^704. I J £ V7 ^k «ci^« . Jk i £ ?• J <rvv cv 9 a, If OF d: {£-«)- I A wet c U \ t w> $rV/fc ^ FEB 19 1931 ^ I>ivfsioii Section e$yV 2 5 qrfy ( r) 171? "7' ***«. <rk£»-jL ■"• LETTE W H O N fcL 19 .1533 Spiritual Sub*^*8^ AND Divers Occasions; SENT TO RELATIONS and FRIENDS. By One who has tafted that the LORD is Gracious. tf ^1 rs L O N D O N: Printed; and Sold by Jo h^ Oswald, at the -Rfl^ and Crown in the Poultry y near the /Wrf/*- fion-boufe ; and Ebenezer Gardner, at Milton's Head in Grace-chur ch-jlrcei . 17 40. f Price Bound One Shilling and Sixpence.] THE Author's Epistle T O The Perions to whom the follow- ing Letters were wrote. My dear Friends, yjS many of you have t eft iff d your hind -"■ Acceptance qfthefe Tokens of my Loir, when they were wrote to you, and that the Lord was pleas' d to make them of life to your Souls ; fo 1 doubt not your Acceptance of them, now they are pre fen ted to yoifiu Print. Ejpecial/y fmce, together with tl-o/e which were wrote to any One of you in par- ticular, there are fever al more which were wrote to oiler Friends, which are here ire- fented to your View, which otherwife you might not have feen. And as to thoje of my Friends, to whom I have wrote Letters, which are -not injected in this little TracJ ; 1 hit re at that they ; not take it as a Mark of Difre/hecf th'dt their Letters were not piacd among the reft'. For, of many of the Letters which I have wrote, I kept ?w Copies ; and thoje Copies which I did preferve, which are Hill in my Hands, were too many to he injected in this Book. (4) Book, if it had been twice as large as it is : So that as to them, God only knows whether they 71 ever fee pnblick Light. Perhaps fome may think , that if any of my Letters were Printed, it woiid have been more proper to have had them done after my Deceafe , and of this Mind I had ns'd to be myfelf But as others have thought, that if they were publiflod now, they might be of prefent Vfe, and have therefore defer d the fame, unto which I have confented -y I hope none will be offended, that they are done while 1 am living \ fence, for that reafon, I have entirely concealed my Name. And I well know, that all that is valuable in them, is from the Lord ; and that all the ImperfecJi- on that is in them, is mine. But if God will ordain Strength to any of his Children, by the Li [pings of Jo weak a Babe ; as it will be my Joy, fo He fhall have all the Praife. And therefore, as to thefe Letters which are now extant , if God hereby may be glorify' d, and his People reap any Advan- tage > Ifhall have my End in their Publi- cation. And for this, I hit re at you all, that are my Friends, to help, by your Prayers, your Friend that kves you in the Bowels of [esus Christ. LET- (s) LETTERS O N Spiritual Subje£h9 &c. LETTER I. To Mr. W. and E. C. Dear Brother and Sifter \ MAY the Peace of God that paffcth all Underftanding> keep. your Heart and Mind thro' Chrift Jefus ! I am exceeding glad that you are helpt to bear your Lofs patiently -y believing that the Lord will do you good by it. Our dear Father, never takes any good Thing from us, but in order to give fome thing better. He has taken away your Pebbles, to give you Pearls \ Empty'd you of Riches in Shew, to fill you with True Riches, and Never-failing Subftance. Blefs him therefore, for Taking as well as Giving. His Love caft the Lot this Way ; Believe it, and you'll like it well. A little Grace is better than much Gold. You will be A 3 great ( 6 ) great Gainers by your Lofs, if the Lord give you fubmiffion to his fovereign Dif- poie under it, Acquiefcence with his good Pleafure in it, and a further Acquaintance with Himfelf, as your everlafting ALL by it. Mr. Rutherford calls the World, 1 c The Clay-portion of Baftards ; not the " Inheritance of Children. " 'Tisagreat Thing for a Saint that is rich in this World, to be throughly fenfible of its Nothingnefs; and to live befide his out- ward Enjoyments, upon that Infinite, In- exhauftible Fullnefs. he has in God. The Creatures ftand as a Blind between us and Him. And God loves' his Children fo, that he calls for our Hearts $ and ra- ther than want 'em, he'll ftrike the Crea- tures dead, that Himfelf, the Life of all our Joys, might be exceedingly endear'd to us. He'll dry up the Streams of Crea- ture-comforts, that our thirfty Souls may learn to drink their Fill at the Fountain- Head. And fo great is his Grace, that it pleafeth him well, to fee his Children come to his Bofom for all they want, when ftarv'dout of Creature-Supplies ! Oh what Fools are we to catch at Shadows, and let go the Subftance, the Sum and Quinteflence of all our Blifs ! Oh how bappv mould we be, if infinite Sweetnek did (7) did always ravifh our Souls, and unheart us from all the Creatures ! Oh, the Cryftal Streams, which proceed out of the Throne of God, and of the Lamb, how fweet are they at the Weil-Head ! What a pure River of Water of Life fhould we fwim in if we always liv'd in God ! This will be our Life in Heaven, to the utmoft Per- fection > and happy they, who are afpir- ing after the riling Glory, and higheft De- gre e of it here on Earth ! The Father of Mercies, and God of all Comfort, fill you with all Joy and Peace in Believing ! 1 am Yours in Chrijl for ever, &c. LETTER II. To Mr. W. and E. C. Dear Brother and Sifter ', AS to my Health, BlefTedbe God, I am not worfe than I was when Brother was here. I dwell in a crafy Taber- nacle, which I think, fometimes, is near its DhTolution. But I rejoice in that Houfe, that Building of God, Eternal in the Heavens, which I know, thro' Grace, is prepar'd for me. I in this Tabernacle A 4 groiln3 (8) groan, being burdened, by reafon of that Sin- fulnefs, and Weaknefs which attends, and renders me incapable either to know or ferve the Lord as I would, and as perfect Spirits do : and this makes me long for the Time when Mortality Jhall befwallowed up of Life, We have no reafon to be afraid of a feparate State ; for Blejfed are the Dead which die in the Lord, Rev. xiv. 1 3 . Nor yet fhould the Saints be afraid to die ; as if they fhould be forfaken, and left to go thro' the kit Trial alone. No, our God will be with us when we come to the River Death 5 he will divide the Water before us,and fo marvellouily appear in car- rying us thro' it,that we fhall take thence a Memorial of his Infinite Grace and Faith- ful nefs -, as the Children of Ijrael did when they paffed thro' the literal Jordan, Jofru iv. 7. We mould come up from the Wildernefs, even to the laft Step of ir, leaning upon our Beloved ; who hath faid, I will never leave thee, nor for fake thee, Heb. xiii. 5. This Word, Never Leave thee, reacheth thro* our whole Lives, even unto Death ; yea, into Death, thro' Death, above and beyond Death, even to an endleis Eternity. And unlefs ever- lafling Arms could wax weary, unchange- able Love alter, and Infinite Faithfulnefs fail, (9) fail, we have no reaibn to be afraid ; No, not in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, Pfa. xxiii. 4. Our God will be our Rfuge and Strength, a very prefent Help in that Time of Trouble, Pfa.xlvi. 1. And as he will be the Strength of our Heart, when Heart and Fie fib fail us, fo, our Portion for ever, or our eternal Lot. And oh, who can count up a thouiandth part of thofe vaft Trea Cures of Glory we have in his immenfe B E I N G, as he has made over his Great SELF to us in Chrift ! Why fhould we then, that are the Kings Sons, be lean from Day to Day ? The Lord grant us true Greatnefs of Mind, that with a Princely Spirit, we may behave as Heirs of Glory under all our prefent Trials ! Wifiiing all Profperity, and begging a Share in your Prayers, I commit you to IfraeN Keeper, and reft, With dear Love, Tours in the Lord, &c. LETTER III. To Mr. W. and E. C. Dear Brother and Sijler, Race and Peace from God our Father, and from Jefus Chrift our Lord, be multiply'd unto you. A 5 I am ( ro ) I am perfuaded, that the Lord is doing you great Good by the great Exercifes you meet with. As many as the Lord loves y he rebukes and chajiens. The Lord help you to believe, that all your Trials are fo many freili Tokens of that boundlefs Love, which is in his Heart towards you ; and to receive them from his Hand accordingly, with Submiilion,Patience,Cheerfulneis and Thankfulnefs ! Your light Afjliulion, which is but for a Moment, worketh for you afar more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory ; while you look not at the Things which are feen, which are temporal, hut at the Things which are ?iot feen, which are eternal. Pa- tience is a perfecting Grace : and we are exhorted to let Patience have its perfeft Work, that we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing, Jam. i. 4. When the Saints, (as one well fays) have learn'd to bear a Crofs, they fhall wear a Crown. Our dear Lord Jefus, tbo' he were a Son, (inch a Sen !) yet he learned Obedie?ice by the Things which he Juffered* And the Members muft be conform'd to their Head, in Sufferings, as well as in Glory,tomeeten 'em for their Inheritance, and prepare 'em for their Crown. Let us reckon then, that all our Time-Trials, (as they flow from God's Love, thro' the Blood of Chrifl, and are ( M ) are under the fan&ifying Influences of the Holy Ghofl) to be greater Riches than the Treafures of Egypt, or this dark World. And now, That you both may be ftrengthned with all Might, according to God's glorious Power, unto all Patience, and Long-fuffcring with joyfulnejs, is the earneft Defire of Tours, &c, LETTER IV. To Mr. H. T. Dear Sir, My beloved Brother in Chriji, IT is upon my Heart to write a few Lines to you, to befeech you, in the Bowels of Jefus Chrift, and by all that Love and Grace which has been difplay'd in your Salvation, that you walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith you are called. Oh, remember, That in Time paft, you was a Gentile in the Flejh. And at that Time, you was a Stranger to God, and an- Enemy in your Mind^ by reafon of wicked Works. That then, being under the Government of the Prince of Darknefs, you had your Converiation among the Children of Dfobe- A 6 dience, ( 12 ) dience, walking according to the Courfe of this World, fulfilling the De fires of the Flefo and of the Mind , and was by Nature a Child of Wrath, even as others. And, oh, what did Free- Grace, and boundlefs Mercy do for you in that Day ! When the Lord paiVd by you, and law you polluted in your own Bloody dead in Sins, and faid unto you, Live ! Surely, your Time, That Time,, was a Time of LOVE ! What Sins did Free-Grace forgive ! What Provocations did it pals by ! How throughly did .it Warn, Purify, and Beautify your Soul ! What a glorious Robe of Bight eoujhefs did it caft over you ! How richly did it anoint you with th$ Oil of GladnefSy the Spirir of Grace, as a Sanclifier and Comforter ! And in a Word, what a rich Crown of Loving Kindnefs did it fet upon your Head! So that you was exceeding- beautiful, and did prof per into a Kingdom \ being made by Jefus Chrift, a King, and a Prieft unto God and His Father ! And now, what think you do you owe to Free-Grace ! Is it not worthy to be glorify'd by your whole Spirit, Soul and Eody ? When you was fifft efpoufed to Chrift, did you not give him your whole Self ? Did you not count him worthy of all Love, Duty, and Glory ? Did you not Then < '3 ) Then like his Kmgly, as well as his Priejlly Office ? and count Obedience to his Scepter your high Privilege, as well as Forgive- nefs of Sins thro' his Blood ? And is your Mind altered now ? Do you think Jefus Chrift is lefs worthy of your Love, Duty, and Glory now, than he was Then ? Is he leis excellent in Himfelf? or in any of his Glorious Offices ? Or is all his Excellency Love and Grace to you, of little worth ? of no Force to conftrain you to live to Him ? Oh, my dear Brother, what an abominable, hateful Thing is Sin ! What a Difhonour doth it caft upon, and how contrary is it to God, Father, Son, and Spirit ! How doth it flight and thwart the Defign of the Father's Love, which was to make us perfectly holy ! How doth it con- temn the Grace of Chrift, and contradict the End of his Death, which was to purify unto Himfelf a peculiar People, zealous of good Works ! And how doth it flight and thwart the gracious Defign of the Holy Spirit, who has taken Pofleffion of our Souls, to work us up into a full Conformity to Chrift, our holy Head ! and how, by Sin, do we grieve him ! Depart from usy we defire not the Knowledge of fky ff^ays, is the Language of every Sin to each of the Three Perfons in the glorious Godhead By ( H) By every Act of Sin, we do as it were, re- nounce our Allegiance to God in Chrift, and to Him, as Sions King • and, as far as in us lies, put ourielves afrefh under the Dominion of Satan ; preferring the Prince of Darknefs, and his hellifh Dictates, before the Pfince of Light, and the glorious Teach- ings of his Word and Spirit ! Oh, hor- rid ! And as for ourfelves, Oh, what a Soul- deftroying Thing is Sin ! Every Sin is a Step taken back towards Egypt's Land -y towards that Nature-Darknefs, and Bon- dage, from which Free- Grace, boundlefs Mercy, and Almighty Power fet us free. 'Tis making ^Captain to return into Egypt ; lothing the heavenly Manna\ and longing after the F/eJb-pots, the Onions and Garlicky the abominable Fare we once fed on, while in the Kingdom of Satan, when we drank Iniquity like Water. It brings Death upon our Comforts, Fruitfulnefs, and Ufefulneis in the World : for if we live after the F/eJJ:, we Jhall die. By Sin, we lofe our Opportunities of glorifying God upon the Earth ; and fb, that Praiie, Honour, and Glory we mould otherwife receive in the Day of Chrift. Yea, as by Sin we dis- honour God, and abide not in Chrift j io we mall be afliamed before Him at his coming* ( »s) coming. If we fliould be fav'd at laft ; yet how fad will it be to lofe all our Works ? For that fiery Day will try all the Works of God's dear Children. If any Man's Work abide, he Jloall receive a Reward : If any Man's Work be burnt ;, he fiall fiiffer Lofs : But he himfelf (upon the bottom of Sovereign Grace) jhallbe faved>yet Jo as by Fire ; or as a Perfon juft efcapes, with his Life, the Violence of the Flames, and has all his Goods confumed. i Cor. iii. 13, &c. This is our Seeds-time, and every Thought, Word and A&ion, may fitly be compar'd to /owing of Seed. And he that jbweth to his Fk/h3 flail of the FleJJ: reap Corruption ; but he that foweth to the Spi- rit\ Jloall of the Spirit reap Life Everlaft- ing ; or that incorruptible Crown of Glory, for which the Apoffle fays, He, and the Saints ran their Chriftian-Race, Gal. vi. 8. 1 Cor. ix. 25. Upon the whole, my dear Brother, have you been joined to Idols ? Oh fay, What have I to do any more with them ? Have you turned away from the Lord ? Oh return unto Him again ! For he is Merciful and Gracious , and will not cauje his Anger to Jail upon you. He'll have Mercy upon you, and abundantly pardon. If we confejs our Sins, (over thcHead of the great ( r6) great Sacrifice, looking by Faith afrefh upon Chrift, who once bare them in his own Body on the Tree) he is faithful and jufl to forgive us our Sins, a?id to cieanfe us from all Unrighteoufnefs. And as a Means to make you hate Sin, and ftrengthen you againft it, look upon it oft thro' the Glafs of a crucify 'd Jefus. Bring it, by Faith, to the Crofs of Chrift* and fee if there is not Virtue enough in the Blood of your crucified Saviour, to crucify the Flefi with the JiffeBions and Lifts. And whenever you find your Heart enclined to any Evil, think thus; What did my dear Lord once bear for my Sin ? Can I love that, which was fo hateful, and lothibm unto Him ? Can I take Pleafure in That, which fill his bitter Cup ? Can I take Sin by the Hand, and thereby take up a Sword as it were to wound and pierce my Lord afrefh ? Have I not pierc'd him enough already ? Can I not be contented without plucking the Crown from his Head, who dy'd to crown me ? I intreat you to think thus j yea, I charge you in the Name of the Lord, to put thefe Qjefii- ons to your Soul, in an Hour of Temptati- on. And if they will not move you ; you may be fure, that your Soul is in fad Cale, and greatly harden d thro' the Deceitfuhejs of '( *7) of Sin. And every frefh Act of Sin will harden your Heart more and more, and make you lefs capable to refiftTemptations -7 until, perhaps, you provoke the Lord to give you up to thePowerof Sin and Satan, in fuch a Manner, as at prefeutyou little think of -y and alio to bring a fevere Rod upon you by his own Hand. Believe it, that iinning againft God. will be Bitiernejs in the End. And Sins againft Light and Love are the moil prefumptuous, and of the deepeft Dye. Again, as a Means to keep your Hearc in a holy Bent againft Sin, be frequent in fecret Prayer, ejaculatory, at leaft • ask Help of God • try this Weapon of All-Prayer. And read and meditate on God's Word. If we were diligent in the Ufe of Means, to keep our Hearts in an holy Frame, we mould not be fo apt to fall in with Temptations as we are. If we were fill'd with the Spirit of Grace, the Life and Sap of our holy Root, we mould be like green Wood, not apt to take Fire. But it is our Drynefs, becaufe we abide not in Chrift by Faith, that ruins us. Once more, another Means I intreat you to make Ufe of, is, Watchfulnefs. Watch the firft Motions of Sin, and kill 'em in the Bud. Beware likewiie, that you go not to the String's- End, as it were ; that you go not ( '8 ) not to the utmoft of that Liberty you think you may have, and yet keep from the A<5fc of Sin. Dallying with Temptations, is en- tering into them. Converfe with Satan is the ready Way to be overcome. If we wou'd not yield to any Act of Sin ; let's beware that we yield not to a pleafmg Thought about it. And now, That the Grace of Chrift may be fufficient for you, and his Strength made perfect in your Weaknefs, is the earneft Defire of, Sir, Tours in the Lord, &c. LETTER V. To R.K. Dear Sifter in our Precious Je/ns, EST you mould queftion my Love, _j tho' in Hafte, I wou'd write a few Lines. We have had many fweet Feafta with our Beloved in the Wildernefs : But the richeft Provifions, and the beft Wine are referved till the laft -, and the Marriage- Supper haftens. The Lord grant ^ou may grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of Chrift ! Oh, how little have we fctn of his tranfcendent Beauty ! We have beheld fo much of his Glory, as to make him the chief eft of Ten Tboujandixi our Efteem : But L ( »9 ) But there is enough in him to fill Men and Angels with new Wonder to all Eter- nity ! Chrift's Riches, are abfolutely un- fearchable ; a Mine that we can never bottom to Eternity ! We fhall fee more and more of hisGlory3as we pafs on towards Perfection ; and Oh, the wonderful Gcace that is to be brought unto us at our Lord's next Appearing, which, in a Way of Emi- nence, will be The Revelation of J ejus Chrift ! The Views of his Glory, which we have had here, tho' true and real, yet are fo fmall, that if compar'd with what we (hall have then, it will be as if we had never fcen him -, and as if he was but then re- veal'd to us. We fhall be fo ravifh'd with the Views of his Glory, that we fhall never be able to look off his bright Face for ever. I am Tours in Chri/l, &c. LETTER VI. To Mrs. E. B. Much honour *d and beloved Sifter, C*1 Race and Peace be multiply'd unto ]f you, thro' the Knowledge of God, and of Jefus our Li>rd. Yours (20) Yours I received, and return you abun- dant Thanks for your great Kindnefs fhewn towards us, and unto me, who am the moft unworthy, and lefs than the leaft of all Chrift's. And none of your Kindnefs fhewn towards my dear Lord, in the weakeft of his Members, mall be unre- warded at his next Appearing. If you fmelt any Fragrancy on us,it was Chrift's Sweetnefs caft upon us that de- lighted your fpiritual Senfe. And if Unfti- on from the holy One, a Drop of that holy Oil caft upon a Creature, be fo fragrant ; what mud the immeafurable Fulnefs of the Lord's Anointed, the Chrift of God> be ! For God giveth not the Spirit by Mea- jure unto Him. Oh the tranifcendent Fra- grancy of our Beloved ! The Smell of His Garments delight the Saints, both in the, upper and lower Worlds. There are little Sparks of Beauty and Excellency fcatter'd up and down in the Creatures ; efpecially among the Saints, the Excellent of the Earth , as new Creatures : but all Beauties, in their flaming Glories, are furnmed up, and ra- diantly mine in the Perfon of Chrift, as God- Man! There is in Chrift, not only the Beauty of the whole Creation, but even uncreated Beauty itfelf. What's all the Beauty of the Creaturesa of Men and Ap- gels, (21 ) gels, in both Worlds, if compar'd to his ; in whom the Fulnefs of the Godhead dwell- eth Bodily ! None in the Heavens can be compared unto the LORD, none among the Sons of theMighty can be likened unto the LORD; the LORD, the Mediator. No , the Heavens praKe him as God's WONDER! Pfal. hcxxik. 5, 6. The glorious Hofts of Saints and Angels above, under the furprizing and increafing Dis- plays of his Glory, eternally adore that un- created Beauty and Brightnefs which fhines forth in our exalted Jefus ! The crowned Saints cajl down their Crowns before his Throne,and fhrink to nothing, as it were, in themfelves, before the Difplays of his infinite Majefty, Love, and Grace ! Rev. iv.20. The whole Hoft ofSerapbims,Angeh, and Arch- angels, w// their Faces, and cover their Feet, ad unworthy to ftand in his Prefence, or to look on the refulgent Brightnefs of his un- fearchable Glory -, as the Train of divine Perfections Jills the Temple of his glorified human Nature ! I/a. vi. 1,2. And as for the Saints below, when favour'd with the leaft Glimpfe of his Glory, he is the chief eft oj ten Thoufand in their Efteem, and altogether lovely ! They have none in Heaven but him, nor upon the Earth that they defire befides him, or in companion with Jhim. Song v. 10, 16. Pfa. lxxv. 25. Oh how (22) how happy, are thofe Souls who have an Intereft in this great Lord Jefus ! and are bleft with the transforming Shine of his in- conceivable Glory ! Oh, what Folly are we guilty of, when we forfake this Fountain of living Waters, and hew out to ourfelves broken Cijierns that can hold no Water I Jer. ii. 13. When we forfake the infinite Fulnefs of Chrift, and feek Contentment in Creatures, and Creature-Excellencies ! The Way of Life is above to the Wije : Pro v. xy. 24. The Way of Faith, by which Life is pofleft and enjoy 'd, is, to live out of our- felves, upon the Chrift of God, in all his infinite Fulnefs and Fitnefs to fave Sinners, from the Depths of Mifery, to the Height of Glory. Dear Sifter, you fay, " That I will not <c allow you to put Ifs, concerning your Intereft in the Lord Jefus/* But if I would not y it is not for Want of Bowels towards you, nor Sympathy with you in all your Soul-Diftrefifes. No, I can fay, thro' Grace, that, in the Bowels of my dear Lord Jefus, I have a companionate Tendernefs towards all his fuftering Mem- bers ; and, in an efpecial Manner, an in- ward Fellow-feeling with the Lambs of his Flock, under all their Harafiings by the roaring Lion : and glad, exceeding glad ihould ( 23 ) fliould I be, if by any Means, I might be made helpful to 'em in the Combat. But having feen fomewhat of that Difhonour Unbelief brings unto God, and found what Difcomfort it has brought to my own Soul ; I would exhort my dear Brethren and Sifters, to take Goa at his Word, as to their eternal Salvation, in looking unto Jefus ; and to hold fail the Confidence of their eternal Security, in the Face of ten Thou- fand Difficulties, and feeming Contrarieties, merely upon the Word and Oath of a God that cannot lie : who has laid himfelf un- der fuch Engagements, on purpofe that the Heirs of Promife might have ftrong Con- futation, who have fed for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope jet before 'em. Heb. vi. 18. The Lord, would not only have us to be fafe, but to know our Safety, in fleeing to his dear Son for Life. And when the Saints exhort one another to hold jafl the Begin- ning of their Confidence ft edf a ft unto the Endi their Defign herein, is, that God might have the Glory, and they the Comfort of of this great Salvation. Nor are fuch Ex- hortations in vain : The Lord often bleffeth them, as a Means, to encourage his dear Children in the good Fight of Faith. And I am perfwaded, that God's fearful -hearted Ones would not fo often fpeak the Lan- guage (24) guage of Unbelief, if they did confider, what great Diilionour it carts upon God, in each of the three glorious Perfons, as they have been, and are jointly engag'd in the Work of our Salvation ; and likewife, how much they weaken their own Hands thereby. A few Thoughts, and Words of Faith, in a Time of Darknefs, brings more Honour unto God, and Comfort to the Soul, than we are aware of. A Believer, by every Ad of Faith, doth as it were afrefli fet to his Seal that God is true -, and likewife enters into Reft. Johniii. 33. Heb. Iv. 3. Every Ad: of Faith brings prefent Honour to God, and Reft to the Soul. And, as Ads ftrengthen Habits ; fo every Ad of Faith ftrengthens the Habit of Faith, and tends to weaken and fubdue the Power of Unbelief. Whereas, by yielding to Unbelief, we give God the Lie, and weaken our own Hands : We thereby render ourfelves more uncapable to right it out in Faith, againft the Powers of Dark- nefs. We are exhorted to take unto us the whole Armour of God, that fo we may be able to *withjla?id in the evil Day, antf having done all to Jland. Eph. vi. 13. 'Tis always an evil Day with God's Chil- dren, when they are affaulted about their intereft in the Lord Jefus : And if we have ( M ) have not then this Piece of Armour, the Helmet , on our Heads , the Hope of Salvation, (the objective Hope of Salva- tion, or the Ground we have of Hope of Salvation) the Enemy will wo and us ex^ ceedingly. As to the variousTemptations,Darknefs, and the Power of Unbelief, you are exer- cis'd with ; the fame Afflictions are accom- pliftid in yoar Brethren that are in the World. The Children of God are all try'd in thefe refpects, more or leis. And 'tis well for us, that we have a fympathizing high Prieft , who can have Compafiion according to the Meafure of our Diflrefs- who has been tempted in all Points like unto ^,that from an experimental Feeling of the Power of Temptation, he might know how, in the tendereit Bowels,to fuccour us when tempted. Not a Sorrow pierceth our Hearts, but our dear companionate Head feels it : And he lives in Heaven, on pur- pofe to fave us out of all our Diflreifes, by his Advocacy and Interceiiion with His and Our Father, in the Virtue of his Great Sacririce, and in the Intereit of his Great Perfon. So that we are exceeding fafe, who have trufted our Souls in the Hands of this Jefus, with whom the Father is well pleafed, and in whom his Soul dclighteth ; ( 26 ) fo that he can deny him nothing that he asks. Yea, it mali certainly be well with us ; fince the Father himfelf loveth us ; and from thence called his own Son to this Office of High-Prieft for us upon the Throne, on purpofe that the glorious Fruits of his Love, in our complete Salvation, might be communicated to us, in a Way .of Honour to all the divine Perfections. ,And as we are fafe, and it is, and mall be well with us, fo we have great reafon to be exceeding joyful in all our Tribulations -> while we Jill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Chrift in our Flefh. Col. i. 24. For even now, while wre are Combatants, we are more than Conquerors, thro' him that hath loved us, Rom.viii. 37. And if we fuffer with him, we fiall alfo be glorified to- gether* Ver. xvii. Our glorious Captain will cover our Heads in the Day of Battle ; and as he has overcome For us, fo he will certainly overcome In, and By us : He'll give the Victory on our Side, either actively, cr pafiively. For tho', like Gad, a Troop may overcome us, yet we Jhall overcome at the la/t. If Sin and Satan mould give us a. Foil, then our dear Lord Jefus will lead us afrefh to his Death; and fo we fhall ©vercome, paffively, by the Blood of the JLamb. And then, having renewed Peace, n undec under the Sprinklings of the Blood of Jefus , our Faith mall be rais'd up a- gain, to bear a frefh Teftimany for God, againft the Prince of Darknefs, and all the Powers of Sin ; and fo we (hall overcome Actively. Rev.xii.n. All the Weaknefs and Sin that attend us in the Conflict, for- giving Love will bury in the Depths of the Sea 5 and every Act of our tried Graces, Jkall be found unto Praife, Honour, and Glory at the Appearing of Jefus Chrift. And when once we get to the City of Habi- tation, the Reft that remains for us, we (hall blefs God for all his Dealings with us, and admire the Conduct of wife Love, in all the Way it led us thro1 the Wildernefs • while we fee every weary Step wifely over- ruled to make our Reft fo much the more glorious. We mall then fee, that we could not have been without any, the leaft of all our Trials, whatfoever they be ; but God would have had lefs Glory, and we lefs Happinefs. If we are in Heavinefs thro manifold Temptations, there's an abfo- lute Need of it ; that God might have his manifeftative Glory, in our Deliverance, in all thofe various Rays which infinite Wif- dom crdain'd • and that We might have that full and comprehensive Salvation, unto which we were appointed. Our fuffering B 2 State ( *8 ) State will be quickly over j our reigning State haftens. And mean while, our light Affliction, which is but for a Moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory. Let us then be Followers oftbem, who thro' Faith and Pati- ence, do now inherit the Promijcs; reckon- ing the Sufferings of this prejent Ti??ie not worthy to be compared with the Glory that frail be revealed in Wy 2 Cor. iv. J 7. Heb. vi. 12. Rom. viii. 18. I am glad, my dear Sifter, that at Times, you are favour'd with Soul-amazing Pro- ipecls of your near and high Relation unto God in Chrift ; which humbles you in th@ Duft, before the Majefty of that Grace which fhines forth herein. This is no left than Heaven begun in your Soul, a Sweet Fore-tafte of that inconceivable Glory, you ihall e're long have the full Pofleffion of. A Clufter of Canaan $ Grapes is brought you in the Wildernefs ; that fo you might know, by fpiritual Senfe, as well as by Faith, that the Land whither you are go- ing, is an exceeding good Land. And what tho', at other Seafons, thro' the Power of Unbelief, you may be kept low in your Soul ; yet this makes no Change in your High Relation to God in Chrift, nor in thole high Privileges you have in Him. ( 19 ) If we believe %ot3 and fo want the Joy of Gbd'g Salvation ; yet He abideth faithful^ and cannot deny Him felf \ in the unalterable Word and Oath which is gone out of his Mouth concerning it ; and fo the Salvati- on itfelf is eternally fecur'd to us. When Darknefs covers us ; The Darknejs an J the Light are both alike to Him : and at fuch Times, we are efpecially calFd to live by Faith; to truft in the LORD, and ft ay ourfe/ves upon our God, I/iiA. 10. He is Our God full, even when we have no Light of inward Comfort to walk by ; and are ready to be driven away with Tempta- tions : and it is the Excellency of Faith, to truft in Jehovah, and ftay itfelf upon him, as its own God, at fuch Seafons. You can with Comfort remember the Time paft,when you was enabled to crowd thro' all your own Uhworthinefs, and in- ward Corruptions, to Touch the Hem of ChrifVs Garment -, which you found to be HeaVuig to your Soul. And as you have received' Chrift J ejus the Lord, fo walk in him, Col. ii. 6. As we came to Chrift at firft, as undone Sinners in ourfelves, to re- ceive that free and full Salvation of God, prepar'd for us in Him -y even fo let us come unto him all our Days under a deep, and increafing Senfe of our own Emptinefs, B i to ( 30) to be continually fupply'dout of his inex- hauftible Fulnefs. Faith is a Grace or- dain'd of God, to take poffeffion of Chrift, and of Eternal Life in him : And let us be affured of our Eternal Safety, having run into Chrift, the City of Refuge. How much Sin foever there may be in fuch a Soul, there is no Condemnation to it. No, bleffed be God, our State in Chrift, alters not a jot, with our Frames. The Difcove- ries of God's Favour towards us in his Son, may vary ; but his Love, in itfelf, is as unchangeable as his Being. 'Tis an ever- lafting Round, that glorioufly enclofeth us from Eternity to Eternity. We are en- dos'd in Grace by Father, Son, and Spirit ; •fet in Grace in our Enclofings, as the pre- vious Stones in Aaron % Breaft-plate were, fet in pure Gold, Exod. xxviii. 20. So we are fet, and have an eternal Fixation, an unchangeable Standing in Grace, Rom. v. 2. God's Love, like the Sun in the Fir- mament, always keeps a fteady Courfe, whether we behold it, or Clouds hide its Glory from our View. And fo various are its Emanations, that our Sight is much too weak to take in the full Glory of its Rays. Love walks in fuch various Ways, fuch unthought-of Paths, that we are often at a lofs to trace its wondrods Steps in the mighty Race ( p ) Race it runs. It will take up Eternity to ad- mire its myfterious Circuits, in all its rich* Aboundings according to the manifold \Vii- dom of God. Grace be with you. Amen. I am Tours m Chrift, &c. LETTER. VII. To Mrs. M. Dear Sifter, who?}} Hove and honoitr in the Lord, I Rejoice with you, for the exceeding Riches of boundlefs Grace extended' towards you, not only in the Salvation of your Soul -y but alfo in that AfTurance of Faith you are favour'd with : and likewile, that your longing Soul, under the ripening Influences of the Sun of Right eoujhefs, hath a Deftre to depart , and to be with Chrijii which is far better, i But yet, my dear. Siller, I befeech you, fufferthat Word of 'Exhortation, jam. i. 4: Let Patience have her perfecf Work, that ye may be perfetl and entire, wanting nothing. Be willing to ftay the Lord's Time ; and fear not your loAng any tiling thereby. Chrift comes into his Garden to gather Li- lieSj as foon as ever they are fully ripe for B 4 his ( 3? ) his own Boibm. He will gather you in, as a Shock of Corn in its Sea/on -y and not let you flay in the Field too long, to your Damage. No, your flay in the World is to prepare you for Glory ; that Glory, which is laid up for you, and fhall fhortly be put upon you. But it may be, you will fay, c If I faw c that Work go on, I fliould be willing to '■ flay ; but inftead of being more prepared * for Glory, I think, I am more unmeet/ But as to this, God is the beft Judge of our Meetnefs for Glory ; as alfo, of the Ways, Means, and Time to meeten us. Perhaps, you may not feel fuch a vehement Flame of Love, Joy, and Zeal as you was wont y and yet your Faith, Humility, and Patience may be greater. There's a Vari- ety of Graces, in the Souls of the Saints -y and each muft have its Exercife, and pro- per Time of Trial. If you have not now fuch Manifeflati- ons of Divine Favour, to the inflaming of your Love 3 yet it may be you may glo- rify God more, by believing in the Dark, by trufling in him when he feems to flay you, by cleaving to him when he feems to caft you off; as counting him both able and faithful, that hath promis'd, even in the Face ( 33 ) Face of ten thoufand Deaths and Difficul- ties, with which you are furrounded. If, thro' the Lord's withdrawing his fenfible Prefence, and an increafing Sight of your own Corruptions, you do not moot upwards in Spiritual Joy, as you was wont ; yet you may grow more downwards in Humility, and Self-abafement. And tho' your Zeal, in a way of active Obedience, may want that vehement Flame it once had 3 yet your Patience in paflive Obedience, or your Fitnefs to endure a Variety of Trials, may by greater. And fo you are (till upon the Increafe, even when you feem to decline. And as to thofe very Graces, which feem to wither -, there may not be fuch a De- cay in them as you think of. They may decay in foine Refpefts, and yet increafe in others. For tho' the Edge of your fpi- ritual Affections, may not be fo keen ; yet your Love may be more folid, and keep a more fteady Courfe in all the Paths of Obedience ; even in the Want of thofe fweet Allurements, which firft inticed you into the Wildernefs. Your Joy may be more pure 5 more in the Lord, and in what you are in him ; tho' lefs in Self, and fpi- ritual Enjoyments from him. And your Zeal Iikcwiie may abound more and more b 5 & (3.4) in Knowledge, and in all Judgment ; the/ the firft Flafhes of it may be over, which, ordinarily, are not fo well regulated. And thus your perfonal Meetnefs or Preparation, for Glory increafeth continually, even at thofe very Times, and by thofe very Means which feem to leflen it. Therefore, let Patience have its perfect Work, that ye may he perfect and entire y wanting nothing. If you was to he taken to Glory 3before you had pafs'd thro' the whole: Courfe of Trials appointed for you, there would be fomething wanting in your Pre- paration for it,. The Meafure of your Stature in Chrijl, as a Member of his Body^ and. of that proportionable Glory which Urall be put upon you, is appointed by God the Father :. And the Holy Ghoft, keep- ing this Pattern in his Eye, is now work- ing you \\f into that Conformity to Chrift,, to which you was predeflinated, by all the Changes and Trials which pafs over you, both inward and outward , in order to bring you up to that full Glory referved for you. Every Act of our tried Graces Jl:all he found unto Prai/e, Honour, and Glory at the Appearing of Jcfus Cnrifi, i Pet. i. 7. And were they to have no.. TriaJ, how could they have an Opportuni- ty of acting ? And ( 35- r And* as 'the Holy Ghoil has taken Pof~ feffion of us, to Work us up into a full Conformity to Chrif t, both in Holinefs- • and Glory * fo in carrying it on , he oft works, as it were, under-ground, out of our Sight : For in infinite Depths of Wif-- dom, we are curioufly wrought in fecret;< fo that our spiritual Growth3and increafing ; Meetnefs for Glory, are rather to be judg'd of in general,- by Faith, taking in the De- claration of God in the Promiie, Pfal.XQ\\a- 12, &c, than by Scni&r or the prefent felt Exercife of this or that fingle Grace, • And fince our Lord firft fuffer'd, and then entred into his Glcrv , let us be willing to follow his Steps ,and run* iviw "Ratience the Race that is Jet before us 3 looking unto that Eternal Weight of Glory, which our light Affliction now iwrketh jo-r us. And in all our Sufferings according to the Will of God, let us commit the- keep- ing of our Souls to him in Well-doings as unto a Faithful Creator^, who will per fed' what concerns us-, and not forfake the Work of his own Hands. Yea, let us value Life, with all its Trials, while it is continued, as a great Bleffing ; and labour to improve its as an Opportunity put into our Hands to glorify God on the Earth : And when all .the Work is done upon us, and by- us, that B 6 was (36) was defign'd, and we, in all refpefls, fully meetned for Glory, we fhall not flay here a Moment longer, but be immediately loved home unto Chrift, to be glorified with him for ever. And now, that you may be ftrengthned with all Might, according to his glorious Tower, unto all Patience, and Long- Suffering with 'joyfulnefs, until you are fully made meet for, and taken up into the Pofleffion of your Inheritance with the. Saints in Light, is the earneft Delire of Yours in the Lord, &c. LETTER VIII; To a little handful of Chrift Lambs at C-~n E— d. Race and Peace be multiplied unto you, from God our Father, and our Lprdjefus Chrift2by the Blefled Comforter. Dear Friends, I long after you all in the Bowels cf Jefus Chrift, that your Hearts r^ight be comforted, your Hope increafed, AfKi vcur Faith eftablim'd upon Him, the Rock of Ages, And having but little Time ^.fbeak with you Face to. Face, when I was (37) was laft with you, I was defirous to have & little Converfe with you by Writing. I find Sin is your great Burden, which fills you with Fears, left you mould one Day perifli. But as to this, remember that Sin, all the Sins of all that mall be faved, were once laid by God the Father upon his own dear Son. All we, like Sheep, have gone a/tray : we have turned every one to his own Way, and the LORD hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all, Ifa. liii. 6. And as God the Father made all our iniquities at once to meet upon Him, the fpotlefs Lamb of his own providing, and wounded Him for our Tranfgreffions ; fo Chriil bare our Sim in his own Body on the Tree>7 and gave uphimfelfa Sacrifice, in our Room and Stead -, by which he has put away Sin, and for ever made an End of it, i Pet. ii. 24. Heb. ix. 26. And' as he has deftroy'd Sin in himfelf, and given- us a compleat Viclory over it in Him -, fo he will e'er long deftroy it in us perfectly, by the Power of his Holy Spirit, in the Virtue of his God- like Blood. Our Old Man was crucified with Chrift, that the Body of Sin might be aejiroyd, Rom. vi. 6. Sin is condemnM to die, by the dying of the Lord Jefus, and therefore mall never condemn us. No -> tho' Sin, Original . and Actual, has a- bounded C J8 ) Bounded in fuch an amazing Manner, in it Guilt, Filth and Power -, yet, bleffed be God, where Sin abounded, Grace did much more abound \ That as Sin has reigned unto Death, even Jo Grace might reign thro' Right eoufaefs unto Eternal Life, by J ejus Chrift our Lord, Rom. v. 20, 21. How did Sin [abound,] even our Sin, in jddam's-faft. Tranfgreffion ? How has it abounded in that univerfal Corruption of Nature, which has overfpread the Elect of God, as well as others, as Defcendants from fallen Adam? And how has it abounded in all thofe filthy Streams which this filthy Fountain has been fending forth in all Ages, in Thoughts, Words, and Ways, even in the Chofen of God themfelves ? How far are the x^boundings of Sin, in thofe refpects, beyond the Gomprehenfion of any Crea- ture ! And yet, Where Sin abounded, Grace did [much more] abound : When the LORD, the Father, took our Sins, the Sins of the whole Elect, and bundled 'em up, as it were, into one Iniquity, which he laid upon his dear Son ; who being an infinite Perfon, was well able to bear all that in- conceivable Wrath, which a Sin-revenging God pour'd out upon him,, as the due Defert thereof. By which he made a full Satisfaction ^ (39)\ Satisfaction to injur'd Juftice, and an eveiv- lafting Peace between God and us -> recon- ciling all the Divine Perfections, which glorioufly harmonize in the Salvation of Sinners by the Blood of his Crofs ; and re- conciling us too, in the Body of his Flefh. thro' Death, when he gave himfelf a Sacri- fice in our Stead. Whereupon God, as the God of Peace, did bring him again from the Dead, or raife him up from under all that. Guilt, Curfe, Wrath and Death he bore for us ; and thereby, at once,. did openly acquit and difcharge him, as a publick Perfon in our room ; and alfo freely, fully,, and eternally forgive us all our Tfefpaffes, and raife us up to endlefs Life and Glory in him, our great Reprefentative. Thus Grace did much more abound. Grace was not only a Match for Sin, and fo could not be overcome by it ; but it was ftrono-er infinitely ftronger than Sin, and fo overcame, it, even to a compleat and eternal Victory.. Yea, Grace did much more abound, not only to an utter Deftruclion of Sin, in its Reign unto Death y but further alfo, in, bellowing upon us fuch Life and Glory in Chrift, as the Fruit of bis Death, which is far fuperior unto that, we had in Adam: Oh, the Super-aboundings of Grace ! This [much (40) [much. more] who can fearch the Dimen- sions of it ! And Grace [did] much more abound': 7Tis put in the paft Scnfe, to ftiew both the Earlinefs of it, and alio the Foundation of its After-difplay in Chrift, and glorious Reign thro' him. Oh the Earlinefs of this Grace ! How did it fuper-abound in the everlafting Purpofes, Counfels, and Cove- nant of the Three- One God, over all the Aboundings of Sin, fore-view'd even before Time commcnc'd ! And this was the Foundation of that bright Difplay whiqB was made of it in the Death and Refur- re&ion of Jefus Chrift. And how did Grace, the Grace of all the Three Perfons in God, fuper-abound, when jefus died for our Sins, and was rais'd again for our J uni- fication, and fet down at God's right Hand, as our Reprefentative and Forerunner ! For Father, Son, and Spirit, had an equal Hand in thefe Wonders of fuper-abound- ing Grace. The Father laid Sin upon his own Son, and poar'd out upon him all his Wrath -, the Son bare and endur'd the fame ; and the Holy Spirit, by his Al- mighty Influence, enabled Chrift, as Man, to endure the Crojs, and dejpije the Shame , for the Joy he Jet before him. And all the Three, in boundlefs Grace to us, were jointly (4i > jointly concerned in Chrlft's Refurrection,. and Afcenfion to Glory, as our Head and Reprefentative. And thus Grace [ did ] much more abound, [in] Chrift, as the Foundation of its glorious Reign by him. Grace did much more abound '; that as Si?z has reigned unto Deaths even Jo Grace [might] reign thro' Right eoufnefs unto eter- nal Life, by fefus Chrift our Lord. Sin has reigned in its Guilt, Filth and Power : It has reigned unto Death, unto bodily Death, unto Soul-Death, unto Time- Death, and Eternal Death, which, as the. Wages' of Sin, is the due Defert of every. Sinner. But Grace reigns unto [Life],, thro' [Righteoufnefs] ; the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, or his compleat Obedience, both active and pafiive -, and fo, according to the Righteoufnefs of Jehovah's pure Nature,, and his holy Law: And it reigns [by] Jefus Chrift, the Anointed Saviour, as our Lord,. Thus Grace reigns unto Life ; Life of Juftification, Sandirication, Confolation, and Glorification, and in all, unto Eternal Life ; partial and initial in this World, and compleat and total in the World to come. Well then, dear Souls, what's become of Sin ? Oh, look to Chrift, once cru- cify'd, and there fee Sin compleatly fi- nidi'd. (42) nlfh'd in him, with all its w'oful Effecfe, and for ever made an end of. Yea, fee in a rifen and glorified Jefus, what full, tranfcendent, unchangeable and eternal Life and Glory, God's fuper-abounding Grace has beftow'd upon you in him ! Here's a Foundation laid, that is every way large enough to bear all that vaft Superftruclure of our perfonal Salvation, from all Mifery, unto all Glory, which one Day mall be laid upon it, when the whole Elect, being- compleatly fav'd, both myftically and per- fonally, in, and thro' Chrifl:, fhall for ever, -withShoutings, cry, Grace, Grace unto it! Lift up -your Heads therefore, and be not afraid ©f the Condemnation of Sin : It once reign- ed unto Death in Chrifl: for you, when he died in your Stead ; and even fo, Grace mail reign, by him, unto Eternal Life, in your compleat Salvation. Sin, in its Guilty fhall not deftroy you :for there is no Con- demnation to them that are in Chrift J ejus y Rom. viii. I. Sin,, in its Filth, ihall not* make you lothfome in the Sight of God:- for the Blood of Jefus Chrift his Son, cleanf eth us from all Sin, i John i. 7. Sin, in its Power, fl:all not have Dominion over you y for you re not under the Law, but under Grace, Rom. vi. 14. And Sin, in its Be- ing, fhall not always abide in you nei- ther j (43 ) ther ; your Heaven-born Souls fhall not be always vext with the Being of this hateful Thing, Sin : For your Spirits, at the Moment of Death, fhall be made per- fect in Holinefs, Heb. xii. 23. And there fhall be no Defilement, no unclean Thing, either in your Bodies or Souls, when you enter into the new Jerufalem, Rev. xxi. 27. You fhall then be unblameable in Holinefs, before God in Lovey Eph. i. 4. Thus gloriouily will Grace reign unto [Life], over all that Sin and Death that works in you. And be not cafl down, becaufe you have no Worthinefs :. For it is [Grace] that reigns, free Grace, that feeks- none of the Creature's Goodnefs to be a Motive of its Reign. Be not difcouraged by the Strength of your Soul- Enemies y for it is [reigning] Grace, all-conquering Grace, that is infinitely able to fubdue all the Oppolition it meets with. And let not your own Unrighteoufhefs hinder your Faith and Joy in this Grace : For" it reigns thro' the Righteoufnefs of another ; thro' thrift's [Righteoufnefs], not your own.. And tho' you have no Strength of your- felves to do any thing for your own De- fence and Safety, or for God's Glory -, yet this Grace will do all for you, as it reigns by JcfusChrift our Lord. By [ChriiVJ, not ( 44 > not yourfelves : The whole of your Salva- tion is committed into ChrifTs Hand, not your own. And Grace reigns by Chrift, as [Jefus], a Saviour, that is in- finitely able to fave to the uttermofl ; and by him alfo, as [Chrift], the Anointed of the Father, a Saviour in Office, that is authoriz'd and appointed of God to work out all that Salvation for his People, which Free-Grace beftows. And it reigns alfo by Jefus Chrift, as [LORD] over all Creatures,, and Things in Heaven, Earth and Hell -, and by him alfo, as [Our] Lord, our Head, our Husband ; one in the nearefl Relation to us : Whole Love engageth his Power, as well as his Faithfulnefs -y who exercifeth his Kingly Authority over all Things, in an efpecial manner for the Good of his Church; breaking his Enemies with his Rod of Iron ; and defending, and go- verning his People by the fvveet and power- ful Scepter of his Grace, whereby he is able to fubdue even all Things unto him/elf. What are all our Enemies ? Men, Sin, Sa- tan> Death and the Grave ? Tho' like mighty Mountains, before our Zerubbabel they mail become a Plain : And he Jhall' bring forth the Head-Stone of our Salvation, by the fame Free-Grace that laid its Foundation, to the endlefs Wonder of Men and' I 45 ) and Angels, and the eternal Glory of the Three-one God ; the exceeding Riches of whofe Grace will fliine forth herein, to the innumerable Ages of a glorious Eternity ! But after all, it may he, you will fay, c Thefe are glorious Privileges for thofe c who are interefted in 'em ; but how c (hall we know that they belong to us I In anfwer to this, confider, that the Per- fons, over whom Sin mall not have Domi- nion, either in its Guilt, Filth, Power, or Being, are inch, all fuch, and none but fuch, that are, not under the Law, but under Grace. All that ever (hall be faved, have been, are, or mall be brought from under the Law, to fubmit to the Reign of Grace. And thofe Perfons are under the Law, (in the Senfe I here intend it) who like and approve of the Old Covenant, as it makes Doing the Condition of Life; and .accordingly, they cleave to the Works of their own Hands, and endeavour to e- ftablifh their own Righteoufnefs, as the Matter of their Juftitication before God. Tell fuch Souls of Jefus Chrift, his Blood and Righteoufnefs, and Free-Grace in him, is the alone Way of Salvation ; and that Faith in him, is the Means appointed of God for a poor Sinner's Enjoyment of all that (46) that Life and Glory which is beftow'd by God's Free-Grace, without the leaft Work, Worth, or Worthinefs in the Creature ; and it is very uniavory to them. They don't like to hear of ChriiYs Righteoufnefs, and God's Free-Grace in him, in the Point of Juftificatlon, to the utter Exclufion of their own Works. No, they feek Life, as it were, by the Works of the Law : They can't think, that what Chrift has done and fuffer'd, is fufficient to fave them, without they do fomething themfelves, to add unto it, or rather to be found in without it. For they like not the Obedience of the Son of God : They fee no Beauty in this glorious Robe, and fo reject it -> and feek to drefs themfelves up in the jilthy Rags of their own Righteoufnefs. And as they fee no Need of ChrifVs Righteoufnefs, fo, nor of his Strength neither -y they think, that they have Power in themfelves, to do what God requires, whenever they pleafe to exert it ; and fo they like not, but reject Chrift as a Root of Influence ; and bring forth all their wild Fruit, from, in, and to themfelves, under the Influence, and for the End of the Old Covenant. Thus, re- jecting the Saviour of God's providing, they would fain, in the Pride of their Hearts, lave themfelves. And as for God's free r 47 ) free Sovereign Grace in Chrifr, by which he faves a Sinner, without any of his own Works, their Hearts rife againft it : They will not be beholding to Free- Grace for Salvation ; but feek to earn it by the Works of their own Hands. And the Souls which thus cleave to the Law, (living and dying in fuch a State) mall be found under it at the awful Day of Judgment ; and mull then hear what it fpeaks unto them, in all the amazing Curfes of it, and bear the Weight of that inconceivable Wrath, which is the due Defert of every TranfgrefTor while Sin, Death, and Hell have an eternal Dominion over them. This then is the Condition, and will be the End of all thofe who live and die under the Lav/. For by the Deeds of the Law /hall no Flejh be jujli- Jied in the Sight of God, Rom. iii. 20. For as many as are 0/ the Works of the Lam, are under the Cur/e, Gal. iii. jo. And what things Jbever the Law faith, it faith to them who are under the Law, Rom. iii. 1 9. But then, who are they that are under Grace ? The Perfons under Grace (in the Senfe I here intend) are fuch that are convinc'd of their own Infufficiency to fave them- felves, and of Ch rift's All-fufficiency to fave even the very Chief of Sinners 3 which draws (4§) draws out their Souls into earneft Defires af- ter Life and Salvation, by God's Free-Grace in him. Thefe like and approve of the New Covenant, in which the Salvation of Sinners ftands alone upon abfolute Grace. Thefe have had a Difcovery of God's Holy Law, as it requires perfect and perpetual Obedience, in Heart, Lip, and Life ; and upon every Failure, curfeth the Tranf- greflor : And m the Light the Holy Ghoit fets up in fuch a Soul, it fees its Contrariety to God, and his Holy Law, in Heart as well as Life ; it fees its own Inability to do any Duty in that perfect manner the Law of God requires -, it fees, that when it would do Good, Evil is prefent with it ; and that if God was to deal with it accord- ing to his righteous Law, it muft perifh for ever. And now the Soul begins to die unto the Law, or to all Hopes of Life by the Works of its own Hands. And fur- ther, to make the Soul dmd indeed to the Law, (as a Covenant of Works) the Lord goes on to reveal his Son, in fuch a Soul, as having been made under the Law, to fulfil all its Requirements, and fuffer all its Penalties for all that mall be faved ; where- by he becomes the End of the Law for Right eou/hefs to every one that believeth, Gal. iv. 4. Rom. vii. 4, and x. 4. And pro- (49) proportionable to the Revelation of Chrift made to the Soul, it fees a Soul-attracting, Heart-ravifhing Beauty and Excellency in him, and his Salvation ; which draws it out into earneft Defires to have him for its Por- tion, to be walh'd in his Blood, to be fup- ply'd from his Fulnefs, and found in his Righteoufnefs before God. Now the Soul fees, that if ever it is laved, it muft be by God's Free-Grace in Chrift 5 and proftrates itfelf at the Throne of Grace, intreating Divine Mercy to be extended to it, as a miferable undone Sinner. And it is like- wife convinced of the Neceffity of Faith ia Chrift, that it muft believe, or perifh -y and accordingly, it locks unto him alone for Salvation ; it attempts to come to him, and reft its Soul upon him ; and under a felt Senfe of its own Weaknefs, it cries out, Lord, I believe ; help thou mine Unbeliefs Mar. ix. 24.. Thus it fees a Need of Chrift's Strength, as well as his Righteoufnefs ; and is glad that the Salvation of a Sinner, from fir ft to laft, is all of one pure Piece of Grace, And tho' the Soul mayn't have full Affu- rance of its own Salvation, by God's Free- Grace inChrift,and fo not full Joy in it • yet it likes this Way of Salvation, and defires, above all things, to have an Intereft in it. And a Glixnpfe of it now and then, which C it ( 5° ) it gets in a Promife, or an Ordinance, be- gets in it a fecret Hope, and glads its Heart more than if the whole World was given it. For, when once the Soul is remov'd from an Old Covenant-bottom,, if its Hope was not fixt on New Covenant-Grace in Chrjft, it would utterly fink into Pefpair. And there is fuch an Agreeablenefs between the Principle of Grace in a new-born Soul, and thcDoctrine of Grace reveal'd in theGof- pel ^ that the Soul would not part with that little Hope it has of eternal Life in ChrifJ, for all the Treafures of the Univerfe. And the Souls which thus cleave to Grace, are undoubtedly under it now, and fhall be found fo in the Day of Chriit, to their un- ipeakable Joy and Glory. Well then, dear Hearts, if you have not a full Aflurance of your Jntereft in Chrift, and his Salvation -, yet, if you defire him above all things^ and that Free- Grace would do all for you in the Matter of Salvation, you are certainly under the Dominion of Grace. For the Defires of your Souls, cleaving to Grace, are their fubmitting unto its Reign. And this Grace that has begun to reign oyer you, will reign on, not- withitanding all the Oppofition it meets with in you, even unto eternal Life :, or your (5* ) your complete Salvation from Sin and Death, to endlefs Life and Glory. Grace be with yon. Amen. I am Tours in Chri/l, 5cc* LETTER IX. To Mrs. L: Dear Friend, I Am far from thinking it any Trouble to anfwer your Requeft, in giving you my Thoughts concerning thofe Scriptures which your Mind has been exercis'd about: For if I could be any way helpful to thy Soul, I mould rejoice, and be exceeding glad. Take therefore the following Hints briefly. John xii. 47. And if a??y Man hear my Words , and believe not, I judge him not : jor Icame ?iot to judge the World, but to fave the World. Our Lord in thefe Words de- clares, That if any Man hear his Words , i. e. the Do&rine which Chrift, his Apoftles and Miniflers preach, with a natural or exter- nal Hearing only, and fo believe not in a faving manner, that he judgeth him not 3 that is, it was not Chrift's immediate Work C 2 in \ 52) in the Days of his Flefh, nor is yet, while the Gofpel is preach'd, to judge and con- demn Unbelievers. For 1 came not to judge the World, (fays he) but to fave the World. Our Lord's firft Coming was not to Judg- ment, but to publifh, and work out Salva- tion. And while the Gofpel is preach'd, it is the Time of Chrift's hong-fuffer'uig, wherein he waits to be gracious to poor Sinners : But when he fhall appear the fe- cond Time, he'll come to Judgment ; and then all thofe who mall be found to have liv'd and died in Unbelief, as Defpifers and Rejecters of Chrift, and his Salvation, fhall be judged and condemned by him, with a Depart ye Cur fed, into everlajfling Fire, pre- pared for the Devil and his Angels. And now, methinks, this Text mould be matter of Encouragement to thee, in thy prefent Cafe. Doft thou fee thyfelf to be a poor Sinner ? And art thou afraid to draw nigh to God, or lift up thine Eyes to Hea- ven, becaufe thou art fo vile ? Yea, doft thou fear that thou art yet in a State of Un- belief, that thou haft never yet put forth one AcT: of Faith upon Chrift ? Why, he did not come to condemn thee, to deal with thee according to thy Sins, and fend thee to Hell prefently. No, he came to fave Sinners, even the very Chief of them : And ( 53 ) And he has wrought out a full and com-* plete Salvation, that is every way iufficient for thee ; that is large enough to deliver thee from all thy Fears, to fupply all thy Wants, and to fatisfy all thy Defires : And this Salvation is proclaimed in the glorious Gofpel, as infinitely free for the mod Un- deferving. If diou haft no Worthineis, nothing to bring to God, thou may ft have Salvation freely, I/d.lv. i. Yea, if thou haft a longing Defire after it, thou art the Soul that Chrift invites to take thy Fill freely : If any Man thirft, (fays he) let him come unto me, and drink, Johnvii. 37. And let him that is a thirft, come : And whofoever <witt7 let him take the Water of Life freely, Rev. xxii. 17. There is an infinite Fulneli of Life and Salvation in the Lord Jefus Chrift, for the worft of Sinners > and there is Salvation in no other : And therefore, if the Cry of thy Soul is, What mujl I do to be faved ? Thou art commanded, even Thou in particular, to believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift -, and in fo doing, thou haft the faithful Promife of a God that cannot lie, that thou fbalt be faved, Acts xvi. 3 1 . And Believing is looking unto Chrift alone for Salvation, I/a. xlv. 22. Asking it of him, John iv. 10. Coming to him for it, Mat. xi. 18. Trufting in his Name, Mat. C 7 xii. (54) xii. 2 1 . and committing thy Soul into his Hands, 2 Tim A. 12. And wouldft thou Believe ? Why, venture, in the fcce often thoufand Sins, Fears, and Difcourage- ments, to call: thyfelf down at Jefus Feet, and fay, with the poor Leper, Lord, if thou wiltytbou canjl make me clean ,Luke v. i 2. and with the Publican, God he merciful to me a Sinner, Luke xviii. 13. and thou (halt find Grace in his Sight , his Mercy will bicF thee live ; thou fhalt pafs from Death to Life y and?xver come intoGondetmiation, John v. 2 4. Philemon xv. For perhaps he therefore departed j or aSeafon, that thoujloouldjl receive him for ever. The Apoftle Paul, in thefe Words, puts Philemon in mind of the won- derful Grace and Providence of God, in over-ruling the Departure of One/imus, for a Sea/on from him his Matter, as a Means of his Converfion to Chrift, that fo he might receive him for ever : Not merely now as a Servant, but as a Brother in Chrift, which is a Relation that can never be diffolved. Onefimus was Servant to Phi- lemon , he wrong'd his Mafter, ran away,, and was brought b y fome means or other) into the Prifon where St. Paul was : Up- on which the Apoftle preaches Chrift, and the Word of his Grace to this poor Sinner 5 and the Power of God accompaning the Word ( 55 ) Word of the Gofpel, gave it Entrance in'fo' bis Soul, form'd the New Creature there, and enabled him to believe in Jefus : Upon v/hich the Apoftle rejoice th, and acquaints Philemon with this wonderful Grace,exhorting him to itc&w£Grie$musyt:&t now as a Servant, but as a Brother beloved in the Lord, with the fame Kindnefs and Joy he had us'd to fhew unto the Apoirle himfelf, who lov'd him as his own Saul. And was there fuch Grace in the Heart of God towards Onefwms ? What En- couragement may this be to thee ? The Lord is as full of Love and Bowels now as ever, and extends the fame Free-Grace, and boundlefs CompaiTion to Sinners now, as then. And did mighty Grace lay hold upon Onefimus, when he was in the Height of his Rebellion ; when he had juft added' Theft to all his other Sins, and ran away from God, as well as from his Mafler ? then fure, nothing is too hard for reigning Grace ; it can conquer the mod rebellious' Creature , and pardon the greateft Sins, None of all thy Sins, tho' great as Moun- tains, and numberlefs as the Stars, can hinder thy Salvation, if the Lord refolve to be gracious unto thee : No, where Sin a- bounds, Grace much more abounds. None of thy Sins are too great for reigning Grace C 4 to ( 56 ) to pardon, for omnipotent Grace to fubdue. Grace will reign glorioufly, difplaying its Riches upon a Veffel of Mercy, in its com- plete Salvation, notwithstanding all its Un- worthinefs, and Provocations, its 111 Defer- vings, and Hell-defervings -, no Qppofition fhall ftand before it: If God fay, I will be gracious to this or that Soul, neither Sin within, nor Men and Devils without, fhall hinder its Salvation. Hope therefore in this Grace : For the Lord takes Pleafure in them that feqr him, (that call upon his Name) in them that hope in his Mercy, Pfa. cxlvii. 11. And never was any Soul afhamed of its Hope and Confidence in God : No, BleJJed is the Man ivhofe Hope the LORD is, jer.xvii. 7. Put thy Truft therefore in the Shadow of his Wings, in the Mercy of God in Chriit, ;".'d thou (hajt never be afhamed nor con- founded, World without End, Pfa. xxxvi. 7. Ija, xlv. 17. Again, did God, in his {ill -wife Providence, who works all Things af- ter the Counjel of his own Will, over- rule the Departure of Onejimns, to bring him under the Apoftle's Preaching, which was the Means of his Convcriion ? Then 'tis plain, that there is an appointed Time to bring Souls home to Chriit ; a Day of Power ^ in which they (hall be made willing, Pfa. ex. 3. And what if I mould fay, I hope this Time (57) Time of Love is come unto thee, and this Work of Power begun upon thee. Once more, did God over-rule the Departure of One/imus from his Matter for a Seafon, that fo he might receive him for ever, and that with Advantage? Even fo, let me fay, did God over-rule his Peoples Departure from him in the Fall, and in this Time-State, to commend his Love the more in bringing them again to himfelf, to receive them for ever, in an higher Relation, and Glory, than they had when they were with him in their firO Father, Adam. And what if the Lord, in his Thoughts of Love towards thee, did fuffer thee to depart from him for a Seafon, that fo he might bring thee again to himfelf, and receive thee forever ! He tells thee in his Word, that thou hail departed from him by Si/?, Ezek. vi. 9. he bids thee return again, and fays, thou Jhafc find Mercy \ Ifa. lv. 7. and has promis'd to receive thee, 2 Cor. vi. 17. And thofe whom Clirift receives, he receives forever. Mis Arms ftand wide open to embrace thee \ and if thou art helpt to return to him, he fays, he will in no wife caft thcs oat, John vi. 37. he will receive thee to the tr/ory of Cod, Rom. xv. 7. he will keep thee i hit Power thro1 Faith unto Salvation ', 1 Peter i, 5. and fuffer neither Sin, Men, C 5 nor (5$) ror Devils to pluck thee out of bis Hands, John x. 28. 2 Cor. iv. 3. But if our Gofpel be hidy, it is hid unto them that are lojl. The A- poftle Paid, in thefe Words, fpeaking in- his own Name, and in the Name of the o- ther Apoftles,calls the Gofpel of Chrift,0«r Gofpel '; becaufe it was the Miniftry which they had received of the Lord Jefus, the Mef- fage they were fent to publi(h,and the glad Tidings which they preach'd. And as they, preach'd the Gofpel of Chrift with the greateft Evidence, and cleareft Demonftra- tion , fo the Holy Spirit attended their Miniftry, and made it the Power of Godr unto the Salvation of Multitudes , who receiv'd the Truth in the Love of it, upon the fullefl Conviction, and with the higheft Afllirance. Upon which the Apoftle utters thefe Words , but if our Gofpel be hid, it is hid unto them that are loft. As if he mould lay, ' We have pre. ^hed the Gofpel of a ** a Crucified, Rifen, and Aicended Savi- 1 our, fo plainly, convincingly, and power- *■ fully , that if it be hid unto any Souls, * they are certainly in a loft Condition*. That is, they are at prefent Dead in Sins, they are not New Creatures ; and fo have no Spiritual Eye to fee the Glory of Chrift which brightly mines in his blefted Gofpel ; they (59) they are under the Government of Satan, who blindeth their Minds ; they are (till in the State wherein they were born,- going affray from God, and not yet returned to the Shepherd and Bifiop of Souls: Again, if the Gofpel be always hid unto any Soul?, they are fuch which are irrecoverably loft ; if after all the preaching of Salvation byjefus Chrift, there be any that live and die ignorant of, and in enmity to the glorious Gofpel, they are certainly fuch who perifhfor ever, And now, if thou fhouldft be afraid, that thou art at prefent in a loft Condition ; yet, were it fo, thou art not in a hopelefs Condition. For all the Chofen of God, who are now found by the great Shepherd, and called to be Saints, were once in a loft State byNature,as well as thee. AUChrift's Sheep, which his Father gave him, went aftray by Sin ; and turning every one to his own Way, they loft and deftroy'd themfelves ; or brought themfelves into fuch a miferable Condition, that they were utterly undone : And had neither Will, Skill, nor Power .to deliver themfelves from that perifhing State in which they were involved. Bat fuch was the infinite Grace of God the Father, that he laid their Sins upon his own Son -y and uich- the boundlefs Grace of Ghrift, that C 6 he- < 6o ) died for them, in their ftead, to bring them again to God \ and fucSi is the a- ftonilhing Grace of the Holy Spirit, that he quickens 'em when dead in Sins, gives them to fee their own Mif'ery, and Chrift's Excellency, and brings them home to him, their great Shepherd. Art thou loft ? it was Such Chrift came to Jeek a?id fave, Luke xix. 10. And hegoeth after that which is loft until he findeth it, and when he hath found it he layeth it on his Shoulders, and bring- eth it home rejoicing ; faying to his Friends ana Neighbours, the Saints and Angels,r*/0/££ with me, for I have found my Sheep which was loft. Luke xv. 4, 5, 6. Chrift took fuch Pleafure in faving loft Sinners, that he died for them, that fo he might accomplish it ; yea, he now lives in Heaven to inter- cede for them ; and when, as a Fruit there- of, they are brought home to Ids Fold, he rejoiceth over 'em to fave them to the uttermo/i. Therefore be not difcourag'd, for if thou art loft, Chrift can find thee, and if thou haft no Power to return, he can lay thee on his Shoulders, and bring thee Home , yea, if thy Cafe was fo miferable, that thou- hadft no Will to return, Chrift can make thee willing in a Moment ; for he is in all refpecls, mighty to fave. But if lie has given thee a Will, a Deiire to re- turn ( 6i ) tarn unto God in Chrift, he has already found thee out, and laid hold on thy Heart by his Almighty Power, and he'll bring thee home to God, both herein Grace, and hereafter in Glory, preferring thee with exceeding Joy. If he has given thee a Sight of thy own Mifery, and a Glimpfe of his Beauty, fo as to beget a Defire in thy Soul after him, the Gofpel of Chrift has already begun to fhine into thy Heart, and it mall (hine more and more until the perfect Day ; and it fhall never be hid unto thee, as it is unto them that are loft. i Cor. xv. 2. By which alfo ye are Javed, if ye keep in memoryivhat I preached unto you, unlefs you have believed in vain. The Apoftle Paul, having preach'd the Gofpel of Chrift unto the Corinthians], and particularly the great and comfortable Do- ctrine of the Refurrcction ; he here exhorts them to a conftant Remembrance thereof, it being of fo great Importance. There were, at that Time, fome in the Church at Corinth ^ who were fo far fallen away from the Doctrine of the Gofpel, as to deny the Refurrection of the Dead ; for which Reafon the Apoftle infifts largely upon that Article in this Chapter. In the "fir) 'i Vc- he profefleth to declare afrefh the -Gofpel that he had formerly preach'd to ihem, which f6z) which they had receiv'd, and wherein theyr profeffedly, did ftand. By which, fays he, in this Jecond Verfe, ye are faved, if ye keep in Memory what I preached unto you, unlej's ye hav& believed in vain. It feems to me,- thatthe Time-Salvation of the Saints, from- Errors, Herefies, and Soul-Dinreffes, is what the Apoftle here intends ; which is clofely connected with a believing Remembrance of the Dodtrines of the Gofpel, and parti- cularly this of the Refurredtion. In like manner as he fays, We are faved by Hope. Rom.viii. 24. Which is evidently in- tended of our Time-Salvation : for in no other Senfe can we be faid to be faved by Hope ; for when once we come to the Enjoyment of that Salvation hoped for, the Exercife of that Grace ceafeth •,. as he there argues, for Hope that is feen, is not Hope. And then in the lad Claufe, unlefs ye have believed in vain, he fweetly puts them in mind how they did at firft receive the Gofpel, and this Dodlrine of the Refur- re6tion ; how they once law a Glory in the Refurrection of Chrift from the Dead, todifcharge them from Sin, and raife their Souls to Life here, and theirBodies untoLiie eternal, at the Morning of the Refurredtion. And, as if he mould further fay, can you now eafilypart with, what you once hVdin the ( 63 ) the Faith of ? Have you believed in vain ? Is the Faith you once had of thefe great Things, become a light Matter, an empty Thing ? Or can you let your doctrinal Faith of the Gofpel lie by in your Judg- ments as a ufelefs Thing ? Have you not a continual Need of exereifmg Faith there- in, when without its you can neither live fafely from Herefies, fruitfully unto God, nor joyfully to your own Souls ? This your Time- Salvation, as your Privilege, being clofely connected with your Duty,. in a be- lieving Remembrance of the Doctrines of the Gofpel, which you did receive : This, in brief, I take to be the Meaning of the Words. For there are none that believe in Jefus for eternal Life, that can believe in vain, in this .refpect ; No, they are pajjed from Death unto Life, a?id Jhall never conve into Condemnation, Their eternal Salvati- on is not uncertain, but abfokite ; It ftands immovcably fixt upon Chrifl, the unchange- able Rock of Ages, by the immutable Word and Oath of a God that cannot lie.. John v, 24. Mat.vii. 24,25. Heb. vi. i8.Tit.i. 2. Well then, if as a periftiing Sinner, thou fizeftjor Refuge to lay hold on Chrift, the Hope jet before thee,, thou (halt be eternally laved : Upon thy. firft Act of Faith, as foon as ever thou art got into the City of Re- ( 64 ) « Refuge, thou wilt be eternally idfc, for ever out of all Danger of everlailing Mifery ; and as an Inhabitant of the Rock, thou mayft fing, beginning the Work of Praife here, which will be thy eternal Employ- ment in Heaven. And if it is the Duty of Believers to keep up a quick and con-^ it ant Remembrance of the glorious Gofpel which they have receh/d, in order to their Time-Safety, Fruitfulnefs and Comfort -, then do thou alfo labour to think and me- ditate upon every Truth of the Gofpel, e- very Beam of Light that fprings into thv Mind, under the preaching or reading of the Words of this Life : For this will be an effectual Means to prefervethee from Soul- Diitrefs in an Hour of Temptation, to ifrengthen thy weak Hope, and encreafe thy Joy. i Cor. xiv. 38. But if any Man be igno- rant\ let him be ignorant. It feems, by the Coherence of thefe Words, trr,t there were fome in this Church of Corinth, who wrere greatly puff *d up with Pride, and a vain Conceit of their being fpiritual, even to a fighting or defpiiing the Dictates of the Apofde, under the immediate Infpira- tion of the Holy Spirit : And there having been fuch abundant Evidence of his A- poftle- ( H) pofflefhip, and that it was the Truth of Chriji which he preach'd and wrote ; if after all, there were any who would wil- fully fhut their Eyes againft the Light, and pretend Ignorance -y he, in thefe Words, refolves to leave them, and take no further Pains for their Conviction. If any Man be ignorant , let him be ignorant, 'Tis as if he mould fay, c "If after, all the Signs of ' an Apoftle, which have been (hewn in c me, and that abundant Demonftration of c the Spirit with which I preach and writ c the Goipel of Chrift. j any Man who 1 thinks himfelf fpiritual, will not behold c my Million from Chrifl, nor acknow- 1 ledge my infalible- Guidance into all c Truth by the Divine Spirit ; let him re- i main juit were he is, let him be ignorant < m ■< But there is no Reafon for thee to be difcourag'd fl'om this Text : If thou feed thyfelf to be an ignorant Creature, and groans under it, this is no Threatning to thee, that thou {halt abide in thy Ignorance frill. No, • the Lord J ejus Chrift is made of God JVifdom, unto tucli that have none at all. i Cor. i. 30. His Father has calfd him to the Office of Prophet, on purpofe to teach the Ignorant, to open their blind Eyes ; (66) Eyes : Ifa. xlii. 7. And he has promis'd to bring the Blind by a Way that they knew not, to lead them in Paths which they have not known, to make Darknefs Light before them, and crooked Things ftraight. Thefe things, fays he, will I do unto 'em, and not forjake them, Ifa. xlvi. 16. He can have Compafifion on the Ignorant, and them that are out of the Way, Heb.-v. 2. If the High-Prieft under the Law could have- Compaffion, much more can Chrift, whofeJ Bowels are infinite. Waft thou the moft* ignorant Creature in the World, Chrift cair teach thee efficacioufly, or teach thee to* profit ; that is, he can remove thy Igno- rance, and give thee the Knowledge of hhnfelf, and of the Father in him ; whom' tv know is- Life eternal, John xvii. 3 . If Chrift teach thee to profit, he will do it as' the LORD thy God by a creating Power, Ifa. xlviii. 17. If Chrift will fhine into thy Heart, to give thee the Light of the Know- ledge of the Glory of Gody. as the God of all Grace in him, thy Darknefs fhall flee before it. If he fay but the Word, Let- there be Light , as he did in the firft Creation, immediately the Light appears, and the darkeft Soul is made Light in the Lord. Be enccurag'd therefore, to come unto him under all thy apprehended Dark- nefs5. (67) nels, and can: thyfelf down at his Feet,1 and lay, What I know not, teach thou me> Job xxxiv. 32. For he is infinitely able to fave thee, in this refpect, to the utter- moji. In him are hid all the Treafures of Wifdom and Knowledge : His Wifdom is infinite, his Power Almighty, and his Com- panions boundlefs. And this mighty Sa- viour, is a Saviour in Office, it is his Office to teach poor Sinners that are igno- rant $ and he is good and upright,, and he will do it, P/al. xxv. 8. He will teach Sinners, becaufe of the infinite Goodnefs of "his Nature, and becaufe he is upright alfo, or faithful to him that appointed him, and to his own Engagements alfo, by Covenant and Pronvife : And never, did any Soul periffi for want of Knowledge, that waited upon him for teaching ; no, he'll make the Way of Life fo plain, that a way-faring Man, thd. a Fool, Jhall not err therein, Ifa. xxxv. 8. The Grace of Chrift be with thy Spirit. I am Thine in Him, &c. E T- ( 63 ) LETTER X. To Mrs. S. Dear Friend, Aving heard how the Tempter made ufe of that Word, Hap. ii. 4. to iiflrefs thy Soul, it was on my Heart to write a few Lines to acquaint thee with what I take to be the Meaning thereof. Behold, his Soul which is lifted up, is not upright in him. The Intent of the Holy Ghoft in thefe Words, is, to fet forth the perlfhing State of an Unbeliever : And here is, 1. A Defcription given of him, that he is fuch an one whofe Soul is lifted up. And, 2. Here is a Declaration made concerning him, that his Soul is not up* right in him. The Perfon that is here faid to be lifted up, is fuch an one that is lifted up in Pride, or a vain Conceit of the Sufficiency of his own Righteoufnefs to ftand in before God, and to fcreen him from his vindictive Wrath. It is fuch an one that, Pharifee like, exalteth himfelf, commends his own Righteoufnefs, and dares to plead it before God, as*the Caufe why his Wrath mould turn (69 ) turn away from him. Thus there were fome among God's profeffing People of old, who, being lifted up in a Conceit of ' their own Righteoufnefs, pleaded their In- nocence, as the Caufe why his Anger fhould turn from them. But this their Confidence in their own Righteoufnefs, and of their Deliverance upon that Bottom, the Lord tells them that he rejected, and that he would plead with them, becanfe they [aid 'they had not finned \ Jer. ii. 35, 37. Thus an Unbeliever is here defcrib'd, as one who, in this Senfe, is lifted up. And then we have The Declaration that is made concerning him -y Behold^ fays the Lord, look upon the Man that is thus lifted up, his Soul is not upright in him. It is a legal Upright- nefs that is here intended : And it is as if the Lord fhould fay, c In vain doth that c Soul plead his own Righteoufnefs for De- ' liverance from my avenging Juftice, who c cleaves to the Works of the Law, as the ' Matter of his Ju unification before me : • For fuch is the Purity of my holy Law, * that it will find innumerable Faults with c his pretended Obedience 5 the Crooked- c nefs thereof will abundantly appear, when c compar'd with the Straightnefs of that c perfect Rule. And fuch is the Striclnefs ■ of ( 7° ) f of my Juftice, that to vindicate my own * Honour, I muft pour out my Wrath, * according to all the Curfes of my righte- 1 ous Law, upon that Soul who dares to * truft in his own imperfed: Obedience, in. * thejilthy Rags of his own Righteoufnefs : * his Soul is not upright in him; and c therefore his external Obedience can't be f fo. My Law requires Soul-Uprightnefs, * or perfect Conformity in Heart, Lip, and * Life, in that Perfon who will be juftified c thereby : And fince his Soul is not up- f right, it will Condemn him, and he mufl 1 die the Death, who will dare to ftand at * the Bar of my Juftice, to be try'd by my * holy Law \ And that this is the De- claration the Lord here makes concerning an Unbeliever, or the Soul that is lifted up, is plain from the oppofite, or what ftands oppos'd to this, in the latter Part of the Verfe ; But the Juftfiall live by his Faith : Efpecially, if we look upon this Text, as quoted by the Apoftle, to prove, that the Juftification of a Sinner before God, ftands alone in his Free-Grace, thro' the imputed Righteoufnefs of Chrift, to the utter Ex- clusion of the Works of the Law in that Point, Gal. iii. 1 1 . But that no Man is justified by the Law in the Sight of Cod, it u (7i ) ' h evident : For, The Juft flail live by his Faith. The Juft]. There is no Way for a 'Sinner to be juft with God, but by the Blood and Righteoufnefs of Chrift. And in this Way, God can be Juft, and yet the fuftifier of him which believes in jfefits^ that defires to be found in him, and looks for Salvation from him alone, Rom. Hi. 26* Shall live]. The eternal Life, or Sal- vation of a Sinner, ftands alone in God's Free-Grace, thro* the Blood and Righte- oufnefs of Chrift, Eph. i. 7. In whom we have Redemption thro' his Bloody the For- givenefs of Sins, according to the Riches of his Grace. Rom. v. 1.9, 20, 21. For as ■by one Man's Dijobedience, many were made Sinners ; Jo by the Obedience of one JJiall many be made righteous. Moreover, the Law enter d, that the Offence might abound: But where Sin abounded, Grace did much more abound : that as Sin hath reigned unto Death, even Jo Grace might reign throy Righteoufnefs, unto eternal Lije, by Jejus Chrift our Lord. By his Faith], Or that which his Faith lays hold of. For when the Lord is about to make any Soul a Partaker of this Salva- tion, he fhews it its own Sinfulnefs and Mifery, and that it is utterly jmpoffible for ( 72 ) for it to be faved by the Works of the Law, or by its own Obedience to the Law ; becaufe it can do nothing iii that perfect Manner which the Law of God requires ; and therefore inevitably comes under the Curfe for every Failure : upon which the Soul dies unto all Hope of Life by the Works of the Law : And then he opens to it a Way of Life, that in all refpeds fuits an undone Sinner, by his Free-Grace, thro* a cruciiied and rifen Jefus -, and begets Faith in the Soul, or a fecret Perfuafion that there is enough in Chrift, and what he has done, to fave it. Whereupon, the Soul ventures into Chrift, tho' it fees itfelf over- fpread with Sin, as with a Leprofy, and fays, Lord, if thou ivilt^ thou canft make me clean. And the Lord, to /hew his infinite Grace, as well as his Ability to fave, im- mediately fays, I will, be thou clean, Luke v. 12, 13. By which he conveys a full and everlafting Salvation to that Soul. And thus the fujt frail live by his Faith. For unto him that worketh not> that brings none cf his ownWorks to juflify him beforeGod; but believeth on him that jujiifieth the Un- godly ; that draws nigh1 to God upon his Throne of Grace, and pleads the Extenfion of his Mercy and Grace thro* his own Son ; his Faith is counted for Right eoujnefs, or that ( 73 ) that which his Faith lays hold on, the Blood and Righteoufnefs of Chrift, God the Father imputes or reckons unto him, as the Matter of his Juftificaticn, and de- clares his Acceptance of him, and Well- pleafednefs with him in his dear Son, Rom. iv. 5. Thus the Jujl pall live by his Faith, in refpect of Justification : For that Soul that looks for all its Acceptance with God, by his Free-Grace, thro' his dear Son, ilia 11 never die j but is pa fed from Death unto Life, John v. 24. And the juftified Soul, having an indefeafible Right to all that immeafurable Fulnefs of Life in Chrift, it is its Duty and Privilege to live by Faith in refpect of Expectation ; looking for a continual Communication of Life out of Chrift's Fulnefs, for the full Supply of all his Wants, thro' Time, and to Eternity: And in this refpect, it is to live by Faith, until Faith is lwallow'd up in Vifion. In thefe Words then, we have two Sorts of Peribns fpoken of, Believers, and Unber lievers ; the one lifted up In a Conceit of their own Righteoufnefs ; the other juft, or juftified in Chrift's ; and the End of the One, which is Death, imply'd, in that he is not upright, and fo under the Law's Curfe; and of the other, which is Life, declar'd, Behold, his Soul which is lifted up, D is (74) is not upright in him •> But the Juft J7:a/l live by his Faith. And now, dear Soul, it is evident, that it was the Father of Lies who apply'd thefe Words unto thee, to afflict and diftrefs thy Heart : He apply'd 'em to the wrong Per- fon ; fince thou waft not lifted up in a Conceit of thy own Righteoufnefs, but in the Hope of God's free Mercy, thro* the Blood and Righteoufnefs of his Son. And in this thou needeft not fear being lifted up too high. No, poor Soul, haft thou been humbled in the Duft, under a Senfe of thy own Vilenefs ? Thou art then that Valley which the Lord has promis'd to exalt. xl. 4. Haft thou no Righteoufnefs of thy own, and fo art low in thy own Eyes ? Thou mail be exalted in Chrift's, Pfal Ixxxix. 16. And as thy Perfon is exaited in this, far out of the Reach of all thy Soul- Enemies ; fo, in the Lord's time, thy Faith alfo mall be exalted, and thou malt rejoice in his Name all the Day-long. Go on therefore in the Strength of the Lord, ?naking mention of his Right eoiifnefs, even of his only : And fear none of thy Enemies, Sin, Men, nor Devils : For none of them ihall be able to condemn thy Soul, to pluck thee out of ChriiVs Hands, or feparate thee from his Love ; which is better than Life natural^ (75 ) natural, and in which there is Life for thee, both fpiritual, and eternal. And whoever, or whatever would difcourage thee, Chrift bids thee to rejoice in him, and that always, Phil. iv. 4. Chrift got the Victory over all thy Soul-Enemies, by the Strength of his mighty Arm ; and he gives it unto thee, Col. ii. 14, 15. Pfal. xcviii. 1. 1 Cor. xv. 57. Rejoice therefore in his mighty Con- queft ; for thou divideft the Spoil. And fear none of thofe Things which thou may'ft fuffer from the Malice of Satan in any of his wicked Inftruments : For if thou fhouldft have Tribulation ten Days, during the Time appointed of the Lord -, as he bounds their Rage, fo he'll over-rule thy Sufferings for his own Glory, and thy Good • while thy light AffliBion which is but for a Moment, worketb for thee a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory, 2 Cor. iv. 17. Reckon therefore, that the Sufferings of this prejent Time, are not worthy to be compard with the Glory which Jhall be revealed in thee. Rom. viii. 18. Rejoice that thou art counted worthy to fuffer Shame for his Name : For if we Juffer with him, we Jljall affo be glorified to- gether. Be faithful therefore unto Death ; and Chrift will give thee a Crown of Life, Rev. ii. 10. D 2 Into (76 ) , }Into Chrift's Arms I commit thee, to fupport, defend, and embrace thee, while parting thro* a World of Trials, until he bring thee home unto himfelf, to be for- ever with him to behold his Glory \ and reft, with dear Love, Thine hi Him, &c. LETTER XI. To Mrs. G. Dear "Friend, HAving heard of thy Soul-Diftrefs, and thy Fear left the Promifes of God do not belong te thee, I was willing to write a few Lines unto thee. And if thou haft feen thy loft Condition by Sin, that thou art forever undone without an In- tereft in Chrift, and haft a Delire to be faved by him alone ; there is a full and e rerlafting Salvation in Chrift prepar'd for thee, which thou art call'd to receive free- ly. This is a faithful Saying, and worthy of all Acceptation, that J ejus Chrift came into the World to fave Sinners, (fays the Apoftle) of whom I am chief \ i Tim. i. i£. If thou feeft thy felf to be a chief Sinner, it < 77 ) it was fuch Chrift came to fave. If thou labour under, and art heavy laden with Sin ; it is thee, in particular, that Chrift calls to come unto him, and has promised to give thee Reft, Mat. xi. 28. * Aye, fayft thou, * if I had an intereit in the Promifes, I c fhould think myfelf happy \ Whys poor Soul, all that Life and Salvation for Sinners, which is declared in the Promifes, is fummed up in Chrift. Lay hold there* fore upon him by Faith, who is the Hope Jet before thee in the Gofpel, as infinitely free for the worft of Sinners 5 and thou may ft lay claim to all the Promifes, For all the Promifes of God are in him ; yea, and in him, Amen. 2 Cor. u 20. They are all of them fin] him. And that Soul that looks unto Chrift alone for Salvation, believeth in him, is entred into him as its City of Refuge, its Place of De- fence, and Soul-Reft. And there it is well provided for, exceeding fafe, and eternally iecure : For, [All] the Promifes of God are in him, yea. Perhaps thou feeft a Glory in a parti- cular Promife, and think'ft, Oh how glad mould I be if this Promife was mine ! Why, if thou haft a Defire to be found in Chrift, thou art in him ; and fo all the Promifes are thine : not oae, two, or three D 3 only, only, but all the Promifes of God : Not a Promife in the Bible, but belongs to that Soul, who commits kfelf into the Hands of Chrift to be faved by him. Haft thou done fo ? thou art rich enough : Thou haft all that thou canft defire > yea, and infinitely more. For Eye hath not feen, nor Ear heard, the glorious things which God hath prepared tot that Soul, who runs, as a perifhing Sinner, into the Name of Chrift as the mighty Saviour, to fhelter it- felf in him, who is an Hiding-place from the Wind, and a Covert from the Storm of divine Vengeance. If thou haft ever put forth one Act of Faith upon Jefus, or caft one Look unto him for Life \ thou haft Chrift, and eternal Life in him ; all the Promifes of God are thine ; and thy Riches, in that one great Promife of the new Covenant, 2 Cor, vi. 16. I will be their God, are infinitely greater than Man or Angels can reckon up. And as all the Promifes of God meet in Chrift, fo they arc in him [yea] : They all agree, as with one united Voice, to grant that full and comprehenilve Salvation, which is in Chrift, to every believing Soul, with one Tea. They are not Tea and Nay; fome of them Tea, and others Nay ; but in him they are all Tea, And as they are all ( 79 ) all Tea in Chrift, fo in him they are always' Tea -, not lea at one time, and Nay at an- other ; but a fixed, eternal Tea. And as all the Promifes of God are in Chrift, Yea, as they are all, and always of one Mind in the Grant of Salvation unto every one that believeth in Jefus ; fo like- wife they are all of them in him, Amen. They all ftand in him confirmed, with God's So let it be, or So it (hall be ; which efficacioufly produceth all the Salvation granted. And fince all the Promifes of God, are in Chrift, Amen ; there is an ab- folute, infallible Certainty of the Perform- ance of all the good Things which the Lord hath fpoken. Then furely the Heirs of Promife may have Jlrong Confolation. But it may be, thou wilt fay, c I fear * I am not one of the Heirs of Promife \ Well,doft thou fee thyfelf to be a perifhing Sinner ? Doft thou know that there is Sal- vation in Chrift ? And haft thou a Defire after it ? Why, then ask him for it ; and he will in no wife fend thee away empty. If thou knew eft the Gift of God, ffaid our Lord to the Samaritan Woman) and who it is that faith nnto thee, Give me to Drink, thou woiddft have asked, and he would have given thee living Water, John iv. 10. Then open D 4 thy (8a) thy Mouth wide ; for he has promised to Jill it > Pfal.lxxxiv. 10. Thou needeft not be afraid of asking more Grace than Chrift has to beftow, or is willing to give to the moil Unworthy, the very Chief of Sinners. And never did any Soul ask Chrift for the Water of Life, Grace here, and Glory here- after, but he gave it its Fill freely. Ask therefore, and thou (halt receive-, feeky and thou (halt find ; knock , and it fbalt he ope?i'd unto thee, Mat. vii. 7. For Chrift lives in Heaven on purpofe to fave them to the uttermoft, who come unto God by him, Heb. vii. 25. And now, that you may be enabled to flee for Refuge to lay hold on Chrift, the Hope Jet before you, and as an Heir of Prcmtje have ftrong Conflation in him, in whom all the Promijes of God are Tea and Amen, to the Glory of God by us, is the ear- ned Delire of Tour loving Friend in the Lordy &c„ L ET- (8r) LETTER. XII. To Mr. L, Dear Siry GRace, Mercy and Peace be multipli- ed unto you, from God the Fa- ther, and from Jefus Chrift, by the blefled Spirit. You told me, to the Joy of my Heart, that you hop'd Chrift was precious to your Soul. And if thou haft ieen thy own Mifery by Sin, that thou art for ever un- done without him -, and haft alfo had a Glimpfe of his Glory , Excellency , and Suitablenefs as the alone Saviour, he is precious indeed unto thee, the Chicfejt r>/' ten tkoufand in thy Efteem. Whatever Ga- thers think of Chrift, thou haft high and honourable Thoughts of him,, and of what he has done and iuffer'd for the Salvation of Sinners, and of what he is now doing for them in Heaven, where he ever lives as an Interceflbr, to fave them to the ut- termoft who come unto God by him. Yea, has not thy Soul fell down, and ador'd him, in thofe happy Moments wherein thou haft beheld his Glorv ? And has not a Sight of D 5 hh ( 3z) his Beauty wrought in thee Soul-endear- ing Thoughts of this lovely Jefus ? And tho' ; perhaps, thou couldft not fay, this is my Beloved, and this is my Friend -y with a full Perfualion that he was thy Saviour -y yet, has not a Glimpfe of his Excellency attracted and drawn out thy Soul into earned Longings, Pantings, and Breathings dfter him, and an Intereft in him, as the Sum of all that Happinefs thy Soul could crave, both in this World and in that which is to come ? I know, it is fo with thofe Souls that fee Jefus, juft in thofe Moments in which his Glory is prefented to their Eye. And has it been thus with thee ? Haft thou ever had fuch a Glimpfe of Chrift, that drew thy Soul after him, and made thee cry, c Lord, give me Chrift, * whatever thou denieft me of: Let me * have him for my Portion ; and as to other * things, deal with me as thou pleafeft : A * World, without Chrift, will not fatisfy ( me : Give me Chrift, and I have enough ! * If thefe are the Breathings of thy Heart, thou art a Believer, whether thou know'ft it, or not. And Chrift is thine, everlaftingly thine ; and neither Sin, Death, nor Hell mail feparate thee from his Love. Thou art exceeding fafe, and mayft be very joy- ful : For in having Chrift, thou haft Life ; Life ( §3 ) Life of Grace, and Life of Glory. All Things are thine : Thou flialt have all that Happinefs, both for Soul and Body, which God fees beft for thee in this World, and a boundlefs Ocean of Joy and Glory be- yond it, to a never-ending Eternity. Haft thou committed thy Soul into ChrifVs Hands ? Thou art his Care : Thou art ChrifVs, not thy own : He has taken the Charge of thee ; and as fuch, he'll keep thee fafe, defend thee from all Dangers, irrengthen thy Grace, and meeten thee for Glory. He will preferve thee from fallings and prefent thee fault lefs before the Pre fence of his Father s Glory with exceeding Joy. Then cleave to the Lord with full Pur- pofe of Heart : Go on venturing thy Soul in the Hands of Jefus, trufling in him when he feems to flay thee, and waiting for him when he hides his Face from thee : And thus follow the Lamb whitherfoever he goeth, iri all the Ordinances of his own Appointment here, and thou {halt certainly be found among the Lamb's Company, who (hall lit down with him on hisThrone, and be crown'd as Overcomers, at his next Appearing. Make hafte, and don't delay to keep his Commandments : Do not let Satan and Unbelief hinder thee any longer from giving up thyfelf to the Lord, and D 6 his (84) his Service : For thy Working time for God will be foon over. Oh ! haft thou not been thy own long enough already ? Wilt thou not from this Time give up thy- felf to the Lord ? Wilt thou not, fays he, from this Time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the Guide of my Touth '? Jcr. iii. 4. * How long will it be, as if the Lord * mould fay, e're thou own me for thy 1 Father, and follow me as a Child , truft- * ing in me for Strength and Guidance to ' conduct thee fafe thro' a World of Trials, * into my own Bofom ? Wilt thou not € from this time cleave tome?' So would I fay unto thee t Wilt thou not from this time be the Lord's ? Remember, the Day is far [pent , and what thou doit for God,s thou muft do quickly ; Boaft not of to- morrow ; for thou knoweji not what a Day ?nay bring forth, Pro. xxvii. 1. Therefore whatjbever thy HanJfndeth to dor do it with thy Might, Ecclef. ix. 10.. Waft thou to live to the Age of Methufelah, thy God is worthy to have all thy Love, and all thy Obedience, to. have all thy Time fpent in his Service : But alas ! thou haft but an Inch of Time left, a fhort Space , Death and Eternity haften upon thee ; and then thou'lt not repent that thou gaveft up thy- felf to the Lord fo foon,. or begans't to ferve ( 8S) ferve him (o early ; but rather,, that thoii didft not begin fooner, and haft done fo little for God. It will be to the Honour of thofe Souls, in the Day of Chrift, who have trufted in the Lord, and followed him in the Face of ten thoufand difficulties from within, and from without. Their Faith and Obedience fhall then be own'd and crown'd, by Free-Grace, in the Sight of Men and Angels : Whereas thofe of the Saints, who, thro' Satan and Unbelief, have- been hindred from following Chrift in this World, according to his Appointments, will be afhanVd before him at his Coming.. Their IVorks foall be burnt up j and they'll fuffer lo/s, tho' they themfelves fhall be favedy yet fo, as by Fire, Therefore let us that have believ'd in Jefus, prize our prefent Moments,, and labour to improve 'em, as an Opportunity put into our Hands to glo- rify him that hath lov'd us^by fhewing our Love to him in keeping his Command- ments. His Servants fhall eat when others are hungry , they fhall drink, when others are thirfty 3 they fhall rejoice, when others are afhamed ; they fhall fing for Joy of Heart, when others {hall howl for Vexati- on of Spirit, I fa. lxv. 13, 14. If any Man ferve me, fays our Lord,, let him follow me -y and where I am, there Jhall my Servant be : if ( 86) if any Man Jerve me, him rcill my Father honour, John xii. 26. And what canft thou defire more ? Oh happy, thrice happy Souls, who are in fuch a Cafe ! Who is like unto 'em, a People Javed of the LORD! The Grace of Chrifl be with thy Spirit, Amen. / am, rivith all due Re [peer, Yours in him, &c. LETTER XIII. To the Ladv PI. My dear Chrijiian Lady, I Beg you'll pleafe to pardon my Boldnefi, in giving you theTrouble of this; which I mould not have prefum'd to do, if I was not comfortably perfuaded that you ore an elect Lady, that love the Lord Jefus, his Caufe, and People, even the very meaneft of them ; and therefore Will pati- ently attend to the Chatterings of a Child that cannot fpeak. The Apoftie James exhorts the Saints he wrote to, to rejoice in the Lord, in thofe various Stations in which the divine Provi- dence had plac'd 'em in this Life, Jam. i.9> ( 87) i. 9, 10. Let the Brother of low Degree rejoice in that he is exalted -, But the rich, in that he is made low. Oh what difthwiim- ing Grace is it to you, my dear Lady, that has made you low in your own Eyes! Since not many wife, not many mighty, not many noble are called, %s> i Cor. i. 26. What Grace is it, that you mould be one of thofe few ! an Object of electing Love, and a Sub j eel: of calling Grace, when thoufands of your Rank and Quality are paffed by ! Oh, how many of the great Men of this World have their good things, their Porti- on in this Life? while the LORD is your Portion, your Time-Lot, and your eternal All ! He did not think thefe things good enough for you 5 no, he fet his great Love upon you from everlafting, and gave you a Portion that is every way anfwerable to the infinite Love of his Heart, which is no lefs than his Great SELF! And having bleft you with this Portion before Time, in his everlafting Covenant with his Son ; fo, when the appointed Moment of Calling- Love came on, he fent his Holy Spirit down into your Heart, to (hew you the Vanity and Emptinefs of all worldly Glory, and to raviih your Heart with infinite Sweetnefs, uncreated Excellency, that fo you might feek for, and find a Soul-fatisfy- ing (88 ) ing Reft in GOD : pofTefllng your vaft INHERITANCE in him, by Faitk which is in Chrift Jefus. The Riches, Honours and Pleafures of this vain World, (which Mr. Rutherford calls, " The Clay- " Portion of Baftards") had never loft their Beauty in your Eye, if the Spirit of the LORD had not blown upon the Glory of his lower Creation, and made it wither like the mown Grafs in your Sight, I/a. xi.7. What innumerable Multitudes are there of the World's great, wife, mighty and noble Men, who continually dote upon its gilded Toys, and dmpty Nothings 5 as if there was a Happinefs in 'em agreeable to the Nature of an immortal Soul ? And You had never found them to be unfatisfying Hujksy if you had not been one of God's Children, for whom the Bread of Life is prepared in your Father s Houje. Again, what Multitudes are there, that dote upon their own Excellencies , their natural Endowments, and moral Perform- ances ; as if they were fome of the moft beautiful Creatures in the World ? And even dare go about to efiablifh their own Right eoufnefs, as their juftifying Drefs be- fore God ? And you likewife had been of this miferable Number, if the Spirit of the LORD ( 89) LORD had not blown upon created Glo- ry, in this refpedt alfo. Your natural Ex- cellencies and Performances had never loft their Brightnefs in your Eye, if the Spirit of the LORD had not given you a Sight of the tranfcendent Glory, and infinite Ex- cellency of the Perfon and Righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift ; to attract your Soul after him,. as the chiefeft often thoufand, the faireft in both Worlds, the Sum of all your Hap- pinefs, and Center of your Defires ! 'Tis the Soul-ravifhing Beauty, the adorable Ex- cellency of Chrift, the Glory-Sun, darted by the Spirit upon the Eye of your Faith,, which has put out the Light of Creature- Beauties, and extinguifh'd them out of your Sight ; fo as to make you fay, with the P/almiJly Pfa. lxxiii. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee ? and there is none upon the Earth that I dejire be fides thee. And with the Apoftle Pauly Phil. iii. 7, 8, 9. But what Things were Gain to me, thofe I counted Lofs for Chriji. Tea, doubtle/s, and I count all Things but Lofs y for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Chriji fe/us my Lord: for whom I have fufferdthe Lofs of all Things , and do count them but Dung, that I may win Chrift, and be found in him , not having my own Righteoufnefs, which is of the Law, but that which is thro! the Faith of Chrift y the Righ-r ( 90) Right couf ae fs which is of God by Faith. Oh what a ipecial Privilege is this, to be made fo low, as to be beholding to Chrift for all 1 For all Happinefs, Life and Glory, in this World, and that to come ! Well may the Brother \ or Sifter, of high Degree rejoice, in that they are made thus low : Forafmuch, as the Lord, by this Work of his Grace, is preparing that Perfon for a Life and Glory that is far fuperior to all earthly Enjoy- ments ; yea, no lefs than the high and eternal Exaltation of the heavenly State ! Has it been thus with you, my dear Lady ? Has the Lord ftript you naked of created Excellencies ? 'Tis iii order to fill, fatisfy, and clothe you with his own im- menfe Glories I What reafon then have you to rejoice in the Lord, both now, and for evermore ? And believe it, that your high Station in the World (what Thorns and Briars foever attend it) was appointed for you, by the fame infinite Love that ordain'd: your eternal Salvation : Like it therefore, as the Choice of infinite Wifdom, the Way laid out for you to a City of Habitation ; and labour to improve it to the Honour of that Grace which has fav'd you. The Lord may have intended three Things, principally, hereby ; i. To commend or let off the Glory of diftinguifhing Grace the ( 9i ) the more in your eternal Salvation. 2. To give you an Opportunity to glorify God the more on the Earth. And, 3. By this, as a Means, to enhance your future Crown. How will diftingu idling Grace {bine in your Salvation, when you fhall be plac'd at Chriffs Right Hand, openly acquitted., dii- charg'd and bleft -, and as fuch, cali'd to inherit the Kingdom, that Kingdom of Glo- ry, prepard for you from the Foundation of the World-, while Thoufands of illuflrious Souls, the Great, Rich, Mighty, and No- ble of the World, {hall tremble at the Lamb's Wrath, and call to the Rocks and Mountains to fall on them, and hide them from the Face of him that Jits on the Throney and from the Wrath of the Lamb, when thai great Day of his Wrath is come, wherein none of ihcmjhall be able tojlandl Matth. xxv. 34. Rev. vi. 15, 16, ly. And how will it raife your Notes of Praife high, when, with the redeemed Company, you join to fing the Lamb's new Song, fayingy Worthy is the Lamb who was fain, and ha % redeemed its unto God with his own Blood, out of ever Kindred, Tongue, People, and Nation , and has made us Kings and Priefts unto our God I Rev. v. 9. Oh ! to fee your- felf redeem'd by the Lamb's Blood, from all Mifery, unto all Glory, out of the great and and mighty People of the Earth > while they are left to perifh in their Sins, and fsnt away from Chrtft into eternal Tor- ments ! how will this raife your Wonder at diftinguifhing Grace, and advance your Hallelujahs I Again, What if God, by your high Stati- on in the World, puts an Opportunity into your Hands to- glorify him the more oa the Earth ? The LORD rais'd Mojes to that high Pitch of Honour in Pbaroatis Court, that fo he might have an Opportu- nity to glorify God, and to exercife his Graces in denying himfelf, taking up his- Crofs, and following Chrtft: For which his Faith is fo commended, Heb. xi. 24, 25, 26, By Faith Mofes, when he was come to years , refufed to be called the Son of Pharoafrs Daughter ; chujing rather to fitf- fer Affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the Pleajhres of Sin for a Seafon ; ejieeming the Reproach of Chri/'t greater Riches than the Trea/ures in Egypt : For he had refpeSl unto the Recompenje of the Re- ward: IfMo/es had not had fo much to lofe, how could his Faith and Love, in. his Self- Denial, forfaking all for God, have fhone fo confpicuoufTy ? Of what an excellent Kind did his Faith appear to be, when, at once, he left the Pleasures, Honours, and Trea- fures ( 93 •) fures of the Court, and the Crown of Egypt too, which in all Liklihood he might have enjoy'd ; refufing to be call'd the Son of PharoaVs Daughter ; and chufing rather to fuffer Affliction with the People of God ? He ftepp'd down at once from all his Court-royalty, not for any of the Grati- fications of Senfe, but to fuffer Affliction : Inftead of being a Prince,he becomes a Ser- vant, a mean Shepherd, and earns his Bread by keeping of Sheep ; and this he did of mere Choke ; he was not conftrain'd there- to, and fo fubmitted to it, but he chofe it, -Oh, ftrange Choice, in a Worldling's Eye ! None but them that have the fame Faith which Mo/es had, will make fuch a Choice. But however ftrange this Choice might feem to Pharoatis Courtiers then, or to Un- believers now, it was not an irrational one : No, Mo/es had the higheft Reafon for what he did -, he a&ed herein very confiftently with fpiritual Reafon, or the Principles of Reafon fanctify'd. And therefore the Holy Ghoft gives us the Caufe of this wonder- ful Effecl : For he had Refpecl unto the Re- compen/e of the Reward. The Eye of his Faith look'd beyond the Things of Time and Senfe, to that tranfcendent and eternal Glory, which is to be reveal'd in the Saints. He had Soul-ravifhing Views of the Infinite Glory (94) Glory of that GOD, who had faid to Abra- ham, and in him to all his Seed, Fear not, for Ia?n tfjy Shield, and thy exceeding great RE- ' WARD, Gen. xv. i. And he look'd to the Glory of that happy Day, when a Crown of Righteoufnefs mall be fet upon the Head of every Overcomer -, which drew on his Soul to run in that Way which led to fo glorious an End. So that he did not choofe to fuffer Affliction merely for its own fake, but as it was the Way ap- pointed of God for his People to pafs thro' unto the Heavenly Kingdom. He chofe to fuffer Affliction with the People of God, to caft in his Lot among them, to fare as they did, for prefent and future, for Time and for Eternity. And this becaufe they had JEHOVAH for their God ; fuch a GOD, that made them the only HAPPY People, in all Conditions, in all Times, and unto all Eternity. And this glorify'd God exceedingly, in that he preferr'd him above all 5 above all thofe high Enjoyments he had in Pharoah's Court : Yea, he faw fuch a tranfcendent Glory in this GOD, as he is to be enjoy'd in and thro1 Chrijl, that made him efteem even the very Reproaches he ihould fuffer for his Sake, to be greater Riches than the Treafures in Egypt. And thus it was apparent that he made God his (95) his chief End, in that he forfook all, and follow'd him, thro' thick and thin, better and worfe ; that fo he might have the pre- fent and eternal Enjoyment of him, as his chief Good, and Soul-fatisfying ALL! And tho' the pooreft Believer in the World has obtain d like precious Faith with Mofes y which produceth anfwerable EfFe&s in his proper Sphere, yet Mofes had a greater Op- portunity to glorify God, in this RefpecT:, in forfaking Abundance for him, becaufe of his high Station in the World. And tho' your Ladyfhip is not call'd, as Mofes was, to a perianal forfaking of your high Station, yet you are call'd to a cleaving unto Chrifl in it ; which can't be done without leaving the Pleafures, Riches, and Honours af it in Heart ; chufing rather to fuffer Affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the Pleafures of Sin for a Seafon 5 efteeming the Reproach of Chrift^ greater Riches than the Treafures of the Univerfe. And if your Ladyfhip's Station was not fo high, you could not have fuch an Opportunity to glorify God, by forfak- ing fo much for him, which his Omnipo- tent Grace enables you to do,under the Soul- attracting Kfplays of his infinite Sweet- nefs, and tranfeendent Glory. And there- fore, Once (96) Once more the Deiign of God, in your high Station, is, to prepare you hereby for your future Crown. It is indeed a thorny Place, where you, as one of Chrift Lilies, grow ; and no wonder if they often fcratch and tear you. If you was tf the World, the World would love its own 3 but becaufe Chrift has chofen you out of the World \ therefore the World hateth you. But remember, it hated Chrift before it hated you. And I doubt not your Willingnefs to fear in the World, as Chrift did, to flay for your Glory, till the whole Courfe of your Sufferings are ful- fil I'd ; as knowing that if you fuffer with himy you fhall alfb be glorify d together : The Way to the Kingdom lies thro' much Tribu- lation : But your dear Lord Jefus will be a Companion with you in it. Not a Sorrow pierceth your Heart, butChrift feels it -, yea, takes it as done to himfelf : He is privy to all your Diftreffes, and in dear, iympa- thizing Love, will fupport you under 'em., fancftify you by 'em, and deliver you from them. When you have no Chriftian Friend or Brother by, to tell your Cafe to, Chrift is with you then, who is a Friend that fticketh clofer than a Brother -, a Friend that loves at all times, a Brother born for Adverfty ; on Purpofe to know Adveriity, that he might fympathize with you in it, and ( 97 ) and fave you from it -y unto whom you may freely open all your Heart, in the Faith of his infinite Bowels to pity you, and Power to help you. For he'll not only companionate you in all your Griefs, but in infinite Grace and Faithfulnefs, bell rich- ly fupply all your Wants. And when you ha'n't Opportunity to converfe with Chri- flian Friends, labour to improve that Sea- fon, by acquainting yourfelf more intimate- ly with the Lord Jefus : Drink at the Well-head, the Fountain is infinitely fweet- cr than the Streams -, and you fhall never come to his Bofom, and be fent away empty. Go on therefore, right noble La- dy, to cleave unto Chrift, by Faith, and every Grace, taking up his profs daily, and following the Lamb whitherfoever he go- eth ; reckoning, that the Sufferings of this pre fent Time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which fhall be revealed in you. Take Pleafure in denying yourfelf, in all Refpecls, for Chrift : Be glad that you have any thing to part with for him that has lov'd you. Chrift took Pleafure in denying himfelf, his Great SELF, for you. And Oh ! what did he deny him- felf of, when, in infinite Love, he left his Glory in Heaven ,became a Man of Sorrows, and dy'd on the Crofs for you, to redeem E you ( 9§ ) you from Sin and Death, to endlefs Life and Glory ! And what can be too dear to part with for your dear Lord Jefus ? I'm fore, nothing that he calls for, while your Eye is fixt upon his boundlefs Love, and your Soul chang'd into the fame Image, Rejoice therefore that you are counted worthy to [uf- fer Shame for his Name -, and efteem the Reproaches of Chrifl, your great and fub- ftantial Riches. For all the Flouts and Frowns you meet with for cleaving to Chrift, his Caufe, People, Word and Ordi- nances in this World, will be as fo many Jewels to enrich your Crown in the World to come. Oh, what a rich, marly, em- bclifh'd Crown, will Chrift let upon the Heads of thofe Saints, who have left all, and follow'd him amidft ten thoufand Reproaches ! Te, (faith our Lord) which have follow d me, in the Regeneration, when the Son of Man JJ: all fit on the Throne of his Glory , ye alfofkall fit upon twelve Thrones , judging the twelve Tribes of Ifrael. And eve- ry one that hathforfaken Houfes,or Brethren, or Sifters, or Father, or Mother, or Wife, or Children, or Lands for my Name's fake, pall receive an Hnndred-foldi (even in this prefent Time) and fall inherit ever I a ft in g Life, Mat. xix. 28,29. Chrift has Thrones for his i offering Saints, which are far fupe- rior ( 99 ) rior to all thofe petty Glories, of which the Princes and Potentates of this World boaft. And as for Crowns, Chrift has a Crown of Life, a Crown of Right eoufnefs, a Crown of Glory , which he'll give to every Overcomer, at his glorious Appearing and Kingdom, Rev. ii. io. 2 Tim. iv. 8. 1 Peter v. 4. when, of the freeft Grace, he'll give Rewards unto his Servants, and to his Saints, and to all that fear his Name both Jhiall and great, Rev. xi. 18. And then the railed Saints, thofe ftarry Glories of the firfVRefurrection, being marfhaird into Order, fhall mine forth in their diffe- rent Orbs, with an heavenly Luftre, and a World-confounding Splendor : And thofe fhall fhine the brighteft in that Day, who have been enabled to do and fuffer moft for Chrift in this. For every of their Ser- vices, even the meanefr, fhall then receive a full and proportionable Reward. 1 Cor. xv. 41, 42. Matt.v. 11, 12. and chap, x. 41, 42. Blejfed then is the Man that endureth Temptation ; for when he is tried, he fiall receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him, Jam. i. 12. I am, with the greate/l Refpec~l, Tour Ladyjhips, at all Obedience in the Lord, Sec. E 2 To ( ioo ) LETTER XIV. To Mrs. S. Dear Friend, Grace unto you, and Peace be multiply 'd, OUR Lord, John, ill 3. afferts the Neceffity of the New-Birth , and ver. 5. declares what kind of Birth he intends, viz. Of Water and of the Spirit ; i e. of the Word and Spirit of God ; with- out which no Man can feef\\2X is, enjoy, or enter into the Kingdom of God. The Rea- fon of it is this , becaufe, in order to all kind of Enjoyment, there muft be an A- greeablenefs in the Perfon or Thing en- joying, with the Perfon or Thing enjoyed. "This the Apoftle declares, 1 Co**, ii. 14. But the natural Man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God : becaufe they are Foolijh- nefs unto him , neither can he know themy becaufe they are fpiritually difecrned. He receives them not, becaufe they are Foolifh- nefs unto him ; and they are fo, becaufe he cannot know them 5 and the Reafon of this, is, becaufe they are fpiritually dif- cerned > and he being but a natural Man, has ( 10! ) has no fpiritual Eye, no Organ fuited to behold a Glory in fpiritual Things, which can only be fpiritually difcerned. Thus, in the Works of Nature, the All- wife Creator form'd all his Creatures with a Capacity fuited to live, acl, or be in that proper Element, Sphere, or Place which he had defign'd for them ; as Birds in the Air, Fifhes in the Water, &c. And as for Pvlan, the Top-piece of the Creation, in whom the whole was, as it were, epito- miz'd, or fummed up ; how curioufly wag he wrought, when he came out of his Maker's Hand ? How excellently was he fitted to enjoy all that great Happinefs which was prepared for him ! His Soul, as it came out of his Creator's Hand, was excellently fitted to enjoy Communion with God, as the God of Nature, difplaying his Glory in the Creatures ; and his Body, how wonderfully was that fram'd to enjoy the Creatures in this World ? How excellently were all his Senfes fitted to their proper Objects ? His Eye to behold the Glory of the Sun, the Variety of Creatures, and the Beauty of Colours ? His Ear to converfe with Sounds ? His Palate to tafte Meats ? His Smell to take in Scents ? And his Feel- ing to judge of folid Bodies, perceptible by that Senfe ? And as it was in the Formati- E 3 on ( 102 ) on of Man, fo, in fome meafure, it is in his Generation : For, when a Child is born into the World, it is, in thefe refpects, fuited to, and has a Defire after the Perfons and Things which are therein ; and without this, it could have no Enjoyment of the good Things of Life. And as it is in the Works of Nature,fo in the Works of Grace : For, as this World is prepar'd for the Child's Enjoy menu, and then that is generated, and born in order to enjoy it ; fo there's a Kingdom prepar'd for the Children of God -, and the Soul muil be regenerated, new-born, or born a- gain, before it can fee it. There being the lame Neceffity that the Soul be born into' the World of Grace, before it can enjoy that \ as there is that a Man fhould be born into the World of Nature, before he can enjoy this. And now, methinks, I hear thee fayr c All this I am convinc'd of -, but I great- c ly want to know whether I am one of c thofe who are new-born \ If this be thy Cafe, then ask the Lord to tell thee, and he'll give thee an Anfwer of Peace in his own Time. There are two Ways whereby a Soul comes to know that it is new- born : The firft is, by the Revelation of the Spirit, bearing witnefs to the Soul, in ( ">3 ) in fome Word or other, where this Truth is declar'd. The iecond is, by his enabling the Soul to difcern its own Acts in divine Light y and to draw Conclufions from its dilcerned Acts of Grace, that it has the Principle. And in both thefe Ways, the Lord can give thee Satisfaction in an in- flant, if it pleafeth him. But generally fpeaking, it is fome Time ere a Child of God can draw fteady Conclufions of its being new-born, from its own Acts of the new Life. And therefore thou may ft b~ new-born, tho' thou doft not know it ! A living Infant, you know, when firft born into the World, hath Life > but it doth not know it. It had a fecret Life from its firft quickning in the Womb ; and from thence a fecret Motion : but as fbon as it is born, it begins to live vifibly to o-. thers : but yet the Child itfelf knows nothing of the Matter. It crys, defires the Breaft, taftes the Milk, and is fatisfy'd; fees the Light, and feels the Heat with Pleafure ; all which are vifible Demonftra- tions of its Life to By-ftanders •, but the Child knows nothing of it, becaufe it is not capable of Self- reflection. And thus it is with a new-born Soul : There's a fe- cret Work of God upon all the Heart, a Principle of Life given -, and from thence E 4 fome ( io4 ) fome fecret Motions and faint Stirrings now and then,, under begun Convictions, before it is brought forth into the vifible Life of Grace ; which difcovers itfelf, as foon as ever the Soul is born again, in the Breath or Cry of the new Crea- ture, its Defiles, its Difcernings, and its Enjoyments : Which, when communicat- ed to grown Chriftians, they know fuch a Soul is one of ChrifVs new-born Babes ; altho' this Child itfelf is not yet capable fo to reflect upon its own A6ts> as to conclude its Life from thence. And if this be thy Cafe, that thou canft not pafs a Judgment from what thou haft experienced, that thou haft the Life of Grace, or art new-born ; then tell me, as a rational Creature, how it is with thee ? For as fuch, thou canft tell what the Acts of thy Soul have been ; altho', as a new Creature, thou mayft not yet be come to fuch an Exercife of thy fpiritual Senfes, as to know thofe Acts to be Acts of Grace, and a certain Demonftration of thy being born again. Well, a living Child fees : What haft thou feen ? Haft thou feen thyfelf to be a Sinner by Nature, as well as by Practice ? in Heart/as well as Life ? and that thou art ( W5 ) art utterly undone, and muft perifh for ever, without an Intereft in Jefus Chrift ; as being utterly unable to do any thing to deliver thyfelf from the Wrath to come ? Haft thou feen thy own Righteoufnefs to be but Filthy Rags ? and thy own Strength, to do any good, but Weaknefs ? Again, haft thou feen an Excellency in Chrift, as a complete Saviour, that is exceeding fui ta- ble to thy Cafe as a loft Sinner ? And haft thou any Difcernings of the Glory of God's- Free -Grace and Mercy in Chrift? Thou haft then the new Creature's Eye, dis- cerning Faith, even the Faith of God's E- And, from thefe Difcernings, haft thou been made to cry unto the Lord, to la- ment thy Sinfulnefs before him, and to- fupplicate his Throne for Mercy, praying. him to give thee Chrift, whatever he de- nies thee of ? Thou haft then the new Creature s Breath, which flows from pone but thofe that have the new Creature's Life. Again, what are thy Defires ? Are the Longings of thy Soul after the Free-Qrace and Mercy of God in Chrift, as held forth in the Promifes, thofe Breafts ofConfolati- w ? Thou haft then the new .Creature's E 5 Ap- ( io6 ) Appetite, and art certainly born of the Word and Spirit of God. Once more, what are thy Enjoyments ? What fatisfies and pleafeth thy Soul beft ? Has the Free-Grace of God, and of the Lord Jefus Chrift, been fweet and favoury to thee in a Promife, or in an Ordinance to the refrefhing and fatisfying of thy Soul for fome Moments ; juft fo long as thou haft the Breaft in thy Mouth, the Grace of the Promife milk'd out to thee ? Then thou haft tafted that the Lord is gracious ', and art one of ChrifVs new-born Babes. And haft thou ever felt any refrefhing Warmth and Comfort in the Love of God, which, like Fire, has warm'd and heated thy cold Soul ? Thou haft then that Sen- fation which is proper to a new Creature : and it is evident, in all thefe refpecls, that thou art certainly born again. And as fuch, , thou fhalt fee, that is, enjoy the Kingdom of God, as a Kingdom of Grace here, which is a Kingdom of Power, Righteouf- nefs, Peace, and Joy in the Holy . Ghojt ; and thou fhalt enter into the Kingdom of Glory hereafter, as being made meet to be a Partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light, For he that is thy God hath prepardfor thee a City, and wrought thy Soul for this Jelf fame thing. There being ( i°7 ) being never a Soul in the World that is thus wrought upon, but is a Vefjel of Mercy prepared unto Glory, by a laving Work of the Holy Ghoft upon it, as well as in the Purpofes of God concerning it. Go on therefore, as a new-born Babe, to defire the fincere Milk of the Word, the unmixed Grace of the Gofpel ; and fear not to receive it, that thou may ft grow thereby. For it is on purpofe for thee, to maintain and increafe the begun Life of Grace in thy Soul, until it is perfected in the Life of Glory. Rejoice then, thou Lamb of Chrift, for thou art exceeding iafe under thy kind Shepherd's Care : he'll gather thee with his Arm, and carry thee in his Bofom ; he'll lead thee into green Paftures, beftde the /till Waters, and make thee to lye down Jafely. I am, with dear Love, Tours in him, &c. E 6 LET- ( io8 ) LETTER XVT To Mrs. G Dear Sifter, I Greet you in the Lord ; wifhing Peace,, from the God of Peace, to be extended towards you like a River. I ihould have wrote to you before now, but I have been hundred, partly thro' the Affliction thathas attended my Yoke-fellow, and my own perfonal Weaknefs, under which I. often groan, becaufe I can do fo little for my dear Lord Jefus. Oh, how am I prevented from ferving Chrift as I would, by reaibn of the Body of Sin that dwelleth in me, and the Weaknefs of my natural Frame ! But yet,, in Faith, I look forward to the Day of my Rede?nption, and rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God, when I .thall have done with all natural and fin- fbl Weaknefs too, and be for ever fuTd with Strength to know, love, and glorify God perfectly. Here we have Weakneis attending our Souls, as well as bodily Weak- nefs, to conflict with. What qualms, fick, and fainting Fits come over our Spirits now, ( io9 ) now, at Times, while the Body of Sin and Death works in us ? But in Heaven, Mortality flail be fivallawed up of Life. 'The Inhabitant of that City flail fay na more, I amfick • for Sin, with all its EfFedls^ fhall be for ever deftroy'd. God will root the Being of Sin out of our Nature, at Death \ and perfect Conformity to Chrift fhall take the Plate that Sin once had m our Souls : And he'll deliver our Bodies too from the Dominion of Death, at the Refurre&ion-morn , falTiioning them like unto the glorious Body of Chrift. And then Sin and Death will, apparently, be fwal- low'd up in the Vi&ory of everlafting Life. Oh the Glory of that State, when we fhall never have a vain Thought more ! an un- believing Thought more ! a heartlefs, lift- lefs Thought for Gcd more ! But (hall have our whole Souls intenfely fixt upon him, beholding his bright Face, fir'd with: love to him, and fill'd with Zeal for his Glory, afcending like a perpetual Flame5 in eternal Hallelujahs ! Then we fhall be fitted for Glory indeed, both in its Enjoy- ment and Employment. We fhall fee the Lamb's Face, and the Face of God in him, and cafl down our Crowns before the Throne^ while we afcribe Salvation, Glory and Honour unto God and the Lamb for ever. ( no) ever. We mall then be able to bear that Weight of Glory, which is now prepared for us -y which, was it to be let out upon us here, would crufh our weak Nature, and break down our feeble Frame, under the majeftick Greatnefs thereof. This new Wine of Glory would burjl our old Bottles, the old Frame of our Nature. And there- fore the Vejjels of Mercy muft be prepard for, before they are filPd with Glory -, and when we are prepar'd for it, we mall cverlaftingly be fill'd with it. God the Fa- ther prepard us for Glory, in his Eternal Choice of us in his Son, fore-appointing us to that great End. God the Son prepar'd us for Glory, when, in Love to the Church, he gave himfelf for it, that he might fan- clify and cleanfe it with the Wafhing of Water by the Word, that he might prefent it unto himfelf a glorious Church, not having Spot or Wrinkle or any fuch thing. And God the Holy Ghoft prepares us for Glory, by that good Work of Conformity to Chrifr, which he hath begun in its, and will perfetl upon us, both in Soul and Body. And when,from the Love of God,in his three glorious Perfbns,we are fully made meet for our Inheritance, we fhall enjoy it : As foon as ever we are come to Age, we fhall enter upon the full Pofleffion of that incon- C ». ) inconceiveable Glory, and endlefs Life we have in the LORD, as our Portion ! Lift up thy Head therefore, my dear Sifter, under all the Trials thou meetft with in this prefent Time ; for the Lord, by thefe, is preparing thee for endlefs Glory, The ever/a/ling Arms are underneath, to fupport thee ; they are round about, to em- brace and defend thee ; and they are al- ways at Work upon thee, to polifh and prepare thee for Glory, by every Stroke that toucheth thee. And tho' Trials may be grieving to thy frail Flefh; yet thy God will exercife thy Faith, and every Grace by 'em, and make them to yield thee the peace* able Fruit of Righteoujhefs, in that Crown of Life, which the Lord has promisd to them that love him, when they are fully try'd. Therefore endure Temptation, look- ing to the Glory which (hall be reveal'd ; for there is a peculiar BlefTednefs attending it. When a new Trial comes, think thus with thyfelf ; c Now my God is about to * make me more like Chrifl ; 'tis the * boundlels Love of my Father's Hearty * that gives me this Crofs to bear ; that fo 1 I might be conformable unto Chrifl: in 1 Sufferings : Looking therefore unto my K Lord, who endur'dius Crofs for the Joy * fit ( «* ) ' Jet before him, and leaning upon his € Strength, I'll take up mine, and bear it c after him, until I reach Glory with him\ Gold muft be refin'd from its Drofs, be- fore it can fhine forth in its native Glory. So muft the Saints, in the Furnace of Affliction, before they fhine forth in that Glory which (hall follow. Therefore prize your Trials, and be thankful for 'em ; for they all work together for your Good, un- der the efficacious Influence of eternal Love, infinite Wifdom, and almighty Power. And fince our light Affliction which is but for a Moment, worketh for us a far 7nore exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory ; what Caufe have we to rejoice in Chrift now ? and to comfort one another with thefe Words, that we Jhall^xt long, be for ever with him I Fare ye well in the Lord. In him> with dear Love y lam yours for ever, &c. L E T~ ( ^3) LETTER XVI. To Mr. C Honour* d Brother y CI Race and Peace from God our Fa- "J" ther, and from Jefus Chrifl our Lord. Your God is the God of Peace ; and your Jefus, the Lord of Peace, the King of Peace ; that made Peace for all his Sub- jects, and gives it to 'em by the bleffed Spi- rit, as the Comforter. Having therefore your Feet food with the Preparation of the Go/pel of Peace, go on cheerfully thro* a World of Trials, and fear none of the rug- ged Way you meet with. For having Peace with God, thro' Jefus Chrijl> and your Faith cloth'd herewith, you may fafe- ly tread your roughed Way, as being well fenc'd and fecur'd from all harm.. Re- member, if your Trials are great, and your Way thorny, your Shoes (hall be Iron and Bra/s, and as your Days, your Strength : You (hall have Strength proportionable un- to every Day of Trial. What tho' you have no Strength of your own, to endure the leaft ( U4) leafl Affliction, to the Glory of God ; yet you have Strength enough in your Head : Say therefore, in Faith, as it was long ago foretold, Lithe LORD have I Strength, Iia. xlv. 24. For unlefs the everlafting Strength of JEHOVAH could fail, you fhall not want frefli Supplies when you are juft ready to faint. No, he giveth Power to the Faint, a?id to them that have no Might he incveafeth Strength. And they that wait upon the LORD,JJjall renew their Strength, they fiall run and not be weary, and walk and not faint : And if they meet with Trials,which are like mighty Mountains in their Way, they fhall mount up with Wings as Eagles, and fly over them, Ija. xl. 29, 31. There- fore fear none of your Trials : For infinite Wifdom ordain'd 'em, infinite Love be- ftows 'em, and almighty Power over-rules them for the Glory of God, and your Ad- vantage. Grieve you they may -, but de- stroy you they cannot. And learn, my dear Brother, to look for your Peace where it is, even in the Bofom of Chrift : In me, fays he, ye Jhall have Peace. He has told you, that in the World ye fhall have Tribula- tion : therefore think it no Jlrange Thing. For all God's Children have their Trials, thofe very Trials which were appointed for them. Therefore fay, with Job, He per- formed ( "5) formeth the Thing that is appointed for mey Chap, xxiii. 14. Thofe very Trials you meet with were fore-appointed for you, as a Means to try and exercife your Graces. Your kind Father defigns to make you a Partaker of his Holincfs, by every Chaftife- ment that paffeth over you. He defigns your Profit herein, to brighten and increafe your Graces, and thereby to prepare you for your future Crown. And if you find your Afflictions to be a Means of fending you oftner to the Throne, and exercifing your Graces -, if you learn Obedience by the Things you fuifer ; you have great Reafon to blefs God for them, and for a fanctify'd Ufe of 'em. And don't let Satan rob God of the Glory, nor you of the Comfort, of his Kindnefs to you herein. For Afflictions could work no Good in thy Heart or Life, if God did not work by 'em. And that God that works by 'em, could as well work without 'em, was it his Pleafure. He could fill our Hearts brimful of Grace, without Trials as a Means, was it his Will. But fince infinite Wifdom faw it meet, that thro' much Tribu- lation we fliould enter the Kingdom^ let us fubmit with Thankfulnefs, and like the Way that leads to fo glorious an End. God did not appoint Affliction merely for its own ( »6 ) own fake, but as a Means to purify his Children. By this, fays the Lord, Jhall the Iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the Fruit to take away his Sin, Ifa. xxvii. 9. Fiery Trials are to brighten our Graces, and confume our Drofs, Rejoice therefore, as knowing that tribulation worketh Pati- ence^ (It works it, becaufe God having ap- pointed it as a Means, works by it unto this End) and Patience ', Experience-, and Experience, Hope, Rom. v. 3,4. And as our God deiigns to increafe our Graces by Affliction ; fo to prevent us from Sin thereby. And 'tis wondrous Grace to be either prevented or reftor'd from Sin, by any Trial we meet with. The Lord knoweth that our Hearts are bent to Back- Jliding from him ; and therefore, in infinite Grace, he fays, I will hedge up thy Way with Thorns, and make a Wall, that jhe jhalt not find herPaths. And fie Jhall follow after her Lovers, but fie Jhall not overtake them ; and fie Jhall 'Jeek them, but Jhall not jindyemy Hof. ii. 6, 7. Here's preventing Mercy flopping up our Way of finful Delight in the Creatures. But what would all this do upon our Spirits, if God was not to work upon our Hearts in thefe thorny Difpenfations ? Why , juft nothing at all that is good : We mould not get ( "7) get a jot nearer the Bofom of God-- thereby, but rather, like the Wicked, fret under his Hand, and blafpheme his Name. But be- hold, that fame Grace that hedgeth up our Way with Thorns, and thereby prevents us from taking up our Reft in the Crea- tures, doth abiblutely engage to work ef- fkacioufly upon our Souls, in turning them to God by thefe thorny Providences ; as it follows, Then Jhalljhe fay, 1 will go and return to Vtyfirft Husband, for then it was better with me than now, [Then] jhallfoefay : When ? why, when her Way is hedg'd up, when all the Creatures me feeks to delight her- felf in, fcratch and wound her. Aye, and then fhe [mall] fay, (it is not faid, me will fay ; but (he fhall fay) Efficacious Grace will make her fay : And what mall me fay ? Why; I will go and return unto myfirjl Husband \ for then was it better with me than now. Here's God's (loall, before her, / will : Efficacious Grace fecures her Will and fweetiy allures her into the Bofom of God, under frefh Difcoveries of his Relati- on to her, as her Husband ; giving her a quick Remembrance of that infinite Sweet- nefs fhe once tafted in him, and a delight- ful Profpecl of thofe tranfcendent Privileges, which are only to be enjoy'd in Communi- on ( n8) on with him. I will go and return to my firjl Husband ; for then was it better with me than now. 'Tis as if fhe fhould fay, * The Creatures grieve me, and I do but 4 wound my felf, in feeking Delight in 'em : * Til go therefore unto Chrift, my firjl Hus- * band, who is all Love, as well as Loveli- c nefs, and will therefore readily receive * me again -,for it was better with me when * I lived in his Bofom, than it is now I have f forfaken him : I'll therefore return again 1 unto him, as my complacent Reft, my < Soul-fatisfying All/ And, Oh, happy Souls, who are thus wrought upon under Trials, and brought to the Bofom of God by Afflictions ! Has this been thy Cafe, my dear Brother ? It is the Lords doing, and let it be marvellous in thy Eyes. If he brings thee to himfelf, what matter how ? And be affur'd, that none of thy Afflictions, whether from within or from without, could, of themfelves, bring thee to the Bofom of God under any Trial. No, 'tis he himfelf that brings thee, when- ever thou art brought. Praife his Name therefore, in that he deals with thee as a Child, bleffing his Rod, to make thee holy. The Ungodly never have one fan&ify'd Affliction in their whole Courfe : But unto us that believe in Jefus, Afflictions are Fin- ing-Pots, to make us bright and glorious. They ( »9) They are all Mercies to us : They flow from Mercy, they are manag'd by Mercy, and they end in Mercy : For God cannot be diiappointed of his Defign therein -y to wit, his own Glory,andour fpecial Advan- tage. There is fome thing to be done upon us in all the Changes which pafs over us : One Providence lias one Thing to do upon us ; another, another ; and God, in and by all, is working us up into Conformity to Chrift in Holinefs, in order to our being conformed unto him in Glory. And what- ever he does with us, he is ftill carrying on our Salvation, in that Way which infinite Wifdom fees beft for us. Therefore cajl thy Care upon him that careth for thee -, and follow thy Lord in all his Ordinances, and in all his Providences : For thy dear Lord Jefus will be thy Guide and fweet Com- panion thro' the Wildernefs, until he bring thee home to Glory, and let thee before his Father's Face, in whofe Prefence is Fulnefs of Joy, and Rivers of Pleafure for ever- more. Say with David, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. AIM my Houfe be not jo with God -, yet he hath made with me an everlafting Covenant , order d in all things and Jure : For this is all my Salvation, and all my Defire, alt ho* he he make it not to grow. I am, with dear Love, yours in the Lord, &c; LET- ( 120 ) mmmmm — — — — — — — — mmmm mm — — — wmmm — — — — ■ LETTER XVII. 5ft Mr*. B. Dear and Honour 9d Sifter, y^l Race unto you, and Peace be multi- VJT ply'd from God our Father, and from Jefus Chrift our Lord. Having heard of thy Diftrefs, by reafon of the Lofs of near Relatives, it was on my Heart to write a few Lines unto thee. And I would fay unto you, as our dear Lord to his Difciples, let not your Heart be troubled^ neither let it be afraid, John xiv.27. Be not troubled for the Lofs of your dear Relati- ons : For it is the Lord's Hand that took them away -, and he has done all things well ; well, for his own Glory, and well, for your Soul's Advantage : He has done all fo well, that nothing could be better than it is. You know he has a fovereign Right to give Mercies to his Creatures, or take them away as he pleafes -, but he ex- ercifeth this Sovereignty towards his Chil- dren, in a way of fpecial Love and Grace. And if you cou'd believe ftedfaftly the Love of your Father's Heart, in thefe fmart Strokes ( 121 ) Strokes of his Hand ; you would fee no Caufe to be angry, like Jonah, for the Lofs of his Gourd, Chap. iv. 9. but ra- ther, to fay, with Eli, It is the LOR D : let him do what jeemeth him good, 1 Sam. ni. 18. And with Job, the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away y bleffedbe the Name of the LORD, Chap. i. 21. Hit,, my dear Sifter, I truft you are not angry at what the Lord has done, but only troubled for your Lofs. But as to this confider, you have not loft your God ; you have Him ftill ; and in having Him you have all3even in the Want of all , and therefore need not be much troubled. Let them be at their Wits End, and break their Hearts for the Lofs of Creatures, who have no Intereft in God : But as for us, that have the LORD for our Portion, we are fo rich, that we can never be made poor 5 and fo happy, that we have always Caufe of rejoicing , and it well becomes us, when we have nothing of the Creature to rejoice in, to polfefs all Things in GOD, and glory in Him as our ALL ! May not Chrift fay to thee, my dear Sifter, as Elkanah to Hannah^ JVhv weepeji thou ? and why eateji thou not ? and why is thy Heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten Sons f 1 Sam. i. 8. Is not F Chdft ( 122 ) Chrift better than ten Sons ? Infinitely bet- ter than all the Creatures, both in the up- per and lower Worlds ? And haft thou him, and yet troubled ! Oh wipe thy Eyes, and weep no more for the Lofs of the Creature, when thou haft the Creator ! for the Shadow, when thou haft the Subftance ! for a Beam, when thou haft the Body of the Sun ! for the Stream, when thou haft theFountain ! and for a Drop,when thou haft the Ocean ! If there is not enough in Chrift to fill thy Heart with Gladnefs, then go on to mourn -y but if there is, pafs off from the Creatures, run to his Bofom, and folace thyfelf with his infinite Sweetnefs, his boundlefs Excellencies, and his incompre- henfible Glory ! Are the Creatures gone ? Thou haft not loft much -, nay, nothing of that full and comprehenfive Happinefs, which God has prepar'd for thee in his Son. Hadft thou once fome Sweetnefs in the Creatures, and doft thou now want it ? Care not much for it -, fince Chrift ftands in all Relations to thee, and will fill them up with his own infinite Sweetnefs, thro' Time, and to Eternity. There are no Comforts in the Creatures, but what God puts into 'em-; and none to be enjoy 'd in them , but what are mixt with Croffes. jBut in Chrift, there's Joy without Sorrow, Light without Darknefs, Sweet without Bitter, ( I23 ) Bitter, and Life without an End ! Thy Husband, Chrift, ever lives, and ever loves ; and becaufe he lives, thou thou Jhalt live alfo-y thy Life is fecur'd in his. Think but, in Faith, what Chrift is to thee, has done, and will do for thee ; and I dare fay thou'lt want none but him, to make thy Happinefs complete. He has infinite Bowels to companionate and fuccour thee in all thy Diftreffes ; infinite Wifdom,to order all Things for the beft for thee -> infinite Pati- ence, to pafs by all thy Provocations ; infi- nite Mercy, to forgive all thy innumerable TranfgrefTions ; infinite Fulnefs, to fupply all thy Wants ; infinite Power, to defend thee from all Harms, and fave thee from all Mifery unto all Glory; and in infinite Faithfulnefs, he will never leave ', nor for fake thee ! Others may leave thee, but Chrift will never fail thee. Friends may ft and a- loof from thy Sore ; but Chrift will know thy Soul in Adverjity. Yea, faith he, the Mountains JJjall depart, and the Hills be re- moved ; but my Kindnefs fall not depart fro?n thee, nor the Covenant of my Peace be removed, faith the LORD, that hath Mercy on thee, Iia. liv. 10. And what can ft thou want more? Oh, nothing but Enjoyment of Chrift, to make thee perfectly happy ! Labour therefore, to live upon him, as thy F 2 Timer- ( iH) Time-Portion, as well as thy eternal ALL: For this will be for his Glory, and thy Comfort. It will be fof the Glory of thy Lord, if thou put him for a Well, a never- failing Well of Confolation, while thou art paffing thro' the Valley of Baca, this World of Trials $ and in acquainting thy- felf with him, thou fhalt have Peace 5 fuch Peace that the World can neither give, nor take, fuch jfoy that a Stranger intermed- dleth not with, c Aye, fay ft thou, but this is my Mifery, c I am fo chain 'd down to Senfe, and fen- 1 fible Enjoyments, that my Soul is oft in * Prijbn, and I cannot come forth into the * Liberty and Sweetnefs of my Lord's < Bofom \ Well, if this be thy Cafe, Chrift can come to thee, when thou canft not come to him : He can come leaping on the Mountains, Jkipping in the Hills -, thofe Hills of Difficulty, which are too great for thee to climb over to get to him -, and fuch his Grace, that he will come. I will not leave you comfortlefs, fays he, I will come unto you, John xiv. 18. And if Chriji comes unto us, he brings all Salvation with him : He brings Life, Light, Liberty, Joy, Glory, all that our Souls can want. He can, with a Word of his Mouth, break our Bands afunder, knock off our Fetters, ftrengthen ftrengthen our weak Faith, and give us Acceis, in an Inftant, into the glorious Li- berty of the Sons of God. So mighty is our Beloved, that he can do it $ fo gracious, and fo faithful, that he will do it. Thy Maker, thy Husband, will have companion upon thee in all thy Soul-Diftreffes, as well as in all thy outward Troubles ; and he'll comfort thee in all thy Tribulation. Thy dear Lord Jefus will be thy Companion . all the Way thro' the Wildernefs : Do not think that thou art left to go thro' the World alone : No, thou haft thy Beloved with thee,to conduct, fupport, comfort, and proted: thee in thy Paffage home to Glory. And when thou doft not fee his Face, be- lieve it, his Heart is the fame towards thee as ever -, and thou art then cail'd to live by Faith, rejoicing in Hope of the Glory of God : For tho': for a [mall Moment he. mayforfake thee, as to his fenfiblc Prefence, yet, (as he'll never forfake thee as to his real, gracious Prefence, fo) with everlafting Kindnefs he will have Mercy upon thee : And he'll quickly take thee up to Glory, where thou malt fee his Face, without the lean: Cloud to interpofe for ever. And then he'll wipe all Tears from thy Eyes, and open the Myftery of his Providences, which here thou haft been try'd with, as having been F 3 all ( 126 ) all confident with his everlafting KindneS towards thee, and fubfervient to thy eter- nal Salvation. Therefore lift up thy Head ; for what thou knoweft ?tot now, thou fialt know hereafter. The Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift be with thy Spirit. Amen. I am, with dear Love, yours in him, &c. LETTER XV1IL To Mrs. L, Dear Friend, NOT having Ability of Body to give you a Viiit, I was willing to write a Line to you under your prefent Concern. And I would fay unto thee, as Paul and Si fas to the Jaylor, A5ls xvi. 3 1. Believe en the Lord J ejus Chrift, and ikon jhait be Javed. God the Father, from his great Love to poor Sinners, even when they were dead in Sins, did give his own Son to be their Saviour -, he call'd him to this work, and anointed him for it ; and when he lent him forth into the World, he gave this- Commandment to loft Sinners, that they Jhould believe on the Name tf his Son Jefus Chrift, ( I27 > Chrifl, i John iii. 23. And this is the Wilt of him that fent me, faith our Lord, that every one that jeeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlajting Life,. John vi. 40. And this Lord Jefus is infinitely able to fave thern to the titter mo ft , who come unto God by him, Hcb. vii. 25. And to (hew that he is as willing as he is able, he jays, Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you Refl, Matt. xi. 28. And he has given the high- eft Afiurance of Happinefs unto that Soul which believes in him : Johnvi. 46. Verily, verily, 1 fay unto you, he that believeth on me, hath everlajting Life. And believing on Chrift is, looking unto him for Salvation : IJa. xlv. 22. Committing the Soul into his Hands, to be kept from eternal Mifery, and brought unto eternal Glory, 1 Tim. u 12. 'Tis trufting in his Name, Matt. xii. 2 1 . and re '/ting upon him, as the Foundation God has laid in Sion; or 'tis the Soul's laying the whole Weight and Strefs of its Salva- tion, building all its Hope of Life upon Chrift alone, from a difcerning of his Pre- cioufnefs, as that Rock againjt which the Gates of Hell Jhall not prevail, &c. 1 Cor. iii. 11. 1 Peter ii. 7. Matt. xvi. 18. Well then, doft thou fee thyfelf to be utterly undone by reafon of Sin ? Here's a F 4 Saviour ( i*8 ) Saviour provided, and a great One: Look unto him, and thou ihalt live for ever. However great thy Sins are in themfelves, or appear to be in thy View, they are not too great to be pardon'd ; Chrijt is in- finitely greater, as a Saviour, than thou canft be as a Sinner. He is mighty to fave ; yea, almighty. He fays, Look unto me, and be ye faved , all the Ends of the Earth, Ifa. xlv. 22. He commands Sinners at the greatefi Diftance, to look unto him the great Saviour ; and unto every Soul that looks, he fays, 5^ ye faved : He is fo mighty to fave, that he faves with a Word of his Mouth. And that becaufe he is God ; as it follows there -,for I ant Gcd, and there is none elfe. So that his Almightinefs, as God, is engag'd to fave every Soul that looks unto him for Life. Yea, all the Perfections of his Nature are engag'd for the Salvation of that Soui ; his infinite Love, Mercy, Wif- dom, Truth, Faithfulnefs, &c. And is not here enough to lave thee ? Look to him therefore, and thou (halt be faved. Thou fhalt be faved, whoever fays nay : If Satan fays nay, or if thy unbelieving Heart fays nay, it matters not -, ChriiVs Word ihall ftand, and bring all Salvation to thee, not- withftanding all the Oppoiition that can be made againft it. He would have thee look to ( ™9 ) to him as God ; and that will anfwer all thy Objections. What are all thy Crimfon and Scarlet-dyyd Sins, before the infinite Merit of his Blood, that cleanfeth from all Sin ! Ifa. i. 18. i John i. 7. What's all the Power of thy fpiritual Enemies, before the omnipotent Strength of the LORD thy Saviour ! who travels in the Greatnefs of his Strength to fave Sinners, and tread down their Enemies ! Ifa. lxii. 1. What is all thy Unworthinefs and Sinfulnefs, be- fore free, reigning Grace, and boundlefs Mercy, in its glorious Superaboundings ! Rom. v. 21. 1 Tim. i. 14. If the Lord will be gracious to thee, and will fliew Mercy on thee ; who, or what fhall hinder it ? Remember, he will be gracious to thee as GOD3 and if thou wanted all the Mer- cy and Grace that is in him to fave thee, thou {halt have it, if thou looked, as a perifhing Sinner, unto Chrijl alone for Sal- vation. When Chrift faves a Sinner, he does it with his whole Heart, ami his whole Soul, Jer. xxxii. 40, 41. Every one he faves is as much interefbd in all the Grace of the Saviour for his Salvation, as if Chrift had never another in the World to fave, befides him. And what thinkeft thou now ? Is all the Grace that is in- Chrift, enough to F 5 iave ( i3° ) fave thee ? Believeft thou that he is able to do this ? Aye, foyft thou, if I was one of his ; but that I am afraid of. Well, if thou canft not come to him as a Child > come, as the Woman of Canaan y who thought herfelf to be as unworthy as a Dog, and plead for the Crumbs which fall from the Childrens Table ; and Chriji will fay unto thee, as he did unto her, O Wo- man, great is thy Faith, be it unto thee even, as thou wilt, Matt. xv. 27, 28. Come therefore, come as thou canft, with all thy Mifery, and caft thyfelf down at Jefus Feet, and thou {halt find Mercy. For ht that believeth onhimjhati never be confounded* 1 Peter ii. 6. Seek the LORD therefore, while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. For he hath faid, Let the Wicked for fake his Way, and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts -, and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have Mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon, Ifa. lv. 6, 7. Come therefore, come, and try what infinite Mercy will, do for thee: For there never was any poor, needy Soul that -came to the Throne of Grace to find Mercy, however great his Sins and his Wants were, that was fen t away empty, nor fhall be, unto the \Vor.ld!s End 5 iince Chnft ever liveth to fave them to ( i3« ) to the uttermofty who come unto God by him, Heb. vii. 25. Wifhing Grace, Mercy, and Peace may be multiply'd unto thee, in the Manifefta- tion of free Pardon, to the rilling of thy Heart with Joy unfpeakable, and full of Glory, lam, with dear Love, thine in the Lord, &c. LETTER XIX. To Mr. W. G. Dear Brother, whom I love, and honour in the Lord, \ T^OUR Labour of Love, which you have fhewed towards his Name, Gofpel, and Caufe in B— s, fhall be abun- dantly own'd, and crown'd in the Day of Chrift ; when you fhall find, to your un- fpeakable Joy and Glory, that none of your Labour has been in vain in the Lord. Wherefore be ftedfaft, unmoveable, always abounding therein. I rejoice that the Lord has given you a large Heart, and aa open Hand for him, who gave himfelf, his great Self for you. Surely I can fay, with De- F 6 borahy In* ) borah, My Heart is toward the Governors c/^Ifrael, that offer d themfehes willingly to the Help of the Lord, Judg. v. 9, 23. I am glad that the Love of Chrift conftrains you to give up yourfelf and your all unto him. And, believe it, my dear Brother, you mail lofe nothing by it. Our Lord has told us, that a Cup oj cold Water given to a Difciple, in the Name of a Difciple, or be- caufe he belongs to Chrift, Jhall in no wife lofe its Reward. And when he appears the fecond Time, without Sin, unto Salvation, he comes to give Rewards unto his Ser- vants, and to all that fear him, both Jmall and great, according to their Works. And oh, how brightly (hall the Saints then fhine in the Kingdom of their Father, with a pro- portionable Glory, unto all their various Services which they have been enabled to do for God in this prefent State ! 'Tis true we owe ourfelves, and our all, had we ten thoufand times more than we have, to our dear LORD; whom we can never, no not to Eternity, fufficient- ly love, ferve, and honour, for what he is in himfelf, unto us, and has done for us : So that our utmoft Service is our Duty ; and could we do all that is com- manded, we mould ftill be but unprofitable Servants : For who hath given himy (in a Way ( *33 ) Way of Defert or Merit) and it flail be recompenfed to him again ? No, all Flejh here muft be filent before the L O R D of GLORY ! And the Saints have fuch a Sight of the Lamb's Worthinefs, and of their own Unworthinefs,that their Mouths, of all other, are flopped 3 they'll never open their Mouth before him , and fay, we have done many mighty Works in thy Name, which deferve thy Notice : No, the Re- membrance of their own Shame, together with the Soul-ravifhing Profpecis of his Glory,, will make them fhrink to nothing before his infinite Majefty, Love and Grace, in the Review of their beft Services ; faying, Lor d, when Jaw we thee an hungredy and Jed thee ? &c. Ezek. xvi. 63. Matt. xxv. 37- But yet, fuch is the boundlefs Grace of our Lord and Matter, our Friend and Bro- ther, our Head and Husband, that none of our Services, no not the lean: that we are enabled to do for him, (hall go unrewarded. He'll call the Performance of our Dutv, Kindnefs ; the Acls of our Service, Friend- {hip ; Jer. ii. 2. Jam. ii. 21, 23. And infinite Love will reward 'em, according to the E ft i mate it puts upon them. Ye are they, faith our Lord, wl :ch have continued with me in my Temptations. And I appoint u ■ *34 ) unto you a Kingdom, as my Father hath ap- pointed unto ??ie : That you may eat and dr ink at my Table in my Kingdom, and fit on Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Ifrael, Luke xxii. 2v;, 29, 30. Oh, infinite Grace ! How will our Lord honour his Servants ! He calls us Friends ; and then advanceth us as fuch. He works all pur Works in us and by us, and then calls 'em ours. He en- ables us to overcome, and then crowns us as Overcomers -y granting us to ft with him in his Throne, as he overcame, and is fet down with his Father in his Throyie. And herein he ads like himfelf, as the God of all Grace! while every Saint (hall receive his own Reward, according to his own Labour, Rev. iii. 21. 1 Cor. iii. 8. Blefled then are thofe Servants, which can do moft for Chrift in this Day ; fince, in that Day of his Kingdom, he'll gird himfelf, make them ft don.on to Meat, and come forth and ferve them, Luke xii. 37. A Phrafe that has more Grace in it, than we can take in ! Wherefore, my beloved Brother, Stand faft in the LORD, abounding in his Work ; as having refpeci unto the Recompenfe of the REWARD! Wifhing you may have the Joy, a*s a Friend of the Bridegroom, to fee him have the ( 135) the Bride, (in the Succefs of the Gofpel, in the Converfion of many in B— s) I am, with dear Love, and due Refpe£ty Tours in the Lord, &c. LETTER XX. To Mrs. S. Dear and honour* d Sifter r GRace unto ybu, and Peace be mul- tiplied. it is the Pleafure of the Lord, your Fa- ther, to lay his chaftning Hand upon your Body ; but fince this very Chaitifement flows from the boundlefs Love of his Heart, and was determin'd by his infinite Wifdom, for his own Glory and your Advantage, receive it with Thankfulnefs. You'il blels God for it, when you come to Heaven -f and fee how needful it was for you to pafs this Way, thro' this AfiMion, to Glory : Therefore begin the Work of Praife now. The Lord's Defign herein, is not to deftroy, but to refine you 5 to make you more con- formable unto Chrift, your glorious Head, in Suffering : And as Chriil firit suffered, and ( 136) and then entrcd into his Glory, fo muft you. There's a Glory to follow the Suffer- ings of Chrift myftical, as there was of Chrift perfonal. The Members muft have Fellowship with their Head, firft in Suffer- ings, and then in Glory : For if we fuffer with himy we /kail aljo be glorify' d together, Rom. viii. 17. We mould look upon the Sufferings of Chrift with a double View. Fir fly As he fuffered in our ftead, to fatisfy Juftice, and bring us to God, 1 Peter iii. 18. And fo, we don't fuffer with him. No, bleffed be God, of the People there was none with him, in this refpecl, Ifa. lxiii. 3. Our mighty Mediator, on whom the Fa- ther laid Help, ftood alone, in the Great- nefs of his Strength, as God-Man, under the inexprefTible Weight of our Sins, and his Father's Wrath, pour'd out upon him thro' the Curies of a broken Law , iffuing in that overflowing Deluge of Afflictions which he endur'd, when for us he became the Man of Sorrows > when be was wounded for our TranfgreJJionSy and bruifed for our Iniquities. And hereby he has for ever fatisfy'd Law and Juftice, and fully taken away the Curfe out of all our Afflictions : For having drank up the Wrath-Cup, he left not one Drop for us. So that in this refpeft, we don't fuffer with him : No, fuch ( 137 ) fuch was the boundlefs Grace of God to- wards us, that he fuffer'd, and we go free ! But then,, Secondly. Chrift alfo fujfer d for us, leav- ing us an Example, that we Jhould follow his Steps, i Peter ii. 21. It became him of whom are all things, and by whom are all things ,in the bringing many Sons unto Glory, to make the Captain of their Salvation per- fect thro' Sufferings, Heb. ii. 1 o. It was a Defign becoming the infinite Wifdom of Jehovah, to make his own Son, as the Captain of their Salvation, the great Leader of his People, perfetl thro' Sufferings. God ordain'dhis own Son, in his aifumed Man- Nature, firft to Juffer, and then to enter into his Glory 3 firft to pafs thro' all Suffer- ings, and therein to exercife all Graces, and at the End of his Race to be crown'd with all Glory -y that io he might become the great Pattern of Obedience unto all his junior Brethren, and the Exemplar of that Glory, which they (hall arrive unto, when their fuffering State is ended, as 1 Peter ii. 11, 12, 13. with Heb. xii. 2. And as ChrifVs Sufferings are propos'd as an Ex- ample of our Obedience, and we enabled to tread in his Steps -, fo the Head and Mem- bers have a Community in Sufferings. Or, we may be laid to fuffer wilji him, as I humbly ( '38) humbly conceive, in thefe four Refpeds : r. In that the Origin, Source, Spring- head, or firft Rife of Sufferings, both to Chrift and us, is the Father's Love. 2. In that we bear Affli&ions, under the Influences of the fame Spirit, in our Meafure, as Chrift did. 3 . In that we have thelameEnd in View, in our patientenduring Affliction, to wit, the Glory of God, as Chrift had. And, 4. In that our Sufferings fetve as a Foil to fet off the Glory which fhall fucceed 'em, as ChrifVs did. Suffering, both to Chrift and us, while by the fame Spirit we learn Obe- dience under it, is but a Preparation for Glory : As the dark Ground, the Limner lays, is in order to commend and fet off the fair and beautiful Colours which he defigns to draw upon it. And Oh, how glorious will Chrift, whole Chrift, Head and Members be, when all that Glory is laid upon 'em, which was ordain'd to follow their Suffer- ings ! Oh thou Afflicted, toffed with Tempeft, and not co?nforted, Behold, faith the Lord, I will lay thy Stones with fair Colours, &c. I/a. lxiv. ii, 12. And Oh, how glorious will the Church appear, in the New Jeru- falem State, when this Promife fhall have its full Accomplifhment, when the fair Colours of Glory are laid upon her Stones, which before were carv'd, and prepaid by Affliction ( !39 ) Affliction to receive it ! Affliction, to God's, People, under the Management of infinite Wifdom and Grace, is like the Carving of Letters in Stone, in order to overlay 'em with Gold. Well, my dear Sifter, fince you fufFer with Chrift, you need not be very forrow- ful under it ; you have a fweet Companion in all your Tribulation. Your dear Lord Jefus interefts himfelf in all your Sorrows ; I was Jick, &c. fays lie, Matt. xxv. 36. And, fays Paul, 1 fill up that which is be- hind of the Afflictions of Chrift in my Flefo% Col. i. 24. Since this Affliction in your Flefh is ChrifVs, fear not a glorious IfTue. You are one of thofe Sons that are to be brought to Glory ; and in Conformity to the Firft-born of the Family, you are to be lov'd home, thro* Affliction. Chrift has gone before us, thro* Affliction and Death? up to Glory ; and taken the Curfe and Bitternefs out of our Pains, and the Sting out of our Death ; and now 'tis fweet fol- lowing our Fore-runner, who is for us en* tred into the Prcfence of his and our Fa- ther. I fay, following of him 5 becaufe our Faith is to eye Chrift as gone before us into Glory. But let us not think that he is fo gone, as to leave us alone in a World of Trials. No, no 5 we have our Beloved with ( HP ) with us, h " :r. on, and his Bofom to reft in, a y we come up from the Wildernefs, laid, I will never leave thee, not thee, Heb. xiii. 5, And the G Faithfulneis of this Promife fecare his defence with us, thro* Life, thro' Death, and to Eternity. And if the Lord 1 with us, who, or what need we fear ? S. we may boldly fay ,7 'he Lord is my Helper, F will not fear what any Creature \ or thing, can do unto me. For neither Death y nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor Things pre- Jent, nor Things to come, nor Height , nor Depth, nor any other Creature, Jhall be able to J e par ate us ft om the Love of God which is in Chrift Jefus our Lordy Rom. via. 38> 39- And now, that you may be ftrengthned with all Might, unto all Patience, and Long- fuffering with Joyfulnefs, is the earneft De- fire of, Tour humble Servant in the Lord} &c. LET- ( Hi ) < .■ i ' ' ' " i ■ ■ LETTER XXI. To Mrs. K. Dear friend, and honour d Sifter, I Beg leave to return humble and hearty Thanks to you and Mr. K. for all that great Kindnefs you have fhewn to the Caufe of Chriit here, in its low Eftate ; and unto us the leaft in our Father's Houfe. And be aflur'd, that none of your Labour Love (hall in any wife lofe its Reward. The Lord abundantly inrich your Souls with his Grace, and caufe you to inherit Subftance, the true Riches, where neither Moth nor Rujt can corrupt. nor Thieves break thro" to ftcai. All thirtgsjiere are Shadows, that have nothing in them iuited to the Nature of an immortal 3oui : The beft of worldly Enjoyments are empty, and paf- fing away -, but the Riches of Chrifl, are both durable and unfearchable ! And oh that the Lord, the Spirit, may give unto you a Si^ht of your Intereft in thofe im- menfe Treasures ! if we have Chrifl, we have all -, all for Time, and ai! for Eternity ! Oh the exceeding Precioufnefs of Chriit. ! and (( 142.) arid the Happinefs of that Soul who is in- terefted in him ! Neither Men nor Angels can tell it out. The whole World, with all the Variety of Creatures and Things in it, can't fill the Heart of one Man. But One Chrift can fill the largeft Soul, yea, Millions of them, both in the upper and lower Worlds, at once : Becaufe his Ful- nefs is infinite ! Oh, what a goodly Heritage have they, that have Chrift for their Por- tion ! And how happy are they who love him moft, and ferve him bell: ! Oh, what a glorious Mailer is Jefus Chrift ! who makes all his Servants Kings! who has Thrones and Crowns for every one of them ; who pardons all their Sins, accepts all their weak Services, and in infinite Grace rewards them ! Yea, that gives them no lefs than his great SELF! and the eternal Enjoy- ment of him, as their exceeding Great REWARD ! What a Thraldom is the Service of Sin, and how doth it debafe and ruin the Soul ! But the Service of Chrift is perfect Freedom, and the higheft Ho- nour ! The whole Hofts of Angels and Arch-angels, with the Spirits of jnft Men, now made perfect in Heaven, think it both their Flonour and Happinefs to ferve and glorify Jefus Chrift. What an Honour then ( 143 ) then is it for a mortal, finful Worm, to be admitted into the Service of this Great LORD ! and a kind of Fellowfhip with the glorious Family above ! Oh, little doth the World think., what an Honour and Happinefs it is to ferve (Thrift Here ! nor yet what Glory he hath in referve for his Servants hereafter ! ChrifVs Servants wear Royal Apparel, and are feafled as fo many Princes, even here ; but the World don't fee their Glory, nor know their En- joy men ts, becaufe they are of an heavenly Nature ; and fo too bright and high to be difcern'd by the natural Eye, or for the na- tural Man to conceive of ! Oh the amazing Difference Chrift puts between his Ser- vants, and the Sen ants of Sin and Satan, even in this World ! Behold, fays he, my Servants Jhall eat, but ye fall be hungry ; behold, ?ny Serva?its jhall drink, but ye fall be thirjiy ; behold, my Servants jhall rejoice \ but ye fall be ajhamed : Behold, my Servants fallfing for Joy of Heart, but ye flail cry for Sorrow of Heart, and fall howl for Vexation of Spirit , Ifa. lxv. 13, 14. ChrifVs S rvants have heavenly Manna to eat, a pire River of Water of Life to drink of, the Streams whereof fill them with Joy an J Gkidnefs, and make them break forth into finging, even in this World -, while the ( H4 ) the Servants of Sin have juft the Reverfe. Bat oh, when Chrift comes again, in his Father s Glory, in his own Glory, and in the Glory of his hcly Angels, what a Differ- ence will he put between 'em then ! When they that fear the LORD mail mine forth with an heavenly Splendor, as Jewels made up ; and have fuch an aftonifhing Glory put upon them, that the Ungodly, to their utmoft Shame, and everlafting Confufion, (hall difcern between the Righte- ous and the Wicked, between him that Jerv- eth God, and hint thatferveth him not ! Mai. iii. 17, 18. Wifhing Grace and Peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, by the blefled Comforter 5 / am, with dear Love and Service to your whole Self, yours in the Lord for ever, §cc* LET- ( H5 ) LETTER XXII. To Mrs. D. Dear Sifter > C^l Race unto you, and Peace be multi- 5" plied. Having heard, that you are much can: down in your Soul, under a Senfe of your own Unworthinefs, and afraid, on that account, that you are none of the Lord's ; I was willing, according to your Defire, to write a few Lines unto you. And this I would fay to thee, that among all the in- numerable Multitude of God's People, there never was, nor will be one that was faved, becaufe they were worthy of God's Love, or of any its glorious Fruits. No; Salvation, from Foundation to Top-Stone, is all of one pure Piece of Grace. Free- Grace is the Chariot that conveys all God's Chofen home to Glory. If Salvation was of Works, and to be beftow'd upon con- dition of the Creature's Obedience and in- herent Goodnefs, then you might be dis- couraged, if you faw the want of thefe things in yourielfj and conclude that there was no Salvation for you. But fmce Salva- tion is of Grace, free, abfolute, unchangea- G ble ( H6 ) ble and infinite Grace, why mayn't it be for thee ? Thy Unworthinefs can't hinder : Becaufe Free- Grace delights to glorify its Riches, in faving to the uttermoft, thofe that are moft unworthy. God has conclud- ed his Chofen, all in Unbelief] that he might have mercy upon all. And where Sin has abounded, Grace doth much more abound \ Rom. xii. 31, and v. 20. How unreafona- ble then is it for thee to conclude that thou art not the Lord's, becaufe thou art unworthy > when all his are fuch ? Yea, let me fay, there are none but his, that fee themfelves to be fuch. As God's Delign, from everlafting, was to glorify his Grace to the utmoft, in fay- ing a Remnant of poor Sinners, whom he had fet his Heart upon, and chofen to Life Eternal -, fo, in the Fufoefs of 'Tinie^ he lent his Son to die for 'em ; and at the appointed Moment, when their perfonal Salvation is to begin, he fends forth his Spi- rit into their Hearts, to convince them of their Mifery by Sin,and to (hew them their great Unworthinefs of any Favour, in or- der to make them willing to be beholding to his rich Mercy and Free-Grace for the whole of their Salvation. For by Nature, all Adam's Poflerity are under the Covenant of Works, and feek Life by the Deeds of the Law. And fo blind ( H7) blind is proud Man, and fo deceived by Satan, that he thinks there is fome Good- nefs in his Heart or Life, which renders bim worthy of divine Mercy and Favour ; which he dares to plead before God, as the Phari/ee, God, I thank thee, I am not as o- ther Men -, or, if this is not the Language of his Mouth, how often doth he blefs him- J elf in his Heart \ in his fuppofed Goodnefs ? Andfo long as the Soul refts upon this Bot- tom, it is impoffible for it to enjoy Salva- tion ; God's Way of faving Sinners, and the Way fuch a Soul would be faved in, being fo diametrically oppofite. c I have * done this and that, and the other, faith 1 fuch a Soul, Lord, fave me \ There's no Salvation, faith the Lord, by the Deeds of the Law ; I lave none but miierable Sinners, that can do nothing to help them- felves, but are utterly undone ; my Defign is to glorify my Grace in faving fuch ; and no Soul (hall perim, that is willing to be faved this Way ? But alas, an unregene- rate Man don't like this Way of Salvation : No, he chufes to cleave to the Works of the Law ; and living and dying in that State, being under the Curfe, he mull perifh for ever. But when God is about to apply Salva- tion to an elect VefTel, he empties fuch a G 2 Soul ( H8 ) Soul of all its conceited Goodnefs, and gives it to fee its own Ill-defer vings, and Hell- defervings ; he mews it its Mifery, and re- veals the Remedy ; in order to make it willing to be faved in his own Way, and to fill it with Mercy, Grace, and Glory in this World, and that which is to come. God be merciful to me a Sinner ', is the Plea of fach a Soul. I will be merciful to thy Unrigh- teou/he/s, and t by Sim and thy Iniquities Iwill remember no more, is the glorious Anfwer that it receives from theLord. Salvation byGrace, the Soul- pleads for : This is according to God's Heart, and the eternal Defigns of his Kindnefs ; and Salvation by Grace, he be- flows upon that Soul. And is it thus with thee, my dear Sifter ? Doit thou fee thy own Vilenefs and Un- worthinefs, and derire to be faved alone by Grace : Be of good Comfort, for thou art a VeiTel of Mercy ; prepared unto Glory. God's free, full, and everlafdng Salvation was pre par 'd for thee ; and thy Heart, by the Work of the Spirit, is prepar'd to re- ceive it : And what then mail hinder thy Enjoyment of it ? Thou art certainly one of the Lord's ; or elfe thou hadft never been made willing to be faved in God's Way. Art thou willing to be faved by Jcfus Chrift ? 'Twas in the Day of his Poiffer;thzt thy ftubborn Will was fubdu'd, and ( *49 ) and fvveetly drawn into Subjection to him- felf, as the alone Saviour. Thy Salvation is already begun j and fear not the fall Accomplishment of it. Chrift has faved thee, to Willingnefs -, and will give thee all that Salvation thy willing Soul deli res. And what tho' thou art vile, and wretched in rhyfelf ; there's Grace enough for thee in the Heart of God , and Salvation c- nough in the Perfon of Chrift, which thou art calPd to receive freely. Come therefore, boldly to the Throne of Grace , for thou (halt find Mercy, and Grace to help in Time of Need, Heb. iv. 16. Open thy Mouth wide, faith the Lord, the De- fires of thy Soul, for all the Grace and Salvation thou needeft, and 1 will Jill ity Pfal. lxxxi. 10. Thy Sins, tho' an huge Mafs, yet, were they ten thoufand times more and greater than they are,are no more, when caft into the infinite Grace of God, and the infinite Merit of Chrift's Blood, than a fmall Stone to the immenfe Ocean ; which is no fooner caft therein, but it is cover'd, and fwallow'd up of its unfathoma- ble Depths ! Honour therefore the God of all Grace, by believing his Grace fuffi- cient to fave thee, by cafting thyfelf into the Arms of his Mercy, and by crediting his infinite Faithfulnefs, as a God that can- G 7 not ( i5o ) not lie ; who has faid, they that trufi in the LORD, frail be as Mount Zion, that /hall never be removed : They frail never be a- foamed nor confounded, World without E?id> Pfal. cxxv. i. Ifa. xlv. 17. And now, that the God of Peace may fill thee with all Joy and Peace thro' Be- lieving, is the earneft Defire of Thy Loving Friend in the Lord> &c. LETTER XXIII. To Mrs. B. My very dear Sifter, MY Soul is troubled at the prefent Diftrefs you are under. If one Member /uffer, all the reft fympathize. But oh, the infinite Tendernefs of your Head in Heaven ! Not a Sorrow pierceth your Heart, but he has an inward Feeling of it. And his Bowels yern towards you, even now there is ilich a Cloud upon his Face, and he feems to fpeak againft you : He yet earneflly remembers you ft ill. Aye frill, notwithstanding all the Contrarieties you fee and feel in yourfelf. What tho' you ( 15' ) you have an Hell of Iniquity in your Na- ture, as much, in your Apprehenfion, as there can be even in the Devils themfelves ; yet this alters not (Thrift's Heart towards you one jot. God has refolv'd that Sin ihall never out-do his Grace ; but that where Sin has abounded, Grace (hall much more abound. What tho' the Sin of your Nature appears, in your Sight, like a migh- ty Ocean, that would fwallow you up ; yet 'tis no more than a Drop, if compar'd with the infinite Ocean of Chrift's Love, and the Merit of his Blood, which has fwallow' d up all your Sin. Your Heart can't be worfe than what the Lord fpeaks of the Hearts of Men in general, Gen. vi. 5. And God Jaw that the Wickednefs of Man was great in the Earth, and that every Ima- gination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only evil, and that continually. And yet this did not alter God's Heart to a Remnant in his Son, that were as bad as the reft. Your being as bad as them that perith, don't put you into a perilling State with them. And when God would fet off the Greatnefs of his Love to his own People, he does it by putting them in mind of their being as bad by Nature as the reft, Mai. i. 2, 3. Was ?iot Efau Jacob'i Brother ? Saith the Lord : let T loved Jacob. So that there is no reaibn G 4 for ( ^52 ) for you to conclude, that you are not the Lord's, becaufe you fee yourfelf to be as bad as others. But it may be, you'll fay, <c tho' God's c< People are as bad as others by Nature ■, " yet Grace makes a Difference". 'Tis true, there is a new Nature given ; but yet the old Nature remains in all its Parts and Branches. And if you had not a new Nature, you could not fee that Mafs of Iniquity in your old. The Apofde, in the feventh of the Ro~ mansy cries out as a wretched Man> by rea- fon of that Body of Sin and Death that dwelt in him. He complains not of this or that Member only, but of a Body of Deaths in all its Parts and Members -, a complete Body of Sin dwelling in him. And yet, in the Triumph of Faith, could blefs God for a complete Victory in Chrift, over Sin and Death at the fame Time. But it may. be, you will fay, lc that the " Carriage of your Soul towards God has cc been fo froward and rebellious, that it <c can't agree with the Nature of a « Child". With the new nature of a Child, bleffed be God, it cannot : For there is a Principle of Love in your Soul, that will make you lothe (W 1 to the yonrfelf in your own Sight l, fir all your Abominations-, when God breaks out upon your Spirit again, with fhining Difcoveries of abundant Pardon, and gives you to fee that lie is pacify d towards you for all that yon have done. But that Frowardnefs and Rebellion may and doth agree with the ©Id Nature that dwells in God's Children; fee, Ifa. xlviii. 4. Becaufe I knew that thou art ob- flinate, and that thy Neck is an Iron Sinew, and thy Brow Bra fs, And ver. S.yea, thou heardefi not \ yea, thoukneweft not, ye a, from that time that thine Ear was not opend : For 1 knew that thou wouldjt deal very treache- roufy, and waft call d a ^Iranfgreffor from the PFomb. And yet notwithstanding all this fee the Grace that breaks forth in the next three Verfes : For my Name's fake will laefer mine Anger, and for my Prai/e will 1 refrain or thee, that lent thee not off. Behold I have j refined thee, but not with Silver ; I have chofen thee in the Furnace of Afflielion. For mine own Jake, even for mine own fake will I do it ; for how JJjould my Name be polluted ?' and 1 will not give my Glory unto another* Who could have thought, that everfuch an obit in ate, ftiff- necked, treacherous dealing one, that was a T^ranjgrefjor from the Womb, fhould be called God's Chofen ? And that G 5 he ( i54) he fhould refolve to refine fuch an one in the Furnace of Affliction, for his own Name's fake ; taking all his Motives from within himfelf, from his own Heart, when he could find none but the contrary in the Creature's Nature and Carriage ? See alfo another Inftance of God's Kind- nefs to a froward Child, If a. lvii. 17. For the Iniquity of his Covetoufnefs was I wroth y and f note him : I hid me \ and was wroth \ md he went on frowardly in the Way of his Heart, What could one now think that the Lord fhould fay concerning fuch an ene, but 111 deftroy him ? But oh ! Behold die Grace that firaightway breaks forth to- wards this rebellious Creature ; I have feen Bis Ways, and will heal Mm : I will lead him afoy and re [tore Comforts unto him, and to his Mourners I Ver. 18. I have feen his Ways : (what Ways ?) " Not his holy Ways ; for s< as if the Lord fhould fay, he has pro- tc voked me by his Iniquity to fmite him. <£ Not bis believing, fubmifiive Ways 5 for <c inflead of learning Obedience by the 1C things he fuffers, he's worfe and worfe, " more froward and rebellious under my tc chaftning Hand. Nor yet his repenting. " Ways -, for inflead of bemoaning himfelf " under his Peevifhnefs, and turning to " me <{ me with all his Heart, he goes on fro- <c wardly, as in a Courfe of Fretf ulnefs and " Rebellion ; in the Ways of his own 1 c Heart, not in the Ways of my Precepts. " And yet for all this, I will heal him : <c Tho' I might deftroy him, if I was to " deal with him after his Carriage towards <c me. I might fay, go on in my own " Ways, to thy own Deftruction ; and cc bring upon thyfelf deferved Ruin. But, cc in the Super-aboundings of my Grace, / * c wiU heal him. He has wounded himfelf, <c and is ready to die of his Wounds ; but <; I'll bind up his wounded Spirit. Dark- <c nefs covers him, fb that he can't fee the " Way of Faith, nor has he Strength to ct fet one Foot forward therein > but I will <c lead him a/Jo. I'll take him by the Arms, " and fupport him under his prefent Weak- <c nefs > and alfo teach him to go again in " my Ways, notwithstanding his prefent c< Ignorance. And tho' he has loft the tc Joys of my Favour, which had wont <e to be the Strength of his Spirit j and <{ thinks I am become his Enemy, becaufe " he finds Co much Enmity in his carnal Mind again ft me : Yet my everlafting Kindnefs fhall break forth upon him a- gain, like the Sun from under an Eclipfe, and fill his Heart brim- full of Joy, even Go " to <c Zl ( 156) £C to runnings; over : For I will, not onlv " rejlore Comforts to him, but to his Mour- <c tiers, who (hall rejoice for his Confola- cc tion". What think you, my dear Sifter, of this Grace ? It is fufiicient to fave you j yea, let me fay, it is more than enough. Had you ten thoufand times more Sins than you have, you could never fpend the exceeding Riches of Grace ; the Treafures of which, laid up in Chrift for you, are inexhauftible. Grace is a Spring that can never be drawn dry ! 'Twill rife higher than your Sins, let them be ever fo much exalted -, 'twill Jpring up, even into everlafling Life. Grace has Depths, infinitely deeper than the greateft Depths of your Sins and Miferies ! Heights, infinitely higher than the Heights of your Provocations ! Breadths, infinitely more ex- tenfive than the Aboundings of your Ini- quities ! And Lengths, infinitely longer than your Sins, either in Commencement, or Duration ! Grace laid the Foundation of your Glory in Chrift, before Time or Sin entred^ is now managing theSuperftrudlure, by all the Changes which pafs over you ; and will lay the Top-Stone, when Sin and Time {hall be no more, out-living them to an endlefs Eternity ! I might multiply In- ftances of Grace -, but the Time would fail me. (157 ) me. The whole Gofpel, both in the oli and new Teftament, is one entire Declara- tion of the Wonders of Grace, and the Depths of Mercy to unworthy Creatures, and miferable Sinners ! But it may be, in the Depth of your Diftrefs, you'll refufe to be co?7iforted, and fay, " All this is not for me ". But remember God's own dear Chil- dren have faid fo in times of Darknefs, as ' you, who yet have been made to fay the quite contrary, when the Light has broke out upon tkcm again. When Heman was brought forth into the Light, and could call God, the God cf his Salvation, read what an Account he gave of the Darknefs he had been in, and what he faid while it lafted. That he was counted with them that go down to the Pit, free among the Dead, &c9 Pfal. Ixxxviii. And the Church, Lam. iii. 1 8. did fay, inUnbelief, My Strength and my Hope is periled from the LORD. And yet, when God broke out upon her Spirit afrefli, fhe could fay, the LORD is my Por- tion : therefore will I hope in him. And from her own Experience, encourage others to hope, and quietly wait for the Salvation of the LORD; telling them, that the LORD is Good to the Soul that feeketh him ; that he will not cajl off for ever j but tho' he caufe Grief,, ( 153 ) Grief, he will have Companion according to the Multitude of his Mercies ; as Ver. 24, &c. Sion faid, the LORD had for fa ken her, and forgotten her ; when yet fhe was graven upon the Palms of his Handstand her Walls were continually b~for? him, I/a. xlix. 14, 16. ■ David, the Man after God's own Hearty when in fore Trials, and all things feem'd to go contrary to what had been told him, in tile Name of the Lord, laid, in his unbelieving Hqfte, All Men are Liars, Pfa. cxvi. 11. He was fo far from believing God's Kindnefs and Faithfulnefs towards him in his Troubles, that he faid, he mould perifh ; and that they that fpoke otherwife, told him Lies. And yet, after all this, he wras made to fing glorioufly of God's Mercy and Faithfulnefs in his well order d Covenant \ and to die in the Faith of its being all his Salvation, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. And tho* you can't at prefent believe, yet he abideth faith- ful, he cannot deny himfelf 2 Tim. ii. 13. Nor can your Unbelief make the Faithfulnefs oj God of 7ione Effec7, Rom. iii. 3. Your Unbelief can't rob you of yaur Intereft, tho' it does of your Comfort. And if you not only cannot believe, thro' Weaknefs, but will not believe, thror Obftinacy > yet Chrifl has had fuch among his ( 159) his dear Children. Thomas feid, 1 will not believe \ John xx. 25. And yet the Grace of Chrift conquer'd his flout Heart, and fweetly drew him again, in the Exercife of Faith, to fay, My Lord, and my God, Ver„ 28. And thus, thro' Gr - itfhall be with you. Chrift cannot part with you, if you could with him. He has refolv'd that none fhall pluck you out tf/'his Hands, John x. 28. None of all the numerous Sins of your Na- ture,let them be ever fo ftrong; no, nor all the Legions of Devils in Hell, or wicked Men on Earth, fhoukl they be all com- bined together again ft you, fhall be able to move you one Hair's-breadth from that Security you have in Chrift's Hands. The Father gave you to him ; and the Love of his Heart engageth his Power to^ hold you faft. Yea, tho' in Unbelief you would throw yourfelf out of his Arms; yet he will never let go his Love-hold of you. For thus the Lord, the God of Ifrael faith, He hat eth putting away, MaL ii. 16. And tho' the Lions roar upon you in this dark Night, yet they fhall not devour you ; becaufe the Lion of the Tribe of J udah is ftronger than they. He has them in Chains, and fets Bounds to their Rage. And he wilt ere f 160 ) ere long arife for your Help ; the Morning Light will ere long break out upon your Soul ; and then thefe fierce Bea/is of Prey will hafte to their Dens, Pfal civ. 22. And the new Glory of the Light, breaking forth out of thick Darknefs, will be amazingly glorious, and exceeding pleafant to behold. This is one Reafon why the Lord fuffers Darknefs to feize the Spirits of his Children ; that fo, when the Light of his Face fhines upon them again, it may be exceeding pre- cious in their Efteem. And while the Darknefs lafts, I would beg of you to beware of making hafty Con- clusions, either of yourfelf, or of God's Thoughts and Ways towards you. Be- caufe you can't make a right Judgment of thcfe Things now. And hereby you'll dis- honour God's Grace, and grieve the Spirit ;, by which you have been featd in times pail:, as well as pierce yourfelf thro' with many Sorrows. Again, I would intreat you, not to for* fake ajjembling yourfelf with the Saints. There the Lord has commanded the Blefjing^ even Life for evermore. Where can you go ? Chrifl has the Words of eternal Life? John vi. 68. Bur ( *6.i ) But it may be you will fay, " I fhall " perifh ; and to what End fhould I wait " upon God"? But oh, that you could refolve with yourfelf, That if you do, it fhall be at Jefus' Feet -, following him, tho' he fhould go from you ; and trifling in him, tho* he fhould flay you. This would glorify God exceedingly, as well as confound the Ene- my. And remember how the Woman of Canaan fped, when fhe would take no De- nial, Matth. xv. 28. I commit you to the God of Peace, who fhall bruife Satan under your Feet Jhortly -, and after you have Juffered a while, jtablijh, ftrengthen, and fettle you, 2 Peter v. 10. Longing for the Day-break of your Deliverance, I reft, with Sympathizing Love, Tours in the Lord, &c0 L E T- ( 162 ) LETTER XXIV. To Mrs. E. D. Dear Sifter, GRace and Peace be multiplied unto you, thro* the Knowledge of God, and of Jefus our Lord. You told me, at parting, that you fhould be glad to hear from me, if I had any Word from the Throne concerning you. And having defired of the Lord, that he would give me one, if it was his Pleafure ; in the Night, when I was thinking of you and your Trials, that Word was brought to my Mind to write unto you, lfa. liv. j. For thy Maker is thy Husband, the LORD of Ho/Is is his Name : And oh, that the Lord the Spirit, would pleafe to lead you into that near, fweet, infe parable Relation, Chrift and you ftand in to each other ; while, with this Text, as with a Finger, he points the Eye of your Faith to look up©n the bright Glo- ries thereof ! Fear not, (faith the Lord, in the preced- ing Verfe) for thou Jbalt not beafhamed: nei- ther be thou confounded, for thoujhak not be put ( '63 ) put to Shame: for thou jhalt forget the Shame of thy Tout by and /halt not remember the Re- proach of thy Widowhood any more. And the Reaibn of thefe Privileges promifed, both here, and in the Day of Chrift, is given in the following Verfe ; For thy Maker is thy Husband, the LORD of Ho/is is bis Name, &c. Oh, think upon this wonderful De- claration of Grace made in thefe Words ! Think a while upon the Perfon here fpoken of j thy [ Maker] whofe Name is the Lord of Hofts ! This is no lefs than Immanuely God with us, God in our Nature, the eternal Son of the eternal Father, who did affume our Nature into perfonal Union with himfelf. He is a di- vine Perfon, that has all the effential Glory of the Godhead in him , and therefore faid to be the [LORD], JEHOVAH, which is a Name proper to God, and incommuni- cable to any Creature : And this LORD, as Mediator, islikewifetobe confidered as Man ; for his human Nature is neceffarily included in thefe Characters which are given of his Perfon y to wit, a Husband, and a Re- deemer. Well, this is the Perfon fpoken of : But look upon him now in his divine Nature, as thy Maker , the LORD of Hofts , who has an infinite Fulneh of Life and Being, in and C '64) and of himfelf ; and has given Life and Be- ing to all Creatures and Things. 'Tis HE that is adored and worfhiped by the angelick Hoft above -, Angels and Archangels ^//their Faces before him, as unworthy to look upon his infinite Glory, and cover their Feet^s un-^ worthy to ftand in his Prefence ! It is H E that is adored and praifed by the general Affembly and Church of the Firjt-bom, the Saints now in Heaven. And 'tis HE, that is greatly/^ ared^ i. e. worfhiped and obey'd, in the AJj'emblies of the Saints on Earth ; while he's had in Reverence of all that are round about him in the Church below ! Yea, 'tis HE that has all Creatures and- Things at his Command : Before him the Devils tremble, and under his Feet the Wicked of the Earth mail be trodden down ! But Oh ! who can fet forth a thoufandth Part of his infinite Glory ! 'Tis far beyond the Capacity of Men or Angels, in the up- per or lower Worlds, fully to take it in, or tell it out. Oh how far is the Line of created Underftanding, in its greater! Per- fection, from fathoming this infinite, un- fearchable Depth ! What then can a Babe fay ? Only this. Look upon his fair Face, who is the Chiejejl often tboufandl and oh, that the Lord the Spirit would give thee an amazing Proiqect of the Glory of thy Be- loved ! Well, ( i65 ) WeM, this glorious Perfon, who is the Wonder of Saints and Angels, the Terror of wicked Men and Devils ; who can make Worlds at his Pleafure, and dam his Ene- mies into eternal Perdition with a Word of his Mouth; this is HE, that in infinite condef- cending Grace, has (looped down to take thy Nature, to efpoufe thy Perfon, to become thy [Husband.] Oh amazing ! Thy Maker, who has a fir greater Right to difpofe of his Creatures as he pleafes, than the Potter has to made one, VeJJel unto Honour, and another unto Dtftonour, he has fet his Heart upon thee, and given himfelf to thee as thy Hus- band ! Oh, afbniming ! What, God love Creatures ! JEHOVAH fet his Heart upon the Work of his Hands ! And that he mould do it in fuch a diftinguimine Way, take one, and leave another, choofe one, and refufe another : How rich and fovereign is this Grace ! And how fweet is this Word [Thy] ! that he mould give him- felf to thee, to be thy Husband, and betroth thee unto himfelf for ever, while thoufands are paffed by ! He has indeed given himfelf to thee in all Relations ; as Father, Brother, Friend, &c. in all which his Love mines glorioufly : But oh, the fweet Relation of an Husband ! What, has he given himfelf, his great Self, to be one with thee for ever ! Oh, ( 166 ) Oh, the Height, Depth, Breadth and Length of this Grace ! Again, confide r, this Relation is no emp- ty Name, no unfruitful Thing : Wondrous are the Effects of that Love which entredinto thisRelation,and flow thro' it. And this fhin- eth forth in the Word [For], For thy Maker is thy Huskmdy&CCAS it ftands connected with the glorious Privileges promis'd in the pre- cedent Verfe. All thy prefent and future Happinefs is fecured in this Relation, as the Effect in its Caufe. But this is a Field too large for me to enter far into. All that I can do is only to point thine Eye to it, and leave thy Faith to trace its wondrous Paths, by the Leadings of the Word and Spirit of God. Look therefore upon the Love of thy Husband : And all the glorious Fruits of it, which flow thro' this Relation he ftands into thee. Other Husbands may enter into this Relation, and want the Love of it, or their burning- hot Love may foon grow cold. But as Chrift's Heart was in a Flame of Love towards thee, when he gave him- felf to thee to be thy Husband ; fo it abides, yefterday , to day, and jor ever the fame. He rejts in his hove, and will never caft thee off, or feek another Object inftead of thee. No, he has faid concerning thee, that thou art ( i67) art his Reft, the Reft of his Heart^r ever ; and he is the LOR D that changeth not ; as not in his Nature, fo nor in his Love : Therefore this Relation is no empty Name. Nor yet will it appear to be an unfruitful Thing, if thou confider what the Love of thy Husband has done, and will do for thee. For as he gave himfelf to thee, to be thy Husband ; fo he has glorioufly, tranfcen- dently, above and beyond all the Creatures, acted the Husband's Part. He has interefted thee in all his Riches : The Glory, fays he, which thou gaveft me, I have given them, John xvii. 22. So that what Chrift has is thine, as thou art one with him. Yea, the Love of this thy Husband, engaged him to become thy Saviour, thy Surety, to redeem thee from all Mifery, unto all Glory ; when thy Fall in the firft Adam was fore-view'd in all its woful Effects. Thus his Love work'd before Time. Look upon it alio in its glorious Fruits in Time : 'Twas a mighty Stoop of his Love, to take thy Na- ture, to ftand in thy Room, to obey the Law for thee, to bear thy Sins, to pay thy Debts, by giving up himfelf a Sacrifice in thy {lead, when thou waft a Tranfgref- for, and hadft treacheroufly departed from him. And as his Love went thro* Death for thee, fo in Love he rofe for thee, entred into ( i68 ) into Glory for thee, and ever fits at the right Hand of the Father, making Inter- ceffion for thee, until thou art faved to the iittermoft. And as a Fruit of this thy Hus- band's Love, the Holy Spirit was fent down into thy Heart, to quicken thee when dead in Sin, to (hew thee thy own Mifery, and his Excellency, to enable thee to flee unto him for Refuge, whole Heart and Arms ftand open wide to embrace thee, and to caufe thee to fall in Love with him, who long fince had fet his Heart upon thee. Look alfo on the Fruits of -thy Husband's Love, in clothing thee with his Righteouf- nefs, in fupplying thee out of his Fulnefs, in giving thee his Flefh and Blood to eat and drink,thatthoumayft live for ever-, and in all that glorious Care which he exercifeth to- wards thee in all the Way he leads thee thro* a World of Trials. Once more, think what his Love will yet do for thee in time to come. He'll never leave thee in the Wil- dernefs, he'll over-rule all things for thy good, he'll defend thee from all Enemies, he'll perfect thy Grace in Glory, he'll take thy Soul into his Bofom at Death; and thy whole Perfonat theRefurrection-MormAnd then, for ever folded up in his fweetEm braces, thou, with the reft of his redeemed Ones, fhalt admire, adore, and enjoy his Love, and ( i69 ) and fing the new Song ; Unto him that loved us, and wafted us from our Sins in his own Blood, and hath made us Kings and Priejls unto God and his Father ; to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever. Amen. I dm Tours in Chri/l, Sec. LETTER XXV. To Mrs. S. C. Dear Sifter, C*i Race and Peace be multiplied unto "JT you, from God our Father, and Je- fus Chrift our Lord. When I had concluded to write unto Sifter Z). my Heart began to yearn towards you, and I denYd the Lord, if he had any thing to fend unto you by me, that he would give me a Word -, and prcfently, Matt. xxviii. 20. was brought to my Mind. And loy lam with you alway, even unto the End of the World. Amen. This Promife was given to the Apoftles, and in them to all Chrift's Minifters, to encourage them in their Lord's Work, thro' all the fucceffive H Ages ( J7° ) Ages of Time ; and it like wife contains in it, a gracious Declaration of ChrifVs Pre- ience with all his Children, according to their feveral Stations and Employments, even unto the World's End ; and fo it is matter of Encouragement to every Believer, to follow Chrift in all his Appointments, and to give up themfelves to him, in all manner of Obedience. This Promiie is ulhered in with a Note of Attention, [Lo] and calls upon you, my dear Sifter, to behold, to look upon the Grace of your Beloved, which (lanes forth herein. Caft your Eye therefore upon the Perfon promifing, [I] 5 I am with you, &c. And fee his perfonal Perfections, and Bride- groom-Com paffions, as your Head and Saviour ; view him in his Love, Grace, Mercy, Power, Faithfnlnefs, &c. for it is no lefs than himfelf, his great Self, in all his immenfe Perfections, who has engaged to be with you ! Liftenalfo unto the Voice of your Beloved, or unto what he declares unto you herein. / am with you, &c. [With] you 5 oh amaz- ing ! This is a Promife of his fpecial, graci- ous Prefence with you in the Church, and in the World ; in the Houfe of God, and in your own Houfe. With [You], in dirfinftion from the World. He'll ma- nifeji ( *7* ) nifeft himfelf unto you, but not unto the World: No, they fee him not, but you fhall fee him : For having fet his Heart upon you, he'll dwell with you, and dif- play his Grace, and all his glorious Perfecti- ons, every way anfwerable to the Greatnefs of his Perfon, and the Nearnefs of that Re- lation you ftand in to him. And tho' you mayn't always have his fenfible Prefence, yet even then, you have his real Prefence with you. I [Am] with you , fays he, real- ly, for your Advantage, even when you want the Senfe of it, for your Comfort. And how long will Chrift be with you ? why, not now and then for a Fit, and be gone, but [Alway], in all Times, Places, and Cafes whatfoever -, even unto the [End] of the World ; that is, as it refpects thee in particular, unto the End of thy Being in the World .; and as it refpects his People in general, unto the very End of the World itfelf. And this our Lord confirms, with, [Amen], This is Chrift's Amen, or So be it> who with a Word could make Worlds, and with a Word can fpeak into Being all that vaft Happinefs which he has prepar'd for his People. In this Word therefore,by this Amen, heatoncegrants,andirreveriibly confirms this wonderful Promife of his Pretence with his People, even unto the End of the World. H 2 Well ( i72 ) Well then, my dear Sifter, fince Chrift is, and will be with you ; what canft thou defire more ? He has all Power in his Hand to help thee, and he has all Grace in his Heart to do it -, and he is the Lord that is faithful, who will be as good as his Word. Thou haft Chrift, and thou haft all ! Thou haft him in all Relations, thou haft him in all Conditions, thou haft him unto all that Salvation and Glory thy longing Soul can defire ! Live upon him therefore as thy all ! Creatures may fail thee, Relations and Friends may defert thee ; but Chrift will never leave, nor for fake thee. Thou haft his Arm to lean on, and his Bofom to reft in, all the Way thou comeft up from the Wildernefs. Is Chrift with thee ? thou canft want nothing, either for Soul or Body : Since he has infinite Fulnefs to fupply thee, and infinite Love to nourijh and cherifo thee, even as his own Flejh. He that has all, can no more let thee want any thing which he fees good for thee, than he can deny him/elf: Becaufe he loves thee as himfelf. Submit to his Wifdom there- fore, in all the Way he leads thee thro' the Wildernefs : For he'll bring thee by a right Way to the City of Habitation, And what tho' he mould lead thee thro' much Tri- bulation 5 ( m ) filiation -, fince Chrift is thy Companion, thou needft fear nothing. If he furfer thee o to be can: into a burning fiery Furnace, himfelf will be with thee there, and thou fhalt walk at Liberty am id ft fiery Trials, and {halt not be confumed. He'll go before thee to lead thee in the Way thou fhouldft go,and be with thee every Step of it to keep theq. Company, and he'll be behind thee too, as thy Rere-ward, to defend thee, He'll be a Wall of Fire round about thee, and the Glory in themidji 0/thee. Then furely thou may ft ling in Sorrow, fince Chrift is with thee in all thy Diftreifes 5 to defend thee from ail Dangers, to fympathize with thee in all thy Griefs, to bear the heavieft End of thy Burdens, to fupport thee under 'em, to fanctify thee by 'em, to pardon all thy Weaknefs in bearing 'em, and compleatly to deliver thee from them, in his own Way and Time, which will be moft glorious ! Thy dear Lord Jefus will be with thee even until Death • unto Death, in Death, and thro' Death ; and then he'll wipe all Tears from thine Eyes, and take thee up to be with himfelf forever, to enjoy a bleft Eter- nity in the Virion of his, and his Father's Face, in that Life and Glory which is yet unknown ! II 3 That ( 174) That the Peace of God which pajjeth all Understandings may keep thy Heart and Mind thro Cbriji fe/us, is the earneft De- fire of Tours in Him, &c. LETTER XXVI. To Mr, K M. Dear Brother, Grace and Peace be multiplied. WHEN I had a Word from the Lord for Sifter C. I was loth to leave you out ; and therefore defired that he would fend fomething unto you alfo. And that Word was brought, Gal v. i. Stand faft therefore in the Liberty wherewith Chrift has made us free. We were by Nature, under the Law, and as Tranfgreflbrs, under the Curfe, un- der the Dominion of Sin, and the Govern- ment of Satan, and (as in ourfelves confi- dered) obnoxious to divine Vengeance, both here and hereafter : from all which, Chrift hath made us free. And this Freedom is a complete and everlafting Liberty, in which ( m ) which it is both our Duty and Privilege to ftand faft. We were indeed under the Law ; but [Chrift], God-Man, the Anointed of the Father, our God, our Kinfman- Redeemer, was made under the Law, to redeem us from wider it, as a Covenant of Works, by ful- filling all its righteous Commands in our ftead j and to redeem us from its Curie like wife, by being made a Curfe for us. 'We, in all refpects, were under the Do- minion of Sin ; but Chrift was made Sin for us, to redeem us from it, and for ever make an end of it. We, by Sin, had put ourfclves under the Dominion of Satan, that Prince of Dark- nefs , but Chrift, by being ??iade Sin for ti$y and dying a Sacrifice in our ftead, has deftroyed him that had the Power of Death y and delivered us from that dreadful Bon- dage in which we were held. We, by Nature, were Children of Wrath even as others 5 but Chrift has bore all that divine Vengeance that was the due Defert of our Tranfgreffions ; by which he has for ever delivered us from vindictive Wrath,, both in this World, and that to come. And as he has delivered us from the worft of Slavery, fo he has like wife brought us into the moft glorious Liberty : He has H 4 made ( i?6) made us Free Indeed ! For in giving him- felf a Ranfom for us, he redeemed us, not only from all Mifery, but unto all Glory. He has given us a Right unto all the Pri- vileges of the Sons of God, both here in Grace, and hereafter in Glory. Thus the Son has made us [Free]. And this Free- dom is complete, and everlafting, in him- felf, for his whole myilical Body. And as we are now made free in him, fo we mail ere long enjoy a complete and everlafting Freedom in our own Perfons, by and thro' him. Mean while we fhould live by Faith, or [Stand] faft in that complete Freedom, that eternal Perfection we have in him. Well then, my dear Brother, has the Holy Spirit of God been fent down into thy Heart, to quicken thee when dead in Sin, to mew thee the Mifery of thy natural State, and to enable thee tojlee unto Chrift for Refuge ? And has he at times, bore wit- rw/s with thy Spirit^ that thou art a Child of God, and enabled thee to cry unto him, Ablay Father ? Why, thou art one of them that Chrift hath made free. He hath made thee free perfectly, and eternally in himfelf, as I hinted before j and he has alfo, in fome Senfe, made thee free in thy own Perfon too. He has delivered thee from the Law, from the Dominion of Sin and Satan, and from ( l77 ) from the Wrath to come ; and he has given thee, as a Believer in him, a viable Right unto all the Privileges of the Sons of God, both here, and hereafter : And he'll complete thy perfonal Freedom by the fame Grace that begun it. Therefore ft and f aft in that [Liberty] wherewith Chrift hath ?nade thee free. Stand faft : Thi3 Word implies Oppo- fition. Satan, and Unbelief will oppofe thy {landing where free Grace hath fet thee -, and that legal Spirit that remains, even in God's free Children themfelves, will oppofe their ftanding faft in this Liberty. Satan feeks to draw God's free Children into Bondage- Frames ; becaufe he knows how much Difhonour it carts upon their Re- deemer, and that glorious Liberty where- with he has made them free ; and alfo be- caufe he knows how much it will entangle, and perplex their Souls, and hinder their Peace, Joy, and Ufefulnefs. Oh ! he hates to fee us iland [Fad:} in this glorious Li- berty 3 he envies Chrift the Honour, and us the Comfort of this great Salvation. Watch therefore againft all the Allauks of the Enemy, from what Quarter foever they come ; and endeavour to keep thy Ground, and to ftand it out bravely in Faith ; hav- ing on the Br ea ft -plate of Righteoufnefs , H 5 (Chiiil's ( »73 ) (ChrifVs Righteoufnefs) thy Loins girt a- bout with Truth, (the Truth of God in the Promife, and the Truth of Chrift's Salvati- on) thy Feet f:od with the Preparation of the Go/pel of Peace, for an Helmet, the Hope of Salvation, and praying akcavs with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit \ watching thereunto with all Perjeverance : For this will tend to thy Redeemer's Ho- nour, and to thy Comfort. And remem- ber, that whatever Enemy attacks thy Faith hates thy Lord, and his Glory ; and hates thee too,, thy prefent Joy, and future Crown, Therefore be ftrong, and play the Man ; and know, that if the Enemies mould pre- vail at times, to bring thee into Bondage- Frames, yet they mall never bring thee into a Bondage-State. No, for thou art re- deemed out of the Houfe of Servants ; Thou art no. more a Servant, but a Son ; and if a Son,, then an Heir of God thro' Chrift. Wherefore, my Beloved Brother, So jiand fa/tin the LORD! In him J am Tours, &c. LET- ( m ) LETTER XXVII. To Mr. P. N. Dcdr Friend, C^l Race be with you, Mercy, and Peace ~f from God the Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift. When I was determined to write to our dear Brother, and Sifters, you being, I trull, a longing Soul, I found a Deiire to have lbmewhat to fend unto you. And that Word was brought to my Mind, Rev. xxii. 1 7. And the Spirit and the Bride Jay, Come. And let him that heareih fay, come. And let him that is a thir/t come. And whojo- ever will, let him take the Water of Life freely. This Scripture will doubtlefs have its full Accomplishment in the New fe- rufalem State of the Church -, but yet there is a Voice in it now, a Sound of Abundance of Grace unto every poor Soul that is let a longing for Chrift, and his Salvation. Thefe are the Words of the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fent his Angel unto his Servant John, to tejtify thefe Things in the Churches, v&Ver. 16. In this- 17 Verfe he continues H 6 hi3 ( i8o) his Speech, and tells us who they are whicfi proclaim the Grace of the Gofpel to poor Sinners, and invite them to partake of it. And, Firft, Here is the [Spirit], the Holy Ghoft, who was given upon Chrift's Afcen- iion, to glorify him in the Churches, and in the Hearts of all God's Chofen. The Spirit faith , Come. He that fearcheth the Depths of God, the Depth of his Counfels, Cove- nant and Promifes, that knows what vaft Provisions of Grace are made for poor Sin- ners, and what infinite Love towards 'em, and Readinefs to receive 'em, there is in the Heart of God the Father, and in the Heart of Jefus Chrilt, He fays,Gw/^ This Word [Come], notes out that Fulneis of Grace ^nd Glory, which is provided for the Sup- ply of poor Sinners in the Lord Jefus Chrilr, that Readinefs there is to receive 'em, and gracious Invitation which he gives unto them. ■ Come, as if he mould lay, For all * things are now ready -, all Grace and Glory 1 your needy Souls can want, for Time or * Eternity. C&me, .Chrift's and his Father's 1 Heart and Arms ftand open wide to em- ' brace you. Come, the Lord invites you f to come, and partake of all freely ; you 4 are welcome to all his Grace ; it is his * Will that you fhould come, it is his De- 1 fire i 181) c fire that you fhould come ; therefore c come away fpeedily \ Thus the Spirit faith, Come. And he faith fo, as a Com- forter in Office, as fent from the Father and the Son to draw poor Sinners unto Je- fus Chrift ; which Work of his, he glori- oufly and efficacioufly performs> when he fpeaks unto the Heart ; and thereby, at once, fweetly allures and conftrains the Soul to come. Oh the efficacious Drawing of the Holy Ghoft ! Never had any Soul feen Chrift's Beauty, been fick of Love for him, or have come unto him for Life,, if the Holy Ghoft had not allured it by in- finite Sweetnefs, and drawn it by Almighty Power ! The Spirit faith. Come ; and there- by he draws poor Souls into conjugal A$- fedtions to the Lord Jefus Chrift, a vifible conjugal Relation to him, and Communion with him. And upon this, Chrift hath a Bride, a vifible Church on Earth. And therefore, Secondly, The Bride faith, Come. The [Bride] ; Believers congregated in Gofpel- Order, gather'd into a Church-relation, by - folemn Covenant, giving up themfelves unto Chrift as their Head and Husband, and profeffing Subjection to him. And this Church, the Bride, is filled the City of God, Pfalv ( t& ) Pfal.xlvi.4. where the Cryftal Streams of the River of Water of Life run. And fhe,having had fuch rich Experience of that Fulnefs of Life and Grace that dwells in, and flows thro' her Beloved, to the fatiating of her longing Appetite; and alfo fuch rich Dis- coveries, that there is in him, not only in- finitely enough for her, but alfo for all the Chofen of God, even unto the World's End : {he, from her own Experience, and at the Command of her Lord and Husband, pro- claims, by her Miniflers, thefe glad Tidings 3 and invites poor Sinners unto Chrift, the Fountain of Life, to drink, yea, drink abun- dantly. c Come, fays the Bride, (unto poor 1 awakened Souls) I was once as miferable 1 as you, as poor and thirfiy as you ; but •■ when the Spirit faid, Come, I ventur'd in 4 to my Lord and Husband, as God's Sai- * vation for the Chief of Sinners ; when I< * was almoft' famifhed with Thirft, and 1 ready to faint away with Longings after « Jefus Chrift, and Fears that I fhould not * find him ; when I was juft ready to- * perifh, under the apprehended Wrath of * God, the Temptations of Satan, and the * Corruptions of my own Heart and Ways (i * and I found in him- my Saviour, a pure ' River of Water of L//^, which is infinitely 4 enough to fatisfy and folace me thro' c Time, ( i83 ) 1 Time, and to Eternity 5 yea, I found in c Chrift, not only an infinite Fulnefs of E> Life, but alio an infinite Freenefs to 1 communicate the fame, notwithstanding 1 all my Unworthinefs. And as I found 8 enough in Chrift for me, fo in him I fee c an inexhauftible Fulnefs for you, an in-- 4 finite Store, that can never be drawn dry ! 4 And this my Lord and Head bids me to * proclaim unto you, and invite you to 4 come. Come therefore, you, my Com- 4 panionSy that hearken to my Voice y you * longing Souls, that are fet athirji for the 4 Water of Life 5 venture in to Chrift, and c take your Fill of all his Grace ; For it is c- a River of Life, that is full, free, and 4 everlafting ! Thus the Bride faith, Come. ^ But in the next place, Thirdly y Chrift commands him that heareth to fay, Come. And let him that \ heareth]y<3>', Come. This may denote par- ticular Believers, who have Ears to hear what the Spirit faith to the Churches , and. likewise what the Bride fays to poor Sin- ners in her Beloved's Name : And thefe, tho' not join'd to Chrift's vifible Church, (and lb diftinguifhed from the Bride) from their own Experience of his Grace, and from thofe Difcernings they have had of what the Spirit and the Bride fay, are com- m anded ( 1 84 ) 9 manded to fay, Come. 'Tis as if Cbrift 1 fhouldfay, you my Children, that are afraid * to follow me in theOrdinancesofmyHoufe, * who have not yet arrived to that Strength € of Faith, and vifible Love- Communion * with me as my Bride hath, don't you be * filent ; do you fay, Come : Tell poor Sin- c ners what you have feen and heard of ■ me, and invite em to come ; concern * yourfelves in that glorious Work in which c the -Spirit and the Bride are employ 'd, 1 and in which my Heart is fo deeply en- c gaged \ And Chrift, by this Command, not only binds them to this Duty, but like- wife gives them Strength for the Perform- ance of it ; he hereby fpeaks into Being what he calls for ; as he did, when he faid^ Let there be Light, and there was Light. And fo it carries in it a prophetic Defcripti- on of what fuch Souls do, and mall fay : But it is put in the Form of a Command, to excite their Obedience ; becaufe of the Backwardnefs of fuch Souls to proclaim Chrift and his Grace to others, who are under prevailing Fears themfelves, or at kail: not fo openly favoured with Com- munion with Jefus Chrift as his Bride is. Let him that heareth Jay, Come. And then, Fourthly^ ( i8j ) Fourthly, The Lord Jefus Chrift him- felf comes in and fays, And let him that is athirft Come : And whofo'ever will, let him take the Water of Life freely. Thefe arc the Words of Chrift, who once died, and now lives to fave Sinners -, in which he de- clares his infinite All- Sufficiency to fave them to the uttermofl, his Readinefs to re- ceive 'em, and the kind Invitation he gives 'em to partake of all his Grace ; and to an- fwer all the Objections which are apt to rife in the Hearts of fuch that are athirft for the Water of Life, he makes this royal Proclamation from his Throne : Andwbo- Joeverwill, let him take the Water of Life freely. And now, my dear Friend, how is it with thee ? Haft thou feen thy Sin and Mifery by Nature, that thou art utterly undone without Chrift ? Haft thou had any Difcernings of his Beauty, and All- Sufficiency to five, even the Chief of Sin- ners ? And haft thou been fet a longing, a thirfting after an Intereft in him, and his Salvation ? Why, thou art the Perfon thus invited to come. The Spirit, the Bride , and he that heareth jay, Come. And left, after all, thou fhouldft be afraid that Chrift's Heart is not towards thee, He fays Come ; and what wouldft thou have more ? Oh ! grie<i ( i86 ) grieve nof the Holy Spirit, by flighting his Call, do not flight the Bride's Voice in her Minifters, nor yet the Voice of him that heareth, nor fniit thine Ear to the Call of Chrift himfelf ! Thou art call'd, and call'd again. Art thou cthirft ? Thou art the Man that Chrift calls to come unto him and drink. But it may be thou wilt fay, ' I am athirft for Life and Salvation by 1 Jefus Chriit ; but I am afraid I am not ■ one of them that it is defigned for ; and * I am fo unworthy, I am afraid it will c never be beftowed upon me \ Thefe thy Fears Chrift forefaw, and provided a Cordial for thee beforehand. Liften there- fore, and receive in Faith, the Life-giving Words of his Mouth, in this royal Procla- mation from his Throne :• Aid ivhofoever will, let him take the JVater of Life freely. He fays, Wbofcever [Will] : Haft thou \ Will ? Thou art the Man he fpeaks to, as much as if there was never another in the World in thy Cafe. Aye, fay ft thou, c I c have a Will, but I have no Worthinefs; c my Heart hangs back, I am afraid to c venture \ Hark then, what he favs unto this. Let hi?n take the Water of Life freely. [Let] him, &c\ This is ChrifVs Grant of Life and Salvation unto thee. Oh ! Open the. Mouth of Faith, and take thy Fill. Chrift ( *87 ) Chrift bids thee take the Water of Life freely. [Freely] ! This will reach thy Cafe, if thou waft the moil unworthy Creature under Heaven : For here's no Condition, nothing to be done by thee to procure or earn this Water of Life. No, it is fet abroach freely, for thy thirfty Soul to take its Fill both here and hereafter. Again [Freely] ! Tis as if Chrift mould fay, Drink, yeay drink abundantly : Thou needft not fear drinking the River of Life dry : There's fuch an infinite Abundance of Grace and Life in me, that thou mayft take thy Fill, however large thy Defires are -, and when thou haft it, there will be never the lefs in me. There's an infinite Fulnefs of Grace and Life in Chrift,. for every thirfty Souh And this mines forth in the World [The], Let him take the Water of Life ; not [Of] the Water of Life y as if one was call'd to take one Part, and another another, juft as much as they needed. No, Chrift calls every thirfty Soul that has a Will, a Defire to be faved by him, to take up and pofTefs by Faith, all that infinite Fulnefs of endlefs Life and Glory that is in him. To take it all up at once, and live upon it as its own, in the Right of it, as well as to derive thence a prefent and fucceffive Supply of all its Wants ( i88 ) Wants thro* Time, and to Eternity. So; that here is Grace enough for thee ; 'tis as full as it is free ; and in both refpec?cs it is i infinite ! Come therefore, at ChrifVs Call, and venture thro* ten thoufand Difficulties, to take the Water of Life freely. Come as thou canft,take in as much as thou canfl: ; at- tempt thy Duty -y Chrift will ftrengthen thy Faith ere thou art aware. And if thou canfl take but now and then a Sip of the Water of Life, know, for thy Comfort, that the whole River of it is thine. One more, does Chrift fay, Come, Let him take, &c. Thefe Words have in 'em, not only the fweeteft Invitation, but alfo, an efficacious Voice of thy Saviour, as thy King 3 which, in his own Time, will ripen thy Faith into that Motion he now calls for ;. and command off thine Enemies, which now hinder thy coming, and taking the Water of Life freely. Grace be with thy Spirit. lam Tours in Chrift % &c. L E T- ( *89) LETTER XXVIII. To Afr.E.S. Dear Brother, CI Race and Peace be multiplied unto J you, from God our Father, and our Lord Jefus Chrift, by God the Comforter. When I had concluded to write to the reft of our dear Friends, I was defirous to fend a Line unto you, as a Token of my Love ; and that Word dropt on my Heart for you, PfaL xlv. 2. Thou art fairer than the Children of Men. I know that you have fccn much of ChrijTs Beauty, Excellency, and Glory al- ready, to the attracting your Soul after him, to the transforming you into his Like- nefs, and to the filling of you with Joy un- fpeakable, and glorious : But there is yet more, infinitely more to be beheld in your Beloved, who is the Chief eft often thoufand, and altogether lovely ! You ( J9° ) You have feen much of the Beauty of the Saints, which has drawn out your Love, and knit your Soul to 'em, as your own Company, as the 'Excellent of the Earth, in whom is all your Delight. They are indeed Jewels in Chrijl's Efteem, and have a fparkling Glory on them; but remember, 'tis his Sun-like Face that cafls their Luftre; they mine forth in the Glory of his Rays. Theirs is but a derived Beauty from his in- comparable Fairnefs ! and is no more, if compar'd wTith his, than the fmalleft Atome to the whole Mafs of Earth, a Drop to the Ocean, or a Beam to the Sun ! No, nor fo much neither : For Chri/t is fairer, infinite- ly fairer than thefe, who are the faireft of the Sons of Men. Some of the Saints mine forth more eminently in one Grace, and fome in another ; and a Difference will be feen among the Harry Glories of the firft Refurredtion : But all Excellencies meet in Chri/ty as the Circumference-Lines in their Center, as the fcatter'd Beams in the Body of the Sun. So that look upon the faireft of the Children of Men, in their faireft Condition, in this World or that to come, and Chrift far exceeds them all. But oh, my weak Eye ! How little can I take in of the Glory of this bright Ob- ject! ( W ) jeft ! Oh, how little have Ifeen ! And how little can I lay of his Soul-ravifhing Beauty ! of his adorable Excellency ! I would only point you to him, my Brother, and fay, as John the Baptiji, Behold the Lamb of God ! Behold the Chrift of God ! Look up- on him in his tranfcendent Fairnefs ; he's fairer than the Children of Men : Fairer, in his Relations, as Head, Husband, Bro- ther, Friend, &c. fairer in his Love, Mercy, Grace, Wifdom, Power, Faith- fulnefs, &c. Fairer, in his Covenant-En- gagements -y fairer, in his Conception and Birth ; fairer, in the Performances of his Life; fairer, in the wonderful Atchieve- ments of his Death ; fairer, in his great Refurrection ; fairer, in his glorious Af- ceniion ; fairer, in his Exaltation now in Heaven : And as he now is, (by Co- venant-Settlement) fo he will ere long appea fairer than the Children of Men in his Glory-Reign y and fairer alfo in his laft great Judgment of Men and De- vils, at the End of Time : And then among the innumerable Company of glo- rified Saints and Angels, he'll fhine forth for ever, as infinitely fairer than the Children of Men ! while himfelf, their eternal ( «9* ) eternal Sun, darts forth upon them all their bright and endlefs Glory ! But oh, the unfearchable Riches of Cbri/t's Fairnefs ! Neither Men nor Angels can fully know, or fet it forth ! That the God of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Father of Glory, may grant unto you the Spirit of Wifdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him, who is infinitely fairer than the Children of Men , to the changing you into the fame Image from Glory to Glory > to the preparing you for abundant Ufe- fulnefs in this prefent Time, and a weigh- ty Crown at Chriffs Appearing, is the ear- neft Defire of Tours, in our own Lord Jefus, &c. LETTER XXIX. To Mrs. E. G. Dear Friend in the Lord, C*1 Race unto you, and Peace from ~J God our Father, and from Jefus Chrift our Lord. Having heard of your prefent Diftrefs, by reafon of atheijtical Thoughts, I was 2 willing ( 193 ) willing to write fome what unto you. And I would advife, as the Lord fhall enable you, to three Things. As, i . Be not over-much caft down by rea- fon of your prefent Exercife. For the fame Afflictions are accompliJJS d in your Brethren which are in the World. Think not your Cafe Angular : For many of God's Chil- dren have been engag'd with the Powers of Darknefsy in the fame Combat that you .now are ; and thro* the Captain of their Salvation, have got a triumphant Victory over them. 2. When thefe vile Thoughts prefs in upon your Mind, endeavour to caft them out with as much Lothing, and as little Diftrefs as you can. This was Mr. J erne- ways Advice to a Friend of his, troubled with blafphemous Thoughts, " They are, <c fays he, the Morfels which Satan would " have you fwallow down ". And there- fore caft them out with Lothing $ but be not diftreffed : For they are not your Sins, any further than confented to, " They " are, fay he, Satan's Strivings to ravifh the u Spoufe of Jefus ; for which he fhall pay u dear one Day ". And fo far as they are a Burden, an Affliction to the Soul, fo far as it crys out againft them, fo far they are a I Force ( *94 ) Force put upon it. And the Cafe is the lame with that of the betrothed Dam/el, under the Law, who was not to die, if a Man met her in the Field, and forc'd her ; becaufe (he cried out, and there was none to deliver her, Dent. xxii. 25, 26,27. But iuppofe the worft that can be, that thy Heart joins with Satan herein, and fo thou becomeft guilty, and filthy hereby : (And how far our wicked Hearts join Iflue with Satan in his vile Suggeftions, God only knows; I am apt to think, we feldom, if ever, come off without fome Meafure of Guilt and Defilement). Yet thou haft no Reafon to be diftreffed with a defponding Fear, as if there was no Help for thee in God. For were thy Sins ten thoufand times more and greater than they are, the Multitude of God's great Mercies infinite- ly exceed them. And if he refolve to be gracious to thee, and to fhew Mercy on thee, down they muft fall before pardoning Grace, and overflowing Mercy, as the Egyptians did, in the Red-Sea, and rife no more to condemn thee. Were thy Sins as ScarktyVtd like Crimjbn, the Blood of Chri/i can make thee white as Snow. And there- fore, 3. Whenever Sin and Satan affault you, labour, upon the firft Onfet, to flee for Re- fuge ( '95 ) fuge to the Hope jet before you ; to hafte away to Chrijl, that Man who is an Hiding- Place from the Wittd, a Covert from the Tempejl, as Rivers of Water in a dry Place \ and the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land, Ifa. xxxii. 2. Doth the Wind of Temptation blow hard upon thee ? Chrijl is an Hiding-Place from the Wind. Not only from the Wind, the great Whirlwind of God's Wrath, which fhall drive away all that are found out of Chrifi, like Chaff] into everlafting Burnings -, but he is alio an Hiding- Place from the Wind of Satan's Temptations, where thou mayft be exceeding fafe from all Harm, in the moft evil Day that can befal thee. The Name of the Lord, the Lord Jefus the great Saviour, is a jirojig Tower for a poor Sinner ; Oh ! run into it; and thou (halt be fafe, Prov. xviii. 10. Do, as the Pfalmiji laid he would, PfaL lvii. 1 . Under the Shadow of thy Wings will I make my Refuge, until the fe Calamities are overpaft. Doft thou fee thy Sinfulnefs and Mifery by Nature, doth the Enemy purfue thy Soul ? Hath he fmitten thy Life down to the Ground, doft thou feel the Pain of his fiery Darts, and can ft thou not do any thing to fave or deliver thyfelf from the Wrath to come, from that inexpreilible I 2 1 and ( i96 ) and eternal Mifery which is the due Defert of every Tranfgreflion ? Why, Chrift calls thee to look unto him, as once made Sin and a Curfe for poor Sinners, by whole Stripes we are healed. He fays, Look unto me, and be ye faved, all the Ends of the Earth, Ifa. xlv. 22. Oh, caftup thine Eye therefore unto a once crucified Jefus ; fee him, bearing Sin, and the Wrath of God, and making a full Satisfaction to divine Juftice for fucn poor Souls that fee they have not a Mite to pay ; fee him, con- flicting with the Powers of Darknefs, and gaining a complete Victory over them, that we might be deliver'd from Satan, who had the Power of Death. Yea, caft up thine Eye toarifen Jefus j fee him, difcharg'd from Sin, having for ever made an End of its fee him, jbffify'd in the Name and Room of poor Sinners, who have no Righte- oufnefs of their own, to ftand in before God ; fee him, afcending up on high, leading Captivity captive, that we might be fet free ; fee him, enthron'd at God's right Hand, exalted as a Prince and a Saviour, to give Repentance unto Ifrael and Remijjion of Sins 5 and as a companionate High- Priefr, that knows how to fuccour the Tempted, having once fuffer'd himfelf, being tempted in all Points like as we are, that ( *97 ) that he might fympathize with us under Temptations,fhiekl and fupport us in thern, and deliver us from them : View him as he ever liveth to make Interceffion, and as fiich, able to feme to the utter mo ft, all them that come unto God by kirn. Thus look unto Chrift the great Saviour, as an undone Sinner in thyfelf, for thy own Salvation $ caft thy Soul into his Arms, at the Feet of his Mercy, and reft upon His faithful Promife : He fays, Thou jhalt be faved. He bids thy weary, heavy laden Soul, to come unto him ; and he has promis'd to give thee Re/t, Matt. xi. 28. His Arms Itand wide open to embrace thee ; and he's infinitely more willing to receive thee, than thou can ft be to commit thy Soul into his Hands. Then venture, with innume- rable Sins, innumerable Fears, and thro' innumerable Oppositions, to caft thyfelf upon Chrift ;, the mighty Saviour, and thou (halt be laved to the uttermoft. Thou muff believe, or die 5 reft upon Chrift, and run into him, or perifh : Therefore itand not to heiitate whether he will fave thee, or not ; but venture in unto him, and fay, with Efther, I will go in unto the King, and if Iperijh, IperiJJ: ; and the royal Scepter of his Grace (hall be holden out, for thee to touch, and live. Doth Satan alTault I 3 thee ( i98 ) thee with the Wind of Temptation, to drive thee away from Chrift ? Oh, run the fafter to him, and he'll hide thee from all Evil, and fcreen thee from all Danger : For never did any Soul perifh, or want Suc- cour, that fed unto Chrift for Refuge, He will cover thy Head in the Day of Battle, and fend thee fuitable Grace and Strength,accordingto thy Day of Trial. Chrift has all the Legio?is of Devils in his Power, and gathers the Wind of Temptation in his Fifty as well as he doth the natural Wind. And in Meafure when it fhooteth forth, he will debate with it. He'll not fuffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the Temptation make a Way to efcape, that you may be able to bear it, I fa. xxvii. 8. i Cor. x. 13. He'll not let it blow too hard upon thee while it lafts ; nor will he let it blow upon thee always neither. For he is full of Companion, and will not always chide. He knoweth cur Frame -, and re- membreth that we are Duft, Pfal. ciii. 14. He knows the Power of Temptations, the Pain of Satan's fiery Darts ; having once felt them in the Days of his Flefh : And therefore from his own Experience, he'll not only fympathize with thee in them, but graciouily deliver thee from them. He'll rebuke the Tempter, and caufe the Wind of ( *99 ) of Temptation to ceafe, and create a Calm in thy toffed, troubled Soul, by a Word of his Power, when the appointed Moment of thy Deliverance is come ; as he rebak'd the natural Wind, and it obey'd him, Mar. iv. 39. Therefore run to Chrift for Shelter; and refifithe Devil, and he'll flee jrom you, Jam. iv. 7. When he fees that thofe very Temptations, by which he de- fign'd to drive you away from Chrift, are a Means of your fleeing the fafter to him. Again, do the Waves of inward Cor- ruption, agitated by Satan, beat vehement- ly againft thy Soul, like a mighty Tempeft, which threatens to fwallow thee up ? Chrift is a Covert from this Tempeft : Run unto him therefore, as once made Sin, and now exalted to fave Sinners, and thou malt be fecure from all Harm. Sin mall never con- demn that Soul, that flees unto Chrift for Salvation. No, Chriffs Death will be the Death of Sin, and the Life of that Soul, that flees unto him for Safety. Chrift crucify'd, is fuch a Covert from the Tem- peft, to the Soul that runs into him, that not a Drop of divine Wrath mail ever light upon it. Chrift has fo born Sin, Curfe, and the Wrath of God, that he hath for ever born it away from that Soul : And God as I 4 the ( 200 ) the God of Peace, freely, fully, and eternal" ly forgives all its Iniquities, even ail man- ner of Sin and Blaiphemy whatever, where- by it has tranfgreffed againft him. And as Chrift is a Covert from the Tempeft of Sin, in its condemning Power j fo alfo from its tyranizing Power, unto every Soul that flees unto Him for Relief. He will fubdue our Iniquities for us, as well as cajl all our Sins into the Depths of the Sea, Mic. vii. 1 8 . Chrift can keep thee from fainting in the Combate, and enable thee to hold out in the Storm 4, until the Jet Time to favour thee, in a peace- ful Calm, come. And then, with one Word of his Mouth, hell jilence the Bil- lows of Corruption ; as, in the Days of his Flefh, he commanded the Sea. and it obevd him -, as well as the Wind, and it ceajed. For he ruleth the raging of the Sea of Corruption, when the Waves thereof ari/e, he flilleth them -, as he doth the Raging of the Wa- ters in the natural Sea, when it is moft tem- peftuous ; faying, Hitherto fait thou come, and no further -, and Here Jhall thy proud. Waves be fayed, Pfal. lxxxix. 9. Job. xxxviii. 1 1 . How bleiTed then are thofe Souls who take Sanctuary under the Shadow of his Wings ! That harbour in him, who is a' Covert from the Tempeft ! Further, ( «« ) Further, is thy thirfty Soul almoft parch'd up with the Heat of Temptations? Is the World a dry Place to thee, that car/ ft not afford thee one Drop of spiritual Re- frefhment, or Soul-Confolation ? In this Cafe, Chrift is as Rivers of Water in a dry Place. As cold Waters to a thirfiy Tra- veller, that's ready to famifli for Third, under the parching Beams of the Sun ; fo, and much more is Chrift, unto the Soul that panteth after him. Oh, the reviving Efficacy j the tranfeendent Sweetnefs, the abundant Fulnefs of Chrift y as the Foun- tain of Grace, unto that Soul that is ready to per if j for Want of it -} when once it is led by the Spirit, to lay the Mouth of its Faith to this Fountain of living Water ! Here it may Drink its Fill, and bathe itfelf in. Pleafures, with Joy unfpeakabie and full, of Glory ! Nor is he only as Waters in a dry Place, when Chrift and the Soul firft meet, for its prefent Refreshment; but he is alio, as Rivers of Water, for its conftant Supply. Chrift is not like a failing Brooky which in the Summer's Drought deceives the thirfty Traveller ; which, perhaps, was once full for his Refrefliment, but now empty, and can afford him none : But Chrift is as a River, a broad River with Streams. For fo this Glorious LORD will I 5 be ( 202 ) be unto us, Ifa. xxxiii. 21. while pafiing thro* this Land of Drought, this Wilder- nefs -World, unto the Heavenly Canaan. He'll be a River of Life, for Fulnefs, to fupply our Wants, however great our Ne- ceffities be ; a River, for Freenefs, how- ever unworthy we are ; and a River, for Duration, to fupply us continually ; yea, as Rivers of Water in a dry Place : There is in Chrifty not only a full, free, and perpetual Supply of Grace ; but of all kinds of Grace : There is in him a glorious Variety, that is every way fufficient to anfwer all our Wants, to fatisfy all our Defires, and to fill us with all kinds of heavenly Plea- fures and new Delights, thro' Time, and to Eternity ! He'll be as Rivers of Water of Life unto us here in Grace, and hereafter m Glory ! Then hafte away to this living Supply ! Once more, Is thy Soul weary, and al- moft tired out, by reafon of the continual Perfecution of the Enemy, which, like the Sun upon Travellers in hot Countries, beats upon thy Head, and makes thee ready to faint and die for want of a little re- freshing Shade ? Why, Chrift is alfo as the Shadmv of a great Rock in a weary Land, in this weary Wildernefs. Come, fit down tinder his Shadow, and thou fhalt find great 2 Delight, ( "3 ) Delight. His cooling Shade will refiefh and comfort thy weary Soul. He is as the Shadow of a Rock, which none of the penetrating Beams of the San can pierce thro', to moleft or annoy thee ; of a great Rock, that is large enough to cover thee all over. Here thou mayft fit, and take an holy Eafe : For this Rock will defend thee from all Harm and Danger : Aye, and which is more, this Rock will fupply thee with all heavenly Necefiaries. For here- in, CJjrift tranfcends all natural Rocks. A weary Traveller may be glad to em- brace the Rock for a Shelter, and fit down under its Shade for a while, to refrefh him from the fcorching Sun : But if he fit there long, he may ftarve and die for want of Suitenance : For nothing; of that Nature can the flinty Rock afford him. But 'tis not fo with that Soul who fits down un- der the Rock, Chrijt. No, wherever Chrijt is a Rock for Defence, he is alio a Fountain, a Store-houfe for Supply. To that Soul that has the Munition cj Rocks for its Defence, Bread, the Bread of Life, {hall be given, and its Waters, of Confolation, fhall be fure, Ifa. xxxii. 16. Thus the Spoufe, fpeaking of Chrijt under the Metaphor of an Apple -Tree, I fat down, fays me, under his Shade with great Delight, and his I 6 Fruit ( 2°4 ) Fruit was fweet unto my Tafte, Cant. ii. 3. There is in Chrift, all kinds of re- freshing Shade, and all kinds of nourifhing Supply. And, in a Word, there's enough for thee in him, to fave thee from all Mifery, unto all Glory, thro' all Times, and unto all Eternity ! But what fhall I fay ? There's more in Chrift than Words can exprefs, than the Tongue of Men and Angels can tell out, or their Hearts con- ceive, to an endlefs Eternity ! Oh, Come and fee ! Come, and tafte, that the Lord is Good! and bleffedare allthofe who put their truft in him, Pfal. xxiv. 8. And now that you may be drawn by the Cords of Love into the fwifteft Motion after Chrift, and the neareft Communion with him, to your full Joy, and complete De- liverance, is the earneft Defire of, Tour AffeEiionate Friend, and humble Servant in the Lord, &c. LET- ( 205 ) LETTER XXX. To Mrs. E. B. Dear and honour d Siller, C^l Race unto you, and Peace be multi- ~J plied, from God our Father, and our Lord Jefus Chrift, by the blefiecl Com- forter. I am given to underftand by Sifter J--n, That you are exercis'd, both with Afflicti- on of Body, and Darknefs of Soul ; and I fympathize with you herein. But think it not Jlrange, my dear Sifter, concerning the fiery Trials you meet with, as if fofne jlrange Thing had happen d unto you. Re- member, the LORD hath his Fire in Zion, and his Furnace in Jerufalem. I fa. xxxi. 9. to refine, not to deftroy his People. God fends Afflictions upon his Children for their good : Sin and Satan, indeed aim at our Deftruction herein ; but God bounds their Rage, and over-rules their Malice, to iffue in his own Glory, and our Salvation. The Defign of Sin and Satan, is, the Deftruclion of our Graces, as well as of our Perfons i and therefore they blow up ( 206 ) up the Fire of Affliction to the utmoft, and would continue it until we are con- * fumed. But, c Hold, fays the Lord, my c Children are my Gold, precious in my * Efteem ; and they mull pafs thro* the c Fire to be refined, but not lie there till c they fuffer Lofs \ And therefore when we are in the Furnace, our God fits by, to fee that the Fire be not too hot, nor con- tinued too long upon us -y as the Refiner watcheth his Gold, manages it while in the Furnace, and takes it out thence, when it is fully purify'd, Mai, iii. 3. Well then, my dear Sifter, fince you are one of them who are precious in the Sight of the Lord, you muft pafs thro' the Fire of Afflictions But fince it is the LORD'S Fire, which he has appointed, which he manageth, and which he'll reftrain at his Pleafure, truft thyfelf in the Hands of thy infinitely wife and gracious Refiner, and thou [halt come out of it, both with prefent and eternal Advantage. This Affliction, as an Inftrument in the Hand of God, the Almighty Agent, is at Work upon thee, and for thee, to exercife and increafe thy Graces here, and to prepare thee for thy future Crown. Therefore endure the Trial: For blejjed is the Man that endureth Temp- tation: ( 207 ) tdtion : For when he is tried, he Jhall re- ceive the Crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him, Jam. i. 12. But it may be, you will fay, Aye, if I was fure that I was one that lov'd God, I mould patiently wait for, and expect an happy Iflue : But I am afraid left I mould deceive myfelf, deceive others, and at laft come fhort of that Reft which remains for the People of God. As to thefe thy Fears, and ten Thoufand more of a like Nature, which may arife in thy Heart in a Time of Darknefs, they are altogether groundlefs ; and tho' they may rob thee of thy Comfort, they cannot rob thee of thy Safety in Chrift, nor of that Inheritance which is referved for thee in Heaven. No, Hefted be God, you are ftill juft where Free-Grace fet you : God has fixt you in his Son, and laid you, by Faith, upon Him the Rock of Ages -, and now, your Salvation (lands as immoveable as the Rock on which it is founded. The Rain may defend, the Floods come, and the Winds blow, all kind of Afflictions and Temptations together, may beat vehement- ly againft your Faith of Safety in Chrift, but your Security in him fhall never fall ; becaufe ( 2Cf8 ) becaufe founded upon a Rock, that is able to bear the greateft Weights which are laid upon it, and to fecure the Building from aU- Danger, in the greater!: Strefs of Weather which can poffibly befal it. The Rock of Immutability is ftill beneath you ; and un- lefs Chrift could fink, your Soul, the Sal- vation of it, I mean, that leans upon him, can never fall. You may fall as to your Frames, but can never fuftain one Shake as to your State. No ; The Foundation God has laid in Sion, is a Stone, a trfd Stone, a precious Corner-flone, a fare Foundation -> and he that believeth on him, pall not be con- JbundedJ&L.xxvm. 16. i Peter ii.6. And now, let all the Obje&ions be brought out, that all the Legions of Devils, and Armies of Corruptions combin'd, can raife againft the Salvation of that Sinner that looks unto Chrift for Life, and down they muft fall before the Grace of this Promife : God's Word fhall ftand, to the eternal Salvation of that Soul, and the Confufion of all its Enemies. The Lord well knew, what mighty Af- faults would be made upon the Faith and Comfort of his Children, and therefore added his Oath to his Great Word ; That by two immmutable Things y in which it was impof- ( 2°9 ) irnpojjible for God to lie, we might have a ftrong Con [elation, rjoho have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope that is fet before us, Heb. vi. 18. And have not you, my dear Siiter, in Times pari, fled unto Chrift for Refuge ? Yea, don't you even now ? Dare you flee unto any other than the Name of the LORD, the great Saviour, as your Jlrong Tower, for Safety ? And if you dare not, why mould you queftion your Safety 5 fince God's Word affures you of it ? God fays, The Soul that runneth into the Name of the LORD, i§SAFE, Prov. xviii. 10. Satan and Unbelief fay, Nay 9 and pro- duce tQ\\ thoufand Evidences againft iuch a Soul, in its own Heart and Life. And thus there is a Strife : Well, God adds his Oath 5 he comes in on the Side of his Child, whofe Life feems to hang in Suf- penfe ; and becaufe he can fwear by no great- er, he fwears by H I MS E S F : That is, he engages all the Perfections of his Great BEING, for the Salvation of that poor Sinner, who flees to Jefus, the fent Saviour : and accordingly, as the infinitely Wife, True, and Faithful God, gives Teftimony of the fame ; which, with Reverence be it fpoken, is the higheft ASSURANCE the GODHEAD is capable of giving ! And if the ( 210 ) the Witnefs of faithful Men is to be re- ceive, the Witnefs of God is greater, i John v. 9. And if an Oath among Men is to them an End of all Strife ; what a Con- firmation muft the Oath of JEHOVAH be! Well then, my dear Sifter, fince the faithful God ftands for thy Salvation, on the one Side, and the Powers of Darknefs ftand againft it, on the other : I would fay unto thee, as the Apoftles, in another Cafe, Whether it be right in the Sight of God, to hearken unto you (for thee to hearken unto Sin and Satan) more than unto God, judge ye. Attempt thy Duty then, oh thou fearful-hearted one, by a frefh Aft of Faith, as one of God's Witnefies, to fet to thy Seal that He /jTRUE : To ftand thy Ground, in the Liberty wherewith Chrifi has made thee free -, even in the very Face of the Enemy : (and well thou mayft, fince the LORD ftands with thee) and thy Soul fhall tread down Strength, and put to Flight the Armies of the Aliens, Armies of unbelieving Thoughts, mufter'd up by Satan the Prince of Darknefs. And if thou canft not fay, with Thomas, My Lord, and my God-, yet indulge not that Monfter Uhbelief, that dares, in the Face of fo much Aflurance, ( sir ) Aflurance, to give the faithful God the Lie ! But wherever the Enemy bears hard upon thee, that thou (halt perifh ; endeavour to flee to Chrift, as a helplefs, perifhing Sinner, in thyfelf, and commit thy Soul afrefh into his Hands, to be kept till the Day of Redemption. And in fo doing, thou wilt honour God, thy Soul will find Reft, and Satan will be forc'd to flee. For when he fees that thofe fiery Darts he moots at thee, to drive thee off from Chrift, are a Means to haften thy Flight to him, he'll retire. Therefore learn the Art of War, and ftand to thy Arms, as a valiant Soldier of Jefus Chrift ; oppofing the Enemy wkh the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; holding up Chrift by Faith, on every Side, to refift the fiery Darts he moots at thee, from what Quarter foever they come. And if at any time he gives thee a Foil, then run to thy Rock, and hide thee, into the Name of the LORD, thy Jlrong Tower, where thou (halt be fafe, and fet aloft out of the Reach of thy Enemies. But it may be, thou wilt fay, c Alas, I am fo confufed and dark, fo weak and wounded, that I can neither ftand my Ground for Chrift, nor run to him \ If ( 212 ) , If this be thy Cafe, then know for thy Comfort, that the Captain of thy Salvation ftands for thee, and will come to thee, when thou canfl not come to him. Thy com- panionate High Prieft has Bowels for thee, every way proportionable to the Meafure. of thy Diftrefs. He's a Man of Bowels, Yea, the God of Bowels : The Companions of our Gofpel High Prieft are infinite ! And having himfelf Jitfferd, being tempted hi all Points like unto us, he is able aifo, -from an inward, experimental Feeling of the Power of Temptations, to fuccour us when tempted, And as he has an Ability of Bowels to pity us, and an Ability of Strength to help us j fo he has alfo Authority from Iiis Father, the broad Seal of Heaven, to be our Phyfician to heal us -, and he's faith- ful to him that appointed him. So that our Jefus is juft fuch a Saviour as we . need. The Spirit of the Lord GOD, fays he, is upon me, becanfe he hath anointed me to preach good Tidings to the Meek -, he hath fent me to bind up the Broken-hearted, to pro- claim Liberty to the Captives, and the Opening of the Prifon to them that are bound -, To proclaim the acceptable Tear of our LORD, and the Day of Vengeance of are God, to comfort all that mourn ; To appoint unto ( 2>3 ) unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them Beauty for Aflies, the Oil of Joy for Moumhig, the Garment of PraiJ'e for the Spirit ofHeavinefs, that they might be called Trees of Righteou/hefs, the Planting of the. LORD, that he might be glorify d, Ifa, Ixi, j, 2, 3. This was the Work the God of all Grace fent him about • and oh, with what amazing Tendernefs doth he perform it ! He healeth the Broken in Heart , and bindeth up their Wounds , PfaL cxlvii. 3. He fays to the Prijoners, Go forth $ to them that are in Darknefs, Shew your/elves $ and then again they feed in the Ways, and their Pa/lures are in all high Places, They /hall not hunger nor thir/l, neither jhall the Heat nor Sun /mite them : For he that hath Mercy on them Jhall lead them j even by the Springs of Water jhall he guide them, Ifa. xlix, 9, 10, And thus the Lord Jefus will deal with you, my dear Sifter $ therefore be ftrong, fear not : Behold your God Jhall come with Vengeance, (to deftroy all thy Enemies, who fhall be found Liars unto thee) even God with a Recompen/e% (for all thy waiting for him) he pall coim and Jave you, Ifa. xxxv, 3. Into his Arms I commit you $ earneft- ly defmng that happy Morning of divino 2 Fa* ( 214 ) . Favour, which fhall arife upon your Soul, when the fhort Night of your prefent Weeping is over : Chrift will fee you a- gain, and your Heart fiall rejoice, and your Joy Jhall no Man take from you. And, mean while, tho' Clouds and Dark- nefs cover thee, Commotions and Tem- pefts fhake thy Mind ; yet all is clear, as to thy State, in the upper Region of Chrift's Love ! In Him, with dear Love, 1 reft Tours, &c. LETTER XXXI. ToMr.W.andE.C. Dear Brother and Sifter, I Beg leave to return you hearty Thanks for all your Favours. lam very forry to hear of your Troubles -, andfhould rejoice to hear of the Kindnefs of the Lord, in granting you a fan&ify'd Ufe of 'em, and an happy Deliverance from them. Let us not think I it ( aij ) it ftrange, that in the World we have tffibu- lation ; but rather rejoice, that in Chrift wc have Peace, amidft all the fhaking Storms and furging Waves that pafs over us. Va- nity and Vexation are wrote upon all the Creatures : No Satisfaction or Reft for our Souls, but in the Bofom of God. Riches make them/elves Wings, and jiee away -, but they that have Chrifl for their Portion in- herit a Subftance, that can never be loft or leffen'd. God in Chrift is Subftance ; all Things elfe are Shadows. If we feek Hap- pinefs in Creatures -, they'll all fay, eventual- ly, 'Tis not in me. But fo far as God hath our Hearts, fo far we are at reft. Becaufe the infinite Fulnefs of his perfect and im- menfe Being is a fatisfying Good, to the moil enlarged Defires of the Heaven- bom Soul. All Things below God are fubjedt to change, are parting from us, and we from them } but Jehovah, our Portion, changeth not ; nothing can feparate him from us, nor us from him. Oh, blefled is the Man whofe Godis JEHOVAH! WhentheLord empties us of Creatures, the Language of his Grace and Providence is, Come, my Peo- ple, enter into your Chambers, and hide your- felves ; Come into my Bofom, take up your Delights in me ; I will be all unto you, when every thing elfe is gone : Hide your- felves ( 2x6 ; feives under the Shadow of my Wings, un- til thefe Calamities are overpaft. And oh, happy Soul, that is fill'd with God, when empty 'd of the Creature ! Oh bleffed Ex- change ! Yea, may we not fay, oh happy Trial, oh bleffed Affliction, that has drawn me off from the Circumference-Lines of Creatures-perfeftions, to reft in GOD, the Center of all my Bleffednefs ! The God of Peace fandify wholly and meeten you daily for the Inheritance of the Saints in Lights which is incorruptible ^ un°» defiled, and fadeth not away I Begging your Prayers, I reft, Tours in Chrift for ever, &c. LETTER XXXII, i To Mr, H. Dear Sir, my honoured and beloved Bro~ ther in Chrift \ IT was with Concern that I heard Mr, 0— read a Letter of yours, wherein you gave fome Account of your inward and out- ward Trials ; And therefore I was defirous to write a Line, in hopes it might be con- vey'd to you, And, be of good Comfort, my ( 217 ) my Brother, you have one Friend, that you may have Communion with at all times, and it is not in the Power of any Creature to intercept it. Jefus Chrift can fend from Heaven unto you by his Holy Spirit, and give you to know his Mind ; and you, by the Affiftance of the fame Spirit, may fully open your Heart unto him : And no Crea- ture can hinder it. Oh, prize your Friend in Heaven, and labour after a more intimate Communion, and greater Familiarity with him, now your Converfe with Friends on Earth is in a great meafure cut off. This, indeed, is hard Treatment from the Crea- ture : But remember/ tis a kind of Perfec- tion that you fuffer for Jefus' Sake ; and, like your Lord, learn Obedience by the Things you fuffer, and endure the Crofs for the Joy fet before you. For this (hall turn to your Salvation, and Glory in the Day of Chrift. It may be, the Lord may have de- fign'd, (for look unto him in it, thro* and above the Creature) by cutting off the Streams, to bring you to drink more im- mediately at the Fountain-Head. And that is infinitely better. Certain it is, that the Voice of your Beloved's Grace, in this Pro- vidence is, O, my Dove, that art in the Clefts of the Rock, in the fecret Places of the Stairs, let me hear thy Voice, let me fee K th ( 218 ) thy Countenance -, for ,fweet is thy Voice y and thy Countenance is comely. Your dear Lord Jefus hath defired a more free and intimate Communion with you. Indeed, he loves you : He loves you dearly, he loves you (Ironply, he loves you unchangeably, ag| e you eternally. Oh, Come and fee C t, and prove his Grace ! Come, and fee how good the LORD is ! How much better he will be to you than ten Sons, than all the Creatures ! Acquaint now thy- felf with him, and be at Peace : Thereby Good fhall come unto thee. Perhaps, by this Providence, well improv'd, you may have a greater Experience of the S weetnefs, Fitnefs, Fulnefs, Excellency and Glory of Chrift's Friendihip than ever. And from hence, with the greateft Solace and Admira- tion, commend him unto others, with a This is my Beloved ! and This is my Friend ! And have you finn'd againft your Friend ? Have you griev'd your Friend ? Oh, grieve with him ! but do not think that he will forfake you : For thus the LORD the God of Ifrael faith, he hateth Putting away. If the LORD your Friend, had not had Love enough in his Heart to pardon all your innumerable Tranfgreffions, and to pafs by all your great Provocations, he would ne- ver have begun to love you 5 he would not have i 219 ) have fet his Heart upon you in Chrift, in the Beginning of his Way, before his Works of old y nor yet would he have begun to manifefr. his Love, by calling you out of Darknefs, into his marvellous Light. For God's Love begun, mull run on to all the happy Objects thereof in one eternal Round, unto Ages without End. And that it might do fo, infinite Wifdom divided a Water- courfe, thro' a crucify *d Jefus, for Love's overflowing Waters, that fo reigning Grace might iuperabound over all our abounding Sinfulnefs, to the Llonour of all the divine Perfections. Your God, my Brother, fore- vie w'd all your Iniquities, in all their Aggra- vations, and yet, in the Greatnefs of his Love, he refolved to be gracious unto you, and to have Mercy upon yon, in the free, and full Forgivenefs of them all. He knew that your Neck was an Iron-Sinew, and your Brow, Brafs , and that you would deal very treacheroufly , and yet he refolved, that nothing, none of all your Unkindnefs and Ingratitude mould ever feparate you from his Love. Oh, Behold this Love, and a- dore it ! Behold it, and let your Heart melt into Gofpel -Repentance before it ! Behold it, until you feel an attracting Efficacy in it, and are changed into its Likencfs !' What, will not the Lord caft you off for K 2 aU ( 220 ) all that you have done ! Will he not deal with you after your Sins, nor reward you according to your Iniquities ! Altho' they are more highly aggravated, and in ibme Senfe greater, as you are one of his Fa- vourites, for whom he has done fuch great Things, than theirs can be,who are thePeo- ple of his Wrath,againft whom he hath In- dignation for ever ! Will he not turn you into Hell, with the Nations that forget God ! Oh, Let this fet your Heart againft Sin ! Let this Love engage you to give a Bill of Devorce to it ! and to fay, with Ephraim, What have I to any more with Idols ? Oh, my Brother, The Lord expecls you fhould return unto him again. Shall he turn away, fays he, and not return ? And, go, fays, he, proclaim thefe Words towards the North, (to my Children, who by Sin have loft the fweet Beams of my feniible Favour, that like the South-Wind,had us'd to blow upon their Souls with its refrefhing Gales ; and are got into the cold Point, hav- ing loft their firft Lore, and their Hearts al- jnoft frozen againft me,and are apt to think that my Love towards them, is as cold as theirs towards me) and fay unto them, Return thou backfliding Ifrael, faith the LORD, and I will not caufe mine Anger to fall upon you ; for 1 am merciful, faith the *WRD, ( 221 ) LORD, and I will not keep Anger for ev-ef. Only acknowledge thine Iniquity, that thou baft tranfgreffed againfl the LORD thy Gody and baft fatter d thy Ways to the Strangers under every green Tree, and ye have not obeyed my Voice, faith the LORD. Tumy O Backfliding Children, faith the LORD, for I am married unto you, Sec. You fee, my dear Brother, how the LORD calls upon you to return. Turn not therefore away from him ; for the LORD will not forfake his People for his great Name's fake, becaufe it hath pleafed the LORD to make them his People. I am glad that you have been helpt to plead his Promife with him ; that he will never leave you, nor forfake you : It is a Token of his never-failing Kindnefs, and of the frefli Vifits thereof towards you. Go on to put the Promife in Suit : For the God of all Grace, will not, cannot deny himfelf. Confider like wife, what Encouragement you have to approach the Throne of Grace, to find Mercy, and Grace to help in Time of Need 5 fince you have a Jefus, that is entred into Heaven for you with his own Blood, and there lives for you, as your Advocate and Inter- ceffor, to fave you to the uttermo ft. And caft not away your Confidence, wh ich hath great Recompenfe of Reward. It is, as K 3 Dr. ( 222 ) Dr. Goodwin obferves, one great End of Satan, in tempting us to Sin, to weaken our Faith. Let us therefore beware of this Device. And when we have fallen, let us not yield to unbelieving Fears about our Intereft in God, or our being in a State of Grace; but rather, in the Faith of our Relation to him, let us return, and fay with the Prodigal, Father, I have fumed dgainfl Heaven, and in thy Sight, and am no more worthy to be call' d thy Son. For if we con- fe/s our Sins, he is faithful and } aft to for •- give us our Sins, and to clean fe us from all Un right eou (he fs . With a Word or two of Caution and Exhortation, I'll conclude. And beware, my dear Brother, of yielding to any Sin. : hereby you will greatly difhonbur God, grieve the Comforter, weaken your own Graces, ftrengthen your Corruptions, and unfit yourfelf for the Lord's Service. And in order to avoid finful Acts, watch inil finful Thoughts, keep your Heart with all Diligence. Oh5 let it not ileal out from God, the Sum of all Perfection and Blifs, to feek Delight in the Creature, or any bafe Lull. Abide in Chriil by Faith, and he will abide in you by his Spirit : and fo you {hall mortify the Deeds of the Body. Live in a conftant Dependence on Chriit, and ( 223 ) and Independence on yourfelf. For In- herent Grace, as you well obferve, is not able, to keep us in a Time of Temptation, without frefh Influence from above. Be diligent in the Ufe of Means : Read God's Word, and meditate therein Day and Night. Be frequent in fecret Prayer : and neglect not publick Ordinances. Let the Saints be your own Company : Delight in them who are the Excellent of the Earth. Flee youthful Lufts. Your Age, and the Place you live in, calls for great Watchful- nefs. Your Temptations are ftrong : Oh, be you ftrong, to refift them, in the Grace that is in Chrift jefus ! Remember, he has Crowns and Thrones for every Overcomer. If you feek the Lord early, and follow him fully in your prefent youthful Day, as it will be greatly to his Honour, fo to your own exceeding Joy, and unfpeakable Glo- ry. You are cali'd to wreftle with the Powers of Darknefs, both within and with- out : and had therefore need to have on the whole Armour of God, that you may be able to withftand in the evil Day, and having done all, to ftand. You are cali'd to run your Chriftian Race, for an incor- ruptible Crown : Keep it in fight, to ani- mate you in your Courfe : That you may K 4 fo ( 224 ) fo run, as to obtain the invaluable Prize of eternal Glory ! Grace be with you, Amen. lam, Sir, yours in the Lord, &c. LETTER XXXIII. To J.M. Dear Sifter, GRace and Peace be multiplied unto r you thro' the Knowledge of God, and of Jefus our Lord, Having heard that you are yet on this fide Glory, travelling thro' the Wildernefs, it is en my Heart to have a little Talk with you by the Way. But by reafon of Di- stance, Paper - con verfe is all that can be at- tain'd. *Tis the Pleaiure of our dear Fa- ther, to exercife thee in a very particular Manner, and to continue it long upon thee : But be not caft down hereat, as if fome ft range Thing had happened : For as ma- ny as the Lord loves, he rebukes and cha- ftens. But it may be you'll fay, " My ( 225 ) <c My Affliction is very uncommon, has <c lafted a great while, and it is like to en- *c dure fo long as I'm in this World ". Well, be it fo : Yet remember that God's fpecial Love to you ordain'd this particu- lar Trial ; and his everlafting Kindnefs keeps it (till upon you. This was the Means in- finite Wifdom pitch'd on, for the Difplay of boundlefs Love to you. By this, you are to be made conformable to Chriit in Sufferings, and meetned for a Conformity to him in Glory. Since Free-Grace has faved you, give it leave to carry on your Salvation in its own Way. What tho' you pais thro' much Tribulation, the King- dom's at the End. I doubt not, but the Lord, at times, has opened much of his Love to your Soul in the prefent Aflli^ions: But the brighter!: Difcoveries are behind. The great Opening of God's Heart, in the Gift of every Trial, is referved for us till we get over Jordan, on the other fide Death, into the Land of Promile.. Then we (hall remember all the Way the Lord led us thro' the Wildernefs, and fee it was a right Way to a City of Habitation. Then the Myfteries of Divine Providence (hall be ■unfolded, the Cloud taken from off every dark Difpenfation, and the Vail from our Underftandings, There, the fecret Springs K 5 of ( 226 ) of boundlefs Love, Infinite Wifdom, and Almighty Power, which ordain'd, managed, and over-ruled every Scene of Providence, for the Glory of God, and our Advantage, fhall at once be laid open : For we mall fee as we are fctn. We fhall blefs God, when we come to Heaven, for every, even the bitterer!, fharpeft, longed Affliction, that attended our mortal Life ; becaufe we mall fee how the Lord uninterruptedly carried on the Defigns of his own Glory and our Salvation, by every Change that pafs'd over us. Meanwhile, we muft live by Faith,, and labour after an encreafing Submiffion to the Divine Will, under the foreft Re- bukes, and a Bleffing of God for every Stroke, till Grace is fwallowed up in Glory :. When our Wills, with the higheft Com- placence, fhall everlaftingly flow into the Will of God. And even now, we have reafon, not only to be patient, but alio to rejoice, and glory in Tribulation, And was the Eye of our Faith ftrpng enough to pierce the Cloud of afflictive Providences, and difcern the Love of our Father's Heart, which, as an infinite Deep, coucheth be- neath, and is the Spring of every Difpenfa- tion, we mould fing in v, take Plea- fure in Diiviel'ies, and glorify God in the Fires, Our light AffHtfion, faith the Apoftle, which ( 227 ) which is but for a Moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Gloryx 2 Cor. iv. 1 7. There are three Things comprized in thefe Words, which I defire you may be enabled, frequently, to meditate upon. Firjl, The Lightnefs of the Saints Affliction. Secondly, The Short- nefs of it. And Thirdly, The Advantage of all their prefent Trials. Firfy The Lightnefs of the Saints Afflidion ! Our Light Affliction. It's not faid, the Afflictions of the World are light : But our Affliction is light. And it is fo, if compared with what we have deferv'd, and the Damned in Hell endure. Light, if compared with what Chrift once bore, when for us he was, the Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief. Light, becaufe by virtue of Chrift's Suffering for us in our room and (lead, the Curie is taken out of all our Afflictions. Again, they're light, becaufe omnipotent Strength is en- ed to fupport us under 'em : Underneath are. the everlafting Arms. We have not, are nor. mail not be left to go thro' any Trial alone. The God of Jacob is our uge and Strength, a very prefent Help in Trouble. The Lord Jefus is our fv/eet Companion in Tribulation. He is with us, to (ympathize with us in our Sorrows, to K 6 fuftain ( 228 ) fuftain us under our Burdens, to pardon all our Unbelief and Impatience, when in the Furnace ; and at laft comple.i tly and glori- oufiy to deliver us, and bring us forth as Gold fcvcn times refined. No Affliction, indeed, for the prefent is joyous, but grievous to our frail Flefh. It is fo in itfelf, but much more fo to us ; becaufe we live fo much by Senfe, and fo little by Faith. Every Trial that parTeth over uf;} hath a light as well as a dark Side : And we mould look upon every Affliction with a double View : As 'tis oppreffing and grieving to weak Nature, it is, in itfelf, Evil ; and calls for Submiffion to the Divine Will. But then, as the fame Affliction is view'd, as flowing from God's Love, and effectually managed for his Glory, and our Advantage ; fo 'tis good : and ought to be matter of our Joy and Thankfgiving. Let's leave it then to them that have no Intereft in the God of all Grace, to think Afflictions heavy : For wo to them that are alone. But as for us, that are interefted in God, (in all his Perfons, and in all his Perfections, as engaged in Covenant for our good) let's go on rejoicing in Tribulation ; efteeming all our Afflictions, as indeed they are, light. Secondly, ( 2*9 ) Secondly, The Shortnefs of the Saints Affliction, is matter of great Confolation: 'tis but for a Moment. A Moment is but a mort Space, the fmalleft Divifion of Time. And unto this of a Moment, are our longeft Afflictions compared. Suppofe they mould laft as long as we are in this World : Yet, even our whole Life, if compared with a vaft Eternity, is but like a Moment. And, as Mr. Dod well fays, <c What can be great to him that counts <c the World nothing ? Or long, to him cc that counts his Life but a Span " ? Oh ! were we more frequent in our Converfe with Eternity, it would make the Afflicti- ons of this prefent Time appear {hort. Did we live more in the Views of approaching Glory, we mould remember our Afflictions as Waters that/ pais away -, that are here one Moment, and gone the next. But alas ! fuch is our Folly, that we are taking Thought for a great while to come : And fo make our apprehended, future Trials, prefent DiftreiTes. Whereas, were we un- der the moft preflrng Weights, and did take Thought for no more than the Dry \ (and fujjicient to it, is the Evil thereof) living by Faith on the Borders of Glory, as juft en- tering into the Mai i irons of Reft, ; it would alleviate our Sorrows, and make the longeft Trial (230 ) Trial appear fhprt. Could we thus reafon with ourfelves every Day, ' Well, I'm got * one Day nearer home ; the Afflictions of c the pail Day I (hall never go thro' any * more : And perhaps, before I fee another c Day in thisWorld,! may feeGlory's Day ; c a Morning that will have no Clouds nor * Evening to fucceed it : No Sorrow, Sin, c nor Death to darken its luftre '. Oh, what a Means would this be to increafe our Patience, and make us of an enduring Spirit ! And what matter of Comfort is it, that while our fhort-lived Afflictions la ft, Chrift will be with us in 'em? He's with us when we pafs thro' the Waters, that the Rivers don't overflow us ; that the fuelling Waves or Afiii&ion don't overwhelm us : And when we walk thro' the Fires, that the Flames kindle not upon us, that fiery Trials don't confume us. The Priefts Feet were to ftand in "Jordan^ till all Ijrael was clean palled over. So our dear Lord Jefus will ftand amidft our DiftrelTes, di- viding the Waters before us, till all his Children are clean palled thro' 'em. His Prefence with us in Affliction, will make it right ; and his delivering Kindnefs out of it, will make it fiiort. But, Thirdly, The Advantage of the Saints Affliction, is alfo an Encouragement to Faith ( 23* ) Faith and Patience : It worketh for us. But what doth it work ? Why, no lefs than Glory ! And it works Glory for us, as it pre- pares us for it. Glory was prepared for us, and fettled upon us, in God's everlafting Cove- nant with his Son, before the World was. And Affliction is a Means, infinite Wifdom, Power, and Grace makes ufe of, to prepare us for Glory : That Glory which was got ready for us before Time, and will laft to an eternal Space beyond it. And who would think much to endure Affliction, that fees it is but for the Trial, and per- fecting of his Graces ; and that the Exer- cife of each might be found unto Praife, Honour, and Glory at Chad's Appear- ing ? Now then, let's brin^Things to theBallance of the Sanctuary, and learn to judge of 'em aright. Let's amafs together all the Afflicti- ons of a Believer's Life, and put 'em in one Scale, and Glory in the other -y and fee if that don't infinitely outweigh them ! efpecially, if we call in the additional Weights that are on Glory's Side: Here's Affliction on the one Side ; but Glory on theother; Light ! n, for a Moment ; but a Weight of Glory ; yea, an exc afar more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory ! Well might the Apoftle fay, iw I reckon, C 232 ) reckon, that the Sufferings of this prefent Time, are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which fiall be revealed in usy Rom. viii. 17. Dear Sifter, you ere ftraitned in me, a poor, contracted, narrow- mouth'd VeiTel, that can take in, or let out but lie tie : But you're not ftraitned in Chrift. The Lord enlarge your Capacity, to take in Abun- dance of himielf in the glorious Promfes ! And open unto you fuch Views of the In- heritance of the Saints in Light ; which may caufe you to go comfortably thro* your prefent Trials : And at laft give you a triumphant Paflage thro' the Valley of the the Shadow of Death, under the bright Shines of his Face, beheld by Faith ; until Faith is fwallowed up in Virion ! So prays, yours in the Lord, &c. LETTER XXXIV. To E. H. My dear Sifter in Chrift, Greet you : wifhing Grace and Peace JL may be multiply 'd unto you, thro' the Knowledge of Go;l, and of Jefus cur Lord, Yours ( 233 ) Yours I receiv'd, and rejoice to hear how our gracious God is carrying on his Work in your Soul. It is our unfpeakable Privilege, that our Lord's Fulnefs cannot decay. 'Tis hence we have receiv'd all our Supplies hitherto. And tho' we are ftill as needy Creatures as ever, yet the Fulnefs of Chrift abides unchangeably the lame. As it is an overflowing, ib aft ever- flowing Fountain 5 which fills the Saints in both Worlds. "lis hence the Saints have, do, and fhall receive thro' all the Ages of Time: and this will fill us to an endleis Eternity, without the leaft Wafte. Let all the Saints in Heaven and Earth drink, yea, drink abundantly, drink their Fill out of the Ful- nefs of Chrift ; yet can they not link this Fountain one Hair's Breadth. Becaufj our Maker is our Husband : The LORD of Hofrs is his Name. The Grace of Chrift, as the Church's Beloved, is not the Grace of a mere Creature : then it would be foon dry'd up and gone : But it is the boundlefs, infinite, inexhauftible Grace of JEHOVAH, the Rock of Ages, who changeth not ! Oh the tranfcendent Fairnefs of our Beloved, as he is our GO D, as well as our Goel, or Kinfman-Redeemer ! What fweet Fellow- ship may we have with the infinite Grace of the boundlefs Deity dwelling in our own Nature! ( 234 ) Nature ! Here, divine Terror fhall not make us afraid -y becaufe infinite Majefty is cloth'd with our Flefh. We may well hold fail our Confidence, lince we have fuch a great High-Prieft, Jefus the Son of God, palled into the Heavens for us. Jefus, born of the Virgin, to be a Saviour ; and yet the Son of God in our Nature ! The Bowels of Chrift, our Gofpel High-Pridr, are truly human, and yet infinite : Eecaufe of the Union of the Divine and Human Nature in the wonderful Perfon of our Be- loved. What Encouragement is this to our Faith? We may come daily with our emp- ty Souls to our full Jefus. Our Wants are innumerable ; but there's enough in Chrift to fill us : Yea, there's a Redundan- cy, more than enough. The Veflels of Mercy are and lhall be caft into this Ocean of Glory, contained in it, and lill'd with it ; but they can never contain that, which contains them ; becaufe the mod enlarged Capacities, even of glorify'd Saints, are (till but finite : and the Glory of God, into which they are caft, is infinite ; an immenfe Sea, without either Shore, or Bot- tom ! The Lord help you, my dear Sifter, to abide in Chrift by Faith, and to come to him daily with all yourWants : His Power, Grace, (235 ) Grace, and Faithfulnefs are all engag'd ta grant you a rich Supply. To live by Faith on the Son of God, is the every Day's Work of a Believer. And when you can't come to Chrift, in the Views of your Marriage- relation to his Perfon, and Intereft in his Fulnefs, you may come as a poor perifhing Sinner in yourfelf, unto him the exalted Saviour, who is mighty to fave, whofe" Office it is to fave the chief of Sinners ; even all them that come unto God by him. And fuch is his Grace, that in no wife he will call out any poor Soul that comes to him. No, tho' it be ever fo unworthy, vile, wretched and miferable ; there's Strength enough in his Arm, and Grace enough in his. Heart, to fave to the uttermoft. It matters not how great our Wants be, when we come an infinite Fountain. It is no more for Chrift, to nil the vafteft De- fires of the moft needy Creature that ever came to him, than for the Sea to fill a Cockle- fhell. Nay, 'tis not fo much : For tho' there is a fort if Immenlity in that vaft Confluence of Waters; yet they maybe leifened. But the Fulnefs of Chrift, is pro- perly infinite, and therefore not fubje<ft to the lea ft Diminution. But I miift conclude, defiring that the God of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Father of ( 236 ) of Glory, may grant unto you a more abun- dant Meafure of the Spirit of Wifdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Him, "Avhom to know, is Life eternal. With dear Love to yourfelfand all Friends, Irejl Tours in Chrift for ever, &c. LETTER XXXV. To P. W. My dear Sifter, I Rejoice to hear of your Health, and wifh your Soul may profper exceeding- ly. Dear Child, work while it is Day. Improve all the Time the Lord gives you for his Glory : For this will be for his Honour, and your own Joy, both now and in the Day of Chrift:. Oh, be diligent, that you may be found of him in Peace, without Spot, and blamelefs ! Chrift will never leave thee, nor forfake thee : His Grace will be fufficient for thee : Therefore lay out thyfelf for him, all manner of Ways, at all Times, and in all Places. Keep the Crown in View, to quicken and encourage you to run with Patience the Race that is fit ( 237 ) fet before you. Who would not work for Chriit, that glorious Lover ! That glorious Matter ! Who HIMSELF will be our ex- ceeding great REWARD! But ah, Wretch- ed me ! how ungrateful, difingenuous, rebellious, and flothful have I been ! 'Tis well for me that Free-Grace reigns, reigns thro' Righteoufnefs, a better Righteoufnefs than mine,unto eternal Life; and that where Sin has abounded fir ace doth much more abound. Was it not fo, I mould never be faved. But, blefied beGod,lfee, to my unfpeakablejoy, the whole of my Salvation, founded in, and fecur'd by free, reigning Grace ! But then, what a Debt of Love,in all holy Obedience, doth a faved Soul owe unto its Saviour ! Oh here, I fall fhort, vaftly fhort of what is my Duty ; and fo of that Glory I ought to give him . Oh Wretch that I am, doth Chrifi: delight to glorify me : and (hall I dare,by my Negligence in hisService,toflight his Honour ! And yet chus evilly have I done innumerable Times. Oh, cc I muft go into " Heaven, (as Mr. Rutherford fays) Free- " Grace's Divour". And, " Surely I <c (hall die, minting and aiming to be a <c Chriftian ", But then, oh, then, I {hall be a Chriftian indeed! As full of Chrift, as like him, and as able to ferve him, as now my Soul longs to be ! Oh, pray for me, that (238) that while I abide on this fide Jordan, I may be bleft with a growing Communion with Chrift, an increaiing Conformity to him, and a more abundant Service of him 1 And the Lord grant you thefe three Bleffings / reft Tours, &c. LETTER XXXVI. To T. W. Dear Brother, IBlefs God for Chrift : And becaufe he lives, I live alfo. Oh, my Brother, what Grace is it to us, that our Union to Chrift, our Life, cannot be broken ! And, oh that our Faith of Intereft in him, in his Perfon and Fulnefs, may daily engage us to live to him, who died for us, and rofe again ! Oh that we might not be con- tented to live at the poor, low, carnal Rate at which the molt of Profeflbrs and Church- Members live at this Day ! Our Lord has his Fan in his Hand ; and he will throughly purge his Floor. Oh, when the Lord mail fearch jferujalem with Candles, who may abide the Day of his Coming ? Let ( 239 ) Let lis therefore watch, and keep our Garments. And whatever others do, let us labour to improve all our prefent Mo- ments, fome way or other to glorify God, that fo when our Lord appears, we may be found of him in Peace: And have his well dene, as good andjaithful Servants . Oh, how blefTed a Thing it is, to fay with the Apoftle, for me to live is Chrifi ! 'Tis fweet to live for Chrift here, as well as to live with him hereafter. Oh what a glorious Mafter is Jefus Chrift ! How glorious is his Service ! And what a glorious Reward will he beftow upon his Servants, when he bids them enter into the Joy of their Lord! Wifhing a rich Increafe of all Grace, unto all Glory -, and defiring your Prayers for us3 1 rejly Tours, &c. FINIS. ERRATA. PAge 26. Line 1 1 . after //, read an. p. 36. I. 1 5. for Cbrift, read Cbrifts. p. 38. 1. 2. for ;7, read ///. J. 18. after **, read theje. p. 40. I. 44 after pajf, read 7>«/c-. p. 45. 1. 28. for is, read as. p. 74. 1. 18. for Jbafl, read fja/t. p. 96. 1. 11. for fear, read fare. p. 103. 1. 29. blot out <*.'/. p. 123. 1. 28. after but, read the. p. 124. 1. 20. for />, read on. p 141. 1. 10. read of p. 165. 1. 28. for /£<?, read /if/., p. 174. 1. 16. for us, read you. p. 175. 1. 5. for God f read Gcip/. p. 201. !• 3. for canft not, read cannot, p. 21 1. I. 2. for where ever, read whenever, p. 212. 1. 27. for o/zr, read /£<?. 1. 29. for are, read our. p. 216. 1. 8. TtaxLCreaturti* Perftclions. p. 235= 1. i£t after tfj»*j' read /#« I.24. for if, read *£ i ./. . . -■-■-■ • '/*/ / " "3 ,, 7,'./. • A.///& V/.ese tub* ■ > '^^;*'^' "- fisfc Own :J.rAa»/ my </# v'[ o H.-TJ ' afoi't ' *<i ■. r *-r i i M v<. * t~. : ■.; . -,' : \ -