friends, therefore all things which I have 
 F 54 
 
122 
 
 heard of my Father I have made known unto you." 
 Our divine teacher still makes known to us what he 
 doeth. He reveals his will, and lays open his heart. 
 And according to what I have discovered of it, your 
 second lesson is this. May he breathe upon it by 
 his Spirit, and bless to your soul every line you read. 
 O that all within you may say, from a feeling sub- 
 mission to his loving correction — Lord Jesus Christ, 
 " not my will, but thine be done !" 
 
 " The second lesson of the cross — or the exercise 
 of faith in suffering." 
 
 1. They that have their portion in this life pros- 
 per in the world, they increase in riches, they come 
 into no misfortune like other folk, neither are they 
 plagued like other men. 
 
 2. But whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and 
 scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 
 
 3. He dealeth with them as with sons, having 
 chosen them all in the same election of grace, pre- 
 pared for them the same inheritance, and decreed 
 that they should go the same way to it. 
 
 4. He will not exempt one of them, no, not his 
 only-begotten Son, who went to his crown carrying 
 his cross; and whom the Father did foreknow, them 
 he also did predestinate to be conformed to the im- 
 age of his Son. 
 
 5. Of this he has graciously forewarned them, 
 that they might not think it strange concerning the 
 fiery trial which is to try them, as though some 
 strange thing had befallen them : he has also pro- 
 mised to be with them, when they walk through the 
 fire, and they shall not be burnt, neither shall the 
 flames kindle upon them. And, 
 
123 
 
 6. When they come out of the furnace, they shall 
 find many blessed fruits of righteousness, which could 
 not have grown or been ripened by any other means. 
 
 7. Art thou, then, O my soul, expecting the cross 
 as thy portion, prepared to take it up as the hon- 
 ourable badge of thy discipleship, and ready to carry 
 it daily, following Jesus ? 
 
 8. Canst thou take it up in faith ? Is this the 
 right frame of thy heart, " God is my God, my Fa- 
 ther in Jesus. He loves me with an unchangeable 
 love, which influences all his dealings with me, and 
 especially his present dispensation ; for, 
 
 9. He not only loves me with an everlasting love, 
 but he is also now waiting to communicate it to rae: 
 my present cross is his way and means of bringing 
 it to my heart, and of bestowing on me some of its 
 richest blessings." 
 
 10. True, it is painful to the flesh ; but the flesh 
 fighteth always against the spirit, and is not subject 
 to the law of God, neither indeed can be; and there- 
 fore the cross must be laid and must be kept upon it, 
 in order to weaken its power, and also to strengthen 
 the new man day by day. 
 
 11. There is a needs must for the daily cross to 
 keep down pride, and to bring every high thought 
 of self into subjection to Christ Jesus, that we may 
 be always learning of him to be meek and lowly. 
 
 12. Looking at the cross in this light, as the 
 -loving appointment of the Father's will, and as the 
 means of improving faith in the Son's salvation, 
 •through the grace of the eternal Spirit, how dost 
 thou, O my soul, find it when it comes ? 
 
 13. How is it with thee when the cross is upon 
 
 F 2 
 
thy back, and thou art carrying a heavy painful load 
 after Jesus? 
 
 14. Dost thou see Him before thee, who went in 
 the same way? and dost thou honour his promises, 
 and rely upon his faithfulness to carry both thee and 
 thy cross? 
 
 15. When thou art chastised, and sharply, canst 
 thou kiss the rod, and bless the kind hand which 
 takes such pains to purge out thy corruptions? 
 
 16. And when the smart continues from day to 
 day, dost thou so far profit from it, as to be able to 
 say from thy very heart. Father, thy will be done ? 
 Happy soul ! for then thou art a partaker of his 
 holiness. 
 
 17. When it is the will of the Father to spare 
 the child, what profit has appeared, after he has re- 
 moved the cross for a time ? 
 
 18. Are there any peaceable fruits of righteous- 
 ness growing or ripening in the heart ? Is there 
 more joy and peace in the Son's salvation, and more 
 happy enjoyment of the Father's love ? 
 
 19. Has the Holy Spirit deadened the life of 
 sense, by putting the cross upon it, and thereby 
 produced more liveliness to spiritual and to eternal 
 things ? 
 
 20. Say, is the harvest good and plentiful? Do 
 the graces flourish ? Have faith and patience been 
 in exercise, and improved ? Has resignation to the 
 divine will been in practice, and the good of submit- 
 ting to it learned by experience? 
 
 21. Thrice happy soul to whom the cross is thus 
 sanctified ! yet a very little while, and faith and pa- 
 tience having done their perfect work, the cross will 
 be no more, but the crown will be for ever. 
 
125 
 
 My very dear friend, this is ray present lesson ; 
 and though I am a dull scholar, yet I get on a little. 
 I wish you may get before me ; for I am told the 
 Master takes great pains with you ; and I believe it. 
 I am very certain you must carry your cross all the 
 way through this valley of Baca. And what can I 
 wish you better than that you may find the rain fill- 
 ing the pools, and you may go from strength to 
 strength ? When the Lord strikes at your comforts, 
 (and mind, your cross grows out of your comforts,) 
 O that your heart may then feel submission, what- 
 ever nature feels ! may all within you, guided and 
 strengthened by grace, be able to say. Lord, take 
 away what thou wilt, only take not away the light 
 of thy loving countenance. When thou removest 
 any of my comforts, let me not forget they were 
 thine ; thy free gift, lent me by thy love, and kept 
 long for me by thy bounty. And now thou art 
 pleased to require them, Lord, make thy will mine, 
 and fill up the place which they had in my heart 
 with thy precious love. So be it, Lord Jesus. Amen. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXL 
 
 Nov. 13, 1770. 
 My very dear Friend, — Since last Thursday 1 
 have been in your service, heartily in it. I cannot 
 charge myself with any neglect: and I went on more 
 cheerfully, because 1 thought it was my dear Mas- 
 ter's work, which made it pleasant. But when I 
 heard the living was last night given to a Mr. , 
 
126 
 
 judge what a blow this was; I felt exceedingly for 
 
 you. I thought of Mr. M , and the poor 
 
 people at K , deprived of the greatest blessing 
 
 short of heaven. O my friend ! indeed I was grieved 
 sore, and began to complain and murmur — " Why 
 coulil not the Lord have given his people a pastor 
 after his own heart ? Would it not have been for 
 his glory? Are there not many precious souls in 
 and about K who will now want their daily 
 
 bread?" Thus my heart was grieved ; and it went 
 even through my reins : so foolish was I, and igno- 
 rant. But I am recovered, and got into my right 
 mind. Now I confess the Lord reigneth. He can 
 make no mistake in his government. He does all 
 things well, both for his own glory, and for his 
 
 people's good. Mr. B 's removal, a poor dead 
 
 stick in his room, the joyful sound heard no more in 
 
 K , the mourners going about wringing their 
 
 hands in the streets, &c. &c. &c., put as many more 
 complaints as you please, yet every one of them shall 
 be made to work together for good. He has said 
 it, and shall he not do it? yes, he will do it; and 
 you shall know it too. This very visitation shall be 
 overruled to bring about many gracious purposes, 
 perhaps such as these: — 
 
 First, A submission to his sovereign will, that 
 you may say, All is well. 
 
 Secondly, Self-examination : was it not for my 
 fault, my not valuing, not being thankful for, not 
 improving the blessed gospel, that the Lord has re- 
 moved our candlestick? 
 
 Thirdly, Living upon Jesus more. When the 
 streams dry up, then people are forced to go to the 
 
127 
 
 fountain-head : so the means faihng, his people must 
 live upon the Lord of all means. 
 . Fourthly, Living more upon the word. If it can- 
 not be heard, blessed be God, it may be read ; prize 
 it, meditate on it, lay it near your heart. May it 
 be as sweet as honey, and as precious as gold, yea, 
 as much fine gold. One single sermon to a hungry 
 soul will be as blessed as ten thousand to one who 
 has no appetite. 
 
 Fifthly, Trust the Lord for making an opening 
 
 for the gospel, even at K , in his own way. 
 
 You cannot see how; why, then, that is the time to 
 trust, pray, believe, wait. For, 
 
 Sixthly, If the Shepherd has any of his flock at 
 
 K , which I cannot doubt, then they cannot 
 
 perish for lack of knowledge. He will either send 
 the gospel to them, or them to it. 
 
 I own it is a trying time. If I was in your cir- 
 cumstances I should want all that can be said to 
 make me think the Lord was doing right ; and there- 
 fore, my dear friend, I would lead you to some com- 
 fortable view of this matter. The blessed God en- 
 able you to give it up to him, and in patience to 
 possess your soul ! If your private loss be very dis- 
 tressing, try to divert the grief, and look at the 
 public loss. O what has the church suffered in 
 the setting of that bright star which has shone so 
 gloriously in our hemisphere ! Mr. Whitfield's 
 preaching is over : now he is praising. We have 
 none left to succeed him: none of his gifts, none any 
 thing like him in usefulness. But the same glori- 
 ous Jesus who gave him to us has taken him away. 
 If he wants another such, he can make him out of a 
 
128 
 
 stone. Well, then, let us submit ; let him alone, 
 
 let him alone. His interest at K , his interest 
 
 in England, is as dear to him as the apple of his eye. 
 He is managing all for the best. May you and I 
 bow the knee, and say, " Thy will be done." 
 
 I have no more time but to follow this letter with 
 my prayers, that the great Head of the church may 
 teach you practically what I have been mentioning. 
 And depend upon it, a day will come when you will 
 see this was right. Only wait ; blessed are they 
 that wait for him. Farewell, my good friend, and 
 believe me to be yours in that dearest, sweetest 
 Jesus, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXII. 
 
 Aug. 20, 1771. 
 My dear Friend, — I have sent you three volumes 
 of the second part of the " Walk of Faith," with 
 many prayers. I have prayed it over in writing ; 
 and I am daily begging the free Giver of every good 
 and perfect gift that he would go out with it, and 
 own it to the hearts of his dear people. My design 
 in writing the book was for his glory and their good. 
 The plan is simple. It was to show that Christian 
 principles are sufficient for all the purposes of Chris- 
 tian practice; so that whenever we fail in practice, 
 we have first failed in principle. How should it be 
 otherwise, since the principles are mighty through 
 God? The same grace which teaches them, as the 
 truth of God, gives also the experience of them, as 
 the power of God. If, therefore, peace rules in the 
 
129 
 
 conscience, and love in the heart, the effect will fol- 
 low, as light does when the sun is risen. There 
 will be a dependence on the promised power of God 
 to do and to suffer his will; and this power will as 
 certainly be put forth as God is true ; so long as 
 peace and love are maintained. Try yourself. Ob- 
 serve narrowly how it is that you fail in practice; 
 and you will always see your faith gave way, and you 
 was not living up to your privileges. I know not 
 how I have succeeded in describing this grand mis- 
 take in the Christian walk, or in rectifying it : but 
 this I know well, that the salvation of Jesus is abso- 
 lutely, infinitely, everlastingly perfect in every part, 
 and at the very given moment, and the belief of it 
 will produce an even, holy, happy walk ; and if this 
 belief was perfect, (as it should be,) an enjoyment of 
 this salvation would be upon earth what it is in 
 heaven. I pray God to carry you and me on from 
 faith to faith, that we may daily bring greater honour 
 to his word and to his work. 
 
 If any light, or love, or joy, warm your heart in 
 reading, remember me. My trials are very great. 
 I have the old burden very heavy indeed — a vast 
 body of sin, under which I groan, and great bodily 
 pain, hard to bear. I have been to the sea for relief; 
 but my Lord thinks proper to refuse it. When I 
 had other trials he spared me, and never let me 
 know what bodily pain was : but now outward trials 
 are in a great measure removed, this is my cross. 
 He is merciful in all his dealings; blessings on him 
 for his kind rod ! You will find in the second 
 volume a chapter on the outward cross, and another 
 on the inward : they are the longest chapters, be- 
 f3 
 
130 
 
 cause I felt what I wrote, and because all God's 
 children carry these two crosses to the grave. I beg 
 your attention to the inward cross; and when you 
 have read the chapter, be so good as to tell me how 
 you like it. To manage it well is the greatest les- 
 son in the school of Christ. O that he may teach 
 you as you read, and be your prophet, to enable you 
 to live upon him as your priest ! 
 
 Many years ago I chose my motto — " Cease ye 
 from man." You see how needful it is. Place your 
 happiness on any thing but the heavenly Lover, it 
 makes itself wings, and flies away. How many sweet 
 hours (the remembrance is sweet) have I spent at 
 K— — ! yearly visits, pleasing and profitable. But 
 I am debarred this enjoyment. I must learn ray 
 motto in an instance of hard self-denial. Happy for 
 you and for me if every such disappointment lead us 
 nearer to God. I wish Mr. J—— may walk with 
 us in our way, and all his sisters. I wish that little 
 dear, dear boy, does not get some of Christ's place 
 in your heart. God bless him, and make him a com- 
 fort to you ! Write my motto upon his forehead, 
 and remember it whenever you look at him. My 
 
 love to Mr. I m. May every blessing of the 
 
 everlasting covenant be yours on earth and heaven ! 
 So prays yours in Jesus, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXOL 
 
 Feb. 1772. 
 
 My dear friend has been thinking — " Well, I 
 could not have expected such neglect ; a letter sent 
 
131 
 
 in October, and not answered in January; I am sur- 
 prised what can be the meaning of it !" I answer, 
 to my shame, that I am grown very lazy, and good 
 for nothing. It is high time I was dismissed from 
 the vineyard ; and any other master but mine would 
 have had nothing to do with me long ago. I cannot 
 but loathe myself, and stand wondering daily at his 
 kindness. Never was self lower, and his loveliness 
 higher, than in this new year. Worthless as I am, 
 beyond all conception, yet he begun the year with 
 vouchsafing me some delightful Pisgah-views. You 
 must know it has been a custom with me for many 
 years to have a.sermon on the New Year's Day, and 
 to have the text of a sort of watchword, something 
 very short and striking, and which may serve the be- 
 lievers to feast upon a twelvemonth. I have found 
 this very useful to myself, and so have others. Our 
 text for 1772 was, " Christ is all." I send you 
 some remarks, believing you will have fellowship with 
 us in them, as you certainly have in that adorable 
 person of whom they treat. 
 
 Christ has all the fulness of salvation in him, as 
 God-man ; and he has it to the glory of the Father, 
 and of the eternal Spirit : for it pleased the Father 
 that in him should all fulness dwell, as in the head 
 for the use of his members. And it pleased the Holy 
 Spirit to testify of his fulness in the Scripture; and 
 it pleases him by his grace to bring believers to use 
 it, and to live upon it ; and then they are truly con- 
 verted. All other experience is not worth one far- 
 thing. The great work of the Holy Ghost is to 
 pull down self, and to exalt Christ. This he does 
 effectually, and this he has done in you. Think 
 
132 
 
 what your debt is ; try to cast it up ; and send me 
 the sum total. Say, how much do you owe to the 
 Holy Spirit for enlightening your understanding, and 
 convincing you that Christ is the one sun of the spi- 
 ritual world. What a most blessed change has he 
 wrought upon your mind ! He has stripped you of 
 the knowledge that puffeth up : and has sent you to 
 Christ, and to none but Christ, to be taught the 
 things of God. He has brought you humbled to 
 the Saviour's feet, where you are sitting among his 
 lowest scholars (and that is the best place) to hear 
 his words. Thus he has glorified your divine pro- 
 phet in you ; and in the matter of teaching he has 
 made Christ your all. The Bible, and ministers, 
 and means, have now got their right place ; they are 
 subservient to Christ's teaching. He is exalted by 
 your use of them: for you do not go to them, but to 
 him in them, to receive lesson upon lesson, and line 
 upon line. Thus may you and I be found waiting 
 upon our great Lord and Master through the year 
 seventy-two. And when we thus put honour upon 
 his office, and give glory to his teaching, we may ex- 
 pect to learn much of him : he will guide our feet in 
 the way of peace ; he will enlarge our faculties to 
 know more of the wonders of his grace; and he will 
 enable us to enjoy more of the heavenly sweetness 
 of his precious love. Yes, Lord, we have great ex- 
 pectations from thee : thou canst teach us far more 
 than we have yet learned. O make us every day 
 humbler scholars, that, whatever we learn, the praise 
 of it may be thine, and our growth in saving know- 
 ledge may add to thy fame and renown ! 
 
 Methinks I hear you ask — " But how shall I 
 
133 
 
 know for certain, that I am one of Christ's scholars, 
 and that he has indeed taken me into his tuition and 
 teaching?" My dear Madam, you are to know it 
 from what you have learned of him. You cannot be 
 certain of it any other way. He would have you to 
 look at his revealed truth, and to try yourself by it. 
 Has not he made you wise in it unto salvation ? O 
 do, pray do acknowledge what he has done for your 
 soul. When you was sensible of your fallen state, 
 in which you inherit a corrupt nature, and felt that 
 in it you could do nothing but sin — when guilt was 
 in your conscience, and fear was in your heart, what 
 was it which brought you relief? To what did you 
 look for pardon, and from whence did you expect 
 peace with God ? Your answer will show whether 
 you are Christ's scholar, and how far you have ad- 
 vanced in his school. 
 
 I can make you reply (for I have heard you say 
 as much) — " Why, to be sure, I have no hope but 
 in that offering which perfecteth for ever, and in that 
 righteousness which justifieth from all things. This 
 is my salvation — this, and nothing else — *' Christ is 
 all," — I expect no pardon but in his blood — no jus- 
 tification but in his obedience — no safety but in his 
 keeping me — no happiness but in his love — no hea- 
 ven but in the enjoyment of Emmanuel." 
 
 Very well ! this is a good confession. But who 
 taught it you ? Was it not Jesus, he who alone 
 teacheth man saving knowledge ? Has not he 
 opened your eyes to see, and your heart to receive 
 those most blessed truths ? Yes, he has. And do 
 you praise him as he deserves ? O no. A thought 
 often comes into your head, " If I had learned those 
 
]34. 
 
 things of Christ, how could it be that I am so little 
 and so seldom comforted by them ? they are full of 
 all consolation, and I am sometimes quite empty: 
 how can this be ?" I will tell you, my good friend. 
 The very same thought comes into my head, and 
 plagues me. But I get the better of it. Consider 
 where it is written. He that is comforted shall be 
 saved ! You are called upon to trust the work of 
 Christ, and to trust it for yourself upon the word of 
 Christ. His work is your whole salvation ; his 
 word, and nothing in yourself. (Here I should stop. 
 This is the end of my paper. But I cannot get 
 done — you must let me finish my sentence, although 
 it be to your cost. — Well, you will forgive me, I 
 proceed.). His word, and nothing in yourself, is 
 to be your lawful warrant to call this salvation your 
 own, and to use it for your own. Rest here, giving 
 credit to the free promise of salvation to all that will 
 receive it, and 1 will lay my life of it you will not 
 want comfort long. You will have God's faithful- 
 ness for your security that you are a saved sinner; 
 and the belief of this cannot but bring peace and joy 
 into your heart. According to your faith, so will 
 your comfort be. But if you rest not here, get com- 
 fort where you will, it will not be true ; it cannot be 
 lasting. Not true ; because all comfort dwells in 
 Christ ; every thing else is emptiness and vanity — 
 ^ot lasting ; because frames, feelings, habits, graces, 
 joys, &c. &c. ebb and flow. Only Christ abideth 
 the same for ever, and only his unchangeable word 
 can fix your comfort. Trust it; make it your con- 
 stant warrant to go to Christ for comfort, and he can- 
 not deny his word : according to your faith, so will 
 he give unto you. 
 
135 
 
 Do not think, my good friend, I would have you 
 to walk mourning and melancholy. No. There is 
 nothing in Christ to make you so. He is all light, 
 and life, and love, and joy, and that without ceasing; 
 an infinite and everlasting fulness of all blessings. I 
 would lead you to him in the direct road, which is to 
 lead you out of self entirely. Christ is the way- — 
 look more at him, and less at self ; trust more to 
 him, and less to your faith or comforts ; live upon 
 nothing in yourself, but live every moment upon 
 him ; do not eye his gifts so much — fix your heart 
 upon the Giver; be always thinking of his fulness 
 whenever you feel your own emptiness : whatever 
 you are, or do, or suffer, let all things bring you to 
 make — (forgive me, I must go on: I take up another 
 half sheet, and I beseech you, again and again, let 
 all things bring you to make) — use of Christ. Read 
 about him. Go to your closet to converse with him. 
 Go to church to meet him. Make him your com- 
 panion. Accustom your mind to meditate upon 
 him. Pray without ceasing to him as your bosom- 
 friend. Do not be shy of him ; he hates shyness. 
 Draw near ; he bids you come with boldness, vile, 
 unthankful, unprofitable as you are : his dear heart 
 is always open to hear your complaints, and to re- 
 lieve your distresses, be they what they will. Re- 
 member, he is the Sun of our world, and you cannot 
 be thus always in his presence, without being en- 
 lightened by his rays, and cherished with his warm 
 beams. When any are very cold within doors, and 
 see the sun shining sweetly, they do not use to ask, 
 Is it mt/ sun ? May I go out to walk in this noon- 
 day brightness, and get myself warm in this delight- 
 
136 
 
 ful sunshine ? Is it for me ? Yes, make use of it 
 who will, it shines for you ; Christ is as freely yours 
 as that sunshine. You way walk in his light, and 
 enjoy his comforts. You may take him for your 
 righteousness and your holiness ; you may live on 
 him for grace and glory. He is yours, and all he 
 has is yours also, and for your use to-day and for 
 ever. 
 
 Thus you see, my good friend, how we intend to 
 live in London through the year 1772. " Christ is 
 our all," not only in our title to salvation, but also in 
 our present enjoyment of its blessings. We expect 
 a great income, and all from Christ. Our faith in 
 him is not an empty notion, (as the world thinks,) 
 but it is a reality. Christ is the substance ; all be- 
 sides is shadow ; and by faith we now take posses- 
 sion of the substance. We live by him, and we 
 live on him. W'e need envy nobody. What are 
 princes to us? our estate is vastly beyond theirs; 
 the inheritance is sure; the riches unsearchable; 
 and the income, — ask and have; and that increasing 
 through eternity. O blessed, most blessed inheri- 
 tance ! The prospect is not like that of Moses. 
 He only saw the country, but we go over Jordan. 
 We, who have believed, do enter into rest. W^e 
 are living in the land which floweth with milk and 
 honey, which is the glory of all lands. An heir of 
 this country may live in the poorest cottage at 
 
 K , and yet be richer than a king. If he live 
 
 this year, as he should do, by the faith of the Son 
 of God, what are the riches of emperors compared 
 to his ? He can look into his title-deeds, and there 
 read two clauses, which make him rich, even beyond 
 
137 
 
 conception : " all things are yours,"— and yours for 
 ever. 
 
 I know what you will think, as well as if I heard 
 you tell me your thoughts. I am acquainted with 
 the vile suggestions of the enemy. He may tempt 
 you to doubt of these truths on account of your 
 having still so many wants. But, my friend, the 
 more the better. We should glory in our wants. 
 They make us rich : for we can want nothing but it 
 is in Christ's fulness, and laid up there for us. This 
 makes way for a constant intercourse between you 
 and Christ, and keeps up a holy friendship in giving 
 and receiving. By this means a sweet familiarity 
 will be maintained, and a growing intimacy cherished. 
 Christ requires you would be free with him, and draw 
 largely upon his bank. Every moment you want 
 something : Christ says, " Here it is ; come to me 
 for it. I can deny you nothing." O go to him at 
 his bidding, and put honour upon his love. Your 
 many, your great wants, will only give him an occa- 
 sion to show how much he loveth you. He has for 
 you bowels of the tenderest compassion. He feels 
 for you more than you can think. Blessed is that 
 want, look at it by faith and you will find it so, which 
 brings you to Christ for a supply. 
 
 Do you want temporals — read my grant : " Take 
 no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or. What 
 shall we drink? or. Wherewithal shall we be clothed ? 
 (for after all these things do the Gentiles seek ;) for 
 your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need 
 of all these things ;" — or spirituals, trust my pro- 
 mise: " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual 
 
138 
 
 blessings in heavenly places in Christ — or eter- 
 nals, look at ray gift : " The wages of sin is death ; 
 but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord." And be assured I will withhold 
 from you no manner of thing that is good. Stand 
 upon this ground, and here survey your wants ; be 
 they what they will, trust Christ for a supply. Live 
 like a Christian, by the faith of the Son of God, for 
 tenporals, spirituals, and eternals : this is living. 
 This is holy living ; for you cannot be thus receiv- 
 ing every moment out of Christ's fulness, but you 
 must feel some gratitude to your divine friend, and 
 a growing willingness to be his debtor for grace, and 
 to be one of his pensioners for glory. This is high 
 living ; for then has the Holy Spirit magnified Je- 
 sus in you upon earth, when you make him all and 
 in all ; and then has he given you the certain earnest 
 that he will bring you to heaven, where you will find 
 Jesus all and in all, for ever and ever. 
 
 LETTER XXXIV. 
 
 Nov. 23, 1773. 
 My dear Friend, — As I have not been per- 
 mitted to talk to you face to face this summer, why 
 should not I converse with you in another way? I 
 think it right to tell you my present feelings, and 
 how I stand affected towards you. I believe that 
 all the true love in the world comes from the in- 
 finite fulness of Jesus. It has no other source : 
 and he has (eternal blessings on him !) warmed ray 
 cold heart with some of his precious love. I feel a 
 
139 
 
 ray of it drawing my affections to ray dear friend. 
 Ite sweet influence is from above ; its origin is divine ; 
 it is indeed of heavenly extraction and birth. No 
 thanks to me that it partakes of some of the gracious 
 properties of the Fountain from whence it springs : 
 fpr some of them it has, my conscience bearing me 
 witness. And these, I confess, are not natives of 
 mine own soil; not being planted in it, am I able to 
 iTiake them grow and flourish ? O no ! The God 
 of all grace is the free giver; he is the mighty con- 
 tinuer: without him they would have never been; 
 without him they would have died at their birth, and 
 gone out hke a spark in the ocean. But I do really 
 find some of the image and likeness of my loving 
 Lord upon my heart, and that towards you. There 
 can be no true friendship without a union of spirit. 
 In order to be pure and steadfast, it must be refined 
 from selfish views and carnal motives; it must spring 
 from no outward attachment, but from a real agree- 
 ment and harmony of soul : such is the nature of 
 Christian friendship. It is beyond all Plato's rules 
 and Seneca's morals. They had no idea of it. Rea- 
 son the most refined could never understand our doc- 
 trine. He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit ; 
 a most wonderful union, big with blessings temporal 
 and eternal. Among its temporal blessings, it is not 
 the least that he reforms the heart, and makes it lov- 
 ing like his own ; capable of receiving his heavenly 
 friendship, and capable of showing it to his praise by 
 especial love to his brethren and our brethren. 
 
 In whatever view I am considering our divine 
 Friend, there is always something which gives him, 
 and most justly, the pre-eminence. He is, and will 
 
140 
 
 be for ever, the most blessed Head, which communi- 
 cates life, and breath, and all things, to every mem- 
 ber. In the character now before us, O how exalted, 
 how glorious is he ! Yes, he is beyond all blessing 
 and praise, for being a present Saviour to his people; 
 as he mightily delivers them from the tyranny of 
 their vile tempers, and renders them happy in one an- 
 other. It is from his grace that they put on, as the 
 elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, 
 kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, &c. He 
 plants those virtues in the henrt; he waters them 
 with the rain of heaven ; he shines upon them ; and 
 he makes them flourish in spite of all the opposition 
 of selfish passions and inbred lusts ; indeed he does. 
 There are persons in the world who are infinitely in- 
 debted to Jesus Christ for that brotherly love which 
 is the bond of perfectness, and who, in some measure, 
 walk in love, according to his teaching. But they 
 mourn, I know they do, because they find so little 
 gratitude to him, and so little conformity to his ex- 
 ample. Yet some likeness there is, and they are 
 striving every day for more, still setting out afresh: 
 not content with any past attainment, they study 
 both to love him more, and to draw more virtue from 
 him, that they may love others, as Christ also loved 
 them. 
 
 Methinks I see one of his disciples warm and eager 
 in this pursuit. I stop him, and ask, " Sir, upon 
 what principle is it that your heart is so set upon 
 being like Christ? You are quite unwearied in 
 having your own hateful tempers subdued, and in 
 putting on the sweet dispositions of the meek and 
 lowly Jesus." 
 
141 
 
 His answer, I am sure, would be — " The love of 
 Christ constraineth me: O how I feel the blessed 
 eflFect of being one with my Lord ! He has taught 
 me in my very heart to love God, and man for God's 
 sake: to this dearest Jesus I am indebted for my 
 paradise restored ; and I am never happier than when 
 I am sensible of my vast debt; for then I love him 
 best, and am most enabled to manifest it to men. 
 Beyond description, beyond conception of any, yea, 
 all the glorified saints, is the love of Emmanuel to 
 my soul: it is like himself, infinite and boundless ; 
 it is quite free, given to the unworthiest, and to the 
 most unthankful : a perfect love, nothing but love, 
 such as excludes all shyness and coldness, prevents 
 misconstructions and quarrels, yea, removes the very 
 cause and ground of them : a communicative love, 
 most generously bestowing a right and title to all 
 blessings upon the beloved ; for thus the grant of the 
 great charter runs — 'AH mine are thine:' and, to 
 crown the whole, it is a lasting love ; yea, everlast- 
 ing, reaching from eternity to eternity. The more 
 I study and experience of this heavenly love, the 
 more I find my heart affected with it, and the more 
 I wish that all my friendships may reflect some image 
 of, and bring some glory to, the friendship of ray 
 Jesus." 
 
 Having read this passage over carefully, I can, if 
 called upon, set ray hand and seal to it. All this I 
 know to be true. — /F. R. Some little spark of this 
 holy flame (but, though little, inestimable) has long 
 ago thawed my frozen heart, and has kept a warmth 
 of affection in it which he that kindled often hears of 
 in prayer and praise for you, and of which they who 
 
142 
 
 know you, and come in my way, hear also. Some 
 kind providence will, I doubt not, ere long, let you 
 hear it with your own ears. With pleasing hope I 
 look forward to a present, because I am sure of a fu- 
 ture meeting, which will never end. Our friendship 
 will run coeval with our being : it is a union formed 
 by the divine hand of Jesus, who has won our hearts, 
 and made them one in himself, in a bond which he 
 will not, and none else can break : so that we may 
 sing, in humble confidence, all our way to Sion, 
 
 Tlie love divine 
 That made us thine, 
 Shall keep us tliine for ever. 
 
 LETTER XXXV. 
 
 Grace and peace be abundantly multiplied to my 
 dear friend from the Lord Christ; may all whom she 
 loves partake of his love ! I have been kept from 
 writing to you, and acknowledging your many favours 
 to me and to mine, by my Master's business. As 
 soon as I came home, I was invited to preach in 
 Buckinghamshire, where we have had the Lord with 
 us of a truth. O what am I, that mine eyes 
 should see such tilings as I see ! I, who am the 
 veriest filthy dunghill-sinner, that ever God suffered 
 to live ; that I, even I, should partake of his grace, 
 as well as preach it : O it is astonishing ! Surely, 
 if ever I get to heaven (and I must not doubt of 
 getting thither) I shall beat Mary Magdalene, and 
 Paul, and Peter, and Manasseh, all to nothing. 
 They had not half to pardon that 1 have ; and yet, 
 
143 
 
 glory, glory, glory be to Jesus, I am among his par- 
 doned ones. Who, then, shall sing his praises in 
 such a high note as I can? None, no, not one of 
 them all. I am the most indebted to free grace of 
 all that ever were saved out of hell. May my ex- 
 perience tend to the strengthening of your faith ! 
 
 Dear Madam, you almost overcome me with kind- 
 ness. I shall be afraid to call and see you, lest you 
 make me proud : for what have I good in me ? No- 
 thing. What good do I ? None at all. What- 
 ever good is in man, whatever good is done upon 
 earth, the Lord doeth it himself. Down, then, with 
 man : lay low his lofty looks, and up with Christ. 
 Exalt him ; too high we cannot raise him, too low 
 we cannot humble the sinner. I would have you, 
 therefore, not to look at me, but at my precious, dear 
 Master. Look unto him, and you shall be saved. 
 Look unto me for any thing, and you shall infallibly 
 ■be disappointed. 
 
 Present my hearty love in the bowels of Christ 
 Jesus to your sister W r. I find great fel- 
 lowship with her as a member of the same body, and 
 actuated by the same spirit : and tell her from me, 
 that she cannot make too much use of Christ. The 
 more she uses him in all things, the happier will she 
 be. To this I can set my seal prohatum est. 
 
 I fail not to remember Mr. M , when I am 
 
 near, and have freedom with my precious Master. 
 May you never want his presence ! My wife joins 
 in thanks, and is, with me, yours in the Lord Jesus, 
 
 W. R. 
 
144 
 
 LETTER XXXVI. 
 
 Oct. 28, 1775. 
 My good Friend,— —Having an opportunity of 
 
 sending my hearty love to you by Mr. I n, I 
 
 could not avoid embracing it. You are often on my 
 mind, and in my prayers. Really, my dear Madam, 
 you are one of them by whom I find the truth of 
 what I believe concerning the communion of saints. 
 I experience it in its comfort; for I feel with you, 
 rejoicing in your joys, and taking part in your sor- 
 rows. I have a good account of your health, a great 
 blessing; may it continue! and of your spiritual 
 health, which is a greater; may that increase ! and it 
 will, as you live more in, on, and to Christ Jesus; 
 coming daily as a poor sinner to live on a rich Sa- 
 viour. This is the great secret of the gospel. No- 
 thing should keep you from Christ. However you 
 feel, whatever you have done, at all times, in all 
 places and frames, go to Jesus. I have been at this 
 lesson a great while, and though very dull and 
 stupid, yet through marvellous grace I have learned 
 something. When things go well, we are apt to 
 rest in them : I do not ; my Jesus makes them well ; 
 1 thank him, and rest in him, and not in his gifts : I 
 enjoy him in them : and when things go badly, in- 
 ward or outward, I would not stay from him to com- 
 plain or murmur one moment, but rejecting myself 
 entirely, take him for my whole complete happiness. 
 Let things go as they will, I look at Jesus through 
 them, and would make use of them to lead me to live 
 
145 
 
 more upon him. This seems easy ; but try it. I 
 wish you a better scholar at it than I am. I hear 
 you had a warning to be ready at the next door. I 
 pray for its good effect. When the messenger 
 
 comes, may every M Hft up his and her head 
 
 with joy ! 
 
 I grow old, and find marks of the tabernacle's 
 wearing out fast ; but I know in whom I have be- 
 lieved. To him I commend you and yours. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXVII. 
 
 August 2, 1779. 
 My dear Friend, — We remembered you and 
 yours very particularly on the 7th of May last. 
 Blessings on the birth of that day ! I know more 
 about it in 79 than I did before ; and more reason 
 to honour and esteem you. I send you enclosed a 
 little token of respect. You had it in the last war, 
 and it is now again expedient, yea, necessary. I 
 hope for your helping hand in this good work. Some 
 must fight, and others pray. One is as much 
 wanted as the other. If Moses does not pray, 
 Joshua does not conquer. Prayers gained the vic- 
 tory. Asa has a great army of one million, one 
 hundred thousand good soldiers; but he does not 
 trust so much to them, nor conquer so much by 
 them, as by his prayers. Jehoshaphat's prayer of 
 faith vanquished a vast host without fighting. Read 
 1 Chron. V. from the 18th to the 23d verse. On 
 this account I beg of you, my dear friend, to join 
 us. You have some praying people at K : 
 G 5i 
 
146 
 
 call upon them to unite on this occasion. Remem- 
 ber, " the efFectual fervent prayer of a righteous man 
 availeth much." To-day it will avail as much as it 
 did in the time of Elias, May God give you the 
 spirit of prayer, that you may join the goodly com- 
 pany throughout the land, who will be on their knees 
 next Sunday at eight o'clock. It is your duty. 
 May you esteem it your privilege 1 and I wish you 
 growing communion with your God; more delight 
 daily in approaching the throne of his grace, and more 
 blessings coming from him on you and yours. We 
 have already many hands lifted up to engage the 
 Lord of Hosts on our side. Mine are engaged, 
 and I trust will not hang down till peace return. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXVin. 
 
 Bladfriars, Nov. 30, 1779. 
 My good Friend, — I have been taught to weep 
 with them that weep. They cannot but feel with 
 and for one another who are joined to the Lord in 
 one Spirit. That you suffer seems grievous to the 
 flesh. I sympathize with you ; but I also find the 
 Lord is with you, supports you, yea, he comforts 
 you : therein I do rejoice. My prayer is for much 
 patience under his hand, and much profit from his 
 rod. Let me direct your attention to Heb. xii. from 
 the 5th verse to the 14th. The whole matter 
 turns upon the character of the Person who afflicts. 
 Is it in wrath, or in love ? Does he punish as a 
 Judge, or correct as a Father ? Mind how the sen- 
 
147 
 
 tence begins — my son ; keep this upon your heart ; 
 you have fled to Jesus, you have taken the benefit 
 of his atonement and of his righteousness; you are 
 therefore the adopted chihl of the most high God. 
 And you must not think he changes his love when 
 he changes his dispensations. He is always your 
 Father ; and say, his rod is for the present not joy- 
 ous, but grievous ; yet mind, ver. 11. it only seera- 
 eth : the flesh seems to be hurt, but really it is not ; 
 it is only in appearance : look nearer ; you may easily 
 see love sending, love inflicting; and wait a little, 
 you will have reason to thank your Father for the 
 blessed fruits of his love. If you live you will find 
 them very rich and ripe. If he spare life, ray first 
 journey shall be to K . I have great fellow- 
 ship with the afflicted. I shall hope and pray for 
 your support and comforts; my God has promised 
 both. May they be abundant ! This summer has 
 given me great occasion to learn the same lesson with 
 you ; and I can set to my seal that God is good, and 
 doeth good, nothing but good, to his children : to 
 his tender care I commend you and yours. Look 
 above, live above, both your joys and sorrows; make 
 Jesus, at least you wish to make Jesus, your all. 
 I shall be thankful for a line when convenient, to tell 
 me more of his deahngs with you ; and am, in him, 
 your faithful dear friend and servant, W. R. 
 
 g2 
 
148 
 
 LETTER XXXIX. 
 
 Saturdat/, March 29. 
 My good Friend, — I have an opportunity of 
 sending my respects to you by Mr. I n ; but I 
 choose to give them to you under mine own hand. 
 Although I do not see you, yet you have a place in my 
 heart, and in and for the Lord's sake, who changeth 
 
 not. I remember K in my best times, you 
 
 and yours. One proof of it I hope to give this sum- 
 mer, if I am spared. Age is coming on fast ; in- 
 firmities many and great; travelling is a burden. 
 But before I go hence, I purpose once more to visit 
 
 my Y re friends; I feel towards them some of 
 
 that grace mentioned, Rom. i. 11, 12. which grows 
 by giving and receiving ; as, indeed, all the gifts of' 
 Christ do: the more you use, the more you have: 
 you become richer for what you lay out. Such a 
 wonderful fulness flows from Christ, that he who 
 spends most for him, gets most from him. O that 
 my journey may be of this kind ; to your profit and 
 mine, and to Christ's glory. I know not what time 
 it will be ; but will not wait on you without first ac- 
 quainting you, and knowing what time will be to you 
 the most agreeable. 
 
 Your dear boy is often on my mind. I am sure 
 you do not wish him better than I do. All my ad- 
 vice is turned into prayer. You will give my love 
 
 to Mr. B y, of whom I hear good things. 
 
 Mrs. R. desires her kind love to you and family. 
 We had yesterday such a solemn time as I never 
 
149 
 
 expected to see in London. It was very truly a 
 good Friday. My hopes revive for this guilty land ; 
 for them that honour me, says God, I will honour : 
 I am sure he was honoured yesterday. Let me, my 
 good friend, not in compliment I ask, be remembered 
 by you in prayer. My time is short. Pray that I 
 may be kept humble and thankful. I am, with true 
 Christian affection, in and for my dear Lord's sake, 
 your friend and servant, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XL. 
 
 Nov. J 6, 1780. 
 My dear Friend, — Wave after wave, trouble after 
 trouble — no ceasing till we get into the haven. I 
 do not wish you out of them, but to profit by them. 
 The furnace is to refine gold ; so faith, proved, im- 
 proved, yea, perfected by trials. Mind what the 
 great Refiner says — " I will bring the third part 
 through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is 
 refined, and I will try them as gold is tried. They 
 shall call on my name, and I will hear them. I will 
 say. It is my people, and they shall say. The Lord 
 is my God." O blessed furnace ! — What ! is this 
 the effect of being put into it ? Does the Son of 
 God appear for and with his suffering members ? — 
 Does he keep off the evil of suffering — give patience 
 under it, profit from it — deaden the Hfe of sense — 
 quicken the life of faith — and thus bring more real 
 good to his people from their trials than from all the 
 comforts that ever they had? Say — It is great, an 
 uncommon great trial : the furnace is heated seven 
 
150 
 
 times more than it was wont to be heated. Still, J 
 this is not to destroy faith, but to refine and exalt it. 
 The plain lesson from hence to be learned is, we 
 must now trust more to the Lord, and less to self. 
 His strength must be our safety, and not our weak- ' 
 ness. His blessings must be our happiness. I 
 write these things, because I am praying for them. 
 It is not so much advice as prayer. I know my 
 Lord can, I believe my Lord will, help you in this 
 time of need. Whatever interest I have with him is 
 yours. None feel for you, or can, more than I do. 
 
 I am thankful, however, for the grace of God 
 given unto you at this trying time. The furnace is 
 intended, in the Father's hand, to prove faith, and 
 to improve it. He puts it into the fire like gold, 
 that, upon trial, it may appear sterling; and that, 
 losing nothing but dross, we may learn to trust him 
 better. You now see and know that his trials of 
 faith are acts of love. The burning hush, so far 
 from being consumed in the flames, is cherished by 
 them, and grows. Blessed be the name of our God ! 
 I find the miracle repeated in our visitations. In 
 faith and patience you possess your soul; yea, the 
 smell of fire does not pass upon you. Where could 
 you have learned what God has been teaching you 
 so soon, or so well ? All is well. May you see 
 more of his love in every dispensation 1 Trust him. 
 Go on trusting, without doubt or wavering, and he 
 will grant you your heart's desire. I commend my- 
 self very earnestly to your remembrance in the best 
 place. Mention me to your divine and almighty 
 i riend, in whom I am, with my very best wishes, 
 your obliged servant, W. R. 
 
151 
 
 LETTER XLI. 
 
 May 16, 1782. 
 My very dear Friend, — I could not neglect this 
 opportunity of assuring you how much I remember 
 you in the best place. Our Lord knows the needs 
 must of suffering. He loves you too well to deprive 
 you of your portion. He himself went, and all his 
 go, the same way to glory. They drink of the 
 brook in the way; and they drink it out of the cup 
 of salvation. True, it is bitter. I find it very bit- 
 ter ; as unpalatable as you can find it. But I am 
 praying it may prove more salutary to you and to 
 me : and this it cannot do while we murmur and 
 complain. It is sent to stop this working of self- 
 will. The flesh is impatient, and frets; the Spirit 
 stops its rebellion, and says — Not my will. Lord, 
 but thine be done. Amen ! May this be the end 
 of all your trials ! May you come out of them like 
 gold out of the fire ! 
 
 I hear you have a present exercise; namely, your 
 young and beloved Isaac to be parted from you. 
 There is grace sufiicient even for this. You do not 
 love your son more than I did mine. It cannot cross 
 your will more than it did mine: but my son went 
 into the army, and I do not repent ; it was his choice. 
 He has been kept, as far as I know, from army sins : 
 and the same good God may also keep your son. 
 Trust him in his loving and careful guidance; and 
 the Lord will do what is best both for him and for 
 you. 
 
152 
 
 Your one business is to trust your all in 
 
 the hands of Christ ; having received him, then to 
 live upon him. Remember, he is to answer every 
 purpose, body and soul; you and yours; earth and 
 heaven. You are not living up to your privilege, if 
 there be any person or thing that you keep back 
 from Christ, and do not leave to his absolute man- 
 agement. The command runs — " Trust in him at 
 all times, ye people." Pray him to make you will- 
 ing to part with your son, as he did Abraham. 
 Pray him to give you more faith to trust him in the 
 Lord's hand : and then follow him with your daily 
 prayers that the good Lord may keep him from all 
 evil. When you have done this, the rest must be 
 left. The Lord will do what seemeth him good : 
 yea, he will enable you to say, Come what may, all 
 is well. 
 
 In a bond never to be broken, I am yours in 
 Christ. My blessing on your dear son, and prayers 
 for him ! W. R. 
 
LETTERS 
 
 TO 
 
 ONE OF HIS SISTERS. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 My dear Sister, — I always loved you as my sister, 
 now I love you much more than ever. I trust in 
 God you will soon stand related to me, by a more 
 close and dearer bond than nature can tie. Only 
 go on, and you will be happy. God has begun his 
 work, let him finish it. All my prayers shall be 
 offered for your speedy experience of his pardoning 
 love ; and, until you taste of it, let me entreat you to 
 be earnest in the careful use of all the means of 
 grace : be much in prayer, in reading, and medita- 
 ting on the word of God ; but then take care that 
 you build not on these duties. You are not to fancy, 
 that any thing you can do, is able to justify you in 
 the sight of God. Your justification is a free act 
 of God's grace without works. W. R. 
 
 LETTER IL 
 
 My dear Sister, — I saw Mr. R. last Sunday, 
 who gave me a very pleasing account of your growth 
 g3 
 
154 
 
 in grace. It was said formerly, that the distinguish- 
 ing love of God chose two of a city, and one of a 
 faraily ; but now what reason have we to magnify and 
 exalt the love of our God, who has been so exceed- 
 ingly gracious to our family ? I trust, he has greater 
 blessings for us all, even in this life, than we have 
 yet received. Only do you wait upon him, and be 
 found in those ways wherein he meets his people, 
 and he will carry you on safely and sweetly to the 
 end of your journey : it is but a little way, and a short 
 time, and we shall be at home; so that we ought every 
 moment to be pressing forward ; and may God keep 
 you from being weary or faint in your mind ! You 
 have afflictions and troubles in the way, and so have 
 all God's children. You have them, because you 
 want them. You could not grow in grace without 
 them. How could you take up your cross, and deny 
 yourself daily, if you had not daily troubles ? And 
 it is the exercise of faith to bear them, and to beheve 
 that God deals them out by number, weight and 
 measure. You have not one pain more than you 
 stand in need of. And farther, " our light afflic- 
 tion, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a 
 far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 
 If we do but attain to this glory, it signifies very 
 little by what way we come to the attainment of it. 
 Think on these things, and, through the blessing of 
 God, they may help to make you see and feel, that 
 the way of suffering is the royal way to the kingdom. 
 
 My tenderest duty waits upon my dear mother. 
 I hope God will finish his work in her, before she 
 goes hence. I trust we shall meet once more in 
 this world ; and I doubt not but we shall meet, where 
 
155 
 
 we shall part no more. I send enclosed, a little piece 
 of Mr. Mason's. 1 hope God will bless it at this 
 time, as it comes seasonably, and particularly to my 
 sister M. who will, I expect, be able to read it with 
 profit, about the time it reaches you. 
 
 Why do you want so much to have texts and 
 pieces of sermons ! Have you not the Bible ? One 
 word of it is worth a volume. Read and pray much; 
 and God will do more for you than all his minis- 
 ters can. 
 
 I commend you to God, and to the riches of his 
 grace, praying him to do for you all exceeding abun- 
 dantly above all that you can ask or think. I remain, 
 your loving brother, W. R. 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 My dear Sister, — I have been very poorly a long 
 time, but thank God, I find sickness better for me 
 than health ; and I am sure, when the Lord sees 
 best, I shall be restored to my former state. The 
 main thing is to be secure of our eternal health ; of 
 that I have no doubt. Blessed be God for his un- 
 speakable gift. I believe not one tittle of the word 
 can be broken, but that to the uttermost it shall be 
 fulfilled even to me. This gives a relish to every 
 thing God sends; because, whatever comes from him, 
 comes always sanctified, and generally sweetened. 
 What the enemy attempts against our peace, God 
 over-rules to the establishing of it; and his tempta- 
 tions against our graces are made to strengthen 
 them. This is my experience ; I hope it is yours. 
 
156 
 
 Rejoice in having an Almighty friend. Be com- 
 forted in him. What signifies all that Satan or the 
 world, or our own hearts, can do against his power ? 
 We are his. That is enough. He will keep us. 
 He will strengthen us. He will justify us. He 
 will sanctify and glorify us. Yea, he will do this 
 for such as we are. Oh let us then fear nothing 
 but displeasing him ; and while this holy fear is in 
 our hearts, we shall go on safely and sweetly home- 
 wards. There may we meet, even in our Father's 
 kingdom, and inherit all that Jesus purchased for 
 us ! 
 
 My best respects, and duty, and prayers, attend 
 my dear mother. I have not the least uneasy thought 
 about her. She has God's promise. This she shall 
 find. The Lord keep you and all friends. W. R. 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Dear Sister, — Your letter gave me greater joy 
 than I can express. I hope all will soon be well 
 with your soul. You may examine yourself by these 
 following rules, and I hope God will give his bless- 
 ing to them. 
 
 First, Look back and see from whence your con- 
 viction of sin arose. The scripture says, true con- 
 viction must come from the holy Spirit; and when 
 he is come, says Christ, he will convince the world 
 of sin. It is his business, and his office ; and 
 when he acts in it, conviction has these properties 
 difierent from the conviction of natural conscience. 
 It respects not so much acts of sin, as the sin of our 
 
157 
 
 nature ; that entire pollution, and depravity of the 
 faculties of soul and body, which render us by nature 
 children of wrath. Again, it is deep; it goes to the 
 bottom of the heart, and lays open all the lurking 
 places of sin. Farther, it is lasting, it continues its 
 hatred and opposition to all sin, until it be not only 
 seen in the heart, but also driven out of it. 
 
 Secondly, If, after examining your conviction by 
 these rules, you find it right, and peace and joy be- 
 gin to arise in your conscience; if it be the peace 
 and joy of the holy Spirit, it will make you continue 
 to hate sin, and every thing sinful. It will leave 
 you more in love with God than it found you. You 
 will love prayer more, and will have a freedom and 
 liberty in it, which you had not before. You will 
 love God's word more, and will understand more of 
 it, being enabled, by his grace, to find instruction in 
 it, suitable to all your spiritual wants. My meaning 
 in all this is, if the convictions have brought you to 
 Jesus Christ, you will know it by its fruits. You 
 will find yourself grow in grace, and more in earnest 
 about the salvation of your soul. 
 
 Thirdly, Examine your growth in grace by this 
 rule. We remember the sin which did so easily 
 beset us; look at that; see whether you hate it en- 
 tirely, and whether you have entirely got the mas- 
 tery over it. God has promised that you shall have 
 grace to help in time of need. Apply to God for 
 the fulfilling of this promise; and be more concerned 
 about this grace, which you always want in time of 
 need, than about sensible comforts ; because, in the 
 one you may be deceived, but in the other you can- 
 not. My dear sister, you have chosen the better 
 
158 
 
 part. The kingdom of heaven is worth milHons of 
 worlds. May God enable you to seek, until you 
 attain it. My prayers attend you. — Remember me 
 to my sister. — My duty to my dear mother. Adieu. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Grace be with you, my dear sister, and with my 
 dearest mother; thanks for your kind letter. I am 
 glad to observe the spirit of it. While Christ is 
 dear and precious, all will be well. Lay him as the 
 foundation, and build all upon him ; then foundation 
 and building will never, never fall. O my dear 
 sister, you cannot make too much of him. Faith, 
 resting on him, finds a free, full eternal pardon for 
 all sin; and faith living upon him, finds power over 
 sin, deliverance from temptations and enemies ; and 
 by and by, sin shall be no more, but only heaven 
 and glory, the purchase of the Saviour's blood. The 
 believers motto is, " Christ all, I nothing." For 
 he cannot live upon Christ, unless he feel his want 
 of him. More wants, more faith. As they increase, 
 so must faith, that the believer may get a supply, 
 and the Saviour may get the glory. May that pre- 
 cious Saviour, eternally, infinitely precious, be your 
 keeper! May you love him more than I do; live 
 more upon him than I ! May my dear mother get 
 established in him ! Jesus keep you ! Jesus bless 
 you ! My dear sister, yours in him, W. R. 
 
159 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 My dear Sister, — You tell me good news in- 
 deed ; which makes my heart glad and thankful. O 
 what reason have I to bless the good and gracious 
 Lord, who is still infinitely loving to me and mine ! 
 He hath brought me once more to St. Dunstan's, and 
 through many miracles of mercy which I have expe- 
 rienced both in my body and soul for these last six 
 months. Now I can sit down, and, looking back, 
 adore and bless his rich grace ; in all things, and for 
 all things, I can give him thanks. Nothing have I 
 to mention all the day long, but mercy upon mercy; 
 great measure, pressed down, and running over. 
 Every moment brings some increase of mercies to 
 body, or soul, or children, or friends, or substance; 
 and leads me to magnify the goodness of my dearest 
 Lord. He hath showed himself, by numberless acts 
 of grace, so entirely my friend, that he has enabled 
 me to trust all my mercies in his hands. He knows 
 what is best for me; and I am sure he will give it 
 me. Thus he is glorified, and I am happy. You 
 have heard of my being a candidate for a church 
 in the city. My friends put me up; and I am as if 
 I were not a candidate, for I have scarce a thought 
 about it. One wish I am sure I have not, but that 
 Christ's will may be done. Would he employ me 
 in a larger field than I have at present, " here am I, 
 Lord, send me." If he would have me to stay, and 
 work where I am, I am content. Be thou, Lord, 
 but with me, then I shall be and do what thou pleas- 
 
160 
 
 est. Thus have I cast all ray care for this and all 
 other things upon the Lord, knowing that he careth 
 for me. You will suppose then that I am happy ; 
 and so I am, very, very happy. I have got the pearl ; 
 let them take the field that will. For one end and 
 purpose only do I now live. I see in this pearl of 
 great price, the infinitely rich Jesus, far more wis- 
 dom, righteousness, holiness, strength, and blessed- 
 ness, than I have yet attained ; and I hunger and 
 thirst for more, still more. I know it is all mine ; 
 and therefore I keep pressing forward. In what 
 method and on what motives I do this, I will tell 
 you : — 
 
 1. As to myself — I find that to this moment I 
 never go to Christ for any thing until I feel the want 
 of it; so that the more wants I have, the more I 
 make use of him : for which reason I am not afraid 
 to discover what is in myself, be it what it will, be- 
 cause it does not drive me from Christ, but leads me 
 to him. By this means self is kept down, and Christ 
 is exalted. For, 
 
 2. As to Christ — I grow in the knowledge of him, 
 by finding every day more, that without him I can do 
 nothing. Hereby my faith is increased, and I live 
 in a more settled dependence upon him. My hopes 
 are enlarged, and laid up with him within the vail, 
 which is the death of worldly hopes and fears: and 
 my love to him abounds from daily experience of his 
 rich love to my soul, which crucifies and kills the 
 creature love. 
 
 For these two things I am pressing forward, de- 
 siring to be more emptied of self, and to live more 
 out of self, that I may be filled more with Christ, 
 
161 
 
 and live more upon his fulness : and this I am sure 
 is the way to be holy and happy. Now, at Christ- 
 mas, I would wish to feel in myself what a lost and 
 eternally miserable creature I should have been with- 
 out Christ. Here lies the ground of dependence on 
 him, and thankfulness to him. Tliat believer will 
 spend the best Christmas, who is most experimentally 
 acquainted with his own ruined nature, and thereby 
 knows what a mercy it is that God should take our 
 nature, to save us from all the sins and miseries of it ; 
 and, being thus saved, what will he be doing all the 
 Christmas, but praising and blessing that dear Jesus, 
 to whom he is infinitely, and will be eternally in- 
 debted ? May nothing but praise come from your 
 lips, and mine, and my dear mother's. May she 
 know that Jesus was born for her, and be glad now 
 in his salvation. — I am yours in everlasting bonds, 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER Vll. 
 
 Lambeth, Sept. 29, 1761. 
 My dear sister must not accuse me of neglect. I 
 have been about my Master's business, preaching at 
 Bradford, at Powsey, &c. ; and being now returned 
 to London to preach three times to-morrow, I could 
 not help giving you an account of my matters, and of 
 my dear Jesus' great goodness to me. He has tra- 
 velled with me, and been with me of a truth. O 
 what have I experienced of his love since I left you ! 
 He has not only let me taste that he is precious, but 
 he has made me also live upon his grace. He lets 
 
162 
 
 me have nothing but love, free, rich love ; and my 
 very physic is given by and tastes of his love, and al- 
 ways works greater love in me to hira : so that Jesus 
 is become exceeding dear to me. His cross endears 
 him, as well as his crown. Indeed, his cross is full 
 of diamonds within, as his daughter (that is, every 
 true believer) is all glorious within. But why do I 
 speak thus to you ? Is not that precious Emmanuel 
 lovely in your eyes ? Yes, I know he is ; and I speak 
 of him to you, to encourage you still to go on, ex- 
 pecting to receive every day of his fulness more than 
 you received yesterday. Do not stop, do not think 
 you have attained all he has to give ; but keep pressing 
 on : still there is more wisdom, you know but in part ; 
 still more growth in knowledge of Christ's righteous- 
 ness — it is infinite and everlasting ; still more holi- 
 ness in Jesus' fulness than any one living has yet re- 
 ceived, because not one on earth loves as they do in 
 heaven ; still more strength, because every day is to 
 bring us more sensible of our weakness, that we may 
 be strengthened more by him, and that his strength 
 may be perfected in our weakness. The Lord give 
 you his mind and Spirit, that you may be growing up 
 into him in all things. You have great reason to 
 bless the Lord Christ for his goodness to you in the 
 north ; but he has a dear people, and a numerous one 
 too, in the west, and growing. It will be a vast mul- 
 titude when they all get together; and that puts me 
 in mind of my dear mother, who, I am sure, will not 
 be wanting when the Lord counteth his jewels. — I 
 am, for his sake, yours most aflfectionately, W. R. 
 
163 
 
 LETTER VIIL 
 
 Lambeth, Nov. 6, 1765. 
 
 My dear Sister, whom I love in the Lord, peace 
 be with you. Although I have nothing particular 
 to communicate, yet I could not help writing on the 
 old subject, which will never be exhausted. 
 
 While there are angels to sing, and saints to shout 
 aloud for joy, they will be telling of the love of Jesus 
 to all ages. How great is his goodness ! how great 
 is his beauty ! Matchless both, as I can witness for 
 one. I am loaded with his benefits. If I should 
 begin to number them, they are more than I am able 
 to express. To my body, my substance, my children, 
 ray soul, all, all is mercy ; and mercy too that endureth 
 for ever. May the God of all mercy secure to him- 
 self, from me, all the glory that is his due. You ask 
 about Blackfriars ; the cause stands still : it was to 
 have been heard the first day of this term, but the 
 lawyers were not ready. They begged for more 
 time, and my Lord Chancellor granted it to them. 
 When it will come on now I cannot tell. But I can 
 tell much of Jesus' goodness to me. He does not 
 let all this waiting time be lost. He is teaching me 
 to make up all my happiness in himself, and is kindly 
 cutting ofi" one and another view of rest short of him, 
 who is our only rest. And because I am a very dull 
 scholar, and the Master is meek and lowly, he there- 
 fore bears with me, and takes a great deal of pains 
 to instruct me in my lesson. I think this is one 
 great end and aim in all his dealings with his dear 
 
164 
 
 people. He would have them to trust him, to live 
 on hira, and to love him always. But how can he do 
 this so effectually, as by bringing them olF from trust- 
 ing to, living on, and loving other things ? He would 
 take these out of the heart, in order to make room 
 for himself. He is a jealous God. He will not 
 sit on the same throne with idols. If there be one 
 still in the heart, it must come down. 
 
 The more we cleave to it, he will put forth the 
 more of his strength to divorce us from it. While 
 he is in much mercy doing this, the foolish heart 
 thinks Christ is hurting it, and intending it evil, 
 when he means nothing but good, and is taking the 
 best means to bestow good. He is removing the 
 shadow, to make way for the substance. He is 
 deadening the soul to sensual enjoyments, that it 
 may be thereby more alive to God, and fitter for 
 closer communion with him. Graciously is he teach- 
 ing me these blessed lessons. What he takes from 
 me, I gain most by. For I am an immense, yea, 
 an eternal gainer, when he fills up with himself the 
 want of that which he takes away. Whatever brings 
 me this blessing, I can welcome it. Welcome the 
 loss of Blackfriars. Welcome every cross which 
 brings me nearer to my Jesus, and makes me live in 
 stricter fellowship with him ; and then I can say, 
 and feel it too, farewell fine world, farewell all thy 
 fine things, farewell for ever ! when they would keep 
 me one moment from the enjoyment of my greatest 
 good, and from the love of my best and eternal friend, 
 my Jesus. I have not one uneasy thought about 
 my mother. I have seen the Lord's love to her, 
 and I know he changeth not ; what he hath begun 
 
165 
 
 he will carry on. I can only pray she may be as 
 much satisfied in her own heart as I am about her. 
 Sweet Jesus bless you in body, and soul, and sub- 
 stance. Give me an interest in your prayers, who 
 am your most affectionate brother, W. R. 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 Brighthelmstone, Oct. 8, 1765. 
 My dear Sister, — I have been waiting for an 
 opportunity to write unto you, and it is now come. 
 You love to hear, and I love to write, about our 
 common friend, that matchless loving lovely Jesus, a 
 subject one is never tired of ; the more we dwell on 
 it, the sweeter it grows ; the longer we enjoy its 
 sweetness, the more of heaven will come down to us, 
 till we get up into heaven itself. To see Jesus in 
 heaven, and to enjoy him is the blpss of heaven. 
 Thanks be to him, he is the joy of your heart and 
 mine. Although we do know him, and rejoice in 
 him, yet we know but little of what is to be known; 
 for he is an infinite subject, and we can but know 
 him in part — but let us press on to know more. 
 And, as we grow more humble and teachable, he will 
 show us more of the excellency of his knowledge. 
 Pray earnestly for more deep heart-humility. Mind 
 ^what he hideth from the worldly wise, he revealeth 
 unto babes, unto them who are childlike, and sim- 
 ple. The Lord make us more so daily, that we may 
 know him aright ; and then we shall always see our 
 salvation from sin, and hell, and our title to heaven 
 and glory, in him. We cannot know him truly 
 
166 
 
 without believing in him. When we understand his 
 power, God-man — his errand into the world, to save 
 sinners, his Almighty arm, and the love of his bleed- 
 ing heart to save them ; and what an innumerable 
 company he has plucked out of hell's mouth, and 
 raised up to his heaven ; the more we know of these 
 things, the more we can trust him. He says to all 
 sinners, " Come to me, and I will save you." O 
 what grace is in these lips — that you and I have 
 heard his voice, and have come, and are saved. We 
 do believe, Lord, increase our faith ! let us pray 
 much for it ; because, as our faith in him increases, 
 so will our love to him. I cannot believe he has 
 finished salvation's work for me, and daily experience 
 miracles of his love, without loving him in return ; 
 and as his miracles increase, I would love him more 
 and more. O for more love to this best and dearest 
 of friends ! I am sure your heart says, Amen. Now 
 the way to have his love both growing and increas- 
 ing, so as to abound in us, is to be continually mak- 
 ing use of him. He has all good in him ; and he 
 has it for you and me. He has the fulness in him 
 of a fountain, to communicate of it. Of this fulness 
 he would have us to make free ; he invites us, com- 
 mands us, to come with strong faith, and much love, 
 that, by receiving from him great grace, he may get 
 much glory from us, while we get much happiness 
 from him. — His generous offer is, " Come with 
 boldness — all I have is for you." Faith replies, 
 " Lo ! I come, sweet Jesus, at thy bidding, every 
 moment, for every thing, for grace and glory : I am 
 content to receive all at thy hands, and to be indebted 
 to thee for all, and that for ever and ever." — While 
 
167 
 
 you live thus, my dear sister, in constant fellowship 
 with your Saviour, he will give you continual reason 
 to love him, and to bless him. He will so treat you, 
 so comfort you, so strengthen you, will make you in 
 him, so holy and so happy, that every day he will 
 enable you to trust him more, and to love him better. 
 Thus you will come to enjoy more of him, you will 
 delight more in his company, you will get greater 
 intimacy with him, and will walk in close communion 
 with him, which is heaven upon earth. This grow- 
 ing fellowship with him will increase the joys of your 
 present salvation. So that, when doubt of his love, 
 sense of indwelling sin, earth or hell, would tempt 
 you from Jesus, he will speak in his word, and will 
 speak to your heart, by his Spirit — " I am thine, 
 fear not. I will guide thee with my counsel, and, 
 after that, will receive thee into glory." You will 
 believe steadfastly what he says, and will thereby 
 resist and overcome the temptation. He will keep 
 you; and you shall hold out unto the end, and shall 
 know it too, and praise him for persevering grace. 
 He will bless you in death; and the happiest time 
 you ever knew will be, when he lays your body in a 
 sweet sleep, and your spirit, with open face, shall 
 see Jesus in the highest glory. To be with him for 
 ever is the highest bliss. To this, I trust, he will 
 bring you and me, that we may praise the riches of 
 his grace, and get more in his debt for ever and ever. 
 He is now teaching us this heavenly employment. — 
 You can, and I can, take the crown of all our graces, 
 and throw it at his feet. — Soon, very soon, we shall 
 do the same with the crown of glory. O what a 
 thought is that ! — The good Lord is preparing my 
 
168 
 
 mother to do the same. I heartily pray for her 
 establishment in the faith, and am, with my wife's 
 duty and love, your faithful friend, and affectionate 
 brother, in our precious, most precious, eternally 
 precious, Jesus, W. R. 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Lamheth, March 3, 1764. 
 
 Grace and peace be with my dear sister, and 
 with my mother. I thank you for your note by the 
 penny post. Our God is good: Oh, he is good in- 
 deed to us. Not a family perhaps in England so 
 blessed of the Lord as we are. Why us, why us ! 
 Grace, grace has done it. Grace, grace must have 
 the praise for ever. The time is at hand. The 
 Lord hath spoken, " They that wait upon me shall 
 never be ashamed." My mother is waiting. She 
 trusts the Lord, but has not the comfort of beheving. 
 She shall not be ashamed. God will appear for her, 
 and she shall rejoice in his salvation. I believe it, 
 as much as if I now heard her in the triumph of 
 faith. My little book is almost printed off. Please 
 to send me word how to send them, and what num- 
 ber. My dear sister pray for it. Let it be a book 
 of many prayers. Beg it may be a means of in- 
 creasing faith in the hearts of all that shall read it. 
 
 I have got more preferment, God be thanked I 
 am turned out of my little chapel. Rejoice with me, 
 that I am counted worthy to suffer shame for his 
 dear, dear, dearest of all names, Jesus. I do love 
 him more for this mark of his love. 'Tis worth 
 
169 
 
 rnore than a thousand a-year. I find to lose for 
 Christ is vast gain. Who would not part with far- 
 things for guineas ? Oh I cannot tell you, words fail, 
 how he has made up this loss to me, and how he has 
 won my very heart by it, and endeared himself be- 
 yond measure to me. Let me entreat you to press 
 on. Look at nothing but the way of duty. Go on 
 in that, and there, by faith, all things will work to- 
 gether for your good. Believe me, it is so. I find 
 he makes all things, what the flesh hates most, do 
 good. Fear nothing then but sin. And let the 
 world rail, persecute, it matters not. You are safe 
 in Jesus' love, and happy. I am rich. My heart 
 too is open. I desire nobody may want, while my 
 purse is full. My wife is well, and the children. 
 We join in duty to my dear mother, and in love to 
 yourself. I am, in the closest bonds of brotherly 
 love, yours, for that dear Lamb's sake, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XL 
 
 1765. 
 
 My dear Sister, — Having two or three minutes 
 to spare, I could not avoid informing you of the 
 Lord's great goodness to me and mine. Indeed, it 
 is marvellous. How many blessings have I which 
 numbers want? And how many have I, in not de- 
 siring what I do want? Whichever way I turn 
 myself, blessings meet me, and yet I know not why 
 I am so highly favoured, unless it be that God may 
 be highly honoured. For none can be more un- 
 worthy, and, therefore, from none can grace get so 
 H 54 
 
170 
 
 much glory. My election is not ended about Black- 
 friars. Law goes on. But I am quite out of it. 
 My mind is at peace. Thanks be to the dear, ever 
 dear Jesus. It is my one desire to please him ; but 
 how or where is not my business. He must look to 
 that. All his flock is infinitely precious; and none 
 of them shall perish for lack of knowledge. If he 
 want me to feed his sheep at Blackfriars, I shall go. 
 If he does not, I trust I shall not go from him. 
 Forbid it. Lord ! And if his presence does but go 
 with me wherever I am, then I shall be there doing 
 his will. So be it, sweet Jesus ! 
 
 Your last account of my mother was very reviving 
 to me. I hope I shall see her once more on this 
 earth, (I have no doubt of seeing her in heaven,) 
 and rejoice with her in the goodness of the Lord to 
 her soul. When it will be I cannot tell, on account 
 of this law-suit. But, God willing, nothing shall 
 hinder my calling upon you sometime this summer. 
 Yours, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 My dear Sister, — I thank you for your kind 
 letter, and for your care of the enclosed. It was the 
 last sheet of my sermons. I used to think I should 
 never live to finish them; and yet God has length- 
 ened my life, and this part of my work is done. 
 These are some of my last thoughts, what I now 
 think about religion. The thoughts which support 
 me in the near views of death and judgment. I am 
 wholly now for magnifying the grace and love of our 
 
171 
 
 dear Redeemer. He deserves more of me than I 
 shall pay him to eternity ; and therefore I would de- 
 sire with Paul to know nothing but Jesus Christ, 
 and him crucified. To know him as crucified for 
 me, and to feel the power and efficacy of his oblation 
 on the cross, crucifying sin in me. To know this, 
 is enough. Nothing more need be known. All 
 besides is vanity, and will be vexation of spirit. Be- 
 lieve me, my dear sister, I have tried all that you can 
 try out of him ; and it is now grief to my heart. I 
 not only renounce it, but also renounce it with sor- 
 row, and that I should set up any thing against my 
 precious Saviour, and leave him to seek for any else- 
 where. He is all in all. What would ye more ? 
 For " it pleased the Father, that in him should ail 
 fulness dwell." May you and I dwell where all 
 fulness is ! I would have wrote sooner, but Mr. 
 Grimshaw promised to send you a letter as soon as 
 possible he could after we parted. Blessed be God, 
 I bore my journey well. Nothing happened of what 
 Mr. G. told, till I got home. I found my family 
 well. As to myself, I am neither well nor ill : but 
 it is best to be as God would have us to be. His 
 will be done ! I hope my dear mother will soon re- 
 ceive him whom her soul longeth after, I do not 
 cloubt it. He has promised, and he cannot break 
 lis word. " He fiUeth the hungry with good 
 hings." My love to my sisters. I will send you 
 (ome sermons soon. Pray for your brother in the 
 itrongest bonds, W. R. 
 
 H 2 
 
172 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 Lambeth, April 23. 
 Grace and peace be to ray dear sister, from that 
 ever, ever blessed Jesus. Glory be to him. What 
 wonders is he now doing in the earth ! What mira- 
 cles of love ! Can there be greater than that you 
 and I, such poor sinners, should have daily reason to 
 praise and to bless him, and that we should have so 
 many reasons to believe he will let us praise and bless 
 liim to all eternity ? O sister, is not this aston- 
 ishing goodness? In sin dead, and liable to the 
 second death, from hence he has raised us to a state 
 of grace, and ere long will raise us to a state of 
 glory. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is 
 within me bless his holy name. 
 
 He that is so infinitely kind to private persons, is 
 the very same to his church ; for that is only a con- 
 gregation of private persons. What seems to hurt 
 some of them is for the good of all. For the govern- 
 ment of ail is upon his shoulders, and he looks to the 
 least, as well as to the greatest of his matters. Not 
 a hair falls, and much less a minister, without his 
 appointment. I dare not therefore think one hard 
 thought of his taking dear Mr. Grimshaw to him- 
 self. His work was done. The Lord took him to 
 rest ; and, as to his people, they will be well looked 
 after. Their Shepherd will see to it, that they lack 
 nothing. " But where, say you, shall they go now, 
 to find green pastures, and the waters of comfort?" 
 Why, let them go to the great Shepherd and Bishop 
 
173 
 
 of souls. Himself will feed them, as Psalm xxiii. 
 " But lie does it by means;" that is true; and is not 
 he the Lord of means? Cannot he find out means, 
 when we are at a loss, if we look up with faith to 
 him? I verily believe that Mr. Grimshaw's death 
 will be as useful as his life ; and the work is not yet 
 come to its height in Yorkshire. No, it will spread 
 farther, and deeper still ; ministers' removals, yea, 
 the most useful of us, shall tend to spread it. For 
 all things work together, under God, for his glory 
 and his people's good. 
 
 The more I think and preach about the infinitely 
 rich Jesus, and his love, the greater still does he ap- 
 pear. My heart grows warmer to him. His cause 
 grows more amiable ; and nothing gives me pain, but 
 that I do so little for him, and speak so poorly of 
 him, and that this lazy body is so soon tired in his 
 work. But I would do better, and shall too, by 
 and by. Aye, that is my comfort. I shall not 
 always live at this poor rate. When I see him, I 
 shall be like him. Farewell then to sin and sorrow. 
 Temptations farewell. Corruption is no more. O 
 blessed time ! Lord Jesus Christ fit you and me for 
 the sight and enjoyment of himself! W. R. 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 Grace and peace be to my dear sister. — I can 
 thank the God of all grace for what he has already 
 done for my mother; and I have no doubt but that 
 be, who has begun the good work, will perfect it in 
 her. She shall have peace : not because I say so. 
 
174 
 
 but God. He has promised it to her. She is 
 seeking ; she shall find. Trusting to his word, 
 which cannot be broken, I am as easy about her as if 
 I saw her in heaven. Which of us shall be there first, 
 I know not; but I am waiting, not knowing when 
 my Lord will come. On him I rest to carry me 
 through life, through death ; believing that, when he 
 calls me hence, I shall see him face to face, to my 
 eternal joy. And in his presence I shall find my 
 dear mother, and you; yes, you, my sister. Only 
 hold fast the faith, and soon you will win the crown. 
 The devil has a vast spite against you. He begins 
 to despair of drawing you from Christ, and then his 
 malice puts him upon plaguing you. He will make 
 your way as troublesome as he can. One of his 
 grand engines against believers is error. If he can 
 get the judgment wrong, he hopes thereby to pre- 
 judice the will, and so gain upon the heart. Thus 
 he has always been undermining the church. O 
 beware of this temptation. He commonly introduces 
 it thus : " You are in Christ, and you are a be- 
 liever; but you want light in such a doctrine." He 
 allows the doctrine, but draws a false inference from 
 it, under a pretence of illustrating the doctrine. 
 Would you, ray dear sister, not be ignorant of his 
 devices ! pray to be humble. Much humility is 
 better than much knowledge. Many knowing per- 
 sons have been lost; but none truly humble. The 
 Lord Jesus keep you, and make you, in him, com- 
 plete and happy. I have not forgot the Catechism, 
 but I have not settled since I left you. I am at 
 Brighthelmstone, in Sussex, and shall not be gone 
 till November. The Lord has been wonderfully 
 
175 
 
 with us here, and many souls are awakened. Some 
 walking rejoicing in the Lord, and vast congregations. 
 I am, with great truth, your loving brother, 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 My dear Sister, — To whom I wish an increase 
 of grace. I could delay no longer to thank you for 
 your kind present, which came safe, and for your 
 kinder letter. Your good wishes and prayers are 
 the best present. Let me still share in them. I 
 never wanted them more. My affair at Blackfriars 
 is not settled ; and I have strong applications to go 
 to America, to a church in the city of Philadelphia. 
 The Lord must determine. I would not have one 
 wish against his will. Being bought with an in- 
 finite price, all I have and am should be at his ser- 
 vice. He has a clear right to all : " Take it. Lord. 
 Let it be thine for ever." But I shall not be in any 
 hurry. Waiting is good — on the Lord. I will 
 tarry his leisure, and look at his providences. My 
 friends, in general, are for my staying in London ; 
 and so am I in my own mind. But 1 dare not 
 choose, till my choice is made plain to me. Per- 
 haps the Lord may fix me at Blackfriars ; and then 
 the matter will be ended at once. 
 
 My hearty prayers are for my dear mother, that 
 this year may be the happiest she ever saw. May 
 she find Christ in it. He has sought her out, and 
 found her; but she has not, in comfortable enjoy- 
 ment, found him. That I wish and pray for, not 
 
176 
 
 doubting of the event ; because I have his word that 
 I shall succeed. " Seek, and ye shall find," says he. 
 His word is infallible. May she soon experience it 
 in the joy of his salvation ! W. R. 
 
 LETTER XVI. 
 
 Lamheth, Jan. 7, 1766. 
 
 My dear Sister, — Although I ana greatly hurried, 
 yet I could not help informing you, that this day my 
 cause about Blackfriars was finally determined, and 
 in my favour. I have retired and been alone this 
 afternoon to abase myself. This is to me an amaz- 
 ing event. That such a one should be made a pas- 
 tor; one that is plagued to death with his own heart, 
 to make him a watchman over others! What is the 
 Lord doing ? With the most utter abhorrence of 
 myself, and of my being unfit to be minister of a 
 great parish, in the midst of this great city — I have 
 been forced to leave it to the Lord. 
 
 I have heard, in my heart, a voice say, " Whom 
 shall I send ?" And I have been compelled to say, 
 " Here I am, send me." Trusting then, sweet Je- 
 sus, to thy grace and power, depending upon thine 
 arm and blessing, out I go, not only unfit, but also 
 averse to the work. It is thine, Lord, " to work in 
 me both to will and to do." 
 
 I believe you love me; indeed, I do not doubt of 
 it; and therefore I give you this notice, to pray your 
 Master and my Master, to fit me for this new work. 
 He knows my heart, I never had one desire for this 
 new work, but that I might have more room to glo- 
 
177 
 
 rify my Jesus. I would not look at any thing but 
 at his glory, and at my humility. Will you entreat 
 him, then, thus to set forth his praise ? Beg of him 
 to help me to exalt him, and to keep me down. 
 Your affectionate brother, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 My dear Sister, — I have longed for a little time 
 to write you a few lines, to thank you for your last 
 letter, and for your kind remembrance of me at our 
 court. Pray continue me that favour. And, when 
 the King smiles upon you, and you have freedom to 
 approach, and have access with confidence into his 
 royal presence, then make request for your brother. 
 He knows, for he sent me upon, my present work. 
 I find myself as unfit for it as a dog that cannot 
 bark, and therefore for grace, for gifts, for success, I 
 am forced to depend upon him. Most gladly would 
 I live as a minister, in the same way that I live as a 
 Christian, " by the faith of the Son of God," trust- 
 ing in him to do all for me. There is my own 
 safety. As a sinner, I have no confidence in any 
 thing, but the finished salvation, the blood and right- 
 eousness of the Lamb of God. This being a sure 
 foundation for a sinner to rest upon, and having ray- 
 self found how sure it is, I can therefore write freely, 
 and mightily encourage all that hear, be they who 
 they will, to venture upon this foundation, which 
 God hath laid ; leaving the success (but O that it 
 may be abundant I) to him from whom alone it 
 cometh. 
 
 H 3 
 
178 
 
 Being safely built upon this foundation, I find 
 continual matter of rejoicing. Whichever way I 
 look, comfort presents itself. To be saved from what 
 I was once, brought to what I am now, the God of 
 all consolation become my God, his Son my Saviour, 
 his Spirit my leader to heaven, his promises mine ; 
 all, all mine, now enjoyed by faith ; for ever, in full 
 possession ! What divine comforts are these ! 
 With these I would encourage the miserable to come 
 to Jesus ; that, having trusted themselves with him, 
 he might have the glory of making them happy. O 
 that I may prevail ! Say, I want for " this, grace 
 every moment." 1 call, and he in whom all fulness 
 dwells, says to me, " I will water thee every mo- 
 ment." I believe it — I experience it. Grace has 
 made me willing to live out of myself — upon the ful- 
 ness of Jesus. In him I have what I want ; yea, 
 from him I gain by my wants. I grow richer by 
 my poverty, and happier by my misery. Whatever 
 it be that brings me to live more upon his grace, is 
 the means of my getting more grace, and thereby 
 proves to me a real blessing. As 1 have freely re- 
 ceived this grace, so I freely make the publication of 
 it with all its benefits. I can tell my people, and 
 boldly, that we are saved by grace, kept by grace, 
 comforted by grace, sanctified by grace : and, al- 
 though this be the doctrine against which the wicked 
 one, the wicked world, and above all, the self-right- 
 eous world, fight, with all their might ; yet I am 
 not discouraged, because Jesus is my strength. On 
 him I depend for counsel to set about the work, for 
 success in it, for a blessing upon it. If opposition 
 arise, and it cannot but be that he who is born after 
 
179 
 
 the flesh, should persecute him that is born of the 
 Spirit ; to my almighty King I fly, and on his pro- 
 mised help I trust. Oppose what will, Jesus is on 
 the throne. AH power in heaven and earth is his. 
 By faith, strong in the Lord, and in the power of 
 his might, I have seen the most formidable opposi- 
 tion fall before me. Therefore, let us go on, walk- 
 ing straight forward to Jesus, whatever may stand to 
 stop us in the way. If war arise, hot, fierce, and 
 long battles ; many enemies, mighty and strong, all 
 the hosts of earth and hell ; then Jesus is my vic- 
 tory. He arras me for the battle, with the whole 
 armour of God ; clad in which, he teacheth my hands 
 to war, and my fingers to fight ; strengthens the 
 heart to hold out in long battles ; discovers plots and 
 wiles of subtle foes; gives courage to meet the roar- 
 ing lion ; brings the soldier off conqueror day by day, 
 and more than conqueror at last, his enemies all eter- 
 nally vanquished ; he then sits down upon a throne 
 crowned with everlasting glory and honour. It is 
 blessed, fighting through Jesus our captain : O 
 what will it be to reign with Jesus our King ! Hea- 
 ven it is upon earth to enjoy him ; and there is hea- 
 ven in every thing which brings me to more enjoy- 
 ment of him. This the apostle had in his eye, and 
 he had a great deal of it in his heart, when he called 
 upon his Ephesians to grow up into him in all 
 things, who is the Head, even Christ. Mind, all 
 things, while we live by faith, shall make us grow up 
 into Christ more closely and intimately; finding vou 
 want him daily more and more, for life and godliness, 
 for body and soul, for time and eternity : so that, 
 without him you can do nothing. The abiding sense 
 
180 
 
 of this will keep you in your right place, as a poor 
 helpless creature, hanging on the arm, living on the 
 bounty of the infinitely rich Jesus. This is the be- 
 liever's growth. He grows more up into Christ. 
 Taught by the Spirit of Jesus, he sees and feels his 
 want of every good ; and he is made to see and feel 
 this continually, that he may not live upon self, upon 
 any creature, upon worldly happiness; but that, find- 
 ing his need of Jesus every moment, he may be re- 
 ceiving every moment, grace for grace out of Jesus' 
 fulness. O for more of the teaching of that Spirit, 
 to humble us, and to glorify Jesus ! O for more 
 fellowship with him in his fulness of grace! Heaven 
 is nothing more than fellowship with him in his ful- 
 ness of glory. May my dear mother know him 
 thus ! I cease not to remember her at his throne. 
 Her case is safe. I only wish her more happy in 
 believing it. All here are well, and desire to be re- 
 membered to you, with your truly affectionate bro- 
 ther, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XVHI. 
 
 1766. 
 
 My dear Sister, — Grace be with you. I begin 
 to think it long since 1 heard from Hartlepool; but 
 supposing you make nothing of the note which I 
 sent from Helmsley, I must therefore write first, 
 which I gladly do, embracing this and all occasions 
 to tell of Jesus' love. His mercies have followed me 
 all the days of ray life — most free and undeserved — 
 to body and soul. Surely a greater monument lives 
 
181 
 
 not. He brought me home safe — keeps me in 
 health — gives me enough and to spare of this world's 
 good; and I taste the love of the Giver in his every 
 gift. What would I more ? Why, truly, nothing 
 in this world. But if I am thus indebted for tem- 
 poral blessings, where shall I begin to set forth his 
 infinite grace in spirituals ? I am that brand, such 
 as the like is not, plucked by almighty love out of 
 the burning. I might have been in it forty, aye, 
 fifty years ago, and in it for ever. O what patience 
 was there in the Lamb ! But he was resolved to 
 have all the glory : and indeed he richly deserves it 
 — both for saving me out of hell, and for giving 
 himself to me to be a Saviour ; and for giving his 
 Spirit to bring me to know myself, and to know him, 
 whom to know is life eternal. All the angels, all 
 the saints, could not tell how great his love already 
 experienced is to me. How far short must I myself 
 fall ? I am content he should have the crown. It 
 well becomes the head of King Jesus. I pay him 
 willing homage, and am glad to take a free pardon, 
 a perfect title to heaven, at his royal hands. In- 
 debted to him for heaven, makes the thoughts of it 
 sweet. I would not be out of his debt if I could. 
 
 Are not you glad (I know you are) that to me 
 Jesus has been so exceedingly kind in all things ? 
 Yea, to mine, my family, and relations. What 
 grace has been shown? How much are we bound 
 to acknowledge his bounty ? O let us with our lips 
 and lives show forth his praise ! and let my mother 
 join. I am sure she ought. Blessings on her from 
 the best of friends. So prays yours and hers in a 
 precious, ever precious Saviour. W. R. 
 
182 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 Lambeth, 1767. 
 
 My dear Sister, — I was in hopes you would have 
 disposed of my charity before this, and would have 
 let me know to whom I am to pay the money. I 
 am thankful you had my commission, for I think it 
 can never be more wanted. The good Lord secure 
 to himself all the glory of this, and of every act of 
 kindness to his afflicted members. I am praying 
 for my dear mother ; Jesus hear me ; that this may 
 be the grand year of her life, when she will say, — 
 " Bless the Lord, O ray soul, and all that is within 
 me bless his holy name, for he hath forgiven thee 
 all thy sins. He himself is become thy salvation." 
 O what a journey should I have to Hartlepool, if I 
 was to come and hear this voice of joy and thanks- 
 giving ! Well, I do not doubt of it. All is now 
 safe. All will be comfortable when the Lord pleases. 
 Let him do what seeraeth him good. A happy, 
 happy year to her and to you ! 
 
 Through mercy, I am going on very well. I 
 want nothing but more capacity to praise and to en- 
 joy Jesus. He is very near to me, and he makes 
 himself very dear. He still smiles on our meetings, 
 and is in the midst of us. Blackfriars is owned by 
 him. He has set to his seal that God is there. O 
 for more of his presence to fill the ordinances with 
 life and power. Pray for us, my dear sister, and 
 you will not lose any thing by our having much of 
 Christ with us. We will pray for you in return. 
 
183 
 
 To him I commend you, whose love is truly heaven, 
 even upon earth. May you never want it till you 
 enjoy all its fulness, together with your loving bro- 
 ther, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 Blachfriars, Nov. 19, 1768. 
 
 My dear Sister, — You tell me good news of poor 
 sinners converted, and of believers settled and estab- 
 lished in their most holy faith. My heart rejoices 
 to hear of any increase of Jesus' glory. He is the 
 Prince of the kings of the earth, to whom all bless- 
 ing is due. Yea, he is above all blessing and praise, 
 and that for evermore; because he humbled himself, 
 God was made man, O wonderful humiliation ! — 
 He went lower ; humbled himself to become obe- 
 dient — obedient unto death — even the death of the 
 cross — therefore he is highly exalted. King of kings 
 — crowned — many crowns upon his head. O how 
 I triumph in my inmost soul in his love ! He loved 
 me — I pay him homage — all within me, all without 
 me, blesses his holy name. He is my King — my 
 royal Saviour — I pay him my allegiance with heart 
 and hand. Not that he may be away — away with 
 that proud thought ! — but because he is mine : — 
 therefore I would walk before him, without fear, in 
 holiness and righteousness all the days of my life. 
 
 My kind love to Mr. Heslup, and desire him to 
 exalt Jesus. He cannot set him too high. He 
 cannot think of him so high as he is; so high as he 
 deserves. The higher he is exalted, the more will 
 every thing, sin especially, bow before him. 
 
184 
 
 When you write to Sunderland or Newcastle, 
 pray remember me to my sisters, their husbands, and 
 to their families. I desire and beg for an interest 
 in your prayers, and am, with my duty to my dear 
 mother, and prayers for her, your affectionate friend 
 and brother, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXI. 
 
 Nov. 7, 1769. 
 My dear Sister, — Grace and peace be multiplied 
 unto you. May you be growing and increasing in 
 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and have a sweet 
 and abiding sense of it in your heart, enjoying daily 
 more of that peace of God, which is heaven begun. 
 I pray you not to rest or stop in any attainments. 
 Keep going on. Be pressing forward. Faith should 
 grow. We read of going from faith to faith, from 
 one degree to another. There should be a progress 
 both in the knowledge of your interest in Jesus, and 
 in the enjoyment of the good things in which you 
 are interested. If faith must grow, then hope must 
 also; for hope is the daughter of faith. By faith 
 we trust the word of God, by hope we wait, till we 
 receive the promises in his word. Hope is never 
 disappointed, nor does it ever make ashamed. It 
 gets many a pledge, and brings in sweet foretastes 
 of the things hoped for. A true believer therefore 
 never says, I have enough. No, no ; his hunger and 
 thirst increases by tastes and crumbs of glory. What 
 falls from his Lord's table, whets his appetite for the 
 marriage supper. So the apostle prays for the be- 
 
185 
 
 lieving Romans — " May the God of hope fill you 
 with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may 
 abound in hope by the Holy Ghost." Now in pro- 
 portion as faith and hope grow, so does love. — We 
 love God, because we believe he first loved us; and 
 this love increases as faith gives a more substantial 
 presence to the things hoped for. Love is now in 
 its infancy — the greatest love upon earth is but one 
 ray of the morning dawn, compared to the shining 
 of the perfect day. O my dear sister, never think 
 you have attained perfect love till you get into a per- 
 fect heaven. Be still going on growing in grace, 
 and in the knowledge and love of God your Saviour. 
 There is room enough for this, both on Jesus' part, 
 and on yours also. He can give more. You can 
 receive more. And, as faith enlarges your vessel, 
 you will hold more. As hope increases, you will 
 enjoy more. And this I pray heartily, that your 
 love may abound yet more and more in knowledge, 
 and in all sensible feeling, that you may walk in love, 
 till faith and hope leave you in full possession of the 
 love of God in life everlasting. 
 
 I write thus, because I am jealous over you with 
 a godly jealousy. I am afraid you should stop by 
 the way. Many do. They set out well, but fall 
 asleep, and dream of being in heaven, while their 
 warfare is carrying on upon earth. They fancy to 
 themselves a triumphant state, while they are mili- 
 tant. A sad delusion ! Because it tempts them to 
 rest when they should be fighting, and to sit still 
 when they should be pressing forward. Are you a 
 believer? Yes. Well then, the gospel says, " For- 
 get the things which are behind, and reach forth unto 
 
186 
 
 the things which are before." How long must I 
 do this ? Till you have laid hold of eternal life. 
 Faith should be growing, hope should be increasing, 
 and love abounding, unto death ; or, as the apostle 
 has it, 1 Thess. i. 3. faith should be at its work, 
 love at its labour, hope at its patience, waiting on 
 patiently, till we have finished our course with joy. 
 I pray God you may be thus employed when death 
 calls you to judgment. 
 
 Remember me with all duty to my dear mother. 
 I bless God for his great grace to her, and doubt not 
 but he hears prayer for its continuance. My love 
 to Mr. Heslup, and let him read the former part of 
 the letter, and study it. I would have him not grown 
 up (till he is dead,) but growing up into Christ 
 Jesus in all things. 
 
 I have been trying to spread the fame of our pre- 
 cious Jesus in various parts of England — a journey 
 of near 800 miles. 
 
 I rejoice with you in the spreading of the gospel 
 in your parts. It is the Lord's doing ; and it should 
 be marvellous in our eyes. 
 
 You must not forget me in your prayers. I want 
 them much. At present I am in a great diflBculty. 
 My lecturer is gone, and I am forced to do the duty 
 myself — for fear a false prophet should get in. I 
 did not seek it; but I hope the Lord, now he has 
 called me to it, will give me will and power, and if it 
 please him, success. Desire your friends to pray 
 for me. 
 
 My wife travelled with me. We found the chil- 
 dren well. I have nothing to tell of but mercies. 
 May the Giver add one to them all — even a heart 
 
187 
 
 to praise, and to bless his goodness. Amen. I am, 
 with great truth, your loving brother, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXII. 
 
 My dear Sister, — It is the Lord; let him do 
 what seemeth him good. So says faith ; so should 
 you and I say. My thoughts upon this occasion 
 have not been improved as I could wish, through 
 great bodily pain and indisposition ; but such reflec- 
 tions as these have greatly tended to quiet my mind, 
 and to produce a willing submission : — 
 
 First, My mother's true conversion to the Lord. 
 She knew in whom she had believed; and she was 
 in Christ. Christ was her gain, both in life and 
 death. Glory be to him for this great grace. 
 
 Secondly, She died in faith. O what a mercy, to 
 finish all well ! What are we desiring for ourselves, 
 as Christians, but the same mercy, that we may hold 
 out to the end, and finish our course with joy? 
 Therefore, 
 
 Thirdly, We are not to mourn as those who have 
 no hope. Our dearest friend is with her Lord, with 
 whom we expect to be soon. We have only parted 
 a moment, that we may meet for ever. It looks to 
 me, in my near view of death, only like my taking 
 leave of my dear mother, to go yearly to London. 
 I shall go to her — blessed, truly blessed prospect ! 
 and I do not wish her to come back to me : — be- 
 cause, 
 
 Fourthly, I do indeed find that the Lord sup- 
 plies the want of all creature-comforts with his own 
 
188 
 
 presence. When he takes them away, it is to make 
 more room for himself in the heart. A sweet ex- 
 change ! we live upon the fountain when the streams 
 are dried up. He dries them up to make us come 
 nearer to the fountain, and that the absence of tem- 
 poral mercies might be supplied with a happy en- 
 joyment and communion with God himself. 
 
 She had lived to a blessed time — even speaking 
 after the manner of men — she died in a good old 
 age, full of years — and was gathered to her people, 
 to whom I am going. Now it is my turn. I know 
 of nothing worth living for one day. We are now 
 travellers ; and what traveller does not wish to be at 
 rest? We are now absent from our Lord; and 
 home is home. What soldier, after a hard cam- 
 paign, does not wish for winter quarters ? What 
 man in love does not wish the moments to fly swiftly, 
 to bring on his wedding-day ? O for that blessed 
 consummation which will last for ever and ever, to 
 all eternity. 
 
 I shall love you, my dear sister, as long as I live, 
 for your attention to my dear mother. You have 
 done your part. May you do all as well as this ! I 
 thank you for my part, and honour you greatly. My 
 kind love to Mr. Heslup. He has been tried with 
 his attention to my mother ; the good Lord repay 
 his kindness a thousandfold. Mine eyes overflow 
 with tears while I am thinking of both your good- 
 ness to her — God bless you both — God bless you. 
 My kind love to my sisters and their husbands. 
 
 Poor Hartlepool ! few know this loss. It is the 
 greatest the town could have. W. R. 
 
189 
 
 LETTER XXIII. 
 
 Bladfriars, Sept. 6, 1771. 
 
 Grace be with you and your yoke-fellow. I 
 know we are in a dying world. I see it, and feel it. 
 It is my heart's desire to live under the constant im- 
 pression of this truth ; there is but a step between me 
 and death ; but a step between me and the full enjoy- 
 ment of what I have now by faith. It is not that I 
 love you not — God knoweth my love to you is double 
 — you are twice my sister, born and new-born. And 
 I truly esteem you both in the flesh, and in the spirit. 
 But I could not come and tell you this face to face, 
 but I shall come, God willing, and tell it you, and 
 the reasons too, that you may be satisfied. Only 
 wait patiently, and see how good the Lord will be to 
 us in this, and in all other things that we wait upon 
 him for. It is my fixed purpose to visit you as early 
 as I can in the spring; but the great Disposer of all 
 our purposes has us in his hands. Our will must 
 bow to his sovereign will; and, in submission to it, 
 we always speak of to-morrow, not knowing what a 
 day may bring forth. 
 
 I can very well supply my absence. There is no 
 want of preaching; we have enough of that, and loo 
 much in the preacher's strength. We want prayer 
 greatly — a dependence on the almighty Head to bless 
 preaching to his people. This seems to be wanting 
 both in preachers and hearers. I can do something 
 towards the supply of this want : and am trying at it. 
 O that fervent effectual prayer was but ascending 
 
190 
 
 more and oftener to the throne of grace, we should 
 have more showers of blessings coming down. I beg 
 not to be forgotten by you at any time before the 
 throne. May I never forget you nor yours. 
 
 Errors and heresies are rampant. God keep you. 
 I beg of Mr. Heslup to be much at his Bible: he 
 reads other books too much. I am sure God the 
 Holy Ghost is the best writer; and I find him the best 
 expositor upon his own writings. Tell Mr. Heslup 
 so. I repent of years wasted in fruitless study, and 
 am, just as my studies are over, got to be right in 
 them. I wish he may improve by my mistakes, and 
 now in earnest resolve to be a Bible-student, and a 
 Bible-Christian. Farewell, my dear sister. May 
 all the rich covenant mercies of our Jesus be yours. 
 I am, for his sake, very sincerly, your loving brother, 
 
 W. R. 
 
 My wife joins in every Christian wish. The 
 children are well. 
 
 LETTER XXIV. 
 
 Blaclfriars, Oct. 27, 1771. 
 My dear Sister, — Often remembered, and interest 
 madefor youatourcourt. Ihavebeenuponthe King's 
 business, travelling from place to place, to exalt and 
 honour him, for near three months. He has been 
 pleased to bring me safe home for the winter, and I sit 
 downthefirstopportunity tothankyouforallyourkind- 
 ness to me at Hartlepool. I did not doubt of your 
 love, but my visit this year confirmed me in it. Your 
 
191 
 
 whole behaviour convinced me that I was a welcome 
 guest, and has kept a warm desire upon my mind to see 
 you again. Thankful am I for what I met with of 
 the same kind, both at Newcastle and Sunderland, 
 especially at the latter, as I was never so highly 
 honoured before, as to be suffered to speak for my 
 glorious Jesus. Although things were not so pleas- 
 ing at Yarum, yet I forgive from my very heart Mr. 
 O.'s treatment : for I believe G. M. is a dear child 
 of God, and was misled by his partner, who misrepre- 
 sented me. People will quarrel ; I would hinder 
 them if I could ; but quarrel I will not : no, not with 
 Mr. O. Thanks be to the Prince of peace, he has 
 taught me better things. I know him God-man ; I 
 beheve in his work — it is the greatest work of God 
 — a complete, an eternal salvation. O marvellous 
 grace, I enjoy it. While others dispute about it, I 
 am possessing it. They busy themselves about sha- 
 dows, and I am rejoicing in the substance. Would 
 to God Mr. O. had the same fellowship with Jesus. 
 Poor man ! he would not talk of himself before the 
 Lord God, and plead his own doings — he would not 
 urge this plea : " Lord, my works last July were 
 very meritorious, for I stood and tried to stop all I 
 could from going to Yarum church, to hear that here- 
 tic Romaine, who was going to teach them, that they 
 were to be saved wholly and solely for what you had 
 done and suffered, and all glory as well as all grace 
 by the way, was to be had entirely out of your ful- 
 ness." But enough of this : Mr. W. forgives him ; 
 so do I : Christ forgive him. 
 
 My motto has long been, " Cease ye from man." 
 All my experience leads me to trust man less, and 
 
192 
 
 God more. My Bible is my study, and the Holy 
 Ghost my commentator. I have done with names 
 — great authorities — and living popes — for we have 
 an English Pope. In opposition to whom, I am a 
 Protestant. I protest against the merit of works, 
 and all its long train of errors ; but I will not dispute 
 with any Pope. I will rather pray for him, as I do. 
 God open his eyes, and turn him from darkness to 
 light, from blind Popery, into gospel liberty. 
 
 My love to Mr. Heslup. I fear for him, lest 
 these times should take him off from Christ, and get 
 him into disputing. Desire him, from me, to read 
 his Bible more, and not busy himself about opinions. 
 What has he or I to do with Mr. Wesley ? Let 
 him go on in his way ; and let us go on in ours. But 
 let us be as diligent as him — our lives as exemplary 
 — our good works as many. And let us beat him 
 all to nothing in charity. If he revile, let us pray. 
 If he be dogmatical, let us be meek and lowly. 
 I cannot give any account for my writing about 
 him ; for I do not love to have any thing to do with 
 him ; but it came upon my mind, and I let it stand. 
 I should rejoice to hear from you. We are all 
 well. I am, yours and Mr. Heslup's, very heartily, 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 
 Nov. 9, 1771. 
 My dear Sister, — I beg the favour of you, upon 
 the receipt of this, to give me some account of my 
 sisters, and their husbands and families : aud also how 
 
193 
 
 you go on at Hartlepool. You must not think me 
 indifferent to the cause and interest of God any 
 where ; but surely not among our own relations, and 
 least of all among relations hitherto so kind and 
 obliging to me. I send you my written sermons 
 when I cannot come to preach in person, but I am 
 waiting in hope when I shall confirm my doctrine 
 by word of mouth, and find a proper time to bear 
 my testimony again to the divine glory of the person 
 of Jesus, and to his absolutely perfect salvation. 
 Be assured, my dear sister, it is complete, lacking 
 nothing. We carry nothing to him, but receive all 
 from him. We have, from his fulness, change of 
 state, of tempers, of life. He is the author of all 
 our good thoughts, words, and works. If these have 
 any merit, it must be put to his account and not to 
 ours; for he worketh all for us, and all in us. And 
 he will, and must have all the glory too. O that you 
 may be willing to give it him ! That is true holy 
 humility. You cannot think what grace he gives 
 to them who are willing to return him all his glory. 
 Try, pray for a growing sense of your own unwor- 
 thiness ; and the lower and viler you are in your own 
 eyes, the more will he be honoured for his grace, 
 and therefore he will give you more; for he giveth 
 grace unto the humble. Nothing stops the current 
 of his favours so much as pride : he resisteth the 
 proud; he is at war with them. A sad war! a 
 proud sinner fighting against a holy God. Who 
 think ye will conquer ? and how low will the proud 
 belaid? O beware of all high thoughts. Take heed 
 of admiring your own greatness or goodness. Self- 
 delight is a very pleasing sin, but more odious to a 
 I 54 
 
194 
 
 jealous God than the gross sins of the flesh. I see 
 those who fall in love with themselves, do not think 
 with rae about my heavenly Lover : I am sure, the 
 more we love him, the less we shall admire ourselves. 
 The Pharisee, full of self-complacency, remained in 
 his guilt; the poor publican, who loathed himself, 
 went home justified : so must we go to heaven, plead- 
 ing all the way, and pleading there too, mercy of 
 God through Jesus Christ, and nothing else. 
 
 You will say, what is all this to me ? Why, truly, 
 sister, you want it. There is no perfect humility 
 but in heaven. Till we get there, we should be 
 learning, and every day seeking for more grace to 
 humble us — learning of our Master to be meek and 
 lowly. May God make you and me better scholars, 
 and Mr. Heslup ; for he wants much to keep him 
 down. My kind love to all friends. Do not fail me 
 in writing the first post. I commend you to Jesus' 
 care and love, being truly yours in him. W. K. 
 
 LETTER XXVL 
 
 Dec. 22, 1772. 
 My dear Sister, — Although I have not heard 
 from you for some time, yet I cannot help wishing 
 you every CKristmas blessing. And what these are, 
 how many, how great, none can tell. It is the great 
 mystery of godliness : God manifest in the flesh — 
 God born for us in the flesh — born in us by the 
 Spirit. Then we keep our Christmas, when we are 
 new born, the children of God by faith in Christ 
 Jesus, This new birth of Christ, formed in us and 
 
195 
 
 dwelling in our hearts by faith, appears, as our birth 
 into this world does. The new-born babe enters 
 the world with crying : so they who have received 
 the Spirit of adoption cry, " Abba, Father." They 
 are the brethren of Christ, one with him; and his 
 Father is their Father. O inestimable privilege ! 
 What a blessing to believe it ! what blessings come 
 from enjoying it ! How many soever they be, I wish 
 them yours. When the infant is born, it cries for 
 food; in like manner, believers, as new-born babes, 
 desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may 
 grow thereby. In Christ their souls live, as their 
 bodies do in this world: on him also they live, and 
 by feeding on his word, and mixing prayer and praise 
 with it, they grow up into him in all things — doing 
 nothing, either temporal or spiritual, but by the faith 
 of the Son of God. For ever blessed are they who 
 keep such a Christmas — who can call Christ their 
 brother, his Father their Father, by the indwelling 
 Spirit; and who can evidence this to themselves and 
 others, by a conversation directed to the glory of 
 God. 
 
 Thus would I live, thus may you live ! — in Christ, 
 and on Christ, and to Christ. If we receive much 
 from him, let us not rob him of his honour. If we 
 do much for him, we have nothing to boast of; for 
 he worketh in us both to will and to do. I am for 
 good works as much as any of them ; but I would 
 do them to a right end, and upon a right motive ; 
 and after all, having done the best that can be done, 
 I would not lay the weight of the least tittle of my 
 salvation — no, not one atom of it, upon them. It 
 all rests on Christ — he is ray only foundation — he 
 I 2 
 
196 
 
 is my topstone: and all the building, laid on him, 
 groweth up into a holy temple in the Lord. He 
 has done all for me : he does all in me : He does 
 all by me. To him be all the glory for ever and ever. 
 Amen. 
 
 Times are very hard ; but the best things are the 
 cheapest. You may have Christ for nothing ; and 
 the more freely you receive, the more freely you will 
 honour him with his gifts. So I feel it. Remem- 
 ber me to your poor : I beg their prayers, for I 
 want them much. 
 
 My kind love to Mr. Heslup. I wish Christ 
 and he were better acquainted. I am sure the more 
 he knows of Christ, the more he will love him, and 
 his word and ways, because of Christ himself re- 
 vealed in them. Farewell, my dear sister, and I 
 charge you not to forget, in your daily prayers, 
 your true friend and brother, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXVn. 
 
 June 26, 1773. 
 My dear Sister, — I am obliged to you for your 
 last favour. You would have received my acknow- 
 ledgment sooner, but I was waiting to see how my 
 way would be directed this summer. 1 have waited 
 so long tbat I am quite ashamed to be silent any 
 longer, and therefore take my pen to tell you that 
 there is at present nothing determined about my 
 travels. I hope to be where the Lord pleases, and 
 to be found doing his work. Then all will be well 
 wherever I am. A 
 
197 
 
 My thoughts often run about poor Hartlepool. 
 I believe the Lord has a people among you, and I 
 wish he may honour Mr. Heslup, by making him 
 useful to gather them together, and to build them up 
 in their most holy faith. My prayers are not want- 
 ing for him and them ; particularly I desire the Prince 
 of peace to keep him from a disputing spirit. I do 
 not know that he is given to it, but I know many 
 who are, whose principles, as well as tempers, in- 
 cline them to be of a self-righteous, and therefore of 
 a censorious and wrangling spirit. I have suffered 
 more from such than from all the world beside. Bid 
 Mr. Heslup take warning from me. I advise him 
 to avoid controversy as he would the plague. And 
 if he would be kept entirely, I will tell him how I 
 am kept. The doctrines which others are disputing 
 about, I am living upon. They have ceased to be 
 with me matters of controversy. I have brought 
 them into experience. By which means, I not only 
 am certain of their truth, but also receive from it 
 great profit. Doubting and disputing are at an end ; 
 for what room can there be to question any doctrine, 
 while it is really practical, and brings in a great 
 revenue? Thus a man gets to be settled. Others 
 quarrel about the shell, he feeds upon the kernel, and 
 often feasts upon it. 
 
 My wife is in good health. We all desire to be 
 kindly remembered to you and to Mr. Heslup, espe- 
 cially your loving brother, W. R. 
 
198 
 
 LETTER XXVni. 
 
 May 24, 1777. 
 My dear Sister, — As to the particulars about 
 house and land, I write nothing. Hope to see you 
 in June, as I promised ; and see nothing at present 
 to stop me. If I keep my word, will not God? 
 And what is faith but taking him at his word? what 
 is all religion but trusting to his faithfulness? Is not 
 this the highest service of the heart; and, if it be 
 real there, the service also of the life? For the 
 obedience of faith is the obedience of the whole man. 
 What honour does this put upon God ? His wis- 
 dom in contriving such a salvation, his love in re- 
 vealing it, his power in working it out, his promises 
 of giving it freely, and his fulfilling them perfectly: 
 these and all his attributes are glorified in believing; 
 for then we set to our seal that God is true. We 
 are of one mind with him, of one will with him ; and, 
 if we can trust simply what he says — yea, trust when 
 difficulties be in the way of his fulfilling his word 
 — then we show that our faith is strong: but if we 
 can trust against seeming impossibilities, against hope 
 believe in hope, then we prove ourselves the children 
 of believing Abraham. I can assure you, sister, that 
 my highest lesson is this ; and I learn it slowly. I 
 want to honour God in his word, by believing against 
 sense : sometimes it is well with me, but presently I 
 stagger. Yet I aim at stronger standing in faith 
 daily. Pray for me. My love to Mr. Heslup. I 
 have no advice to give him till I see him ; only 1 
 
199 
 
 wish he may not move till the cloud moves. Air. 
 M. breakfasted with me to-day, who is still misin- 
 formed, and lives at a very low rate in believing. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXIX. 
 
 Aug. 5, 1769. 
 
 My dear Mother, — This is the first letter that I 
 have had time to write since I left Hartlepool ; and 
 as you have a right to my daily remembrance, I be- 
 gin my correspondence where it is first due. ]My 
 journey was very pleasant, not hot nor dusty. All 
 quiet and happy wichin. The Lord's countenance 
 shining in an unclouded sky. Mercies upon mer- 
 cies — heaped up and running over. It seems as if 
 I was singled out to be a witness for my God, that 
 his mercies are above all his works. I arrived safe 
 and visited my house, and found fresh matter of praise 
 and thanksgiving. All glory be to free grace ! 
 
 When I look back to Hartlepool, and review the 
 dealings of a precious Jesus with you and with 
 yours, my debt increases: and when I consider his 
 goodness to Hartlepool sinners, and Bishoprick 
 sinners — how many of them he has called from dark- 
 ness to light, O what a tribute of praise ought we to 
 be continually paying to the Saviour of the North 
 country ! And if we particularly consider our re- 
 lations, one by one, whom it has pleased our good 
 God to work upon by his Holy Spirit, we should 
 call upon all within us to bless his holy name, and 
 all without us to join in showing forth his praise. 
 
200 
 
 This, for my own part, I would most gladly do, 
 having seen so much in my last journey, both of his 
 presence with me, and of his grace working by me, 
 that I am ready to join all that are praising our good 
 God, and to crown our royal Lord and Saviour, the 
 free giver of all blessings both in earth and in heaven. 
 
 I have had a good time at the Assizes, and preached 
 to a vast congregation. The seed was sown ; but 
 the great Sower is the Son of man himself: unless 
 he rain and shine upon the word, man's ploughing 
 and harrowing and sowing will come to nothing. 
 I would therefore preach, as well as live, in a con- 
 stant dependence upon the blessing of Jesus. After 
 mentioning the loving kindness of the Lord, we 
 should remember our want of it still, and how we are 
 to receive the supply of our continual wants. We 
 have a prayer-hearing God. He has answered all 
 our petitions for you; whereby he has encouraged 
 us to come again without doubt or wavering. This 
 I hope to do for you, my dear mother, as long as 
 you or I are within the reach of prayer. He has 
 let you live to a good time. You know him; you 
 believe in him, as your Jesus. He is your Lord 
 and your God. It is our part and duty to beg of 
 him, that you may be every day growing in grace, 
 and in the excellency of the knowledge of Christ 
 Jesus; and that, whenever he shall be pleased to 
 take you to himself, you may witness a good con- 
 fession, and confirm the truth by your death, as you 
 do by your life. I beg my love to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Heslup. Pray tell them, that I never bad so plea- 
 sant a journey in all my life, so many gracious pro- 
 vidences, and so many outward mercies, besides the 
 
^01 
 
 peace in my own soul ; — encouragements these not 
 to neglect coming another summer. O that, when- 
 ever I do come, it may be to the praise of the glory 
 of rich free grace ; and, if I stay longer than I used 
 to do, which all appearances seem to favour, may the 
 good Lord overrule a longer stay for greater good. 
 
 And as I hope there are several in Hartlepool 
 who have nearness to the throne of grace, I desire 
 you would, one by one, desire them to make use of 
 their interests for me. If you see my brother Parker 
 and wife, or Callender and wife, entreat the same 
 favour of them. I ask it of none but those who are 
 already in my debt, and who ought to get out of it 
 as fast as they can. — I am, with my duty to you, 
 and my love and respect to all friends, your affec- 
 tionate son, and most obedient servant, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXX. 
 
 July 26, 1793. 
 My good Brother, — I was very glad to see your 
 testimony at last concerning my sister, and thank 
 you for it. She was the Lord's : she lived to him 
 and on him, and she is with him ; where I hope you 
 and I shall soon be with him, and like him for ever- 
 more. Till that happy day, you are called upon to 
 be a public witness for him. May you preach him 
 in his glorious fulness, and may the Holy Ghost 
 come down from heaven upon your preaching, that 
 Northumberland sinners may hear and live. Do 
 your best. Exalt him with all your might, in your 
 pulpit and in your living, you will do but little. 
 I 3 
 
202 
 
 I am an old preacher, and have seen enough of his 
 glory to be ashamed of myself. I reprobate all ray 
 services ; and, if I were to begin again, I would try 
 to shoot higher : and I do. Blessings on him ! He 
 is above all blessing and praise. Perhaps, before I 
 see you, I may see him face to face, when he will 
 enable me, without one selfish thought, to give him 
 all the glory. To him I commend you. May he 
 supply my sister's place. You will miss her more 
 every day. Your lesson is to pray him to fill up her 
 absence with his presence. Pray for it. So does 
 
 W. K. 
 
LETTERS 
 
 TO 
 
 W. TAYLOR, ESQ. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 March 5, 1788. 
 My dear Friend, — I am in your debt for Jan. ], 
 1788. It has never been out of my mind — but I 
 have really too much business for my age and growing 
 infirmities; yet, whenever I think of lessening my 
 work, Luke ix. 62. frightens me, and I set out afresh 
 to get on, as ray Lord shall help me. Our word 
 lor this year is preaching day and night to my in- 
 most soul — I am " Looking to Jesus" — a sight 
 that would do an angel good, and much more a 
 sinner; for his name is Wonderful. There is none 
 like him in heaven or earth. Consider his nature, 
 his essential glory, or his offices — his mediatorial 
 glory, from what he saves us freely, and to what 
 he brings us perfectly, even to life eternal: surely 
 he is a matchless Jesus. And he wants only to be 
 known, that he may win our hearts, and we may 
 ■admire and adore him. Why is not he then uni- 
 versally admired? If man had no failing in his fa- 
 culties, he could not help falling in love with such 
 
204 
 
 infinite beauty. But be is blind ; yea, truly he is 
 dead. He has lost not this or that thing, but the 
 very Spirit of life, and thereby all communion with 
 the spiritual world. He is actually dead in tres- 
 passes and sins. And when the Spirit of life that 
 is in Christ Jesus frees him from the law of sin and 
 of death, then he receives spiritual senses, and is 
 able to see hirn by faith who was before invisible. 
 His first look is generally for healing. He beholds 
 the Lamb that was slain, and finds peace through 
 his cleansing blood. The Spirit gives him to seal 
 the testimony of the Father concerning the Son. 
 He believes, and the more simply, the more virtue 
 flows from Jesus, to purify and to rejoice the heart. 
 He believes on, reads the faithful word, hears it, 
 prays over it, and the Spirit applies it, making Jesus 
 still more precious. Every fresh look to him con- 
 firms the reality, and increases the blessedness of 
 living by faith upon him : and thus daily communion 
 with him nourishes spiritual life, and renders it more 
 easy, and more delightful. These were some of 
 the outlines of our new year's sermon — How we get 
 eyes to see Jesus — and how fresh sights make our 
 eyes stronger. The eye-salve of his word and Spirit 
 clears the mental organ, and enables it to behold 
 more wonderful things than Adam saw in paradise. 
 May the prospect brighten upon you ; and the more 
 beautiful it is, may he speak to your heart and say, 
 " All this is yours." 
 
 My friend — we proceeded thus : If this be your 
 faith, now try it. The trial is God's way of im- 
 proving it. Jesus being the author and the con- 
 
205 
 
 tinuer of faith, he expects that we look up to him 
 constantly for our 
 
 1. Safety; as 1 Peter i. 5. " We are kept," &c. 
 
 2. Growth ; being alive by him, we grow by cleav- 
 ing to him, as the branch to the vine, Eph. iv. 15. 
 " But holding the truth in love," &c. 
 
 3. All spiritual blessings flow from him, Eph. i. 3. 
 " Blessed be," &c. 
 
 4. All temporal blessings, holy use of troubles, 
 burdens, wants, sickness, trust, as Isa. xxvii. 1, 2. 
 and they will be profitable ; and health, and money, 
 and lands, and ail good things in life shall be sanc- 
 tified by the word of God and prayer. 
 
 5. Come what may — trust on, look to Jesus; 
 and Rom. viii. 28. shall be infallible truth. 
 
 6. But he may lose sight and be blind for ever." 
 1 Cor. i. 7, 8, 9. cannot be broken. He shall see 
 the King in his beauty. 
 
 7. " But he may fall and be lost." O no. Christ's 
 prayer, John xvii, is as effectual as ever. Heb. 
 ii. 13. 
 
 8. " But he must die." Well, a dying man, 
 looking to Jesus, may hear him say — " Fear not, I 
 am with thee," Psalm xxiii. 4. He has a good 
 warrant to be comforted as long as the breath is in 
 his body — and then, " all these died in faith." 
 
 9. O what will this man find when he opens his 
 eyes, and sees Jesus in his glory ! The Lord the 
 Spirit prepare us for that sight, and keep us looking 
 to Jesus by faith, till we see him by sense ! W. R. 
 
206 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 May 3, 1788. 
 My good Friend, — I am fully satisfied you do 
 not forget the Master nor his servant. I please 
 rayself with thinking that you are living what I teach; 
 and that our word for 1788, " Looking to Jesus," 
 
 is realized at . I believe he has opened your 
 
 eyes. You do see him — a true Jesus, but not in 
 all his glory. The object is too great for the eye 
 of faith, and too bright when we come near it. But 
 if you will humbly ask for some of his eye-salve, it 
 will marvellously strengthen the nerves, insomuch 
 that you may see him who is invisible — enough of 
 him to win all your affections. Such sights bring 
 applications. He is matchless beauty — and mine. 
 He is all perfection, and I am perfect in him. The 
 wonder of heaven, and soon I shall see him face to 
 face. This hope makes studying the word, believing, 
 growing up into him, very sweet and improving. 
 Every fresh view of his heavenly person begets some 
 conformity to him, and wishes for more. — So far I 
 had written, when I found the glass must come: and 
 I was not willing to send so much blank paper with 
 it: therefore I kept it by me, till some favourable 
 opportunity should let me go on with this " Looking 
 to Jesus" — to a real, a believed in, a precious Jesus. 
 So he is this May the 3d. I have been consulting 
 one who was quite enraptured with his Lord's beauty 
 — who had seen him in his glory, and he gave me 
 great encouragement to proceed in this divine study; 
 
207 
 
 for he said to me, " After twenty-three years' happy 
 experience of what he is to me, besides the visions 
 and revelations which I had of him in paradise, still 
 I know him but in part; yet what I do know, has 
 such a powerful influence upon my heart and life, 
 that I am still pressing forward, and I will, God 
 helping me, until I know, even as also I am known." 
 
 0 this was sweet advice. You cannot think what 
 good it did me; for I found my case and the apostle's 
 were much alike. I do, blessings onliim, I do know 
 my Jesus truly. and savingly; yet it is but little. 
 
 1 am not satisfied with my attainments : more, far 
 more remains to be known of this infinite object, and 
 therefore it is not enjoyed. A sense of this keeps alive 
 a constant appetite for fresh discoveries; and this 
 hungering and thirsting is not in vain : it is the 
 vigour of spiritual life in the kingdom of faith. The 
 health of the soul is more seen in its desires than in 
 its enjoyments ; for we have flesh and blood, and 
 they let us feel we are not at home. We have 
 also many mighty and cunning enemies, who are 
 always attacking and often robbing us of our sensible 
 enjoyments; and yet faith can live and thrive amidst 
 all, it can break through every obstacle that stands 
 between it and its beloved ; trusting to what God 
 has promised, and waiting patiently for his fulfilling 
 it. If he hide his favourable countenance — yea, if 
 he appear as an enemy, the believer trusts and is not 
 afraid. These are some of the workings of faith, 
 by which its truth, its efficacy, and its blessedness 
 appear. May the witness for Jesus keep them very 
 strong upon our heart ! It is his office, while we 
 are absent from our dearest friend, to preserve long- 
 
208 
 
 ings after him in our souls — warm breathings, (such 
 as Psalm Ixiii. throughout,) fervent desires, not to be 
 satisfied till they get full enjoyment; and in this 
 way the Holy Spirit glorifies the Saviour. What 
 he manifests to us creates such an appetite for him, 
 as only God-Jesus himself in glory can fill. All the 
 grace we now get out of his fulness, is but a whet of 
 what we hope to get out of the same fulness in glory. 
 Now this is living and thriving faith. The more I 
 have, the better I am ; and you too, are better for 
 my betterness. It makes me wish the best thing 
 for you ; although you do not always treat me as I 
 could wish. You would do me a great favour to 
 employ me more. W. R. 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 June 12, 1788. 
 My dear Friend, — Your last letter brought me 
 down upon my knees. Poor W. I feel for you. 
 I pray you may have a right use of this visitation. 
 It can only be sanctified by the Spirit of God and 
 prayer. May you meet it in faith, and improve it 
 by patience. A child — a pleasant child — of fair 
 hopes — I have lost such a one ; and I well remem- 
 ber it gave me occasion to exercise all the grace I 
 could get. I found an infinite fulness, and there is 
 the same for you to go to. And now your children 
 are growing up, they will make you very miserable, or 
 else they will compel you to be daily learning, Heb. 
 iv. 16. Read it. Meditate well upon it. Pray over 
 it. It is a lesson of constant practice. If your 
 
209 
 
 children live ; if they prosper ; if they go on in spiri- 
 tual success, as well as temporal ; if they be sick ; 
 if they should die : all will try your faith, and make 
 you feel that your whole dependence for yourself 
 and family is on the Lord, who made heaven and 
 earth. Whatever may be the event of W.'s com- 
 plaint, we know not. But our Lord has taught us 
 to live in subjection to his holy will, whatever he 
 may please to send. Mr. T. you are not to learn 
 this at your time of day, in theory : but how to 
 practise it is the point; and therein most of us fail. 
 We none of us carry our subjection so far as he 
 warrants us. His rule is, *' If any man be my dis- 
 ciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross 
 and follow me." This carries the terms of disci- 
 pleship vgry high. A man must deny all that he 
 has, and is, as a child of Adam — himself — as being 
 under the law, under sin, and under condemna- 
 tion. No possible hope in himself. And then 
 he takes up the cross, which was the instrument of 
 death, and to which the curse of the broken law was 
 annexed, and executed too, on Adam and all his de- 
 scendants. He pleads guilty; owns the sentence 
 just; carries about with him an abiding conviction, 
 that he deserves the curse and death due to sin as 
 his wages. He puts the life of Adam, what he lives 
 in the flesh, upon the cross, and henceforward lives 
 by the faith of the Son of God — really dead to all 
 hopes, except what Christ is to him. It is a great 
 trial to have your own son sick, it will be a greater 
 if God should take him from you. But such a trial 
 does not come up to our Lord's meaning. We call 
 every thing that goes contrary to our will, a cross ; 
 
210 
 
 but this is far short of the matter. Christ's disciple 
 must not only deny the will of the flesh, but himself; 
 not only all trust in the flesh, but life itself. If 
 he has come aright to Christ, he has come with a 
 halter about his neck ; aye, and has it on still — own- 
 ing, that the cross and curse due to sin, are due to 
 him. He submits to the penalty; and, moreover, 
 waits with faith and patience for the execution. It 
 is thus the Spirit of God makes Christ his one hope 
 — breaking off all connexion with Adam's world, and 
 with the life we derive from Adam. He quickens 
 us into Christ, and into Ckrist's world. This is 
 a total resignation; not only the will, but the whole 
 man is crucified with Christ. The greatest thing 
 we have, life itself, is resigned to him. And thus 
 the disciple is taught submission in all other things. 
 It becomes easy then to say — aye, and to practise 
 too — " Take away what thou pleasest, Lord ; not 
 my will, but thine be done !" Duties are all alike easy, 
 trials all alike tolerable, when we meet them in the 
 strength of Christ; but when we would do them, or 
 bear any part of them ourselves, then we find our 
 perfect weakness. A disciple feels his resistance, 
 and lays the burden upon Christ, who says to him, 
 " I will sustain thee." His almighty power fulfils 
 his word. And through him, faith and patience do 
 their perfect work. This is following Christ. May 
 you at this time, and at all times, be one of his happy 
 disciples — denying yourself, taking up your cross 
 daily, and following the Lamb whithersoever he leads 
 you. 
 
 It will not be unseasonable to remind you, that you 
 cannot lay in a stock of grace, and thereby keep your 
 
211 
 
 heart in any preparation to submit cheerfully to God's 
 will, especially when it is much contrary to your 
 own. No past experience can enable you to bear a 
 present trial. You must have fresh grace for the 
 moment, as you breathe, Isaiah xxvii. 3. ; so is the 
 spiritual life : it is not from yourself, any more than 
 your animal life. We fetch both from without us. 
 Your genial warmth is light in every part of solids 
 and fluids, as electrical experiments demonstrate. 
 And it is the action of the air, by which you breathe, 
 and move, and have your being. The life and live- 
 liness of your soul depend entirely on Christ, the 
 light of life, and on the Holy Spirit, the breath of 
 life; and you can only receive, and can only enjoy 
 these influences from Christ and the Spirit, as you 
 are living every moment by faith. This is the holy 
 art of believing : by it a beggar is enriched ; a sin- 
 ner pardoned; the weak, strong in the Lord; the 
 miserable blessed ; the dying disciple lives for ever. 
 May you practise this holy art, and become the 
 happiest believers in the island. W. R. 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Aug. 13, 1781. 
 My dear Friend, — I have not been at all well 
 since I left you : a giddiness follows me constantly, 
 and sometimes I am ready to fall. I am aware of 
 the consequences, and, thank God, I have nothing 
 to fear, come what may. Nay, though it be a fair 
 warning that the house is growing ruinous, yet I 
 have a prospect of another building — a house of Em- 
 
 I 
 
212 
 
 manuel's making — out of the reach of death and 
 misery — fit for Emmanuel's land, which is a country, 
 far, far better than paradise. It is made so to me 
 by free gift, the grant accepted by faith, and the 
 earnest of the Spirit enjoyed. In the grant is death 
 — a covenant mercy — by which we receive all cove- 
 nant blessings. And for all in hand and in promise, 
 I am kept looking to Jesus. I am afraid to say 
 much of myself, lest I should fall into a mistake, 
 which I have often noticed and blamed in Mrs. Rowe, 
 that she talked too much in raptures, and shoot too 
 high, far above common Christians' heads. How- 
 ever, let him have his glory. He won the crown, 
 let him wear it. Keep him in sight in all his gifts, 
 in all his graces — every thing will then go well. 
 This is my old lesson, and my new lesson daily. 
 Pray, I charge you to pray, for W. R. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Blaclcfriars, Nov. 8, 1788. 
 
 I OWE you for a very friendly note ; the contents 
 were all matter of praise. — How thankful should you 
 feel, how humbly should you walk, under a sense 
 of such mercies 1 And even for this, there is an 
 ample provision made. Grace, from which all good 
 comes, is ready to make you truly thankful, and to 
 keep you humble ; and if you use ever so much grace 
 to increase humble thankfulness, yet always remem- 
 ber the character of our Jesus, He giveth more grace. 
 
 I got no further yesterday — called off by business, 
 visits, &c. — Saturday morning. I am looking at 
 
21S 
 
 that most blessed Giver of more. He is like the 
 sun which is never weary of sending out more light: 
 nor is our Sun of sending out more grace — fresh- 
 always adding — more in quantity, more in quality — 
 better and better, and the last the best — even eternal 
 grace — the crown of all. Mr. T. I tell you a great 
 secret ; and it is all I have learned in a very long ex- 
 perience. By putting this word to every thing, it 
 makes a miraculous change; it really turns evil into 
 good. Misery with grace can feel happy — pain is 
 sweet — gracious poverty makes rich — a weak believer, 
 out of weakness, becomes strong — weak in himself, 
 therefore strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 
 Nay, no dispensation can hurt, where grace is exer- 
 cised : indeed nothing can hurt, not even sin itself; 
 for where sin abounded, grace did much moreabound, 
 &c. Rom. V. 20, 21. Read these two verses, and St. 
 Paul's comment upon them, Ephesians, chap. i. and ii. 
 and then tell me, whether the grace of our Jesus ought 
 not to have, and from me it shall have, constant use 
 and employment, as long as I have any being ? May 
 you and yours do the same, and then you will find 
 showers of blessings coming down daily upon you. 
 
 All was good in your letter, except what related 
 to Mrs. K. ; and even that, put grace to it, will also 
 be good. Grace can extract much spiritual health 
 out of bodily sickness. I hope and pray she may 
 be better for her present complaint, and find under 
 it grace sufficient to make her say, from her heart, 
 and her good man to join her, " Thy will be done !" 
 But mind, this must be present grace, received mo- 
 ment after moment, out of the fulness of the God- 
 man. We have no stock in hand : and when faith 
 
214 
 
 lives as it should do, it finds the benefit of receiving 
 all, just as it is wanted, even fresh grace to thank 
 Jesus for his grace. W. R, 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Dec. 20, 1788. 
 
 Mr. T., — Mrs. K. is sick; yet her sickness is 
 not unto death. O what a mercy that her soul 
 is alive — to God — in Christ. United to him, she 
 is one with the fountain of life, and cannot be cut 
 off: see John xi. 25, 26. Blessed are the dead who 
 die in the Lord. May her partner, and all the family, 
 knowing what it is to be in the Lord, when they 
 sorrow, yet sorrow not as others who have no hope. 
 
 You seem to be much alFected with the complexion 
 of the times. So am I : and your support is mine 
 also. The Lord reigneth ; the Lord Jesus — and 
 blessed are all they who put their trust in him. His 
 subjects have nothing to fear in the worst of times : 
 for their King is almighty ; almighty to save them 
 from all their sins : almighty to save them from all 
 their miseries — almighty to give them all spiritual 
 blessings — yea, almighty to command the blessing, 
 even life for evermore. O what a King is this ! O 
 what subjects are these ! Who is a God like unto 
 thee God-Jesus, who pardoneth rebels, and makest 
 them kings and priests unto God and the Father; 
 and then adviseth them to sit down with thee upon 
 thy throne of glory ! The Lord reigneth in his 
 kingdom of grace, by his word and by his Spirit, 
 conquering rebels daily, and making them his willing 
 
n5 
 
 subjects, till they be all brought safe to ttie kingdom 
 of his glory. Now, what makes these blessed views 
 of Jesus, the King of kings, so quieting and com- 
 forting to ray heart is, that he is my King. This 
 crowns all. He is my Almighty Saviour — my 
 Blesser — ray Keeper. His providence is over me 
 for good ; and he says to me, " Lest any hurt thee, 
 1 will keep thee night and day." And as to what 
 concerns life and godliness, he says, " Cast all thy 
 care upon me, for 1 care for thee." Jesus, Lord, I 
 believe thee — the government is upon thy shoulders 
 — under thy protection I am safe and happy. I know 
 thou canst get thyself honour and renown in the 
 darkest days, and the most stormy weather. Let the 
 tempest rage ever so much, my pilot is almighty. 
 He says to the winds, " Be still," and to the waves, 
 "Cease," and the stormy winds and water fulfil his 
 word. 
 
 Mr. T. here is my rest. I use means as well 
 as you. I am at my prayers. But Jesus is my 
 only hope. The present prospect may appear to 
 you very dark — a black cloud gathering — you fear 
 what may come, when it bursts in all its vengeance. 
 My good Sir, this is the time for faith, to exercise 
 it — aye, to improve it. What of fair weather, and 
 sunshining faith ? How can one tell whether it be 
 true or genuine? But to put to sea in our little 
 boat in the midst of a storm, the waves dashing over 
 our heads, and threatening to swallow us up every 
 moment: then to be able to say and feel. My Christ 
 is with me in the boat, therefore I will trust and not 
 be afraid. This is the proper working of the faith 
 of God's elect. For thus the command runs, "Trust 
 
216 
 
 ye in Jeho^feh for ever " — because in Jah, Jehovah, 
 is everlasting strength." Let brother K. turn to 
 his Hebrew Bible, and tell you why I thus render 
 the text. 
 
 I have been so much pleased with your thought, 
 *' The Lord reigneth," that if God spare life and 
 health, I will preach upon it New Years' day, and 
 make it ray watch-word for the year 1789, giving 
 the character of the person of the King — of the 
 nature of his government, and what a peculiar sort 
 of people his subjects are — saved, pardoned, justified,- 
 heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ — how they 
 live, and how they die — and how they live to die 
 no more. Pray for me, that 1 may be so enabled to 
 set forth his praises, that he may be glorified in me 
 and by rae, then and for ever. W. R. 
 
 LETTER VIL 
 
 Jan. 10, 1789. 
 Saturday morning. It is so cold, I can scarce 
 hold my pen ; but I cannot help writing to you my 
 present thoughts. Pardon failings, as it is written, 
 " Have fervent love among yourselves, for this love 
 shall cover the multitude of offences," 1 Pet. iv. 8. 
 I expected daily to hear of Mrs. K. and I thank 
 God for her. Blessed are the dead who die in the 
 Lord : for they lived in him by his Spirit, the Spirit 
 of life, who had given them faith to receive Christ, 
 by which they were united to him, and had grown 
 up as members under him their Head; living upon 
 hira as well as by him. O blessed life ! for it is out of 
 
217 
 
 the reach of death ; as Jesus said to Martha, " I am 
 the resurrection and the life : he that beheveth in 
 me, although he had been dead, yet shall be made 
 alive; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, 
 shall never die: believest thou this?" So says he 
 to you : he speaks what is as true to-day as it was 
 then. Believe him, and dry up your tears. Mourn 
 not as they do who have no such hope. Mrs. K. 
 was in the Lord. She is in him now. She is with 
 him now. And like him — like that standard of all 
 perfection. Upon the ground of this faith, you 
 ought to have a family meeting, and join in thanks- 
 giving to our dearest Jesus that he has vouchsafed 
 to admit one of you to his presence, and into his 
 glory : and then to improve the providence in prayer, 
 that God would make you all ready. You will soon 
 follow her — sooner than some of you think. Take 
 warning. You have nothing to do here that signi- 
 fies any thing, but to prepare for death. God help 
 you to live by faith, that the next of you who goes 
 after her may be found in the Lord, and may live 
 with him for ever. 
 
 Mrs. T. we have been at prayers for you : the 
 best thing we can do. I know well the tenderness 
 of your heart, and how you have felt your present 
 loss. I believe you go for comfort where 1 would 
 have you. He who has won your heart, is waiting 
 to be gracious to you. He can supply with his pre- 
 sence your sister's absence. Whatever good you 
 had from her was his gift, and now he takes it away; 
 he can make up your temporal loss abundantly by 
 his spiritual blessings. May you live near to him, 
 and make so much use of him at this time, that you 
 K 34 
 
218 
 
 may now find him a precious Jesus : for Blessed 
 are all they who put their trust in him." You know 
 this well as a truth, but I wish you to feel its power. 
 May you enjoy the presence and the love of our 
 matchless Jesus, which is blessedness in the supreme. 
 May he whisper to your heart, " I have made your 
 sister as happy as my almighty love can. Wait a 
 little, and I will do as much for you." 
 
 Mr. K. I trust we have one spirit, and feel as 
 brethren for one another. I am sure I do for you. 
 Where to go, and how to go for comfort, you know 
 as well as I — even to the God of all comfort. He, 
 and he alone, can give it you at this time. We, 
 your friends, can only pray that you may make good 
 use of, and receive much profit from, your present 
 dispensation. You are sensible, that wisdom to do 
 this must come from above; and it is such a wisdom 
 as produces miraculous effects to this, as truly as in 
 the day when James wrote, James i. 1 — 6. Pro- 
 batum est. 
 
 Miss K. weep not as those who have no hope. 
 I am praying for grace to teach you submission to 
 the will of our Lord. She was your mother, but 
 remember how she lived, how she died, and where 
 she is now. Dry up your tears. You have work 
 to do for the Lord. You are to fill up for a 
 time your mother's place in the family. May my 
 God give you grace, and prudence, and diligence, 
 carefully to follow her steps. W. R. 
 
219 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 April 27, 1789. 
 I CONGRATULATE you on our late national mercies, 
 which all the people have felt — those of the world in 
 their way — and we in ours, in prayer and in praise, 
 bringing God into our joys, and looking up to him, 
 that he would give us fresh reason to rejoice in his 
 holy name. I believe you and I are in unison — and 
 perhaps I may strike an octave — the touching upon 
 my joy may affect and increase yours. Never was I 
 more disappointed, nor more agreeably, than on the 
 23d. I expected to be left alone, and to preach to 
 stone walls ; but behold, we had a full church, and a 
 blessed congregation of serious worshippers. Our 
 subject was the 122d Psalm, a short paraphrase on 
 it, with reasonable applications. As I take no notes, 
 I can only give you some of the outlines. May they 
 warm your heart as much as they did mine: for I 
 had some of the prophet's joy, which he felt when he 
 said, " I was glad when they said unto me, Let us 
 go into the house of the Lord." They were going 
 up to Jerusalem, as you know they did three times 
 a-year. It was a pleasant occasion to the true wor- 
 shippers, who had received the Holy Spirit, by whom 
 they had living faith in Jesus, and thereby believed 
 and enjoyed the Father's love in him. They went 
 up to the festivals to confirm and to increase their joy ; 
 for they knew well that the temple was the type of 
 Christ's body, and all the public services there had 
 relation to him. When they said, " Our feet shall 
 K 2 
 
220 
 
 stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem," they then felt 
 that true joy and peace in believing, which any of us 
 now feel in reading Rom. v. 1, 2.: for the very 
 word Jerusalem, which means the inheritance of peace, 
 led them to look up to him who only is our peace, 
 who only makes us heirs of God, and joint-heirs with 
 Christ. See Gal. iv. 22. to the end. Heb. xii. 22. 
 llev, xxi. throughout. And when they came to 
 Jerusalem, how did it add to their joy ! ver. 3. All 
 worshipping in one place, one object, one faith, and 
 one uniformity of rites and services: ver. 4. When 
 the tribes went up, even the tribes of the Lord, they 
 had the same testimonies, that is, ordinances, as we 
 have, all referring directly to the Messiah — the tem- 
 ple, its vessels, the holy place, the most holy, preached 
 Christ as plainly as I can : for " they went up to give 
 thanks unto the name Jehovah :" he was a person — 
 the name Jehovah, as Exod. xxiii. 21. Isa. xxx. 27. 
 that person who was to be God incarnate, Jehovah 
 Jesus, through whom prayer, praise, duties, all we do, 
 is made acceptable, and through him only. In this 
 faith, wherever a Jew was, when he prayed, he turned 
 his face towards the temple, acknowledging that the 
 God, worshipped at Jerusalem, was his God. In 
 this view, they might well rejoice, when they went up 
 with one heart, and one voice, to bless the name Je- 
 hovah : because to him they ascribe, as in ver. 5. their 
 civil, as well as religious prosperity. Under him 
 they enjoyed full security for life and property. A 
 good government, according to the word of God, is 
 a great mercy. This they enjoyed : they had a 
 King sitting on the throne of judgment, ruling in 
 the fear of God. Sensible of their blessings, and 
 
221 
 
 thankful for thera, they exhort one another : ver. 6. 
 " O pray for the peace of Jerusalem — our church 
 and state." They love Christ who pray so; who 
 feel for their brethren and their prosperity, and who 
 know and value the house of the Lord our God, they 
 will be much in prayer for the continuance of these 
 inestimable blessings. 
 
 These meditations brought us home to England ; 
 and to inquire, whether we had not as much reason 
 to rejoice to-day, as they ever had on any festival at 
 Jerusalem. We have the same religious, the same 
 civil mercies as they had ; and we come behind them 
 in nothing, unless we fail to-day, in our national 
 praises: for our privileges are uncommonly great, 
 and call for singular acknowledgments. We have 
 religion in its purity, God's word in our hands, 
 men sent of God to open and to explain it, and they 
 are owned of him in their labours. No where in the 
 world is the gospel in its truth, and in its power, as 
 it is with us. O what rich incense of praise should 
 go up to the throne of grace from us this day I O 
 what superlative thankfulness do these favours of God 
 require of British believers, of you, and me ! The gos- 
 pel runs and is glorified, and yet the times are quiet. 
 The government is on the side of our most holy faith. 
 Our king, God bless him, is himself a defender of it. 
 May he, by whom kings reign, look down upon him 
 with a gracious eye this day. When he prostrates 
 himself before his God, may the great Angel of the 
 covenant take his prayers and praises, and perfume 
 them with much of his heavenly incense. Lord God 
 speak to his heart, and let hira feel some of that joy 
 and peace which surpass all understanding. 
 
222 
 
 You can easily add what came in here concerning 
 the day. It was only to call upon the people to 
 thank the Lord our God, and to give him the glory 
 due unto his great name, for public mercies, family 
 mercies, personal mercies. How high ought our 
 praises to rise ! Sinners, as we are, helpless, unwor- 
 thy; yea, unthankful and unprofitable. O what a 
 God have we to deal with, who loadeth such crea- 
 tures with such benefits ! What a mercy that such 
 poor thanks, and these his own gifts of grace, should 
 be accepted at our hands ! Holy Ghost assist us in 
 our prayers; help our infirmities in our praises; and 
 teach us, with increasing gratitude, to adore the Son 
 for his salvation, and to worship the Father for his 
 love in Jesus. To the eternal Three, be eternal 
 praise. W. R. 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 Blachfriars, Nov. 11, 1789. 
 My dear Friend, — I sit down as your monitor, to 
 thank our Physician that you all keep so well, and 
 that I hear Mrs. D. is a great deal better. If you 
 would follow his recipes, all would mend. He pre- 
 scribes one simple remedy, and that infallibly cures 
 all diseases. Only believe. All that ever tried it, 
 found its virtue never fail ; no, not when life itself 
 failed : the experience of every age has set its seal — 
 Probatum est. And yet we have among us many 
 pretenders to skill, who cry it down as a quack nos- 
 trum. Our learned doctors have shut it out of the 
 new London and Birmingham dispensaries. And 
 
223 
 
 they treat us as rank enthusiasts, who try to keep it 
 still in practice. You know, Sir, as well as I, what 
 the great men of the day think of Jesus Christ, and 
 of his remedy: but their opinion does not hurt you 
 or me. We trust to matter of fact. A wounded 
 conscience set at peace — a broken heart healed — a 
 miserable sinner made happy — a dying sinner rejoic- 
 ing in the prospect of death. Millions of such who 
 now see his face, and we who now feel his virtue, 
 are witnesses of his almighty power, and that he still 
 saveth freely by grace through faith. To this truth 
 I set my hand and seal, this eleventh day of Novem- 
 ber, A. D. 1789. It is all my salvation, and, God 
 be thanked, it is all my desire. You have my liv- 
 ing and dying testimony in a volume of sermons, 
 which I have revised and just published. You will 
 please to accept them as a token of brotherly love ; 
 and when you read them, may you feel real fellow- 
 ship with your divine Jesus ; as much, more if it 
 please him, than he has most graciously vouchsafed 
 unto me. Perhaps I may seem too warm (a little 
 enthusiastic) in speaking of this happiness to some. 
 Even believers are too apt to rest in the truth : but 
 is it not therefore received that it may produce its 
 proper effects ? Such as, great joy and peace in be- 
 lieving, — the unsearchable riches of Christ. What 
 are they, if nobody is to be enriched out of his trea- 
 sury ? " Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty." 
 Yes, I have had a glimpse of him, and I long to 
 see more of his matchless charms. He hath pro- 
 mised — " They shall hear my words, for they are 
 sweet." Yes, Lord, I hear the joyful sound, and it 
 is heavenly melody in my ears. " Thy name is as 
 
224 
 
 ointment poured forth." I feel its perfume, the smell 
 of thine ointment is to me much better than all spices. 
 " Come taste and see how gracious the Lord is." 
 I have come, Lord, and thy fruit is indeed sweet unto 
 my taste. " As many as touched him were made 
 perfectly whole." Glory be to him who enables us 
 still to handle the word of life. These are the 
 five senses of the spiritual man ; and each of them 
 finds in Christ the proper exercise of its faculty. 
 The bodily senses take in all the objects of nature; 
 the spiritual senses take in all the fulness of Christ : 
 and in him they have their employment, and will have 
 their happiness for ever. The belief of this, and 
 some enjoyment of it, makes me wish that I myself, 
 and you my Christian friends, may have our senses 
 more exercised in our own proper world, that we may 
 get faster hold of Christ, may find him more pre- 
 cious, and every day may be growing up into him, 
 and that in all things. You have great reason to 
 pray for VV. R. 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 My very good Friend, — You know our custom 
 — We begin the year always with a motto. Ours 
 for 1790 is — " Trust in him at all times." A year 
 of especial faith. I would have it famous for believ- 
 ing — our bodies, and souls, and families, the church, 
 the state, at home, abroad, call for much trust in our 
 God. The word " trust" means to lean upon any 
 thing which you think will support you; and you 
 will do it with more or less confidence, as you are 
 
225 
 
 persuaded it is able to keep you from falling. This 
 is a beautiful idea of faith, as it respects the word of 
 God — our ground to lean upon. What has he said 
 in his promise of salvation, and what security have I 
 in leaning upon it, that I shall be a saved sinner? 
 You have the word of truth which cannot lie — the 
 promise of a faithful God, who keepeth his promise 
 for ever — his covenant, secured by the oath of the 
 eternal Three, and all these guaranteed by the name 
 which the Trinity have taken, namely, to be Alehim, 
 engaged upon oath to be on the side of his people, 
 their sworn allies, to defend them from all evil, and 
 to give them all good in earth and in heaven. Not- 
 withstanding the foundation of our faith is thus im- 
 mutably laid, so as to render unbelief without excuse ; 
 yet so it is, that they only believe to whom it is 
 given. The Holy Spirit alone can convince of sin, 
 its guilt, its danger — how near the poor creature is 
 to death and hell; he makes the conviction felt and 
 effectual, and the man is in earnest to flee from the 
 wrath to come. Then the divine warrant, and the 
 command to believe gain credit, and the truth of the 
 promise is received, and thereby the blessing in the 
 promise comes to be enjoyed. He is made to see, 
 that he has good ground to lean upon God's word ; 
 and he finds it safe, trusting to such evidence ; and 
 thereby he experiences how blessed they are who 
 put their trust in such a God, as Psalm ii. 12.; be- 
 cause there is great joy and peace in believing. 
 
 It may be done safely, it may be done happily, 
 at all times. What more can be said to recommend 
 this leaning upon God's word ? No case so despe- 
 rate, of sin and misery, but the word reaches it with 
 K 3 
 
226 
 
 a promise ; and faith mixed with the promise brings 
 deliverance from all sin, Rom. viii. 1, 2, 3. from all 
 misery — if it continues, it does good, Rom. viii. 28. 
 and in the best time, a happy issue, as Zech. xiii. 9. 
 O what a blessing is there in this passage of Zecha- 
 riah ! You have been tried lately in this fire, and 
 you will again, and soon. Read it over and over, 
 digest it, you will find it a sovereign cordial in an 
 hour of need. God give you to see it in my light, 
 and to get all the nourishment out of it of which it 
 is full. Is it so then, that no guilt, no trouble, 
 should hinder a man from trusting in God? nay more, 
 if these be the special times of trusting, let us con- 
 sider what encouragement we have to make this year 
 famous for believing, come what may. 
 
 First, for salvation, as ver. 7. Fallen man is 
 under the law, under sin, therefore dying and with- 
 out any help or hope in himself; for there is salva- 
 tion in no other than Jesus Christ. But whenever 
 any one believes in Jesus, he is saved freely by grace. 
 The law no longer condemns, the lawgiver justifies. 
 All iniquities are freely forgiven, and the peace of 
 God rules (should rule) in the conscience always, and 
 by all means. Death is changed into life, as John 
 xi. 25, 26. even a life that cannot die. 
 
 Secondly, O what a glorious subject of rejoicing 
 is here ! called, ver. 7, glory — God himself is our 
 salvation. Here faith may triumph all the year. A 
 paraphrase on Isaiah, chap. xii. especially on ver. 3. 
 rendered well; but Mr. K. can tell you that it is the 
 fountain of salvation, which cannot, hke a "wellt be 
 drawn dry. 
 
 As salvation is for sinners, joy for the miserable, 
 
227 
 
 80 the next word, ver. 7. strength, is suited to the 
 weak. The weakest believer has an almighty arm 
 to lean upon in every trial, trouble, or temptation: he 
 cannot fall, unless his faith fails. A paraphrase on 
 that sweet hymn, Isa. xxvi. 1, 2, &c. and on that 
 blessed experience recorded, 2 Cor. xii. 7 — 10. 
 Strong in faith, strong in all. Thus, for all the pos- 
 sible events of the year, we have, as ver. 7. God for 
 our refuge, in the most desperate case that can be. 
 Our Jesus is able to save to the uttermost : you may 
 cast safely all your sins, and all your cares, upon 
 God-Jesus. His almighty power is with you, and 
 for you. He said once, and blessings on him, we 
 find it true to this day, " Fear not : I am thy 
 shield ; and thy exceeding great reward." Who can 
 tell the full meaning of this promise ? However, 
 leaning upon it, we may go with confidence through 
 all the troubles of life, yea, through the valley of the 
 shadow of death, and fear no evil. 
 
 O what a year would this be, if we could always 
 bring these principles into practice, without doubt or 
 wavering ! For you see, that in all cases, in all times, 
 we are commanded to trust God in Christ ; and in / 
 trusting we shall find, 1. Salvation ; 2. The joys of 
 it; and, 3. The security of it: the Lord's strength 
 being our keeper, and our sure refuge in Hfe and 
 death, from all possible evil. 
 
 These are some of our encouragements to set out 
 in this new year with fresh spirits, that we may hold 
 out, and go on from faith to faith. There is no 
 temptation, enemy, danger, or corruption, which 
 should stop us. Nay, these are so many motives for 
 depending on God's promised help ; so that neither 
 
228 
 
 what we feel within, nor fear without, should make 
 us withdraw our confidence. 
 
 Then came the application, — 1. To professors who 
 have not faith. 2. To weak believers, who are so 
 because they make not use of Christ's strength ; for, 
 under the teaching of his Spirit, the weakest is the 
 strongest. And, 3. To- sound believers. The mo- 
 tives from this Psalm — a paraphrase was given upon 
 it — then desiring them to read it at home, to get it 
 off by heart, that in the shop, in the closet, in the 
 exchange, wherever they were, or whatever they 
 were doing, they might live by the faith of the Son 
 of God ; so that it might be a most famous year for 
 the increase of faith. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 May 3, 1790. 
 My dear Friend, — You bind us to you with the 
 sweet cords of love. I send you in return some of 
 my good things, a word in season — which was our 
 subject yesterday ; and, if the Lord please to rain 
 and shine upon it, you will taste some of the rich 
 fruit of the tree of life, which groweth in the midst 
 of the paradise of God. The words were Psalm Ixv. 
 10. " Thou blessest the springing thereof." He is 
 speaking of the beauty of this season, when nature 
 revives from the dark dead winter, and the grass, and 
 corn, and trees, grow and shoot forth. How ver- 
 dant are the meadows — how flourishing the corn — 
 what fair blossoms on the trees — promising us, 
 through God's blessing, a fruitful year ! Are we 
 
229 
 
 only to look at this delightful scene, and is it all to 
 end in admiration ? Oh, no. A very important les- 
 son is held forth, and made quite sensible. Nature in 
 this, as in all other things, preaches and confirms the 
 doctrines of grace — not by comparison or metaphor, 
 but the God of nature so formed his works, that they 
 should be standing records, outward and visible signs, 
 to give us true ideas of spiritual objects. In the 
 present case, we have a fine spring season : what is 
 the cause of it ? The earth itself is inert matter — 
 acts only as acted upon. What pushes forward the 
 grass, and corn, and trees ? An unerring philoso- 
 pher gives this account, 2 Sam. xxiii. 4. " He 
 (Christ) shall be like the light of the morning, when 
 the sun riseth ; even a morning without clouds, as 
 the tender grass springeth out of the earth by clear 
 shining after rain." Here has been a fine shower ; 
 after it, the sun rises without a cloud, and this makes 
 the grass spring out of the earth : the clear shining 
 thins, rarifies the rain, impels it into the tubes of the 
 plant or tree, drives it along as sap and nourishment: 
 so all things grow. Look at Deut. xxxiii. 12, &c. 
 which is a philosophical description of vegetation— 
 " How the light pushes forth the sap, and makes all 
 the precious fruits of the earth to ripen." This is 
 the picture, created on purpose to give an idea of a 
 spiritual spring. Christ is the light, his Spirit is 
 the water of life — all men by nature are like winter, 
 till Christ enlighten, and, by his Spirit, revive them. 
 He breaks up their fallow ground, and fits it for the 
 seed, which is the word of God. When the sower, 
 who is the Son of man, puts his Spirit into the seed, 
 then it has life, it grows, it bears fruit an hundred 
 
230 
 
 fold, even fruit unto life everlasting. This answers 
 a grand inquiry in the spiritual life : How shall I 
 know that 1 have had a spring-time, and that any of 
 the good seed has been sown in my heart? Answer, 
 I feel I want it ; my heart is fallow ground, and I 
 wait on the sower, as Deut. xxxii. 2. " That he 
 would put in the good seed, and give it the early 
 and the latter rain." 
 
 But how shall I know that mine is really a true 
 spring ? By depending more on spiritual influ- 
 ences. Nothing grows in nature without rain and 
 sunshine : so in grace, nothing grows without Christ 
 and his Spirit. A conviction of this will lead to the 
 experience of Isa. Iviii. 11. 
 
 But I do not grow as I could wish : It is a great 
 growth to feel this. I want more showers — O what 
 am I when the influence of heaven is withdrawn ! 
 Then I feel my dependence — then I see it good to 
 wait for the showers of heaven — then I expect 
 gentle rain, dropping, that it may soak in, and come 
 down like dew, unfelt, unseen, only in its blessed 
 effects. 
 
 But how shall I be certain, that if I have a spring 
 I have the blessing of God upon it ? Truly, thanks 
 be to the Son of man, I have got some of the har- 
 vest ; I bless him for fulfilling Hosea xiv. 5 — 8. 
 and I also rejoice in my God, the giver of my life, 
 and of my liveliness. Psalm iv. 7. is my present 
 state, and that most beautiful spring mentioned Can- 
 ticles ii. 10 — 13. is what I am seeking and praying 
 for. I wish I had room to give you my ideas of 
 that sublime description. Call upon me for it, if ever 
 I see you ; and I give it you under my hand, that 
 
231 
 
 you shall know all that I know of it. The seed 
 sown, growing, thriving, will ripen into a glorious 
 harvest : great joy and peace in believing is the 
 first-fruits. O how should they adore and worship 
 him, who have the foretaste of that eternal spring. 
 It will be the same there as here, only more perfect 
 and more lasting. May the sun shine and the clouds 
 
 drop down their influence upon Mr. and Mrs. , 
 
 upon my dear John, upon every branch of your fa- 
 mily, that we may all feel his life, his liveliness, and 
 our growth by hira into life eternal. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 My dear Friend, — At present I am busy about 
 my Bible ; being sufifered to live to read it over once 
 more. Two things have occurred to me in the pre- 
 sent perusal, in both which I am enabled to triumph. 
 The one is, a deeper discovery of the horrible 
 state I am in through sin ; so that, as a child of 
 Adam, I feel nothing in myself but the working of 
 corruption — by and under the law, dead to God ; 
 but all are alive to sin — every faculty at work to 
 bring it forth — the mind — the heart — the senses — 
 yea, the very imagination, in prayer disturbing, dis- 
 tracting, quite lawless — I can do nothing but cry 
 out, Rom. vii. 24. Reading verse 25. I get my se- 
 cond lesson, and find employment for my Jesus. A 
 body of sin and death like mine, wants an almighty 
 Saviour, and I am learning to put more honour upon 
 his word and work daily. I find more need of him 
 than ever, and it is some true joy that he is most 
 
232 
 
 exactly suited to my desperate case; havrng no hope 
 but in his blood, not one ray but in his righteous- 
 ness, no strength but in his arm, no happiness but 
 out of his fulness; I am led even to triumph in what 
 he is to me ; I would lay myself at his feet, and 
 would bless his dear name that he is become all my 
 salvation, and glory in him that he is now all my 
 desire. It is the best reading that ever I had : self 
 was never so brought down, and so crucified daily ; 
 nor did I ever see so much reason to magnify the 
 person of God-Jesus. In this spiritual crucifixion 
 of self and sin — in this true growing up out of self 
 into Christ — may the Holy Spirit teach you to profit 
 daily. Pray for yours, in our common Lord, 
 
 \V. R. 
 
 LETTER Xin. 
 
 Nov. 10, 1790. 
 Mr. and Mrs. T., — I am told it is a good thing - 
 to be giving of thanks : because it is the right im- 
 provement of past mercies, and the best way to se- 
 cure a rich supply for the future. It keeps the eye 
 where it should be, fixed upon the fulness of Jesus. 
 He gave — he continues to give — and he will con- 
 tinue. All come from him. A mercy — the feeling 
 it a mercy — and the praising him for it, — this is 
 grace for grace. It is his way, yea, his delight to 
 give thus liberally, when he gets all the glory of his 
 gifts. In this holy merchandise, you may be as rich 
 as you will. My friends, he will withhold no favour I 
 from you, if you carry him back all his praise. Re- j 
 ceiving his gifts, and thanking him for them, is the 
 
233 
 
 true spirit of the gospel, and is the practical im 
 provement of it both in earth and in heaven. This 
 is my lesson for the year 1790. I have just finished 
 another reading of my Bible, and, as I told you, my 
 profiting has been in a deeper discovery of the ex- 
 ceeding wickedness of sin, and of mine own heart-sin, 
 deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. 
 If I had been only in the school of Moses to learn, 
 I should, with such views of sin, have hanged my- 
 self long ago ; but in the school of Christ, his Spirit 
 enables us to feel daily more of the mystery of ini- 
 quity, that we may have occasion to know more of, 
 and to trust more in, that offering of Jesus which 
 perfecteth for ever. Thus things go quite right 
 when Christ is exalted, and self is brought down and 
 kept down. This seems to bring our religion into 
 a very little compass ; but the practice of this one 
 doctrine is universal, reaching to all times of life, and 
 to all things in life — keeping us ever dependent on 
 the Spirit of Christ to teach, and on his power to 
 enable us to live out of self upon the fulness of God 
 our Saviour. Mr. , he can make you a bet- 
 ter scholar than I am ; for which blessing, may my 
 prayer be heard for you in the full sense of the pro- 
 mise — " Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is 
 the kingdom of heaven." W. R. 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 May 5, 1792. 
 My dear Friend, — I thank you for the good ac- 
 count you send me of my Doctor. I knew he would 
 
234 
 
 not fail you. Thanks be to him for blessing the 
 means for Mrs. T.'s recovery. I hope for his far- 
 ther help. He can still do greater things; for he 
 does nothing by halves : ail his words and works are 
 like himself, perfect. If he undertake, he will in- 
 fallibly complete the cure. So we read of his pa- 
 tients, however desperate their cases they were all 
 made perfectly whole. His hand is not shortened. 
 He can remove every spiritual disease, and restore 
 present and eternal health. Such miracles are not 
 ceased. More faith in him would multiply them in 
 number; more faith would increase them in experi- 
 ence; more faith would then bring him more praise: 
 for thus we read of a healed sinner : " Bless the 
 Lord, O my soul, and all within me bless his holy 
 name : bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all 
 his beneBts : who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who 
 healeth all thy diseases." By this spiritual health 
 he works a wonderful effect upon the body: it is 
 better than any medicine, not for keeping off dis- 
 eases, but for bringing in the supports of patience, 
 and the comforts of faith ; by which a man, even in 
 bodily pain, can be kept happy in his soul ; yea, so 
 happy, as scarce to feel the pain for the greatness 
 of his inward joy. Thus speaks the word: " My 
 brethren, count it all joy, when ye fall into divers 
 trials." And the noble army of martyrs confirmed 
 the word : they met death rejoicing that they were 
 accounted worthy to suffer for their precious Jesus. 
 I want Mrs. T. to come from Bath perfectly cured, 
 as well as he thinks proper, in her body, but in the 
 highest health that can be, in her soul. She knows 
 a good deal of his fame, but a great deal more re- 
 
235 
 
 mains to be known. He is not only a most wonder- 
 ful Physician for healing all the diseases of sin, but 
 also for giving his patients every faculty which can 
 fit them to receive and to enjoy the blessings of 
 spiritual health. O what a Jesus — what a Jesus ! 
 he creates ears to hear the words of eternal life, 
 eyes to see the King in his beauty, and to be ena- 
 moured with his matchless charms. And then to taste 
 and see, what a most sweet Jesus he is — O what a 
 fragrancy ! When the gospel recommends his love, 
 and the Spirit makes his name like the sweetest oint- 
 ment poured forth, then the believer can, with his 
 hands, handle the word of life — he hears, and sees, 
 and tastes, and smells, and feels, that his beloved is 
 infinitely more than all other beloveds. Thus he 
 gives spiritual senses, and spiritual enjoyments to 
 the inward man, and come what may to the outward, 
 he maintains joy and peace in believing, which the 
 world cannot take away. O that you and Mrs. T. 
 may go away from Bath admiring and adoring his 
 wonder-working love, healed in body, healed in soul, 
 happy in both. You never, never can trust him 
 enough, nor praise him as he deserves. His name 
 alone is excellent, and his praise above heaven and 
 earth. May he become dearer to you every day : 
 so he will, if you use him more. Let him be your 
 
 companion in your journey. Take him to . 
 
 Make much of him — be intimate with him in your 
 own room. Go not to W. without him. Do no- 
 thing without him. Living by faith upon him at all 
 times, and for all things, whatever you take in hand 
 shall prosper. He will bless your substance, your 
 table, your children, your bed, your servants : he will 
 
236 
 
 load you with his benefits, and he will do you good 
 all the days of your life ; and when they come to an 
 end, he will give you to depart in peace. After that, 
 he will do greater things than I can tell you. My 
 prayers, my letters, my life, are directed to him, that 
 he would vouchsafe to make me any way instrumen- 
 tal in recommending him to you ; that you, and Mrs. 
 T. brother K. and all his and yours, may grow in 
 grace, and in the knowledge and love of our dearest 
 Jesus. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 Nov. U, 1792. 
 I AM very thankful for your account of brother 
 K.'s sermon. There is great need of such sound 
 doctrine, and also of much prayer to our God that 
 he would be pleased to bless it; for the times are 
 very feverish : but he can, artd he only can, cool and 
 quiet the inflamed spirits; and he only can keep us 
 from the infection. I am therefore of his party, and 
 of no other: and though we be but a little army, 
 yet we shall prove in the end the strongest side : yea, 
 come what may upon this distracted world, he will 
 keep us safe from all evil. The persuasion of this 
 makes us love him — gives us a zeal for his glory — 
 and a holy sympathy with believers, and for unbe- 
 lievers. In all which I have received great confirma- 
 tion from Ezek. ix. in which I find a fixed purpose 
 to destroy the city, for the abominations committed 
 by priests and people — the execution is ordered, 
 and the destroyers have their commission ; but they 
 
287 
 
 are not suffered to act, till the Lord Christ sets his 
 mark upon his own people, of whom not one was to 
 be hurt. They were his sealed — his Spirit had set 
 on them the seal, and faith received the impression. 
 Their character as believers is beautifully drawn, 
 ver. 4. They were humbled, and mourning for un- 
 humbled sinners, and crying and praying to the Lord 
 for mercy, for themselves, and for a guilty land. In 
 their number may I be found, and herein exercising 
 my whole system of Christian politics — grieved for 
 my Lord's glory, grieved for those who rob him of 
 it, and praying earnestly to him, that he would grant 
 I them repentance unto life ; blessing at the same time 
 I his dear name for the distinguishing mark of his 
 1 love, that he has enabled me to set to my seal that 
 [ God is true. O my friend, we are as bad, as ripe 
 for destruction, as Jerusalem was; we have great 
 I reason to mourn before the Lord, and to pray that 
 he would spare this guilty land. Whatever he is 
 going to do with us in the way of judgment, I know 
 not; but I have infinite reason to thank him, that 
 the destroying angel cannot hurt one on whom is the 
 • mark. I verily believe, without doubting, that he 
 1 has sealed you also for his own ; and I can see the 
 impression very legible on Mrs. T. May the Spirit 
 who made it, render it every day more plain and more 
 1 practical, especially by the blessed fruits mentioned 
 I ver. 4. of the holy mourners ; that they may abound 
 
 in a great harvest at , is the hearty prayer of 
 
 W. R. 
 
 ■ 
 
LETTER XVI. 
 
 Dec. 1, 1792. 
 My dear Friend, — ' so much for this affair : 
 now for another; in which more than you and me 
 are concerned. — I fear children yet unborn. It is 
 the evil, infinite evil, everlasting evil of sin; on 
 which all the charges are to be laid of national, public, 
 family, and personal suffering. God is angry at no- 
 thing but sin; his wrath against it is revealed from 
 heaven, all sin, my sin. It is charged upon me; 
 and I have fled to the city of refuge — sheltered by 
 the sprinkled blood, and by the mighty arm of my 
 Jesus. When I live most upon him, he teaches me 
 the true humbling of heart, for myself; and seeing 
 from what he has saved me, my bowels melt over the 
 sins and sufferings of others. Then he makes me j 
 plead with him for my fellow-sinners, and very thank- i 
 ful, more than I am, or can be, for myself. This is I 
 the only concern I have with the times. He is ruling " 
 by his providence, punishing sin, and warning sinners ' 
 to take heed now he has his iron rod in his hand. I' 
 O spare Great Britain ! Lord spare us, and give 
 not thine heritage over to confusion. I have a long 
 catalogue of national sins to pray over : as long as " 
 the prophet had, Ezek. ix. and I hope with some of 
 his faith. I told you before, what a great honour 
 it is to be among those holy mourners on whom God 
 had set his mark; for they were not to be touched I ''" 
 by the destroyer. How precious is that chapter to ' ^ 
 me in these times! What full security does it give i ""i 
 
239 
 
 believers, that God will take special care of them, 
 whatever destruction he may send upon unbelievers. 
 I pray him to set his mark upon you, that is, faith ; 
 that when men's hearts are failing them for fear, 
 and for looking after those things which are coming 
 upon the earth, you may not be afraid of any evil 
 tidings, but your heart may be established, trusting 
 in the Lord. The God of peace grant you peace 
 always, and by all means : so prays, most cordially, 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XVIL 
 
 Feb. 2, 1793. 
 
 My friend Mr. T. — Mr. N. told me you was 
 expected in town ; but I hear nothing of your arri- 
 val, and therefore I send my messenger to inquire 
 how you all do. Busy you are, I know, and to some 
 purpose. As far as I can help you on, that this 
 great hurry may not stop you, either in the seeking, 
 or in the enjoying of the best of things, I am in my 
 watch-tower, looking up to the keeper of Israel for 
 you and yours, for the public prosperity, for our 
 king; and above all, that our Lord would be pleased 
 to revive his work in our land and day. This is 
 much upon my heart, and keeps me watchful and 
 waiting for what the Lord will answer. As his in- 
 terpreter, reading his will in his present dispensations, 
 1 am to plead in his name for sinners, and to give 
 fihem warning. He is angry at nothing but sin, and 
 his anger has broke out. His arm is lifted up to 
 strike, and his glittering sword has given a fearful 
 
240 
 
 blow, as you may read, Ezek. xxi. from ver. 8 — 18. 
 
 and yet it has more to slay before it be put up into 
 the scabbard. No repentance yet, no turning to him 
 who smiteth them. I see daily greater necessity for 
 keeping in my watch-tower; as it is my office to 
 be found waiting upon God, humbled for my own 
 sins, and praying and pleading for those who cannot 
 read his present judgments against sin, and against 
 the greatest of all sins — unbelief. In times as bad 
 as the present, Habakkuk prayed, and kept on pray- 
 ing in his watch-tower, until he got a gracious hear- 
 ing and a favourable answer. A good example for 
 all who follow the steps of his faith, humbling them- 
 selves before God for sin, they will find his mercy 
 for themselves, and it may be such a gracious answer 
 as he obtained. This is my present office, in which 
 I am now waiting — in which I hope to meet you 
 often, as a Christian, a minister, a subject. I 
 go no farther in politics, than to be found in that 
 blessed exercise of the prayer of faith, described in 
 Psalm cxxii. paraphrased from beginning to end in 
 our sermon, Jan. 30. when one of my parish left 
 thirty shillings for the minister, to recommend 
 " brotherly love and charity," a far better subject 
 than Whig or Tory. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XVHI. 
 
 March 6, 1795. 
 Mr. and Mrs. T., — You are one, therefore I 
 put you together in my letter of thanks, for a very 
 kind and friendly acknowledgment in your last, for 
 
^41 
 
 the present of the * Triumph of Faith.' I wish I 
 could give you the grace as well as the book : but it 
 is an inestimable gift, and in better hands than mine. 
 One is the Author and the Finisher, and with him I am 
 pleading for the increase of faith in both your hearts. 
 The more he gives you, your appetite will increase, 
 and you will wait in the means of his appointing for 
 daily growth. With this waiting faith 1 hope I am 
 getting on : and, as I am nearer every moment to the 
 end of my faith, I thank my God that he vouchsafes 
 me very comfortable and believing views of what lies 
 before me; and I doubt not but he will make me a 
 dying witness for Jesus and his love. Do not cease to 
 recommend me to his mercy, as I trust he will en- 
 able me to plead for you to the last. 
 
 I have received a very obliging letter from brother 
 K. for which I own myself indebted to him ; and am 
 repaying him as fast as I can with my prayers, both 
 for himself and for his congregation. If he has 
 good times in his pulpit work, and sinners hear and 
 repent; and if his church members grow in number 
 and grace, I am helping him as my Lord enables 
 me; and with him I am more earnest, because we 
 live now in troublesome times, when a refuge from 
 the storm, and a sure covert from danger, should be 
 much sought after and highly valued. 
 
 My love particularly to Mrs. T. and I hope she 
 has some of the experience, as well as the knowledge, 
 of the great doctrines in which the Christian tri- 
 umphs. Because of her stomach's sake, and her 
 often infirmities, I wish her spirits may be kept up 
 by the reviving cordials of the gospel, and she may 
 never want joy, great joy and peace in believing. 
 
 L 54 
 
 I 
 
242 
 
 My God be with you, a vety precious Jesus to 
 parents, children, Miss H. K., &c. &c. So prays, 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 Dec. 13, 1782. 
 My good Friend, — I have read in a certain book 
 — " As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news 
 from a far country." You know this is the gospel. 
 Many, thank God, very many times it has been good 
 news to you and me. And while the blessed sound 
 is joyful in our hearts, it makes all other good news 
 better. So it improved your letter. I received it 
 as one of my covenant blessings. You have your 
 thanks; and God has had his. I am certain you 
 ■will not be offended that he had the first and best. 
 The contents of the letter were also every one of 
 them cordials — " as a cup of cold water to a thirsty 
 soul." What struck me first, was your noble col- 
 lection.* Indeed it was great, in itself valuable, but 
 
 more so from the motive : I believe Mr. gives, 
 
 and teaches to give from faith. Christian charity 
 springs from Christ received — works by Christ's 
 grace — expects acceptance through Christ's inter- 
 cession, and done ever so much, or ever so well, re- 
 fers all to Christ's glory. So again I come to my 
 point. The good minister and the good congrega- 
 tion have my warmest thanks, but to the Lord Christ 
 be all their praise. Please to communicate this to 
 
 • For the Bible Society. 
 
243 
 
 Mr. K. and farther inform him, how much he and 
 his congregation are laid in my heart since I have 
 
 fully discovered the present state of . O what 
 
 deplorable blindness is there in ministers and people ! 
 What a fearful opposition are they carrying on 
 against the Lord and his Christ ! What have I 
 
 told them, what had Mr. to tell them, but of 
 
 the almighty power; of the infinite wisdom as in- 
 fluenced by the sovereign love of God-Jesus, to save 
 all that come to him ; to save them from all their 
 sins, and from all their miseries, and also to give them 
 all possible good in earth and in heaven ? This is the 
 kindest message of the gospel, and it is sweetly re- 
 commended by putting the sinner into the present 
 enjoyment of salvation, as the sure earnest of eternal 
 
 enjoyment. Mr. says, " This shall not be 
 
 I preached in my pulpit, because my congregation are 
 offended at it." Lord God, open their eyes 1 In 
 
 ; this view, Mr. , you see the important stand 
 
 ' which your brother ought to make. The good news 
 ^ shall not be suffered to be proclaimed in churches. 
 
 .1 Not even Mr. , among his friends and relations, 
 
 i shall enter the pulpit. In such circumstances surely 
 r very much depends upon Mr. ■ How earnest 
 
 a should he be in his work ! How faithful in preach- 
 i ing ! How careful in his walk ! How fervent in 
 J closet prayer ! How constantly dependent on Christ 
 \ for the success of his ministry ! May the Spirit of 
 J the living God keep him — his eye single — his heart 
 ■J chaste — his whole soul engaged in magnifying the 
 « person and the work of God our Saviour. I shall 
 ' be often remembering him and you when I am at 
 court. The King of kings is extremely gracious to 
 L 2 
 
 t 
 
244 
 
 me, and admits me into his presence, and sometimes 
 into his cabinet : when he vouchsafes me such a fa- 
 vourable audience, I will not fail to present a petition 
 for poor S. Let me recommend it to you to do the 
 same at your prayer-meetings. God bless them, 
 and be much with you in that hour. May your 
 pleadings for your ignorant neighbours bring down, 
 both on them and on you, showers of blessings. 
 
 Your letter was like the aforesaid cordial, because 
 it brought a welcome account of your family. We 
 had been often saying, " I wonder we do not hear 
 
 from . What can be the matter ? I am afraid 
 
 they are not all well." At last comes good news 
 from your family and friends, for which I am very 
 thankful. My blessed Master is very kind in tak- 
 ing care of you. He has followed you with loving- 
 kindness all your days. And I pray him, I doubt 
 not but he will, keep you to the end. I had an- 
 other subject of thankfulness from your letters — they 
 came just time enough to inform me of opening the 
 brew-house. I was present on the occasion, and I am 
 a witness it was consecrated in form. The trade 
 thereof was dedicated to the Lord, and I trust 
 he will have the whole management of it. Please 
 to tell — that I shall continue my fervent prayers for 
 their success. I hope our God will bless them in 
 better things than these, and will give them the upper 
 as well as the nether springs : and then my joy con- 
 cerning them will be full. 
 
 When you have read thus far, you will begin to 
 think that I write in good spirits — and yet I am un- 
 der the rod, and it is a very sharp one. Mrs. 
 
 called on Tuesday, and my wife could not see her ; 
 
245 
 
 indeed she has seen nobody since we heard the me- 
 lancholy news of my son's death. It has been to us 
 both a very heavy affliction. He was cut ofF by a 
 violent flux at Trincomalee in the island of Ceylon. 
 I feel as a parent ; I am not a stone : but grace has 
 got the better of nature. God supports. God 
 comforts. I have a will of mine own ; and by it I 
 would have gladly kept my son ; for he was a sweet 
 youth. But I can, from my heart, say, " Not my 
 will. Lord, but thine be done;" whereby I have the 
 advantage of finding that my faith, being put into the 
 furnace, is true gold. It is, glory be to grace, 
 proved and improved. When 1 first saw the letter 
 which brought us the account, I knew the general's 
 seal to it, and, fearing the contents, I looked up for 
 the presence and for the support of my good Mas- 
 ter and my old Friend ; and he answered me in the 
 words of a great believer, " The Lord gave, and the 
 Lord hath taken away." He has a right to do what 
 he will with his own. Then he enabled me to reply, 
 "'Blessed be the name of the Lord ;" and I do praise 
 him for giving me some of Job's resignation, that I 
 could use his words with the same spirit. My poor 
 wife has exquisite feelings on this occasion. She 
 wishes not to murmur, nor to displease our good 
 Lord by any hard thoughts of him. But the ten- 
 derness of the parent, and to a child who never 
 offended her in his life, occasions risings of grief. 
 The spirit is willing to kiss the rod, but the flesh is 
 weak. In the main, she behaves as I could wish. 
 Her faith is supported. Her mind grows quiet and 
 calm. And I doubt not but God will soon bring in 
 his comforts, as well as supports. W. R. 
 
246 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 Bath, Sept. 22, 1783. 
 My dear Friend, — Our good Lord would not 
 have you not to feel for your loss, but to mourn as 
 one that hath ho^e. We cannot doubt but your 
 mother is with the Lord. And though she had a 
 legal heart to struggle with, and had legal connec- 
 tions which cherished a sort of staggering at the 
 promises, yet she was in Christ. All is safe in his 
 hand. I have heard her again and again commit 
 herself into his keeping : and I am a witness, that 
 her confidence was placed on the right object, on 
 which God himself had commanded her to rest her 
 soul. Sorrow not, therefore, so much for her, as to 
 hinder your gratitude to God for his special kindness 
 to her living and dying. You have lost a mother, a 
 good mother, and I have lost a friend; but neither 
 you nor I would wish her back again. Blessed be 
 God, we are following her — very fast I am. Blessed 
 be his holy name, he supported her faith to the last 
 — so he will ours. Let us improve this providence, 
 as much as we can, to be always ready — that living 
 and dying we may be the Lord's. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXL 
 
 Friday Morning. 
 My dear Friend,— Although I have not time to 
 write as I could wish, yet I could not neglect the 
 
247 
 
 opportunity, if it was only to let you see that the 
 doctrines of grace are not unfriendly to good works. 
 Though, by the by, the first good work a man can 
 do, is to receive them ; and the next, and so on, is 
 to make use of them. When I would tell you of 
 my good works, it is not great I. O no. It is the 
 sun that makes fruitfulness — so does my Sun, my 
 light and my life. He enables me to wish to be 
 like him ; and to be doing what he did, and as he did 
 it: on the same motive and to the same end. My 
 love to you is truly his gift. And what if I should 
 say I show proof of it, expecting nothing again ? I 
 take every occasion to mention you and yours to my 
 gracious Lord, and he is pleased to hear me. The 
 very privilege is its own blessedness. It will only 
 receive some addition when friend T. shall say — I 
 am doing the same for you and yours. I believe 
 you are doing it. But do it more, and better, and 
 get out of my debt as fast as you can. It will be a 
 good while first : but if you will let me give you a 
 hint, it may be improved for your sake and mine. 
 Make a conscience of remembering me as often as 
 
 you are going to . Pray one for another — so 
 
 runs the command, — mind how faithful he is to his 
 word. Daniel's three friends went to prayer — they 
 besought God with him, to give Daniel the under- 
 standing of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and the inter- 
 pretation : while they prayed, the answer came. In 
 like manner, when Peter was in prison, and to be 
 executed the next day, the church was at prayers all 
 night for his deliverance; and while they were pray- 
 ing, Peter came and told them how God had de- 
 livered him. Peter spoke very feelingly afterwards, 
 
248 
 
 when he said, " The Lord knoweth how to deliver 
 them that are his." Indeed, Sir, I want your 
 prayers. I ask them ; I have some right to them ; 
 and I believe they will do me good. My blessing 
 on all the children. Peace be with you. Amen. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXII. 
 
 Jan. 9, 1786. 
 Mr. T. — I begin with thanks — Blessed be his 
 name whcj has spared us another year, and is still 
 magnifying his mercy to us and to ours. He is good 
 and doeth good ; for his mercy endureth for ever. 
 And to whom ? Who are the objects of his mercy ? 
 Wonderful to consider: all, all of them are rebels — 
 and when pardoned ; for their best services deserve 
 nothing but hell : and yet he glorifies his grace in 
 such — giving, increasing, multiplying his mercies, 
 both to their bodies and souls; yea, he loadeth them 
 with his benefits. My friend, take an estimate of 
 them ; you have leisure, more than you had at S. 
 I am a bad accountant; but you are well acquainted 
 with figures — try what you can do in casting up this 
 sum — " What has God done for you ? When did 
 his purpose of doing you good begin? How many 
 mercies have followed you all the days of your life ? 
 And when will they stop?" Psalm ciii. 17. I be- 
 lieve it will puzzle all your skill in arithmetic to 
 give the sum total. A better man than you tried, 
 but he failed ; and he thought it his wisest part to 
 end the trial with fresh praise, as you may read, 
 
249 
 
 Psalm cvi. 1, 2. It is the right working of divine 
 grace, to be willing to ascribe all to grace. And in- 
 stead of getting out of debt by praises, we are more 
 indebted for our praises, and should be more thankful 
 for more thankfulness. When I have acknowledged 
 your Christmas present, it is no payment. It is 
 only saying, Mr. T. is very kind to his friends, and 
 I am among them, much beholden to him. That with 
 you is enough : so it is with our God. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXIII. 
 
 Jan. 4, 1792. 
 Mr. T.— We have taken our leave of the last 
 year. Farewell 1791, thou wilt return no more. 
 Welcome 1792. Our business now is, to try to 
 profit from the past, and to improve the coming time. 
 When a Christian looks back, every thing calls for 
 his praise. And looking forward, every thing calls 
 for prayer, the prayer of faith. On these subjects 
 we employed ourselves on new-year's-day. You 
 know it is one of my festivals. We had a great 
 meeting; and, I trust, many true worshippers. Our 
 motto for this year, and our employment through 
 all our years, is, " Grow in grace," 1 Pet. iii. 18. 
 Take the outlines. Grace means favour, free. In 
 our present circumstances, it is the favour of God to 
 the sinners of mankind; said to come from Jehovah, 
 very, very gracious — from the Father, from the Son 
 frequently, and from the Spirit of grace, to teach us, 
 that in the blessed Trinity, all their purposes, words, 
 and works are favour, nothing but real favour to 
 L 3 
 
250 
 
 believers. To them who feel guilt and wrath in 
 their consciences, it comes lik-e a cool breeze after a 
 sultry day; and it is also compared to dew, which, in 
 hot countries, is very necessary to all the fruits of 
 the earth, and comes upon them most freely, as you 
 may see, Mic. v. 7. 
 
 Hence the necessity of it was shown. It is to 
 the soul what breath is to the body. What the 
 dew, and rain, and the shining of the heavens are to 
 every thing that grows out of the earth; so is grace, 
 as the apostle proves at large, Ephes. ii. And this 
 leads us to consider the objects of grace, not so much 
 in the purpose of the Trinity, as in the discovery of 
 it. They are quickened by the Spirit of life, en- 
 abled to receive Jesus for their Saviour and their 
 God, and then to live upon his fulness by faith, 
 where they find all grace for spiritual life, growth, 
 and activity; moment after moment, grace for grace. 
 
 To learn this lesson in practice, is the sound ex- 
 perience of a true believer — grace to pardon, as 
 1 Tim. i. 14.— grace to subdue sin — grace to purify 
 the heart — grace to regulate the life; these, in use, 
 are the exercise and the improvement of the grace of 
 Jesus. He takes all from Christ as mere favour, 
 and wishes to grow up into him in all things. May 
 this prosper in your heart. God is teaching it you, 
 as I observe from your last letter; and I see a legal 
 turn in you that would pervert his teaching. Mr. 
 T., the feeling of what you are should not keep you 
 from Christ, but make you live more on his grace, 
 and endear him to you, as the only refuge for your 
 case. If you grow in self-knowledge, it should be 
 your schoolmaster to teach you more of Christ: be- 
 
251 
 
 cause the more you know him, the more you will 
 trust him. He will every day give you more reason 
 to do it: and mind, the more you trust him, the more 
 you will love him. His Spirit will make him to 
 your believing heart, a precious Jesus ; and the con- 
 straining love of Christ will lead you to a diligent 
 use of all the appointed means, in which he has pro- 
 mised to meet and to bless his people. This is our 
 morality ; and all this is favour. He giveth grace, 
 and he giveth glory. Saints and angels are, and 
 will be to eternity, worshippers of our Emmanuel: so 
 says Peter, " To him be glory now, and through 
 the day of eternity : Amen." My application was, 
 1. To the graceless. 2. To seekers. 3. To the 
 weak in faith. 4. To the strong. All is from Christ. 
 May this year be a growing year — downwards and 
 upwards — out of self into Christ — from all creature 
 dependence to more perfect, in and on God, his word 
 and Spirit, as a witness to the fulness of Jesus. () 
 Mr. T. this is fine talking : but, believe me, you 
 may as soon create a world, as learn this lesson with- 
 out almighty grace. Pray, pray for divine teaching. 
 Pray for a growth in grace, that you may loathe and 
 abhor yourself; and, repenting in dust and ashes, 
 may adore the God of all grace. I am on my 
 watch-tower for you, and for Mrs. T. and for all 
 your family, that they may get it, and use it. 
 
 Mr. K. will not be offended at my wishing him 
 qaore grace in his heart, and in his pulpit, and in his 
 family. W. R. 
 
252 
 
 LETTER XXIV. 
 
 My dear Friend, — I have had to preach twelve 
 times in fourteen days — and rather not well, till 
 preaching comes, and then I get better. No Mas- 
 ter like mine. His service is perfect freedom. Our 
 meditation concerning him, on new-year's-dav, was 
 on one of his names, namely Melchisedec. From 
 comparing what is said of him in Genesis, and in the 
 110th Psalm, with St. Paul's comment upon both 
 these passages in Hebrews vii. it seems to me most 
 certain, that Jesus Christ is the person spoken of 
 in the Old Testament. The apostle has explained 
 the word for us, and says it means, " the King of 
 righteousness." O what a blessed name ! There 
 being none righteous, no, not one, he vouchsafed to 
 be " the Lord our righteousness." He wrought it 
 out for us, and applies it in us. He sends his Spirit 
 to convince us that we want it, and to enable us to 
 trust in his — to plead it in the conscience, and to 
 rejoice in it in the heart, and to be filled with the 
 blessed fruits (as Phil. i. 11.) of it in our lives. 
 Consider, he is the King of this saving righteous- 
 ness — a great King — Jehovah — King of kings — 
 the Creator of heaven and earth — the God of pro- 
 vidence, who uphokleth all things by the word of his 
 power — the God of the fathers, worshipped under 
 the tabernacle and temple dispensation — and the 
 God whom Christians worship, it being their dis- 
 tinguishing character to call upon the name of the 
 Lord, as you may see, Acts ix. 14. 1 Cor. i. 2. 
 
953 
 
 2 Tim. ii. 22. May he reveal himself all the year 
 to you, as your righteousness. And this is the proper 
 work and office of faith — with all the confidence of 
 your heart to depend upon him, so as to enjoy peace 
 with God — love to God — and loving obedience. 
 Remember, this year will call for much faith : and 
 you will not exercise it as far as he warrants you. 
 He bids you cast all your care upon him ; for Mrs. 
 T. — for cliildren — for business — for death — for 
 eternity : you cannot lay too much upon him, the 
 government of all worlds is upon his shoulders. O 
 precious faith ! He is ray King. He rules in my 
 heart. He has set up there a throne of grace. He 
 keeps under the rebels, and keeps me willing to 
 follow him wheresoever his providence leads. Mr. 
 T. I beg for you, and beg yourself, for more trust 
 in the Lord our righteousness. That you may so 
 grow in grace as to thank God, who always causeth 
 you to triumph in Ciirist. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 
 Your late sickness had a voice — it spake — and 
 you heard it say, " In the midst of life we are in 
 death." How short is life — how uncertain ! How 
 certain, infallibly certain, is death — how necessary 
 is preparation for it — how dangerous tlie least delay 
 —how comfortable a well-grounded hope of safely in 
 death, and of joy beyond it ! Mr. T. you know 
 these things. O for more practical knowledge, and 
 lively experience ! There is an antidote against the 
 sting, aye, and against the fear of death — an infal- 
 
254 
 
 lible cure— true faith believes, and takes it. The 
 conscience feels the sovereign virtue — the blood of 
 the Lamb cleanses it from all sin : and when guilt is 
 gone, the heart is saved from every enemy it had 
 reason to fear, and is entitled to every blessing that 
 God has promised. It is upon the ground of this 
 warrant, and nothing else, (pray mind that,) that any 
 man can look forward to death and judgment, with 
 a hope full of glory and immortality. What said 
 the blessed company of Old Testament martyrs ? 
 All these died in faith. To whom the New Testament 
 church in perfect unison replies. Thanks be to God, 
 who giveth us also the victory over the law, over sin, 
 and over death, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 Mr. T. you have their faith — God help you to make 
 good use of it. If you live long, you must expect 
 trials; the prospect which faith opens into the other 
 world, will marvellously support and comfort you 
 under them. God has given you many, many tem- 
 poral blessings; this faith will improve them, and 
 exalt them into spiritual and heavenly mercies — it 
 will teach you to sit loose to them — God in them, 
 and not they alone, will be your portion. You will 
 taste his goodness in them; and when he calls you 
 to leave them, you will be, he will make you, as 
 ready to leave them, as a poor beggar would be to 
 fall asleep, if the Almighty had promised that he 
 should awake a great emperor. Our Jesus is this Al- 
 mighty — he has promised to be our Shepherd through 
 life and death. May he magnify his tender care 
 over you, by making you feel happy in him, as happy 
 as the 23d Psalm promises he will make you. 
 
 I know you will excuse my long sermon ; but truly 
 
255 
 
 I am so sensible of the importance of preparation, 
 the dreadful danger of delay, that I could not help 
 thanking my God, who had spared you. This sick- 
 ness, 1 trust, was for his glory in your good — as 
 Lazarus' was — but Lazarus died afterwards. May 
 you live to die as Lazarus, and be where he is now. 
 I assure you, the Christian hope has its present har- 
 vest of blessings. May you enjoy them abundantly, 
 through life, and for ever and ever. 
 
 Mrs. T. is in my eye, and in my heart. What 
 I wish you, 1 also wish her. She carries about with 
 her a constant monitor, a weak and crazy body ; and 
 he says to her, " Be ye also ready." I know she 
 believes : and whatever bad nerves may suggest, and 
 they are terrible enemies to the comforts of Christ, 
 yet he is on her side; and he will prove himself, in 
 every time of need, to be her Saviour and her God. 
 She is persuaded I make use of my interest with 
 him for her, and for all she loves, especially my John, 
 whom God bless. B. K. gave me yesterday a good 
 account of his father — I was in prayer for him — 
 and have now been giving of thanks : may he be 
 preserved, for the sake of his church, his family, and 
 his friends. W, R. 
 
 LETTER XXVL 
 To Mrs. T. 
 
 Nov. 28, 1783. 
 My dear Friend, Mrs. T., — I was interested 
 greatly in the birth of John ; and, if I remember 
 
256 
 
 well, I sent you on that occasion some reflections to 
 stir up your gratitude. My heart has been with you 
 on the present mercy, for which I joined in prayer, 
 and now join in thanksgiving. You will not be 
 offended that I send you what has been upon my 
 mind lately, and what I trust has been also upon 
 yours — may he, who commands the blessing, make 
 it the means of exciting and increasing the praises of 
 your heart. I suppose you in your closet, and in 
 the presence of God, 
 
 O how many are my mercies ! and these new 
 mercies are calling for a new song of praise. 
 
 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within 
 me, bless his holy name : 
 
 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his 
 benefits : 
 
 For surely his mercy and goodness have fol- 
 lowed me all the days of my life. 
 
 O what was I, that God should set his love upon 
 me before time, and in time call me to the saving 
 knowledge of his Son, whom to know aright is life 
 eternal ? 
 
 And what am I even now, since I have felt some- 
 thing of the power of his precious gospel ? 
 
 Why me. Lord ? what was I, what am I, that I 
 should be chosen, and called, and accepted in the 
 Beloved ? Not unto me, in the least, not unto me, 
 but unto thy sovereign grace be all the praise. 
 
 O help me to ascribe unto thee the glory due 
 unto thy great name ; for I am surrounded, I am 
 loaded with thy benefits. 
 
 All thy dealings with me show forth thy loving- 
 kindness, and in temporals, as well as spiiituals, I 
 am singularly favoured. 
 
257 
 
 I cannot count my many many outward blessings, 
 nor can I be thankful enough for a spiritual use of 
 them. 
 
 When I survey my situation in life, my kind rela- 
 tions, my friends and substance, my house and servants, 
 they all proclaim the bounty of heaven to my soul. 
 
 Thanks be to thee, thou that delightest to do 
 good, I see thy hand, I taste something of thy love 
 in all my enjoyments. 
 
 I thank thee for thy gifts — I use them by thy 
 grace — and I bless thee, that they are in any mea- 
 sure sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 
 
 O how are my mercies increasing ! They abound 
 in number — in quality they grow more excellent : 
 for I get two in one — first a mercy, and then a 
 thankful heart to acknowledge it, which is grace for 
 grace. 
 
 Let me, deeply impressed, lift up my heart to bless 
 thee, Lord God, for my husband, ray children, and 
 especially for my new-born son — whom I devote to 
 thee, and to thy service. O be with him through 
 life ! Thou knowest my heart, and the feelings of a 
 mother, let the bowels of thy tender mercies in Christ 
 be towards him. I ask nothing more for him, and 
 thou wouldst not have me ask any thing less — than 
 that thou mayest be his portion, and his exceeding 
 great reward. 
 
 And now, Father of my mercies, who hast been 
 the guide of my youth, into thy care and keeping I 
 commit me and mine. 
 
 Here I am at P— — , a miracle of thy goodness. 
 Let me live here a life of praise — and whatever 
 blessings thou givest, crown them with an humble 
 and a thankful heart. 
 
258 
 
 O let me never be suffered to rob thee of tby glory, 
 but help me to give it all, where it is due, in life, 
 and death, and to all eternity — to Father, Son, and 
 Holy Ghost. Amen. 
 
 When this shall be completed, W. R. hopes to be 
 in company, and to join in an everlasting hallelujah. 
 Aye, and before too. The well-grounded expecta- 
 tion of this, feeds and nourishes our gratitude at 
 present. Already I feel some of its heavenly influ- 
 ence, and my design in writing is, to suggest some- 
 thing which may give you a new relish of it. Though 
 we cannot enjoy so much, nor praise so well, as our 
 elder brethren who are now round the throne, yet 
 surely we may taste and see as well as they, how 
 gracious our Lord is; and although they are ban- 
 queting at the marriage-supper, yet we, the friends 
 of the bridegroom, are invited to rejoice in our Lord 
 as well as theirs, and we are commanded too to re- 
 joice in him always : and again I say, rejoice. 
 
 My dear Mrs. T. I know your weak frame, and 
 your poor nerves — I make allowances for your bodily 
 infirmities; yet it is upon account of these very things 
 that I would try to stir you up the more. You want 
 fresh encouragements to believe, and by believing, 
 not only to go on your way, but also to be able to 
 go on rejoicing. Happy am I, if my good Master 
 pleases to bless any thing I write to the increasing 
 of your faith, and of your joy in him. Be assured, 
 the more you trust him, the greater reason you 
 will find to trust still more : and when you are quite 
 satisfied that you are safe in his hands, as he war- 
 rants you to be, then will your love to him abound; 
 for faith first worketh love, and then worketh by 
 
259 
 
 love, keeping the heart warm, in its grateful attach- 
 ment to a precious, precious Jesus. May this be 
 your portion : so prays, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXVII. 
 
 Mrs. T. — You gave me great pleasure in your 
 last letter. I am much beholden to you. I speak 
 not after the manner of men, but from my heart. I 
 feel thankfulness. It is no bad wish to pray you may 
 feel as much; for I am sure you have as much, if 
 not more reason. You have a friend who has done 
 wonders for you, and who expects nothing in return 
 but an humble acknowledgment : and that also he 
 must give you. I often think of his goodness, and 
 bless him for you. If he took away a parent, he 
 was better than a father. He himself brought you 
 up, and made your guardians so careful of you, and 
 so kind to you. He sent you your husband, and 
 put you into such circumstances that your heart can- 
 not wish for more. Look back, Mrs. T., look round, 
 and see whether our God hath not dealt bountifully 
 with you. May all his temporal mercies stir up, and 
 increase gratitude in your soul. But what are these, 
 though they be great, and many, and undeserved, 
 compared to his special favours ! I knew he loved 
 you : but I am happy to have it under your hand. 
 Whatever almighty love can do — he will perform. 
 O what a debt do you owe him — for his unspeakable 
 gifts — himself! What a sum is that I His Spirit, 
 to unite your spirit to Jesus. O what an infinite 
 mercy ! And to abide with you to keep you in union. 
 
260 
 
 and to establish communion with God your Saviour, 
 that in his fulness you may find and enjoy all the 
 blessings of the Father's love — his Father, and in 
 Jesus your Father. By what gracious providences 
 has he led you to this experience ! Your relations, 
 friends, acquaintance, and education, all kindly over- 
 ruled by him to train you up in the good old way. 
 Your present settlement, the family you are in, the 
 ministry you sit under — O what mercies ! The Bible 
 opened to you, the promises credited, put in suit, 
 applied. Prayer a delight, in some measure — praise 
 at times very encouraging — an humble walk, as I can 
 witness. My dear friend, raise up your heart, and 
 bless his holy name. If your heart be cold, like the 
 weather, warm it at his love : for all his gifts are but 
 a little earnest in hand. At present, your best is 
 but a foretaste. Look forward, and see what an 
 estate you have in reversion. True, it is only in 
 promise ; but that credited is as good as any free- 
 hold. Trust, trust him, be not afraid. It is yet 
 but a little, very little while, and he will put you into 
 full possession. And I hope to see it, and join your 
 eternal song of praise to God and the Lamb. Your 
 friends die. The year is just dead. I am tottering 
 over the grave : but he says to me, and he keeps up 
 my spirits, " Because I live, ye shall live also." In 
 this confidence, come what may, I go on my way re- 
 joicing. W. R. 
 
LETTERS 
 
 TO 
 
 DIFFERENT FRIENDS. 
 
 Letters to the Hon. and Rev. W. B. C. 
 LETTER I. 
 
 June 15, 1782. 
 My dear Friend, — Our Lord has been showing 
 you some tokens of his singular regard for you. 
 Whom he loveth he takes pains with. He has been 
 trying you with his rod : the trial on his part was al- 
 together love, and graciously intended for your im- 
 provement, " I will feed them," says the good Shep- 
 herd, " with the rod." — Strange food to reason and 
 sense, but rendered truly nourishing to faith. It 
 learns to feel what sin, exceeding sinful sin, is. The 
 smart says, " Sin deserves ten thousand times more 
 than this :" the smart continues, " Jesus, Lord, thy 
 will be done, only let faith and patience have their 
 perfect work, that I may love thee for mortifying the 
 life of sense :" the disorder abates, " O dear Saviour, 
 keep me humble and thankful, that I may so cleave 
 to thee with full purpose of heart, as to be dying 
 daily to other objects, and be more alive to thee; as 
 
262 
 
 the pain drove me to thee, may the removing it keep 
 me nearer to thee, so that I may practically learn to 
 set the Lord always before me." These, and many 
 other improvements, I hope, followed your late visi- 
 tation. It was sent to yield you the peaceable fruits 
 of righteousness; yea, a harvest of blessings — may 
 they be rich and ripe to the glory of the Giver ! 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER U. 
 
 Blaclcfriars, Dec. 23, 1783. 
 Dear Sir, — By favour of Mr. Neucatre, I send 
 my hearty wishes for your meeting the birth of Christ 
 with the spirit of the angels. It was the triumph of 
 their joy that Christ the Lord was born ; and yet he 
 was not so nearly related to them, as to you and me. 
 But they thought according to God's thoughts; and, 
 as far as they understood them, they admired and 
 adored his inestimable love in taking our nature into 
 union with himself. What a miracle of philan- 
 thropy ! " Will God in very deed dwell with men" 
 on the earth ? O yes ! though it puzzled Solomon, 
 yet God's counsels of old are now faithfulness and 
 truth. The Word is incarnate. Glory be to God 
 in the highest, the Peacemaker is come to the earth, 
 and has demonstrated the delight of his Father to- 
 wards men. Blessed be his witness — that you be- 
 believe it: blessed be his grace — that you enjoy it: 
 thanks be to his holy name — that you preach it. 
 May your meditations upon it, and your present 
 preaching of it, warm your heart with more than an- 
 
@63 
 
 gel's joy. Try to get a note above them ; I am sure 
 you ought, notwithstanding they were iv v-^iGTOtg. I 
 am aiming at it this Christmas, but have not yet at- 
 tained. And this makes up some of my best praise 
 — what he is to me — and what I am to him. I see, 
 and am under such infinite obHgations, that I am will- 
 ing to be in his debt for ever and ever. Even then 
 I shall pay him nothing ; or if it be worth any thing, 
 it will be all his own. All my fresh springs of glory, 
 as well as grace, shall be in him. W. R. 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Nov. 26, 1785. 
 My very dear Friend, — Methinks I heard a voice, 
 saying, " Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves." 
 However, I could not help weeping for our loss, al- 
 though we are certain she is entered into rest. The 
 
 church and people in R have a great loss, and 
 
 none more than yourself : for she really was a mother 
 to you in love, in every good office, and in continual 
 prayer for your person and for your labours. Tiie 
 poor will feel their loss. Her long experience made 
 I her wise in the things of God, by which she could 
 \ teach the ignorant with a meekness quite her own. 
 ! Her natural temper, sanctified by grace, enabled her 
 frequently to check the spreading of furious zeal and 
 wild separations : both which have had their day, 
 
 but I thank God seem to be dying away at R , 
 
 Though we know not the effect of her prayers, yet 
 her Lord is our Lord. He still reigneth : and to him 
 I will make my supplication. He will hear me often 
 
 I 
 
264 
 
 before his throne on the same errand. For many 
 
 years his interest at St. G 's has been upon my 
 
 heart. Still I feel it warm : and I hope it will be 
 warmer. When you speak in public upon the oc- 
 casion of her death, I will be praying him to make it 
 the means of giving life to many dead sinners. The 
 Lord Jesus bless your preaching that day to all who 
 hear it. My feelings are such, that I am sure I 
 could not be able to speak on the subject. My eyes 
 are running down with tears while I am writing. I 
 do not resist his will : O no, I kiss the rod, but I 
 do feel the smart, and shall for some time. God 
 sanctify it. May the Comforter take of the things of 
 Jesus, and with them help us to improve this visita- 
 tion. May Mrs. C profit much ; and all of us 
 
 learn, that there is no blessing upon earth, but living 
 in the Lord, and then great will be our blessedness, 
 
 when we come to die in the I.,ord. Mrs. R 
 
 very heartily joins, and begs to be remembered with 
 yours, W. R. 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 To Sir R. H. Bart. 
 
 Nov. 18, 1791. 
 Honoured Sir, — I do not know that you are 
 returned to England, but if you are, I am sure you 
 have seen enough abroad, to endear your native 
 country to you more than ever. It is at present the 
 favourite of heaven. Our privileges as free men, 
 and as Christians, set us far above the nations of the 
 
265 
 
 earth. It is my office to plead with the Lord and 
 Governor of church and state, that we may not be 
 suffered to sin away our distinguishing blessings. I 
 have some interest with a very great Prince, and I 
 am often mentioning you to him, and recommending 
 your case. For he delighteth in mercy. May you 
 know him more than I do, and love him, and delight 
 in him, and every day find him a more, still more 
 precious Jesus. O how marvellous should he be in 
 your eyes — yours are not common favours — that he 
 should vouchsafe to call one of your fortune and 
 rank, should admit you into his friendship, which I 
 am sure is heaven upon earth. O bless him for 
 what he has done — and pray for greater things yet. 
 Holding the truth in love, may you grow up into 
 hira in all things. May your sister and brother 
 partake of the same blessings, is the daily request of 
 your friend and servant in the Lord Christ, W. R. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Dec. 3, 1791. 
 My very dear Friend, — I have a long letter from 
 H. full of complaints. I know one, whose very soul 
 is delighted with hearing such complaints; for they 
 are the breathings of his own Spirit in the heart of 
 his redeemed, and therefore sent that Christ may 
 be more necessary and more precious : but indeed, 
 my friend, you legalize them, and make those things 
 distressing which were only intended to be hum- 
 bling. The cause of every possible complaint is in 
 you, whether you feel it or not. You have an abyss 
 M 5t 
 
266 
 
 of corruption ; so have I, and perhaps felt it deeper 
 than ever you have, or will feel it. But I have a 
 teacher who makes this whole body of sin profitable, 
 and to the increase of my faith, and to the magnify- 
 ing the grace of my almighty Saviour. My daily 
 lesson is to carry my burden to him, and he carries 
 both me and it: and while we thus go on lovingly 
 together, he often lets me look into the hell within, 
 but he keeps my conscience sprinkled with his aton- 
 ing blood, and even then I do feel its sovereign vir- 
 tue to cleanse me from all my sins, if they were ten 
 million times more and greater than they are. Thus 
 believing, yet groaning under my dreadful load, I 
 hear the Father's testimony, and I honour it : " Thy 
 sins and iniquities will I remember no more." 
 
 You met an old saint at Sandwell ; and you 
 wished to be in his case. I do not. I suppose you 
 mean F. C. I know him well. I dare not un- 
 christian him. But I thank my God for his leading, 
 I think, in a more gospel way, and I am sure a safer. 
 Carrying about me a body of sin and death, I groan 
 under it being burdened; it is my continual plague 
 night and day ; it makes me loathe myself, and repent 
 in dust and ashes. Hereby I am kept sensible of 
 my wants, my unworthiness, my helplessness, my vile- 
 ness : and through grace these things are made use- 
 ful to bind me closer to my beloved. They render 
 him absolutely necessary to my desperate case, and 
 preach that self-abhorrence which makes Christ very 
 precious. This should be the happy improvement 
 of all the bitter things you write against yourself: 
 in ray judgment and experience they make for you. 
 Under the law, they speak guilt and misery : un- 
 
267 
 
 der the gospel, they magnify the grace and salvation 
 of our God. I observe also, that you attend too 
 much, by far, to what others (perhaps professors) say 
 of you : and it brings distress upon you, and hurts 
 your spirits. But they are not your judges ; neither 
 are they competent. Thus I read — Brethren, let 
 every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with 
 God. God can be with you. God can help you 
 to glorify him, by your abiding in your calling. He 
 has promised it. In a cottage in Wales you would 
 be out of your place and duty. You would carry 
 yourself there. Retirement in will-worship would 
 make you feel more the plague of your own heart, 
 and your cottage would be a very hell upon earth : 
 because you had left the station, wherein God, and 
 his help, and his comforts, were to be found. In- 
 deed, Sir R. you have no justifiable ground of dis- 
 tress, either from God or man. You know the 
 truth of what I say, but still the effect remains. 
 Your heart is not perfectly settled in the gospel rest. 
 He that settled me, he alone can settle you. There 
 comes in another part of Christian friendship, which 
 I do exercise and am diligent in. The prayer of 
 Faith availeth much — to keep you, as you are, still 
 full of complaints, but improving them in a free spi- 
 it to the glory of the Saviour ; a child of Adam, 
 leserving hell; a believer in Jesus, an heir of hea- 
 en. May he keep you by his mighty power till he 
 Ting you safe to his promised heaven. W. R. 
 
 M 2 
 
 J 
 
?68 
 
 LETTER VL 
 
 Tiverton, Sept. 5, 1794. 
 My dear Friend,— The will of the Lord be done. 
 He does all things for the best, and he is teaching 
 you not only to say it, but also to feel it ; I know it, 
 for his compassions fail not. And he will make you 
 sensible, that all his dealings with you are in loving 
 kindness and great tenderness. Look back, see and 
 admire in what a gracious way he has led hitherto 
 all your steps. O what distinguishing favours : to 
 call you by his grace — to make you obedient to his 
 call — to teach you his gospel, in a manner vouchsafed 
 to very few — to keep you by his own power for so 
 many years, that you have not fallen, nor disgraced 
 your profession of our most holy faith ; and that to 
 this hour he preserves you, waiting for the mercy of 
 our Lord Jesus unto eternal life ! Indeed, my dear 
 Sir, these are sovereign blessings, and I verily be- [ 
 lieve that you are well taught how to apply them oa 
 the present occasion : nay, thanks be to him, I have 
 it under your own hand, that he has enabled you to 
 submit to his will. He has taken away a sister, 
 but she is with him. You have lost a friend, but he 
 has found her. She is dead, but she liveth. 0 
 most blessed change 1 She is gone from sin and 
 suffering, to live with God for ever. I am ready tc 
 say, notwithstanding she will be so much missed ir 
 your family, from my very heart I praise and worshi| 
 him, that he has taken her into his heaven and glory 
 He did it too in a way which was singularly kind ti 
 
269 
 
 her surviving relations — I mean those hidings of the 
 Lord's loving countenance, and those desertions and 
 darkness of which she complained.* You cannot 
 think what a great refreshment this was to my spirits, 
 and what a testimony it was of the soundness of her 
 faith and of her experience. On all these accounts 
 let your sorrow be turned into joy. Survey your 
 mercies, personal : look at your family ; where can 
 you show me so many chosen and called ? Let B. 
 speak. Let Mrs. T. speak. Let all that love H. 
 speak : and say, he is good to them indeed, for his 
 mercy to them endureth for ever. Blessings on 
 him; he is good in what he gives. He is good, 
 yea, blessed of all, in what he takes away. Strew her 
 hearse with praises; and if a tear be slied, let sorrow 
 be turned into joy : for what we deposit of her we 
 commit into his care and keeping, who will make it 
 one day shine like his own most glorious body. 
 
 I thank him, therefore, for the good news which 
 you sent me: and with my thanks I join my prayers 
 for your profiting from this providence. It warns 
 you to be ready. You are in the last stage of your 
 journey. He can make it the best. He has pro- 
 mised it ; and he cannot break his word. He has a 
 marvellous skill, and an equally marvellous love, in 
 making the infirmities of age so many motives to 
 trust him more. Less of sense, more of faith. Less 
 of self, more of Christ. An infirm body, a sound 
 mind. Nature failing, grace reigning, and that unto 
 eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. May 
 
 * After this season of darkness, she was enabled to rejoice in 
 God our Saviour, and departed in fuli assurance oi faith. 
 
270 
 
 you find every day, and for every thing, that he is 
 with you — keeping your conscience in his peace — 
 your heart in his love — your life in his hands — and 
 your hope in his glory. Whatever interest I have in 
 him, is yours : and I trust he will make the prayer of 
 faith, which is fervent for you, effectual also. W. R. 
 
 LETTER VJI. 
 To A. 5. Esq. 
 
 May 5, 1777. 
 My very dear Friend, — The great breadth of the 
 Atlantic Ocean, nor long distance, nor my not hear- 
 ing from you, can keep you and me asunder. What 
 a wonderful attraction is there in Christian love ! I 
 have fellowship with you in spirit, though far absent 
 in body : and in such a bond as no nearness of flesh 
 can tie. Your concerns are mine. I feel them. 1 
 rejoice with you. I mourn with you. I pray with 
 you. I meet you at one throne. Our mutual re- 
 quests are poured into one bosom. His eyes, his 
 heart, are upon us both. He sends my prayers for 
 you back with increasing love to you, and to him for 
 it. Such a friend is our Jesus ! Who is like him ? 
 By his magnetical virtue, two persons distant thou- 
 sands of miles, can have a fellow-feeling. And by 
 means of their common interest in him, they can do 
 one another the very best services: for his Spirit 
 actuates all his members; who, by their oneness 
 with the head, are sensible of their mutual pains and 
 pleasures, as our members in the body are. The 
 
271 
 
 nerves all over in contact : and if one member be 
 affected with pain or pleasure, all the members feel 
 with it. I reckoned this my privilege. Among 
 the number (and I trust it is not small) who are 
 wishing you all blessings, I have the honour to be 
 among the foremost, and will yield only to one. 
 My thoughts often turn upon your present situation : 
 distant from your wife and children, far from your 
 friends, separate from your worldly connections ; 
 these do not excite pleasing sensations. But I am 
 chiefly affected for your distance from the ark and 
 ordinances. Does this grieve you? There was one 
 in the wilderness of Judah in your case. Happy 
 should I be, if his sentiments should be yours. Ex- 
 cuse my jealousy over you : for indeed it is a godly 
 jealousy. Turn to the 63d Psalm, and may the 
 breathing of your heart be like his. 
 
 I meet with many people who say they never saw 
 such a need of this petition as at present : Grant 
 us peace in our time, O Lord. I keep on praying, 
 but the cloud does not disperse. It is still thick, 
 black, and lowering. The storm gathers, and threa- 
 tens a wide-spread ruin. This makes me pray more 
 earnestly. I would be found among the holy mourners, 
 deeply concerned not only for mine own sins, but for 
 theirs also, which have brought down the just wrath 
 of heaven. Sin is the cause of our present suffer- 
 ing. Judgment is gone forth, and if there be no 
 turning from sin, judgment will continue : yea, if 
 there be hardness in sin under judgment, it is not 
 only the forerunner of greater misery, but is also a 
 part of the sentence executed. W. R. 
 
272 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 Dec. 22, 1779. 
 My dear Friend, — I need not tell you, that I 
 have you always upon my heart. At this time I am 
 praying for you, that you may be kept very hungry 
 and thirsty after Christ — among them whom he pro- 
 nounces blessed, and whom he will make blessed. 
 It is a sign of health to have a good appetite. There 
 is no better evidence of our having tasted that the 
 Lord is gracious, than still to be waiting on him for 
 the bread of life, and for the water of life. And he 
 does truly nourish us, when we feel the manna sweet, 
 and the Spirit refreshes our hearts with it. Then 
 that meat is not light bread, but a delightful feast ; 
 and the cup of salvation is full, yea, runneth over 
 with blessings. May these be the choicest of your 
 Christmas fare. And to make you more willing than 
 ever to sit down with the Lord at his royal table. 
 The meat is from heaven, and feeds the heavenly 
 life. The drink sobers. The more you take of it, 
 the more it will deaden your senses to earthly joys; 
 and it will render spiritual joys more spiritual: for 
 it comes from heaven, and tastes of heaven ; and it 
 is indeed a fountain of water springing up into ever- 
 lasting life. In his name I invite you this Christ- 
 mas, and out of some of his love I wish you to share 
 with us in those blessings. If not present in per- 
 son, I hope you will be with us in spirit at our ban- 
 quet: and so to live upon Christ with his redeemed, 
 as to say with them — He is a feast of fat things — 
 
273 
 
 all deliglits in one. Blessed be our matchless Em- 
 manuel, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous 
 things : and blessed is his glorious name, not only 
 at Christmas, but for ever; and the whole earth shall 
 be filled with his glory. Amen and amen. 
 
 W. K. 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 March 18, 1780. 
 My very dear Friend, — I do not follow impulses, 
 as you very well know ; but I cannot resist the pre- 
 sent ; night and day it is upon my mind ; my heart 
 runs upon it, and when I would have other thoughts 
 this will intrude and come uppermost. It will be 
 some relief to me to give it vent, and perhaps answer 
 all my wishes in communicating it to you ; for I must 
 inform you that you are the person concerned, and it 
 is in your power to grant me my heart's desire. 
 Ought you not to write up over your door, Deus 
 nobis hccc otia fecit; and should it not engage your 
 most serious attention ? How shall I employ these 
 horce solitaricc most and best to the glory of my 
 God ; and as far as he pleases to enable me to pro- 
 mote the interest of his dear people ? I think you 
 
 was not sent to M • for nothing. Outward causes 
 
 we look beyond. His hand hath certainly done it. 
 Well then, come forward. When you know your 
 call, be ready. Here I am, send me. What is the 
 will of my Lord ? He has given me leisure : my 
 capacity, bo what it may, is his sovereign gift. And 
 the right use of it is also of his sovereign grace. 
 M 3 
 
274 
 
 What would my Lord have me to do in order to 
 show forth his praise ? 
 
 I can answer for you, that these are your senti- 
 ments — I am certain they are. And will you give 
 me leave to point out, what appears to me a most 
 profitahle and a most seasonable improvement of this 
 gracious opportunity ? I suppose you are now and 
 then thanking that great and good Saviour, who had 
 led you to glorify his name and his offices, and had 
 enabled you to bear a noble testimony for his God- 
 head in this day of blasphemy. In such seasons of 
 gratitude does it not sometimes occur to you, that 
 you was assisted in this work by him who leadeth 
 into all truth ? Indeed, Sir, you are under marvel- 
 lous obligations, the greatest which can possibly be, 
 to the Lord God the Lloly Ghost. You owe him 
 more than you can ever repay — more than you can 
 ever count up. Your returns, the most grateful, 
 are but acknowledgments ; and these are also his 
 gifts. What if you was to sit down and try to 
 estimate your debt. Consider who he is — what he 
 does in the spiritual world — what he has done for 
 you and in you — will do as long as you have your 
 being. Resolve all this in your mind, pray him to 
 impress it deep upon your heart. The consequence 
 I verily believe will be, that the blessings derived 
 from him are infinite, and your obligations such as 
 demand everlasting praise. With a heart warmed 
 with these views, you could not be able to resist the 
 dictates of gratitude. You would look up and say, 
 May the Spirit of wisdom and revelation assist me 
 to treat of his true and essential divinity. W. R. 
 
275 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Blackfriars, Jan. 31, 1781. 
 Dear Sir, — I have seen the outside of Mr. H's. 
 publication ; but have no desire to take one view 
 within. I wish to keep to my motto — Homo sum 
 unius libri : of which, the more I read, the more I 
 long to read ; it is always new — always instructing 
 — always delightful. In books I converse with men ; 
 in the Bible I converse with God. That most 
 blessed Spirit, of whom you are writing, speaks with 
 the word to my heart ; and then I look up, and en- 
 treat him to get himself glory from you and your 
 labours. In this sweet intercourse, I am often pre- 
 sent at " . I pay you frequent visits in your 
 study, and rejoice in beholding the advancement of 
 the work. When I see you hard and industrious in 
 your writing, I cannot help praying the Holy Ghost 
 to inspire your thoughts, and to give you the pen of 
 a ready writer. What if you are laid aside for a 
 little while, and kept out of your line of life — May 
 it not be of mercy, that you may have leisure to im- 
 prove in self-knowledge ? O blessed retirement, 
 if it prove the means of leading you to devote your 
 time and talents to the service of that God who has 
 conferred such favours upon you ! He has given 
 you life — life from the dead. What is that mercy ? 
 Who can tell ? It passeth knowledge. He has 
 given you the Spirit of life — who has been teaching 
 you to live upon the fulness of Emmanuel. He has 
 been testifying of that fulness to you, and I hope 
 
276 
 
 enabling you to glorify it in word and in deed ; his 
 gracious office herein, is one of the most interesting 
 views which we can take of his and of the Saviour's 
 love, as represented, John xvi. 14, 15. — a favourite 
 text of mine, on which I have preached many times. 
 If you look to the Greek, you will consider the word 
 (jLvay/'it.n^ translated to show a very gross mistake: 
 it belongs to the ear, and not to the eye — not to see- 
 ing, but to speaking : to the word which, preached 
 clearly, begets faith, and which, believed, nourishes 
 faith ; and, as faith increases, glorifies still more that 
 fulness of Jesus, out of which comes every grace and 
 blessing. Hence the word is often used in the New 
 Testament for preaching the gospel, by which the 
 testimony of the Spirit is received, and the fulness of 
 Jesus glorified and made use of. I would render 
 the word — he shall clearly declare or preach, and so 
 manifest the things of Christ, that they shall become 
 the object of faith, and hope, and love. I could 
 write a volume on this most gracious office of the 
 Spirit : may you see it in my light, or rather in his 
 own light ; and let it shine before men. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 Southampton, Oct. 14, 1783. 
 My dear Friend, — I have good news to tell you 
 from a far country, as refreshing as cold water to a 
 thirsty soul. God has spared me to read over my 
 Bible once more. O what a treasure — what un- 
 searchable riches are there in this golden mine ! I 
 never dug deeper, nor found more precious jewels 
 
277 
 
 than upon this last perusal. You know it is my 
 constant custom, as soon as St. Dunstan's lectures 
 are over, to begin the Bible, and without stopping or 
 interruption, to go on from Genesis to the end of 
 the Revelation. This exercise is always begun with 
 prayer, and carried on with a settled dependence on 
 the Spirit of prayer ; and I am always wishing to 
 ascribe all the profit (and it has been very, very 
 great) to the praise of the glory of his grace. At 
 present, I am not reading my Bible, in order to find 
 out some new truth, but to be established in what I 
 do know, and to attain more confirmation of it. This 
 I would chiefly seek for, that I may get growing ex- 
 perience of the wisdom of God, and of the power of 
 God, in his word, and may thereby enjoy the bless- 
 ings of his love promised in it. With this view, I 
 send you some of my observations on the reading of 
 the Bible in the year 1783. I am happy in believ- 
 ing, that your heart harmonizes with me in them. 
 One of the first things to be noticed and expected is, 
 the actual fulfilling of the promises to this day, 
 namely, that the Holy Spirit is still in the word : he 
 works in it, and by it. He makes it at present, as 
 much as he ever did, the great ordinance of God 
 unto salvation, as you may observe in Isa. lix. 20, 
 21.; hence it is called the ministration of the Spirit, 
 because in it he holds forth Jesus Christ to be the 
 Almighty Saviour : and whomsoever he calls by it 
 to come to the Saviour, he makes his call to them 
 effectual. They receive the Spirit by the hearing 
 of the word, as Gal. iii. 2. 
 
 This, my good friend, is what you and I should 
 above all things seek. We should be always pray- 
 
278 
 
 ing for the Spirit to accompany his own word. It 
 is our duty to hear and read ; but we should always 
 do it with the fixed dependence of our hearts upon his 
 divine teaching ; without which, the word itself will 
 profit us nothing, as we read, Heb. iv. 2. " The 
 word preached did not profit them, not being mixed 
 with faith in them who heard it." May the good 
 Spirit keep us in the use of means, but entirely de- 
 pendent upon him in the use of them. Thanks be 
 to him, that in this frame of mind I have once more 
 gone through his word, settled and grounded more 
 steadfastly than ever before ; that the word of God 
 can be made useful to me, only by the Spirit of God. 
 The next thing that engaged my attention, was the 
 divine and infallible truth of the holy Scriptures, of 
 which I have been convinced with all the riches of 
 the full assurance of understanding. Our Lord said 
 in his last prayer — " Father, thy word is truth." 
 And I say the same. I have set my seal to it on 
 this last reading: every line, every word is according 
 to the mind of the infinitely wise God. It is his re- 
 vealed will ; and it discovers to us objects in God's 
 light, as he sees them ; whereby the Holy Spirit re- 
 news us in true knowledge, after the image of him 
 that created us : he brings our understanding to sub- 
 mit to be informed by his unerring word. What- 
 ever it reveals of Jehovah, of the three Persons in 
 Jehovah, of the God-man, of his salvation, of the 
 way of receiving the benefit of it in time and in 
 eternity ; he has made me willing to live in entire 
 subjection to its teaching. My constant inquiry is 
 — What it reveals. Not, why ? 1 study to know it, 
 not as a metaphysician, but as a Christian. I seek, 
 
279 
 
 not 60 much to comprehend it, as to believe it. No- 
 thing appears to me more reasonable, than that my 
 reason should submit to God's reason: and therefore 
 I am kept praying for divine grace, to make his word, 
 like the light of the sun, clear iu my head, and fruit- 
 ful in my heart. 
 
 My dear friend, let me recommend to you this 
 method of reading your Bible. Ever take it up as 
 the oracles of God — the infallible standard of truth. 
 The abiding persuasion of this will save you a great 
 deal of trouble, and will bring you in vast profit. 
 You will not have much occasion to consult authors, 
 or to spend your time in perusing many books. If 
 you take up your Bible with a settled conviction that 
 it is the truth of God, and that it has the stamp of 
 divine authority, this will be the means of your un- 
 derstanding more of the Scriptures, than all the com- 
 ments in the world could give you : because your 
 mind, having received the impression of divine truth, 
 is now disposed to receive the impression of divine 
 power ; which is another matchless excellency of the 
 word of God. 
 
 The Spirit of God still works iu it, and by it ; as 
 in the first creation, so, in the new creation, he does 
 all by his Almighty Fiat. He speaks, and it is 
 done; he commands, and is obeyed. His is a creat- 
 ing word ; he calls, and the dead hear. It is a life- 
 giving word. He follows the call, and the quick- 
 ened sinner believes — faith comes by hearing, and 
 hearing by the word of God ; and this faith is as 
 great a demonstration of divine power, as raising 
 Christ from the dead was; as you may see, Ephes. i, 
 19, 20., &c. Then he puts his word into the in- 
 
^0 
 
 ward parts, and the believer is enabled to feed upon 
 it, and to be nourished thereby, even up unto life 
 everlasting : so that he often says to his Lord— 
 *' Jesus, to whom should I go ? Thou only hast 
 the words of eternal life." This divine efficacy of 
 the Scriptures, is the principal thing by which God 
 magnifies his word above all his name. He has 
 made it his ordinance, like the fixed laws of nature 
 — by which he still keeps up intercourse and commu- 
 nion between himself and his people, and gives them 
 to see and to enjoy his perfections. His Spirit 
 makes it effectual to begin, and to carry on fellow- 
 ship with the Father and the Son. And thus he is 
 daily magnifying it, by realizing the promises, and 
 putting believers into possession of the graces and 
 blessings promised in it. So that it is to this hour, 
 the mighty power of God, as truly as when he spake 
 the world into being ; as effectual, as when he said, 
 " Lazarus, come forth." My dear friend, may you 
 and I feel it more, still more : may we live happy 
 partakers of its influence ; and whenever we hear it, 
 read it, or meditate upon it, may we get fresh expe- 
 rience of the power of God in his word ; which will 
 bring us another blessing peculiar to the Scriptures: 
 by acknowledging them to be the truth of God, and 
 finding them to be the power of God, we shall come 
 to experience their divine sweetness. 
 
 It is by continual dependence on the teaching of 
 the Spirit, in and by the word, and by mixing faith 
 with it, that we come to find its value, and to taste 
 its pleasures : for it then opens a new world to us, a 
 spiritual and eternal world — it reveals to us the God 
 of that world — our Father loving us in his Son. It 
 
^1 
 
 makes known the Son's wonderful person, and his 
 heavenly work in salvation, with all the blessings of 
 it, which faith brings into present enjoyment. The 
 believer is made alive to them, and then has his spi- 
 ritual senses exercised upon them ; and each sense 
 has its proper object, and its peculiar delight, as we 
 read — O come, taste and see how gracious the Lord 
 is — hear his voice, for it is sweet — smell the good 
 odour of his perfume, for his name is as ointment 
 poured forth — come and handle the word of God. 
 What a paradise is here ! as real, but more blessed 
 than Adam's. Believe me. Sir, I know you do. 
 In my last reading, God has thus blessed me; what 
 the word reports, the Spirit has realized. In the 
 way of believing the promises, I have found the ful- 
 filling of them. I speak for God, and his glorious 
 word. Away self. The Holy Ghost, the Com- 
 forter, does by it, at this day, make good his name 
 and his ofBce: he shall take of mine, says Jesus, and 
 shall show it (manifest it) unto you ; the spiritual 
 world, all the graces, all the glories of it — he will 
 not only manifest them to you clearly, but he will 
 also enable you to believe them with a pleasing ear- 
 nest, and to enjoy them with many a sweet foretaste 
 of the glory that is to be revealed. 
 
 There is a very delightful account of this in the 
 19th Psalm. What if I should set my seal to it, 
 and say that I know what is spoken in the first part 
 concerning the light of this world to be matter of 
 fact, as well as what is spoken in the second part 
 concerning the light of the spiritual world — Would 
 not you allow me. Sir, to be a competent judge of 
 both ? And when the same prophet adds—" O, 
 
282 
 
 what love have I unto thy law ! I rejoice in it as one 
 that findeth great spoil! yea, it is dearer to me than 
 thousands of gold and silver:" blessed be God, I 
 find it so. Indeed, upon every reading of the Bible, 
 it grows more precious to me, as it did to David : 
 because it is not only the discovery, but it is become 
 also the conveyance of the unsearchable riches of 
 Christ: these are revealed in the word, and applied 
 by the word. Faith is the lawful key which opens 
 the infinite treasury, and hears the proclamation of 
 grace: "O ye that are seeking durable riches — 
 these, all these are yours. Come, take all you want 
 — use all you wish, — you cannot do the free Giver 
 a greater favour than to enrich yourselves daily out 
 of his boundless store. Read his promises, how ex- 
 ceeding great, how exceeding precious they are : 
 read his faithfulness to them. Only trust, take, use, 
 — all that is in the promises shall be yours in time, 
 yea, yours in eternity." This proclamation of grace 
 I have heard. I believe it. Blessed be a promise- 
 keeping God, I enjoy it. And I can assure you. 
 Sir, there is more to be had out of Christ's fulness, 
 than any one upon earth has yet enjoyed. For he 
 not only giveth fresh grace, but also more grace. I 
 have never been more thoroughly convinced of this, 
 than upon my last reading. God has humbled me, 
 and has made me feel more of mine own poverty, and 
 has thereby led me to live more upon Christ's ever- 
 lasting treasury. You do not suspect me of boast- 
 ing : O no. I would glorify the word and work of 
 the Almighty. A beggar would not be reckoned 
 proud for saying, " When I was just starving, I met 
 with a charitable person, who not only fed me, but 
 
283 
 
 also feasted me ; and then most generously provided 
 for me all the rest of my days." Should not such a 
 one acknowledge his benefactor, and bless him ? So 
 do I. Thanks be to him who realized to me his 
 word — who opened mine eyes to see wondrous 
 things out of his law — who often made me to look 
 up and say, " O how sweet are thy words unto my 
 taste ; yea, sweeter than honey unto my mouth." 
 Blessed be God for his good word: it is really manna; 
 it is angels' food; it comes from heaven ; it tastes of 
 heaven. 
 
 When I sat down to write, I little thought ray pen 
 would run so fast, or that it would hold out so long. 
 Will you excuse this long scribble ? You will. I am 
 writing to a friend who knows that I have still much 
 more to say of my last reading. I bespeak your can- 
 dour, while I am mentioning one thing more; and 
 that is, the great end and design of the Scripture, 
 which is to conform us to it. This is the completing 
 work of God, the Spirit by his word; all the rest were 
 to lead to this. When the word is understood, and 
 believed, and lived upon, then he makes it the means 
 of conforming the whole man to it. The believer is 
 cast into the mould of it; he takes the impression — 
 every feature. It is so assimilating, every tint is to 
 be seen upon him. He lives the word; it is to be 
 read in his looks, visible in his walk, manifest in his 
 tempers. See him, study him ; he is the lively pic- 
 ture of a Bible-Christian : let your conversation be as 
 becometh the gospel of Christ. By this rule he 
 orders it : he seeks to be a pattern of the truth as it 
 is in Jesus, and does not seek in vain. The Spirit 
 by faith makes Jesus very precious. The heart loves 
 
284 
 
 him, loves to be like him ; much fellowship with him 
 endears him more to the heart, and it becomes true 
 liberty. It is real happiness to have constant com- 
 munion with him, especially to feel the influence of 
 his cross and the power of his resurrection. 
 
 My much beloved, may this be your experience. 
 Outstrip me as far as you can : may your sentiments, 
 your aflPections, your life and conduct, all of them be 
 conformed to the rule of God's word. I shall pray 
 for it, for you and for yours, that you may live by 
 gospel motives, and do all to gospel ends. And may 
 the Bible be made good, and fulfilled to you in earth 
 and in heaven. 
 
 I stop, but not because my subject is exhausted. 
 I have daily fresh matter of praise. Still I am read- 
 ing and admiring. New beauties spring up. Yearly, 
 daily, I shall have praises to give for this most blessed 
 book ; and if I live to walk with you on Heckfield 
 Heath, I may continue the subject. May your Lord 
 and mine open our understandings, that we may un- 
 derstand the Scriptures. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XIL 
 
 Nov. 21, 1783. 
 Enclosed you will receive a present of my own 
 Hebrew Bible ; not a bribe, but a token of Christian 
 love, that, remembering me as often as you see it, you 
 may pray for me while I live, and bless God for me 
 when I die. It is truly a precious book. Every 
 day it grows more precious — not only from it fresh 
 light, and life, and comfort, but also more. Many 
 
285 
 
 years' studies, with God's blessings upon them, have 
 favoured me with an insight into the meaning of 
 Col. ii. 2. Eternal thanks be to a divine teacher for 
 opening all the riches of the full assurance of under- 
 standing ! O what, what a happiness is it to be quite 
 satisfied that objects in the spiritual world are exactly 
 as they are described in the Bible ! for, by being thus 
 taught, one gets ready hold of the spiritual parts of 
 scripture instruction, and fastens at once upon the 
 enjoyment of them by faith. This is truly a present 
 heaven. I wish you more than I have of it, though 
 I have my share in its chartered graces and blessings; 
 which I have now entered upon by holding the truth 
 in love, and am thereby growing up into him in all 
 things, who is the Head, even Christ. In this view 
 the Bible is inestimable. It is not only a pTerfect map 
 of the spiritual world ; but the believer, surveying its 
 riches, and beauties, and pleasures, has a good war- 
 rant to say, All these are mine, for God is mine. I 
 cannot tell you how great the happiness is, when the 
 eternal Spirit opens, and apphes, and puts the be- 
 liever into the present enjoyment of the graces here 
 promised, as so many earnests of the glory that is to 
 be revealed. You know enough to make you join 
 me in blessing and adoring our Sovereign Lord and 
 God, who has given us in it, and by it, to taste how 
 gracious he is. I have no words to describe the value 
 of these mercies. My thoughts are quite lost in the 
 survev of them. Why me ? what was I, what am 
 I, that this great charter of grace, with all its privi- 
 leges and honours, should be by infinite mercy granted 
 unto me? I daily sit me down in admiration, con- 
 tent with my Lord's own meditation upon the sub- 
 ject, Matt. xi. 25—27. W. R. 
 
286 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 March 4, 1786. 
 My dear Friend, — I am often with you at Heck- 
 field, in the spirit of that good man who found him- 
 self happy in the happiness of others — " Though I 
 be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the 
 Spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the 
 steadfastness of your faith in Christ." I salute you, 
 brother, and the church in your house. I have fel- 
 lowship with you in our common Head. I feel the 
 same Spirit breathe through us, even the Spirit of 
 our gloriBed Jesus, very remarkably giving us the 
 same judgment — forming our hearts to the same 
 affections — and influencing us to walk in the same 
 way. Blessings on him for this great grace. As I 
 see it — great it is indeed ; for yet a little, very little 
 while, it will grow to full perfection. And we shall 
 have the same Spirit uniting us sensibly to the 
 same Head, and giving us to receive out of his in- 
 finite fulness glory for glory: and this is the charity, 
 love to the Head, and thereby love to the members, 
 which never faileth. It is waxing cold on the earth, 
 as it was foretold; but they who live near to the Sun, 
 still receive some of those enlivening beams which 
 make the everlasting day. I have felt their influ- 
 ence, as you have done in your solitary hours, and I 
 rejoice in hope that they will abound yet more and 
 more in knowledge and sensible experience. I sat 
 down to thank you for your love, and for its fruits. 
 But I cannot help it — at once I am led by the 
 
m 
 
 streams to the fountain-head. And I look upon it 
 to be no injury to the streams, to say, they flow 
 from such a fountain as covenant love. — Truly, Sir, 
 there is something of heaven in the spiritual enjoy- 
 ment of our creature-comforts. Put Christ into 
 them, and they are marvellously refined and exalted. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 Dec. 22, 1788. 
 My dear Friend, — I have your Remembrancer 
 by me, and I send you mine for the next year. Ac- 
 cept it, and use it, that it may help the exercise of 
 brotherly love. It has been long my Vade Mecum ; 
 for in the blank memorandum part I record the me- 
 morables, temporal and spiritual, of the day. I find 
 the review always humbles, always exalts God's mer- 
 cies ; and as to the present time, it is certainly good 
 to try to fasten something to the flying moments, 
 which may hinder them from running to waste, es- 
 pecially when they have almost done their flight, as 
 they have with me. What should I do now with- 
 out Christ ! Much time to redeem — every earthly 
 help failing — and these few days are in all respects 
 evil — private — public — church — state. O ! what 
 Ka«/a, as our Lord calls it, Happy for us, he is 
 on the throne, and ruleth right. Our word for 
 1789, is to be " The Lord reigneth," Jehovah Je- 
 sus, over all worlds, and over all creatures; and to 
 him every knee shall wilhngly, or unwillingly, bow. 
 My dear friend, remember me in an especial manner 
 
288 
 
 on new-year's-day, that when I speak of the charac- 
 ter of our royal Sovereign, the King of kings, of the 
 nature of his government, and of the peculiar happi- 
 ness of his subjects, I may be enabled to speak, in 
 some measure, suitable to his fame and high renown. 
 You know one who saw a great deal more of him 
 than any one of us do, and who spoke with admira- 
 tion — " Who can utter the mighty acts of the 
 Lord ? Who can show forth all his praise ?" Be- 
 cause he could not, he did not give over praising. 
 O no ! he never stopped ; he is at it still ; through 
 the ages of eternity he will be blessing God and the 
 Lamb. I am living in hopes it will not be long be- 
 fore I shall join him ; and his subject of praise, which 
 is mine now, will be mine then. The prospect is 
 big with blessings. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 April 12, 1790. 
 My very dear Friend, — I was thinking this 
 morning what excuse 1 could make for not acknow- 
 ledging a very acceptable present, and for not an- 
 swering a friendly note with it, long ago. Like most 
 of us, very glad to receive favours, but tardy in giv- 
 ing of thanks, I was for laying it upon more busi- 
 ness than I was become equal to, having very near 
 attained that late period of life, in which Moses says, 
 (and I feel it,) Psalm xc. 10, our utmost eflPorts are 
 pain and weariness, both of mind and body. Our 
 strength is really to sit still. And a blessed lesson 
 it is, when, human efforts ceasing, we are led to make 
 
289 
 
 the works of Jesus all our salvation, and to find by 
 happy experience that it is become all our desire. 
 O what a good time has he lived to, whether he be 
 young or old, who is dying in this faith ! 
 
 But when I had written this excuse down, and 
 read it, I was quite ashamed of it, because it con- 
 futed itself. It savoured a good deal of their prac- 
 tice, (Gen. iii.) who sought to lay the blame upon 
 any thing rather than themselves ; for indeed most 
 excuses are lies. An indolent temper, when what 
 must be done of necessary preparation for public 
 preaching was over, unwilling to set about other 
 things ; wanting to relax ; and too often easing the 
 mind by that spirit, by which many trespass upon 
 God's goodness ; delaying from day to day — I will 
 write to-morrow; or, what signifies it, when 1 do 
 write I shall say nothing that will be worth postage- 
 All my former excuses failed me this morning, April 
 12th ; and I now cry peccavi — I have got to the 
 true cause, forgive me this wrong. I am to thank 
 you for a Christian Remembrancer of this last edi- 
 tion, finely bound, for Mrs. Romaine. Better late 
 than never to repent and amend. In these trouble- 
 some times 1 find it good to follow Habakkuk's ex- 
 ample, which is all the politics I wish to know : he 
 prayed, he got into his watch-tower, and waited for 
 an answer, and he received it, and praised God for 
 it. I am doing the same for the public — at prayers 
 for the church, groaning under an oppression harder 
 than the Chaldean bondage. I pray on, but am 
 still in my watch-tower — I can get no answer — one 
 can see no end of the present troubles — the cause is 
 not removed, therefore they continue; they increase, 
 N 34 
 
290 
 
 as if so many fiends of hell were let loose, and suf- 
 fered to do all the mischief which Satan himself 
 could wish. We know where to lay the blame: 
 unbelief is the provoking sin ; it has brought ruin 
 upon many great kingdoms ; so that we can trace the 
 vengeance of heaven against it from age to age, 
 down to the present miseries of Europe. Infidelity 
 led the way — " We will not have this man to reign 
 over us." Then he left them to themselves : upon 
 which Antichrist, that is, Apollion, brought out his 
 legions and armies to destroy, and they have destroyed, 
 all law, order, property, religion, insomuch that the 
 earth is made by them like another hell. I tremble ; 
 for who takes warning ? O my country, my coun- 
 try ! I fear for England. We are not much unlike 
 the kingdom of France, very near her in her sin, 
 and may not be far from her in her punishment. 
 Therefore I keep me in my watch-tower, praying 
 and pleading for mercy, begging our Lord to spare 
 us for his own name's sake. This is my only plea. 
 Are we better than they? It is of the Lord's mer- 
 cies that we are not consumed, because his compas- 
 sions fail not. May these move him to pour upon 
 us a spirit of prayer and supplication, that, as a na- 
 tion, we may with national repentance keep the 19th 
 instant, humbled under his mighty hand. This is 
 such a fast as he hath chosen ; and for his own 
 glory may he work a general reformation, that ini- 
 quity may not be our ruin. I hope you will keep 
 me company in my watch-tower: then especially, 
 but at all times there to plead for you and yours, 
 
 W. R. 
 
291 
 
 LETTER XVI. 
 
 Reading, Jan. 19, 1792. 
 My very dear Friend, — I sit down only to tell you 
 that I feel for you. I remember Mrs. H., a friend 
 of ours, had a room full of the pictures of infants. 
 Mrs. R. asked her one day, as they had been all her 
 children, and all dead, why she let them hang there ? 
 She answered, " It is the same thing between our 
 Saviour and me, whether he has them, or I have 
 them." This is a great saying; yet it is, in fact, no 
 more than we are daily praying for — " Thy will be 
 done!" It is soon said; but, when the will of the 
 flesh is opposed, it is not so soon practised. Indeed, 
 submission to God's will is an almighty work, which 
 you know as well as I do, and perhaps feel more of it 
 at this time. But, through the Spirit of Jesus, when 
 we feel this rebellion, we are commanded to look to 
 " our Father which art in heaven." In Christ he is 
 I ours — his fatherly love is ours — and he can do no- 
 thing but what is for our good. And his opportu- 
 nity of manifesting it is chiefly when his will goes 
 one way, and our will goes another. Then we are 
 forced to look up for his promised strength, and we 
 \ generally find he appears most for us. He tries faith, 
 t purifies it in the furnace, continues it in the fire, that 
 !»( patience may bring fresh experience ; and experience 
 (I improves that hope which never makes the believer 
 r ashamed. See these truths most beautifully illus- 
 trated in the case of David : I never read it without 
 t getting some good from it, for there one sees before 
 
 i 
 
292 
 
 one's eyes that faith and patience may have their per- 
 fect work. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 Letters to J / , Esq. with several to 
 
 Mrs. I . 
 
 Dec. 14, 1782. 
 My good Friend, — I never was more obliged to 
 you than for your Christian sympathy with us in this 
 time of need. It is a great trial; but it is the Lord 
 who has a right to do what he will with his own. It 
 is my Lord, my old Friend, who changeth not in his 
 love : he has acted for his own glory, and has done 
 the best : what would I more? Nothing, but his 
 grace to make me submit to his sovereign will : and 
 that, blessings on him, he does now freely vouchsafe ; 
 for I feel a will of my own quite opposite to his. I 
 could wish he would have spared my son ; my soul 
 delighted in him : he was a sweet youth. The re- 
 membrance of his person, and manners, and behavi- 
 our; his dutifulness, for he never olFended me but 
 once in his life ; his conduct since he was in the 
 army, — these draw tears from mine eyes while I am 
 writing. I do feel as a parent; I am no stoic: but, 
 thanks be to my good God, his grace conquers na- 
 ture. The struggle is hard, but God is with me, 
 and through him I conquer myself : he forces me to 
 go to him every moment for his support and his com- 
 forts. I have no stock of resignation. It is out of 
 myself, laid up in the fulness of Jesus ; and, while I 
 live upon him for it, he helps me to kiss the rod. He 
 
293 
 
 keeps under my rebel will, and teaches me to say from 
 my heart, " Not my will, Lord, but thine be done." 
 Such is the kindness of my Jesus, for which I adore 
 and worship him. 
 
 My poor wife has exquisite feelings on this occa- 
 sion. It is her constant prayer not to be suffered to 
 displease our Lord by her murmurings. However 
 willing the spirit may be to kiss the rod, yet the 
 flesh is weak. The tender bowels of the mother 
 rise and struggle, but the power of grace prevails. 
 In the midst of her greatest floods of tears, she 
 would cry out, — " Lord, keep me. Lord save me 
 from thinking or speaking any thing contrary to thy 
 holy will." And he was very good to her, her faith 
 was supported. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 
 Feb. 1, 1783. 
 My very dear Friend, — I take the first oppor- 
 tunity of answering your friendly letter. You have 
 full credit for all your professions of mourning with 
 those that mourn; we believe your sympathy, and 
 we bless God for it. The prayers of our friends for 
 us have been heard and answered. Mrs. R,, con- 
 sidering her feelings, has been very graciously dealt 
 with; kept at the worst from murmuring, and gene- 
 rally calm and composed. We had friends many, 
 and from them prayers many : but, you know, that 
 when two strings of an instrument strike a unison, 
 they are in concord ; just so was it with Mrs. I.'s 
 letter ; it was then, and is still, in unison with Mrs. 
 R.'s spirit. It sounded a concord ; it met the very 
 
294. 
 
 sentiments of her heart, and became, not a prescrip- 
 tion, but an effectual medicine to her wound. It 
 was not a letter about the balm of Gilead, but it 
 brought and administered the healing virtue. It 
 does not at all lessen Mrs. I.'s real friendship, but 
 more endears it, that God gave to her words so great 
 a blessing : they came from love, they have increased 
 love, and to this moment Mrs. R. never speaks of 
 them without great thankfulness. I am commis- 
 sioned from her to bless Mrs. I. for her kindness. 
 
 You are very obliging in wishing us at Brisling- 
 ton, but my circumstances are such, and my helps in 
 preaching so very few, that I cannot think of so long 
 a journey. My work is great, and the night will 
 soon come when it will be over: I wish to be faith- 
 ful and successful these few hours of the evening 
 which are left. If I see you not face to face, I am 
 still in office, your constant orator : my Lord will 
 hear much of you, and I will please myself with the 
 persuasion that I shall often meet you at his throne. 
 I invite Mr. T. to give me a meeting there; the 
 oftener the better. 
 
 Our word for this year was Judges vi. 24. " Je- 
 hovah Shalom," Jehovah is our peace. It was some- 
 thing remarkable, that it should so soon have a li- 
 teral accomplishment. Peace being broken between 
 God and man, the breach was made up by our great 
 Peace-maker. The gospel is the open proclamation 
 of it, inviting sinners to be reconciled to God, and 
 to enjoy the benefits of a free trade between heaven 
 and earth. They who are justified by faith are re- 
 conciled, and find this peace with God : and, as far 
 as they believe, they enjoy the benefits of an open 
 intercourse with God in Christ; which benefits are 
 
295 
 
 all the graces of time, and all the glories of eternity. 
 I have only to wish that the outward peace may pro- 
 mote the inward; and the Peace-maker himself may 
 get the glory of this, and of all his goodness to the 
 children of men. 
 
 My blessing on your dear children ; may they be 
 kept for you, and you for them. Mrs. I.'s great 
 attention to them is her duty, and being paid in the 
 Lord, is her privilege. Prayer for success is the 
 chief thing : he only, yea, he only can bless instruc- 
 tion. May the parents and their friends plead much 
 and prevail. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 June 28, 1783. 
 
 Saturday morning — I am writing at 6 o'clock — 
 and will go no farther till the doctor comes. 
 
 He is come, and says, he hopes there is no dan- 
 ger ; but symptoms are not so good as he could wish. 
 Our Master is the Lord of life and death — in his 
 hands we trust our all — He commands us also to do 
 it at all times. I am learning this lesson, and recom- 
 mending it much. What I know of it practically, puts 
 one into a real paradise : because it puts one, and 
 keeps one, in God's will. He graciously appointed 
 it to.^e a sovereign antidote against all evil, and to 
 be his ordinance for conveying all blessings : for 
 which reason, I write and preach so much about it. 
 The fulness is in Christ, but there is no hand that 
 can receive any thing from him, but faith : and faith 
 should go as far as the promise — it should trust for 
 
296 
 
 life, the life that now is, and whatever belongs to it, 
 as well as for the next. O my dear friend, let me 
 entreat you to read this attentively, and as the sub- 
 ject requires. I wish you always happy, in all things 
 happy. Christ is the only way to this, and you can 
 get nothing from him without faith, and faith is not 
 doing what it should do, if it does not save you from 
 guilty fears, and from natural fears. Mind the pro- 
 mise — " I will save you from all your sins" — no 
 fear from this quarter: so again, " Lest any hurt you, 
 (person or thing,) I will keep you night and day." 
 No fear from this quarter : almighty love has pro- 
 mised, come what may, it shall not hurt. I harp so 
 much upon this string, because I know you have 
 fears, and they do give you uneasiness; which I 
 earnestly wish to cure. My friendship wants you to 
 be so happy, as to be always rejoicing in the Lord. 
 And yet mine is but a ray of his friendship. Surely 
 then, you may trust him, and not be afraid of any 
 thing. Yea, you may, and you ought to sing — 
 " God is our hope and strength, we have found him 
 a very present help in trouble." W. R. 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 Tiverton, Aug. 20, 1783. 
 My very dear Friend, — We arrived here through 
 the good hand of my God in safely : by which means 
 I have learned something more of my first lesson ; 
 that is, to trust, and not be afraid. What has he 
 to fear, who has cast all his care upon an Almighty 
 Friend — and has done it at his bidding, and on 
 
the warrant of his promise ? Every step of our jour- 
 ney spoke aloud — Now you see, he is faithful — he 
 said, I will keep your going out, and your coming in 
 — and blessings on him, he has kept us from all evil. 
 Mr. I. no one has a better title than you have — to 
 trust at all times, to trust for all things. May you 
 live up to your estate — and find your faith working 
 such a love to God on your heart, as will cast out all 
 fear that hath torment. 
 
 In my journey I have also met with nothing but 
 what has increased thankfulness. The fine weather, 
 the fruits of the earth, very rich, and ripe, and abun- 
 dant, and the harvest very near over — these are 
 special mercies, calling aloud for praise. The poor 
 and the rich should alike join, for both are benefited 
 by the present plenty. Wheat, lately nine shillings 
 at this market, was yesterday, the best, sold at five 
 shillings and six-pence. Glory be to God. 
 
 I have a magnifying glass, through which I view 
 these mercies, and they appear great indeed. Look- 
 ing upon them in a spiritual light — O what an im- 
 provement ! He that has kept my body in safety, 
 has the care of my soul; he has undertaken it — his 
 love, his power, his wisdom are all engaged. And 
 he says to me what David did to Abiathar, " Abide 
 thou with me, fear not, for he that seeks to destroy 
 thy life, must destroy mine first ; but with me, thou 
 shalt be in safeguard." Corruptions, temptations, 
 dangers, pains, may attack and threaten; but faith says 
 — Fear not, his word is past — it cannot be broken 
 — I will preserve thee from all evil — yea, I will pre- 
 serve thy soul; I will perfect that which concerneth 
 thee. 
 
 N 3 
 
298 
 
 When this is believed as it ought to be, what a 
 subject of praise ! Many, many blessings I have in 
 hand, but they increase by use, and they are but 
 earnests : God gives them as bis pledges. Take 
 this and expect greater — the greatest — all my love 
 in Christ — all my heaven. This is but the first 
 fruits — the harvest shall follow. When present mer- 
 cies are viewed in this light — O how they increase 
 — how they magnify! May every day, as it adds 
 to their number, add also to their value; that in all 
 things you and I may be giving of thanks ; of which 
 heavenly employment, nothing can hinder us but 
 unbelief : take heed of that bitter root, and set Christ 
 upon it — mind, he must pardon it and subdue it, or 
 else it will shoot up and flourish. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXI. 
 
 Blackfriars, Sept. 14, 1784. 
 My very dear Friend, — I received your kind re- 
 membrance of us, just before we set out for the north ; 
 and attended to your request of hearing from me on 
 the journey; but my yearly engagement would not 
 allow me leisure till this day. I have made it along 
 time my practice, as soon as St. Dunstan's lecture is 
 over, to begin reading my Bible, and I let nothing 
 take me off till I have read it through. Yesterday 
 I finished my delightful task ; and having blessed ray 
 God for his precious word, I take up my pen to write 
 first to you. The impressions left upon my heart 
 in this last perusal, are so warm and lively that I 
 cannot help communicating them to you, and wishing 
 
299 
 
 that you and Mrs. I. may feel the same. My ad- 
 miration has been increasing of the uniformity of the 
 Scripture plan. It is the great charter of grace, and 
 all the parts perfectly harmonize ; and when one com- 
 pares them together, each illustrates and beautifies 
 the whole. 
 
 The reading of 1784, has also given me a fresh 
 confirmation of the truth of Scripture. I am not 
 more certain of any thing, than that it is the word 
 of God, and the revelation of the most High : and 
 of this I am convinced, by finding the power of God 
 accompany it. As in the first, so in the new crea- 
 tion — He speaks, and it is done; his word is al- 
 mighty. I know of no power beyond that which he 
 has put forth in your heart and mine. Of his own 
 will begat he us with the word of truth. Our new 
 birth is a new creation ; and, blessings on him, I feel 
 the effects of this every time I take up my Bible : 
 I find it to be more than the word of man. It is in 
 truth the word of God; because it effectually worketh 
 to this day in them that believe. Its influence in 
 the heart and life is beyond all created power : and 
 the experience of God's real presence in and by his 
 word, has made it to me very precious. On this last 
 reading, my love for it has grown much in taste and 
 value — in taste, sweeter than honey ; in value, more 
 than gold, yea, than much fine gold. As I dig 
 deeper, the mine becomes rich, and the treasures of 
 grace are greatly enhanced by their being the earnests 
 of glory. O what a book is this ! what is any way 
 like it ! I cannot get enough of it. You know 
 it is a good sign of health when people long for their 
 meals : so it is in the mind. I have but just done 
 
300 
 
 reading, and yet I want to begin again : my appetite 
 is keener. Feeding upon the word, is not like the 
 gross meat and drink of this world — nothing cloying 
 in it : but, when mixed with faith, it refines the 
 faculties, and exhilarates the spirits. The man says, 
 " O what love have I unto thy law ! all the day 
 long is my study and my delight in it." 
 
 All these considerations have received great con- 
 firmation in my last searching of the Scriptures : 
 because I have got one year nearer to the full accom- 
 plishment of all God's promises. This vastly en- 
 hances their value. Yet a very, very little while — 
 and perfection — and eternity will be put to their 
 fulfilment. The word will be completed — perfectly 
 in all its promises — eternally in all its glories. O 
 what a day will that be ! What Joshua said, will be 
 matter of fact. Josh. xxi. 25. xxiii. 14, 15. All 
 things in this world, when near, look great. As 
 you go from them they appear less. It is the pro- 
 perty of true faith to bring the promises near : as 
 faith grows by hearing and reading, the promises 
 appear nearer and greater. The home prospect 
 familiarizes them, and presents them to our view with 
 fresh beauties. Believe me, Sir, this is matter of 
 fact. The eye affects the heart, and all its affections 
 taste and enjoy the good things of Emmanuel's land; 
 which, though they be at present in promise and 
 hope, yet the promises of them, exceeding great and 
 exceeding precious, mixed with suitable faith, excite 
 a hope full of glory and immortality. 
 
 This view of the Bible is inexpressibly glorious. 
 It reveals. It realizes. It brings into present en- 
 joyment eternal things. It is my constant prayer 
 
301 
 
 for B. friends, that they may be Bible- Christians. 
 All besides is vanity. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXII. 
 
 Nov. 30, 1784. 
 My dear Friend, — I am to thank you for your 
 constant kind remembrance of us; for which, giving 
 you perfect credit, you will not be offended that I look 
 higher in my thanks. We ought not to live upon 
 the streams, but they should lead us up to the foun- 
 tain-head from whence they flow. The bountiful 
 Giver should be acknowledged in all his gifts, whe- 
 ther they come immediately from himself or from his 
 creatures. And this is his way, both to sanctify 
 friendship and to secure it. Most friendships are 
 ropes of sand ; they love to-day and hate to-morrow, 
 because they leave God out. But bringing him into 
 all our connections with one another, he renders them 
 holy, and thereby lasting. Indeed, this is the life I 
 am wishing and trying to make some daily progress 
 in ; and truly nothing else is worth living for. You 
 may safely write vanity on all worldly comforts, if 
 they be not spiritualized. But God in them exalts, 
 ennobles them, and turns their cold water into rich 
 wine : to his praise be it spoken. I have supped in 
 Mrs. N.'s room on bread and cheese and cider, and 
 it was fulfilled, " So man did eat angels' food." 
 Your grounds are pleasant : walking alone to con- 
 verse with God, they have been turned into a para- 
 dise. How many, many times has it been with me 
 as with Isaac ! He went out to pray in the field at 
 
302 
 
 the even-tide; and, while he prayed, he hfteduphis 
 eyes and saw Rebekah. He asked, and had : how 
 infinitely gracious iiis promise ! how infalHbly faith- 
 ful his performance ! Before they call I will answer, 
 and while they are yet speaking I will hear. My 
 dear friend Mr. I., this is really something of hea- 
 ven ; a blessedness that I wish God may add to all 
 your other enjoyments. It will multiply them, you 
 will have two in one; and what no estate, no rela- 
 tions, no comforts can give. This will do you good 
 at your latter end, when they must all fail. One 
 from whom I wish to learn this lesson, reduces it to 
 this point : ' I have set the Lord always before me ; 
 always at home or abroad, in company or alone, writ- 
 ing letters or reading them, eating or drinking, sleep- 
 ing or waking, sick or well — sick unto death, yea, 
 dying, I would still be looking to Jesus. It is my 
 safety, my privilege, my happiness, to do all in his 
 presence.' So his example teaches. So his Spirit 
 will enable you and me to follow his steps. As be- 
 lievers we shall be aiming at it, and trying daily to 
 do it better; for when we are reconciled to the Fa- 
 ther, and at friendship with him in his Son, we ought 
 then to exercise our faith and hope in him on all 
 occasions. What do we trust our souls for in his 
 hands, if we do not trust our bodies ? How do we 
 cast all our care upon him, if we do not live in per- 
 fect dependence on him for our children and fami- 
 lies? He has the government of church and state 
 upon his heart and upon his shoulders. O why then 
 do we doubt of his managing both for the best ! He 
 has undertaken the care of seed-time and harvest. 
 How injurious is it to him to burden ourselves with his 
 
303 
 
 own proper business, especially when he says, " Cast 
 thy burden on the Lord !" But it is bad weather : be 
 appoints cloudy days as well as sunshine. I quiet 
 myself in his will, be it wet or fair, and thereby en- 
 joy a sweet calm, when the face of the sky is tem- 
 pestuous, and the wind stormy. Although of late 
 he has been so gracious in his providence, as to give 
 us such fine weather as no man living remembers in 
 October and November ; saying, as it were, ' Trust, 
 and be not afraid : if you have a wet cold summer, 
 I will give you summer weather in winter.' I reckon 
 twenty-four fine days in October, and twenty-two in 
 November. What a God ! I admire his goodness 
 to a set of people who are at every turn murmuring 
 at, and affronting him for his management of the 
 weather. This present autumn should silence all 
 such complaints. And when the winter comes in 
 earnest, cold, and frost, and snow, and north-east 
 winds, they all fulfil his word. Thereby they ex- 
 ercise faith, and improve thankfulness. Lord, lift 
 thou but up the light of thy countenance, and it is 
 midsummer. I can assure you, Sir, that these are not 
 only realities, but also blessings to be enjoyed, and 
 I wish you to partake richly of them. The Lord's 
 presence will brighten your fair days, and will en- 
 lighten your darkness. Troubles come, he will make 
 them big with mercies : death comes, he will be 
 with you : and dying, by his grace, shall only be the 
 entrance, safe, pleasant entrance into life everlasting. 
 O my Jesus, teach Mr. L, teach Mrs. L this blessed 
 lesson ! Lead them from faith to faith, that every 
 day, and in every thing, they may have a growing 
 dependence on their God and their Saviour. There 
 
304 
 
 is something so blessed in this view, that I know not 
 where to stop or how to end. And should not, but 
 I am called upon to remind Mrs. I. that Mrs. R. 
 sent the things some time ago, and hopes what was 
 for Louisa and the chain answered. She paid for 
 them all but the carriage. Take notice of this in 
 your next for her satisfaction. They talk of peace, 
 but we are not ripe for it. Great trade would over- 
 set us, and prove a natural intoxication. I heard 
 the bishop of Worcester, a Christian bishop, preach 
 at Bow church, and he called it " the insatiable spi- 
 rit of trade." So, I think, a Christian with food and 
 raiment is a happy man. Having many things to say, 
 I must leave some to the next opportunity. I shall 
 forget my right hand when I forget you and yours. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXIIL 
 
 Jan. 1786. 
 
 My dear Friend, — I am often with you at Mont- 
 pellier. I behold your clear sky and bright sun ; 
 and I can feel some of your bracing air, and your 
 constant fine weather. I do rejoice in them, because 
 you do; but truly. Sir, I do not wish myself in your 
 place ! Although I am happy in your happiness, yet 
 there is something even here at Blackfriars, far be- 
 yond the south of France; for we are not without 
 our enjoyments. I live in an element, and when 
 my sky is clear, and ray sun shines bright, and I feel 
 some of its warm beams, and I breathe its pure ether 
 — these are real blessings ; they come down from 
 
305 
 
 the Father of lights — gifts like myself. He gives 
 his Spirit to enlighten and to enliven our spirits, 
 that, being one with his Son, we may live upon his 
 fulness in earth and heaven. And when this spiri- 
 tual life is enjoyed, there is a failing somewhere, if 
 its influence does not extend to the body, and make 
 the whole man better. My Physician prescribes for 
 both : he speaks a peace and a calm to the inward 
 man, which reaches the springs of animal life, and 
 makes them move with delight: the nerves feel it; 
 they are brisk and active: he puts joy into the heart, 
 which does good like a medicine. No doctor like 
 mine, Mr. I. you have made use of him for your 
 soul, but I would recommend him to you for the life 
 that perisheth. What if you should leave off 
 physic, and forget your skill in it, and live more by 
 faith for the present life, 1 could infallibly insure the 
 success. There is a something not to be described 
 that he gives, which operates according to promise, 
 and by a divine power, witness Rom.xv. 13, &c. &c. 
 Take a little specimen of our testimony for him in 
 the year 1786. Our motto has been generally 
 Hebrew. The present was, " I am Alpha and 
 Omega:" Alpha is the first. Omega is the last letter 
 of the Greek alphabet. So Christ is the Beginning 
 and Ending, and all between from first to last. He 
 is all in all, Rev. i. 8. saith the Lord himself, the 
 God of truth, who is, and who was, and who is to 
 come, the great I am, from everlasting to everlasting, 
 the Almighty, Jesus the God of nature, the God of 
 grace, the God of providence, the God of glory. 
 He is the first author of all the divine works in crea- 
 tion and in providence, the first cause of all the di- 
 
306 
 
 vine works in grace and in glory : he is the begin- 
 ning and the ending ; all things are made by him, 
 and for him. 
 
 Blessed are they who have begun the new year 
 looking to Jesus; they will find in him every thing 
 they can wish to save them from sin and misery, and 
 to make them truly holy and eternally happy ; for 
 blessed are all they that put their trust in him. We 
 are come together this morning to devote ourselves 
 afresh to his service, and to begin the year as we 
 hope to end it, in the faith of the Son of God, He 
 is our Alpha and Omega; and yours, I hope, and 
 Mrs. I.'s. I will give the heads of our subject, the 
 rest your own meditation will supply. 
 
 1. He is Alpha, the God of nature, who created 
 all things in heaven and in earth, see Col. i. 16 — 
 19. Psalm cii. 25, &c. Every thing that exists, 
 (excepting sin,) owes its being to Jehovah Jesus; for 
 he is of the same essence, has the same attributes 
 and perfections with the Father. This truth stands 
 upon a rock, and is the foundation of our faith, 
 namely, that Emmanuel, the God-man Christ Jesus, 
 is the Alpha and Omega of our salvation. 
 
 2. The God of grace: for as he is the Lord God 
 Almighty, what could be wanting in his life to make 
 his obedience for us an infinite righteousness; or in 
 his death, to render it a full, perfect, and sufficient 
 sacrifice for sin? And the benefit of his life and 
 death can come to you and me in no other way, than 
 as an act of the freest grace; and we cannot receive 
 it by any other means than by believing the Father's 
 testimony concerning his Son. Are we wise unto 
 salvation ? It is the teaching of our great Prophet 
 
307 
 
 Jesus; he is the Author and the Finisher too of that 
 faith, by which we reap the fruit of his atonement 
 and of his righteousness, and by which also we enjoy 
 all the graces of the Spirit in earth and in heaven ; 
 as John i. 16. And, amongst the rest, a life of 
 sweet dependence on him for all temporal things; 
 for he is, 
 
 3. The God of providence : when he has taught 
 us the safety and happiness of trusting our souls in 
 his hands, he calls for the exercise of this, by leaving 
 our bodies, and all their concerns, with him. He 
 calls for it — " Cast all your care upon me for meat, 
 and drink, and clothing : I will provide. Trust, and 
 be not afraid, I will manage your health and com- 
 forts, yea, I will make sickness and troubles real 
 blessings." O Sir, this is paradise; it is the be- 
 liever's present heaven. He lives by faith at all 
 times, and for all things, bad and good, sick and well, 
 poor as well as rich ; in all, he has fellowship with 
 Jesus, who satisfies his heart, that he loves him too 
 well to try him with any thing but what is for his 
 good. This is a sovereign antidote against all tem- 
 poral distresses, and really turns them into spiritual 
 blessings. It is our philosophers' stone. I pray God 
 you may find it, and thereby enrich yourself with all 
 you want, as well as all you have; yea, with the un- 
 searchable riches of Christ: for he is, 
 
 4. The God of glory, lengthening his grace into 
 eternity. For this he gave himself unto death: it 
 was to purchase for us eternal life, as you may see 
 John xvii. 20 — 25. In this prayer I wish you and 
 the family an interest. Pray for yours, in our dear 
 Lord, W. R. 
 
308 
 
 LETTER XXIV. 
 
 July 5, 1787. 
 My dear Friend, — My sisters have pressed rae 
 sore to pay them another visit; to which we have 
 complied. — When we shall return, I cannot deter- 
 mine — perhaps time enough to meet you hurrying 
 away out of our blessed country. However, be as- 
 sured of this, that I shall be much with you, very 
 much, under my favourite elm, sitting and surveying 
 the house and premises, and praying for the blessing 
 of the God of heaven upon the master, and all his. 
 Indeed, Sir, you have a most bountiful benefactor, 
 who has loaded you with benefits ; and he is never 
 weary of giving : the greatest of his gifts he bestow- 
 eth liberally — even faith, rich faith, that you may 
 take his Christ, live closer, nearer still unto him, 
 and may be safer by him, and happier in him. This 
 prosperity is much upon my heart : I wish it truly ; 
 I ask it fervently. All other things prosper about 
 you, may your soul prosper. As your real friend, 
 studious of your best interest, let me just put down 
 what would have been said — If the hall lectures had 
 been delivered at Brislington, 1787, by W. Romaine, 
 chaplain in ordinary, morning and evening — How 
 often have you heard me say, " Make sure of Christ," 
 he is the one thing needful, all besides is nothing 
 worth. Pursue what you will of this world, attain 
 too ever so much, you only get a great estate ; vanity 
 at its best — in the enjoyment, vexation of spirit ; 
 and in its duration, passing so fast away, as not to 
 
309 
 
 be worth one farthing when compared with Christ, 
 and the eternity of his heaven. 
 
 You should be often reading your warrant in 
 Scripture, and your encouragements from thence to 
 take him, and make sure of him for your own. The 
 Father's revealed will and command, J John iii. 23. ; 
 the Son's express declaration of his willingness and 
 power to save all that come unto him, John x. 27 
 — 30. ; and the testimony of the Spirit runs thus : 
 Heb. X. 15 — 24 ; a wonderful passage, full of strong 
 arguments to silence all your guilty fears, and to en- 
 courage you to live and die in peace with God, 
 through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 Then comes the security of this evidence, Christ 
 is mine. I have taken him at God's bidding; I 
 depend on God's warrant; I make use of him, as I 
 am commanded. The Father hath given him to be 
 a teacher: when I read the word, I look up for his 
 Spirit, that he may make me wise unto salvation. 
 When I feel guilt, I quiet my conscience with the 
 sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. When tempta- 
 tions meet with corruptions, he gives me courage to 
 oppose, and strength to overcome them. When the 
 miseries of sin are present, the love of God in Christ 
 turns them into blessings. In my walk, in my war- 
 fare, in my duties, in my friendships, in every thing, 
 I live by the faith of the Son of God; whereby a 
 man may be as certain that he is alive to God in 
 Christ, as that he is alive to this world. Mr. I. 
 there is no freehold like this, both for the certainty 
 of its evidence, and also for the blessedness which it 
 brings with it. Make sure of Christ, and all is 
 vours. Faith in him pleads a lawful discharge under 
 
310 
 
 the broad seal of heaven, from all sins and from all 
 miseries. Here is the warrant, see the Judge's own 
 hand — I will remember them no more. And with 
 this there also comes a full conveyance, by deed of 
 gift, of all possible good in time and in eternity. 
 The title is infallible, the earnest is present posses- 
 sion — even the Spirit ; and faith, which is the fruit 
 of the Spirit ; and the fruits of the Spirit, which are 
 abundant through faith in Christ Jesus. Grace is 
 yours — glory is yours; for the God of grace and 
 glory, God in Trinity is yours, and will be yours 
 with all his fulness for ever. May these be your 
 summer enjoyments, even fellowship with the Father 
 and the Son by the Spirit. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 
 Jan. 31, 1789. 
 
 My dear Friend, — The pleasure which I received 
 from your letter, calls upon me to acknowledge it, 
 which I sit down to do with much thankfulness. I 
 get good from your good ; and am wishing you may 
 return to us as much better as possible. We have 
 had cold weather, but it was very healthful, and to 
 me very pleasant. Our air was very putrid in autumn, 
 but the frost has taken away every thing infectious : 
 our skies are now as salutary as yours in France ; and 
 we want nothing in England but to be more sensible 
 of our privileges, and more thankful for them. 
 
 You know me well. I am a man of one book, 
 and of one sentiment. The word of God, and faith 
 in his word, make up all my learning, and enter into 
 
Sll 
 
 all ray life, private and public. The practice of 
 these principles for the year 1789, was taken from 
 Psalm xcvii. I. " The Lord reigneth" — my Lord 
 Jesus, whose kingdom is of such a nature, that Eng- 
 land, and the multitude of its isles, may be glad 
 thereof: because he is almighty ; the Creator of all 
 worlds. He did but speak, and his word brought 
 them into being; he did but command, and they 
 are upheld by the word of his power; for all things 
 serve him to this day. And he is the almighty Jesus, 
 the Lord of the spiritual and new creation, in which 
 his word is always doing wonders : behold, says he, 
 I create all things new ; I give the Spirit of life to the 
 dead sinner to enable him to believe in me, that he 
 may never perish for his sins, but may have, by ray 
 free gift, eternal life, and I will keep him by my 
 mighty power through faith, till I bring him safe to 
 the fulness of my joys. This is the great King, 
 who has all power in heaven and earth, the God- 
 man Jesus ; and the exercise of this power is peculiar 
 to himself. He makes and keeps the new world, as 
 he did the old. He governs by his word. The 
 gospel is the sceptre of his sovereign authority. He 
 sent it out from Zion, as Psalm ex. 2. ; and the rebel 
 nations were made willing to submit to him : and to 
 this day he gathers in his subjects by the same means. 
 When his Spirit puts life and power into the gospel, 
 the sinner hears his call, and comes, and bows the 
 knee before Jesus: he believes, and is pardoned and 
 saved ; henceforth he lives by and upon the fulness 
 of the Saviour. This is the way in which he peoples 
 his kingdom ; and whenever he brings any one to be 
 his willing subject, he promises them such blessings 
 
312 
 
 under his government as the world has not to give ; 
 and the world, I can witness for him, is not able to 
 take away. Faith gives him credit. And accord- 
 ing to our faith, he fulfils his promises, and makes 
 us really blessed. Here you see. Sir, I get upon 
 my own ground — living by faith — the only happy 
 life. An emperor has nothing to be compared with it, 
 whether you look at the blessedness of our King's 
 subjects, as they relate to spiritual, to temporal, or 
 to eternal things. 
 
 His name, his office, his character of old was, the 
 Blesser of all nations : so that his subjects are as 
 blessed in him, as Abraham was to whom the pro- 
 mise was made. The Blesser himself is theirs — his 
 life is their righteousness — his death is their atone- 
 ment — his resurrection is their justification to life— 
 his ascension is their hope of being with him, and 
 sitting with him on his throne. O what do they 
 feel, when from their hearts they can say — Blessed 
 be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings ! 
 May this be sweet music at Montpellier. 
 
 And then as to temporals, though he be so great 
 a King, yet he is not above looking to the least con- 
 cerns of his subjects. The very hairs of their head 
 he numbers: 
 
 " If in the least he be so true, 
 What won't he in the greatest do ?" 
 
 He has redeemed the body, as well as the soul ; 
 and he says, ' Cast all the care of that upon me.' But 
 I am sick, ' Fear not, I am your physician — I can 
 bring health out of sickness. As to food and 
 
313 
 
 raiment, family, children, substance — trust them all 
 in my hands, — if you leave them to my management, 
 come what may, I will make it work under me for 
 your good : and if one thing be better than another 
 in this life, you shall have it ; for I have said, I will 
 never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' 
 
 He who says these things, is King of kings, and 
 Lord of lords : I believe his royal words — and 1 am 
 as happy about all temporals, as I can be out of hea- 
 ven. May he make my dear friend as happy ; that, 
 looking forward, when we shall see the King in his 
 beauty, we may one day meet, and cast our crowns 
 together down at his feet. So be it. May he reign 
 sole monarch of our hearts till that blessed day. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXVL 
 
 Feb. 8, 1792. 
 My good Friend, — We have consecrated a day 
 of thanksgiving to the Keeper of Israel, who kept 
 your going out safe; and thank you for informing 
 us of it. We hope, before the sun gets out of 
 Aries, he will favour us with another holiday, for 
 bringing you back in peace. Till that happy time 
 arrive, I reckon it my privilege to be daily with you 
 in spirit, and to be keeping up the communion of 
 saints, which is as real a blessing upon earth as it 
 will be in heaven : for believers are all united to one 
 Head, have one Spirit breathing through them, and 
 enabling them by one faith to cleave close to their 
 Head; and, as far as they do, he disposes and enables 
 O 51 
 
314 
 
 them to cleave close in brotherly love to one another. 
 I have you as much upon my heart, while you are at 
 Montpellier, as when I sleep under your roof at 
 Brislington. Prayer for every possible good to you 
 and yours, and praise for the blessings you have re- 
 ceived, are truly my present employment: I find it 
 also delightful to remember you before my Lord. 
 May he make it as pleasant to you to read, as it is 
 to me to inform you, of our religious engagements 
 here in the present year. Our word was, " Grow 
 in grace." Growth is the end and design of receiv- 
 ing it; and the only purpose of living another year 
 is, that we may get grace in it, and use it. If we 
 liave it not, that we may seek until we find it ; and 
 if we have it, that we may improve it : for it is as 
 necessary as breath to the body. The Scripture 
 compares it to a cool breeze after a hot sultry day, 
 and also to the dew upon herbs : grace is as refresh- 
 ing as dew, and as strengthening and bracing as the 
 cool air is in hot weather. When it is saving, it is 
 the favour of the blessed Trinity to sinners who are 
 quickened by the Spirit of grace, and brought by 
 hira to believe in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 and thereby to the enjoyment of the Father's grace 
 and love. In the Trinity it is always the same, and 
 also in the Scriptures; but as to our sense and expe- 
 rience there is a growth, by more dependence on 
 God's faithfulness to his promises, and more depen- 
 dence on the supplies of the Spirit, in applying and 
 making the promises good. Thus, he who grows 
 in grace this year, (as it follows in the text,) will 
 grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Je- 
 sus Christ : the more he knows of him, the more he 
 
315 
 
 will trust him: and he who trusts him most, will 
 certainly love him best ; and he who loves him best, 
 will be using all the means of grace, that he may 
 grow in the sense of his favour ; the love of Christ 
 will constrain him powerfully to do what Christ loves, 
 to bear patiently Christ's cross, and to persevere in 
 fighting Christ's battles; always remembering, that 
 if we have ever so much, Christ giveth more grace. 
 
 This was the sum. Reflecting on the past year, 
 the believer should be greatly humbled at his little 
 growth, — on the present, setting out in Christ's 
 strength to get forward — more dead to nature, and 
 more alive to grace. Our activity, usefulness, holi- 
 ness, happiness, depend on our growing into Christ, 
 and daily making such a progress, that we may get 
 more grace to return him more glory. 
 
 LETTER XXVII. 
 
 Jan. 23, 1793. 
 . My dear Madam, — I am much beholden to you 
 f(Sl^your speedy answer to my inquiries, and for good 
 news, and for much concerning our friend abroad, 
 and friends at home, very dear to you by natural 
 bonds, but much more by that nearest of all rela- 
 tions, the bond of the Spirit. I acknowledge with 
 thankfulness, the many favours of God to you, and 
 am at prayers for the continuance of them — that 
 he who has begun a good work, may carry it on to 
 perfection, in your sister, brother, and all your chil- 
 dren. Where there are fair buds and blossoms, 
 o 2 
 
316 
 
 may they not be blighted, but bear rich and ripe 
 fruit that will endure unto everlasting lite. 
 
 In return for your good news, I am happy that I 
 can send you some of mine — indeed some of the 
 best which ever came from heaven. It relates to a 
 person called Melchisedec, which was our word for 
 this year, of whom great things are spoken. Gen. 
 xiv. and Psal. ex. such as can belong to none but the 
 Lord God : and now they are talking of putting down 
 all kings, I thought it high time to look after a king- 
 dom that cannot be moved : and such I have found 
 in this name, as the apostle has explained it at large, 
 and given us a whole chapter upon it, Hebrews vii. 
 He says it means the King of righteousness — King 
 Jesus, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords, and 
 has all power in heaven and earth to make his sub- 
 jects righteous. He is the Lord their righteousness 
 — almighty to pardon their sins, almighty to subdue 
 their sins and all their enemies, and almighty to 
 give them faith to trust him for salvation, and for all 
 the things which accompany salvation. Happy sub- 
 jects, who, being justified by faith, have peace with 
 God, and who live under his government safe and 
 happy. They do not live up to their privileges, if 
 either guilty fears or natural fears distress them. 
 When kingdoms are convulsed, states are over- 
 thrown, and the civil world turned upside down, the 
 feet having got into the place of the head — then he 
 says to the weakest of his subjects, ' Fear not lest 
 any hurt you, I will keep you night and day; un- 
 der my protection you are as safe as if you were in 
 heaven.' 
 
 There was a great deal said of this most blessed 
 
317 
 
 Melchisedec, which I need not repeat — you have 
 heard his praises celebrated so often by me, and 
 long before in the word of God, Psalm xlvi. and in 
 that famous hymn, Isaiah xii. We only want more 
 faith to make him more precious, and ourselves more 
 happy. Let this be our study, and on him may 
 our hearts be fixed through* the present year. The 
 government is upon his shoulders, the greatest con- 
 cerns, and the least. May our King, for his eyes 
 and care are every where, look on our travelling 
 friend, and keep him till we meet in peace. May 
 you and yours find it a faithful saying, recorded of 
 his subjects. Psalm cxii. 7, 8. and then you will 
 prize and love Melchisedec. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXVIIL 
 
 Reading, Aug. 3, 1793. 
 My dear Friend, — I was just going to write 
 when your letter came this morning, Aug. 3d. We 
 had agreed to set out for B. Tuesday the 27th, and 
 hope to be with you the next day. I wish to live 
 under an abiding sense of the certainty of death, and 
 of preparation for it. Thank God, I feel the truth 
 of your reflections, and I know in whom I have be- 
 lieved. Just on the verge of eternity — O it is a 
 blessed prospect to be able to look forward with a 
 hope full of glory and immortality : it makes age, 
 with its numerous infirmities, not only tolerable, but 
 truly blessed. To live in the Lord, is heaven upon 
 earth; to die in the Lord, is the heaven of heavens. 
 I am a witness for Jesus, how happy it is to live by 
 
318 
 
 faith in him ; and Jesus himself is a witness how happy 
 it is to die in faith : so he assures us — " Blessed are 
 the dead who die in the Lord." He who spake it 
 with a voice from heaven, has never broke his word 
 to one dying believer; and he will not to you : trust* 
 and be not afraid. Cordially yours, W. "R. 
 
 LETTER XXIX. 
 
 Jan. 4, 1794. 
 My dear Friend, — When I saw your red wafer, 
 before I opened your letter, my heart leaped for jdy; 
 but when I read the contents, I blessed his holy 
 name, and gave him all the glory. It is his own 
 doing; and, indeed, it ought to be marvellous in our 
 eyes. The more he makes it so, we will join prayer 
 to praise, and beg of him, that whatever was his gra- 
 cious purpose in his late visitation, it may be com- 
 pletely answered, and Mrs. I.'s body and soul may 
 be better for it. O what a Jesus do we serve ! 
 with what confidence may we trust him who bringeth 
 down to the grave, and bringeth up ! And he gives 
 us full warrant : Trust in him at all times, ye peo- 
 ple — pour out your hearts before him in the prayer 
 of faith ; God will be a sure refuge for you in the 
 distresses of life, and in the hour of death. In this 
 delightful exercise, methinks I hear our friend— 
 What return shall I make unto the Lord for all the 
 benefits that he hath done unto me ! I will offer the 
 sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the 
 name of the Lord. O that I may answer his gra- 
 cious purpose in raising me up again, that I may 
 
319 
 
 grow in grace, and in the knowledge and love of my 
 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ : to him be glory 
 both now and for ever. Mr. I. stands by, and says, 
 Amen — for I know his feelings : he is blessing his 
 God, who has favoured him with such a gift, has 
 now, as it were, redoubled it, by continuing it: he 
 is praying to be made, and to be kept thankful, that 
 every sight of Mrs. I. may stir up gratitude and 
 praise in hi» heart to a bountiful Jesus. O ! if ever 
 I take my seat in the hall to worship again, may 
 our meeting be something of heaven, and our praises 
 like theirs above. What mercies ! how great — how 
 many ! I believe Miss I. knows how to value, per- 
 haps much better than I can, such a parent restored 
 to her. She is sensible of the signal favour; and I 
 pray with the same warm heart Miss I. may thank 
 her God. I would hear her do it : O what a blessing 
 to me, that my dear mother, who loves me as her 
 own soul, and is the safe guide of my youth, should 
 be raised from such a bed of sickness, and spared to 
 me and to my sister. I wish to praise the Lord for 
 this his goodness ; and to show him my thankfulness 
 in word and in deed. So be it. 
 
 You have friends to join you : I know some who 
 are giving glory where it is due, and begging of 
 God that the family and relations, and all your con- 
 nexions, may be profited by this visitation. May 
 increasing health inspire increasing gratitude. I 
 hope my Lord will take especial care of your own 
 health, and be the guardian and defender of our 
 country. I am at prayers. My chief concern in 
 the times is with God : let him do what he will, be- 
 lievers will be safe, as in the ark, as in going through 
 
320 
 
 the Red Sea. Yea, they may sing the 46th Psalm, 
 as I do this day. Your friend in the Lord, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXX. 
 
 Feb. 1, 1794. 
 
 My dear Madam, — I have many reasons to re- 
 joice with you, and join my praises to him who hath 
 done such gre'at things for you, and will do greater 
 still. He has restored your life from destruction- 
 health is returning — and spiritual health is returned. 
 O how did ray heart rejoice, far more than for 
 any thing outward, when I read of God's abundant 
 grace to you in giving you a thankful spirit ! For 
 this is spiritual liveliness, and spiritual growth. I 
 could not help taking up these holy words, " I will 
 bless the Lord at all times : his praise shall continu- 
 ally be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast 
 in the Lord : the humble shall hear thereof and be 
 glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us 
 exalt his name together. We sought the Lord, and 
 he heard us, and delivered us from all our fears. 
 Blessed, blessed, most blessed be his holy name." 
 Do I not hear you say. Amen ? 
 
 I have observed the public mind too much agi- 
 tated about the signs of the times : and my own 
 friends rather uneasy about what was coming upon 
 the earth. Come what may, 1 have always an in- 
 fallible antidote ; and I gave for the word of this 
 year — " The God of Hope," Rom. xv. 13. This 
 is one of his high styles and titles. The God from 
 whom believers in Christ may hope for all possible 
 
321 
 
 good, and to be saved from all possible evil. Such 
 are his promises ; and faith looks at the truth of 
 them, and hope waits for the fulBIling them, not 
 doubting but that God is faithful. This is his char- 
 acter, " a promise-keeping God." And may he ren- 
 der this year famous for the exercise of Christian 
 hope — well-grounded — sure and certain— built upon 
 immutable things — and bringing the words before us 
 into happy experience, — even that the God of hope 
 may fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we 
 may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 This hope is his gift ; a grace of his power ; the 
 fruit of believing. Whatever God has promised, 
 be it ever so great, ever so much, he enables the be- 
 liever to hope for its accompUshment, and to wait 
 God's time. If it be for sin — being justified by faith, 
 he gives peace with God through Jesus Christ our 
 Lord. Peace in the sense of pardon, and peace in 
 the sense of favour, that he has brought us into a 
 state of favour, and that we stand in it with the full- 
 est security of the word, promise, covenant, and oath 
 of the holy Trinity, that we shall be kept unto the 
 end. This is the hope which never maketh ashamed. 
 All worldly hopes may disappoint, but this cannot, 
 Rom. V. 5. The behever looks at sin, and tri- 
 umphs, Rom. viii. 31 — 34. looks at the troubles 
 arising from sin — for they all come from it, and he 
 carries on his triumph, Rom. viii. 35. to the end. 
 He looks at death, and still is happy, for he has hope 
 in his death, Prov. xiv. 32. He looks beyond death 
 to a God of hope. He looks for the mercy of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, with a hope full 
 of glory and immortality, Psalm xlviii. 14. Titus i. 
 o 3 
 
322 
 
 1 — 3. Jude 20, 21, 24, 25. This is the sum and 
 
 substance, of which you can make the application. 
 The word and Spirit of God encourage us to trust 
 and not be afraid — for he is faithful who promised. 
 Is this my hope ? Have I begun the year with 
 waiting thus upon God ? It is very high worship, 
 and the most honourable that can be to God's pro- 
 mises. O for many, many such worshippers : they 
 need not fear the raging storm threatening destruc- 
 tion to the earth. They have embarked all their 
 hopes with their Almighty Jesus; and he has engaged 
 to bring them safe to the haven where they would 
 be, as you read, Heb. vi. 16 — 20. The prayer 
 that ended the sermon comes down to Brislingtou. 
 And Mrs. R.'s love, with mine, to you all. W. R, 
 
 LETTER XXXI. 
 
 April 19, 1794. 
 My dear Friend, — I was made to believe, that I 
 should have seen you face to face long before this; 
 and your last letter gave me some hopes of it : but 
 I wait no longer. You cannot think how much I 
 was flattered by your account of yourself, because it 
 was a demonstration of the truth of my principles, 
 which you have so often heard from my mouth, and 
 have so often under my hand. You see he can keep 
 you any where, every where, when duty calls you. 
 He can make England a very paradise ; so it is to 
 me — all but heaven. How well has our God car- 
 ried you through the winter — found you work — 
 fitted you for it — given you health and strength ; 
 
323 
 
 and what is better still, spiritual health and strength 
 to thank him, and bless his dear name ! O! may 
 every heart in your family, and every tongue in it, 
 ascribe with gratitude Mrs. I.'s recovery, and your 
 own particular mercies, and the dutifulness of your 
 children. May He have all the glory. It is from 
 him that the voice of joy and health is in the dwell- 
 ings of the righteous; and to him I look with thanks- 
 giving for making you a witness for my old doctrine. 
 O it is a blessed thing to trust him ! He promises, 
 and he will make his word good. Trust in him at 
 all times, ye people, and in all places : they shall 
 want no manner of thing that is good. But now I 
 have got upon this subject, I must stop, for there is 
 no end of it; the triumph of faith is the everlasting 
 joy of heaven. I hear Mr. T. has undertaken great 
 things this Easter: I wish his strength may be equal 
 to his courage, — both mine continue, very marvel- 
 lously in mine own eyes. I labour more than ever, 
 sometimes to the weariness of the flesh ; but my 
 friend gives me rich cordials, and I go on, aiming, as he 
 helps me, to magnify and exalt God-Jesus. He has 
 poured out a very remarkable spirit of prayer, and 
 multitudes, multitudes through the land are on their 
 bended knees, lifting up holy hands, crying for 
 mercy. I hope he will hear and answer, by grant- 
 ing us a national reformation, that iniquity and infi- 
 delity may not be our ruin. Mr. William Jones 
 has just printed a sermon on the Man of Sin : it is 
 very interesting — I wish you to read it. 
 
 The times are still tempestuous, and the poor 
 church tossed on the waves like Noah's ark; but not 
 one embarked with Christ shall ever perish. ■ They 
 
324 
 
 may suflPer shipwreck, but as it was, Acts xxvii. they 
 all got safe to land. I am in the ark, and hope it 
 will soon be so with me. To this most blessed Pilot 
 I commit you and yours. Do not forget in your 
 best moments, your fast friend and servant in the 
 Lord, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXIL 
 
 Aug. 9, 1794. 
 My very dear Friend, — We were in Buckingham- 
 shire for a fortnight, and did not receive your letter 
 of the 23th July till August 6th ; nothing else could 
 have hindered me from not answering it sooner, espe- 
 cially as your motions depend so much upon it.— 
 I look forward with prayer, that it may be made a 
 happy meeting to us all. " As iron sharpeneth 
 iron, so," &c. We want much encouragement from 
 the warnings given us of our uncertain stay here. 
 Age preaches, " Be ready ;" infirmities second the 
 lesson : the state of the world cries aloud — wars, 
 tumults, cruelties never heard of before. The state 
 of the church also is alarming, more than any thing 
 else. Philosophy with its vain deceits — Infidelity, 
 with its natural children, a swarm of most profane 
 practices, destroying all subordination to God's minis- 
 ters, and to God's magistrates, whom he has set over 
 us that we might lead a quiet and peaceable life in 
 all godliness and honesty. These evils are growing 
 worse and worse, especially as none can tell when 
 they will stop, or how. How earnestly should we 
 endeavour to strengthen one another's hearts and 
 
325 
 
 hands in the good ways of God, when we see all 
 these things come upon the earth. I keep in my 
 watch-tower, looking to him for his gift of repent- 
 ance and reformation to a guilty land, that iniquity 
 may not be our ruin ; and thanking him for his special 
 favour, that there is a sanctuary out of the reach of 
 all dangers, and that we, of his mere grace, are in it; 
 described Isaiah xxvi. 1 — 4. Do not cease to pray 
 for W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXIII. 
 
 Oct. 9, 1794,. 
 
 My dear Friend, — In the midst of this great 
 storm, which rages through Europe with unabatiug 
 fury, what a blessing to enjoy a calm within ! a quiet 
 conscience — a happy heart — a true paradise ! Let 
 the huricane spread, and threaten to carry all before 
 it ; yet you can recollect what is said of a right- 
 eous man — " He shall not be afraid of evil tidings, 
 his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord : his heart 
 is established, he shall not be afraid." This is the 
 haven of peace, into which he has entered, and is 
 safe, whose anchor is Christ — all with him is sure 
 and steadfast. Come what may upon the earth, even 
 the great day of the Lord, instead of fearing any 
 thing that can hurt him, he may, he will, lift up his 
 head with joy, and triumph in the God of his salva- 
 tion. May this be your portion when most wanted. 
 
 Our stay here will be short. We paid you the 
 longest visit we have made this summer. It is con- 
 tinually sounding in mine ears, " They sorrowed 
 
326 
 
 most of all, because they should see his face no more," 
 &c.* It is certain, at my time of life, we cannot pro- 
 raise ourselves, on any good ground, a yearly visit 
 to our friends. Our meetings must be before God 
 — in the prayer of faith for them, which is the com- 
 munion of saints; and praise to him for brotherly 
 love with its heavenly fruits. I hope to visit you 
 with my last and dying testimony of faith. I go to 
 town sooner than usual, that I may put my Triumph 
 of Faith to the press. And then, my good God 
 favouring me, you will read, and I trust will be a 
 witness, that " blessed are they who live, and most 
 blessed are they who die in Jesus." To him I com- 
 mend you, and Mrs. I. Miss I. and dear Louisa^ 
 with the blessings of Jesus on you all. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXIV. 
 
 Nov. 14, 1794. 
 Yes, poor L. is dead ; and he gives us warning. 
 One generation passeth away, and another genera- 
 tion cometh. The sun also ariseth, and the sun 
 goeth down, and hasteth to the place where he arose. 
 His sun is gone down. Yours and mine are setting. 
 What a comfort ! our day's work is done, we are 
 walking as children in the light, and waiting to be 
 sent for, whenever our Lord pleases. It need not 
 be a violent death. It must be soon, in the course 
 of nature. It may be in a moment. Come ever so 
 soon, it will be a blessed time. When, and where, 
 
 • Mr. Romaine visited the friends and country here alluded to 
 no more, being called to his rest in the ensuing summer. 
 
327 
 
 and how, all is settled by him who says to you and 
 to me, " Fear not, I will be with you," &c. 
 
 I have nothing to do with the times but in the 
 way of prayer. Grant us peace in our time, O 
 Lord. So I ask, and keep on asking, although it 
 seems to be farther and farther out of sight. Thus 
 the prophet prayed, " O thou sword of the Lord, 
 how long will it be ere thou be quiet ? Put up thy- 
 self into thy scabbard ; rest, and be still." To whom 
 it was answered, *' How can it be quiet, seeing the 
 Lord hath given it a charge to take vengeance, and 
 there is no repentance, nor turning from their cry- 
 ing sins ?" The Lord grant iniquity may not be our 
 ruin ! I have time to pray for Louisa. I hope he 
 will hear and answer, who is my friend and yours. 
 Mrs. L and Miss have much occasion for faith and 
 patience : I pray for them, that they may find grace 
 to help them in every time of need. Very soon, yet 
 a very little while, and faith and patience will be no 
 more wanted : till that time, may they do their per- 
 fect work. I am very busy printing my dying testi- 
 mony for the truth of the gospel of Jesus, and for 
 the power of it. If you live to see it, you will know 
 somewhat more of his unspeakable grace and favour 
 to W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXV. 
 To Mrs. B. 
 
 Brighthelmstone, Oct. 14, 1764. 
 Grace be with you, my dear friend, and with 
 yours. Upon hearing of the late mercy which you 
 
328 
 
 have received, I found my heart rejoice in the Lord, 
 and my faith in him strengthened. Surely his com- 
 passions fail not. He is all faithfulness and truth. 
 The mercy which he has promised, he will fulfil to a 
 thousand generations, and none who trusted in his 
 promised mercy ever were or ever will be confounded. 
 I had no doubt of this in myself, through his good 
 hand upon me; but by his dealings with you and 
 yours I am more confirmed, and learn to trust him 
 more. May his great kindness to you have the same 
 effect. May it bring you to see more clearly that 
 you are in Christ; and as you learn to trust and to 
 depend more upon him, you will thereby get more 
 out of his fulness. And this seems to me to be the 
 end and purpose for which a believer lives. He is in 
 Christ, and he is suffered to live a longer time, that 
 every new day may bring him to a more settled de- 
 pendence upon Christ. His faith is to be always 
 growing and getting some fresh establishment in 
 Christ. So we read of the Thessalonians, in the 
 first epistle, their faith was so famous, that it was 
 spoken of throughout the world; and yet afterwards, 
 in the second epistle, it is said, their faith had grown 
 exceedingly. It was not only kept alive, or at a 
 stand, but also increased, being renewed day by day 
 by the word and Spirit of God : under whose teach- 
 ing, the believer attains more large views of the 
 covenant of grace, of the unchangeable faithfulness 
 of the eternal Three in their covenant offices, and of 
 his safety in relying upon their making good to him 
 every covenant mercy. Thus seeing all things well 
 ordered and sure in the covenant for his acceptance, 
 through the finished work of Jesus, and for his holy 
 
I 
 
 329 
 
 and happy walk through the almighty grace of Jesus ; 
 whatever could bring him to God, and keep him near 
 to God, all provided, and all made over to him by 
 two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible 
 that God should lie. On this foundation resting his 
 soul, his conscience is at peace, and he grows daily 
 more sensible of his being in the favour and love of 
 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in their covenant 
 offices, and gets more comfortable evidence of their 
 acting in each for his good. And as his faith thus 
 grows, whatever opposes him in his walk, becomes 
 more easy to overcome; because he sees all fulness 
 of grace and power treasured up in his dearest Sa- 
 viour, and he knows it is there for his use, and he 
 there goes for every thing he wants; and, by daily 
 sweet experience, finding the faithfulness of Jesus, 
 he grows bolder; and has more freedom to go to him. 
 He learns not to be discouraged by what he feels in 
 himself, be it what it will, but he carries it to the Lord. 
 And when he makes use of Christ's promised strength, 
 and relies wholly on it, to subdue corruptions, to con- 
 quer enemies, to overcome difficulties, to deny self, 
 and to bear the cross, then all things go well. So 
 long as he trusts in the Lord, the Lord makes him 
 to prosper. The devil cannot come at such a per- 
 son but by attacking his faith, and he cannot con- 
 quer him till faith gives way; and his faith will 
 not shrink, because God keeps it, and with him he 
 trusts faith and all, looking up to the Lord to keep 
 him by the power of his mights O happy man this, 
 to whom the Lord saith, " I will preserve thee from 
 all evil!" and he saith, " Lord, I believe thy word, 
 and on thy power alone do I depend to preserve me." 
 
330 
 
 To whom the Lord saith again, " I will bless thee, 
 and thou shalt lack no manner of thing that is good." 
 
 True, Lord, so I find it. What good thing lack 
 1 yet, now thou art mine, and I am thine? Thou 
 hast taken all my evil upon thyself, and thou hast 
 given me all thy good. In having thee, I have all 
 things, only I want more faith. O that I may 
 glorify thee more, by putting more trust and confi- 
 dence in thee. Still, Lord, increase — still, day by 
 day, let it be growing — a growing faith increasing 
 exceedingly, until I receive the end of my faith, 
 even the salvation of my soul. 
 
 I kept writing on, thinking these things, which 
 are the joy of my heart, may, in these retired hours, 
 rejoice yours also. May the Lord convey them to 
 you with that life and power which I feel now I am 
 writing. I am a poor creature, the poorest of all. 
 Yet Jesus is mine. In his love, and by his sweet 
 constraining grace, I am yours, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXVL 
 
 Brighton, Sept. 30, 1795. 
 Dear Mrs. B.'s servant salutes her in his wife's 
 name, being appointed to answer her letter. — You 
 want to receive something from us, which breathes 
 the air of Canaan. Is not Jesus Canaan itself? Is 
 he not the breath, the light of life; the bread, the 
 water of life; the garments of salvation; the ever- 
 lasting feast of joy and gladness of that blessed 
 country ? While we talk of him by the way, as we 
 are travelling to it, we not only breathe the air, but 
 
331 
 
 also enjoy the good things of Canaan ilself; for when 
 Jesus dwells in our hearts by faith, we then have 
 possession of the promised inheritance. Our Jesus 
 is all of it to us. Having him we have it all. Ca- 
 naan is a wilderness without him. The finest place 
 you can conceive would be no heaven, if Jesus was 
 not there. And wherever he is, there heaven is; 
 as the court is where the king is. " Whom have 
 I even in heaven, but thee?" said blessed David. 
 And one full of the same Spirit placed his utmost 
 wishes in being present with the Lord, which he 
 knew was best of all. Our heaven, you know, my 
 friend, is not the place, nor the fine things in it, gold 
 and silver, and precious stones, but it is Jesus, our 
 matchless, loving, lovely Saviour. His presence is 
 to us the fulness of joy. 
 
 The common notion of heaven is very much like 
 the Turks' paradise. Writers and preachers gener- 
 ally make it a most glorious place, full of the richest 
 things; and they take care to tell us, there is no pain 
 there, but all pleasure. So it is. But what sort of 
 pleasure? Why, to be with the Lord Christ, to 
 see him face to face, to see him as he is, to behold 
 the glory of God in the person of Christ Jesus, ac- 
 cording to our Lord's prayer, " Father, I will that 
 they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me 
 where I am, that they may behold my glory." This 
 is the highest enjoyment, to behold his glory. They 
 have nothing above this in heaven; and of this, faith 
 has some very sweet foretastes below. When the 
 Spirit has drawn our hearts to Jesus, then he gives 
 us daily, by our fellowship with him, happy earnests 
 of the glory which shall be revealed ; and we cannot 
 
832 
 
 rest till with open face we behold it. All he gives 
 us here only whets the appetite, and makes us wish 
 more for full and perfect enjoyment ; as one sweetly 
 sings of the beatific vision, which is the sight of 
 Jesus, — 
 
 What we here taste of thy rich grace, 
 
 Makes us long more to see thy face ; 
 
 We hunger more, and thirst to see 
 
 The heaven of heavens, Lord, in thee. 
 
 If this be the language of your heart, you are in- 
 deed breathing the air of Canaan, and partaking, ac- 
 cording to your present capacity, of the good things 
 of it. The heir of that promised land is your Sa- 
 viour, and with him you are an heir of God, and a 
 co-heir with Christ. Your Hebrew verse proves 
 evidently, that you are one of these happy co-heirs : 
 because you are longing for more sweet breathings 
 and heavenly gales of grace, coming from, and draw- 
 ing you to Jesus, and thereby assuring you more of 
 the promised inheritance. There are certain means 
 appointed for these purposes, of which, while we 
 make use, may their end be answered in your soul 
 and mine. And 
 
 The first is, the word, which is the ministration 
 of righteousness, that exceedeth in glory, being the 
 righteousness not of a creature only, but also of God; 
 for therein is this righteousness revealed from faith 
 to faith. The word is a revelation of the glory of 
 this righteousness of God in the person of Jesus 
 Christ, discovering to us the Father's grace and love, 
 in nlacing the fulness of this righteousness, with all 
 its fruits, in his co-equal Son; and the Spirit's grace 
 and love, in testifying and glorifying of this fulness, 
 
333 
 
 and in bringing the believer to rest safe, and live 
 happy upon it. This is the subject of both testa- 
 ments, which we shall be studying night and day, 
 and meditating on it with love in our hearts, until 
 we get within the veil, and want no more love tokens, 
 and kind promises, from our heavenly Lover — he 
 being then ours, with all his glory, in full and never- 
 ending fruition. Here I take shame to myself for 
 reading so little of this precious treasure, which 
 breathes throughout the perfumed air of Canaan. 
 Learn, my friend, from my sad experience, and when 
 you read more than I have done, mind. 
 
 Secondly, That you read in a constant dependence 
 upon the inward teaching of the Spirit of Jesus. 
 The word is the ministration of the Spirit, by which 
 he is administered, and with which he acts ; for he 
 is to the word, what light is to the eyes. Let a 
 man have ever such good eyes, he cannot see any 
 thing with them unless he have light: so the word 
 must have light shining upon it to make us see it in 
 its clearness, and feel it in its power. When he 
 opens the eyes of our understanding, and enlightens 
 them to understand the Scripture, one cannot help 
 admiring and adoring what light he throws upon 
 them, and what life he puts into them ; for he ren- 
 ders them the power of God unto salvation. Then 
 one gets up to Pisgah's top, and not only fine pros- 
 pects of Canaan's fruitful hills appear, but also her 
 spicy odours perfume the air, and bring us rich fore- 
 tastes of that good and gracious land. O for more 
 of this Spirit in you and me ! He is the very breath 
 of life to quicken the word. With it in your hand, 
 and him in your heart, you will have the inspiration 
 
334 
 
 of the Almighty, and your present knowledge will 
 be but like infancy, compared to that maturity to 
 which he will bring you : for, 
 
 Thirdly, The word of God, thus explained by the 
 Spirit, will make this material world breathe the air 
 of the spiritual world. The things that are made 
 were therefore made what they are, on purpose to 
 represent and to convey ideas of the invisible things 
 of God. Every outward object is a picture of some 
 inward object: for none of them were made for them- 
 selves, but were to reflect and give ideas of something 
 else; namely, of Jesus, and of his spiritual world. 
 Here the Sr I'jture philosophy becomes a vast help 
 to a spiritual mind : it represents the world, and all 
 things in it, as mere shadows, and informs us what 
 the true object is which each of them stands for — 
 so that the philosophic mind looks through the sign 
 to the thing signified. Thus all nature preaches 
 grace. Every object speaks something of Jesus, and 
 you cannot open your eyes without being told some- 
 thing of him. 
 
 Many are the advantages of viewing things in this 
 light: such as a continual increase of knowledge. 
 The understanding improves by every object, as it 
 learns to spiritualize every one of them : and it is 
 kept close to the truth ; for whatever presents itself 
 to the eye, carries its right instruction to the eye of 
 the soul, and thereby becomes profitable to our spiri- 
 tual and eternal interest. 
 
 Temptations are kept out : for they all come from 
 not seeing objects in a true light. The enemy mis- 
 represents, and thereby deceives. Whether he 
 tempts the eye or the heart, he cannot cheat them, 
 but by false colours and lies. 
 
335 
 
 The world is kept out: for the spiritual man can- 
 not fall in love with shadows, which all things here 
 are. The whole creation is but a picture, the body 
 and substance is Jesus and his kingdom. 
 
 The principal advantage is, conversing and having 
 fellowship with Jesus in every object, of which we 
 know the time, nature, and use. When we sit 
 down or walk by the way, eat or drink, or rest, see 
 heaven above with its furniture of sun, moon, &c. 
 or the earth beneath, with its creatures, its products, 
 &c. every thing has a tongue and reads a lecture con- 
 cerning Jesus. This the spiritual Psalmist heard 
 when he calls upon all things animate and inanimate 
 to join him in praising his Jesus — and a blessed con- 
 cert they make. My heart has been ravished with 
 hearing the heavens declare the glory of God, and 
 the earth, and all that therein is, echoing back again 
 loud praises to his glory. I cannot walk into the 
 garden, but flowers and fruits tell me to praise my 
 Jesus. In the 6elds I am told of him, and that not 
 fancifully, as a sportive imagination may make some- 
 thing out of nothing, but the Scripture informs me 
 what such an object represents, and the sight of it 
 raises the spiritual idea. So that, whatever I rightly 
 understand, it speaks to me of Jesus, and reminds 
 me of something relating to Jesus, and to his king- 
 dom. Then, my dear friend, Canaan is kept in 
 view, and we always breathe its pure air. And that 
 incomparably glorious Jesus, who makes Canaan 
 what it is, grows better known, and more beloved. 
 He is become my one study, but I am a very dull 
 scholar. What I have learned, is but just enough 
 to make me count all but dross for him; so much 
 
336 
 
 remains still to be learned, he being an infinite, and 
 an everlasting good, that I am pressing on. O how 
 my heart longs for more of the excellency of the 
 knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord ! And as I 
 get some little advance, fresh views of his glory sink 
 me to the dust. My vileness is most felt in his 
 clear light. The more precious he grows, the more 
 humbling views I get of myself. As Christ rises, 
 self falls. May you find it so, and the more you 
 do find it, so much the more will you breathe the 
 air of Canaan. I know not how to stop, but my 
 paper, against my will, wont let me go any farther. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXVn. 
 
 Lambeth, Jan. 26, 1768. 
 My dear Friend, — I received your letter of the 
 8th instant; in which there was the state of your 
 case. I see nothing singular in it. Scarce a day 
 happens, but I meet some or other in your condition, 
 with exactly the same complaints arising from the 
 very same cause. And I have convinced many a 
 one, through the divine blessing, of their interest in 
 Jesus, from the very arguments they made use of to 
 doubt and question it. Were I to draw the true 
 character of a believer, I would put into it every 
 single circumstance that you mention in your letter; 
 and I would undertake to prove, that it made strongly 
 for you, and nothing of it against you. It is the 
 very frame and temper of a real Christian. Just as 
 you describe yourself, is every one that is born of 
 
337 
 
 God — feels the very things you do, and is never 
 right when he does not feel them ; it being the pro- 
 per work of the Spirit of Jesus, to bring all that are 
 under his teaching to be content to be exactly what 
 you find yourself, that you may be led to live out 
 of yourself upon the fulness of God-Jesus. He is 
 teaching you this lesson, that he may glorify the Sa- 
 viour in you. But you are a bad scholar like me ; 
 slow to learn, ready to forget, and, what is worse, apt 
 to pervert the divine instruction. You misapply, 
 and put vile constructions upon the teaching of the 
 Spirit of God, and give a legal turn and cast to his 
 lesson. I can see, as if written with a sun-beam, 
 the disposition of your mind herein, and can trace, 
 from my own experience, all the turnings and close 
 windings of your present temptations. 
 
 I observe what you say of your judgment. You 
 are enlightened to see that Jesus is all in salvation 
 work. The covenant ordered in all things and sure, 
 this is all my salvation, and, as far as I know my 
 own heart, this is all my desire. You unsay these 
 words in the same breath you say them ; for, because 
 you are not always satisfied with this salvation, or 
 always alike comforted with it, or with equal happi- 
 ness enjoying the glorious fruits of it, you therefore 
 doubt and reason about its being yours. Thus you 
 argue: " My judgment is clearly convinced, and my 
 heart desires to be cast wholly upon the Lord Jesus 
 Christ for salvation, but in the act of doing ^his I 
 always fail." What reasoning is here I How di- 
 rectly contrary to the spirit of the gospel ! For you 
 are looking not at the object of faith, at Jesus, but 
 at your faith. You would draw your comfort, not 
 P 51 
 
338 
 
 from him, but from your faith. And because your 
 faith is not quite perfect, you are as much discour- 
 aged, as if Jesus was not a quite perfect Saviour. 
 My dear friend, how sadly does the sly spirit of 
 bondage deceive you ! For what is your act of be- 
 lieving ? Is it to save you ? Are you to be saved 
 for believing ? If so, then you put acts and works 
 in the place of the Saviour. And faith, as an act, 
 is, in your view, part of your salvation. The free 
 grace of the covenant you turn into a work, and how 
 well that work is done becomes the ground of your 
 hope. What a dreadful mistake is this, since sal- 
 vation is not to him that worketh, but to him that 
 believeth ! 
 
 But besides this mistake, I can see one of the 
 greatest sins in your way of reasoning, and yet finely 
 cloaked under a very specious covering. I pulled it 
 off, and behold there was rank treason under it, 
 against the crown and majesty of my Lord and God ; 
 for you are kept looking at your act of believing. 
 What is this for? Why, certainly, that you may 
 be satisfied with your faith ; and being satisfied with 
 it, what then ? No doubt you will then rest in it, 
 and upon it, satisfied now that Christ is yours, be- 
 cause you are satisfied with your faith. This is 
 making a Jesus of it, and is in effect taking the 
 crown of crowns from his head, and placing it upon 
 the head of your faith. Lord grant you may never 
 do th^s any more. 
 
 I observe, thirdly, how, by this mistake, and by 
 this great sin, the sin of sins, you are robbed of the 
 sweet enjoyment of the God of all comfort. You 
 lose what you seek, and lose it in your way of seek- 
 
339 
 
 ing. You want comfort, and you look to your faith 
 for it. If faith could speak, it would say, I have 
 none to give you, look unto Jesus, it is all in him. 
 Indeed, ray friend, it is. The Holy Ghost, the 
 Comforter, will not glorify your faith. He will not 
 give it the honour of comforting you. He takes 
 nothing to comfort with but the things of Christ — 
 and his things, not as used by you, but as given from 
 him, who is all yours. This lesson, I think, he is 
 teaching you, although you pervert it. He is bring- 
 ing you off from looking legally at your faith. He 
 intends you should not regard, as you have done, 
 how you believe, but to settle you in believing. I 
 have been long at this, and have learned but very 
 little. I can say my lesson, but when I come to 
 practise, I find I am a dull scholar. The Spirit of 
 Jesus has been teaching me to draw my comforts, 
 not from how well I believe, but from Jesus, in 
 whom I believe; not from there being no failing in 
 my act of faith, but that I do act faith on Jesus, 
 though failingly. My salvation is quite a distinct 
 thing from any act of mine. It depends on the di- 
 vine purpose and covenant, — is absolutely and eter- 
 nally fixed in the divine will — and this is made 
 known to me by faith. I receive the evidence of it 
 by believing, and so take possession. Faith is not 
 the cause, but the effect. The cause is the act and 
 grace of the Trinity, — what the Father out of sove- 
 reign love gave ; what the Son bought with an ines- 
 timable price ; and what the Holy Spirit proves to a 
 sinner to be a price every way fully sufficient, and 
 80 brings him to depend upon it for his redemption. 
 You see, then, that in consequence of the Father's 
 p 2 
 
340 
 
 giving Christ for me, the Holy Spirit brings me to 
 Christ, and enables me to trust and rely upon him. 
 This is all that faith has to do in the matter. It is 
 the fruit and evidence of the covenant grace of the 
 Trinity. At best it is but an open empty hand, 
 stretched forth at God's bidding, and at God's ena- 
 bling to lay hold of Christ ; but Christ so laid hold 
 of is my salvation. It is not faith, but Christ. It 
 is not my hand, but the thing received into my hand, 
 that saves me. I grant you, and I know it well, 
 that much faith brings much comfort from Christ, 
 and carries much glory to him ; but the way to get 
 much faith, is not to look at it, as you do, but at the 
 Saviour ; not to look at your hand, but at Jesus ; 
 not how you hold him, but that he is yours, and 
 holds you, and your faith too, and therefore you shall 
 never perish, but shall have everlasting life. 
 
 After I had observed these errors in your looking 
 at the act of faith, I did not wonder at the following 
 parts of your letter, such as, your not being pleased 
 with your faith, and therefore not pleased with your 
 state, nor your graces, nor your attainments, nor 
 your own righteousness, but you thought everything 
 made against you. This is still the same teaching 
 of the Spirit, but you pervert it. Have you nothing 
 to look at but Jesus? That's right. Then look 
 unto him, and be saved. What ! can you see no- 
 thing to rest on of your own ? Are you forced to 
 renounce the goodness of your faith, as an act, and 
 do you experience that you cannot be saved for it? 
 Very well : hold fast there. Stick to this : no grace, 
 as acted by you, can save; — follow this blessed teach- 
 ing, and cleave with full purpose of heart unto the 
 
34-1 
 
 Lord Jesus. You must learn to make him all in 
 your salvation. He must save you from your faith, 
 as well as from your unbelief; faith, as you act it, 
 being full of sin. If the highest and best act of 
 your faith was to be weighed in the balance of the 
 sanctuary, you would deserve a thousand deaths for 
 it. So much corruption would be found in it, that 
 you could not escape the damnation of hell. Turn 
 about then, take your eyes off from your acts of faith 
 —look at Jesus. Expect to be received as a poor 
 helpless sinner, not for great and high believing. 
 Come to be saved from your faith, as an act. Fol- 
 low, as all your salvation is laid up in him, follow 
 him, take comfort from him, see yourself in him, not 
 for any thing in you ; trust him, not yourself, not 
 your acts; and learn to discern spirits, to know 
 divine teaching, by this mark — that what tends to 
 humble you, is from the glorifier of the Saviour. 
 
 Since I sat down to write I have been many times 
 interrupted, but I was resolved not to be stopped in 
 writing to-day, that you might, at least, know what 
 could be said of your case. It is a very common one 
 — common to all who are taught of God — so pecu- 
 liar to them, that, as I said before, if I was to draw 
 the character of a true child of God, I could not 
 leave out one, not a single one, of the circumstances 
 which you bring against yourself. Indeed, Mrs. B. 
 they are all on your side, aud witnesses for Christ. 
 O do not then stifle, pervert, nor dispute their evi- 
 dence. Allow what they say, — your faith is not 
 perfect — your acts fail — all things fail you. Good, 
 very good. Then away with them — cast off all look- 
 ing at, all dependence on them. Betake yourself to 
 
342 
 
 Jesus, trust hira, use him, grow into him, end let 
 nothing separate you from him. So be it, Lord 
 Jesus. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXVIII. 
 
 Blackfriars, Aug. 12, 1769. 
 
 My dear Friend, — We had a letter from your 
 sister, giving an account of your journey, (thanks be 
 to him who kept your going out and your coming 
 in,) and of your present situation and trials; in which 
 I can see nothing singular. The lesson which the 
 Lord is now teaching you is plain. His way of 
 teaching it has nothing new ; it is the established 
 method in his school, and your averseness to learn it 
 occasions all your uneasiness. When he has made 
 you a good scholar, you will then find relief in your 
 soul, whatever befalls your poor crazy body. 
 
 I take it for granted, that you are acquainted with 
 the doctrines of free grace and finished salvation : 
 you are not suflPered to doubt of their truth, but you 
 cannot receive comfort from them at this time. 
 Your conscience draws fresh bills of indictment 
 against you. You do not see your interest in your 
 divine Advocate, and therefore you cannot answer 
 them as you used to do. Hence you are puzzled 
 and mourn ; are become impatient and fretful ; fear 
 this and the other; and are left to yourself, to your 
 sinkings and dejections, and groundless apprehen- 
 sions; fancied miseries are felt as real, and fancied 
 fears of dying are as bad as death, yea, worse than 
 death will ever be to you. This is something like 
 
343 
 
 your case, is it not? And what is to be done? 
 Where is the remedy ? Certainly our all-wise Phy- 
 sician has left some prescription for it, and he can 
 make it, bad as it is, work under him for good. But 
 how? Why, he would teach you now one of his 
 highest lessons, and you are brought into circumstances 
 most exactly suited for your being a proficient in it. 
 He intends in this (as in all things) to promote his 
 own glory as the Alpha and Omega of your salva- 
 tion, not only in working of it out, for he has satis- 
 fied you of this, but also in the security of it ; he 
 must have all the honour of the safe-keeping of it — 
 it for you, and you for it. He is the Keeper of 
 Israel, who keeps all the Israel of God by the power 
 of God ; and you cannot glorify him in this his great 
 covenant office, but by giving up your body and soul, 
 you and yours, absolutely to his keeping. And how 
 could you be taught this in a shorter or better way, 
 than by being brought into your present distress ? 
 For you now find, that you can no more secure and 
 keep, than you could work out, your salvation. He 
 must do it all; begin, carry on, and finish. This is 
 your lesson. Finding yourself then in this situation, 
 utterly helpless, without any thing good in you ; a 
 poor, dejected, fearful, destitute creature — commit 
 the keeping of your soul to Jesus; you will thereby 
 bring him a richer revenue of honour than all the 
 rejoicing Christians in the world. You will glorify 
 his faithfulness to his word and work, by venturing 
 upon that arm of the Lord which is engaged to do 
 all for you, and all in you. Mind one of his sub- 
 lime styles and titles : He is the Saviour of him that 
 hath no helper. What ! have you no help ? Do 
 
344. 
 
 you feel it? Then the Spirit says, he is your Sa- 
 viour. Mrs. B. he is yours, as surely as he ever 
 saved any one who had no helper. 
 
 But, alas ! how weak is my faith ! My dear 
 friend, do not look at the hoiso; that will only puzzle 
 you; it will make believing to be a work, and will 
 tempt you to be comforted when you believe well, 
 and to be dejected when you are displeased with 
 your believing. You know it is not the degree, or 
 the joy of faith that saves; but it is Jesus who saves, 
 and your safety arises from trusting to the work of 
 God-Jesus, and your comfort should spring from 
 taking it to yourself upon the warrant of God's free 
 oflPer to sinners like you; not to qualified sinners, 
 but to coming sinners. " Whosoever cometh unto 
 Jesus ;" it matters not how he comes, nor who he be, 
 nor what he has been ; to him coming, God gives 
 his word, and pledges his honour — " Thou shalt 
 never, never perish, but shalt have everlasting life." 
 Whether he come fainting, live fainting, or die 
 fainting, it is the same; the word cannot be broken, 
 but standeth fast for ever and ever. Mrs. B. faint- 
 ing, dejected, without spirits or liveliness, comes ; 
 she shall never, never perish, says God — she shall 
 have everlasting life. 
 
 But what signifies the truth of this to me, while 
 I find no comfort in believing? Your case does not 
 admit of comfort; the Master is carrying you up 
 into a more exalted state of believing, wherein we 
 are to get above baby comforts. You could not 
 learn the present lessons of his love in a comfortable 
 frame; he therefore brings you into the valley of 
 Baca, to teach you what Jesus is in himself, and 
 
34,5 
 
 that all your salvation is in him undertaken, fulfilled, 
 applied; and that after all your knowledge, and all 
 your experience, you have nothing to this moment 
 to depend upon, but his faithful arm and watchful 
 care. This is his last lesson ; nothing is beyond it 
 but heaven. You are left to your present distresses 
 on purpose to learn this. Your dear Jesus lets you 
 feel how utterly helpless you are, that you may find 
 how faithful he is to his promised help. He is as 
 exactly suited to your case, as light is to your eyes ; 
 and your relief does not consist in getting comfort 
 again, but in getting nearer to Jesus, and in seeing 
 what he is to such as you, and thereby growing up 
 more into him. Your present frame is to bring you 
 to commit the keeping of yourself and of all your 
 concerns to him. You find you can do nothing; 
 quite lifeless, heartless, comfortless. Very well; but 
 Jesus has undertaken to keep such, and he is now 
 making you willing that he should be your keeper. 
 O that you would not reason and puzzle your poor 
 heart, but follow his teaching : and now simply.leave 
 it to him, to do what he will — your salvation will 
 then be as safe in his hands as if you were in heaven. 
 
 And why should not you simply trust him ? Con- 
 sider, you cannot honour his office as your keeper, 
 you cannot bring him more glory than others do, 
 but by coming as the weakest of all creatures. You 
 find you are so. Why then, let bis strength be 
 perfected in your weakness. You see you can do 
 nothing; let him then have the crown of doing all. 
 What sad work would you make, if your graces or 
 comforts were left to your own keeping ! You are 
 learning now to put no confidence in the flesh. O 
 p3 
 
346 
 
 that you may yield to the Spirit's leading, and may 
 be willing to be just what your God would have you 
 to be ! 
 
 But how can you do this under these faintings, 
 sinkings, Sec? These are your schoolmasters. You 
 could not learn without them your absolute depen- 
 dence upon God-Jesus: and you experience these 
 on purpose that you may find how careful Jesus is 
 over you. He has the same love to your soul, the 
 same faithfulness to his own work, when you have 
 no strength, as at other times. He says so : "I 
 change not" — I am the same yesterday, to-day, and 
 for ever — the same to the fainting as to the rejoic- 
 ing believer. O fall, then, fainting into his arms: 
 venture — cast yourself upon him ; for he is a very 
 present help in every time of trouble. 
 
 You see I have no more room. I follow my ad- 
 vice with my prayers. I pity you much for what 
 you suffer: but I wish God may let you see it as I 
 do. Still all is well — may you say so. — Read as 
 you can bear it, and pray for light to know, and 
 faith to follow, the Lord's leading. It is a dark 
 night, and a long night; but the morning comelh, 
 and you shall rejoice with the gladness of his people. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XXXIX. 
 
 Berwick, near Shrewsbury, Sept. 9, 1769. 
 Dear Madam, — We were setting out upon our 
 journey when we received Miss M.'s letter, and have 
 scarce had any resting time since. No opportunity 
 offered till the present, of sitting down to inform you 
 
347 
 
 of my constant remembrance of you in my prayers. 
 My daily petition is, that God may bring you to 
 submit to his will, and to make you lie in his hands, 
 just what you are, a lump of sinful clay, that in his 
 own way he may mould you and form you a vessel 
 of honour. O this is hard ! to flesh and blood it is 
 impossible. To have been, like you, in light, but 
 now in darkness ; to have walked in comfort, but now 
 every ray of it gone ; to suffer the disease, but no 
 feeling of the remedy — who can bear up under such 
 trials ? None can of themselves, but " I can do all 
 things through Christ strengthening me." So he said 
 who rejoiced to be what you are : he was not only 
 content to be a pensioner, living on the mere grace 
 of Jesus, but he also gloried in his infirmities, that 
 the power of Christ might rest upon him. Every 
 infirmity brought him to feel more what you now feel 
 yourself to be ; but this did not keep him from Christ, 
 as it does you : nay, rather, it brought him to greater 
 experience of the power of Christ, in so managing 
 his infirmities as to make them the means of nearer 
 communion and more intimate fellowship. 
 
 My dear friend, I must repeat it — Although you 
 tell me my last was a probe, rather than a healing 
 medicine — your present frame is necessary; you 
 really want to learn the lesson which it is sent to teach 
 you. Without it, how could our great Prophet 
 bring you to live entirely out of self upon his fulness, 
 which, when he is teaching, how do you murmur and 
 repine? Whatever you knew of this before, it is 
 plain you had it but in theory, for the practice has 
 quite overset you. You cannot believe although the 
 ground of believing stand good, unless you have the 
 
348 
 
 comfort of believing: for, now you are left to your- 
 self, you think you are lost, because you are suffered 
 to feel what a poor miserable creature you are; not 
 considering that, bad as your condition is, yet there 
 is a remedy for it, hope under it, and a good end to 
 be answered by it. There is a remedy infallible, 
 which you overlook at this time, although it be as 
 exactly suited to your case as meat is to the hungry. 
 What ! have you forgotten the covenant of the eter- 
 nal Three — the Father's everlasting appointment 
 concerning those whom he gave to his Son ? None 
 of them can be lost. The Son's accepting them as 
 the Father's gift, undertaking for them, writing their 
 names in his book, becoming man, living and dying 
 for them ; and, by these his relations to them, he is 
 their Head and they are his members, one with him 
 and he one with them, in a bond which nothing can 
 break; and the Holy Spirit given to them and dwell- 
 ing in them, to work all their works for them and in 
 them, and to keep them safe by his mighty power, 
 till they be received into glory. This is the covenant 
 of the blessed Trinity, in which it is enacted and pro- 
 vided, that nothing should befall you but what is for 
 your good ; yea, that the very state you are in, which 
 is one of the sad fruits of the corruption of your na- 
 ture, shall be so overruled, as in the end to promote 
 the gracious plan of your salvation. Do you not know, 
 Mrs. B. — do you not believe all this? You do — 
 I am certain you do in theory. I pray you, theu, 
 what is it that obstructs your practice? How is it 
 that your present trials, which are working for your 
 good, which must do you good, being appointed and 
 sent for this very purpose, are so mistaken and mis- 
 
349 
 
 applied ? You are left to reason against God's cove- 
 nant purposes, and to pervert (as far as you can) 
 God's gracious design. You may go on indulging 
 this strange temper, but know assuredly, my good 
 friend, that God will not only save you, notwith- 
 standing your vile reasonings against him, but will also 
 make you one day acknowledge that it was good for 
 you, you had been in this trouble; for still there is 
 hope. Hope is grounded upon some promise, and 
 God has not left you without a word of promise to 
 trust in. His covenant, made for you, is ordered in 
 all things and sure. This dark dead frame is or- 
 dered ; all your nervous feelings, faiiitings, &c. are 
 ordered ; all things, how much you should su^Fer, how 
 long, till you should be forced to acknowledge God 
 just in his dealings with you. And though you may 
 try to break his covenant, reason against it, indulge 
 your own absurd reasonings, give place to unbelief, 
 yet his covenant he will not break for the sake of 
 your peevishness. No, he will not. It is sure in 
 all things — as sure to one walking in darkness as to 
 one walking in light — always alike sure on God's 
 part, though to your feeling it may look as if he was 
 going to alter it. Could this blessed truth break in 
 upon your soul, and shine in its divine glory, then 
 you would be made to see that your present frame is 
 most mercifully intended to teach you, in experience, 
 the faithfulness of God's covenant; for now you find 
 you can do nothing. What more seasonable, what 
 more comfortable, than to be satisfied that your sal- 
 vation is in safe hands, and that God is managing it 
 so well that it cannot possibly miscarry ? Thus 
 would hope revive, and soon be able to bring in 
 
350 
 
 strong consolation ; for you would discover many gra- 
 cious ends answered by your having gone through 
 this dark, and dull, and helpless state. Depend 
 upon it, good will come out of your distrustful mur- 
 murings and unbelieving repinings. God will get a 
 rich revenue of glory, when he has brought you to 
 experience that all your salvation was out of yourself, 
 and to be willing to take it and to enjoy it as the free 
 gift of free grace, in every comfort, in every blessing, 
 both in earth and in heaven. You are put to school 
 to learn this, and to trust God simply ; and sad work 
 you make of your lesson — you read it backward. He 
 would teach you, that salvation itself, and every thing 
 belonging to it, is at his absolute disposal ; and there- 
 fore he keeps you at school, and under sharp discip- 
 line too, because you are so dull at your book. O 
 that you may be made to feel all is well ! David was 
 once in your case, and he had a blessed issue. So 
 will you have. Read the 130th Psalm, and mark 
 where he begun. He was in the depths, and he 
 ended in the heights. After the dark and black 
 night, the morning will arise — a morning without 
 clouds, and your soul shall be glad, and rejoice in 
 the salvation of our God. Much, much glory will 
 then accrue to him from your present visitation. 
 
 Perhaps you say, ' These things may be true ; 
 but how can I take any comfort from them while I 
 am in my present distress?' Why not? They are 
 the remedies prescribed of God for your very case, to 
 give you a good ground of hope at present, and to 
 produce the most blessed effects in future. The 
 Lord the Spirit seal these things upon your heart, 
 and may it please him to do it soon. His time is 
 
351 
 
 best; but, for your sake, I would plead with him, 
 lest you should quite faint. But that will not be. 
 You know I do not follow impressions unwarranted 
 by the word. I give little credit to any thing of 
 that kind. But here I have the word on my side, 
 that God will not leave you nor forsake you ; and I 
 am persuaded you will soon know you are not left. 
 To my apprehension the clouds are breaking, the 
 storm is dispersing fast ; the day-star is dawning, and 
 your own Jesus is rising with the light of life upon 
 your soul, never, never to set again. It is but a very, 
 very little while, and you shall see the King in his 
 beauty as you never saw him before. So be it. 
 Amen. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XL. 
 
 Blackfriars, Feb. 22, 1770. 
 Grace and peace be multiplied to our dear friends 
 at S. Mrs. B., take the light of the word, and be- 
 hold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed 
 upon you ! What were his purposes of grace in giv- 
 ing you to his Son, (admire and adore them,) in re- 
 vealing them to you by his Spirit, and in bring- 
 ing you to know your Father which is in heaven ? 
 What, but that you might come to enjoy him who 
 is your supreme happiness. You do enjoy him, 
 glory be to his sovereign grace; but pray mind, you 
 enjoy him now as a fallen creature. You are brought 
 back to the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. 
 The Son was your surety, the Father accepted him 
 in your stead, the Spirit has enabled you to believe 
 
352 
 
 that the Father loves you perfectly in his Son : thus 
 you come to the enjoyment of the eternal Three. 
 But not such as you will have in heaven. The 
 manner of enjoying God is different : here it is by 
 faith, there by sense — here by hard fighting, there 
 by constant peace — here sensual are always opposing 
 and lessening spiritual enjoyments, there all are spi- 
 ritual — here the enjoyment of God is at best imper- 
 fect, there it is absolutely perfect. Here, as you are 
 made up of flesh and spirit, sensible enjoyments must 
 be withdrawn, in order to make room for spiritual; 
 the absence of sensible is necessary for the growth of 
 spiritual. On which account I cannot but bless God 
 for you, who takes so much pains with you. He 
 has chosen you to better things than the world has 
 to give. Your portion is not here below. God 
 himself is your portion, and all his dealings with you 
 are to bring you to enjoy him as such. He ploughs 
 and harrows, and takes every method to get a good 
 crop. He rains and shines, sends winds and storms, 
 frost and snow, but all fulfilling his word. His 
 frowns and his smiles have one lesson. Sickness in 
 yourself, in your family, in your other self, are cove- 
 nant visitations, and speak aloud — ' Mrs. B., yoii 
 are the Lord's, and he wont let you alone ; he wont 
 suffer you to settle upon your lees, you must be kept 
 stirring ; all peace and quiet would be your ruin ; 
 therefore God, even your God, has, in his richest 
 love, weighed out every grain of suffering needful to 
 keep you near to God.' 
 
 But why have I got preaching ? You do find it 
 true, I know you do, that the time of living by the 
 faith of the Son of God has always most sweetness 
 
353 
 
 when the life of sense is lowest in its enjoyments. 
 Lord grant you may daily make up your happiness 
 in God, your covenant God and Father, and in those 
 things which improve in the using when all other 
 happiness fails. Amen. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XLL 
 
 London, March 7, 1778. 
 
 Mrs. C. presented me in your name with the 
 brethren's daily words for 1778; for which I thank 
 you, and through it may be often put in good remem- 
 brance of you and yours this year. In return, I send 
 you my word. 
 
 Messiah is one of the high titles of the Re- 
 deemer, which, being interpreted in the Greek, is, 
 the Christ, and in the English is, the Anointed. 
 Oil was the instituted emblem of the grace of the 
 Holy Spirit, and anointing with oil was the outward 
 and visible sign of his inward and spiritual grace. 
 We meet with the institution, Exod. xxx. 22. to 
 the end. This holy ointment was to be used in 
 consecrating the tabernacle and all its vessels, and in 
 setting apart certain persons for some great offices. 
 It was unlawful to use it upon any other occasion-— 
 whosoever did, was to be cut off" from the people. 
 This consecrating unction was used to the taber- 
 nacle, which was a type of the body of Christ ; and 
 to every vessel of the tabernacle, to show that Christ, 
 and every thing of Christ, was under the sanctifying 
 influence of the Holy Spirit; and it was used to set 
 apart the prophet, priest, and king, because he was 
 
354 
 
 to sustain these offices. He was the anointed Saviour, 
 His human nature was conceived and formed by the 
 Holy Ghost. Every thought of his mind, every 
 motion of his body was under influence, and that 
 every moment; for he had the Spirit without mea- 
 sure. He had infinite grace to obey, to suffer, to 
 conquer. Nothing could possibly be wanting to ren- 
 der his obedience, sufferings, and victories absolutely 
 complete and everlastingly perfect. We have a de- 
 monstration of their full value and acceptance. He 
 died, but rose from the dead. He sitteth at the 
 right hand of the Majesty on high, infinitely replen- 
 ished with the graces and gifts of the Eternal Spirit, 
 yea, in him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead 
 bodily. 
 
 Here is the fountain of all blessings. His name 
 shows not only that he is thus anointed, but means 
 one who has the power to give the unction of the 
 Holy One. He, as head, has it for his members, 
 which is beautifully described. Psalm cxxxiii. The 
 precious ointment poured upon the head of the high 
 priest, flowed down to the skirts of his garments; so 
 does the spiritual anointing. On Christ it was poured 
 without measure. From him it descends to the low- 
 est member. Every believer has his share of its 
 divine influence. The Spirit of Christ is given to 
 quicken the dead. He unites the soul to Christ. 
 He enables it to live by faith upon Christ, and to live 
 to the glory of Christ. And therefore this anointing 
 is absolutely necessary : without it no man can be a 
 member of Christ; for if any man have not the Spi- 
 rit of Christ, he is none of his, A Christian means 
 one who has received the unction from Christ. The 
 
355 
 
 same spirit which is in the Head is also in the mem- 
 ber: for he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit, 
 and is as intimately united, yea, I think more, than 
 the body and soul in one person. This constitutes 
 the Christian. He has actually the Spirit of Christ, 
 whereby he is one with Christ, and Christ with him. 
 Christ dwelleth in him, and he in Christ ; or, as the 
 apostle expresses it, " I am crucified with Christ : 
 nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." 
 Christ was his life, as truly as any member lives by 
 its union with the head, as evidently as a branch is 
 nourished by the sap received from the stock upon 
 which it grows. The anointing which he receives 
 from Christ makes and constitutes him a real Chris- 
 tian, as certainly as the member lives by its oneness 
 with the head, or the branch with the vine. Our 
 Lord's name, the Messiah, leads us to consider him 
 in this view, not only anointed himself, but also the 
 giver of the same grace — he having received it on 
 purpose that he might give it to his people. By his 
 own command it was first used at Antioch, and it has 
 been ever since the peculiar title of those who pro- 
 fess faith in him, and influence from him. 
 
 Many, indeed, have the name without the thing; 
 as a man may be called rich who is very poor. But 
 such are not Christians. They have a name to live, 
 while they are dead. But he who is truly so called, 
 has actual fellowship with Christ by his Spirit. What 
 was on Christ without measure, is on him according 
 to the measure of the gift of Christ. He partakes 
 of the divine anointing. He is called after Christ, a 
 Christian : for he is made alive, and lives, and acts 
 hj the same Spirit that is in Christ, who is Head 
 
356 
 
 over all things to his church, which is his body, the 
 fulness of him that filleth all in all. 
 
 But if it be thus certain, that the head and the 
 members have the same unction, how can any one 
 know it? Should it not be very clear, as it is the 
 thing which makes the Christian? Certainly it 
 should. And the Scripture leaves no doubt con- 
 cerning the way and means in which it is to bo 
 known. 
 
 Known by believing : ye have an unction from the 
 Holy One, and ye know all things. The word is the 
 ministration of the Spirit. We are begotten by it, 
 nourished by it : holding the truth in love, we grow 
 up into Christ in all things. 
 
 How is this unction enjoyed ? In the same way 
 as known. The influence of the Spirit of Christ 
 keeps up, through faith, communion with the head 
 and members, testifying of Christ, glorifying of 
 Christ. 
 
 How is it improved ? By daily use we get more 
 faith, more hope, more love to Christ, more happi- 
 ness in the Father's love in Christ, whereby we learn 
 more subjection to his will and ways. 
 
 lu this new year, I wish you new grace, fresh 
 unction, yea, may you be every day anointed with 
 fresh oil — much fellowship with him. Your guide 
 — your keeper — your Saviour. I have only time 
 to pray for you and yours. Mrs. R. with real love, 
 wishes you the same unction. W. R. 
 
357 
 
 LETTER XLII. 
 
 Weymouth, Oct. 11. 
 How faithful is our God ! he is crowning the 
 year 1777 with his goodness. Indeed he is always 
 the same, love itself — but we change : and for want 
 of continual trusting, we lose many tokens of his 
 favour. Could you, for instance, always build upon 
 this rock, *' thus saith the Lord," how fixed would 
 your state be, hanging on his unchangeable will ! 
 how numerous your comforts, depending on his in- 
 fallible word ! His will is only known from his 
 word, and his word abideth for ever. As he has 
 said, " Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my 
 word shall not pass away." Your dejections, sink- 
 ings, alter nothing in God — nor in his will or word. 
 And they come to teach you this. May you learn 
 to renounce leaning to self, good or bad : and may 
 you ever build on the rock that is higher than you. 
 For it is Christ the rock of ages ; the same yester- 
 day, to-day, and for ever. We say, when the sun 
 revisits Virgo, then we shall revisit you. But a 
 thousand unforeseen things, besides death, may hin- 
 der us from meeting any more upon earth. Our 
 visits are short. They disappoint us. We are apt 
 to expect from them what is only to be found in 
 him. We bear the pain of parting, in hopes of 
 meeting again. When he visits once, it is for 
 ever : not with continual comforts, or abiding pre- 
 sence, but with a promise — " I will never leave 
 thee, nor forsake thee:" the faith of this will make 
 
358 
 
 your mountain sure, when every thing else says it 
 will be cast into the midst of the sea. Only believe. 
 Having a little of that faith which worketh by love, 
 I can feel how the members, under the same head, 
 sympathize. Distance makes no difference. The 
 head is in heaven, the members on earth : yet one 
 Spirit breathing through both, they rejoice and 
 mourn together ; which is heavenly friendship. Cfii 
 for more of it in human hearts ! I am not without 
 it to Mr. B. and every one of your family. If it be 
 right, I could wish you a sky like ours, without a 
 cloud — a voyage through life like ours, a sea like 
 glass, without a ruffle: but be it as it may to-day, 
 to-morrow — a sky without a vapour, a sea like glass, 
 smooth for ever and ever, will be your happy lot. 
 There we shall meet, and bless the kind hand of our 
 Jesus, for mutual, as well as for personal salvation. 
 You know there is nothing good you wish yourself 
 or yours, which Mrs. R. does not wish you as well 
 as W. R. 
 
 LETTER XLIII. 
 
 Black/riars, March 30, 1778. 
 My dear Friend, — I am glad the Lord wont let 
 you alone. He is very kind to you, and takes a 
 deal of pains to make you a great proficient in his 
 school. He has put you into the upper form, and 
 you have but one lesson to get, and that he will teach 
 you himself. You must have no undermaster. He 
 wont suflPer it ; not only because they are incapable 
 of teaching this hard lesson, but also because he will 
 
359 
 
 have all the glory of it. " If any man will be my 
 disciple, let him take up his cross daily, and follow 
 me." The cross is the badge and honour of dis- 
 cipleship. He puts it on. He instructs in the 
 true way to take it up, in the right method of bear- 
 ing it, and he gives all the profit which comes from 
 it. I have prayed him to teach you how to follow 
 him. And as he has you now in his hands, prayer 
 for his blessing is worth all the fine lessons in the 
 world. Indeed they are apt to do hurt; because 
 they take the eye off from his hand and his rod, and 
 incline us to hearken to reason more than to faith. 
 It is one great design of the cross, to bring us to 
 have nothing to do with any person or thing, but 
 with Christ alone : he sends it to wean us from the 
 world, reason, sense, and self. O blessed cross, 
 which deadens us to them, and makes us more alive 
 to Jesus ! May every cross have this effect upon you. 
 Remember, just so many comforts as you have, so 
 many crosses may you have. The cross grows out 
 of the comfort. The dearer the comfort, the bit- 
 terer the cross. What a large provision have you 
 for suffering — husband, children, substance, friends, 
 farms, servants, &c. &c. The good Master sees how 
 desirous you are to go to heaven with this and the 
 other comfort: you think he might very well spare 
 it to you, being such an infinitely loving Jesus": you 
 might keep it, and yet keep his love. But he knows 
 better than you do what is good for you : he loves 
 you far better than you do yourself, and he will 
 manifest it to you : yea, you shall feel in your heart, 
 that his almighty love can bring you good out of evil, 
 and pleasure out of pain. Now he wants to com- 
 
360 
 
 municate this. At tins very time he is training you 
 up for it. He is going to bestow upon you some of 
 his choicest favours : and he has such a certain fixed 
 way of giving them, that I know his mind and will 
 as plainly here at London, as if I was at S. and you 
 was to tell me all your thoughts : for indeed I find | 
 him very communicative to his friends. He keeps I 
 nothing from them. And the Lord said, " Shall I 
 hide from Abraham the thing which I do ?" &c. No, ■ 
 Abraham is of my court, and I will make him of my i 
 cabinet. The same Lord has said to you and me, | 
 " Henceforth I call you not servants, but friends," &c. 
 John XV. Our divine Teacher still makes known to i 
 us what he doeth. It is your business and your 
 happiness to wait on him for the discovery of his will 
 in his present dealings with you, that you may be 
 able to do it, or patient to suffer it. This he ex- 
 pects of you. And may all within you say, from a 
 feeling submission — " Lord Christ, not my will, but 
 thine be done." 
 
 I am thankful for the grace given to Mr. B. — may 
 it increase and abound yet more and more. I am 
 yours, W. R. 
 
 LETTER XLIV. 
 To the Rev. Mr. K. 
 
 April 11, 1789. 
 My dear Brother, — The famous Dr. Johnson 
 declares, " that a man of genius may force himself to < 
 write whenever he pleases." If he found it so, I 
 
361 
 
 do not. I cannot even write a letter when I will; 
 if I could, Mr. K. would have received an answer be- 
 fore this time. Indeed I "do not wish to be of the 
 Doctor's mind ; for I find the activity of our nature 
 is a perpetual temptation to look upon ourselves as 
 something. It seems to me safer and better to feel 
 that every exertion of mind and body depends upon 
 the grace of another — life, and breath, and all things. 
 Say, here is a fine garden ; but who planted it ? Say, 
 there are fragrant flowers; but unless the north 
 wind awake and the south come, what is there to 
 make the sweet spices thereof to flow out ? The soul 
 is as much dependent on the fresh supplies of the 
 Spirit, as the body is upon breath ; so that the feel- 
 ing of my poverty is my only riches, and the sense 
 of ray weakness is my only strength. If I write a 
 letter, if any good accompany it, I wish ever to as- 
 cribe the praise to Him, without whom, " we," says 
 a blessed man, even we " are not sufficient of our- 
 selves so much as to think one good thought." 
 What possibly can be more humbling? And what 
 can be more opposite to the Doctor's spirit? Let 
 him, and such, plume themselves upon their self-ex- 
 ertions; but we have learned Christ better. In his 
 school we know that the humblest is the highest; 
 and he does most for Christ, or rather Christ does 
 most in him, who is sensible, that without Christ he 
 can do nothing. This is the Christian principle of 
 all our activity, because through Christ strengthen- 
 ing us we can do all things. 
 
 Upon this ground I thank you for your letter, as 
 I have already thanked him who enabled you to 
 write such a letter. And upon the same ground I 
 Q 51. 
 
362 
 
 complimeut you on your sermon,* which is the first 
 in time ; and, without being a prophet, I foretell, that 
 it will be the first in many other senses. Blessed be 
 his holy name who sent us such a cordial from S. 
 Indeed it greatly refreshed my spirits; and my 
 partner desires me to tell you, that she partook of 
 my joy. We also rejoiced together in the account 
 you gave of yourself and family. How great, how 
 many mercies — mercies upon mercies, in what you 
 have, and what you have not, God himself being 
 your portion ! His will becomes yours; not yours, 
 as it is the will of the flesh. This is still the same, 
 and will be as long as you breathe: but he makes 
 the flesh bow to the Spirit, and enables the renewed 
 heart to say, and truly, " Father, this is a sharp 
 stroke, but I know it was sent in love; as such I 
 kiss the rod — thy will be done." Glory be to him- 
 who gives grace sufficient to bear with patience, yea, 
 to improve with profit, our greatest trials, even to 
 sacrifice our Isaacs. Oh, he is faithful, as you can 
 witness, to that sweet abridgment of his gospel, when 
 rejecting the outward ceremonies, as nothing avail- 
 ing unless mixed with faith, Psalm 1. 14, 15.; and 
 a little lower, " whoso ofiereth me praise, glorifieth 
 me." 
 
 Your letter just came up to my wishes, for its be- 
 ing so very particular with respect to your own 
 family, and to the T.'s. It is a great favour to me, 
 who am now only a chamber-counsellor, to know the 
 circumstances of my friends, their children, apd 
 families, that I may advise, and pray for suitable 
 
 • A most exceUent sermon on the king's recovery. 
 
363 
 
 grace. You give me fresh matter to ask for your- 
 self, — success to the preached gospel at Southamp- 
 ton. May he help you always to give your people 
 good food, and to bless them with an appetite, that 
 they may be nourished, and grow thereby up into 
 Christ Jesus, and that in all things. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XLV. 
 
 To A D , Esq. 
 
 My dear Friends, — For so you are in the Lord; 
 in that bond which he ties, and none can untie. 
 Thanks to Mr. T. for his letter, and for his kind 
 remembrance of us. We are, as to outward things, 
 just as you left us; but I hope not at a stand in spi- 
 rituals — moving still, and getting on, halting, and 
 creeping slowly, but surely. How this is to be done, 
 in what way, means, and method, would save you a 
 deal of time and trouble, if you were quite satisfied. 
 I will give you a little plan of what I call 
 
 '8 DAILY WALK. 
 
 I had observed a great deal of my time was spent 
 — and most of it quite lost. A very, very little was 
 left. I saw the necessity of husbanding it well, and 
 of making the most of it. This led me to settle and 
 determine a fixed rule of living. *' Here is a new 
 day — What lies before me to be done ? What do 
 I live for to-day ? What am I now to propose to 
 myself, as the end and aim of all my actions ?" This 
 matter was brought to a point. And I was made to 
 22 
 
364. 
 
 see that these, and these only, were the things I was 
 to do : — 
 
 First, I was to look to my conscience, that the 
 peace of God might rule in it always, and by all 
 means. 
 
 Secondly, I was to look to my heart, that it might 
 be happy in the love of God ; and, 
 
 Thirdly, I was to watch over my tempers, my 
 walk, and my conversation, that I might enjoy the 
 peace and the love of God. 
 
 I saw my main business concerned my conscience, 
 how guilt, fear, and unbelief, might be kept out of 
 it, and the peace of God might be maintained in it. 
 If conscience be good, all is good : and that is a good 
 conscience which witnesses to the truth as it is in 
 Jesus. Conscience is that faculty of the soul which 
 compares my heart and life with the holy law of God, 
 brings me in guilty for transgressing its precepts, and 
 leaves me to suffer its just penalties, under guilt and 
 condemnation. The gospel offers a perfect right- 
 eousness to satisfy the precepts, and an infinitely valu- 
 able atonement, the sacrifice of God, to satisfy the 
 penalties of the law. By believing in this righteous- 
 ness, and in this atonement, the conscience is saved 
 from guilt and condemnation, yea, acquits and justi- 
 fies the sinner, and brings in a true verdict for him. 
 It says what God does : pleads its discharge under 
 the broad seal of heaven, and stops the mouth of 
 guilt and unbelief, with these words written in golden 
 letters in the royal charter of grace : " Thou art for- 
 given all trespasses ; thou art justified from all 
 things; thou art a son of my love, and an heir of my 
 glory, through faith in Jesus my beloved." Here 
 
365 
 
 Mr. D. I triumph. I believe these words on the 
 divine testimony. My conscience bears witness to 
 their truth. It is a good conscience; it agrees with 
 God, and looks upon him as reconciled perfectly. It 
 fears to dishonour him, by calling in question the in- 
 finite value of Christ's righteousness and atonement, 
 or doubting of their being mine, while they are 
 freely offered to me, and while I find ray want of 
 them, and have any dependence upon them. Thus 
 the peace of God rules, takes the lead in the con- 
 science, rules always, the offer being always the 
 same, the righteousness and atonement of Jesus al- 
 ways the same, my want of them always the same, 
 and mine interest in them always the same, — which 
 I daily learn to maintain by all means, against all 
 corruptions, enemies, and temptations, from every 
 quarter. Tell Mrs. D. from me, that this is her 
 first lesson in the school of Christ. When she feels 
 any thing wrong, she is low, her sins displease, her 
 duties cannot please her — tell her that these very 
 things, if rightly managed, will establish her con- 
 science in the peace of God. Every new day she 
 lives to learn that she has nothing to trust to, but 
 the atonement and righteousness of Jesus, and there- 
 fore to depend on God's being in friendship with her, 
 an unchangeable friendship through Jesus Christ 
 her Lord. O that her heart may be sprinkled from 
 an evil conscience and mind. That is evil which re- 
 fuses to build its peace on the life and death of our 
 Emmanuel ; and that is a good conscience, which 
 has peace with God through faith in Jesus, and ex- 
 pects all the love of God freely in him. This is my 
 second work, to keep my heart happy. And this I 
 
366 
 
 constantly experience, when the conscience is on 
 Christ's side, and testifies aright for him. God is 
 reconciled. He is ray God. We are agreed ; and 
 now we walk together. He bids me call him Fa- 
 ther : he has bowels of love and fatherly aflPection for 
 me. He sees me in Jesus — loves me, yea, blesses 
 me in him. My title is clear to all spiritual bless- 
 ings, because God being my God in Jesus, all things 
 are mine. My happy walk is in the belief of this, 
 and in the enjoyment of it. I do not aim at getting 
 any new title to my heavenly Father's love, but new 
 enjoyment. All is mine in title, but I want more 
 and more possession. Every day I am seeking to 
 know more, to enjoy more of the riches of the Fa- 
 ther's love in Jesus : and I find no way to come at 
 them but faith, and no way to increase faith so elFec- 
 tually, as to keep the peace of God ruling in the con- 
 science always, and by all means. 
 
 Observe, Sir, When you want to enjoy the love 
 of God, and in the enjoyment of it to find your 
 heart happy, look at nothing to bring it you but Je- 
 sus. Read your share in it, take possession of it 
 for nothing done in you or by you, now or at any 
 time, but only for and in Jesus ; his atonement, his 
 righteousness, being your constant title to the love 
 of his Father and of your Father. Thus walk with 
 a reconciled God. Christ is your way. Christ 
 your end. Go on leaning on Christ every step for 
 strength — relying on Christ for victory over corrup- 
 tions and enemies, whatever within or without 
 would try to stop you in your way — trusting Christ 
 for blessings, whatever can keep you safe and make 
 you happy all your way, making bis company and 
 
367 
 
 presence your heaven here, as well as in glory. 
 Thus the true believer walks with God ; and the 
 sense of his being a child of God, and the experi- 
 ence of his Father's precious love, makes him happy. 
 And this mortifies the carnal heart, crucifies worldly 
 tempers, subdues creature-love : God in Christ en- 
 joyed being the death of every selfish affection. 
 
 Pray tell Mrs, D. of this. If she would daily 
 walk with a happy heart, she must learn to make up 
 all her happiness in the love which God has for her 
 in his dear Son. She must look quite away from 
 her graces, her gifts, her righteousness, her duties 
 — God does not love her for these — he loves her in 
 his Son; and she, in believing this, is to find all her 
 salvation, and to enjoy all her happiness. I know 
 her temptations, and therefore go on to the 
 
 Third and last thing, which enters deep into my 
 daily walk ; and that is, — How my tempers are to 
 be regulated, and my conversation ordered, that I 
 may night and day enjoy the peace and the love of 
 my reconciled God and Father. I find this very 
 hard work, because it is so hard to keep peace in the 
 conscience, and the love of God in the heart ruling 
 always. But God's Spirit is almighty to teach this 
 lesson, and to give power to practise it. And I can- 
 not deny him his honour. What I have learned of 
 him, has been chiefly from this scripture — " Walk 
 humbly with thy God." He is my God : I walk 
 humbly with him in Christ as mine : so his sweet 
 peace is enjoyed, his happy love possessed. While 
 these rule in the conscience and in the heart, the 
 power of the Spirit maintains his influence over the 
 tempers, and over the life and conversation, and he 
 
368 
 
 keeps all in subjection to God-Jesus. The con- 
 science says, * I will have nothing to do with any thing 
 for salvation, but the righteousness of Jehovah-Je- 
 sus, and his atonement on the tree.' The heart says, 
 ' This is all my desire.' Hope says, ' I have cast 
 my anchor on Jesus, I cannot be disappointed.' 
 Fear says, ' I would not for the world offend my 
 God and Father.' Then the whole man bows in 
 subjection to Father, Son, and Spirit, and says, 'Lord 
 God, rule in me, rule over me, guide, keep, bless me 
 and mine all the way to heaven.' You see, my good 
 friend, from whence I draw my safety and my happi- 
 ness — not from self. O no : but from God in 
 Christ. I look not at — depend not on, not in the 
 least, myself — but wholly on my God. Whatever 
 is of mine own, and comes from myself, shows me 
 the necessity of walking humbly with my God. Self 
 consists, as I feel to this hour, of wants, miseries, 
 temptations. These do not stop me, but help me to 
 walk more humbly with my God. They show me 
 my constant want of salvation, and keep me con- 
 stantly dependent on it. No failings in duty, no 
 sense of indwelling sin, keeps me from my reconciled 
 God and Father, but brings me to walk in nearer 
 fellowship with him. And seeing that all is of his 
 grace and mere sovereign love, pride is hid — every 
 high thought is brought down — and the Lord Jesus 
 alone gets all, it is his due, all the glory. This is 
 my daily walk, a little sketch of it : but enough to 
 let you see that I have to do with nothing for the 
 peace of my conscience, the happiness of my heart, 
 the conformity of my tempers and walk to the will of 
 God, but Jesus — his Father's love, and ray Father's, 
 
369 
 
 witnessed by the word, and made mine by believing; 
 the end of my walk is not to get, not to procure a 
 title to, but to make good, and to enjoy my title to 
 his love in Jesus. I learn, and am learning to look 
 at him. Look unto Jesus — may you do it more than 
 me, and then you will get on faster than me to hea- 
 ven. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XLVL 
 To Mrs. P. 
 
 Blackfriars, Feb. 10, 1773. 
 My very hon. Friend, — I thought myself greatly 
 favoured by your long and kind letter. Many cir- 
 cumstances concurred to make me thank God and 
 you for it. Your acknowledgments to me are over 
 payment ; especially as they prove that the great 
 pains which the Lord had taken with you were not 
 in vain. Indeed 1 believe they were not. Your 
 trial was sharp and long — very, very grievous to the 
 flesh. And only he who bringeth down to the grave 
 and bringeth up, only he could have carried you 
 through it. His almighty grace supplied you with 
 patience ; suffering and bearing was then your exer- 
 cise. Now this is over, profiting is your lesson; and 
 it must be the same grace that produces the blessed 
 fruits that grow upon the cross. O for a rich and 
 plentiful harvest of them in your soul ! I would set 
 my wishes before you for the improvement of a re- 
 covery from sickness, not from dry precept, but from 
 a winning example. It is not the worse for being 
 Q3 
 
370 
 
 ancient, but mellower and riper. I had it from the 
 east, and set a great value upon the manuscript. 
 The author is yet unknown. I have the original 
 both in Hebrew and Greek. If critics were to form 
 learned conjectures, and to raise arguments from the 
 style, they would very likely give it to John Chry- 
 sostom ; because he was a sickly man, and it is so 
 very much in his manner of writing. But, however, 
 the sentiments are so agreeable to the canonical 
 Scriptures, that it has been put, although apocryphal, 
 at the end of the Hebrews, and entitled the 14th 
 chapter ; because, I suppose, the noble army of suf- 
 ferers, mentioned in the former chapters, were of 
 this spirit, and made just such an improvement of 
 sickness as is here described. For my own part I 
 can only say, that it is perfectly agreeable to the 
 views which I have of a believer rising from a sick 
 bed ; and such as I wish to find in experience, if 
 ever I should be so tried. Upon my reading it over 
 just now, it warmed my heart, and drew tears of joy 
 from mine eyes ; for I am well persuaded, the dear 
 Physician, life-giving Jesus, is exactly such as he is 
 here described. O Mrs. P. I can wish you nothing 
 better than more acquaintance with your best friend. 
 Do not. Madam, pray do not be shy of his company. 
 He loves familiarity. Be free, be intimate with 
 him. Nothing can please him so much. Converse 
 with him as you would with your own husband, and 
 be assured he will tell you no lies. You may safely 
 believe every word he says. You may venture your 
 soul upon it, for it is all gospel. It is the truth of 
 God, infallible, unchangeable. It is for want of 
 knowing him, that you now and then are tempted to 
 
371 
 
 think that he says more than he will make good. 
 
 0 no: He is truth itself, and also the Lord God 
 Almighty. Believe, only believe, and you will cer- 
 tainly find a performance of those things which have 
 been spoken by the Lord, and by us his servants to 
 you. You are within the reach of my prayers, and 
 
 1 would not wish to forget you in them ; as long as 
 you and I are upon praying ground, I would be ever 
 making request for you. God make you what he 
 would have you — that is, an humble, happy believer ! 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XLVIL 
 
 London, Feb. 4, 1786, 
 Mr. S. — We are come together this morning to 
 devote ourselves afresh to the service, and to begin 
 the year as we hope to end it, in the faith and fear of 
 the Son of God; for he is our Alpha and Omega. 
 And he is all between the beginning and the ending. 
 He is the self-existent Jehovah, who was, and is, 
 and will be, the first cause, and the last end, of all 
 beings and things. For he is the Lord God Al- 
 mighty ; and as such we take him this new year to be 
 our Emmanuel, that we may live by him, and on 
 him, every moment, and for every thing. For he is 
 the God of nature : the God of grace : the God 
 of providence: the God of glory. First, He is 
 the Creator of all worlds, Psalm cii. 25 — 27. ex- 
 plained, Heb. i. 10.; as also Col. i. 16, 17. He 
 has the same essence, same attributes with the Fa- 
 ther, Isaiah xliv. 6 — 8. and by taking our nature, 
 
372 
 
 God and man in one Christ. He has every perfec- 
 tion to fit him to be, secondly, the God of grace : a 
 proper surety to act for us, by completing all his 
 covenant engagements with the Father ; and having, 
 by his most holy life, wrought out our righteousness, 
 and, by his infinitely precious death, made a full and 
 perfect satisfaction for sin, he is the Almighty Giver 
 of all his grace. He has it all in his fulness: a 
 Prophet to teach the ignorant; a Priest to pardon 
 the guilty; a King to govern the helpless: and, 
 sitting on a throne of grace, he is able to bless the 
 miserable even with all spiritual, yea, and with all 
 eternal blessings. May he be more glorified this 
 year than ever. He is the God of all grace ; and we 
 ought to grow in grace, by our settled dependence 
 upon him for the concerns of this life, as well as 
 for a better. It is our privilege, and we should find 
 it our happiness, after we have trusted our souls in 
 his hands, to trust our bodies, and all that belongs 
 to them, in his hands also. For he is, thirdly, the i 
 God of providence. He has the ordering and di- 
 recting of every person, and every event. Not a 
 sparrow falls without his notice. Not a hair of our 
 heads but he numbers them. He interests himself 
 in the very least, as well as the greatest concerns of 
 his people. And, on this account, believers should 
 exercise their faith in every action of life, and they 
 would find, that by trusting in him for all things, 
 they would have a spiritual use of, and profit from 
 temporal things. I have left my all to the care and 
 providence of my Almighty Friend ; he will manage 
 for me better than I could for myself. My health, 
 my circumstances, my family, children, and servants. 
 
373 
 
 are all under his government. I may therefore 
 trust, and not be afraid. He is almighty to fulfil 
 his offices and all his promises : almighty to protect 
 his from all enemies, miseries, sin, Satan, death, and 
 hell : and come what will, he is almighty to make 
 all things produce good, as he said. Gen. xv. 1. 
 My dear brother, you know something of this blessed 
 life, but there is more than you have yet learned. 
 Let Mrs. S. bring her case and leave it with the 
 Lord : all will be well, only trust. Pray for more 
 trust. For as faith increases, it will open to you 
 most blessed views of an Omega, who is, fourthly, 
 the God of glory. He gives it, for he is the 
 Author of eternal salvation. Read John xvii. ; mind 
 what he there prays for, and he has all power in 
 heaven and earth to bestow it. The whole company 
 around the throne are ascribing to him all their 
 glory, as you see. Rev. v. 9. to the end. I join 
 them. So do you. Thanks be to him for his un- 
 speakable grace. Through the year, trust our Al- 
 pha and Omega. W. R. 
 
 LETTER XLVin. 
 
 Many many thanks to Mr. and to Mrs. T. for 
 their remembrance of us this year. I am ashamed 
 I have not acknowledged your favour sooner; but 
 truly. Sir, I grow very lazy and good for nothing. 
 It is high time I was turned out of the vineyard, and 
 any other master but mine would have had nothing 
 to do with me long ago. I loathe myself, and stand 
 wondering daily at his kindness. Never was self 
 
374 
 
 lower, and his loveliness higher, than in this new 
 year. Though we are but just entered on it, yet 
 he has already vouchsafed us some delightful Pisgah- 
 views. It has been for many years a custom with 
 me to have a text, a sort of a watch-word, some- 
 thing very short, easy to be remembered, and which 
 may serve the believer to feast upon for a twelve- 
 month. 1 have found this very useful to myself, 
 and so have others. Our text for this year, 1772, 
 was, " Christ is all :" he has all the fulness of sal- 
 vation in him as God-man ; and he has it to the 
 glory of the Father, and of the Holy Spirit. For 
 it pleased the Father, that in him should all ful- 
 ness dwell, as the head for the use of his members: 
 and it pleased the Holy Spirit to testify of his ful- 
 ness in the Scripture; and it pleases him, by his 
 grace, to bring believers to use it, and to live upon 
 it. This is the true saving work of grace. All 
 other experience is not worth a farthing. The Holy 
 Ghost comes to pull down self and to exalt Christ, 
 and this he does effectually. He enlightens the un- 
 derstanding, and convinces it that Christ is the one 
 Sun of the spiritual world. He sends his scholars to 
 Christ, and to none but Christ, to be taught the 
 things of God. He brings them humbled to the 
 Saviour's feet, where they sit to hear his words. 
 Thus he glorifies their divine Prophet ; and in the 
 matter of teaching, he makes Christ all. The Bible, 
 and ministers, and means, are only to lead to Christ, 
 that out of his fulness they may receive lesson upon 
 lesson, line upon line. 
 
 Methinks 1 hear Mrs. T. ask, ' But how shall I 
 know that I am one of Christ's scholars, and that he 
 
375 
 
 is my teacher ?' My dear friend, you are to know it 
 from what you have learned. You cannot be cer- 
 tain of it any other way ; and he would have you to 
 look at his truth, and to try yourself by it. When 
 you think of your fallen state, in which you inherit 
 a corrupt nature, and can in it do nothing but sin — 
 when guilt is in your conscience and fear in your 
 heart — what is it that brings you any relief? to what 
 do you look for pardon, and from whence do you ex- 
 pect peace with God ? Your answer will show that 
 the Lord God, our Prophet, has been teaching you. 
 
 Methinks 1 hear you reply, (for I have heard you 
 say it,) ' Why, to be sure, I have no hope but in that 
 sacrifice of the Lamb of God which perfecteth for 
 ever, and in that righteousness of his which justifi- 
 eth from all things.' This is the true object of sal- 
 vation. This, and nothing else. Christ is all. 
 There is no pardon but in his blood, no justification 
 but in his obedience, no heaven but what is the free 
 gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ 
 is all. 
 
 Thus far all is well. ' But the comfort of this, the 
 comfort to know it is mine.' There Mrs. T. has^^her 
 objection ready. My dear Madam, show me the text 
 which says, " He that is comforted shall be saved;" 
 or, that faith consists in knowing that salvation is 
 mine. You are called upon to trust the work of 
 Christ, and to trust for yourself upon the free war- 
 rant of God's faithful word. Rest here, giving cre- 
 dit to God's promise of salvation to all that will re- 
 ceive it, and I will lay my life for it you will never 
 want comforting, and soon be satisfied you are a 
 saved sinner. If you rest not here, get comfort, 
 
376 
 
 it will not be true nor lasting : and your application 
 to yourself will be only the act of your own mind, 
 and will prove as changeable as the wind. 
 
 ' But you would not have me to go on in a dark 
 uncomfortable way, not knowing whither I am go- 
 ing ?' No, Mrs. T., I want to lead you to light 
 and comfort in the direct road. Christ is the way 
 — look more at him, and less at yourself; trust more 
 to him, and less to your faith. Be always thinking 
 of your emptiness, and of his fulness. Meditate on 
 him, pray to him. You cannot be thus employed 
 about the Sun, without being enlightened by his rays, 
 and cherished by his warm beams. When people 
 are very cold within doors, and see the sun shining 
 sweetly, they do not ask, ' Is it my sun ? May I go 
 out and walk in this noon-day brightness, and get 
 myself warm with this delightful sunshine? Is it 
 for me ?' Yes, for you. Whoever will may take 
 Christ for their pardon, Christ for their righteous- 
 ness, Christ for heaven, and for all they want till 
 they come there. You are willing; therefore Christ 
 and all he has is yours. Now, Mrs. T. what do you 
 say to this? Why, say you, ' To be sure I do 
 build upon this foundation ; but I still lack many 
 things.' Very well, I am glad you do — the more 
 the better. Whatever you lack it is in Christ's 
 fulness, and he has it for you : so that here will be a 
 blessed intercourse between you and Christ, and a 
 holy friendship in giving and receiving. Every mo- 
 ment you want something. Christ says, Here it is, 
 come to me for it: I can deny you nothing; be it 
 for temporals, Psalm xxxiv. 10. — or for spirituals, 
 Eph. i. 3. — or for eternals, Rom vi. 23. : all is yours. 
 
377 
 
 This is living by the faith of the Son of God, and it 
 is the best way to live. For you cannot be thus re- 
 ceiving every moment out of Christ's fulness, but you 
 must experience that he is yours, which will make 
 your faith practical and certain. You will then have 
 done disputing about your interest in Christ. While 
 you are making use of him, you can no more ques- 
 tion his being yours, than you can whether the meat 
 is yours which you have been eating to-day. 
 
 Thus you see, Christ is all in time, and all in 
 eternity. May he have his honour in little H. 
 Do but trust him, and you will see what miracles he 
 will do for you. My wife joins me in this advice. 
 
 W. R. 
 
 LETTER XLIX. 
 
 You may depend upon this, as one of the sweet- 
 est axioms in divinity: whatever it is which makes 
 you pleased with yourself, is not true grace ; and 
 whatever makes you displeased with yourself, is not 
 true grace, unless it brings you humbly to Christ, 
 and makes you put more trust and confidence in him. 
 The good Lord teach you these things practically. 
 I have learned them by long experience; though I 
 know but little of them, yet I am getting on in the 
 school of Christ, and hope soon to be on the lowest 
 form, for there we learn most and fastest. We there 
 depend entirely on the teachings of our divine Mas- 
 ter, who reveals the secrets of his kingdom to none 
 but babes. As a new-born babe depends entirely 
 on the care of its parents, so must we on God our 
 prophet and teacher. And when we are brought 
 
378 
 
 thus humble, he will make known to us what he 
 hideth from the wise and prudent. I would there- 
 fore wish you to be the humblest man upon earth, 
 not only that you might know most, but also that 
 you might love most. He that feels his sins and 
 miseries, his vileness and unprofitableness, with the 
 deepest loathings of them, is in the fittest way to love 
 Christ. If he be an experienced believer, the feel- 
 ings of those sins, miseries, &c. will make Christ 
 more precious : the more he finds of the exceeding 
 sinfulness of sin, he will trust the more in Christ: 
 the more misery he knows he deserves, salvation 
 from it will make Jesus more dear and lovely. His 
 vileness sets forth Christ's grace: his unworthiness, 
 the worthiness of the Lamb: his unprofitableness, 
 the suflBciency of Jesus, who is all in all. 
 
 When you are going to measure Christ's high 
 grace, do not get upon a mountain, but go down into 
 a valley ; lower still, to the depth from which David 
 cried; lower still, to the belly of hell, from which 
 Jonah cried ; and from thence take the heights of 
 Jesus' grace, and from thence see how lovely he is. 
 When the Spirit of Jesus is humbling you, showing 
 you your deceitful wicked heart, laying open your 
 ruined nature in all its abominable workings, has not 
 this often discouraged you, my friend ? Instead of 
 trusting Christ, and loving Christ more, did it not 
 weaken your faith, and so lessen your love, and 
 thereby counteract the gracious purposes of Jesus' 
 Spirit? May he teach you better, that every future 
 sense of sin may greatly endear to you the Lamb of 
 God, whose blood cleanseth from all sin. Depend 
 upon it, that only is the true humbling for sin, that 
 makes bis blood more precious. W. R. 
 
«79 
 
 LETTER L. 
 
 Lambeth, Dec. 3, 1767. 
 
 Dear Sir, — Mr. F. informed me of your com- 
 mission to buy the * Law and Gospel.' I make you 
 a present of the ' Life of Faith.' I have also sent 
 you a book of inestimable value, which I was inclined 
 to do, because it affords me an opportunity to intro- 
 duce myself to you, and give you a word of advice 
 on your going into orders. It is a great undertak- 
 ing, and I will speak freely to you upon it, as, were 
 I in your circumstances, I should have wished some 
 one would have dealt with me. The Lord God 
 make it a blessing to you. 
 
 First, I would have you, Sir, to consider one 
 qualiBcation for the ministry indispensably necessary, 
 and that is, the knowledge of yourself : you cannot 
 teach this till you have been taught, nor farther than 
 you have been taught it. Consider what is your 
 state: is not sin, misery, helplessness, your condition 
 in Adam ? Are not you by nature a child of wrath ? 
 Mr. M. do you know this ? Have you ever felt the 
 plague of your heart? Have you ever seen the le- 
 gion of lusts within you, every one of them ready to 
 take up arms and rebel against God ? Are you sen- 
 sible how often they have drawn you into actual re- 
 bellion ? And do you know what will be the end 
 of this state without a Saviour? Think, Sir, how 
 can you preach these things, if you have never felt 
 them ? O beg of God, then, to make you sensible 
 how much you want a Saviour, that you may know 
 
380 
 
 how to address yourself to others upon the same 
 subject. 
 
 Secondly, Another indispensable qualification is, 
 the knowledge of Christ, to know his person — God- 
 man — his work, in his life and death, as our whole 
 salvation ,• made ours whenever his Spirit enables 
 us to receive it, and enjoyed as ours so far as by 
 faith we dare believe in him. This is the doctrine 
 to be preached. How can a man preach it who does 
 not know it, or who does not believe it ? Try your- 
 self here, Mr. M. Is he, in whose name, and to 
 preach whom, you are ordained — is he true and very 
 God — the self-existent Jehovah ? Is there salvation 
 in none other person or thing ? God help you not to 
 be deceived in that most essential doctrine. 
 
 A third thing is absolutely necessary, namely, the 
 knowledge of God's word. I send you this little 
 blessed book, in reading which you will learn your- 
 self — here is your true picture — and here is the re- 
 velation of Jesus Christ, whom to know is life eter- 
 nal. In reading and hearing the Scriptures, the 
 Spirit sets in with the word, and shows the sinner 
 himself, and then shows him the Saviour, and enables 
 him to believe unto salvation. AH the teaching of 
 God's Spirit is in and by the word : he accompanies 
 nothing but his own truth with his own blessing, 
 and that he does so bless, that faith cometh by hear- 
 ing, and hearing by the word of God. Are these 
 things so ? Is the Bible the word of God ? Does it 
 make the believer wise unto salvation ? Is it profitable 
 for doctrine, for reproof, &c. O, Sir, what are you 
 doing, that other books are so much read, and the 
 Bible so neglected ? Will you learn from a poor 
 
381 
 
 penitent ? Indeed I repent, and God forgive ray 
 mis-spent time in sciences and classics. I saw my 
 folly two and twenty years ago, and have since 
 studied nothing but the Bible; and I assure you, 
 Sir, I am got but a little way. I see such things 
 before me which I know but in part, that I am press- 
 ing on, and I wish for some of my lost time to spend 
 in this blessed study. Take warning. Prize my 
 little present : read it over and over : it is valuable 
 as coming from my heart's love, but infinitely more 
 so as the copy of Christ's love. You cannot read it 
 too much : wear it out in reading, and I promise you 
 a much neater and finer edition: but the finest is 
 that which the Spirit writes upon the heart. O that 
 he may write a very fair copy upon yours. 
 
 Fourthly, Your next thing is to know your oflSce: 
 to what are you ordained ? If you know not yourself, 
 and know not Jesus, nor his word, how can you pos- 
 sibly discharge your office ? In these things the chief 
 part of it consists. A minister, unacquainted with 
 himself, can never show his people what they are in 
 themselves. What can he say of Christ, who is not 
 acquainted with him? or how can he preach the 
 word who never studied it, or who never had his un- 
 derstanding opened to understand the Scriptures? 
 Think of these things. Sir, and meditate much upon 
 them. Weigh well your office; examine well your 
 call to it. Are you enabled faithfully to declare the 
 whole counsel of God? — with boldness, to tell sinners 
 their guilt and danger; which will make all the un- 
 converted your bitter enemies, — with clearness, to 
 set forth the way of salvation, through our surety, 
 God-Jesus, — with evidence, to show the work of 
 
382 
 
 the Spirit in convincing of sin ; in working faith in 
 Jesus' word ; to rely upon his blood and righteous- 
 ness ; and enabling the believer to live upon the ful- 
 ness of Jesus' grace, receiving out of it grace for 
 grace every moment for all the purposes of spiritual 
 life? And that you may do this successfully, in 
 spite of all opposition, are you made willing to prac- 
 tise what you are to preach ? That is the best ser- 
 mon which the minister preaches all the week. No- 
 thing is so powerful as example. Blessed is he who 
 lives out of the pulpit what he says in it, and knows 
 his doctrine to be truly experience : so may it be 
 with you. W. R. 
 
 LETTER LI. 
 To W T , Esq. 
 
 Feb. 20, 1784-. 
 My very dear Friend, — You made up by its rich 
 contents, when it came, for the long time your letter 
 was in coming. I am much beholden to you for its 
 companions — both tasting of brotherly love, which 
 completes the banquet; thanks be to God and to 
 you. Be not offended that I put him first; because 
 I owe to him the knowledge of you, the love of you, 
 and from him proceeds all intercourse of love between 
 us. While we keep him in sight in our friendship, 
 it will be a mutual blessing. For this I am praying; 
 and you know our God is famous for hearing and 
 for answering prayer. Indeed, what he hears and 
 answers, is first his own : for he gives us the spirit 
 
383 
 
 of prayer— we know not of ourselves what to ask — 
 and when we do know, we cannot ask aright; but 
 he enables us to feel our wants, to ask a supply of 
 them in faith, and he helps our infirmities in asking : 
 when we have done our best, he teaches us to pre- 
 sent our petitions for acceptance into the hands of 
 our great Mediator. As they come from us, they 
 are nothing worth ; but when Christ makes them his 
 prayers, then they go up with much incense, and 
 come down with abundant blessings. Was it not 
 so the morning you were at prayer ? You wanted a 
 family Bible. It was only ask and have. Here it 
 is — God's gift. And mind, you may have any thing 
 of him as cheap as this : for he giveth liberally to all 
 askers. I wish you may be as humble an asker as 
 he is a liberal giver. I have complied with your 
 request, in writing your name and mine in the Bible 
 —in which also, you desired me " to write some 
 directions how to read it." This I have not done; 
 because the subject of prayer is the whole Bible. 
 All the volume is to be prayed over as you read 
 it, and then I must have transcribed it. But though 
 I cannot, need not do this ; yet I will lay open my 
 heart unto you, and will let you into my own practice. 
 Something like this is my constant prayer; and, as 
 far as you believe, it will be yours. May you use 
 it with more faith than I ever did : — 
 
 O thou Spirit of wisdom and revelation, be with 
 me whenever I read thy holy word : testify to me in 
 it, and by it, of Christ Jesus, who he is, and what he 
 is to me ; and glorify the Father's love in him. Open 
 thou mine eyes to see the wondrous things revealed 
 in it upon these subjects, that I may understand them 
 
384 
 
 in thy light, and that my judgment of them may be 
 the same with thine : I beseech thee also to enable 
 me to mix faith with what I do understand ; and what 
 through thy teaching I am enabled to believe aright, 
 that help me to receive in the love of the truth. O 
 God, fulfil thy promise — put thy blessed word into 
 my inward parts : write it upon my heart. And 
 what I am taught to love, grant me power to practise ; 
 that thy new covenant promise may in me have its 
 full effect, and I may be in heart and life cast into 
 the mould and form of thy word — thus becoming a 
 real living edition of the Bible. Make it ray daily 
 study. Render it my constant delight. Let my 
 meditation of it be always sweet. O thou holy and 
 eternal Spirit, witness thus to thine own record — 
 and let me experience it to be the power of God, as 
 well as the truth of God. In this dependence upon 
 thee in the use of it, let me be daily growing — until, 
 by the will of God, I shall have served mine own 
 generation; and then let it be the last act of my life, 
 to seal the truth of thy testimony concerning Jesus. 
 Let me find thy witness true in the hour of death, 
 and beyond death all the promises made good to me, 
 through Jesus Christ, in life everlasting. Amen, 
 and amen. W. R. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 Printed by W. Collins & Co. 
 Glasgow. 
 
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