promise?" Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." Hold Him to his word, and let not your hope be weakened by the subtile reasonings of men. Still let the language of your heart be, "Big with earnest expectation, Let me sit at thy feet, As long as you are in this spirit you will not forget Yours, &c. CCCXLII.-To the Same. DEAR SISTER, Newcastle, August 8, 1767. We have many instances of this: Persons cold and dull, and scarce knowing how to believe their own words, have asserted, as they could, the truths of the gospel, and enforced them upon others, and at that very time God has caused light and love to spring up in their own hearts. Therefore, however you feel it in your own breast, speak as well as you can for God. Many times you will see some fruit upon others; if not, you shall have a recompence in your own bosom. In one sense, you do believe, that God is both able and willing to cleanse you from all unrighteousness, and to do it now; but not in that sense, wherein all things are possible to him that believeth. But what, if He should give you this faith also? yea, while you have this paper in your hand! To-day hear His voice! O listen! and heaven springs up in your heart. Among the hearers of Mr. Madan and Mr. Romaine (much more among those of Mr. Whitefield) there are many gracious souls, and some who have deep experience of the ways of God. Yet, the hearing them would not profit you: It would be apt to lead you into unprofitable reasonings, which would probably end in your giving up all hope of a full salvation from sin in this life. Therefore, I advise you, check all curiosity of this kind, and keep quite out of the way of danger. Hannah Harrison is a blessed woman. I am glad you had an opportunity of conversing with her; and why should not you enjoy the same blessing? The Lord is at hand. I am, &c. DEAR SISTER, CCCXLIII.-To the Same. October 14, 1767. AT length I get a little time (after having been some weeks almost in a perpetual motion) to write a few lines to one I sincerely love. Grow in grace every hour; the more the better. Use now all the grace you have; this is certainly right; but also now expect all the grace you want! This is the secret of heart religion; at the present moment to work, and to believe. Here is Christ your Lord; the lover of your soul. Give yourself up to Him without delay; and, as you can, without reserve. And simply tell Him all you desire, and all you want. What situation is it that hurries you? Is it not determined whether you shall change your condition or no? Be it either way, God sitteth on the throne, and ruleth all things well. I am, &c. CCCXLIV.-To the Same. MY DEAR SISTER, Norwich, November 2, 1767. IN the way of life you are entering upon, you will have need of great resolution and steadiness. It will be your wisdom to set out with two rules, and invariably adhere to them. 1. "I will do everything I can to oblige you, except what I cannot do with a clear conscience." 2. "I will refrain from everything I can, that would displease you, except what I cannot refrain from with a clear conscience." Keep to this, on both sides, from the hour you meet, and your meeting will be a blessing. You will do well likewise, constantly to pray with, as well as for, one another. Beware of Beware of Now Nancy, put on, by the grace of God, the armour of righteousness, on the right hand and on the left! foolish desires! Beware of inordinate affections! worldly cares! But, above all, I think, you should beware of wasting time in what is called innocent trifling. And watch against unprofitable conversation, particularly between yourselves. Then your union may be (as it ought) a type of the union between Christ and his Church; and you may, in the end, present each other before Him, holy and unblamable at His coming. I am, &c. DEAR SISTER, CCCXLV. To the Same. -- London, November 20, 1767. YOUR letter was exceeding acceptable to me, and the more so, because I was almost afraid you had forgotten me. I am glad to find you have not forgotten the blessing which God gave you when at Newcastle, and the resolutions which you formed there; and I trust you never will, till God gives you the full enjoyment of the glorious liberty which you then tasted. Do not imagine that this is afar off; or, that you must do and suffer a great deal before you attain it ;-I dare not affirm that. Has not Christ done and suffered enough for you? The purchase is made; the price is paid already; you have only to believe, and enter into rest; to take the purchased possession; all is ready; and to-day is the day of salvation? Why should you not now be all love? all devoted to Him that loves you? Is it not the language of your heart ?— "Henceforth may no profane delight Divide this consecrated soul; As Lord and Master of the whole." You are to obey your parent in the Lord only, not in opposition to Him. If, therefore, any means should offer whereby you might enjoy that full liberty of conscience which every creature has a right to, I judge it would be not only lawful, but your bounden duty, to accept of such an offer. Mrs. Wilberforce's charity is a good omen: What is it God will not do if we can trust Him? Only cast your whole care upon Him, and He will do all things well: He will withhold from you no manner of thing that is good. O let Him have all your heart! I am, dear Sister, &c. CCCXLVI.-To Lady M. MY DEAR Lady, London, August 17, 1764. SINCE I had the pleasure of yours, I have hardly had an hour that I could call my own; otherwise I should not have delayed writing so long, as I have a very tender regard for you, and an earnest desire that you should be altogether a Christian. I cannot be content with your being ever so harmless or regular in your behaviour, or even exemplary in all externals: Nay, more than all this you have received already; for you have the fear of God. But shall you stop here? God forbid. This is only the beginning of wisdom. You are not to end here: Fear shall ripen into love. You shall know (perhaps very soon) that love of God which passeth knowledge. You shall witness the kingdom of God within you; even righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. It is no small instance of the goodness of God towards you, that you are conscious of your want; your want of living faith. And His goodness herein is more remarkable, because almost all your neighbours would set you down for a right good believer. O beware of those flatterers! Hold fast the conviction which God hath given you! Faith, living, conquering, loving faith, is undoubtedly the thing you want. And of this you have frequently a taste to encourage you in pressing forward: Such is the tender mercy of Him that loves you; such His desire that you should receive all His precious promises! Do not think they are afar off. Do not imagine you must stay long (years or months) before you receive them. Do not put them off a day, an hour! Why not now? Why should you not look up this instant, and see, as it were, Jesus Christ set forth, evidently set forth, crucified before your eyes? O hear his voice! "Daughter, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee!" "Say not in thy heart, Who shall go up into heaven, or who shall go down into the deep?" No; "the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart." "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” Joy in the Holy Ghost is a precious gift of God, but yet tenderness of conscience is still greater; and all this is for you. Just ready, The speechless awe which dares not move, And all the silent heaven of love. I am no great friend to solitary Christianity; nevertheless, in so peculiar a case as yours, I think an exception may be admitted. It does seem most expedient for you to retire out of the city, at least for a season, till God has increased your strength. For the company of those who know not God, who are strangers to the religion of the heart, especially if they are sensible, agreeable people, might quite damp the grace of God in your soul. You cannot oblige me more than by fully opening your mind to me; there is no danger of your tiring me. I do not often write such long letters; but when I write to you, I am full of matter. I seem to see you just before me, a poor, feeble, helpless creature, but just upon the point of salvation; upright of heart, (in a measure,) full of real desires for God, and emerging into light. The Lord take you wholly! So prays, My dear Lady, Your affectionate servant. CCCXLVII-To Miss Pywell. MY DEAR SISTER, Kilkenny, April 23, 1771. I HARDLY knew whether you were dead or alive, having not heard from you for so long a season. Yesterday I received yours of March 28th, and am glad to hear you are not moved from your steadfastness. Certainly it is not the will of our Lord that you should: His gifts are without repentance. Do you find no decay in faith? Do you as clearly as ever see Him who is invisible? Is your hope as lively as at first? Do you still taste of the powers of the world to come? And can you say, in as strong a sense as ever, "I nothing want beneath, above, Happy in a Saviour's love?" Do you feel no anger at any time? no pride? no will but what is subordinate to the will of God? And have you the witness in yourself that all your ways please Him? Then expect to see greater things than these, for there is no end of His goodness; and do not forget, My dear sister, Your affectionate brother. CCCXLVIII.-To the Same. MY DEAR SISTER, London, January 22, 1772. You have given me clear and satisfactory answers to the questions which I proposed, and I rejoice over you for the grace |