the word of God itself, will not prove effectual to com fort those that mourn, unless accompanied by the enlightening, sanctifying, strengthening, and consoling agency of the Spirit of grace. This I doubt not our worthy friend has in some desirable degree, experienced; and she will, I trust, experience more and more of that heavenly peace, in the midst of worldly sorrows, and spiritual troubles, which God the Saviour, alone can bestow. Believing, and trusting, and hoping in him, with submission to his sovereign, holy, and blessed will, the soul finds its proper rest ; which it will in vain seek and expect, in creature comforts, and worldly joys. And when our most pleasing hopes from the creature, are blasted, and all the brightest scenes of worldly joy, are overcast with clouds of the deepest darkness; still happy, unspeakably, are they, who, with the prophet, can say, "Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of my salvation !"* Lord, increase our faith, that, in every hour of painful trial, this may be our real, our sweet experience.

And have you, my friend, at length, got down from the mount of comfort and triumph, into the valley of humiliation, and doubt, and fear? Very well! When you are there properly humbled, you will be more highly exalted than ever before; or at least, more comfortably established in the persuasion, and the experience, that you are nothing, and that Christ is All. A christian, always rejoicing and triumphing, free from all anxiety and apprehension, about the state of his soul, or his title to glory, has probably, either some extraordinary labours to undergo, or peculiar sufferings and trials to endure, on

'Habak. iii. 17, 18.

earth; or is probably, very near to that rest which remaineth to the people of God, in the heavenly state. Yet, it is a most desirable thing, to have our calling and election, to eternal life, made sure to our own souls. For this, let us give all diligence; and may the Lord add his blessing, which alone can give a successful and comfortable event to the means, and endeavours, which we are required to use. If I have any well founded claim, to the character of a christian, and to the hope of Heaven, I am surely one of the meanest, and most unworthy of the number of those who are so highly privileged; and if I am finally saved, it must be as through fire. Oh what a debt of gratitude shall I owe for ever, to his grace and power, and how sweet and animated will be my song of praise, to the adorable author of my being and redemption, and of all my mercies, through all the periods of a blessed and glorious immortality!!

Mrs. K. joins me in very affectionate regards to Mrs. F. and yourself, and in sincere prayers for her.

Yours, very affectionately,

ISAAC S. KEITH.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

TO DR. F.

CHARLESTON, FEBRUARY 15, 1806.

THE newspapers of this morning, having announced the arrival again of Bythewood, reminding me again, after having reminded me, I believe, more than once before, that I still remained in debt to you, for your long, and very good letter, under date

the 31st December, ultimo ; which, however, was a considerable time on its way to me: so that, I believe, that it is not yet much more than a month since I received it. Apologies of the same tenor, if not of the same date, for my apparent negligence, I could easily offer; but even for that I have not now time; and, therefore, let it now suffice to remind you of my former proposed terms of correspondence with you; to which you, if not with the free and full consent of your mind, yet at least by your frequent practice, have testified your approbation, or your toleration.

I feel very much gratified, and I desire to be very thankful, that you took in such good part, the hints which I presumed to suggest, on a subject, on which your church and your pastor, were mutually interested. If I know my own heart, I cordially esteem and love both the parties in this case; and would most earnestly wish, that the interests and the conveniencies of both, might be so arranged and accommodated, as to be promoted, in the most perfect harmony, and to entire mutual satisfaction. What you say, by way of apology, for, and in favour of, the church, I forcibly feel; and having in like manner felt for its pastor, I now feel with peculiar satisfaction, the consoling considerations suggested in your letter, which authorize the pleasing hope, that the parties concerned, who have had occasion for bearing with each other, may soon find their respective difficulties and apprehensions removed; and their mutual services to, and comforts in, each other, much increased and happily prolonged. As I only snatch a few fugitive minutes from the studies of Saturday, for scrawling this, I cannot now do what is in my heart, if I had leisure; but I can only, at present, commend you respectively, to the instruction, direction, keeping and

blessing, of our common Lord and Saviour, friend and benefactor. May he bless you all, and make you both, present and everlasting blessings to each other!

I am often tempted to wish that I were as rich as Croesus; as I think, that I would then relieve your church, and all my friends from all their difficulties, arising from their want of pecuniary resources. But I know who He is, that has the riches of heaven and earth at his disposal, and at the same time, loves his church and his people, individually, infinitely better than I do; and yet, for wise and good purposes, sometimes places them in straitened and embarrassing circumstances, and leaves them for a while, to pray and wait in faith and hope, before he gives them the desires of their hearts, or shews them, in all the desired evidences and fruits, the favour and love which he cherishes for them. He doth all things well: and all his dispensations towards your church are, as I trust, designed, and will be ultimately found, ordered and sanctified, to work most effectually for the good of those who belong to it, and who sincerely seek its good. With respect to what you say of the plan which yourself, and some of your friends have thought of, for serving the church by the purchase of lottery tickets, I can now only, in a general way, observe, that if the design of a lottery can ever be justified, or excused, it must be when the object is evidently an important good. Yet how far such a good may be attempted to be accomplished by such means, may still be questioned. It is a subject, however, on which wise and good men have dif fered. And what shall I venture to say, more than let him, that ventures in this business, take heed that he acknowledge God in all his ways, and that his glory be the great end at which he aims, and that he be so well

persuaded, in his own mind, as that he shall not condemn himself, for the thing which he does.

We have had in our family, since the beginning of the present year, the deeply afflicted widow of a clergyman, the Rev. J. W. of Connecticut; who, in pursuit of health, was coming on to the southward, but died on the passage from Norfolk to this city. Mr. W. appears to have been a very pious, zealous, active, and useful minister of the gospel; and Mrs. W. has exhibited the most satisfactory evidences of sincere piety, and of strong faith; as well as of the most affectionate attachment, to her late excellent husband. She supports, indeed, a truly worthy and amiable character: and as she has consented to stay with us, as one of our family, till the weather in the spring, or beginning of summer, shall promise a safe, speedy, and comfortable passage, by water, to her four young children, and other friends; we cannot but consider her company, during these few months, as a most desirable acquisition to the society of our small family.

Your cordial friend,

ISAAC S. KEITH.

TO DR. F.

CHARLESTON, APRIL 5, 1806.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

CAPT. L. delivered some few days ago, your favour of March 29th; for which I return you my sincere thanks; and by which I ought to be humbled, quickened and improved. If I am not thus benefitted by it, the fault will not be in your letter, but in my own