Acts vii. 22. So the wisdom of Egypt was fet against apoftolic ignorance, Acts iv. 13; and what fuccefs he could expect I fhall leave to your judgment. As the word of God has not commanded Egyptian wisdom as an effential to the facerdotal function, I think he might as well have spent his trifling artillery at the devil, as at my ignorance of school learning.

If Mofes was forty years old before it came into his mind to vifit his brethren, Acts vii. 23, and he had been all that time a pupil in Egypt, it is evident his tuition kept him from the church of Christ. I know not who was the chief tutor in Egypt; but it is certain God was not; for he fays, when he went out into the land of Egypt he heard a language that he understood not, Pfalm lxxxi. 5; therefore he brought his chofen out from among that people of a strange language, Pfalm cxiv. 1. If my congregation had been as blind as the preacher, they might have gone away perfuaded that none could preach the mystery of the cross, unless they were qualified by magic art; but they faw through him; fo he had his work, and they had theirs. He cried up the wifdom of Egypt, and they cried down the vanity of him.

God called Amos, the herdfman, to prophecy in the king's chapel, Amos vii. 13; and Peter from the fishing boat to confound the Jewish doctors: And I was called from the coal-barge, to tell finners that Jefus is rifen indeed, and hath appeared to me. And this advocate for gypfies' wifdom

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wifdom was called, or ran from the apothecary's fhop; but why he fhould ufe his pestle against my coal-fack, I know not; however, if men of fuppofed learning lift up their heels, and kick against God in the choice of his inftruments, they may expect to be checked; for whofoever cries up the wisdom of this world in a pulpit, only exalteth folly; and God will vifit it with a rod. He keeps a whip for the horse, a bridle for the afs, and a rod for the back of fools, Prov. xxvi. 3. I deny not but a man of gifts and learning may be of use to inform a perfon's judgment, or to explain the meaning of a text in the original language; but I never will believe a well without water, a cloud without rain, an inftrument without life, or a lamp without oil, can convey what they have not got themselves. God ufes not fuch inftruments to convey the precious gifts of the Holy Ghoft; the golden oil flows through the golden pipes, Zech. iv. 12. Our faith must not stand in man's wifdom; for God will deftroy the wifdom of the wife, and make their understanding foolishness. And if the foundation be deftroyed, we all know the fuperftructure must fall.

I did not think to have fent you fo long a letter, but I know you will bear with me. Tender my refpects to your wife and family, while I remain,

Affectionately thine in the Lord,

W. H.

LETTER

LETTER IV.

To N. my own Son in the Faith.

Winchefter-Row.

GRACE, mercy, and peace be with thee, from God our Father, and the Lord Jefus Christ, who is our hope. Your's I received, and must confefs I have long had a fecret thought of God's fending thee forth into his vineyard-yea, I have at times indulged this thought for these three or four years paft, but thought it prudent to conceal it from you, left, by spending my breath, I fhould puff you up.

However, I watched you narrowly, and the hand of God with you; and I foon discovered a found judgment, light to fee and life to feel the difference between the killing letter, and the quickening word; the bondage of the law, and the liberty of the gospel may the Lord increase thy light, life, and knowledge, more and more. I alfo difcovered the fevere difcipline which our divine tutor used with thee; and I believe he has for fome years inftructed thee with a strong hand; which I trust you have, and ever will find to be for your foul's good, because it keeps us from faying a confederacy to every rotten preacher who fays a confe-deracy;

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deracy; it likewife empties from veffel to veffel, fo that we lettle not upon our lees, or drop into fleshly eafe in Zion. It keeps us in jeopardy every hour; makes us leave thofe things which are behind, and mind and walk in what we have obtained, and yet be preffing forward after thofe things that are before. It keeps our eyes fixed on the prize, and makes us daily feek after every characteristical mark of an high, holy, and heavenly calling; in fhort, by thefe trials we live; and in all these things is the life of our Spirits: fo God is pleased to revive us, and cause us to live by the faith of his dear Son.

And now, my fon, what fhall I fay in anfwer to your requeft? You know I am no great judge of minifterial abilities, (as to that part of them which pleases the world in general); I have never been at an academy myfelf; and indeed I fhould think it would be even tempting God, if I were to attempt it. God can, and often doth, make a very unlikely tongue to be like the pen of a ready writer, without fending the quill to be cut at a college. I by no means approve of your going to the accademy in Wales; if Jehovah the Spirit (called a cloven tongue of fire), abide on thee, thou haft no call to go fo far to have thy tongue cleft. I have very narrowly watched feveral who have gone thither; and, as far as I could difcern, I faw fome of them who went there, apparently with fome degree of fimplicity, humility, tendernefs, watchfulnefs, and felf-diffidence, have not returned till they had got rid of the greatest part of what they feemed to have. They

have

have in general come back men of confiderable confequence in their own efteem, and have expected more homage by far than ever Paul did. It is true they have appeared with better language, but lefs power; and you know the kingdom ftands not in word but in power. I fpeak not this of all; no, there are fome whose ministry, usefulness, and life, is known and read of all men; but several whom I know, at their return, have appeared in the element of the Chriftian world, as clouds without water, just to please those who are weather-wife, who can look no farther than the face of the fky; but without any fanctuary fhowers for the parched ground, Prov. xxv. 14, Jude 12th verfe. Yea, I have often obferved, while they have been mimicking the fcholar, the Spirit hath evidently with-held that affistance from them, which he hath bountifully beftowed on the experimental, unaffected, honest illiterate blunderer. I ftand not alone in my judgment; many who are bleffed with a spiritual palate, will own with me, that much of the wine broached by many of them is too much tainted with the old bottle.

If

I could earnestly with my fon to tread in the steps of his unpolished father, without wanting to appear what he is not. If God calls a fool to preach, it is to display his own wisdom in that fool. If he fends a very weak instrument, it is that his ftrength may the more perfectly appear in his weakness. he fends one, who has long appeared bafe in the eyes of the world, it is to difplay his fovereign, renewing, miraculous grace, to the confufion of the honourable. I believe I was made the father of near thirty

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