munion with my dearest Lord, I have no greater joy, than that which arises from christian intercourse with those who have tasted the Lord to be gracious, and who are looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, even Jesus, the beloved of our souls. In taking up my pen to answer your request, I freely confess I feel altogether unfit to enter upon the consideration of so important an inquiry, occasioned by the cares and burdens incident to this vale of tears; however, it is a mercy to know, and much better to feel, that the preparation of the heart in men, as well as the answer of the tongue, are both alike from the Lord; with this conviction alive upon my mind, I desire to look alone to the Holy Spirit, whose covenant engagement is to impart light to the understanding, peace to the guilty conscience, comfort to the mourner in Zion, liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to them which are bound. I trust it is my heart's desire, now to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit, as a spirit of revelation in the knowledge of Christ, that I may not darken counsel with words without know ledge, to the pain and confusion of your trembling mind. The subject matter of the scripture you referred to, is salvation by blood divine, and how the enjoyment of it is brought about in the happy experience of the heirs of glory. I would remind you, that man in his creation-glory came forth out of his Maker's hands, a pure, and a holy being, made perfectiy upright, even in the view of him, who is glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders; and yet, amazing, but solemn truth, by one fatal act of disobedience, brought sin into our world, with all its attendant miseries; in this hopeless, and despairing condition, almighty grace found the sinner, and by the proclamation of unmerited mercy, presented to his guilty and despairing mind, the prospect of a glorious deliverance, through the blood-shedding of the Lord Jesus Christ, who in the end of the world, was to appear, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. I have no doubt, but what our first guilty parents had opened to them, by the vision of faith, clear and most blessed views of God's salvation, which was to be effected by the blood-shedding of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, in the fulness of time, was to appear in our nature, and by his almighty power, abolish death, and him who had the power of death, and deliver them, who through the fear of death, were all their life-time subject unto bondage. Abel, the righteous, made so by the imputed merit of the sufferings of the coming Saviour, beheld in the distant scene the rising and ever-growing glories of the wondrous theme, and by faith offered up a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, the Holy Spirit bearing witness with his spirit, that his person, and offering were accepted before God: what a sacred spot was that, upon which was offered the first sacrifice, typical of him, of whom the prophet was commissioned to say: "Awake, O sword against my shepherd, and against the man who is my fellow, saith the Lord; smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn my hand upon the little ones." Turn your attention again to the wretched and forlorn condition of the first transgressor, and whilst beholding the cloud of darkness and horror of a dreaded futurity resting upon his spirit, by which was excluded from his mind, the possibility of being delivered from the wrath to come. O, who can conceive the blessedness that must have been felt, when, as with one ray of divine and heavenly light, shed its benign influence it through all the avenues of his sin-stained soul, and when the Holy Spirit, with a note of the sweetest melody, whispered in his ear, the first great pro My sister, I would remind you, that the spirit of prophecy, is the testimony of Jesus. The experience of prophets, priests, and kings under the old dispensation proved, that the life which they lived in the flesh, was by the faith of the Son of God, in whom they rejoiced; they had redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of all their sins; hence it is said, they all died in faith, not having received the full accomplishment of the promises, but having seen them afar off, were persuaded of their reality, triumphed, even in hope, of the glory which is yet to be revealed, at his coming, with all his saints. Yes, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and all the saints, from the first believer, down to the last vessel of mercy, will be found to have been called by the same electing love, redeemed by the same precious blood, and Christ formed in their hearts the hope of eternal glory: hence, when we read the word of God spiritually, we immediately find ourselves surrounded with a cloud of witnesses all looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of salvation, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and who is now sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high; in them we can trace the same features of christian experience; our joys and sorrows are the same in their nature, our conflict with the powers Buried in sorrow and in sin, At hell's dark door we lay, To see a heav'nly day.' If time would admit, and your patience bear the exercise, I would introduce you into the society of many of the saints, as recorded in the sacred scriptures, in every one of which, you would discover a brother or a sister; therefore, I will only mention one or two, as illustrative of the fact, that they were of one heart, and of one soul with yourself, often bowed down, but not destroyed. You said in your last epistle, that you felt in your experience, like a sparrow upon the house-top, alone as it regarded spiritual matters, for you were dwelling among a people of unclean lips, who neither feared God man: you don't stand alone even in this painful path of experience, for many have gone before you, who have made the same complaint, but who have now, strangely forgotten to weep, having passed through the valley of the shadow of death, and who have entered into the enjoyment of their everlasting portion, to go no more out for ever; and do bear in mind, I entreat you, for it is a most blessed fact, that in all ages of the history of the world, however much the nations of the earth were sunk into open profanation, yet, there has been always left a remnant according nor to the election of grace, as witnesses to his honour and glory; read the prophet Malachi throughout, the proud was called happy, and they that worked iniquity was set up, yea, even they that tempted God, were delivered; but mark the end of all such, as contrasted with those of whom the Lord spoke when he said, "Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore, with loving-kindness I have drawn thee;" in reference to the former characters, it is said, "The wicked shall be as stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord, of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch;" but to the others, whatever may now be their painful allotments, it is said, "Unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of righteousness arise, with healing beneath his wings, and they shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." You will easily perceive that this is one of the great promises of the everlasting covenant; namely, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom the ancient fathers were looking with the most intense interest, and died in the fullest confidence, that in him was all their salvation, and eternal glory. Oh, what a mercy it is, that seeing that the world is deluged with iniquity, and that guilty man, from the king upon the throne, to the peasant in the land, are equally alike determined upon their own everlasting destruction; I say, what a mercy it is, a proclamation from the throne in the heavens has been issued, whereby every poor sinner can now apprehend under the teaching of the Holy Spirit; "How God can be just, and yet the justifier of the ungodly." Hence it was announced by the angels to the shepherds, in notes of the sweetest melody," Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good-will towards men." My sister, this subject, with the enjoyment of a humble hope of You said in your last, that the exhortation, Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," often caused you to fear, that ever you would be brought to the Zion above with songs and everlasting joy upon your own head, seeing that you felt yourself so strengthless, and utterly incapable of even thinking any good thing as of yourself, so that you seem to despair of ever realising the desire of your heart, even the salvation of your soul. Here then opens again to my view, the glories of a free grace salvation, and I do feel very desirous of continuing my remarks, but I am sure your patience will not allow; if spared, will write again by to-morrow's post; in the mean time, ponder over these things, it will do you good; and may the Lord bless you, whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy that is unspeakable, and full of the expectation of an eternal weight of glory. 'Before the day star knew its place, Or planets went their rounds, We find by the scriptures, and by experience, that God himself is a fountain of living waters," Jer. ii. 13, and that the Father, in and through the Son, by and in the Holy Ghost, (the three being one God) pours down, in his word of truth, the scriptures, living waters, upon, and into, and round about, His Zion, His rest, His mystical dwelling, Psm. cxxxii. 13, 14; first into, his watchmen, pastors, editors, and all his called, chosen, faithful, public witnesses, by his will and working, from Adam, to Noah, to Moses, the Prophets, Apostles, and their successors, to us of this year, as will be his method unto the end of time, Isa. xlii. 12; Matt. xxv. 6; Rev. xxii. 17, 20, 26; and by those public witnesses, in God's will and working; living waters, the pure river of the water of life, flows from our souls, hearts, tongues, pens and publications, for Zion's benefit, see Joel iii. 18; John xvii. 38; and also for quenching the violence of impure fire, flaming against himself and his Zion, and his truth, by the evil spirit, Satan, and deluded men. See Gen. iv. 17, to Lev. x. 6; Num. xvi. 3, to Heb. xi. 34, to the end of Revelations. This river of living pure waters," proceeding out of the throne of God, and the Lamb," for all the purposes aforesaid, see Rev. xxii. 6; signify, and consist of communicable life, and life-giving wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, and cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, in the redeemed, renewed, Zion on earth; so that, whilst "the righteousness of the Son in God, Christ Jesus, is imputed unto us, the Zion of the Holy One, for justification without works." Psm. xxxii. 1, 2; Rom. iv. 6, 7, 8. and for our justifying righteousness before the Holy Ghost, and the Father and Christ, one God, the Godhead; and whilst we stand justified, by faith, and have peace with God, (that is the Father) through Jesus Christ, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, Rom. v. 1, 2; freely forgiven our sins, justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses. See Acts xiii. 38, 39. As we have yet the remains of sin, and defilements of inherent iniquity of heart, soul, mind, and conscience, and that from time to time abounding, through the permitted temptations of Satan, as we read of all the experience of saints through the scriptures, and as to our griefs, we feel and know, even so, that we are the most foolish fools, the most unrighteous of unrighteousness: the most unsanctified of unsanctification: and the most unredeemed of the unredeemed: in our own feelings of evils, by Satan's snares, impure vain thoughts, unbelief, and sinkings in heart, soul, mind, conscience, and body; into a horrible pit, filled with terrors, and stick fast in the mire; so that all we can say is, Behold I am vile: See Job xl. 4; Psm. xl. 4, and Psm. lxix. 9, 5; and mourn with Hezekiah under God the Father's chastening rod, Psm. lxxxix. 32, as under Satan's bruisings and oppressions; See Gen. iii. 15; Isa. xxxviii. ; feeling our foolishness for sinning, and need of life, that is, life of pure wisdom; See 1 Cor. i. 30; James iii. 17; and also a supply from the meritorious, inexhaustible, communicable fountains and ministering head, husband, and great high priest, Jesus Christ, in his, and the Father's will and working, by and in the Holy Ghost, with his words of truth and grace, even inherent righteousness, wisdom, and righteousness, sanctifi- ing from all filthiness of flesh, and See |