WITHOUT WERE FIGHTINGS, WITHIN WERE FEARS.

The following letter, containing some account of the exercises of the late Mr. Isaac Harrison, of Leicester, respecting the building of his chapel in that town, to which some allusion was made on the wrapper of our last number will, we believe, be found interesting to his friends.

"1839, this was a wonderful year to me. During it I travelled about 200 miles. My chief object was to hear a few gracious, good men preach the truths of the everlasting gospel. The cause of my travelling seemed to be rather singular, but so it was; for I had been roused by your preaching out of a sleepy and dead state, which I had fallen into for the last two or three years. It is now about 11 years since the Lord passed by me, and saw me in my blood, and said unto me, "Live." O, Sir, it was a time of life to me indeed; for then my blind eyes were opened, my deaf ears were unstopped, my poor stammering tongue loosed, so that I could call God my God; my stony heart being dissolved by the good Lord shedding abroad his love within me. My old filthy rags, that I had been weaving together to make a covering to cover me with, were taken away, and change of raiment given me, to hide my shame and nakedness; for at this time I needed one. I was stripped of all, and brought in a very great debtor, but had nothing at all to pay the debt with, when, to my great surprise, my blessed Lord freely forgave me all. I thought then I should have been freed from my own evil heart; but, alas! I soon found a warfare had begun; for I found a law in my members warring against the law of my mind; and when I would do good, evil was present with me. This warfare appears very sharp and cutting; but blessed be our Jesus, he has ordered all our warfare, that we have not one more campaign than is needful for us to go through; for the great captain of our salvation has defeated all our enemies, and gained the victory for us; so that we shall be more than conquerors through him that loved us and gave himself for us. But at times I feel as if I had lost sight of all; feel full of pride and rebellion; begin to quarrel with myself; find Satan very ready to help old nature; everything seems going on wrong; all appears to be ins and outs, ups and downs, crooks and crosses. Cannot rest; feel as if I had lost something. Sit down; no rest. Walk about, hanging down the head. Feel burdened; very sorrowful, crying, "O that I could tell where to find him, then would I flee away and be at rest." Go to bed; sorrow may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning; and so I find it, and very sweet it is. But these refreshing seasons are very short with me; but blessings be to the good Lord and Saviour, they are very sweet and precious to me when favored with them. I was very much pointed out by your last sermon at Zoar Chapel, so much so that, if I had not known the plague of my own evil heart, and the Lord's dealing with me for a number of years, I should have concluded that some person or persons had named the whole of my life to

you; for I felt within that I was a subject of all those diseases 'that you named; but blessed be God, who healeth all our diseases. I was rather cast down at your leaving; and as the friends seemed to press to speak with you, I thought myself unworthy at the time, which made me give place to the more worthy. But after all this turmoil, the good Lord was pleased to shine forth again, which caused me to be very bold and full of zeal, and made me speak more freely and openly to some of my friends; but, alas! I did not know what the world and Satan were stirring up, for in less than a week after your departure, I began to be called into question on account of my proceedings, for I had laid in a quantity of bricks, and the question was, "What are you going to do with them?” The answer I made was, "I did not know." It was thought very strange to do so, and not to know for what purpose; but so it was with me, for I was to all appearance completely walled in, so much so that I could not rest, which caused me to cry to him that is able to deliver us from all our enemies, by dividing the waters and removing mountains, for so I found them. When in this state of mind, being burdened, there seemed no way of escape. But I went out for a walk. When on the road, the word broke into my soul with great power and light, which made me cry out, "My Jesus has done all things well." Yes; and he has done all things well; and so I found it, to the joy and great satisfaction of my soul, for the wall was thrown down, and the rough places made smooth, so that I went on rejoicing, and praising the dear Lord Jesus, and hardly felt the ground that I walked on, with, at the same time, these words accompanying me, "He that sets his hand to the plough, and turns back, is not fit for the kingdom of heaven."

"These last words were very powerful with me for two or three days, which made me believe it was the will of the Lord that I should begin the building, as I had fresh strength and courage given. The man that I named it to, and thought to have him to help me, set out the building, after agreeing on the spot of ground and the size of the place. On Monday, the 27th of January, we met on the ground. He began to alter and to set it here and there, and quite in opposition to all former proceedings, till at last I was obliged to leave him, for I verily thought that the devil was let loose in the man; and I began to assist the builder in setting it out; but as soon as it was set out, Satan began to roar and stir up some very fierce enemies. The building was begun on the 27th day of January, and the foundation stone was laid; but O, it was a day to me that I never shall forget, for Satan seemed to rage against me with all his fury and malice at the time. When helping out with the foundation stones, I received a hurt on the right breast. Then Satan said, "You have done for yourself; now you must give it up. What will the world say of you, and what will your friends say? You cannot hide this from them. You will have to take medicine, and very likely be confined to your bed; and how shall you go on then? Now you are in a nice hobble.

Lamed yourself over it!" In the midst of all these great temptations, the blessed Lord Jesus gave me a little faith to call upon his dear name, that I might be delivered. I stayed till the foundation stone was laid; then I went off up to Belgrave. As soon as I started, I trembled and quaked, fearing the enemy should overwhelm me; but in the midst of all this I was enabled, with a little strength, to call on the Lord to stand by me, support me in my sore trial and affliction, and that he would strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees, that I might prove Satan to be a liar.

"My enemies seemed to come more and more upon me, so much so that I could see no way to escape them; at the same time I feared I had offended the Lord. After this I got alone for a time. I read in the New Testament for some time; all seemed sealed up; nothing for me. I was led to the Old Testament. I opened in Jeremiah, chap. xvii., v. 12-26. O, those words sank deep into my heart, which made me speak out to my sister, and say, I believed it would be according to the word of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of the prophet. But, alas! the next day fear began to rise; fresh attacks of the enemy began to lie hard on me. Seemed almost overwhelmed; could get no rest. Satan coming with his suggestions, "You must give it up; all your friends and everything is against you. You will surely be overturned if you go on.' This was the second day after the foundation stone was laid. When I returned home in the evening, when alone, I thought I would look in the Bible again, but hardly durst, Satan coming in with his, "If you do, you surely will be condemned this time." But I turned to reach out the book, with a heavy heart. When I opened the book, I was led to the words contained in Chron. xxviii. 10-20; and they were so powerfully applied to me that I believed the Lord would stand by me and support me in the work; but, alas, alas! I soon began again to tremble, for another fresh enemy appeared as if coming upon me, which made me shake, fear, and tremble. This was early in the morning, on the Wednesday. I began to think that it was impossible for the work to stand, having my eye at the same time looking at the foundation of the three pillars. But the blessed Lord was pleased to shine into my poor soul with such a shining and brilliant light and power, that I could see they were laid in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and I was able to tell Satan that not all the men in the land nor all the devils in hell could overturn them. O, my dear friend, the blessed Lord Jesus gave me such a victory through his name, that I was able to cut through hosts of devils, and cry, "Victory! victory! through him that loved me, and gave himself for me, and washed me in his own blood." This was a day of great rejoicing to me; for the blessed Lord was with me all the day long. After this, he led me to another promise in his word, 1 Chron., xxviii. 10-20. These words were very powerfully applied to me, which gave me great strength and boldness, so that I was able to tell Satan that my Jesus had done

all things well, and that he was able to keep me from all my enemies. Yes; and blessed be his name, he is both able and willing to preserve us to himself. If he permit us to be placed in the front of the battle, he is there; for he says, "I never will leave thee nor forsake thee. When thou goest through the fire, I will be with thee."

"After this, the Lord gave me both strength and courage to go on in his name; and though I was very much bruised in the body, and suffered a great deal from the wound that I received on the breast, I never took any medicine, either inwardly or outwardly, neither did I name what had befallen me to any earthly friend. But my request was to the Lord, that he would look down upon me, and have mercy upon me, and heal me. This was

a great trial of faith. For 14 days I did not know how it would end. At times, doubts, and fears, and unbelief would arise; and the enemy coming in at times, the wound seemed worse. On the 13th day I began to sink like Peter; but when sinking, the blessed Lord held out his hand; and on the 14th day I was, by the good Physician, healed of the wound, which made me cry, "Victory! victory! through the blood of the Lamb;" which made me leap for joy; and I was able to tell Satan that he was a liar, and the truth was not in him, so much so that, by the help of the Lord, I was able to stamp him under my feet, and tell him that I had proved him a liar, and that Jesus had done all things well, and would do all things well for those that the Father had given him before the world was formed.

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"Yours in the truth,

"ISAAC HARRISON."

The Lord will overlook a thousand transactions rather than expose his name and honor to reproach, as once it was by a temporary suspension; to recover which, and that his name might be sanctified, he will bring them home again; yea, though it be in the eyes of men a thing impossible, and they themselves think so likewise; for, our hope is lost, and we are cut off," say they; (Ezek. xxxvii. 11;) and, again, my "hope is perished from the Lord." (Lam. iii. 18.) Whether at home or abroad, they still caused his name to be profaned, and for this his holy name, he had pity on them; (Ezek. xxxvi. 20, 21;) for if he should have cast them off for ever, it would have been said that he did not foresee how unworthy a people they would be ; or, he was not able to keep them in their own land, nor to bring them back again; or else, that he was changeable in his purposes, and not true to his word, &c. Some reflection or other they would cast upon him, which he would not bear.-Elisha Coles.

The office of the law is to kill, and yet so that God may revive and quicken again. The law, then, is not given only to kill; but because man is proud and dreams that he is wise, righteous, and holy; therefore it is necessary he should be humbled by the law, that so this beast, the opinion of righteousness, I say, might be slain; for otherwise no man can obtain life.-Luther.

OBITUARY.

NAOMI HAWKINS.

Messrs. Editors,-By the request of several friends, I have taken my pen to write to you a short account of the experience and triumphant death of our young friend, Naomi Hawkins, to whom the Lord was pleased to reveal his love and mercy, and pardon her sins in the last extremity.

For several years she had had very ill health; and though in the midst of gaiety and pleasure, yet at times had convictions that this world was passing away, and saw and felt the vanity of all things here below.

Her health still grew worse, and in December last she was obliged to return home. The doctor told her if she went home to her native air, she would soon be well, as he said her lungs were not affected. But, ah, how oft they err! They much more often deceive. For indeed she was in a swift consumption, so rapid that she survived but a few weeks. When on her dying bed, she was asked if Jesus was precious, she said, "No." "What, and have you not a glimpse of hope?" She said, "No; I am afraid the Lord will never hear or answer my prayers. I am afraid my sins have never been laid with weight on my mind." Our dear minister, Mr. W., called one day, and encouraged her much to pray on, and beg on, for the Lord had put a cry into her heart, and he would answer it in bis own time. She begged him to pray for her, and entreated him to pray for her when he returned home. Her mother had put up many prayers to the Almighty, to have mercy on her dear child, who appeared to be so soon about to leave this earthly world. Her mother said to her, "Naomi, what shall I do if you leave this world without a hope?" She earnestly said, " And what shall I do?" For several days she seemed to be without a hope that the Lord would ever hear or answer her prayers; and in this state she remained till the day before she died. When she appeared to be in great agony both of body and mind, a friend came to see her, and asked her if she felt Christ precious. She said, "No, she did not, which caused her great distress of mind." Her friend was about to leave her, when she wished him to spend a few minutes in prayer. She felt it much, and seemed to be in secret prayer. After some little time her mother and a friend entered the room, when she said, 'My dear mother, what shall I do? what shall I do, my dear mother? Do get some one to help me." Her mother replied, "My dear child, do beg the Lord to help you; there is no one else that can." She seemed after this to be in earnest prayer, and in the bitterness and agony of her soul cried out, "Lord, have mercy upon me, a miserable sinner. Do, Lord, help me, or I perish." She then felt very calm. A friend who was sitting near, inquired how she felt. "O I know that the Lord has answered my prayers; yes, Jesus is precious to me, and has pardoned all my sins." She called to her mother, and said, "Mother, kneel down, and thank the Lord for what he has

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