mark and evidence of a true minister seems to be against me. though I am seldom without one, which is, passing through evil report; for such scandalous reports are circulated, without the least foundation; which makes me think that the father of lies is an open enemy of mine. But I would say with David, "Let them curse, but bless thou, O Lord." I trust that evil reports may prove cautions, for we need continually hearing, "Take heed," "Beware." I feel myself as vile as ever they can represent me, and therefore must contend, from heartfelt experience, that salvation is all of grace. I travel so much in mire and darkness, which keeps me from running into head notions much. I murmur that I am kept so ignorant, and that I know so little, and can open so little of the word of God; but still I feel it a mercy to be even in such hardness of heart and such confusion, rather than slipping into the pits of heady notions. Many talk about Christ, and the doctrines of grace, who are strangers to the power of godliness: and what an awful thing it is to have a name to live, and to be dead. I desire to know Christ, but I want the blessed Spirit to lead me to that knowledge; for anything short of that glorious and powerful teaching must fade away, in the time of trial. I find the work of the ministry a most trying work, and I often feel desirous of giving it up, if I could do so honourably; but, having put my hand to the plough, I through mercy continue to this day. The Lord at times encourages me in my own soul, and sometimes I hear of the word being blessed through me; but I wonder how it can be so, feeling so full of sin and various abominations. I meet with very few who are enjoying much in their own souls; and when I meet with any who boast much about an assurance of faith, I generally question how they got at it.

The devil is a very great deceiver, and we have very deceitful hearts; so we need not be so very much surprised to find so many puffed up with vain notions. May we ever encourage those who have life and feeling, but may we be kept from bolstering up professors in false hopes and false joys.

May the Lord bless and prosper you, and may the friends be enabled to pray that I may come with the blessed Lord s sanction. Believe me,

Yours very sincerely, for Christ's sake.

April 7, 1835.

GOD IS LOVE.

TO THE HEAVEN-BORN CHILDREN OF GOD.

Beloved of the Lord,-It is your blessedness to prove, by the divine teaching of God the Holy Ghost, that God is Love, -eternal, immutable Love. This precious truth you will not deny; but then you may often struggle under very deep depression of spirit and heart-rending groans, lest you should not be interested in this glorious Three-One God of love. It is not enough for you to hear that God is love, nor to believe it as a most blessed truth, nor to say he loved David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul, &c., nor to look round you and say, concerning others, he loved them, or, he loved you, or, he loved thee. No; your heart thirsts to say, feelingly to say, he loved me. You feel that vital godliness is personal, and to you it matters but little, as it respects your own comfort, who he loved, or how greatly he loved them, if he do not love you. The vehement desire of your heart is, that the blessed Jehovah, by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, would speak this precious truth to your heart, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." (Jer. xxxi. 3.) It will not do for you to be told that you must simply believe, do your duty, and be decidedly pious, and then God will love you: this ground you have proved to be boggy, and have been necessitated to flee from it, and cry, “Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me." (Isa. xxxviii. 14.) The Lord has given you faith to believe that " they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. viii. 8); and that however fair a show they may make in the flesh (Gal. vi. 12), it is but a show, leaving them destitute of vital godliness. Christ's kingdom is not of this world (John xviii. 36); for the kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. xiv. 17); and this kingdom must be set up in the heart (Luke xvii. 21), not in word merely, but in power, and that power the power of God: "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." (1 Thess. i. 5.) Therefore, having eyes to see the emptiness of a mere duty religion, nothing short of an enjoyment of the power of Christ's religion in your heart can satisfy you. For this you hunger, thirst, and pant; and even when you dare not say, The Lord is my God," still nothing but Christ and his blood and

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then say,

obedience brought home to your conscience, by the power of the Holy Ghost, can give you rest; but when Christ and his complete salvation is enjoyed, with solemn pleasure you can "He loved me, and gave himself for me;" and, as the glorious effect of vital union to Christ, by a living faith in him, you can, in some measure, trace the almighty love of God the Father in your election, of God the Son in your redemption, and of God the Holy Ghost in his quickening, enlightening, teaching, sanctifying, anointing, and sealing power, and with solemn joy say, "This God is my God for ever and ever, he will be my guide even unto death;" and as the blessed Spirit leads you on, you can enter a little into the nature of the undivided love of the glorious Three-One God, and see that the love of each dear Person is of the same nature and extent; so that all that the Father loved and chose in Christ (Eph. i. 4, 5), the Son loved and redeemed from their sins: "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works:" (Titus ii. 14)—and all that the Son redeemed, the blessed Spirit loves, quickens, teaches, and sanctifies: "For such were some of you; but"-O the blessedness of this precious but, when brought home to the heart-" but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. vi. 11); and the whole nor any part of this is neither by works of righteousness which ye have done, nor according to your works, "but according to Jehovah's own purpose and grace, which was given you in Christ before the world began." (2 Tim. i. 9.) Therefore, your salvation, in all its bearings, is of rich, free, discriminating love. God grant that you may daily live as becomes creatures so highly favoured, showing forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Trials you may have, yea, you must have; for it is the settled purpose of God that "through much tribulation ye must enter the kingdom." But this is all in love, and everlasting love is still sure; and this blessed God of love has engaged to succour, support, and defend you. Your light, as it respects the manifestation of it, may not always be as the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, nor the blessed graces of the Spirit spring up your souls like the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Clouds and darkness may surround the Lord, hiding his glory from your view, and in your feelings you may be very, very dark, and very, very barren. But your dear God of love will not forsake you; new co

in

venant mercies are still sure, everlastingly sure (2 Sam. xxiii. 4, 5); for "unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness" (Ps. exii. 4); and "to this man will I look that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." (Isa. lxvi. 2.)

God almighty enable you to trust in him at all times, and that he may direct your hearts into his love, and into Himself as Love, and into the patient waiting for of Christ, is the Yours to serve in the gospel of his grace, prayer of

July 20, 1835.

A LOVER OF ZION.

A SAINT INDEED.—No. I.

(Extracted from Letters.)

My dear Friend, for Jesus' sake,-Being informed that you wished to hear if any change took place in the health of our much-esteemed friend and brother and he also wishing you should be made acquainted with his present state, I have this day promised him I will write to you for him.

Soon after you left these parts, he went to the waters, and upon his return, he thought himself much improved in his health. But this was of short duration, for it pleased his covenant God, who has been a very present help to him in this trouble, to afflict him with a brain-fever delirium, at times arising to a very distressing height, except when he spoke of the things of God, and then he appeared to be himself, was sweetly supported in his soul, and gave a blessed testimony to the Lord's faithfulness and power. He is now improving in his health, though still very weak and low, and has had near forty leeches applied, besides bleeding in the arm and perpetual blistering. His mind is considerably more composed, though he occasionally discovers much excitement; and we hope, in answer to many prayers, he may be restored to the church of Jesus Christ below. I said to him, Well, my dear friend, what shall I say to Mr. for you?" He replied, "Tell him I love him dearly, and have long felt my heart united to him. Tell him I am a happy man!—for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain! Here I lie, waiting my Father's will: whether my time is long or short, I am satisfied!" Shortly after, he added, "What is dying? It is only going home!" then sweetly smiled, and again said, "Strangers into life we come! Dying is but going home!" The love and blood of Jesus enjoyed, appears to fill his soul to the brini.

and I think a little more would be too much for his poor, weak, tender frame to bear. At his earnest request, my dear husband and I went to see him before this afternoon service. I remained with him the afternoon, and I believe our hearts felt a sweet bedewing from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power, which seemed to fill the room, making it a little sacred spot. I persuaded him to close his eyes, and try to sleep a little, for he only slept three hours last night. He rested about a quarter of an hour, and then began again to make his boast in the dear Friend of sinners, particularly speaking of his finished work, and frequently was melted to tears, telling me they were only tears of joy, which he would suppress if he could. I said, "Don't, my dear Sir, try to suppress them; they will relieve your feelings; let them now: they proceed from the most blessed feelings the mind is capable of on this side glory." He said, "I will, I will, weep to the praise of the mercy I've found!"

These are only a few out of the many precious things that have this day dropped from his lips. So much of heaven, on earthly ground, I have never before witnessed. He is certainly apparently mending in health; but I cannot help thinking, from his humility of soul, his happy looks, and sweet enjoyment of Jesus, together with his warm affection to all the saints, that his end is at hand; and if so, his sun is indeed setting with such rays of glory surrounded, as are only now and then witnessed in Zion.

I must conclude. My husband unites with me in Christian love to you. Hope you will write to our beloved friend. If his life be spared (which God grant, if his blessed will, it may), I know he would value a letter from you greatly: so do write directly.

Farewell! May God bless you in your own soul, both at home and abroad, in the house and the church. Believe us both, Your much-esteemed friends, for Christ's sake. H-, Sept. 27, 1829.

CHRIST ALL.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE GOSPEL STANDARD.

Gentlemen,--The accompanying little tract may not, perhaps, express all you could wish upon so glorious a subject as that on which it treats; nevertheless, there are undoubtedly some sweet remarks in it, and if you can find room for it in