state before a man that was ill in the house died: this roused my stubborn soul, the fears of death seized me afresh, and the wrath of God seemed more hot than ever against me; Satan turned accuser, and I was as it were hanging over the belly of hell, and yet I had something that caught hold of the godhead of my Saviour: and indeed this was all I had to hold me up; my load of guilt was so great, and my iniquities were so infinite, that had I not believed in the godhead of Christ, I must have sunk to all eternity.

Although at this time my heavenly Father chastened me sore with the terrors of his righteous law, yet the blessed Spirit often helped my infirmities at a throne of grace, and at this time in such a manner as he had not done for some months before; and now, all on a sudden, hope began to spring up, and I had a strong faith in the immutability of God, and in the promises of the gospel; and, in a few weeks, I had light given me to see that it was God's work on my soul; and when you was describing his work from these words, " Behold ye, and wonder: for I will work a work in your days," &c. among the heathen: I could see, as you went

on, the way that God had brought me; though

at other times I got into the dark again, and feared I should be lost after all; and thus, up and down, I went on till the 14th of February last, which was nigh four months after I was raised to hope; a day much to be remembered. It was on the sabbathday morning, and a sabbath it was to my soul. I awoke out of sleep about six o'clock, and think

ing of the dubious state I was in, not seeing clearly my interest in Christ, I was led out in prayer to God, after the following manner.. " Oh! thou almighty and eternal God, who didst condescend to take on thee my nature, in order to redeem lost, perishing sinners! I pray thee that thou wouldst be pleased to make known thy salvation to my soul; that I may be satisfied with thy mercy; that the tongue of the dumb may sing for joy; and that this may be a sabbath of rest to my soul,' &c. I had not been at prayer long before these words came powerfully into my mind, The set time to favour Zion is fully come. I wist not that the vision was so nigh; but I had such longing desires after Christ, which nothing but Christ's coming himself could satisfy, and I began to pray with such fervour and faith, that I told the Lord I knew he would answer me; my heart began to melt, the tears ran down my face like rain, and I had such a view of Christ crucified for me, that my heart felt as though it would burst with grief. I kept crying out, What! didst thou die for me? Didst thou bleed for me? Oh! make me love thee! Make me honour thee! Never let me, never let me, sin against thee again, &c. The sight of my dying Saviour made me weep so loud, as to wake two people out of their sleep who were in the next room. When I had been weeping over and blessing my dear Saviour about five minutes, I was filled with such amazing love, joy, and peace, in believing, which made me break out into sing

ing or shouting, as loud and as fast as I could, in

these words:

Thou dear Redeemer, dying Lamb,

I'll sing thy praise to harps of gold,
Because thou shed'st thy blood for me,

These words I shouted over and over near twenty times; my soul was so filled with the glory of heaven, that my poor body felt as though it would be shattered to pieces. This was some of the good old wine of the kingdom, which made me forget my poverty, and remember my misery no more. What an almighty power operated on my soul as soon as my Saviour came! I knew it was that God that made heaven and earth; and when I saw him by faith, bleeding in my nature for me, his condescension and love seemed so great, that I could not bear the sight; indeed it broke my heart and soon after, when I began to rejoice, I had such a blessed view of him in his beauty and glory, and of that land which is very far off, that I shall never forget.

When I was in my distress, like David I often said all men are liars; but now it is, "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits?" After the Lord had raised me to hope, I expected (as I had lain so long in bondage to the law), that my deliverance would be conspicuous, and I thought I could not be satisfied concerning my state unless it was; and, I bless the Lord for it, so it is come

to pass, and I think Satan will not easily baffle me out of the reality of it.

I hope, Sir, you will excuse my intruding so long upon your time; but I have such a sight of what the Lord has done for me, that I could not help mentioning some of the particulars to you. I am a single man, in the 22d year of my age. I must conclude with begging an interest in your prayers, that, as I have received Christ Jesus the Lord, I may so walk in him; whilst I remain,

66

BELOVED OF GOD,

SOME on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship, and so it came to pass that all got safe to land;" nor hath this voyage been attended either with harm or loss. Good it is, my son, for a man to bear the yoke in his youth, as Jeremiah did, whose remembrance of the wormwood and gall hung long upon his memory, and humbled

Thou hast been pretty

his soul within him. sharply handled, and I am glad of it, for it has bruised and broken thy spirit, which must make it sore and tender; and a daily cross, with a little additional furnace-work by the way, will keep it soft, humble, and contrite; and if armed with a filial fear, and this fear observed, cherished, and attended to, these will be a tolerable fence against the wiles of Satan, and will make thee tremble at the thoughts of nibbing at those lascivious baits, with which he plies those awful professors whom God hath given up to work all uncleanness with greediness. This fear, and a tender conscience, always go together; and so sure as we scale this fence, or break through this hedge, the serpent will bite, and hardness of heart is sure to follow, and it is ten to one if ever such a soul gets his armour so close and compact upon him again while he is under the sun. Thou hast felt what an evil and bitter thing sin is, and what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God; and thou hast had a clear view of that just one in whom God can be propitious, and in whose face thou hast seen the light of the knowledge of his glory. Let that glorious and open vision be still in view, let thy mind be staid there, and perfect peace will ensue; and while thou thus lookest through that glass, though but darkly, thou wilt be changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord; for we are predestinated to be conformed to that blessed image, and the trans