you can have nothing more to write to me, nor do I believe that a mortal can fet forth greater and clearer truths, and I often wonder from what fpring they can flow. My foul earnestly covets them, and I do humbly pray the Almighty to make me a partaker of them; and I am not altogether without hope, at times, that I fhall yet prevail with his divine Majefty to grant them. These last letters of yours have again revived my hope, fomehow unawares to me; though I thought, in reading them, that their contents were too good to be true of me: yet they have, I truft, communicated fome light and power to my foul; and this I judge from fome comfortable feafons I have had of late. At times I can fee a little glimmering light, juft at a diftance, on my state, but it will not come near; I try to get at it, but it goes off, yet at fuch times I am fure to get a little light in the word of God, and when that is the cafe I can preach boldly; and at such seasons I seem to be as happy, and as much fatisfied, though up to my knees at the dung-gate, as you are when you have accomplished the most curious piece of workmanship within the walls of the house. But now you fhall know the whole truth. I do not find these feafons humble me fo much as I could wifh, and lead me to admire God's goodness towards me; inftead of that, I find fuch foolish thoughts as thefe filling my head-what a great *** I shall be some day, and what work I

have

have to do, &c. &c.—until again I am foul-tied and tongue-tied in the pulpit for four or five times running, and this, I think, is enough to make any man mad, and at times it has made me nearly fo.

How awfully has my heart rebelled against the Almighty, when I have feen carnal profeffors fitting to judge me, and to criticize my words. I ufed to be as expert as any of them at doctrines and phrafes, but now I have neither understanding nor memory at command; and that they can find any thing to cavil at has made me ready to curfe my day. But ftill I know that I am never wrong in the main. I am fure that I do not miftake the ftate of the people. I may, at times, mifapply a fcripture, for want of fome more applicable to my purpofe; but then I am not out in the material point. And however curious they may weave their fyftems, I know that they are deftitute of the power; and you know the kingdom ftands in power: and when I insist on this, they cry out that I flight and fet afide the word of God. Upon the whole, what a poor unstable creature you muft needs judge me to be, and I much fear, through all, that I never fhall excel. I often think too, that if the Lord is pleafed to continue to lay my cafe on your mind, and make you pray for me, and write to me, and your patience hold out to bear with me,

that

that I fhall yet come forth. I have not the least inclination to look to any other inftrument but yourself, and this makes me to conclude that it is the means which God hath appointed.

May God abundantly reward and bless you for what is past, and I fhall live in expectation of

more yet to come. enough of that daily;

As for Mofes' club, I have

but I believe I must have

more of it before I can be made to forfake him. I know in my judgment that Chrift is better, but my fecret attachment indeed is to him.

truly my error, but I cannot mend it.

Witness,

This is

J. J.

VOL. II.

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LETTER

LETTER LXX.

To the Rev. Mr. J

REV. AND DEAR BROTHER,

How pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! But, as it is with the human, so it is, and muft be, with the myftical body of Chrift; there must be joints and bands, or the members cannot move in concert, cannot have the fame care one of another, cannot weep with them that weep, nor rejoice with them that rejoice.

Those who never felt the cords of their fins, nor what it is to be bound with them, are not included in our Lord's commiffion, which is to open the prifon doors to them that are bound; for this work he was appointed, anointed, and fent.

Those who never were in bondage to the fear of death and wrath, are excluded alfo; for he came to deliver them, who, through the fear of death, were all their lifetime fubject to bondage; nor is it poffible that fuch fhould be the genuine offspring of God, for he that is our God is the God of fulvation,

aud

and unto God the Lord belongs the issues from death; and both the offspring and the iffue hang, as veffels of mercy, on the nail fastened in a fure place.

Where no pardon has been fealed, no faving knowledge of falvation can be found. Such must be ftrangers to the covenant that God makes with his people, which is, to be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their fins and iniquities he will remember no more. Where this experience is not found, their faith is vain; fuch are yet in their fin, and ftrangers to peace, which is the bleffed effect of pardon-thy fins are forgiven thee, in peace. Such never had peace, and of course never could hold the unity of the Spirit in the band of it.

go

Where fear and torment never were felt, there perfect love never entered; and where love was never shed abroad in the heart, there never was any faving knowledge of God, nor any spiritual birth, in order to an admiffion into the kingdom; for it is only he that loveth that is born of God, and knoweth God; for he that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love; fuch never could put on charity, the bond of all perfection. Once more, that faith which never purified the heart, which never apprehended an imputed righteousness, and which never put that robe on, which never led the finner to Chrift to cast his cares and burdens there, and by faith to enter into his reft; that faith never gave Chrift an exiftence in the heart, nor the finner an existence in Christ.

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