You still write in depression of spirit. Alas, how I wish that I could comfort you! Most tenderly and deeply do I feel for you, and it is my constant prayer that your mourning sighs may soon be exchanged for songs of praise. It is however, delightful to reflect that you have a friend who can both sympathize with you, and richly comfort you, whose blessed office it is, to "bind up the broken hearted," "to comfort all that mourn," and to give "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."

What, then, is the only effectual way of obtaining comfort? It is, be assured, to acquire by the teaching of God's Holy Spirit, an ever-increasing, experimental

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knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. For what does St. Peter say? "Grace and peace be multiplied to you, through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord." Nay I am almost certain, that all our sorrow, our doubts, and fears, arise from defective, cloudy views of our Lord Jesus Christ. Could we see him as he is, so able, so willing to save to the uttermost, so full of love to the most wretched, the most unworthy, so longsuffering to the most provoking,—every other feeling would be swallowed up in admiration of his goodness, and we should be constrained to trust in him, to love him, and devotedly to obey him. It appears to me, that the whole of religion consists in obtaining a true knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. John xvii. 3. A true knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ would make sin appear unutterably odious, and most loathsome; consequently it would effectually humble the sinner;

while, at the same time, it would so convince him of the yearning compassion, -the melting pity-the overflowing love of the Saviour,-that instead of feeling paralyzed by guilt, and sinking into despondency, he would be compelled to arise, and devote himself to that adorable Being who so loved him. Let us then, my beloved friend, be more simple in our prayers, more simple in our object. Let our supplications, our reading,-our meditations, all have this one end in view-a clearer, deeper knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us fix the eye of our mind so steadily upon him, that we may see but little else; and while our souls are thus waiting, watching, longing for the revelation of his glory, we shall assuredly see the cloud that now conceals him from our view begin to break away,-till at length it shall be wholly dissipated, and the Light of the world, the "Sun of Righteousness," shall fully shine into our

souls, and fill them with joy and unutterable peace.

When the spirit is gloomy we are apt to 'fix our gaze intently on the dark cavern within, and perpetually to pore over its darkness, and misery; but light comes from above, not from within, and, consequently, this only increases the soul's distress. "The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord," and a short fervent prayer in this hour of darkness, that the expiring candle might again be lighted, that the dying lamp might be again trimmed, would be the most effectual way of making David's experience ours; "Thou wilt light my candle; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness:" and we should feel with Micah, "When I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me; he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness."

"The entrance of thy words giveth