A time is coming when all that he hath not planted shall be rooted up. May we, as under gardeners, be furnished with grace, wisdom, and diligence to detect, and, as much as possible, to check every root of bitterness that would spring up, both in the plantation at large, and in our own hearts.

I am like your flowers, getting apace into an autum state. The Lord grant I may find the declension of vigour, which I must soon expect to feel, balanced by a ripeness in judgment and experience as you speak. If it be so with me, it is in a great measure hidden from me. To be sure I have had more proofs of an evil nature and deceitful heart than I could possibly expect or conceive of twenty years ago; though I then thought I found as much of it as I could bear. I believe likewise my understanding is more enlightened into the three great mysteries of the person, love, and life of Jesus. Yet I seem to groan under darkness, coldness, and confusion, as much as ever. And I believe I must go out of the world with the same language upon my lips which I used when I first ventured to a throne of grace-Have mercy upon me, O Lord, a poor worthless sinner. My feelings are faint; my services fccble and defiled; my defects, mistakes, and

missions innumerable; my imaginations are wild as the clouds in a storm; yea, too often foul as a common sewer. What can I set against this mournful confession? Only this-that Christ hath died and is risen again; I believe he is able to save to the uttermost, and he hath said, "Whosoever cometh unto me, I will

in no wise cast out." Upon his person, worth, and promise, rests all my hope; but this is a foundation able to bear the greatest weight.

I am your sincerely affectionate and obliged.

I WAS glad of your letter, for we were just thinking

of you, as it seems you were of us, that it was a long time since we heard from you. When you want a letter from me, you must write : if I send you one for one, think it will be pretty well.

I

R**** died about a fortnight ago, and I buried him and three others within a week. All four were rather young people, that is, about thirty years of age. Last Sunday evening I preached a funeral sermon for Richard; the text was Gen. xlix. 19. That short verse contained his history; and I hope it contains yours likewise. The first part is sure to you if you live; you will meet with many troops, sins, fears, cares, and troubles, which will fight against you, and seem at times almost to overcome you; yea, overcome you they certainly would, if you were to fight them in your own strength. If you should not seck and love the Lord Jesus, you would be destroyed by them. But I cannot bear to entertain such a thought; surely you must, you will love him. You

hear a great deal of his beauty and goodness; believe it, for it is true; and that a great deal is but little of what ought to be said of him: But pray him to show himself and his own love to your heart; then you will love him indeed; all the world would love him, did they but rightly know him. Well, if you love the Lord Jesus, you will certainly overcome at last; and then you shall have the crown of life, and all the happiness which is contained in the promises made to them who overcome, in the second and third chapter of Revelations. My dear child, pray to him, and never be content or satisfied till you feel your desire and love fixed upon him. Nothing less will content me for you. If you should behave to me and your mamma with the greatest tenderness, affection, and attention as you grow up, (as I hope you will, and you yourself are sen sible you ought,) still I should weep over you, if I saw you negligent and ungrateful towards the Lord. We love you, and would do much to show it; but we could not, we dare not, be crucified for you. This was such love as only he could show; judge what a return it calls for from you. Not to love the Lord, is a dispo sition of the height of wickedness and the depth of misery.

Believe me to be yours,

My dear Child,

LETTER II.

Old Jewry, October 22, 1779.

YOU may well expect to hear from me ; but you will

hardly expect a long letter, if you remember what little

leisure I have in London. Almost every day loads me with debt, and brings me letters which I am not able to answer; but my dear Betsey must not be forgotten. We have been here a fortnight and upwards; the Lord gave us a pleasant and safe journey. Your mamma has been, upon the whole, comfortably well; and as you know we are at Dr. ****'s, I need not tell you that we are situated as much to our minds as can be, in the midst of so much noise and smoke. But here I can have no garden; no pretty walks amongst trees and fields; no birds but such as are prisoners in iron cages, so that I pity them, for all their singing.

But the same sun that shines at N

is often

to be seen at London; and the Lord Jesus, like the sun, is in all places at once, Go where we will, we are not far from him, if we have but eyes to see him, and hearts to perceive him. My dear child, when you look at the sun, I wish it may lead your thoughts to him who made it, and who placed it in the firmament, not only to give us light, but to be the brightest, noblest emblem of himself; there is but one sun, and there needs not another; so there is but one Saviour; but he is complete and all-sufficient, the sun of righteousness, the fountain of life and comfort; his beams, wherever they reach, bring healing, strength, peace, and joy to the soul. Pray to him, my dear, to shine forth, and reveal himself to you. O, how different is he from all that you have ever seen with your bodily eyes! he is the sun of the soul, and he can make you as sensible of his presence as you are of the sunshine at noon-day; and when once you obtain a clear sight of him, a thousand little things, which have hitherto engaged your attention, will in a manner disappear.

As by the light of op'ning day,
The stars are all conceal'd;
So earthly beauties fade away,
When Jesus is reveal'd.

I entreat, I charge you, to ask him every day to show himself to you. Think of him as being always with you; about your path by day, about your bed by night, nearer to you than any object you can see, though you see him not; whether you are sitting or walking, in company or alone. People often consider God as if he saw them from a great distance: but this is wrong; for though he be in heaven, the heaven of heavens cannot contain him; he is as much with us as with the angels; in him we live, and move, and have our being; as we live in the air which surrounds us, and is within us, so that it cannot be separated from us a moment. And whatever thoughts you can obtain of God from the Scripture, as great, holy, wise, and good, endeavour to apply them all to Jesus Christ, who once died upon the cross, for he is the true God, and eternal life, with whom you have to do; and though he be the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and rules over all; he is so condescending and compassionate, that he will hear and answer the prayer of a child. Seek him, and you shall find him; whatever else you seek, you may be disappointed, but he is never sought in vain.

Your very affectionate.