1765.]

FIRST LETTER.

11

remains as a rule of life to every justified believer. Besides, the real Christian does not only look upon holiness as his duty, but also as his privilege; for being vitally united to Christ by faith, he receives from him a new nature, being, as saith the apostle Peter, made partaker of a divine nature;' which nature as much inclines him to holiness, as the old corrupt nature does to sin. Thus, being regenerated and born again, he is transformed in the spirit of his mind, he has put on Christ, and is renewed in every faculty of his soul. But still let us remember, that we are but renewed in part; so long as we are in the body, we shall find a law in our members warring against the law in our mind; the old man will be still striving for the mastery, and if he must die, will die hard. May this consideration make us ever watchful against the first risings of sin, and may we be continually looking to Jesus for strength to check it in the bud. It is this Jesus, my dear friend, who has conquered the only enemies we had to fear; he has disarmed death of his sting-looking to him we may overcome all fear of its approach, for when he is our friend, death is no other than an advantage; if he is our life, we shall surely find death our gain. The following questions I have found useful to myself: if we are able to give a comfortable answer to them, death cannot be to us a king of terrors, but a messenger of peace. Have earthly or heavenly things the chief place in our thoughts and affections? Do we prize that great salvation which the gospel offers to sinners, beyond every thing else in the world? Are we crucified to the world, and the world to us? Are we dead to its pleasures, riches, honours, and esteem? Does the humble temper of the meek and lowly Jesus reign in us? Is his service our delight; is sin our burden? Are we hungering

and thirsting after righteousness? Are we taking up our cross daily, denying ourselves, and following Christ? Are we working out our own salvation with fear and trembling? Are we giving diligence to make our calling and election sure? Blessed indeed is the person who can say, I find this to be my case.”

This letter, by the blessing of God, produced what was intended by Miss Hill, and what was desired by Lady Glenorchy. It was the means employed by the grace of God, to bring her out of the horrible pit and the miry clay of despondency, to set her feet on the Rock of Ages, to establish her goings, and to put a new song into her mouth, even praises unto God. It may now be said of Lady Glenorchy, Behold she prayeth.-She arose from her kness at Taymouth, as Saul of Tarsus did from the ground near Damascus, a wonderful monument of the power and grace of God. From that interesting moment, without hesitation or conferring with flesh and blood, she resolutely turned her back on the dissipated world, and without reserve devoted herself, and all that she could command and influence, to the service of Christ and the glory of God; and in this she invariably persisted to her latest breath. Here future path of life lay through evil report and through good report; in the midst of deep adversity and of high prosperity; of severe trials and strong temptations, both temporal and spiritual. But none of these things moved her from the steadfastness of her Christian profession. Although her road was often rough in the extreme, and her enemies cruel, strong, and numerous, yet on she went in her Christian course, never deviating to the right hand nor to the left, but ever pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

1765.]

SPIRITUAL COMPLAINTS.

13

CHAPTER II.

Lady Glenorchy becomes sensible of her spiritual weakness-Miss Hill writes to her on this subject-Goes to London-Is afraid of being thereby diverted from serious subjects-Letter from Miss Hill endeavouring to strengthen her in her resolutions to resist the temptations there.

LADY GLENORCHY, like every other well informed Christian, very 'soon began to discover her spiritual weakness and infirmities. Of these, it seems, she complained to her friend Miss Hill, who accordingly wrote to her the following letter:

"August 30, 1765.

"IT gives me great concern to hear of your bad state of health. May that God, in whose hands you are, command a blessing on the means used for your recovery! or, if it should be his will that this sickness be a sickness unto death, may you, as you see the outward man decaying, see the inward man renewed day by day! The Lord has merciful intentions even in his most bitter dispensations. Whom he loveth he chasteneth; and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. May you, my dear friend, be enabled to see love in his rod, as well as justice in his dealings; and may the bitter cup which he has given you to drink be so mixed with sweet ingredients, that you may look forward with comfortable assurance that all shall work together for good! It is the Lord, he cannot mistake your interest; his will be done: if it is his will, most

earnestly do I wish and pray for your recovery. I am persuaded that you belong to Christ; and therefore desire patiently to wait his will in the event. What poor helpless creatures should we be, full of inward fears and outward pains, unwilling to die, and yet dissatisfied with a wretched life, could we not discover some tokens of the Lord's merciful intentions towards us, and of our interest in him! Press on, my dear friend, and be not discouraged: he that is for you is greater than he that is against you. Although trials await you from without as well as from within, he who I trust has brought you out of darkness into his marvellous light, and has refreshed your soul with the light of his countenance, will now be with you when you pass through the fire and water of affliction. These are the strokes of a loving Father's hand, whose wisdom knows how to temper them to your case and strength, and to make you not only bear them with submission, but to kiss the rod that smites, and to sing of judgment as well as mercy. The trials and temptations which you have to encounter are indeed great and many; but having taken to you the whole armour of God, you may bid defiance to them all. You fight against conquered enemies. The Lord of Hosts is engaged in your behalf; look to him then by faith and prayer for strength; he will assuredly show himself to be a strong-hold in the day of trouble, in which the weary may take shelter and be safe. He is faithful that promised, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Fear not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God.' Cast thy burden on the Lord and he shall sustain thee;' and above all let us remember, and we shall never want comfort, the gracious declaration, In that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted !'-O

1765.1

SECOND LETTER.

15

may your eyes and mine, my dear friend, be ever upon the Lord Jesus. Fixed upon him, we must be happy. He it is that has overcome Satan, death, and hell: they cannot hurt the soul that rests on Christ; he cannot fail the weakest believer that builds upon him. Strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, we are enabled amidst every distress, and every trial, and every temptation, to endure: as some massy rock supported by pillars of basaltes, though surrounded by tempestuous waves, and beat upon by storms and winds, yet remains unmoved, so we, built upon the rock Christ, are enabled to look down on the foaming billows of affliction, and defy their impotent rage. If we are in Christ, we shall have strength, and none shall be able to pluck us out of his hand. The more we are encompassed with trials and temptations, the more earnestly let us fly to him, and then shall we find by sweet experience that he is able to keep us from falling, and that when we are weak, then shall we be strong-strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. I have found that I am no where safe, but at the foot of the Cross; there would I always be in the lowest prostration and subjection; in that posture I would always be looking to Jesus, viewing the fulness of the all-sufficiency which dwells in him: and when in that posture of soul, deeply sensible of my own nothingness, and firmly believing his faithfulness, as well as fulness, I dare defy all the powers of darkness. Again, although I desire always to approach the throne of grace with lively actings of faith, and pleading the divine promises, yet I would appear, not in the character of a saint, but of a sinner; and (as a friend of mine observes) there are two things in which I need not fear excess, in thinking humbly of myself, and highly of the Lord Jesus. I would approach him