⚫ and got home

time enough to fee him die in < peace, and commit his remains to the duft in • hope of a joyful resurrection to eternal life. But,

ah! Sir, to part with such friends is very affecting, though I think I never was fo fenfible of my lofs in Mr. Bryan, as fince I have been looking over his journal. I think I never before fo well < knew the value of my friend, and ah! how it 'fhames me to find how far he had got above

6 me.

• But I must mention to you how these papers ⚫ came into my hand. You must know, Sir, that C Mr. Bryan kept no regular diary, but it was his • custom when he was in a good frame, now and then to note it down, which he did fometimes in his pocket-book, fometimes on a fheet or two of paper, and at others, if he happened to be abroad, even upon the back of a letter, with a defign I imagine when he did fo, afterwards to transcribe what he writ: but being much hurried in his worldly bufinefs, by reafon of his incumbrances, he had not time, as I fuppofe, for his purpose, and therefore the collection was only made from thefe imperfect originals, at firft by his widow, who, out of regard to his memory, picked them up as he found them among his papers, and put them together. One day, not long ago, being at Mr Bryan's house, I happened to take them in hand, and upon looking

*Mr. Hutfon had been a voyage to Great-Britain, and was now returned.

B 3

⚫ into

into the contents, I was fo pleased and refreshed that I determined, with her leave, to get them copied out, which accordingly I have done. And now I fend you my dear friend's picture, with free liberty to fhew it to whom you please, nay, to be quite plain, I should be glad to have it published from the prefs. The view of it has done me fo much good that I can't help hoping it may be serviceable to others alfo.'

I am, Sir,

your much obliged friend

and fervant, for Jesus' fake,

WILLIAM HUTSON.

NUM

NUMBER I.

A letter from Mr. Hugh Bryan to his Sifter, giving an account of his experiences towards God.

I

Dear Sister,

Have been too indolent in writing to you to

keep up that harmony and union which ought to be betwixt two who were formed in the fame womb, though God knows I love you as a kind fifter. The diftant fituations of our dwellings makes it difficult to converfe often face to face; yet by letters we might have a correspondence, and now and then entertain each other with the occurrences of life that happen in our way. Nothing in this life, except our union with the holy Spirit, can give more true delight, than a union and harmony of fouls that take fweet counsel together in the things of God. I fhall proceed to give you an account of my converfion. -- For many years, I eagerly fought to advance my fortune in worldly goods, fuppofing it to be confiftent with my duty to God and man- first, to God, in that I fought to him daily by prayer, I frequented his ordinances, and propofed if I fhould acquire an eftate to be liberal to the poor. Secondly, to man, I endeavoured to do what was juft, (overlooking at the fame time, that justice which was due to my poor flaves, who were fpending their ftrength and lives for me, and were left in their ignorance of the common falvation thro' Jefus Chrift-) And on confidering my life,

I

I flattered my felf that, although I knew my self to be far fhort of loving God with my whole foul and ftrength-tho' I was guilty of many fins and imperfections; tho' I was often led aftray by the paffions of my corrupt heart, and the delufive temptations of the devil; yet as I had a regard to God, his name, his word, his ordinances, and loved those who feemed to fear him, I hoped he would graciously accept the defires of my heart, and place all my deficiencies on the all-fufficiency of Jefus Chrift. And having often experienced the condescending goodness of God, in the answer of my prayers, I concluded my ftate fafe, and counted my self amongst the true Ifrael of God.I confidered not that God required the whole heart, and all the faculties and powers of foul and body to be devoted to his fervice; that I must be regenerated and changed, and must put off the old, man, my corrupt, filthy, devilifh depraved nature, with the affections and lufts thereof, and put on the new man- That I must be born of the fpirit, and changed by the omnipotent power of God, from that devilish bafenefs of fpirit inherent in corrupt nature, to a fpirit of love, peace, purity, holinefs, to the image of Jefus Chrift, that I must be united to him by one and the fame spirit, an, as the branches from the vine, must receive ftrength and nourishment from him continually to bring forth good fruits acceptable to God; and that without this change of heart, this new-birth wrought in me, by the power of his holy Spirit, and this

union

union with Chrift by the fame spirit, I could claim no part in his atonement for finners, was dead in trefpaffes and fins, loft and undone, and juftly condemned by the law to all the curfes of damnation. And thus ignorant and blind was I, with respect to our new birth, or manner of acceptance thro' Jefus Chrift. I was wandering as in the midnight darkness, until the last winter it pleased God to afflict my wife with a fevere fit of fickness, who, having had much fuch a faith as my own, (but more zeal) when her life was defpaired of, and death feemed to approach, was ftruck with horror and bitter arguish of foul; she could not find the leaft comfort for her foul, although her zeal had been fuch, as to make it her practice to retire feven times a day, (as did the holy David) to pray, and to give praise to God, and although she fought diligently, by attending the ordinances, by faftings, and by doing good &c. to prepare herfelf for the acceptance of God thro' Jefus Chrift. Under this anguish and horror fhe lay fome days, until being brought to fee the depravity and bafenefs of her corrupt nature, the pollutions of her foul, and the infufficiency of all her religious works and endeavours, and that the fatiffaction made by Jefus Chrift, and his righteousnefs, performed in our ftead, could only be the fole cause of our Juftification, pardon and acceptance, and that in him alone was all hr help, and then cafting herself i ntirely on his all-fufficiency, the light of God's fpirit darted in upon her foul, and fhe brake out into raptures of praise and thanks

giving,