with more fruit in my native country, and in my own tongue. I am in fufpence: on one fide, my heart tells me, I must try, and it tells me fo, whenever I feel any degree of the love of God and man; on the other, when I examine, whether I am fit for it, I fo plainly fee my want of gifts, and efpecially, of that foul of all the labours of a minifter,-love, continual, universal, flaming love, that my confidence difappears; I accufe myself of pride to dare to entertain the defire, of fupporting one day the ark of God, and conclude, that an extraordinary punishment will, fooner or later, overtake my rafhnefs. As I am in both of these frames fucceffively, I must own, Sir, I do not fee which of thefe two ways before me, I can take with fafety; and I fhall gladly be ruled by you; because, I truft, God will direct you in giving me the advice, you think will beft conduce to his glory, which is the only thing I would have in view in this affair. I know how precious your time is, and defire no long anfwer,-perfift, or forbear, will fatisfy and influence, Rev. Sir, your unworthy fervant, I. F. London, May 26th, 1757. The Rev. Mr. John Wesley. Rev. Sir, IF F I did not write to you before Mrs. Wef ley had afked me, it was not, that I wanted a remembrancer within, but rather an encourager without. There is, generally, upon my heart fuch fuch a fenfe of my unworthinefs, that I fometimes dare hardly open my mouth before a child of God; and think it an unspeakable honour to ftand before one, who has recovered fomething of the image of God or fincerely feeks after it. Is it poffible, that fuch a finful worm as I fhould have the privilege to converfe with one, whofe foul is fprinkled with the blood of my Lord! The thought amazes, confounds me, and fills my eyes with tears of humble joy. Judge, then, at what distance I muft fee myself from you, if· I am fo much below the leaft of your children; and whether a remembrancer within fuffices to make me prefume to write to you, whofe fhoes I am not worthy to bear. I rejoice that you find every where an increase of praying fouls. I doubt not but the prayer of the righteous hath great power with God; yet I cannot believe, that it fhould hinder the fulfilling of Chrift's gracious promises to his Church. He muft, and certainly will come, at the time appointed; for he is not flack, as fome men count flacknefs; and although, he would have all to come to repentance, yet, he has not forgot to be true and juft. Only he will come with more mercy, and will increase the light, that fhall be at evening-tide, according to his promife in Zech. xiv. 7. I fhould rather think, that the vifions are not yet plainly difclofed; and that the day, and year, in which the Lord will begin to inake bare his arm openly, are ftill concealed from us. I muft fay of Mr. Walfh, as he faid once to me concerning God, "I wish I could attend him every where, as Elifha did Elijah." But fince the will of God calls me from him, I must fubmit, and drink the cup prepared for me. I have not feen him, unlefs for a few moments, three or four times before divine fervice. We muft meet at the throne of grace, or meet but feldom. O when will the communion of faints be complete! Lord haften the time, and let me have a place among them, that love thee, and love one another in fincerity. I fet out in two days for the country. O may I be faithful! Harmless like a dove, wife like a ferpent, and bold as a lion for the common caufe! O Lord do not forfake me! Stand by the weakest of thy fervants, and enable thy children to bear with me, and wrestle with thee in my behalf. O bear with me, dear Sir, and give. me your bleffing every day, and the Lord will return it to you fevenfold. I am, Rev. and dear Sir, your unworthy fervant, I. F. London, April 18th, 1758. Mrs. Glynne. AS S it is never too late to do what multiplicity of business, rather than forgetfulnefs, has forced us to defer, I am not ashamed, tho' after fome months, to ufe the liberty you gave me, to enquire after the welfare of your foul; and that fo much the more, as I am confcious I have not forgotten you at the throne of grace. O may my petitions have reached heaven, and forced from thence, at leaft fome drops of thofe fpiritual fhowers fhowers of righteoufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, which I implore for you. Though, I truft, the unction from above teaches you all things needful to falvation, and especially the neceffity of continuing inftant in prayer, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, yet, I think it my duty to endeavour to add wings to your defires after holinefs, by enforcing them with mine. O were I but clothed with all the righteoufnefs of Chrift, my prayers would avail much; and the lukewarmness of my brethren would not increafe my guilt, as being myself an inftance of that coldness of love, which puts me upon interceding for them. Though I fpeak of lukewarmnefs, I do not accuse you, Madam, of having given way to it; on the contrary, it is my duty, and the joy of my heart, to hope, that you ftir up more and more the gift of God, which is in you; that the evidences of your intereft in a bleeding Lord get clearer every day; that the love of Chrift conftrains you more and more to deny yourself, take up your crofs in all things, and follow him patiently, through bad and good report:-in a word, that continually leaving the things which are behind, you stretch forward, through funshine or darknefs towards the prize of your high calling in Jefus Chrift-I mean a heart emptied of pride, and filled with all the fulness of God. This is the hope, which I delight to entertain of you; and I defcribe it, not out of flattery, Madam, but with an intent that, if you fall fhort in any thing, these lines may be an inftrument in the hand of God to ftir you up again, and make you look on all things as dung and drofs, in comparison of the excellency excellency of the knowledge of Jefus Chrift, with whom we ought to be crucified to the world, and the world to us. I have often thought of you, Madam, in reading the letters of a Lady, who was a Chriftian, and an eminent Chriftian, not to fay one of the brightest lights, that God has raised fince the late revival of godlinefs. The reproach of Chrift was her crown of rejoicing, his crofs her continual fupport, his followers her dearest companions, his example the pattern of her converfation. She lived a faint, and died an angel. Each one of her letters may be a pattern for Chriftian correfpondents, by the fimplicity, edification, and love they breathe in every line. O when fhall I write as fhe did! When my heart fhall be full of God as hers was. May the Lord enable you to walk in her steps, and grant me to fee you fhining among the humble, loving Marys of this age, as fhe did but a few months ago. Her God is our God: the fame Spirit, that animated her, is waiting at the door of our hearts, to cleanse them and fill them with his confolations, if we will but exclude the world, and let him in. Why should we then give way to defpondency, and refuse to cherish that lively hope, which if any one has, he will purify himself, even as God is pure? Take courage then, Madam, and confider, that the hour of felf-denial and painful wrestling with God will be fhort, and the time of victorious recompence as long as eternity itself. May the Lord enable you and me, to weigh that confideration in the balance of his fanctuary, and to act agreeably; G Mrs. Lefevre; and |