Haft thou not fometimes tafted and feen how good the Lord is ?What a mercy is that!

-Again, thou art not affured of heaven, and thou wanteft an affurance thereof. But thou haft fuch hopes of heaven as thou wouldest not exchange for all the kingdoms of the world; and fhouldest thou not blefs God for that, which is more to thee than all the world?. Again, Thou finneft through mistake or paffion. But cant thou find in thine heart to fin against God? He that is born of God cannot fin; that is, he cannot find in his heart to fin, because he is born ofGod.

-Again, it may be thou complaineft of a dead heart. But is there not fome life in thee? Deadnefs ftands in oppofition to liveliness as well as. life. If thou art dead, that is, not lively, yet blefs God that thou art not quite dead in trefpaffes and fins.Again, it may be thou complaineft of a hard heart. But thy heart is not fo hard, but it feels its hardness. Did Pharaoh complain. of the plague of a hard heart? He felt it not; he was all stone. But if thy heart feels its hardnefs, 'tis a fign there is fomething of flefh. Blefs. God for that covenant-mercy, a heart of flesh.

Again, it may be the Lord tarrieth or hideth himfelf from thee. But art thou not willing to wait upon him? Doft thou wait under his table for crumbs? Doft thou wait at his gate for mercy? Well, The Lord is good to them that wait for him, Lam. iii. 25.Again, it may be thou complaineft, thou art often out of frame, or of an uneven temper; fometimes praying, fometimes finning, &c. But though thou art not always the fame, yet God is, and Jefus Chrift is; and therefore it is that we are not confumed.- -Again, it

may be thou thinkeft thou shalt never be able to fuffer for Chrift, thy weak nature fhrinks and trembles at the thoughts of it; thou art afraid thou fhalt rather deny thy Saviour, than thy name, thy liberty, or thy life. It is true, if thou thouldft be left to thyfelf, it would be fo; but God is faithful, and he will not fuffer thee to be tempted above

what thou art able to bear. He will not fend thee into a wood to fell an oak with a penknife.— When he calls thee to the work thou never didst he will give thee the ftrength thou never hadst.

Again, it may be, thou fearest thou shalt fall away, and fhall never hold out to the end. But doth not this fear of thine rather fecure thee than betray thee? Does it not quicken thee to duty, to watch and pray, &c. It is a mercy if it be fuch a fear and trembling as thou art working out thy falvation by. But wherefore deft thou doubt? Hath God ever failed thee at thy need ? When the disciples began to be concerned about bread; faith our Saviour, do ye not remember how many baskets full ye took up at fuch a time? And · how many at fuch a time? Are your hearts fill hardened? So fay I, remember how God hath comforted you at fuch a time, or fuch a time, and be not faithlefs but believing.The Lord infpire your heart with courage and comfort, that you may perfevere in his good ways unto the end. The Lord be your keeper, your guide, your portion for ever.

I fhall be glad to hear how it fares with you. I hope we are not unmindful of one another, though there had been an interruption of epiftolary converfe. I fuppofe you might not receive my laft letter, With mine, my wife's, Mrs.

W-s, your brothers, and Martha's hearty loves and respects, and all good wishes, I reft Your affectionate Friend,

JOHN MASON.

Water-Stratford, April 16, 1678.

I

LETTER XXVII.

My very affectionate and very dear friend, HOPE there is an indiffoluble knot between us that neither filence nor diftance can break in pieces; I mean the unity of the fpirit: which will out-ftand all carnal alliances, founded in blood or marriage; and all temporary confederacies grounded upon intereft or temper. Time often breaks the laft, and death ever diffolves the first of these ties and communications. But fpiritual friendship grows by time, and is perfected by death; it lafts and holds forever. The time comes when there will be no friendship but fpiritual friendship. When Eve awoke out of Adam's fide, how was he joyed in her? This is bone of my bone, &c. But when they had finned he bitterly accufed her at the bar of God. Such will the end be of all that jocund friendship of all unregenerate allies; they will be divided at the bar of God, and no otherwife united, than as tares are in the fame bundle, whofe nearness does but help to confume one another.

But, I hope, my dear friend, we are one spirit in Chrift forever; I hope we are met in him through grace; fhall meet with him in the clouds and fhall be ever with him in heaven. In the meantime I condemn and abhor my felf, that when divine providence gave me a long with'd for opportunity of feeing your face, I was no

more inward with you; and that I fo foolishly loft the advantage I then had of confulting and farthering your fpiritual eftate.

Sorry I am there was fo little of heaven, fo much of earthlinefs and carnality in my conver fation with you. And this I write with grief and fhame. How often have my bowels yearned towards your foul! that I have thought, O that you were but near me, or by me! O that we had but an opportunity of difcourfing together of things pertaining to the kingdom of God !-I had an opportunity; I fay I had an opportunity.-But it is gone, it is gone! and whether I fhall ever have the like again, I know not. The Lord forgive me!-Though I have not been my brother's keeper, yet I will commit my brother to that God who is able to keep him from this prefent evil world; and from every evil work, unto life eternal. The Lord by his fpirit, breathe into you better meditations than I could poffibly have fuggelted. I'fhould have fpoken to you; but yet I may fpeak for you, and you for me, to that God who is with us both at the fame time; and who can blefs us both out of the riches of his grace and goodnefs in Jefus Chrift. In whom I am,

Dear Sir, your affectionate Friend,

That longs for your everlafting happiness, JOHN MASON. Water-Stratford, Feb. 9, 1679.80.

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LETTER XXVIII

My dear Friend,

AM fenfible of your love to us.

You mourn

with us, and rejoice with us; and I hope you

pray for us, and praife for us. And therefore I muft needs defire your temporal, and especially your eternal welfare. I rejoice in the hopes of your ftedfaftnefs in Chrift. Bleffed be God who hath preferved you, and followed you with the motions of his good fpirit. The Lord carry on his work in our hearts, that we may at laft meet in his kingdom. Be encouraged ftill to depend on God. Converse with him by faith, meditation, and prayer. If any defpife the good ways of God, I truft you can juftify them by your own experience. God's work is wages, and in keeping his commandments there is great reward. Go on (my dear and faithful friend) go on in the ftrength of God. Follow after righteoufnefs, holinefs, faith, love, patience, meeknefs. Labour after farther measures of grace, and more intimate acquaintance and communion with God.The way of the Lord is ftrength to the upright. The farther a man walks in the good ways of God, the better he will find them. Let us live by faith, till we fhall live by fight. Let us breathe by prayer, till we breathe out our fouls into Chrift's bofom.Say, we are weak (as it is moft true;) our God will ftrengthen us. chriftian cannot keep himfelf, but he is kept by the power of God, through faith unto falvation. Therefore we must commit our fouls to God's keeping, and derive fupplies of ftrength from Jefus Chrift. O that we might daily receive of his fulness, even grace for grace! When Satan tempts, or the world tempts, fly to Chrift, and he will fuccour. If your heart be dead, go to Chrift, and he will quicken it.

A

I commend you to Chrift in my prayers; I