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"I can do all things, or can bear
All sufferings, if my Lord be there;
Sweet pleasures mingle, with the pains,
While his left hand my head sustains."

He broke my soul sweetly down with these words: "I have done this because I have loved thee." I was meditating on it and wondering how it could be in love, when he said, "I have done it because I have loved thee, and because I would have thee live near to me:" This melted my frame, and made me wonder how a holy God should want a poor vile sinner to live near to him. All that I could get was, "Because I have loved thee." You must believe that my soul flowed out in love and praise, with thanksgiving, to the Lord who bestows such rich favors on us. I have had my heart sweetly drawn out in love to enjoy the separating, weaning, drawing, effects that love produces in the soul. It makes him unto us "the chiefest among ten thousand and the altogether lovely." It gives us a perfect hatred to anything and everything that would draw our affections from him. Other things that we have been pleased with become a stink in our nostrils, and we put them away with abhorrence. I well remember the feeling I had once, when walking down the yard; my hand went as if I would thrust the world from me, as if I had nothing to do with it. These words sweetly flowed into my soul, "Ye are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." I then knew something of what it was to be crucified to the world, and the world to me. It is a blessed thing to be crucified and dead to the world, for if we are not dead to it, we are dead God-ward; for when I have enjoyed the sanctifying, drawing influence of the Holy Spirit in my soul, which has made me "dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God," I felt the substance of that scripture where Christ commands to leave all, and I felt that I could leave all for his sake. I seemed to hate my own fleshly life also, that I might live a life of faith on the Son of God. He seemed once to have granted my request, which was to enjoy a thrice-beloved one God and his gospel; and I seemed to have him in my heart and affections, and could for several weeks sit and muse, in my stammering way, over his gospel, and was afraid to stir out when invited by any of the friends. But afterwards I had to turn the Bible about, and could not find any part to read. But this did not continue long, for my mind appeared to be stayed on the Lord. He again broke in upon me, and caused a little light to shine upon the word. I have had to bless the Lord for this affliction. I do believe in my heart it has been a profitable one. And I believe in my very soul that the most painful things that the Lord causes us to pass through I have frequently found to be the most profitable.

You speak of "groaning and thirsting after a holy God," and I believe that many of these sighers and groaners after a well-beloved God are often worshipping him in spirit and in truth, and are near his precious side when they little think it; for I believe these "groanings that cannot be uttered" enter into the presence of a living God, while thousands of prayers never go out of the place

where they are offered up. I do not write these things to please or flatter you, for I have not so learned of him. I believe that nothing will satisfy your poor soul but God himself bearing testimony to your soul; for I have experienced these things as being the fruit of "the Spirit making intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered."

If changes be a mark of grace, then, dear friend, I am the subject of many. I shall never forget the time when, leaving my em. ployment, I went down to D-, to hear my friend and brother, M'Kenzie. I felt much darkness and deadness of soul. I called myself a many fools for leaving my work to go there to hear the man speak. I was much tried and exercised when I had got part of the way, to know whether I should go forward or return home, until these words, which appeared to help me forward, came and held me on: 66 Perhaps you may get something." I then thought I would go forward, but never be such a fool again as to leave my work on such an occasion. But we must be made fools in self before we are made wise in Christ. It is a way that God takes to make crooked things straight and rough places plain, that it may be said of them that sit in darkness, 66 unto you is a great light sprung up;" and God's word declares plainly, "If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as God's mouth." And I for one can truly say, he was as God's mouth to my soul; for as the words dropped out of his mouth, they dropped into my heart and conscience; they were as a hammer to break down my hard heart, and as oil to soften and melt my soul. Truly "I found his word, and did eat it, and it was the joy and the rejoicing of my soul" before God; and it was to me wine that made my heart glad, and oil to make my face shine, and "that bread which, if a man eat thereof, he shall never die." I could feelingly say, that my Beloved spake by his mouth, and said unto me, "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away;" and I could say, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things." Truly the entrance of his word gives light, and I came home rejoicing in the light of God's reconciled countenance, and we walked and talked together with that familiarity as one friend with another; for I felt him to be "the chiefest among ten thousand and the altogether lovely" to my soul.

Dear friend, it was about 12 o'clock when I reached home, for we do not want to hasten out of such company. When the Lord comes in and sups with the poor soul, and he with the Lord, he does not want him to prove a hasty guest, that tarries but a day. And here my soul would wish to live and die. And should the dear Lord be pleased to bless any of this account to the benefit of your soul, may the Holy Ghost enable you to give him all the glory. Stamford, Jan. 23rd, 1854.

T. B.

The enormity of sin is always the same, whether the sense of that enormity with me is the same or not. It does not alter the actual nature of it in the sight of God.

HE IS OUR PEACE.

Dear Friend May peace and mercy be with you from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. There is no peace like that, for it is a "peace which passeth all understanding;" it "keeps the heart and mind through Christ Jesus." It is such a peace that the world can never give, with all its smiles, honors, and preferments; neither can the world take it away. None can give trouble if God give peace. I believe you know this; and so do I in some measure. I could like to have more. The Lord grant it, if his blessed will. It is sweet t'peace. Sweet to the soul is that peace which God gives. It is preserving peace. It preserves from pride and vain-glory; from the love and power of sin, so that it shall not reign. Where sin is a plague it does not reign; and so long as the Lord keeps the soul in peace, that soul is happy, resting on the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Peace with which that poor sinner is blest. "For he is our Peace," says Paul; and sure enough he was right. "In the world ye shall have tribulation," says Christ; "but in me ye shall have peace." The just shall come out of trouble: "These are they which came out of great tribulation." The Lord will not always have his people in trouble. There is a way into trouble and there is a way out of trouble; and in all these troubles he is with them, although they do not see him; for in six troubles he is with them, and in the seventh he will not leave them. That is the best time, even the last, when they shall come out of them never to go in any more for ever. O happy time! Blessed departure, to take our flight from this wicked world and this body of sin and death! What a deadly weight to carry about with us as we go along! But sweet will be the parting time, and it will not be long. O for grace to say and feel, "I will wait till my change come!" But while we are here, may it be our happiness to have peace extended to us like a river, flowing at his command who "speaks, and it is done," who can rebuke the wind and the sea, and say, "Peace, be still," and they shall obey him. O how comfortable a thing is peace, when all is right between God and our poor souls! "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' The world may frown, but if the Lord shines, all is well.

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And mercy, too, is a sweet thing. What should I be without it?

"Without thy sweet mercy, I could not live here;
Sin soon would reduce me to utter despair."

For he hath

Great has been, and still is, thy mercy toward me! remembered me in my low estate; for his mercy endureth for ever. Upon this I cannot but hang; it is sweet to my soul. It was one of the first things my soul wanted after I was made concerned about my soul; and it was, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" When it came, it was sweet indeed. I have been in love with it ever since, when in my right mind. I have wanted: it ever since that time. I feel a little of it now, and want its sweet, soothing,

embracing, upholding arms to carry me on and bring me through. Filthy and unworthy as I am, my dear friend, mercy is a humbling thing. O how I love to be brought in my soul to say and feel, "It is of the Lord's mercies that I am not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is his faithfulness." O how overcoming it is to have this feeling! We are sorry for our sins, confess them to God, forsake them too, and find "there is mercy with him, that he may be feared." It is sweet to find mercy; it is a blessed companion. What is the world to a child of God, who feels himself in mercy's arms? Yes, my dear friend, it is so; and the more I taste of the sweet mercy of the Lord, the more do I feel loosed from the things of this poor sinful world. I am a great debtor to mercy. It helped me freely at first; it helps me freely now. The more I have, the more I want, and love to have it so. There is no way but one for mercy to come that will do for me. I learned the way to prize mercy, through being taught that God was just and holy, and could by no means clear the guilty. By the deeds of the law no flesh living could be justified in the sight of God; and glad I am that the Lord ever let me know this. They shall be all taught of God: "Every man, therefore, that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." This will make a poor sinner want mercy through the bleeding heart of the once suffering Son of God; and that soul. who once tastes that the Lord is gracious and merciful will be hanging upon him from time to time, pleading for the rich, sweet, humbling, sin-overcoming mercy of him who is rich in mercy and great in love. Bury, Nov. 21st, 1854.

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T. C.

None know the depth of man's fall, nor the foulness and filth, the uncleanness, the infidelity and enmity, hardness and impenitency, the rebellion and atheism, of our inbred corruptions, but those who are taught of God; and none but such will ever embrace, adore, and admire the Saviour. Of all the spectres, ghosts, beasts, or devils, whether in earth or hell, whether real or imaginary, not one ever appeared half so fearful, terrific, or dreadful to me as myself, when exposed by the application of the law!-Huntington.

Our faith, in reference to dispensation, is to believe. Though the dispensation be rough, stormy, black, yet Christ is fair, sweet, gracious; and hell and death are servants to God's dispensation toward the children of God. Abraham must kill Isaac; yet in Isaac, as in the promised seed, all the nations of the earth are blessed. Israel is foiled, and falls before the sons of Ai; yet Israel shall be saved by the Lord Judah shall go into captivity, but the dead bones shall live again. Read the promise in general, engraved upon the dispensation of God. Garments are rolled in blood in Scotland and England. The wheels of Christ's chariot, in this reformation, go with a slow pace; the prince is averse to peace, many worthies are killed, a foreign nation comes against us, yet all works for the best to those who love God. Rutherford.

HE IS OUR PEACE.

Dear Friend May peace and mercy be with you from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. There is no peace like that, for it is a "peace which passeth all understanding;" it "keeps the heart and mind through Christ Jesus." It is such a peace that the world can never give, with all its smiles, honors, and preferments; neither can the world take it away. None can give trouble if God give peace. I believe you know this; and so do I in some measure. I could like to have more. The Lord grant it, if his blessed will. It is sweet peace. Sweet to the soul is that peace which God gives. It is preserving peace. It preserves from pride and vain-glory; from the love and power of sin, so that it shall not reign. Where sin is a plague it does not reign; and so long as the Lord keeps the soul in peace, that soul is happy, resting on the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Peace with which that poor sinner is blest. "For he is our Peace," says Paul; and sure enough he was right. "In the world ye shall have tribulation," says Christ; "but in me ye shall have peace." The just shall come out of trouble: "These are they which came out of great tribulation." The Lord will not always have his people in trouble. There is a way into trouble and there is a way out of trouble; and in all these troubles he is with them, although they do not see him; for in six troubles he is with them, and in the seventh he will not leave them. That is the best time, even the last, when they shall come out of them never to go in any more for ever. O happy time! Blessed departure, to take our flight from this wicked world and this body of sin and death! What a deadly weight to carry about with us as we go along! But sweet will be the parting time, and it will not be long. O for grace to say and feel, “I will wait till my change come!" But while we are here, may it be our happiness to have peace extended to us like a river, flowing at his command who "speaks, and it is done," who can rebuke the wind and the sea, and say, "Peace, be still," and they shall obey him. O how comfortable a thing is peace, when all is right between God and our poor souls! "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." The world may frown, but if the Lord shines, all is well.

And mercy, too, is a sweet thing. What should I be without it? "Without thy sweet mercy, I could not live here; Sin soon would reduce me to utter despair."

Great has been, and still is, thy mercy toward me! "For he hath remembered me in my low estate; for his mercy endureth for ever. Upon this I cannot but hang; it is sweet to my soul. It was one of the first things my soul wanted after I was made concerned about my soul; and it was, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" When it came, it was sweet indeed. I have been in love with it ever since, when in my right mind. I have wanted it ever since that time. I feel a little of it now, and want its sweet, soothing,

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