JD among them? The smallness of your number need not dishearten you, if (as I would hope) ye have the truth with you. "He that is coming will come and will not tarry ;" and at that day" the rebuke of his people will he take away from the face of the earth."

Affectionately yours, dear Mrs. T—————,

For the truth's sake,

CXII.

TO THE SAME.

May 6, 1826.

MY DEAR SISTER T—,—I think I need no longer hesitate about addressing you as one standing in that endeared relation. My hesitation before arose chiefly from my apprehension that you were in fellowship with TG, with whom I could not walk till he is brought to repentance for a long course of wickedness, which he has imposed on himself and others as very good. I scarcely know any wickedness more awful, than that of stumbling and distracting disciples by the agitation of questions ministering strife, the discussion of which he has seemed to think the grand business of a Christian church. I consider his character the more dangerous, from his ability to express himself most plausibly as to the great truth, both in speaking and writing. But enough of this. Your letter found me confined by a fit of gout, partly to my room and partly to my bed. It has left me still very weak upon my limbs: but I must no longer delay to make you some reply, though a very imperfect one.

I am pleased to find that you perceive Sandeman's error, on what he terms the assurance of hope as distinguished from the assurance of faith. The attempt to distinguish them, as if the one could subsist without the other, is an ungodly attempt,-goes to the subversion of the fundamental truth for which he in general contends so clearly and ably. The uncommon excellence of most of his writings renders this leaven in him the more dangerous, and I am sure that it has wrought all kinds of evil in the churches with which he and Glas were connected. While they speak clearly and blessedly about the gospel as affording hope to the chief of sinners, they seem each to look for something further to warrant him in entertaining this hope, and to fear that it is presumptuous to entertain it confidently. And indeed it would be presumptuous, if the confidence of hope were to be derived by discovering good evidences of our faith. You call on me to give you my thoughts on evidences, &c. But I am scarcely aware of any thing that I would add to what I have written on that subject. Besides the passage that you refer to in my "Sufficient

Reply," I would direct your attention to the tract No. 3, on "The Scriptural Fear of the Lord," particularly the three paragraphs preceding the two last. At any moment that the great truth revealed from heaven evidences itself to my conscience, the peace, and hope, and joy, which it affords, stand perfectly distinct in their foundation from all evidences either of my faith or of my unbelief the moment before! and those are corrupters of the truth who would set in opposition to this such texts as 1 John ii. 3. This is that " beginning of confidence and rejoicing of hope," which we are called to hold fast to the end; and therefore all talk of additional consolation, of a confi. dence derived from another source, is to be rejected with a get thee behind me, Satan." But while evidences of my faith stand quite aside from the foundation and spring of my confidence towards God, I think it important to mention, that the only conclusive evidence of faith which can be adduced-evidence of abiding at any time in the truth-is the fruits of faith, that fruit of the spirit which is "love, joy, peace, long-suffering," &c. While I assert this, and plainly add that I have much more evidence to adduce of my "hardness of heart and unbelief," it does not shake my confidence or disturb my hope at all. You quote the language of the apostle in Rom. viii. 16. and naturally quote it according to the current English version"beareth witness with our spirit." But I think it not unimportant to remark, that the passage ought to be rendered-" the Spirit itself beareth witness to our spirit that we are the children of God." According to the present version, and the manner in which it is handled by the popular divines, it is often supposed that there are two distinct witnesses described as assuring Christians that they are the children of God: on the one hand, their own spirit conscious of certain good evidences of sonship about themselves; and, on the other hand, the Spirit of God helping out that consciousness, and making a kind of private revelation to them, that they have a clear title to heaven. And in this way the words of the Apostle have been commonly employed to subvert the apostolic gospel, and to introduce altogether another hope and comfort than "the comfort of the scriptures." (Rom. xv. 4.) But, in fact, the apostle is speaking of the effect and influence of the Gospel of Christ, as contrasted with the law of Moses, in completely relieving the consciences of those who believe it, and giving them filial confidence towards God; which filial confidence (or spirit of adoption) is produced, not by any private revelation to them of something no where written in the scriptures of truth, but by the power of God bearing testimony to the word of his own grace, or opening their eyes to see the glory of that High Priest of our profession, in whom we have boldness to draw near into the holiest. (Heb. x. 19—22. iv. 16.)

CXIII.

TO THE SAME.

June 27, 1826.

DEAR MRS. T——————,—I feel your letter of the 18th inst. a kind of reproach to me for my silence. But the inclosed unfinished letter will show you that I began to reply to yours of the 9th April. And why did I not finish and despatch it? I will tell you candidly. I heard from pretty good authority, that a sister from the church in Dublin had been some time ago at C, and met on the first day of the week with some there who were considered in fellowship with us; but that she found them so trifling with the ordinances of the Lord, that some of them observed the salutation with an holy kiss, as of divine appointment, and others declined it. This information discouraged me, and I threw aside my letter unfinished. In fact, I was long uncertain whether there were any in Cwith whom I could scripturally consider myself in Christian fellowship; and the intelligence I have alluded to checked the rising hope that I might so consider you and those connected with you. Perhaps, however, you were not of the party with whom the Dublin sister met, or perhaps your principles and practice have since been changed. As to those who tolerate rebellion against the laws of Christ's house, under the name of Christian forbearance, I make nothing of their profession, however fairly they may talk about the hope of the gospel. The holiness of the name of the Lord-the infinite distinction between the character of the only true God, as revealed in his word from heaven, and all that is called God and worshipped by the world—this is the ground and spring of the holiness of his people, who are separated unto him by the truth made known to them; and while they are kept sanctifying HIM in their hearts-hallowing his name-they will hold fast the traditions delivered to them in his name by the apostles of Christ, and will abhor the thought of considering any of them as matters about which they may agree to differ. Many things in the former of your letters I must for the present leave unanswered, being much straitened in time, and afraid that Mr. Y might leave town if I were to delay sending this. I am sorry to say that I have not a copy, and know not where I could procure a copy, of one of the pieces you mention. Even the seven tracts are out of print, except the third and seventh. Of these I shall take an opportunity of sending you some copies. But the weather is so very hot at present that I really cannot walk so far as Fleet Street; and the parcel would be too large for the twopenny post.

Excuse haste; and believe me, with affectionate interest,
Yours, &c.

VERY DEAR MRS. B-,- do indeed heartily thank you for both your most kind and welcome letters-that of July 4th and Dec. 9th. The particularity of information they afforded me was the more gratifying, because I have been so long unaccustomed to it. You may suppose how little intelligence I receive about Irish friends, when I tell you that I never heard of your illness two years ago till your letter informed me of it. So we are both likely to go off the stage in a somewhat similar way. I have often looked at it as a pleasant and tender mode of removal to a Christian; since it saves all the trouble of the process of dying. But in whatever form he may arrive, Death is included in the inventory of our inheritance -among the all things that belong to us in Him who is head over all things to his church. Your account of young M- and C(there is the fruit of calling a son by the father's name, the father becomes inevitably old on the entrance of the boy into the world,) gives me great pleasure; particularly the intelligence that they are walking in the truth. Give them my love; and tell them that very soon (if they live long enough) they will be as old as I am. Το such little creatures as we are, and earnestly occupied by such little things, the interval appears very long in prospect; but looking back, it seems to me but as last year that I was a lad in college like them. The world is passing away-generation after generation; but the word of our God abideth for ever." There is a substantial and blessed reality. Every thing that occupies men, aside from this, is but the agitation of a dream. But those who are awake to the great things of God declared in the Word, are awake indeed; and all that engages them is to be consecrated to Him whose they are, and to be pursued in the prospect of that glory which is about to be revealed at his second coming. His mercy and power alone can keep us in that mind; and his truth, which testifies the salvation that belongeth to Him, is the great instrument by which he keeps the heirs of his salvation awake and walking in the light. Let us give diligent heed to the things that we have learned, lest by any means we let them slip. "When the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" His coming is very near, and blessed are the few whom he shall find watching. It gave me joy to hear of L's addition to you. What greater joy is there as yet, than in witnessing such instances of the LORD's power reigning in the midst of his enemies? I well remember the fairness of L's verbal profession; but I am more and more convinced, that wherever there are a few gathered together to the name of the LORD, the verbal profession of those who hold aloof from their fellowship is to be utterly disregarded; fully as

much so, as if we knew them to be walking in a course of the grossest immorality. I have said that I recollect L. My memory is quite failing for the passing occurrences of the week. I forget one day what I said or did the day before. But old circumstances remain as fresh in my memory as ever, and, I think I may say, old friends. Dear and ! I remember you well. I remember the wintry drive with M. I remember the blazing fire and the kind countenances that received me at the end of it. I rememberevery thing.

CXV.

TO J. L

Feb. 12, 1826.

So you are released from the Excise, and are in business for yourself. Well: I trust you will be enabled to make both ends meet. How cheering and quieting the assurance that our heavenly Father "knoweth that we have need of these things," Mat. vi. 32.—of food and raiment. His are the cattle upon a thousand hills, Ps. 1. 10.: and all things are ours, 1 Cor. iii. 22., in Him who has redeemed us sinners unto God by his blood. But he loves his children too well to let them have their inheritance here in their own management. "Whom he loveth he chasteneth, Heb. xii. 6.; and surely that word ought to make us endure chastening submissively and cheerfully. A beggar full of sores expiring at a rich man's door amidst surrounding dogs, seems to the fleshly eye a melancholy spectacle, and scarcely to be reconciled with the idea of his possessing all things. But what a wonderful revolution is there when he is carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom.

I have been thinking a good deal lately of that word in Joel ii. 26— "Ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you." Such words will certainly have their fullest accomplishment when we shall have entered into the heavenly rest. But it is indeed only our hardness of heart and unbelief that at any time prevents us from finding them blessedly accomplished at present; so abundant is the fatness of his house into which we are brought; so plenteous its provision for all that an utterly sinful creature needs; while the voice of the king himself, presiding at the feast, announces "all things ready," and speaks continually-"Eat, O friends: drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved," Song v. 1. What would ye that I should do for you Mat. xx. 32. When he asked his disciples of old-"what was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?" we are told that they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest." (Mark ix. 33, 34.) They