Spirit; revealed and made known, ratified and confirmed, by the triune God to his chosen and be loved family; testified by God's hand-writing upon our hearts, sealed with the broad seal of heaven, and a pledge and earnest given: O this stands faster than mountains of brass; O the immutability of his counsel, the stability of his covenant, the security and safety of the blessed inheritance!

An earnest differs nothing from the whole lump in quality, only in quantity. The firstfruits are the same as all the rest of the harvest, only they are a very small part of an abundant crop: whether, therefore, we glean an handful like Ruth, or reap a sheaf like Joseph in his dream, it will at last terminate in a barnful. "Gather the wheat

"O the depth of

into my barn," Matt. xiii. 30. the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God; how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be all dominion, and power,

glory, might, majesty,

both now and for ever. So be it, so be it; says

The chiefest of all sinners,

W. H.

LETTER XVIII.

To the Rev. J. JENKINS, at the new Vicarage, Lewes, Sussex.

Dearly beloved and longed-for, my joy, and the crown of my rejoicing; stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

METHINKS I hear thee crying out, "Hast thou but one blessing, O my Father?" Yes, my son, I have many blessings. I have as many spiritual and temporal blessings from my God, and as many curses from hypocrites in Zion, as most men living; and the latter is the consequence of the discriminating effects of the former. "Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice," Psalm cix. 28. I shall now proceed,

17. To take notice of the different distributions and influences of the Holy Spirit. "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. And there are differences of administrations [or ministries], but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all," 1 Cor. xii. 4-6. You see here the dif

ferent divine names which the Holy Ghost takes to himself. In the distribution of his gifts he styles himself the Spirit; in his different ministries, the Lord; and in his different operations he styles himself God.

Now these his ministerial gifts the holy apostle mentions. "To one is given bythe Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spi rit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues." There is nothing in all these gifts that will infallibly assure or secure everlasting life in heaven to the recipients of them. "The kingdom of God stands not in word;" neither in the word of wisdom, nor in the word of knowledge. We see many wise enough in the word that were never made wise unto salvation, or who never had the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins; and therefore, however wise they may be in the word, they are ignorant of their own hearts, and of the all-conquering grace of God in Christ Jesus.

Nor doth the word of knowledge, or the greatest gifts of knowledge in the word, secure the heavenly inheritance. "Knowledge puffeth up.',

Satan knows more of God, of the works of creation, of the efficacy of divine grace in sinners' hearts by his being so often cast out by it; yea, and of the scriptures of truth, the glories of heaven, and

of the pains of hell; than all the natural men in the world, put them all together; and yet the weakest believer in all the church of God knows more than he. Men may have all knowledge, and understand all mysteries, and yet be nothing, 1 Cor. xiii. 2.

Nor is the faith here spoken of that faith which purifies the heart and works by love; but miraculous faith, or the faith of miracles; which many have had to whose heart it never applied the atonement, nor put on an imputed righteousness; nor did it ever embrace the Son of God, much less bring him into the heart, and give him a dwelling-place there. It is like a faith upon sight, which many had,.who, when they saw his miracles, believed. It is temporary, and for a time; those for a while believe, and then fall away. This faith has its seat in the judgment and understanding, but not in the heart. It deals with the power of God in its operations, but not with the lovingkindness and tender mercy of God in Christ Jesus. And this power is put forth in working miracles on others, when it does nothing towards the salvation of the professor of it. And, as it deals not with the lovingkindness and tender mercy of God in Christ, it is nothing in the grand business of salvation; for, "Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing," 1 Cor. xiii. 2.

Nor is there any salvation in the gifts of healing; such as healing the sick, the lame, the blind, the leper, or the lunatic, by casting out de

vils. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity," Matt. vii. 22, 23.

Nor is the gift of tongues, or the interpretation of them, any of the things which accompany salvation. This gift has its seat only in the understanding and judgment, and is played off from the tongue, but never reaches the heart nor the affections.

Though some value themselves very much upon these things, yet no man will affirm that either Latin, Greek, or Hebrew, can purge the conscience of a guilty and filthy sinner. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." All these things have a tendency to lift men up; unless by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, and by his humbling operations, they are counterbalanced, as they were in Paul and others. "It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace," Heb. xiii. 9.

"There are differences of administrations, but the same Lord." The Lord the Spirit administers not only different gifts to men, but grace; he administers strength to the weak in faith, increaseth it in them that have no might, making their strength equal to their day. He administers the word to the preachers of it, and light to see into it; wisdom rightly to divide it; boldness to declare it faithfully, without fearing the face of any; zeal