and therefore can say nothing to them. I should have thought that such a change as he found in himself, his parish and neighbourhood, should have every thing in it, that could render his situation comfortable to him.

The greatest danger that new converts are liable to, especially if they are young, arises from their conceiving something great of their conversion, and that great things are to follow from it. Hence they are taken up too much with themselves, and the supposed designs of God upon them. They enter into reasonings and conjectures how they shall be and do something extraordinary, and so lose that simplicity of heart, which should think of nothing but of dying to self, that the spirit of God might have time and place to create and form all that is wanting in their inward

man.

There is nothing more plain and simple than the way of religion, if self is but kept out of it; and all the perplexities and scruples which pious persons meet with, chiefly arise from some idea they have formed of a progress they ought to make, in order to be that which self would be. But piety makes little progress till it has no schemes of its own, no thoughts or contrivances to be any thing, but a naked penitent, left wholly and solely in faith and hope to the divine goodness. Every contrivance for human help, from this or that, be it what it will, is at best but dropping some degree of that fulness of faith, and hope, and dependance upon God, which only is, and only can be, our way of finding him to be the strength and God of our life.

Nothing but the life of God, opened by his Holy Spirit within us, can be the renewal of our souls, and we shall want this renewal no longer, than whilst we are seeking it in something that is not God. The faith that ascribes all to God, and expects all from him, cannot be disappointed.

Nothing could hinder the Centurion from having that which he asked of Christ, because his heart could

thus speak, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, speak the word only, and my sercant shall be healed.

He that has this sense of himself, and this faith in God, is in the truth and perfection of religion: if we knew the goodness of this state, we should be always content with the simplicity of it, and let every thing else come and go, as it would; all is well and safe so long as the heart rests all upon God alone. Your ladyship says, This worthy person fears his zeal, and yet dreads the abatement of it. It would be better not to indulge a thought about his own zeal, or to speak a word of it to any person, For if it is godly zeal, it is no more his than it is mine, nor comes any more from him than it does from me; and therefore when he thinks, or speaks of it as his, or as something he would be glad to keep in its right state, it is giving way to delusion, both with regard to himself, and the nature of true zeal for as the wind bloweth where it listeth, so it is with him who is driven by true zeal.

I do not wonder that his audience is so much affected and increased since he has preached up the doctrine of regeneration amongst them. All other preaching passes away as a tale that is told, and indeed is nothing better, till it enters into the things within man, brings him to a sensibility of the state of his heart, and its want of God's Holy Spirit therein.

How far it may be right for him to comply with their request of visiting, reading, and expounding the scripture to them, I pretend not to say:-but only thus much, that it seems to be right to be in no anxiety about it, or use any reasoning, either to persuade himself to it or from it, or to put himself under any stated rules about it, but leave it to be done as he finds himself inwardly stirred up to it, and able out of the abundance of his heart to perform it.

Expounding the scriptures has a fine sound, but I should rather advise such persons to read only in love, and simplicity of heart, such scriptures as need no expounder, but their own heart turned to God.

Persons who are come to this inward conviction, that they must live and die under the power of Satan, and of fallen nature, unless by a fulness of faith in Christ they be born again from above, have nothing more to enquire about where, or how Christ is to be found.

They have no other use to make of the scripture, but that of being refreshed and delighted with such passages, as turn and stir up the heart to a fulness of faith, love, and resignation to the blessed guidance and operation of the Holy Spirit of God.

Jan. 10, 1754.

IN ANSWER TO ONE, REQUESTING A CONVERSATION ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE.

As to your intention of a visit here, I can say nothing to encourage it; and though my countenance would have no forbidding airs put on by myself, yet as old age has given me her own complexion, I might perhaps bear the blame of it. But my chief objection: against a visit of this kind, is the reason you give for it, viz. for my instructive conversation on the SPIRITUAL LIFE. An appointment for religious conversation has a taking sound; and passeth for a sign of great progress in goodness. But with regard to myself, such a meeting would rather make me silent, than a speaker in it: first, because I hurt myself, and am only acting a part, if I speak to persons on SPIRITUAL matters, either sooner or further than the SPIRIT OF GOD (which bloweth when and where it listeth) would be resisted in me, if I held my tongue :: secondly, because it is deluding the persons I speak to, and helping them to be content with an imaginary, false food, if, as a SPIRITUAL assistant, I speak to them of any thing, but that which is their own evil or their own good; for true edification arises only from such knowledge, and not from devout harangues on the SPIRITUAL LIFE in general, though set forth in

the most enlivened words. The SPIRITUAL LIFE is nothing else but the working of the SPIRIT OF GOD within us; and, therefore, our own silence must be a great part of our preparation for it; and much speaking, or a delight in it, will be often no small hindrance of that good, which we can only have from hearing what the SPIRIT AND VOICE OF GOD speaketh within us. This is not enough known by religious persons; they rejoice in kindling a fire of their own, and delight too much in hearing their own voice, and so lose that inward unction from above, which alone can new-create their hearts. To speak with the tongues of men or angels on religious matters, is a much less thing, than to know how to stay the mind apon God, and abide with him in the closet of our hearts, observing, loving, adoring and obeying his holy power within us.

Rhetoric and fine language about the things of the SPIRIT, is a vainer babble than in other matters; and he that thinks to grow in true goodness by hearing or speaking flaming words or striking expressions, as is now much the way of the world, may have a great deal of talk, but will have but little of his " conversa tion in heaven."

99.

I have wrote very largely of the SPIRITUAL LIFE; and he that has read it and likes it, has of all men the least reason to ask me any questions or make any visit on that subject.

He understands not my writings, nor the end of them, who does not see, that their whole drift is to call all Christians to a GoD and CHRIST within them, as the only possible life, light and power of all goodness they can ever have; and, therefore, they turn my readers as much from myself, as from any other "Lo here! or Lo there!”

I invite all people to "The marriage of the LAMB,” but no one to myself.