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no. It is, indeed, seldom that sickness and cross-providences, so-called, will affect my heart to tears, though I do not conceive either is to be condemned, providing it arise not from a murmuring and rebellious spirit. But a mourner on account of my sins and after Jesus I would daily be, or we cannot bear those marks which he bore, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” February 11th. My dear Friend, after leaving off last evening, my mind was much relieved while contemplating the sufferings of Jesus in the garden. O! what condescension! What love to favour a poor sinner like me! O! it is a solemn place; no lightness, no pride, no selfishness, no sin can live there. I cried, "Lord, let me not slight, wound, or grieve thee." Love and grief are here so sweetly and solemnly mixed.

"O! what is all my pain?

How light compar'd with thine!"

O! when we consider that every moment of heart-felt peace and joy our souls have, or ever will enjoy, comes to us through the deepest suffering, agony, and pain of our dear suffering Saviour! "The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed." Oh! that I could oftener tread this sacred, solemn ground. Oh! I thought, with the love of Jesus in the heart a dying hour would be found easy and light. Oh! may his sweetest love be then enjoyed by thee and me; and while we remain in this vale of sin and sorrow, be often melted down into contrition at the Saviour's feet. Oh! it is the very vitals of real religion to know Jesus, "the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings. I know my dear friend has a far, far deeper experimental knowledge of these things than the poor worm now faintly attempting to write of them. I do not thus write by way of flattery, the Lord knoweth. Oh! no. I have, indeed, at times thought lately, that the morning was only dawning upon my worthless heart, after more than six years up and down, but the far greater portion down, in this wilderness of pits and snares, much darkness, and very little light. Oh! surely there has not been one so slow to learn, "and slow of heart to believe," as myself, yea, and so unbelieving still at times.

"I feel myself a learner yet,

Unskilful, weak, and apt to slide."

But I shall weary you, if I do not refrain. I should esteem it a favour to receive a line from you at any time, but would by no means press you contrary to your inclination. I find it rare to meet a kindred mind, though there are some that I love; but dear Hart says

"It is decreed that most must pass

The darkest paths alone."

0 mercy of mercies! There is One "that sticketh closer than a brother;" but wretch that I frequently am, I cannot believe him till I feel a renewal of his unchanging love. Oh! does not the unbelief of our hearts speak in language strong and base, as Peter's, "I know not, the man," "I shall be damned at last;" with many more questionings and carnal, lying reasonings. And yet, O, wonder

ful love! he comes again and touches our base hearts, and then we. say, "Bless his dear and precious name!" then we feel to live; then we can believe, and love, and praise: But I can hardly think my friend has such an unbelieving heart as I have.

and may with it

May the Lord pardon my foolishness; and, O Lord, "keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins;" if contrary to his will, may I from this time refrain. And now, dear friend, I must leave you, his blessing which maketh rich and addeth no sorrow abide with you. May his grace dwell in you richly; may his wisdom guide you, may his strength support you, and may his love be sweetly enjoyed by you, is the desire of your very unworthy correspondent; yet sincere friend in the path of affliction.". T. COPELAND.

Oakham, February 10th, 1839.

A LETTER BY THE LATE HENRY FOWLER.

Dear Sister in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour,Grace, mercy, and peace, be daily increased, that you may with spiritual boldness cry "Abba, Father!" God, in his appointed time, called us out of darkness into his marvellous light. He turned our feet to his testimonies. We sought him, and found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; even the Angel of the Covenant, who is God's memorial, and our Mediator and High Priest, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to day, and for ever.' He entered into covenant with us, and we became his by spiritual grace.

power,

Our election was thus evidenced by the comfort, spiritual peace, and sweet tranquillity known by us. We fell at his feet under a deep sense of our utter unworthiness, and acknowledged his Godhead, majesty, and grace.. We saw him by faith in the matchless glory of his Person, as made unto us of God wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; and wanted no other Saviour. We could sing this tune: "To the praise of the glory of His grace, who hath made us accepted in the Beloved."

But we have often been puzzled to make out our election of 'God, on account of our strange feelings and great darkness.. Nevertheless, God has often renewed his work, and set us again on our feet, and hath made plain both our calling and election.

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I preached last night from 2 Peter i. 10: Make your calling and election. sure." I brought forth many things to prove the truth of our calling.

First. The word of God, accompanied by the power of God, entering the heart, enlightening the eyes, searching the inward parts, discovering our danger and ruin.

Secondly. An earnest cry to God out of deep mental affliction : "God be merciful to me a sinner;" "Undertake for me, for I am oppressed," which proves life in the soul. As the child of natural birth proves its birth and life by crying, so the new-born soul prove its calling and life by prayer. "Behold, he prayeth!".

Thirdly. Fearful apprehensions lest he should prove a castaway

at last, and fall short of the promised rest; which fears are increased by the falls of apostates and the. backslidings of saints,increased also by the comforts others seem to enjoy, and the peace they possess, which is attended with a prayer, "Let · me, O Lord, never be deceived; but lead me into thy truth and teach me.".

Fourthly. By a hungering and thirsting for the knowledge of the pardon of sin, and catching at everything which may seem to encourage his hopes.

Fifthly. By the momentary visits of Immanuel's face, which produce true repentance, and humble the soul before God, and help him to go on hoping in his mercy. Every visit from God enlivens his soul; and every departure troubles him, and leads him to search for the cause. He finds himself proud, ungrateful, hard-hearted, rebellious, and cannot heap reproach enough on himself.

Sixthly. By a separation from the carnal world he cannot enjoy their dainties; he cannot shape his conversation to please them and his own conscience at the same time. Thus I have given you six of the heads, the next I forget; and all these things prove the sinner's election as well as calling.

White Lion Street, Pentonville, London. Dec. 3rd, 1822.

H. FOWLER.

A LETTER BY THE LATE NATHANIEL MARRINER.

My much esteemed Friend,-I was glad to receive a letter from you, and also to hear Mr. and all your family are well; I have sent you a book of Mason's, the only one I can find. I had an opportunity of buying the prints of dear old Tom Goodwin; I have sent you one, and beg your acceptance. I have had mine framed. I have also returned the Child of Light, and return you many thanks. When you have done with Boston, you will please send it to me.

I see by your letter, that you are still groaning under a body of sin and death. As it respects myself, I can assure you I am led into many distressing sights, and sense of my own vileness, oftentimes so near gone that I escape with the skin of my teeth. Not a sinner in or out of hell that could pass by me, were my dear Lord to leave me a moment; and many times I have told the Lord that I deserve a double damnation, because I sin with my eyes wide open and against the goodness and mercy of a covenant God. I am oftentimes obliged to cast anchor, and cast my weary soul, with all her filth and vileness, upon the immutability of God in Christ, and there rest, sink or swim. And adored be his name, I know, though I believe not, yet he abideth faithful. He cannot deny himself; and all his gifts and callings are. without repentance; and when he increases my faith in his covenant-power, will, love, and blood, I stand and wonder, and do sensibly feel and confess, that there is more, infinitely more efficacy in His precious blood to save my soul than there is in all my sins to damn. A sense of this

causes an overcoming silence, and breaks my poor soul all to pieces, as poor dear Hart says,

And Toplady:

"I rejoice in Jesu's merits,

Yet continual sorrow bear."

"I am lost in wonder, melt with grief,
And faint beneath the bliss."

Blessed be God for a free, full, and an everlasting salvation to the vilest of the vile, and for ever blessed be his name for giving me a knowledge of an interest in it, and ten thousand blessings be heaped upon his head that he hath put it out of my power ever to damn my own soul, for I am free to confess to a heart-searching God, and to men and devils, that were there one shadow of a probability to do this, I should sink never to rise again. But, as Watts says,

"The terrors of law and of God,

With me can have nothing to do;

My Saviour's obedience and blood,

Hide all my transgressions from view."

What a mercy is this to my soul, that he does not trust his glory and honour in my hands! I am fully persuaded that every thing that is needful to secure his own glory, and my soul's real and final good, is secure in my Covenant-Head. "He is made of God wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and eternal redemption " unto his church. He hath made us accepted ONLY in the Beloved. He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Him. The cause of salvation in all its bearings is in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Jehovah one God; his wisdom and sovereignty shine through all the work; he saves one and damns another because he will, and giveth account of none of his matters. The most vile and base wretches are often taken, and the wise and prudent left to perish in their own deceivings. O! what a miracle of mercy and discriminating goodness am I; and although through His own tender mercy he has blessed my soul with a comfortable hope that he hath put away my sins by the sacrifice of himself, yet I wade through such a sense of my utter lost and ruined estate, and of the awful depravity of my own heart, that at times my head is bowed down, and my very flesh trembles; as poor dear Hart says,

"His honour is engaged to keep,

The meanest of his sheep."

Every days brings to light some damnable hidden evil of the heart. I have every evil and every corruption that ever entered the heart of a sinner in or out of hell; the only difference is this: the Lord does not suffer it to break out into public notice. These things make me sick at heart, and highly prize salvation by grace alone. Our blessing lies in the non-imputation of it; this is were David grounds the blessing: "Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not sin."

Give my love to

; I should like to see him and you at Oxford very well; and I can only say, if the Lord should give you a heart to

to

come, he hath given me a heart to receive you. Love to your wife, and all your family. I am but poorly in body; but, blessed be the Lord, things are all well between him and my soul; for he is determined that he will have the whole glory of my salvation, and he has given me heart to be willing it should be so. Amen.

Yours in him,

NATHANIEL MARRINER.

A LETTER BY THE LATE MRS. GALE.

My dear Friends,-"Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.' Such I can say I found it when I had the pleasure of receiving your kind letters; they found me, I think, where David was when he cried out, "When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I." It seems as if David wanted leading to the Rock all through. He had been blessed with a rich experience of being on the Rock many times before; so it was with me, and the blessed Spirit was pleased to make them the means at that time to lead me to the dear Redeemer's feet, under a deep sense of his great love and mercy to one so vile. I was led to trace all your love and kindness towards me, and that of all the dear people of God, as flowing from the Father of all mercies and God of all comfort. And I can truly say, without the least dissimulation, I would rather have a place in the spiritual affections of the dear children of God than have all the great men of the earth for my relatives.

My dear friend observes, that true faith begets humble boldness. So it does; for a soul truly taught of God cannot be satisfied with anything short of Christ in them the Hope of Glory. They want to be daily feeding on the Lamb slain; to have the best robe, and the ring of eternal love put on, and to be brought into his banquetinghouse; such is the desire of my soul. But my friend tells me I must not expect much of this feasting till we get home and sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Well, if it must be so, let us bless his dear name for having given us an earnest and foretaste of it here, and for betrothing us to himself in righteousness, and that for ever; so that we are as much his bride now as we shall be then. We may say indeed with John, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." Blessed time! my soul longs for it, when I can believe I am one of the happy number; but though we believe not, yet He abideth faithful. What a mercy for one who doubts like me! I am at this time, according to my feelings in body, like my friend and companion who is in the path of affliction; we must have a daily cross, and, as Mr. Toplady says, "If less would do, we should have less." I have as much as I can bear up under, and unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost or altogether dwelt in silence; but I must declare, to the honour of his holy name, he hath been