are under the uninterrupted reign of this disposition; and, therefore, the words and ways of God appear to them dark, partial, unaccountable, and discouraging. They wonder, cavil, censure, and are tormented by what they cannot understand. The above queries and observations upon reason, and on its operations in us, show the absolute necessity of living by faith. For, "whoso is wise, and he shall understand these things; prudent, and he shall know them;" (so far as his present duty and happiness are concerned); "for the ways of the Lord are right," whatever appearances they may wear; " and the just shall walk in them; but transgressors shall fall therein." They have not a principle of faith to oppose and conquer carnal reasoning; and are, in consequence, often led to stumble at the mysteries of revelation and Providence. Who can wonder, that under the conduct of corrupt reason and corrupt passions, "the wicked are like the troubled sea, which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt?" Every creature must be dependent, and every happy creature must be willingly so. When angels in heaven, and man in Eden, "leaned to their own understandings," their guilt and misery commenced. Here is one principal occasion for self-denial. Our own short, vain, confused views of things, must be renounced, and what God declares, must be embraced by faith, however unaccountable to our reason. It is impossible to enjoy peace, if we live by sense and carnal reason. God's declarations believed, satisfy the mind. But if a creature will not be contented with God's testimony, but account for every thing, and ask how?-why?-His understanding must be perplexed, his hopes disappointed, and his peace interrupted. He must suffer loss-the loss of time and labour; and, not unfrequently of his temper too. When once this truth is well fixed in the mind-(I write from experience), its advantages will be numerous and constant. For whenever the mind is beginning to launch forth into the wide ocean of speculation, the believer who has suffered by his presumption, will not go far from the shore of divine revelation, before he cries, "return unto thy rest, O my soul." He has been taught to cast down such reasonings (2 Cor. x. 5). A believer uses his reason to consider the words, connexion, sense, and scope of God's word, and is thankful to the Father of lights for so important a blessing. But if he consults reason, independent of revealed truth, he may be sure that "God's thoughts are not as his thoughts." To receive, and retain, and be governed by God's thoughts of things, is living by faith, and the only way of expelling our own "vain thoughts." In proportion as our minds are influenced by the divine "testimonies," our views agree with God's, our dispositions and pursuits are obedient and heavenly, and our minds are the empire of God-"The kingdom of God is with you." A mind thus subjected to the government of "God in Christ," however comprehensive its ideas, will humbly exclaim, "how little a portion is heard of him!" It will review the operations of Providence, and feeling its own littleness, declare, “it is high! I cannot attain to it." This does not discourage his reflections, and render him indifferent to "the works of God's hands." No; he wishes to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length, and depth and height;" and to know the proceedings of God, which surpass knowledge !" when he comes to the limits of his knowledge in any point, with emotions peculiar to a believer in Jesus, he humbly adores, and cries "O, the depth!" He doubts not of the righteousness of the actions of God, however incompatible to a finite understanding: and forgets not, that there will be" a revelation of the righteous judgment of God." His judg ments are now righteous, but they will one day appear so, to us, to all! "Then shall he make his glories known, I have often been instructed, astonished, and comforted by our Lord's answers to Satan, in that succession of temptations, recorded in the fourth of Matthew. Surely! our divine Lord, who had reason in all its strength and perfection, could have confuted and confounded that desperate spirit, simply by reasoning. He could have disclosed his artifice, weakness, falsehood and pride, by the perfect reason; and sent the apostate spirit, all confusion to his own place. But (mark and imitate it, my soul,) he replies to each temptation-" It is written?" Thus Christ ohtained his victories, by that "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Here is our pattern. It is by "the word of God abiding in us," that we are strong," and overcome the wicked one." In seeking satisfaction in the mysteries of revelation and Providence, ́merely by reasoning,-in attempting to elevate our minds to God, or conquer temptation by it,-we utterly fail. But "Where reason fails with all her powers, There faith prevails and love adores!" Your's, &c. JOHN COOKE. LETTER XII. TO THE REV. JOHN GRIFFIN. Dear Brother, WHILST I was busy here and there, you were gone. How imperfect is every earthly source of happiness. The pleasure of communicating thoughts from soul to soul, even in this world, is very considerable; yea, even the prospect of such an exchange of ideas is pleasing. But in proportion to the mutual confidence and pleasure of friendly intercourse, is the pain felt at its interruption.And even while conversing with you, "I sometimes sighed at the thought of our separation. These sensations I can no more avoid relative to you, than I can avoid breathing. My affection dictates a strong desire that God might place us near each other, for our mutual comfort and edification, but the plan of Heaven has otherwise fixed our abodes; doubtless, so as to consult our most permanent happiness. A lively faith in the wisdom and kindness of this plan;-a firm persuasion that it connects the present with the future, in the best manner; and that if we fully comprehended the influence of our present lot on our future existence, and on the different parts of the divine system, we should joyfully acquiesce in our situations, our duties, and our trials. Such a persuasion raises the soul to a just dominion over the body; a life of faith regulates a life of sense. Experience demonstrates that our friendship on earth is the effect of a power which formed our constitutions, our intellect, our taste and affections. We may live in the same town-in the same house, and converse daily by the same fire side, and form no friendship for want of a congeniality of soul, essential to it. And a thousand leagues are as one mile, where that essential exists, as to the affectionate regards and purposes of friendship. May our friendship be strengthened by the bonds of truth and of grace; a growing excellence of character, and a wise, tender and operative affection: at length may it be consummated in Heaven, and there reviewed in its different progress, with grateful wonder, and realized to be as permanent as our immortal existence. I am often impressed with the thought of our imperfect knowledge of each other in this world; and every thing tends to strengthen the apostle's paradox, of our being "unknown and yet well known." Judge of my friendship towards you by the number of my letters; and you must think I slight you: but if you could see my heart— I forbear, you can see it by seeing your own, in part, and a very considerable part too. When we are together, we talk, we smile, we open some feelings of our hearts; we say things to each other, which, if I judge of your heart by my own, we say to no other person on earth. Nor is this strange, for friendship has its freedoms peculiar to itself; freedoms which may or may not exist in any relation of life. But see John Griffin and John Cooke in their studies, with their Bibles opened before them;-or at the throne of grace, in their secret confessions, ardent requests, sharp conflicts, deep sighs, unutterable breathings, affectionate gratitude, and sacred triumphs! Are these the same men who a few hours ago walked and conversed together up the hill and through the vale? Yes, the same men, differently occupied, variously impressed; governed by the same principles in manifold appearances. As face answereth to face in the water, so the heart of man to man." By this secret, I can see you in the deep meditations of the study; and the near approaches to God in the closet. Suppose not that you are concealed in the secret movements of your heart towards God;-no-your aims are always exceeding your attainments; and after delivering the best sermon you ever preached, and pouring out the most solemn and delightful prayer you ever presented to the God of your life"-you secretly vow to exceed yourself, and hope yet to "see greater things than these." It is the declaration of David to his God, "I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." In this world, entire satisfaction is not attainable; we want something, or fear the loss of what we already possess. We are all imperfect beings, and are therefore very frequently displeased with ourselves and each other. And if others were perfect, and we not so, they would often displease us. And too often we are dissatisfied with the conduct of the blessed God, from its contrariety to our views and inclinations. But in yonder world, we shall be satisfied with God, ourselves and our society. We shall never offend by negligence, mistake, or any bad passions. We shall suffer no want, fear no evil, expect no unplea sant changes. Hail! thou sum of our best wishes-thou Heaven of wisdom and love of purity and joy! No separation by distance of place shall there pain us;-no sigh be heaved at the thought of closing our conference for a year or two; no uneasiness from the idea of leaving the world ourselves, or our friends leaving it before us. All our desires, as righteous, will then be accomplished, and found" as a tree of life." I sometimes look after this state of future existence, and enjoy it in idea. But delightful as that idea is-so much so, that I have known moments of unbelief, dejection and fear, lest it should be too much for my sinful and unworthy soul to enjoy. Yet I rejoice, that all my ideas fall short-very shortunspeakably short of "the glory to be revealed!" What is meant by "seeing face to face;" by "knowing as we are known"-and finding "that which is perfect come, and that which is in part done away"-only eternity can declare, "My soul, with all the powers I boast, Your's, &c. JOHN COOKE. LETTER XIII.-To MRS. SEARLE. My Dear Friend, Bristol, February 20, 1795. THOUGH I am absent in body, yet not absent in thought, and affectionate concern for your well-being in body; but especially in mind. You have renewed instances of the Lord's kindness, as often as he restores you to ease or health; or blesses an affliction to your soul's profit. "It is good for a man to bear the yoke,” not only " in his youth; but in any stage of his existence, if God makes it Our trials of body and mind, are parts of God's plan. That plan is constituted for our present and future good, as well as for |