"The account you give of dear Mrs. Carter's decease, is a ground for hope in Israel concerning her. It is a great and blessed thing, when we are enabled to cast ourselves on the promises. It cannot possibly be done, without faith: and he, that believeth, shall be saved. Adored be the free grace of God, which, I trust, healed the backslidings of your sister, and brought her again within the bond of the covenant. His Spirit alone can drive the ploughshare of penitential conviction through a sinner's heart; and give us to mourn at the spiritual sight of him whom our sins have pierced. The Lord give us to mourn more and more, until we have mourned away our unbelief, our carelessness, and hardness of heart! The soul, I verily believe, is never safer, than when, with returning Mary, we stand at the feet of Christ, behind him, weeping. I read lately of a minister in the last century, whose departing words were, A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Nor can I think such a state to be at all inferior, in point of real safety, to that of a good man who died a few years ago in London, with these triumphant words in his mouth, Now, angels, do your office. Of some, it is written, "They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them" while others of the Lord's people enter the haven of everlasting life, as it were, with full sails and flying colours: they "return with singing unto Zion." But this is our comfort, that of all whom the Father gave to Christ, he will not lose one. However the joy of faith may decline, the grace itself shall never totally fail; having, for its security, the Father's covenant love, which is from everlasting to everlasting; the blessed Mediator's intercession, which is perpetual and all-prevailing; and the faithfulness of the Holy Ghost, who, when once given, is a fountain of living water, springing up in the believer's heart to life eternal. May he, in all seasons, his plenitude of saving grace and heavenly love, descend upon our souls as dew, and make us glad with the light of his countenance!-When I consider the goodness of God to me the chief of sinners, I am astonished at the coldness of my gratitude and the smallness of my love. Yet, little and cold as it is, even that is his gift, and the work of his Spirit. An earnest, I cannot doubt, of more and greater. The Lord Jesus increase the spark to a flame, and make the little one become a thousand !—My health, after which you are so kind as to enquire, was never better. And, which is greater still, I often experience the peace that passeth all understanding, and the joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. Not that I am always upon the Mount. There are in which my Lord is "as one that hideth himself." But he only hides himself. He never forsakes the sinner he has loved. And blessed be his name, he has engaged that the regenerate soul shall never totally forsake him: else, there would never be a saint in heaven.—I rejoice to hear of Mrs. W's temporal welfare; and pray God to make her, spiritually, such as he would have her to be. She and I have much chaff, to be burnt up; much tin, to be consumed; may the blood of the Lamb be upon us both, for pardon; and the sacred Spirit be to us a refining fire, for sanctification. If you write to her, do present the captain and her with my Christian respects: and let her know from me, that except she comes to Christ, as a poor sinner, with the halter of selfabasement round her neck, and the empty vessel of faith in her hand; as a condemned criminal, who has nothing to plead, and as an insolvent debtor, who has nothing to pay; she is stout-hearted, and far from righteousness. The way to be filled with the fulness of God, is to bring no money in our sack's mouth. If you see my old friend, Mr. I. tell him, that he will not be able to find any rest for the sole of his foot, until he returns to the doctrines of grace, and flies back to the ark of God's election." Tuesday, 29. At night, before I betook myself to rest, I was enabled to act faith very strongly on the promises. It was as if I had held a conversation with God. He assured me of his faithfulness, and I trusted him. It was whispered to my soul, "Thou shalt find me faithful:" my soul answered, "Lord, I believe it: I take thee at thy word." This, I am certain, was more than fancy. It was too sweet, too clear, and too powerful, to be the daughter of imagination. There was a nescio quid divini, attended with joy unspeakable, as much superior to all the sensations excited by earthly comforts, as the heavens are higher than the earth. Besides, in my experiences of this kind, when under the immediate light of God's presence within, my soul is, in great measure, passive; and lies open to the beams of the sun of righteousness. The acts of faith, love, and spiritual aspiration, are subsequent to, and occasioned by, this unutterable reception of divine influence. I bless my God, I know his inward voice; the still, small whisper of his good Spirit and can distinguish it from every other suggestion whatever. Lord, evermore give me this bread to eat, which the world knoweth not of! Wednesday, 30. Held my tythe dinner at Harpford. The greater part of both parishes attended: they seemed greatly satisfied; and I had as much reason to be satisfied with them. Busy as I was myself, in receiving my dues, and numerous as the company was, Mr. Powell, of Ottery (who made one), and myself, had several opportunities of conversing on the best subjects, particularly the decrees of God, and the spiritual impotence of man's will. Paid farmer Carter for four bushels of wheat, to be distributed among the poor, as follows: John Churchill, Robert Bishop, Henry Wilson, James Bedford, jun. Joseph Westcoat, John Way, Sarah Hare, John Churchill of Southertown; Charles Redwood, Patience Hall, William Perry, William May, jun. Elias Tews, Richard Haddon, and Richard House, one peck each; and half a peck each, to Elizabeth Critchard, and William May, senior. Before I went to bed, God gave me such sense of his love as came but little short of full assurance. Who am I, O Lord? The weakest, and the vilest, of all thy called ones: not only the least of saints, but the chief of sinners. But though a sinner, yet sanctified in part, by the Holy Ghost given unto me. I should wrong the work of his grace upon my heart, were I to deny my regeneration: but, Lord, I wish for a nearer conformity to thy image. My shortcomings and my misdoings, my unbelief and want of love, would sink me into the nethermost hell, was not Jesus my righteousness and my redemption. There is no sin which I should not commit, was not Jesus, by the power of his Spirit, my sanctification. O when shall I resemble him quite, and have all the mind that was in him? When I see him face to face which God will hasten in his time. Thursday, 31. All day within, reading. The thought of how many acquaintances I have lost by death, within the course of this year, dwelt with great weight upon my mind. The following persons are some of them: Rev. Mr. Piers, (rector of Killishee, in Ireland); sir Robert Long, lord Tavistock, Rev. Mr. William Anderson, Mr. Davis, of Hattongarden; my aunt Bate, at Deptford; archdeacon Potter, Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Carter, Mr. Warner, Mr. Benjamin Jones, Mrs. Weare, Mr. Powell, jun. of Dublin; Mr. Unwin. And yet I am spared! Lord, may it be for good, and not for evil! There are, that I know of, but two things worth living for; 1. To further the cause of God, and thereby glorify him before the world: 2. To do good to the souls and bodies of men. Upon a review of the past year, I desire to confess, that my unfruitfulness has been exceeding great; my sins still greater: and God's mercies, greater than both. It is now between eleven and twelve at night : nor can I conclude the year more suitably to the present frame of my own mind, than with the following verse from one of my hymus; which expresses both my sense of past, and my humble dependence on divine goodness for future favours : Kind author, and ground, of my hope, My glad Ebenezer set up, And own thou hast help'd me till now: A sinner so signally lov'd. Saturday, January 2, 1768. In the afternoon, called on William Perry, of Southertown. Our discourse happened to take a serious turn. Among other subjects, we spoke concerning the divinity of the ever blessed Son of God. I could scarce help smiling, at the same time that I heartily applauded the honest zeal of my well-meaning parishioner: "Let any man," said he, "but search the scriptures, and if he does not find that Christ, as a divine person, subsisted, not only previous to his birth of the Virgin Mary, but from everlasting, I will lose my head." This brought to my mind that just observation of the late excellent Mr. Hervey; who, speaking of Christ's atonement, says; "Ask any of your serious tenants, what ideas arise in their minds, upon a perusal of the forementioned texts? I dare venture that, artless and unimproved as their understandings are, they will not hesitate for an answer. They will neither complain of obscurity, nor ask the assistance of learning: but will immediately discern, in all these passages, a gracious Redeemer suffering in their stead; and |