yet shall they not be finally deceived. Some good Samaritan or other shall by chance come that way, and bind up the wounds, pouring in oil and wine.

Dear mother, adieu. My love to Becky.

Ever yours in him,

W. H. S.S.

DCXLIII.

I

Dear Sister in Christ Jesus the Lord,

be with thee.

August 18, 1802.

grace and peace

Was in the country when your epistle was sent to me; however, I hear by your sister that prayer still prevails. "Thou shalt not go out with haste, nor go by flight; but thou shalt be led forth with peace, and the Lord shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rere-ward." You little think what the prayer of faith will effect, what counsels it will mar, what rage it will calm, what fury it will check, and what determinations it can frustrate.

Becky, go on; for there is nothing that can stand before us if we make the Lord our trust, our confidence and refuge. Great things has my good God done for thee, and thou shalt see greater things yet; for, if we follow on to know him, we shall know that his goings forth are prepared as the morning; and he will come to us as the early and the latter rain, and softening, refreshing and re

showers of his humbling grace. “He shall come down as showers upon the mown grass, and as rain that waters the earth: in his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth." Nothing feeds and strengthens faith like prayer, and watching the hand of God and his dealings with us. Many deliverances does he work out for us; many suitable words does he send us in due season, and many tokens for good appear in our behalf; by the comfortable prospects he gives us, and the momentary sensations of joy and peace, that often flow in and spring up, and then vanish away; but we may call them Gad, for there is a troop more behind.

But you complain of a bed of sloth. I have no doubt but the good Physician will heal thee of this infirmity, and that by terrible things in righteousness; and I think the flame that will burn thee out of that nest is jealousy; it will be diamond cut diamond. “So have I seen it in the city of my God."

Mary travails with both hands upon her loins, and has had hard labour; but she will not bring forth wind, nor will the new man in her tarry long in the place of the breaking

ever die in childbed.

"Shall I bring to the

birth, and not cause to bring forth; shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb, saith thy God?" Divine wrath, and a sense of sin, cause us to travail; hope and expectation bring to the birth; but it is love that casts out fear and torment, and brings us into the liberty of the children of God.

The promise of God is Zion's womb; and withholding a sense of divine love, which is promised to all that God rebukes and chastens, is called shutting the womb. But God is faithful to his word; he will circumcise our hearts to love him, that we may live. This promised love is sure, so that Zion's womb shall not be shut; and so God saith, and calls himself our God; "Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb, saith thy God?" But which ever comes out first, the other will hold him fast by the heel, that he may not run away with the garland. Then make trial. Jealousy offerings and bitter waters will be in use at times day and night; then sleep on if you can. This is one of the fires that the Lord came to send upon the earth, and a vehement flame it hath, and yourselves are witnesses that some of the sparks have been already kindled. So I

showers of his humbling grace. "He shall come down as showers upon the mown grass, and as rain that waters the earth: in his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth." Nothing feeds and strengthens faith like prayer, and watching the hand of God and his dealings with us. Many deliverances does. he work out for us; many suitable words does he send us in due season, and many tokens for good appear in our behalf; by the comfortable prospects he gives us, and the momentary sensations of joy and peace, that often flow in and spring up, and then vanish away; but we may call them Gad, for there is a troop more behind.

But you complain of a bed of sloth. I have no doubt but the good Physician will heal thee of this infirmity, and that by terrible things in righteousness; and I think the flame that will burn thee out of that nest is jealousy; it will be diamond cut diamond. "So have I seen it in the city of my God."

Mary travails with both hands upon her loins, and has had hard labour; but she will not bring forth wind, nor will the new man in her tarry long in the place of the breaking forth of