I HOPE faith and patience will hold out; the furnace is to try these, but grace and truth can stand the fire, when all counterfeit coin dissolves. It distinguishes between speculative and experimental knowledge; between an assent of the mind, and faith in the heart; between a good, and a false hope; and between the joys of elated nature, and that of the Holy Ghost. The furnace always dashes presumption and conscience out of countenance, and stops the mouth of all prayer, but that of the Spirit of supplication. In the worst of hours, we are sure of support; if no joy, no peace, no love, no comfort, yet we are sure of strength; "As thy days, so shall thy strength be:" and our evidences are more clear, faith more strong, and the peaceable fruits of righteousness more abundant afterwards. The furnace is not joyous, but grievous, neither are they any pleasure to God; but their is a needs be for them, and depraved nature cannot do without them; and the promise is, that the branch purged, shall bring forth more fruit.

I have remembrance of thee in every prayer of mine, making request in thy behalf; and am fully persuaded of thy déliverance in God's own time. Farewell, be of good comfort, for they that fear God shall come forth of them all.

Your's affectionately,

W. H. S S.

LETTER XI,

TO THE SAME.

Downham.

Dear Housekeeper,

WE have just received tidings that we have got rid of the lease of Providence Chapel, which I am glad of at my heart; and I do believe that we shall see the good hand of God in this conflagration, as many here are receiving benefits from our visit this way, which the fire served to hasten; for I did not intend coming so soon, nor staying quite so long, had I not been burnt out of my nest. The long fast in London will spur them on to liberality.

The leper, under the law, that had in his own eyes but one spot, was utterly unclean; but when he was covered all over with scurf, from head to foot, he was clean, and was to be pronounced so, Levit. xiii. Little spots need

not the great Physician, but when our whole nature is laid open, we are devils indeed; and none in earth or hell, appear half so bad. This is God's teaching, and blessed learning it is; there is no guile, deceit, or hypocrisy in these wholesome lessons. We see, we feel, we rue, we lament the pollution, and tremble at the consequences; and with such trembling ones will God dwell; this makes the heart and mouth honest, conscience tender, and the Saviour precious. Such as these, and no other, will Christ accept.

'Sinners are high in his esteem,
And sinners highly value him.'

Accept my love.

W. H. S. S.

LETTER XII.

WHAT the poor man says, is true in me, The Lord took great pains to engross my whole soul, and pleasingly captured every affection; every thought, and every sense. All my will, my wishes, my desires, and every appetite was replenished, satisfied, and filled with real substance. Under this I became crucified and

dead to all creatures, and to all things. Nothing seemed to be alive in heaven or earth, within me or without, but Christ himself. His presence filled my soul, his glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. Sin was purged, devils banished, death swallowed up, hell out of sight and out of mind, and every corruption of nature dead and buried; no revival or resurrection ever thought of, much less expected; and as I felt so I dreamed, and so I sung; and as I then thought, all the prophecies and promises sung the same.

But this was thinking, and speaking as a child, for it was no more than the day of our espousals, and so watchful, and attentive, and tender was the Lord's dealings, that no enemy perplexed me, but an addition of oil was poured in; and not a tear except the tears of love and joy, were suffered to hang on my cheek. But soon these joys were mingled with bitterness, the whole crop of corruption shewed their heads, legal bondage and slavish fear returned, the devil appeared to re-enter his house, a throne of grace became irksome, prayer was straitened, and I met with neither relief nor release. My Lord became shy, and appeared to shun me; "I sought him but I found him not, I called. him, but he gave me no answer." My old task-master often saluted me, not with a, 'How do you do Doctor,' but with a, "Where is

now thy God?" and then set the great transgression before me, and insisted upon it that I was the man; and as the Advocate did not silence him, he went on lying, for in my mouth were no replies, nor reproofs.

At this time, I had put my hand to the plough, and was now looking back; this work had brought the eyes, the malice, and the contempt of fools upon me, which made me afraid. In this plight I went to coal-carrying, harder work, and worse living,, and my apparel like that of a Whitechapel bird-catcher. This was truly Peter's strange thing that happened unto me, 1 Pet. iv. 12; but after many days he came again, when I was quite overwhelmed, and brought heaven, and all the glories of it, with him; and abode many days, and told me before he went away, saying, "I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty, but thou art rich.". One thing appeared strange to me, which was, that in my happiness the whole contents of the bible seemed to be eternal comfort; but in my misery it seemed to contain nothing but tribulation and as it appeared that we must enter the kingdom through much tribulation, I chose to endure it, rather than miss him at last.

W. H. S. S.