late. My dame sends her kind love to you, your sons, and your mother; which is what she desires me to insert in every letter, but, being often in a hurry, I forget it. God for ever bless you; so prays,

Your sincere and affectionate friend,

W. H. S.S.

DCCII.

November 6, 1811.

DEAR FRIEND,

I RECEIVED yours with all its contents, for which I thank you; but, blessed be the Almighty, I am not in want. Kind Providence and undeserved grace still appear in my behalf, causing his goodness to pass before me, while his mercy and truth follow me; so that I am constrained to love him, and to delight myself in him. Indeed all besides God in his dear Son is vain, empty, uncertain, and delusive. It is sowing to the love and desires of the flesh; and all that we can reap from thence is corruption. Blessed be God, he will not suffer us to make this world our rest, our home, nor our inheritance. God has appointed this to be our pilgrimage, and not our own country; having provided some better thing for us— a more enduring substance. And he will cross, disappoint, and make us sick of this

being by sin earthly, sensual, and devilish, we are prone to settle on these lees and dregs of the old earthen and wooden vessels.

But God keeps his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem, to purge us from this filth and scum. Our dear Lord is the bridegroom, the head, husband, and king of his own church; having purchased her at a dear rate, and betrothed her to himself. And he is a jealous God; jealous of his own honour, and of the affections of his spouse; and will not have an image of jealousy in his house, nor a rival in our affections; for, if we love any thing better than himself, we are not worthy of him, as he himself declares. A daily cross lies in the way to the kingdom; which is good physic, though ordinary food: it is profitable, if not palatable; and we know that changes are the lot of all them that fear God; but they that fear him not have no changes.

I

I get old and feeble, and my hand shakes, so that it is hard work for me to write. do not find my mind in the least inclined to go into the country as heretofore; nor do I believe that God will ever send me into the island again. Our new place is large, well

DCCII.

November 6, 1811.

I

DEAR FRIEND,

RECEIVED yours with all its contents, for which I thank you; but, blessed be the Almighty, I am not in want. Kind Providence and undeserved grace still appear in my behalf, causing his goodness to to pass before me, while his mercy and truth follow me; so that I am constrained to love him, and to delight myself in him. Indeed all besides God in his dear Son is vain, empty, uncertain, and delusive. It is sowing to the love and desires of the flesh; and all that we can reap from thence is corruption. Blessed be God, he will not suffer us to make this world our rest, our home, nor our inheritance. God has appointed this to be our pilgrimage, and not our own country; having provided some better thing for us— a more enduring substance. And he will cross, disappoint, and make us sick of this

being by sin earthly, sensual, and devilish, we are prone to settle on these lees and dregs of the old earthen and wooden vessels.

But God keeps his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem, to purge us from this filth and scum. Our dear Lord is the bridegroom, the head, husband, and king of his own church; having purchased her at a dear rate, and betrothed her to himself. And he is a jealous God; jealous of his own honour, and of the affections of his spouse; and will not have an image of jealousy in his house, nor a rival in our affections; for, if we love any thing better than himself, we are not worthy of him, as he himself declares. A daily cross lies in the way to the kingdom; which is good physic, though ordinary food: it is profitable, if not palatable; and we know that changes are the lot of all them that fear God; but they that fear him not have no changes.

I

I get old and feeble, and my hand shakes, so that it is hard work for me to write. do not find my mind in the least inclined to go into the country as heretofore; nor do I believe that God will ever send me into the island again. Our new place is large, well