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reigns at home. But if the Lord revives his people, we may hope he will hear their prayers.

Mr.

bids fair to be as unpopular in the course of another month as any of his opponents have been. This is a changeable world. The ins and the outs, being fastened upon the same rolling wheel, have each their turn to be uppermost. Really, one is tempted to smile and constrained to weep in the same breath. The Lord bless you and keep you.

I am, for self and partner,

Most affectionately yours.

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I HAVE been much affected with your present situation, and with the case which you did me the honour to propose me for my judgment. I hope it is from some real sense of my own weakness, that I usually undertake the office of a casuist with fear and trembling. How unhappy should I be to mislead you in a point of such importance! How cruel, to wish you to be determined by my decision, except I am sure it is warranted by the word of God! Indeed, you have been hardly out of my thoughts since I saw you in the garden. I have considered again and again, the advice I ventured to give you, and I am the more confirmed in the propriety of it; and in a persuasion that if the Lord (for what are our resolves without him?) enables you to act the part which you seemed to be satisfied was right, you will never have just cause to blame either yourself or me. I think the Lord highly honours you, by permitting you to be brought to such a trial, and thereby putting it in your power of giving both to the church and to the world (so far as you are known) such a singular and striking proof of the sincerity of

your heart towards him. Surely I shall not cease to pray, that he who has wrought in you to will, may strengthen you with his power to act accordingly; and that you may do it with cheerfulness. You have good reason for it, madam. He for whose sake you are about to reject what many would eagerly receive, deserves it well at your hands. He gave up much more for you; he became very poor that you might be rich. And though he was once poor for us, he is now rich again; rich enough to make you ample amends for all you give up. Be not afraid. His own kind providence will take charge of you, and surely do you good. Were your conduct generally known, you would be blamed or pitied, by those who know of nothing better than gold, and such toys as gold can purchase. But they will neither blame nor pity you in the great day of your Lord's appearance. When I see so inuch interested and formal profession, I should be almost discouraged, were it not that the Lord has given me to know a happy and favoured few, whose conduct exemplifies and adorns the glorious Gospel they profess. In them I see a simplicity, a spirituality, a disinterestedness, a submission, and a ready obedience becoming the servants of such a Master. They have made the choice of Moses; they endure as seeing him who is invisible, and prefer even the reproach of Christ to all the treasures of Egypt. The sight of one such person in the house of God, animates and comforts a minister more than a croud of common hearers. I bless the Lord that I have the honour of preaching to more than one of this description. Go on, madam; may the Lord be with you. I feel for you, I pray for you, and I rejoice in the hope, that I shall soon have to congratulate you that the Lord has given you a complete deliverance, a victory, and filled your heart and mouth with his praise. Think of the rewards promised to them that overcome, Rev. ii. and iii. What can the world propose worthy to be put in

competition with these?

I am, Madam,

Your sincerely affectionate servant.

LETTER II.

DEAR MADAM,

July 14, 1783.

I WAS much affected and comforted by your obliging answer to my letter yesterday. I believe, as you say, there was something providential in my writing, and, indeed, in the timing of my late agreeable visit, where I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting with you. On Saturday, when I had a quite different business in hand, a thought struck me, which made me lay aside what I was engaged in, to prepare a letter which I thought I could get conveyed to you from church; not thinking I should see you there, and have an opportunity of putting it into your own hand. As you say it proved a means of confirming your mind, I have reason to praise the Lord (to whom I would ascribe every good and useful motion) for putting it into my heart to write. I rejoice in your determination; persuaded that the principle upon which you act will bear you through, and that the Lord, whom you desire to serve, will, either in kind or in kindness, afford you a testimony that he approves of your conduct. We are short-sighted as to consequences, but he knows what he is about to do. You have in his promises, upon which he has enabled you to trust, a greater treasure by far than the Bank of England; and therefore you can be no loser by declining an offer which he only permitted to be made for the trial of your faith and integrity. I have been likewise, in my time, called to make sacrifices, and to give up seeming advantages for conscience' sake, though certainly mine were trifles compared with yours, as you are now situated; and my own experience, as well as my frequent observation of others, convinces me, that though we may appear to lose something for the Lord, we shall not, eventually lose by him. But what I recollect of such things. in my own case, and of the manner in which I was led through them, makes me take the liberty of offering a further word of advice upon the subject. In the first place, I would not have you wonder if, when your determination is fixed, and the affair quite at an end, you should find, instead of your path being made smoother immediately, fresh difficulties and exigences arise. L hope it will not be so; but it was so with me. I met with pinches that at times almost staggered me, and strongly tempted me to repent that I had been (as the thought in a dark hour obtruded upon me) too scrupulous, and had brought inconveniences upon myself by a punctilio. Still, however, my better judgment spoke a different language, and assured me, it was not a punctilio, but evidently connected with duty and peace of conscience. I could not, I durst not, deliberately repent that I had acted right; but, as I said, I was tempted to it. The Lord kept me steadfast, as far as outward conduct was concerned: but he alone knows the evil workings of my heart at some seasons. I was, however, supported; and in due time light broke through the darkness, difficulties were removed, he made me great amends, even in a temporal way, for what I had given up: besides, the opportunity it afforded of commending my profession and character, even to the people of the world, who had before af.

Vol. II.

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