grace furnishes us with a good and skilful physician; to his care I commit you and yours, and remain, dear sir, yours to serve,

W. HUNTINGTON.

X.

1796.

How

I was sorry to hear by my friend Tommy that my dear father in the Lord was ill. ever, we need physick as well as food: all things are not the most healthy which are the most palatable: our God does nothing in vain. Afflictions take us out of company; they gather our thoughts home; they serve to turn our eyes inward; they bring the child of God to books; they cast a damp upon earthly enjoyments, and wean the affections from a vain world; they lead to self-examination, and to consider the one thing needful; and they often humble the mind, meeken the spirit, encourage faith, awaken fear, and perfume the soul, and make it more unctuous and savoury; they lead to watchfulness on the handy works of God, and to thankfulness when his goodness appears; and I hope the good Lord will sanctify this

stroke, that thou mayest have it to say, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted." God doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the chil dren of men without cause; but corrects us with measure, and leaves us not wholly unpunished. But we have a foretunner who led the armies of heaven forth, the Captain of our salvation, who himself was made perfect through sufferings. He can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, having himself been a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and has declared his sympathy to be such, that in all our afflictions he is afflicted, being the tender hearted father of the family; the sympathetic husband of his church, who cost him so dear, so great a price. Of which purchased inheritance, and purchased possession, he will never lose an atom, either of the gross, or the fine; the earthy, or the heavenly part. "The very hairs of your head are all numbered," nor shall one of them ever perish. The devil sets our sinfulness and nothingness against this; and unbelief bars the heart against it, and the comfort of it, by making us look at the evils of our heart, not at the love and good will of God; and at our corruptions, not at the great price of our ransom; and so to draw conclusions from our own feelings and views of ourselves, not from the promises of God, the covenant of his grace, or from the great undertakings, and

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finished work of Christ; and by these means he gains an advantage over us, and robs both God. and us by barring the heart against both truth and grace, and God; by making us murmúr because we are not better, instead of thanking God, who by his grace hath made us what we are. However, we are not altogether ignorant of Satan's devices; nor shall he ever save himself, or destroy us by all his cunning or power. God will work and none shall let it. Dear Father, the Lord bless thee, and keep thee; and may faith, patience, and submission, have their perfect work both in thee and me. Tender my love to dame, Mr. B. and all friends, and excuse haste, blunders, and imperfections, as I have but just

and got a moment to spare.

hope of the gospel,

finished my book,

Ever thine in the

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XI.

Sept. 12, 1796.

Dear Father in Christ Jesus, the sinner's only and everlasting friend; Grace and peace be multiplied unto thee, through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

I WAS agreeably surprised last night, after I had finished my evening's discourse, to see my old friend Tommy come into the vestry; he seemed very lively, and told me that he had been favoured with a blessed opportunity under the word my text was Isaiah xliv. 3. We were indulged yesterday with a few of the scouting party, who came to see the nakedness of the land; but, to their great grief, they saw but very little spare ground; their faces looked like flames, and, if possible, the devil looked through their eyes; but, though they are of fended, we burn not; for they saw us very happy in the Lord's house of prayer: but this added to their vexation; they were wroth, and their countenance was fallen; and they will soon cry out, "My leanness, my leanness, wo unto me!" Their souls were full, and they loathed the honeycomb; but the time will come when every bitter thing will be sweet;

yea, the reproofs and rebukes of God will be esteemed better than carnal security, or hardness of heart. We seem at present to be sweetly united and in harmony, and very happy; I have taken forth the vile from the precious, and such God says shall be as his mouth.

Friend B. was with us yesterday morning; the reason of this is, because there was a collection sermon preached in the city; but the Judge was absent in the evening because there was no collecting. The young cubs bear the burden, the old foxes play in and out, and run the way of the wind. But my God is not mocked. Tender my love to dame, to Mrs. B. and to the young woman, and accept the same from your affectionate friend and servant in Christ, and for his sake,

W. HUNTINGTON,

XII.

May 22, 1798.

Dear Father in Christ Jesus, Grace and Peace be multiplied through our great Mediator.

I HAVE no doubt but in thy present declining state thou findest thyself awkward and unpleasant in thy mind respecting the chapel, and the