other people know nothing of, they can make themselves known to one another; and, when they discover any one to be a freemason, though he come from the other end of the earth, they welcome him as a friend and a brother. Thus is the secret of the Lord with them that fear him. Truly converted persons, who have an experimental acquaintance with what Christ calls the new birth of the Spirit, and St. Paul, the new creation; who know what it is to pass from death unto life, from a state of nature into a state of grace, by the powerful teaching and influences of the Holy Spirit; have every one of them a certain set of inward experiences, of which none but themselves know any thing, but of which the least hint is readily understood by those who have experienced the same; by which they know and acknowledge one another as the children of the same father, love as brethren, and delight in doing good to each other as the disciples of the same master, and for his sake. These marks and notices, by which they know one another, are of such a nature as cannot be communicated to others; any more than a man who sees can communicate to a man born blind his perception of light and colours. However, they are such as follow: similar views of the evil of sin, of the depravity of man's nature, of the evil of their own hearts, and their deservedly lost condition in themselves ; of their utter inability to save themselves; of their need of a Saviour, of the suitableness and preciousness of Christ, as the Saviour of lost sinners, with longings after him, and counting all but loss for him; sense of the need of conversion in order

to salvation; deadness to the world, and love of holiness. I had no sooner begun to converse with your sister than I began to hope she was in Christ's school; and I am more confirmed in my persuasion continually, and feel assured that the Lord sent her among us for her further instruction and establishment. . . . In the mean time, she is as welcome at our house as if she were at home, and to any good offices I can do her. She seems quite happy in our lonely way of living, amidst a succession of preaching, praying, religious conversation, and reading. She is very industrious, &c.

"Your sincerely affectionate brother,

"THOMAS SCOTT."

When in this letter the writer speaks of Christians as thus knowing one another by the coincidence of their views and experiences, he is not to be understood as asserting any infallible power of "discerning the spirits" of men: but only, as his explanation implies, that a probable opinion may generally be formed. Hypocrites may occasionally impose upon us; and good men may not always discover one another: but in general the congeniality or want of congeniality will be felt.-On the stigmatized topic of experiences, the reader may be referred to my Father's Remarks on the “Refutation of Calvinism," Book I. c. ii. § 13.1

"DEAR BROTHER,

"Weston Underwood, July 5, 1780.

"YOUR letter reminded me of that precious promise, Isaiah lxv. 24, And it shall come to pass, that before they call I will answer, and while they

1 Works, vol. vii. p. 213-228.

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are yet speaking I will hear. You express to the Lord your desire to be taught to pray; and immediately he (I doubt not,) puts a most suitable prayer into your mouth, or rather into your heart; which have committed to writing, I suppose for my encouragement in writing to you. And it is accompanied, as all prayer ought to be, with thanksgiving, and supplication for others, according to that excellent rule, Phil. iv. 6. I mention these things to lead your attention to the scripture promises and precepts, both that you may be directed to go by scriptural rules in your religious exercises, and to plead scripture promises in prayer, expecting a faithful God to be as good as his word; (which is the precise nature of hoping or trusting in God;) and also to encourage you to proceed in quietly waiting upon the Lord without distraction or doubting, by showing you how, by his Spirit, he is leading you in the good old scriptural way; and has begun to answer your first attempts to pray, and to fulfil his own promises to you. They that know thy name will put their trust in thee; for thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek thee.

"You may rest assured that I thank my God on every remembrance of you, for the work of grace hopefully begun in you, and do frequently remember you in my prayers, making request with joy ; hoping that it is indeed an effectual work, and being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. Phil. i. 3-6. Would you know what I pray for on your behalf, read verses 9-11 of that chapter. And may God moreover make you an instrument, by your ex

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ample, instruction, and prayers, of the eternal salvation of those around you! I doubt not that what God is doing for you is in answer to the prayers of your Weston relations, and of your sister, who has newly begun, like another Israel, to wrestle with God and prevail for abundant blessings. And, if the Lord stirs you up in good earnest to join us in these prayers for many around you, shall confidently expect the most desirable answers. I know by my own experience, as well as from his unerring word, that God is a God that heareth prayer; and that, when two or three agree together on earth as touching any thing which they shall ask in the name of Jesus, it shall be done for them. And, though we cannot meet personally to join in prayer for each other, and for others, yet we may, and do (I hope,) spiritually meet before the throne of grace of an omnipresent God. And, if we do but agree daily to pray for the eternal salvation of our relations, friends, and neighbours, and persevere with the patience of the woman of Canaan, we shall in due time have the same answer, Be it unto thee even as thou wilt.

"When you read your Bible, observe what wonderful things are spoken of, promised to, and effected by, prayer. Without prayer we can do nothing but faith and prayer, engaging an almighty arm on our side, do all things.-And this is the reason why we are so much hindered, discouraged, and tempted in respect of prayer, and meet with so many excuses. It is Satan's business to keep us from prayer. If he can effect this, he holds us fast at his pleasure in his snare. we will pray, he must lose us. And therefore so

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long as ever, by reason of our corruptions and worldly-mindedness, he can keep us from praying, he will. And so long as he can, by means of our foolish fear of men and wicked shame, work upon us, by setting his servants to laugh and scoff, or rail at us, he will. And, were it not that I have neither time nor room, I could show you many of his ways to keep people from prayer, which would be like telling you all that ever you did; for we are not ignorant of his devices. But let me exhort you not to let either business, or company, or pleasure, or fear, or shame, or any thing else, keep you from prayer, and reading the Bible, and strictly keeping the Sabbath: and then I know the Lord will be your teacher and saviour. And let me beg you to begin family worship, reading a chapter and prayer, once a day at least: though, if once begun, I hope you will find the comfort and benefit of it too much to rest satisfied with once; and that you will no more want exhorting to morning and evening family worship, than you will to take your meals at regular times. For this you may use a book at first: though I hope the Lord will soon teach you by degrees to do without one. I have much more to say upon this subject; but a hint must suffice at present. Prayer is this: to look into the Bible, and see what God has promised to look into our own hearts, and ask ourselves what we want: and to look up to God to give us what we want and he has promised, as the purchase of Christ's blood; expecting that, though we are most unworthy, yet he will be as good as his word. Whatever you may determine about public or family worship, I think you cannot but

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