savoury, unctuous, and deep-led people. An old shoemaker, who has been in the way thirty-eight years, came with me six miles on my way back, and I can assure you we could hardly part. He is a most choice man, and one whose conversation is sweet, powerful, and well seasoned. I know if and had been with us, there would have been only one heart among all four. I know you would like him. They meet together every Sunday, and read Mr. Huntington's works when they have no preaching. Mr. G— and Mr. W speak to them occasionally. I should go over every Lord's Day, but I have no horse.

Here I have no person to speak to. I am very uncomfortable indeed. I cannot get a minute's time through pressure of business; and we are very much put out in our family order. The work within is very much confused. I am generally, the whole day, dark and stupid, having neither light nor life; my inward feelings are often worse than those who never made any profession at all; and there are many things without to confirm the devil's testimony that I stand on a level with the worst.

"Shock'd at the sight, I straight cry out,

'Can ever God dwell here ?'

Read the second and third verses of Hart's 18th hymn; that is what I pass through daily. I am really afraid (and sometimes not without ground) that I never went deep enough at first; and yet I know that I have been going deeper and deeper from that time. My experience of these things is simply this, a growing in the knowledge of myself as a completely lost, ruined, and undone wretch. My many awful falls have brought me to know experimentally that he who trusteth in his own heart is the greatest of fools; and my many base and damnable backslidings of heart and affections have brought me to a conviction that I am not capable of exercising a good thought. All the vows which I ever made, the Lord has suffered me to break; so that I am driven from that refuge of lies. My own wisdom has been proved complete foolishness; my understanding, complete ignorance; my light, complete darkness; and my life, complete death. I am made truly sick of myself and of the devil. The Lord has made me quite sensible that nothing less than an almighty power hal kept me from the lowest and deserved hell. On the other hand, s can appeal to the Lord, who alone searches the heart, that he hawon my heart and soul over to himself by the many sweet persuas sions of his mercy towards me, by the many lightings-up of hicountenance, by the many risings of hope, by the many sweet melts ings of soul; and many times he has lifted me up when down, and caused me to bless him in singleness of heart when I have been persuaded of his mercy in Christ to my hell-deserving soul.

And now, what I have said, I know to be what I have felt at different times, let it come from where it may. I know that my soul is made honest in these matters; and, unless my heart is both dead and damned, surely the Lord is all and in all to my soul.

My love to Tell him I love him in sincerity. May the Lord bless and keep you both. I shall be glad to hear from you,

or any of the friends, at any time. When I began to write, I did not think of writing five minutes; but I have sent you such things as I have. My heart is with you to live, to die, and to live again. Accept our love yourself.

From yours in truth and undissembled love in Christ, Oxford, August 2nd, 1829.

NATHANIEL MARRIANER.

A WORD OF SYMPATHY.

My dear Friend and Brother in the path of tribulation,—I can now address you feelingly under this title, having for many years been, with very few and very short intermissions, in that spot described by Zechariah, xiii. 9. How hard it is, my dear friend, to "Trust to Christ alone,

By thousand dangers scared!"

It is bad enough when we get wounded by an enemy, but when wounds come from the houses of our friends, from those friends with whom we have taken sweet counsel, and with whom, like David, we have walked in company to the house of God; I say, when these turn round upon us, and seem ready to devour us, how cutting it is! how it staggers and confounds us! Often have I gone to some friends, of whom I still have hope, when my soul has been so pressed down with affliction and sorrow that I could do nothing but groan and sigh; but, with some hard speech or other, they have sent me away wounded, bruised, and more wretched than before. And what has all this taught me? Why, the lesson taught by Isaiah, ii. 22. O sir, I have in some measure experienced the truth of what the poet says:

""Tis to credit contradictions,

Talk with him one never sees;
Cry and groan beneath afflictions,
Yet to dread the thought of ease."

O how often have I been ready to say, like poor Jacob of old, "All these things are against me; I shall go down with sorrow to the grave." The instruments of Jacob's sorrows were those of his own flesh and blood, those who ought to have been the earthly staff and stay of his right hand; yet those were the very persons that pierced poor old Jacob through and through by their ungodly ways. It is hard work for faith to grasp and hold firm God's promise and the God of the promise, when her arms are paralysed, and, like Job, to exclaim," Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." But, my friend, whom else have we to trust? We cannot trust the world, for it is treacherous; to trust our own hearts is foolish; and to trust our own spiritual friends, yes, or our natural friends either, I had almost said, is like taking a mad dog to caress and feed, hoping that it would not bite us because we were so kind to it. "Why," says the world, you would, in our opinion, be about as mad as the dog to do so." Yes, my friend, and often have we proved it to be a species of madness to trust our nearest and dearest friends, either natural or spiritual, with our woes, sorrows, or afflictions, instead of carrying them

to a throne of grace. Our heavenly Friend will not turn round upon us and say, "It serves you right; you have brought these sorrows upon yourselves, and you may get out of them;" neither will he say, I am on the mountain of God's presence; if you want to speak to me you must come up to where I am, for I cannot come down to you. No, blessed be God, our great High Priest comes down, for he knows his poor children could not for a thousand worlds get up to him, they are so helpless, weak, and destitute; nor can any of his servants prove that their commission authorises them to treat any of God's helpless family in that manner. But what is man when left to himself? how treacherous! how deceitful! But our Captain endured the same; Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, his disciples forsook him, and, in the hottest part of the conflict, his Father hid his face from him. O my dear friend, we must in some measure drink of the same cup, and be baptized with the same baptism; but our precious Jesus will maintain us in the midst of ten thousand deaths. Our enemies may be countless, our sorrows multiplied, our faith feel ready to breathe its last gasp under the weight that presses with such amazing force upon it, but it shall live through all the malice of our enemies, through all our sorrows, faintings, and oppositions, to the praise of the glory of that God who has said, "Thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places." Often have I stood staggering under the weight that has appeared to press out even the very life of hope, believing that another storm, another wave, or another thrust from the enemy would sink me to rise no more. I have thought within myself, I can hold out no longer; and at the very time I have looked at my wasted frame, my trembling limbs, and my sinking state, and felt as if I were on the borders of desperation and apparently on the verge of eternity, concluding that all was about to be brought to an end; and yet many a storm has rolled over my head since I experienced these trials, and still I live, a wonder and a mystery to myself. Yes, my aged brother, having suffered so much myself, I can feel for you; and if one so weak and feeble might be allowed to speak to your comfort, I would say as I have done more than once when faith has been so feeble that tears have rolled down my cheeks, and grief well nigh choked my utterance,

"Let not thy heart despond and say,
How shall I stand the trying day?

He has engaged by firm decree,

That as thy day thy strength shall be.”

It is by these things God's family live. I could not be an anti-backslider if I would, for I firmly believe that there is not an individual in the ranks of those who hold this detestable doctrine that ever got it from God's throne. Need I remind you of what I have heard you say more than once, "Leave the rod in your Father's hands, for if you take it in your own, you will hurt yourself more than you will hurt your opponent." I know that it is trying work for flesh and blood to be still; but do not be angry with a poor brother if he recommends you, and God's dear children through you, to carry all

your sorrows, conflicts, trials, temptations, afflictions, and crosses to a throne of grace, and leave them at the feet of Jesus. There is no wonder at professors forsaking you, but if children forsake you too, if they use hard speeches concerning you, and if for a time they are permitted to hold up to contempt both you and your preaching, be assured that God has some wise end to answer by it. God is his own interpreter, and in his own time he will make plain all his dealings and dispensations towards you. Noah, the first minister sent by God, was scorned, and his ministry treated with contempt; and shall my brother be free from slander and reproach? No. But you may depend upon one thing, if God has any of his own children amongst those who have persecuted you, and cast out your name as evil, which I cannot but think he has, he will bring down their hearts with labour, he will lay the rod upon them, and cause them, through the conflict, to stagger like a drunken man, not with wine, but with the anger of an insulted Father; and he will teach them, too, that it was not in vain he recorded those words: " He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye." But the others, the vain professors, may go on triumphing in wickedness, and boasting of their exploits, but, to their amazement and confusion, they will find in the end that their ungodly fire will leave them to lie down in eternal sorrow, while a poor Lazarus shall enjoy all the fulness of a triune Jehovah in his Father's bosom.

One word, in conclusion, to those characters who are so zealously engaged in breeding schism and discontent amongst God's people. Be careful how you sport or trifle with God's word and people, lest He that sitteth in the heavens should laugh when your fear cometh, lest "the Lord should have you in derision." (Ps. ii. 4. See also Phil. ii. 1-5; 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4; 1 John iii. 10-15.) Ask, between God and conscience, are you clear of these charges? for depend upon it, God will one day rise up to vindicate and plead the cause of his people, and will say, "Who hath required this at your hands?" "then a great ransom cannot deliver you.' (Job xxxvi. 18.)

That God may bless and support you, my dear brother, is the prayer of, yours till death,

Manchester, August 7th, 1843.

J. B.

"MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN

WEAKNESS.".

Dear Friend,-Yours I have this morning received, and in answer I would just say that (God willing) I hope to be with you, to attempt to speak in the name of the Lord, the first Sunday in June. But O that the dear Lord may come with me! for I am daily more and more convinced that the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. I have seasons when I can bless God from my very soul that it is not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God; and I know, in some measure, what the apostle meant when he said, "We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." I am still proving my own helpless

ness, ignorance, carnality, and death. O what a carnal, sensual, devilish wretch I am, in my own feelings! O how it grieves my soul at times, that I should be so ungrateful to that God who has for so many years been my Helper, my Deliverer, and my Upholder, who has ever been near at hand, and never failed me in all my times of trouble, whether of body or of soul! O that the dear Comforter would but bless me with more of his life-giving unction and power! This is what I am much in need of, for 1 cannot call Jesus my Lord with sweetness and delight, but by the Holy Ghost.

My friend, I was very low last Saturday, when I wrote to you the few lines. It appeared to me that my preaching was gone spark out, for I had only just as much life as made me miserable, and just as much light as showed me what a fool I was. When I arose on Lord's day morning I thought it would be impossible for me to face the people; nay, it appeared awful presumption in me to attempt it! But, blessed be the dear Lord, I again proved that his thoughts were not my thoughts, nor his ways my ways; for he brought me through the day, and I believe he blessed his truth to the souls of the people. My soul had another token for good, and proved that he was with me, making me the instrument of comforting others with the same comforts with which my soul is comforted of God. O how astonishing it is that the dear Lord should ever own and bless his truth from the lips of such a babe in knowledge and such an old wretch in sin. I could not refrain from weeping, last Saturday night, to think that the dear people of our church and congregation had had to put up with such a lump of useless lumber as I felt myself to be, and wondered how they had borne with me for nearly twenty-seven years. Ah, my friend, God knows how to hide pride. I can assure you that I have nothing to boast of but rich, sovereign, electing, and discriminating grace, from first to last.

Give my love to all inquiring friends; and that we may meet together in peace and love, is the prayer of your unworthy friend and brother for truth's sake,

Trowbridge, May 5, 1842.

"BY THE WORD OF TRUTH."

J. W.

My beloved Brother in the Lord, and whom I love for the Lord's sake, May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, who hath loved you, and given you everlasting consolation and good hope, through grace, comfort your heart and establish you in every good word and work.

Many thanks to you for your kind letter. It refreshed me; and there were some drops in it which melted my heart. A revelation of truth in the heart is what all the regenerated children of God have experienced; and unless the word comes to them "in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance," they faint by the way. To know the truth of God by the power of God is the desire of every new-born soul. God may speak, by his servants, to the outward ear, as he did to Cain; for his word is called the lively oracles of God; but unless he speak to the heart, it will remain unchanged,