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glorious truth, is to live by faith. To seek for this bliss any where else, is to seek for the living amongst the dead.

My health, my dear friend, is far from being established, and I am far from expecting it ever will be; I am, you know, verging on the winter of life, and cannot expect much fair weather, yet there are in the wintry season some fair days; and the wintry season of life produces some fair days, it would be unreasonable to expect

more.

By one consideration I am consoled. If winter be gloomy, it is short. I shall not live always. Life itself is generally to me a most intolerable burden; "but every moment takes away a grain at least, of the dead weight that hangs upon me, and gives a nearer prospect of the grave.

No indeed, I am so far from wondering that mankind in general are so blinded respecting the truth, that I wonder they are not more so. Nothing short of omnipotence can remove the veil from the heart; and thanks to almighty God, Omnipotent power will in due time take away the face of the covering from all people; and all shall know him, from the least to the greatest.

My host is anxiously employed in collecting seeds for his garden; he wishes you to assist in procuring him some, which are choice and rare. How solicitous are we to sow the seed, the growth of which is perishable, and which can only support our dying frames; and how little concerned to sow the seed of everlasting life. But such was not the procedure of the Son of God-the son of man-Glory be to his almighty name, to whom alone it is due.

The acts of kindness shewn me by my friends, convince me I am dear to them. God himself has proved his love to sinners, by his given favours. God so loved the world, he gave them his Son; and in him all things. I can never imagine true love to God or man, ever took place in any heart, without rendering it studious to please the object, to whom it was attached. By their fruits shall ye know them.

I am happy in the prospect of seeing you; more so in the assurance that you are not likely ever to want a motive for visiting us ; and most of all, that you are strong in faith, giving glory to God. Yes, my friend, we do indeed hear the lip of truth pronounce, my peace I give unto you-my peace I leave with you. In me you shall have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer-I have overcome the world. Yet, what is it to us,

that he has overcome the world? If indeed we could have overcome the world, then we should have been conquerors, and how dignified would have been our characters, and how peaceful would have been our future lives! What could we have to fear from a conquered enemy, you know? Then, most assuredly, we should have been of good cheer.

And why not now, poor sorrowing way-worn traveller? since all which the Redeemer did, he did for us men, and for our salvation; and let our hearts, our believing hearts, ever more cheerfully say, Thine, O Lord, be the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever, amen. This is the glory of the christian religion, that it gives us to triumph as much in what our Saviour has done, as if we had performed his every action in our individual persons,; and we are assured we shall reap every advantage arising from the complete victory he hath obtained, as much as if it had been the result of our own particular exertions.

Blessed are the people who know this joyful sound. Happy are they who believe in their hearts, what the word and spirit saith, respecting the head and the members. But the election obtains this knowledge, and the rest are blinded; yet, as we have a thousand times repeated, we are assured that the time will come, when the face of the covering will be taken from all people, and the veil from all hearts; then all flesh shall see the salvation of God together. I will transcribe for you, the conclusion of an oration, delivered to our masonic brethren. I know it will please you.

"Worshipful brethren, and respectable friends. The maxims of truth and the principles of benevolence must finally prevail, and triumph over all opposition: for great is the truth, and stronger than all things. Sweet is benevolence, the source of felicity, the highest excellence of Deity, The works of the devil must be completely destroyed. Vanity and lies must come to an end. All the seeming evils, and apparent blemishes, and imperfections in the universe, which is the building of God, our supreme master, and the sovereign, allwise and benevolent Architect, shall in process of time appear to be necessary parts, and real beauties of the stupendous and amazing structure. The mystery of Gop shall at length be finished, and righteousness alone shall be exalted. "What transports of delight! what sublime raptures of bliss, must every heart experience, when vice and mortality shall be known no more-when calamity shall be banished the creation

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when all tears shall be wiped from all eyes—when all enmity shall be erased from all hearts-when all the various communities, and combinations, the sexes and distinctions of people, and nations, and languages, and manners, after being conformed to the maxims of truth, and inspired with the affections of generosity and love, shall be united upon the immense theatre of simplicity, before mentioned, in one general assembly, through which innocence and joy shall reign in harmony for ever! What august and majestic scenes shall open to gratify our increasing curiosity, when every middle wall of partition shall be broken down and removed, and we no longer confined to distinct apartments in the great circle, shall be at liberty to make the grand tour of immensity, and meet with none but friends! What an employment for eternity! What enjoyment for the rational and longing mind, in all its boundless capacities of pleasure.

"A prospect this, which if any thing can, must irresistibly prevail upon us, to conduct with the wisdom, the fortitude, the concord, and the dignity becoming MEN of REASON and brethren of HUMANITY." Thus much for Mr. D.'s Oration; to you I leave the comment. As there is nothing for which I more ardently wish than the promulgation of the truth, as it is in Jesus, and as I know the "Union" well calculated to accomplish this purpose, I do most sin, cerely wish your subscription may be liberally encouraged. I trust you and your honourable friend will not be disappointed respecting the copies you expect from London.

You ask if I have any further addition to make to the hymns: if you pronounce those I have forwarded worth inserting, you are indebted for them to my apprehensions of standing upon the threshold of the new world. I expected before those hymns appeared amongst men, I should appear among angels: but I assure you I have so very indifferent an opinion of my attempts in this line, that I think I shall not again expose myself to ridicule or censure. When you first mentioned selecting from Watts, &c. &c. it appeared to me like sowing different seeds in the same field; but on recollection, I believe a judicious hand may collect various fragments, and some few whole hymns, that appear to be written in the spirit of the gospel; but as their adherents know they were not written in the same spirit which dictated Relly's hymns, when said hymns are found in his collection, will it not induce a supposition that he was with them in spirit? However, you are the best judge of these matters, and to you therefore I leave them.

You ask me relative to the narrow way, and the strait gate: Mr. T. asked me the same question: Take my ideas in a few words. There is but one way to life, viz. by keeping the commandments. Into this way no mere man ever entered; but Jesus Christ entered into this way. Why then does Jesus himself say, strive to enter? Was not Jesus made under the law? Must he not teach according to the dispensation he was then under? Is not this exhortation, strive to enter in, tantamount to another passage, if ye would enter into life, keep the commandments? And again, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Thus are we directed to make trial of our strength, and it is by this mean we obtain a knowledge of our own insufficiency. I had not known, said the apostle, that lust was sin, except the commandment had said, thou shalt not covet. But Jesus has now become the way, as being the Lord our righteousness; and by this way if any man enter in he shall be saved from the destruction to which the broad way inevitably leads; he shall go in, and out, and find rest and perfect security. Thus entering into the narrow way, is synonymous to believing; and every one who has any acquaintance with his own unbelieving heart-with the world which layeth in the wicked one, and with the adversary of our peace, will easily perceive the propriety of our Lord's exhortation, strive to enter in at the strait gate. Yes indeed, there is great exercise of mind in entering in at this door.

Your ideas of yourself are immaterial; you never will appear so elevated to others, as when you are inferior in your own eyes. But what have we to do with instruments? We are the instruments of which the great Master will make his own use.

Before I close my letter, I have an instance of mortality to record. Mrs. P. is no more. I never saw death appear more beautiful. When such spirits take their departure 'tis the survivor dies. We suspected no danger until Sunday evening, and then the danger was considered as small; but the pang at her bosom was the messenger of death. She herself soon recognized him; yet we were flattered by some favourable circumstances, the deception of which barbed the arrows of affliction. But this night of adversity was gilded by the radiant light of life: she met her dissolution with such strong faith, as gave glory to the Redeemer, and great consolation to his disciples. No cloud gathered round her through the whole of her illness; she saw her salvation complete; she saw

that her redemption was sure, and she looked to the separating moment with pleasure. Yes, the affectionate wife, the fond mother, could quit with peace her darling family, for she trusted in the Redeemer, and she knew in whom she had trusted.

Thus has this lady witnessed, in the presence of many, a good confession. So gentle was her descent, that we could not perceive the instant of her exit, and she passed quietly without pain of body or mind, through the valley of the shadow of death. Indeed it appeared to us that she was literally sleeping. Happy soul, how highly favoured of thy God!

This unexpected demise will detain me here until next Monday. May God preserve unto you, your dear companion. My love to all friends. I ever remain your friend and brother.

LETTER XX.

To the Same.

My friends are involved in calamity. Well, this is the time for the exercise of faith; this is the time to trust in the Lord, and stay upon the God of our salvation, of our salvation; yes, it is our salvation; nor is it possible we can ever be robbed of our glorious inheritance; because the God of this salvation is our God. God is love, our love; God is light, our light; God is a refuge, our refuge; God is a shield, our shield; but time would fail to enumerate the many glorious characters our God sustains; all of which are ours; and is not this enough? yea verily. Did we believe the omnipotent God engaged for our protection, we should at all times triumph in the thought, let our station in life be ever so replete with thorns, we should quietly hope and patiently wait for the manifestation of this our God, in every of his characters, well persuadod they were all full of grace and truth.

I need not tell you I wished for you last Sunday. I shall always wish for you when we assemble in our little sanctuary. I wish you would throw your eye over the seven first verses of the ninth chap

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