selves out of breath. For this, regardless of any thing beyond it, they rise up early, and sit up late, and eat the bread of carefulness. But they walk in a vain shadow, and disquiet themselves in vain.

What a blessed freedom and ease do the heavenly-minded feel, in being loosened from these chains, and set at liberty from too great an affection for, and from too great an attention to, the things of this earth; and in having their souls lifted up in some good degree above their fellows towards heaven. Then they can look with disdain on the Egyptian leeks and onions of this world. They can discern the vanity of things below as well as the dignity of things above, having tried and tasted, and know by experience, that the enjoyments of the world, how gay soever they appear to others, are too mean and sordid to become the objects of their love,-too troublesome and vexatious to be much admired,-too unsuitable and unsatisfying to be eagerly sought after, too insufficient to be longed for and embraced as their happiness, and too fleeting and inconstant to be depended on. They therefore turn their eyes with disdain from these vanities, and take by faith a wishful view of their better inheritance in another world; where he displays his glory whom their hearts desire, and where they have sent their affections before, and where they themselves hope to be in a little time in actual possession of their beloved portion. How manfully may they encounter the frowns of death, which is to them but the commencement of a blessed and endless life.

Oh, how happy are they who are blessed with grace, to place their desires upon God. They can run their race with patience, and fi

nish their course with joy. They are interested in the favour of God, which is a thousand times better than life; whose influence makes comforts more comfortable, and crosses more tolerable, and which quiets the conscience from the horrors that others are haunted with

XVII.

The necessary preparation for death.

1734, JUNE 30.-Our repentance and conversion should be sincere and sound; for without these there is no pardon,-peace and holiness should be closely followed; for without these no man shall see God, our interest in Christ should be well secured; because there is no salvation in any other, our faith should be firm and steady; because they are true believers only that shall be saved through Christ,-our zeal should be fervent and cause us to abound in good works, without which faith will be as dead and lifeless, and as loathsome too, as a body without a soul,-our communion with God should be improved, that the delight of our thoughts and the desire of our hearts may be always toward him; for this will make our dissolution easy and desirabled;-and the Spirit of grace must be fervently prayed and faithfully laboured for, to restrain our wandering, to suppress our perverseness, to guide us in life and practice, to help and comfort in time of need, to impress the divine image on our minds, and to seal and secure us the fruits of redemption.

By these ways and means a good foundation will be laid against the awful day. Happy are the wise who understand and consider their latter end; they will find matter of joy and comfort in their death, when others are over

whelmed and swallowed up with distracting fear and sorrow. I wish the concern of death would be the concern of every day, and our care for the morrow converted into care for eternity. But how scarce, and yet how necessary, is the wisdom of considering our latter end, and of laying in store solid grounds of hope against so awful a time, when nothing less than an inward testimony of our sincerity and a full assurance of our interest in Christ, can comfortably support us under the terrible shock of death, when the amazing scenes of eternity begin to open upon us! This bitter cup is entailed upon us; and it cannot pass, but we must all drink of it one time or another. But it would be wise to have it filled with the wine of consolation instead of bitterness, which is not impossible for our Redeemer to do for those that apply diligently to him; he having drunk it himself, full of gall and wormwood, to take off its bitterness from his friends. and followers.

The necessity of labour and deligence in spiritual concerns.

I

1734, JULY 8-Your letters always savour of love to good things, which the good Spirit continues to increase in your soul, giving you a full assurance of the truth and wisdom of God's ways, which others deny and scorn. know you feel and experience, that the enjoyment of all that the world can propose, is not to be compared with the thirst of the soul for God. Secret communion with heaven (if we were not wanting in our endeavours for it) would make us easily despise all earthly glory; it would enliven all the powers of the soul

in holy duties, and strengthen our hearts against all allurements; it would ease the toils of life, and sweeten the thoughts of death. Oh! that my soul was blessed with more divine fellowship with the Holy Spirit: and nothing hinders me from it so much as my own sluggishness and inappetency for it. If I were as careful to approve myself unto God, as we commonly are to avoid affronting a valuable friend,-if I were as careful to guard against sin, as we commonly are against pain or mortal bruises to our body,-if I were as careful to shun those cares, concerns, and intercourses that sink the mind into a strangeness from God, as I am to shun those potions that would blind my eyes and stupify my senses,-if I were as laborious for improvement in grace as some are for additions to their fortune,-if I perused my Bible with the attention, with which some do, upon certain occasions, the writings of their estate, if I went to God's ordinances with the same concern and desire of success, as some go to their fairs and markets,-if my spirit begged as earnest in prayer, as some importunate beggars, pinched with want and hunger, cry for a little bodily supply,-Oh, dear Madam, such care, concern, contrivance, and labour as this, which we see daily used by men for perishable things, (which it matters but little, whether they miss or gain,) if used for the enjoyment of God, and things eternal, would well reward my pains. Such methods would most certainly bring us into a state of high favour and friendship with God; and he would let out the kindly influence of his Holy Spirit upon us, which (though the world call it cant and enthusiasm) would bring us a thousand-fold more true enjoyment in the present life than all

we can possibly renounce for his sake. We see the degenerate race of men are too worldlywise to be cheated out of a rich inheritance; nor will they spare cost or pains to save their patrimony, if any attempt be made to wrest it from them: and why should they who believe another world, stick at any thing to save and secure a vastly greater prize. But, Madam, it is time to beg pardon for speaking so much of these things to you, who has learned so much to practice them, and wherein, I am thoroughly persuaded, you find your labour is not in vain. Yet all the inward peace and evidence of God's approbation that you can possibly feel now, is but the earnest penny of your future reward. The Lord God assist, comfort and prosper you for ever.

XIX.

Obedience to God, the test of true religion.

1734, JULY 16.-I hope you will find it convenient to come this way, and give us an opportunity to bend our minds to a more steady consideration of serious things in Christian conference, than we are apt to do by ourselves. Fire will kindle easier and afford, more heat and light in much coal put together; whereas it is difficult to keep it alive in one alone. The primitive Christians were earnestly exhorted to teach and edify one another, which could not have been done without frequently conversing together; and a profitable method it is, not only to enlighten the mind with the knowledge of divine things, but to persuade the passions, and influence the will to a resolved obedience to the holy will of God, to which our corrupt self-will stands in obstinate oppo