treat, free from the noife of London, and the hurry of bufinefs, where we should be glad to have an opportunity of requiting the kindness fhewed to me both by the living and the dead.

O that the Lord would make both his cup and yours run over! Between the living and the dead, (being dying worms ourselves) what manner of people ought we to be in our generation? If we cannot be what we would, burning and fhining lights, fhewing forth the glory, the mercy, the love of our Lord, as thofe, who flame with indefatigable zeal, and run a race of immenfe labours, let us at leaft lie meekly at Chrift's feet, as Mary, or patiently hang on the cross, as our common Lord.

I want much to know, how you all do in foul and body as for me, I make juft fhift to fill up my little centry box, by the help of my dear partner. Had we more strength we should have opportunity enough to exert it. O that we were but truly faithful in our little place! Your great stage of London is too high for people of little ability and little ftrength, and therefore we are afraid of venturing upon it, left the confequence fhould be bringing new burdens on our generous friends. We fhould be glad to rife high in usefulness; but God, who needs us not, calls us to fink in deep refignation and humility. His will be done! That God would bless you with all his choicest bleffings, for time and eternity, is the fincere prayer of, my dear Friends, your obliged fervants, I. and M. F.

Madeley, Feb. 11th, 1785. The Right Hon. Lady Mary Fitzgerald.

MERCY, righteoufhefs, peace and joy be multiplied to dear Lady Mary, and to all, who are dear and near unto her, from the Father of mercies, through the Son of his boundless love, and through the Spirit of infinite love, which the Father breathes continually towards the Son, and the Son towards the

Father! So prays John Fletcher. And who are we, my Lady, that we fhould not be fwallowed up by this holy, loving, living Spirit, which fills heaven and earth? If we could exclude him from our hearts, we might vilely fet up felf in oppofition to him, who is all in all. But whether we confider it or not, there he is, a true, holy, loving merciful God. Affent to it, my Lady; believe it, rejoice in it. Let him be God, all in all; your God in Chrift Jefus; your brother, who is flesh of your flesh, bone of your bone; your Surety, who payeth all your debt, in whom the Father was reconciling you and us unto himself, and in whom we are accepted. What an ocean of love to swim in to dive into! Don't be afraid to venture, and to plunge with all yours; efpecially our dear friends in St. James's Place, Mrs. G- and Mrs. L.

&c.

Madeley, Feb. 28th, 1785.

My dear Brother,

WE are all fhadows. Your mortal parent hath paffed away; and we pafs away after him. Bleffed be the Author of every good and perfect gift for the fhadow of his eternal paternity difplayed to us in our deceafed parents. What was good, loving, and lovely in them is hid with Chrift in God; where we may ftill enjoy it implicitly, and where we shall explicitly enjoy it, when he hall appear. A leffon I learn daily, is to fee things and perfons in their invifible root, and in their eternal principle; where they are not subject to change, decay, and death: but where they blossom and thine in the primeval excellence allotted them by their gracious Creator. By this means, I learn to walk by faith, and not by fight; but, like a child, inftead of walking straight and firm in this good spiritual way, I am fill apt to cling here or there; which makes Lord let me fee all things more clearly, that "I may never mistake a fhadow for the fubftance,

me cry,

"nor put any creature, no not for a moment, in the "place of the Creator; who deferves to be loved, "admired, and fought after with all the powers of "our fouls.

Tracing his image in all the footsteps of nature, or looking for the divine fignature on every creature, as we should look for the king's image on an old rusty medal, is true Philofophy; and to find out that, which is of God in ourfelves, is the true Wifdom,-genuine godlinefs. I hope you will never be afraid, nor afhamed of it. I fee no danger in thefe ftudies and meditations, provided we ftill keep the end in view-the all of God, and the fhadowy nothingness of all that is vifible.

With refpect to the great pentecoftal difplay of the Spirit's glory, I ftill look for it within and without; and to look for it aright is the leflon I am learning. I am now led to be afraid of that in my nature, which would be for pomp, fhew, and vifible glory. I am afraid of falling by fuch an expectation into what I call a fpiritual judaizing; into a looking for Chrift's coming in my own pompous conceit, which might make me reject him, if his wifdom, to crucify mine, chofe to come in a meaner way: and if, instead of coming in his Father's glory, he chofe to come meek, riding, not on the cherubim, but on the foal of an afs. Our Saviour faid, with refpect to his going to the feast, My time is not yet come: whether his time to come and turn the thieves and buyers out of the outward Church is yet come, I know not. I doubt Jerufalem, and the holy place, are yet given to be trodden under foot by the Gentiles. But my Jerufalem ! why it is not fwallowed up of the glory of that which comes down from heaven is a question, which I wait to be folved by the teaching of the great Prophet, who is alone poffeffed of Urim and Thummim. The mighty power to wrestle with him is all divine: and I often pray,

X

"That mighty faith on me beftow,
Which cannot ask in vain,

Which holds, and will not let thee go,
Till I my fuit obtain :

Till thou into my foul infpire,
That perfect love unknown,
And tell my infinite defire,
Whate'er thou wilt be done."

It is not for us to

In fhort, the Lord crucifies my wifdom and my will every way; but I must be crucified as the thieves. All my bones must be broken; for there is still in me that impatience of wisdom, which would ftir when the tempter fays, Come down from the cross. know the times and feafons, the manner and mystical means of God's working; but only to hunger and thirst, and lie paffive before the Great Potter. In fhort, I begin to be content to be a veffel of clay or of wood, fo I may be emptied of felf, and filled with my God, my all. Don't give up your confident hope: it faves ftill fecretly, and hath a prefent, and by and by, will have a great recompence of reward.

I am glad, exceedingly glad, that your dear partner goes on fimply and believingly. Such a companion is a great bleffing, if you know how to make use of it. For when two of you fhall agree touching one thing in prayer, it shall be done. My wife and I endeavour to fathom the meaning of that deep promise; join your line to ours, and let us fearch what, after all, exceeds knowledge-I mean the wifdom, and the power, the love and faithfulness of God.

My wife and I embrace you both; and pray you would help one another, and us, by your prayers. Be God's, as the French fay; and fee God yours in Chrift, for you, and for all our dear brethren. We are, Your obliged friends, I. and M. F.

Mr. Melvill Horne.

Dear Brother,

:

Madeley, May 10th, 1785.

I AM forry you should have been uneasy about the books I received them fafely, after they had lain for fome time at Salop. I feldom look into any book, but my bible; not out of contempt, as if I thought they could not teach me what I do not know; but because "Vita brevis, Ars longa :" I may never look into either of them again.

Go on improving yourself by reading, but above all by meditation and prayer: and allow our Lord to refine you in the fire of temptation. Where you fee a want, at home or abroad, within or without, look upon that want, as a warning to avoid the cause of the leannefs you perceive, and a call to fecure the bleffings, which are ready to take their flight; for fometimes true riches, like thofe of this world, make themfelves wings and fly away: the heavenly Dove may be grieved, and take its flight to humbler, and more peaceful roofs. I am glad you do not want hard or violent measures: I hope you never will countenance them, no not against what you diflike. I believe things will turn out very well at the conference, and I fhall be a witnefs of it, if the Lord of the harvest gives me a commiffion to be a fpectator of the order and quietnefs of thofe who fhall be there: if not, I fhall help you by prayer to draw from far the bleffing of love upon our friends.

In being moderate, humble, and truly defirous to be a Chriftian, that is, to be the least, the last, and the servant of all, we avoid running ourselves into difficulties, we efcape many temptations, and many mortifying difappointments. For my part, as I expect nothing from men, they cannot difappoint me; and as I expect all good things from God, in the time, way, measure, and manner it pleafeth him to bestow, here I cannot be difappointed, becaufe he does, and will do all things well.