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LETTER VI.

My hope of thee, dear brother, is fteadfaft, knowing this, that as thou art a partaker of the fufferings of Chrift, fo fhalt thou be alfo of the confolations. Thy internal conflicts are doubtlefs the chaftening rod of God upon thee for thy fin, but not altogether fo; one part is divine teaching, in order to future usefulness, and that which comes upon thee from fools, for truth and confcience fake, is the sufferings of Christ. The firft cutting rebuke given to Paul was for his madness in perfecuting; but what came afterward was for the fake of Chrift: "I will fhew him how great things he must fuffer for my name's fake." From the authority of that text, Paul calls all his fufferings the sufferings of Chrift, which he fuffered for his body's fake, which is the church. I perceive by your invitations to fresh places, that God fets before you an open door, and none fhall fhut it; he will fpread your fame, and the word will found out from Lewes, and bear down all oppofition, infomuch as Chrift will make manifeft the favour of his name in a fresh line of things, not made ready to your hand, a line to reach unto fome who have never yet heard the fame of Jefus.

That light which fhines upon thy beclouded mind is the day-dawn, which fprings upon those that fit in darkness, and in the fhadow of death; thou wilt not always grope for the wall like the blind at noon-day: after thou haft had a proper view of thyself, of the law, and of the holinefs and juftice of God, thou fhalt fee the myfteries of the kingdom, and a covenant God in the face of Jefus fhining into thy heart, and changing thee into the fame image from glory to glory; and all this by looking through a glass darkly: this, my fon, is the hope fet before thee; "He that overcometh, and keepeth my words unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And I will give him the morning-ftar," the harbinger of endless glory; then, my fon, fhall old things pafs away, and all things fhall become new. Spirit fhall bring all things to thy remembrance that the Lord hath spoken to thee, and done for thee; and the quickening power put forth in thy prefent experience will be a guide to thee in a thousand future difficulties, called by the prophet, "A voice behind thee, faying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left." When once the Lord makes darkness light before thee, he will make thy prefent crooked things ftraight behind thee; then the deaf fhall hear the words of the book, and the now fenfible prisoner shall fhew himfelf, and the light of thy countenance,

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as well as the words of thy mouth, fhall proclaim the triumphs of thy foul. The inward glory of grace will appear to gild the whole creation, when every thing is viewed in the light of the Lord; his glory will visibly cover the heavens, and the earth will be full of his praife, and thy heart in concert, when tuned with love, will be in the chorus. Pay no regard to those that watch for thy halting, nor to thofe that make thee an offender for a word, for all that watch for iniquity fhall be cut off; and for your present shame you shall have double-double joy; and for your prefent confufion you fhall in future rejoice in your portion; in this land thou shalt poffefs double, everlasting joy fhall be unto thee, Ifaiah lxi. 7. Thou art not the firft that fcorners have derided, faying, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come now; but there is a woe to them that laugh now, for they fhall weep. The Lord's countenance is already lifted up, and that was the light of it which thou faweft at a distance; and it will ere long reflect gracious fmiles, much peace, joy, and reconciliation; it will difperfe the vail, the difmal gloom, and horrible cloud of displeasure, and bring life and immortality to light; and then thou wilt fay, "Thou waft angry with me; but thine anger is turned away, and thou comforteft me." "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

Blefs God for every refreshing season, for every refpite, and every token for good; and as for thofe vain thoughts about future greatnefs, confefs them as evil, as the root of pride, and pray God to fubdue them by his grace; and if the Lord gives thee eyes to fee them hateful, and humbling difpenfations, they will wither when the Spirit of God blows upon thee. "All flesh is grafs, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grafs withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it.” It is this, my dear brother, and not legal ftriving that will blast vain thoughts, wither human glory, and make all the comeliness of the brightest faint turn into corruption. God hath two ways of fhining upon his people; the one is, when he comforts their hearts, and gives them the light of his knowledge in the face of Jefus, attended with the faith of intereft the other is, when he thines in our hearts to difcover our imperfections, and veils his throne with a cloud, as in Job, "Wherefore is light given to him that is in mifery, and life unto the bitter in foul?" The former view will make thee appear not a whit behind the chiefeft faint, and the latter will make thee appear the chief of finners; and thus, "His eyelids try the children of men."

I have no doubt but thy aims are right, for I am fure that that preacher that expofes the vile

nefs of human nature, and preaches the purity, fpirituality, and unlimited demands of the law; that fets forth the finner's need of a Saviour, the fuitableness and the worth of him, and that debafes the creature; and who enforces the neceffity of regeneration, spiritual fruitfulness, spiritual fervice, and a life and walk in faith, shall not err in these things: "The wayfaring man, though a fool, fhall not err in this way." Whatever encouragement you may have received from the inftrumentality of thy poor fervant in Christ, thou art indebted to Chrift for, and to him all glory, praise, and thanksgiving is due, and to another he will never grant it; and for my part I am the greatest debtor to him, and therefore ought to be the laft that fhould ever attempt to rob him. Tender my kind love to Mr. M. and family, and to all that love the Altogether The Lord be with thee. Amen and

Lovely.

amen.

W. H.

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