ftumblingblock to others. But hitherto my God has supplied all my need, and my faith has been led to believe that, having given me his dear Son, he will with him alfo freely give me all things. And on one occafion efpecially, the heaviest I ever met with of this kind, through a lofs in trade, I was fo greatly supported by access to God, communion with him in public and private means, and a fenfe of his love to me in the covenant head, that I was conftrained to acknowledge, that if fuch difpenfations were always to be attended with fuch manifeftations, I could joyfully submit to them, and think myself richly repaid; for, as afflictions abounded, confolations did much more abound alfo. When this is the cafe, the things of earth fit lightly. I could truft him, in covenant faithfulness, to supply me with every thing needful, both for the life that now is, and for that which is to come. But afterwards, on another occafion of the fame nature, though not to a fifth part of the fame extent, I -found the trial fit much heavier on my foul, for now I was under great fpiritual darkness, my evidences were obfcured, faw not my figns; doubt and defpondency gathered upon my mind; added to this, the hand of God feemed to be gone out against me in providence; and though I knew him to be juft in his dealings with me, yet I did not fee his fatherly chaflifement, but

feared his wrathful indignation; and therefore I could not, as before, receive his correction with humility till, after long contention, during which the calamity was ftill further increased, he was pleased to humble my proud fpirit, and endue me with fubmiffion. Then by degrees my hope was ftrengthened, my confidence reflored, and I was. enabled to caft my burden upon the Lord, and he fuftained me. In this conflict I remarked that a light fhone into my understanding upon feveral paffages of scripture in an extraordinary manner; but as I did not find them applicable to my cafe, and as it reached my understanding only, without producing comfort, humility, fubmiffion, or re-establishment of foul, I could derive no fatisfaction from it, and was, if poffible, more than ever convinced that it is only by drinking of the streams of the river of life that the city of God can be made glad.

In my avocations in life I have fometimes found it neceffary to take long journies into the country, which has deprived me for weeks together of the green pastures in public ordinances; for wherever I have attended I never found any thing, either in preachers or profeffors, that was accompanied with a divine unction, or upon which my foul could feed. Not but there may be fome of the Lord's fheep scattered in the darkeft corners of the earth; and it has often ftruck me, when I have been in fome of these

dark corners, that many of our 'miffionaries, if they were good workmen, 'might find ample room for employment among thofe who, I should think, have quite as ftrong a claim upon them as others who live thousands of miles off. To be fure, when a man leaves his home and native land, and voluntarily makes his field of action lie at fuch a distance, he may perhaps, at the great day, think he can plead, with a better grace, his having done fuch wonderful works. But that is a fubject for their own confideration; and it must be allowed they have left the work in hands that will not be idle (and perhaps with this they are fatisfied), for in every place Arminianifm is fpreading its damnably-erroneous influence, and making its converts twofold more the children of hell than before. I only notice what has paffed under my own obfervation; and as to the drynefs of those pastures, I do but fpeak for myself. Sometimes I have had reafon to cry, "Wo is me that I fojourn in Mefhech, and have my habitation among the tents of Kedar!" At other times I have found that the Lord is not confined to outward means, but that, under the fweet influences of the bleffed Spirit, my foul has been refreshed with the "feaft of fat things, and of wine on the lees well refined." Again: when temptations and difficulties have affailed me, ftrength has been given according to my day; my foul has been fuftained in life; the power of

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Chrift has been manifefied; and his grace was fufficient for me. And, on the other hand, when corruptions have appeared for a little time to be fubdued, when the enemy has not much molefted me, and all things went fmoothly on, I have found my foul drop into a kind of dry, unfruit ful, lethargic frame; and though no particular, no more than ordinary fin, to accufe myself of, yet I have become barren, and almoft lifelefs; fo that hereby I have fometimes found that thefe tares, growing among the wheat, have been the caufe of greater profperity of foul, by exciting the ftrugglings of fpiritual life to oppofe, and, by fresh ftrength being communicated, to obtain the victory over them,

In the month of May laft I was on one of thefe journies in Wales, and was much bleffed with the prefence of God. A fweet calm, a hea venly ferenity of mind, diftilled upon me. Fear, guilt, and condemnation, were removed, and my confcience bathed, as it were, in peace. Happy as I was, yet, left I fhould be refting in a delufion, I questioned, I examined from whence this proceeded, and was enabled diftin&ly to trace it up to the reconciliation between God and man, made by the bleffed Jefus on the crofs. My foul was humbled to the duft, while I adored the riches of free, undeferved mercy and dying love, communicated by the quickening grace of the Holy Spirit. A few weeks after my return this

heavenly visitation was repeated with much increafe; and upon again fcrutinizing, that I might not be deceived, I could again trace it moft dif, tinctly to the fame bleffed fource, and it was accompanied with a fweet affurance that I was made accepted in the Beloved. Chrift was formed in my heart the hope of glory, and I had joy and peace in believing. Now I found what it was to have my confcience purged from fin, and to feel the blood of fprinkling fpeaking better things than that of Abel. Now I found that the Lord had not only brought to the birth, but had given ftrength to bring forth. Now I found that my prayer was answered, and that "men ought always to pray, and not to faint," for that God would indeed avenge his own elect that cry day and night unto him; that he would not break the bruifed reed, nor quench the fmoking flax, until he bring forth judgment unto, victory. Now a new fong was put into my mouth, and I could triumph over my enemy, and give thanks to him whofe "own right hand and holy arm had gotten himself the victory." Now I could fay, "My Beloved is mine, and I am his"-" I fat down under his fhadow with great delight, and his fruit was fweet to my tafte." Here I had accefs with boldness into the Holy of Holies, fin being put away by the facrifice of the Lamb of God; and the nearer I was brought, the more foul melted down into humility, gratitude,

was my